Remembering How to Play

Frank Forencich of Exuberant Animal believes that we can accomplish some pretty amazing things by living the way we were designed to. A strong contributer to disease, both physical and mental, is  stagnation.  We are simply not meant to be sedentary beings.

Frank, however, is not out there doling out the recommendation to jump on that treadmill or elliptical machine. Frank wants you to play!  Remember playing? That thing we did when we were young, but phased out when we 'matured'?  Frank, and many like him, believe that play is not reserved for the very young. We should all be out there playing and laughing!

Wouldn't it be something if doctors gave prescriptions to play rather than a bottle of antidepressants?  Check out another great article by Frank, "Just Don't Do It:  The Case Against Exercise".

Birthday Partay!

My seven year old daughter wants a birthday party complete with all sorts of things that will take me forever to morph into a healthy version of themselves.  It's not like anything has to taste like their original, overly sweet, fast food brethren because she's never even eaten anything, but my version.  So, pizza and sundaes it is!

What my sundaes will look nothing like. Gross. Honestly, Nesquick on a sundae?

How I'll do it:

Pizza:

• Organic cauliflower crust
• Homemade pesto sauce
• Organic, pastured salami/pepperoni
• Roasted mushrooms
• Raw cheese

Giant Caesar Salad made with our favourite, homemade dressing from Nourishing Traditions, some raw parmesan, and a good sprinkling of organic, pastured bacon crumbs.

Sundaes:

• Homemade ice-cream from raw cream (she loves ginger and vanilla) a la Nourishing Traditions
• Crazy-yummy homemade caramel sauce (made with raw butter, maple syrup and sea salt)
• Freshly roasted and salted pecans
• Toasted coconut
• Unsweetened, organic, 100% chocolate (I buy this and sweeten it myself so we can avoid the cane sugar in all of the sweetened organic chocolate). Cocoa Camino just came out with some bars that are organic and Free Trade, but for some reason, they aren't listed on their website yet.

Sweet Misery

I'm a busy bee today, trying to catch up on my fermentation lab projects around the kitchen. I need to get some veggies chopped up and pounded down.  I also have jugs of raw dairy waiting for a transformation to something bubbly and rich in happy, little bacteria.

In the meantime, the full "Sweet Misery" video is now available for your viewing pleasure.  If you, or anyone you know, is still consuming artificial sweetener under the premise that it's safe, I suggest you sit down with a cup of tea and watch. Good stuff.

p.s. All this stuff about artificial sweeteners applies to that wad of gum you're chewing. Are you listening, my sweet children?

Suicide by Pesticide

Farmers in India are committing suicide at staggering rates. Big industry has moved in to India with promises of miracles and prosperity. Only, it's not the reality. Pesticides touted as the answer to poverty have indeed buried farmers deeper in debt. Since 1997, more than 25,000 farmers have committed suicide, many by drinking the same chemicals that brought them to ruin.

Check out "Seeds of Suicide, India's Desperate Farmers" on Frontline World Rough Cut. Frontline has also provided a full page of informative links on the farming situation in India.

1500 Indian farmers commit mass suicide due to crop failure. Genetically engineered crops drive the farmers deeper in debt as they lose the ability to harvest their own seed.

P.S.  You may have caught a glimpse of the brilliance that is Dr. Vandana Shiva on the above video. If you would like to learn more about this powerful woman, a woman who is making a real difference in this world, her blog is a good place to start. From there, you can find out what you can do to help.

The Fiber Myth

Whole grain goodness or sugar on a mission to irritate? Hint: Pick the latter, pick the latter.

For decades, fiber has been touted as the holy grail to 'regularity'. If you were constipated, it was a lack of fiber and water. Back in 2005, the mainstream Journal of American Gastroenterology, published a study citing the futility in increasing fiber or water in hopes of increasing bowel transit time. In fact, the study debunks these myths entirely.

Out of the scope of the study is the consideration of what may be the solution. There's some interesting discussions happening over the importance of balanced gut flora playing a significant role in the health of our entire digestive systems. In regards to constipation in particular, probiotics appear to be essential in regular elimination.

I'm going to turn this one over to some sharper minds than mine. Please forgive my infrequent posts as of late. We've just moved to our new digs and I'm up to my eyeballs in boxes. A few more days and sleep will be mine!

Further Reading:

• Science Daily: Debunking Constipation Myths, The Truth About High Fiber Diets and Laxatives
• Carnivore Health: Screw You Fiber
• Dr. Michael Eades with A Cautionary Tale 
• Fiber Menace