Praying For...Gayle and her family...orphans, neglected, and abused children everywhere...all those that don't have a safe, warm bed and home to sleep in...the leaders of nations that their hearts can be softened...the citizens of the planet that we seek peace on earth and good will toward mankind.
The Herbalist...More and more I'm asked about ADD, depression, premature puberty, and autism in children. These seem to be epidemic in children and adults alike. Why is that? It's not hard to see that our dirty environment is at least one of the causes--dirty food, dirty air, dirty water, and dirty entertainment. Take premature puberty; it's not only the high level of growth hormones found in animal products but the excess animal fats and proteins that cause premature puberty (I wish I had saved the study, where I read about this). While pre-mature puberty can't be reversed, symptoms of the others can be alleviated and causes reversed. A clean diet can calm mental illness storms just as a dirty diet (animal, processed, white) can contribute to them. Also, trauma is often manifest in children as ADD/ADHD and Asperger's. Drugs only mask the symptoms and don't help people learn to deal with pain and out of control thoughts/behavior. Of course this is opinion, but I've worked with enough parents of hyper/depressed/distant/angry children to be pretty darn certain of my opinion.
First and foremost, removing all fake (processed and white) and animal foods from the diet brings peace to an over stimulated mind. Think about it; animals are bred and butchered under terrible and even sadistic conditions. If I eat the body of an animal under high stress, won't I get a good dose of stress hormones in my 'food'? Adopting a whole-food, high-nutrient, starch-based, plant-centered diet with plenty of distilled water will clean out the bowel. I also like to use cleansing herbs for bowel, kidneys, liver/gallbladder, blood stream, and lymph system here. A clean bowel and body to the cellular level often alleviates a nasty disposition and if nothing else keeps one from getting colon and various other cancers. Other specific herbal formulas for these problems include Ear and Nerve formula, Hormonal Changease, Female or Male Formulas, Adrenal Formula, Thyroid Formula, and Relaxease.
Removing electronic entertainment and spending hours in the outdoors enhances the effects of clean food and herbs. Instead of video games, soda, and potato chips, planting and maintaining a garden, picnicking, hiking, swimming, keeping nature journals, skiing, surfing, and all other sorts of outdoor activities strengthen the body and clear the mind. Practicing yoga is wonderful for body and mind especially on days when weather won't permit much time outdoors. Prayer, scripture study, and reading good books is likewise beneficial to the body, mind, and spirit. Instead of Mom doing all the cooking, she should establish a culture of family meal prep and clean up. Chopping veggies is so calming. When children plan, shop for, and help cook healthy meals, they are more likely to eat them. Learning skills of self-sufficiency is empowering and thus calming to children. Washing dishes together can be a delightful tradition, with all the singing, talking, joking, towel snapping, and learning about order. Finally, eliminating excess clutter and learning to keep an orderly environment leads to a more orderly, calm mind. Sure it takes time, but do we have children to figure out ways NOT to spend time with them? Children need love, which is spelled TIME.
Cuchina Fresca...Making my version of Jeff Novick's Southwest Burgers for dinner. 3 c. cooked, mashed Black Beans, 1 c. rolled quinoa, 1 c. cooked brown rice, 1/2 c. corn (only in some, since S is allergic to corn), 1⁄2 c. cooked, whole black beans, 1/2 c. salsa, 1 t. chili powder, 1 t. powdered garlic, 1 t. powdered onion, 1 T. powdered dehydrated veggie mix, 1/4 t. smoked paprika, 1 t. powdered ancho chili...mix it up, make into 8 patties, chill for 30 min, grill for a few minutes per side, eat with burger fixings including jalapeno peppers, 100% whole grain buns or not, oven fries, spinach salad, and watermelon. Leftovers good reheated or cold.
Preparedness...The world is getting so crazy; I hope everyone is storing food and supplies. Beans and brown rice and potatoes/sweet potatoes/squash and dehydrated/canned/frozen veggies and gallons of distilled water and tomatoes and salsa and spices and sprouting/micro green seeds and cooking fuel could mean the difference between starving and thriving in an emergency or unemployment. Shoot for 60 lbs. dry beans and 400 lbs. brown rice per adult. Then add the others. Rotating these foods into the diet will accomplish more than keeping stored foods fresh. Basing a diet on the above, a person can reverse all degenerative disease and obesity. It is the basis for the diet I discuss above. It is the least expensive and healthiest way to eat known to man (that is except sponging off government assistance.)
Bibliophile...gave a copy of Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease to a business associate, who is facing her 4th open heart surgery...you never know. Not reading anything new this week but did re-read the above, The Human Body in Health and Disease, and The Starch Solution by McDougall. All are excellent.
Movement and Sound of Music...walked the board walk at Redondo, while singing Under the Boardwalk. Of course the tide was in so we were not under it, but...well...I love to walk and sing there...Spencer sat next to me in church. Because he attends a singles congregation, it's been a long time. Wow, that young man has a wonderful singing voice. His speaking voice is so mellow, too. He should be some sort of public speaker or radio anchor.
