Genesis 1:29

Know Which Food is Genetically Modfied

2011-05-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

[gratefully borrowed from http://www.care2.com/greenliving/know-which-food-is-genetically-modfied.html]

One of my friends sent me a great article today on how to know which food is genetically modified, as well as which food is organic, or just conventionally grown.

Did you know that an amazing 80 percent of processed foods are genetically modified? I wasn’t a big fan of processed foods before I read that, but will be even less enthusiastic (if that’s possible) now.

In an article published on FriendsEat.com, Spencer Cooper tells us the codes to look for in determining what type of food we’re getting. You’re looking for the number in front of the four-digit Price Look Up, or PLU, code on the product you’re about to buy and subsequently put in your mouth. A 9 means organic, an 8 means genetically engineered (GE) or genetically modified (GMO); and just the four-digit code means conventionally grown (i.e. pesticides, chemical fertilizer, stuff like that).

The example Cooper gives us is clarifies all this:
A conventionally-grown banana will have a code of 4011
An organic banana will be 94011
A GE or GMO banana will be 84011

So cool! I had no idea. I buy organic whenever possible, but now will be on the lookout for the telltale eight or missing fifth number.

- Jocelyn Broyles

10 Reasons to Hate Veg*ans

2010-10-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

It's continually amazing to me how intense are the feelings of meat eaters when they become aware they've come into contact with a veg*an (vegetarian/vegan). Rarely do they ask pertinent questions: "Why did you decide to abstain from animal products?"; "Have you found your diet/lifestyle to be beneficial?"; even, "How are you doing with your decision?"

Instead, they either step back, aghast and fearful of infection with the disease, or they attack: "What're you some kind of hippy nutcase?"; "There's nothing in the Bible that says eating meat is a sin - IN FACT! God tells us to eat meat!"; and the fake caring, "Oh dear! How do you get your protein? Aren't you afraid you'll get sick?" (Like they go around counting how many grams of protein, etc. they eat!)

So many of them wind up getting all confused and tangled up in their false claims and fears, it's rather sad to watch them. Therefore, I thought I'd help our my carcass-eating friends with a list of good, solid reasons to hate veg*ans:

Them durn veg*uns are always tellin me how meat and good stuff will hurt me! How dare they stick their ol noses in my business? If I want to ruin my and my kids' health, that's my own business! I can push any dangerous substance on my kids I want to, like hamburgers, hot dogs, cigarettes, beer, meth, milk, sodie pops. They're my kids!
Looking smug while sitting there all skinny and healthy and all! If I want a 52 inch waist line, I'll durn sure have one! I don't need your ol pink cheeks grinnin at me when I try to get up from my chair.
They don't hold up their end on supporting the healthcare industry. Why is it, me and my kids have to be sure the doctors and hospitals and clinics stay in business? Stoopid veg*ans don't have to go to them near as much as we*uns do. Just ain't fair! (Where's my heart pills, Mother, I'm a gittin worked up!)
And how come I have to pay more for life insurance then them? If I'm gonna die sooner, seems like mine should cost less!
They don't have to walk near as far as I do when they go grocery shopping! There dumb ol produce department is always at the front of the store, while my meat, cheese, and budder is all the way at the back! Don't the grocery store people know we get short of breath quicker?
They make me sick, goin on and on about how my beloved meat is hurting the environment. Who cares about the chicken, cow, and pig poop anyways? That's just good fertilizer to grow more crops to feed my animals. Who cares if it takes a whole lot more veggies to make a little bit of meat? Ain't like people's starvin, is it?
They make me feel uncomfortable with all their talk about sufferin and tortured animals. I can't help it if animals gotta be penned up tight all their lives so I can eat a big ol greasy burger. It ain't none a my business how the food gets to my plate, just so long as there's plenty of it!
If they're so concerned about the starving children in third world countries, let them kids raise their own cows and pigs and chickens! I don't know what they'll feed their animals! Send them some food for the animals! Starvin kids across the world ain't my concern, as long as my kids get hot dogs and pertater chips!
It also annoys me when they start off talkin about God meanin for us to be veg*uns in the beginning. That was then, in the Garden of Eden. I don't care what God wanted us to do. I ain't never killt no body - not directly, anyways. I CAIN'T LIVE WITHOUT MY MEAT!
When we all get old, I've heard them veg*uns will be stealing our wives and husbands in the nursing homes! It ain't fair! Not only will they live longer, they'll be in better shape! Stoopid veg*uns! Wow! muy hearts a'poundin outta my chest! Mother! where's them heart pills? Better call 9-1-1 agin, Mother. I'm having another one of them attacks!

Feel free to pass this along to your meat eating friends. Just don't wait too long - you may be too late!

Christine O'Donnell Anti-Evolutionist

2010-09-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

Bill Maher, in his never ending quest to make fun of everyone who disagrees with him - which would be fine if he'd just stay in his basement to do it - has pulled out old footage of a past show in which her makes fun of Christine O'Donnell's beliefs. I guess mostly to show how open minded liberals are.

Watch the clip:

Sweet, huh? Maher just can't get enough of poking fun at someone who believes in God and His Word. It seems like the more we exercise our Constitutional rights to free speech, the more angry and threatened those "liberals" get.

Have you ever looked up the word liberal? It means, "• favorable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms : liberal citizenship laws. • (in a political context) favoring maximum individual liberty in political and social reform." Maybe the "liberals" should learn to read a dictionary! Poke a hole in their evolution religion and they go ape! (Sorry) Their first line of defense is to belittle anyone who disagrees with their theories.

How far we've drifted in America from a time when to make fun of God or religious beliefs was considered rude, if not wicked altogether! Well, any religious beliefs besides Islam, that is. For over 200 years, this culture showed respect toward our country's Christian heritage, and tolerance toward other beliefs. But today we've DEvolved into a swamp of gleeful atheists who demand their right to attack us, while refusing us the right to even exercise our religious and Constitutional rights to freedom of religion.

I'm right on the verge of becoming ashamed to associate myself with the new American image. This new culture, which has spring up in the last 20 or so years has culminated in the Obama/Pelosi administration's move from traditional Judeo/Christian values to no values at all within a socialist agenda. Reading visitors' comments on some of the O'Donnell evolution stories you find hate filled bile spewed out against anyone who stands up for Godly values or Biblical history.

We have been called a City on A Hill, because of how we have championed Christian liberty in the world. America is quickly becoming a garbage heap on a pile as we rush to sound just like every backward tribe in the world. We have lost our edge and our willingness to stand up for Right against the World and their ignorance and wickedness. Obama's urgency to turn us into just another failing third-world cliché is simply a reflection of our culture's slide into degradation.

Public figures like Christine O'Donnell who are willing to risk defamation and mocking in order to be a voice of reason in the wilderness are heroes. "IF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you," you will not only be a "Man" (i.e. human, adult, courageous, with morals), but you will be a hero to others who have any integrity.

Immunize Yourself!

2010-09-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Scientists have recently discovered that vitamin D, known to support bone health and much more, is a crucial component in our body's immune system. This often overlooked vitamin serves to activate T cells so they can fight off viral and bacterial invaders.

Researchers have found that T cells rely on vitamin D in order to activate and that they remain dormant if vitamin D is lacking in the blood. In other words, if there’s not enough vitamin D in the blood, then the T cells remain passive and no immune response occurs. Their study was published in the journal Nature Immunology.

Professor Carsten Geisler, of the Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, explains that “when a T cell is exposed to a foreign pathogen, it extends a signaling device or ‘antenna’ known as a vitamin D receptor, with which it searches for vitamin D. This means that the T cell must have vitamin D or activation of the cell will cease. If the T cells (white blood cells) cannot find enough vitamin D in the blood, they won’t even begin to mobilize.”

And that could spell trouble—especially since 75% of U.S. teens and adults are deficient in vitamin D.
Make sure your T cells are activated this season. T cells are part of the adaptive immune system. That means that they function by teaching the immune system to recognize and adapt to constantly changing threats.

T cells are white blood cells that can transform into two types of cells—at least once they’re activated. One type searches and destroys infectious agents, while the other type records information about the invading pathogen and communicates that knowledge to other parts of the immune system. That’s why the latter cells are called “helper” cells; they help the immune system respond quickly if there is a future infection with a similar invader.

The key here is that these T cells must be activated in order to function properly. If they’re not activated, then they just sit there—with no immune response—and those invaders can march right on in and gain a foothold.

So what activates these killer T cells? Vitamin D.

You heard right. To make sure your family has a healthy immune system during this coming flu season, you don't have to rely on a very questionable flu shot which many are avoiding like the plague. Instead, help your bodies' own natural immune systems by supplying your family with enough vitamin D to fight off the invaders themselves, naturally.

This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment. Find a doctor who is open to alternative, natural cures and not just brainwashed by the pharmaceutical industry!

When I Am the Brat

2010-09-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

Twila Paris sings a song, The Warrior is A Child, about a Christian minister who falls into his Father's arms when he gets hurt or tired, despite others thinking he is a tough warrior. I love that song because it so clearly depicts the parent's or stepparent's dilemma. We are supposed to be strong, to remain calm and wise, to bear all the stepkids' attacks and our own children's tests, and to be saintly to our dear spouse. But we can be just as weak and just as prone to failures as anyone else in our family ... can't we?

I lost it last night. I have excuses. Input overload; tired from pressures of work; frustrated over numerous small problems; a slow Internet signal; cats determined to steal some of our cheese dip; on and on. You know, life. Anyway, one straw too many was dropped onto this camel's back and I sort of, you know, ... exploded at everyone. Threw a fit. Had a tantrum. Acted inappropriately. And ruined what had been until my outburst a perfect evening at home. My darling wife had blessed me with a short nap when we got home, then a wonderful dinner, then a quiet evening together. And I blew it.

On my way to work this morning I stopped at a little park on the way and gathered the fragments of my mind for a moment by the lake. It is a perfectly still, cool morning today, so the surface of the lake is like a sheet of glass. No ducks or geese make trails across the water today. As I look at the lake, I see so clearly the trees, rocks, and walkers on the other side of the lake, reflected in the pristine surface. An occasional bubble from a bottom feeding turtle breaks the surface and causes ripples that disrupt the serene picture in the liquid mirror, but overall it's perfect.

The Bible says, "Be still and know that I Am God." And, once again, He is right.

When I am at peace, I more clearly reflect God. Looking at that lake surface, you have to really focus to see the lake itself. Instead, you see what is reflected on it's peaceful face, in this case, the beautiful natural setting on the other side of the lake. When I am at peace, you do not at first see me. You see what I reflect.

However, on a windy day when waves disrupt the lake, or when outside forces disturb it (like ducks or rocks thrown by someone), the lake itself jumps into view. You lose the serene picture of the reflection and are jolted back to looking only at the lake and what's disturbing it.

How much time do you devote to peaceful meditation and prayer? How many times during the day do you sit aside the jangling issues of your life to find your peaceful, quiet center? ("Be still and know that I Am God.")

If you are a spouse to someone you value; if you are a parent to a normal child; if you are a stepparent to a "typical" stepchild, you need to "renew your strength" on a regular basis. To be who your mate, your children, and your stepchildren depend on, you must give them the gift of a peaceful you. And in order to have that peaceful you available for them, you must take time for your surface to grow calm.

I know, I know. In a hectic daily grind life of work, chores, responsibilities, parenting, marriage, and everything else, it can seem impossible to find your quiet self. But of all your tasks, this one is one of the most important. You MUST do it. In order to be the person your family is depending upon, you MUST repair your soul regularly. Join a prayer group or a Bible study class or a yoga class. Find a quiet park on the way to work and leave early enough to stop there. Hire a coach to guide you.

Get something in place to help you. Because, if you're like the vast majority of overburdened individuals out there, you'll set it aside and place your serenity last. If you put it off, if you let it slide, you will wake up someday ashamed and disturbed at what you've become. You owe it to your family, your God, and yourself to do this.

If you just cannot find a way to find your peaceful center otherwise, I will help. But whatever method or assistant you choose, DO IT. Your future is counting on you.

God bless your whole family!
STEPcoach Bob Collins

To hear Twila Paris' song and read the lyrics, you can go here: http://artists.letssingit.com/twila-paris-lyrics-warrior-is-a-child-dcc26pg

.. and God Said It WasGood!

2010-08-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

Let's not even get on the issue of clubbing baby seals (oops! there I said it!), and just look at this sweet animal who is clearly delighted to find a new friend. I watch this and I think of the years (or days, or millennia, or whatever) that Adam and Eve lived in the garden in peace with their animal companions. (Gen. 1:25-31; 2:18-20) This young elephant seal just seems so happy to have connected with a human who is as willing as she is to be friends. When she throws her head back, could she be saying, "Oh praise You Creator! What joy!"?

Please remember, our first duty (the "oldest profession") was to take care of the garden and the animals. We were never released from that responsibility, were we?

Be good to each other!
STEPcoach Bob

The Price of Laziness

2010-06-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough week. I started out last weekend feeling oddly like I had the flu or something - achy, upset stomach, etc. Then, just out of the blue, I happened to check my blood sugar - it was 385! That's more than twice what it was at its worst two years ago when I first got it.

My vegan diet got me out of trouble then, bringing my numbers all back down into healthy levels, but apparently my occasional "allowances" have been adding up. First I let cooking oils back in - granted I used extra virgin olive, but it's still oil*. Then I began falling for my old temptress, cheese**. Only a little, at first, but then eating pizza fairly often - even plain cheese pizza with all the different kinds of cheese. I should have recognized that I was getting too far off track when I began buying into the whole "eggs are part of a healthy diet" jazz and started eating EGGS#!

The clue that finally got my attention was when I started have "rolling blackouts" where I'd start to do or say something and just phase out. My wife was getting worried and so was I, when I could remember having the blackout. I got a new batch of glucose test strips and found the bad news.

So - go to the doctor and let him insist that I begin Metformin or some other poisonous diabetes drug, or get myself back to basics and clean the machine.

Duh.

I set out Monday morning to renew my commitment to Dr. Barnard's Program to Reverse Diabetes, the book that saved me before. All this week I've had gentle breakfasts: steelcut oatmeal with no butter or oil, just flavorings and flax meal, or rye toast with banana spread (that's a soft banana spread on the toast!). Followed by very basic lunches: frozen fresh veggies with rice or pasta, or beans and rice; and dinner of something similar - or my treat, non fat refried beans and rice and veggie cheese burritos with lots of salsa on top. Oh, and only water to drink. Snacks were some boiled baby potatoes, salad munchies, or crisp rye bread.

Today, five days into the diet, my blood glucose was 185, 245, and 211. Not great, and certainly not where I want or need to be, but one half what it was just a few days ago.

Was it hard? Not really. I am motivated by fear and necessity, so I am sticking with the plan well. It's nice to get back to the basics. I hope I won't have to restart again, but I might. At least I know there is a safe, reasonable solution to run to.

More updates later.

God bless y'all!
Bobby C.

*Any oil contributes to the intermyocellular fats that clog your muscle cells and prevent the proper intake of glucose.
** Cheese is basically condensed, concentrated cow's milk, which means all the blood, pus, and poisons of cow's milk in super strength form!
# Eggs do, indeed, have some good properties: vitamins, amino acids, etc. But they come wrapped in a cholesterol heavy, animal protein, high sodium soup. That's 1028mg of cholesterol (yes, one THOUSAND milligrams - that's FOUR times as much as a fatty 16 ounce T bone steak!). And animal proteins, as opposed to vegetable proteins, are extremely hard on your kidneys. Sodium - don't get me started!

Antibiotic Soap Danger!!!

2010-04-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the safety of a widely used chemical found in antibacterial soap, toothpaste and other consumer goods.

The agency said Thursday in an online statement it is looking into recent studies showing the chemical triclosan can alter hormone levels in animals. Other studies suggest the chemical increases bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

The FDA says it currently has no evidence that triclosan is hazardous to humans and does not recommend consumers avoid it. However, the agency said there is no evidence that soap with triclosan is superior to soap without the ingredient.

The European Union recently banned triclosan from any products that come into contact with food.

[SOURCE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/08/fda-will-review-safety-of_n_530797.html]

2010-04-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

A good friend passed these along to me and they were so good I had to share them with you.
According to her notes, this is a wild deer that comes into this private yard to visit their cat. Apparently, they're pretty good friends, even though we would consider them natural enemies.
Animals are wonderful.

greeting each other

"WHERE have you been?"

"see, first I'd grab your bottom ...

... then I'd jump up on your neck like this."

"You're just being silly, my friend!"

FDA approves poison in food

2010-04-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

We give so much credence to the FDA and their decisions regarding our health. But issues like the following keep popping up. It is good to keep in mind that the FDA is very open to outside influences, including those by producers of dangerous substances.

"WHY HAS THE FDA ALLOWED A DRUG MARKED 'NOT SAFE FOR USE IN HUMANS' TO BE FED TO LIVESTOCK RIGHT BEFORE SLAUGHTER?:" 02/02/10: "While researchers and scientists investigate the cause of our diabetes, obesity, asthma and ADHD epidemics, they should ask why the FDA approved a livestock drug banned in 160 nations and responsible for hyperactivity, muscle breakdown and 10 percent mortality in pigs, according to angry farmers who phoned the manufacturer... Though banned in Europe, Taiwan and China--more than 1,700 people were "poisoned" from eating Paylean-fed pigs since 1998 says the Sichuan Pork Trade Chamber of Commerce... How does a drug marked, "Not for use in humans. Individuals with cardiovascular disease should exercise special caution to avoid exposure. Use protective clothing, impervious gloves, protective eye wear, and a NIOSH-approved dust mask" become "safe" in human food? With no washout period? The same way Elanco's other two blockbusters, Stilbosol (diethylstilbestrol or DES), now withdrawn, and Posilac or bovine growth hormone (rBST), bought from Monsanto in 2008, became part of the nation's food supply: shameless corporate lobbying. A third of meetings on the Food Safety and Inspection Service's public calendar in January 2009 were with Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly--or about ractopamine...

...Nor can we overlook the effects of "adding these drugs to waterways or well water supplies--via contaminated animal feed and manure runoff-- when this class of drugs is so important in treating children with asthma," says David Wallinga, MD of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy...."

Original story: http://www.alternet.org/story/145503/

Arguments against an Alternate Lifestyle

2010-02-24T07:28:00.000-08:00

While I accept that eating meat is a personal choice, and that it is not considered a "sin" by God or His church (just as smoking cigarettes isn't), it is also true that flesh eating is not what our bodies were designed for. We were created with a specific diet (fuel source, if you will) in Mind - vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes. Carnivorism, or carrion eating, is an alternative lifestyle choice some may choose over the recommended, natural way we were intended to live.

Whether you choose to avoid dead flesh and blood for religious, environmental, or health reasons, here are some facts which may help you explain your choice to others if they pester you - which scavengers tend to do when their own unnatural lifestyle is challenged. And for some reason (conscience perhaps?) just by being a vegetarian, they feel we challenge their alternative lifestyle.

Thoughts?

The Hunger Argument

Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition this year: 20 million
Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 100 million
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by people: 20
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 80
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90
How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition: every 2.3 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 40,000
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 250
Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of edible flesh from feedlot beef: 16

The Environmental Argument

Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more
Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75
Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85
Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million
Amount of meat imported to U.S. annually from Central and South America: 300,000,000 pounds
Percentage of Central American children under the age of five who are undernourished: 75
Area of tropical rain forest consumed in every quarter-pound of rain forest beef: 55 square feet
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rain forests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 per year

The Cancer Argument

Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week: 3.8 times
For women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week: 2.8 times
For women who eat butter and cheese 2-4 times a week: 3.25 times
Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times.

The Cholesterol Argument

Number of U.S. medical schools: 125
Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30
Nutrition training received by average U.S. physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours
Most common cause of death in the U.S.: heart attack
How frequently a heart attack kills in the U.S.: every 45 seconds
Average U.S. man's risk of death from heart attack: 50 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat: 15 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat, dairy or eggs: 4 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption of meat, dairy and eggs by 10 percent: 9 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption by 50 percent: 45 percent
Amount you reduce risk if you eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from your diet: 90 percent
Average cholesterol level of people eating meat-centered-diet: 210 mg/dl
Chance of dying from heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol level is 210 mg/dl: greater than 50 percent

The Natural Resources Argument

User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock production
Amount of water used in production of the average cow: sufficient to float a destroyer
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef: 5,000
Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13
Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260
Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calorie of protein from beef: 78
To get 1 calorie of protein from soybeans: 2
Percentage of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by U.S. that is devoted to the production of livestock: 33
Percentage of all raw materials consumed by the U.S. needed to produce a complete vegetarian diet: 2

The Antibiotic Argument

Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55 (70% today)
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13
Percentage resistant in 1988: 91
Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban
Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support

The Pesticide Argument

Common belief: U.S. Department of Agriculture protects our health through meat inspection
Reality: fewer than 1 out of every 250,000 slaughtered animals is tested for toxic chemical residues
Percentage of U.S. mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 99
Percentage of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 8
Contamination of breast milk, due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in animal products, found in meat-eating mothers vs. non-meat eating mothers: 35 times higher
Amount of Dieldrin ingested by the average breast-fed American infant: 9 times the permissible level

The Ethical Argument

Number of animals killed for meat per hour in the U.S.: 660,000
Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker
Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job-injury in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker

The Survival Argument

Athlete to win Ironman Triathlon more than twice: Dave Scott (6 time winner)
Food choice of Dave Scott: Vegetarian
Largest meat eater that ever lived: Tyrannosaurus Rex (Where is he today?)

Source = "Diet For A New America" by John Robbins

The Problem with Soda

2010-02-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

This is from a Care2 article:

Most soft drinks are made with highly concentrated sweeteners, like high-fructose corn sweetener. Even the “healthier” versions made with good old-fashioned sugar deliver it in a highly concentrated dose. The job of the pancreas is to secrete insulin when needed to process sugar, so when you hit your body with a wallop of sugar, the pancreas goes into overdrive. Experts at the University of Minnesota followed 60,000 people in China and found a link between those who drank large quantities of soda and the incidence of pancreatic cancer. The researchers theorize that stressing the pancreas repeatedly with high doses of sugar leads to inflammation, which in turn sets up a vulnerability to pancreatic cancer.

Their study found that people who drank two or more sodas a week had an 87 percent increase in their risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Since pancreatic cancer is rare, and the overall risk of developing it is low, even an 87 percent increase is not as big as it sounds. But pancreatic cancer is a particularly deadly type of cancer, killing most of those who get it within a few years. So protecting our pancreas is something we all need to take seriously.

I can't overemphasize this point - it is dangerous to drink sugar pops (sodas, colas, soft drinks, etc). For an adult to do so is about the same as smoking - personal choice to defy a slow, painful death from your body falling apart. For a parent to hand a sugar pop to their child is tantamount to handing that child a syringe filled with a drug!

In her book, Food & Behavior, Barbara Stitt notes:

The connection between food and behavior is so basic that it is being over looked by parents, the school system, counselors and most of the medical professionals.
Ask any hyperactive child, depressed, angry teenager, violent adult or criminal what they eat and you'll find they "live" on junk food - sweetened boxed cereals, candy, carbonated drinks, potato chips, fast foods.
Junk food abuses the mind, undernourishes the body and distorts the behavior.

Children model after their parents. Studies have shown repeatedly that children whose parents smoked are much likelier to smoke, whose parents drank alcohol would probably drink; therefore, it follows that if you have sugar pops in the house and you drink them in front of your kids, they will become addicted to this drug, also.

What do you want to will to your children: diabetes, obesity, hyperactivity, and pancreatic cancer, among many other problems, or habits of good health so they can enjoy a good, long life?

Think about it!
STEPcoach Bob Collins

Food for Thought for Food

2010-02-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Plutarch taught: Can you really ask what reason Pythagoras had for abstaining from flesh? For my part I rather wonder both by what accident and in what state of soul or mind did so, the first man touched his mouth to gore and brought his lips to the flesh of a dead creature, he who set forth tables of dead, stale bodies and ventured to call food and nourishment the parts that had little before bellowed and cried, moved and lived.

How could his eyes endure the slaughter when throats were slit and hides flayed and limbs torn from limb? How could his nose endure the stench? How was it that the pollution did not turn away his taste, which made contact with the sores of others and sucked juices and serums from mortal wounds?

It is certainly not lions and wolves that we eat out of self-defense; on the contrary, we ignore these and slaughter harmless, tame creatures without stings or teeth to harm us, creatures that, I swear, Nature appears to have produced for the sake of their beauty and grace. But nothing abashed us, not the flower-like like tinting of the flesh, not the persuasiveness of the harmonious voice, not the cleanliness of their habits or the unusual intelligence that may be found in the poor wretches.

No, for the sake of a little flesh we deprive them of sun, of light, of the duration of life to which they are entitled by birth and being.
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We consume the carcasses of creatures of like appetites, passions and organs with our own, and fill the slaughterhouses daily with screams of pain and fear.
-Robert Louis Stevenson
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I don't eat chicken anymore. I won't eat it. I won't allow it in my house. -Rodney Leonard - U.S. Poultry inspector

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Based on my experience in Los Angeles, my advice to the public is not to eat meat. - Gregorio Natavidad - meat inspector

Diabetics: Got Vinegar? Yaotta!

2010-02-17T11:11:00.000-08:00

Just read some very interesting news about keeping my blood sugar under control and making my wife happy: scientists have completed a study that showed that vinegar prevents sugar spikes after eating. Here, look:

Past studies have shown that consuming vinegar can improve insulin sensitivity in people with insulin resistance and possibly improve blood glucose control in people with Type 2 diabetes. Now, research has indicated that vinegar consumption is also effective at controlling after-meal blood glucose levels in those with Type 1 diabetes.

Diane Fennell reports in Diabetes Self Management that the subjects of the study drank two tablespoons of vinegar in one and a half tablespoon of water just before eating. Their blood sugar rose after the meal - as everyone's does naturally - but it did not spike high as is common with diabetics.

No one is completely sure why this works, but it does.

While the mechanisms by which vinegar helps control after-meal blood glucose levels aren’t entirely clear, it is known from previous studies that vinegar delays stomach emptying and that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, enhances glucose storage in the liver and muscle tissue.

So, if there's a good result, why not try? And unlike medicines that usually cause more dangerous side effects than their intended good, vinegar is a natural treatment. That means it is unlikely to have any negative side effects. Of course, some people do have allergies to some things, so you might want to ask your M.D. if you've never used vinegar in this way before.

The article closes with this note:

According to the researchers, “two tablespoons of vinegar could easily be used as a complementary food (e.g., in a salad dressing) to reduce hyperglycemia.”

Now, Jo Donna and I have been using apple cider vinegar (ACV) for years to stop colds and flu and to ease indigestion, but this is a nice bonus. It's important to note that, if you're going to try ACV, you get the right kind. If the vinegar is a clear amber color, that's not right. Good ACV is amber colored, but it looks smokey, like there's something foggy in it. That's called The Mother (no, really) and it's all the natural enzymes of protein molecules, which are what do most of the healthy stuff.

We've settled on Bragg brand (their web site is HERE) mostly because that's the brand carried in most of our local stores, but also because they wrote the book on ACV benefits - literally! Paul Bragg was one of the pioneers in discovering all the many health virtues of ACV. Also their's is organic, so that's good too.

I highly recommend unprocessed apple cider vinegar for all sorts of things - now including keeping your or your family member's blood sugar under control without drugs.

LINKS:
the original article : http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/Diane-Fennell/vinegar-reduces-after-meal-glucose/
Bragg vinegar info: http://bragg.com/products/bragg-organic-apple-cider-vinegar.html

go get 'em!
STEPcoach Bob Collins
P.S. you do know what "yaotta" means, don't you?

Got Milk? Nuts to You!

2010-01-29T07:46:00.000-08:00

Man! if it's this easy, why not get all the benefits of almond milk! Read about the nutritional value of almonds below the video ...

Almonds are popular for the following:

they have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and tonic properties
help alkalinize the blood and relieve stagnation in the liver,
help to lubricate the lungs,
relieve asthma and coughing,
clear phlegm,
improve energy and memory,
strengthen the nervous system,
increase strength and sexual vitality,
are known as brain and bone food.

Almond milk can be sweetened with a bit of natural honey or raw sugar added to the blender. It tastes great alone, as a refreshing cold drink, or as a cooking additive in the place of moo milk. Speaking of "that other milk," almond milk has not cholesterol, animal fat, or mucus-making casein.

For those of you trying to cut out dairy and/or meat from your diet (good for you!!), almond milk can be a great help in your growth.

Keep it up!

Overlooked 150 Year Old Household Cleaner a Remedy for Swine Flu?

2009-12-30T16:51:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/15/Baking-Soda-Used-to-Treat-Swine-Flu-85-Years-Ago.aspx
December 15 2009

In today’s modern world of medicine the FDA just will not let companies that sell products make medical claims about them unless they have been tested at great expense, and approved as a drug. But this was not always the case.
In a 1924 booklet published by the Arm & Hammer Soda Company, the company starts off saying, “The proven value of Arm & Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda as a therapeutic agent is further evinced by the following evidence of a prominent physician named Dr. Volney S. Cheney, in a letter to the Church & Dwight Company:
“In 1918 and 1919 while fighting the ‘Flu’ with the U. S. Public Health Service it was brought to my attention that rarely any one who had been thoroughly alkalinized with bicarbonate of soda contracted the disease, and those who did contract it, if alkalinized early, would invariably have mild attacks.”
Recommended dosages from the Arm and Hammer Company for colds and influenza back in 1925 were:

During the first day take six doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at about two hour intervals
During the second day take four doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water, at the same intervals
During the third day take two doses of half teaspoonful of Bicarbonate of Soda in glass of cool water morning and evening, and thereafter half teaspoonful in glass of cool water each morning until cold is cured

STUDY: Coffee Lowers Diabetes Chances

2009-12-29T09:52:00.000-08:00

[BTW, did I tell you my other "office" is at our local Panera Bread, where I get free refills all afternoon! - Bobby C]

Found this today - thought you'd like to know:

People who drink several cups of coffee or tea a day–even decaf versions–can dramatically lower their risk of diabetes, researchers reported on Monday. Drinking three to four cups of coffee per day was associated with a 25 percent lower risk of diabetes than drinking no coffee or just one cup, researchers said.
And the more coffee or tea you drink, the greater the benefit–so keep that pot filled. “Every additional cup of coffee consumed in a day was associated with a 7 percent reduction in the excess risk of diabetes,” wrote Rachel Huxley, who headed a team of Australian researchers at the George Institute for International Health in Sydney, Australia. The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

One reason this study is making headlines around the world is that the conclusions didn’t come from just one study, but were the result of what’s called a “meta-analysis” of 18 different studies, which together included more than 450,000 people.

Although Huxley said the study didn’t identify exactly how coffee and tea are controlling diabetes, the researchers singled out a series of antioxidants and other ingredients that seem to be responsible for the beneficial effects. These include:-magnesium- chemicals called lignans- chlorogenic acids.

This news is important for aging Americans because the number of people with diabetes is rising so fast. Right now, one in ten adults in North America has diabetes, and the International Diabetes Federation projects that by the year 2025 (which is only 15 years away) 380 million people worldwide could have type 2 diabetes.

By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com

I'll have mine straight up, with a packet of Stevia, thanks!

2009-12-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

http://www.onlineeducation.net/bottled_water/

Stronger Bones? Eat Veggies (not milk!)

2009-12-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

For strong bones, milk or veggies? Veggies win hands down - Vegsource.com

If you're loading up on dairy but skimping on vegetables, you could still be at five times the risk of low bone mass. That's the implication of a recent Japanese study of roughly 100 female college students, comparing dietary patterns with bone mass. Those with daily intake of beta-carotene-rich veggies (e.g., carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, red bell peppers and pumpkin) were 500% less likely to suffer low bone mass. Since dairy intake was fairly similar across the board, researchers speculate that the difference in vegetable consumption was the decisive factor. This echoes similar, previous research, which found greater bone mass and less calcium excretion among girls with the highest fruit intake.

Why might that be? Well, as explored in Beyond Calcium, nutrient-dense fruit and vegetables provide the rainbow of other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants needed for overall bone health. For example,

cantaloupe's a top beta-carotene source, but also provides 60% of daily vitamin C, needed to produce collagen, a structural component of strong bones.
Beta-carotene-rich leafy greens are also top sources of vitamin K, adequate intake of which is linked to a 65% lower fracture risk among seniors.
Beta-carotene-rich tomatoes are also a top source of lycopene, linked to 66% less bone loss in another recent study.

In addition to eating a plant-based diet, keep bones strong with plenty of weight-bearing exercise -- whether that's strength-training or high-impact team sports like soccer and volleyball.

For high-intensity athletes, bear in mind that you lose a significant amount of calcium and other nutrients needed for bone health through the profuse perspiration that comes with vigorous activity.

[respectfully shared from http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/12/veggies-500-times-more-important-to-bone-mass-than-milk.html]

Sweet Potato Pie - Made Better!

2009-12-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

To make it easier for you to make that switch to building stronger bones with veggies, here's a super recipe for one of the bestest bone builders out there, sweet potatoes.

Recipe: Vegan Sweet Potato Pie

2 cups cooked sweet potatoes
1 cup soymilk
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp oil
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp powdered cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Mash or blend sweet potatoes in food processor. Add remaining ingredients and mix completely. Pour mixture into unbaked vegan pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

VEGSOURCE.COM | SABRINA NELSON | 11/09/09
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/11/vegan-sweet-potato-pie.html

MY Letter to IHOP

2009-11-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

Most of you are aware of the Humane Society of the United States' campaign to stop the International House of Pancakes from using cruel, unsanitary battery caged chickens for their eggs. I joined over a million other concerned Americans and wrote (emailed) directly to IHOP about my concerns. Here is what I said to them:

Many of your concerned "customers" are not raving do-gooders. Many are common sense business persons like me. I run my own business, hold meetings and mini-conferences at local restaurants, and patronize eating establishments with my family and friends during my leisure time.

I also am one who will not support your business while you continue unacceptable business practices. If your kitchens were filthy, your employees inconsiderate, or your menu unsavory, I would shun your restaurant. Since your procurement practices are very objectionable, I will avoid contact with your fare and I will encourage my associates, business and private, to go to other restaurants.

Please make life easier for both of us. Please refuse to purchase your foodstuffs from suppliers who exercise filthy, inconsiderate, unsavory practices. Free range eggs cost more. But free range eggs are much, much more flavorful and much healthier than the contaminated eggs you are foisting on your trusting (and discriminating) clientèle.

Please choose better.
Sincerely,

You can view undercover investigative video of the supplier, Michael Foods, HERE.

Do you think this is a trivial problem? Or do you agree that this is a matter to be addressed? Why?
PLEASE COMMENT so others may get this information.

Vitamin B12

2009-11-19T16:25:00.000-08:00

[NOTE: This information comes from VegFamily a very good source of reliable information for the wiser of us (i.e. veg*ans) and was orginally written by Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.]

Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria, fungi, and algae. Neither plants nor animals can synthesize the vitamin. Thus, it is not found in plant products naturally (there might be trace amounts in plant foods contaminated with B12-producing microorganisms, but we should not depend on contaminated food). Animal foods are reliable sources of B12 because large amounts of bacteria live inside animals, and vitamin B12 remains in flesh, milk, and eggs.

We vegans need to get B12 from supplements and/or fortified foods. The B12 added to foods and supplements are synthetically produced in a laboratory from bacteria, not animal sources. Here are some other foods that typically are B12-fortified. Make sure you read the food label! B12 is also called cobalamin.

Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula Nutritional Yeast*
Fortified breakfast cereals
Fortified soy milk
Fortified vegetarian meat analogs
Fortified energy or snack bars, such as Luna Bars
Fortified soy powders or other beverage mixes

*Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor to foods; my favorite way to use it is in tofu scrambles.

By the way, the lack of vitamin B12 in plant foods has led many to question how "natural" a vegan diet is. After all, if an essential nutrient is lacking from a 100% plant-based diet, how can such a diet be good for you? This is a very good question. Remember, B12 is produced only by microorganisms. Consider the sanitary modern world: only in the last several decades have we had the luxury of treated water, power-washed produce, and machine-sanitized packaged foods. Before these conveniences, people (vegans and non-vegans) ate locally-grown fruits and vegetables and drank water from the well or public water supply, all of which were rich in vitamin B12 due to bacterial contamination. In those times, vitamin B12-producing microorganisms contaminated the entire food supply, not just animal products. The need of a modern-day vegan to supplement the diet with B12 is not because the vegan diet is inferior to a diet with animal products; it is the result of modern sanitary conditions

Thanksgiving or Turkey Day???

2009-11-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

We ain't a eatin' no old dead birds for Thanksgiving this year!

We've got much more to be thankful for than the death of a bird just so we could eat it. The pilgrims and Indians didn't eat turkeys for the first Thanksgiving, so why do we? Marketing, man! The turkey farmers, just like the milk pushers are lying to you about the fake benefits of eating dead, rotting, pesticide and hormone filled bird bodies. Why do you think they clearly post the numbers to the Turkey Hotline on each bird? so you won't poison your family! Sheesh! But then, many of you go ahead and smoke cigarettes despite warnings, too!

God designed our bodies to operate at peak efficiency on a vegetarian diet (did too! see Genesis 1:29 for proof), so putting dead animal bodies and guts into your stomach is tantamount to putting diesel into a gasoline engine - NOT a good idea!

Here are some more reasons to skip the turkey this year:

**************

No Turkey?! Why Not?

For the Animals

Abusing and killing an innocent bird betrays the life-affirming spirit of giving thanks for our life, health, and happiness. The nearly 300 million turkeys killed each year in the U.S. spend their entire lives crammed in large sheds with little room to move. Artificially inseminated and selectively bred to gain enormous amounts of weight, they suffer heart attacks, broken limbs, lameness, and death from their genetically-induced accelerated growth rate. Most of these same conditions apply to "free range" turkeys.

Click here to continue reading and learn more about atrocious animal farm practices or watch undercover investigations of turkey facilities.

For Your Health

Turkey flesh is loaded with cholesterol and saturated fats, which have been linked conclusively with an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases that kill 1.3 million Americans annually. Turkey flesh is also contaminated with deadly pathogens and antibiotics.

Click here to continue reading about the negative effects of turkey on our health.

For the Globe

In addition to threatening personal health, factory farming is a global problem. Much of the 10 billion pounds of manure generated by 7,300 turkey farms in 33 states ends up in our drinking water. Grain fed to turkeys is denied to millions of starving people in the world's most impoverished nations.

Click here to continue reading about how animal farming ruins the earth.

Want More?

Find out the Top Ten Reasons to drop turkey from your holiday menu!

Original source: http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/index.htm

Review: Hospital Food Comes to Furrs!

2009-11-17T17:38:00.000-08:00

For those of you who reminisce about a past vacation spent in the luxury of a hospital, enjoying four-star service and five-star cuisine, have I got good news for you! Furr's "Fresh Buffet" Cafeterias are now offering hospital fare for their valued customers who have gotten tired of the same old home style cooking at other family restaurants.

As vegetarians (I'm stricter than my wife is), we used to eat at Furr's occasionally, because of their vegetable and salad variety. Imagine our delight when we recently went back to Furr's (in our home town of Fort Smith, Arkansas) and found an entirely new buffet menu had been adopted.

As a 90% of the time strict vegetarian, I stick to fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds almost all the time (as advised in Genesis 1:29). However, on the advice of my very understanding and very wise doctor, Phil Agent, MD, I will occasionally eat fish for the omega 3 and 6 oils that seem to be so important. When we go out for fish, we aim for a variety, staying away from catfish, which has very little food value, and heading for either Furr's or Long John Silver's - depending on our appetite ... and our bank account!

Generally, Furr's has supplied us with a great salad selection, lots of properly done veggies, and several fish dishes to choose from. Generally.

However, as I said before, on our last visit we were very disappointed. I made notes:

The cajun baked tilapia was almost completely flavorless, which is pretty remarkable for anything cajun!, and it was very dry, despite swimming in butter.
The featured and advertised butterflied shrimp was so over cooked it wasn't crunchy, it was hard! And flavorless.
The usually reliable baked cod was almost cold and ... greasy! Now how do you make baked cod greasy?? Oh, and hard around the edges. It wasn't flavorless - it tasted greasy.
I gave up and tried the fried catfish despite it's lack of food value (at this point I was just hungry for some decent fish!) and, much to my surprise it was cold, chewy, and overcooked. (The surprise comment was sarcasm.) And it was, y'know, flavorless.

The highlight of the meal was the tartar sauce which was tangy, creamy, and worked wonderfully to conceal the awful fish dishes. The salads were still good. It's apparently very difficult to ruin pasta, carrot and raisin, and plain lettuce and tomato salads.

Overall, we should have gone to Long John Silver's. And we probably will the next time we go out for fish.
Unless, you know, we're longing for hospital food.
But then, the hospital cafeteria is cheaper.

Stick to the veggies.

God's Original Health plan:

2009-11-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

Genesis 2:29:
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

The Daniel Fast: A Personal Experience

2009-11-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

Around day 15, something started just gnawing at my brain. My clinical self began working at the speed of light as I started to note a marked difference in the health and stature of some of these people. One of my favorite ladies, suffering from osteoarthritis and on a steady diet of pain pills, seemed to just glide into service one night. I noticed she literally forgot to bring her walking stick, which was usually dutifully planted by her side. One of the gals, a busy and tired mom, commented on how well she was sleeping and enjoying her excess bursts of energy. A dangerously diabetic fellow had cut his use of insulin in half. Some of the kids, labeled hyper and otherwise ADHD, had started to show signs of settling and appeared much more relaxed.

The Daniel Fast: A Personal Experience

By Linda Posch

Each day that we awaken is certainly a glorious and a blessed day, given to us by the Lord our Father. My passion for each day and the wonders it brings is sometimes insurmountable. Often, it’s the simple things that radiate such joy through my heart. The sun peaking above the horizon, the branches of the trees swaying in the gentle morning breeze, watching my daughter sleep for she so looks like an angel and the nectar sweet taste of my breakfast, usually melon and a slice of spouted bread. I cannot imagine what more a person could ask for. One might ask, “Why so content?” Especially when so many do not feel peace in their hearts. My answer: I am lucky and I am blessed by God. My life experienced radical changes 6 years ago when one of the Lord’s messengers reached out to me. At a late age (it is never to late) I was saved. Through my salvation, I came to realize that the written word empowers us with everything we require in order to live a fruitful, gracious, peaceful and spiritual life.

I have worked within the confines of allopathic health care for over 17 years. My background includes neuro-rehab services in the areas of spinal cord injuries, strokes, and traumatic brain injuries. I have worked adult acute psychiatric care, special education services, and autistic child services. I have worked with cancer patients in rehab services and with those suffering Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s Korea and Dementia. I have worked with doctors, nurses, and other specialists who were absolutely brilliant, compassionate, and absolute masters in their fields. I have worked with the same, who were not so bright and possessed not one ounce of compassion. All the time doing my best to make sure that my patients received the very best of care, the care they deserved and as taught to me during so many years of University. However, despite my best efforts, I never really felt I was making the difference I had set out to do so early in life. Many of my patients were still sick or ailing, not making the strides, leaps, and bounds I had envisioned for them. While I was at a loss as to why, I came to find many years later that the Lord was not lost at all. God knew all. Unfortunately, I was neither intimate nor familiar with His word, wishes, and teachings. Therefore, I was limited as to what I could do for those in my care. I was also limited as to what I could do for myself and my family.

At the beginning of every year, my fellow parishioners (or should I say those who are willing to do so) take 3 weeks to fast for 21 days. The Daniel Fast they say. By fasting, it is meant that for 3 weeks nothing is consumed but water, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and juices. For those that feel really “tough”, and so inclined to do so, they will consume only fluids for the 3 weeks. During this time, the lists of taboo foods include any and ALL meat products, ALL sugar products, ALL fast food products, and ALL processed food products.

I did not partake in the Daniel Fast festivities even though I was a newly saved child of God. It really did sound particularly yucky to me. I decided to sit back and simply watch these folks who had destined themselves to eating sticks and roots for the next 21 days. After church that day, I went to my favorite ice cream shop and had a double chili dog topped off with a hot fudge sundae. I felt happy and quite satiated that day compared to my poor friends who were off to a meal of sprouts and lettuce. “No thank-you” I thought.

I did not expect that the Daniel Fast festivities would be that big a deal. But oh it was. By day 3-4, many began complaining of feeling light headed, dizzy and nauseated. Some of the most steadfast parishioners, those who never missed a service or a meeting, all of a sudden felt so badly that they had to stay home for a few days to rest. My silent thoughts were to tell them to “just go grab a burger and feel better”. This early phenomenon of “suffering” was my introduction to the concept of detoxification.

Around days 5-7 I noticed that my fellow Christians had begun huddling in almost clique type groups. They shared giggles, silent whispers, knowing looks and sometimes uncontrollable laughter. What was the big secret? A couple of these groups finally “let me in” and told me what all the giggles were about. Some of these people were absolutely amazed at the bowel contents found in their toilets. There was a hint of pride as each freely shared, without shame or embarrassment, the size, color, shape, amount and frequency of their bowel movements. Some described deposits that had never been seen before, almost like some blob you would find in a science fiction horror movie. Interestingly, some of these folks were beginning to feel considerably better at this point, while a few suffered such severe constipation that it was painful and at times almost crippling. This was my introduction to the concept of colon cleansing.

The fast was also a time for “extra fellowship” as I called it. The ladies would get together and share their best recipes for raw foods, salads, steamed vegetables and the like. They shared tips and tricks for satisfying the stomachs of grumpy fasting husbands and whining children who could not figure out why they had not been to a fast food restaurant in over a week. Parishioners invited each other to their homes for dinner and shared with each other how they took cabbage, sprouts and beans and turned them into meals fit for kings. I was invited to a couple of these dinners. Even though I was not fasting, I went anyway. I looked at the dinner table decorated in bleak offerings and thought to myself, “Okay, where are the french fries, I need steak, and cheesecake covered in chocolate sauce for dessert please.” I politely ate my dinner, fit for a rabbit I thought, and raced to grab a double cheeseburger soon after. I secretly felt sorry for those who were fasting. Three weeks was a long time to chew on shrubs.

Around day 15, something started just gnawing at my brain. My clinical self began working at the speed of light as I started to note a marked difference in the health and stature of some of these people. One of my favorite ladies, suffering from osteoarthritis and on a steady diet of pain pills, seemed to just glide into service one night. I noticed she literally forgot to bring her walking stick, which was usually dutifully planted by her side. One of the gals, a busy and tired mom, commented on how well she was sleeping and enjoying her excess bursts of energy. A dangerously diabetic fellow had cut his use of insulin in half. Some of the kids, labeled hyper and otherwise ADHD, had started to show signs of settling and appeared much more relaxed. That entire day, almost everyone who was fasting received my solid and silent clinical examination. I was intrigued by the results and somewhat puzzled. Some of these folks were achieving a body balance and equilibrium they had not seen in a long time. It seemed quite obvious to me that many were in the initial stages of healing from what had plagued them. Some of them just looked happier, brighter, revitalized. I remained my miserable self.

At this point, some of my fellow parishioners were on a countdown. Happily marking their calendars and anxiously awaiting day 21, when their fast would soon be over. Hmmm … interesting thought patterns indeed. Why? Why change what was suddenly making you feel so well? I was especially concerned about our severe diabetic who had cut his use of insulin in half. It was difficult for me to believe that he was counting down to the day where he then could embark on the pre-fasting habits that were quickly killing him and conjoining him with an umbilical cord to his doctors office. At this point, I began to appreciate and embrace the many changes I had witnessed in the past 2 ½ weeks. My mind was racing as I tried to figure out ways to encourage these people to continue onwards with God’s lifestyle, the life He meant for them to have and not treat this experience as a short 21 day “sacrifice” in the name of the Lord. These thoughts coming from a person who lived on burgers, tacos, soda, and french fries. However, I was still in the mind frame, with regards to myself, that I really did not need to fast. I was young and healthy as a horse. Not to worry. I took plenty of vitamin supplements to insure my good health. I rode horses and jogged. My weight was normal and my physique muscular. Little did I know that my thoughts, habits and actions would change much sooner than later.

Day 21 soon arrived. I was shocked when our pastor announced the fast was over. Hooray, Amen, and Halleluiah everyone shouted. Huh? Why were these good people shouting for joy? The fast was making a marked difference in many of them. To celebrate the end of the fast, there was pizza and lots of other “goodies” in the lounge to be enjoyed and gorged upon by all. I was horrified as I watched my diabetic friend eat slice after slice of pizza. He topped off his pizza dinner with a mound of cinnamon rolls, lovingly made by the best pastry cook in the church. I watched some of the kids who had been doing so well, gorging themselves on dishes of ice cream that had been sprinkled with candies and buried in whipped cream. All of a sudden, what had been normal to me and most of us living an American life had become an absolute horror. It was like watching a monster movie in slow motion, with the wicked creatures being sugar, food dyes, processed meats and the like. Somehow, this day was indeed a sad one for me. In the same breath, it was also a day of glory. I realized that God had given me the answers I had been looking for all of these years. I had the answers as to how to help my patients heal, regain function and live a better quality of life. Even those who were limited by a loss of function due to an accident or a stroke could still reap marked benefits within their own confines. The part that saddened me most was that the answers had always been there, I just hadn’t known where to look.

About two weeks after the 21 day fast, I gave my entire congregation a silent physical examination once again. Where eyes had been bright and sparkly, the same dead pan and tired looks had returned. Where belt buckles had been taken down a notch, some looked as if they were now carrying more weight than they had been carrying before the Daniel Fast. Where children had started to settle down, some seemed more irritable than ever. My sweet, sweet lady suffering from arthritis pain had her walking stick planted firmly by her side once again. All in all, the congregation as a whole just didn’t look so good. That day, my wonderful pastor during his sermon, was creating an analogy. He said something to the effect that “As a congregation, we are at the start of the race, and WE WILL make it to the finish line!” I silently thought to myself, “This congregation won’t be able to make it 10 feet past the starting gate.”

About two weeks later, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. My good friend and excellent gynecologist wished to perform surgery. My mind kept wandering to the Daniel Fast. I started my own Daniel Fast that day. In fact, ever since that day, I have been on the “Daniel Fast”. It has been 6 years now that I have been “Daniel Fasting”. I do not consume meat or it’s by products. I do not consume sugar or processed foods. Where I drank at least 6 cans of soda per day, I now drink just as much water, sometimes with a bit of lemon and/or lime. My plate is full of leafy greens and succulent delicious fruits. I enjoy a myriad of delicious herbal teas. I love home made rolls, crackers and pasta made from my bags of organic oat and spelt flours. Nuts and seeds are a most delicious snack. I take whole food liquid vitamins and a few other supplements in their whole food forms to assist me in my quest to stay healthy, especially when life is just so busy that I literally forget to eat. I did not require surgery during my cervical cancer ordeal and my health has never been better.

On the other hand, my own biological family is plagued with health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, arthritis and high cholesterol. As the old saying goes, “The plumber’s sink is always broken.” Because I choose to care for my body God’s way, I suffer none of the above. Can life really be so simple? I am here to tell you, yes it is. Our Father, through the Written Word, has given us everything we require in order to live solid, peaceful, productive and healthy lives. In my heart of hearts, I do not believe for one moment that God intended for us to experience prolonged physical suffering of any sort. If that were the case, he would not have been so specific as to what he provided us with in order to assist us with the prosperity of our physical bodies. Allow me to support my position with few quotes from the Written Word.

In those days, I was mourning 3 full weeks, I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till 3 whole weeks were fulfilled. Daniel 10:32, 3.

In other words, Daniel gave up certain foods in order to honor God. He was fasting from foods that would defile his body. In fasting Daniel honored God with his body, mind, and soul.

Then God said I give you every seed bearing plant on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. Genesis 1:29

How can things be stated more clearly? God says nothing here about artificial food colorings, animal products and artificial fats! He is quite clear about fruits, grains and vegetables.

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah “Please test your servants for 10 days. Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see. So he agreed to this and tested them for 10 days. At the end of 10 days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead”. Daniel 1:11-16

With all due respect to modern day science, of which I am a product and student, these people over 2 thousand years ago, did not require the latest research in order to determine what was healthy for them, their spirits and their bodies. After all, it is written in The Word.

Be not anxious for what you shall eat or what you shall drink or what you shall wear. Isn’t life more than food? And the body more than clothing? Luke 12:22; 29

Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, therefore, glorify God in your body. Cornthians 3:16

Point very clear and well taken. Unfortunately, (or I guess that really depends on one’s viewpoint) after being so touched by The Word and its simplicity, I found I had to educate myself once more. I had to go to school again to get the right piece of paper so that I can now “legally” tell people to eat their fruits and vegetables. (SIGH) However, it has been worth every twist and turn in my oftentimes bumpy road. I now have a private practice, own a laboratory and have the burning passion to share God’s word with as many as I am physically and spiritually able to reach. Oh how He changed my life, through so many of his messengers here on earth. I can only hope I am worthy enough to help deliver the same message of love and salvation to others.

Dr. Linda Posch MS SLP ND, ezdoc21@bellsouth.net

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Ginger! Who'da Thunk it!

2009-10-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

I've just made a late-in-life discovery: Ginger is a healthful nutrient! I knew about using it for seasoning, and I watched Gilligan's Island, so I knew about the hair color, but I never knew the following facts. Now we can all benefit from this great gift ...

Ginger, whole, sliced, grated, in crystals, or dried and powdered is beneficial for:

Relieving nausea - doesn't cause drowsiness like some meds, especially useful after surgery or chemotherapy.
Ease motion sickness when riding or flying.
Reduce dizziness, i.e. from motion sickness, and in older adults.
Control chronic pain by reducing inflammation and lowering natural pain-causing Prostaglandins. Relieve muscle strain and pain from arthritis (swelling joints, etc.) - using ginger oil for massages.
Limit flatulence by soothing the digestive tract. (Also important when traveling long distances in close quarters!)
Lessening symptoms of common colds, allergies, and other respiratory problems. It's a natural decongestant!
Improve blood lipid levels by raising HDL (good) cholesterol, lowering LDL (the bad one) and reducing triglycerides.

So grab some hot ginger tea, ginger ale, or a ginger beer and some ginger snap cookies and make your mouth as well as your body a lot happier!

Opposite-Sex Marriage?

2009-10-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

got this from the Catholic League - interesting, hmm?

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on a piece in today’s New York Times by Adam Liptak:

When two men want to get married, they call it “same-sex marriage,” but how many of us have heard of marriage being labeled “opposite-sex marriage”? Well, that’s exactly the way the New York Times is playing it. Referring to attorney Charles J. Cooper, who is pressing the case against recognition of gay marriage, Adam Liptak writes, “The government should be allowed to favor opposite-sex marriages, Mr. Cooper said, in order ‘to channel naturally procreative sexual activity between men and women into stable, enduring unions.’”

A Lexis-Nexis search shows this is only the tenth time the New York Times has ever used the term “opposite-sex marriage,” and only the fifth time it appeared in a news story (some columnists and letter writers have employed it). The first time anyone appears to have used this term was in the 1990s: an editorial in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1994; a Yale Law Journal article that same year; an article by Andrew Sullivan in 1996 in the New Republic; and so on. Which raises the question: Is this the start of one more round of corrupting the English language?

Here’s how it will play out in the classroom: kindergartners will be told that some adults choose same-sex marriage and some choose opposite-sex marriage. There is no moral difference—it’s just a matter of different strokes for different folks. Not mentioned, of course, will be that some male-on-male sex practices are dangerous. Nor will it be pointed out that only so-called opposite-sex marriages are capable of reproducing the human race. In other words, the kids will be lied to about what nature ordains.

The politicization of language is nothing new, but this latest entry is particularly disturbing. Marriage means one thing, and attempts to make it a smorgasbord are pernicious.

Susan A. Fani
Director of Communications
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
catalyst@catholicleague.org
New York, NY 10123
212-371-3191
212-371-3394 (fax)

http://catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1701

Prevent Swine Flu - Good Advice

2009-10-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc.. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The following message given by him, I feel makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
Really scrub those puppies - especially around your fingernails and knuckles and between your fingers. Then get a paper towel without touching anything else and dry your hands well. Then use the towel to turn off the water and open the bathroom door. (Or else you'll pick up all the germs from the cretins who didn't wash before you!)
"Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).
Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt).
H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water.
Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.
Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Natural Sea Salt Versus Table Salt, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2009-10-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

By Willie JonesWillie Jones

If you have read other health articles that I’ve written you know that I am not a believer in Man messing with Mother Nature when it comes to the food we eat. In this article I want to address a common spice we all use on a daily basis. Salt!

Salt as we know it is a pure white free flowing spice that we find essential to flavoring our daily foods. Usually one doesn’t even think about it much unless we have a medical condition where a doctor will tell us to decrease the amount of salt intake.

Table salt is normally rock or ocean salt that is mined, heat blasted, chemically treated, and then anti-caking agents and iodine added to it. What you have left is table salt that is basically dead. It is now just dry sodium and chloride. Once again man is cheating us of one of Mother Natures most perfect foods. Processed salt is now devoid of all the essential minerals and macrobiotic nutrients that our bodies need to survive.

Consider this, when you cry your tears are salty, and if you’ve cut yourself and tasted your blood, you know it is salty. The fluids in our bodies are like an ocean environment. Salt is essential for life and yet our bodies cannot make it so it must come from an outside source. Most often it comes from meat or regular table salt. The problem is that our bodies don’t really know what to do with processed salt. Years of processed salt intake can damage almost all areas of the body such as the heart, kidneys, muscles and bones and it is processed salt that bloats us and causes water retention. Processed salt can put a body out of balance. According to Dr Langre’s book, people that have an aversion to salt or tell you they dislike salt most likely have too much sodium chloride attached to their organs and tissues, are really telling you that they are sick and are in need of essential minerals.

100% natural sea salt maintains its integrity. Quite frankly, natural, organic sea salt is completely unfooled around with and is still harvested the same way it was done 2000 years ago by French salt farmers. It is hand raked and left in the sun to dry. All of the trace and micro-nutrients are fully intact. The correct balance of sodium and chloride are present as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium and 90 other trace and micro-nutrients. These are charged minerals that retain a lot of moisture and are grey in color. If your sea salt from the health food store is white and free flowing then it is processed and should not be used.

When natural sea salt is ingested, it immediately works with the saliva in the mouth (amalese in particular) and starts the digestive process. The more minerals present in the mouth the more digestion takes place. Digestion continues in the stomach. Natural organic sea salt has been known to lower blood pressure and decrease water retention. It enables the liver, kidneys and adrenals to work much more efficiently. It can boost the immune system. Natural sea salt has all the elements of the ocean and this means that the survival potential of a body is much greater than if you remove these vital elements.

Do your body good and get natural grey sea salt. It won’t pour like table salt because of the moisture content, but the health benefits can be significant.

Willie is a freelance writer and researcher whose own health problems prompted her to take responsibility for gaining as much information on health as possible and to share that knowledge with others. She is co-owner of http://www.cleanbodydetox.com a site that focuses on health and detox through ionic foot baths.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Willie_Jones http://EzineArticles.com/?Natural-Sea-Salt-Versus-Table-Salt,-the-Good,-the-Bad-and-the-Ugly&id=502186

Swine Flu Shot Dangers

2009-09-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

A report in the London-based Daily Mail details facts and figures about the dangers of taking, or allowing your children to take, the Swine Flu Vaccine. (Read the story at dailymail.co.uk/... )

I guess the most important lesson to learn from this is to think for yourself about the safety of your family. Investigate rather than blindly trusting anyone (even me!) Search out reputable sources and compare information.

My family won't be getting the Swine Flu shot, just as we've stopped getting the regular flu shot ('way too many poisons in it!). But you have to decide for yourself. Read the stories, investigate, consider the sources. Governmental sources of reassurance have proven wrong far too many times.

It's a gamble. Do you want to risk your family's health on promises by a government that can't balance it's checkbook each month? I don't.

Be careful out there!
STEPcoach

Urgent message ...

2009-08-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

I lost a dear, dear friend this week. He died of congestive heart failure. He was only 61 years old. He was in great physical condition - worked out regularly, took vitamins, drank healthy stuff, had a positive outlook and good humor, as well as a loving family and a very rewarding medical practice.

His only real vice was what killed him. He and I had talked about it several time over the last two years. He had an addiction that, despite his conscientious efforts to keep himself healthy for his family, friends, and patients, was slowly killing him.

It was not an addiction to drugs nor any sort of insidious cancer that took his valued life and deprived his wife, children, and grandchildren of their provider and comfort. No drug stole him from his patients who depended on him to faithfully keep their pain manageable and to keep them alive for their own families.

But his cause of death was a direct result of his addiction, and he freely admitted to me several times that it was bad for him, possibly even killing him. But he could not give it up.

My best friend was addicted to meat and, although as a physician he knew the horrible effects of animal protein and cholesterol on his cardio-vascular system, he could not beat the addiction. I remember him saying, "Yes, Bobby, I know it's bad for me, but I just can't live without my steaks and grilled chicken." And, as of this last Monday, he could not live with them.

His wife is devastated. His daughter is broken hearted that he will not see the birth of her first child in four weeks. His other children are bereft of their father's advice and assistance. Even his dogs, who worshiped him, are torn as they wander from room to room and around the yard, whining as they search for their master.

He had so many plans and projects. He and his wife had booked a long weekend at the beach, just to rest and spend precious time together. His beautiful yard has several just-begun and half-finished landscaping projects around every corner. His very successful medical clinic stands empty, staff and patients reeling from the sudden shock of losing their leader and healer. He had just finished putting together a beautiful solid wood, hand carved bedroom suite for his newest granddaughter to be born next month. He talked to me just weeks ago about looking forward to new Christmas decorations he and his wife were planning.

None of that will happen now.

He was a very good man. So many people say that about so many others that it becomes almost meaningless. But he was a very good man. He laughed a lot. He was almost always smiling. He would call just to say he was praying for me sometimes. He refused to shake hands when he could give a bear hug instead. He remembered details about discussions we'd had years ago and he would ask about those issues I'd forgotten about myself.

He brought his wife flowers every week of the 11 years they were married. He worked diligently at making his marriage happy and secure. He loved her children as much as his own. He left sweet notes for his wife, who now finds them again and weeps over her loss.

He knew meat was killing him but he could not give it up. Meat. Steaks and chops and grilled chicken. It took him away from us.

Please, for your family and your friends, step eating meat - IT WILL KILL YOU!

sincerely,
Bob Collins, STEPcoach

Greatest Danger to Your Kids!

2009-07-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Jo's Homerun Medley

2009-07-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

Jo Donna hit a homerun at dinner last night with this veggie medley dish.
NOTE: this does contain some oil, but not much. If you wish, you can substitute water or vegetable broth for the oil (EVOO)

Here's how ...
* Dice 1 medium yellow (sweet) onion
* And slice 4 large button mushrooms
-- saute these in about 2 tsps of water until the onion starts to caramelize and the mushrooms begin to darken;
* add in 3 peeled and very thinly sliced medium red potatoes - stir together
* mix in about 1 1/2 cups of frozen (or fresh if you have them) sliced yellow and zuc squashes
-- add tiny amounts of water as necessary to keep the veggies from sticking
* season with 2 tsps of EVOO, salt, pepper, and gomasio
* toss until everything is crispy done
* sprinkle with 1/2 - 1 cup of either shredded soy mozzarella cheese or organic creme cheese

Jo brought this to the table where I was crowing about how wonderful my vegan Spinach pizza was ... I wound up jealous of her medley over my pizza! Whatta girl!!

c ya!

OATMEAL! for dinner!???

2009-07-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

If you haven't tried steel cut oatmeal yet, MAN! are you in for a treat! I was first tempted to try Mccann's Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal because of its being from Ireland. I'm a dead sucker for anything from Eire, from Kerrygold cheeses and butter, to an occasional Guinness stout ("It's good for you!"), and now Irish oats.

First, why Irish and steel cut instead of American rolled oats. Several reasons, but here are the top three:

1) Mccann's are purer. As many of you know, my sweetheart Jo Donna is allergic to gluten, which is found in wheat. She can't eat anything with wheat flour in it - breads, cake, pie, breaded fried foods, pizza, many candies, etc, etc, etc. Now oats are gluten free, but she hasn't been able to eat them because they get contaminated during processing with flour which is ground and prepared in the same facilities as almost all oatmeal brands. Except, it turns out, Mccann's from Ireland who only mill oats in their facilites, and therefore keep them pure of the nasty gluten she can't eat.

2) Steel cut oats are much, much better for a body than rolled oats. Rolled oats are partially cooked (steamed) before the rolling process, then steamed again afterwards. This removes some of the nutrients. Steel-Cut Oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into two or three pieces using steel discs. This process preserves all the natural nutrients and flavor of the oat.

3) Irish oats are better quality. Quoting from their website: "The temperature, humid climate of Ireland promotes the slow ripening of the grain. It enables the oats to draw the goodness from the soil and yield up a crop with fuller, plumper grains." (Sure, and isn't everything better in Ireland!)

READ MORE ABOUT Mccann's Oats at http://www.mccanns.ie/index.html
(BTW, you may be askin' your self, "Now Seamus, me boy, is this an advert for old Mccann's?" HA! I only wish! If anyone from Mccann's wants to toss money my way, though, I have a big basket to catch it in!!!!)

Now the recipe for super oatmeal for dinner:

Prepare the oats as directed on the can:
* four cups of water, brought to a boil
* one cup of oats stirred in
* boil for a few minutes, until they begin to get a little creamy, then
* simmer, stirring often, for 30 minutes

at this point the oats are done and you could eat them as is, but wait! there's more ...

* add 1 tsp of sea salt
* stir in 2 tsp of non-dairy butter spread (we use Smart Balance Light with Flax Oil)
* add one tablespoon of milled flax seeds (not just the seeds, but the ground ones you find with the baking goods)
* mix in 1/4 cup of vegetarian bacon bits

Stir this all together and cover the pot tightly; let it sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to merge.

Serve this nutty, rich, super dish either as a main course or as a side dish.

You're welcome.!

Tofu basics AND Bar-be-que Riblets

2009-07-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

Jo and I have officially fallen head-over-heels in love with tofu! This stuff is great - you can basically do anything with it, from baking a knock out bar-b-que to scrambling "eggs" for breakfast to even making mayo or sour cream substitutes. But first you gotta know how to work it, and work it right!

When I get that initial "ewwww" yucky face response to tofu from the unenlightened, I tend to follow up with a simple example question: "but do you like potatoes?" I ask all innocent-like to draw them y'see. Which always gets a " why sure I do." response. Then I hand them (if I have one handy) a raw, unpeeled potato and say, "well here you go, dig in!" "B-b-b-ut I can't eat this, it's raw!" they stutter (they always stutter when faced with superior reasoning, don't they).
Same thing with tofu. Raw, unpeeled potato equals raw, unprepared tofu. Both need preparation to be tasty.

Here's how to prep the tofu (figure out the potato your own self!):

* first, get organic tofu. (chemicals bad!)
* also first (first.b) get the freshest tofu package you can find - dig to the back of the counter to find the latest stocked items (I learned that when I worked at a grocery store in 1977!)
-- later at home--
* pierce the top of the package and drain the water the tofu is packed in
* slice the tofu into whatever size pieces are appropriate for your intended recipe (you'll understand when you get going)
* slip these tofu chunks into simmering, almost-but-not-quite-boiling water for about three minutes (slipping prevents splashing and the resulting burning, screaming and dropping of tofu which is painful to even watch)
* after simmering for three minutes, remove the tofu slices with a slotted spoon, and lay them out on a cloth (cheese cloth, tight-weave dish towl, paper towels, old t-shirt, etc)
* fold the above referenced cloth over the tofu and press it to squeeze out as much water as possible - this isn't a strength contest, don't smash the tofu - it will be fairly firm, so press firmly

This batch of tofu is now ready for whatever culinary masterpiece you have in store for it! such as ...

Bar-B-Que Riblets!
[NOTE: no animals were harmed in the making of this dish. Isn't that nice? Yeah.]

"Hey now! If going vegan or vegetarian means giving up muh real Texas bar-b-que, y'all can color me outta here!"
Ah, how many times have we heard that bucolic refrain ringing across the back yard grill? Too many to count, right? Well invite your neighbors over for an old-fashioned (but really new-fashioned) bar-b-que they'll talk about for months.

* Prepare tofu as you know how (see above) and cut it into riblet-sized and shaped pieces - approximately 1 inch thick and about two inches wide.
* mix up your favorite bar-b-que sauce - I like a good, bold bottle off the shelf to which I add chopped onions, crushed garlic, cayenne pepper, Tabasco© sauce - basically whatever Jo will let me get away with. The idea here is to get real close to making yourself cry from the heat without overshadowing the taste.
* pour 1/2 the sauce into your baking dish, place the tofu slices thereupon, and pour the rest of the sauce over, making sure all surfaces of the tofu are covered (don't be stingy! Remember the old saying "a penny saved ... is just flat-out cheap!")
* place the aforementioned baking dish into a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes
* turn the riblets, making sure, again, they are all covered with the sauce
* return to the oven for another 15 - 20 minutes, depending on how chewy you want your riblets

* Serve with bbq beans and something cold to put out the inevitable (if you fixed the sauce right) fire - cole slaw is good, so is grape juice - fermented or not.

* Most important part: don't forget to invite me for dinner!!!!

Super cornbread - non-dairy

2009-07-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

And here's the corn bread we've been eating like two starving heathens:
(basically, we just follow the recipe on the side of the Gold Medal Yellow Cornmeal bag, but make substitutions which make the resulting super version.)

two cups of corn meal (NOT mix - it has flour in it)
FOUR teaspoons of baking powder [NOTE: this has been changed as of 3/1/08]
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (lower sodium but same salty flavor)
-- mix the dry ingredients well --
1 1/2 cup of vanilla soy milk
* two heaping tablespoons of Nayonnaise mayonnaise substitute (this is the egg replacer and the "secret" ingredient that makes it so good)
2 tablespoons of EVOO
-- mix all together well--
Pour into a 9 X 9 glass baking dish which has been sprayed with non-stick spray
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes

eat it hot with Smart Balance Light with Flax Oil!

You can also add vegetarian imitation bacon bits, or corn into the mix. I like to place jalapeno slices on top before putting it in the oven ... but Jo says it's too spicy for her!

"Oh Man!" black bean & corn on the cob soup

2009-07-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

When Jo Donna says something like, "Oh! Bobby! You've got to taste this!" I know it's going to be good. Last Saturday she said just that after taking out of the fridge the beans we'd put in just the night before. I took a sip from the spoon she was holding and agreed that this was a winner - and somehow all different from what it was the night before.

We started out with dried black beans - I just tolerate the canned black beans because they're supposed to be so healthy, but the taste is blah - and, after soaking them and rinsing them half a dozen times, cooking them to tenderness, we started the seasoning adventure that makes cooking fun. Since we'd never made black beans from scratch before, we sort of played with the seasonings. We added maybe a teaspoon of sea salt and some Mrs. Dash, and then chopped two medium sized yellow onions for good measure. I was rummaging around in the fridge for ideas and saw some frozen mini-ears of corn in the freezer. Why not? So we popped two of these into the soupy beans and let it cook, covered for another half hour. Then we turned them off and let the pot cool before popping it in the fridge overnight.

The next day, as I said before, was eye-opening! The corn cobs had boiled/steamed/melted into the beans and the flavor was so rich it almost tasted like we'd dumped cream into them! I ate mine over crumbled dairy free cornbread (I'll post that recipe, too), and Jo had hers by themselves. Either way was heavenly. In fact, as we were eating, I was continuing grace in sort of a mumbling, zen mantra thing about "Oh Lord! thank you for this wonderful stuff you made and let us mix together. I wish you could share some of it with us! Hey, can we add this to the feast table menu in heaven?"

Try this - guaranteed satisfaction or your money back ... and I'll eat what's left over!

Great Book (Odd Name!)

2009-06-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

These ladies lay it on the line - funny, clever, and very informative!

Live Healthy = Eat Healthy!

2009-06-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

"You are what you eat!" You've heard it before, and it's still true. What you put in you becomes part of you. Too many of us have been feeding garbage into our bodies only to think, "why do I feel bad so much of the time?"
DUH!

1) If you look at the original plan for man and woman (in Genesis 1:29) you see we were DESIGNED to eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, etc. NOT MEAT. Man didn't start eating animals for thousands of years after he was created - until after the flood.

Our bodies are vegetarian machines. Put diesel into your gasoline engine - consistently - and see how well it runs! Same with your body. DON'T EAT MEAT or other animal stuff, such as eggs, milk (it's awful for you!) or cheese.
Oh, and yes, chickens are animals. Sheesh!

2) Fat is hard on your body. Some are OK, yes, such as olive oil and grapeseed oil. But too much of any fat is hard on your blood vessels and cells. Keep the fats to a minimum.

3) Fiber and "low glycemic index" foods are good for your heart, your cells, your whole body. They fight cancer. They keep your vessels clean. Beans are life giving food!

This isn't some haphazard experiment some great Someone threw together without thinking. God, in His infinite and glorious wisdom created not only our bodies, but the perfect fuels for them - at the same time! In Eden, when everything was perfect, He gave us the perfect food for our bodies.

Use some common sense and eat what we were meant to eat.

The Cost of Eating Meat

2009-06-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

According to a new report by LiveScience (http://www.livescience.com/environment/080505-chicken-beef.html), the most damaging part of carnivorism (ecologically, that is) is the "production" part - you know, the part where the cows, chickens, pigs, or whatever else is eaten are crammed together and slaughtered, then chopped into mouth-sized pieces so they can be eaten.

Wow!

Their report states: "

The production phase is responsible for 83 percent of the average U.S. household's greenhouse-gas burden with regard to food, while transportation accounts for only 11 percent, the new study found. The production of red meat, the researchers conclude, is almost 150 percent more greenhouse-gas-intensive than chicken or fish."

Did you get that last bit: 150% more harmful to keep/kill/eat cows than other animals!

I am so glad I don't eat them anymore.
Aren't you?!

Greatest Cancer Threat? Animal Protein!

2009-06-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Dr. T. Colin Campbell makes a startling (even for me!) statement in his video found on the VegSource web site. After describing his research and his journey from growing up on a dairy farm to a leading researcher into cancer and diet, Dr. Campbell's studies led him to state, "(animal protein) is the most significant carcinogen we consume. Forget about DDT and dioxin and things like that - we're talking about animal protein." Wow! What a radical idea.

Go watch the video at http://www.vegsource.com/video/colin.htm, and visit Dr. Campbell's web site at http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html and let me know what you think.

His research and studies are well founded (over a forty year period) and well supported (National Institute of Health and American Cancer Society). It looks pretty solid to me - what do you think? Is cancer caused directly by eating animal products?

Think You're Healthy? Think Again!

2009-06-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

Chances range from fair to pretty good that you're knocking at the door of a serious health breakdown.
What? You don't believe me?
Maybe you'll believe the US Food and Drug Commission: "Oy veh! are they in bad shape! I'm shaking my head they're so bad off! The direness of their situation is exponentially increasing on a moment by moment basis! Or is it decreasing? Either way, they're not long for this world, I'm tellink you."
Or perhaps you're more convinced by a university study? Someone like UCLA, maybe: "Like, MAN! You dudes are like all gnarled up inside, man! You're body is so ticked off at you for the way you're treating it, you're lucky if you don't just like off yourself, man! Whoa!"
If that doesn't convince you of the seriousness of your plight, listen to someone who has only your best interests at heart, like your own mother: "What are you, stupid!? Letting yourself go like that! Eating that, that - I don't even know what to call it, what you're eating, it's so not good for you! Did I raise you to be an idiot what doesn't take care of my precious baby like you're doing? To think of all the hours I broke my back caring for you and now you ...".
See, now you have her all upset. You should be ashamed.
The point is, you've let yourself fall into some basically rotten eating habits. We all have. Don't be too hard on yourself. But what's really dumb is to keep on doing something wrong after you realize you're doing something wrong. That's just ... wrong!
Well, it's too late now. I've told you! So now you either have to go on, knowing you're poisoning yourself, or change.
Change can be good. In this case, change can be very good.
Read on, my friends.

What's My "Diet" All About?

2009-06-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

To answer basic questions about what I eat, what I don't eat, and why, here's a list of facts:

I don't eat eggs

I don't use dairy*

I DO use soy milk

I don't eat refined white sugar**

I don't eat artificial sweeteners***

if I use a sweetner, it's raw sugar or local organic honey

I don't drink sugarpops (coke, etc)

I don't eat refined white flour**

I DO stick with rye or pumpernickel breads

I DO eat pretty much everything else!

I DO get lots of protein from various sources

I DO get plenty of calcium, and everything else

I have lost 30 pounds on this "diet"

I have corrected my diabetes and cholesterol numbers through this lifestyle

I started out just for health sake, but now continue out of respect for God's pets, which He has created in infinite detail for His enjoyment, and which we were put in charge of to care for

"meat" is the only source of bad cholesterol: no meat = no cholesterol

"good" fats are in most vegetables

tofu, when prepared correctly, is super!
(even potatoes can taste bad if not cooked or if cooked wrong)

NOTES:
* I do eat imported cheese on rare occasion - imported cheeses are free from all the pesticides and hormones of American cheeses
** as much as possible, but these damaged goods are snuck into so many foods it's almost impossible to avoid them totally
***these have all been proven to be poisonous to one extent or another