Geographic Tongue Dilemma

I am puzzled, annoyed, and aggravated when dealing with my daughter’s reappearing health issue – geographic tongue. She is only four years old and she has had this problem for about one and a half years now. The majority of the doctors suggest I ignore it!

I am puzzled because I have no idea where it came from why it keeps reappearing and how to get rid of it. The worth thing is when I am unable to help my child. If you are in the same boat, I feel sorry for you because seems like none of the MD/pediatricians want to address this issue. We tend to think when we have a health issue we will just go to our doctor and he/she will heal us. This is not the case with geographic tongue (GT). Our pediatrician continuously explained to me that it’s not a big deal, it will heal itself on its own and that there is no treatment for it and no one knows where it comes from. My child is unable to eat at least 60% of the usual foods during the GT reappearance as her tongue hurts. It’s only going to get worse when she grows up.

Our new pediatrician said it’s a benign issue and does not need to be treated and will go away on its own. He also believes it comes from super sensitive taste buds and has nothing to do with digestion. After hours of searching for answers online, I found out that there is a big population of people in the world with GT problem and most of their doctors say, “No treatment needed.” They make a few suggestions to add different kinds of vitamins to the diet, but the vitamins and opinions very quite a bit which makes it hard to make any sense or create any pattern of symptoms.

Recently I realized that the tongue is a window to all the ailments in the body in Oriental Medicine (OM), particularly the whole digestive system. This is the first organ OM doctors examine. When I visited an OM doctor, I didn’t receive a clear cause of GT, but the doctor thought it might have been from taking a lot of antibiotics from 12 to 14 months of age (my child kept getting ear infections from daycare back then). She said that her gut flora was getting destroyed and she became sensitive to foods over time. She believed it was also a digestive problem and recommended to get my child off gluten and dairy and try to give her less sugar. This is not a diagnosis, but a guess at best. It’s not a perfect solution but we will try this option. I’ll keep searching for answers. Meanwhile, whenever she gets GT again she will be back on her diet of yogurt and rice pudding, only foods that don’t hurt her.

I have always thought of my child’s diet as a pretty healthy one. Not knowing where GT comes from drives me nuts. I will keep searching for answers. If it reappears, I will try another naturopathic doctor. I’ll keep this post updated if I find valuable information on GT for our readers on where it comes from and how to treat it.

If you have any information 

that would help us, 

please post! 

Thank you a lot! 

Update:
So far from my newly acquired knowledge, I am adding B-12 vitamin and essential oils in addition to her multivitamins and Probiotics to improve her digestion, cell reproduction and many other benefits.



12/7/2011
I just had another heated up discussion with our new pediatrician. I requested a test for my daughter to see if she has celiac disease after reading this article http://www.celiac.com/articles/22436/1/Geographic-Tongue-Glossitis-and-its-Relationship-with-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html#postedcomment Our pediatrician didn’t like that I had this idea without his advice, he doesn’t belive its nessesary. Similar story with our old pediatrician, makes me look like a crazy mom (*). They, as are 95% of medical community, believe that GI has no cure and is not related to any underlying condition. It’s fine with me, but I need to eliminate the possibilities and I regret to realize that my experience with two pediatric offices had been great until problems arose. I feel like I have no one to defend my children with, like I am having this invisible fight against men’s ego instead of feeling compassion and concern from my doctor.

(*) We have a newborn in the house who was born with tight tongue and our old pediatrician argued that the baby’s tongue doesn’t need to be snapped. I had breastfeeding crisis because of his tongue and I went to an ETN doctor anyway. He said we had a severe case of tight tongue and snapped it right away. Should I have listened to our ped, my baby would still be with heart shaped tongue unable to latch properly and be ashamed of its shape when he grows up.

Morning Coffee

How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? Please share in the comment section.

I wanted to share my own experiment with coffee. My favorite coffee is espresso with steamed rice milk and I usually drink one cup of coffee a day. I like the tradition, the process and the feeling of holding a hot cup in the morning with its taste, smell, etc.

In January 2011, when I did a cleanse for one month, coffee was one of the products I had to eliminate from my diet. In February, I didn’t feel like I had an urge to start drinking it again so I have been drinking smoothies instead every morning.

However, four months later - in the last two weeks, I had my first cup of coffee. My experience was a bit intense. I loved the taste and am all about espresso. But three minutes into drinking it, and for the next 40 minutes, my heart was about to jump out of my body. I couldn’t believe how intense it was. I had a second cup a week later and the reaction was the same.

I understand that my body is not used to caffeine. The coffee industry is so big and it is so deeply penetrated into a modern culture that it’s hard to find the real answer if it is harmful or beneficial to us. All I know is it is a highly processed product and there are many other ways to get your antioxidants found in coffee beans and energy sources.

Having a smoothie on daily basis gives longer, more sustainable energy for the morning without intense heart palpitations. It also includes variety of vitamins and minerals, proteins, and lots of fiber, all in one cup of a smoothie. It is the easiest way to get a large amount of veggies and fruits into your belly.

So to drink or not to drink my cup of coffee? I think the hardest thing is changing one’s lifelong tradition, culture. Maybe it should be a once a week treat on a Saturday morning or a non-caffeinated version of it, just for the smell of it? What’s your opinion? Do you think it is good or bad for us?



Interesting statistics:
http://www.coffee-statistics.com/coffee_statistics_ebook.html
- Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day, or equivalent to 146,000,000,000 (146 Billion) cups of coffee per year; making the United States the LEADING CONSUMER of coffee in the world.
- Japan ranks number 3 in the world for coffee consumption.
- Café Bars average sales of 230 cups a day.

Healthy Jello

This is a fantastic healthy snack for your kids and for you parents! It is fast and easy to make! You kid can help you through the fruits into each cup.

You will need:
1 tsp agar-agar. You can buy it in natural stores. It's a healthy  replacement of gelatin that comes from vegetable sources.
1 cup fresh juice. I used organic fresh orange juice, but you can use any juice you have.
0.5 cup of filtered water
1/3 cup of fruits optional. I used mango on the picture.
You can add cinnamon or a bit of maple syrup if you'd like a sweeter teste.

This recipe is for a small amount of jello, about 6 small cups from apple syrup.

Process:
Mix water and agar-agar and heat it up to boiling state. It's done! Now, add juice and pour into forms (collect yogurt cups or apple syrup cups before). Through in some fruit cubes. Ready to eat once it's cooled down!

Share with us how you like it!

Is Your Water Clean?

Water Important!
Do you drink enough water daily? Do you drink clean water?
Do you know that we consist of almost 70% of water meanwhile 75% Americans are chronically dehydrated?

After air (oxygen), water is the most important element for our survival. We can live for almost 2 months without food, but going without water for even a few days is close to impossible, human body can only survive for up to 5 days. Our most crucial 3 organs that keep us alive are brain, heart, and blood. They consist of mainly water and when we get dehydrated they suck all the juices from other organs. We can survive without a strong bone structure, without a kidney, or with dry wrinkly skin, but we cannot survive if one of the crucial organs has any deficiency. To maintain our body in efficient healthy state, drinking enough water is a must.

How much water to drink?
This is how you can calculate how much water you should drink a day:
Your Weight / 2 = amnt of oz a day. Example: 124lbs / 2 = 62oz = 8 cups each day.
This is an approximate number, one should make adjustment when sweating, exercising, in hot/cold climate, etc.

In my culture, we grew up not drinking enough water. I had to literally put it in my calendar when to refill a bottle to get used to drinking enough. Nowadays, you can buy a scale that will measure a level of your hydration. If it is above 60, then you are in pretty good shape.

Is your water clean?
My parents live in Sarasota, FL and they just had a service come in to their house to check on contamination of their water. The service guy took samples of their pool and tap water and did testing on them. Turned out to my dad’s horror that the pool water had less chlorine then the tap! My dad is a maintenance pro and takes care of his pool on weekly basis. I see him put some chemicals in the pool which looks disturbing when you realize what it takes to have a clean healthy pool. However, the crazy part was the test showed that the tap water had more chlorine then the pool water! Also acceptable contamination levels of the tap water should be 50 or below. My parents’ tap water contamination was 342! Imagine that it also penetrates into our body through skin when we take a shower or bath. ..One of the sad drawbacks of modern world…

I always wanted to check on the quality of the water in my home but never made an effort to actually find a local service. I am so glad my parents’ incident inspired me to actually do it. I just googled a local service to schedule an appointment. You should do too!

Stay tuned for updates on my tap water contamination!

If you had your water tested, please share the results with us, readers!

UPDATE:

What a shame! I requested a free water service from http://www.southeastwatersystemsinc.com They didn't show up and didn't tell me that they would not. The receptionist explained that in order for them to conduct the test the owner of the house has to be present. Understand, they wouldn't be able to sell me their water systems if I am not the owner.

The BioMat

The BioMat

Quantum Therapeutics:

State-of-the-Art Technology for the New Millennium

by Guest Contributor

Science and medicine have come together to develop this medically approved device for home and professional use. The BioMat’s state-of-the-art light technology reverses degenerative disease cycles and speeds cellular renewal. This allows post traumatic and surgical healing processes to occur 57% faster.

*Relieves pain and joint stiffness
*Increases blood circulation
*Decreases hyperactivity
*Strengthens the cardiovascular system
*Rejuvenates skin and cellular function
*Induces deep Delta State of relaxation
*Reduces stress and fatigue

*Boosts the immune system

*Burns calories and controls weight

*Removes waste and toxins

*Boosts energy and vitality
*Regulates Psychological well being

The BioMat is a “pad” which lies on top of a massage table or your home mattress. It converts electricity through a computerized control panel produced by Texas Instruments, into Far Infrared Rays (FIR), nature’s invisible light. FIR was discovered by NASA to be the safest, most beneficial light wave. This reduces swelling, increases blood flow and has been shown to destroy cancer and viral cells without harming surrounding healthy cells. It penetrates 6-8 inches into the innermost recesses of the body, stimulating healing and regeneration of nerves and muscle tissue layers.

The BioMat also produces Negative Ions, nature’s energizer, which deliver a molecular level massage. This accelerates and deepens all healing and cleansing processes. It balances pH by decreasing acidity and is considered the “Master Power Switch” which activates the body’s entire cellular communication system, making every body function work better! Negative Ions alleviate allergies, migraines and sinus problems.

These two components are transferred through Amethyst Quartz channels which cover the entire BioMat’s surface. Amethyst Quartz is natures Super Conductor, scientifically found to offer the steadiest, most powerful delivery of healthy far infrared light waves and the highest vibrational frequencies into the body. It is known to be a powerful detoxifier, assisting in releasing its user from addictions such as alcohol, food and substance abuse, as well as hangovers and toxic residues. It also produces naturally occurring far infrared waves.

This technology is being used in spas and professional practitioners’ offices all over the world. Physical therapists, chiropractors and acupuncturists are realizing the benefits for their clients. Boeing and Microsoft have placed them in there buildings for their employees to use. A good nights sleep or a mere 25 minute nap on The BioMat, can go a long way to ensuring that the years ahead of you will be healthier, enabling you to be more active and enjoy life’s journey to it’s fullest!

So why not give yourself the gift of wellness? For more details on The BioMat, and how you can have one of your own in the comfort and privacy of your home please email Cylleria Johnson at cylleria@yahoo.com and visit her website at www.cylleria.thebiomatcompany.com.

Sodium Benzoate

The truth about the preservative

Sodium Benzoate

The seemingly safe preservative Sodium Benzoate is added to lot of foods like sodas, vinegar, fruit juice, salad dressings, wine and pickles. When combined with ascorbic acid or vitamin C, it can form the chemical Benzene (benzol), a highly carcinogenic substance exposure to which can lead to serious health effects.

Some fruit juice brands claim to have high amounts of antioxidants in their juices while using sodium benzoate as a preservative. While those antioxidants help to protect human cells from the damage done by free radicals (molecules responsible for aging, tissue damage, and other diseases), sodium benzoate (in conjunction with the fruits' vitamin C) does the exact opposite. It creates Benzene that damages human cells and creates various health risks. The risks include inflammation processes that eventually lead to damaging DNA and cell processes, degenerative diseases, etc.

Sodium Benzoate is on the list of unacceptable ingredients for food in Whole Foods Markets http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/unacceptable-ingredients.php

Excerpt from http://www.health-report.co.uk/benzene.htm:
"ALL moist or liquid processed foods have chemicals in them for preservation. These preservatives when combined with vitamin C (ascorbic acid) may damage your health permanently"

* * *

Read your food's ingredients list!

Prebiotics

Prebiotics and Probiotics

Probiotics are bacteria in our body that keep us healthy. It mainly colonizes these organs: mouth, skin, genital organs, and intestinal tract. When it is imbalanced or compromised by bad bacteria, we start getting all kinds of symptoms as our immune system weakens. It can range from chronic fatigue, cramps, abdominal pain, colitis, to yeast infection, and other problems.

To avoid disruption of our micro-environment, we need to follow a good daily diet and try to stay away from antibiotics when possible. Anytime our good bacteria is challenged, our old problems like allergies and infections re-surface and we need more prescriptions to get rid their symptoms. Many prescriptions, as we know, produce side effects and eventually a normal healthy person becomes ill with a bouquet of illnesses.

How can you avoid this chain reaction?
The solution is not so easy in the modern world. In fact, it seems to be very challenging. The reason is that more then 60% of the US population is either obese or overweight. The solution, therefore, would be to eat the "right" food and drink a lot of liquids. But what are the right foods?

Incorporating green or colorful veggies and fruits, drinking a lot of liquids (at least 8 large glasses a day) and avoiding highly processed food and sugar is a wonderful start. Supplementing your diet with probiotics and prebiotics is the next step. You can find varieties available on the market.

Here is a difference between them:
A probiotic is a good bacteria. Prebiotics are a meal for good bacteria that feeds and nourishes it, insoluble and soluble fiber from plants. Please note, however, that not all probiotic supplements are beneficial or effective. Here is a list to go to when choosing your probiotic: http://www.beta-glucan-info.com/compare_probiotics.htm

Probiotic Food Examples:

• yogurt 
• kefir 
• miso 
• tampeh 
• Sauerkraut 

Prebiotic Food Examples:

EIRO Research Convention 2010

• Inulin and Oligofructose (carbohydrate found in plants. To learn more: http://www.ehow.com/about_5521701_oligofructose.html) 
• Honey 
• Greens 
• Legumes 
• Root vegetables 
• Whole Wheat (90% insoluble) 
• Oat Bran (50/50) 
• Breast milk 
• Onions 
• Garlic 
• Apricots 
• Broccolli 
• Squash 
• Oranges 
• Peas 
• Bananas 
• Berries 
• Asparagus 
• Barley 
• Flaxseed 
• Brown Rice 
• Rye 
• Jerusalem artichoke 
• Chicory(warning, can cause excess gas in some people) 
• Legumes (lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, navy beans, white beans, black beans) 
• Plums/Prunes 
• Apricots 
• Broccolli 
• Carrots 
• Squash 
• Peas 
• Oranges 

If you still think you are not getting enough prebiotic food from your daily meal and need to supplement your diet, I recommend EIRO Pur, cutting-edge product on the market that incorporates prebiotic and detox blends together. You can learn more about the product here: http://bit.ly/EIROpur

Some Facts About Bacteria:
- There is 10 times more bacteria in our body then cells!
- Maintaining our gut healthy provides robust immune system, increases absorbtion of calcium and magnesium, slows aging, weight loss, etc.
- We have about 160 bacteria in our intestinal tract
- There is a correlation between good/bad bacteria and obesity:

EIRO Research Convention 2010

Sources:
- http://www.beta-glucan-info.com/probiotic_facts.htm
- EIRO Research Convention 2010, presenting EIRO Pur Prebiotic
- http://vegetarian.lovetoknow.com/What_Foods_Contain_Probiotic
- http://www.gicare.com/our-practice/prebiotic.aspx
- http://www.candidafood.com/2009/11/candida-and-prebiotic-foods-list/

Lime

Limes and their benefits

For some, limes do not have many uses in a household unless it is to add flavor to Corona beer or Gin & Tonic. For others, it’s a very popular fruit, especially in the tropics, and it’s used in every day meals. There are different varieties of limes from sweet to sour, but the sour/acid lime has the most nutritional value, is cultivated the most in the world, and is used as a natural remedy since ancient times in India.

Lime has more vitamin C than lemon! It also has a great amount of calcium and phosphorus. It even has 1.5% of protein in 100g serving.

Lime helps with different disorders like digestive problems (acidity in the stomach, constipation, etc), common cold, swollen gums, conjunctivitis, cystitis, obesity, and quite a few others. To loose weight, start every day with a full glass of water on an empty stomach with a juice of one lime, add some honey if needed.

Here is what you can do in your household to reduce amount of work for yourself and at the same time to enjoy the benefits of lime.

Buy a large amount of limes and deal with it all at once (photo above). Extract the juice from lime into a bottle with a cover and put it in the fridge. This way you can use it for the next week or on a daily basis by adding it to your salads, soups, smoothies/shakes, any other meals, and water.

By the way, I hope you drink at least 8-16 glasses of water a day! Don’t forget, we consist of almost 70% of liquids and in order for us to operate successfully, we need to input almost 70% of liquids into our bodies. Those liquids have to be clear of toxins, preservatives, purified, and nutritious. Only then your body will renew itself on daily basis.

You can also freeze lime juice and use that as future magic ice for your smoothies. I don’t have any mold for ice, so I am using whatever I have in my household – 1-ounce cups (photo below). Once they freeze, I’ll just move them to a Ziploc bag and use the same cups for the next set of lime ice. This ice will be a great addition to my morning smoothies!

The word of caution: I read somewhere that it's not good to swallow the seeds of lime, apples. I couldn't find any good site online to research on this subject. If you have any info, please share in the comment section! 

Enjoy Your Limes!

Sources: http://www.best-home-remedies.com/herbal_medicine/fruits/lime.htm

Notes from Friends: 
Kandy Cox Magnotti: I use limes when we get a cold. It's a traditional hispanic concoction called Limonada that consists of lime juice (fresh squeezed) honey and little water. It always does the trick. We heat it up like a tea It always tastes best when my mom makes it but I try. Love these tips pretty lady! You are insipring me!!! ;-)

Danielle Prado Lizotte: Try pure cranberry juice (just a splash) with water and a squeeze of lime. I call it my fat flush!

Favorite Quotes

I started collection of my favorite quotes about food, healthy living, and balance of life.  Please post your favorite quote in the comments section and I'll add it to the list.

"You are what you eat"

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,
But to eat when you are already sick is to feed your sickness”  ~Hippocrates

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."  ~ Native American Proverb

"Every man dies. Not every man really lives."  ~William Wallace

"If you're not working out for the one you love, someone else is!" Shared by Danielle Lizotte

"It's not the food in your life, it's the life in your food"

"What thing about humanity surprises you the most? The Dalai Lama's answer: Man! Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health.Then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present, and as a result he does not live in the present or the future. He lives as if he's never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived"

"If your blood is formed from eating pure foods your brain will function in a manner that will surprise you. Your former life will take on the appearance of a dream and for the first time your conscious mind will awaken. Your mind, your thinking, your ideals, your aspirations, and your philosophy changes fundamentally in such a way as to beggar description.Your soul will shout for joy and triumph over all misery of life, leaving it all behind you. For the first time you will feel a vibration of vitality through your body like a slight electric current that shakes you delightfully." - Arnold Ehret, 1866

Raw Classes in Sarasota

Great news for raw beginners of Sarasota and the surrounding area! Now you can learn from professionals what exactly raw food is and even try some samples of delicious raw and vegan meals. If you would like to change the way you shop in a grocery store but don't know where to start, these are the classes for you! I will be in some of the classes to :)

Healthy Eating: Basics - 6:30 - 8:00pm

Join us for a 4 week program and learn what you need to get started on your healthier life! Classes will be held on consecutive Thursday's in September beginning on Sept. 9th, 2010 (Sept. 9, 16, 23 30). Included are informational lectures, recipes, handouts, live food demonstrations & samples! $30/class or $100 total if sign up for all four! Held at Natural Health Center at 2344 Bee Ridge Rd., Suite 112D, Sarasota. Register by phone or email: 407.448.0730 or Pam@BalanceYourLifewithPam.com  

Class Outline
Sept. 9
What is Whole Food?
Studies & Trends: Diabetes, Organic products, Food labels Live Food Demonstration: Breakfasts (2 raw food recipes and 1 vegan recipe) Samples!!!

Sept. 16
Introduction to Raw Food: What, Why & Benefits Yes, we cook, too! Balanced eating: raw & cooked
Live Food Demonstration: Lunches (2 raw food recipes and 1 vegan recipe) Samples!!!

Sept. 23
What my kitchen looks like.
Implementing gradual healthy changes - Don't Diet! Live Food Demonstration: Dinners (2 Raw food recipes and 1 vegan recipe) Samples!!!

Sept. 30
Replacing or revamping your favorite foods.
Equipment - using what you have & recommendations. Live Food Demonstration: Desserts & Snacks (2 Raw food recipes and 1 vegan recipe) Samples!!!

To Learn More About Services: http://balanceyourlifewithpam.com/services.html

Healthy Popsicle

Do you or your children love popsicles?

Popsicle is a new concept for me as there are no popsicles where I come from. Since having a toddler, I quickly realized that it’s a very popular product in the U.S. among the kids. However, I wasn’t impressed by the look of some popsicles in a grocery store. A lot of them look too bright for a fruity treat and surely too sweet. Also some have substances to keep them from dripping too much. Well, it is probably not news for local moms that you can make your own popsicles at home where you are in charge of the ingredients. However, for us it’s been a total discovery! It is fun and easy to do together with your child.

There are lots of shapes you can buy on the market these days. We went to Bed Bath & Beyond and chose a form that’s not too big, has a good grip for toddler hands, and really cute. As a bonus, it has a little opening on top where you can put a fruit, whipped cream, etc.




Popsicle Recipe:

Blend all ingredients below

- 1 banana
- 1 big handful of frozen mangos (we’ve got organic bag in BJ’s)
- 1 Greek yogurt (all natural)
- Trop50 OJ, just to barely top the ingredients



That’s it. Now you have enough to fill up 4 little forms and a small shake left over for mommy for a job well done! Frozen, it taste like sorbet!

P.S. last time I added some chard to this mix and my toddler didn’t even notice. So it’s a great way to feed her greens, especially those like kale, spinach, etc that she would never eat otherwise.

If you have a popsicle idea, 

please share with us readers

 in the comment section!

MSG or Monosodium Glutamate. Be Aware!

Do you read labels closely? Are you aware of the REAL ingredients in your daily food? Do you get a feeling sometimes that food is like a drug? You go to one of your favorite restaurants and their food seems so intensely delicious that you dream about it all the time until you come back and eat there again. Do you realize how cheap it is to make potato chips with MSG. This knowledge is unreal and it will blow your mind!

If you do get sensation that a particular food is so intensely delicious, it may be for a reason.  An array of food chemicals have been created in the last few decades.  Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is one that often used in food industry.  This substance makes our taste buds feel wild and happy and it’s found in fast food, in many restaurants, packaged and processed foods, sushi, Chinese food, etc.  It is created to bring exciting taste to very cheap, low quality food. 

I once saw a Russian movie which performed an experiment on MSG. A lady had a bowl of a natural veggie soup and the same soup with MSG. She said that the one with MSG was so much tastier and the one without it had a plain boring taste. 

MSG is usually disguised under some names like textured vegetable protein or plant protein extract that would seem more or less safe to the unaware consumer. It has many more names and you can read more about it in the article below. The saddest part is that even though it is so harmful for a human brain to consume the FDA approves it and even allows it in some kids meals.


Here is a great article from the Food Matters Movie Blog. The article is long but it is worth reading for your own awareness and safety. It also gives a long list of foods to pay close attention to: http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp_378860/The_Dangers_of_MSG


Here is an excerpt:
“The term MSG is seldom seen listed on a food label, but MSG is most likely contained in the food, in a disguised form. Here are some of its many disguises: hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed vegetable protein, textured vegetable protein, hydrolyzed yeast extract, autolyzed yeast extract, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, yeast extract, textured whey protein, and textured soy protein. Even the innocuous terms spice and natural flavor can designate the presence of MSG.”


With this new knowledge of the modern food, don't hesitate to spend more time in a grocery store to read all those beautiful colorful labels and pay especial attention to those labels that don't say "All Natural" or "Organic"  Not only your family will benefit from your food choice, your grandchildren and their grandchildren will benefit from the choices you make in that store today! 

Lets Stand Together Against MSG!

Zero Waste Initiative

Zero Waste Initiative in Steamboat Springs Ski Resort Area

Steamboat Springs Ski Resort in Colorado is

#1 Resort for Environmental Responsibility 

This post is not about Becoming Raw but about Green Living.

We spent two wonderful weeks in the Steamboat Spring, CO recently and inevitably fell in love with it. There were many reasons for it – beautiful weather and fantastic living conditions at the Christy Club right at the foot of the Mt. Werner with great biking trails along the Yampa River. However, the main reason I was impressed by it was their Zero Waste Initiative in the Ski Resort area:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=123950830800

National Ski Areas Association awarded Steamboat Ski Resort as the best resort in Reduction and Recycling Program in North America. They’ve put a huge effort over the last year and reduced their land fill by 63%. They also reduced their recycling by 73%. They have moved from 374 garbage loads two years ago to 79 this year. They have been able to achieve it by creating a composting facility and switching to compostable items. This page caught my attention at the local coffee chop that won award for environmental responsibility. It has some items that I would never thought as compostables.

You can watch a video about it: http://videos.apnicommunity.com/Video,Item,1702238407.html# 

What is a compostable item? Here is a great definition from The Green Office: http://www.TheGreenOffice.com  Turns out it’s better then recyclable and even better the biodegradable!

COMPOSTABLE:
'Compostable' products are biodegradable, but with an added benefit: when they break down, they release valuable nutrients into the soil, aiding the growth of trees and plants. These products degrade within several months in an industrial composting facility and produce no toxic residues. Compostability is a desirable feature in traditionally-disposable products such as plates, bowls, cups and cutlery. These products are commonly made out of PLA (Polylactic acid), bagasse (sugarcane fiber) or vegetable starch. It is environmentally-preferable to use disposable products that are labeled 'compostable' rather than just 'biodegradable'.

Products that are labeled 'compostable' must enter an industrial composting facility in order for it to fully degrade into organic matter. If your city has a composting facility, place these products in your compost bins to be picked up. Compostable products will typically degrade in 30-120 days in an industrial composter, depending on the product size and material used. If your city doesn't provide industrial composting, you can dispose of compostable products in your backyard or home composter, but they will take longer to biodegrade. If you do not have access to a compost facility or a home composter, dispose of the compostables in the garbage. This option should be your last resort as waste does not easily biodegrade in landfills. Remember: do not put compostables into your recycling! They are not recyclable and will contaminate the recycling process. 

Pine Nuts

I always loved pine nuts as a kid growing up in Ukraine.  When I moved to the US, I was pleased to learn they are available here as well.  Most pine nuts come from China. They are delicious and a great addition to a raw food diet.  However, there is good and there is bad about these nuts.

The Good:

Pine nuts are packed with a long list of great vitamins and minerals.  One cup has at least 10-20% of our daily dietary value of each of the following: healthy fatty acids, protein, fiber, iron, Vitamin E, Potassium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Copper, and especially Manganese.  They are also a great appetite suppressant, thanks to penolenic acid that stimulates hormones sending a message to our brain that we are full.

The Bad:

They spoil fast!  Unshelled nuts become rancid within a few weeks or even days in warm humid conditions. So it’s important to buy them in a store with a quick turnover rate and store them in the fridge with a tightly sealed container.

Be aware of Pine Mouth!

Ever since I’ve been experimenting with raw/vegan lifestyle, I occasionally notice a bitter taste in my mouth that lasts for about four days.  Unsure of what was happening inside my body (I was afraid of possible liver or digestive problems), I began research online. I found out that a lot of people who eat pine nuts get an unpleasant bitter/metallic taste in their mouth a day after that and it lasts from three days to a few weeks.  Interestingly, everyone complains that sweets and wine are especially terrible in taste during those weeks. There is even a term now – pine mouth. What a revelation! 

There have been a lot of cases of pine nuts over the last ten years, but unfortunately, there is no scientific research to explain the taste and the harm it does to the human body.  There are people in the US, Europe, South Africa, and other countries who have experienced the same problem.

 

If you had the same problem please share where are you from and where you bought your pine nuts? Were they organic or not? How long did the bad taste last?

It’s sad to leave such a tasty food item out of my diet but I’ll have to until I find the source of fresh nuts!

Sources:

http://www.mothernature.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_nut

http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/nut-seed-nutrition-chart.html

The Future of Food

"The choices we make at the supermarket
determine the future of our food" 

- "The Future of Food" movie

 Director: Deborah Garcia.

I highly recommend watching it

to increase the awareness of food quality we buy on daily basis.

My grocery trips are longer because I made it a tradition to read the ingredients. For example, I was in the grocery store searching for ricotta cheese without a strange name  in the ingredients list.  All the brands had carbon dioxide as an ingredient so I didn't buy it.  I couldn't find online on carbon dioxide in food but so far I know it is the same gas that comes out of our cars, CO2. It's also used in sodas and beer to make it fizzy. One person argued that it's good for you, but I am still puzzled. If you know of a helpful article about the subject please let me know. Another example is bread. The whole bread isle (at least 50 kinds of bread) in my grocery store contained preservatives.  I had to make an extra trip to a local bakery.

This is just an example to show why we cannot allow ourselves mindless shopping if we care for our children's future.  There are many reasons to buy only organic and natural products. They may seem more expensive to buy, but when you know at what expense you are getting a cheap product, you'll realize, it's actually worth it.  Here are a few of many reasons to buy natural products:

- clean and free of pesticides, fertilizers, genetically grown products, and other unnatural substances.

- if you eat more green and less meat, you safe your money. Meat is more expensive to buy and especially much more expensive to make. 

- you shift the culture towards a healthier lifestyle where big corporations that control the food market have to become more mindful and ethical on what they offer to the society hence create a healthier environment for our children and grandchildren.
- there is already an epidemic of obesity in the U.S. Adding genetically grown foods to the picture has a potential of creating unstoppable mutation in species effecting the whole living world in horrific ways.

I'd love to continue adding more reasons on why should we choose natural and organic. If you have a reason in mind, please add it to the comments section!