Many people are choosing to be frugal yet still want the benefits of organic foods.  The Environmental Working Group has been monitoring food and has been putting out this report since 2000.  The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides features the fruits and veggies with the most and least pesticides.  The updated lists helps you [...]]]> Living a healthy life is dependent upon what you put into your body as well as what you think about the food you put in your body.  Financial worries can cause indigestion and dis-ease. Eliminate the stress of choosing between healthy food and finances by becoming informed.

Many people are choosing to be frugal yet still want the benefits of organic foods.  The Environmental Working Group has been monitoring food and has been putting out this report since 2000.  The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides features the fruits and veggies with the most and least pesticides.  The updated lists helps you compare the best organic fruits and vegetables for your dollar, if organic isn’t available or affordable.  Not only are the lists in a printable form but you can also download the application to your iPhone so you can have it with you when shopping.

Please remember that you never want to buy food that are genetically modifies or GMO’s.  Unfortunately in the US the manufacturer’s are not required to label GMO products.  Certain European countries have a ban on GMO foods. In the US there are some companies that are labeling their food “non-GMO”  please be sure to choose these over other foods.

The key foods to buy organically grown and/or manufactured from organic ingredients are:

• Heavily treated produce and meat
• Leafy greens
• Frequently eaten foods
• Wheat, Rice and Corn – buy as non processed and organic as possible.

Milk is a common source of the herbicide atrazine (a known endocrine-disrupter) and the growth hormone rBGH which has been genetically engineered to boost milk production.  Again choose milk that is organic and/or rBGH free.

Eggs

Eggs are one of the more bio-available proteins especially for growing folks, pregnant women, and those needing a protein source, especially if you digest them well and aren’t allergic to them. They have many nutrients that feed the body tissues, the sexual glands, sperm and eggs, and hormones. However, eggs are typically produced in factory farms where the hens often live in crowded, unhygienic conditions.  Our best egg option is organic eggs, which are now becoming more available. The next best option is free range.

Meat

Buy free range and organic meat.  Farm animals are fed pesticide laden foods but they also are given high dosages of antibiotics, which is one of the causes of the super bugs we see today, which cannot be treated with regular antibiotics.

Baby Foods
Whenever feeding an infant, we want to make sure we do not stress their sensitive and vulnerable systems with chemicals. I suggest a completely organic diet from the first feedings at about six months through age two.

Shop Locally
Ideally, it is healthiest to eat foods grown and cultivated near our area and in the season they are harvested. Seasonal eating is one of the keys to a balanced and wholesome diet. These foods are the freshest, often the most economical, and usually less treated, even non-organic, because they don’t need to be protected for shipping long distances.

These are some other ideas for frugal healthy choices:

• Comparison shop the organic sections of a number of stores
• Buy locally produced foods. They have less pesticides.
• Farmer’s markets have great seasonal produce.
• Join a community supported agriculture farm.
• Order bulk and dry goods on internet.
• Save your organic dollars for the freshest foods. For things that you don’t use that much or for refined foods, buy the less expensive conventional product.

Ideally, our entire diet could be made up of wholesome, healthy organic and clean foods but sometimes that is simply impossible or stressful to do so. Taking the stress out of eating is just as important as eating healthy food.  So what happens if you don’t have this information at your fingertips when you are at the store shopping?  You can always test for foods using muscle testing.

Overall, it’s important to eat healthy to Stay Healthy!  Enjoy what you do choose to consume.

No, I’m not renaming it to “Lessons from H1N1 flu, Mexican Virus, North American influenza or novel flu virus”.  Changing the name removes us from responding to the issue properly.  It is clear that the flu outbreak was caused by conditions in hog CAFO (confined animal feeding operation).  CAFO is another nice acronym removing us from the reality of the operation.

Back to the topic of the blog.  I was living in Northern Westchester, NY in the early 90′s and was in desperate need of organic foods.  I had become convinced [...]]]> Rethinking Food Sources – Lessons from Swine Flu Outbreak

No, I’m not renaming it to “Lessons from H1N1 flu, Mexican Virus, North American influenza or novel flu virus”.  Changing the name removes us from responding to the issue properly.  It is clear that the flu outbreak was caused by conditions in hog CAFO (confined animal feeding operation).  CAFO is another nice acronym removing us from the reality of the operation.

Back to the topic of the blog.  I was living in Northern Westchester, NY in the early 90′s and was in desperate need of organic foods.  I had become convinced that organic foods would help maintain and improve my health. Unfortunately at the time it was very difficult to find organic foods outside of the “city” or in “enlightened” places.  Some of the health food stores carried organics but they were extremely expensive and the selection of fresh foods were almost non-existent.  This was before places like Wild Oats and Whole Foods were popular.

Photo by Daniel Morrison

I joined a group that would go around and petition grocery stores to carry organic foods.  Occasionally people would sign a petition but mostly we got friends and family to speak to the managers of the stores.  We said to them, we like shopping in your store but you are not serving our needs.  We would like organics here and we promise to continue shopping and telling our friends.  At first the managers thought we were nuts but eventually one or two of them listened and started buying a few organic products.  They realized that they could get a premium price for the food and the food would fly off the shelves.  We voted with our wallets and loyalty.

The smaller health food stores started to clean up their stores to attract more customers as well.   They could service their clientele with excellent customer service and health expertise.  Today almost every large grocery store chain has an organic section and so do the big box stores.  You, as a consumer knows that there is some sort of standard when you find a label that has an official seal saying its organic.  You have control over what you eat, if you buy organics and if you read your labels.

Unfortunately labels have become inadequate.  Certain industries  and companies (Monsanto) have used their money and connections to excuse Bovine Growth Hormones (RgBh) and genetically modified foods (GMO’s). Many people have gluten allergies which are which exempt from labeling.  Glutens are just as dangerous to people with Celiac disease as are sugars to a diabetic.

A recent food hazard of melanin in our food system came from China killing off our pets & sickening our children.  Now we are seeing deaths from unhealthy raising of animals and unhealthy/unclean processing of foods.

You have choices.

1. You can raise your own food.
2. Go organic and buy from only trusted local sources.  These solutions are not comprehensive, as we are learning from this swine flu epidemic that you can be as organic as you want and still catch the flu because your friend went to Mexico on spring break. The concept of “All is One” is becoming very real and you can no longer isolate yourself.

Become Pro-Active

1. You can go to your grocery store and ask for labeling of the produce and meat for country or state of origin.
2. Put your money to work buy choosing foods that you know exactly where they came from and what’s inside them, not just based on fats calories and cost.

This is only part of the solution, our world is so intertwined that our companies go to other countries to raise and process foods in countries that don’t have the same standards of regulations that we have.  Some processed food ingredients come from so many different countries you could get frequent flier miles off them.

Go Global

1. Use your network.  Do you have family in Mexico, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe? Talk to them.  Have your family vote with their wallets in other countries, demand proper labeling, so they can make choices about what they put into your body.  If you are reading this you are a member of the largest consumer group ever with more buying power than the largest corporation.  It may take time but the supermarkets will listen.

Rethink your food choices, right now it takes effort but in the future it will be effortless.

WHO (World Health Organization) upgraded the severity of the spread of the Swine flu spread to Phase Four is very interesting from an intuitive, spiritual aspect.

WHO (World Health Organization) upgraded the severity of the spread of the Swine flu spread to Phase Four.

The following is a gauge for the classifications:

Phase one: No animal viruses circulating are causing infections in humans.

Phase two: An animal flu virus is known to have caused human [...]]]> Scanning this mornings headlines about the flu outbreak, I was struck by two different pieces of information, which have become the topic of two posts.

WHO (World Health Organization) upgraded the severity of the spread of the Swine flu spread to Phase Four is very interesting from an intuitive, spiritual aspect.

WHO (World Health Organization) upgraded the severity of the spread of the Swine flu spread to Phase Four.

The following is a gauge for the classifications:

Phase one: No animal viruses circulating are causing infections in humans.

Phase two: An animal flu virus is known to have caused human infection and is considered a potential pandemic threat.

Phase three: Limited human-to-human transmission may occur. This does not indicate the virus has gained transmissibility that would cause a pandemic.

Phase four: Human-to-human transmission able to cause “community-level outbreaks”. Significant increase in pandemic risk but it is not a foregone conclusion.

Phase five: Human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. A strong signal that pandemic is imminent.

Phase six: Pandemic phase, characterized by community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region along with phase five.

The spiritual law of “All is One“  is showing itself in very tangible terms at our root chakra or survival level.  Whereas the financial crisis, “All is One” hit us at our second or sacral chakra. The law “All is One“  does not only show itself through negative manifestations but through positive movements such as the current “Green” movement.

“All is One” is the law that describes how we each are a part of the other.  You are the same as I, the proverbial story of the butterfly flapping its wings and affecting the entire world.

“All is One” teaches us how important we all are.  It teaches us that the suffering of others is our own suffering.  The happiness and achievements of others is our joy too.  It teaches us that the children of others are no less important and precious than our own children.  These concepts are for some, just concepts.  The Map of Manifestation© describes the path of how concepts and thoughts become form.  It is my belief that the concept of “All is One” and all its lessons and understandings are now reaching the first chakra becoming form and not just a concept.

For the first time WHO has gone to phase four of pandemic alertness.  On a symbolic level WHO can be translated to the World’s Human Immune System.  What it has done is on a global level alerted the “white blood cells” to produce more white blood cells, for Tcells to produce more Tcells etc… WHO is communicating with all parts of the human body, how this infection needs to be handled.  Much like what your immune system does when a disease is in the physical body.

The energetic understanding of a flu is the body’s need to cleanse or detoxify itself.  Perhaps this flu is the “human” body’s need to cleanse itself.  Point zero of this Swine flu were children in a poor village with inadequate health-care, hygiene and polluted waters.  This flu brings to the forefront that we can no longer tolerate these conditions on the planet. We need to detoxify the waters, the air and provide sustenance for all parts of our human body.

The first or root chakra (energy center) represents the physical body, survival needs and tribe.  The global village is now has an eye on this possible pandemic because not only does it have the ability to kill tribal members (humans) on a larger scale but it also threatens other vital needs of the human community like movement (travel), exchange of resources (commerce) identity (Mexican’s have changed cultural behavioral patterns). Depending on the scale of the pandemic it can also affect technology, governments and cultures.

Our entire human world is beginning to behave like a single human being.  Perhaps it always has done so but we did not all have the skills to perceive it in action.  “All is One” is forcing us to look at the world as a sum of the whole not just the parts.  A pig factory in Mexico can assist in creating a pandemic that is felt around the world and not just through the food chain but through the environment it creates.

These are the kinds of lessons that we are dealing with in today’s world.  We each have to be conscious to the fact that the choices you make affects not only you but your environment, community and eventually the world.

Start right away. The latest news about WHO raising the level should not be a cause for anxiety and stress to you.  It should just raise your level of awareness.  Swine flu is the latest in a series of problems that have kept us in a heightened state of alert for years now. We are wired evolutionarily for brief surges of adrenaline, “fight or flight” responses that temporarily put us in overdrive. A heightened state of alert affects our immune system. The immune system begins to attack everything and anything that it perceives to be a danger.  Eventually it attacks inappropriate things too. The basis of an allergic reactions and auto-immune diseases is an immune system that has not been properly maintained and nourished.

On a social and global level, if we stay in this heightened state of anxiety, we begin to fear our neighbors and friends.  We begin to do things to isolate ourselves, rather than learn the lesson of “All is One“.

It is imperative that we maintain a healthy global “immune system”

• Choose not to fear, but stay informed.
• Choose to be prepared, but not obsessed by being prepared.
• Choose to communicate and not moan & groan with others when times are difficult or you need help.
• Choose to share information and not judge others for their choices

We are living during times when we need new solutions and enlightened thinking to help us.  Choose to find those ways.

If you are looking for a holistic way to protect yourself and family from the flu please read Holistic Protection from Swine Flu for specific homeopathic and herbal remedies, also read the blog post Swine Flu – A Medical Intuitive Perspective for specific information on keeping your immune system healthy & strong.

I invite you to comment on what types of choices you are making in these times to keep your immune system healthy, your thought processes healthy and your community healthy.

Tomorrow’s Post is Rethinking Food Sources – A Lesson from Swine Flu Outbreak

Get into the habit of checking your tires every time you put gas in your car.  This habit will not only save you gas but will also spare you the [...]]]> Tip #10 Check your tires

Make sure your tires are properly inflated - Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saves money and keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference! Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. Save 250 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $840 per year.

Get into the habit of checking your tires every time you put gas in your car.  This habit will not only save you gas but will also spare you the inconvenience of being stranded with a flat tire. It can also provide you with vital information about your steering and suspension so problems can be addressed before major damage occurs.

Drive Less, Drive Smart Almost one third of the carbon dioxide produced in the United States comes from our cars, trucks and airplanes. Here are some more simple, practical things you can do to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide you produce when driving:

• Make sure your car is well-maintained - Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency, reduces emissions, and helps keep your car running at its best. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.

• Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates – Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free national service connecting commuters and travelers.
• Walk, run or ride your bicycle – If you avoid just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! And your body will also become more fuel efficient and healthier.



• Try car sharing – Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Check out ZipCar for more information about car sharing.

• Try telecommuting from home – Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. Just as important, no sitting in rush hour traffic and more time at home with your family.

• If it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle – If we could all get an average of 35 mpg instead of the 27 mpg on average we get now, we could end U.S. dependency on mid-east oil by 2025.  You personally can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. Visit these web sites for information that will help you identify clean and fuel efficient vehicles in any part of the country: EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide, or The DOE/EPA Fuel Economy Guide, or The U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities Site