Lucid Nutrition

World Peace Diet Lecture, Friday Night

If you are in Austin Texas on Friday December 5th you should stop by Casa de Luz, Center for Integral Studies to hear Dr. Will Tuttle give his lecture and presentation on The World Peace Diet from 7:00 - 9:00 pm.

And if you are unfamiliar with the Casa de Luz, you are in a special time. The vision is this:

The philosophy of how to live a great life (Macrobiotics) is the founding idea for Casa de Luz. This is an all encompassing philosophy, which includes all methods of supporting health and freedom. Our mission is to offer a sacred space for those that want to bring their disciplines to share with the community. Casa de Luz is open to all. Our reason for being is to practice and live in integrity. We believe that living with integrity includes practicing, learning, teaching, and sharing actions and philosophies to develop conscious living and cognition. It also takes commitment, authenticity, appreciation and openness to being wrong. The search of improvement is necessary, least we become arrogant and dogmatic. This is a place that is ever changing and colored by the practices that people bring to share.

In order to fulfill its complete destiny, Casa de Luz will create a full spectrum village which will be designed to include smart living modalities. Humanity's recent industrialized development has created conveniences that have proven to be detrimental to the overall health of all things on earth. The automobile, while wonderful, has proven to destroy well being. Industrialized foods have been made tasty, attractive and cheap, yet not only do they lack nourishment, but they also cause illness. By design, a village can support well being for all.

Besides being the gathering place for various forms of study including yoga, cooking classes, tai chi etc... the Casa de Luz kitchen prepares the most delicious foods all based on the macrobiotic regimen served buffet style in a communal style of seating. Every time I go there, I meet someone so interesting and on the brightest path of lucid living. It's wonderful. I will be meeting with Will before the event to capture some new video footage for his website and getting some details about his experience on th 13 month full time book tour in his solar powered RV across the country which is nearing completion. As you can tell,  he is one hard working, compassionate man planting peace daily and it has been great working with he and his wife Madeleine to help grow their online presence.

If you are unable to attend this event make sure you join the World Peace Diet Network, Read the Book, or follow Will's blog. Getting to know his mission and understanding his life work will definitely strike some harmonious chords in you and make you healthier too. Inside and Out. Really.

Oh and when you come to town call me or DM me on Twitter and we will visit Casa de Luz together :) 

Why you should know the Health Ranger

Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, is serious about saving this world from ill health on all fronts. He is a man with a mission of teaching people how to be healthy; a holistic nutritionist who overcame obesity, crippling pain and chronic disease using natural health strategies he freely shares with others.

Generally Mike Adams suggests avoiding the following:

• Sodium nitrite (causes cancer)
• MSG / monosodium glutamate / yeast extract (causes obesity and nerve damage)
• Hydrogenated oils (causes heart disease)
• High-fructose corn syrup / sugar / sucrose (causes diabetes and obesity)
• Artificial colors (causes behavioral disorders)
• Aspartame (causes brain damage, optic nerve damage)
• Homogenized milk fats (cause heart disease and cardiovascular disorders)
• Red meat (absolutely no beef, pork, or other red meat)
• Cows' milk, cheese and dairy products
• Soft drinks, junk foods, snack foods or fast foods
• Processed foods such as cookies, crackers, frozen dinners, etc.
• Fried foods
• White flour and any foods containing white flour
• Refined carbohydrates such as breads, cereals, pastries, pizza dough, etc.
• Fruit juice drinks
• Brand-name laundry detergents (loaded with toxic fragrance chemicals)
• Popular deodorants (contain aluminum)
• Fluoride toothpaste (fluoride is a dangerous ingredient)

And

• Absolutely no prescription drugs or pharmaceuticals whatsoever.
• No visits to M.D.s or western medical doctors (visits naturopathic physicians only)
• No following the USDA's ridiculous Food Guide Pyramid (Download the Honest Food Guide below)
  
• No steroids, andro supplements or other questionable bodybuilding supplements
• No diet pills, stimulants or fat burning pills
• No fad dieting

His recipe for Health Success includes:

• Quinoa (boiled, used as cereal or soup base)
• Tofu, soymilk and soy products
• Healthy oils from: avocados, extra virgin coconut oil, macedamia nuts, cashews, almonds, peanuts, flax oil, olive oil
• Daily breakfast with Jenny Lee Supergreens shake: 2 cups soymilk + 1 scoop supergreens powder + 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel + 1 tablespoon coconut oil + coral calcium powder + stevia + chocolate rice protein + natural peanut butter
• Superfoods such as chlorella, spirulina, sea vegetables, broccoli sprouts, sunflower sprouts, wheat grass, and various greens powders
• Massive quantities of vegetables: salad greens, cilantro, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, snow peas, okra, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.
• Raw, fresh fruits, especially berries (massive quantities of blueberries)
• Healing foods such as garlic, ginger, onions, etc.
• Daily doses of nutritional supplements: whole food supplements, organic vitamins, Standard Process tablets, Alive! supplements, vitamin C
• Daily doses of rainforest herbs: Amazon herbs, chanca piedra, etc.
• One hour of full exposure to intense natural sunlight on a near-daily basis with no sunscreen (important for vibrational nutrition and essential for mental health, bone density, vitamin D production, etc.)
• Other various nutritional and herbal supplements depending on need

Be sure to Download the Honest Food Guide.

At the end of the day, if we were to follow The Health Ranger's lead and guidelines for healthy living, we would see that his work is instrumental and healing (as extreme as it may seem). Mike Adams provides enlightenment in the form of digital books via Truth Publishing, his media company, with titles such as: The 7 Laws of Nutrition,The Five Soft Drink Monsters, Spam Filters for Your Brain, Grocery Warning: Avoid the Groceries that Cause Disease, and How to Halt Diabetes in 25 Days. These information packed titles are to be discovered through his website. There you will also find free e-books available for download such as, How to end Cruelty to Animals, People, and Nature; An Introduction to Cell Foods; Superfoods for Optimum Health: Chlorella and Spirulina; and the Healing Power of Sunlight & Vitamin D. Amazingly, he also has time to provide us with daily emails and 1500+ articles through News Target. Thanks Health Ranger!!

 

The Consumer Wellness Center.

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The World Peace Diet

The World Peace Diet by Dr.Will Tuttle is the first book to make explicit the invisible connections between our culture, our upbringing, our personal food choices, and the source of all humanity's sufferings. Dr. Tuttle offers a plethora of ways to make a positive transformation in our individual and collective lives by first and foremostly following a vegan diet.

On April 16, 2007, I attended a book signing for The World Peace Diet authored by Dr. Will Tuttle. The event which was generously and kindly brought to us by the Society of Peace was certainly a night to remember. Delicious vegan foods such as tofu egg rolls and tamales with pineapple tomato sauce were provided by Banyan Foods. (Please visit The Society of Peace website for further event listings and volunteer opportunities)

Posted below is the video from the book signing of Dr. Tuttle demonstrating an intricate explanation of his book, The World Peace Diet. You will find it evident that Dr. Tuttle is not just trying to sell us another "diet" book; rather he has zealously set out with the honorable mission of bringing compassion into our lives and awareness to our plates.

Support Lucid Nutrition! Buy through Amazon today:)

I dedicate this post to the memory of Tomahawk.

Technorati Tags: World Peace Diet, Will Tuttle, vegan, veganism, vegan food, eating, Society of Peace, animals, compassion, health, living, recipes, social harmony, planetary crisis, solution, compassion, love, intelligence, awareness, compassion, spiritual health, empowering, food choices

More reasons to drink Green Tea

A recent study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, found that drinking at least two cups of green tea a day reduces the risk of dying from a heart attack by an astonishing 44 percent.

Green tea contains a variety of chemical compounds, minerals, vitamins, volatile oils and essential nutrients, but the primary compounds believed to provide green tea with its health and medicinal effects are polyphenols, particulary epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Green Tea catechins (EGCG)  belong to the flavan-3-ol flavonoids which are potent antioxidant compounds. The extraordinary health benefits of these class of polyphenolic substances in green tea are instrumental in preventing, inhibiting, and combating oxidative stress, a syndrome causative of some neurodegenerative diseases, some cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.

One study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has also been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection and slow the spread of the virus in people who are already infected. The journal shows that the EGCG component prevents the virus that causes AIDS from binding to immune system cells. EGCG does this by binding to immune system cells first, leaving no room for HIV to attach to the cells. Researchers stress that this is not a cure, nor is it a safe way to avoid infection but do suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected.

Simply sipping can:

• Help Reduce Cholesterol

• Burn Calories by raising metabolism and decreasing appetite

• Sustain your body with vitamins C (a stress reliever, infection fighter, and immune system booster), vitamin B (a carbohydrate metabolizer), and vitamin E (an aging fighter)

• Reduce plaque formation and bacterial infections in the mouth

• Provide the body with minerals such as magnesium, zinc and potassium

• Aid with the prevention and relief of type-two diabetes, specifically cataracts.

• Relieve and prevent arthritis

My Pick:

Over the past few weeks I've been trying out different brands of teas. Typical teas found in the grocery store do not compare to the health benefits of Srina green tea due to the fact that many packaged teas contain fluoride and/or aluminum. The fragrance of this loose leafed tea is much more therapeutic in nature than its counterparts; deliciously light and refreshingly sweet.

Additionally, consumers who buy Srina green tea will effectively be supporting the Paradise Community Project in Sri Lanka and assisting in better living for the small-scale farmers. The project is committed to eco-friendly farming and offers their farmers above-average wages, a clean and safe working environment and training towards sustainable development using local natural resources.

The benefits of green tea are obviously unending and becoming conscious of where we get our foods should be prerequisites for consuming them. Supporting the Srina tea farms has brought a sense of peace to my entire being, and I'm not just saying that, it really did:)

P.S. The packaging is quite impressive available in either a sac, hand wrapped in a rustic recycled paper and tied with natural fiber, or a basket, constructed of woven natural cane wreaths. They make for perfect gifts.

Energize, Detoxify, and Prolong Your Life - Sip green tea daily!

When we drink a Cola...

After 10 minutes: our body is hit with 10 teaspoons of sugar for every 12 oz. but we don’t immediately ralph from the extra sugar because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor back allowing us to keep it down.

After 20 minutes: our blood sugar level spikes, causing an insulin burst. Our liver responds to this by turning any sugar into fat.

After 40 minutes: caffeine is fully absorbed by our body, our pupils dialate, and our blood pressure rises.

After 45 minutes: our body increases our dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of our brain. (this is very similar to how drugs hook people)

Eventually: the caffeine’s diuretic properties show effects and we will have to discharge (pee). This dispels the essential calcium, magnesium, zinc, sodium, electrolytes and water our bodies needs to be healthy. The decrease in calcium can result in reduced bone mass, which can contribute to broken bones in children and can lead to osteoporosis later in life.

At last: our body will experience a sugar crash. We become irritable and sluggish. Valuable nutrients from our body that could  have been used for hydrating our system or building strong bones and teeth are drained. (Source)

We can replace Cola with:

a) Water: flat, fizzy;seltzer, preferably alkalized, we need lots of water to help flush out toxins, aid digestion, and to keep our joints lubricated.

b) Tea: If you like caffeine, green tea is  the way to go providing an outstanding source of anti-oxidants. Plus, it is also known to lower cholesterol. In addition, herbal teas have many healing properties and they do great without sugar or honey. For added sweetness you could try using Stevia drops.

c) Vegetable juice: Low calorie, great source of nutrients, energy, antioxidants, and fiber. You can make it at home.

Read more on the health effects of drinking soda while having a refreshing glass of h2O.

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Buying Organic Produce

Laboratory studies show that pesticides can cause health problems, such as birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that might occur over a long period of time.  However, these effects depend on how toxic the pesticide is and how much of it  is consumed. Some pesticides also pose unique health risks to children.*

You see, pesticides cause disEase and death.Their ultimate goal is to kill...bugs and pests. But they also have the power to disrupt our health, development, fertility, energy, vitality, and longevity, not to mention the environment. So, not only is it necessary to eat our fruits and veggies, but it is also beneficial to try try try to buy organically.

"Organically grown" food is food grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Pesticides derived from natural sources (e.g., biological pesticides) may be used in producing organically grown food. And even though it is impossible to eliminate and prevent all pesticide residues from entering our bodies, we as consumers would be smart to move more towards the organically grown and organically processed foods as a way to reduce our exposure to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. See this article on Natural vs. Synthetic Pesticides for more info.

By avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating those least contaminated instead, you can significantly reduce your exposure to pesticides by 90 percent. And if you are unable to get them "organically" just be sure to soak and gently scrub your produce for a few minutes to remove toxins. Maybe even a homemade fruit/veggie bath or one of these guys can help you out:

Cleanliness is Godliness.

Technorati Tags: organic, sustainability, cleanliness, godliness, vitality, healthy, longevity, pesticides, agriculture, vegetables, fruit, produce, sustainability, farming, Patrick Holden, contamination, fruit wash, veggie wash, soil, composting

Best BreakFast Cereals

The only way to truly tell if a cereal is good for you is to read the label. Everyone is doing it these days. The last time I was in a grocery store a woman was yelling back at her husband, "No sugar, trans fats, corn syrup, sugar...!!!" I looked at her and giggled. She looked up from her nutrition book recommended by Oprah and smiled. I told her about Lucid Nutrition and recommended Fiber One. She asked about Cheerios. The whole conversation was fun.

Anyway, the first thing to look for on a cereal box are the words "whole grain". Next, choose cereals that are high in fiber. Also, learn to recognize unhealthy ingredients to avoid. Don't buy cereals that contain the words "partially hydrogenated". This indicates that they contain trans fats and loaded with sugar.

Basically, whole-grain cereals are high in Insoluble fiber, which helps combat constipation and may prevent certain cancers. Soluble fiber is different and is concentrated in oats and psyllium which tends to lower blood cholesterol reducing the risk of heart disease and stabilizing blood sugar.

For the best health we need both types of fiber. Health organizations such as the National Cancer Institute, the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association encourage 20 to 30 grams of fiber each day.

Over all, my Favorite breakfast cereal is Fiber One. I mix about half a cup with some Wheaties, use Silk Soy Milk (vanilla preferably) and toss in a few blueberries (if I have them). Yum! Also, portion control is good discipline. If you eat too much, too fast, you are most likely to get a belly ache. Feeling light is essential for floating gracefully around your world. Eating a high fiber cereal in the morning will give you the satisfaction and energy you need with fewer calories than you would get by the typical breakfast of coffee with pastries or biscuits or pancakes or waffles with sausage and bacon or eggs. Good morning to you all everyday:)

More on Fiber.