JUICING OR BLENDING

I am not a religious juicer but I do it now and then and always enjoy my creations, which range from exotic to weird - let's say eclectic. 
I still always enjoy them.

A lot of gurus have talked about juicing.
Juicing extracts the juices and discards the rest.
I just put everything in the blender/food processor and drink it while chewing at whatever is left unblended.

I make smoothies, home-made ice creams, blended fruit and vegetable juices,  and will sometimes add dairy free milk (any of your choice), filtered water, spices like cinnamon and/or turmeric, and whatever else I can think of.

The ingredients depend on what I have in my fridge or freezer.




A few weeks ago, I was at the grocery store and they had over ripened organic bananas in their discount section. I bought a whole lot and froze them.
A few months ago, friends of mine brought me 8 cases of mangoes. I peeled them, cut them into chunks and froze them.
Costco had organic frozen Blueberries and I got some.

Last week, I made a Mango Ice Cream that was dairy free, sugar free and preservative free. Just frozen mangoes, and a little dairy free milk. That's it. I loved it!

This morning I made a blend using Organic Kale (stems and leaves) Organic Cucumber, frozen organic Blueberries, frozen organic Bananas, coconut cream, turmeric, and filtered water, and I am loving that too.

(I have to start my own little jingle,something similar to “pa ra ra,  ra ra – I’m loving it”. That’s taken!

 

Anyway, here is what I used:

• 1 cup organic Kale –stems and leaves
• ½ organic cucumber (with the peel and seeds)
• 1 medium frozen organic banana cut into chunks (remember to peel)
• ½ cup frozen organic blueberries
• ¼ block of 100% coconut cream shaved
• ¾ cup filtered water

Put it all in the blender, Set in on High Pulse and…………. till everything is blended. For a smoother consistency, blend for about 3-4 minutes or more.

It did not look that great butit was quite tasty.

I could not taste the coconut and will make a milk and cool it down or freeze it an use frozen coconut cream cubes, and add some coconut milk or coconut water.

 

I could have had the blender run longer for a smoother drink but I was too impatient.

I could have used dairy free milk instead of water to make a nice creamy smoothie but I didn’t think about it.

I could have put it in a fancy glass with two celery stems and an organic strawberry but I didn’t.

 

I always do things in a way that feels right at the time and this felt right just the way it was.

 

It is a hot sunny day and this drink is/was delicious, cooling, refreshing and nutritious.

 

I just put it in a large mug as I did not want to go back and forth to serve a glass at a time. I consumed it all before even I finished writing this article.

 

 

 

 

I think I will make some more mango ice cream later this afternoon!

 

Eat Healthy, Drink Healthy, Breathe Healthy, Think Happy and Healthy - Be Healthy!

It is not that complicated!

Multi Tasking Begins With the Self

I have been away and when I returned, I got busy with organizing the garden for the planting season.

A lot has happened:

Firstly, I noticed  a lot of things going wrong: my gait is a little worse, I tire more easily,my right leg is weaker, and my tingling has increased considerably.

I think I am detoxifying more as I have increased the detoxing supplements and the more I detoxify, the sicker I get. But this just seemed like something else was wrong. So I decided that it was time to make some changes. In the last month, I have made the following changes:

1. I started exercising everyday. I used to exercise everyday and decided to exercise every alternate day instead. Now I have gone back to exercising everyday - stretch cords weight training, leg exercises, counter push ups, sit ups and strength exercises. I even bought an exercise bike to help strengthen the legs and feet (the right leg is noticeably weaker).
2. I started a new foot exercise - I sit on a straight chair, raise one leg at time so it is parallel to the floor and write the alphabet in the air. I went a step further and started two letter words, then three. One of the symptoms of MS is loss of muscle mass and control and I need to re train my weak leg to become strong again.
3. I allocate a few hours a day to writing -either for my blogs, my books in progress or just writing exercises. I found several writing prompt websites and these help to get the creative juices flowing.
4. I joined the local writing club and absolutely love it. I have been recommended to join another in the nearby town.
5. I started volunteering. Now, I cannot do as much as I would like but I do what I can and it feels great.
6. I work in the garden as much as I can, even if it means sitting and re potting plants, dividng the perennials or re-designing the garden. It helps to do some physical work.
7. I have set goals - Education Goals, Personal Goals, Household Goals, Personal Growth Goals, Financial Goals, Professional Goals and Health and Wellness Goals. These keep me from wavering. Whether I achieve them or not is not the point. I work toward achieving them. They will often change, depending upon my circumstances but I have a game plan to guide me and that is what is most important.

The art of muti-tasking begins withthe Self and I find myself busier, now that I am retired and I like it!

These help me have a little more structure and focus. I think it is important to have focus so that I am more productive, always learning and upgrading my skills, and constantly improving my physical and mental well being.

I also re-established my routine:



• Starting the day with 32 ounces of water and continuing to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water throughout the day.
• Exercising a little throughout the day. I will do 70.............. yes 70 counter push ups, three times a day. I drink so much water that I am constantly going to the bathroom. After I finish my business, I do 70 counter push ups.
• Meditating at least once a day, sometimes more than once, depending on my stress level.
• Having a protein breakfast and eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.
• A little physical work like cleaning, dusting, organizing and/or gardening, everyday.
• Allocating  time to pray, calm the spirit and give thanks.
• Reading more - My attention span seems to be affected by the MS and I want to be able to read a book a day. I will start with a book a week and take it from there.
• Sleeping on time and getting a good minimum of eight hours of sleep every night. Doctor Chang has always said that the body heals when it sleeps and that, I need to sleep till I wake.
• I had my Food Sensitivity Test but I was not very pleased with it. It only covered 160 foods and I need it to be more comprehensive. I am going to get another test done. This last one showed strong sensitivities to: beef, wheat/gluten, almonds, papaya, eggs and red kidney beans.

 

 



Hopefully,these changes will bring a new sunrise in my journey towards better health!



OUR SO,,,,,, SO,,,,,,, TOXIC LIVES!

I have said this over and over again and I will say it yet one more time - We live in an increasingly toxic world and our bodies are under constant attack.

How many of these toxic 'cover-ups' infest your daily lives?

- Hormone-pumped meat from cows, pigs or chickens and antibiotic-laced dairy from commercial cattle

 - Conventionally grown and chemically sprayed fruits and vegetables

 - Package foods and desserts that are loaded with hidden sugars or artificial sweeteners and artificial ingredients

 - Whole grains that we are told are healthy but which are actually packed with allergenic ingredients like gluten, which as been linked to countless health problems including auto-immune disorders

 - Medicines like Advil, Aspirin,Tylenol or 'one-size-fits-all' prescription drugs

 - Plastic water bottles and food containers and Styrofoam

 - Cleaning and laundry supplies

-Make up and Personal Care products

 

                                                           

 

 

 

 

These foods and household products are packed with chemicals and deadly toxins which cause a number of complications in our bodies.

 

Ask yourself:
Why do we feel more tired than we did years ago?

Why are we facing more medical issues today than we ever did?

 

It is because our lives are constantly subject to poisons that have been introduced to make produce and livestock bigger fatter, hardier,  to make our food last longer,  and even insects do not go near it. There are man-made products going into our bodies, we are ingesting chemicals and all these are in the form of:

 

• Pesticides, herbicides and fungicides
• Heavy metals like mercury, aluminium and lead
• Genetically modified food which will alter your DNA
• Hormone and antibiotic residues in our bodies
• The toxicity of 'daily living'- our food,water and air
• Man-made fibres and clothing
• Toxic make up and the personal hygiene products
• Cleaning agents in our home

 

 

Here is an excerpt of an article I recently read:

 

From the Desk of Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN

 

Did you know that millions of people are exposed to unsafe doses of pesticides in their foods every single day?

 

 A1998 study by the Environment Working Group looked at 13 organoposphates which are derivatives of nerve gases developed by Nazi Germany.

These pesticides have been widely used for 40 years against scores of agricultural pests.

 

The study investigated these pesticides across 82,000 samples of fruit and vegetables and cross-referenced them with children's eating patterns between 1991 and 1996.

 

Their findings were shocking..........showing an estimated 1.1 million children under the age of five were eating food that contains an unsafe does of one or more pesticides.

Of these, 106,000  exceeded the FDA's safe daily dosage level by 10 times or more!!!

 

Findings from a 2002 study in the journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, revealed that compared to drinking water and inhalation, processed food intake results in a 1000 to 100,000 fold higher to pesticides.

 

Children and adults alike are at a risk of being exposed to deadly amounts of toxins. When pregnant women are exposed to pesticides and other chemicals, their developing babies are exposed too!!!

 

Is it a wonder why there is a substantial increase in babies born with autism?

Is it a wonder why so many kids develop ADD?
Is it a wonder why we are so ill and obese?

 

A startling investigation in newborn babies born in the US in 2004 revealed that, of the 413 industrial and consumer product chemicals, these babies showed an average of 200 contaminants in their blood!

The analysis tested for pollutants including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and a chemical used in the production pf Teflon, PFOA. In total, the babies`blood showed signs of 287 chemicals including 209 never before detected in umbilical chord blood.

 

The toxic substances are secretly hiding in what may seem harmless, like in the food we eat, the water we drink and even in the air we breathe, the carpet you walk on barefoot and your skin care products!

 

The toxicity that we are exposed to far exceeds anything in our history and recent statistics confirm that U.S Industries manufacture and import close to 75,000 chemicals. The current regulatory system does not require comprehensive testing of chemicals before they use them in consumable products.

 

The EPA (the agency that was created to protect human and environmental health) has issued regulations to control only nine of these 75,000 chemicals since the enactment of the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act in 1976.

 

Things are not better in Canada. Why are these chemicals even allowed in our consumables?

 

This means that there are tens of thousands of possible toxic chemicals entering our bodies WITHOUT US EVEN KNOWING IT, because the organizations and governments that have vowed to protect us are too busy turning a blind eye to this poisoning!

 

These statistics are mind boggling:

Each year, we unknowingly consume over 4.5 Billion Pounds of pesticides, 1 Billion of which are 'conventional' pesticides used in the agriculture industry and in our home and garden products!!!!!!

An average of 14 Pounds of toxic chemicals are being deposited in YOUR BODY every single year!!!

 

Every single day we are being exposed to a toxic chemicals in our food, our drinking water, our homes and places of work,our cars and in our kids' schools.

 

HOW IS THIS TOXICITY AFFECTING OUR HEALTH?

 

 

 

It is not complicated!

It should not be hard to undestand how exposing our bodies to a tidal wave of chemicals and poisonous pesticides cannot affect our lives.
 

Pesticides act like neurotoxins in the body. They may not necessarily do damage overnight but their cumulative effect is extremely dangerous. THEY BIO-ACCUMULATE IN YOUR BODY AND RESIST BREAKDOWN IN WATER. THEY TEND TO ACCUMULATE AND STORE FAT TISSUE WHERE THEY CAN REMAIN FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. As a result neurotoxins like pesticides, herbicides and fungicides have all been shown to cause disruptions to the neurological system and the brain.
 

A 2011 study published in the journal of Environmental Health Perspectives revealed that people exposed to two types of pesticides (paraquat and rotenone - mainly used in agriculture) were 2.5 times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease. Research on animals had already linked paraquat to Parkinson's.

 

Rotetone directly inhibits the function of the mitochondira, the sturcture responsible for making energy in the cells, meaning - cellular death. In the nervous system, this cellular death causes devastating effects.

 

Paraguat increases the production of oxyge derivatives which cause significant damade to important structurein the body's cells

 

BUT...........................WHO CARES? The corporations and governemtns only want to make money, even if it is at the cost of human lives!!

 

Imagine a swarm of termites eating away at the foundationof your home, along with a stealth like invader whose sole purpose was to disable the electrical and plumbing in your home. This is what is happening in our bodies right now!

 

Other research has shown that a high level exposure to these synthetic neurotoxins causes abnormalities in the liver function, skin and in the nervous system.

 

And it is not just the pesticides.........................................

 

FoodAdditives and Preservatives - like tartrazine, potassium benzoate, MSG, biphenyl, aspartame and hundreds of others - which can be found in all packaged foods, act like a morticians`s embalming fluid on your body! (We really are really the living dead)!!

These preservatives - used to ewnahance shelf life, colour and the flavour of man-made foods - have been well documented to cause ailments like asthma, hyperactivity and cancerous growths i animals and human beings.

 

Plastics are well known to leak estrogen-like chemicals (xenoestrogens) into foods and water, creating unsuspecting hormone imbalances in both men and women, including early onset puberty in girls, and more cysts and cancerous growths

 

Genetically Modified Foods (GMO`s) have been shown to disrupt the integrity of your DNA!

A new research out of France which studied the effects of Monsanto`s Genetically Modified Corn (the most common corn in the world) on rats over a two-year period created a huge frenzy after releasing shocking pictures of rats distorted by tennis ball-sized tumors after eating GMO corn!

 

Scared yet?

 

The purpose of this article is not to scare you but to inform you of the poisoning of our world by government sanctioned billion dollar corporations.

 

We have to take our lives into our own hands and do something about it.
We can lay blame and cry tears till the (grain fed) cows come home but until we take matters into our own hands and take responsibility for our own bodies, nothing is going to happen.

 

What have we done to our Beautiful Blue Planet?

 

 

Is Cancer Man-made?

A recent study by University of Manchester scientists has strongly suggested that ... cancer is a modern, man-made disease caused by environmental factors such as pollution and diet.

In the extensive study conducted at the University's KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology, scientists examined hundreds of mummies and found ... no signs of cancer—except for one isolated case.

Professor Michael Zimmerman said: "In an ancient society lacking surgical intervention, evidence of cancer should remain in all cases." Therefore, the virtual absence of tumors and malignancies in mummies must necessarily be interpreted as evidence that cancer was indeed rare in ancient times.     

 

 The 17th Century Ushers Cancer In

It wasn't until the 17th century that the first reports of cancer appeared in scientific literature—such as cancer of the scrotum (found in chimney sweeps in 1775, caused by soot particles); and nasal cancer found in users of snuff (finely ground tobacco) in 1761.

The University of Manchester study indicates that cancer-causing factors exist only in modern, industrialized societies—and cancer is fueled by the excesses of modern life.

The food you eat ... the air you breathe ... the clothes you wear ... the water you drink ... the personal care products you use ... the medications you take ... the water you bathe in ... virtually everything you consume, and everything you do—or are exposed to nowadays,—causes cancer.

 

  Here are just a few examples of the cancer causing contaminants:

•  Tobacco (including second-hand and third-hand smoke)
• Genetically modified food
• Most laundry detergents
• Commercial hair dyes
• Air pollution (including carbon monoxide, methylene
  chloride, and acrolein)
• Granite countertops (which emit radon)
• Rancid peanuts and seeds
• Canola oil
• Canned tomatoes
• Food laced with pesticides
• Chemicals from aerosol cans
• Mammograms
• X-Rays
• Food microwaved in plastic containers (including
  plastic wrap, the plastic trays that come with frozen
  TV dinners, and even plastic baby bottles)
• Environmental pollutants (such as asbestos, benzene, and
  formaldehyde)

Professor Rosalie David, at the Faculty of Life Sciences, said:
There is Nothing in the Natural Environment That Can Cause Cancer ... So It Has to Be a Man-Made Disease

There is an abundance of cancer-causing (not just cancer, but, disease-causing) factors in the modern world.

My personal take on this:

I am a nobody when it comes to making scientific claims. However, I can make personal claims:

Ever since I was dagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I changed my lifestyle and it certainly changed my life.

Despite having Progressive MS, I am relapse and attack free and I am able to do much more than I did when I was first diagnosed, and live a very fulfilling and active life.
I stopped gluten, dairy and sugar, I take a food allergy (sensitivity test) every two years, changed my clothing and have nothing artificial and with chemicals in my life.
I have three air filters in my space, a shower water purifier and an alkaline water system for my consumption.
 

I will never tire of saying that in our bid to grow produce that is pest free, and analkaline waterd that which will grow, faster and bigger, we have sacrificed human life.

The introduction of food additives and `taste enhancers` have made us fatter and sicker.

  

Well done to the governments for allowing the food industry to do this!

Well done to the medical profession for not seeing the progression of disease and finding the true links between toxicity and illness! Well done again for continuously prescribing drugs and for giving everybody a `one size fits all` treatment

And the biggest WELL DONE TO THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY for making drugs that give us side effects - more illnesses that now have to be poisoned by the very poisons you make!

How very very convenient!

Wake up people. Wake up and see the real picture.

My Stupidity Gene

I have always practiced mindful living towards my good health despite my multiple sclerosis and preach that this is and should always be an ongoing process.

Well, I momentarily stopped practicing what I have always preached.

My move to Nova Scotia has had its challenges and almost two months later, I still do not have the order and organization I desire. This disorder has taken its toll on my eating and drinking habits and I am now paying the price. My consumption of water was reduced drastically just because I was careless and did not remember to drink it regularly. My consumption of potato chips and processed carbohydrates increased, while my intake of protein and vegetables decreased. My stress levels increased, breathing exercises, yoga, meditation and regular physical workouts were all considerably decreased and even almost non-existent.

Last week I noticed a significant decline in my overall well being. My tingling was back and worse than it has ever been, the tightness in my calves and feet was back and worse than it has ever been, my balance was as bad as it was six years ago and I found myself walking into walls and constantly holding on for support, My mental state was and still is........how can I put it...............down in the abyss of the dumps.

Could it have just been a coincidence that my carelessness in eating and drinking and ignoring my mental state, and my poor physical condition were not connected in any way? Definitely not! They were and are completely connected. It is a cause and effect. Action is equal to reaction

I found a lab that conducts the live blood cell analysis and just had a test on Friday. Did I expect a good result? Should it have been a good result after all my carelessness and mindful ignorance? Whom am I kidding? I got exactly what I deserved. The blood showed that the red cells had excessive clumping leading to poor circulation (thus my tingling and pain), the drastic increase in existence of bacteria increasing my craving for snacks and foods that were bad for me, and I paid the price for my ignoring my health by getting and feeling worse.

There are no reasons only bad excuses.
Do we ever learn from our mistakes? Human beings have a ‘stupidity’ gene and mine just became dominant.

Now begins the arduous task of fixing the wrongs. It is not easy because bad habits are easy to form while changing these into good habits takes time and conscious effort. Righting the wrongs is not an impossible task but an unnecessary exercise which could have been easily avoided with a little more care.

24 hours after trying to make things better by increasing my water, eliminating all carbs, increasing my meditation and exercise, I already felt better. One guess as to what I did next? Eat corn chips (!&%!&%!&%) and today all my pain has returned.

This stupidity gene has to be crushed! This is a hard lesson and I wonder if I or anyone else, will ever learn from these mistakes!

Politics and Toxicity

The other night I was listening to Talk 1010 radio as I was preparing to go to sleep.

The host was talking about women in politics and I could not have been listening intently as I did not quite get what he was saying. I think he was talking abut the role women play in politics and shy they were more men than women in politics.

What got my attention is his use of the work "toxic" several times in his monologue. Mind you, I only heard this for about ten minutes but in that ten minutes he used the word "toxic" several times to describe the political environment.

I wish these same radio announcers would acknowledge that the whole world has become toxic. Not as a metaphor when talking about politics but in the true sense of the word. I guess more importance is placed in using the term 'toxic' so that the listener could understand what he was referring to.

What about the toxicity of our world and the illness it causes?
What about the toxicity of our values and the effects on the youth who are going to be the leaders of the future?
What about the toxicity of the environment?

These are questions neither the media nor the politicians will ever tackle. If they do, they give a long term plan (by2050). By then, most of us will already be dead, becoming victims of toxic environment we live in.

Never say Never

As I disembarked the Norwegian Gem in Sydney Nova Scotia, in the Fall of 2011, I was filled with a meditative sense of peace and calm and instantly knew in my heart, that Nova Scotia would, someday be my home. I recalled feeling like this way once before. It was when I first landed in Canada in 1989. I knew then like I knew now, that I was home.

When would this happen?  That was just another one of a billion unanswered questions, in my life.

I was on a New England cruise with my parents and my caregiver. It was a surprise from my parents. We had travelled from Toronto, by Greyhound coach to New York and taken the cruise to New England, Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. What was funny was that the trip to and from New York and the cruise, cost less than flying directly from Toronto to Nova Scotia. The airline companies seem to have gone a little mad with their prices! Not to mention we also received accommodation and food!

On returning to Toronto, I could not stop thinking about moving to Nova Scotia.  My research took me from looking for homes, exploring the various climatic conditions, the availability of medical practitioner and naturopaths and of course some proximity to an Ismaili Muslim mosque and community center.

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006 and have been treating the illness without any prescription drugs but with natural therapies, diet, nutrition and the whole mind, body and spirit approach. My illness was not the focus in my life but even then, it seemed that everything else in my life revolved around my illness. I had to plan my days and my activities around my energy level and the ability to cope with the mental and physical strain of each task. A big part of my life was the community center where I was a story teller, a religious teacher and a teacher of English to immigrants. My doctor was only a thirty minute drive from home. The pharmacy was another forty five minutes away. These conveniences had become a big part of my life and any change would disrupt my otherwise well planned perfect routines.

The day I set foot on Nova Scotia soil, I was fully prepared to give up these conveniences. I was in love with the openness of the land, with the kindness and warmth of the people, and with the peace and tranquility of the life there. The difference was like night and day. I was to break free from being at the mercy of neon signs invading my sight, forcing my gaze to the ugly advertising and the billboards. I was never again to be a victim nor give in to road rage, I could drive the speed limit and would not be chastised or insulted and the best part of it all was that I would not have to put up with people who were in a constant hurry, who were in competition with the world around them as well as with themselves. Just this stress in Ontario was enough to give me an MS attack!

In the Winter of 2011, I drove to Nova Scotia with my caregiver and my mother, from Ontario, a mere 21 hour journey, to search for a home. Today, four months after I first set foot in Nova Scotia, I have put my house up for sale and have purchased a home that closes in a couple of months.

 The Annapolis Valley is to be my new home. Green pastures, fertile lands, the north and south mountains, the snaking Annapolis River, and clean air offer the right scenic and climatic and environmental condition (not to mention tranquility) suited for healthy, stress-free living, especially for me, living with multiple sclerosis. It offers the best climatic condition for living with MS Its peaceful setting made it an ideal environment for starting a new life in a new province I am soon to call home.

Now begins the arduous task of packing.. I was sure my previous home was to be my last home. Here I am once again, preparing to move to yet another home, in another province.

I guess, the idiom “Never say never’ really is true!