Journey to Sustainability

I grew up in a very conservative town, conservative state.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with being conservative, however, now that I look back on my education, I realize how much I feel was left out of a proper 'science' education in highschool.

Growing up in a place with virtually no diversity, and really no variance in religions or opinions, I knew I needed to move.  As soon as I was 18, I packed up and headed for college- I chose a Binghamton University in upstate NY.

It was definitely different, and I would be lying if I said that my first year there was all roses and no thorns. It felt like a different world.  But once I got the hang of it, I fell in love.  I loved the open minds, I loved the freedom of expression, it was for me, a very liberating experience!

Of course, my choice of study was anthropology and I wanted to a do a minor in linguistics.  I absolutely love foreign languages - today I study German on Monday, Hindi on Tuesday, French on Wednesday, Danish on Thursday, Swahili on Friday, Spanish on Saturday and Italian on Sunday :)  

It's a bit of an obsession.  However, my love for culture and language pales in comparison to my love for nature and animals.  

In my first year, I needed to take at least 1 science course.  I chose biology.  I have never been too fond of science, but it was beyond fascinating to me.  They never taught science like this at my high school!  On top of that, they never not once spoke about some of the global catastrophes we are facing today!  

To be honest, I was actually a bit horrified with the realities that were happening on earth due to our lack of connection to earths cycles, rhythms and natural processes.  

How could humanity be on the brink of collapse and not be taking these issues more seriously?

It baffled my mind.

It was no later than one semester after that I had met someone who was studying environmental science, and she inspired me to do the same.  At the time I was actually terrified of the sciences.  It wasn't my strong suit, but I made the decision that I would rather push myself for a reason greater than myself, than to have an easy life laid out in front of me, with perhaps little meaning.. especially if the existence of humanity itself was dependent on our ability to confront these issues and to rise up together to change our habits.  

In the beginning of my studies I felt so much anger and hatred towards humanity.  I would come home crying every day because of what I was learning.  I know right.. it's pretty pathetic, if you have never tried studying envi science in school as a major.. please do so.. hahah you might understand my extreme dismay for all of civilization.  

I decided that change needed to start from above.  Our leaders needed to lead the way and it was their responsibility.

Hence - I specialized in policy and law.  

After four years of studying politics.  I realized, our government is a mess, policies are a joke, law doesn't necessarily mean action, and to even get things as far as policies and law - a hell of a lot of convincing, debating, lobbying, advertising, persuasion, campaigning, etc, etc would first need to take place.

We've created one heck of mess for ourselves!  

This swinged me in the complete opposite direction.  If our leaders don't have the capacity to do change things, who does?  WE DO!  

more importantly, I DO!

I made the intention from that day forward to be and do everything in my power to live as sustainable as I could, in respect with all of life.

This has led me down the most beautiful journey, the most beautiful life.  I can't claim to be living sustainability as of yet, but it is my end goal, and every day its in my thoughts, every day it's in my questions.... how can I do this better?  How can I do this with as least harm as possible?

One thing that became very clear, fairly soon, was how much a change in diet can seriously positively impact our bodies, our world and of course our beloved fellow beings!  

I know there are many ways to be healthy.  I know there are many ways to save the planet.  But currently in my world view, out of everything I have ever read, I have ever studied.  This by far seems to have the greatest most amazing positive impact.

1-  Eating Local.  --  Is huge, know your farmer -- local does not mean from your 'local' grocery store.   It actually has to be locally made products, otherwise it doesn't count.

2- Eating Vegan -- Many people have a lot of issues towards this.  Being vegan isn't necessarily about being an 'extremist' or ultra fanatic about gaining weight.  This is quite an expansive topic, and many extensive articles can be found online.  Basically -- the dairy and meat industry are destroying our rainforests and pristine lands at a rapid pace.  We have a beautiful opportunity at our door, that we don't have to be a part of it.  We  have the amazing ability to say no to animal abuse, rainforest destruction, loss of biodiversity, polluted waters, displaced indigenous people, mistreated workers.. we have the incredible opportunity to contribute to a world of peace and harmony, and in so doing... through karma.. through science.. (Also many resources on the web on how a plant based diet can cure just about anything) also becoming healthier ourselves!! I first went vegan for the animals.. I was pretty disgusted by the factory farm videos that I saw and then the environmental destruction.  But with time, I came to realize how easy it is to maintain weight.. not have aches and pains.. not have health problems all my friends are experiencing.. or knee surgeries.. hip surgeries.. gall bladder removals.. I mean.. I would have neverrr expected any of these benefits..  Its absolutely beautiful, that this way of living is possible!  <3  

My time spent on farms is as much as possible.. currently living one one at the moment.. but I feel its important.. if not on a farm.. wherever you are.. you can reconnect to nature.  When I was living in India in an apartment.. I started buying pots of soil and planting old veggies!  It was beautiful to watch them grow and to have that connection to the land.. even 4 stories above the earth!  

Now I realize it's about taking actions at all levels.  It's about doing what you can, sharing your journey with friends and family, supporting your community in green and eco events, being involved politically - following stories voting for policies and actions that count, volunteering when you can with worthwhile projects, donating as much as you can afford to environmental organizations.  This year alone I've spent atleast $1000 on green organizations.. and it doesn't include the amount of volunteer hours I've also spent... It's the most fulfilling satisfying heart warming thing to be able to support causes that resonate with your heart!  I am not heavy earner either.. I've definitely earned less than that in the past 3-4 months.  But I have realized the more you GIVE to mother earth, the more she provides you with everything you could possibly need and more.

Money means absolutely nothing.

But if you care for her, she will provide you with clothing, food, shelter, love and warmth.

So far has been my experience at least. 

Many blessings to your Journey to Sustainability.

Also recently posted this on my fb page: Jubilant Life.
Many people may be interested in becoming vegan, but because it's such a dramatic change from the 'common' diet, many people become afraid.  I know I was absolutely clueless when I first started.  I read multiple cookbooks, before I was able to kind of get a feel for what I needed to do and what I was eating.  But every step of the journey was beautiful and eye opening.. I wouldn't change it for anything.  

I started off with being vegetarian-- before I could muster being vegan.. I remember being SOO afraid that I wouldn't get my protein, that I ate soy cereal, soy milk 3x a day.. and every other soy product available.. so I would have enough !  Which was absolute craziness when I think about it now.. but I didn't know at that time.  I actually developed a pretty serious allergy to soy, because I over consumed it, lucky for me I didn't blame the vegetarian diet.. but quickly came to realize that the overconsumption of soy was making me sick!  After I figured that one out.. everything was smooth sailing :)  Unfortunately I wasn't so smart when I finally had the guts to go from vegetarian to vegan.  Well, meaning that once I was vegan.. I actually flip flopped from being vegan to vegetarian on and off because I wasn't convinced at that time that vegan was actually that healthy for anyone.  

And when I finally became vegetarian again after being vegan for a full year.. I got extremely sick.. I suffered from re-occurent yeast infections, depression, low energy.. I mean miserable.. It was a pretty hard 6 months.  But I never actually pinned it on milk!!  Finally I went raw vegan.. and all symptoms magically disappeared almost overnight!  

For some reason I still wasn't convinced that it was the milk.. and once on the road.. raw vegan was a bit hard for me to keep up with so I slipped back to vegetarian.. I got even more sick than previously.. fevers after fevers.. colds after viruses.. for months on end!  Diarrhea and terrible stomach pains.. I even fainted!  It was pretty bad.. I still couldnt figure it out.

It went on for 6 more months of on and off illnesses, finally I attended a seminar by Dr. Nanditah Sha. She was a homeopath doctor until she realized that advising food and nutrition gave her patients more successful results and in the long term!  She currently is the head of Sharan organization in India and teaches workshops all over called, "Peas Vs. Pills"  

I attended one of her workshops.. and it all clicked into place.. Milk is not a natural food.. You can live off of it, but it won't give you superior health in comparison to what kind of health you could have if you replaced those calories with greens.. or other vegetable foods.  

I haven't looked back since that workshop.  I haven't gotten sick either.  My mental health is for the most part awesome -- apart from if I see tooo much negative news in the media.. but I know everything is as it should be.. and I need to trust life, while doing whatever part i can :)  

All is well.

That's my journey, there ya have it.

My ultimate ultimate goal.  Is to someday live in an eco-community where everyone helps and cares for each other.. all of our needs are met by our surroundings in a sustainable way.  Life grows abundantly and perfectly.. :)

That's my dream! Someday :)  

Oh PS. this is what I posted on fb today about protein:

Common myth of today: That by eliminating animal products we won't get enough protein. 

Taken from Super Immunity by Dr. Joel Fuhrman,

"Don't buy the fallacy that you need more protien - protein deficiency does not cause long-term fatigue."

"One of the most common symptoms that occurs when someone lowers the amount of animal protein and eliminates sweets from the diet is temporary fatigue. This is just part of the normal detoxification process that most people have to get through. Again, this process most often results in mild symptoms that last less than 5 days. Reducing salt intake suddenly can also cause fatigue from a lowering of blood pressure, which occurs from a temporary dip of sodium in the bloodstream as the kidneys adjust. It could take a few weeks for the kidneys, accustomed to dumping a huge sodium load, to recognize that they need to stop removing so much sodium from the system. This initial miscalculation contributes to the fatigue experienced the first week after a major change in one's diet. "

Basically as long as you are getting full on whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, lentils/beans, sprouts and maybe some grains minus deep fried or processed foods, you will be getting plenty of protein. Protein deficiency is a deficiency in calories and nutrients - this is what you might see in poverty stricken areas, where all the food they have to eat may be white rice (which is completely void of nutrients - it's empty calories) and most likely not enough to even create the sensation of fullness.

Actually our modern world for the most part suffers the opposite problem, protein overload. A high protein diet is associated with:

-osteoporosis
-strain on kidneys
-cancer
-damage to internal organs
-nutritional deficiencies

Eating animal proteins more than 1x a week, can put someone at risk for these problems. Even on a complete vegan diet, high protein foods such as lentils - is best eaten 1x per day (1/2 cup per serving), and of course nuts and seeds are highly recommended to be consumed at least 1 oz per day - but also not going too much over that amount either.

--read more--
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/5-negative-high-protein-diet-effects.html#b

100 ways to help the planet

Here are some of the ways in which we can do our part to help out some of the pollution, global warming.. etc. 

1- Eat whole plant based foods - not only will your body, mind and soul thank you for the added nutrients to your pallate, you are helping the world more significantly than any other one thing you do.  You reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, anxiety, arthritis, obesity - saving that many medications from being made and also being eventually flushed down the toilet.  Connecting to whole plant foods, releases our support on factory farms and the suffering caused to thousands of animals daily in those concentration camps.  A reduce in the demand on animal foods reduces animals on the farms and their emissions- methane - a compound 20x more of a greenhouse gas than CO2.  The consumption of plants supports wildlife and forests, as animal farming has taken up more than 70% of the amazon rainforest either by directly raising cows or raising grains for animal feed on its soils.  (check out the documentary, "Eating" by Mike Anderson).  Eating plants is great karma!  It feels good on the conscious and the soul!

2- Buy less -  Be a conscious buyer, everything you buy leaves an impact on this world, are you supporting people who are respecting the earth and its resources, who use re-usable, recyclable material?  Who don't take advantage of indigenous cultures or developing countries?  Is there product in order to better the world or your health?  What kind of impact does the production of that product leave on the earth, is there a lot of pollution involved in it's creation? 

3- Make it yourself!  Develop your talents, make you own gifts for people.  Experiment with making, rice milks, soy milk ( I just bought a nut milk maker, amazing!), make your own breads, experiment with homemade pickles, cereals, homemade salt (I actually just made some tonight, cut up celery into teeny pieces and dry it in a dehydrator for a few hours!  An amazing salt substitute and great for the health!)  Can you sew?  Can you knit?  Can you paint?  Use material laying around the house, get creative. 

4- Fix it yourself!  Why throw anything away!  Superglew it, tape it, re- sew it, cut it up and make something new.  Get creative.  I keep so many jars and glasses, I use them for all sorts of things!  They are handy to have, and eliminates my need to go buy stuff!

5-Buy Local!  Support your farmer and your community!  Help your neighbors, get to know your farmers, tell him your interest in sustainable farming, ask him/her about how he/she grows his/her crops, offer your help to increase the man power on the farm and reduce fossil fuel needs! 

6- Buy organic and sustainably sourced foods - non gmo - support those doing it right!  alleviate the pollution load on the planet!

7- Avoid products that contain known products which are extremely damaging to the environment - for example - palm oil.. most peanut butters contain them, most butters, check twice, read your labels!  If you don't understand the ingredient.. forget it, find a more natural solution.

8- Use alternative products - for example use olive oil for lotion instead of lotion.. actually it feels great on the skin and maybe even moisturizes much better than lotion, use tooth powder or tooth soap instead of toothpaste.. its more natural and better for your teeth!  Use natural clay instead of baby powder, make home made food for your pets rather than buy it.  Get creative!  I used flax seed as shampoo before and its absolutely amazing for the hair!  It takes a bit to get the seeds out.. but hehe maybe if they are ground finer it wouldnt have been a problem.. however it is a great soap substitute :)

9- Don't take medicine if you dont have to.  Use medicine as your last resort.  If there is any way you can experiment with nutrition, alternative treatments, do it!  Don't support big industry support local healers and your own bodies ability to heal itself, learn to listen :)

10- Get out of the house! Exercise - the more active you are the less likely you will be spending excess amount of time and energy in front of energy consuming devices.  Enjoy the Earth!  The more active you are the more you will realize how beautiful the world is and how important it is for us to preserve it in a way in which humans can thrive :)

11- Work less - give up your monetary goals, spend more time with family, prioritize people and happiness rather than money.  The more focused we are on money the more we miss the big picture.. LIFE.. being alive :)  The more we miss our compassionate side and our ability to help each other out when needed.  Let's take a breather, let's have a good time. 

12.  Donate - it doesn't matter how little or how much you earn, billionaires have billion dollar problems, and beggars have zero dollar problems.  Give whatever you can to organizations you care about.  Share the love, help keep beautiful places, help support indigenous people and their knowledge, support people who work to expose the truth, who care about the health of people, happiness and peace in this world. 

13. Be nice -  one bad comment has its effects, one bad comment can ripple the whole world 'round till it comes back.  You never know what those kind of ripples can eventually create.  Don't take the chance.. be nice, even if you feel bad on the inside.. don't be afraid to ask for help.  Let's spread peace.  It always comes back.

14.  Care more than what you think the other deserves.  Everyone deserves a chance, everyone deserves to be listened to and to be cared after.  The more we can care, the more everyone else will care, and the more everyone else cares, the better of a place we can create to live in everyday. 

15.  Don't give in to temptation.  Just one more brownie, just one more cookie.. Just that new car, just one more ... whatever it is.. so what.. everything is impermanet.. don't let greed get the best of you.  Bless your neighbors who decided to move into a bigger 'nicer' home.  Who cares, be grateful for what you have.  It's okay.  In the end, it's gratitude that will get us further ahead.. not bigger and better stuff. 

16.  Don't give up.  Never give up your goals, your passion.  Your passion will inspire others to live their passion.  Do what you love, do what makes you want to get up in the morning happily!  Don't live your life in a cubicle.. express yourself.  Express your dreams.  It has the capacity to change the world!  Don't doubt yourself!

17.  Be adventurous! Get outside of your bubble.  Try something new!  Take that new class being offered at your local college.  Try something different, try something opposite from what you ever thought you could do!  The more we understand that which is different from us, the more well rounded we all become.  The more open minded we are and the more we are open to alternative solutions!  Break free!

18.  Pray.  Pray everyday in everyway that you know how.  Pray to your ancestors, to god, to the universe, to the animals, for your friends for your relatives for the planet.  Give thanks for your life and your gifts, for your friends gifts and your families gifts and the gifts of the world.  Pray for a happy, peaceful planet. 

19.  Set goals for yourself.  Everyday write down your goals, your dreams your motivations.  Check them off throughout the day.. throughout the weeks.  Go out of your comfort zone to make sure they happen!  Accomplish small things and maybe even big things!  Actually the smaller the better, small goals gather momentum to push big goals along!  Strive for your best :)

20.  Make everyday fun and exciting.  Do something crazy, do laundry in your bathtub, take a shower in the rain, build a compost toilet, start composting in your kitchen, make a recipe you have neverrrrr tried before, take your cat for a walk.  Be crazy.  Gathering fun experiences in your life, will create a life you will never forget and many stories that are much cooler to talk about than what you saw on tv last night.

21.  Don't believe anything you hear or see. This is said so often, that we don't even realize what this means anymore.  We are inundated with messages from the media every single day.  They do not have our health on their minds, they are catering to our weaknesses in order for us to support their businesses, never take anything at first glance.  Don't trust their recommendations for our lives, don't believe what they say we need or what will make us cool or sexy.  It's all rubbish.  Develop you, develop yourself.  Don't be fulled by their tricks. 

22. Watch documentaries.  They aren't called documentaries for no reason.  These are made by passionate people who have dedicated their lives to a cause.  You may or may not agree.. who cares.. open your mind, learn something new. 

23.  Go a day without plugging one item into the grid.. See what its like!

24.  Fill up your tires  - some of these we have heard a million times, but it does make a different

25.  Use a bicycle, a scooter, a moped, something else?? How about your feet! Yes!

26.  Volunteer!  Get out there, help your community!  Do something awesome!  Don't be afraid to say yes!  The world will provide for you, don't be afraid :)

27.  Have sustainability on the mind!  Bring it to your work, bring it to your house, your lifestyle.. in what ways can you reduce consumption, help someone in need, use alternative energy.. get creative.

28. READ - read everything, don't limit yourself to your favorite novel set or magazines.  Expand your horizon, pick a random book from the library.  Learn something that previously repulsed you.  Seeing more sides to a situation can develop peace, awareness and compassion.

29.  Give away your stuff - Anything that doesnt add beauty, knowledge or purpose in your life on a regulary basis, get rid of.  Give it to your local thrift shop, sell it on ebay, ship it to a country in need.  Let's share! Make a business out of re-creating your unwanted stuff into treasures! 

30.  Stop listening to your thoughts.  Meditate more!  Realize that nothing in your brain belongs to you.  Its like a drifting cloud, don't attach to an outcome.  Don't attach to your reality.  Just be.  Allow life to flow. 

31.  Forgive.  Forgive yourself, forgive your enemies, forgive your children, forgive your partner, forgive your parents, forgive your circumstances.. you can't change it, its not worth it to fight it.  Just let it be.. allow it.  Forgive it. 

32.  How can you dedicate your life to helping others?  Do it.  Do it, regardless of what it might give you.  But don't do it unwaranted, make sure that it's actually benefiting someone else.. don't do what you think would benefit someone else.. do what you can postively be sure of the positive benefit not only in that persons life.. but the surrounding environment - nature, the world, YOU, and anything else connected. 

33.  Learn a new language.  Connect to a different culture, delve in its pecularities, its differences its similarities, enjoy the new rhythym in your mouth. 

34. Don't support chemicals - stop buying them, stop ingesting them, stop producing them, stop spraying them, stop driving with them.  They don't support life.  Period.  That's it. 

35.  Eat less - be conscious, be wise.  Most cultures who lived to be the longest, didn't indulge, and it was considered taboo to overreat.  Be mindful. 

36. Share your life!  Write a blog, tell your friends about the wonderful things in your life, share with them the secrets to your success, tell others about what you have learned.  The more we know the more we all benefit.  We all have such wisdom, let's relish in that! 

37.  Preserve your heritage. Not to the extent of becoming extremist, but to the extent that traditional values are considered, and languages are not lost.  To the extent that modern western life isn't the ultimate goal... Relish in the traditional ways.. the ones that make sense and support our neighbors, environment, wildlife and animals. 

38.  Get involved.  Write to your local leaders, politicians, share your voice!  Go to meetings, speak up about what is important to you.  Share it with school committees or other organizations in your area. 

39.  Never throw away electronics or batteries - Always always find a recycling center for these items.  Very toxic and damaging to the environment.

40.  Re-use bags.  Don't use the little bags in the produce section, or if you do.. wash them out when you finish the produce, dry them and use them again when you go back to the store.  Better yet.. if you go to the bulk section, bring your own containers! 

41.  Triple Challenge - Only buy products in the fresh produce section at your supermarket!  Try to avoid all package foods!  All packaged products.. can you do it?

42. If you happen to be in a country who uses paper products -napkins, toilet paper, paper towels - figure out ways you can cut consumption, or substitute them out.  Can you use water instead, cloth products?  Is there an option to buy from sustainably managed sources?

43.  Buy fairtrade

44. Stop using soap - they say that in order to absorb vitamin D from the sun you can't use soap for 24 hours after sun exposure.. not sure if it is true.. but I hardly use soap in the summer for that reason and surprisingly water and clay are pretty effective cleaners. 

45.  Go to a school of eyesight camp if you have glasses.  I have actually been meaning to go, because apparently its possible to improve your eyesight naturally.  I have yet to try but its something worth looking into. 

46.  Be nice to animals.  They dont have a voice, they dont have powerful weapons, lets be compassionate, they are co-habitants of this earth, lets respect them. 

47.  The less gadgets the better.  All of these little electronic devices pay a toll on our planet.  Let's be mindful about how many new phones we buy in a year.. cameras, tvs, etc. 

48. Read environmental news as often as possible. Be up to date, know the facts. 

49.  Speak your mind.  If you know something, share it, don't let it burn inside of you. 

50. If you see something you dont like, speak up.  Don't let something be passed up because of social pressures or anxieties, if it bothers you, most likely it bothers others.  The power of asking for what you want and making it clear what you like and dont like in this world. 

51.  Use local materials to build your home.. or repair..

52. Go to bed with the sun, get up with the sun.  Reduce your consumption of lighting.

53.  If you wish to have kids, really consider adopting.  Help those children who don't have other options. 

54.  Don't do things just because you think you are supposed to.  You are a free person.  Do what you want to do.. Who cares if no one else is doing it.. actually all the more reason to do it! 

55. Eat more greens!

56. Cook your food less - its better nutritionally speaking, its better for your health, its easier on the planet, it uses less resources. 

57.  Buy more fruit and nuts from trees- this supports perenial plants, which supports soil health, which supports water quality, which supports wildlife and human health.  We are all connected. 

58.  Never make a decision without considering its impact to the people who will live 7 generations ahead of us. 

59.  Move to an ecovillage - support those doing it right!

60. choose a career which serves the world!

61.  Bury your weapons.. we don't need a world with them. 

62.  Go visit a beautiful place on earth.. fall in love! 

63 Go visit a gold mine which has had devastating effects on the locals.  See first hand the destruction made by us.  Don't just read about it, experience it. 

64.  Don't support industries with no real purpose - diamonds, gold, - these are just for show.. they cause massive amounts of pain and destruction in our world.. for what reason?  To show off what we have? It doesn't make sense.

65.  Shower with a partner.. save water!

66. Drive less

67. Love more!

68.  Stop wearing perfume.  Be natural.. too many chemicals in our world as it is.  Essential oils are okay :)

69.  Get geothermal energy

70. solar

71. wind

72. or another alternative!  Get creative! 

73.  Live out of the city.. and don't commute! 

74.  Create your life in a way that what you do directly supports nature.. grow wildlife.. sell wild dandelion leaves! 

75.  Dance. 

76.  Sing

77.  Make art of waste

78.  Start a compost in your yard

79 Build yourself a vegetable garden!

80.  Better yet, allow nature to take over your yard and learn native plants.. learn native plant recipes and enjoy the abundance! 

81.  Travel to the opposite side of the globe.. to learn everything you thought you knew but didnt. 

82. Be grateful for what you have.

83.  Enjoy the little things in life.

84.  Come up with your own list and share it :) 

85. Challenge: Consume more vegetables than grains.. :)

86.  Learn about almost extinct varieties of vegetables in your region.. do what you can to bring them back! Plant them, share them, talk about them! 

87.  Do not breed animals!  We have so many animals in this world who need homes.. there is no need to bring animals into this world at this point just for the sake of a pure breed.  Forget it.. give love to what we already have. 

88.  Support wildlife.. don't litter, be mindful about hiking in nature preserves.. treat it with respect.

89.  Stop consuming milk, meat, fish and honey.. it doesn't serve your health, it doesn't serve the world. 

90.  Recycle your microwave.  Honestly , it's good for nothing. 

91.  Request companies to stop using so much packaging.. why do we need all of that stuff just to be thrown away?

92.  Don't buy bubble wrap.. if it comes to you.. fine... keep it reuse it.. but no need to add more bulk of waste in the world.

93.  Tell your loved ones what they mean to you on a regular basis. Life is too short to not express yourself or your love fully.. Let them know.

94.  turn off lights..

95.  Start a monthly stuff swap with friends, family or neighbors.. host it and tell others to bring things that are nice but they don't use anymore.. set up everything nicely in your home.. whatever doesn't get taken home by somebody else.. give away to charity.

96.  If you hear something you don't believe, look it up.. you might be surprised to find it may be true. 

97.  Take public transit

98.  Remember to walk your dog on a regular basis.. he/she depends on you! 

99.  Give atleast one hug a day!

100. Remember to smile.  Don't be too hard on yourself.  It's okay.. Don't take life sooo seriously. 

All the best.

Sustainable Healthcare

I've recently started taking care of my grandmother who has been diagnosed with Thyroid cancer.  It has been an on and off problem for 15 years.  She has already had all of the conventional treatments multiple times and at this point, there is no more thyroid to be taken out of her system, there is not enough tissue as it is to safely do any more operations to remove the tumors that have taken over her throat.  The doctor roughly implied she may only have less than a year left - perhaps a few months.  The tumors had been getting so large that it has been difficult for her to swallow - and in order to get anything down she needed lots of coffee and dressing on the whatever food she was eating.

She has been on multiple prescription medications for high blood pressure and cholesterol as well as others to make up for her lack of a thyroid in her body.  She even was taking 6 extra strength pain killers daily just to get through the day because she has had severe arthritic pains her joints - due to some previous surgeries after crushing multiple bones in her body from a serious car accident.

At this point, most my of my family had accepted that this is the end of the line for her and that we all just need to enjoy while she is still around.

After spending enough time with my grandmother, I could see that she wasn't quite ready to give up yet.  Although the medical world had completely exhausted their resources on her and had nothing left to help her condition, she still had hope.

The very last thing the doctors were telling her to do, was to get a tube in her stomach, so she wouldn't have to worry about if her throat completely closed off.

This also sounded a little jarring to me.  I took my grandmother aside one day and asked her, if she would be willing to do something a little different and maybe a little crazy to see if it would have any positive impact on her health.

She agreed.

The program consisted of a week long fast on only vegetable juice.

Today is day 5, and I am honestly astonished by the results.

Through only juiced vegetables and few fruits the following has taken place in the last 5 days.

- She is completely off of her pain medication
-She is quit taking one of her cholesterol pills
-She is more mobile than she has been in a long time
-She has more energy
- She is looking brighter and brighter every day - her skin has taken on a glow!
-She is sleeping through the entire night without waking up at all! - She previously had woken up at least 3-4 times in a night because of all the pain she was in, and usually had to switch between the bed and her recliner to relieve different muscle groups
-the tightness in her neck has been reducing
   - even a few of the tumors have felt "lose"
-Her digestive track has been completely cleaned out
- She has lost 9 pounds - she is 5'6 and started out last week at 191 lbs.
-She is swallowing with much less difficulty - she used to wake up in the night and realize that she needed to swallow but took a bit of effort to do so, now she no longer wakes up with this problem.. and doesn't actually wake up at all until morning!
-The swelling in her legs and joints is completely gone!  She has no pain, unless she twists in a certain direction or lifts something really heavy- which she wouldn't do anyway.. so for regular movements there is no pain.
-Previously every few days she would have a sharp pain in her neck - as if it the tumor (s) was (were) growing.. and she hasn't been experiencing that.
-She had previously been saying that she is done traveling- and that she won't be going out anywhere anymore because she doesn't want to be burden to anyone.  Now she is saying that she is feeling so good that she wants to travel, and visit friends and family who don't live in this state!

She has also been recording her own progress in a little journal, which I think is great.  She has been so happy with this week, she is looking forward to more of the program.

I slowly introduced a few solid foods to her in the past couple of days which included : oatmeal and one lentil stew.  She didn't seem to have any issues with that, and she has also be eating small amounts of fruit on her own.

Come Monday I will be preparing solid foods for her, most likely consisting of a :
Steamed vegetable
fresh salad - grated carrot/beet/cucumber - whatever I feel like making
vegetable juice
small serving of a whole grain - or a porridge made of the grain.
lentil or bean soup
Greens! and a green smoothie

- this will most likely be too much food for her, but we will see how it goes come this monday, how she is feeling.  I think what I will do is suggest a fresh vegetable juice fast 1 day per week.

Already she has been getting a bit of attention from the retirement community she is currently in.  One other from the home she is living in his interested in the program.

So this is all very interesting for me.. I am just ecstatic to see such wonderful results.

The book which guided me on juice fast recipes was :
The Juice Lady's Guide to Juicing for Health
by, Cherie Calbom MS

It has some really wonderful recipes!
They mentioned how good artichokes are for cancer in the book, and I was eagerly looking for a juice recipe which included artichokes.

I finally found one and happily made the recipe.. only to find that my juicer almost caught on fire, because of all of the fiber in the vegetable!! I had to do it with extreme care and continuously clean out the juicing filter.

But the funny thing about it was, that they had called for a jerusalem artichoke.. not an artichoke.. ooops.. no wonder.

Anyway.  There are many many incredible reads out there on how diet can cure heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high bp, high cholesterol, etc...  as well as documentaries.. just check out documentaries on netflix --- there is a whole section on health related ones.. which I recommend them all .. It has really been an eye opener for me to learn that many of our current day ailments are not only preventable but also curable and reversible.

All the best,

May we all have good health

Esther