The Ultimate Cost of Convienience and Buying Based on Price...

Why do we pay more for nude food? If we don't it will disappear!

As a mum and a wife I am conscious of ensuring we have a roof over our heads and fresh food on the table. And although I don't like all the harmful chemicals, drugs and processed foods in the world, I also realise that the jobs in these companies are helping some families keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. The strange thing is there are some farmers and suppliers of wholesome food not making ends meet. (this is the part that doesn't make sense). It is not always easy to predict the weather, crop sizes, market values etc. So being a provider of, what I call nude food, can be a risky livelihood.

So I have decided to consciously support nude food providers.

Is nude food sustainable?

In my heart I feel we are coming closer to the time when the nude food farmers are no longer viable and are either run our of business or purchased by the major food chains. Although here in Australia we still have farmers who grow food from their hearts, they are under more and more pressure to cut corners, sell for less, perhaps even sell their farms. I don't know about you, but I want to be able to buy fresh, wholesome, clean, fresh fruit and vegetables from these conscious farmers into the future. I don't want to wonder if the items I buy have been grown on the other side of the world, held in cold storage for months, have been generated by GMO seeds with the plants sprayed with weed killer or have food that has not been grown in the gorgeous sun with fresh clean water....rather it has been mostly chemically grown.

So what can we (little old us) do about it?

What if we refocussed on quality instead of cost? What if we paid them MORE for nude food? Personally I would pay $10 for a dozen REAL eggs than $3 for eggs from caged, sad, chemically feed, suffering chickens. This is not healthy nor sustainable. What if we decided to get down to our local farmers markets and get to know the farmers, thank them from our hearts and commit to purchasing as much local produce as possible.

Share your love of nude food
What if we started sharing the gift of nude food with our kids. Perhaps take them out to a local farm or free range chicken farm to show them the magic and love of food grown from the heart. Share with them the reasons local food is better for us (as it supports the needs of the people who live in the local area...research this concept, it is fascinating). Show them how to make real food from scratch. Show them factory made 'food' with all it's non nude food ingredients and let them know how it impacts their body (the house their hearts live in).

Don't hate them, help them

What can we do to encourage folks to move out of 'distructive' industries? (e.g. tobacco industry, GMO farming, drug marketers, soft drink manufacturers etc) Is it is as simple as stop buying them? Or will we need to put our money where our mouth is and pay more for 'real' food? Perhaps this may help these guys somehow make the shift back to sustainable industries.
What can we do to encourage people back to holistic industries? Become informed, support nude foodies and pay appropriate costs for real stuff and let's create the new 'coolest' way to be.

Be loud and proud

Personally I am proud to support anyone that brings love through what they create whether it be art, food, education. And if people really care about doing 'no harm'...I will support them all the way. That is why I am writing this blog. I want to create a sustainable way to think about, purchase, create and eat nude food. 
In Closing
I am in love with the nude food message and myself, my husband and I are doing a web series of stories about people that love producing and providing nude food. We will let you know when they are available on the I Love Nude Food channel. Meanwhile...grab an apple.
deb (chief nudie)

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Can You Feel The LOVE?

Food carries more than just flavour...
This one may be hard to swallow, but let me see if I can help you digest it (oh dear...couldn't help myself...lol).

Why does mum's cooking taste so good? Why does a candle lit dinner with your lover taste better than a TV dinner alone whilst watching Bridget Jones Diary? Could food carry the very essence of our hearts as we make it, arrange it and serve it to those we love? I think it does.

A few months back we went to a local cafe for breakfast near the beach, just north of Sydney. Both Jerry and I could not believe how good it was..it was truly exquisite! So much so that we spoke to the waitress and then with the kitchen to let them know how great our food and coffee had been. The waitress told us how the business was family owned and that they have a genuine love for food. We could tell. It reminded us of how love, put into food, is carried through to those who eat it.

Spot the difference
This weekend I visited the same cafe and had the same meal...and it was ordinary (in fact, not great at all). And as I watched the staff cleaning up after the lunch crowd, I noticed the owner was not there and the staff were in a hurry to get out of there and enjoy what was left of their weekend. No love in this food, I am afraid. And it was very noticeable.

Have you ever experienced this? Have you noticed that some food just tastes great...and for no apparent reason? Could love really move through the food? Let's explore it.

Food travels a long way on it's journey to our bodies.

Growing
First, seeds are sown in the ground...or livestock is reared (for the non vegos amongst us). The food is then grown with energy from the sun, water from above, some without additives and some with chemical 'hurry up's', some with an individual touch, some on commercial farms, some in home vegie gardens and some as part of large corporate consortiums.

Harvesting
Then the food is harvested, some killed, packaged, transported, processed etc. Some harvesting involves machinery and some is done by hand. Some foods are processed to make the food 'look' better, some are heated, frozen, stored, shipped, flown or carried from the farmer to the local fruit shop.

Selecting
We make our way to our favourite food retailer, corner shop or friends vegie patch and select, purchase and carry the food home to our fridge, fruit bowl or kitchen bench. Or, it is picked up by our favourite restauranteur, who puts it in the cool room.

Preparing
If we are lucky our food has not been processed prior to us getting it without our knowledge. Eg Apples waxed, tomatoes gas rippened etc. Once we get it home we commence creating our meals...the food is prepared, combined, infused, blended, marinated, cooked or served raw.

Serving
Then to finish, it is served in a myriad of ways; on a plate at home, in our lunch bag we take to work, to our restaurant table, to the coffee table in front of the TV or placed with love in front of us by our mum, our partner, our sister or brother, our friend or by ourselves.

Receiving
No matter how it gets to us, we eventually sit down to this gourmet delight with whatever attitude we have at the time and either scoff it down because we are desperately in need of something to fill us, or to satisfy an addiction, or we approach it with an unconscious disregard, or we appreciate the journey it has made and receive it with an open heart and appreciation of this gift of food.

Geez...who would have know all this was going on with our simple chicken and salad wrap, made at the local sandwich shop.

So What!?!
Some may say, "so what?" However, if you are anything like me, you may see it a little differently...or by now, considering whether you should. What if food tastes better, fills us better, serves our body better and heals us simply by the energy it carries? And could it simply be that the preparation and delivery of that food with love is enough to cleanse it of the torrid journey it may have on it's way to us? Food for thought, huh? Hey wait a minute... interesting saying.

Kids feel it
I showed my daughter Sammi how to infuse everything she cooks with love. She knows love is a powerful energy and a gift to give another. I remember recently she was watching me prepare a salad for dinner. Sammi prepared the table with candles, placemats, cutlery and removed all the clutter. She carried the salad over to the table and said "mum, I can feel the love you put into this food". I was amazed that at 8 years old, she could grasp this concept. A few nights later she created a special plate of fresh food which she infused with the love from her heart.

Love it or Leave it
I would much rather not eat food that is over-processed, nutritionally poor or made without any heart whatsoever. However...i think the first two issues can be superseded just by the food being prepared with loads of love. I have a real respect for my body and don't want it filled with lifeless, loveless food. There have been occasions when I will leave a meal rather than eat it just because it's on the table. I don't make a fuss, rather I take in whatever else is available that fills me with life and love.

Give it a go
I believe everything in life carries with it a vibration, an essence. Why not give this a go next time you prepare a meal for those you love (including yourself) and see how it feels.

Try this:
(1) Go to the local fresh food market and choose the ingredients with love in your heart.
(2) Treat them all with care. Carry them home with love.
(3) Store them with an appreciation of their nutrients and living components.
(4) Prepare the food with a single focus and be present to its colour, texture and value.
(5) Combine it with love and cook it with a knowing that you are gifting yourself and your loved ones with fresh, nutritional food splashed with a hint of love.
(6) Set the table as you would for your loved ones last meal on the planet. Remove clutter, turn the lights down a little, put on some nice gentle music and create an atmosphere you adore.
(7) Serve the food on plates that celebrate the colours, textures, flavours.
(8) Welcome your loved ones to the table with a touch, a kiss, a smile.
(9) Take a moment to appreciate your loved ones, this food and life.
(10) Receive each mouthful for the glorious gift it is.

In Closing...
This all sounds delicious to me. I am off to the market for some goodies. Let me know how you go....or set another place for dinner and I will be over at six. Red or white?

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Don't Blame It On The Sunshine...

Blame it on the boogie
As a child, we used to lay in the sun for hours. We all got terribly sunburnt and melanoma was not on anyone's radar...simply because there was not much of it around. Why has this changed? And why is it that we have more "sun smarts" advertising, more sunscreen, more awareness and still the cases of melanoma continue to rise? Perhaps we have not yet publicly identified the true cause. For me, I don't blame it on the sunshine, I blame it on insufficient sunshine (of small regular doses), not enough live fruit and vegetables, wearing sunglasses, our emotional state and the chemicals we put IN ourselves and ON ourselves (including sunscreen!!).

What's obvious

I tend to look at what is obvious, what feels true, and what makes sense. And two thing are clear to me: (1) staying out of the sun, the very thing that gives life to living things on this planet, does not makes sense...(2) putting a petrolchemically based sunscreen on my body that harms more than it serves me, does not makes sense (although i am sure it makes someone a lot of cents...wink).

What some professionals say
Dr Michael F. Holick, a professor of dermatology, physiology, medicine and biophysics at the Boston University of Medicine, and Dr Edward Giovannucci of Harvard University in Boston, say in a nutshell that without sunshine on our skin, we do not produce vitamin D, a vitamin crucial to help ward off the inflammation of cardiovascular disease, type 1 diabetes, certain cancers, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and hypertension. According to these doctors, too much sun is not a good thing and the risk of skin cancer still remains a reality, but, on the other side of the coin, little to no sun can have detrimental effects as well.

Do your own research folks. Find out what the 'experts' who DON'T benefit from cancer or product sales say about sunshine. Make sure you keep your bullshit meter handy just in case.

What about Vitamin D Suppliments?
To me it does not makes sense to take a synthetic, single-component suppliment full of toxic fillers, enclosed in a plastic like casing, into my body when it is as simple as getting out into the sun.

What else is the sun good for?
The more you research, the more you realise the sun does far, far more than just give the body vitamin D. The UV rays enter our skin and eyes (the UV monitors) and stimulate a gazillion processes in the body that support life. Producing vitamin D is just one of them.

Do you remember the movie "City of Angels" with Meg Ryan and Nicholas Cage? Remember the scene when all the angels were standing on the beach watching the sun come up? Do you know why they did this and why many cultures watch the sun as it comes up and goes down? They are sun gazing. When you stare into the sun (yes, right into the centre of it) when it first comes up of a morning and when it last goes down at night, amazing things happen. The morning gaze will stimulate your brain and power up that amazing processor you have at your disposal. The evening sun sets you up for amazing dream states. Both activities are safe to do as long as the sun is no higher off the horizon than the height of your fist held out toward it. If you have never done this start with 13 second increments until you are used to it. Happy gazing folks.

How much sun is too much?
Our skin has an amazing feedback mechanism. It will start to tingle, get a little irritated and even a little pink as soon as it has had enough sun. If you put sunscreen on, which prevents this natural feedback to inform you, not to mention the toxic chemicals being absorbed into the skin, you won't know when enough is enough.

If you have always worn sunscreen and you wish to get out in the sun now without it (yay...clapping loudly), do it in small regular doses. Listen to your body and cover up with a hat and long sleeve shirt once you have had enough. Every one has different skin and a different climate so use your own wisdom and determine how much is enough. I prefer to under do it rather than over do it.

No Sunglasses....why?
The eyes inform the body of what UV is coming into the body and initiates chemical processes that commence changes, healing, generating energy, etc., etc. If you wear sunglasses you change the messages to the brain regarding the level of UV entering the body. Could this be one of the cause of skin cancer.....what makes sense to you? I took my sunglasses off about 10 years ago and it took me two weeks to be able to go outside without squinting. Now I don't notice. Some folks will worry about wrinkles around their eyes...well, that becomes part of your choice making. For me, my wrinkles express my experiences in life and the many smiles I have enjoyed.

No sunscreen...why?

Imagine each pore of your skin is an open mouth ready to eat whatever lands on it. Well, this is what our skin does, it absorbs whatever we put on our skin, no questions asked. I no longer put on my skin anything I am not willing to eat. Sunscreen is toxic....simple! Read the labels and look up each one of the (often petrochemical) chemicals it contains. Or even better, ask for the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on this product. That will scare you.

Miss Sammi, my lilly white girl, loves the sun.
Our daughter, Sammi, is 8 years old and if you have seen the photos on this site you will see she has blonde hair and fair skin. Since she was born we have taken her out into the sun for very small regular doses of those glorious energy producing rays. We never allowed her to get too much. Slow and steady does it. Every moment we could, we would whip off her clothes and let her run around nudie to catch the sun knowing the health benefits were amazing.

At the end of last summer I was down at the beach with Sammi and a couple of her friends. The other children had sunscreen on. Sammi had nothing but her cossie bottoms. The kids played in the sun and around the rocks whilst splashing around in shallow water. After about two hours I felt my skin saying 'enough'....so we decided to head home. As we were dressing to leave I noticed the other children had very red areas where the sunscreen was missed. And yet when we got home Sammi and I had only a very slight tinge of pink....we both felt great. i suspect the other children have had sunscreen on them since they were little. There bodies are not able to process or handle full spectrum sun and so burn quickly.

In closing...
There is nothing like the energy from the sun. And when done consciously, with small regular doses and a high respect for it's power to burn, you can receive vasts amounts of healing and energy giving rays from our glorious sun.

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How Do I Come Off A Juice Fast? by Graeme Ward

This article has been written by one of my favourite Nudies, Graeme Ward. He is a seasoned faster, a true Nude Foodie and a big hearted guy. Here's Graeme's words of wisdom...

Breaking a fast slowly 
This is the most critical part of your juice fast. Breaking your fast is harder than fasting. Your digestive system is now sensitive and needs time to reactivate.

The key is eating lightly, over a period of four days, and transitioning gradually onto a new, planned and more healthy regular diet. Going back to your previous diet will return you again to where you were! What's worse is, it is a shock to your system and can be disastrous and may cause stomach cramps, nausea and weakness.

Continue with the juice and add whole food snacks.
Breaking your fast requires self discipline. After 14 days you know that is something you have a lot of! Eat small amounts to gently wake up your digestion whilst continuing to drink juice. Gradually increase the amount of raw fruit and vegetables as you go along. This can be the start of eating smaller, more sustainable meals. 

Only eat when you feel hungry, not necessarily at meal times. Take salad and fruit snacks with you to work so you are not tempted by the cafe's, food courts or lunch vans. Remember that hunger is often mistaken for thirst, so keep up your water/fluid balance of 1 litre per 22kg of body weight.

Eat half as much as you want, but twice as often to gently reawaken your digestive system. Don’t overload it. Go slowly, chew your food well and don’t mix too many foods.


Most of all, take care not to overeat! After fourteen days of fasting there are so many new flavors you want to try. Change to using smaller plates, bowls and utensils and make each new mouthful a meal in itself.

Over eating and overloading your hibernating digestive system will make you feel sluggish and tired and even nauseous. You will really notice this after the energy you have experienced fasting. If you have over eaten you will find it harder to wake up and get going of a morning.

You can easily put the weight that you released straight back on. Remember you have not eaten solid food for two weeks. The aim is to maintain the wonderful feeling of control that you have developed during the
fast and carry it forward into permanent changes in your eating habits.


Transition foods can include light foods such as fruit, salads, veggie soups, cottage cheese spinach and other green vegetables, and small amounts of sauerkraut to stimulate digestion. Simple vegetable meals low in starch. Salads and soups. No meat, fish, eggs, cheese, milk.

Day 1
Keep drinking 1 litre of juice per day either as a meal or throughout the day as a snack. Have some raw fruit for breakfast, with a small raw veggie salad or a green smoothie for lunch. Eat apples or other fruit between meals if you need to snack. In the evening more raw fruit before dark. Make sure you keep your water balance (1L/22kgs).You’ll probably find that you’ll need very little food to fill up on.

Day 2
Same as day one. Be vigilant of how you feel and observe how your gut is working. If you are at all constipated, lots of water and maybe a green juice, (Bit like a cow in spring). Add vegetable soup for dinner or a green smoothie. Eat apples or other fruit between meals.

Day 3
Same as day two. Plus small quantity of dates or raisins. Add a small bowl of well cooked brown rice with chopped steamed vegies in it. Low starch vegetables such as spinach and other greens. Drink 1 litre of juice.

Day 4
Same as day three. Slowly add soaked nuts, legumes, seeds. Still drink 1.0 litres of juice or more.

Day 5
Move into a 10 day period during which your diet is 80% raw uncooked whole foods. You can eat as much as you want of this. Fresh raw fruit and vegetables. You could enjoy fruit salad for breakfast and a salad with each meal. The 20% cooked part of your diet may include whole grain bread, pasta, brown rice, cooked beans, lentils, cooked vegies, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, squash. Moderate quantities of eggs, unsweetened yoghurt, raw milk, tofu, miso, tempeh, nuts, beans and bean sprouts.

Continue juicing each day. There are other juice recipes around that can be used in place of or added to cabala.

A final word from Graeme
Don’t go back to your old addictions and cravings. There is a whole world of fabulous energy giving whole food nutrition just waiting for the new you to explore! If you do go back into your old habits don’t beat yourself up, you know that you have the tools to recover.

In closing from Deb
Thank you so much Graeme for sharing your wisdom with the Nude Foodies. This article will serve so many with an understanding of what to do and what to expect if they don't. I am looking forward to the slow transition back to our wonderful world of delicious real food.   

To read more about Graeme and to read some of his wisdom, visit his blog.

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NUDE FOODIE: Trish Maloy - 20 Day Water Fast

Trish Maloy
Sydney, Australia

Deb's Intro
When Trish told me she wanted to do a water fast I was thrilled for her. Water fasting is a gift to the body.
I met Trish and her husband Peter about 4 years ago whilst coaching them on their life journey. They have two daughters, run a successful manufacturing business, are active in personal development communities, love to travel and of course, love nude food. They are both amazing people with beautiful hearts. We have all become great friends and share similar interests and passions including delicious food. Trish is an amazing woman with strength, compassion, creativity and a genuine desire to make a difference in her life and the lives of those she loves. Trish embraces holistc living in her health, spirituality and business endeavours. Here is her fasting story....

Fasting experience:
Completed five juice fasts and every one has been completely different – my last juice fast in August was amazingly easy! This is my first WATER FAST!

I have coughed every day since July 2010 when I had the flu. That’s 15 months of couching! However, this wasn’t just coughing, I felt like I was choking most of the time. In September 2010, before I went on safari in Africa, I had a chest x-ray that showed my lungs were perfectly clear. I was on low grade antibiotics for two months to prevent malaria and this should have killed any infection. Still the coughing continued. Intuitively I got to leave it alone and it would look after itself (mind you I also intuitively got to do a water fast but I allowed others, and my identity, to talk me out of it). I had finally had enough last month (September 2011) and went to see my GP. He sent me for a CAT scan of my sinuses and it showed chronic sinusitis. I am seeing an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist in November. The outcome is most likely to be an operation to clear out the sinuses, apparently a very painful procedure. I decided to finally listen to my intuition and do a water fast! Also, Don Tolman suggests that a 21 water fast cures tinnitus, something that I have had for over 20 years, so I’m up for that end result as well!

Positive experiences this fast:
Proud of myself for actually beginning it! Amazed at my lack of hunger...the evening of Day 5 was the first hunger pang I had but it was only fleeting. I’m on Day 6 and have only coughed once today and that was really just clearing the throat...not chocking! I have lost 5.8kg! Mind you I had quite a bit to lose! My sense of smell has gone crazy. The sinuses starting to clear is probably responsible. Having times of amazing, insightful clarity – should get my pen and paper out at those times! Loving getting in the sun every day (this is an essential part of a water fast) – wasn’t sure how I would fit this into a working day but at lunchtime I take a chair in between the cars in the parking lot and push up my sleeves and roll up the trouser to get max rays!)

Negative experiences this fast:
I felt a bit light headed on day 2 and 3. Have had a few light headaches. I have been having very slow mornings but feel great in the afternoon. I feel very tired earlier in the evening so head for bed earlier. I’m not going to the gym as I don’t think I could handle intense exercise. Have only been able to meditate for about half an hour in the morning (usually meditate for about an hour)

Other:
Overcoming the fear of what my body would do in a water fast was my greatest obstacle. I was worried I’d make myself sick and add to my health issues. However, having done five Cabala fasts (and I had the same fear when I did my first juice fast!) gave me a lot of confidence in Dol Tolman and his teachings. In 2004 when we were first introduced to Don my husband Peter had, a then incurable, leukaemia and triple vessel heart disease. He was on 21 tablets a day! Today he is on no tablets at all and has had no sign of leukaemia in the 2.5 years he has been off his chemo drugs. After attending a Don Tolman weekend (at Deb’s suggestion) he became a vegetarian (he does eat seafood as well) and made a number of lifestyle changes. His Cardiologist shook his hand at his last appointment and congratulated him. He said that he had seen most patients over the years make a lifestyle change in the panic of diagnosis but as soon a they felt better they slipped back to their old habits. He said Peter were one of the few who make the changes permanent. I suggest everyone attend a Don or Tyler Tolman weekend...they are inspiring!

The words in this post are complete as provided by Trish Maloy. Nude Food has not changed or added to these words. Trish takes full responsibility for her decision regarding her own health and wellbeing. She is an inspiration. Nude Food recommends you consult your health professional before commencing any fast or eating fresh fruit and vegetables.  

Do you want more information?
Detailed information about fasting and 'everything you every wanted to know' about health, are found in Don Tolman's 2 volume reference books. They are brilliant...I recommend them!
Click here if you want a set of these brilliant books.

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MUESLI: A Great Start To The Day

Deb's Homemade Organic Muesli

We make this in a very large mixing bowl, blend it well before putting it into a large glass jar and storing it in the fridge. Use organic where possible.

Ingredients:
750g rolled oats
1/3 cup wheat bran
1/3 cup psyllium
3 cups puffed spelt (optional)
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 linseeds 
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup pepitas
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup sultanas (optional)
A pinch of passion & infused with love.

Add the oats, wheat bran and psyllium to the bowl. Chop your nuts, batch by batch, and add them to the oats. Add the seeds and blend the mix. Add sultana and spelt puffs (very toasty flavour) if they take your fancy.

Creating a delicous serving of muesli is a day by day adventure. I like to squeeze orange juice in it, add 1/2 chopped green apple, strawberries, yoghurt, real milk and sometimes add a splash of maple syrup (the real stuff of course).

I like to make this for my loved ones for Christmas...it makes a fabulous present in a gorgeous glass jar. I even make up some fancy labels with the recipe on it so they can continue to make it for themselves.

I hope you enjoy this heart felt creation.
Deb x

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FASTING: Feel Good, Failure or Fiddlesticks

32 Nude Foodies on Juice Fast 
A bunch of brave people have embarked on a 14 day juice fast. Some are doing it as part of their normal annual ritual, some are doing it to test their will power, some are doing it to lose weight and most are doing it for the first time to learning about cleaning their body naturally. The recipe, details and FAQ's can be found on the Nude Food 14 Day Juice Fast page.

My Fasting Experience
Typically I complete two fasts a year, however this one will be my third. Each time I do one, I have a different experience. Some times I get a horrible headache on day 1, but so far I haven't had any pain or discomfort...(woohoo). I usually get very cold from day three onwards...I am bracing for that BRRR. And on occasions I even get a little light headed when I stand up too fast.

Fasting is as much an emotional journey as it is a physcial one. Everyone has a unique experience and has their own mental demons to deal with. I have found that around day 9 or 10 most people give up. It appears that this is when the 'addictions' are at their worst. The first time I experienced this I could have eaten road kill I was so hungry..and i'm a vegetarian (just kidding of course). I was absolutely busting to put food in my mouth...toast was a major craving.

Oh I was coming up with all kind of reasons to stop like:....'I have done enough', 'surely I don't need to do 14 days', 'I feel great, I don't need to do anymore'..bla bla bla.

However I knew it was an emotional response to my physical addicictions so I just held on. After making the choice to stick with it I just let it go and got on with life. Surprisingly it all passed. I woke up the next day and there was no stress and I had a renewed sense of purpose. It was clear sailing....I could have fasted for as long as i liked.

From the other side I realise it was all my addictions talking...and the truth is, I didn't realise I had any food addictions...boy, was this an insight. Now the good news... each time I fast, my food 'addictions' have become less and less demanding, to the point where nowadays I just don't want to put anything processed in my body. My tastes have changed and I now dine on the raw, natural offering from natures table a lot easier than in days gone by. I read once that you get new tastebuds in 7 days...so I am guessing my tastebuds have change a lot since the days of scotch and cokes, chicken and chips and processed chocolates. (ewww...makes me cringe nowadays)

So How Do You Stick With a Fast?
An interesting question. I believe it is all about the choice. What I mean is, making a clear choice for health, as apposed to losing weight or doing it for others, is instrumental. Health is the only reason to fast, losing weight is a natural consequence, so is sleeping better, more energy and a sharper mind. Anyone who has done it for weight loss reasons alone have gone back to their normal routine and put the weight back on. Any that do it to clean and support a healthy body have continued on the health journey and regularly do fasts to maintain good health.

Is Fasting Really Safe?
There are all kinds of 'experts' out there with an opinion about fasting. I listen to their reasoning...and to be honest, a lot of them sound compelling. However I also add to the mix the simple ideal that resting the body and giving it a clean out is a wise choice. Fasting is in every ancient culture. They never had RDA's (Recommended Daily Allowance) or high protein diets etc. Ancient cultures often used a higher wisdom than we have learned to tap into in this 'modern, civilised' world. My way of thinking is: if it has stood the test of time, if it is not driven from a desire for power, control or money, if it has an organic source, if it is sustainable and if it supports my health, my heart and my resolve..then count me in.

There is Evidence!!
I think if you look, you will find evidence to support all views on it. So, if you feel fasting is for you, give it a try. Be clear about your reasons and look towards a sustainable way to have a healthy body. At the end of the day, you are the master of your destiny.

One thing I have come to discover for myself is that no one knows my body the way I do. No one 'really' knows what is the 'right' thing to do as far as health goes. So I decided to go on my own discovery tour. And after years of eating crap, reading interesting books, and researching other points of view, I have come up with one simple view. It just does NOT makes sense to put synthetic, processed, chemicals, manipulated 'foods' or 'drugs' into my body. And that food from nature can support my health and heal anything...yes I mean ANYTHING.

I feel that the medical model has strayed from it's original source and become part of a machine that is very sexy with it's power, control and 'i know best' attitude. No longer do the dollars for research go into finding root cause, rather they go into discovering new drugs to market.

Get back to basics folks and you will live a long happy life...x

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Your Daily Bread

Bread's Bread, Right?
When i was growing up there was white bread and brown bread...pretty exciting choice huh. Now you're faced with five grain, high protein, low fat, low GI, sour dough, multigrain, high fibre, added vitamins and minerals etc. I don't know what was in the bread back in the good old days, but I am aghast at what's in it now. Let's go check out what's in bread (no cousin jokes ok...lol)

The Good, The Bad and The Down Right Ugly!! 
Sammi (8 year old daughter) and I dropped into the local supermarket last night to buy some fruit and veg plus some bread....what were we thinking! There was not one loaf of bread without additives. We ended up going to Bakers Delight (not the best choice either) but all that was available until Jerry (hubby) picks up our favourite sour dough tomorrow from a baker dedicated to creating real bread. Let's have a look at what Sammi and I found...we will start with those to avoid and work our way up.

Wonder White(1/10)
There is no way I would put this inside my body as it is nutritionally empty. I know it 'says' it has added vitamins and minerals, but they are synthetic and mostly unrecognisable by the body. I am not sure about the Hi Maize flour...but given it is called a 'unique' and 'developed' maize, makes me wonder if it is GMO.

Iodised Salt - table salt with iodine
Good sea salt heated - up to 1200F and refined to remove all the nutritional elements (84 minerals). It is mostly chemical sodium chloride.

Vineger - Acetic Acid
Is an acidic liquid produced from the fermentation of ethanol. Can cause skin irritation. Suspected respiratory, cardiovascular and liver toxicity.

Vegetable Oil - unknown type
This is an unknown. It may be a high quality oil (but i really doubt that as they would mention it is it was). More than likely it is a GMO heat pressed oil that is not great for the body.

Emulsifier - 481, 471 472e
481 may be animal or palm oil derived. It is a sodium salt of the product of lactic and stearic acids. This is prohibited in infant foods and is used in cleansing creams and hand creams. (ewww!) 471 It is mono-and-diglycerides of fatty acids and may be animal or palm oil derived. 472e It is diacetyltartaric and fatty acids esters of glycerol and may be GM, animal or palm oil derived.

Calcium Carbonate - 170
Is an anti-caking agen used in baking goods, cosmetics and vitamins. It is derived from animals or minerals such as chalk, limestone, dolomite.
Excess may cause abdominal pain, nausea and constipation.

Vitamin Niacin - B3
Used for antistatic and smoothing. Used in lip gloss, lip pumper, moisturiser, shampoo and dietary supplements. Derived from syntheic or petroleum.
May cause liver problems in high doses. Suspected cardiovascular toxicity.

Vitamin - E
May be natural or synthetic tocopherol. Used in facial cleanser, foundation , lip balm, lipstick, moisteriser abd as a suppliment. May can skin ailments (eczema, dermatitis, itching, hives, rash etc)

Vitamin - Folic Acid B9
This is a synthetic additive used in shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser and medicinal.

Minerals - Zinc and Iron 
Synthetic. There are many types of zincs and I won't bother listing them all. The iron suppliments in bread are not kind to the body, i would much prefer to get this from greeen leafy vegies.

Macro Sourdough(5/10)

We thought this would be ok given it's  'organic' and from that reliable brand 'Macro'. We were suprised to find these 4 additives:

Raising Agent - 920 (Cyceteine Monohydrocholride)
Derived from: duck feathers (eww), petroleum or synthetic (oh dear). Prohibited in foods for infants and a suspected neurotoxin...WTF!!
I don't see the labels warning mums and dads about this.

Ascorbic Acid 300 - 300 also called vitamin C
Derived: from swine (pigs) or bacteria from mushrooms. May cause allergic and hyper-sensitive reactions. Prohibited in foods for infants.Derived: from swine (pigs) or bacteria from mushrooms. May cause allergic and hyper-sensitive reactions. Prohibited in foods for infants.

Vitamin Thiamen - B1 (HCL or Hydrocholoride)
Derived from: synthetic May cause itching. Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by CIR. Used in conditioner, detangler, shampoo, styling gel and as a suppliment. Derived from: synthetic or from glucose from corn and used in food, wine, cosmetics and sunscreen.

I'm not sure about you, but there is no way I am eating this stuff. Jerry and I bought this bread a while back without reading the label and he started feeling a bit off soon afterwards.

Morpeth Sourdough (10/10)
This bread is made with care, consideration and is definitely infused with love. It is as whole as we can buy without making it ourselves. Jerry and I love their bread and on occasions get up to their gorgeous bakery at Morpeth. (150 kms north of Sydney) - The township of Morpeth is grogeous.

If you have time to visit, you can enjoy great cafes, fabulous shopping and some awesome bread. http://www.morpethsourdough.com.au/

If you know a baker of great bread feel free to leave a comment and share their details. Let's support the bakers who make real bread and not those that make white glue like substances that can last on the shelves for days.

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Breakfast - BREAKing the FAST

Your Daily Fast
Your body FASTS for about 6 to 8 hours each night as you sleep (fasting means: you don't eat food). This gives your system a good rest and allows the body to do its magic. Plenty happens while you are in the land of nod...one of those is self-healing. This is an amazing process I won't dive into here, however if you want to know more, jump onto google and do your own research.

BREAK-FAST of champions
There are stacks of theories about what we 'should' eat for breakfast. I eat what my body desires from the plathora of 'real' food available to me. How about we explore what may NOT be good choices.....there are loads to choose from.

Avoid Anything in a Box
My daughter knows that most 'food' that comes in a box, that sits on a shelf for weeks, which usually contain synthetic (non-food) ingredients with numbers, words like 'natural' (NOT!!), and made in a factory without any consideration of how it supports the body. She knows it is not food. Let's take a well marketed 'healthy' cereal and see what it is really made of.
The ingredients may appear to be comprehensive and full of goodness....but when you dig a little deeper you find most of those 'added' elements are actually harmful (no wonder it was banned in Denmark in 2004 - more details on why are at the end of this post...scary). I have coloured the unnatural ingredients in red. Just to name a few: Riboflavin is prohibited in foods for infants (um..doesn't this worry you...it worries me) and Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (SYNTHETIC vitamin B6) is used in hair conditioner and has not been assessed for safety in cosmetics....WTF!!!

INGREDIENTS: Australian: Cereals (62%) (rice, wheat), wheat gluten, sugar, wheat flour, minerals (calcium carbonate, iron, zinc oxide), salt, barley malt extract, vitamins (niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin, folate).In North American Market (except Canada): Rice, wheat gluten, sugar, defatted wheat germ, salt, high fructose corn syrup, dried whey, malt flavoring, calcium caseinate, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), alpha tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), reduced iron, niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), vitamin A palmitate, folic acid, and vitamin B12.

Just a question: is defatted wheat germ created from fat wheat? (lol) Why not use real wheat? Oh that's right it won't last on the shelves without being turned into a processed element...which by the way is not recognisable or useable by the body....but makes a great filler. (mmm...got you thinking yet?)
AND beware of the SALT and SUGAR in these 'foods' as it is not even close to its original form. The salt has had all 83 minerals removed and sold for profit....what is left over is put into processed food.

It does not makes sense to me to eat this stuff when it is SO easy to make your own REAL food. Eating any synthetic (pretend food) has the body go into 'emergency' action mode to actually get rid of it so it does not cause harm. Imagine what a diet full of it must be doing (concerned face).  

Choose Wisely

To break a fast, to support a body that has been in healing mode for 6 to 8 hours, it is wise to kickstart it with something wholesome. Whole meaning real food from it's natural state...as ALIVE as possible. Not deconstructed, not processed, not reconstructed, not extracted or concocted.  Not homogenised, not pasturised, not hydrogenised, not fake colours for our eyes.

Here are some ideas that I love to gift my body with:
Water with lemon juice - a great start to the day which does wonders for the body. Real muesli (not store bought toasted varieties with 'additives') - great for cleaning the colon and provides great energy for the day. Fresh juice - made with apples, carrots, lemon, beetroot and any other fruit and vegies you like. Eggs, beans, tomato, spinach, on sour dough - organic and free range if you can and fresh ingredients (preferably not gassed tomatoes to make them red or bagged spinach with has a gas injected to keep it fresh). Fresh bread/toast - if you like toast in the morning do yourself a favour and check out the ingredients. I am unable to find 'real' bread in a supermarket as they all have so many additives to keep them fresh. I buy bakery bread that i know has only real ingredients, especially sour doughs. Fresh fruit - adding fresh fruit (which has live cells still in it) is SO good for your body. An apple a day DOES keep the doctor away. Grab one as you run out the door.


As promised: here are the details about Special K - Source at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_K
"The country of Denmark has outlawed Kellogg's products since 2004. Danish health officials banned the cereal because, as they claimed, Kellogg's wanted to add extremely high levels of vitamin B6, calcium, folic acid and iron, which would reach toxic levels when eaten on a daily basis. Young children risk liver and kidney damage, while the fetuses of pregnant women can suffer complications from the toxins"

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Potato - Poultice Makes Perfect

One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato RAW

I am not a big fan of eating potatoes, although they are great in a home made curry, and Jerry cooks them and tosses them with steamed string beans in olive oil and mustard..yum. However I bet you didn’t know how amazing they are as a poultice (to draw toxins from the body), or as a solution for burns. I recently saw a 40 minute home made video on poultices which convinced me to give it a go on Sammi’s planter wart and Jerry’s cyst. The results amazed me. Here’s what happened....

 

Potatoes Eats Planter Wart

My 8 year old daughter’s panter wart had been in the bottom of her foot for over a year and was getting sore and annoying. I showed her old the DVD about poultices and she decided to try potato on her foot 24/7 until it was out. We didn’t know if it would work but we decided to give it a go.

This is how we did it:

1.       Cut up a piece of muslin (very thin cotton cloth) about 10cm (4 inch) square

2.       Shred potato (about a tablespoon) and put it on the muslin

3.       Folding it over once so that only one layer of muslin was between the potato and her foot.

4.       Cut a 3 cm (just over an inch) hole in the lining of her shoe so it would not annoy her like the princess and the pea (you know the fairy tale don’t you).   

5.       Place the potato in muslin on her foot, cover with a water proof bandaid

6.       Tape over with some strong tape (because kids run around a lot and need it

7.       Put on her socks and shoes and away she went.

We replaced this each night and morning…and 30 days it was completely gone. AMAZING!!

In-cyst on Potato

At the same time as Sammi’s wart was being healed we did the same to a cyst on Jerry’s back. It was about 3 cms (a little over an inch) wide and was raised about 1cm (about ¼ inch) off his back.

After about 3 weeks, replacing the the potato every 12 hours, it started to smell really badly (it stank actually). Toxins being drawn out of the cyst.  And two days after the strong smell started, a small hole opened up in the middle of the cyst. I pushed on it and out came all this gunk…ew! It was amazing. It just kept coming out. I couldn’t believe how the potato was opening the cyst (where it never had a head on it) and draining out the gunk inside.

Burn Disappeared

The next experience with potatoes happened when I burnt myself: grabbed a pot sitting on the stove that I didn’t realise was on a hotplate. Three of my fingers got burnt on the inside pads just above the first knuckle.

I quickly put it under cold water but it was stinging really bad. I was shaking because of the intensity of the pain. Blisters were starting. I instinctively asked Jerry to shred some potato. I put a handful in my hand and closed it tight.

I sat down and tried to relax…not easy let me tell you. After about an hour I opened my hand up expecting to see three blisters and skin damage. I was amazed to see NOTHING!! There was no sting, no redness and no pain.

I could not make sense of it and actually felt like a bit of a sook. The truth is I know I burnt my fingers badly, really badly. And somehow the potato just drew out the heat and supported my skin in an amazing way.

Gotta love the potato huh.

Keep some handy for burns and other interesting poultice needs.. Share some of your thoughts, experiences and potato magic.

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