Loving Self...Are you?

Loving Self class taught by Angelique Priscilla, PT in Norwich on November 16th.

For Real Food Safety, Support Local Food and Local Oversight

For those who care about local foods and small farms, please submit comments to the FDA by November 15th on the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Signed into law by President Obama in January of 2011, the FDA has taken more than two years to move FSMA through its rule-making procedure—a process still ongoing. The FDA hails FSMA as the most “sweeping reform of food safety laws in over 70 years.” An undeniably important objective given the attention-grabbing headlines announcing outbreaks of foodborne illness from hamburgers, chicken, fruits and vegetables, FSMA unfortunately undermines some of the safest producers of food in the nation—our local farmers.

The "sweeping" law risks sweeping the little guy right out of business. Designed to cover the disparate extremes of industrial farming and neighborhood farm stands, FSMA's one size fits all is a disaster in the making. The voluminous 548 page law is confusing. On the surface it appears that farms grossing less than $500,000 would be exempt from the law, but on closer examination, many farms would indeed have to comply with the expensive and cumbersome rules. How many? Neither the state agriculture department nor the FDA can answer that definitively, but based on USDA numbers and income criteria likely hundreds of Vermont farms will be affected.

At an FDA "listening session" held last month, farmers from Vermont and New Hampshire gave FDA representatives an almost universally unfavorable earful. Themes repeated throughout the morning were: the proposed law was overly cumbersome to struggling small farms; the majority of food borne illness outbreaks come from imported foods and large scale industrial food companies, not small, diversified farms in New England; criteria for the new law is not supposed to be in conflict with organic standards, but it is; and FSMA seems to duplicate laws that many farms already comply with like the USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program. Across the board, farmers felt the proposed law would put onerous requirements on them, consume their already tiny profit margins, hamper growth, and force many of them out of business. 

Over the course of the session, many farmers expressed their frustration at the inconsistencies and double standards in federal food safety policy. The FDA admits it is able to inspect only about 2% of imported food even though imported food has repeatedly been implicated in food borne illness outbreaks. While the government plans to impose increasingly cumbersome regulations on small produce farms, they are simultaneously relaxing and changing laws that will deleteriously affect food safety. Recently the USDA announced that it will allow U.S. grown chicken to be processed in China for resale in the United States, without any USDA inspectors on site. The processed chicken, used in canned soups, chicken nuggets and other products, will be sold

without any label informing the consumer it was processed in China.

Earlier in 2013, in an effort to save money for the government and the poultry industry, the USDA announced plans to cut back the inspectors at slaughterhouse kill-lines by 75%, leaving only one inspector where there used to be four, while increasing the numbers of chickens killed to 175 per minute. USDA Secretary Vilsack believes that this will reduce thousands of foodborne illnesses, even though the Environmental Working Group’s report, Superbugs Invade American Supermarkets, exposes that antibiotic resistant bacteria is found in 81% of ground turkey; 69% of pork chops; 55% of ground beef; and 39% of chicken breasts, wings and thighs. No worries. Under the new USDA rules, chicken carcasses will be doused in chlorinated water and “other antimicrobial substances” to deal with lingering fecal matter and other contaminants. 

The numbers of food borne illnesses used to justify FSMA are high. While quoted in the press as hard numbers they are, in fact, only estimates. These numbers were announced by the CDC a month before Obama signed FSMA into law and are almost 2000 times the rate of illness and 150 times the rate of death that were documented between 1998 and 2008. In Vermont, cases of food borne illnesses are low—about 250 statewide in 2012—although relative to population they hover around what the Vermont Department of Health cites as the national averages for reported cases in 2011 of 14.3 to 16.5 per 100,000. Over the past almost twenty years, the number of cases in Vermont have stayed relatively consistent. The Department’s most recent report on foodborne illness, dated May 2013, explains that Vermont’s cases are mostly “sporadic”—i.e. they are not connected.

While the Vermont Department of Health (DOH) agrees with the CDC that underreporting is a problem, State epidemiologist and foodborne illness expert, Erica Berl is quick to say that the DOH does not want every single person who is experiencing diarrhea or vomiting to report to the state. Berl says there are many reasons for these common symptoms of foodborne illness but, “most cases of GI illnesses are from viruses passed from human to human.”

When asked if she thought foodborne illness in Vermont could be traced to small local farms she replied, “Causation is very difficult to prove and often near impossible with the small numbers in Vermont. It is impossible to state that food borne illness does or does not ever come from small farms. What we know, capital K, is that there are certain high-risk foods linked to certain pathogens.” 

In short, there is no way to prove that any small farms in Vermont have caused any foodborne illness in the state. But, there is also no way to prove they haven’t.

While the state may not be able to say unequivocally that small farms are not the cause of foodborne illness, the farmers made it very clear at the FDA session that they do not believe they are to blame for outbreaks in the state. Repeatedly farmers said, “My family and I eat the food we are growing and selling. We would be the first to get sick if there were a problem.” Others commented that since they know their customers, they would be aware if someone got sick.

Some farmers expressed their fear that as small farms are forced out of business that foodborne illness will increase not decrease. The question begs, does trying to reduce the 200 some odd annual cases of foodborne illness which can not be definitively linked to Vermont’s small farms justify the enormous health and economic impact of FSMA throughout the state? If society’s goal is to keep reducing or trying to reduce the percentages of people who are sick then maybe the small farms of Vermont should be viewed as part of the healthy solution and goal, not as the culprits. It raises the need for an examination of health and what is considered relevant to food safety. Acute illness is dramatic and headline grabbing, but debilitating chronic illness is often far more damaging in the long run. Is diabetes a food safety issue? Are allergies a food safety issue? Chronic digestive diseases?

There is a reason Vermont has, per capita, the most farmer’s markets, certified organic farms, certified organic farm land, CSAs, local dollars spent on local foods, artisan cheese-makers, micro-breweries, and maple producers in the entire country. We love our local food producers, we care about our health and we are proud of Vermont’s agricultural heritage. 

Champion real food safety and security. Let FSMA fulfill its mandate by regulating those producing contaminated food, not those providing healthy food. Let the FDA know that you support Vermont local farms and local oversight. Tell the FDA that farms grossing less than $1 million should be regulated locally, by the Vermont Department of Agriculture, not the federal government. Keep Vermont’s farmers in business and keep our food healthy. Send your comments to the FDA by November 15th 2013.

Vinegar to the Rescue

The kind of health news I love to read: A study in India has found that a simple, cheap and safe substance—vinegar—illuminates cervical cancer, thus saving suffering and lives.

According to AP, "India has nearly one-third of the world's cases of cervical cancer — more than 140,000 each year." Where pap smears cost money and lab access, the vinegar diagnostic requires neither. AP reports, "This study tried a test that costs very little and can be done by local people with just two weeks of training and no fancy lab equipment. They swab the cervix with diluted vinegar, which can make abnormal cells briefly change color.

'This low-tech visual exam cut the cervical cancer death rate by 31 percent, the study found. It could prevent 22,000 deaths in India and 72,600 worldwide each year, researchers estimate.

We can only hope for more innovative discoveries of effective, safe, cheap approaches to our health care needs.


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/261381.php

Important update to FDA and Mistletoe

You can purchase Mistletoe as an individual from Canada. In the U.S. you can as well, but not right now. Weleda, manufacturer of Iscador, has temporarily halted shipment into the United States. Americans wanting Mistletoe can order it directly (you must know the host tree and potency you need) from the Ontario online natural pharmacy FeelGoodNatural.com
 

More Health Legislation—Toxic TRIS

Toxins in our homes, schools and environment are an ever-increasing health hazard. As the Chicago Tribune reports, American babies are born with "the highest recorded levels of flame retardants among infants in the world."

Bills have been introduced in the Vermont House (# H.241) and Senate (# S.81) to ban toxic flame retardants like TRIS in furniture and baby products.

The Environmental Working Group published a study in 2008 examining the blood of mothers and their toddlers for levels of toxic fire retardants. In 19 out of 20 families, 11 different flame retardant chemicals were present in the children at up to 86% higher concentrations than the mothers. See the report here.

See the Chicago Tribune for a four-part investigation into the flame retardant scandal. 

We need to stop poisoning ourselves and our children. Let your legislators know you support the ban of Tris and other toxic flame retardants now!

The bills have support, but it is always best to send your legislators a quick email or note to let them know you are in support of the bills—every little bit helps.

FDA Quietly Removing Access to Natural Health

Right under our noses the FDA is restricting our right to medical freedom and choice. Mistletoe products—used in Europe for almost one hundred years to treat cancer and other diseases—can no longer be purchased in the U.S or Canada.

In the National Cancer Institute information about Mistletoe there is irony and contradiction with glaring contradictions such as in bullet number 3 (see below). In the same breath NCI is acknowledging Mistletoe's long, wide and successful use, but nevertheless the FDA is not allowing it to be used in this country.

Our ability to choose what types of healthcare we want to use for ourselves and our families is being hijacked by government agencies, medical associations like the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the pharmaceutical industry.

It is time for this medical monopoly to stop. Please contact your Congressman and let them know you want the discrimination against medical orientation to end NOW.

Overview

• Mistletoe is a semiparasitic plant that grows on several types of common trees such as apple, oak, pine, and elm. Mistletoe extract has been used since ancient times to treat many ailments (see Question 1).
• Mistletoe is one of the most widely studied complementary and alternative medicine therapies in people with cancer. In certain European countries, preparations made from European mistletoe are among the most prescribed drugs for patients with cancer (see Question 1).
• Mistletoe extract has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory and to affect the immune system. However, there is limited evidence that mistletoe's effects on the immune system help the body fight cancer (see Question 2 and Question 3).
• Mistletoe extracts are usually given by injection under the skin or, less often, into a vein, into the pleural cavity, or into the tumor. (see Question 4).
• Animal studies have suggested that mistletoe may be useful in decreasing the side effects of standard anticancer therapy, such as chemotherapy and radiation (see Question 5).
• Several human studies using mistletoe to treat cancer have been done since the early 1960s, but major weaknesses in many of these have raised doubts about their findings (see Question 6).
• Very few harmful side effects have been reported from the use of mistletoe extract (see Question 7).
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved mistletoe as a treatment for cancer or any other medical condition (see Question 8).
• The FDA does not allow injectable mistletoe to be imported, sold, or used except for clinical research (see Question 8).

Legislative Review 2013 Session

"Human rights don't assert themselves. Freedom doesn't preserve itself all alone and democracy doesn't succeed by itself"—German Chancellor Angela Merkel 1/30/13 commenting on the 80th anniversary of Hitler’s rise to power


The Vermont 2013 legislative session is under way. Practitioners and consumers who practice and utilize holistic and natural health care may be interested in the following proposed bills.

The following are in the House Health Care Committee. Listed below are the bill number, the purpose of the bill directly quoted, a link where you can download the “original version” to read the entire language (click on the bill number), and recommendations for actions.

Emails, letters and/or phone calls all make an impact. For those who need to find their representatives and senators and their contact information, you can search on the Vermont Legislature Web site.


H.12
This bill proposes to require health insurance plans, including Medicaid, to provide coverage for all health care services, including complementary and alternative treatments, if at least two studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals find such services to be safe, to be directly related to statistically significant improvements in individuals’ health status, and to reduce associated medical costs.

Support in theory. But urge the removal of or revision of the qualifier: “if at least two studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.”  For instance the case can be made that acupuncture, used for 5000 years, is safe and effective regardless of whether two peer reviewed articles claim it to be so.

H.114
This bill proposes to remove the religious and philosophical exemptions for immunization against pertussis and to require an adult working in a school or child care facility to keep his or her immunization against pertussis current.

Oppose.This bill and H.138 below are more restrictive versions of the bill last session which unsuccessfully tried to remove the philosophical exemption for school children. Last year’s bill was dramatically altered, resulting in an almost unanimous vote to maintain the philosophical exemption. Both H.114 and H.138 want to limit choice not just to parents but also to ALL people working in schools, whether paid or volunteer, stripping them of their right to informed consent. H.114 is focused on the pertussis vaccine—a vaccine that has failed. The State Health Department statistics show that 90-100% of those who contracted pertussis were vaccinated. The Health Department is not in favor of this bill after last’s years battle.

H.138
This bill proposes to suspend the philosophical and religious exemptions for a specific required vaccine if the immunization rate at a school for that vaccine falls below a 90 percent threshold.

Oppose. This bill and H.114 above are more restrictive versions of the bill last session which unsuccessfully tried to remove the philosophical exemption for school children. Last year’s bill was dramatically altered, resulting in an almost unanimous vote to maintain the philosophical exemption. Both H.114 and H.138 want to limit choice not just to parents but also to ALL people working in schools, whether paid or volunteer, stripping them of their right to informed consent. H.138 proposes a 90% “trigger” which limits the right to informed consent to medical procedures only to the first 10% who exercise it. As a constitutional lawyer will tell you, rights can not be qualified—you either have the right, or don’t. For example, the right to Freedom of Speech is not extended to only a certain percentage of the population, but to everyone.The “trigger” was attempted in last years bill to remove the philosophical exemption and it was rejected by the House.

H.224
This bill proposes to require the Green Mountain Care Board to include acupuncture as a covered service in Green Mountain Care.

Support. FABULOUS! hope that additional modalities are covered as well!

Health and Wellness Experts Recommend Vitamin C For Onset of Flu Season

Fall foliage season has just passed, but health advocates say it's already time for you to start taking Vitamin C. The National Institutes of Health notes that Vitamin C "helps the immune system work properly to protect the body from disease." NIH suggests that the safe upper limits of Vitamin C for those from twelve months old to adults ranges from 400 to 2000 mg/day.

According to the CDC, the seasonal flu has not yet hit Vermont, but Vermont Wellness Advocate Charlotte Gilruth says it's not too early to prevent it. Gilruth recommends eating lots of fruits and vegetables, and foods rich in Vitamin C as well as Vitamin D, while restricting intake of sugar and other refined foods.  She urges everyone to take full advantage of "Nature's doctors”: pure drinking water, fresh air, and daily exposure to sunshine.

Gilruth encourages hygienic practices like hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes. The international not-for-profit Cochrane Collaboration has found that, “Respiratory virus spread can be reduced by hygienic measures (such as hand washing), especially around younger children. Frequent hand washing can also reduce transmission from children to other household members.” The U.S. CDC makes it clear that, “Keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.”

Gilruth adds, "If you do get sick, stay home to avoid infecting others and consult your health practitioner to learn which foods, herbs, and remedies will limit the duration of the flu." Stress, including negative emotions like fear and anger, directly suppresses the immune system, so Gilruth says that, in addition to getting ample rest, incorporating lifestyle changes such as regular meditation and exercise can help prevent illness.

Flu shots have now been found to be only 50 to 60 percent effective in preventing the disease rather than the 80 to 90 percent originally estimated. Studies in Canada have found that in some cases the flu shots increase the incidence of flu and make the symptoms worse. The Cochrane Collaboration found that, “In children under the age of two, the efficacy of inactivated vaccine was similar to placebo.”

A new study released two weeks ago by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota finds similar lack of effectiveness, “trivalent inactivated flu vaccines (TIV) yield about 59% protection in adults aged 18 through 64, but consistent evidence of protection is lacking for children aged 2 to 17 and people 65 and older.”

"I think there's a very big concern among the public and wellness community that if we've got something that is at best 50 to 60 percent effective, we really need to be looking at alternatives," Gilruth says. In addition to the ineffectiveness of the flu vaccine, there are people that should not get the flu shot— such as those with egg allergies and those who do not want to ingest mercury in their bodies since all four brands of multi-dose flu vaccines—Fluzone, Fluvirin, FluLaval and Afluria—contain thimerosal with mercury levels at 25ug per dose.

Preserve Vermont's Freedom to Refuse Pharma Products

Here are a series of flyers to raise attention about the assault on Vermonter's freedom to refuse pharmaceutical products. If you support the right to choose your medical paradigm and health-care please write your Vermont senator and representative and ask them to preserve Vermont's 32-year-old philosophical exemption to vaccinations so those that choose to opt out of chicken pox or other vaccines can do so without persecution.

While those pushing to eliminate the exemption would have the public believe that all vaccines are completely safe and that there is a burgeoning public health threat, neither is true. In the coming weeks The Alternative Health Guides will be running a series of articles highlighting information about pharmaceutical industry products and a 21st century approach to disease.

Please feel free to share any of the flyers below.

Mt. Ascutney Gratefulness Retreat

In mid-May the Mt. Ascutney Healing Arts Center is holding a retreat, The Art of Gratefulness, as a fundraiser for its programs. Please share the following information with anyone you feel might be interested.

Swiss Determine Homeopathy Beneficial

Well known homeopath Dana Ullman reported in mid-February on the Swiss government's extensive investigation into the effectiveness of homeopathic medicine. The report, concluded in 2006 which explores studies through 2003, has just been released in book form.

Ullman writes, "The Swiss government's "Health Technology Assessment" on homeopathic medicine is much more comprehensive than any previous governmental report written on this subject to date."

A majority of Swiss people use and demand complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies in their health care options and Swiss health insurance covers homeopathy and other CAM therapies.

The Swiss report and public resolve affirms homeopathy. Maybe one day here in the U.S. we too will have homeopathy covered by insurance!

U.V. Guide Practitioner Didi Pershouse Book Project

For those in the community who missed this Valley News article, please enjoy the story about acupuncturist and sustainable medicine advocate Didi Pershouse's book-in-progress on a sustainable medicine future. To support Didi's work directly visit her fundraising page on Indiegogo.

Regarding Fish

There is conflicting information about eating fish. What is healthy, what is not? As the recent article, The Flip Side of Tilapia, from the New York Times reports, the production of Tilapia has been, like so many things, industrialized and tainted, to the point where the fish lack the very attributes that make eating fish recommended as a healthy component of diet. This is tragic. I remember decades ago, The New Alchemy Institute, a forward-thinking non-profit on Cape Cod, was incorporating Tilapia into their experimental greenhouse ponds, raising them in an organic environment as they worked to develop ecological, sustainable, local food systems. That small-scale, organic model has gone by the way-side.

Paul Greenberg's excellently written Four Fish details the issues with wild and farmed fish, as well as presenting useful solutions—highly recommended for anyone concerned about the future of food.

Slow Food's Slow Fish Campaign is full of helpful and inspirational information. At the end of May, Slow Fish held a convention in Genoa, Italy focusing on small-scale fishers. Slow Food says,

"Slow Fish celebrates and draws awareness to artisanal fishing in many ways and investigates the difficult balance between safeguarding the income of fishers and protecting the marine resources on which their livelihood depends. This begins with welcoming fishers from across the world, like Frank Fleming, the Irish fisherman who, while battling to compete with the huge quantities of industrially caught fish on the market, set up a certification system for responsibly caught fish; or 16 year old Georgios from Greece, a third generation member of a family of fishers who use small boats and traditional fishing methods; or the Oosterchelde Lobster Presidia fishermen from the Netherlands whose careful techniques ensure the survival of the species for future generations."

Thank goodness there are still fisherman working on a small, sustainable level. Explore the Slow Fish site for more information and tips.

Two of the many resources offered at Slow Food include the Chef's Collaborative report, Seafood Solutions: A Chef’s Guide to Sourcing Sustainable Seafood, and for residents and visitors of the UK, restaurants serving responsibly harvested fish can be found at Pisces Responsible Fish Restaurants.

In the meantime, I suggest some wild sardines (still available) as they are low on the food chain so don't have the toxin and heavy metal loads that tuna and other larger fish have, and, so far, are not endangered

Kimchi Lover's Rejoice

Green Med Info has highlighted two reports this week showing the health benefits of traditional fermented cabbage dishes like kimchi.

The first study shows that an active compound of kimchi inhibits atherosclerosis in rabbits (let's ignore the fact that rabbits usually eat raw cabbage). These rabbits were fed a high-cholesterol diet and then given either a pharmaceutical drug or the kimchi compound. The kimchi compound had the highest cholesterol-lowering effect.

The second study shows that a particular strain of Lactobacillus bacteria found in kimchi is able to degrade organophosphorus pesticides which include extremely toxic substances such as parathion and diazinon.

For more information about kimchi and fermented foods see the past blog post about Raw/Live Food and the health links page at the Alternative Health Guides Web Site for where to buy kimchi-like products and books about how to make your own.

Freedom of Choice

Whatever your personal decisions are regarding vaccines, it is important to have freedom of choice in the United States and the world, because once freedom of choice is taken away in one area, it can be taken away in other areas. To have informed freedom of choice, people need to have access to all sides of an issue.

Science is not one static block of information. There are different opinions, outcomes in tests and a myriad of components in how studies are conducted and reported. Science evolves and changes—you only need to explore history and you will find this consistently. The most common example is that prior to 1850 the notion of infection reduction due to hand-washing before surgery was dismissed as totally ridiculous and the doctor who promoted the theory was imprisoned. Now hand-washing is considered the most important aspect of infection reduction even with all sorts of technology available.

Antibiotics, considered miracle-cures and panaceas, are now known to cause all sorts of resistant super-bugs and other health issues. In a relatively short span of time antibiotics have gone from cure-all drugs to cautiously prescribed — an enormous shift in how the drugs are used.

So when billions of dollars are at stake in the world of vaccines, with its relatively short history, it seems prudent to allow full disclosure and transparency in all information, full access to all sides of the issues and most importantly, the freedom for individuals to make their own choices about what is injected into their bodies.

Here is a link to a referenced article from Dr. Mercola's Newsletter about the money trail of vaccine proponents and the attack on the National Vaccine Information Center, whose primary focus for decades has been freedom of information and choice.

Just as label-reading is important in the grocery store, regardless of what you choose to buy, so is virtual label reading of everything that is put into our bodies. What is considered life-saving and miraculous one day, may not be the next. Everyone has the right to make their own choices.

The Wonders of Curcumin

Just over a year ago I wrote Eat That Curry! about research being done at the Cork Cancer Research Centre in Cork, Ireland on the cancer-killing effects of curcumin, a component of turmeric, a common Indian spice and member of the ginger family used in curry and other dishes. Bright orange-yellow, the compound is traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine as an anti-inflammatory.

As if killing cancer-cells were not enough, curcumin has a wide range of other beneficial health effects. The most recent issue of AARP's magazine reports that researchers at the University of Arizona in Tucson have found turmeric to inhibit arthritis in rats and a study from Thailand found it worked as well or better than ibuprofen for reducing the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.

The research continues into the beneficial uses of curcumin. Lee Silsby, a compounding pharmacy in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, works with doctors and researchers to develop innovative nutritional products. It offers a number of products for people suffering from autism-spectrum disorders, cancer, Crohn's and other illnesses.  A number of its products are designed to enhance detoxification and improve the function of methylation detoxification pathways.

As part of its specialized selection, Silsby has developed a potentiated form of curcumin called Enhansa. Silsby claims Enhansa is absorbed seven to eight times more than standard curcumin extracts. The list of benefits is quite impressive and includes being anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, improving liver detoxification,  and chelating lead and cadmium. People have had success using it to treat candida problems, arthritis and have found it helps to  diminish some of the symptoms of autism-spectrum disorders. Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt of Seattle, Washington includes Enhansa in his protocol for Lyme disease. If you or your health practitioner decide that Enhansa might be a good medicament to incorporate into your health regime, pay attention to the dosing protocol listed on the Silsby Enhansa Web site.

It is refreshing to see modern medicine explore ancient knowledge and to embrace its possibilities. We can only hope that this trend continues not only for curcumin, but also for the vast reservoir of other natural substances available around the world.

Recipes for the Caffeine Sensitive and Menopause-Afflicted

One of the less fortunate effects of perimenopause (I really dislike that word speaking of cranky) for me is that my usual sensitivity to caffeine has skyrocketed making it absolutely impossible for my body to tolerate even microscopic amounts of caffeine, no matter how beneficial the supposed source (so no green tea, dark chocolate, or "decaf" items). This to me is actually a tragedy, not just an annoyance. During the periods (no pun intended) I want or need caffeine and chocolate the most, I am not able to partake—a cruel twist. So I have come up with my own substitutes. I hope those of you similarly afflicted will find some solace in these recipes.

I need to preface the following by saying that I am not a huge soy-food fan. I do like tofu if it is fresh, especially when it is combined with pesto (just about anything mixed with pesto is delicious in my book), and I like fresh miso, but that is about it. Most other soy products make me gag. So my concoction below was a happy discovery since I seem to benefit from the mild suppression of excess estrogen which soy milk offers.


My Cup o'Joe
1) In a French Press Coffee Maker (about 1 Qt size) put in 3 small scoops (about 3 Tablespoons) of Orzo (see more on Orzo below)*
2) Fill the Press with just-boiled water, place the cover on but do not press, rather let it sit
3) Separately grind cardamon, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg (sometimes ginger, fennel and/or black pepper too as to mood and preference) in a mortar & pestle
4) Mix the spices with 1 cup of soy milk—not just any soy milk, but Vermont Soy Plain soy milk which is prepared from Vermont-grown, organic and GMO-free soy beans. The Unsweetened "flavor" has no sweeteners or flavors and has the highest protein content so also the highest isoflavone content—phytonutrients which some women find helpful with their menopausal symptoms.
(For some more information about soy and menopause see Women to Women)
5) Press the orzo and add about half of it to the soy milk and spice mixture. Pour into a mug and enjoy.

(Save the other half for a cold Orzo-latte or drink plain—it is delicious and reminiscent of black-coffee)



*For more information about Orzo/Caffe Orzo, see Orzo You Say?
Orzo—finding the good stuff in the U.S.: Fortunately for those of us who do not find ourselves in Italy, Two Leaves and a Bud, purveyors of fine teas, imports what I found to be one of the best Orzos in Italy from Alce Nero. You can order it online or find it at local stores. It is available locally in the Upper Valley at the Upper Valley Food Coop, 185 North Main St., White River Jct, VT 05001; Tel: 802-295-5804


I have recently found that I can tolerate very small amounts of raw cocoa nibs and raw cocoa, although even these I must limit. Raw cocoa is not stimulant-free, it contains theobromine, a compound similar to caffeine. Raw cocoa can also contribute to excess estrogen so moderation is extremely recommended if you suffer from caffeine-sensitivity and excess estrogen. I find that if I stick to moderation, for some reason also easier to do with raw rather than regular cocoa, I can be satiated with something relatively healthy when I am having a wild chocolate craving.



Chocolate Truffle Fix
6 whole dates- soaked for 30 to 60 minutes
1 Tablespoon Raw Agave nectar

1 Tablespoon Raw Coconut Oil
1/3 cup raw, dried shredded coconut

1/6 cup raw cocoa powder

1-2 Tablespoons water from the soaked dates

Optional: 1 teaspoon organic peppermint extract (for those that like mint-chocolate (guilty)

Pit the dates and throw all the ingredients into a food processor. Blend until a thick paste.
Place 1/4-1/2 cup of raw cocoa nibs on a plate and roll teaspoonfuls of the paste into balls in the nibs. I recommend making small balls so that you protect yourself from eating more than might be tolerable.

Eat plain, or with sliced bananas, and serve with an orzo Cup o'Joe. Enjoy!

Raw/Live-Food At Home and While Traveling

“It’s alive!” my teenage son jokingly howled as he took a bite of food we were sampling at a restaurant recently. There was no monster from the black lagoon or flies in his soup, but rather a medley of “raw” dishes prepared to gourmet standards at New York City’s One Lucky Duck café near Union Square.

"Raw food" usually conjures a pile of uncooked vegetables—or "rabbit food" as some people like to refer to it—but that evening we were eating tortillas, spicy Thai wraps, lasagna, chocolate ganache and almond-buttercup ice cream. Our meal was varied in its flavors, textures, scents and presentation. Other than the Mediterranean salad and the chunks of avocado in the delicious guacamole that came with our tortillas, nothing we ate could have been remotely described as “rabbit food” (although I have nothing against “rabbit food.”)

While the term "raw" provides a short, quick description of uncooked food, it is not the most accurate term for the burgeoning world of foods prepared below 118ºF. The term "live" is much more apt as it properly describes the important elements of this style of eating, where the enzymes, nutrients and beneficial bacteria of foods are kept vital and accessible when prepared below temperatures that destroy these essential compounds.

Live-food is more than salads and juices. Live-food involves understanding ways to make food more digestible and assimilable. This means knowing how to unlock nutrients and generate healthy fermentation. Nuts, for instance, become much more digestible when raw nuts (those that are not roasted) are soaked for one to four hours. Legumes, such as lentils, are best soaked and slightly sprouted, as are seeds—making them "live" as if for germination.

Many cultures use natural fermentation as a food-storage tool as well as to create healthy foods eaten daily such as traditional sauerkraut or kimchi—a term referring to countless variations of fermented vegetables and spices, considered a traditional, staple dish in Korea. Live-food chefs and devotees have developed a variety of techniques and recipes which successfully transform piles of raw vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds into gourmet meals, both delicious and satisfying.

Skeptics might question the ability of live-foods to satiate, but research has found that live-foods nourish the body more efficiently than their equivalent in cooked food. For example studies have shown that soaking and sprouting can increase the nutrient content of beans, nuts and seeds by 300 to 600 times.

In addition to increased nutrients, live-food meals are usually free of common allergens such as gluten, eggs and cow-dairy. However people with nut allergies might find the diet challenging since many live-food recipes rely on nuts. There are variations on the live-food theme and not all live-food advocates are vegan (animal-product-free). You can find live-food enthusiasts who consume raw fish, raw meat, and cheeses and milk from unpasteurized milk, but many live-foodies stay clear of animal products and so the diet tends to be suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Live or raw food is not a new concept. Cultures all over the world utilize aspects of live-food production and have done so for millennia including the aromatic (some would say stinky) cheeses made from raw milk in France and other countries, Korea’s kimchi, traditional kefir (fermented milk) in Eastern Europe and Middle Eastern countries, Himalayan gundruk (fermented vegetable leaves), countless local, small-batch fermented beverages around the globe from beers to kombucha (fermented tea), and of course the bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables in tropical climates. Some of the basic components of the health-acclaimed Mediterranean diet involve live-food with its emphasis on local, fresh fruits and vegetables, olives and extra virgin olive oil.

In the United States live-food has been promoted for decades by health enthusiasts such as Ann Wigmore and Max Gerson who have advocated eating live-food as a form of cancer prevention and treatment. Other live-food proponents past and present include Weston Price, DDS, Norman Walker, Gabriel Cousens, MD, Victoria Boutenko, Donna Gates, David Wolfe, and numerous brilliant chefs. Naturally detoxifying, some health benefits that have been associated with live-food diets include weight loss, increased energy, reduction of inflammation, and longevity.

Before you start experimenting with live-food cuisine on your own I suggest going to one of the restaurants listed below to see what a live-food meal can be like. You might be surprised at the fresh, clean sensations, the spectrum of flavors and the lack of post-meal gut distention. That said, be forewarned that meals in restaurants specializing in live-food are not cheap. Live-food requires a huge amount of prep time and uses perishable foods including avocados (big in live-food menus). Anyone who has tried to keep a bunch of avocados on hand to ripen knows how challenging and potentially expensive that can be.

If you are experimenting at home be apprised that live-food represents an utterly new way of preparing food that takes a bit of adjustment. It is not simply replacing conventional products with organic, or processed with unprocessed. Your kitchen world shifts to soaking (a large part of raw food prep) and planning ahead (not a bad thing). Equipment needs change from pots and pans to blenders, food processors and a dehydrator—the last being the most foreign to many kitchens and cooks.

You will also have a radically different grocery list. Stocking the pantry will be expensive at first, but once you have the basic foods, you will find it less expensive than meat-based diets or processed foods. The most challenging is keeping fresh greens on hand in the winter. Kale is one of the healthiest and most economical, lasting a fairly long time in the fridge. Easy live-food dishes to begin with are salads, smoothies (made with fresh, raw ingredients only—not mixes), and blender-made soups.

Vitamixers are the gold standard for live-food preparation but are expensive running in the $500 range. If you already own a good blender or food processor those will work. An electric coffee grinder, such as the compact model made by Braun, is good to have on hand for grinding seeds. When looking for a dehydrator—if you get that far—the key is to look for one with adjustable temperature controls and a thermostat since you want to keep items below 118 degrees. Some dehydrators have no controls and dehydrate at temperatures too high for live-food preservation. The Excalibur is the most popular dehydrator among live-food chefs with a price tag around $200. A less expensive option is made by Nesco for around $70.00.

Chefs and restaurants devoted to live-food menus are few and far between, at least outside of California and Hawaii, so travelers trying to adhere to a live-food diet may find it challenging when on the road. Even large cities like New York have less than a handful of restaurants specializing in live-foods. See the resources at the end for some of the raw food restaurants in the United States and the UK.

Entering the realm of live-foods can be exciting and health rewarding, but also frustrating and challenging. While many jump in with both feet this can be overwhelming unless you are fully prepared with the proper basic foods, equipment and determined commitment. For others it is helpful to go easy and gently, building your live-food repertoire, discovering the dishes you love and hate, and listening to your body. This last being the most important—listen to your body, unearth what you hunger for and what truly nourishes you.

Restaurants

Boston area
Prana Café serves all raw, organic, vegan foods. Prana, 292 Centre St., Newton Corner, MA; Tel: 617-527-7726; Web: www.eatatprana.com; open every day from 9 am to 4 pm, open for dinner Sunday to Thursday from 5 pm to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 pm.

The Organic Garden Café has a mostly raw/live-food menu. Organic Garden Cafe, 298 Cabot St, Beverly, MA 01915; Web: www.organicgardencafe.com;open Tuesday to Thursday from  9 am to 7:30 pm, Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 8:30 pm, and Sunday 9 am to 7 pm.

The Revitalize Café serves all raw, vegan dishes using locally grown produce. The café does not use products that contain gluten, soy, refined sugars, honey, grains, mushrooms or animal products. Dishes available to eat in or as take-out. Revitalize Café, Tannery Marketplace, 50 Water St., Newburyport, MA; Tel: 978-462-0639; Web: www.revitalivecafe.com; open 7 days a week, Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 7 pm, Sunday from 12 noon to 5 pm.

Experienced live-foodies will be sad to learn that Alissa Cohen’s Grezzo live-food restaurants in Boston and Newburyport are now closed.

Connecticut
Catch a Healthy Habit serves raw, vegan, organic, gluten-free foods. Catch a Healthy Habit Café, 39 Unquowa Road, Fairfield, CT 06824; Tel: 203-292-8190; Web: www.catchahealthyhabit.com; open Monday and Tuesday from 8 am to 3 pm, Wednesday and Friday from 8 am to 7 pm, Thursday 8 am to 6:30 pm, Saturday 9 am to 7 pm, and Sunday 11 am to 6 pm.

Florida

Help Yourself is an extremely environmentally conscious restaurant serving mostly, but not exclusively, raw foods. They make excellent juices and use local coconuts. On Mondays they host an organic food market. Help Yourself, 829 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040; Tel: 305-296-7766; Web: www.helpyourselffoods.com; open every day from 8 am to 4 pm with an organic market on Mondays from noon to 7 pm.

Los Angeles
Planet Raw is an exclusively live-food restaurant using all organic ingredients with the exception of its Thai coconuts. It prides itself on its sustainability practices including the use of biodegradable packaging, beeswax candles, clay-painted, non-toxic walls, and environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Planet Raw, 609 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA, Tel: 310-587-1552; Web: www.planetraw.com; open 365 days a year, Sunday to Thursday from 9 am to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 12 midnight.

New York City
One Lucky Duck and Pure Food and Wine are partner restaurants sharing a kitchen. Pure Food and Wine is a fancy, expensive restaurant serving lunch and dinner. One Lucky Duck, around the corner from Pure Food and Wine, is the funky sister serving desserts, smoothies, juices, and all lunch menu items from Pure Food and Wine. All dishes at One Lucky Duck are available to eat-in or take-out. Pure Food and Wine, 54 Irving Place (at 17th street, 1 block east of Union Sq.), NYC 10003; Tel: 212-477 1010; Web: www.oneluckyduck.com/purefoodandwine; open for lunch from 12 noon to 4 pm, dinner from 5:30 to 11 pm.
One Lucky Duck, 125 E. 17 St, NYC 10003; Tel: 212-477-7151; Web: www.oneluckyduck.com; open 7 days a week  9 am to 11 pm. Also at Chelsea Market, 425 W. 15 St (or enter on 9th Ave.), NYC; open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 9pm, Saturday 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday 10 am to 7 pm.

Caravan of Dreams serves organic, natural meals and half the menu is live-food. Caravan of Dreams, 405 East 6th St. (at 1st Ave), NYC; Tel: 212-254-1613; Web: www.caravanofdreams.net/#/Restaurant; open Sunday to Friday from 11 am to 11 pm, Saturday open until midnight—lunch and brunch are served until 5 pm.

Rockin’ Raw serves live, organic, vegan food employing a variety of cuisines including Peruvian and Creole. Rockin’ Raw, 178 North 8 Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211; Tel: 718-599-9333; Web: www.rockinraw.com; open Tuesday to Thursday from 12 noon to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday from 12 noon to 11 pm, and Sunday from 12 noon to 10 pm.

Texas
Beets Café serves all raw dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Beets Living Foods Café, 5th Street Commons, 1611 W. 5th St., Suite 165, Austin, TX 78703; Tel: 512-477-2338; Web: www.beetscafe.com; open Monday to Wednesday from 8 am to 8 pm, Thursday and Friday 8 am to 9 pm, and Saturday 10 am to 9 pm.

Vermont

Vermont Fiddleheads Café serves smoothies, juices, sandwiches, desserts, kimchi and other fermented foods, that are all vegan, organic and local when possible, with free WiFi available. Vermont Fiddleheads Cafe, 18 Worcester Village Road, Worcester, VT; Tel: 802-223-2111, Web: www.vt-fiddle.com/rawfood/fiddle_heads_cafe.php; open Open Tuesday to Friday 12 noon to 6 pm, Saturday 12 noon to 4 pm.

London, England

Vantra Restaurant serves mostly, but not exclusively, raw foods. It is 100% vegan and most ingredients are organic. Vantra, 11-13 Soho Street, W1D 3DJ, London, UK (near the Tottenham Court Rd tube/subway station); Tel: (011 44) 20-7287-6060; Web: www.vantra.co.uk; open Monday to Saturday from 12 noon to 11 pm, Sunday from 12 noon to 8 pm.

Vitao Restaurant serves mostly, but not exclusively, raw foods. It is 100% vegan and most ingredients are organic. Vitao, 74 Wardour Street, W1F 0TE, London (near the Leicester Square tube/subway station); Tel: (011 44) 20 7734-8986; Web: www.vitaorganic.co.uk; open Monday to Saturday from 12 noon to 11 pm, Sunday from 12 noon to 9 pm.

The InSpiral Restaurant serves mostly, but not exclusively, raw foods. It is 100% vegan and most ingredients are organic, including 100% organic cocktails at the bar. InSpiral, 250 Camden High Street, NW1 8QS, London (Camden Town tube/subway); Tel: (011 44) 20 7428-5875; Web: www.inspiralled.net; open Monday to Thursday 10 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 2 am, Sunday 10 am to 11:30 pm.


Raw Food Health Centers

Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, Dr. Gabriel Cousens;
Web: http://www.treeoflife.nu/home-index/

Hippocrates Health Institute, founded by Ann Wigmore & Viktoras Kulvinskas;
Web: www.hippocratesinst.org

Raw Resources

Supercharge Me—The Movie, by Jenna Norwood; Web:  www.jennanorwood.com

Ani’s Raw Food Essentials: Recipes and Techniques for Mastering the Art of Live Food, by Ani Phyo (Da Capo Lifelong Books 2010)

The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity, by Donna Gates (Body Ecology 2006), Web: http://bodyecology.com/

Green for Life, by Victoria Boutenko (North Atlantic Books 2010); Also by Victoria Boutenko: 12 Steps to Raw Foods; and The Green Smoothie Revolution

Living Raw Food: Get the Glow with More Recipes from Pure Food and Wine, by Matthew Kenney & Sarma Melngallis (William Morrow 2009)

Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine, by Gabriel Cousens, MD and the Tree of Life Café Chefs (North Atlantic Books 2003)

Raw: The Uncook Book: New Vegetarian Food for Life, by Juliano Brotman and Erika Lenkert (Regan Books, 1999)

Raw Food/Real World: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow, by Matthew Kenney & Sarma Melngallis (William Morrow 2005)

Also by Matthew Kenney, Everyday Raw; Entertaining in the Raw; Everyday Raw Desserts

The Sunfood Diet Success System (North Atlantic Books 2008); Superfoods (North Atlantic Books 2009), both by David Wolfe; Web: Web: www.davidwolfe.com

New Guide Format Online!

The Guide has a new Online look! View at: http://issuu.com/greentravel/docs/althealthguide10-11

Pesticides and ADHD

Yet another reason to seek out organic food and local farm stands....and this from mainstream researchers and press:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/17/pesticides.adhd/index.html?hpt=T2

We are fortunate to have such an abundance of organic and good local foods in Vermont and New Hampshire, as well as the ability for many of us to grow our own!