Be Prepared - A Wholistic Approach
Whole Life Network Release
We
all agree that being prepared for emergencies is a wise thing to do. Many of us are already prepared with our
food and water supplies. But what about
being prepared with ordinary kitchen herbs to keep us healthy, the right kind
of attitude to strengthen our immune systems, or spiritual and fun supplies to
nourish our souls? Being fully prepared
means to be able to take care of the whole person.
On
Saturday, September 16, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, the Whole Life Network and
the Community for Spiritual Awareness are co-sponsoring a Wholistic Emergency
Preparedness Seminar at the Lions Park Community Building focusing not only on
being prepared for physical needs, but also for emotional, mental and spiritual
needs.
Representatives
from different wholistic organizations and businesses will be on hand with free
information. Free handouts will be available to help you and your family be
prepared. There is no charge for this important seminar.
Speakers
will present a variety of wholistic approaches to emergency preparedness
throughout the day beginning at 10:00 am with Rev. Arlyn Macdonald and
Spiritual Emergency Supplies followed at 10:30 am with Anne Calzada, Herbalist.
At 11:00 am, Neil Pratt will give a presentation about food and water supplies.
At 11:30 am, there will be a panel discussion addressing special emergency
needs, including those of children, the disabled and more. Polly Cady will
speak at 1:00 pm about Attitude and Health, and at 1:30 pm, Dr. Richard
Gingery, from the Montrose County Health Department offers good suggestions for
being prepared.
There
is still limited table space available if you wish to participate in this
Seminar with your products or services. There is no charge for the space and
you may distribute free literature and information. Call 252-0908 for more
information or to reserve your space.
Back
to Top
Feng Shui Jaime’s Way
Whole Life Network Release
The
Education Series by your Whole Life Network continues on September 13th
at the Montrose Library Conference Room.
The program, by Jaime Glover on Feng Shui, will begin at 6:00 pm. Feng Shui is the Chinese art of placement
and is estimated to have originated about 3,500 years ago. Jaime Glover is a
certified consultant from the Western School of Feng Shui in San Diego and will
give a condensed lesson in Essential Feng Shui for the home as well as the
workplace. Feng Shui is all about harmony and balance in our environment. This
balance allows us to be more productive, happy and healthy. In this session, Jaime will explain the Yin
and Yang, the Five Elements, the energy of Chi', and the Bagua (Bog-wa) map. To
get the most out of this class, please have paper and pen and be prepared to
draw a 'blueprint' of your home. (or have one drawn up in advance). There will
be several of Jaime's Feng Shui books to browse through and some examples of
Chi enhancers. She will also have some handouts and a list of her favorite
websites to visit for more information and products to buy.
Jaime Glover works for
Montrose County at the Justice Center.
She attended school in San Diego in the summer of 2001 to learn
Essential Feng Shui at the Western School of Feng Shui and works as a Feng Shui
Consultant in her spare time. Jaime lives with her husband Tim and twin sons
John & Joe in Olathe.
Back
to Top
Learn How to Build with Straw Bales!!
Whole Life Network Release
This
fall, Solar Energy International brings practical & innovative solutions to
the table in: Introduction to Straw Bale Construction. Join SEI this September
in Colorado for a two-day and one night immersion on Straw Bale Construction.
This course is designed for those looking for an introduction to the design
considerations and the variety of styles and techniques of the evolving field
of straw bale construction. This class will have a comprehensive theory section
as well as an in depth hands-on experience.
Don’t
miss out on this exciting opportunity. The workshop runs Friday, Sept. 22nd
thru Sept. 24th in Carbondale. Tuition $275. Contact SEI, www.solarenergy.org,
970-963-8855.
Back
to Top
Sickness is a crime
by
Charley Cropley
Sickness
is a crime. Don't be a criminal." These words, emblazoned the cover of the
first issue of the nation's most popular health magazine of the early 1900s,
were written and published by one of my heroes, Bernarr McFadden.
In
boyhood, Bernarr was condemned by the medical profession to certain death from
tuberculosis, the cancer of his time. Courageously refusing the doctors'
conviction that he was helpless, Bernarr resolved to do what his own
"uneducated" common sense dictated. He breathed fresh air 24 hours a
day to heal his lung infection, nourished his body with wholesome foods,
purified his system by judicious fasting, replenished his energy with deep rest
and, above all, invested every ounce of strength in thoughtful, vigorous
exercise.
Bernarr
not only healed his "incurable" disease, he developed himself into an
embodiment of strength and radiant vitality. He became a champion wrestler,
renowned teacher, prolific writer, a wealthy, influential publisher and
businessman. He was a fearless champion of health who freed thousands from
their sufferings in large part by destroying the belief that we are the
powerless victims of so-called diseases.
This
sick belief continues to dominate both our common and scientific thinking and
therefore our actions. Listen to our language. "I have a cold, headache,
diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, ADHD, colitis, migraines, cancer, diabetes,
arthritis, etc." We are convinced that our poor health is due to the
existence of these so-called "illnesses," which are some kind of
nonphysical entities that arbitrarily attack us for reasons nobody can
intelligently explain. Do these diseases live somewhere outside us like an
animal that sneaks up and attacks us? Has anyone ever found any of the
illnesses named above existing on their own separate from a human being? Or do
we only recognize illnesses by the symptoms and signs that are revealed within
human beings? If illness is inseparable from and occurs only in the presence of
human beings, perhaps we ought to give at least as much attention to the power
of human beings as to the power of disease.
McFadden's
headlines honor the timeless truth that our individual actions make all the
difference. Just as in art, athletics and academics, the necessity of
individual study and practice is unquestioned. We do not seek to produce
beauty, strength and intelligence by pills and surgery, but by education. Why
with regard to health do we hold our personal actions to hold any less power?
Most people have no idea that self-healing is a skill they could learn just as
they could learn to draw, dance or speak a language. Almost no one understands
that the skills of living, i.e. eating, moving, thinking and relating, are also
the skills that heal us. Oh, sure, we acknowledge that good food, exercise and
rest and minimizing stress are important. But when faced with almost any pain
or illness, we invest virtually all our attention in medicine. Our faith in the
power of our own actions is minimal, practically none.
Health
is arguably our most valuable possession. What greater crime could be committed
against you or your loved ones than to destroy your health? This is close to
the very definition of injury, is it not? To be bedridden with fever, chronic
fatigue or back pain keeps you from working and deprives your family of income
as surely as any thief. Severe pain is equally agonizing, whether caused by
illness or violence inflicted by a thug. The death of a loved one prematurely and
unnecessarily is the same loss whether due to murder or cancer. Depression,
anxiety, ADHD and Alzheimer's block the expression of our intelligence as
surely as does the censorship or coercion of fascism. Men willingly risk life
and limb to protect their women's beauty and dignity but stand powerless as
they are ravaged by obesity, acne and PMS.
Whether
you believe it or not, every "illness" mentioned in this article, as
well as almost any you can name, is largely caused and sustained by your own
actions. This does not deny the role of heredity, poisoning, trauma and a few
types of infection. To do what makes us sick and thereby deprive our families
and communities of our energy, intelligence and talents is a crime. Allowing
ourselves to become a burden rather than a vital asset is a crime, albeit a
legal one. Nature's law is higher than our legal system. Her justice is
perfect. She "punishes" every violation and rewards every obedience.
The health of every individual and society is founded in its conformity to
inviolable universal laws.
If
every act that destroys health is a crime, then every act that nourishes and
protects health is noble and worthy of honor. Those among us who daily act to
defend and increase their own precious health and vitality and instruct and
inspire others to do likewise deserve at least the same appreciation and
respect we give to the wealthy, intelligent, artistic or athletic.
While
some persons might be understandably offended by McFadden's term
"criminal," it is clear that his attack was not on the sick
themselves but on the sick actions and beliefs that cause disease and
suffering. I'd love to see Boulder develop a program of both prevention and
treatment of illness by teaching, inspiring and supporting our people in the
philosophy and practices of living in harmony with universal law. Our poster
could be Bernarr McFadden's original art and words: Sickness is a crime. Don't
be a criminal.
Respond:
letters@boulderweekly.com
Dr.
Charley Cropley, N.D. is a practicing Naturopathic Physician, teacher and
author now living in Paonia. He has
trained hundreds of doctors, taught at medical colleges and universities,
produced DVDs, books and many courses in nutrition and self-healing. He uses no
medicines. He teaches people to Heal all types of Health problems through the
power of wholesome nutrition, strengthening exercise, positive thinking and
honest, caring relationships. For
Personal Appts, DVDs, books or courses call 970-527-7008 or charleycropley@tds.net.
Back
to Top
Remembering Aztlán
a Column of Poetry, Culture &
Spirit by Art Goodtimes
MSG
A POISON? … John Erb, a research
assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, spent years working
for the government. Now he’s written a book, The Slow Poisoning of America.
He found out that in hundreds of government studies around the world,
scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes
experiments. No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so the scientists had
to create them, by injecting them with Monosodium Glutamate when they are first
born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, and voilá
obesity. They even have a title for the fat rodents they create:
"MSG-Treated Rats" … Check your cupboards. Open the fridge. MSG’s in
everything! Campbell's soups, Hostess Doritos, Lays flavored potato chips, Top
Ramen, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen
prepared meals, Kraft salad dressings (especially the 'healthy low fat' ones).
Items that don't have MSG marked on the product label have something called
''Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein'', which is just another name for MSG. As is
“Accent”, “Aginomoto”, “Natural Meat Tenderizer”, and more … So what
restaurants make MSG a feature of their menu? Try Burger King, McDonalds, Wendy's,
Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, even sit down ones like TGIF, Chilis',
Applebees, Denny’s … So why is MSG in so may of the foods we eat? Is it a
preservative or a vitamin? Neither, according to John Erb. He says MSG is added
to food for its addictive effect on the human body. Even some food manufacturer
websites agree, citing the food additive’s ability to make people eat more … A
study of the elderly showed conclusively that people eat more of foods when MSG
is an additive. The Glutamate Association lobby group says eating more benefits
the elderly, but what does it do to the rest of us? … Since its introduction
into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and
larger doses to the pre-packaged meals soups, snacks and fast foods of the
American diet. The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to
food. They claim it's safe to eat in any amount. How can they claim it’s safe
when there are hundreds of scientific studies with titles like this – “The
monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for the study of exercise in
obesity”, Gobatto CA, Mello MA, Souza CT, Ribeiro IA.Res Commun Mol Pathol
Pharmacol. 2002 … Or this – “Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced
hypothalamic serotonin release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese
rats”, Guimaraes RB, Telles MM, Coelho VB, Mori C, Nascimento CM, Ribeiro Brain
Res Bull. 2002 Aug … Or this – “Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium
glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: an animal model of
multiple risk factors”, Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N,
Yoshinari Fujishima Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar … Or this – “Hypothalamic lesion
induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling period and subsequent
development of obesity”, Tanaka K, Shimada M, Nakao K Kusunoki Exp Neurol. 1978
Oct. … Yes, that last study was not a typo, it was written in 1978. Both the
medical research community and food manufacturers have known about MSG's side
effects for decades … Erb’s book cites links between MSG and migraines, Autism,
even Alzheimer’s … Want to lose weight? Start checking for MSG in your diet.
GLOBAL
WARNING … American cars and pickup
trucks are responsible for nearly half of the greenhouse gases emitted by
automobiles globally, even though the nation's vehicles make up just 30 % of
the nearly 700 million cars in use, according to a new report by Environmental
Defense … Cars in the U.S. are driven more miles, face lower fuel economy
standards and use fuel with more carbon than many of those driven in other
countries, the authors found. www.truthout.org/issues 06/062806ED.shtml
COLORADO
DAY … August 1st
came and went without much notice. But it was once a state holiday. The day
citizens in this state celebrated our Centennial entrance into the Union –
achieving statehood after a couple decades of failed attempts. Colorado got
bumped in favor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s national holiday, since the
legislature wouldn’t add a new holiday for state workers, but was worried about
public opinion and possible boycotts if they didn’t celebrate it. And that
wasn’t the only connection between Colorado statehood and civil rights for
African-Americans. My buddy Ed Quillen over in Salida, who writes for the Denver
Post, recalled some of the earlier history in a recent column … In 1864,
Lincoln was under pressure, and he needed Nebraska, Colorado or Nevada
territory to become a state, in order to guarantee enough Republican electors
to keep the presidency. But Colorado’s state constitution went before the
voters, and failed 4,672-1,520. One reason was the federal military draft
applied in states, but not territories, and many of our pioneers were not eager
to send their sons off to join the North-South conflict. Writes Quillen,
“Colorado tried again in 1865, just after the Territorial Legislature amended
the voting laws to disenfranchise African-Americans. On March 13, 1866, the
U.S. Senate rejected Colorado statehood, partly on that account. Denver
entrepreneur William Hardin, son of a free black woman and a white father, had
circulated a petition against the racist Colorado constitution, and presented
it to Congress. Another lobbyist against statehood was Barney Ford, an escaped
slave who had become a Denver hotel and restaurant operator after his mining
claim near Breckenridge was jumped.” … There ought to be statues to Hardin and
Ford somewhere in Colorado. But, of course, there aren’t … Quillen goes on,
“[T]he Senate reconsidered statehood a month later and passed it, as did the
House on May 3, 1866. President Andrew Johnson vetoed it, partly because of
Hardin and Ford's efforts. Colorado amended its laws to allow black suffrage in
1867 and tried again. Johnson vetoed it, this time because he didn't trust John
Evans and Jerome Chaffee, who would have become U.S. senators in time to
support his impeachment and removal from office.” … After all those
shenanigans, Colorado drew up a constitution that outlawed racial
discrimination in 1875, and a year later Ullysses S. Grant made Colorado the
38th state in the Union. … Another writer friend and fellow county
commissioner, Forrest Whitman of Gilpin County, noted in his column,
Rollinsville Caboose, that “[o]ur state constitution and the laws enacted in
1876 are interesting for a couple of reasons. First, because they were passed
as written in both English and Spanish, (some in German also). It wasn't until
the early 1900s that English versions of the Colorado Constitution eclipsed the
bi-lingual versions.” … The second focus was on water. Probably the most
important resource in a state with vast stretches of semi-arid watersheds. As
Whitman explains, “The new Colorado Territory in 1861 adopted these ideas
[about water] from the mining districts and farmer's co-operative organizations
almost as written. The Gregory Mining District was especially quoted.
‘Beneficial use’ and ‘sufficiency’ were key. Also as a practical matter ‘first
in time, first in right’ began to play a larger role in distributing the water.
This ‘Colorado Doctrine’, as it came to be called, was widely influential and
was frankly designed to prevent control of water by capitalists and to keep
access open to the local users. Water companies hated it because it gave power
to farmers, ranchers and miners to resist the efforts of water monopolies to
take river basins and charge the going rate for their commodity. Today's
worshipers of ‘free market capitalism’ would have hated living in Colorado in
1859.” … The first territorial constitutional convention met in Denver on Aug.
1, 1859, forming the Territory of Jefferson, which was never recognized by the
Federal government (a competing group of folks elected a legislator to the
Kansas territorial statehouse representing Arapahoe County – which is how the
Colorado section of Kansas Territory was legally known). Although technically
illegal, the new Jefferson territory drew up a constitution, elected governor
and representatives to a legislature, and denied the vote to Native and
African-Americans (not all of history is pretty or something to look back on
with pride) … But the renegade government was soon dissolved when Congress
formed the Territory of Colorado in February of 1861.
THE
TALKING GOURD
Married to War
There’s something I need to tell you
I’m
getting married to War
It will be wonderful
Our wedding will be publicized internationally
The media loves to talk about my fiancé
With
his broad shoulders, manly weapons
And his ability to change the world
The
entire planet will be at our wedding
Pro war on the right side of the aisle
The
more peaceful bunch on the left
I want to get him in bed with me
So
I can tell him how I really feel
Nag him for his devilish ways
Maybe
even
Try to change him
Women love to try and change their men
My
mother always told me
Never marry a man who you plan on changing
They
are stuck in permanency
Ornery and scared of self reflection
But War will hear me
He’s got to
© 2006 Art Goodtimes
Back
to Top
Rock Soup - Hollow Leg
by
Dea Jacobson
It
was one of those days...you start out with a list of things to do and, well,
you know what happens. I suppose Rev. Overton would call it “Divine Guidance”.
Or it could be going with the flow, or just plain being impulsive. Whatever it
was, I found myself heading out the door and up to the Mesa today, to enjoy one
of those idyllic, Summer Sunday afternoons. Clouds had started building
overhead and thunder rumbled distantly, so I grabbed raingear and headed out
for a walk on the Crag Crest trail. At least, that’s what I thought I was
heading out to do. I figured I’d get back to that list after I had gotten the
wanderlust out of my system. Right.
I
had already had a couple of super “pot hunting” days recently, and had a stash
of ‘shrooms waiting to be dealt with. So, as I headed out, I didn’t even take a
bag with me. Or a knife. Just taking a walk. That’s all. Or so I thought. I
know what you’re thinking. Oh, here comes another mushroom story. But this has
been a most remarkable year for fungi, berries, and all those wild things we
see in the woods. Everything from amazing clusters of acorns hoards of deer,
especially big bucks and babies, scads of hummingbirds, and marmots everywhere
you look. We even had three weasels living in our woodpile for awhile, feeding
on the surplus rodents we were supporting in our own backyard. All this
abundance is impossible to not marvel over.
Anyway,
back to the walk. I started up from the west trail head, wondering just how far
I’d get. I decided to stay on the lower loop and stay under the few patches of
blue sky and splotches of sunshine remaining, as spreading gray clouds hung
heavy higher up. The lower train wound through lush undergrowth dominated by
wild currant and raspberry bushes heavy with ripe fruit. Moist and cool like
the Oregon woods, the forest was dappled with just enough sunlight to keep me
moving forward. I just happened to be thinking about a friend who told me of
all the chanterelles he’d found near Telluride when, lo and behold, there were
several clusters of that very prized, buttery-yellow mushroom right off the
trail’s edge. In desperation, I searched my pack for something to carry them
in. With a grim determination, I pulled
out my rain pants and filled the pockets with my favorite fungi. Carrying the
pants with their stuffed pockets was a little awkward, but it was worth the
hassle. Determined to find more, I slowed down. Soon, I had one of the pant legs knotted at the bottom, and had
proceeded to fill it with Hydnum imbricatum, a large, brown mushroom,
called “tiles” by some, after the overlapping scales on its top that look like
little roof shingles. While some gatherers think they look weird, it is a
delicious mushroom, and it dries easily.
As
I wandered off the trail under the trees, king boletus were popping out
everywhere. So I filled the other “hollow leg” until both legs could hold no
more. A few stray puffballs wound up in a rear cargo pocket. Gathering up the
whole affair, I turned around, respecting the thunder and marveling at my good
fortune. Slogging along, I thoroughly enjoying the strange stares from hikers
wondering what I had in the amorphous bundle I was lugging back toward the
parking lot.
Returning
home, the list totally forgotten by now, I cleaned, sliced and laid most of the “tiles” in the solar food dryer
in the greenhouse, along with a few of the fresher boletus, also cut into ¼
inch slices. In the background, classical music from Telluride’s KOTO public
radio soothed my soul. Doesn’t get any better...
Now,
for the cooking part!! After cleaning the rest of the older boletus, I sautéed
them with onion, fresh parsley and garlic, then added a quart of homemade
chicken broth to the pan. After cooking the broth down halfway, I decided to
freeze the whole thing to use as a base for mushroom gravy, maybe for
Thanksgiving.
Dinner
was one of those classic summer meals needing no recipe. It was composed of
fresh garden tomatoes, mushrooms (what else?), squash, peppers and basil
sautéed in extra virgin olive with garlic and sweet onion, all bought at the
Cedaredge farmer’s market. I served this over artichoke raviolis... and ate
like a queen, divinely guided and royally fed. And, may you be, too!
Dea
Jacobson, RYT, RScP, is a registered yoga instructor and therapist and a
licensed Religious Science Practitioner, practicing and teaching Mesa and Delta
Counties. She can be reached at www.blueheronyoga.com
or at Box 95, Cedaredge, Co 81413.
Back
to Top
The Ancient Lore on Stones
by
Susan Palmer
Topaz
Topaz
comes in so many colors it is assigned to almost all the astrological
signs. Today we limit it to Saturn,
Mercury, and Uranus due to its electrical nature. When rubbed with silk or a polyester, it will build an
electrostatic charge. It is not
affected by acids and can be found clear, yellow, brown, rose, blue, and duel-colored. Pink is the most valuable. Brazilian topaz is often yellow and heat
treated to a rose color. Yellow topaz
from Siberia turns a dark wine color when heated. Both these will change to a muddy white color in a few months if
left in sunlight. Yellow topaz,
however, is believed to calm the wearer and ease fears. All topaz were known to
encourage a sweet disposition and build physical strength in women. Blue topaz enhanced communication and
truthfulness. White topaz brought abundance.
Yellow stimulated creativity and was used to cure eye problems.
In
general, topaz was prized for driving away sadness, strengthening intellect,
and bestowing courage. It was used to
cure asthma, insomnia, burns, and to stop bleeding. It was used to calm the
passions and encourage fruitfulness, and cheerfulness, but this aspect waned
with the moon. Nervous exhaustion was often treated with topaz.
Today
topaz is worn on the left side of the body or over the heart, set in gold to
keep the chakras positive and the spinal fluids healthy. It improves the health also of the spleen,
sacrum, and solar plexus. Aruveda
recommends topaz for relieving fear, increased physical strength, and
sharpening the intellect. It is
assigned to fire, ether, and air, worn on the right hand index finger. Topaz should be cleaned in water, alcohol,
sand, or loam every five wearings if it is being used to cure problems. Do not use sunlight as a cleanser for pink
stones due to modern color enhancements.
The stone will not need frequent cleaning if you are wearing it to
receive its gifts.
Susan
Palmer is a new resident of Montrose, most recently from Oregon. Previously she
has lived in Colorado Springs and on Maui. She is the author of several volumes
of poetry and a research text The Gemstone Healing Amulet, Making One That
Works For You. She offers private and public sessions for groking stones.
240-3605.
Back
to Top
Peaceful Contributions for the Soul
by
Kathy Gates
It
is trust in life that teaches true survival and real endurance. Meditation can
help to release negative emotions such as anger, shame, frustration, and
fear. It is also expressed by feeling
the life energy in your body whenever anything moves you or makes you feel
good: your favorite color, a beautiful song or music, a simple flower or a
tree, a picture given to you by family or friend, a awesome view from a mountain
top. We can all experience deep
emotional connection with the Creator and all of creation.
Becoming
one with all life opens a sacred pathway leading us to beauty and love for all
life everywhere. Becoming one with the good in every moment of being. The tree
is a great teacher of love energy. It
is a gift from Spirit to embrace and love a tree.
Find
a tree, then gently wrap your arms around it, give it a big hug. Continue to
hug the tree, feel the life energy of the tree, feel the life energy in yourself,
and the combination of the trees energy and yours as one. Stay with the tree
for awhile, be aware of what you feel in your body, place your attention on
your feet, and gradually notice your energy moving up your legs and through
your body and upper body then out through the top of your head.
Now
let it flow back down, through your arms and hands, the branches of your own
being. Stay with this energy, feel it,
be it. When you are finished, sit down
with the tree, ask the tree for any wisdom it would like to share with
you. Then listen; see what thoughts,
symbols or signs come to you as you do this. If you have with you a bottle of
water or some food, offer it to the tree, by placing it in the branches or
pouring the water at the base of the trees trunk. Notice the feelings the tree leaves with you. Thank the tree and its healing
properties. Then spend a little time
focusing on the experience you just had with the tree, write about it in your
journal.
This
is just one of several ways to find trust in life, and to learn about survival
and endurance. To be at peace and know
that life is always here for you to embrace.
Blessings
to all, love Kathy
Beginning
Saturday Sept 2nd-11 am-2pm The wheel of life teachings- continue through Oct
28 each Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm. Visit our web site at
www.womensspiritretreats.com or email wsretreat@aol.com for registration
information. Also coming November 4th 5th and 6th a 3 day Unity & Harmony
Retreat, information and registration on web site as well. contact
970-856-7665.
Back
to Top
Cultured and Fermented Foods for Health
©
Anne Calzada Herbalist
Cultured
or fermented foods have been around since before mankind had refrigeration and
continue to enhance the health of many lives today. You may have heard of them
without even realizing that they are "cultured" and good for your
body. Foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt, pickles, buttermilk, bread, cheese,
beer, wine and vinegar are an example here. Foods that are cultured or
fermented have a higher medicinal and nutritional value and keep in mind that
pasteurization can destroy some of the healthy flora and enzymes that we need
in our body.
The
process of fermentation or cultured is an interaction of beneficial flora and
the food product. Each food essentially has its own route of fermentation and
methods. The interaction is an exchange of alcohols, sugars, yeast, molds and
bacteria. The end result is loaded with tangy flavor and nutritional benefits!
Foods
have always fermented naturally, but mankind definitely has taken the reins to
create some great foods and beverages such as the ones mentioned above. Certain
foods fermented in certain regions such as Asia producing miso, tempeh and soy
sauce or Europe producing sauerkraut, kefir and cheese, are now interchangeable
sources for our products and we can buy them anywhere and you can even make
some of these products at home!
The
reason that cultured foods are healthy for you is because they help to
reestablish the body's ecosystem. They contain probiotics such as
lactobacillus, and enzymes that assist the body in digestion and elimination.
They are easier to digest because of the conversion that has already occurred
in the fermentation process. Enzymes and beneficial bacteria promote digestion,
a healthy immune system and therefore encourage longevity. Imbalances such as
vaginal yeast infections, urinary tract infections, allergies, asthma,
constipation and diarrhea respond well probiotics.
Probiotics
are particularly important when you are sick because antibiotics kill off
non-beneficial and helpful bacteria in the body when taken. Cultured foods
supply the flora that helps to restore and colonize the body. This is why some
physicians or pharmacists may recommend eating yogurt or buying an acidophilus
supplement when they refer to antibiotics. Health food stores offer yogurt or
kefir starter kits. If you are adventurous you can try this recipe for making
yogurt without a starter kit. I learned this recipe for making homemade yogurt
from the great herbalist Susun Weed.
Homemade Yogurt
1
gallon of organic milk your choice
1
cup of plain organic yogurt with active cultures
Heat
milk over a low flame in a glass pot. Stir frequently. When milk feels just a
little warm (105ºF), remove from heat. Put yogurt into a glass bowl or quart
measuring cup. Add a cup of warmed milk. Stir well. Pour this mix into a
one-gallon glass jar. Add all the rest of the warmed milk, stir well with a
wooden spoon, cap, and set to rest in a warm place (100-110ºF) for 8-24 hours.
The longer it sits, the easier it will be to digest. Keeps refrigerated for
four to six weeks. Enjoy!
Anne
Calzada is a Certified Herbalist and founder of Healing Heart Herbs. For
consultations please call 626 5663 or email her at annecalzada@aol.com.
Back
to Top
Feng Shui Tip of the Month
by Jaime
The
front door of your home or office is often referred to as "the mouth of
chi". A goodto ward off negativity from the outside world from entering
your home is to place a wooden ba-gua mirror over the door facing. This pushes
out negative chi & protects the house.
Back
to Top
The Politics of Ignorance and Intimidation
by Dr. Jerry Overton
Recently
I wrote a letter to the editor of the Daily Press (my first) in which I
lamented the decimation of the tress along the river south of town to make room
for another big box store. I was careful not to come across as anti-growth
(which I’m not, for I’m keenly aware that Montrose made room for me 10 years
ago as I’m willing to do for others, and besides, and I’m sure I’ll like having
a Penny’s in town again), but rather as encouraging of smart growth that takes
into account the natural beauty of what we all love about Montrose. Some days
later I attended a luncheon meeting and sat next to a realtor friend of mine
who quickly informed me that she didn’t know if she could sit with me because
of my anti-growth stance in my letter. When I asked her if she had actually
read the letter, she said she hadn’t.
That
started me to thinking about how it is that so many of us as otherwise
intelligent people can allow ourselves to be uninformed, hear only what we want
to hear, make decisions and have strong opinions founded on fear-based
assumptions, and then become so misguided that we totally disregard the
consequences. Let me explain.
To
take just one easy example, let’s look at the war in Iraq. Because of our
willingness to be uninformed about the actual presence and threat of WMD’s in
Iraq and hear only what we wanted to hear (that our President would keep us
safe from terrorists), we yielded to our President and his fear-based assumptions,
and allowed him to start a war that most of us were against. With no thought to
the far-ranging consequences (even Bush’s father told him not to do it!), not
mention the direct vested interests of those who make obscene profits from
taking us to war, we became so misguided that we allowed him to send thousands
of young men and women to their deaths and tens of thousand more to devastating
maimings, and in the process stir up more terrorists than can be counted, and
all but destroy a whole country. With no thought of the effects at home, we’ve
allowed our politicians to spend nearly a trillion (that’s a thousand billion!
$1,000,000,000,000) dollars on a war that we now are sure we can’t win. And
now, we’re experiencing some of those consequences, like increased gas prices,
major cuts in many domestic programs, the loss of many more benefits (like
health care) that could have been funded with that same money, and a national
debt that our great grand children will still be paying off. And now it’s to the
point that we’re so afraid of terrorists (the very thing we thought we were
being protected against) that we can’t take tooth paste on board an airplane
with us!
It’s
all insane, and yet, who could we blame but ourselves, because of our
willingness to remain uninformed, hear only what we want to hear, rely on
assumptions based on fear, be misguided, and then suffer the consequences. And
then if that’s not enough, we’ve allowed ourselves to be intimidated by those
who took us to war to the point that we’re afraid to speak up for the truth for
fear of looking anti-American, unpatriotic, and even against and unsupportive
of the very same young men and women who we’ve allowed to die in order to let a
hand-full of people in this political regime become very, very rich.
And,
after my encounter at lunch the other day, it strikes me that that seems to be
how politics works these days, whether it be national or local. It goes
something like this: rely on the people’s willingness to be uninformed, feed
them only what they want to hear, expect them to rely on fear-based assumptions
that can be easily manipulated, and then if and when they might want to start
thinking for themselves, intimidate them with the fear of being un-American (or
anti whatever is at issue).
That
same political process can be seen with the issue of growth in Montrose. There
are those who are willing to assume that any growth is good growth (especially
if it puts money in their pockets). If we buy into that assumption, and remain
uninformed as to what effects it can have on the very things that make Montrose
so desirable, than we can be easily misguided by the manipulations of those who
have vested interests in development regardless of the effects. And then, if
and when we do want to start thinking for ourselves, we may fall victim to the
intimidation of being accused of being against growth. And yet, unless we do
stand firm and take responsibility (which often can be quite a challenge,
especially if we’re going up against those we consider our friends), then we
may well find ourselves living in a place that we no longer recognize or
desire.
That
whole political process of ignorance and intimidation, whether it be used
locally or nationally, is simply not helpful, except, of course, to the few who
would use it for their own vested interests—and then, of course, it’s very
helpful!
Copyright 2006
Dr. Jerry Overton
Jerry
is a practitioner of the Emotional Freedom Technique, a tool for healing all
sorts pain and suffering. He can be reached at 970-252-9311.
Back
to Top
