oh the govt...

Check out this article that shows how there really are two sides to what the government does. It is about a government funded organization that basically helps fast food restaurants with advertising and funding, keeping them afoot, while adding more cheese to the menu. The government says to limit our consumption of fast foods and other foods, yet are also funding them....seems a little off to me and I think most would agree.

Lunch Meats.

So I do not consume meat, but it doesn't mean I want every person in the world to completely stop eating meat. If you want to understand the plethora of reasons why people don't consume eat, then I would highly recommend the book Skinny Bitch or Skinny Bastard for the guys out there. It really goes over moral/ ethical reasons, the environmental impact, as well as the impact on your health. Not only that but it exposes companies for what they are doing to help you understand why it is important to know where your meat is coming from if you decide to consume it so that you may do so with a clear conscience.

If you are going to eat meat do it consciously and with care for yourself, the environment, and the animals. My brother used to always ask me about lunch meat and finding a kind that was okay, but I advise against lunch meat. Here is one of the reasons...

'Sodium Nitrite is a preservative that is usually present in salami, pepperoni, ham, bacon, hot dogs and other forms of processed meats. The reason why Sodium Nitrite is added to meats is because it preserves the red/pinkish color of the meat and gives it a fresh appearance, and also prevents botulism to some extent.

However when ingested in large amounts, sodium nitrite reacts with the stomach acids to produce nitrosamines, the main cause for cancer amongst animals.

Sodium nitrite consumption is also known to trigger migraine pains, and COPD form of lung diseases. Non-red meats such as chicken, tuna are comparatively safer as they do not have nitrates in them'

via www.bewellbuzz.com

I would also recommend this article if you do eat meat and are unsure of the best kind to buy or what goes into the labeling/making of your meat.

Excitotoxins.

I love my grandma dearly and have always loved her foods, but she now uses splenda in literally every vegetable she cooks. It used to be sugar, which I would rather not have, but it would be better than splenda. I easily pick out the taste in foods and know how it makes me feel so I don't eat it.

I wanted to delve into the dangers of splenda and other excitotoxins and what exactly it does, so I am using an article that I found that explains it well.

'Excitotoxins are basically amino acids that also function as neurotransmitters in the brain. But when brain cells are exposed to this chemical in large amounts (through dietary consumption), they become over-excited. During this stage, the nerve and brain cells fire their impulses rapidly until they reach extreme exhaustion, a near-death state.

Commonly found in canned soups, diet soda, sausages, salad dressing and processed vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods. Excitotoxins are used as a flavoring agent in most such foods, but an over-dose of it can destroy the nerve cells. Since the protective enzymes in a baby’s brain are not fully developed, they are unable to detoxify the Excitotoxins that enter its brain. This is why pregnant women and young children should completely avoid foods containing even small amount of Excitotoxins.

The two most common forms of Excitotoxins are – Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) and Aspartate. Glutamate is a prevalent additive and is used in a many food products. MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates, causing rats (and humans) to become obese. It can also cause brain damage in your children, and that this chemical could effect how your children’s nervous systems formed during development so that in later years they may have learning or emotional difficulties. It’s crazy that 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. MSG manufacturers and the processed food industries are always on a quest to disguise the MSG added to food. Below is a partial list of the most common names for disguised MSG. Remember also that the powerful excitotoxins, aspartate and L-cystine, are frequently added to foods and according to FDA rules require NO LABELING AT ALL.

Food Additives that ALWAYS contain MSG

Monosodium Glutamate

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Hydrolyzed Protein

Hydrolyzed Plant Protein

Plant Protein Extract

Sodium Caseinate

Calcium Caseinate

Yeast Extract

Textured Protein (Including TVP)

Autolyzed Yeast

Hydrolyzed Oat Flour

Corn Oil

Aspartate is another excitotoxin that is widely used as an artificial sweetener in soft drinks, cereals, ice creams and so on. Aspartame (pre-cursor to aspartate) is known to cause various neuropsychiatric disorders such as panic attacks, mood swings, dizziness, blackouts and visual hallucinations.'

via www.bewellbuzz.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

In light of the holiday season I made some raw sweet potato chips with a holiday twist. My brother really wanted some dehydrated sweet potato chips, so this is what he got...

Ingredients:

Spiraled sweet potatoes

Honey

Ceylon Cinnamon

Vanilla Bean Powder

Himalayan Sea Salt

Nutmeg

Rising Costs

"People say there's a recession on. Well, I've done some sums to see if you can afford to still be on this planet, and I figured out the true cost of living: It costs nothing to offer a smile upon a stranger. It costs nothing to feel love for someone even if they're feeling hate for you. It costs nothing to help someone who can't at that moment help themselves. It costs nothing to hug. Hugs can't even be outlawed, though it's been tried. So if you spend your days doing the above, you'll see that you are rich and abundant beyond your wildest dreams. Lucky you." -Shazzie

Christmas Trees +CO2

We are getting our tree today and I am so thrilled to have its aroma filling our house. Picking out the tree is one of my favorite things to do and I insist on doing it each year.

When I think of a Christmas tree I love to think of them in the mountains surrounded by thousands of other Christmas trees and covered in snow. They are just so beautiful naturally even without all of the glitz and glam we cover them with, though I must say the decorated tree has always been one of my favorite parts about Christmas.

One way to be "green" with your Christmas tree this year is to try to find one that still has the root intact. It makes me sad to think of all the trees that are being cut down just to give a shelter for our presents. Trees not only absorb CO2 that is dangerous in excess in our atmosphere, but one tree also gives off enough oxygen to support 2 people per year. We need trees to survive and also to help counteract our carbon emissions. So try to find a tree with its root so that you can re-plant it in your yard after adorning it with all of your beautiful ornaments and stringing it with lights.

You changed my life.

I saw your mom tonight and she came up to me and asked if I knew who she was, and of course I did, you guys look so much alike. When I said yes, Morgan's mom, I almost started crying just saying your name. I sent a letter to her telling her how much you changed my life and just what a great person you had always been. Almost 4 years later and she still wanted to thank me for that.

You really changed my life and made me a much better person. Losing you and learning about life, how short it is, and how precious each moment can be, made me a better person. It was one of those moments that I know shaped me and would stay with me for the rest of my life. I was full of fears that held me back from opportunity and I still have fear but I don't let it control me.

I still see your smile and feel your gracious and loving energy. I want people to see me the way that I saw you, the way that you lit up a room with your smile and heart and made people smile and feel good just to be around you. I see you as somewhat of a martyr because the loss of such a beautiful soul woke a lot of people up and made people take a deeper look at their lives. I know you would want us all to be full of joy and not tears, but sometimes I can't help it when I think of how you really aren't here.