It freaked me out a little! I'm thinking of having pots of lettuce in each one of my rooms, and plant new seeds every week or so to replace the ones I cut...
Plus my husband likes green juices now (hehe ) so I have to find a way to cut costs on produce anyway. You know what, we should build a real life community with huge gardens! Jinjee and Storm have one now in California, but at $3,000,000 per small house, that's a little out of my league lol.
Brigitte Mars
Brigitte has youtube videos where she teaches about herbs, raw foods etc.
Since 15 y o was interested in natural foods. Dabbled with raw foods but not until 2009 went all raw. It's been 9 years now. (Wait? 2009? I think she meant 1999). Found that nothing else works as well for health, and we should get into it to help our children since it's what all of us want to do. Childhood illnesses are often caused by bad food (gluten, dairy etc.).
How can moms get started? She thinks raw is delicious, so not say “let's go raw”, just make raw stuff naturally. Look at recipe books with lots of raw, native recipes and make raw lasagna, burritos etc. But most likely to get kids inspired is to get kids in the kitchen. Grandkids like sunflower sprouts because they are the ones putting them in salad. Kids can rinse the sprouts, etc. Ask them to go shopping with us, give assignments (pick 3 red foods you like to eat, or purple, or orange foods etc.). Or make them dinners, speak different languages (ask to pass the salt in French etc.), play music that goes along with the mood we are trying to create... Have lots of choices for children to pick from., pay the kids to make dinner themselves to make sure they know how to cook, etc. Always praise their food and say how good it is, how expensive it would have been in restaurants etc. Also, telling kids they can have 3 foods they never have to eat makes them feel empowered. Also, tell them that when they get older, they will likely like the food. So ask them later, and they might like it and feel that they are growing up.
Kids also like dips with veggies, so make dips like nut dips etc. Or have veggies on a stick.
It freaked me out a little! I'm thinking of having pots of lettuce in each one of my rooms, and plant new seeds every week or so to replace the ones I cut...
Plus my husband likes green juices now (hehe ) so I have to find a way to cut costs on produce anyway. You know what, we should build a real life community with huge gardens! Jinjee and Storm have one now in California, but at $3,000,000 per small house, that's a little out of my league lol.
Did you see my new post on wheatgrass?
See:
15. Wheatgrass juice is a superior detoxification agent compared to carrot juice and other fruits and vegetables. Dr. Earp Thomas, an associate of the late Ann Wigmore, says that 15 pounds of wheatgrass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of carrots, lettuce, celery, and so on.
Wanna try growing & juicing wheatgrass with me, possibly Joyce and maybe others here as well? We could make a real "community-experiment" here!
I saw your post on wheatgrass Mosaica! When in the pet store I was tempted to buy their grass - it looked like the same kind as the wheatgrass at the HFS - only healthier! Yes, wheatgrass is also on my future agenda - a bit overwhelmed by this all still.
I just finished reading some articles on growing, Luckitri. It appears even easier then regular sprouting! Plus, it's quite cheap to get started. I think with your wonderful new juicer it would be easy as a pie for you!
As for the doggie seeds, I'm not sure... they most likely are not organic.
Sometimes, as a mom, we do not feel completely confident with raw although we want to go raw. Sometimes, we inherit beliefs from our parents. What can we do to not do the same to our kids?
Brigitte finds community spirit very important, as kids don't want to feel weird. She encourages people to seek out raw potlucks, etc. This also helps, to eat a variety of food when we don't have much time. If you don't want people over at your house, do it outside when the weather is nice. Also, if a child wants cooked, there are healthy alternative ex sweet potato vs potato chips etc. “Children aren't in the way, they are the way”.
As far as a daily regime, if we can't get kids to eat all raw, a raw breakfast is the easiest with fruit smoothies etc. Lunch can include kale chips. If there is a pizza party, can bring gluten free soy cheese pizza so the kid feels included.
What about raw dairy? People should make their own decision. Goat's milk is more similar to human milk, but nut milks are a great alternative. We're still learning with the raw diet, we're still learning and still disagree, etc.
Should kids be vegan, or not? Brigitte says that greens are high in protein, but many do not like them. It's easier to get milk into kids. But on the other hand, milk is a common allergen. She doesn't have much experience with raw dairy. As for B12, supplementing is OK, it doesn't have to be a bad thing, especially with numbing in extremities etc. Taking DHA from algae is OK too. Raw shouldn't be about a belief that makes us compromise a child's safety. Shouldn't be dogma. Shannon's kids had very dry skin, and supplementing with raw goat milk helped a lot more than avocado, flax oil, coconut oil etc. Her other son was thriving on the diet though. Brigitte says some people might be comfortable with wild caught fish, which is better than overdoing raw snacks, if people are OK with it. She's open to what works for people, even though she doesn't do fish or milk at all.
Shannon found that the one cooked food they had when transitioning was cooked grains etc. but found that it wasn't as beneficial as dairy, and even very rarely a little fish as it was lower in sugar than the grains and made them feel better.
Children's ailments: teething, colic, diaper rashes etc... what can we do? Brigitte was an herbalist for a long time, and for fever, she says that it's the body fighting an infection, and as long as it's not 104, it's OK not to do anything. Rather than aspirin though, herbalists like diaphoretic herbs, which are herbs that make us sweat (or peppermint) or berries that cool us, etc. Give them in a tea, or the nursing mom can have the tea. Teething: kids are more likely to have fever etc when teeting. Herbal tinctures are fairly easy to find. They are often alcohol based, but it's very little. Also, formulas for kids are often alcohol free. Ear aches: Shannon uses olive oil warmed up, with a little garlic juice. Warming up: put bottle in warm water. Equinacea is also good as antibiotic alternative. Lion pose: inhale and exhale while putting tongue out is good for removing stagnation in ear and throat. Probiotics: should we take with antibiotics or after? What about home medicine chest? Take probiotics while taking antibiotics but not at the same time as probiotics will be killed off. Shouldn't be afraid of going to the doctor too, as medical attention is sometimes necessary.
Homeopathics/first aid: Arnica, good for bruises, bumps, swellings; Rescue Remedy, good for fear of flying, etc. can be put in drinks etc. Lavender Oil: good for crankiness (5 drops in bath), anxiety etc. or just smell the bottle (read book The Little Me and the Great Me) or put some on pillow. Also herbal salves, which is antibiacterial (echinacea, goldenseal, calendula etc.). Also herbal tea (peppermint, chamomille) for upset stomach. Lemon balm great for kids who can't focus well, ADHD kids etc. when often these children have food allergies.
What does she think of agave? She likes it, but recently saw press about it being not so good. Also, processed at higher temperature than advertised. She is on the fence about it. Recently, she has started using really raw honey. More natural and less processed, and with bee dying, good to support local beekeeper who are organic and do the right thing. Sweetening with dates etc. is a good thing to do too.
Chickenpox and measles: all childhood diseases are things that in Chinese medicine are considered a cleanse. Diaphoretic herbs like said above are good (lemon balm, peppermint etc). Children may not want to eat much. Sweating helps release toxins through the skin. Dangerous to give children aspirin before they had these diseases. Cinnamon is good for loose stools.
How to make jello: look online or in rawsome. Soak agar and boil it, and add juice and fruits to it. Berries are cooling too. Strep throat: ginger compresses on throat, lion pose, salt water gargle and after a week, the daughter said she missed more school, and Brigitte said that “wasn't it nice we spent time together”? There's a lot of loving and nurturing. Baking soda bath (1 lb per bath) is also helpful.
Tummy complaints: often caused by food allergies, also drinking with meals makes people eat faster and dilutes digestive juices. Maybe bad food combining too. Herbal teas: catnip, peppermint, anise, fennel seed etc.
Diaper rash: stop using plastic diapers, disposable diapers, etc. Woolen soakers, leave child undiapers, give baby probiotics, etc. Also, put yogurt on really resistant diaper rash. Counteracts yeast overgrowth.
Her thoughts on sleep? Warm bath before bed. Lay out clothes to wear the next day the night before. Pack lunch the night before. Mornings are very stressful. Use Zen alarm clock etc. Stop eating and drinking several hours before bed. Avoid hyperactive activities. Bed time stories and prayer are great before bed. There are little machine that project stars on the ceiling which is nice.
Melatonin? It's a hormone, so she is a bit weary of it. She wouldn't rely on it every night, but herbal remedies are better and we can use more than stated. Yoga and mediation is good too.
Not eating except during daylight hours? She finds it challenging, with grandchildren, and feeding lots of people etc. She tries to eat as early as possible (6 pm) and then she brushes her teeth to not eat afterwards.
Beauty? Beauty tips: morning she brushes her face, and takes a fruit of choice (not mango – from poison ivy family), and keeps it on the face for 5-10 minutes and then wash. Also, make sure to go outdoors, exercise, yoga etc. She tries doing 10 healthy things a week at least.
Empowerment: Read the Sunfood Diet, go raw, have a day timer to write down what to do every day, etc. Write things down that you have to do instead of learning everything by heart.
Her husband still eats animal protein, but he eats 90% raw, and feels less interested in eating meat products. She doesn't force him, she just makes really good raw food for him. They teach workshops together, they go shopping together etc. His prescription eye glasses were reduced 4 times already. He looks great.
I tried juicing wheatgrass, and it tastes good, but I felt a little ill afterwards I don't get that from green juices. I'm willing to sneak it into juices though!
I can't listen to all 3 today, maybe 1 more but that's it... Anyone wants to summarize another one? Tell me which, I can try and listen to the other one.
Up to now I haven't been able to listen to any of the calls. Today though I got up early and listened to Daniel Vitalis. Is anyone interested in a summary of the Daniel Vitalis call? He's not mainstream raw. He's fascinating and profound and presents some alternatives to the more accepted alternatives in raw (if you know what I mean!)
Let me know if there's interest! I took a lot of notes.
A few years ago I saw a site that explained about a "moldline" I believe it was called. This is a natural thing and the author believed that those that experience nausea from wheatgrass have cut too far down on the stem and juiced some of the moldline. Maybe find it later.
Enjoyed the update. I used to be able to purchase a homeopathic teething remedy really cheap at an independant pharmacy. It worked great and all my friends and neighbors would borrow it. That pharmacy has now closed and I see the product nowhere. It had belladonna in it but of course really just essence of it.
Here is the summary of Daniel's interview. Let me preface it with a disclaimer -- I didn't take as many notes in areas where I am already familiar with the information (such as grass-fed raw dairy and sourcing it humanely, wild fish and why 100% vegan diets are unnatural). I'll put in as much detail as I can though. If anyone else heard Daniel's talk, please feel free to supplement my notes!
Have any of you heard Daniel talk? He is so full of vitality and passion. Deeply alive! He is a joy to listen to! His websites are: www.elixircraft.com and www.surthrivability.com.
Here we go!
He is currently greatly interested in the endocrine system -- he said to keep it simple he is talking about the hormonal system. Interested in gender roles and how they have changed over time and as our food has changed. Not saying all changes are bad, but is curious about who we are and our gender roles when our endocrine systems are healthy and balanced.
Men have become more feminized/sensitive, lost a lot of their masculinity. Men want to be able to relate to women, but opposites attract. Becoming too feminized takes the heat out of the relationships and easily leads to indifferent/bad relationships and marriages. Sensitive men make great friends, but it neutralizes the heat.
(Shannon and Daniel talked about this at length -- Daniel was extremely descriptive regarding negative and positive charges and the heat and attraction they generate. Also, the problems created between the genders when these charges are neutralized. They also briefly discussed these gender role changes as a possible conspiracy and the difficulty in even discussing it because of political correctness. I don't have thorough notes of all these details as I listened and learned but primarily took notes on the practical applications of the information).
Daniel talked about the long history of beer/ale drinking among men. And how the drink used to include herbs and was considered healthy and greatly increased men's sexual vigor. In the 1500s law was created that required all beer to have hops in it -- which changed the nature of it and increased the xenoestrogens men consume. Increased xenoestrogens leading to increased feminization of men, less masculinity and less sexual vigor and potency. He also discussed the common goddess figure (he says created by women) -- short, squat, big belly, large breasts. This he says is the body type men develop now when they drink a lot of beer.
An excess of xenoestrogens are also in soy. He talked about the "soy boys." Men that eat soy foods, do yoga, and are sensitive and are the opposite of the beer drinkers in body type -- thin and pale -- but still overly feminized.
He talked about children raised on soy formula in plastic bottles that are microwaved (xenoestrogens). (I don't have any details on this as it is so far removed from my reality). Soy is similiar to taking birth control pills in the estrogen it provides.
Flax/Chia: Daniel recommended removing flax from the diet. It is a crop that does not have a long history as a food. He said there are often food fads that come up, but that it is better to eat foods that have a long history behind them of being used for food. If you like the ease of use, the fiber, the mucilagenous qualities of flax, he suggests replacing it with chia. He said chia is more stable (doesn't go rancid as fast), has more protein, is better nutritionally and does have a long history of being used as a food.
Hemp: Recommends being wary of hemp. It does not have a long history of being used as a food. Goes rancid easily. When shelled it is a creamy white nut, but when you open a bag of hemp seeds half will be yellow and half a creamy white which means they are going rancid quickly (the yellow). Also, too many xenoestrogens.
Vary foods: We come out of a natural ecosystem. It is natural and healthy to vary foods, to rotate them based on the seasons. If a food is calling to you and sounds good (including hemp), then eat it. But if it doesn't sound good then don't eat it. Recommends eating intuitively. Letting go of intellectual eating (eating based on books and gurus). Shannon pointed out that this works when we are healthy and balanced, but not necessarily if we're not healthy.
Daniel said there are a lot of raw food gurus out there who aren't qualified nutritionally to advise people. That they don't have enough experience on themselves of eating the way they recommend. So eat intuitively. Not by guru.
Wild food: We've bred the medicine (the medicinal part of our plants) out of our diet. Wild foods/herbs are medicinal, bred plants are not. We can't be healthy without medicine. So without the bitter, astringent quality in plants we end up paying doctors/pharmaceutical companies for our medicine. Not suggesting we go out and forage for wild food, as moms are busy, suggests starting with herbs, as they are wild food and still contain their medicine. Great place to start because they can be purchased pre-prepared in teas, capsules, tinctures. Recommends red raspberrry leaf, wild yam (progesterone, not estrogen!) and nettle leaf for women.
Water: (I have less notes here as I've watched Daniel's videos on water): H20 is chemical water and is not found in nature. We want wild water. Flouride (an additive in municipal water) can reduce your child's IQ by 20 points. Pur/Brita water filter not enough to make water drinkable/healthy. You want your water to come from underground -- filtered through the earth. He collects his water from springs. Can check his website: www.elixircraft.com to help find a spring near you. Collecting wild water from springs is fun for kids. Reverse osmosis water is not hydrating.
Processed waters don't hydrate us in the same way processed foods don't nourish us!!!
Use the best water you can find. Remember that cold structures water -- plus a little salt and acid (lemon juice). Recommends www.summitsprings.com for water delivery. Can tap maple or birch trees between winter and spring for water. Trees are living filters. The maple water is much better for us then when they boil it down to concentrate the sugars to make maple syrup.
Talked about water bottles. Water is a solvent, so it leaches chemicals such as BPA out of the plastic. Recommends glass or ceramic or stainless steel. Also, recommend moms be careful of ziploc bags and saran wrap.
Dental Health: Shannon asked about dental health and Daniel said he has seen many raw foodists wreck their teeth. Be wise how you cyclically move food through yourself. Be wary of Natural Hygiene diets (and it goes by many other names), that tell you everything is bad -- salt is bad, vegetables have to be eaten alone, etc. Diets like this will wreck your teeth and compromise your health.
Veganism: Daniel was a vegan for 10 years because he has an extreme personality and strong willpower. It was good for him in some ways but caused health problems in others. Veganism is a cleanse (he repeated this twice for emphasis)! It a chemical/physical cleanse and a cleanse on a spiritual level. Human beings have never been vegan. It was known it wouldn't work and not tried. You will have trouble finding anyone who has been vegan for more than 10-20 years. Cultures looking for more spiritual lives often choose to be vegetarian, but not vegan. Thinks the word vegetarian sounds open, but the word veganism sounds dark.
Veganism is a reaction to factory farming. Industrial meats in supermarkets are from the horrors of the slaughterhouse. People becoming vegan are reacting to that and giving all of it up and that makes sense initially. It is a spiritual cleanse.
But veganism will undermine your health, compromise your immune system, lead to numerous health problems (he outlined some of these but I didn't write them down). He said veganism is especially dangerous for growing children. The diet is deficient in B12. It is a vitamin deficient diet. Don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you that a vitamin deficient diet is our natural diet. It's not.
Animal products: He didn't want to go into all the ways he eats animal products as didn't think this audience would be particularly interested. He suggested local animal husbandry and hunted animals as humane alternatives to factory-farmed animals. If you don't want animals to die for you -- suggested considering dairy. Especially fermented dairy such as true yogurt and kefir, as they are more digestible. His favorite dairy food is colostrum (First food when beginning nursing). Shannon asked why an adult would need a cow's first milk. Daniel said it contains growth factors, phenomenal nutrition, needed bacterial stains to repopulate the instestines and its good for people who weren't breastfed. He goes to a dairy where the cows are grass-fed, you can visit the animals and he can get his products 24-hours a day on the honor system. Shannon told a story about one of her sons not thriving on the raw diet the same as her other son. He was experiencing night pains, itchy skin, pale, lacking stamina -- she tried everything for two years to remedy it. Nothing worked. Contacted various raw food teachers she knows and it was David Wolfe who suggested trying raw dairy. And a small amount of raw dairy remedied his skin problems in two weeks. (And a small amount of wild fish remedied the rest).
Fish: Daniel considers fish good. Wild fish. Farmed fish is not even on the radar. If not eating raw, cook gently.
He says he understands now how the ecosystem works. All lifeforms feed on lifeforms, whether plant or animal. There's a beautiful recycling harmony. It's just about choices. It's wise not to make rules for yourself. Your cravings may drive you in another direction one day. When he was vegan he began to have bad feelings about food and animals, almost a feeling of sin. Now he feels more connected. (I'm married to a hunter so I didn't take notes here -- but he talked about how no one loves deer more than hunters. It sounds counterintuitive, but it's true. My husband and his father and the hunters they know -- they are deeply connected to the land. They love it. They work to conserve it and to care for animals, protecting their wild habitat. My husband grew up in Montana and we now live in Alaska. You may be inclined to be cynical here and say they protect the animals so they can kill them in the long run. It's not true. Hunters (who hunt for food, not trophies) love the land -- it not just scenery and recreation to them -- it is heart and life and connection. I could really feel with Daniel here).
Eggs: Daniel is a fan of eggs. Eggs are one cell, so they contain everything necessary for cell biology. If the egg is not fertilized (if there is no rooster around) you're not taking a lifeform. It is a symbiosis. He considers unfertilized eggs a symbiotic gift from the Creator.
) so I have to find a way to cut costs on produce anyway. You know what, we should build a real life community with huge gardens! Jinjee and Storm have one now in California, but at $3,000,000 per small house, that's a little out of my league lol.
I don't get that from green juices. I'm willing to sneak it into juices though!
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