Internal Body Cleansing: It's all in the details:) Part IV

What else can you do to enhance your cleanse?

Drink detoxifying herbal teas.  Green tea, black tea and white tea are not herbal they all contain some or alot of caffeine. Go to a natural food store and ask for some assistance. The people in there usually are so helpful. If you encounter someone who's a Grumpy-Gus or doesn't seem knowledgeable- try some one else! Detoxifying Tea is best when it's strong. Use 2 tea bags and drink it every day at least once. These are NOT laxative teas (although I do recommend those too) but I just want to be clear. Detox herbal teas will not make you go poo more. They prompt the blood, organs, lymph, skin etc to detoxify very gently. They are often mineral rich and very nutritious as well;) If your taking vitamins- you can continue to take them (unless you are fasting) but we'll get into that later.  Here's a really popular Detox Tea we used to sell at Whole Foods.

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Internal Body Cleansing: Foods that Must be Avoided during a Detox; Part III

Most of the foods below are acid forming.  This is only part of why they made the naughty list but it's very important to become aware of the difference between acid forming foods and alkalizing foods.  Here's the short version of the explanation: The body requires pH balance to function.  The blood for example is ALWAYS between 7.35 and 7.45; side effects of varying outside of that pH window are death.  Since the body creates acid naturally (all the cells of the body do); our bodies (in their infinite genius ness) also have procedures to eliminate the acid.  For example, breathing.  Just the simple act of exhaling eliminates acid.  The body also requires minerals to buffer the acids and get rid of them safely.  If you didn't, every time you urinated you would be burning out the lining in your urethra with acid urine- ouch!  The body buffers the acids with minerals to safely eliminate the wastes we create and control the pH of the body 24 hours a day. These minerals MUST come from foods. If your body doesn't get them from foods, it pulls minerals from places like bones (which is bad).  Mineral rich foods like fruits and vegetables are the answer.  For a complete list of Alkaline and Acid Foods; click here.

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Internal Body Cleansing Part II: The Scoop on Dairy & When NOT to Cleanse.

Let me give you just a little background on dairy so you can fully understand why this is a no-no for cleansing purposes.

Dairy: First and foremost Dairy is acid forming food in the body. There is much to learn on the topic of pH balance but to keep it simple all the bodies organs (accept the stomach) work BEST in a slightly alkaline environment. Also Dairy, yummy as it may be, is mucous forming in the body. So that cold you can't kick or the phlegm in your throat you just cant seem to shake can sometimes be dairy related.

But then you say, "What about my Calcium?"

What's interesting about that (and what the milk industry doesn't want you to know) is that when milk is pasteurized, precious HEALTHY bacteria and enzymes needed for calciums absorption are completely destroyed. Milk IS a good source of Calcium; Unfortunately the milk we have access to commercially (whether it's organic or conventional) contains calcium that is NOT accessible by our body because it lacks the enzymes necessary for us to process it.

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Internal Body Cleansing; Live longer, Feel Better, Look Amazing!

"First Cleanse: Cleansing for Beginners" Part I

Hey there Hippies! I just want to say THANK YOU, for giving me the opportunity to help you begin a cleanse. And if your not there yet, that's OK! Below is a description for what I call "First Cleanse: Cleansing for Beginners".  It's going to break down what to eat during a cleanse & what not to eat and why.  Most importantly I explain how to ease into the cleanse to mitigate the PAIN that detoxification can sometimes bring.  Take it slow! Keep it simple. Buy a juicer!

First I want you to ask yourself;
What do I intend to accomplish with this cleanse?

• Weight loss?
• Better Health?
• Mental Clarity?
• Renewed Energy levels
• Cleansing of environmental toxins?
• All of the Above?

Cleansing and fasting are different paths you can take to accomplish similar goals to renew your body, heal sick or diseased tissue or just get more pep in your step.  

When you eliminate foods that convolute the body's functions, you give it a chance not only to work efficiently, but allow the body to heal itself,  repairing damage done over a lifetime. With this comes some difficult days and some amazing days. No matter what though- your body WILL thank you for it. 

 

So how do you start?

There are so many ways to cleanse. You don't have to fast! Although I have fasted many times and have always loved the results. Everyone is different! Below I will describe Part I of "First Cleanse for Beginners" with more to follow:)

If you have any questions, just shoot me a message on Facebook.com/modernhippielife or email me at desiree@modernhippie.org

The easiest way to transition into a cleanse is to PREPARE!
For 1 week (or two if you want to go slower) prior to beginning any cleansing program you must systematically remove the following foods from your diet.

• Dairy
• Alcohol
• Refined Sugar (table sugar)
• Bread and most grains
• Meat
• Caffeine or Tea ( herbal teas are acceptable)

I know you must be thinking, What am I going to eat?
First of all, don't quit these things cold turkey (pun intended). Each day remove one food category from your diet. Start with the easiest for you. Maybe you hardly drink, or almost never indulge in sugar; Start with those.

Each day that you remove something from your diet, shift your meals to include more and more vegetables and fruits- Especially the veggies! Try to eat vegetables with every meal. If your already eating alot of fruits and vegetables try to eat as many RAW vegetables as possible. Raw fruits and veggies are completely uncooked. The following are wonderful examples of vegetables and fruits to eat raw;
 

• Spinach
• Romaine lettuce or ANY type of lettuce except iceburg
• Kale
• Tomato
• Carrot
• Cucumber
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Onion 
• Garlic
• Apples
• Pears
• Grapes
• Oranges
• Sprouts

This should get you started. If you want some ideas for homemade raw dressings; I can help you out there too.
 

Just to reiterate, in that first week you are removing the above Six Food Categories;
dairy, alcohol, sugar, wheat and most grains, meat and caffeine.

In Part II of this blog post I'll tell you WHY you should systematically remove these ingredients from your diet for a cleanse.  I'll put that out tomorrow to get you rolling for the weekend!  :)

Happy Cleansing!

The Erin Brochovich of GMO's: What's Changed In Food

If you live in a L.A. or on the cornfields of Iowa, if you wear a suit and heels to work or throw your jeans and head to the factory; you still eat food grown in the United States.  We all do.  You and your children likely eat corn, soy, dairy and meat all in any given day.  Our diet as Americans hasn't changed much since farming went industrialized nearly 50 years ago now, so why in the last 15 years have we seen the explosion of food allergies?  It's not just a hunch, it's a fact:

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10 Minute Organic Pesto

What a gluttonous meal this was!! I was inspired at the Lansing City Market when I saw their beautiful Organic Basil. 

Basil is naturally carminative which means that it is going to support digestion.  The Garlic is a natural anti-biotic and Rosemary has too many benefits to mention but mainly it's supportive of digestion.   This is a powerhouse of fresh, local, organic and healthful ingredients.   Using gluten free noodles yields a totally GF meal that kicks butt!

As you can see from the photo, this is some serious Pasta but the Basil is out in force right now so GO GET SOME! Let me know if you have questions, comments, if you make this dish feel free to give me feedback:)

I made this two nights ago and I've been chomping at the bit to post about it.  This Pesto Dish costs under $10 and is some serious gourmet stuff.  So put your water on to boil and get started! Here is what you need:

• 4 large handfuls of fresh Organic Basil: Right now you can get it at the Lansing City Market (grown locally and organically for $2 a bag.)  Ask for Pam, she will hook you up!  
• 3 cloves of Fresh Garlic: (I also bought these at Lansing City Market, organic, local, knock-your-socks-off good).
• A whole bunch of Organic Olive Oil:  Ok, Since I never measure ANYTHING, it's hard to say, probably at least a quarter cup.  Start with that and add more liberally.  The pesto should be a very wet, oily texture.  I used the 365 brand to be specific.
• Start with 1 tsp's of sea salt.  I use a grinder, so it could be more than that.  Once blended, if it tastes bland, add salt.  I use Himalayan Pink Salt.
• Parmesan Cheese Shredded: At least 3 tbsp's, I kept adding until it tasted absolutely decadent.  Then we topped our plates with it so ~ don't be shy.  I use the Organic Valley Parmesan Cheese- on sale baby!
• The secret ingredient is Rosemary:  I dried Rosemary from the garden last year and I just had enough to last until the next crop (ready later this month).  How I did it was I actually took a mortar and pestle and ground the rosemary to dust and added it to the blended pesto.  It was an after thought but I really like the flavor it gave. You can just use regular old rosemary spice.
• All of this goes into a blender or food processor.  Blend till you can't bend no mo' !
• Once it's done set it aside and cover it with plastic wrap.  If you expose the pesto to air it starts to change color and basically that means it's loosing flavor and freshness.  Stick the plastic right on to the pesto in a bowl. 
• Make your noodles.  If you start boiling your water before you make the pesto, you'll save time. Any kind of pasta will do!  I did the Eden Organic Noodle flavored with Garlic and Parsley but you can use Quinoa Pasta, or just regular old spaghetti noodles!  Whatever floats your boat!  We used the entire box.
• When the noodles are done add the pesto to the noodles, stir and DONE!  Add more oil if it seems dry. 
• We heated "Stone Fired Brand" Garlic Naan (flat bread) for a little extra Carb-factor.

I garnished with some early yellow tomatoes my neighbor so graciously donated - THANKS LINDA! We also added additional parmesan cheese.  Pesto should be oily, and salty garlic basil flavor should explode!  If your not tasting it, add more salt, garlic or rosemary to taste.  This amount of Pesto and Noodles fed my husband and I until we were stuffed like Thanksgiving Turkeys.  If we would have eaten salad and steamed vegetables, this could easily feed 4.

Happy Summer!

A Modern Hippie sheds Light on Natural Sunscreens

I spent a couple of hours in the sun yesterday and although I skillfully avoided burning my face, arms and legs, I have a nice strip of burned skin on the unprotected small of my back exposed while pulling weeds. Bummer. Since summer is officially here, let the sunscreen shopping begin!

First lets touch on SPF or Sun Protection Factor: What does it mean?  What does it tell you about your bottle of sun screen?

Here's how it works:

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Modern Hippie's First Public Gig!

The eye is the most complex external structure of the human anatomy. It has a reflex connection to every organ and tissue of the body by way of the nervous system. Through the optical nerves attached to the eyes, visual information is sent to the brain. At the same time, there is information sent back to the eyes from the brain about the state of the organs and tissues in your body.

Using markings in the eye one can predict hereditary or self inflicted weakness existing in the body. It's a fascinating field and this class will cover just the basics. We will examine the eye of one of the participants and I will be taking signups for free Iridology sessions with me for the first 10 people to sign up. We will also discuss how proper diet, herbs, dietary supplements and lifestyle changes can effect the eyes and the body for the better.

If you're interested in learning how the study of the Iris (Iridology) can predict illness; come check out my next class!

June 28th 2011 at the Hannah Community Center in East Lansing Mi.  

6:15pm sharp in the Recital Room upstairs!

Sign up at www.facebook.com/modernhippielife

Hope to see you there!

The FDA's New Nutrition Guide: Sad but True.

The shovel (I'm assuming) is for your own grave if you follow this nutrition guide,The FDA came out with their new MyPlate a couple of weeks ago and I know I made a little stink about it on my Modern Hippie facebook fanpage...  

...My mini rant was hardly noteworthy but when I saw this cartoon yesterday at NPR.org, I felt compelled to give a bit more explanation as to why the MyPlate guidelines don't cut the mustard.

They over simplify healthy eating.  While that is good on one hand, on another hand it makes it look as if eating healthy is and should be easy, which it's not.  

It takes vigilance to maintain optimum health.  Vigilance in your choices, the time it takes to prepare and the percentage of your income that must be dedicated to the cause.  It's pay now or pay later. 

Here's were it gets really annoying; MyPlate breaks it down into what looks like 30% vegetables, 30% Grains, 20% Protein & 20% Fruit with a side of Dairy.  It sounds terrifically balanced, doesn't it?  

Too bad those foods don't break down very well together in your stomach. There are separate enzymes that the body produces to break down each one of those foods.  Eating them all together is like throwing your body 5 curveballs at once.  The stomach is not going to hit all of them.   

"What's the problem with that?" you might be asking. Can you say gas, bloating, intestinal upset, diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhea and colon cancer?  This type of eating should be reserved for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanakkah, 4th of July and maybe your Birthday.  The FDA is telling you to eat like this everyday though- and it just isn't right!

They DON'T tell you to eat your veggies raw (75% of your veg and fruit intake should be). It fails to show that people get protein from vegetables and grains (adding significantly over the course of the day to protein intake). Which is a HUGE contributer to Cancer and other diseases.  

Yes, I was so bold as to say:  Too much protein in your diet will cause you to eventually develop disease, shorten life expectancy and decrease quality of life. Period. 

The human body doesn't need more than 25 grams of protein a day from any source.  Anyone that tells you different doesn't know what protein does in the body or is trying to sell you a hot dog.

The US government will never tell us NOT to eat as much meat, or to avoid eating dairy.  There is too much money to be made in the Meat and Dairy industries, not to mention Health Care, (A.K.A. Sick Care). The FDA caters to these lucrative industries, which in turn keeps us sick.

Health isn't lucrative.

I'll give you an example with Cancer.  Cancer is a scourge, I can name 2 people that I know right now that are dying from it.  I bet each of you reading this can name two people that have it as well.  There are companies that make equipment to care for cancer patients, companies that make chemotherapy drugs and even non-profits that generate millions of dollars all in the name of the war on Cancer.  But are we really winning the war?  It's not in the interest of the American Cancer Society to find a cure for Cancer, just as it's not in the government's interest for us to eat more vegetables.

It may seem cynical, but for this Modern Hippie the writing is on the wall.  I see the negligence of doctors, the conflicts of interests of our government agencies and the total disregard for the land, the sea, the air and our bodies.  What can we do?? What can I do?

Educate.

It's up to you reading this to educate others in ways to be healthy naturally.  It's up to me to keep digging, blogging and ranting about diet, herbs, local food, the dangers of pharmaceutical and environmental toxins. We're on our own to seek the truth and educate those on what we find no matter how unsavory it might be. Keep searching, question everything and above all go with your gut! (remember, your gut likes vegetables).

My letter to the FDA

So I wrote a letter to the FDA today; sounds fanatical doesn't it?  I feel like more and more we all have to have a little activist in us to be the change we want to see in the world; so here it is for all to see...

"I'm writing today to request respectfully that you don't allow the Corn Refiners Association to change the name "High Fructose Corn Syrup" to "Corn Sugar".  The Corn Refiners Association says that they want to change it to eliminate confusion but I think this will do quite the contrary.  

A name change at this point will no doubt create more confusion for the average consumer.

Also I want to address the idea of moderation.  Corn Refiners Association has always maintained that corn is natural and therefore the byproduct HFCS is therefore natural.  If you look at the multitude of steps taken in the process of refining corn to make HFCS, there is nothing natural about it.  This stuff isn't food!  It's fit for my gas tank!  Yet it's in breads, cereals, crackers, baked goods EVERYWHERE YOU GO.  At a "normal grocery store" its unavoidable.  There is simply no way to consume HFCS in moderation.  

CRA should not be allowed to try to leave HFCS's bad image behind with a quick and easy name change.  

It's irresponsible for you to allow them to do this as the protectors of OUR health.  Not the health of big business.

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