Robin’s Nest May 20, 2011

A friend sent me a video of a Robin and her nest of babies. I had it for weeks but finally watched it today. I happen to be doing a worm/parasite cleanse today and I thought it was funny that the baby Robins were so eager to eat these gigantic worms! One person’s nightmare is another birds paradise!

 

After I watched the video I went out for a run. Low and behold, I was running on a trail and I almost stepped on a baby Robin! I walked up to it and it opened its mouth so wide I thought it was going to eat me! Then I remembered what the babies looked like when they are feeding from the video I had watched. How cute, this baby thought I was its mommy bringing it some food! I know my name is Robin, but I couldn’t see how the baby could mistake me for its mom! I looked around for a nest that it had fallen from and a couple of steps away I heard its mom chirping away looking for her kids that had probably taken nose dives from their nest. I went back and picked up the baby Robin and placed it under the tree where mom was. It did a couple of rolly polly flappy attempts. Hopefully they figured out what to do as I wasn’t sure what else I could do.

 

Isn’t it amazing that I have never picked up a healthy wild bird before (except for Freedom the Eagle, but she’s only half-wild) and it happened only hours after watching a video about Robins? Life never ceases to amaze me. From doing all of the countless energy readings, I have learned that everything that happens around us is symbolic. Every little thing, you have no idea! I was just thinking yesterday that Robin represents my female side and Eagle represents my more masculine side. Coming in contact today with a healthy young Robin who was trying to find its way is a good sign to me. It was so great to have been able to pick up this wild bird! What a great experience. It was precious!

 

Here is the link to the Robin’s nest video in case you want to watch it. Who knows, you may run into a Robin too! The law of attraction really makes me realize how important it is to spend time doing things that may seem fun and frivolous! Like watching a video about Robins! Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9479342&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

Most Important Movie To Watch In A Lifetime May 31, 2010

I believe that the movie called, “FOODMATTERS, You Are What You Eat” is the most valuable movie that you could ever watch! It features: Davide Wolfe, Andrew Saul, Charlotte Gerson, Dr. Dan Rogers and many more extraordinary people. I hope that you will download/buy this movie and watch it with all of your friends.  Get ready to hear an empowering and uplifting truth! Go to www.foodmatters.tv

Why agave is unhealthy to use May 26, 2010

I am disappointed to see how much agave  many raw foodists are using as a sugar substitute. They go from one unhealthy diet to the next, thinking that it’s okay to use because it comes from a plant. I hate to break the news, but where do you think white sugar comes from? It’s a plant too. Agave syrup does have a low-glycemic index, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. And it does NOT mean that it is good for diabetics. Who are you trying to kid? Agave syrup has the highest fructose content of ANY commercial sweetener — ranging from 70 to 97 percent, depending on the brand, which is FAR HIGHER than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which averages 55 percent. This makes agave actually WORSE than HFCS. While I believe that eating raw food is extremely healthy, I wish to inform people about the usage of sweeteners such as agave and the epidemic of  “sugar” addiction. This a HUGE problem in our world. It will makes people unstable emotionally, physically and spiritually. Below is an article about agave written by Dr. Mercola. It’s long but I hope that you will read it and pass it to all of your friends. And please, when you crave sugar, just eat fruit, pure and simple. Don’t blend it or mush it or process it or cook it; just eat fruit and forget about all of the other junk. Is that so difficult? If it is, then you have a sugar addiction. And when you want a sweetener when you are cooking, JUST USE FRUIT. Whether we divide our souls or divide a plant and only use part of it in extreme, we take ourselves out of the natural balance and wholeness of life. Source/God gave us perfect fruit, all ready to go as is. It is sweet and delicious. We don’t need anything else for sweetness besides fruit and love. Stay simple in life and you will find it’s the best way to go. Thank you for listening…and read on! 

Shocking! This ‘Tequila’ Sweetener is Far Worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup  

Posted by Dr. Mercola | March 30 2010 | 212,469 views  

 

Many people interested in staying healthy have switched to agave as a safer “natural” sweetener. They want to avoid well documented dangerous sweeteners like HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) but are unaware that agave is actually WORSE than HFCS. 

So just what is agave? 

Blue agave is an exotic plant growing in the rich volcanic soil of Mexico under a hot tropical sun, boasting a stately flower stem that blooms only once in its lifetime. “Agave” literally means “noble.” It’s generally recognized as a superstar of the herbal remedy world, claiming to offer relief for indigestion, bowel irregularity, and skin wounds. 

Ferment it, and you have Mexico’s favorite adult beverage — tequila. 

Just the name “agave” conjures up images of romantic tropical excursions and mysterious shamanic medicine. 

These are the mental images agave “nectar” sellers want you to hold. They use agave’s royal pedigree to cover the truth that what they’re selling you is a bottle of high-fructose syrup, so highly processed and refined that it bears NO resemblance to the plant of its namesake. 

What is the “Real” Truth about Agave? 

If you knew the truth about what’s really in it, you’d be dumping it down the drain — and that would certainly be bad for sales. 

Agave “nectar” or agave “syrup” is nothing more than a laboratory-generated super-condensed fructose syrup, devoid of virtually all nutrient value, offering you metabolic misfortune. 

Unfortunately, masterful marketing has resulted in the astronomical popularity of agave syrup among people who believe they are doing their health a favor by avoiding refined sugars like high fructose corn syrup, and dangerous artificial sweeteners. 

And if you’re diabetic, you’ve been especially targeted and told this is simply the best, that it’s “diabetic friendly,” has a “low glycemic index” and doesn’t spike your blood sugar. 

While agave syrup does have a low-glycemic index, so does antifreeze — that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Agave syrup has the highest fructose content of any commercial sweetener — ranging from 70 to 97 percent, depending on the brand, which is FAR HIGHER than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which averages 55 percent. 

This makes agave actually WORSE than HFCS. 

It is important to understand that fructose does not increase insulin levels, which is not necessarily good as what it does do is radically increase insulin resistance, which is FAR more dangerous. You see, it’s okay for your insulin levels to rise, that is normal. You just don’t want these insulin levels to remain elevated, which is what insulin resistance causes. 

That is why fasting insulin is such a powerful test, as it is a very powerful reflection of your insulin resistance. 

In addition to insulin resistance, your risk of liver damage increases, along with triglycerides and a whole host of other health problems, as discussed in this CBC News video about the newly discovered dangers of high fructose corn syrup. The study discussed in this news report is about HFCS, however, it’s well worth remembering that agave contains MORE fructose than HFCS, and in all likelihood, it’s the FRUCTOSE that is causing these severe liver problems. 

How Agave is Grown and Produced Proves it is Unnatural 

Agaves grow primarily in Mexico, but you can also find them in the southern and western United States, as well as in South America. Agaves are not cacti, but succulents of the yucca family, more closely related to amaryllis and other lilies. Edible parts of the agave are the flowers, leaves, stalks and the sap. 

A mature agave is 7 to 12 feet in diameter with leaves that are 5 to 8 feet tall — an impressive plant in stature, to be sure. There are over 100 species of agave, in a wide variety of sizes and colors. 

Although the industry wants you to believe that agave nectar runs straight from the plant and into your jar, nothing could not be farther from the truth. 

In spite of manufacturer’s claims, agave “nectar” is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of its pineapple-like root bulb. The root is comprised mainly of starch, similar to corn, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of fructose molecules. 

The process by which agave starch and inulin are converted into “nectar” is VERY similar to the process by which cornstarch is converted into HFCS1. 

The agave starch is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers, and filtration chemicals[ii]. Here is a partial list of the chemicals involved: 

• Activated charcoal
• Cationic and ionic resins
• Sulfuric and/or hydrofluoric acid
• Dicalite
• Clarimex
• Inulin enzymes
• Fructozyme

How natural does this sound? The result is highly refined fructose syrup, along with some remaining inulin. 

Agave syrup comes in two colors: clear or light, and amber. What’s the difference? 

Due to poor quality control in Mexican processing plants, some of the syrup gets burnt. Hence, the darker amber color. Of course, this poor quality control is marketed as an “artisan” variation, like amber beer, when in fact it contains higher levels of toxic impurities that arise from the sugar-heating process. 

Impurities aside, agave “nectar” is neither safe nor natural with laboratory-generated fructose levels of more than 80 percent! 

It is worth mentioning that some websites mention that a natural raw agave product does exist in Mexico, made from the actual sap of the agave, but availability is limited because it is so expensive to produce. By far, the vast majority of agave syrups offered commercially are not this unprocessed raw agave from the sap. 

Sales are Sweet for Agave Companies and Bad for You and Your Family 

Growing consumer resistance to HFCS has been a hole-in-one for the agave industry. Need a healthy alternative to those evil HFS products? 

Agave syrup to the rescue! 

In case you doubt the influence of marketing in setting trends and consumer buying habits, look at these statistics:[iii] 

• New agave products more than tripled in number between 2003 and 2007, from 56 to 176. Agave syrup is now appearing in products such as energy bars, cereals and organic ice creams.
• Revenues for the category “other liquid sweeteners,” which includes agave, rose to more than $10.3 million in 2007, which was a 50 percent jump from 2006.
• McCormick & Co., a major food manufacturer, placed agave syrup in its “top 10 flavors” list for 2009.
• Two of Mexico’s largest agave syrup manufacturers, Iidea and Nekutli, are sending increasingly large shipments of agave syrup to Germany, Japan and New Zealand due to growing global popularity.

Agave is also quickly crossing over from the health food market to mainstream grocery chains, restaurants and taverns, and consumers (especially vegans and raw food enthusiasts) are replacing their honey and maple syrup with bottles of agave after being duped into believing it’s a more healthful alternative. 

The Myth of Agave as a “Healthy” Sugar Substitute 

It’s important for you and your family’s health to remember that agave syrup is neither healthy nor natural. 

As reported by Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and an associate faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health: 

“Agave is almost all fructose, a highly processed sugar with great marketing.” 

Agave syrup is not low calorie — it has about 16 calories per teaspoon, the same as sucrose (table sugar). The glycemic index is immaterial, once you understand the full extent of the risk this product poses to your health. 

The consumption of high amounts of sugar is what is inflating America’s waistline, as well as escalating rates of diabetes, blood pressure and heart disease. 

Although overall sugar consumption is definitely something to be concerned about, even more problematic is one type of sugar that wreaks extraordinary havoc on your body: FRUCTOSE. 

And if you want fructose, agave products next to pure fructose, have the highest percentage of fructose of any sweeteners on the market, over 50 percent more fructose than high fructose corn syrup. 

Why You Need to Understand Why Fructose is so Important 

All sugars are not created equal, in spite of what you might have been told. 

Glucose is the form of energy your cells were actually designed to run on. Every cell in your body, every bacterium — and in fact, nearly every living thing on the Earth — uses glucose for energy. 

But as a country, regular cane sugar, or sucrose (50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose), is no longer the sugar of choice. It’s now fructose. 

This happened in the 1970s as a result of technology that made HFCS far less expensive to produce. Believe me, it was NOT done for its health benefits. This was purely an economic decision. 

Let me clear up any confusion here, as fructose is the primary sugar in most fruits. It isn’t that fructose is intrinsically evil — it is just the MASSIVE DOSES you and your family are exposed to that makes it dangerous. Because it is so cheap and makes foods taste so much better, it is added to virtually every processed food. 

There are two overall reasons fructose is so damaging: 

1. Your body metabolizes fructose in a much different way than glucose. Fructose is broken down in your liver just like alcohol and produces many of the side effects of chronic alcohol use, right down to the “beer belly”
2. People are consuming fructose in quantities that are 400-800 percent higher than they were 100 years ago due to its pervasive presence in just about all processed foods

Fructose Turns to Fat and Makes You Fat! 

Unlike fructose which is nearly exclusively broken down in your liver and is directly converted to dangerous fats. This is one of the reasons why fructose is the leading cause of obesity. However, only 20 percent of glucose is metabolized in your liver. This is related to the fact that nearly every cell in your body can directly use glucose as a fuel source, so it’s normally “burned up” immediately after consumption. 

It is also important to understand that the fructose in fruits and vegetables is not the same fructose molecule you’ll find in synthetic high-fructose corn syrup, which is manufactured in the lab. Naturally occurring fructose comes along with fiber, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, whereas fructose sweeteners have no nutritional value at all. 

Additionally it is actually attached to other sugars and molecules and needs to be broken down before it is absorbed which limits the damage it causes. In HFCS it is a free fructose molecule, just as the glucose. Because these sugars are in their free forms their absorption is radically increased and you actually absorb far more of them had they been in their natural joined state which would cause a higher percentage of the fructose to pass to the intestine unabsorbed. 

But the menace of fructose doesn’t stop there. 

1. Fructose also elevates your uric acid levels, which is actually more dangerous than elevated cholesterol levels as it causes chronic, low-level inflammation, which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis and premature aging.
2. Fructose also “tricks” your body into gaining weight by fooling your metabolism — it actually severely impairs your body’s normal appetite-control systems.
3. Excessive fructose rapidly leads to weight gain and abdominal obesity (“beer belly”), decreased HDL, increased LDL, elevated triglycerides, elevated blood sugar, and high blood pressure — i.e., classic metabolic syndrome.
4. Fructose metabolism is very similar to alcohol metabolism, which has a multitude of toxic effects, including NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). Metabolically it’s very similar to drinking alcohol without the buzz.

Remember to RADICALLY Reduce Your Fructose 

These biological changes are not seen when humans or animals eat starch (or glucose), suggesting that fructose is a “bad carbohydrate” when consumed in excess of 25 grams per day. 

However, it is important to remember that because fructose is so cheap it is added to nearly all processed foods. So even if you are seeking to eliminate it from your diet you will EASILY exceed 25 grams per day because it is “hidden” in so many foods. This is made worse by the deceptive and lax labeling laws which frequently allow gigantic loopholes for agribusiness to include it in the product and not identify it. 

Making matters worse, your body easily becomes sensitized to fructose. 

Fructose activates its own pathways in your body—those metabolic pathways become “upregulated.” In other words, the more fructose you eat, the more effective your body is in absorbing it; and the more you absorb, the more damage you’ll do. 

You become “sensitized” to fructosr as time goes by, and more sensitive to its toxic effects as well. 

Let me be clear that it isn’t fructose that is the problem — but excessive fructose. And especially the concentrated amounts of fructose that your body was NEVER designed to process, such as what’s in HFCS and agave syrup. 

Agave nectar is EVEN WORSE than HFCS because it’s even higher in fructose than HFCS (80 percent and higher), making it an even worse metabolic menace. 

Other Reasons You Should Steer Clear of Agave 

1. Poor Quality Control. There are very few quality controls in place to monitor the production of agave syrup. Nearly all agave sold in the U.S. comes from Mexico. Industry insiders are concerned that agave producers are using lesser, even toxic, agave plants due to a shortage of blue agave.
2. Pesticides. There are also concerns that some distributors are cutting agave syrup with corn syrup — how often and to what extent is anyone’s guess. In addition, the FDA has refused shipments of agave syrup due to excessive pesticide residues.
3. Saponins. Agave is known to contain large amounts of saponins. Saponins are toxic steroid derivatives, capable of disrupting red blood cells and producing diarrhea and vomiting. There is also a possible link between saponins and miscarriage by stimulating blood flow to the uterus, so if you’re pregnant, you should definitely avoid agave products.
4. Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Some agave syrups contain a contaminant called hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF, also called 5-hydroxymethyl furfural), an organic heat-formed compound that arises in the processing of fructose — in both agave syrup and HFCS. HMF has potential toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects[iv]. HMF is EXTREMELY toxic to honey bees, which is a problem since commercial beekeepers feed HFCS to the bees to stimulate honey production when field-gathered nectar sources are scarce[v].
5. Nutrient Void. Agave syrup is not a whole food – it is fractionated and processed, devoid of the nutrients contained in the original, whole plant.
6. Enzymes. Agave syrup is not a live food. The natural enzymes are removed to prevent agave syrup from fermenting and turning into tequila in your food pantry or cabinet.
7. Addictiveness. Agave is, for all intents and purposes, highly concentrated sugar. Sugar and sweeteners wreak havoc on your health and are highly addictive.

What are Acceptable Alternatives to Agave? 

If you are craving something sweet, your best bet is to reach for an apple or a pear. And if you give yourself a sugar holiday for even a couple of weeks, you will be amazed at how much those cravings will decrease. But be sure and count the grams of fructose and keep your total fructose from fruit below 15 grams per day as you are sure to consume plenty of “hidden” fructose in the other foods you will be eating. 

You can use the table below to help you count your fructose grams.

Fruit   Serving Size  Grams of Fructose  Limes  1 medium  0  Lemons  1 medium  0.6  Cranberries  1 cup  0.7  Passion fruit  1 medium  0.9  Prune  1 medium  1.2  Apricot  1 medium  1.3  Guava  2 medium  2.2  Date (Deglet Noor style)  1 medium  2.6  Cantaloupe  1/8 of med. melon  2.8  Raspberries  1 cup  3.0  Clementine  1 medium  3.4  Kiwifruit  1 medium  3.4  Blackberries  1 cup  3.5  Star fruit  1 medium  3.6  Cherries, sweet  10  3.8  Strawberries  1 cup  3.8  Cherries, sour  1 cup  4.0  Pineapple  1 slice (3.5″ x .75″)  4.0  Grapefruit, pink or red  1/2 medium  4.3

Fruit   Serving Size  Grams of Fructose  Boysenberries  1 cup  4.6  Tangerine/mandarin orange  1 medium  4.8  Nectarine  1 medium  5.4  Peach  1 medium  5.9  Orange (navel)  1 medium  6.1  Papaya  1/2 medium  6.3  Honeydew  1/8 of med. melon  6.7  Banana  1 medium  7.1  Blueberries  1 cup  7.4  Date (Medjool)  1 medium  7.7  Apple (composite)  1 medium  9.5  Persimmon  1 medium  10.6  Watermelon  1/16 med. melon  11.3  Pear  1 medium  11.8  Raisins  1/4 cup  12.3  Grapes, seedless (green or red)  1 cup  12.4  Mango  1/2 medium  16.2  Apricots, dried  1 cup  16.4  Figs, dried  1 cup  23.0

  

If you feel you must have a sweetener, here are a few guidelines to follow: 

• Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners.
• Avoid agave like the plague.
• Limit sugar of all types as much as possible. You can buy pure glucose (dextrose) as a sweetener for about $1 per pound, which has none of the adverse effects of fructose if used moderately. It is only 70 percent as sweet as sucrose, so you’ll end up using a bit more of it for the same amount of sweetness, making it slightly more expensive than sucrose — but still well worth it for your health.
• Use raw, organic honey in moderation or avoid it completely as it is 70 percent fructose which is higher than HFCS. However the fructose is not in its free from so that moderates the damage. But each teaspoon of honey has nearly four grams of fructose so you will want to carefully add the total grams of fructose (including fruits) and keep them under 15 grams per day.
• Use regular stevia in moderation, but avoid stevia-based sweeteners like Truvia and PureVia because they have undergone more processing.
• Lo Han is another excellent natural herbal sweetener.
• Exercise can be a very powerful tool to help control fructose in a number of ways. If you are going to consume fructose it is BEST to do so immediately before, during or after INTENSE exercise as your body will tend to use it directly as fuel and not convert it to fat Additionally exercise will increase your insulin receptor sensitivity and help modulate the negative effects of fructose. Lastly exercise will also help to blunt your appetite and control your sweet tooth.

If you have insulin issues, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you’re overweight, I suggest you avoid all sweeteners, including stevia, since any sweetener can decrease your insulin sensitivity. 

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• [i] Morell SF and Nagel R. “Agave nectar: Worse than we thought,” April 30, 2009. Weston A. Price Foundation
• [ii] “US Patent 5846333—Method of producing fructose syrup from agave plants,” Patent Storm
• [iii] Carr C. “Agave’s sweet spot,” January 31, 2009. Time Magazine
• [iv] “Heat forms potentially harmful substance in high-fructose corn syrup, bee study finds” ScienceDaily August 27, 2009 
• [v] LeBlanc BW, Eggleston G, Sammatarot D, Cornett C, Dufault R, Deeby T, and St. Cyr E. “Formation of hydroxymethylfurfural in domestic high-fructose corn syrup and its toxicity to the honey bee” J. Agric. Food Chem., 2009, 57(16), pp 7369-7376

Related Links: 

   Agave: A Triumph of Marketing over Truth  

   This Common Food Ingredient Is As Addictive as Cocaine?  

   This Common Food Ingredient Can Really Mess Up Your Metabolism

Freedom through sustainability April 29, 2010

“My book is about attaining freedom through self-awareness and truth. One such truth is that our government lies, does not take care of us nor helps us to become sustainable or empowered. In fact, it does the opposite. This is wonderful as it gives us the opportunity to take our power back into our own hands! My book, Eco Live! is about doing just that. This can be done by changing our daily habits, such as, by what we eat, buy, do, think and who we do it with. This life is not meant to be lived alone. It is time for humanity to join forces with its neighbors and family worldwide by sharing skills, recourses, ideas, finances and love. This is the only way that we can unite and become the next conscious and sustainable civilization living symbiotically with Earth.

Being free, via a sustainable lifestyle, means to be healthy and happy. You may think that it is fine to smoke, drink caffeine and alcohol, take drugs and overload on sugar. But this is exactly what the powers that be want. Our corporate run politics want us to be dumb, numb, poor and powerless in order for them to continue to lie and take advantage of us.  If you think that doing whatever you want is freedom, think again. Freedom means being aware, capable and in your power. It means living a healthy, happy and sustainable life that is not dependant on outside sources including food, water, drugs, housing, products, corporations, politics or employment.

Please listen to my 2 minute video book pitch and vote for my book at the link below by May 3rd. And if you would, please pass this link on to all of your contacts as I can only win by popular vote, and that means you! http://www.nexttopauthor.com/profile.cfm?aid=2663

I am offering a free 20 minute energy reading, healing or class to thank you for your vote and as a way for you to experience my work.

Thank you!

GMOs~ What will it take before you are called to action? March 17, 2010

I just saw a fantastic movie called, “Soundtrack for a Revolution” which I recommend. It was about what African Americans went through in order to achieve freedom and eventually the right to vote. These “colored” people and “niggers” as they were called, marched non-violently for years under Dr. Martin Luther King’s guidance. He vowed for a “peaceful fight for freedom” despite the constant brutality that they endured. I know it’s probably been a while since you have thought of these things, but these innocent African Americans were spit on, beaten, bombed, drowned, flogged, hung, burned and humiliated. They were beaten and killed for sitting in cafes and for singing as they marched peacefully down streets in order to end segregation.  Somehow they were able to fight for their rights without lifting a finger. The strength that these pacifists must have had to remain non-violent while they were being attacked is beyond my understanding. I have an infinite amount of respect for Martin Luther King and the many freedom fighters during the civil rights movement; back then and still today.

It is sad that when so many people have fought for freedom and stood up for their rights, that now we sit dormant and unconscious as monkeys on morphine just waiting for our next fix. I’m talking about the way we allow ourselves to be programmed by TV, by what we eat, by what we don’t say and by what we put up with. North America has become one of the strongest countries in the world and at the same time one of the most asleep “followers.”  

Let me ask you this, “What are you standing up for and protecting today?”  I am not talking about when you were a rebel in college or when you used to go to protests or love-ins in the 60’s. I’m talking about now. Are you protecting your health, environment and food, for example?

Did you know that it is estimated that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are now present in more than 80% of packaged products in the average U.S. and Canadian grocery store? According to the USDA, in 2007, 91% of soy, 87% of cotton and 73% of corn grown in the U.S. were GMOs. It is estimated that over 75% of canola is GMO, and there are also commercially produced GMO varieties of sugar beets, squash and Hawaiian Papaya. This relatively new science allows DNA from one species to be injected into another species in a laboratory, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods. Did you know that vegetables and fruit are now genetically mixed with fish, insects, herbicides and EVEN HUMAN GENES to mention a few, all of which you may be allergic to or simply find unacceptable to eat.

Beyond this, GMO scientists have now created crops with built in pesticides, that when pollinated by insects actually kill the monarch butterfly. Yes, the beautiful monarch butterfly will soon all be gone. Not to mention the bees, which are responsible for pollinating our food.  When the bees are all dead, we will be too, because without the bees cross pollinating plants, the plants can’t have “sex.” And without the plants having sex, they can no longer bear fruit or food, just as women who don’t have sex or are not inseminated cannot have children. The difference is that that although we need kids to continue our species, we hopefully do not eat them or need them for our immediate survival. GMOs are creating a serious problem. Is anybody willing to defend our right to eat health food?

Not only is our food being turned into genetic monsters, but we are killing our Earth and its insects and animals including ourselves. And with Monsanto’s patents, who own many engineered seeds and crops such as corn and soy, even organic crops are no longer safe due to cross contamination that occurs in trucks, manufacturing plants and by the wind which blows the seeds everywhere. It’s too late folks. Disaster has already struck. If you think it’s bad in Haiti then look what’s happening right in front of you. The winds have already blown and contamination is already in process.

You may feel powerless about this situation but you are not. In fact you are the most powerful person on Earth; you are an American consumer. It is you who make powerful choices every time that you eat, shop for food or go to a restaurant! You say you want to make a change, but what have you done so far? We all have kundalini energy burning within us and this is a good thing. It’s only bad when this driving life-force becomes dormant and dissatisfied through non- action. Although some organic crops have become contaminated, organic food IS STILL THE WAY TO GO. You do have the power within you to make an important change that is now more necessary than ever. Please ONLY purchase and eat organic food. Demand that your health food store labels GMO foods. And demand that they list if deli ingredients are organic. Most importantly, ONY BUY ORGANIC FOOD and let your local store know where you are putting your money!

In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs because they are not considered safe. In the U.S. on the other hand, the FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale. Europe has had its fair share of mad cow disease and they have decided that GMO foods are NOT to enter their continent. Europe is a place where people still chain smoke and drink like crazy and yet they know better than to allow their citizens to eat foods as dangerous as genetically engineered organisms. In short, the FDA is not and will not protect you! It’s up to you to make the change happen.

Remember that canola oil, soy oil, soy and corn are gigantic GMO products and are processed into much of what you may be eating or drinking such as, high fructose corn syrup, chips, pop corn, veggie burgers and salad dressings. At my local health food store in Sedona, AZ none of the muffins, delicious looking scones, corn bread, etc. are organic in the deli! That means that they are most likely GMO products and that even if you are a vegetarian, you are actually eating meat, fish, insects, herbicides or even humans without your knowing. Don’t you deserve better than this? Don’t you want to know what you are eating and if your tomato is really a tomato or a beetle? You are not alone! A 2008 CBS News Poll found that 87% of consumers wanted GMOs labeled. And according to a recent CBS New York Times poll, 53% of consumers said they would not buy food that has been genetically modified. Can you imagine how GMO required labeling will affect the market? The power is in the people! If you want to know more about what is happening with your food, watch the movie called, Genetically Engineered Food; Panacea or Poison, and you will see that although what I am saying is shocking, that it is also true.

This movie is produced by: New Science Ideas www.NewScienceIdeas.com 1-800-350-4639

Links about GMOs:  http://www.nongmoproject.org/

To help you out, I have written a generic form. Please print this letter and give it to your local markets over and over again until they change. You have the power! Remember that many people died for your freedom. Now what are you going to do for your own?

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To whom it may concern,

*I demand mandatory labeling of all GMO foods, both packaged and produce.

*I will no longer purchase any food in your store that is not listed as ORGANIC.

*Please label the ingredients of deli and bakery foods and if they are organic.

I have a right to know if I am eating GMO foods or foods with harmful pesticides.

This relatively new science of GMO’s allows DNA from one species to be injected into another species in a laboratory, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods. Did you know that vegetables and fruit are now genetically mixed with fish, insects, herbicides and EVEN HUMAN GENES, all of which I may be allergic to. This is unacceptable and I will no longer buy food which is not organic.

Thank you,

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Thank you for your help and for listening. And remember to forward this to your friends!

Is Exercise Really That Important? December 4, 2009

            As a medical intuitive I can honestly say that most people are ungrounded and live completely outside of their skin. They don’t actually know their own body or its capability. This keeps their relationship with their body very distant, their emotions at bay and adds many layers of fat. Fat represents fear and where we are in denial of knowing our true and powerful selves. As we sweat and burn fat in moderation, we literally decrease fears, let go of past emotions, release toxins and align with Source through finding our center. Of course, whenever we do something on the physical level we are also addressing the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our selves, as they are always united.

            A study conducted by psychiatrist Madhukar Trivedi, MD, director of UT Southwester Medical Center’s mood disorders research program, relates the lack of exercise to depression. Eighty of his study’s participants were diagnosed as clinically depressed and were not physically active. Dr. Trivedi divided the eighty people into three groups. The first group did moderately intense aerobics on a treadmill or stationary bicycle either three or five days a week. The second group did low intensity aerobics either three or five days a week. And the third group did 15 to 20 minutes of stretching exercises three days a week. After twelve weeks, the group who had exercised the most had an average decline in depressive symptoms by 47%, the group who exercised a moderate amount reduced their depressive symptoms by 30% and the group who only stretched reduced their depressive symptoms by 29%! If you want to be happy and healthy on every level, exercise has got to be part of your daily routine! Don’t settle for exercising three to five times a week! If you want to feel and look great…exercise daily! Statistics show that leading a healthy life can put twenty years onto your life. That’s an extra lifetime for some people. At the very least, if you stay in shape until your golden years you will be able to walk around with healthy bones and muscles until you make your great transition into the light. I think being mobile toward the end would sure beat being in a wheel chair. Don’t you?

            After exercising it is important to stretch and cool down. Just as a race horse would never run a race and then immediately be put into his or her stall to stand, you must walk yourself out. Let me explain how this can protect your heart. After pumping your heart at a high velocity during exercise, when you stop exercising, your heart keeps pumping a high volume of blood throughout your body for several minutes. If you don’t keep moving (at least walking) to pump the blood into circulation, it can pool in your legs and feet. Then the heart has to work harder than normal to restore circulation, which can trigger high blood pressure. When you are done exercising, walk around for about four to eight minutes and then stretch before coming to a complete halt. The cool-down process also helps to flush lactic acid from your muscles. Since muscles and tendons have the best blood flow and elasticity during this time, it is the perfect moment to stretch. Some say that you may risk injury by stretching at the beginning of exercise as your muscles and tendons are cold, but I think that light muscle stretching and circular joint-rolls (such as with the ankles) are a good idea to do at the beginning of exercise. If you get uncomfortably sore after exercising take a bath with Himalayan bath salt. After the bath keep stretching as your body’s temperature lowers so that you don’t get stiff. Also, remember to put liquid trace mineral into your gallon of water that you drink per day to replenish your body after sweating. A brand that I like is called Cell Food by Lumina Health Products and contains trace minerals, plant source amino acids, enzymes and dissolved oxygen all in one.

            Whenever you introduce a new exercise into your life always begin slowly. I have noticed that if I get too ‘gung ho’ about something and do too much too soon, I will not be able to maintain my practice. Start small so that you can accomplish your goals. It’s better to run for ten minutes a day than not at all. It’s important to be proud of yourself and to acknowledge even the tiniest of accomplished goals. If you don’t, then who will? This is all part of learning to love and acknowledge yourself on every level.

Balancing A Guilty Diet November 19, 2009

           I became a vegetarian when I was eleven years old when I finally understood that the roast on the table was actually a dead cow and that the “juice” from the cow was actually blood. I was fortunate enough to have met a Jewish girl in New York City where I grew up, and she told me that she did not eat animals because she loved them. I told her that I loved them too and she promptly asked, “Then why do you eat them?” I had no good reason other than that it was what my parents fed me. This made me think about what I was doing. I thought about it seriously and the next week (after eating a bunch of Big Macs for my last time) I told my mother that I was never going to eat meat again. And I didn’t for about 25 years! I always loved the taste of meat and so I was truly a vegetarian for moral and environmental reasons.

           When I was in my thirties I lived in Kyoto, Japan for three years.  I was a vegetarian and had been eating vegetable sushi, but there were only three different types without meat, so at times when I was away from home I felt quite starved as everything had fish in it. I had a little card that I carried around with me that I would take into restaurants. In Japanese characters it said: I don’t eat chicken, fish, beef and went on to mention every animal and sea creature that any human would think of eating, because if I left out one animal, they would ask if I ate it. Even after this long procedure and many looks of complete astonishment, the chef would prepare some vegetables and rice for me and inevitably sprinkle my meal with fish flakes. Because the meal was hot and the flakes were paper-thin, they would writhe about on top of my food as if they were alive and suffering from the heat of the food. This was pretty disgusting to me yet funny at the same time and I would have to return it and wait even longer for a meal without fish. Eventually I stopped going to restaurants if I could help it and resigned to buying vegetarian sushi wrapped in plastic at the equivalent to our 7-11 store when I was traveling. This got old fast as the choices were limited to sushi with cucumber which I liked, weird tasting plum which I did not like and pickled daikon which is a type of radish which was edible but not my favorite.  Because I traveled a lot teaching at different schools I often felt hungry as I was not organized enough to bring my own food and didn’t like to eat the alternative which was junk food.

            When I returned home to Berkeley, CA after being in Japan for three years, I went to a barbeque with a friend. We were sitting in the sun outside in the back yard, the air was warm and strangely the smell of fried chicken felt nostalgic and homey. I got up, walked straight to the grill and grabbed me a chicken leg and began to gnaw into it like a ravaged dog. My friends were horrified and reminded me that I was a vegetarian, as if I didn’t know! With barbeque sauce on my face I said with a smile, “Not anymore!”

            For many people eating has become a complicated issue riddled with guilt. Guilt is the worst thing for you as it will damage your physical structure, emotional body, mind and blood sugar level when you eat certain foods that you deem unhealthy. Your body will react to food based on your belief system, therefore, the worst thing that you can do is to eat or drink something that YOU think is unhealthy.

            One day I went to see Dr. David Hart, my favorite chiropractor in Sedona, AZ and he gave me a treatment that blew my socks off. He works on every level, not just the physical, and he was testing me to find out why my blood sugar level was off and why I was not staying hydrated despite the gallon of water that I drink daily. He was testing me for all kinds of food imbalances but my body kept affirming that I eat really well. Then he decided to test me based on my belief system and bingo, he hit the jackpot! He found that my body likes to eat meat but that I do not feel good about it. And because I do not feel good about it I was not absorbing the nutrients from the meat or the water that I was drinking. My belief system was disturbing my blood sugar level which is about allowing oneself to receive the “sweets of life”. I started to tell Dr. Hart about how bad I feel for the animals and that I don’t think it’s right to kill them. Then I started crying about how the white men came and killed all of the buffalo unnecessarily, taking their hides and leaving their meat to rot. I went on to say how disrespectfully people treat animals and how I don’t want to contribute to such a society. Very sweetly Dr. Hart said, “Do you think it’s possible for you to respect the animals that you eat in your own sacred way? Could you bless them and thank them from the bottom of your heart and let go of the responsibility of how everyone else has treated them since time immemorial?” I sobbed out a little, “Yes” and since then a lot has changed. I learned to let go of the guilty burden of the world and I am able to eat meat with blessings for both myself and the beautiful animals whose lives have been taken. My blood sugar level is better, I have more energy and my body is finally staying hydrated.  The moral of the story is that your belief system must match what you are eating. You can change your diet or you can change your beliefs about the food that you eat so that they align in reverence. Either way, it’s up to you to do so in order to manifest healthy eating habits.

Morning Meditation & Intention November 5, 2009

Morning Intentions

* I am having a lot of fun today
* I am making $____ today
* All of my business is in order
* I am meeting great people today
* I am relaxed all day long

Morning Meditation

If you are anything like me, when you wake up in the morning you instantly start thinking about all of the things that you would like to do. If you are an A type personality, I suggest writing down your plan for the day in order to ground and release it so that you can focus on meditating instead of all of the things that you want to do. Even when your to-do list is exciting, the racing momentum of energy still places stress and imbalance on your heart. I find myself saying that if the stress is positive, such as excitement, it is healthy. But this is incorrect. Try to release all stress from your heart during your meditation and throughout the day whether it is positive or negative. Relax, find your balanced state of neutrality and know that you can be happy no matter what you are doing.

The amount of time that you choose to meditate is up to you and your schedule. The most import thing is regularity. Therefore, if you are pressed for time only meditate for five minutes and then do your morning intentions for another five minutes. This way you will keep positive consistency in your life which is the most important way to love yourself. Remaining consistent will also help you to trust yourself. And when you trust yourself you can also trust others. If you have more time, try to meditate for thirty minutes or more each day. Or spread out the time in one day and meditate three times.

The following is a “do-nothing” type of meditation which I believe is the most important kind. It is a clearing and relaxing of the body, mind and spirit. We are such an action oriented society that it is extremely important to relax as you are becoming more aware of your Self. This meditation will show you where you are holding tension and teach you to find your center. This will dramatically improve your health and align your intentions. It will make you a creator of life instead of a recipient of whatever comes your way. If you cannot relax your body and mind long enough to meditate each day then you probably have some pretty serious problems with health, finances, relationships or all three. Make meditation part of your daily life and earn your self-respect. This is the only respect necessary in order for you to blossom.

* Start with 3 loud oms. Your ability to vocalize will instantly show you if you are in your power.
* Take deep breaths
* Listen to your heart beat
* Center your energy in your body
* Relax and allow any tension to leave your body and mind
* End with your daily intentions

Who you are makes a difference! October 29, 2009

   A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in High School by telling them the difference each of them had made. She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First, she told each of them how they had made a difference to her, and the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon, imprinted with gold letters, which read, “Who I Am Makes a Difference.” Afterwards, the teacher decided to do a class project, to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a Community. She gave each of the students three more blue ribbons, and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom, and report back to the class in about a week.

One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company, and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon, and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two  extra ribbons and said, “We’re doing a class project on recognition, and we’d like for you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person, to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened.” Later that day, the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down, and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon, and would he give him   permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, “Well, sure.” The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his boss’s jacket, above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, “Would you take this extra ribbon, and pass it on by honoring somebody else. The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school, and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going and find out how it affects people.

“That night, the boss came home to his 14-year-old son, and sat him down. He said, “The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office, and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me, and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine! He thinks I’m a creative genius! Then he put this blue ribbon that says, “Who I Am Makes a Difference”, on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon, and I thought about you. I want to honor you. My days are really hectic and when I come home, I don’t pay a lot of attention to you.  Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school, and for your bedroom being a mess. But somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You’re a great kid, and I love you!”

The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn’t stop  crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, “Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and Mom, explaining why I had killed myself, and I asked you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just didn’t think that you cared at all. The letter is upstairs. I don’t think I need it after all.”His father walked upstairs and found a heartfelt letter full of anguish and pain. The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch, but made sure to let all of his employees know that they made a difference. The junior executive helped several other young people with career planning, and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his life….. one being the boss’ son.

And the young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson, “Who you are DOES make a difference”.

Thank you all for being in my life. My friends, students, clients and family…You all mean so much to me! Thank you for your support!
Robin

Hydration; Our Way To Empowerment! October 13, 2009

 There are many ways that we as humans remain powerless. One of these ways is through dehydration or lack of water in our system. What I have learned is that unless you reach a certain degree of hydration, your body will not get thirsty and signal for you to drink. Therefore, you must become hydrated and feel good before you will be able to gauge the amount of water that you need. It is water that helps to move old feces through your intestines which are lodged in the crevasses. I suggest drinking a gallon of water per day. Use a gallon glass container such as an apple juice bottle, and fill it every morning with water and liquid trace minerals which will help you to absorb the water. Bring the glass jug with you wherever you go and pour the water from it into a glass or water bottle. This is a lot easier than trying to remember how many glasses of water you had each day. This way, if the jug is empty at the end of the day you will know that you are drinking enough water! It’s good to be certain because most people think they drink plenty of water but they do not. By 3:00pm your bottle should be half empty; empty being the more positive result. Try to avoid drinking from plastic. Not only does it pollute the environment but it pollutes your body as toxic substances leach out of the plastic and into the water. Put an affirmation sticker on your water jug. As you drink, ground your body, give thanks to the water and visualize it feeding your soul. Visit www.MandalaArts.com for affirmative water stickers.

From the book: The Sage Way, by Robin Eagle Sage, LMT
Copyright 2009 Sage School of Light