Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living! ~Amanda Bradley

It's time to Celebrate!

'It’s interesting to think of what it would mean to us if we let ourselves wear our nicest clothes and eat off the good china on a daily basis. We might be sending ourselves the message that every day we are alive is a special day and a cause for celebration, and that we are worth it. There is something uplifting about treating ourselves to the finest of what we have. It is as if we rise to the occasion when we wear our best clothes and set the table beautifully, as if for a very special guest. We are more mindful of where we place things, what we are eating, and who is with us. Using the good china, and eating in the dining room might be an invitation to be more conscious of the beauty and grace inherent in our everyday lives.'

With joyful anticipation of your great celebration! ~j

The belly has no ears. ~ Plutarch
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Hi gang! I have definately been preoccupied with this time away! Now, I am hearing A LOT about over eating, over drinking and just plain desire for the holidays to be over so people can go back to healthier choices.
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This is good news, people want to be making healthier choices! Intention YEAH!
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Now, just a moment for a little note today. If you are feeling a little over extended in the belly. Consider some cleansing foods. Very simple, easy to digest and help get you back on track for at least feeling good.
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Smoothies and Green Smoothies...you just can't go wrong here. fresh fruits, greens and the chewing has already been done for you. You can enjoy two of these a day (w/green preferably)for a few days and eat a light meal (sensible portion size).

Water...stay hydrated. Especially if you are enjoying a little extra 'cheer' with your meals. Can't stress this enough. On average, one should consume half their body weight in water per day. Herbal teas are a nice compliment here as well. Mineral rich, tasty...

Soups...these can be so nourishing! Again, easy to digest. Broths, fresh vegetable soups, raw soups if you have a vitamix type blender. They just give you a chance to use energy for cleansing out the yuck by being easy to digest and assimilate.

Just a little tip that I once received regarding holiday cheer...Source Naturals has a little herbal gem called Hangover Formula. Now, I am not a big drinker, so this came in handy for me a few years back when I found myself with an extra glass of wine, or two? It contains herbs that assist the body in the detox process and absorb toxins throughout the evening, or whatever time you may indulge.

Okay! Have to run. Hope you are finding time to breath and enjoy this time before the year becomes new again!

In hope ~j

A Zen proverb states that no snowflake ever falls in the wrong spot.

Whether you celebrate the snow by tossing snowballs, or losing yourself in the meditative serenity of the silently drifting flakes, take a moment to contemplate how much like the snow each of us is.

We are born pure, but later take on the footprints of those we encounter. Akin to each snowflake, we are unique, and yet we function as part of a larger whole—forever in the right spot at the right time. And like the snow itself, our lives and the roles we play are impermanent, yet imminently valuable.

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love."~Hamilton Wright Mabie

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Sending wishes of a holiday filled with family, friends, love and joy! May you share laughter and memories to treasure together. Merry Christmas! Blessings! ~j

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ps. Oh yeah! And delicious morsels prepared to compliment those moments that will live on in your mind for many years to come. However you define your family, the love that Jesus shares brings you just a little closer during Christmas time, whether just for a glimmer of a moment or for a lifetime.

Just a little note: While we certainly find ourselves heated in the moment as often happens during the holiday season, it is okay to laugh! Anyone ever still enjoy Mary Poppins?? Well, Uncle Albert sure had it down...I love to laugh...ha ha ha ha...long and loud and clear! To offset some of the craziness, rushing and striving for perfection...give a little giggle, if that is all you can muster. Emotions are real and while we don't need to knock someone down, we sure do need to move on. Long lines, traffic, family 'concerns' are always a part of the package. But, it is the package that contains the jems in our lives as well.

Food contributes to this...too much sugar, alcohol and other forbidden foods are widely celebrated. If you feel the tempation, enjoy, just be sure to remember moderation as well as keeping that blood sugar balanced. It will go a long way in the enjoyment of you indulgence. Merry merry~j

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Do you ever feel like doing this to someone?
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However, in the spirit of the upcoming holiday, peace, love and goodwill to all men...I don't recommend it. It sure is funny though! hee hee hee ~j

Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience. ~Henry David Thoreau

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Thanks for bearing with me during this burst of global warming. I think that Henry is right...it just comes out a little more heated in the intesity of the moment!

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My intention is to encourage you to think. Ask yourself some hard questions, or some easy ones. Sometimes we can be so distracted. Ever feel like your eyes are wide shut? Don't forget the world that revolves around your world. Good, bad or indifferent, it's all ours!

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I mean the world is full of fascinating things. I often feel like a kid who just realized that the world is the coolest place...in the world! Some people care, some don't, that's just life. I am not here to convince you. Just share those things that touch my world from time to time. We have advanced technologically so much in the last 100 years. I often wonder what we will find ahead. I enjoy many of the simple things, with some of those luxuries of our time as well. As long as you are living with passion or finding the joy of living, then keep embracing it, no one else can live your perfect life.

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Anyway, we are moving back to foods, whew! Start with food hangovers tomorrow??

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Deep fresh breath and sigh~ Good hike today in the forest! ~j

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans,
I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.
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Okay my lurking girlfriends, I am thinking of you today! Miss you so much and thanks for always being there for me, near or far. I am off food police duty and enjoying the moment toasting you with a glass of wine, a little Corinne and wishing you all the best that life has to offer. Life is good. Cheers! ~j

Tired of Incessant Political Intimidation, U.S. Scientists Speak Out

Can't help it today gang...it just keeps showing up. If you don't know of 5 things that you can do to reduce your ecological or carbon footprint...time to find out :-) http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?tmyLv8fMv.MgLqeP1E0joA

Hug that tree my friends! ~j

Some 10,000 US researchers have signed a statement protesting about political interference in the scientific process. The statement, which includes the backing of 52 Nobel Laureates, demands a restoration of scientific integrity in government policy.

• straight to the source: BBC News, Jonathan Amos, 14 Dec 2006

"There's been no effort yet other than to intimidate everybody, but to me it's censorship. . . . I think they're afraid of science. Our findings on ecology could be embarrassing to the administration."

• straight to the source: The Washington Post, Juliet Eilperin, 14 Dec 2006

The government closed several Environmental Protection Agency libraries to the public and stripped some of the information they contain from the Internet.

• straight to the source: The Mercury News, Julie Sevrens Lyons, 15 Dec 2006

What does all this mean? Well...I am not the spokesperson for global warming, but you do make a difference. I make it, your best friend, teammate, kids, all of us do.

1. Buy local grown - less fuel used to transport foods
2. Buy organic - no pesticides, herbicides and fungicides or hormone disruptors and other yukcy stuff to pollute your bodies as well as the air
3. Eat more raw foods - less energy (gas, electric) used to cook with as well as clean (water) dishes with
4. A clean body inside and out just doesn't smell as bad! Breath, sweat, grungy teeth etc. - Hey, I didn't say don't shower or anything, but when you don't need toxic fragrance to cover up or 'wash away' the smell...well then, you will have many close friends :-)

Okay, that's enough for today...the thought garbage in, garbage out really does apply to the food you enjoy. ~j

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike. ~John Muir

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I am definately on the, let's consider nature, these last few days. If you have had any introduction to global warming, it is probably time to take a closer look.

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The recently released movie...An Inconvenient Truth, has provided us with a wealth of information that we should really take the time to explore.

Please don't be put off by political presentation here. The message is what is important and aside from the political mumbo jumbo, there are things that we can be doing in our own homes that do not need to belay our voting status.

Be looking at the bigger picture here. If recycling and conservation are important, and they are, how can making a few simple changes that benefit a better community be wrong? Hmmm...think, think, think...

What is greatly affected are the glacier melts, the permafrost, the heatwaves, hurricanes and draughts all over the world.

If you have no idea what I am talking about...it's time to get informed.

Hurricane Katrina is the most recent example of warming effect.

Make you own choices. There are groups out there that are willing to do harm, just to make a point that they don't care or believe.

Don't just watch one movie. But take what you find and think for yourself. What makes sense? We have been talking about the earth's resources for years and years. And as a nation, we are gluttonous. No big secret.

I am not encouraging you to live like an extremist, but I am asking that you consider to live with intention. You choose the intention as an informed human being. Look around...expand your circle of influence...open your eyes a little wider, if necessary.


http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/kyoto/ - KYOTO Protocol

http://www.kyotoandbeyond.org/petition.html - PEOPLE'S RATIFICATION OF THE KYOTO GLOBAL WARMING TREATY

Carmakers fight global warming lawsuit - ARTICLE

Are we willing to take the chance? Look at all of the information and come to your own conclusion. If this is all hokey pokey, doesn't some form of conservation still ensure a better life for your grandchildren, your legacy, or those remain when you are gone?



On fire today! ~j

No matter how much we learn, there is always more knowledge to be gained. In this connection I am reminded of a short poem that has been in my mind over the years. It reads as follows:

I used to think I knew I knew. But now I must confess. The more I know I know I know I know I know the less. ~A. Ray Olpin

Amercian fuzzy on Biotech!

Straight to the Source -ARTICLE

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So much information out there. Take it one piece at a time. I know that I recently posted on GMO's, but here it is...People vastly underestimate how much gene-altered food they are already consuming. 60% of people believe that they have never eaten genetically modified foods, when in reality over 90% of people have, without even knowing it.

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Okay, no real high horse today, I just wanted to point out that it is out there and we need to know it. Then we can make the choice. Eat it, don't eat it, serve it to our families, avoid it...on a personal note...avoid it. Again, the point is to be informed :-)

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A little gossip here, lean in a little, because I cannot find any documentation to back it up. The article talks about consuming cloned animals as well. Most people are uncomfortable with this. The University of Texas is cloning animals. It is my understanding that these animals are not fed a conventional diet because they get sick and may die due to the inadequacy of these foods. What?! Good enough for you and me, but...I guess we are the test group of humans in this study. Thanks Monsanto Monsanto - SourceWatch

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With lingering thoughts ~j

This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and glowing, on sea and continues and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.

~John Muir

Today, you might simply feel inspired by the beauty of the world around you.

If you want to enhance this focus, you might consider devoting a block of time to spend in a natural setting that fills you with awe and wonder. Oceans, rivers, canyons, and forests would be good places to visit because you can marvel at the power of nature and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds around you.

Wherever you choose to wander today, simply let go of worrisome thoughts and engage fully with beauty and wonder as they heighten your feelings of euphoria.Immersing ourselves completely in beautiful surroundings can lift our thoughts above boredom, petty concerns, and stressful circumstances. Seeking experiences of wonder and awe on a regular basis automatically helps us feel lighter and more carefree. As we spend time in beautiful surroundings, we feel removed from our limited focus and our problems seem to shrink when compared to the raw power and blissful serenity that nature offers. As a result, our mood and mind-set seem to lift and expand, creating a stronger sense of spiritual awareness, inner peace, and abundant joy in all of our experiences.

Embracing the wonder of nature can intensify your feelings of euphoria and make every moment deeper and more meaningful today.

A little Om ~j

It is the divine vitality that everywhere produces and restores life. To each and every one of us, it gives the power of working miracles if we will. ~LM Child

Okay, here is another biggie. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

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First of all, if you have any packaged foods in your pantry...look at the label...does it contain HFCS? Most do. For so many reasons...mainly, it extends shelf life. This product is detrimental to the health of the human body. It is one that should be taken out of your diet as often as possible. The articles below will give you a much better picture of what HFCS is and does than I will today. Bottom line. It causes your body composition to change negatively by making you fat, and yes, you can be a skinny fat person. Sarcopenia obesity is often undiagnosed and not recognized.

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Our children are practically living on this gunk and most people don't even know it. Then we wonder why our problems with ADD/HD, obesity, diabetes etc. are running rampant. This is true for those eating and not reading labels. Chemically altered. I must sound like a broken record, but it is not food, it is chemically altered. Don't eat it, please.

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We will revisit this later. Only have a minute to blog...GET THE FACTS! READ YOUR LABELS. Yikes!

• http://www.mercola.com/2004/apr/10/corn_fat.htm
• http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/highfructose.html

Interesting article on energy bars from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) - http://www.cspinet.org/nah/12_00/barexam.html

Very merry today! 'Tis the season :-) ~j

Do what makes you come alive.

"Whatsoever that be within us that feels, thinks, desires, and animates, is something celestial, divine, and, consequently, imperishable." ~Aristotle

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Genetically Modified Foods - This is a HUGE topic. One that is quickly closing in on us and has been around for more than a decade. Here is a brief intro of facts. Genetically altered foods, or frankenfoods as they have been fondly nicknamed. There is too much to go into in one blogging. It is a topic that we will re-visit. A large majority of foods that we eat are modified at the cellular level.

Let's start with a taste! Just consider in your mind for a moment, the words...genetically modified...

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Quick Facts About Genetically Modified Crops

• The biotech industry has officially celebrated the planting of the billionth acre of genetically engineered crops.


• 75% of the world's genetically engineered crops are grown in the U.S. and Argentina.


• More than 90% of world's genetically engineered seeds were developed and sold by the Monsanto Corporation (planted predominantly with Monsanto's genetically modified corn, cotton, soybean and canola seeds).


• Monsanto's GE seed sales alone brought the company over $4 billion last year. Outside of GE seeds, Monsanto's past and present product-line has included Agent Orange, DDT, PCBs, rBGH and aspartame.


• Notable historic quote: "Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food.


• Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job." - Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications. "Playing God in the Garden" New York Times Magazine, October 25, 1998.

Learn more: http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm

WARNING! Trans Fats!

Okay, the dirty words are out of my mouth.

If you are still not aware of the dangers of trans fats, it is time to get the facts. Trans fats are internationally recognized as dangerous to the human body. Dis-ease causing fats that are really more like eating plastic. Yes, plastic. One molecule away from the same chemical make-up. Yikes!

READ YOUR LABELS. Do not provide your children with foods that contain trans fats. They are health inhibiting! Recently in the news NYC is the first state to ban trans fats from eateries. This is a major accomplishment. How is it that we know how incredibly damaging this processing is to the 'foods' we eat and yet it is running rampant out there.

Please look at your labels, ask your food server, bakery and other establishments where you buy your foods. Most packaged foods have hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils (another name for nasty trans fats). Don't accept the deer in the headlights look either, they know and if they don't, their manager does. Based on a nurses' study out of Harvard, just one gram of trans fat is likely to increase the risk of heart disease by 20 per cent if consumed on a regular daily basis," says Prof. Bruce Holub of the University of Guelph.

Healthy fats are a very necessary part of wellness. Don't be fooled by fats in general. Omega 3,6,9's are valuable and health enhancing. They are anti-aging and anti-inflammatory and amazingly replenishing. Healthy fats maintain the integrity of your cell walls, which should be free flowing and wonderfully squishy ( I know, big scientific words here).

Anyone see the juicy juice commercial that has the children dressed as fruit and the one dripping gooey mess that is chemically altered? We can procure change by the informed choices that we make. Choose life, choose health.

Just google trans fats, but here is a group who has made it their mission to ban trans fats. http://www.bantransfats.com/index.html

With happy free flowing cells! ~j

The U.S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness,

only the pursuit of it.

You have to catch up with it yourself.

~Benjamin Franklin

4 Levels of Eating
Which area do your eating habits fall?

Ed Bauman

1. Eating for Pleasure - This level is the most primal, instinctual approach to eating, to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. Eating is for immediate gratification. Refined sugars, flours, dairy products and damaged fats comprise eating choices. This is the most immature level of food selection.



2. Eating for Energy - Blood sugar regulation is the basis of this level. People choose foods that are more substantial, complex and that allay hunger. This level is a highly acid forming, allergenic and clogging diet pattern. This level of eater is generally unconcerned with the ecological impact of food choices.



3. Eating for Recovery - As we sow, so we reap. The cumulative effect of Levels One and Two is the inevitability of poor body composition, diminished energy, health and brightness of mood. Many people will go on a 'diet' at this point and find themselves slipping back into old habits. This is an adult level approach that can be tiresome, judgmental and sometimes driven by supplementation to achieve results rather than using them to replenish reserves.



4. Eating for Health - The goal of this approach is lifelong learning about nutrition, healing and culinary arts. It follows Level Three but brings more personal choice, variety, seasonality and strategy to one's personal needs, tastes, ethnic origin and commitment. Eating at Level Four is not a formula, but rather by discerning what the body needs and what is the best choice available becomes a lifestyle. By eating well consistently, a person learns what foods best nourish and sustain during stressful changes that threaten health and impede recovery. In E4H the maxims, "food is your best medicine" and "know thyself" find a synergy that opens the way to wellness and service.

"Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for insects as well as for the stars. Human beings, vegetables or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper." ~Albert Einstein

Star swallowed - this is a very cool article. Not food related in any way shape or form, but really fascinating!

If I won't be myself, who will? ~Alfred Hitchcock
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Okay...today is a little rant...
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What are we doing??? The city of San Diego is calling for a ban on duck liver, a delicacy. But for the reason of harmful treatement of the animal.

Okay, what they do is force feed the ducks with a corn based meal, same as cows BTW which fattens up the liver, same as cows BTW, to almost 4 times the normal size. Then they are slaughtered and the toxic livers are used by high end restaurants as a highly sought after menu item. There is no mention here of the effects on human health. This is a big deal. Not that everyone is running out to eat duck liver these days, but it is a prime example of why it is important to be aware of where your food comes from.
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TOXIC ENLARGED LIVERS PEOPLE! This is exactly what is happening to conventional cows as well. If you are not concerned with eating grass fed, pasture raised animal protiens, you should be. Sometimes the livers of these cows become so toxic that they have to feed them antibiotics, which are passed along to you through the meat tissue and they are even so diseased that they explode.
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Michael Pollan's, The Omnivors Dilemna, is a very informative, shocking and accurate journalists view of food in our country today. If you want to know what is really going on, read this book. There are many other sources that uncover the truths about this issue. I encourage you to get informed and be aware.
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Everything you put into your body has to go somewhere. It has to be broken down, digested, absorbed, assimilated and eliminated. Those things that the body does not recognize can end up recirculating or getting burried deep in the body's tissues for long periods of time causing imbalances and imparing our health.
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Whew! Thanks, eat consciously! ~j

"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else." ~Emily Dickinson

The open house was phenomenal. We must have had 200 people buzzing about. Speakers on quantum healing and of course, green smoothies! Well, someone has to keep things simple. We were also blessed to have Terry Saleh, a 5th generation aboriginal shaman with us. He emphasized keeping tradition with new technology. It was amazing! Stories, art and dances from the bush. What a different world.

Cilantro and Seaside catered with a delicious raw food spread. We could have been there all night with all of the activity.

In case anyone is interested, the new technologies that we are working with in our office are Vocal Profiling and Harmonic Resolution. All I can say is WOW. Check out our new website for more details. I feel like just a girl with a blender. It is cutting edge and way fun stuff.

Keep it real. ~j

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams." ~the Alchemist

Today is our Open House! Yeah! So am full of excitment and thoughts of whirling gallons of green smoothies for our guests. It is going to be a tremendous day and I hope that your holds wonderful things in store for you as well.

A little giddy today :-) ~j