Chia seeds

I was recently at a spiritual retreat and a friend was walking around with a glass of water filled with little black seeds floating around.  When I asked her about it, she said it's chia seeds! She told me that chia seeds are a top source of omega 3's, among other benefits.  I had seen bags of chia seeds in the 'raw' section of the grocery store, but was never sure what to do with them.  Here is a site that lists 10 health benefits to eating chia seeds:

http://www.mychiaseeds.com/Articles/Top10ChiaBenefits.html

So I purchased a bag of organic black chia seeds and stored them in a glass mason jar.


Each morning, I add about 1 teaspoon of seeds to a glass of good quality water and stir.  After a short time, the seeds become a bit gelatinous.  They really don't have much taste, but I like that I am getting omega 3's.  I also add a squeeze of fresh organic lemon juice for natural source of vitamin c.  Lemon is alkaline producing in the body.

 In case you didn't know, we all want to have slightly alkaline bodies.  Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment.  Here is a great resource that explains:
 http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm.  There are many ways to alkalinize our bodies, not only by what we eat and drink, but by what we think and how we breathe! I took a class to learn more about this.  When we walked in to the class, we were asked to test our pH level.  (we were asked to go to the restroom to urinate on some litmus paper) Then we learned about how some foods are acidic outside of the body, yet are alkaline forming once ingested.  During the class, we drank ionized water and did some deep breathing exercises.  After 2 hours, we measured our pH again, and everyone's pH moved up the scale from some level of acidity toward alkalinity!  Tap water is acidic and is not beneficial.

I will talk more about acid/alkaline diet in a future post.  Meantime, get some chia seeds and enjoy!

Gluten-free

You have probably been hearing a lot about 'gluten-free' lately. I have been 100% gluten free for 7 years! Almost instantly, being gluten-free changed my life! I was symptomatic for about 5 years before that but no doctors could tell me what was wrong.

Gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease is when a person's body cannot tolerate or 'process' gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Here is a precise definition http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/ if you're interested. The biggest change in my life was that I basically stopped eating processed foods (yay!), and my symptoms subsided. I am NEVER tempted by 'glutenized' food...it's poison to my body. I hear that some people can tolerate small amounts, but I cannot.

Many people are learning that they or their children have issues with gluten. Do not despair!!

I am so excited to report that there are so many gluten-free options available today!!

Let's start with bread...

• For example, my favorite breads are: Grindstone Bakery, of Sonoma, CA~ Sprouted Seeded Loaf (Quinoa & Millet loaf + Sprouted Seeds (Pumpkin, Sesame, Sunflower). I am lucky because my local Whole Foods carries this bread, but you can order it here https://bear.he.net/~grindst/epistore/index.php?category=Gluten+free.

 It's best sliced and toasted! It's interesting to read about the care Gindstone takes in hand crafting their bread....
"There is no commercial yeast present in our breads. The leavening power is achieved by the use of a long fermentation by wild microorganisms.

Fermenting this way takes longer, but the bread develops all the good flavors of the grain, a dense crumb and a wonderfully satisfying chewiness.

Our fermentation cultures are the result of years of capturing and experimenting with different combinations of the wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria naturally present in the microbiologically, and otherwise unique environment of the region's vineyards, farms an wildlands.

We call them “Sonoma Cultures”. Each one has a particular mixture of several wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria strains that allows us to create different breads with a relatively lower acid content than most sourdoughs, rich in flavor and color and resistant to spoilage without the use of preservatives."

• If you are looking for something that is more like a sandwich bread (although not organic) that kids would like, try Udi's sandwich bread and Rudi's also has a tasty cinnamon bread. I am able to find these two brands at local grocery stores. They also carry pizza crusts, bagels, sweets, etc. Whole Foods also has a line of gluten-free baked things.

• If you would like your local grocer carry gluten-free items, speak to them. I spoke to the owner of our fabulous local grocery, Mill Valley Market, David Canepa, http://www.millvalleymarket.com/about stocking and notating gluten-free products. They now have a whole section, with products to bake your own breads, sweet treats, etc. So thank you David! My favorite item I get there is Chebe Bread mix http://www.chebe.com/so I can make my own pizzas! I make the crust (just add oil, egg and water) then top with greens from the garden, a little sauce, goat cheese...yum!
  

• In San Rafael, CA, a neighboring town, Marisa and Chad North have opened a gluten-free grocery store, called Sans Gluten where everything is gluten-free and they host lectures. http://www.sansglutenfreegrocery.com/
  

• Even one of my favorite local restaurants, Piazza D'Angelo~ Mill Valley, CA, Executive Chef Partner Massimo Covello , has recently made the commitment to offer a gluten-free menu! That takes commitment and understanding (he has to create gluten-free areas for food prep, etc.) They are serving gluten-free breads from Mariposa Bakery (artisan-crafted gluten-free breads out of Oakland, CA http://www.mariposabaking.com/index.html and gluten-free pastas. Thanks Massimo!!
  

Next time, I will share more gluten-free essentials...until then, be well!!!!

Food for thought....comes from Abraham Hicks : "Every time you say, "I appreciate that. I really like that. I applaud that. I acknowledge the value in that." Every time you do that, you spend some of your Energy, and it is the spending of the Energy that creates a vacuum, so to speak, or an attraction, so to speak, that draws more and more and more and more."

*I haven't figured out why the post is appearing with so many fonts styles and colors...hmmm.

Fresh juice

How I start my day....


I love to start my day by going to my garden, harvesting some greens (kale, swiss chard, parsley).












I wash off a couple of whole organic carrots, celery, a quarter of a red beet, and peel an orange.


Then I put them into the juicer (my friend Christina loaned me her Breville Juicer-which is an amazing juicer) and voila! the most tasty, smile-making, nutrient-filled, alkalinizing and beautiful nectar you could imagine!!

When I the fruits are ready and ripe, I have the great fortune of going into my yard to pick Gravenstein apples, Santa Rosa plums, navel oranges, and lemons. Fruits and vegies are most beneficial to eat right after picking, they are most vital and alive with nutrients.

- I highly recommend it as a great way to start your day!!

We are spirit beings having a human experience!

Just wanted to mark the passing today of a friend, Bill Weir. Bill lived his life fully, maybe not within everyone's view of social convention...but with gusto and passion! Everyone who knew him had a "Bill Weir story" This man has a huge number of friends and family who supported him until his last breath. It was a good thing to witness.