BALANCE IN OUR LIVES (ISSUE 168) MARCH 3, 2015

By Diane Gold

Balance in our lives seems like a “played out” expression, verbal hype that marketers, coaches or therapists (sometimes hard to tell them apart until we look at their wall) use to lure us into buying their coaching programs. But the reason so many people seek out the programs (like warriorsofweight-consulting), even if advertising leads us to them, is that many of us don’t have a system that works.

THE BALANCE FORMULA

I believe that we each need some sort of balance formula, a set of categories within our systematic approach to living our best life. For me, today, I have included:
1)   body-mind rest and renewal, without which we are not good to ourselves or others;
2)   support and love from family and friends, without which we stagnate;
3)   a satisfying way to be creative, without which we leave our artist untapped;
4)   a satisfying way to self-sustain, without which we are less productive (please note that not everyone needs to have a job or career; some choose to trade services; others choose adventures other than the regular work model);

5)   something spiritually rooting, without which we look for a root;

6)   non-chemical, non-polluting nutrition, which means without plastic and metal leaching from cookware and dishware, which means no genetic modification in the seeds, which means no type of food that causes global depletion (such as methane run off from livestock, dead zones from overfishing, soil depletion and desertification of land from animal grazing in dairy farms or cattle ranches) which leaves us with organic plant-based food;
7)   ethics, music, art, without which we are not whole human beings;
8)   joyful physical activity, without which we do not stimulate our body’s systems to stay healthy.

Which ones of mine are yours?

PLEASE NOTE

This formula does not include shelter and clothing, although these are quite necessary. It also does include something spiritual which does include self-esteem and other things that do not have to do with our physical nature. It is a general outline.

Suffice it to say there is no one right way or best way. I prefer this way, you prefer that way, she prefers a completely different way and he prefers a combination of yours and hers. The idea is to have one, or, at least, think about developing one. It’s handy, not too tough to create and comes in, oh, so handy, on a daily basis.

We may have heard someone say,

“I’m missing something,”

or

“I feel like there’s a hole inside me.”

Even the expression,

“I have to get myself together,”

means a gathering of behaviors, reactions and choices so that we more clearly live our best vision of and for ourselves and others at that point in time and onward.

We all feel, at least, a little as if we have to make some adjustment at one time or other. It’s part of the process we go through where we reshuffle ourselves to become more (here comes the word again) in balance, where we make personal changes to become more supportive of our goals and ourselves.

THE WHEEL OF BALANCE

We can almost think of the formula as a wheel of balance with each category a spoke. What I would put in as the categories that we need to balance life are these. As I said before, each of us may differ; although, we, humans, are not all that different and most of us would include these in our list.

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS: OUR ACTION STEP

Now that we have an infrastructure, a framework, an outline from which to work; we can decide what to keep, what to add, what to omit. So let’s self-evaluate, slowly, consistently and on a continual basis. Once we get ourselves in balance, we change. And we actually do change daily. So, it would make sense to go through this process frequently to see whether the balance in our lives required major or minor tailoring.

A good example might be for us to look at an aircraft in the wind. Whether it’s a hang glider or a jet, as the wind changes, which it does continually, the pilot makes changes to accommodate it, from mini-changes all the way up to rerouting or not flying.

This adjustment is something we should look at daily. It will serve us well.

CONCLUSION

The balance in our lives is really a process. It’s not one place we obtain and stay. As with the wind, there are always new goals, new conditions, new feelings, new advantages, new obstacles for which or from which to adapt.

Whether we compromise to accommodate a loved one or change a spiritual outlook or activity; it is important to include the entire assortment. In the meantime while each person is figuring out balance in our lives, the outline above is a starting point.

ANOTHER NOTE

I always say I am a better editor than I am a writer. In seeing the balance in our lives wheel, above, I immediately began to edit it. But, when we put too many things in, we get lost in the weeds.

So this is good for now. I’m sure tomorrow, I will see something new because I will be new. And so will you.

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DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement, certified in Whole-Foods Plant-Based Nutrition.

She believes that small, consistent changes in our lives mount to ever improving quality of life improvements. She says,

“If we are consistent and relaxed, we will make ourselves more fluid, more powerful, more meaningful, more healthy than the day before.

“We each look at life from a different perspective. Most of us require similar things, though: love from other people, creativity, productivity, music, art, fitness and a way to make some sort of difference. We each decide how to balance ourselves.

“And, then, there’s the great opportunity. We can make changes at any time. As we feel the need, we change to support our own balance.

“In the meantime, let us all take good care of ourselves, because we are so worth it!”

EXTINCTION: ARE WE RESPONSIBLE? (ISSUE 167) FEBRUARY 24, 2015

By Diane Gold

Let’s talk about Extinction and Loss Of Species, and are we responsible?

Yes, of course, we know that biology of a species, weather conditions, habitat destruction and ocean overuse, air quality or availability of whatever the species needs to breathe, food availability, water pollution, how the inhabitants of a planet nurture it and natural planetary cycle, all have to do with how long a species survives and how strong that species is.

Today’s article is written by our friend and colleague, Richard Oppenlander, D.D.S., dedicated researcher, who is one of the premier experts on how our food choices affect the sustainability of and species on our planet. He, in his very evidence-based and organized fashion, brings us information on how our food choices tie us to extinction and loss of species.

His last sentence is our ACTION STEP.

BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD CHOICE

by Richard Oppenlander (originally published at comfortablyunaware.com.)

There needs to be a correction, and also modification of a particular concept, to the recently published article I had written for the North American Vegetarian Society (“Meat: no longer just a factory farm issue” in Vegetarian Voice 2012) regarding biodiversity loss.

The “30,000 per year” extinction or loss of species statement I made is actually referring to species of animals, plants, insects—not simply animals (although the “animal” kingdom technically includes insects).

This figure was first brought to light by Harvard naturalist and emeritus professor of biology, Edward Wilson (The Diversity of Life, Harvard University Press 1992) and supported by Niles Eldridge (Life in the Balance, Princeton University Press 1998). Others such as Georgina Mace, Paul Ehrlich have extinction estimates as high as 70,000 to 130,000 species per year (7,000 to 13,000 times the background rate).

After speaking with and interviewing numerous researchers with the Species Survival Commission of IUCN (The World Conservation Union) and COBD (The Convention on Biological Diversity), about this topic over the past four months, I now feel there are many uncertainties surrounding attempts at quantifying the exact number of species becoming extinct per year. For this reason, it is more meaningful to view our planet’s current loss of species and the impact of our food choices in the following manner:

1) We are losing species of life as well as ecosystems on Earth at an unprecedented and alarming rate, estimated to be anywhere between 1,000 and 10,000 times the “background rate”—that which had been seen for the previous several thousands of years. Therefore, it is this massive rate of extinction rather than number of loss that becomes a more meaningful metric and cause for concern.

2) It is difficult, if not impossible, to accurately predict the number of species loss per year because of a number of factors. One of the largest unknowns is the exact amount of species that we have on earth, which is a needed component when attempting to determine total numbers of species loss when using an extinction prediction equation. This is one of the reasons the Species Area Curve Relationship method of extinction calculation has led to speculation and wide ranges of numbers of extinct species.

It is the feeling of most researchers today that although we have identified approximately 1.8 million species on our planet, there are most likely between 10 and 30 million that exist.

3) Regardless of the exact number of species becoming extinct per year, it is alarming at best and can be most attributed to loss of habitat—and the predicted future escalation will be due to habitat loss combined with climate change.

4) With estimates of 45% of all the land mass on Earth used by animal agriculture and 1 to 2 trillion fish extracted from our oceans each year (by fishing methods such as trawling, purse seine, long lines, explosives and other techniques that are damaging ecosystems)—eating animals (fishing and livestock production) is the largest contributing factor in habitat loss and constitutes the second largest sector implicated in anthropogenic [human caused] greenhouse gas emissions which lead to climate change.

There has been widespread thought that marine species were more resilient to extinction and our further exploitation. However, there is finally a growing amount of evidence that fish and wildlife in our oceans are as, or more, vulnerable to extinction than many terrestrial and freshwater species. Extinction – Fish Vulnerable To Extinction

Despite continued massive harvesting of sea life from our oceans, it is generally agreed upon by researchers not affiliated with sustainable certifying organizations that the amount and distribution of threatened marine species is, at best, “poorly known.” Our demand to eat fish cannot be taken out of the equation when discussing our abuse of natural resources, eventual loss of species, and climate change.

Habitat loss is far and away the most pervasive threat to terrestrial animal species, impacting 86% of all mammals, 88% of amphibians, and 86% of all birds. One in every eight birds, one in every three amphibians and one in every four mammals is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the near future. Overexploitation of animals for consumption remains a second major factor for extinction such as can be seen in wild meat trade in Africa and Southeast Asia and all hunting endeavors on land, globally.

Current biodiversity assessments (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, IUCN Red List, and the Global Environmental and Biodiversity Outlook) now generally agree that land use change, modification of river flow, freshwater pollution, and exploitation of marine environments are the most significant drivers of biodiversity change and loss of species. Eventually, ocean acidification and climate change will become increasingly important. With overharvesting sea life in our oceans and raising livestock on land (grazing or CAFOs [factory farms]), our demand to eat animals and animal products remains the largest contributing anthropogenic factor to those accepted drivers of loss of species on Earth.

Let’s eat plants, not animals, and inspire others to do the same.

RICHARD OPPENLANDER

Dr. Richard Oppenlander is a researcher who studies the effects of food choices on health and environment. A dentist by day, he lectures about how animal agriculture is the biggest driver of global depletion and talks about solutions we can implement. He has written Comfortably Unaware and Food Choice And Sustainability, both flowing books with a wealth of scientific back up about how our food choices affect our land, oceans, water, air, soil, health. A copy of both books resides in my local public library ready to be read. And yours?

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DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition in certificate course, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She is so pleased to bring Richard Oppenlander. She says,

“Richard brings with him the honesty to speak about what we eat and how these choices affect our planet. He is always interested in the truth, and, at the same time, cares about the lives of animals. He offers the idea that becoming moderate will not work because we won’t be able to change our climate and our planet in time if we take our time. His message is clear, and that is to stop eating animals, fish, fowl, dairy and eggs.

“I second that, since I think it is the right way to live.

“And, finally, let us all take good care of ourselves, because we are so worth it!”

PLASTICS IN FOOD AND BLOODSTREAM (ISSUE 166) FEBRUARY 17, 2015

By Diane Gold

Most of us consume plastics in food. We don’t set out to do it, but some of our plastic technology disintegrates into our food and, therefore, into our blood.

We buy cellophane wrapped produce which leaches into our food. We warm take-out dinners in plastic containers which leach some of their composition. Almost every can we use is coated with plastic-like substance to protect us from toxic aluminum. Bottles from beverages leach toxins. And then, there is plastic dinnerware that is easier to use than any other. Sadly, it allows for plastics in food.

BISPHENOL A (BPA)

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that has been studied to find that it can disrupt estrogen. It is found as one of the ingredients in many plastics.

Anila Jacobs, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, says,

“Although most of the chemicals making the culinary crossing are considered safe, it’s not because they’ve been proven safe; it’s because no one has proven them unsafe.”

Laura Vandenburg, post doctoral fellow, biology, Tuft U, Boston, mentions the amounts of BPA that leach are small and says,

“Almost any plastic container can be expected to leach trace amounts of plastics into food,”
and

“The levels of BPA in people frequently exceed the levels shown to have effects in rodents in these studies.”

She also mentions that BPA can be found in the linings in cans.

The National Congress Of Legislatures lists the following:

FDA has “expressed some concern” about BPA.
FDA bans BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups as of July, 2012.
The following states have banned BPA in plastic bottles or baby food containers that are intended for young, ages and exact items varying by state:
CA, CT, DE, IL, ME, MA, MN,NV,NY,VT, WI.
Washington prohibits sale, distribution and manufacture of empty bottles that contain BPA.
DC has banned BPA empty bottles if they are to be filled with liquid.
3 years earlier, Suffolk County, Chicago and Canada had banned baby bottles containing BPA.

Another 2 notes on BPA: the U.S. Senate has banned use of thermal receipt and cash register receipt paper because its BPA absorb into the skin at high levels.

According to a Journal of Environment Int’l. March, 2014, issue; BPA disrupts endocrine function and may change signals in feeding behavior. This may directly be related to obesity as neural circuits do not tell the body it is full.

BISPHENOL S (BPS)

As a result of pressure to remove BPA from many of our plastics; on some occasions, we have substituted BPS, bisphenol S. People are just hearing about BPA, so companies know that advertising BPA free on items plays on the public’s ignorance.

According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science study , published January 12, 2015; both BPS and BPA have caused abnormal brain development in zebrafish, a species deemed to be a good medical models for studying prenatal brain development to relate it back to humans. It also caused hyperactivity later in the growth cycle.

Unfortunately, BPS may be no better than BPA. So beware of the next chemical that arrives and know its safety first.

PHTHALATES

Phthalates are chemicals used in plastic to make it softer or more pliable. Picture one of those IV bags up on a pole that we see on TV or have received in the hospital to get fluids or medicine. The ones in the hospital contain DEHP, diethylhexyl phthalate. It makes the plastic less stiff so bags can be made with thickness to insure non-breakage.

Although the substance does not leach a great amount if the bag is used right away, for those of us who use the 1000 ml sterile bag 100 ml at a time, as many of us do for our animals’ kidneys; DEHP free is always best and poses no phthalate danger.

So, in humans, phthalates can disrupt hormones, particularly testosterone.
They are found in PVC pipes, perfumes, glue, detergent, paint, kids’ toy packaging, shower curtains, food containers, liquid soap, milk, butter, meat. It leaches into our food.

It is banned in the EU as well as Japan, Argentina, Mexico and 6 more.

ESTROGENIC ACTIVITY – VERY IMPORTANT

Plastics can contain chemicals, like BPA and BPS, that cause estrogenic activity. These chemicals mimic estrogen and have effects on reproduction and health.

George Bittner, professor of neuroscience and CEO of two plastics companies, warns very clearly that consumers shouldn’t settle for products that were merely free of BPA. They should demand products that were free of any chemical with estrogenic activity.

LEACHING OF OTHER CHEMICALS INTO OUR FOOD

Although this article is about plastics, it may be worthwhile to research aluminum leaching from pans, a variety of chemicals getting into our food from the non-stick pans we use. Ceramic coated pans break down quickly and toxify, whereas pure ceramic pans last a long time. Glaze on porcelain is probably passing lead into your food and, therefore, your bloodstream.

I looked into buying an all ceramic pan to replace my $30 wok from the discount store. It retailed for $135.

PLASTICS IN FOOD RESEARCH

Why would no company or agency do research on whether or not plastics are safe? The answer has to do with, you may have guessed it, profit. If companies did research about plastics in food, chances are, someone would hear about it and publish the results The big D companies and the conglomerate cookware companies don’t want to do any research that might show their products are dangerous. They also discourage others from doing them.

How? They don’t donate money to any entity doing this type of study; and, even if they were to commission a study, they have full rights to the information done in every study so that the researchers MUST share findings with these study donors and approve or disapprove publishing the finds.

Or they may make a donation to a research firm, entity, school so that the team does research on some other project. This is perfectly legitimate though not ethical. But the game of business sometimes chooses money over the greater good.

If it happens that some brave soul funds the project herself or gets a benefactor for the research; these mega companies will somehow promise ongoing donations to the university research lab or government agency research lab so that results from the independent study do not go poorly in favor of how unsafe plastic is for our food because the lab wants its money for next year and next year and the next.

CONCLUSION

Plastics in food are a reality. Our super solutions, like water bottles with BPA, BPS or our canned goods with phthalates were great ideas. Testing them did not go on long enough. Telling the public did not go on at all. And educating the public to how to choose utensils, cookware, drinkware is just starting to happen.

We are responsible for the knowledge. We are also responsible to know that manufacturers’ labels are put there to sell product, not educate us. Therefore, for everything we buy, it’s always a good idea to do the research first.

ACTION STEPS

1) Research containers that hold your water. Make sure you don’t research from the seller. Research the entire class of bottle for which you show interest, and see what the most current papers say. Again, make sure they are not authored by the manufacturer or on the manufacturer’s website.

2) Know that it is not enough to ask your friendly, neighborhood mall worker what’s in the cookware. Most people have no idea other than that someone said BPA was bad and the manufacturers’ sign says BPA free. Do the reading so you can help educate that mall worker and buy the best product for you that is certified Estrogen Activity free. And be on the lookout for the next chemical replacing BPS that may, again, be unsafe.

3) Pass on what you learn. Someone will be grateful.

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

If you need habit help, go to warriorsofweight-consulting.

FEEDBACK

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Please leave a comment below.

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Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition step and scertificate course, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She broke her last bowl the other day, Melamine, made in China. She says,

“I was graced to have broken my melamine bowl. In looking for another bowl for salad/dinner/etc., I realized there is very little out there that is leach free. When something says BPA free, it’s probably true. The formulation does not, however, tell me what it’s not free of, meaning what replaced the BPA.

“It’s probably time to replace the dishes; its definitely time to buy a few pots. All the new information has me doing research as to what might be the least harmful of each, with eye appeal and low enough price. It’s a fun adventure I look forward to sharing.

“Finally, let us all take good care of ourselves, because we are so worth it!”

NUT MILK MADE EASILY (ISSUE 165) FEBRUARY 10, 2015

By Diane Gold

Nut milk made easily is a fantastic discover. It is tasty, full of nutrients and loaded with fiber and phytochemicals. Yum.

NUT MILK

Nut milk is one of the most delicious, nutritious foods I have ever had the pleasure of ingesting, and, of late, of preparing. Until about a week ago, I had always bought nut milk: almond milk, flax milk, soy milk. The process began when I no longer chose to drink flax milk that was not organic. I had been happily buying this wonderful flax milk whose manufacturers promised they were working on putting out an organic version.

So, I switched to organic almond milk. Through researching the gum ingredients present in both the old flax milk and the new organic almond milk, I came to a conclusion. I no longer wanted to eat xantham gum and gellan gum. More than these gums’ being genetically modified, they were made from bacteria which I no longer chose to buy in my food. (True, when I go out to eat, I get all sorts of GMOs, bacteria and non-organics. But the socialization is worth it!)

TAKE ONE STEP

As with anything to succeed, we have to take one step, only one. With this in mind, I went back to the health food store representative who had talked to me about the ease of making nut milk. She was from that health food store that carries (on average) 70% genetically modified products but has many organics and fair trade principles and is one of not too many choices for consistent organics, some non-GMO certification and fair trade.

The rep I spoke with was raised as a plant-based, raw food eater and makes her own nut milk. She reiterated how easy it was to make it and said that a good proportion of filtered water to nuts or seeds is probably 4:1, that is, 4 measures of water to 1 measure of nuts or seeds. I had a framework and a simple instruction of what to do.

The instruction included the use of some type of straining cloth as for tofu or gauze which I didn’t have so I haven’t been using, plus my smoothies are always very thick and full of seed fiber. Another interesting thing is that it is not very common to find organic cotton tofu cloth. This means the alternative would somewhat defeat the idea of using organically grown, non-GMO, nuts or seeds, since most cotton is genetically modified and would have the distinction of being certified non-GMO if it were organic. So I had hesitated in the past.

But, since my morning breakfast consists of whole seeds, ground seeds and liquid; I have a very un-smooth smoothie and decided straining was unnecessary. And so, I was ready.

By the way, there are phytochemicals in the skin of some nuts that help the body with many functions; therefore, straining them out may reduce their effect.

I put 2 cups of filtered water in a glass with a little more than a half cup of almonds, fulfilling my ratio of 4 to 1 for nut milk. I found some chlorine-free parchment paper and covered the glass. I still haven’t figured out a way to stabilize the covering, but I put the glass in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, I put the water and the almonds in the blender and blended for about a minute. What I got was thicker than the store bought variety nut milk, was a lovely organic, perfectly fresh nut milk and did not contain any of the gums or supplements possibly made from the synthetics that are allowed by the Organic Board. And, look, Mom and Dad, I made it myself.

I was excited, and I hope you are getting excited. Because nut milk is easy. And, if we use vanilla, cacao, raspberry or any other plant flavors, we can make it exciting for flavor buffs, newcomers and kids.

HEALTH

There’s one great reason to drink nut milk: we love ourselves and care about our health. According to the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine, 75% of the world (25% in the US) is lactose intolerant. This is true because most of us lose our lactase enzyme (present in babies and toddlers) which allows us to successfully break down milk for use by the bloodstream. So, some of us, after age 3, cannot break down milk and notice difficulty in drinking it.

(For my mental health, I prefer not to enslave cows, when we have alternate sources of food.)

There’s a lot of research done on the association of the protein in cow’s milk, casein, and the development of cancer. According to T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study and other research by other academic, dietary and cancer institutions; a modest level of casein can activate cancer cells that might otherwise have just lived quietly in our body til the end of time.

CONCLUSION

Aside from the health aspects, nut milk made easily is a supreme convenience for me. It means I can make nut milk as long as I have nuts and a blender.

If we use flax seeds, we can extend our money by 3 times the store bought variety, and there is no organic flax milk I know of without those gums about we spoke. Although I wanted to learn how to make flax milk, I switched from almonds so that I didn’t use up all my money. To make organic almond milk from my rough calculation and dependent upon where we shop the organic almonds) costs about the same as the store bought variety or 25% more, but the almond milk tastes amazing and fresh.

I am going to calculate the cost of flax milk, since that is what I’ve been drinking. I’m using a ratio of 5:1 since flax is thick.

1 bag of organic golden flax seeds costs $4.29 and contains 24 oz, 48 tbsp.

I use 1/2 cup of seeds, which has been turning out to be about 5 tbsp. to my 2.5 cups of water.

If I keep it very rough for math ease, this means I get (almost) 10 servings per bag. (It would be exact if I had 50 tbsp.)

Each serving is 20 oz. (2.5 cups of water).

A container of flax milk (or organic almond milk) at 64 oz. is about $4.29.

Again being rough for math ease, that means I get 3 1/4 servings from the store container.

But I get just under 200 oz. (20 X 10) with my home-made variety. That’s equivalent to just under 3 X the amount of milk.

For people who are watching wallets (and that’s most people), flax milk is the way.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT FLAX

I soak flax seeds overnight, and then, I grind them to break open the hulls. This is a mess. But, I like it. It’s less money than buying the high speed machine that devours every part of every food so grinding is not needed.

The reason that grinding wet flax seeds is messy is because their consistency turns into gelatinous substance. Fascinating, but it’s hard to clean out the grinder.

ACTION STEPS

1) Get some organic nuts or seeds.

2) Soak them overnight to break down their walls for easier absorption and to rid them of their natural toxins.

3) If they have hard hulls, grind them first. Then, after grinding or for those hulls that don’t need grinding; put them in the blender, along with their water.

4) Strain the solids out and/or drink them with the milk.

5) Enjoy!

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

If you need habit help, go to warriorsofweight-consulting.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website and at

WarriorsOfWeight on Facebook.

You can also follow us on Twitter: @warriorsoweight.

Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition in certificate course, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She finally took a step toward nut milk. She says,

“I am always talking about talking one step. I have been considering making nut milk and finally took the one step. I have only made flax seed milk and almond milk, but I am excited about making more. I also drank the water that was left from cooking my organic chick peas. Because of its deliciousness, I am being stimulated to do more experimenting with foods.

“Many things come from just one step. I will keep everyone posted on the nut milks, and I hope I hear about your adventures, too.

“Finally, let us all take good care of ourselves, because we are so worth it!”

OLIVE OIL SCIENCE (ISSUE 164) FEBRUARY 3, 2015

By Diane Gold

Olive oil science is much more elusive than discussions about how great olive oil is. There is lots of vague discussion about how it is bad for us when it smokes. Much like treated wood when it burns, the olive oil spits out toxins which produce free radicals, nasty suckers that cruise the body for a place to move in and couple. My goal in writing his article was to find the science behind all the generic verbiage about what happens to olive oil at smoke point.

MISINFORMATION?

We learned from someone’s grandma that sauteing garlic in olive oil is great for us to activate flavor and activate enzymes. True enough. But, there may be concern about the heat required to do this. And the browning of the garlic may not tell us we have smoked the oil. And what about lovely olive oil when baking vegetables in an oven higher than 350 degrees Fahrenheit?

THE BIG DEAL

Free radicals cause chronic disease, decay, damage, cancer as they change our DNA. So we have a duty to know about the cooking/heating process and what can happen to us, our friends, our wards, our customers and our families when we heat food. We have to be thoughtful to bake veggies at no more than 350 degrees and consider using other oil for stir fry veggies, grilling veggies, sauteing and roasting over the maximum temperature which is around 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

VERIFIABLE SOURCES

During my olive oil science search, I read about many TV chefs who use extra virgin olive oil for sauteing, roasting and grilling and lots of consumer opins about how, if the TV chef says it, it must be right.

This led to my personal search for whether or not I should I have soaked flax seeds, ground them, grind after soaking for flax milk. I came across this quote about verifiable, scientific reference,

“Nutrition mavens tend to recommend […]but never give any valid, verifiable, scientific reference(s) for their preference. If I can’t find independent research that supports their claims, why should I trust them?

“If you can enlighten me – especially if you can give me references to solid articles in peer-reviewed journals that I can access on the web – I’d love to hear from you (subfuscpersona, a member of the fresh loaf blog put out by the Federated Media Publishing Food channel).”

And there it is!

OPINION OR SCIENCE?

I found a 2007 online entry where someone from a university answered a query about olive oil smoke point. I would have much preferred it if, as business director of his university’s nutrition division, he had acknowledged that he is knowledgeable by training even though he raises money now since guessing is rampant.

Mary Flynn, PH.D., RD, Associate Professor, Clinical Medicine, Browns U., says that high quality extra virgin olive oil can be heated to 420 degrees F before it reaches its smoke point. If this is true, roasting at 400 degrees would be safe.

Canadian Center For Science & Education, article 21763-14350 says olive oil is

“resistant to oxidation because of its low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and the presence of natural antioxidants.” That gives a piece to the puzzle.

Mark Sisson, a pop blogger with a BS in Biology, says that oil, when it’s overheated, literally deteriorates chemically. The rate of the breakdown (and total formation of toxic compounds) is dependent on the type of oil and temperature. To this, I say that so many unsubstantiated, vague comments are out there. (Please keep reading for the reference Mark has brought us.)

SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION

Happily for all of us, Mark goes on to cite an article that explains what is produced and what is toxic about it, for which I thank him. It is from Science Daily’s June 17, 2005 article, sourced from Elhuyar Fundazioa (translated to Language Foundation), from U of the Basque Country Pharmacy Faculty.
Their studies explain that decomposition results in creation of hydroperoxides and, eventually, increasing levels of aldehydes. These structures are marked as toxic compounds because they have oxidized.

The article talks about how the oxidation process causes free radicals, incomplete anatomical structures, which don’t just hunt for chemical balance through theft. That would be bad, but they do more. They cause a chain reaction of “stealing” from previously healthy structures, altering DNA, causing chronic conditions (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/06/050617065306.htm).

Possibly the simplest explanation I saw was one by Henrik Hallberg Jensen, Master of Science at an oil filtration company, C.C. Jensen, in Denmark. I caution that he is talking about the oxidation of crude oil, but the process seems to be the same,

“Oxygen is reacting with the free radicals of the hydro-carbons, which, in turn, form hydro-peroxides. Hydro-peroxides are unstable and [are] soon broken down into ketones and water The ketones oxidize further, forming aldehydes or organic carboxylic acids.”

Jensen goes on to say that the acid causes corrosion, the sludge increases the viscosity and blocks valves as well as other system components. Can we compare his mention of blocked valves to clotting in our arteries caused by oxidation?

VITAMIN C PROTECTS AGAINST TOXIC CONDITIONS

A study published in the Proceeds of the National Academy of Sciences, Dec. 28, 2004, shows that Vitamin C can create a conjugate substance that will bind to the toxins mentioned in olive oil breakdown and render them benign. This process is, at least, one of the reasons Vitamin C is a great antioxidant.

CONCLUSION

The search for olive oil science has been educational and, I hope, ends up being informative. From vagaries to credentialed discussions; it has been a fun journey.

Although I do not have the credentials of the following commenter, she refers to credibility in commenting, and offers an unverified opinion,

“You cannot test oil for its smoking point on your stove. The so-called ‘smoking point’ is actually the point at which the molecules of your oil start falling apart. This happens long before there is any visible smoke above the pan. At the point where you can see the smoke, it is already too late.” (rumtscho at stackexchange.com)

So the conclusion to this article does not conclude olive oil – safe temperature for cooking. It does, happily, describe what happens to olive oil at breakdown. I would love to believe that I can continue to saute garlic for one minute and roast veggies at 400 degrees. But the jury is still out.

THE CASE FOR ELIMINATING OIL

I just finished a chapter by Caldwell Esselstyn, MD, who recommends we remove oil from our diet because it interferes with the endothelial cells’ production of nitric oxide without which our blood vessels do not stay dilated and with which our cells get sticky and blood more easily clots. I am considering this science.

ACTION STEPS

1) If you know a dietician, nutritionist, chef, natural doctor; ask about extra virgin olive oil and its smoke point. More than one answer may surface, but it’s always good to do the work.

2) Write back to us and tell us what you find about olive oil science.

3) Look for olive oil that is organic, with a recent harvest date that is cold pressed (that signifies no chemicals used during extraction, done by mechanical means while controlling the temperature.

4) Keep your Vitamin C levels up.

5) Follow a raw vegan diet for a day or a week. Obviously, when no heat is applied to food, the original nutrients and phytonutrients remain. Pick a favorite vegetable and search a free raw vegan recipe including it.

Article inspired by a discussion I had with my friend, Chef Collin Cook.

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DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition in certificate course, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She is fascinated by our habits with food and is happy to correct mistakes she and others have passed on due to misinformation. She says,

“I’m still not certain about the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed and organic. What I do know is that there is enough information telling me that heating it past a certain point is definitely unhealthy. With this ammunition in hand, I will make better choices when using it.

“Researching this article was fabulous. It took a lot of opinion reading before I actually got to some science for my sake and the health of others.

“Let us all take good care of ourselves, with this information, because we are so worth it!”

WHO PAYS? OUR HABIT OF NOT PAYING FOR OUR FOOD (ISSUE 163) JANUARY 27, 2015

By Diane Gold

Our habit of not paying for our food is common. Since most of us are basically moral and would not thoughtfully take food without growing it or compensating the grower for it, this statement needs further discussion. We’ll start with the upfront premise that it is our duty to preserve our humanity and whatever else lives on our planet with good food.

DEFINING “PAY”

To start, let’s consider what we mean by “who pays.” To pay is to compensate or trade someone for a product or service. One of the ways we pay is through consequence for an action, or through some type of suffering, which is the focus of this article.

WHO PAYS FOR OUR FOOD?

Who pays for the land, oceans, water, soil, pollution of our resources used to produce our food? We may think that all is well because the farmer legally buys the land or section of ocean from the state or previous owner in/on which to cultivate; s/he then pays to prepare the topsoil or the ocean area; s/he then pays the water company for all the water needed for growing and slaughter (for non-plant farms); s/he then pays the workers to work the land or ocean. Neat and tidy, right?

It seems as if it’s OK that no one is paying for all the resources because we work hard and pay a price at some market for the end result. We probably think that the cost of resources is included in the price.

Newsflash! Currently, no one pays a monetary price for this. Everyone’s grandchildren will pay for it.

Strange as it may seem, the farmer doesn’t pay money to deforest forests or to desertify land or to dead zone oceans or dirty rivers. Nor does s/he pay money for lack of water which occurs due to overuse. Nor does s/he pay money to place carbon, nitrous oxide or methane emissions produced from the farm or for depletion of oxygen and marine life due to the fishing/fish farming industry.

This means no one pays financially for the circumstances we create, and no one pays to clean what we dirty.

So, who pays? Our grandchildren pay. They pay by being handed our situation multiplied by a great deal. Not a nice gift, even if we are able to gift them money to begin to clean up our mess.

Because species are obliterated, our air supply is not clean, our land has been stripped of its usefulness, our rivers are polluted and our oceans have become sick or dead zoned, money we give to our grands cannot fix everything.

(If we wanted to look from a health perspective, we also pay because eating meat, fish, fowl and dairy cause health issues. So, we pay with our health.)

EDUCATION

And why aren’t we fixing it now? I choose to believe we don’t know any better. That’s where education comes in.

Miseducation is a way not to pay for our food. But, someone pays. When we are not teaching about how farming overuses land, soil, air, oceans, water and deletes certain species (that we have not yet even discovered); we contribute to deforestation. We are going around as if we have the right to continue the way we are. If we’re breaking our original edict, to preserve humanity, uh-oh.

If we don’t educate ourselves because we listen to Big News which is close friends with Big Agro which miseducates us or omits how agriculture drives global depletion fueled by our gluttony; we are closing our eyes and failing to learn. Many teachers are not yet aware of the vast differences in land, oceans, air, soil used to farm animals or plants. Even if we don’t mean to do it, if we don’t investigate how we are not paying, we perpetuate the hurt.

LAND, OCEANS, SOIL, AIR, WATER AND SPECIES

We use up our land, oceans, soil, air, water through farming. It is even approximated that we use up species by using rainforest for farming.

There are 8 million estimated world species of which we have catalogued about one-eighth. Many of these species are in the rainforests. Western medicine gets as much as 25% of our wonder drugs from the rainforest. So, it might be fair to say we are throwing away a hefty amount of potential cures by making extinct about 100 species a day for deforestation which works out to 1-2 acres per second for agriculture.

NOT PAYING: ANIMAL-BASED AGRICULTURE VS. PLANT-BASED AGRICULTURE

Unless we are in one of the agriculture businesses or are investigating the topic, we might be surprised to know that animal agriculture (including fish, fowl, dairy) and plant agriculture have different environmental and health effects. Here are some facts that might be eye opening:

1) The U.S. Government subsidizes the cost of meat, fish, poultry, dairy; so we don’t really know its real cost, even excluding global depletion costs. If the demand does not provide livelihood and we are finding severe health issues with this type of consumption, why are we subsidizing these industries?

2) If we had to pay for the depletion of land, soil, water and oceans; we would only be able to afford to buy the lettuce, tomato, pickle and hamburger bun that goes with the hamburger at the fast food restaurants around the world. And this wouldn’t include paying for endangering or making extinct any species from deforestation. Aren’t species priceless, though? (Comfortably Unaware, Richard Oppenlander, p. 108)

3) 1.5 acres produces 37,000 pounds of plant-based food but only 375 pounds of meat. That’s about 1,000 times as much plant-based food as animal-based food on the same land. (Food Choice & Sustainability, 2013, Richard Oppenlander)

According to http://cowspiracy.com/facts’ compilation,

4) It costs 18 times as much land to farm animal food as it does to farm plant food.

5) Plant-based eaters use 50% as much carbon dioxide, 9% as much oil (for manufacturing and processing), 8% as much water and 6% as much land as meat-based eaters.

6) It is estimated that plant-based dieters save one animal’s life daily.

7) For every pound of fish caught, it’s estimated that 5 pounds of unintended fish are caught and thrown away plus 650,000 whales, dolphins and seals and are killed accidentally each year by fishing boats.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

8) “Of the top 15 causes of death, a plant-based diet can prevent nearly all of them, can treat more than half of them and in some cases even reverse the progression of disease, including our top 3 killers.” (Michael Greger, M.D.of NutritionFacts)

CONCLUSION

Based on these concepts, our habit of not paying for our food is hurting us (most of all in the health department), because who pays? We all do. Most of us, even in the food industry, are not concerned for what we don’t pay. We are interested in what we do pay and look for ways to reduce this. Here are some action ideas to consider. It is true, when we do anything, we affect something. Thus, it’s our responsibility to act.

ACTION STEPS

1) TAKE COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY

John Perkins told a story about the Shuar Tribe in Ecuador. One of the community came back to the elders with news that a plant along the trail was healthy when he went by, but 72 hours later, when he came back, the plant was sick. The elders had a council meeting, conferring with a wise one who said the plant gave a sign that the path was overused. They decided to take community responsibility and ruled to close the path.

Sounds right to me.

2) PAY THE PERCENTAGE

Everyone could join in paying for the resources. The farmer and finishing company or slaughterhouse/processor would have to pay for the percentage of destruction or global warming caused. The end user/consumer would pay a higher price for the product.

3) REQUIRE EDUCATION run by a team that can never work in any of the industries or a government position on which the education focuses, so there’s less chance to slant the truth.

4) REQUIRE TRANSPARENT, ONGOING STATISTICS configured by scientists who can never work in government, farming, lobbying, consulting so their stats are not swayed by bonuses or future opportunities.

5) CREATE PERCENTAGE ENFORCERS who get paid extra for finding violators.

6) EAT PLANTS,
for health and planet.

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

If you need habit help, go to warriorsofweight-consulting.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website and at

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You can also follow us on Twitter @warriorsoweight.

Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition in certificate course, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She loves talking about our habits with food. She says,

“So much of the way we eat has to do with the education process. Whether from our families or in school, it has influenced us greatly. We would never suspect that either of these places could misinform us.

“We now know that a lot of our family foods may not be healthy for us. We know more than previous generations, including how our bodies interact with food sources and what, from the past, is untrue. As with every generation, our parents or grandparents did not have what we have, nor the speed with which to share it.

“It’s our responsibility to investigate what’s nutritious, whether the stories that meat, fish, fowl, dairy are unhealthy and whether eating plants can stop starvation and preserve us. It is ours to care for ourselves, our planet, our sisters and our children. The perfect reasons to run right out and do research for ourselves on everything I’ve said in this article.

“Finally, let us all take good care of ourselves because we are so worth it!”

6 WAYS TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND LOVE IT MORE (ISSUE 162) JANUARY 20, 2015

By Diane Gold

To be more productive and love it more, (1), because we actually will be making a critical difference and (2), because we will be having a great time doing it, is a common aspiration. Who can make that happen, though? There are so many compromises and lots of complicated layers to everything.

True, life is multifaceted, but we can set ourselves on a path of productivity, combined with one of ethical action and awesome happiness. To follow are 6 distinct ways we can do this, any one of which may enhance our lives. We are all unique and worthy. Loving what we are doing is part of it. Contributing through productivity is another.

1) MANAGE A PROJECT

Let’s say we wish to manage a project, but no one has assigned us this role. We can create our own project so that we create our own role as project manager. This can be done as part of what we do for our daily livelihood or as our own personal project. It can be for 1 minute a day. Everyone has that much time. It can also be for an hour.

In doing so, we feel satisfied that we have begun a project. Our actions lead to experience in the particular area of our project which lead us to being more productive as we become more familiar and thus more efficient at the project process. We engulf ourselves in work we love because it is our project. If we work for someone else and that someone else finds out about the project, that someone may get to see our project management skill. If we work for ourselves, we accomplish something directly related to our own passion or objective.

2) TAKE A CLASS

No matter what we are doing in our lives, taking a class makes us more productive. We will be around someone else who is passionate about the particular subject which excites us, raises our focus, raises perceived value on the competition grid of industry and usually makes us happy. One of the biggest reasons we get happy is that, during the interval of time when we are studying, whether online or onsite; we are not washing dishes – our own or someone else’s; we are not thinking about daily living items such as finance, relationship and we are in a different mental environment. We are increasing our ability to focus, and we are drinking from the well of knowledge that exists in the classroom. Learning new material about our subject may also enhance our livelihood. This spans courses from janitorial techniques to peaceful conflict resolution role playing to executive training on how to choose a productive team member more efficiently.

If we work for ourselves, we will branch out in course knowledge for ourselves or our business. If we work in the hierarchy of a company, we will bring more to the table and see the job that we do with new eyes.

3) COOK OR RAW A NEW MEAL

When we make our own food, we are caring for ourselves. We get to create nutritious art plus we get to make ourselves healthy by choosing ingredients that include vitamins, minerals, nutrients and phytonutrients that fortify us from harm and make us strong.

Making this meal, we have a chance to be super productive by choosing to use ingredients that have been sustainably grown with no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or genetic engineering; without rainforest destruction, without soil depletion, without using excessive land or water, without human exploitation for labor, without taking an animal’s life.

4) USE A VIDEO CAM, MIRROR AND VOICE RECORDER

Whether we are working on self-esteem or want to gain more from the way we sound; the camera and the mirror always help us see ourselves as others see us. The voice recorder allows us to hear what we sound like. We can go to the webcam or the mirror once a day and tell ourselves how amazing we are. We can start by saying,

“I’m wonderful. I’m kind. I’m happy. I’m helpful. I’m hopeful. I love my life. I love where I live. I love my team. I love the animals in my house. I love my town. I love you. I love myself. Thank you, self, for being who you are.”

But any words can be used. As long as we’re consistent, we’ll get great at it.

If we’re using the webcam, we might also get proficient at making videos for family greeting cards or making videos for marketing our product or service. If not, and, if possible, let us record what we say so we can hear our great message to ourselves.

Here’s a sample video of a young girl doing it some 5 years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg

5) MEDITATE, DANCE OR RUN

There are a few choices when choosing to meditate. They fall into the category of moving or not moving as in doing tai chi or sitting in the corner.

Dance comes in many styles. We all like a different one.

Running can mean in place or moving distance. We can do it in place, on a track or on the street.

These methods all have one thing in common. Meditating, dancing, running all teach focus. This means grabbing the mind so that we control what it does. The better we get at this, the more time we’ll have because we won’t be thinking about a different task as we are doing our initial task. This makes us more productive.

These activities also recharge us so we can be fabulous and productive in anything we do. All we need is 1 minute a day to succeed. To meditate, we can stand with knees slightly bent, feet shoulder width apart, butt tucked. For dancing and running, we can pick our favorite style, as long as we are moving the body nicely. For all three, we can watch the breath we breathe in and the breathe we breathe out. All we need is 15-60 seconds.

6) ENOUGH REST

This one seems easy. Because we have such full days, we sometimes tend to overdo it before settling down to sleep. At these times, we might find we have not left enough sleep time to feel rested and awesome for our next day.

A quick trick that can give us enough rest if we should awaken and need more sleep, is to do one single liquid-like tai chi movement for 30 seconds, focusing the attention on the center in front of us. This exercise will make us feel as if we have just napped. I have even experienced the feeling that I have taken a 5 hour nap from one small tai chi experience.

When we have enough sleep, negative attitudes disappear; and we are in better condition to produce and love it.

CONCLUSION

Our 6 ways to be more productive (and love it) are action steps in themselves. They create a type of clarity through focus and self-nurturing that develops drive which causes productivity which leads to enjoyment and satisfaction. Simple steps, all less than a minute.

Here’s the review of the ACTION STEPS:

1) CREATE A PROJECT to manage and complete.

2) TAKE A CLASS in something to self-enhance.

3) COOK OR RAW A NEW MEAL for power, purpose and health.

4) SPEAK TO YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR OR WEBCAM for 15-30 seconds/day.

5) MEDITATE (standing or sitting with straight back), DANCE OR RUN, focusing on our breath.

6) REST ENOUGH.

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

If you need habit help, go to warriorsofweight-consulting.

Border 5ffb17

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website and at

WarriorsOfWeight on Facebook.

You can also follow us on Twitter @warriorsoweight.

Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition in certificate course, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She is grateful to be focused. She says,

“If we take on what we want someone else to give us, we will get our wish without waiting, and we will gain experience. If we take on a project that we have interest in, we will be fulfilling a dream. Either of these actions make us productive, the acts themselves as well as attitudes about them. They also make us love the productivity. And all we need is a minute a day. So, let’s begin.

“Finally, let us all take good care of ourselves because we are so worth it!”

5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH AND MINE IN 2015 (ISSUE 161) JANUARY 13, 2015

By Diane Gold

5 Ways To Improve Your Health And Mine will pick areas that are commonly important to us all. How can we go wrong with these options? Feeling healthy makes us feel happier, be more self-sufficient, be stronger on a daily basis, build our body’s foundation and position ourselves for a longer life. So, let’s consider whatever of these ways makes sense and add one to our lives for the new year.

1) BREATHING

 Obviously, we are involved in breathing all day. The body regulates this action automatically, if we don’t. But we can pay deliberate attention to it for extra health. When we slow down and pay attention to the air that goes in and the air that comes out, we build up life energy, almost as if we are storing valuables in a vault. Not much time is needed here, either. Just consistency.

ACTION STEP – EXERCISE (1)

For, at least, one moment during each day, for a minimum of a week, but, hopefully, for each day to follow yesterday ; agree to take a moment out of each day. This can be a 5 second interval up to 60 seconds, sitting or standing. It’s best to be alone, in silence, with minimal smells around, with no artificial light.

Close the eyes and watch the air as you breathe in through the nose.
Keeping the eyes closed, watch the air as you breathe out through the nose.

That’s it. The valuables you will be storing will make you strong of will, strong of body, strong of mind. The longer number of days you continue to do this action, the better it is for a balanced and increasing quality of life.

2) WATER

Water is crucial. The more fruits and veggies we eat, the more water we have to drink as water. As long as we keep our body’s water balanced, 65% of our body mass, we will be in good shape. The body has water inside our cells, called intracellular fluid. It also has water outside the cells, extracellular fluid, such as water in blood, spine, stomach, both of which have to be kept balanced. Food and salt intake concentrate the “out of cell” fluid while less dilute it.

Drinking more isn’t the answer. Drinking well is.

ACTION STEP – EXERCISE (2)

Drink one extra glass of water a day. But, for this glass, let’s focus our attention on the water as it travels down from the mouth to the stomach, rather than mindlessly gulping it. At least, one time a day, we will drink slowly and thoughtfully, for health.

3) STRETCHING

The great news about stretching is that we can do it almost anywhere. We have joints that move while we are stationary, so we can think of a body part and begin to move it. Moving it brings heat, blood with life-sustaining oxygen, and flexibility. We do not need any special exercise.

ACTION STEP – EXERCISE (3)

All we have to do is to move a joint, the head, the hands, feet, limbs, butt, belly button as far as possible in any one direction and then the opposite of that. An example of this would be pointing the toe downward and then flexing it or bringing the elbows as high as possible in front of the body and then as high as possible behind the body. Every movement requires care and focused attention on the body part of choice.

4) SUPERFOODS

In the past several decades, in the United States, there has been talk about superfoods. The word, superfoods, has been so overused by the nutritional supplement industry that it’s hard to know what’s marketing and what’s science.

My definition of superfoods is those plant-based foods that single-handedly have a huge supply of one or more nutrients and/or phytonutrients.

All of these substances have been used by indigenous people for nutrition and healing, such as maca (for the immune system and vital energy), cacao (for mood stabilizing and bones), spirulina (for vast nutrition), goji berries (for protein and high in anti-oxidants), and, recently, the mainstream media has caught on.

ACTION STEP – EXERCISE (4)

Add one serving of one superfood on a daily basis for one month or to follow from yesterday. I became fascinated with these foods as my energy soared. Maybe you will, too.

5) PRE-SLEEP THOUGHTS

Whether we sleep alone or together, taking a short moment to put a smile into ourselves before we fall asleep will cause relaxed mind and muscles and make for good dreams and restful sleep.

ACTION STEP – EXERCISE (5)

Before getting into bed, or, if you were there already, before deciding to go to sleep, decide to take a moment of time to think about happy sleep, putting worries aside, any heated arguments aside. This moment can take as little as 15 seconds. This is enough.

CONCLUSION

Improving your health takes a moment. Improving my health takes that same moment. I am ready. Are you? I look at it this way: every effort on behalf of our health gives us an extra day or week or month to create, learn or just sit. We have that extra moment that it would take to do any of these 5 exercises. They can only help.

Let’s be proactive to improve your health and mine in 2015, starting now.

If you wish to share your story, please hit reply in your email program to be contacted.

If you need habit help, go to warriorsofweight consulting.

FEEDBACK

We value your feedback very much.

Please leave a comment below.

Please LIKE us on the website and at

WarriorsOfWeight on Facebook.

You can also follow us on
Twitter @warriorsoweight.

Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition in certificate course, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She is grateful to be able to write and spread the word about so many great topics. She says,

“We have great opportunity to care for ourselves. Small efforts on our part make a huge difference in our lives if done consistently. Let us consider one small move on behalf of what our parents would want for us, and take one step to improve our health.

“This step takes good care of us, and we are so worth it!”

AT PEACE WITH DIANE GOLD INTERNET RADIO SHOW

How Health & Wellness Transform Us To Create Peaceful, Ethical Solutions For Others! Tuesdays at 2 pm

From integrative health to peacemaking, from disciplines, therapies, all world medicines, from nutrition to surgery to ethics to peaceful conflict resolution; join Diane Gold every Tuesday for a fun, thoughtful and informative journey into health, wellness and peace. ONE ACTION STEP will be shared during each show.

DIANE GOLD, THE SHOW’S HOST, IS INTERVIEWED BY NICOLE ALEXANDRA SHIPLEY

Diane is an expert in personal development
a passionate interviewer & the author of The Airplane Workout.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE (ISSUE 160) JANUARY 6, 2015

By Diane Gold

Making a difference is certainly subjective. There’s no disputing, though, that every move we make changes something. While one person might plant spices to get personal produce, someone else might be a mentor in a literacy program and another someone else might create a way to keep food stored more efficiently. Yet another person might be the clerk in a grocery store or someone’s car washer.

Everyone makes a difference. We each define how we will make that difference during the time that we have on this earth.

Here’s my list for 2015. I know that if I say it out loud to all of you, not only will I be transparent and committed out loud, but all of you will help me achieve these things on which I am working. And I always say pick one target, focus, goal. These are all part of the same goal, which is to educate on what we eat, deplete and wear to motivate replacement of old habits.

1) INCREASING FOOD LABELING AWARENESS

Food labeling is big, because, in order to notice what we eat, we have to know what’s in and on our food. And, our regulating agency, the Food & Drug Administration, has a slow and archaic way of labeling so that most of us don’t know what’s in and on our food. The chemical name for an ingredient doesn’t tell us if it is derived from animal, plant, microbe or a synthetic substance, and, wax coatings on produce don’t have a requirement to be as specific as I would like.

My way of making a difference with regard to food labeling is to continue calling retailers, wholesalers, produce finishers and the FDA to talk about better labeling. I will also call my senator and chat.

2) USING FABRIC FROM SOURCES THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE

Recently, after interviewing my friend, Danielle, I realized that I have not been conscious of the sources of my clothing. I always buy cotton day-to-day clothes because I want the fabric to be porous, which, I know, is good for my skin. I just learned that most cotton is genetically modified. Oy! So, my goal is to buy fabrics that are organic cotton or bamboo or hemp which grow back quickly. I’ll look around for good sources and spread the word.

3) SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DEPLETING

One of the most important things to me is to make certain people realize that every time we make a choice, we effect something. This includes the space in which we live, the air we breathe, the water we need, our forests and jungles and the other creatures with whom we share the planet. When we farm animals, we are using their lives at our whim. Plus, if all we care about is human advantage, animal agriculture depletes more resources than anything else. So we are not protecting our own interests.

It’s our responsibility to make better choices and more knowledge driven choices.

BONUS) COMPILING A LIST OF COMPANIES THAT ARE RUNNING SUSTAINABLY AND WHOSE PROFIT IS MADE THROUGH THE SALE OF SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

This compilation is very important to me. I am not looking to list every company, individually, although that would be great. I want to make a list of, at least, one company in each category, so that we, the people, can start to use these companies and to see that it’s possible to make a difference through our buying, the type of educations we choose and our eating choices.

HELP ME BY SENDING ME THE NAMES OF ANY ORGANIZATIONS OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES YOU KNOW THAT FIT INTO THIS CATEGORY. AND, IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO RUN OR WORKS AT ONE OF THESE ORGS,
PLEASE CONNECT US.

CONCLUSION

We all are making a difference every day with everything we do. Let’s make a concerted effort to shape the differences we make so that we:

(ACTION STEPS)

restore rainforests

clean up polluted lakes

provide sustainable food for all people

create a food production system where health & environment trump profit

actively pursue human rights

arrange health care for all people, regardless of their financial standing

provide for the elderly to live in dignity, regardless of income

use all our waste materials to produce new goods like shoes and fuel

compost and recycle daily (and have mandatory laws like San Francisco does)

require tai chi, meditation, kung fu and conflict resolution training in school systems beginning at age 5 to cause peaceful social behavior throughout life

require every school through high school to have music, art, physical education programs to advance creativity and sensitivity

cause a criminal justice system to evolve that is not based on revenge

purchase responsibly

run corporations, societies and universities with safe and healthy delivery of all goods, services and their production where providing for society trumps profit motive (with each entity generating healthy profits)

clean up after our sisters and brothers, even if we get no financial gain

___

Finally, some of us think it’s a joke that we don’t recycle, that we eat without concern for animal welfare or our own health, that we collect toys that are not sustainable. Thinking we are cool or have the right is not cool and not a joke. Each of our actions matters. We, not only, are involved in making a difference; we always make a difference. Let’s bow to the mistakes we have made through our education, industry and technology, and let’s adjust our mind set in light of our knowledge as of January 1, 2015 to be conscious of making a difference in a way we admire.

I wish us all love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GGRjxSJF4M.

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Thanks.

DIANE GOLD, PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR

Diane Gold, Founder of Warriors of Weight, Turning Habits Into Health, is a mentor in tai chi, kung fu and meditation, a music, fitness and stress expert, dedicated mom, studying plant-based nutrition, peaceful conflict resolution and habit replacement.

She is grateful to be writing these words. She says,

“It’s true, we are making a difference all the time. How many times a day are we living our truth as we make that difference? HopefulIy, it’s many times a day. Hopefully we are making good food choices, using less plastic, using less water, being creative, becoming still daily, forgiving our aggressors, getting educated daily.

“Whether we focus on it or not, we matter. What we do matters. What resources we use matter, including using other creatures, both human and animal, to do it.

“Let’s tighten up our ship so that our planet sustains, so that our oceans aren’t toxic for our grandkids, so that everyone has health care, hygiene and a decent standard of living. Let’s create the luck that we surely have if we have enough freedom and health to read this. Let’s act as if all children are our children. Because they are.

“Finally, let us all take good care of ourselves because we are so worth it!”