SIMMERING SQUASH

Simmering Squash in my Crock Pot

Slow cooking today the last of my garden Butternut squash circa Oct, 2009…these little babies were the ones I grew in my only-slightly-successful circle bed of Three Sisters…beans, squash & corn, the ancient inter-planted companion staple foods for simple nutrition & long storage. Mostly I struck out in that cute little circle bed – no beans to pick, a dozen small, short ears of corn & these few puny squash. Ok – I did have one fabulous and huge squash, but she seemed out of place with the others…

The bed was a converted hard pan walkway in partial shade that I dressed with compost & turned, so maybe I shouldn’t feel too bad – but, still – wished I could have eaten a lot of lovely sweet corn last year!! I won’t be trying corn again with my shade problems & space issues…look out Farmer’s Market!
Seeds from my biggest squash are already to sow & start in the  “greenhouse that is becoming”…now, that is an exciting thought!

-Annie

4 REASONS TO AVOID CORN SYRUP

4 REASONS TO AVOID CORN SYRUP

My last post pictured a basket of commercial snacks.  If we had looked at the labels, chances are – they ALL had high fructose corn syrup ingredients.   Here’s the story on that…

By now, you’ve more than likely seen one of the ads put out by the Corn Refiners Association. The ads tell the story of a “natural” sweetener made from corn. They go on to insinuate that high fructose corn syrup has been unfairly portrayed and that this truly American ingredient is fine in moderation.  But what are the facts about high fructose corn syrup? How is it made? Is it healthy in moderation to the body and the planet? Here are the facts…

1. The Process of Making High Fructose Corn Syrup is Pretty Weird

First of all, there’s nothing natural about high fructose corn syrup and it most certainly does not exist in nature. The process starts off with corn kernels, yes, but then that corn is spun at a high velocity and combined with enzymes: alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, and xylose isomerase, so that it forms a thick syrup that’s sweeter than sugar and VERY cheap to produce. That’s why it’s poured into a huge majority of mass produced processed foods.

2. High Fructose Corn Syrup – “CAN’T STOP EATING IT”…

High fructose corn syrup interferes with the body’s metabolism so that a person can’t stop eating. It’s truly hard to control food cravings because high fructose corn syrup slows down the secretion of leptin in the body. Leptin is a crucial hormone in the body that tells you that you’re full and to stop eating. That’s why it’s so closely associated with obesity in this country. It’s like an addictive drug.

3. There Might be Mercury in Your Corn Syrup

… according to MSNBC in one study, published in the Journal of Environmental Health, former FDA scientist Renee Dufault tested 20 samples of high fructose corn syrup and found detectable mercury in 9 of the 20 samples.

4. The Environmental Impact of Corn products & High Fructose Corn Syrup!

Corn is grown as a monoculture, meaning that the land is used solely for corn, not rotated among crops. Most corn is GMO,(genetically modified) so that toxic cocktail of pesticides is used to reduce the pests which love large monoculture crops. Monocultures can deplete the nutrients in soil and lead to erosion. In addition, the pesticides pollute our soil and ground water.

Skip the High Fructose Corn Syrup

Make Your Own Snack Foods…instead of buying the prepackaged variety. This way you can control your ingredients and use safer sweeteners. You can also save some major dough and reduce the amount of packaging that your family throws away.  You won’t be eating as many snacks because they take time to create. Make some homemade cookies together – it is fun!

Reference: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/avoid-fructose-corn-syrup.html

FOOD ‘CHOICES’ – ARE THEY CHOICES AT ALL???

FOOD (or Food Substances) ‘CHOICES’ – ARE THEY CHOICES AT ALL???

So easy to use our rational brain cells & think…  “we can make new food choices if we just know what to eat”.  From my experience it is not that simple at all.  Food choices are the result of a lifetime of taste preferences, habit, habit, habit, and availability and more…

Food selections during transition to a healthy diet requires at least ALL of the following:

WILL

DESIRE                                                                    

EDUCATION

BELIEF

ATTENTION

TASTE RE-EDUCATION

IMPRINTING

RE-IMPRINTING*

AVAILABILITY (of real food)

NON-AVAILABILITY (of ‘food like substances’)

ADAPTABILITY

INCOME PRIORITY FOR FOOD

MAKING DO WITH WHAT IS HERE

*(as much as 6 weeks of re-imprinting)

And – most of all – ENJOYING  the foods you eat!!!

Tackling the reduction of food addictions – which many of us modern eaters are dealing with – is a book in itself.  Each topic on this Transition List is a potential chapter in this “psychology of eating” book!!  I do not pretend to understand how to make this process work out.  It depends on the depth of commitment & deep-seated comfort that food & eating offers.  In my own pervasive “foodie” history – when offered a new way of eating in early adulthood, I changed my habits & choices instantly.  I had the desire, I used will power, I was getting an education in new foods & nutrition as a health foundation, I made availability a prime focus, I wanted to partly because of being surrounded by new friends whom I wanted to please & eat with!  It was 1970, and I became a Macrobiotic overnight.  I think it was a stroke of luck and changed the course of my entire life.

This option does not usually occur.   Especially nowadays – when highly processed, highly addictive foods are on every street corner in affordable and colorful bags… How can we resist if we are deeply unsatisfied & hungry after a day of ill-conceived nutrition?  These corporate ‘food like substances’ are always permeated with “Cravenol” – that indefinable something that keeps you munching until the bag is empty or your tongue swells up – which ever comes first…or – maybe you even keep eating although your tongue hurts!  Does the roof of your mouth ever feel like it is peeling off?  Oh, my – what has become of our food “choices”?

I admit to having gone over the limit so many times, and to think – I even have a degree in Health & Nutrition, I had a ‘real food’ childhood, I had an early start in good adult food habits – eating real food, enjoying simple tastes in the company of friends.  I of all people should be able to overcome temptation of corporate food like substances.  Why – I even have diabetes in my immediate family!  Note that “knowing” does not equate with “doing”.  Well, in fact – I do eat rather well almost all the time, with the exception of a desire for mid-afternoon sugar rush snacks …more true confessions later…

So – what can we do?  Certainly early education & availability of real food is the best starting point – school gardens & lunch programs could change the entire food landscape in a generation. 33% to 50% of these kids are at risk of diabetes, and that will change our Nation & Health care system in a way we cannot begin to imagine.  Watch the movie for inspiration:  FOOD, INC

Read Michael Pollan – any one of his books will do, the easiest is the newest – “Food Rules“.

So, let’s put our attention immediately somewhere – start by having good food at home.  Using crock pots & simple salads, a kitchen garden in every household, even the busiest of us can begin to transition.  Availability will go a ways toward helping the change.  The rest of that “Food Transition” List is going to be a lifetime work for each of us.  What a fix we have gotten ourselves into!  Nothing else to do but to go and have a nice meal & give thanks that we have waked from the nightmare & can see the road ahead.  See some HEALTHY Food movies with your family -  suggestions include -

“ALL JACKED UP” – Teens discover they are uncontrollably addicted to corporate foods

King Corn
Super Size Me
Fast Food Nation
The Future of Food
Our Daily Bread [meat industry - DO Not watch unless ready to become veggie]
Two Angry Moms [school lunches]

and – the exceptional – Jamie’s School Dinners – about lunches & gardens…

AVATAR – A MYTH FOR OUR FUTURE

AVATAR!

Hollywood has brought us yet another opportunity to tune into a possible future…

I loved it deeply, have seen it twice so far (3D was great!) and will see it again, I know.

Reading so many descriptions, reviews, got to give my own…

For me it was at least an offering to the vision of a beautiful future for our own planet – a vision of  community, shared food, simple life in nature.  Ok – that is merely the surface – I am trying to speak of DEEP ECOLOGY, the right relationships that can come with reverence for other Beings – be they trees or animals.  All of this was implied in the world of the Tribal Forest People.

I want to speak right now of our relationship to the meat we eat.  As a cook & nutritionist I have been through many phases of vegetarianism since 1970 when I discovered brown rice & macrobiotics.  I now eat a small amount of local or organic poultry & wild fish, as well as using broth from bones.  Although I do not kill my own meat, I have done so.  years ago I was a communal caretaker of goats, chickens, rabbits, ducks.  We fished and certainly i gutted, descaled & cleaned lots of fish as a child with my grandfather. I believe that we each should be able & willing to do that – to clean the organs, cleave meat from bone, access the animal’s raw biology & flesh.  If we cannot bear to think about that – how can we justify being carnivores – eating such an offering from the life blood & sacrifice of this Being?   And, so – I ask us all to question our inner truth, what do we eat, how do we offer it into our very metabolism, as it becomes part of our own flesh, do we give thanks, do we revere the life that has been lost to save our own?  It is the true spirituality of food, and an opportunity to again – say Grace, give thanks and make the food into love & a blessing to our bodies.  (And I am talking about plants here too, by the way)

So, let’s think about the hunting scenes…using bow & arrow, knife, a more equal challenge between the prey & the hunter…

In the words of Lauren Raine – www.threadsofspiderwoman.blogspot.com

…They even had enough anthropological understanding to include the hunter who prays over the body of the fallen prey, offering thanks for the gift of its meat – this is, indeed, what native peoples universally did in both myth and in practice, recognizing and honoring that the animal has sacrificed its life to sustain the life of the tribe. Most Americans do not equate the hamburger they buy with an animal that has lost its life, let alone do they comprehend a spiritual system that respects the exchange of life force and energy that has taken place. What a wonderful concept to introduce to the young people who watched the movie…

To finish – I invite each of you readers to see this movie as a deeper symbol of more than the politics between conqueror & conquered (European Invaders vs Indians, etc) and other wonderful analogies that can be made about resource extraction, but rather – as a mythology for the spirituality of nature & our place in it, the very Gaian Philosophy of Lovelock & Deep Ecologists such as Joanna Macy!  I will even take it one step further – in the scenes at the Tree of Life - we witnessed a ritual of healing involving the synthesis of an entire community acting & tuning as one – the possibilities of which break open our own limited beliefs in “Self & Other”.  Tune to each other, become true community, unite in compassion & shared life, healing.  Enjoy, live in joy, fly!  I think I got it.

FROSTY GARDEN UPDATE

Brrrrrrrrr, I moved from Michigan to California, to warm and balmy weather – right?

Let’s talk 12 degree nights this early December week, and my garden is uptight & hunkering in – as are we all!  Glad to be a human with a warm house, flannel sheets & cuddly guy in my bed…

As for my garden beds…well, i crunch around on the frozen mulch, and take a look…they are all frosty until almost noon, then have a brief fling with the slight winter sun until the poor things get shaded again and start to cool down.  I took the covers off my fabulous straw bale beds at 11am & put their little faces to the sun, gave them a deep drink of water, left it all open until about 4pm…which was too late, really – I lost a bit of gathered warmth, should have been open from noon until 2:30 maybe…

Soil temperatures continue to please me, the soil in regular raised beds was 35degrees at 6 inches deep noted at 11am, but the inner straw bales read 55degrees!  I MUST get an air temp measurement inside the covered beds to see if the “greenhouse effect” is working…

Also – want to figure out an end cap, as the ends are poorly gathered up, and loss of warm air to a cold/warm exchange must be happening there…maybe heavy cardboard cut to fit the hoop shape, and clipped on…

Eating fresh tree collards & cabbage that is holding up rather well despite the weather…hoping for rain tomorrow, and warming temps…

How to survive in case of global cooling…how much greenhouse fabric can we realistically use?

CUTE COMPOST IN A RAISED BED

Last week we found some free give away windows & french doors just down the street!

I took it as a ’sign’ & we brought them all home.

I am now preparing a space to build my long awaited

greenhouse/playhouse/tea house/shed  (final result is not actually pictured yet:)

which will be right on top of my former compost pile location.  Once the building is finished – the compost bins will be reorganized near its back wall, but right now it is not possible to have my working compost at the west side of the garden.

Just taking a moment to breathe deeply & offer gratitude for the beautifully rich soil we made this year from our kitchen waste!  Here is a picture of a tidy pile of last year’s magically transformed garbage (rich humus)  – now being placed around our small fruit trees, veggie beds, rose bushes & grape vines as we put them to bed for a long winter’s nap.  We are putting a generous shovel full (or 2) around each plant, then adding a layer of leaves on top to seal the warmth & goodness in.

So – how am I making my winter compost?

I am  starting to throw kitchen scraps into the empty northwest bed, and yesterday – on a whim, made a cute “frontage” for it – as it is seen constantly from the street by each curious passerby. This is due to my interest in edible landscaping, and desire to be surrounded by beauty & grace.  How can we make our practical kitchen gardens look fun & beautiful too – so that our neighbors appreciate the good looks as well as the practicality of the harvest?  I like to challenge my self with this thought as I recreate my garden space over the seasons.

Check out the picture of the frontage on this cute compost pile.  The lattice fence, flowering planters, glass globe & cabbages are seen by my neighbors.  Why bother?  I want us all to think about making things that we use daily as fun & beautiful as we can, while also being practical & time saving.  it offers everyone a moment of happiness & peace of mind.

This cute compost pile should be matured by mid spring, when I plan on using the area for successive plantings of “cool crops” such as spinach, lettuce & other greens.  I will turn the bed over in late winter, let it rest, spread straw over it, and after a few months – will plant it with early peas if possible, then greens over the summer.  it is shaded by the western tree line, a perfect place for leafy green crops.

Anyone can make a cool garden bed that doubles as a compost pile…just build yourself a raised bed, use it during the summer, and then – after you have harvested your yummy annual crop of veggies, you can clean up by piling all the tomato cuttings, cuke vines, squash leaves & tree leaves, straw & other dry carbon sources onto your chosen bed & begin to add your kitchen waste over the next few months.

I keep a shovel or better yet a pitchfork nearby in order to dig easily into the pile.  I also start in a corner & work my way around the bed clockwise adding fresh garbage into a new place each time.  That way the pile gets a chance to begin to heat up & compost nicely, and each fresh waste garbage addition finds a home with no other garbage surprise, but instead – is sandwiched & layered with carbon rich dry matter.

Now – if I add some worms, it will be an awesome worm bin!!!  Walk on by, and admire my cute compost pile…be sure and mention it to me too…

Keeping warm in these early winter frosts,

-Annie dirty jeans

PS I found a picture of this cute mini-greenhouse – isn’t it just adorable? And useful too…Creative projects with used windows…now that is another blog post for the future.

STRAW BALE PLANTER UPDATE – LOW TEMP OUTSIDE…

…BUT INSIDE THE STRAW BALES, IT IS 90 DEGREES!!

THIS MORNING AT 9AM, I CHECKED THE TEMP – OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WENT DOWN TO 30degrees LAST NIGHT.  THE GROUND SOIL TEMP MEASURED 40degrees AT 9am IN MY EXPOSED SOIL BEDS.  BUT, 6″ DOWN, INTO THE BALES, IT WAS 90!  THAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENTIAL I HAVE NOTED YET, a 50 degree DIFFERENCE!

THE BALES ARE NOW ENCLOSED IN THEIR COSY “GREENHOUSE” MATERIAL, LIGHTLY CLAMPED ONTO A PIPE CLOCHE, OPEN SLIGHTLY AT EACH END TO OFFER VENTILATION.  AS I STUCK MY HEAD INSIDE ONE END, I NOTICED A PERCEPTIBLE WARM AIR SPACE.  NICE WAY TO WINTER SOME VEGGIES.  LET’S SEE HOW THEY DO FROM HERE ON INTO COLDER WEATHER.  I WANT TO GET A SET OF THERMOMETERS & DO A BETTER JOB OF MEASURING THIS PHENOMENON.

THE SECOND BED HAS BEEN RIPPED BY RJ’S CHAIN SAW & IS READY FOR SOME MANUAL REMOVAL OF STRAW CHUNKS, THEN I’LL PUT IN MY SPINACH BABYS & SOME OTHER SEEDS.  BRAVING THE USUAL ADVISEMENT ON WINTER PLANTING, LET’S SEE WHAT THESE BEDS WILL DO!

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT THE FREY WINERY TODAY -

IT IS AN OLDER STRAW BED, MAYBE A YEAR OLD,

NICELY COMPOSTING INTO SOIL.

AN EXCITING EXPERIMENT!

MORE LATER,

ANNIEGREENJEANS

Straw Bale Planters get covered for Winter

Today we worked the straw bale planting beds some more… Experimental straw bale bed # 1 – which was dragged together, cut  & planted several  weeks ago continues to be much warmer than the surrounding soil.  The rest of the garden soil has dropped to about 40 degrees at about 6 inches deep, but the bales continue to hold a temp of 65degrees, even in the upper 4″ soil portion of the planter cuts, as well as deep internally in the bales.  The bale at the west end, getting full sun along its high side, has a higher temp that fluctuates throughout the day up to 80 degrees!  Today we built a simple cloche or hoop cover for it.  Rebar, PVC, and quality greenhouse fabric will keep the temp inside above the rest of the air during the night, giving my winter greens a better opportunity for growth & water retention.   The arugula has sprouted prolifically & densely & so I moved the babies around by small bunches – to open areas for hopeful growth.  I am such a lazy gardener, saving time with these casual approaches to planting.

Bed #2 was planted with tomatoes last summer & did not retain water or do very well at all, for whatever reason.  I am hoping that the straw bales address the issue of water as well as amending with organic substance to the soil as it breaks down.  This experimental bed is in early stages – has had a few inches of rain, and got a late start overall.   The straw is still fairly dry inside the compressed bales, and does not register any temp variability from ambient surrounding soil.  I hope it is not too later in the year to get some temp increases as the straw fully wets & decomposes internally.  Does this bale planter need the sun’s heat to bring the temp up inside?  We will see.  We are cutting out the straw planters now, a time consuming job.  RJ is bringing his chain saw tomorrow to rip it up faster- he calls it “hogging it out”.  Once that is done, we will plant spinach starts & my ’saved seed’ broccoli rab.  Then we must wait for more good soaking rains. One it is wet & filled with rainwater, we will cover it with the fabric.  If there is a great temp increase inside, we could have the makings of a warm greenhouse effect! Very excited to see how this works out over the winter.

The handsome coco lined hanging basket that was used as an “upside down” tomato garden last summer never did well either.  Seemed too dry always…only a few cherry tomatoes dared the hot dry conditions to actually redden up.  The salad greens appear to be much happier in their small but moist winter home.  Ambient air temps will be a factor in this little garden’s success, but…So far – so good!

BODY, MIND & SPIRIT CLEANSE WITH ANGEL FARMS

A CLEANSING RETREAT IN HAWAII …

All about Angel Farms – 10 day full intestinal cleanse- body, mind & spirit!

The Rolls Royce of cleanses…a full cleansing & de-tox program based on ancient medical wisdom & modern medical knowledge –using the best of high tech equipment in a location designed just for this purpose…

The client – that’s me – comes to it just as I am…

Full of anticipation, excitement & full of shit!

Laurel & I landed on the Big Island of Hawaii October 22nd. We had a great drive around to the Hilo side, and found our little vacation home in the dark.

It sounded like we are near the ocean, and boy – by the sounds of the frogs, we are near the jungle too!

The next morning – we arrived at Angel Farms – set in an old Hawaiian style plantation home…a beautiful Big Island day –very warm & moist as the sky rained intermittently and huge fluffy clouds moved through the sky when it was not actually raining. Avocado trees grow right next to the lanai, and big yellow guavas are dropping fruit all along the road & drive. Paradise!

I first met Cindy Sellers about 9 years ago when I did the cleanse in California, and was so happy to see that she has not lost any sparkle – in fact – has gained in wisdom & love Laurel loved Cindy immediately – she is so filled with confidence, information, and most of all – love!

We began an orientation & discovered our responsibilities include drinking a full gallon of water each day (We are 80% water, the brain is 96% water!…and the kidneys need help flushing out old stuff & toxins so the fresh water can take its place. In the morning, it is suggested that we drink a cup of pure water first thing – it feeds the brain. Soft foods, nothing that requires chewing are going to be our diet for the next 10 days – rice, soup, fruit, – and no coffee, tea, meat, dairy, soy, peanuts & processed foods that disturb the intestines or causes more work for them. We are rerouting energy from digestion to regeneration. The idea is to give the intestines a “rest”! And – yes, I want a full rest too…in all ways – mind, body & spirit.

The miracle of the colon is that it regenerates in 72 hours. During the Cleanse, each day we take in 20 gallons of energized water. It flows gently through, cleansing out the inner lining, old pockets of leftover food matter, parasites & other stuff we would just as soon not have in there. The colon has not nerve endings so we can have large impactions or ballooning & not feel it even as it takes space from organs in the area. As the impactions & pockets are cleaned out, the area needs 72 hours to heal and become elastic & normal, so the soft foods we eat allow everything to rest & no pieces of unchewed food will catch in the area. (If you have to chew it – don’t eat it)

Chew your food really well – every meal, every day…that is Cindy’s mantra. I am reminded of a childhood song – I think it is an old Camp Torenta song –

“Chew, chew, chew your food – gently through the meal, the more you chew, the less you eat, the better you will feel!”

Here is Cindy’s official description of the program…

Angel Farms offers a 10-day Cleanse of the Body, Mind and Spirit. You will journey deep into yourself to Cleanse and remember your truth. You will discover the Powerful, Creative Being that you are, raising your vibration to a Clarity of Purpose and Peace in your Body, Mind, and Spirit. Our program helps people out of pain when they are ready to release it. Haven’t you hurt enough?  With 20 years experience and over 4000 Graduated Angels from all over the world, we can help you find peace and happiness again.

Angel Farms Ministry is “A place where Angels come home to remember who they are.” Our graduated “Angels” have journeyed deep into themselves to Cleanse and remember what their purpose and truth is. They discover the Powerful, Creative Beings that they are, raising their vibration to a Clarity of Purpose and Peace in their Body, Mind, and Spirit. Our program helps people out of pain when they are ready to release it.

Our entire family takes part in this program. Larry, my Beloved husband of 28 years, is a certified Reiki Master, Ortho-bionomist, Angel Touch Therapist, and a Crystal and Sound Healer and is the Chef who prepares incredible soft foods and adds the Divine Alchemy of Love in all his preparations.

The first program that I wish to describe is the 10-day cleanse, in which 12 people participate. It is a journey, a shift, a re-birth into transformation. It is a natural, age-old process, incorporating pure water and various herbs. We use natural gravity flow and FDA registered units, to gently flush and eliminate toxins that have been held in the body for many years. By removing the toxic material, the body is then able to absorb nutrition, and heal itself miraculously. The clients have an excellent opportunity to see what has been released from their bodies. Not through some goofy glass tube either! How are you supposed to see what that really is?  During the process we use Hot Stone Therapy, Aromatherapy, Ozone Therapy, and Nutritional Counseling. On approximately the 7th day the “Angels” do a liver cleanse in which they access their stored anger and release it. Thousands of stones are released from the body the next day and the new blood flow is awesome. We have witnessed many miracles on the 8th day. The program also has an Orientation Meeting before each Cleanse to inform “Angels” of the day-to-day mechanics of The Cleanse. The Cleanse is followed by a Graduation Ceremony in which we film the miracles and they celebrate their new, awesome, selves.  We have thousands of miracles filmed.

Transitional therapy works hand in hand with the 10-day Cleanse. Cindy will take you back to before you were 8 years old, using relaxation techniques. This helps clear emotional issues that challenge your life now. This process is one of self-realization and empowerment, helping “Angels” knows that their choices and challenges are not to be judged, but honored.

Part of the program includes specific nutritional soft foods each day.

We follow “food signatures”

such as: pecans and walnuts look like a brain; therefore, they feed and nourish the brain. We include these ingredients on the fifth, sixth, and seventh day, which is when we are cleansing the transverse colon that feeds the brain. Other examples include: carrot/eyes, onions and garlic/lungs, celery/bones, etc. The nutritional program speeds up the rejuvenation process because this food is easily absorbed.  We witness people get younger every day.  Wrinkles disappear, eyes get clearer and whites get whiter. Even hair changes from gray to full color in 10 days!

*NOTES:

“OWN YOUR JOURNEY” (Belief in hereditary disease? Powerless to change? Then it is not true)

“HONOR THE BODY IN ITS INFINITE WISDOM & INTELLIGENCE”

Relaxation does not mean resignation.

WATER/CONSCIOUSNESS/DIET

“Water is a master healer & teacher –a small spring with a little faith can move a mounain.”

*FLORA-

Never eat yogurt during an antibiotic as it reduces effect of the medication

*CAFFEINE WISDOM:

COFFEE – CAFFEINE & TANNIC ACID (used to tan leather )

~ on an empty stomach, hardens the lining so it cannot break down proteins, also kills bowel flora

~Always eat protein before using coffee or tea & use a bowel flora at night to regenerate the flora.

~Quit caffeine by putting a few instant coffee granules under your tongue – stops headache

*Rt Hip is where the god food comes into the colon, so parasites hang out there & get fed (last day of cleanse)  Most hip replacements are the right hip….why?  Because of this problem?

CLEANSE RULES:

NO TEENY SEEDS OR FRUIT PEELS, NO BIG PIECES AT ALL

*DRINK ONE GALLON OF WATER A DAY!!!

-NOT Distilled water – which is only to be used for treating specific joint mineral reduction (2-3 weeks max) – never as a lifestyle, body will leach minerals to bring it into line with electrolyte needs

-The brain senses plain water as water, adding lemon or tea =”food”

Implant of herbs & food is done at end of the 20 gallons of purified water colonic (leave in ½ hour or longer)

~~~

Stress response: unpredictability, lack of control, lack of outlet for feelings or frustration

The lymphatic system moves over 45 pints of water a day. It centers on the navel. We are reviving that system also. We are invited to use the trampolines for 5 min a day – to move our lymph even better.

~~~

Each area of the colon gives nutrient into the blood stream of a specific body area & its organs, thus each day of the Cleanse, a different area of the body is going to be affected by the cleansing of that colon area mucosa lining. The doctrine of food signatures further suggests the foods that are best for “refeeding” that area once it is cleared.

MY Daily Journal NOTES….

DAY 1 - Thursday -Left Kidney – Judgment of others, criticism – Food Signatures:

Kidney Beans, Potatoes, Kiwi, Bananas, Celery

I was awakened by the sounds of the night jungle change – frog song fading away – giving away to the dawn song of birds & the sounds of the surf. The endless rolling surf crashes on the rocks beyond our lanai in translucent turquoise waves, and I am unbelievably going to be living here in this coastal house for a while!

We arrive at the center as a warm & sultry day begins – a low silver sky hangs over the dewy green trees. The place is warmly welcoming – lavender & green painted walls overlook the outdoor dining room & kitchen. How nice to live this way! I spend too much time indoors at home…

Drinking a gallon of water today is very hard, I am a bloating balloon, full & bulky, realizing I can’t afford to drink tea or juice since I want to save room for all this water!

Laurel is unsure of her feelings – the water is too much, the ramping during treatment seems difficult, so I reassure her that it will get easier to do, probably even tomorrow!

The blended kidney bean soup after my Cleanse is so nice & savory, nourishing, flavorful. We would have appreciated rice also.

The day passes with a great tour of the rocky & picturesque south coast – driving to the lava flow, (pictures of lava flowing on the road!) tasting honey of local lava blossoms – tastes like it has butter added!

~

DAY 2 – Friday – Spleen & Pancreas, Left Lung, Left Breast – issues: Joy, Love & Immune system communication, , Mother Issues

Spleen = Love; spleen relates to pineal, which controls white blood cells

– increased WBC = Attack on body itself (autoimmune; Neg=Worry)

Pancreas = Joy (shaped like a smile)

- Diabetes = lack of joy = sweet tastes desired for replacement

Food Signatures: potatoes, carrots, egg, squash, onion, garlic, ginger (Soup: veggie Thai Coconut)

~Doing the Angel Farms Cleanse in Hawaii offers a great choice of foods that we cant imagine having in Calif. Papayas are a particular favorite of mine & I look forward to having one every day. Laurel is missing her boys a lot today! They are missing her too; Adrien doesn’t want her to go & end the skype video they connect with. Colt is realizing how important she is to the ease of work & flow of family life in their household. We all need more appreciation for each other.

DAY 3 – Saturday –Heart – Issues of Grief & Sadness– Food Signature: Tomatoes

I woke up at 6am feeling great! Drank warm water wih lemon & honey, ate some papaya, discovered that taking the bentonite & psyllium solution in pineapple juice is the way to go. lie in the dreamy state of relaxation between slight cramping points as water passes gently in, and “blooping” of – who knows what – passes out! A few parasites are now gone, and some really old stuff! I feel lighter & stronger after the treatment – ready for action, the joint & body stiffness that has been plaguing me for quite awhile is going away! Lunch is a creamy tomato soup – one of the best tomato soups I have ever had… that is saying something – since I don’t like it usually…

Some thoughts – allow love to surround you, imbalance comes from a “lack” & leads to disease. The heart is not a “pump”.

THE HILO FARMER’S MARKET

Coconuts, Coconuts, Coconuts, Coconuts!! Everything that milk can do – so can coconut, and maybe better…our visit to the Hilo market today resulted as many & numerous yummy treats as we can justify as “cleansing” & also allowed on our soft food diet. Such delectable things as coconut tapioca pudding…and…

I Must mention the incredible local treat called “Hapea” – it is a stiff coconut pudding – very rich & addictive, laurel & I started buying it in “bulk” – several at once, and a comment – “I hope you are getting your own” was heard even as a pile of 3 containers was carried possessively around the market…

We also discovered wonderful sticky rice, steamed in banana leaf with no sugar – that was soft, sweet & felt good to eat. Better yet – Young coconuts taken right from the tree & carved by a good looking local dude…the young man used a machete for opening shells & was great to watch, and the yield was thirst quenching & tasty! I bought a few extra for later, since Saturday market in Hilo will not come around for a week

DAY 4 – Sunday – Lungs – Food Signatures: Onions, garlic, leeks, breadfruit(ulu)

It is raining, raining today – tonight we watch the food channel, and for the rest of our time here- we watch a food show every night – amazing visuals of imaginative & sculptural cake designs, large red frosted cupcakes, beautifully plated and unusual dishes being judged & discussed on “Iron Chef”, as well as the image of a man stuffing the hottest imaginable red pepper seasoned chicken into his mouth – a perfectly wonderful & fulfilling virtual experience for girls who aren’t eating very much right now. Interesting that the idea of local foods or organic foods or sustainable diet choices has not yet hit the food channel…

DAY 5 – Monday – Brain (The Senses) – Food Signatures: Walnuts, Cabbage, Cauliflower

Cindy says I am clear enough for a Liver cleanse, so I ate no fat at all since 10 pm last night. Today I stop eating at 2 pm. The details of this liver cleanse is from ancient text & modern knowledge – a wonderful synthesis of common sense medicine. I fall asleep at 10pm, with the feeling that my liver has filled & expanded almost like a sponge…and the sensation is very strange, but not uncomfortable…

DAY 6 – Tuesday – Stomach – Fear Center – Food Signatures: Yams, Squash

My liver cleanse release – I pass a few stones before we leave the house, but not many are in the tank after my session either – so it is best that I try again this week. This day is the day for Laurel’s Liver Cleanse Lesson – it’s all about the liver – 535 functions of the liver, why the cleanse technique works, the importance of it to our health & longevity, and how to best manage the schedule of food choices & timing of certain salts & oils that are used for this special cleanse routine.

One thing I did notice today, and will note again & again this week – is a strong taste of metal in my mouth for brief periods of time during the cleanse sessions. I have finally attributed it to the literal passing of metal molecules through the brain related area of my colon at that moment.

Laurel & I treat ourselves to pedicures as we each also get an intuitive & experienced massage from Elisha, in Hilo. She is intuitive & works special magic on my bad knee & the right hip congestion. I actually feel some heavy mass move out from the lower right colon as she massages the area upwards.

DAY 7 – Wednesday – Liver – Anger center – Food Signatures: Potatoes, Jicama

We chug our water & eat a double lunch before 2pm, when all intake ceases.

In the afternoon, I make a presentation on localization & sustainability for the Big Island, and promote discussion among the various groups working on aspects of this issue. There is a lively interchange, and the future of food here is very sustainable, as long as people are willing to eat taro 7 fish, fruits & wild pig. Just like before the modern influx of off-islanders…

DAY 8 – Lungs are being cleansed today…a chance to discover your life purpose.

Food Signatures: onions, leeks, garlic, breadfruit & broccoli.

It is also Liver releasing day for both of us. Both of our tanks are covered with floating little “stones” so we have passed this session!

A SPIRITUAL CLEANSING

After my Cleanse session I visit the small warm pool at Pohiki bay. How wonderful that no one else is there – it looks very clear & clean, the feeling of a sacred healing place, surrounded by jungle plants, coconut palms, surf sounds to the south, peace all around. Minutes pass as I float with my body suspended – buoyant on the surface of the warm salty water – a perfect way to rebirth my new body that is being cleared & cleaned outside & inside. Prayers & blessings pour from within – my soul is renewed, I have not felt this connected to nature & spirit for a while. I speak & sing my praises for this world, praying for health, wisdom, purpose, my many blessings of life!

Evening brings us back home to a small bowl of warm Homemade applesauce – so comforting after my food limitations, reminds me of my childhood, and happy days in Michigan.

Day 9 –Friday– Genitals & Kidneys – Food Signatures: Papaya, pears, eggs, kiwi, bananas

After the cleansing treatment, a very intuitive & relaxing healing session with Larry & a lovely soup for lunch, Laurel & I drive out to Papaya Farms Road – to find the raw food store at Pangaia Farm, ask around about raw local cacao growers, and buy some ripe papayas. It is an inspiring way to live – mostly outdoors, following natural rhythms of the day, rather than by a clock – lists of scheduled jobs or routine.

The drive is very beautiful, through lava flows, papaya fields, and tall bamboo, a jungle of “house plants” curves over the narrow road.

I am having food urges, can’t seem to get satisfied, keep opening the fridge & eating tapioca one spoonful at a time. New spoon in the sink, a few minutes later, I do the same thing again – fresh spoon, one bite, slowly taste & swallow.! Why? Not being sure, I distract myself with a book. My food addictions are real – and yet – a mystery sometimes. I want to be relieved of them. What if I ate for nutrition instead of out of boredom or nerves? Nerves? Gosh, I feel as rested & relaxed as I have ever been in my life, and yet – I eat again. Eating for pleasure, now – that is worth eating for…

Later -

The Full Moon shines into my room, the singing frogs play to my window. At midnight – I am drawn outside into the warm night for ceremony on the lanai. I sing to the Moon Mother, light of the night. She who reminds us of our own waxing & waning cycles. I am filled with love for everything.

DAY 10 – Saturday – Kidney – Judgment & Criticism & Hip – Fear of Major change

Food Signatures: Artichokes, kidney beans

I felt very light today as my feet hit the floor at 6am, very fully rested, and a breakfast of ½ papaya was quite enough to please me.

Another thing to note – drinking the gallon of water is now easy & natural, and in fact – by noon today I am ½ way there! The colonic was surprising; I released a 2 ft worm! He has been hiding in a pocket in my right hip area – which is still not quite pain free, even after letting go of that guy, his house, his friends, and a number of other older parasites. Not to mention the weirdly shaped dark and hardened matter that also came out the day after my massage with Elisha.

Cindy wants me back tomorrow to see if we can clear the area. I feel like I still have a tight area there…wanting it to be gone, will send energy there tonight & do some massage.

Laurel is also going for an extra day, so tomorrow am we lie on the boards instead of swimming with dolphins – it is ok, so worth the time, as it is why we came!

Graduation ceremony at 1pm is filled with love & instruction – wisdom from the masters, reminders of our future work with masterful chewing, good food choices, 2x/month tune-ups with liver cleanses for another 6 months from now. Time to be serious about keeping clear – in body & mind. Kaliko & his friend Azhtsu play music for us – guitar & flute – lovely Hawaiian style tunes with original lyric in Hawaiian, about modern life, love of Hilo, the island, and uplifted human condition. Very nice! Time passes with elasticity as we each relax into a sense of Being. Maybe everyone on Hawaii feels this way – relaxed & available to whatever the time offers, but for me – it is a wonderful sense of relief that I am not worried & thinking about the time – my desire to do this or that next thing rather than being fully present. The miracle is – that we are exactly on time to get a swim in the ocean, warm pool, & arrive back to Pahoa with plenty of time to see the owner of Puna Styles store. Dinner is going to be Thai food, and although most of the curried veggies are undercooked for our custom palate, the eggplant & potatoes are soft & just right!

AN EMOTIONAL CLEANSING

Midnight of Samhain, my ancestor calling is the deepest ritual I have ever experienced with my beloved dead. No altars to them, no photos, no ceremonial trappings of any kind – as I lie in my cozy nest between jungle & surf sounds – full moon shining in the window – I silently review my biological historical family, thanking each of them & asking forgiveness for my own part in any errors of lack – wanting only love & joyful relationship…esp. this is big with dad & Maxine, with both of whom I had a very real, long term & emotional relationship.  Now – tears are the way to cleanse the soul. My recent ancestors – First the Bogners, the Kalbfleisch clan, and then the Waters & Jones…so much to give thanks for! So many gifts – some of them real solid gifts of material things – Aunt Oral’s set of irreplaceable Franciscan Apple dishes, Grandpa Jone’s hand crafted solid Michigan Oak dining room table that so many happy family meals were eaten upon…and even better – the knowledge passed to me by so many loving mentors. Happy memories with distant yet sharp images… Riding shotgun with Uncle Larry in his convertible car, Elvis playing on the radio – arriving at the Cadillac drive-in for a special treat – a mug of root beer (this must have been about 1955 – was I really about 5-6 years old??) He seemed to know everyone, & a lot of beautiful young women were admiring him & looking at me too…so cool!  More memories than I can begin to recount, life is filled with joyous moments, never forgotten.

There is more – deep & revealing to me in my open state. At midnight, my personal full moon ritual on the lanai takes it all home – into my being – as the Goddess above & the Goddess within become one…

DAY 11 – An extra day for the Hip area, we both need it!!! I am finally clearing that pocket on the right side…which for the last year has been feeling like a heavy area of inflammation – sometimes even hurting like an appendicitis or ileal-secal valve malfunction after eating… almost every time when I have enjoyed heavy desserts.

Cindy talks about the probability that cleansing treatments like this can save you from a hip replacement. The right hip is the most common side for an operation – could it be from congested colons that could be cleaned out rather than having a huge operation?

We are now done, ready to go home and be attentive to the rules of our continuing process. For another 3 days soft food will help the healing of this last difficult area, and a liver cleanse in 2 weeks will seal the deal. Daily parasite cleanse will keep the bad guys away. Wow, we are awesome! I feel such love for my beautiful & glowing daughter – she is happier than I have seen her in ages, full of life, standing tall & proud, we are both this way, I guess I might be looking in a mirror…

WITH ALOHA,

Annie Waters

PS This post is as much about sustainable living as any that discuss solar installations or permaculture.  Health that can be maintained by the use of pure water flow is so very local & available to anyone!

Straw Bale Planting Beds –Building with bales!

WATER RETENTION

Last seasons garden was semi successful…I was happy to be planting a garden in the 5 raised beds bequeathed to me in this wonderful vintage home.! I discovered that this soil was also quite vintage, and so last winter we used each bed in turn as our compost pie. Then, in early spring I amended the beds with oyster shell, perlite, azomite, chicken manure, rock phos & other minerals. I was so used to dealing with the hard clay of my former garden, unfortunately I went too far toward building a permeable soil – and spent the dry summer dealing with a very silty soil that does not hold water well. Luckily, I have been continuing to make plenty of compost, and will correct that problem very soon. In the meantime, I am trying a great experiment in water retention & mulch for this winter’s garden. Frey Biodynamic Organic Winery is using these innovative straw bale beds in their old parking lot. Instead of tilling the compacted & hardened soil, they brought in a number of straw bales, made rows and proceeded to plant right into the bales, by cutting holes or “rows” & adding soil into those areas for planting. After 3 years the original beds are now made of wonderful humus about 4” deep, and the original soil underneath is getting healthy too! They inspired me to try this method in my raised beds. I brought in 4 straw bales, and laid them onto the soil in the bed, first removing about 3 inches of soil to use elsewhere. I was having a hard time cutting the straw until after the first rains, when it was really soaked through. Now I could more easily cut, reach in & grab handfuls of straw to remove until my hole was deeply set, and my little starts would be happy in a small bit of soil set into the decaying straw. It was a decent soaking rain, and I felt confident about planting now.

STEAM HEAT

An interesting development! As I was reaching into the first hole, I felt extreme warmth inside the bales. Richard has a compost thermometer, so he inserted it into the bale, and – wow! It was a 60° day, but the interior temperature was almost 140 degrees!!! Over the next week, as the bales slowly dried out, the temp went down to 120°, then 100°., then 80°, where it has stayed for well over a week. Today the soil temperature was 60 degrees in the rest of the garden, and the straw bales remain at 80°. The starts are doing just fine, not extraordinarily so – but showing normal growth rate for this cooling time of year. My hope is that they will get an edge from the heat, and in fact – I am going to use bales in another bed for some spinach, normally almost impossible to grow here in winter. I will use the hoop bed (see rear of picture) and add a “greenhouse” cover to it soon. The hope is that the decaying straw will add warmth to the interior of this mini-greenhouse – heck, I may be able to put my lemon trees in there!! And, then – next spring! Head start on tomatoes!! Ok, I am getting ahead of my self, but am very excited & hope to be reporting positive news in the next months – from this little experimental bale garden.

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