Conscious Living Magazine Issue 88 Spring 2012

A u s t r a l i a ’s

L e a d i n g

M a g a z i n e

f o r

H e a l t h y

E c o

L i f e s t y l e

Established since 1989 – Issue 88 Spring 2012

EARTHSHIPS

Recycled Eco Homes HEMP vs FISH OIL Protein for Peak Fitness Are you losing your LIBIDO? Dr Sandra Cabot’s Natural Solutions

Indira Naidoo Green Vision for City Living

COLOURFUL FOODS Boost Energy SMART METERS Health Safety Alert

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Is Your Child Anxious?

PYROLURIA may be the cause

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Contents Features

3 It’s A Village Out There – Could a shift to peasant culture be the answer to feeding the world? Martin Oliver reports 12 HEMP – Vegan Animal Friendly Nutrition for Fitness COMMUNITY 6 Indira Naidoo’s Green Vision for Growing Fresh Food in Urban Spaces 8 PAWS Perth’s Cruelty Free Vegan Cafe Feeding a Community

Issue 88 SPRING 2012 32 Smart Meters Negative Health Effects – Martin Oliver reports 35 Earthships Recycled Eco Houses designed for global warming TRAVEL & RETREATS 38 The Karijini An experience to uplift the spirit – Jacquie Walker 40 Sacred Valley Eco Retreat A Phoenix from the ashes CONSCIOUS PARENTING 42 Is Your Child Anxious? Homeopath, Kay Watts finds Pyroluria could be the reason.

GROWTH & AWARENESS

9 Queensland’s Currumbin Valley Harvest from broad acre to community allotments

44 The Nature Code The key to effortless natural transformation – John Thompson

FOOD & NUTRITION

46 Discovering Your Life’s Purpose Kelly Sayers

10 Organic Consumer Eco Vineyards Producing high quality Organic, Biodynamic and Low Preservative Wines 12 Hemp Oil vs. Fish Oil Dr Dionne Payn investigates 14 Fitness trainers and athletes Petra and Huon Urquhart use hemp protein to keep in peak condition 18 GM Wheat Trials Slammed by Safe Food Foundation HEALTH & WELLBEING 20 Healthy Consumer Reviews 22 The Colour of Foods and Your Health Ali Jardine’s story of how colour saved her life.

24 LOW LIBIDO? Dr Sandra Cabot’s natural solutions to increase your sex drive 27 Nature in a Bottle Young Living Essential Oils

CONSCIOUS BUSINESS 48 Healthy Employees Lead to Business Success with Dr Peter Dingle PSYCHIC & SPIRITUAL 50 December 21 2012 The End is Nigh Astrologer Richard Giles charts the transition 53 2013 Duty Calls Francis Bevan’s Numerology Forecast 54 Learning Life Lessons Fact or fallacy – Rev Bente Hansen 55 Book Reviews 56 Music Reviews Resource Guide 64 Conscious Living Expo Healthy Sustainable Living Resouce Guide

28 Hidden Causes of Hormonal Imbalances Dr Sherrill Sellman N.D. ECO LIVING 30 Eco Consumer 31 Breakthrough in Rechargeable Painton Battery Technology

Read more online at www.consciousliving.net.au

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Co-Creating a New Reality Healthy Sustainable Lifestyle Issue 88 Spring 2012 Publisher and Editor Patricia Hamilton patricia@consciousliving.net.au T: 08 98 482748 Assistant Editor Colleen Clay media@consciousliving.net.au Online Editor Jacqueline Walker web@consciousliving.net.au Advertising Sales Tonia Ricciardi sales@consciousliving.net.au Subscriptions & Memberships accounts@consciousliving.net.au Contributing Writers: Colleen Clay, Francis Bevan, Sandra Cabot, Peter Dingle Richard Giles, Bente Hansen, Peter & Jane Fleming, Pauline Hall, Ali Jardine, Janet Mawdesley, Aymeric Maudousa, Martin Oliver, Dionne Payn, Cara Pippen, Mike Williams-Rice, Kelly Sayers, Sherrill Sellman, John Thompson, Petra and Huon Urquhart, Jacquie Walker, Kay Watts.

Graphic Design Tanya De Nicola Cover Photo – Indira Naidoo, The Edible Balcony published by Penguin Books Publisher Conscious Living Co-Creations Pty Ltd ATF the PH Trust Unit 5/39 Strickland St, Denmark, WA, 6333 PO Box 527 Denmark WA 6333 Tel 61 8 9848 2748 Fax 61 8 9848 1198 info@consciousliving.net.au www.consciousliving.net.au Disclaimer The publisher and editor do not necessarily endorse the opinions expressed by individual writers or advertisers. Editorial advice is nonspecific and readers are advised to seek professional advice for individual issues.

From the Editor Dear Readers

Welcome to this 88th Edition of Conscious Living Magazine and our theme of healthy sustainable living made easy. In the seventies and eighties I was a fan of the Magazine, Simply Living and I have always been attracted to the ethos of living simply in harmony with the Earth.

I moved down to Denmark in the southwest of WA in order to be more connected with nature, while continuing to run the Magazine and Exhibition Business.

Three weeks ago our long awaited off grid solar system was finally connected and is now generating more than enough free electricity to power our whole house day and night. We have our own rain water, sun power, and fruit orchard and veggie garden. The freedom and autonomy of living off the grid on our own land feels fantastic. With the rising cost of fuel and electricity I highly recommend getting a stand alone solar system – even in the city.

We do need to be conscious of not wasting energy but there is a delightful rhythm that comes from being connected to the source of our energy supply. This is the same with our food supply. We have the luxury of being able to get our veggies from a local farmer down the road and our eggs from our next door neighbour so we collect only what we need for a few days and what is in season. Our food is grown on local soils and not transported hundreds of kilometres or kept in cold storage.

I recently embarked upon Dr Sherrill Sellman’s Fat Loss program to lose some accumulated weight and I have been amazed by the unexpected results. By removing the non nutritious foods I am not only saving money and time on shopping, I am enjoying the taste of fresh alive food and have more clarity around what is essential for my wellbeing.

Martin Oliver introduces our theme beautifully in his article on Peasant Cultures – It’s a Village Out There and gives us a wonderful account of the future of sustainable housing adapted to global warming, in Earthships. John Thompson presents an interesting idea of how we can transform effortlessly through connecting with the innate intelligence embodied in Nature and Richard Giles completes the year’ s astrological forecast with a sobering evaluation of the meaning of 2012. He places the much prophesized end of the world date in the context of cyclical astrological changes that are underway and will continue over a 100 year period or more. The take home message is that the future sustainability of the Earth is up to each one of us as individuals and collectively.

I highly recommend you refer to our Resource Guide for practitioners, products and programs to assist you in creating your healthier more sustainable lifestyle, The Guide features exhibitors who are participating in our 2012 Conscious Living and EcoXpo in Perth.

Wishing you ease, joy and happiness

Patricia Hamilton Editor and Publisher A Tribute to Dolphin and Water Birth Pioneer

Conscious Living Purpose

Estelle Myers 1937-2012

To facilitate the expansion of consciousness to co-create a world of harmony, love and wellbeing

On September 25th Estelle Myers, ecofeminist, water-birthing expert, baby swim educator and swimming-with-dolphins advocate died at the age of 75 years. She was killed in a head-on road accident at Suffolk Park, New South Wales.

Copyright Conscious Living Magazine 2012 All rights reserved ISSN 10336826 2

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Estelle had a deep love for dolphins, which led her to establish her Rainbow Dolphin Centre in New Zealand. Her documentary film about them, Oceania, won a United Nations Association’s Media Peace Prize. She was an influential visionary who saw her ideas manifest into movements. Water birthing is available in Australia; many mothers take their infants to swimming classes; and young, old and all ages in between have chosen to swim with dolphins, experiencing their uplifting energy. Estelle Myers has left us with gifts we may never have received, had she not been born.

We are grateful for her work.

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psychic & spiritual psychic & spiritual

people & community

It’s A Village Out There Is a major shift towards peasant agriculture the answer to feeding the world into the future? And could being a bit of a peasant be good for us? Martin Oliver reports.

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f you were to hear the term “peasant” today, a negative image would most likely pop into your head. The word has often been used to indicate a yokel who is uncouth and ill-bred, or an ignorant country bumpkin.

As far back as the beginnings of towns, a bourgeois middle class has looked down upon peasants as being lower in the social hierarchy. When technology evolved to make it possible, sophisticated townspeople turned their backs on the coarse fare consumed by country people, and ate “refined” foods instead, sometimes paradoxically paying the price with ill-health and degenerative diseases while their village compatriots remained strong and hardy.

The central characteristics of peasant life include a strong identification with place, with roots often going back several generations. With a restraint on self-seeking, a greater importance is given to family and community, and in many respects the village is an ideal social unit. Where the political system makes it possible, villages are also a good size for local self-government.

In such cultures, relative material poverty is usually coupled with a high level of self-sufficiency, and most essentials can be obtained without the need to depend on the vagaries of the market economy. Other benefits include companionship, good food, good music, and home-grown entertainment. As one person

who grew up in a peasant culture in rural France put it: “The only thing we were short of was money.”

SMALL FARMS BOOST YIELDS A peasant way of life is still in evidence in many of parts of the world, especially less developed countries. La Via Campesina is a large global coalition of grassroots rural organisations from across the globe that boast 150 million members. It was the first to coin the term “food sovereignty”, indicating the right of peoples to retain or evolve their own food systems instead of being subject to global market forces, and believes that this can best be achieved by smallscale peasant farmers. The data seems to back up this view.

In 1962, Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen made a fascinating discovery. He found that an inverse size relationship existed between a farm and its yield. In other words, the smallest farms were the most productive when measured per unit area.

More recently, a remarkable and under-publicised 2006 study by rural economics researcher Fatma Gül Ünal showed that Turkish farms of under one hectare in size are on average 20 times more productive than those of more than 10 hectares. Her survey covered all 7 of the country’s regions.

This principle, which contradicts conventional wisdom, has been confirmed by dozens of other studies. It argues for CONSCIOUS LIVING Issue 88 |

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possible to carve out a middle path involving the judicious use of low-impact technologies.

With a restraint on self-seeking, a greater importance is given to family and community, and in many respects the village is an ideal social unit

the value of small holdings in a world where agribusiness and mechanisation are mistakenly seen as the most “efficient” food production solution, and also receive the lion’s share of agricultural subsidies. It is possible than nothing short of a major shift towards peasant agriculture will be capable of feeding the world into the future.

VILLAGE LIFE UNDER THREAT A few centuries ago, the industrial revolution marked a major movement of the population away from villages to towns and cities to form a low-paid labour force in city slums. This pattern continues, largely in the developing world, and contributing factors include drought, poverty, land seizures and civil war.

Probably the most notable example is China. Since it joined the World Trade Organisation in 2001, tens of millions of peasants have abandoned the countryside, often in exchange for high-rise tower blocks in the new mega-cities. In their new lives divorced from the land they are tackling the very different challenges of depression and meaninglessness in a culture where money has become the primary goal, and where the skies are nearly always obscured by a shroud of pollution.

The American journalist Richard Critchfield devoted 25 years to capturing the essence of peasant life in several different cultures around the world, and concluded that it represented humanity’s greatest achievement. When he later returned to these villages in the 1970s and 1980s, major changes were evident, and community bonds were unravelling. Technology, especially the television, had led to different ways of perceiving reality. Villagers no longer saw themselves as being at the centre of “their” world; instead they were at the periphery of a far larger one.

For a peasant, technology and the modern way of living, with its comforts and convenience, can be irresistibly seductive. For somebody who inhabitants a climate-controlled virtual reality of isolation and boredom in suburbia, a more peasant-orientated lifestyle could easily have the same attraction. There is no denying that traditional peasant life was characterised by drudgery and social conservatism, but today there is no way to return to the past and deny the existence of the Internet. Instead, it might be 4

PEASANT IN TODAY’S WORLD Although the notion of living like a peasant nowadays might simply suggest wearing a fashion smock, there are other options.

During the 1970s, the TV sit-com The Good Life featured a couple who dropped out of the rat race and turned their back garden into a self-sufficient farm, complete with pigs and chickens. David Holmgren, co-founder of permaculture, has proposed a similar retrofit of the suburbs as a means of coping with the challenges of peak oil.

With the modern world fixated on consumption, the key here is to buck the trend and be a producer, even if the vegetables are just for personal use. As society becomes more orientated towards convenience, skills and crafts are at risk of dying out, and this fate can only be averted through practicing them and teaching them.

In order to embark on such a project in a rural area, it is ideal to own land, perhaps through a group purchase. Good examples include ecovillages and other intentional communities where the community bonds are strong, and where there is a resourceful selfbuild ethic.

Another solution is to combine suburban living and sustainability in an initiative such as Sustainability Street which is active in Victoria and New South Wales, and which operates under the slogan “It’s a village out there”. The Transition Movement offers a similar collective response to peak oil and climate change, with food-growing one of its primary areas of focus.

In his book Short Circuit which focuses on Ireland, Richard Douthwaite looks at how globalisation has encouraged the depopulation of rural areas by undermining their economic base, and the economic life of villages and small towns has tended to die off as car-based mobility has increased, while supermarkets increasingly dominate. These trends can be reversed by relocalisation, and through a variety of economic strategies including local financial institutions and targeted local investment.

A PHILOSOPHER’S PEASANT VALUES Tom Hodgkinson is an author and journalist who lives with his family on a rented farm close to the North Devon coast in the south-west of England. He is also editor of The Idler, a magazine that appears once a year. An enemy of mindless wage-slave drudgery, he encourages his readers to leave their boring jobs and spend the liberated time doing something personally meaningful instead.

After leaving university and finding himself out of step with the mainstream world of employment, he eventually encountered the views of slackers from the past such as Samuel Johnson, Bertrand Russell and Oscar Wilde. From these figures he developed a more positive conception of supposedly unproductive downtime.

Within his writings, Hodgkinson advocates for a return to peasant values, with an interesting but perhaps rose-coloured and romanticised view of the mediaeval era. Some of his points regarding this period included: • Hard work as a means of “getting ahead” was generally viewed as a lack of faith in divine providence. To put money at the centre of one’s life was seen as sinful. The Protestant concept of time as money was yet to lodge in human consciousness.

• Usury, the charging of interest on money, was condemned by the clergy as socially unjust. The Belgian alternative economist Bernard Lietaer draws attention to a mural in the Italian cathedral of Brixen where usury is the central design, surrounded by the Seven Deadly Sins.

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psychic & spiritual people & community

Above: An inverse size relationship existed between a farm and its yield. In other words, the smallest farms were the most productive when measured per unit area. Right: Today, hobbies have largely been supplanted with shopping and TV-watching, and the working population often feels that it lacks the time to pursue them.

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Trade guilds combined elements of the modern trade union, cartel and secret society. They set fixed daily prices for each item, preventing overcharging, and undercutting where one business could poach customers from another on the basis of price.

With a lower level of technological development, life was far more environmentally friendly. Wood was used for heating, and grain was ground using streams and windmills.

Everybody was far more self-sufficient than is the norm today, growing vegetables and herbs, and raising animals.

Hospitality and charity were important qualities, and wandering beggars were given food and drink in monasteries and private homes. Unlike today, there was no stigma attached to poverty.

In the place of individualism and self-seeking, people were neighbourly, and saw themselves as part of a community.

There was a strong emphasis on celebration, feasting, drinking and conviviality. Feast days and festivals were scattered throughout the calendar.

In his view, the start of the Industrial Revolution around 1760 coincided with the first human conception of boredom, brought about by meaningless work and an absence of engagement with one’s surroundings. Over time, our disconnection from nature and one another has increased to bring about the alienated modern world. Life in the mediaeval era had a clear meaning, even if it was largely religious in nature. There was no trivia, no banality, no media, no advertising, and logos did not exist.

When looking at working hours, Hodgkinson sees a life of being busy for 60 or 70 hours each week as an act of irresponsibility to one’s family and friends. Instead, he ponders shrinking the working week to 3 or 4 days. This in turn benefits society, as those people who work fewer hours for an employer are more inclined to contribute in other ways, including engaging in volunteer work or local politics.

Hodgkinson likes to couple voluntary simplicity with the ideal of being a generalist or bricoleur who is fairly good at a number of

useful things such as car repair, writing, gardening, making furniture and cooking, rather than possessing highly specialised skills in just one narrow area. In some less developed parts of the world such as rural Mexico, work is mixed with leisure, and there is no clear demarcation between the two. People will do some weaving, and then some gardening.

Today, hobbies have largely been supplanted with shopping and TV-watching, and the working population often feels that it lacks the time to pursue them. In reality, this is more likely linked to an imaginative blankness and lack of enthusiasm brought about by drudgery. Hodgkinson thinks that we should make time for hobbies, including supposedly “useless” ones such as birdwatching, sketching flowers and learning the guitar. He also puts store in the value of doing nothing for periods, and how it benefits mental health.

If we were to follow his advice, we would avoid worrying about following checklists, conforming to external value systems, and overloading ourselves with superfluous information. As a means of achieving this last goal, he has decided that November 1st should be celebrated as National Unawareness Day. We would also steer away from self-help books, especially those that tell us how to be happy or successful. It is far easier to just focus our energies on the things that give us happiness such as nature, gardening, family, friends, and creative projects.

Resources Via Campesina www.viacampesina.org/en Reclaim the Fields (UK) www.reclaimthefields.org Friends of the MST (Landless Workers’ Movement, Brazil) www.mstbrazil.org Sustainability Street www.sustainabilitystreet.org.au Transition Movement www.transitionnetwork.org The Idler www.idler.co.uk Martin Oliver is a writer and researcher currently living in Lismore (Northern NSW).

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Green Vision for City There is really no shortage of ideas floating around regarding how we can change our attitudes toward living a more sustainable lifestyle in a manner that allows us to align with our capacity in our built environment. There’s the growing movement of collective consumerism, car sharing, and sustainable energy options. Indira Naidoo has taken this many steps further.

Photos and article by Aymeric Maudous, Founder of EcoXpo

Where we will be in a century depends on what we do every day until then

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’ve read my fair share of books on sustainable living, green design, and energy alternatives, but honestly Indira’s Edible Balcony sets itself apart by inspiring a fresher look at sustainabilityfocused food growing in urban conditions.

It is not enough that we reduce energy use or conserve water. According to Indira we need to take a step back and have a more realistic conversation about how our food consumption by connecting deeper with Mother Earth.

Four seasons recipes The Edible Balcony is a wonderful and colourful read. More than interesting,

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it is engaging, and it covers a variety of captivating topics in regards to growing fresh food in a small space. The appropriate recipes that go with each of the four seasons make it a must read for anyone who has a balcony or small plot of land, and for anyone who loves to eat and know where food comes from.

Big challenges are met by individuals, as well as by individual actions. Where we will be in a century depends on what we do every day until then.

First, the book, with its wonderful colour pictures, looks amazing. In addition, the jute cover with the earthy texture enhances the passion behind the book.

Subtitled as How to grow fresh food in a small space plus 60 inspiring recipes, the book is more about being more connected to our urban environment, less about our limitations. There are a series of yummy recipes inside, all made from Indira’s food production.

Seasonal plants Each chapter begins with a story on the seasonal plants you can grow, whether it be basil, zucchini and cherry tomatoes in Summer; rosemary, peas and thyme in Autumn; mushrooms, strawberries and oregano in Winter or beetroot, sage and garlic in Spring. Indira provides practical steps to companion planting, climatic considerations (wind, sun and rain) and tackles beautifully with her new visitors: native and European bees, birds, butterflies

and other colourful beneficial insects that have settled in this oasis of fresh produce growing in one of Sydney’s most densely populated suburbs. Finally, each chapter covers illustrated recipes that use the various foods you too can grow in your little space.

My three favourite recipes are the risotto with zucchini flowers, peas and fresh pistachios, the spicy eggplant fritters and Selvie’s chicken curry with curry leaves: inspired by Indira’s Mum from a “not so secret anymore” recipe passed on for generations in her family.

What is very nice is how Indira gives the growing tips for each of the plants. For example, when showing us how to plant radishes, Indira tells us the plant will be ready for cropping in three to six weeks, that it likes a well-drained soil in a sunny or partially sunny spot, and doesn’t like overcrowding or aphids.

Useful, inspirational These easy to read sections are useful, inspirational and at times funny! This couldn’t be a better book for anyone keen on gardening, with already a green thumb or one about to grow, and for anyone who loves cooking.

For further information, follow Indira’s blog: www.saucyonion.blogspot.com

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S EARTHSHIPHom es Recycled Eco

HEMP vs FISH OIL Protein for Peak Fitness

Indira o Naido n Vision

Are you losing your LIBIDO? Dr Sandra Cabot’s Natural Solutions

Gree for City Living

COLOURFUL FOODS Boost Energy

Is Your Child Anxious?

PYROLURIA may be the cause

SMART METERS Health Safety Alert

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PAWS for a World -Changing Snack

By Cara Pippen

An innovative café in Perth, Western Australia, PAWS City is giving the public a taste of conscience-free food.

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Community Gardens Project s well as sit-down meals, takeaways are available from One of PAWS’ visions is to establish a nation-wide network of the cafés’ Snack Bar, Hot Box and Raw Food Bar. Community Gardens. These would be developed “for the people, The organic teas and coffees and the delicious vegan by the people” to transform previously under-utilised sites into cake made in PAWS vegan kitchen are ideal for non-profit enterprises bringing the organic food source back into afternoon tea. the urban, rural and remote areas.

The café also provides complimentary food to countless

people without drawing attention to their According to the nature of the sites and community financial circumstances, and they encourage needs, some would be developed into native the interaction and involvement from people PAW’s makes Australian bush food projects, others would of all walks of life with PAWS’ environmental cruelty free specialise in medicinal herbs, exotic fruits and quest. shopping just that vegetables, while others would act as non-profit bit easier and propagation nurseries to create a continuous Love and a safer world all products are supply of plants and seeds for other developing Behind the love and dedication infused into projects. the food and service at the café is the big available to picture of creating a gentler, more humane order online Clean green produce and safer world.

Community Gardens would provide education, Supporting this aim is WA’s original Cruelty training and employment. They would also provide Free Shop at PAWS City café. valuable clean, green produce for humans and many species of The shop sells only products free of any animal products. It wildlife. offers more than 3000 products such as: food, including health In supporting PAWS at the cafe and store, the public is able to products, raw products, allergy friendly products, kitchen staples, help this organisation’s visions become reality. The benefits flow confectionery, meat alternatives, ice-cream, desserts, snacks, into all areas of communities, creating a new style of global future spices, cheeses, milk; cleaning products; beauty and personal for humans, animals and the environment. products; pet products, including pet food, treats, shampoo, Already, PAWS has established a Community Garden in accessories and pest management; clothing, shoes, bags and Bayswater, growing fruit, vegetables and edible flowers for use in accessories; and Feng Shui products. the cafe.

The aim is to provide these products at everyday low prices so everyone can afford to live a rich and healthy life.

The store makes cruelty free shopping just that bit easier and all products are available to order from PAWS’ online shop.

The café and shop are linked to the development of other For further information contact People & Animal Welfare Society PAWS projects that will be beneficial for communities while Inc (PAWS); visit www.paws.org.au reducing the incidence of cruelty to animals.

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people & community

From Broad Acre to Community Allotm ents

By Peter and Jane Fleming

Currumbin Valley Harvest opens its gates.

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urrumbin Valley Harvest was established in 1987 when as two former broad acre farmers we decided greenhouse growing would be an attractive alternative to conventional farming. Opting to move to a small acreage with ideal greenhouse sites, we had no idea we’d become biodynamic growers, establish a local growers market and throw open our gates to those wanting to grow their own produce.

Our first step on this journey was to erect a large greenhouse.

We then secured a contract to provide the American market with strawberries out of season and bought 52000 small plants from Victoria. These were suspended A frames. All was in place for growing a healthy harvest, but nothing prepared us for the Queensland fruit fly, which decimated the crop.

As time passed, we trialled many crops, finally settling on tomatoes, capsicums and cucumbers.

Intense activity Tomatoes proved to be the king of our crops. Especially flavoursome, they dehydrated well. A large dehydrator was then commissioned, and we went on to sell conventional tomatoes and Dries. It was a time of intense activity and as the demand for Dries increased, these were dispatched to London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sydney. To meet demand, we had to build another greenhouse, which took our growing area to 7000 square metres.

Several more years elapsed and fatigue manifested itself: we decided to sell the original block and dehydrator, but remained in the valley.

The valley is a beautiful place in which to live. It encompasses a 20-kilometre stretch and is surrounded by tall mountains, rolling hills and plains. Blessed by volcanic soils, abundant rainfall and springs, it is ready-made for growing crops. The serpentine creek that winds its way to the ocean 20 kilometers away adds to the valley’s many charms.

Biodynamic crops Over the years we became very interested in biodynamic growing and made a 360-degree change. We allocated three quarters of the greenhouse area for ground growing and one quarter to hydroponics. The soil we’d previously covered in plastic was prepared and improved for the growing of biodynamic crops.

We began selling our produce from the farm gate, and created a weekend market for local growers of fruit and vegetables. For the first time, we were selling direct to the public, interacting with the people who bought our produce. We were delighted to be doing so: friendships formed that continue to flourish, and we regard this stage as the most personally rewarding of our growing history.

Growing Allotments Now we plan to open our growing area to those who wish to grow and harvest their own produce. We will retain our own growing space beside the allotments, and look forward to providing help and information as required.

We are able to provide seedlings, composts, biodynamic preparations, and advice, and look forward to the pleasure of sharing the greenhouse with like-minded people.

The valley encompasses a 20-kilometre stretch blessed by volcanic soils, abundant rainfall and springs

For further information, email Peter Fleming at currumbinharvest@gmail.com

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Eco-vineyards best for health

vegan friendly and low sulphur levels

by Cara Pippen

Around Australia, increasing number of wineries are growing grapes on chemical free land without the aid of pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers that may contain chemicals.

The wines they make will have words like organic, 100 per cent organic, biodynamic, and preservative free on their labels.

These words fall like music on the ears of those with sensitivities to chemicals in food. For instance, wine drinkers who react to sulfite may experience headaches, difficulty breathing and stomach pain. Naturally occurring in all wines, extra sulfite is added to commercially made wines to extend shelf life. For this reason, many people who’ve realised they are allergic to sulfite are finding they can tolerate its natural, lower levels in wines made from grapes grown on “eco-vineyards”.

The wineries represented here are leaders in their field, pioneers with respect for the land and the health of those who will drink their wine. They are making big changes to the wine industry while producing superb-tasting award-winning wines.

Robinvale Organic Wines Victoria Through consistently producing good wine and picking up prizes, Robinvale Organic Wines has helped put organic wineries on the map.

The winery produces Table, Sparkling and Fortified, Organic, Biodynamic, Preservative-Free Wines and a range of Vegan-Vegetarian friendly Wines.

The Non-Alcoholic beverages come in Still and Sparkling and are made from Bio-Dynamically grown grapes.

Bio-Dynamically grown fruit usually tastes better than fruit grown with the “assistance” of chemicals, and is better for your body and the environment.

Steve and Bill Caracatsanoudis and their families operate the winery along with 30-hectares of Biodynamic vineyards at Robinvale on the Murray River. Est. 1976.

Visit www.organicwines.com.au

2008 Kerner, Fresh and crisp delightful drop

Wild Fox Wines South Australia Located along the Gawler River 40km north of Adelaide, Wild Fox Wines remains true to best biodynamic and organic farming practices, producing quality natural wine grapes on environmentally sustainable land. The result has been certified organic wines, some of which have won awards. The wines are vegan friendly and have low sulphur levels, making them appealing for sensitive wine drinkers. Wild Fox Wines has consistently achieved A Grade certification with the Biological Farmers of Australia and is passionate about producing the best tasting, finest quality Organic and RAW (Organic Preservative Free) wines while caring for the environment. Est. 1998.

Visit www.wildfoxwines.com

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psychic & spiritual

FOOD & NUTRITION

Eco consumer

Ascella Pure Wines New South Wales Using grapes from its secluded Hunter Valley vineyard and the services of a five star wine maker, Ascella Pure Wine produces organic award-winning wines.

The vineyard was planted organic from day one, owners Barb and Geoff Brown said.

They added that Ascella’s organic wines are laboratory tested for purity and dinner table tested for taste and quality.

“We care about human health and the environment,” Barb said, “so it is inspiring to see the growth in popularity of wines made with organic grapes. Consumers are increasingly making the healthier choice and discovering how great our wines taste.” Est. 1999 Visit www.ascellawines.com.au

Rosnay New South Wales

In 1995, Florence and Richard Statham went looking for a gently north sloping patch of ground with well-drained soils.

They found it in the Cowra Wine Region.

Their first vines were planted as rootlings in 1997, and were organic and biodynamic from day one. The same year, one of the Statham’s sons, Sam, joined them. Sam now manages the enterprise.

For the next three years the Stathams planted more vineyards organically under contract to other growers who now form part of Rivers Road Organic Farms. Their wines began to win awards.

Rosnay’s have just released their new preservative free wine to complement their range of wines to satisfy every palate.

Est. 1995

dinner table tested for taste and quality

Visit www.rosnay.com.au

Allergic reactions to sulfites range from headaches and abdominal pain to difficulty breathing.

Traces of sulfite naturally occur in all wine, and scientists debate whether there is such a thing as truly “sulfite-free” wine. But many sulfite-sensitive people find they are able to tolerate biodynamic and 100% organic wines.

Settlers Ridge Western Australia Kaye and Wayne Nobbs bought an acreage, formerly a dairy farm, in the heart of the Margaret River wine-growing region 1994. The first grape crop, produced in 1997, was of exceptional quality (shiraz, cabernet, sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc). The size, colour and flavour of the berries were equal to, if not better than, grapes grown conventionally.

Settlers Ridge has won more than 50 medals at wine shows, providing compelling evidence that organic techniques can produce high-quality wines. In fact every Shiraz produced has won either a gold or a silver medal in open competition – not just competing in an organic section. Est. 1994

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Hemp oil vs Fish Oil

By Dr Dionne Payn

You’ve probably heard about how good omega-3 and 6 fatty acids are for human health. The common advice is that to get a good supply in your diet you need to eat oily fish on a regular basis.

N

ot many people know that hemp is a fantastic source of omega-3 and 6 fatty acids. But can hemp replace fish oil in the diet? Before we get into that, let me start by giving you the lowdown on why these fatty acids are important for good health.

What are essential fatty acids?

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is an omega-3 fatty acid and is known as an “essential” fatty acid. Our bodies can’t make it so we need to consume it through the food we eat. Our bodies convert ALA to the longer chain fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

EPA and DHA are important for good health. They are powerful anti-inflammatory compounds, which is beneficial as inflammation is the cause of many degenerative diseases. EPA and DHA also lower blood pressure and blood triglycerides, which can reduce the risk of strokes and heart disease.

Linoleic acid (LA) is an essential omega-6 fatty acid and is the precursor to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). We get plenty of omega-6 fatty acids in our diet from sources such as cooking oils (soybean, sunflower, and canola oil), poultry and eggs.

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fish) are large and at the top of the food chain, and so tend to contain more toxins.

Governments around the world are advising pregnant and breastfeeding women to limit the amount of fish they eat as mercury can cause harm to unborn babies or young children.

For the general population, the medical consensus is that the benefits of eating fish far outweigh the risk to human health from these toxins. However, to be on the safe side, many people choose to avoid fish and fish oil supplements altogether.

Then there is the environmental issue. In 2010, Time Magazine published an article, which asked the question: “Is the fatty-acid craze threatening our ecosystem?” The point was made that the market for omega-3 supplements doubled to $1 billion US dollars between 2006 and 2010.

Balancing Omega 3 and Omega 6 The problem is that our intake of omega-3 fatty acids is too low, yet our intake of omega-6 fatty acids is too high. The typical Western diet has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 15 to 1, but the recommended ratio is 3 to 1. In a number of clinical studies, patients with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma have reduced their symptoms just by eating the correct balance of omega-6 to omega-3.

The general advice is to consume more oily fish such as mackerel, salmon and sardines, or take supplements that contain concentrated amounts EPA & DHA. But what if you don’t want to eat fish or take fish oil supplements?

Ban on fish oil company Environmentalists feared that Menhaden, a small filter feeding species of fish, were being over-fished to produce fish oil supplements. This led to 13 out of 15 Atlantic States banning the fish oil company that caught 90 per cent of the fish from their waters.

Fish oil companies strenuously deny having an effect on declining fish stocks, arguing that only one per cent of their fish catch is used for making supplements. But a Canadian research group argued that the recommended dose of 100 mg of fish oils per day was not sustainable, and would lead to fish stocks collapsing by the middle of this century.

Then there is the question of whether it is ethical to kill fish for food or fish oil. The Vegetarian Society’s website states: “Fish have a nervous system and pain receptors like all other animals,” and “an estimated 23 per cent of that total catch is killed and discarded as a result of ‘incidental capture’.”

So if you choose not to eat fish or use fish oils, where can you get your beneficial omega-3 fatty acids?

Polluted oceans, fish and fish oils There are a few issues to consider when deciding whether to consume fish or fish oils. First, there is the human health aspect. Our oceans are polluted with methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) and dioxins, and these contaminants are found in fish. Fish that are predatory (eat other

Plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids Because eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are only found in oily fish, a lot of research has focused on how much alpha linolenic acid (ALA) can be found in plants.

By far, the best source of ALA is flax seed (more than 50%), followed by hemp (15 to 20%), walnut (14%), canola (11%) and

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FOOD & NUTRITION

{

Hemp contains linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha linolenic acid (omega-3) in the optimum 3 to 1 ratio for human health...

A Canadian research group argued that the recommended dose of 100 mg of fish oil per day was not sustainable

soy (7%). While ALA can be converted to EPA and DHA in the body, the conversion between ALA to EPA is not very efficient; even in healthy people it is only 2 to 5%. This is because ALA has to be converted to a fatty acid called stearidonic acid (SDA) before it can be converted to EPA. The enzyme responsible for this conversion is very inefficient, and the effect is worse in the elderly, people suffering from diabetes or obesity and those who have a high omega-6 intake.

The good news is that if you take SDA directly, the conversion to EPA is much easier, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by big Agricompanies. Monsanto has cottoned onto this (excuse the pun) and has genetically modified the soya bean to produce SDA, while BASF is working on genetically modifying canola to do the same.

Thankfully, hemp is a natural source of SDA and we don’t have to resort to GM foods to get a plant-based source of our omega-3s.

Hemp is one of the few sources of a rare omega-6 fatty acid, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA has a similar chemistry to EPA and has many of the health benefits of EPA. Ideal daily dosages According to the Good Oil Website, a daily dose of one tablespoons of hemp oil will give you 94 per cent of your recommended daily allowance of omega-3 and 94 per cent of your recommended daily allowance of omega-6 fatty acids.

}

Comparing flax and hemp oil As I mentioned before, flax contains more ALA than hemp, but does not contain SDA. Many people who try flax oil find it has a strong after-taste. Flax oil also has a short shelf life, needs to be used as quickly as possible after pressing and should be kept refrigerated to prevent it turning rancid.

In comparison, hemp contains linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha linolenic acid (omega-3) in the optimum 3 to 1 ratio for human health, and it has a pleasant nutty taste. It does need to be kept refrigerated to preserve the quality of the oil, but is more robust and doesn’t go off as quickly as flax oil.

In summary Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids are important for our health and longevity, and it is great to know that we aren’t restricted to consuming fish or fish oils to get our recommended dose. If you want to avoid fish for ethical reasons, hemp is a fantastic alternative.

Article reprinted courtesy Dr Dionne Payn, publisher and editor of Hemp Lifestyle Magazine. For further information visit www.HempLifestyleMagazine.com/hemp-foods

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Can Hemp Support A Vegan Diet?

By Petra and Huon Urquhart

Petra and Huon Urquhart are fitness trainers and athletes who are successfully using hemp protein in their plant-based diet to maintain peak condition.

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FOOD & NUTRITION

‘We did 23 hours of weight training over three days very comfortably and didn’t feel weak at all; the hemp protein was excellent’ Huon: I was working in the biggest and shiniest Fitness First club in Bondi Junction, which is known as the best Fitness First in the world.

I was a typical trainer. My diet consisted of meat up to three times a day, vegetables, fruit and a lot of rubbish as well. This kind of lifestyle wasn’t conducive to my health, especially because I have a blood disorder called APO-A protein disorder, which makes the protein in my blood thick and sticky.

I’ve known for about 10 to 15 years that I have this disorder, and there is no cure for it. I tried all sorts of different things, including niacin (B3), which helps to thin the blood, but this didn’t work. I realised I needed to clean up my act and around that time I met Petra and started training with her.

Petra came into the Australian barbeque lifestyle of summer.

We’d eat steak or seafood every night and after a while Petra’s skin started to get affected. She also got other health issues, including urinary tract infections.

Petra: A friend gave us a ticket to see Don Tolman (wholefoods advocate) and because of the health issues I had, I decided to stop eating sugar. To support me, Huon stopped eating sugar as well.

Around the same time I decided to stop eating meat. I was never a big meat eater anyway, so not eating meat felt natural. At that time we were still eating a lot of dairy products.

Petra and Huon Urquhart

We got married in 2009, and in August 2010 we went to Bali for a six-day complete detox.

Huon: Which was actually our honeymoon.

Petra: We obviously had a different way to celebrate our honeymoon! We celebrated with colonics every day and a juice fast, which meant we had one glass of juice morning and evening.

In between, we were drinking water and coconut water. After the six days, we decided to stop eating dairy as well.

We are not strictly vegan as we eat bee pollen and honey, so it’s probably best to say we follow a plant-based diet. We are interested in what works for us as athletes, so we look for variety and for foods that supplement our training regime.

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‘We’ve found huge benefits as a result of incorporating hemp into our lifestyle… plus hemp foods taste great’

If we could find a source of raw milk and cheese we would enjoy that every once in a while, but because it is not legal here in Australia, we don’t eat that either.

Huon: Every now and then we’ll have eggs, but it’s not something we miss if we don’t eat them. We’ve learnt not to supplement our diet with false meats either.

Petra: We learnt about hemp in Hungary where we were training and going for certification, which was one of the hardest events we’ve trained for. The organised lunch and dinners were all meat based, and because we didn’t have a source of protein with us we went to a local health food store, where we first saw hemp protein.

We bought some out of curiosity and it really worked for those three days of hard-core training. We did 23 hours of weight training over that time, and found the hemp protein really supported our vegan diet. We got through those three days very comfortably and didn’t feel weak at all; the hemp protein was excellent.

Huon: When we got back to Australia we would go to the markets at French’s Forrest to get our veggies, coconut oil and other groceries, which is where we met Beatrice Rankin who owns Hemp Gallery.

We told Beatrice about how we trained, and we were able to source our hemp oil, hulled hemp seeds and hemp protein through her.

We use the hemp protein in our smoothies, because we find we do better having a protein rich breakfast. The big joke promoted by the nutrition industry is that you have to have a meal every two hours, and this gives people a reason to eat more.

What is more important is that you eat when you are hungry, and that you listen to the hormones in your body that tell you when you are hungry, and when you are full. If you are eating nutrient dense foods, that occurs quite easily. Most people have no idea that sometimes their hunger feeling is actually dehydration.

We also fast every week for 40 hours, from Sunday night to Tuesday morning and I believe it is only when you fast that you then understand how good nutrient dense food is for you. I’ll be 48 in August and for me to be able to put on three kilos in a few weeks because we upped our training regime is supposedly impossible.

Even on a plant-based diet, I found it was not hard to put on that weight. It is down to a combination of increased strength training and eating correctly. And it’s not like we eat six meals a day – sometimes we only eat twice a day.

In the early days, finding the right way to eat was a lot of trial and error, although later we found information from Brendan Brazier (Brendan Brazier is one of the only few professional athletes in the world whose diet is 100 per cent plant-based) and Don Tolman, who is also a vegetarian.

Petra: During the week, we will sometimes have chia porridge for breakfast instead of a smoothie, a snack during the day which 16

is often a spoon of coconut oil or coconut butter with some fruit, and then in the evening we might have a pizza (I make a great sweet potato and chia seed pizza crust), or salad with a little bit of rice, or a bean salad, or maybe a warm meal, and then that’s it for the day.

Huon: Our favourite way to start the day is with a smoothie, which has a bunch of kale in it, a handful of blueberries, a handful of goji berries, 2 tbsps hemp oil, or virgin coconut oil, 2 tbsps of hemp protein, 1 desert spoon of powdered ginger, 1 desert spoon of powdered nutmeg, 2 tbsps of raw cacao, 1 desert spoon of chlorella, 3 large glasses of water, and sometimes a frozen banana.

This is all blended in the Vitamix and gives two litres of green smoothie to share. The combination of natural carbohydrate, fats, protein, fibre and low fructose fruits means we feel good for six hours or so, until we need to eat again. This is a seriously nutrient dense food and it gives us a meal in a convenient form. You need a good blender to smash up the kale so your body can uptake the chlorophyll, otherwise you would be chewing for three hours.

This smoothie is full of live enzymes, which is important for good digestive health. We try to stick to a live food diet, with only a small amount of cooked food, which is cooked under 104 degrees to preserve the enzymes.

Petra: People might think that it is hard to prepare everything but, really, if you get a little bit organised it is a simple way to live life.

We don’t stress about food, we eat when we are hungry, and when breakfast is so simple, you only have to plan for two meals a day.

I don’t like to spend too much time in the kitchen, so in summer we eat lots of salads, which is easy, and in winter we have soups.

Huon: Most people think it’s an expensive way to eat, but we don’t get sick. I often tell people to compare the cost of our diet to how much is spent at the pharmacy for colds and other illnesses.

If you are eating food that has no nutrient density to it, you have to eat more to feel full, and then you have issues with your body from inflammation, which causes sickness. At the end of the day you have to put the best stuff in to get the best stuff out.

We don’t believe how we eat is all that expensive. Sitting down to eat, eating good food and getting it from a good source is what it’s about.

We’ve found huge benefits as a result of incorporating hemp into our lifestyle. It has been a long journey for us but we now understand what satiation is, and that’s when you eat something and it has everything right in it, you feel great. Plus hemp foods taste great.

While I keep up with the science, I go by how I feel. For me, the biggest benefit for incorporating hemp into my lifestyle is that I feel better than I felt at 25, and that is enough science for me.

Article reprinted courtesy www.HempLifestyleMagazine.com/ hemp-foods

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FOOD & NUTRITION

Get more Juice into your Life The Ceramic Pro+ from Healthstart Life Products does more than make juice it is a complete food processing machine.

It makes nut butters, frozen fruit desserts, pasta, sausages, and dressings, purees baby food and even grinds your coffee.

With its slow turning action it simulates the Cold Press juicing method which maintains vital nutrients and keeps more valuable enzymes alive in your juice. Living enzymes can boost energy levels, support the immune system and aid the body’s nutrient absorption and digestion.

Shane Carrol, the CEO of Healthstart Life Products, an all Australian owned company, has invested 2 years of continuous research, development and testing alongside his product development team to bring out the world’s first 100% BPA free Ceramic auger. The Ceramic Auger maintains gently crushes and vital nutrients squeezes the produce, & keeps extracting the optimum valuable yield of vital nutrients enzymes that can stay fresh for alive 48-72 hours in the fridge.

Try These Recipes...

Easy Tomato Soup

Spinach, Apple & Capsicum Juice 2 stems of spinach 1-2 crisp granny smith apples 1 slice capsicum

Wash produce, remove any labels from apples and leave on the skin. Cut the apple and capsicum into pieces that will fit into the feeding chute at the top of the drum Cut spinach into approx. 5cm strips and rollup to feed into the chute at the top of the drum Process slowly in small amounts and apply slight pressure to the pusher while alternating the produce

4-6 tomatoes (cut into quarters) 1 celery stalk (cut to approx. 5cm lengths) 1 garlic clove (peeled) 2 carrots (cut into half) 4 basil leaves 1 liter of water or stock 2 stock cubes Chilli sauce, salt and pepper to taste

Use homogenising cone. Place a large bowl at the front of drum Place pulp jug under the drum.

Slowly process small amounts into the feeding chute and apply slight pressure to the pusher if needed while alternating the produce including the garlic, macadamia nuts and carrots Place ingredients from the bowl into a pot with the water and a few drops of chilli sauce.

Bring to the boil and simmer for another 15 – 20 minutes. Garnish with basil leaves.

This will have a nutty and fibrous texture

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GM Wheat Trials Slammed Australia is on track to be the first country in the world to allow the commercial growing of GM wheat. It is not yet grown anywhere else, nor is there any market worldwide that wants GM wheat.

C

urrent GM food crops, like canola and corn, are experiencing fierce resistance across the globe, and there is growing anger in the US, the birthplace of GM food technology.

Despite scientist’s health warnings, Australia has been selected to lead the push for the acceptance of GM wheat and CSIRO is currently conducting field trials of GM wheat in WA, NSW, and the ACT. CSIRO says human feeding trials are planned. It is feared these may already be under way.

Scientists have warned that genetically modified wheat may cause Glycogen Storage Disease IV, resulting in an enlarged liver, cirrhosis of the liver, and failure to thrive. Children born with this disease usually die by about five years of age.

In Melbourne last month, molecular biologist and risk assessment researcher Professor Jack Heinemann of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and Associate Professor Dr Judy Carman, a biochemist at Flinders University, released expert scientific opinions on the safety of CSIRO’s GM wheat.

Transfer to humans Prof. Heinemann’s expert opinion outlining how CSIRO’s GM wheat silencing technology could transfer to humans is believed to be a world-first, and has been reviewed by scientists in Australia, the UK and Austria.

Prof. Heinemann has studied the similarity in the DNA sequencing of the wheat branching enzyme, which makes starch in wheat, and the human branching enzyme, which produces glycogen.

CSIRO’s GM technology deliberately suppresses the wheat branching enzyme in GM wheat so there is less starch and the wheat has a lower glycaemic index.

Prof. Heinemann says there is strong evidence that siRNA, a type of dsRNA – which is a form of ribonucleic acid, like 18

DNA – when produced in wheat will transfer to humans through food.

In addition, there is an environmental risk, which the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) appears to have overlooked in allowing field trials. These siRNAs will also transfer to animals that eat the wheat throughout the production chain, including beneficial insects, birds and mammals.

Biochemist Dr Carman says it is likely that if a person eats GM wheat then the siRNA engineered to suppress the wheat branching enzyme would also silence the human branching enzyme.

Glycogen critical for life Dr Carman and Prof. Heinemman are concerned that human consumption of this GM wheat technology – which is not affected by cooking or other processing – could suppress the production of glycogen, which is critical for life.

Dr Carman claims: “Consequently it is clear that there is an obvious risk to animals and humans who eat these GM wheat varieties.”

Dr Michael Antoniou, Reader in Molecular Genetics at King’s College, London, has reviewed and endorsed the Heinemann and Carman expert opinions.

He says it is not a question of if there will be gene function disturbances, but to what degree and with currently unknown health consequences. He has criticised CSIRO, and the regulators, OGTR and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), for not being up to date with the latest developments in the field of RNAi technology and therefore not taking the necessary steps to properly evaluate the safety of the GM wheat.

The research was commissioned for the Safe Food Foundation, an Australian not for profit organisation that campaigns and advocates on food issues.

Safe Food Foundation director Scott Kinnear says the urgent scientific opinions were commissioned after a researcher alerted them to the similarity in the DNA sequencing of the wheat branching enzyme and human branching enzyme.

“Apart from the serious public health risk, the cost to taxpayers and farmers could be significant,” Mr Kinnear said.

“It reminds me of CSIRO’s GM field pea project, shelved in 2005, which had allergen like reactions when tested on mice – and a loss to taxpayers of approximately $10 million, “In this case the testing was done at ANU, as we believe that CSIRO lacks the capacity to do proper safety studies. In fact the Australian regulators – FSANZ and the OGTR – do not conduct any safety testing, nor require the safety testing recommended by our safety experts.

“FSANZ and the OGTR rely on GM applicants to do their own safety testing, even though CSIRO has previously demonstrated that it does not have the capacity to do this.”

The Safe Food Foundation has called on CSIRO to immediately release all details of its safety testing on GM wheat for urgent independent scientific review, and immediately release the precise DNA sequences involved so that independent scientists can conduct further urgent checking.

The Safe Food Institute was established to conduct high quality research into issues of food safety and quality. Working in partnership with the Safe Food Institute, the Safe Food Foundation is working to promote awareness of the health, social, economic and environmental effects of food production and consumption, visit: www.safefoodfoundation.org

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The latest and sweetest murmur in the health food realm is Agave Syrup In spite of everything in order to achieve the optimum health we should all be careful of how much sugar we consume.

This natural sweetener is comparable to honey and maple syrup. It is derived from the same succulent plant that is used in making tequila. The syrup can be used for baking, cooking, in drinks and shakes, or even on pancakes.

Agave syrup in an ideal alternative to sugar and because of its benefits it has become the preferred sweetener by the health-conscious individuals.

Aztecs even used it for skin infections and wounds.

You ask why? First and foremost Agave is 30% sweeter than sugar. You can use less of it to acheive the same sweetness, which essentially means fewer calories.

More importantly, one of the most celebrated properties of Agave is its profile

BoDHi’s new addition, Organic Agave syrup will be available in super markets near you very soon on the glycemic index(GI), a scale that measures how much various foods raise blood sugar levels and Agave ranks lower than many other sweeteners.

So when Agave is used it will keep the sweet tooth satisfied longer.

For more information www.bodhi.com.au

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Healthy Consum er

For women from Planet Eve Certified Organic, Vegan and Eco Friendly Founder, Lorelle Yee has created a wonderful range of high quality, 100 per cent natural, luxury organic skin care products that leave your skin feeling fresh and alive. The Tropical Fruit Facial Exfoliator combines the powerful fruit enzymes of papaya and pineapple to help fight free-radical damage, reduce the appearance of age-spots and heal the skin. Vitamin rich guava assists in hydrating the skin, promoting a soft, supple complexion.

Planet Eve Certified Organic Skin Care Range delivers real benefits to your skin, health and well-being. All Planet Eve products are free of synthetic chemicals, pesticides or fertilizers, have no artificial preservatives, dyes or fragrances, no GMO or animal ingredients, are not tested on animals and are Australian Certified Organic and completely natural. www.planeteveorganics.com

Sleep Easier with a Salt Air Purifier This award-winning device, Salin Plus – Dry Saline Air Purifier is a boon for anyone who suffers from disrupted sleep due to breathing difficulties, snoring, sinus, congestion, hay fever, colds or allergies. It even helps combat fatigue.

Our Conscious Living editor had the good fortune to trial the Salin Plus over a couple of months and she was amazed and surprised at how much more clear headed and energized she felt after a night’s sleep, breathing the air purified by the Salin Plus.

The Dry Saline Air Purifier disperses tiny particles of dry salt aerosol into the air while entrapping dust and other pollutants though a micro-crystalline filter. It can also do wonders for your skin, as the salt ions counteract air pollutants that cause dryness and irritation. Salin’s filter contains more than 98 per cent purified natural rock salt, with trace elements of calcium chloride, magnesium, iodine and sulphur. www.salinplus.com.au

Intranasal Light Therapy Intranasal Light Therapy involves the simple process of clipping a small red light. Diode to the nose to illuminate the nasal cavity. Researchers have found that this device helps the body to heal itself by re-establishing the ideal internal body environment (homeostasis).

Scientists who specialise in photo biostimulation know that a certain wavelength of light with the right energy dosage can safely excite molecules that signal a healing response by the body.

With Intranasal Light Therapy this effect starts with the blood passing through the nasal region, and then spreading throughout the body via the circulatory and lymphatic systems. It has been found to be effective with health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, sinusitis, dementia and various viral infections. www.mediclights.com or www.vielight.com.

Sun Monitor to Protect Your Skin This award winning Australian made ultra-violet monitor and alarm, U-B-SAFE 1, can help save your skin from sun ageing, sunburn and skin cancers. Electronic engineers and consultant dermatologists carefully designed U-B-SAFE 1. Described as “the best ultra-violet dose alarm monitor,” it won the Australian Design Award, the ABC TV’s New Inventor’s Award, and the People’s Choice Award. The device computes your safe daily dose from past and present exposures and your skin type. Powered by the sun it doesn’t require batteries and it is angled in its case to ensure that it is always in the sun, like your skin, whether you are standing, sitting, or lying down.

A major benefit is that it measures UV without your sunscreen so you can get your daily dose of Vitamin D safely. It is small and tough enough to be used by children and in the workplace. www.ubsunsafe.com.au

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Advertorial

LAXIT

Are You Moving?

by David Woolcott (MCMA) Naturopath

We all understand that it is important to consume a balanced diet and eat regularly throughout the day. We are constantly reading and hearing that if we eat the wrong foods continuously we can aggravate any disease known to mankind.

However, there is little mention of our bowel movement and regularity. What is normal? How should it look?

First of all, for our bowel movement to be perfect it should be 3 times a day, formed and not hard to move and there should be very little faeces on the anus.

Wiping should merely be a precaution.

The stool should be 100mm to 140mm long and 30mm wide. It should sink to the bottom of the pan, be brown in colour and have very little smell.

However, very few people have movements like this. Most people believe that 1 movement every 2-3 days is normal, because it is regular. However, this is a far from the truth. So please bear with me as I take you through a journey of digestion of food through the human body.

There are 5 basic principles that need to function well in order to maintain optimal health.

1. Ingestion of the right food 25% first grade protein (meat, fish and eggs) and 75% complex carbohydrates (vegetables and fruit).

2. Digestion This means adequate supply of hydrochloric acid (HCL) and enzymes in the stomach required to break down the food ingested.

3. Absorption There must be adequate bile secreted from the liver and bicarbonates/enzymes secreted from the pancreas, which are mixed with

foods that have been broken down in the stomach and moved through the small intestine. The small intestine lining needs to be in good health to allow absorption to occur.

4. Circulation This means that all the nutrients that you have absorbed are carried around the body, and are delivered to all the cells.

5. Elimination The removal of all wastes from the body. This area is not just from the bowel movement but also good kidney function as well. There we have it, Elimination. It is bowel movement I wish to talk more about, but since I have introduced kidney function, I do need to say that water is so important for kidney filtration and bowel movement.

Now back to the bowel. Are you moving? Well, there are a large number of people who are not and I would like you to understand why. Well, it all starts back with ingestion, digestion and absorption, where our digestive system starts to fail. What happens is that refined carbohydrates and fats are not broken down properly, and are partially digested and not absorbed as they move through to the large intestines (large Bowel). These carbohydrates and fats bind together, forming a fatty soap-like material that is sticky and impacts on the lining of the bowel (Large intestine). This slows the passage of movement, which may cause your bowel motion to be hard to eliminate.

In some cases, the motion may stretch to 3 days or more, hence Constipation. Anyway, one who has suffered from constipation knows how uncomfortable it is, and how short-tempered we may become. Advanced

Medicine has developed Laxit to address this problem.

We have taken Prune domestica fruit extract, Cassia Angustifolia Fruit and lecithin, blended in a natural base and made into a tablet. The combination of Prune fruit and lecithin dissolves the fatty, sticky, soap- like material which impacts on the bowel lining. The Cassia Angustifolia (Senna fruit) provides gentle stimulation and movement of the bowel.

This formulation is unique as it softens the stool and provides you with easy elimination without discomfort. Laxit is not like ordinary laxatives that just stimulate and can be harsh on the bowel. Laxit is “Gentle but Effective�. Naturally, Advanced Medicine Australia recommends that you drink 2 litres of water per day. We wish you the best in movement and health.

Each Tablet Contains Cassia angustifolia (Senna fruit) 750 mg Prunes domestica (Prunefruit) 150 mg Lecithin 250 mg

Available at your health food store.

If not... ask for it!

For more Information contact David Woolcott, (MCMA) Naturopath and Full-time practitioner for 28 years. Ph: (08) 9499 6600 CONSCIOUS LIVING Issu e 88 |

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The Colour of Foods and Your Health West Australian Author of The Colour of Health, Ali Jardine, Reiki Master, Fitness Trainer and Life Coach shares her story of how colour saved her life.

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hrough some life changing experiences I retreated into myself, and in deep meditation I discovered the magic of colour. The peace and tranquillity I found within was a safety-mechanism sheltering from the reality I was facing.

The kaleidoscope of colours visualised through my intuition and meditative state were astonishingly healing and enlightening. I was very comfortable in that place of being, surrounded by the unconditional love from my animals.

Something to live for One day, I looked out of my window and decided I did have something to live for.

Getting the all clear on two large breast lumps had put everything else into perspective. I was euphoric! I had my health and nothing else mattered.

A regret I have is not running down Murray Street in Perth’s CBD topless. After my positive breast results, it was what I wanted to do, just for the hell of it, for the feeling of freedom, and the feeling of importance: the importance being my health, because without it we have nothing!

Instead, I went home and started on a detox of light soups and vegetarian meals. I wanted to be healthy. I did not know at that point that my life would be transformed, including shedding 25 kilos of excess weight.

For exercise, I started with a daily 10-minute walking adventure and slowly built up from that. On my walks, I began noticing and becoming more aware of the colour that surrounded me in the trees, flowers and nature. Dragonflies drew my attention: I began to love them for the colour and transparency they displayed. I became more and more interested in life again. Out there I was engaging in the beauty life has to offer, absorbing the colour and all the positive aspects of my surroundings.

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Colours an energy source As I was building up my exercise, I was eating colourful foods and wearing colourful clothing. The benefits began to show up for me.

While in this state of “shutdown”, my subconscious was letting me know precisely what my body needed. The colours I was experiencing during my meditation were actually my energy source. We all have an energy system in our bodies; animals have a similar one, and it is what some call the Chakras.

Apart from having this energy system, which is all colour coded, we have an electric magnetic field around our physical bodies. All of what we are and everything around us is based on energy.

I was so interested in what I was experiencing, I decided to study and complete my Reiki, up to Masters and teacher. Reiki is an ancient healing process based again on the energy system and aligning the inner mechanisms of our energy points so that we have a clear channel of health and wellbeing.

Health and wellbeing for me include all modalities physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The more I tuned into the colours, the more I was benefiting and feeling a lot better. I worked out that whatever colour I was attracted to, it was healing that part of the body aligned with the coloured energy point.

Excess weight was coming off With regular exercise, and wearing and eating colourful foods, my excess weight was coming off. I was feeling fantastic. The medication I was on for fibro myalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis and acid reflux were being replaced with healthy organic fruit and vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, all of which are natural products.

The Colour of Health displays my simple and easy to make, juices and smoothies, along with raw and cooked substantial

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psychic & spiritual

Health & wellbeing

Whatever colour we are wearing not only aligns and stimulates our energy source, but may be doing the very same to whoever we are attracting

meals. During the past two years I have arrived at the conclusion that the western diet has far too much protein and not enough vegetable based food products.

While enjoying my return to health and strength, life threw a new challenge at me. A spider bite put me in hospital for several weeks. There was risk of losing a limb. Two lots of leg surgery were required, and I had to get around in a wheel chair. It took me several months to recover. During this time, I again retreated into my meditative state to become surrounded by the colours of my own energy system.

Following my complete recovery, I studied again and became a fitness trainer. I was elated that I still had my leg on, because when life and limb are nearly taken away, there is a great appreciation of life.

There was nothing stopping me now! I wanted to experience and delve more into my health. I was finding that whatever colour I was wearing I was eating the same coloured food. With my positive mindset and through putting the best food I could into my body, I was feeling healthy and vibrant, which reassured me I was on the right track.

Occasionally, to see how my body would react, I put some toxins in my body, eating foods I had not eaten for a long time.

After each “experiment” I quickly returned to my positive thinking, healthy lifestyle.

Strength and stamina This year I have done some extensive overseas travelling. One adventure involved climbing the UK’s highest peak, Ben Nevis.

I did this on a handful of nuts and some colourful fruit and vegetables while wearing very bright and colourful clothing, so that my energy points were fully aligned, providing me with the strength and stamina I needed for the rough terrain ahead.

While travelling, I put on seven kilos in weight, which is not excessive but made me feel quite uncomfortable. I again tuned into colour, particularly all yellow-based foods. Within a short time I lost the extra weight.

Colours are a reflection of our personalities and moods. They can have a profound effect on the way we feel, act and react.

Whatever colour we are wearing not only aligns and stimulates our energy source, but may be doing the very same to whoever we are attracting.

My work is based on colour; it is one of the most natural phenomena in our lives. If we are aware of what is around us, then we will see and experience the rainbow of life!

All my experiences I have embraced, accepted and thanked.

Without these life-changing occurrences I would not have been in the position to write this article, or produced the work I am so passionate about.

Lodestar, Maxwell and Murphy Colour brightened my world in a way I can only describe as magical, the essence of colourful nutrition and exercise changes lives.

One of the greatest appreciations I have in my life is for animals: without them I would not have been here today. For this reason, I dedicate all of my work and gratitude to my three beautiful companion animals, Lodestar, Maxwell and Murphy, who have since gone over the rainbow.

I am here for the love of animals, the love of colour, everything in my life and my health.

I give thanks for my life.

For further information visit www.ajwellness.com.au

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Increase your Sex Drive Naturally

By Dr Sandra Cabot

In this excerpt from Dr Cabot’s new book, we look at how hormones lower libido and how they can be adjusted to achieve a healthier sex life.

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he desire for sex is often called libido and this varies tremendously between women. Sexual desire generally reduces with age although older women often find that hormone replacement therapy can rekindle their interest.

One day, a patient came to see me all the way from a small country town called Lightning Ridge in North Western New South Wales. She had travelled almost 500 kilometres (300 miles) on a bus to get to my medical office in Sydney.

She was of peri-menopausal age and had recently married a man several years younger than herself. This was likely to present challenges for her, as at her age her hormones were waning.

I asked, “How can I help you?”

She made me chuckle when she said, “Oh Doctor Cabot you are my last resort, as my doctor does not have a clue how to help me!”

I replied, “Well, what did you tell your doctor?”

She exclaimed, “I told him I have lost all my lib-ee-dooo and I want it back!”

I thought, “No wonder her local country doctor could not help her; he probably had never heard of the disease ‘lost lib-ee-dooo.’ ” What she had meant to express to her doctor was she’d lost her libido or desire for sex!

Of course quite a few country doctors may think that when women reach a certain age (maybe over 45) they do not need a libido or healthy sex life. Young doctors may be guilty of this assumption too, possibly viewing all women over 40 as being old.

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This patient was very relieved when I told her I could restore her sexual desire and ability to have orgasms by prescribing her a cream containing bio-identical hormones. A compounding chemist makes up this cream to the exact recipe in the prescription – designed by the prescribing doctor – to match the patient’s blood tests and symptoms.

I designed a cream containing bio-identical oestrogen and progesterone and another cream containing testosterone for this lady. She went back on the bus to Lightning Ridge full of expectations that she would rediscover her lost lib-ee-dooo!

This prescription really worked, and when the patient returned for her follow up consultation six months later, she said: “Oh Dr Cabot, I have had the strongest and best orgasms I’ve had in 20 years!”

Menopause After menopause, most women lose aequate production of oestrogen and progesterone. This may reduce sexual desire and the ability to fully enjoy sex.

The loss of oestrogen causes the tissues of the vagina and vulva to shrink and dry out, and the clitoris becomes smaller and less sensitive. Indeed, the clitoris may become tender to touch, making foreplay uncomfortable. The loss of oestrogen causes a loss of vaginal secretions. The loss of progesterone causes reduced sexual desire and may also cause mood changes.

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Health & wellbeing

Progesterone deficiency can cause‌ anxiety, irritability, irrational thinking, poor libido and depression After menopause, the amount of testosterone produced by the ovaries and fat tissues varies a lot, and this is why blood tests to measure the level of testosterone are so important to choose the types and amounts of hormones required in the cream.

Some women produce plenty of testosterone after menopause and thus do not need any testosterone in their prescription. Other women may need testosterone in their prescription if their blood tests show low levels.

Testosterone is a very important hormone for libido and sexual response and, in women with low levels, it is essential to prescribe some natural testosterone, either in the form of a cream or lozenge.

Testosterone can make women more sexually assertive and sexually confident. Too much testosterone can result in excessive sexual drive in some women.

The human female is the only creature known to live much longer than her sex glands and reproductive capacity; in this context we are very different from men, so no wonder us older girls need a little help to keep up in the bedroom.

When our ovaries run out of eggs, (follicles) our production of progesterone ceases completely and our oestrogen levels become very low. The average age of menopause is 50 years but a significant percentage of women go through an early menopause

and their eggs are totally gone before they get to 40. This is called a premature menopause. I have had patients who’ve gone through menopause in their 20s, and these women needed a lot more help with hormone replacement.

Before menopause, most of our oestrogen is produced by our ovaries. After menopause, when the ovaries are devoid of useful eggs, most of our oestrogen is produced away from our ovaries, in our fat tissue. I have found that thinner women often have more pronounced oestrogen deficiency symptoms.

The blood test for menopause is a measurement of the Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). If this is elevated, you are menopausal and you have no fertile eggs. If your FSH levels are over 30 IU/L on two separate blood tests, you are deemed menopausal and the higher your FSH levels, the lower your oestrogen and progesterone levels will be.

The FSH is produced by the pituitary gland and acts to stimulate the ovaries back into production of the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone.

In post menopausal women it is not uncommon to see very high levels of FSH around 100 to 200 IU/L, which are coming from the pituitary gland, and this means your oestrogen levels will be very low. These high levels of FSH will not be successful in stimulating your ovaries back to work because they no longer

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Progesterone exerts a calming effect and can promote emotional contentment and stability Progesterone deficiency can cause unpleasant moods such as anxiety, irritability, irrational thinking, poor libido and depression.

Progesterone deficiency can also cause physical health problems such as heavy and/or painful menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, fibroids, increased risk of cancer, premenstrual headaches, polycystic ovarian syndrome and unexplained infertility.

Dr Katharina Dalton, an English physician who was regarded as a PMS Guru, first advocated the use of natural progesterone in the 1960s.

Natural progesterone can be very useful in reducing the following problems: • Depression, anxiety, and mood changes • Iron deficiency and fatigue • Heavy menstrual bleeding • Menstrual pain • Pelvic congestion, pain and bloating • Breast pain • Poor libido • Insomnia have any eggs left in them to respond to the FSH. Your ovaries have closed shop or gone on strike forever. So these high levels of FSH achieve nothing, except to serve as an accurate blood test for menopause.

All women want to know if they are truly menopausal and need to know their FSH level to determine this. If your FSH level is very high, you have no fertile eggs and will no longer have to worry about contraception – this may improve your libido!

If you are taking the oral contraceptive pill, you will need to stop taking it for several months before having a blood test for menopause; otherwise the test will be inaccurate. So don’t waste your money having blood tests for your hormone levels while you are still taking the oral contraceptive pill. Many doctors do not realise this, so it is important for you to be informed.

Progesterone deficiency Progesterone is a sex hormone made by the female ovaries during the latter half of the menstrual cycle and in vast amounts by the placenta during pregnancy.

Many women start to become progesterone deficient in their late 30s and 40s, way before they get to menopause. By the time these women get to menopause their levels may only be 20 per cent of their youthful progesterone levels.

Progesterone has anti-ageing properties and is important for sex drive. Progesterone exerts a calming effect and can promote emotional contentment and stability. The brain has receptors for progesterone and this is why natural hormones can be so beneficial for emotional disorders.

If you find that your mood and sex drive lowers during the one to two weeks before your menstrual bleeding commences, then you will probably benefit from natural progesterone.

Progesterone deficiency is very common in women today because they often delay pregnancy to later in life and have fewer pregnancies.

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Plant hormone It is important to realise that Dr Dalton recommended the use of natural progesterone, which has a chemical structure identical to the progesterone produced by the ovaries.

Natural progesterone is made in the laboratory from the plant hormone called diosgenin found in soybeans and sweet potatoes (yams). Because natural progesterone is identical to the progesterone produced by the ovaries it is called a bio-identical hormone.

Synthetic progestogens Unfortunately, doctors often prescribe strong synthetic brands of progesterone, called “progestogens,” mistakenly believing they will have the same effect as natural progesterone. This is not true and synthetic progesterone will usually make most of the symptoms of PMS much worse.

Many of these synthetic progestogens are derived from male (testosterone-like) synthetic hormones and so may cause side effects such as increased appetite, depression, irritability, weight gain, fluid retention, acne, greasy skin and increased cholesterol.

These synthetic progestogen hormones attach onto the natural progesterone receptors found throughout the body and brain, but they cannot switch on all these receptors.

Only natural progesterone can turn on ALL the progesterone receptors, just as a key turns and releases a lock. So you can understand that synthetic progestogens will not have the same beneficial effect as natural progesterone. Indeed, many women feel more depressed and tired when they take them. However, synthetic progestogens are effective at reducing heavy menstrual bleeding and some types of gynaecological problems such as endometriosis.

Dr Sandra Cabot will be at Conscious Living Expo 18th to 21st October 2012, where she will be a keynote speaker.

For further information: www.sandracabot.com

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Health & wellbeing

Nature in a Bottle Oils for health and wellness.

By Pauline Hall

A

25-year odyssey spanning the globe has resulted in Naturopathic Doctor Gary Young becoming one of the world’s foremost authorities on essential oils.

Travelling throughout Europe, Turkey, the Middle East, Arabia, India, Pakistan, China, Africa, South Africa, and South America, Gary has researched the remarkable wellness benefits of these precious oils.

His understanding of the extraordinary power of plants has resulted in the production of the world’s largest line of essential oils and blends. His discoveries have helped hundreds of thousands of people experience the benefits of natural healing, and have led to the creation of Young Living Essential Oils.

Young Living will sell only 100 per cent pure, natural, uncut oils that maintain the vital potency. Gary established the term “therapeutic grade” and the Young Living Therapeutic Grade™ (YLTG™) guarantee.

As Gary travelled the world studying the distillation of pure essential oils, he saw wide discrepancies in quality and learned that in order to ensure purity and potency, expert, rigorous analysis of finished oils was critical.

Today, using gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analysis, the phytochemical profile of every batch of Young Living essential oils is measured to evaluate each specific plant compound.

Certain plant compounds must meet or exceed specific levels to ensure the oil is natural, pure, and therapeutic grade. Only then does Young Living guarantee the oil will provide the desired results and label it YLTG™.

Farms and distilleries There are five Young Living farms and distilleries. They are in Mona, Utah, US; St. Maries, Idaho, US; Simiane-la-Rotonde, France; and Guayaquil, Ecuador and the newest farm is Peru. There is also a distillery in Salalah, Oman, for the production of Sacred Frankincense. These farms and distilleries allow Young Living Essential Oils to maintain its position as the world’s

leading grower, distiller, and provider of pure, potent essential oils.

On Young Living farms, the cultivation, harvesting, and distillation processes of each batch of essential oils are carefully controlled. Extensive laboratory testing and independent audits are conducted to ensure Young Living’s quality exceeds industry standards. Experimentation performed on Young Living farms helps guarantee the consistent quality of Young Living essential oils, and allows for increased research and development opportunities.

This hands-on experience of growing, distilling, sourcing, and testing essential oils led to the development of the Seed to Seal™ process.

From seeds sown to plants harvested, stringent attention to detail in the Seed to Seal™ process ensures Young Living are the purest, most potent essential oils available.

Exclusive to Young Living Essential Oils, the process delivers quality results.

Species authenticated Potent essential oils come from plant species that have been authenticated by Young Living experts. Species certification involves scientific research, field study, university partnerships, and on-site planting certification.

Through cultivation on the Young Living farms, Young Living Essential Oils has mastered the creation of pure, potent essential oils.

The company takes this knowledge around the world to co-op farms to certify that the growing processes at these farms meet Young Living’s strict quality standards.

Young Living’s proprietary lowtemperature, low-pressure steam distillation process ensures that the beneficial plant compounds in every batch of essential oil remain uncompromised during the extraction process.

Purity and potency tested Each essential oil must pass Young Living’s stringent testing to ensure the optimal bioactive natural compounds are present. Young Living uses its own internal labs, in addition to third-party audits, to verify that international purity and potency standards are met and surpassed.

Young Living completes the Seed to Seal process by carefully sealing each bottle of essential oil before shipping them to members worldwide.

Expert, rigorous analysis of finished oils was critical

Further information phone 0400 141 712 or www.essentialoilsonline.biz or email: eoilsonline@bigpond.com

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The Hidden Causes behind

Hormonal Imbalances

By Sherrill Sellman, ND

All hormonal imbalances, rather than being aberrations of a wayward reproductive system, are symptoms of deeper root cause issues.

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illions of women each year seek relief for hormonal issues, including hot flashes, night sweats, hormonal migraines, PMS, ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, fibrocystic breasts, weight gain, foggy thinking, and heavy bleeding. These symptoms are lumped together in the hormonal imbalance pigeonhole. In the case of menopause, HRT or Bio-identical hormone replacement are the prescribed conventional cures. For menstruating women, oral contraceptives are most often prescribed to address PMS, heavy periods, lack of periods, endometriosis, ovarian cyst and acne.

When resolving hormonal problems, women are led to believe all that is required is a tweaking of their hormonal levels or, in the case of oral contraceptives, a complete shutting down of ovarian function.

The truth is all hormonal imbalances, rather than being aberrations of a wayward reproductive system, are symptoms of deeper root cause issues. So rather than providing a band-aid approach to suppress symptoms, the real goal is to resolve the underlying issues contributing to the hormonal imbalances.

The Adrenals and Hormones The adrenals are involved in manufacturing numerous hormones; blood sugar regulation; the regulation of the body’s minerals; producing and maintaining the body’s energy levels in conjunction with the thyroid; and producing stress-monitoring hormones.

The adrenals, the body’s shock absorbers, are the core of the endocrine stress response system. Adrenaline and cortisol are the two adrenal hormones responsible for the fight-or-flight response.

Adrenaline deals primarily with short-term stress, while cortisol is produced as a result of both acute and long-term stress.

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Prolonged stress, whether a result of emotional, environmental or physical causes, is disastrous for the adrenals. Initially, it results in chronically elevated cortisol levels, leading to weight gain (especially around the midsection), blood sugar imbalances, thinning skin, muscle wasting, memory loss, high blood pressure, dizziness, hot flashes, night sweats, excessive facial hair, and other masculinising tendencies.

Overworked adrenals eventually crash, leading to adrenal exhaustion, where the body is unable to maintain adequate adrenal hormone production. Symptoms of overtaxed adrenals include extreme fatigue (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), irritability, inability to concentrate, frustration, insomnia, addictions to either sweet or salty foods, allergies, nervousness, depression, anxiety, PMS, sensitivity to cold, diabetes, and headaches. Chronic low blood pressure can be a key symptom of adrenal exhaustion.

Since the adrenals contribute to about 35 per cent of premenopausal female hormones and almost 50 per cent of postmenopausal hormones, compromised adrenal function profoundly affects hormonal balance.

Progesterone is the primary raw material for producing cortisol. When the glands are in overdrive, the body will divert progesterone to the adrenals to support cortisol production.

With reduced progesterone, the body may experience oestrogen dominance, such as PMS, hot flashes, night sweats, migraines, fibroids, heavy bleeding, breast tenderness and weight gain.

Excessive cortisol also blocks progesterone receptors, further contributing to low progesterone. These two imbalances are the primary reasons why adrenal exhaustion leads to oestrogen dominance.

Restoring adrenal function is a pre-requisite for hormonal balance. Nutrients of special importance to the adrenals are

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Health & wellbeing

Birth control pills and oestrogen increase thyroid-binding proteins in the bloodstream, which can compromise the results of thyroid blood tests. the B vitamins (especially B5), vitamin C, proteins, magnesium, manganese, zinc, potassium, plant enzymes, adaptagenic herbs, adrenal extracts and the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine.

Rest also helps rebuild the adrenals.

If adrenal exhaustion is suspected, proper testing can determine whether the body is producing healthy levels of adrenal hormones. The only effective way to measure cortisol levels is with a saliva test available from integrative MDs or naturopathic doctors.

Overtaxed adrenals can lead to hypothyroidism, which has a direct effect on women’s hormonal health. By age 50, one in every 12 women has a significant degree of hypothyroidism. By age 60, it is one woman out of every six.

The thyroid, which regulates metabolism, may turn down its hormonal activity in an attempt to reverse adrenal overdrive.

Some symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, heavy bleeding, fibrocystic breast disease, depression, PMS, migraines, lack of concentration, cold hands and feet, menopausal symptoms, miscarriage and infertility.

Birth control pills and oestrogen increase thyroid-binding proteins in the bloodstream, which can compromise the results of thyroid blood tests. Even though they may show normal thyroid hormone levels in the blood, there may be insufficient thyroid hormone in the tissues.

Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis activation due to stress causes decreased production of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and blocks inactive thyroxin’s conversion to the biologically active triiodothyronine. (T3), which has the greatest effect on the body.

Effective natural approaches help regulate the thyroid.

Natural progesterone balances the thyroid – inhibiting the effect of oestrogen dominance, as does supplementation with thyroid glandular extracts, enzyme therapy, minerals (Iodoral®, selenium and magnesium), vitamins and herbals.

The Candida-Hormone Connection A serious digestive concern is the yeast/fungal infection known as candidiasis. The contributing causes of Candida infections include consumption of refined carbohydrates and sugar andor prolonged or repeated use of antibiotics, birth control pills, oestrogen therapy, and cortisone.

Candida produces 79 different toxins known to wreak havoc with the immune system. A long list of potential symptoms associated with Candida overgrowth include depression, anxiety attacks, mood swings, lack of concentration, drowsiness, poor memory, headaches, insomnia, fatigue, bloating, constipation, bladder infections, menstrual cramps, vaginal itching, muscle and joint swelling, pain, hypothyroidism, and skin problems.

Candida also contributes to hormonal problems. A Candida waste product produces a false oestrogen, which tricks the body into thinking it has produced adequate levels, signaling a reduction of its own oestrogen. Similar messages can also be

sent to the thyroid, reducing thyroxin production and initiating or worsening a hypothyroid problem.

Elevated oestrogen levels also increase vaginal candidiasis incidence. Oestrogen will literally feed Candida growth, which is why birth control pills and oestrogen replacement therapy put women at greater risk of developing Candida.

The botanicals pau d’arco and berberine along with undecylenic acid can be used along with an anti-Candida diet to help rid the body of this harmful fungus/yeast. Probiotics should also be used to help re-establish beneficial bacteria in the colon.

In conclusion, most hormonal imbalances are symptomatic of underlying health issues. Maintaining healthy adrenals, thyroid and colon are fundamental to hormonal well being at any age.

Sherrill Sellman, N.D., Naturopathic Doctor (Board Certified in Integrative Medicine), is a best selling author. Her books include Hormone Heresy: What Women MUST Know, and The Promise of hCG: How to Banish Fat, Resculpt Your Body and Rebalance Your Metabolism (www.fatlossaustralia.com.au).

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Eco Consum er Natural Disinfectant Now you can sanitize your home or workplace without using harmful toxic chemicals. Organic Clean has developed a dynamic Commercial Grade Disinfectant which kills 99.99% of germs, cleans and removes bacteria and mould at the same time. It’s active ingredient, “Aussan” is the world’s first certified 100% natural disinfectant developed right here in Australia. Made kills 99.99% of germs, from a complex cleans & blend of plant removes extracts from fruit bacteria & and vegetables mould! which attack only germs and fungi, it is effective on all surfaces non-porous surfaces: toilets, showers, bathroom surfaces, waste pipes, drains and kitchens.

Visit www.organicclean.com.au

SevenCanaries Where Transparency Matters Conscious consumers are aware of the challenges of trying to source products and services that are sustainable, organic, environmentally friendly, allergy free and ethical. As well, truth in labelling and ingredient listing is important to them.

Frustration with these challenges combined with intolerance’s to a variety of products, the co-founders of SevenCanaries, Diana Barnett and Amelia James, set up an online portal comprising of an e-magazine and a Marketplace for the conscious consumer. It links environmental issues, health concerns and sustainable living on an online platform connecting individuals with products, information and ideas.

The online magazine offers articles of interest to those wanting to live sustainable lifestyles and reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals and unhealthy environments.

No green washing The shopping site, SevenCanaries MarketPlace, follows the same theme, with no harmful chemicals, no hidden surprises, no green washing. It is a whole online shopping centre hosting a variety of sustainable businesses. Shoppers are encouraged to provide feedback on products purchased on this site using the “canary rating system”, which provides a quick and easy way to share information, recommend products and assist others in their consumer choices.

“SevenCanaries supports truth in labelling and ingredient transparency, because consumers have a right to know what is in the products they use,” Diana says.

“We believe the purchasing choices you make every day can make a real difference.

“For SevenCanaries, transparency Matters!”

Visit ww.sevencanaries.com.au. Email: Diana@sevencanaries.com.au

Environmental Toothbrushes o, a m bambo Made fro e, lose fibr u l l ce l a natur le degradab & are bio

We make hundreds of choices every day that impact the environment. Sometimes it’s a big decision… sometimes it’s as small as changing your toothbrush. More than a million plastic toothbrushes are disposed of by Australians each year, creating approximately 1000 tonnes of landfill . The plastic they’re made of won’t break down in our lifetime or that of our children. Imagine that on a global scale.

Invented by a Brisbane dentist, The Environmental Toothbrush is a simple solution.

Made from bamboo, a natural cellulose fibre, they are biodegradable, environmentally sustainable, and don’t pollute the environment. The amazing growth and self-renewing ability of bamboo means that deforestation is not necessary either. Even the packaging is bio-degradable.

The Environmental Toothbrush is available in a pack of 12 for only $36.

Visit www.gogreenathome.com.au

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psychic & spiritual

ECO LIVING

Scientists Create

New Paint-on Battery

Eco N ews

By Mike Williams-Rice

Researchers have developed a lithium-ion battery that can be painted on virtually any surface.

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he rechargeable battery created in the laboratory of Rice University materials scientist Pulickel Ajayan consists of spraypainted layers, each representing the components in a traditional battery. The research appears in Nature’s online, openaccess journal Scientific Reports.

“This means traditional packaging for batteries has given way to a much more flexible approach that allows all kinds of new design and integration possibilities for storage devices,” says Ajayan, professor in mechanical engineering and materials science and of chemistry.

“There has been a lot of interest in recent times in creating power sources with an improved form factor, and this is a big step forward in that direction.”

Lead author Neelam Singh, a Rice graduate student, and her team spent painstaking hours formulating, mixing and testing paints for each of the five layered components: two current collectors, a cathode, an anode, and a polymer separator in the middle.

The materials were airbrushed onto ceramic bathroom tiles, flexible polymers, glass, stainless steel, and even a beer stein to see how well they would bond with each substrate.

In the first experiment, nine bathroom tile-based batteries were connected in parallel. One was topped with a solar cell that converted power from a white laboratory light. When fully charged by both the solar panel and house current, the batteries alone powered a set of lightemitting diodes that spelled out “RICE” for six hours. The batteries provided a steady 2.4 volts.

The researchers report that the hand-painted batteries were remarkably consistent in their capacities, within plus or minus 10 per cent of the target. They were also put through 60 charge-discharge cycles with only a very small drop in capacity, Singh says.

Five layers The first layer, the positive current collector, is a mixture of purified single-wall carbon nanotubes with carbon black particles dispersed in N-methylpyrrolidone. The second is the cathode, which contains lithium cobalt oxide, carbon and ultrafine graphite (UFG) powder in a binder solution.

The third is the polymer separator paint of Kynar Flex resin, PMMA, and silicon dioxide dispersed in a solvent mixture. The fourth, the anode, is a mixture of lithium titanium oxide and UFG in a binder, and the final layer is the negative current collector, a commercially available conductive copper paint, diluted with ethanol.

“The hardest part was achieving mechanical stability, and the separator played a critical role,” Singh says.

“We found that the nanotube and the cathode layers were sticking very well, but if the separator was not mechanically stable, they would peel off the substrate.

Adding PMMA gave the right adhesion to the separator.” Once painted, the tiles and other items were infused with the electrolyte and then heat-sealed and charged.

Singh says the batteries were easily charged with a small solar cell. She foresees the possibility of integrating paintable batteries with recently reported paintable solar cells to create an energy-

ABOVE: Nine bathroom tile-based batteries were connected in parallel and one was topped with a solar cell that converted power from a white laboratory light. When fully charged by both the solar panel and house current, the batteries alone powered a set of light-emitting diodes that spelled out “RICE” for six hours-the batteries provided a steady 2.4 volts. (Photo courtesy: Jeff Fitlow/Rice)

harvesting combination that would be hard to beat.

Scaling up As good as the hand-painted batteries are, she says, scaling up with modern methods will improve them by leaps and bounds.

“Spray painting is already an industrial process, so it would be very easy to incorporate this into industry,” Singh says.

The team has filed for a patent on the technique, which they will continue to refine. Singh says they are actively looking for electrolytes that would make it easier to create painted batteries in the open air, and they also envision their batteries as snap-together tiles that can be configured in any number of ways.

“We really do consider this a paradigm changer,” she says.

Co-authors of the paper include researchers at Rice, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium.

RESOURCES www.futurity.org/science-technology/ scientists-create-new-paint-on-battery/ More news from Rice University: www.media.rice.edu/media/ Posted by Mike Williams-Rice on Thursday, June 28, 2012

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Smart or Stupid?

Smart meters labelled ‘dumb’

Privacy issues, health concerns and national security warnings are intertwined as power companies and the state government face smart meter problems in Victoria. Martin Oliver reports.

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ustralia is close to being the world’s top per-capita producer of carbon emissions, and you don’t have to look hard to see why. Electricity generation is dominated by coal-fired power stations, which make up 80 per cent of the mix, with gas being a further 11 per cent.

Power use patterns are characterised by spikes in demand, especially on hot summer days when air conditioner use surges upwards. At these peak times, feeding power from solar panels and solar thermal power stations into the grid can ease demands on power infrastructure. Another avenue is to manage demand via “smart meters”.

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However, while smart meters are touted as offering major energy efficiency benefits, consumers in Victoria are increasingly encountering issues with them, many describing these high-tech gadgets as “dumb” or worse.

THE CASE FOR SMART METERS When demand spikes, electricity’s market prices escalates, sometimes astronomically. Traditionally there was no way to correlate usage patterns with time of use, and those without air conditioning were inevitably cross-subsidising major air-con users. When smart meters appeared a few years ago, it

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ECO LIVING

Once installed, a smart meter creates one more layer of elec tromagnetic radiation in our immedia te surroundings became possible to charge users based on the real-time electricity price.

Smart meters can be programmed to cut off an air conditioner when the price reaches a certain level, highest during peak time between 3pm and 11pm. So at time when power bills are going up far quicker than inflation, smart meters could be a valuable tool for householders. And we are advised that non time-sensitive activities, such as ironing, vacuuming and using the clothes dryer can be moved away from peak time, to reduce peak load.

Measuring electricity at intervals of an hour or less, these meters are good at providing householders with real-time power use information, theoretically facilitating further savings. Data is accessible via in-home displays and web portals.

There are benefits for energy companies too. As the data can be accessed remotely, there is no further need for meter readers to brave vicious dogs. This means substantially reduced meterreading costs. Estimated electricity bills become a thing of the past, and power outages can be pinpointed more easily.

Sadly this is far from being the full picture.

RADIATION CONCERNS Once installed, a smart meter creates one more layer of electromagnetic radiation in our immediate surroundings.

Meters transmit data wirelessly within the radiofrequency band, in Australia at a 2.4-gigahertz frequency. Various appliances communicate with the meter, and usage data is then relayed to the power company. Alternatives exist to running the smart meter network on wireless technology; in Idaho and Italy the meters are connected to the optic fibre network.

Victoria’s Department of Primary Industries (DPI) quotes a study indicating that smart meter radiation is well below the levels emitted by several devices including mobile phones, baby monitors and microwave ovens. This study, carried by EMC Technologies, claims that smart meters emit a lower level of radiation than the older-style analogue units. These levels are typically no more than one per cent of the Australian safety limit.

However, Australian limits are based on those set in 1998 by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP.) In turn, ICNIRP’s guideline limits have been widely criticised for ignoring biological effects at levels insufficiently high to cause a rise in temperature, despite these being confirmed by hundreds of scientific studies. One member of the 1998 committee was Anders Ahlbom, a Swede whose brother at the time worked as a telecom industry lobbyist. Over the years, Ahlbom has systematically downplayed possible health risks.

In 2011, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer changed its position on radiofrequency radiation, and categorised it as possibly carcinogenic, with a particular focus on mobile phone use.

NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS Government reassurances are at odds with experience on the ground. A large number of householders report health effects

from the meters as soon as they are installed. Furthermore, there doesn’t appear to be a negative placebo effect at work; some of those affected were initially fully supportive of the new meter. Reports include dogs restlessly moving around and whining at night, and plants and trees unexpectedly dying. Health issues so far observed include: • Headaches • Ringing in the ears • Vertigo and dizziness • Heart palpitations • Vomiting • Tremors • Difficulty in concentrating • Fatigue • Sleep problems • Memory loss • Tinnitus Why are smart meters causing so many problems when they apparently emit no more radiation than a mobile phone?

The key seems to be in its pulsed quality, and in the US electromagnetic radiation consultants are finding that the units pulse far more often and more strongly than the utilities claim. Utilities’ radiation figures commonly time-averaged, causing the strongest spikes to disappear from the picture.

Smart meters are of concern for the estimated three to five per cent of the population who suffer from electrosensitivity.

Laboratory testing has verified this condition.

Some sufferers are experimenting with EMF shielding strategies, including protective paint, and some are living inside special tents or improvised structures within their homes. In desperation, some have resorted to sleeping in their vehicles or workplaces to get respite from symptoms.

They often find they have no option other than to move, but if every dwelling in their hometown has a meter, they have to relocate to a different town or state. It is ridiculous that anybody should have to go to such lengths to make their life bearable.

A RANGE OF OTHER CONCERNS Other issues have been uncovered. At the start of 2012, the Victorian DPI confirmed to the Herald Sun that 40 per cent of the meters were not working properly, because of “an absence of fully working communications infrastructure”.

Smart meters have been observed to interfere with the operation of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cordless phones, security lights, alarm systems and baby monitors, while interference is sometimes heard on FM radio.

Working appliances are more likely to fail soon after a smart meter is installed than at other times. Installers insist this is always caused by an existing fault. Where the wiring of the house is old, some homeowners are spending thousands of dollars on a major rewiring job.

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While there is no counter argument against energy efficiency, the risks for smart meters seem to outweigh the benefits on many fronts ABOVE: Smart meters can be programmed to cut off an air conditioner when the price reaches a certain level... Non time-sensitive activities, such as ironing, vacuuming and using the clothes dryer can be moved away from peak time, to reduce peak load. LEFT: British intelligence agency GCHQ warned that hackers could use smart meters to cut off electricity to key targets.

In Australia and the US, there have been a number of fires and explosions linked to the new meters, and in rare cases explosions have injured the installers. An Alabama whistle-blowing engineer who alleged a fire risk from his company’s meters was sacked for refusing to shut up.

Curiously, although smart meters save power companies substantial amounts of money and their ownership remains with the power companies, the consumer pays for installation and running costs.

In Victoria, installation typically costs $170, and recurrent annual costs (for the smart meter) are between $100 and $220.

You can’t help sympathising with consumers who immediately following installation of a smart meter have found their electricity bills have risen, in some cases shooting up two- to three-fold. This has led to accusations of price gouging.

Having deregulated its electricity sector, Victoria in the only state without government oversight over electricity price increases. The UK’s largest consumer group, Which?, has called for an end to Britain’s roll-out over concerns that the meters offer no protection against escalating bills.

There are subtle ways in which smart meter technology gives the power supplier the upper hand over the householder. It becomes easier to disconnect power where bills remain unpaid and in a future era of fuel shortages, it would be possible for consumers to have their electricity rationed.

Raising privacy concerns, these meters have the capacity to establish a detailed profile of householders’ living habits. The European Data Protection Supervisor has echoed these privacy concerns. There is a risk that data could be hacked, and the British intelligence agency GCHQ recently warned that hackers working for foreign powers could use smart meters to cut off electricity to key targets.

Although Victoria’s Bailieu Government criticised the meters while in opposition, it changed its position once in government.

With costs blowing out from $0.8 billion to $2.3 billion and still rising, no other Australian state is rushing to implement a smart meter program.

A GROWING REBELLION In North America, resolutions against smart meters have been passed by 15 cities in Michigan, 45 cities in British Columbia, and 34

by 56 local government authorities in California, where the laws mean that installation would be a criminal offence. However, a recently announced opt-out program in the US requires consumers to pay an upfront cost of US $75 (AUD $74) a month, with a monthly charge of US $10 (AUD $10).

In Victoria, authorities feel everyone should get a smart meter whether they want one or not. And in an act of mass disobedience, a large number of householders are refusing to have a meter installed, often sticking notices to the front gate and the meter box and putting a heavy-duty lock on the meter box, cutting out a window for meter readers.

According to Stop Smart Meters Australia, some installers meeting resistance from householders are making a variety of threats, including disconnections, and threatening to break into meter boxes.

DON’T FIX IT Polls in the media suggest that most Victorians would prefer to stick with their analogues.

While there is no counterargument against energy efficiency, the risks for smart meters seem to outweigh the benefits on many fronts.

Given the sea of electromagnetic radiation we live in, and its effects on some members of the community, we should be looking urgently at ways to minimise exposure. Instead utilities seem to be doing the opposite, and have started moving into smart meters for water and gas usage.

As the old saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” At the very least, we should try to avoid solutions that create too many more problems than they solve.

Resources Stop Smart Meters Australia www.stopsmartmeters.com.au Sparrowsinoz www.sparrowsinoz.com Martin Oliver is a writer and researcher currently living in Lismore (Northern NSW).

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psychic & spiritual

ECO LIVING

Earthships set to take off Pushing the Building Envelope Mike Reynolds is a visionary architect living in Taos, New Mexico, who might just change the way we earthlings build our homes, as our planet heats up.

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By Martin Oliver

t’s true that the world is making some advances towards greener bulding. For instance, in all Australian states and territoriesresidential dwellings are required to meet a minimum energy star rating, while some office buildings are being designed more efficiently than ever. Despite these successes, some believe change is occurring too slowly to match the challenges of climate change and resource depletion, and a more radical approach is needed.

There is also the vexing problem of finding where to put waste materials.

Does Reynolds have the answer? This remarkable American architect graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1969, and immediately applied his thoughts to how architecture could start solving the world’s environmental problems, through being largely self-sufficient and incorporating recyclable waste materials.

He realised that any hollow waste product could be filled with earth, and used for building walls.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT EARTHSHIPS? Moving to the American Southwest, he made the New Mexican town of Taos, notable for its dirt-coloured adobe architecture, his headquarters. His first house was built in 1972, and featured beer cans wired together to form bricks. Later this evolved into a distinctive, cohesive and exciting building design known as

the earthship. That first earthship made a powerful ecological statement.

Today in his late 60s, Reynolds devotes his time to crossing the globe, spreading the word and educating humanity about earthships, which he sees as our future.

Since the earthship was first developed, over the intervening 35 years the model has been tweaked, and design flaws from the early years such as leaky roofs and inadequate climate control have been ironed out. In 1990, Reynolds was struck off by state Architects’ Board for New Mexico which had a negative opinion of his structures. His licence was reinstated in 2007 following a 17year struggle.

Earthships are easily distinguishable via their unique and quirky design, with adobe or stucco exterior walls. Elongated eastto-west, with a long row of slanted windows orientated towards the Equator, they superficially resemble greenhouses. Although adaptable to a variety of climatic zones, in Northern Europe problems with dampness and mould have not yet been fully resolved.

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ABOVE: The green-house interior of an Earthship.

Right: Load-bearing walls are made from tyres filled with earth on site, and compressed using a sledgehammer.

as fire-resistant. Other internal walls are made using bottles and aluminium drink cans, chosen in preference to steel because aluminium biodegrades very slowly.

Recycled materials offer several advantages in that they are available in nearly every country for a low cost, sometimes for free. Where they are used, this avoids the embodied energy common to all non-waste materials, and re-use is greener than recycling, because virtually no energy is consumed in transport and processing. Tyres in particular are a problem waste, difficult to recycle due to their composite nature. Encased in cement in an earthship wall, they are insulated from water, protected from light and do not break down into toxic compounds.

A key feature of an earthship is its autonomy from the outside world, being self-sufficient in energy (from solar and wind power), water (from the roof ) and sewerage, often growing much of their own food too. This reduces demand on resources and helps to curb pollution, while avoiding bills and offering a high level of resilience to supply disruptions.

SIMPLE GREYWATER SYSTEM Greywater treatment in earthships often involves a simple system where water is fed to one or more plants located at the pipe outlet.

Alternatively, it can be treated by a botanical cell, which is a small structure within the earthship similar to a Living Machine wetland that can also grow food.

Black water from flush toilets is usually treated by an outdoor passive solar-enhanced septic tank with a leach field where the water travels through various layers of differing coarseness, and is cleaned through being absorbed by plants.

A final feature is the avoidance of heating and cooling, with inside temperatures commonly ranging between 17-24 degrees Celsius all year round, even in relatively extreme climatic conditions. This is particularly useful for the extreme annual temperature variations found in Taos and its surrounding areas.

Through its passive solar design, the thick one-metre walls have a high thermal mass that absorbs heat and re-radiates it at night and during cloudy periods. On the hottest days, the thermal mass has a cooling effect due to the time required for the walls to heat up. To maximise thermal mass and temperature stabilisation, earthships are commonly built into the side of slopes. Roofs are usually well insulated with foam.

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HIGH NATURAL LIGHT LEVELS Within an earthship, levels of natural light are high, and many people love the way areas of inside space are dominated by vegetation, turning them into a type of indoor jungle. However, it is necessary to adjust to an off-grid lifestyle in which resources such as electricity and water are limited. Depending on the type of greywater system, there may be a restriction on the use of nonbiodegradable toiletries.

For travellers, the experience can be sampled at the Earthship Biotecture centre in a variety of dwellings. Winning second prize in TripAdvisor’s list of the world’s 10 quirkiest lodgings, their earthships were also given a rave review. In France, another earthship is available for holiday rental in the Normandy village of Ger. The motivations for wanting to live in an earthship are diverse.

Some people want as green a lifestyle as possible, while others are attracted by the aesthetics and cosiness. Perhaps even more important is the fact that an earthship has the capacity to be much cheaper than conventional housing, especially if the future owner gets together with a group of friends to do much of the work.

One of the best ways to master the building skills is to help build a dwelling, perhaps as part of an internship in the US. SPREADING ACROSS THE WORLD Now found in nearly 20 countries, earthships have been attracting attention since they were first built, and the past few years have seen a remarkable upsurge of interest. A documentary about Reynolds’ work, Garbage Warrior, was released in 2007.

Interestingly, the earthship idea is gaining much interest in Australia, and activity here has been frenetic. Rachel Goldlust, a graduate from Michael Reynolds’ trainings in the US, has recently established Earthship Australia. Reynolds toured Australia in February this year.

The first council-approved earthship was built earlier this year at Kinglake near Melbourne to replace a home lost during the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. Earthship Biotecture has also expressed an interest in setting up an earthship village somewhere in Queensland.

When seeking permission from planning authorities, it is wise to be prepared for bureaucratic hurdles. Local councils can be hotbeds of risk aversion and conservative thinking, but planners have been known to get excited about an earthships project, once they see its potential. Where an earthship’s appearance is an issue, it can be tweaked to look “normal” in order to receive approval.

America is an interesting mosaic of counties where building an earthship is easy, and others where it is either banned or there is a need to get through a lot of red tape. In Australia, while it is still too early to generalise, the earthship movement here is set to take off in a big way.

Resources Earthship Biotecture www.earthship.com Earthships YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/earthship Earthships in Australia www.earthship.com/australia Earthship Europe www.earthshipeurope.org Earthship France (holiday accommodation) www.earthship-france.com Earthship Biotecture nightly rentals www.earthship.com/nightly-rentals Garbage Warrior (film) www.garbagewarrior.com Martin Oliver is a writer and researcher currently living in Lismore (Northern NSW).

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Th e Karijini

an experience to uplift the spirit

by Jacquie Walker

The Karijini National Park is located east of Mount Tom Price in the Pilbara, approximately 1055 kilometres north of Perth. It is famous for its beautiful gorges and is a prime destination for tourists.

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his ancient land has an energy that invites you to slow down, relax and simply be in the moment. If you sit quietly and let your mind slow you will begin to connect to the wonder of this ancient landscape. As you drive into the gorges you feel the powerful presence of the land. The colours of the landscape change as the sun moves across the vast sky and the shifting hues are truly magnificent.

The Park is the traditional home of the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga Aboriginal people. The Banyjima name for the Hamersley Range is Karijini. Their connection to the land dates back more than 20,000 years. They have sculpted the landscape with their land management practices known as ‘fire stick farming’. This practice has helped to create the biodiversity helping to determine the nature of the plants and animals found in the park today.

The Visitors Centre has devoted a great deal of time to presenting the history of the Karijini Park and it is a fascinating and informative place to spend some time and chat to the friendly staff, who are there to help you plan your time and itinerary while staying in the Park.

The park offers rich and varied experiences for all. There are many gorges that you can explore. Some of the highlights not to be missed are Dales Gorge and Fortescue Falls, Red

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Gorge and Knox Gorge. At Oxer Lookout you can look over the Joffre Gorge, Weano Gorge, Red Gorge and Hancock Gorge.

The view is spectacular and you can only imagine the force of the earth’s movement that created these gorges. The signage gives you insights as to the geological history of the land. Each of the gorges has its own character and provides a different experience. My favourite gorge, Kalamina Gorge, is one of the lesser gorges. It has a magical charm of its own and is perhaps one of the easier gorges to walk.

The walks are graded from easy to difficult. Under the new system, walking trails are graded on a difficulty scale from grades one to five. These are clearly marked and allow you to plan your excursions into the gorges. It is wise to be well prepared with a hat, water, some food, and sensible footwear suited to rock climbing when hiking through the gorges. If you are hiking through the gorge systems let others know your plans.

Many visitors to the park love to camp and there are 2 camping areas in the park. There is a camping ground at Dales Gorge that is accessible via sealed road. It is suitable for caravanning, tenting, buses and generator sites available. All sites are un-powered. The other is at the Savanna Camp Ground which is apart of the Karijini Eco Retreat.

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psychic & spiritual

TRAVEL & RETREATS

ABoVE: Kalamina Gorge. LEFT: Fern Pool Dales Gorge.

For those who enjoy a little luxury the Karijini Eco Retreat offers a choice of well designed Eco Tents that are nestled in the landscape and an alfresco restaurant. These provide a luxurious close to an adventurous day, complete with quality beds and linen - and the luxury tents have their own en-suite bathrooms. Now that is special. When I stayed there it felt like coming home to a palace.

Close by are the two tallest mountains in WA. Mount Meharry is the tallest one and is 87 kilometers from Mt Tom Price. It forms an impressive sight rising up from the flat plains and if you gaze into the mountain ranges as you travel you can imagine you are looking at faces of ancient beings that have become part of the landscape. The other is Mt Bruce which guards the entrance to the park.

The Karijini National Park touches me deeply and fills my senses with its awe. I hope you too will feel its majesty and mystery when you take your journey into the Karijini.

Please note that entry fees apply to many WA national parks including Karijini National Park. Passes are available for purchase at entry points to the park.

For more information visit www.karijini.com and www.karijiniecoretreat.com.au, www.pilbaracoast.com

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Sacred Valley Eco Retreat from the Ashes Miranda Munro shares a transforming experience arising from a wildfire at rural Toodyay, Western Australian

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most certainly would have been burnt. Instead, a miracle touched here are times in life when all the elements converge my life. I felt truly blessed. It was all the more poignant because to create an inexorable fate. The type that envelope one week before the fire I’d decided that after three years of you with an overwhelming sense of your place in the roaming the planet, I was ready to let go of the property and I’d scheme of things. It was on one of those days that a listed it for sale. I already had someone interested, even after the vein of unease grew in the valley. The previous day’s heat had fire had ravaged its beauty, but I declined. I deeply felt it had been not loosened its grip through the fevered night and a raging returned to me and I was meant to stay. temperature accompanied the sunrise. The portentous wind blew itself into a fervent frenzy; everything was in place.

Wonder and gratitude And then it happened.

I continue to revel in wonder and gratitude An explosive wildfire quickly became out The tears I shed were of control, sweeping across the land like a not for the 20 years of lost when I see how carefully the fire wrapped itself around the perimeter of my home. tsunami, swallowing many acres of property. tangible memories, but Nearly three years on, life has returned to It destroyed 40 homes, countless buildings, for the astonishment I felt normal. The bush, which was not burned, is trees, and many peoples’ hard work and filled with wildlife and wildflowers. dreams. when I saw what In the time of recuperation I decided to share was left. On that fateful my blessing with others and have turned my Old trees crippled, still smoking day, the same hand that large eco-home into a Bed and Breakfast. Just A blackened and ash-filled scene confronted wiped my past clean as the phoenix rose from the ashes, Sacred me upon my return to my property. Mangled Valley Eco-Retreat has risen. buildings lay in crumpled heaps, their saved my house

contents cremated. Three acres of gardens Sacred Valley is a boutique B&B with an eco-chic and forest left a charcoal silhouette against a blue character. The colourful décor reflects my passion for travel and sky; some old trees stood crippled, still smoking. Where what was varied cultures. The lodge is passive solar in design and sits high once a secret garden now lay a fallowed wasteland. The cottage in the treetops with gorgeous valley views. Solar energy supplies and shed I lost had all my possessions stored inside them, as I had the power needs and water is drawn from the property’s deep just returned from overseas. spring. Picturesque scenes are framed in every window; you are At the time, the tears I shed were not for the 20 years of lost surrounded by nature and the symphony of a hundred birds. tangible memories, but for the astonishment I felt when I saw Sacred Valley Retreat is a small slice of heaven, and to add to what was left. On that fateful day, the same hand that wiped my the serenity and comfort of the sanctuary suite you can enjoy a past clean saved my house. massage, sound therapy and Devonshire teas.

The fire had raged across the valley after devouring half The property began life as a family home, which in a single the property, racing right to the timber veranda posts, which day was transformed into an ashen grave. Yet now it arises, as it had licked for a moment, then turned. From the accounts Sacred Valley Eco-Retreat a touch of peace in the beautiful hills of of neighbours who’d stayed to fight for their homes, the wind Toodyay. suddenly changed.

The fire had arced in a perfect circle around my home, tanks For further information, phone: (08) 9574 4493 or write to and forest, and moved on. The house is almost completely built Miranda Munro, 24 Smokebush Way, Coondle WA 6566 from wood and during the fire a sure bet in local circles was that it

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Recycled Eco Homes HEMP vs FISH Protein for PeaOIL k Fitness Are you losing your LIBIDO? Dr Sandra Cab ot’s Natural Solution s

Green Vision for City Living

COLOURFUL FOODS Boost Energy

Come to the heart of the Pilbara for an unforgettable West Australian outback experience. Karijini is famous for its dramatic creeks, spectacular gorges. Stay in a luxury eco tent with breakfast for 2 people plus child available from April to October 2013. For more information visit www.karijiniecoretreat.com.au

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Is You Child Anxious r PYROLURIA may? be the cause

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Treating the Anxious Child Do you have an anxious or depressed child?

Do you know of an older child or adult dealing with anxiety or depression, or both?

Homeopath Kay Watts has found Pyroluria may be the cause.

D

epending on a child’s personality, childhood can be stressful. Nappy (potty) training, socialising, vaccinations, not getting what he or she wants, adjusting to a child-care centre or kindergarten, starting school, bedtime, the dark, meal time, trying to please adults, may cause stressors. Children can also have a stressful start to life through being born premature, and I believe IVF can have the same effect.

Over the years I have treated many children who from a young age have displayed obvious symptoms of anxiety. When they moved into adolescence this swung between anxiety and-or depression, which then dominated a large part of their adult life.

In treating these children with complimentary medicine, some cases responded well, while others were frustrating, as it was difficult to get a lasting result from the remedies given. I believe I may now have uncovered why the results were varied.

I have treated many IVF and premature children who had anxiety and-or behavioral symptoms so this information may be of particular significance for these parents and their children.

However, if you have a child of any age, or any family member with anxiety and-or depression, the information I have uncovered may be important.

Anxiety symptoms in children usually show up as lots of fears and worries about many different things. Babies and toddlers might fear loud noises, heights, strangers, and separation. Preschoolers may be fearful about their mother leaving the room, the dark and sleeping alone, and they may have nightmares. School age children can again show anxiety separation, find it difficult to make friends, stay by their mother’s side in social situations, or worry about schoolwork. All children can display these symptoms at one time or another but when it becomes a constant picture you may consider that your child suffers with anxiety and it may not be a “normal” level.

When mothers ask me how to decide whether the level of their children’s symptoms is not normal, my answer is if symptoms are becoming constant and causing problems for the child, and possibly for the family, they need to look at it; trust what their “guts” are telling them.

Mothers are good at listening to their “guts” but tend to get talked down and led to believe the exhibited anxiety symptoms are normal behavior for a two, six, ten or fifteen-year-old. Don’t get sucked down this path; trust your own instincts.

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Researching Pyroluria If anxiety as outlined above is the case with your child, I encourage you to do some research on a relatively unknown condition called Pyroluria. Pyroluria is probably where coeliac disease was 20 years ago: doctors did not know about it so people suffered for years with their symptoms.

Here is some information about Pyroluria and my experience of diagnosing it.

Pyroluria is a genetic blood disorder. When the body creates haemoglobin (red blood cells) there is a by-product called kryptopyrroles. In someone with Pyroluria under stress these multiply too fast and block the receptors for zinc and B6, which are then urinated out of the body. So a person with this condition has little of these vital nutrients circulating in the body.

What does low Zinc and B6 mean? Zinc is involved in every metabolic process in the body and is required to build a strong immune system. Low zinc levels will lead to constant respiratory problems, poor skin, stretch marks, white spots on nails, slow hair growth, plus much more. B6 supports a healthy nervous system and brain function. It helps the body make serotonin (the happy hormone) and therefore influences mood and behavior. It supports protein metabolism and red blood cell production.

So we have a scenario where anxiety, depression, behavioral issues and-or constant respiratory issues could lead to this diagnosis. IVF and premature children are known to have issues with zinc anyway, so if your child is exhibiting these symptoms it would be well worth getting him or her checked out for Pyroluria.

Here are some of the other symptoms a child could exhibit.

Please keep in mind, this information is just as relevant for adults, bearing in mind this is a genetic disorder.

• Anxiousness • Depression • A tendency to be anxious, fearful and carry inner tension • Poor ability to cope with stress • Socially withdrawn and dependent on one person • Temper outbursts • Argumentative • Frequent tiredness • White spots on nails • Sensitivity to bright lights • Hypersensitive to loud noise • Gluten sensitivity

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psychic & spiritual

parenting

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Creaking knees Stitch in side when run Cold hands and feet Over-crowded teeth Prone to frequent respiratory infections Tendency to be drama queen/king Poor sense of taste or smell Not hungry in morning Feel uncomfortable with strangers Prone to skin issues Easily upset by criticism Difficulty digesting protein/history of vegetarianism Tendency towards anemia History of mental illness or alcoholism in family.

No one will present with all of these symptoms, but the more of them you tick the more likely will be the possibility that Pyroluria could be the answer to your child’s, your own or a family member’s anxiety and-or depression problems.

Blood and urine test Diagnosis is done through a blood and urine test. The treatment for Pyroluria is high doses of the relevant nutrients, followed up with regular monitoring, because zinc is not water-soluble and can build up in the body and create its own problems.

During the past six months, I sent six people to a doctor to be diagnosed and each of them came back positive. Interestingly, the symptom pictures were mixed.

I diagnosed two cases of depression in adults and their results were outstanding. One was on heavy anti-psychotic drugs and

is now drug free. There was also a 24-year-old male who began to experience panic attacks at work after having anger and behavioral issues throughout life. Another was a 20-year-old with extreme anxiety and depression throughout life. Born premature, he had a history of respiratory issues, extreme light sensitivity, social problems, creaky knees, white spots on nails and overcrowded teeth. A six-year-old I’d been treating for anxiety from a very early age and her mother were diagnosed. They are now taking the prescribed nutrients and the results make for amazing stories of recovery.

Please help pass this information on If you know of anyone, child or adult, with anxiety or depression issues. Statistics do vary but it has been reckoned that Pyroluria may be responsible for 70% of schizophrenia, 30% learning disabilities/ADHD, 50% autism, 71% Down syndrome, and 20-80% alcoholism.

Remember, these are the extreme cases and Pyroluria doesn’t always clearly present in a younger child. You are looking for a child who is always anxious, and possibly finds socialising stressful.

This can present in many different ways. Boys can be more likely to have temper outbursts. They are often very sensitive children who react badly to being reprimanded. Plus, they can have any of the physical symptoms outlined above. I believe in any case of depression, it is worth testing for Pyroluria.

For further information email Kay Watts info@childrensnaturalmedicine.com.au. Another site is www.kryptopyrrole.com/ where you can read the blogs of people who have been diagnosed with Pyroluria.

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The Nature Code Inherent within each of us is a code that can help us emerge from the industrialised mind, advancing our evolvement.

T

by John Thompson

he Nature Code is an accessible creative transformational process embedded in all of nature. This process is remarkably simple, yet is responsible for the creative abundance and diversity that supports our existence on Planet earth. Understanding The Nature Code process enables effortless natural spiritual growth, empowered co-creative ability, and sustainable living.

We have the Blueprint Natural Transformational Processes are easy to find. Our bodies have emerged from Earth Consciousness and have these processes naturally embedded within them. Because of this, our bodies come with substantial information processing ability and additional emergent consciousness. This consciousness is the Natural Mind. Within it is also embedded the blueprint for Natural Transformation, or what I have come to call The Nature Code.

Unsurprisingly, it is the Natural Mind that connects us directly to earth consciousness and beyond, including the accumulated wisdom of the ages.

Through the Natural Mind we have access to profound knowledge, understanding, and insight that is essential if we are to achieve sustainable living with the earth and each other.

Many ancient cultures were aware of this and many indigenous cultures still are. Yet for most of us it is forgotten, ignored, or suppressed. What can we do to regain access to this incredibly powerful mind and creative consciousness?

Separation from Natural Mind In our evolution we are well beyond dependence on emotionally driven survival behaviour. We are thousands of years along the path of accumulated rational intelligence, and many generations into the rise of classical science and the industrialised mind. This latest mass exploration of our individual and collective creative ability via Ego and industrialised mind has given us many things, but has further separated us from Natural Mind and now threatens our very existence. I offer the following story to illustrate this.

Some time ago I was bush walking, as I love to do, in the Darling Scarp that overlooks Perth in Western Australia. I came across a beautiful granite outcrop surrounded by healthy nature with a great energetic feel to it, and readily took the opportunity to stop and connect more directly with Earth Consciousness.

For me, this often involves lying on the ground and giving myself 44

permission to receive balancing, healing, and any information or teaching that is available to me at that time.

Upon arising my attention was drawn to the city skyline in the distance and certain aspects became apparent. First, the urban landscape is an imposed structure on the processes of nature.

Second, we need to invest significant energy, time, and resources in maintaining these imposed structures, because if we do not nature will eventually overpower them. Third, this means natural processes need to be constrained, which results in tension and conflict. Beyond ecological implications, imposed structures such as urban landscapes are projections of our collective industrialised minds: wonderful metaphors for the constraints put on the natural transformational blueprint within us, and the individual and collective suffering that arise as a result.

Command and control For example, the urban landscape is a creation of the modern rational mind conditioned by many generations of mechanistic science and its offspring: industrialisation. Resources, technology, culture, government, business, community, health care, education, family, and individual have been enveloped. All of us have been born into this “command and control” culture, and our conscious rational minds are highly conditioned by it. This can be no other way, whether we like it or not, and the implications are profound.

It shapes our view of world, spirituality, community, family, and gives rise to a highly individuated sense of self as separate from others.

Now consider again that our bodies have emerged from the earth, giving rise to the human condition and Natural Mind. In the same way that the urban landscape must suppress nature for its existence, so to must the scientific industrialised rational mind constrain the embedded transformational processes of the Natural Mind. This enables Ego to sustain its constructed view of reality, rigid beliefs, self-proclaimed supremacy, sense of individuated self, and more. In doing so, however, it gives us a selective view of reality, and is psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting.

Access to accumulated wisdom When we consider further that our Natural Minds are highly interconnected with substantial information processing capacity, have access to accumulated wisdom, and are the pathway to

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Urban landscapes… are projections of our collective industrialised minds: metaphors for the constraints put on the natural transformational blueprint within us

co-creative ability, it becomes easy to see suppression means separation and loss of the guidance and resources Earth Consciousness offers. In conjunction with internal conflict, stress, tension, and the fear that arises, we find the source of our immense individual and collective suffering.

Reconnection, Transformation It is important to understand that this wayward industrialised mind has emerged out of the very processes I refer to and has the same properties. It is self-organising, creative, with emergent properties (such as identity), and has incredible transformational potential. As spiritual beings, to be consciously involved in the emergence of mind and its application offers us direct insight into the creative processes at work. In particular, we have the incredible opportunity to experience first-hand our developing capacity as creators within our own right.

We have established our individual and collective creative ability beyond question. Now it is time for reconnection with the Natural Mind and the release of the imposed constraints, if we are to become co-creators. Reconnection simply and effortlessly brings our creative processes into alignment for realisation of co-creation and transformational opportunity. Once the simple processes involved are brought into awareness, reconnection occurs and the rest unfolds according to the transformational blueprint within Natural Mind. This is not difficult to do and mostly involves you giving yourself permission.

For many years my life has been directed toward studying Natural Transformational Processes. During that time I have collaborated with many like-minded people from various spiritual

backgrounds, new emerging sciences, and indigenous traditions.

The essence of this collaborative work is to strip away unnecessary complication and to share the accumulated knowledge and understanding with others. simple processes This approach recognises we already have within us what we need for effortless natural transformation. There is not much need for technique, if any. It simply involves understanding how to reconnect with Natural Mind, energise the processes within it, and release constraints so that transformational processes can function optimally.

In understanding The Nature Code and learning from these processes you will also be better equipped to identify transformational opportunity, recognise process as it unfolds, and be able to utilise it for co-creative living towards a sustainable future. This includes the utilisation of these processes in family, community, organisation, and business.

For further information about The Nature Code and collaborative projects emerging from it go to www.thenaturecode.com

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Discovering Your Life’s

In this excerpt from Kelly Sayer's book we learn her technique for manifesting what is good in life, and the effects of positive and negative thoughts.

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e all have a purpose, a unique and special contribution to make. Your mission is to discover what that is by asking the questions that activate the Universe to deliver, such as “What is my life’s purpose?” and “How can I make a difference to others?” and then trusting in the guidance you are receiving by taking inspired actions toward your heart’s desires, allowing yourself to create the abundance you truly deserve.

Your life’s purpose is something that brings you great joy and fulfillment. It ignites the flame inside your heart, raises your vibration and inspires everyone around you. It is when you feel that anything is possible and the Universe is flowing through you, whatever that may be for you. You feel connected and in alignment with who you really are, attracting synchronicities, people, and opportunities that awaken you to be, do, and have everything your heart desires.

This Universe is based upon attraction. Your desires, beliefs and expectations activate the law of attraction to bring you ideas, people, circumstances, signs, opportunities; everything wanted, everything you are in alignment to. The Universe also brings you unwanted experiences, challenges, lack and limitation everything you do not want but you are in alignment to.

Creating more Applying the law of attraction in its negative form is when you think thoughts like, “I don’t want to live in this house” or “I can’t afford that new home,” or “I can afford that new home” but feel worry, fear, and stress every time you think about that subject.

By doing this, you are applying the law in a negative way and creating more of what you do not want!

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If you desire something from the lack of it, you will keep attracting more lack. But if you desire something from the love of it, you are in alignment to who you really are, and the Universe can deliver it to you.

Love or Fear: you choose!

In every moment, you are either inspired by love or motivated by fear, and only YOU have the power to choose!

You are the creator of your life experience through your thoughts and feelings and by the choices you are making. Once you awaken your spiritual abundance and find alignment with your highest vision. Through feeling good about who you really are, you will be activating the Universe to guide you every step of the way.

Ingredients for manifesting With the help of the Archangels and the 5Ps Attraction Process, you will have the secret ingredients for making your life truly successful. This process will help you gain clarity and clean up your emotional vibration on every subject so you can begin consciously manifesting everything your heart truly desires.

You can learn how to create what you want with energy by using right use of will power, having beliefs that serve your higher purpose, being in alignment with your highest vision, and expressing those higher qualities now.

Sometimes we get in our own way with self-doubt and fear, but with your willingness to surrender your problem to the Archangels and the Universe, you can let go of any insecurity and turn the situation around to (become) an opportunity for growth and expansion, by trusting the guidance that is within you.

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Be willing to let go of all that no longer serves your higher purpose… turning challenges into opportunities, choose to be,do and have everything your heart desires

If you make others responsible for your life’s purpose, you are giving them total control over your manifestations. Only YOU have the power to choose your reality by taking total responsibility for your life’s purpose.

Positive state of emotion When you ask the Universe to bring you what you want with negative emotion, you actually repel your abundance. Unless you make the conscious choice to radiate your thoughts, feelings, and desires from a positive state of emotion, believing that you can have what you want, the Universe will guide you from your beliefs.

If you believe in lack and limitation, believing that you are not the source, feeling unworthy of who you are, then that is all the Universe will deliver unto you. That’s why positive affirmations in the moment can help change your reality here is an example; “I trust the abundance of the Universe!”

The Archangels who serve humanity are available to each and everyone to assist in the co-creation of the fulfillment of your divine plan.

Ask and trust The Archangels will encourage and guide each individual who calls upon them to awaken their spiritual power and gifts to serve.

You will be inspired with divine guidance daily to feel good about who you are in the discovery and fulfillment of your life’s purpose.

Just Ask the Archangels and you will be divinely guided!

Just make it a simple request: “Archangels please guide me in shifting this challenge into an opportunity, thank you,” and then surrender the situation over, trusting the guidance that you are receiving. Archangel Michael in particular can help you discover your life’s purpose keeping you feeling safe and protected. There are many Archangels who can assist you in every area of your life, the only thing you need to do is ASK and trust divine guidance.

Unfortunately, they can’t do it for you, but the Archangels can happily assist you in creating your life’s work, believing in yourself and taking inspired actions. Just be willing to let go of everything that no longer serves your higher purpose, breaking free from limiting beliefs, turning challenges into opportunities and choose to Be Do and Have everything your heart desires.

The 5Ps to Prosperity The 5Ps to Prosperity will give you the opportunity to radiate those feelings of peace, passion, purpose, and prosperity giving you the power to choose your own reality.

Imagine there are two paths both going in two different directions. Let’s say one is called Lack and Limitation, which is repelling your abundance and believing thoughts such as, “I’m not good enough.” The other is called love, joy, and abundance, which

is attracting your abundance believing thoughts such as, “I am good enough to be do and have everything my heart desires” Both have a journey, but one feels like positive emotion and one feels like negative emotion. With your will and intention, you have the power to choose in every moment which path you will enter daily and experience the reality of that choice.

All you need to do is ask for what your heart truly desires and imagine yourself opening up the energy around you, allowing these good things to come to you, in divine and perfect ways. You’ll see it when you believe it!

Kelly Sayers is a Keynote Speaker at Conscious Living Expo October 18-21. For further information visit www.betterlifewebevents.tv

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is Good Business Dr Peter Dingle (PhD) throws light on why a healthy workforce leads to business success.

Poor decisions and lack of creativity caused by fatigue can be extremely costly

B

eing successful in your business or career should never be mutually exclusive of your health. In any business, the two need to be given the same importance. If you want increased productivity and profits, you cannot afford to tell yourself you don’t have time to look after your health or the health of your employees.

What many people don’t realise is that an individual’s productivity levels are directly proportional to the state of his or her health. This is logical and supported by a plethora of scientific research, including research of my own, my colleagues and my students.

For all of us, and for a number of reasons, the state of our health affects our ability to think, how we think and learn, how we behave, and consequently our productivity. We become unproductive when we have a headache, feel ill or have simply have had a poor night’s sleep. When people are ill they cannot fully participate and as a result there is lost opportunity.

One person’s poor health, low productivity or low mood can dramatically influence those around them, causing work-place productivity to drop even further. More seriously, staying away from work or going home because we are ill has a dramatic effect on the cost of running a business. And each year, this costs the economy many millions of dollars. Worse, many sick days are taken for preventable health problems.

Aside from sick days, less obvious is the employee who is at work but has low productivity output because he or she does not feel well, or is basically an unhealthy individual (Presenteeism).

Whether you call it fatigue or brain fog, or feel because you are

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a few years older your lower productivity is acceptable, you are affecting the bottom line.

When at peak health your productivity is excellent, but as soon as it begins to deteriorate your productivity goes down.

Even slight fatigue or a mild headache can have a dramatic effect, creating a pronounced dip in productivity.

This has important consequences for all workers, but more so for those over 35 years of age (or has it dropped to 30 now?) who are often starting to feel less well, getting a bit slower, a bit stiff, less able to focus and concentrate as much as they previously did, and maybe more frequently take days off with poor health – not illness – just poor health.

Productivity and health is a balance between our physical, emotional mental and spiritual energy. Another way to break this down is into a simple formula. See Figure 1.

When your health is poor you decrease your: • Mental capacity • Memory, focus and concentration • Stamina and energy • Tolerance levels (emotional and spiritual) • Recuperation period • Physical ability and mobility • Communication skills And you risk becoming more: • Inflexible • Moody • Pessimistic

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The costs of this to business are: • Low productivity • Accidents • More disease • Absenteeism • Presenteeism • Early death Many of these costs are hidden but they add up to a big burden on any business. A good example of this is some Gallup research carried out in the US showing that about 55 per cent of people are not engaged in their work and 19 per cent are actively disengaged.

This costs the US economy trillions of dollars. Also, the longer a person is in a job the greater the degree of disengagement. After six months, 38 per cent of people are actively engaged. After three years, this drops to 22 per cent.

Stress levels compound When your health is poor, your stress levels increase, having a further negative effect on your health and productivity.

If not adequately dealt with, this situation quickly becomes compounded, creating poorer health and putting productivity on a downward trend.

In contrast, maintaining good health allows you to deal with stress more effectively, leads to fewer illnesses and reduces the length and severity of infections such as a colds and influenza.

You take fewer sick days and enjoy increased energy and vitality.

I have never met a person who believes “success is poor health”, yet so many of us allow health deteriorate in our pursuit of so called “success”. Success is good health in every aspect of our lives: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Being healthy is more than the absence of disease and serious disability.

Changing the way we do business While most organisations want improved productivity, the focus is often only on improving the technology and in most cases only lip service is given to improving health. Investing large sums of money into technology and equipment or running special whiz bang technology workshops can be a waste if workers are slow, or not even there at all. The latest computer is of little value if the person operating it is too ill to work, or to focus on the work.

A small increase in personal health can mean a big increase in personal and professional productivity. My suggestion is to stop wasting money on high tech productivity solutions until you get the low tech end right. Get the foundations of a good and productive business right first. Keep in mind the increasing amount of scientific evidence that shows improving someone’s health can have a dramatic effect on his or her productivity and the productivity of a business.

Old ideas affect productivity Productivity is also undermined by old, outdated ideas, such as longer hours at work must equal more productivity.

It’s not how many hours you’ve put in but what you get out. More hours at a production line may be fine, if you’re not worried about accidents. However, in any position requiring some creativity or human interaction, less time can be much more effective. Poor decisions and lack of creativity caused by fatigue can be extremely costly. In Japan they have the expression “karoshi”, which means death by over work.

Most business research now shows that about 50 per cent of business people take their laptop with them on holidays, usually

Figure 1.

Mental energy

(thinking + concentrated mental effort + learning)

Physical energy Productivity and health

(doing things)

Emotional energy

(interactions with other people and self)

Spiritual energy

(living by your values)

The simple formula above illustrates the balance between Productivity and health with our physical, emotional mental and spiritual energy.

to check their emails each day. There is nothing wrong with this if the person has the right work life integration, but most people don’t. We should not take busyness to the point of exhaustion.

We should not work at the expense of our health, nor should we allow work to cut into our recuperation and recovery time.

Although pushing ourselves hard and long at work may provide a perception of short-term benefit, it will create long-term problems and costs, particularly as we age.

High cost of burnout The cost of burnout is not just lost wages and some inconvenience in the short term. It can be devastating to any organisation and includes the added factors of: • Lost productivity while the employee can’t work • Extra wages while training someone else • Demoralisation • Extra stress on other workers • Costs (other than wages) of hiring a new person • Ongoing medical costs • Insurance premiums • Legal matters Beyond the workplace Years ago people looked after their health outside work hours.

Taking our work beyond the workplace, many of us now work in our homes, and many jobs rely on us working in our minds all the time.

If employers want to improve productivity, they also need to consider the home environment, which includes family and emotional issues. While not an area traditionally covered by work place health programs, it is critical. One simple example highlights this issue. Stress at work, leads to poor sleep and fatigue which lead to more family arguments, less sleep, more anxiety, more frequent bouts of illness and, as a result, lower productivity at work with higher absenteeism. A lower quality of family life generally leads to lower productivity at work, as it becomes a major distraction and lowers a persons ability to interact and function positively.

Associate Professor Dr Peter Dingle (PhD) is the author of nine books, and adapted this article from his most recently published Take Control and Realise Your Potential.

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2012 The End of the Year is NIGH

By Richard Giles

We have started the end of a year cycle, which is the September Equinox. Astrologers always look to four major dates each year for guidance for the rest of each quarter they introduce.

They are: the March and September Equinoxes and the June and December Solstices.

Each time they occur they signal for the new quarter and since astrology began, these dates have been keys for the energies of the ensuing three months.

S

eptember began the three-month countdown to December 21st, 2012. Only 90 days to go. What can we expect? I, for one, don’t expect the End of the World.

My best guesses as an astrologer and Mayan Calendar student tell me that December 21st, 2012 will be like many other days and will pass. It may well be stormy or sunny, but it will not signal nation-wide panic. Nor will it have all of us watching whole continents slowly slipping into the sea sideways, as in the movies.

None of that!

More likely, and this is my tip for December 2012, there will be much depression because many people who believe the world is about to end on or around that date, will experience a type of disappointment or anxiety when the promised end does not arrive.

Surprisingly public opinion surveys show that about 20 per cent of those surveyed really believe the world will end on that day. Others believe there will be major changes in society around that date, which will signal a new look financial and economic system. Further smaller numbers believe many members of humanity will mass-ascend into the heavens, bound for where I’m not sure. I guess some will go to the nearest hovering UFO and others may wind up in a very different dimension, having probably shifted from the Third to the Fifth Dimension.

This may be a serious problem among those wanting drastic change because they are fed up with our financial institutions, social systems, environmental record and dismal state of the planet. Some of these people may bring about self-fulfilling prophecies in unimaginable ways. For instance, if you have a strong and deep longing to be dimensionally shifted, lifted up, carried aloft to another planet, or believe we are all going to be drowned by a huge wave, your thought patterns could push this to happen for you – at least in your mind.

The Exact Astronomical Date of 2012 Members of the public who are fixated upon the exact astronomical date of 2012 could create confusion, fear and futile speculation.

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John Major Jerkins, a leading scholar of the Mayan Calendar, provided the following information: “In point of fact, we have a previous testimonial of Don Alejandro, from an interview he did with reporters that was published as The Mayan Worldview of the Universe by Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez, Universal Press Syndicate, The Denver Post, January, 2000.

“In it, we read: ‘Based on thousands of years of astronomical observation, a cataclysm is indeed predicted by indigenous elders, as opposed to prophesied. No-one is predicting that at the strike of midnight on December, 20, 2012, the world will end. Instead, Mayan elders predict that the cataclysm can occur within a year or 100 years – and the cause would be something astronomical as opposed to metaphysical’.”

John Major Jerkins continues: “I’ve always agreed with this idea, that we should think of the 2012 end date as being a ‘zone’ stretching on the order of decades. I don’t agree with the above view that the end date is only an astronomical event, for the physical dimension and the metaphysical (or spiritual) dimension unfold in parallel.”

Carlos Barrios, Mayan elder and Ajq’ij (a ceremonial priest and spiritual guide) of the Eagle Clan, initiated an investigation into the many different Mayan calendars now circulating. He studied with many teachers. To widen their scope of knowledge, Carlos and his brother Gerardo studied and interviewed nearly 600 traditional Mayan. He quickly found out there were conflicting interpretations of Mayan hieroglyphs, petroglyphs, sacred books of Chilam Balam and various ancient texts.

The world transformed Carlos had strong words for those who may have contributed to this confusion: “Anthropologists visit the temple sites and read the inscriptions and make up stories about the Maya, but they do not read the signs correctly. It’s just their imagination.

“Other people write about prophecy in the name of the Maya. They say that the world will end in December 2012. The Mayan elders are angry with this. The world will not end. It will be transformed. The ones who know are the indigenous elders who are entrusted with keeping the tradition.

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psychic & spiritual

psychic & spiritual

In Australia’s chart, the Moon is in the First House of personality and the eclipse is in the Seventh House of friends and enemies…

“We are no longer in the World of the Fourth Sun, but we are not yet in the World of the Fifth Sun. This is the time in-between, the time of transition. As we pass through transition there is a colossal, global convergence of environmental destruction, social chaos, war, and ongoing Earth Changes.”

He continues: “Humanity will continue, but in a different way. Material structures will change. From this we will have the opportunity to be more human. We are living in the most important era of the Mayan calendars and prophecies. All the prophecies of the world, all the traditions are converging now.

There is no time for games. The spiritual ideal of this era is action.”

Change is accelerating Carlos reminds us: “This process has already begun. Change is accelerating now and it will continue to accelerate. If the people of the Earth can get to this 2012 date in good shape without having destroyed too much of the Earth, we will rise to a new, higher level.

But to get there we must transform enormously powerful forces that seek to block the way. The prophesied changes are going to happen, but our attitude and actions determine how harsh or mild they are. We need to act, to make changes, and to elect people to represent us who understand and who will take political action to respect the Earth.”

The Galactic Alignment: 2012 or 1998?

The Maya intention was to point out the precession caused alignment of the solstice Sun with the Milky Way’s centre. The question about timing relates to the precision of the dating system and you’ll be surprised to learn that that astrologers and astronomers have already pinpointed the alignment as having happened.

Regarding this alignment of the Solstice Meridian with the Galactic Equator, European astronomer Jean Meau in his 1997 book Mathematical Astronomy Morsels calculated it to be occurring in May 1998. English astrologers organised by David Baker worked out May 10th, 1998. John Major Jenkins worked it out as May 29th, 1998, as that was a 1 Ahau day in the Tzolkin calendar. He suggested then that December 21st 1998 was the first day of the next 26,000-year millennium and precessional cycle. All of these suggestions and findings indicate precision is the issue in the precession of the solstice meridian. We may already be in the new millennium but won’t recognise it until the chaos settles down.

Solar Eclipse in Australia, 14th November Every six months there is an eclipse of the Sun and of the Moon somewhere in the world. In November this year we are to have one of the first total eclipses of the Sun visible in Australia for many years. Since 1905 we have only four total solar eclipses that passed through the Australian mainland. They were in 1905, 1922, 1976 and 2002. So it is a very rare event and now, in November, just weeks from the 21st December Mayan calendar date we have a significant eclipse in Australia.

It will be first major experience of a solar eclipse since 1976 when the path of an eclipse went right through Victoria. There

was previously a more recent eclipse but this was only the final minutes of the solar eclipse, where the shadow passed through Ceduna, South Australia, late in the afternoon.

The November 2012 total solar eclipse begins in Australia on the morning of November 14th, and it predates the December 21st, 2012 Mayan Calendar date by just five and a half weeks.

It will begin near Darwin early on the morning of Wednesday 14th then move across northern Australia to pass through the North Queensland towns of Atherton, Mount Molloy and Port Douglas that morning, peaking at about 6.38am. The degree of totality in the western astrological zodiac is at 22 degrees Scorpio. At maximum, it will last for two minutes and ten seconds, although the entire event from start to finish will take one hour and fifty-six minutes.

Understanding the effects Eclipses have been a major factor in mankind understanding the heavens over the centuries as the scientists and astrologers (one and the same until the 18th century) predicted events that would induce huge changes following any solar eclipse.

Occurring in the second last month of 2012, the November eclipse is extremely significant for Australians.

Astrologers look at the impact of an eclipse on a personal or national zodiac chart and use the following formula.

The duration of the solar eclipse in hours from the first moment to finish indicates the number of years the effects will be felt. For example, the total duration of an eclipse lasting three hours and ten minutes would have effects lasting a little more than three years. The eclipse degree would also remain sensitive a little more than four years. And an alternative system, the duration of the Solar eclipse’s totality in minutes indicates the number of years it will have an effect. For example, a totality of CONSCIOUS LIVING Issu e 88 |

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two and a half minutes would have effects for two and a half years.

Taurus also looks after food, water and sustainable items for humans.

Eclipse Interpretations What are the meanings for eclipses? How do you interpret them?

They bring sudden or unexpected events. They expose problems you knew nothing about. The planet under stress in your chart is literally “eclipsed” by the Sun or Moon. The astrological House in which the eclipse falls is a key to your changes. They can make big changes in the areas of life shown by the House position.

If you have a planet in your chart that is being touched by this eclipse in November you will experience changes that relate to the placement House of that planet. If you know the meaning of Houses you can work out some ideas as to its effects. If you don’t, you need to consult an astrologer about the placement and its meaning.

The November eclipse takes place at 22 degrees Scorpio. If you have any planets close to that degree in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio or Aquarius, you will be directly affected by it. If your birthday is midmonth in those birth months then you are a candidate for being changed by the events of November 2012.

The other interesting observation that comes out of the date is that the birth chart for Australia has our national Moon’s position (our collective emotions) being directly triggered by the eclipse.

Australia was born on 1st January 1901: we have a Capricorn Sun, the Moon in our chart is on Taurus, another Earth sign, and our Ascendant is in Aries, the ram.

Because this eclipse happens right opposite our earthy Taurus Moon (our emotional identity with the land and our collective sentiments about ourselves as a nation), then we can expect it to trigger our feelings about our national identity in a big way.

Foreign ownership issues What may come out of it is the issue of foreign ownership of our land and our productive farms. Selling off the land and farms to overseas companies may become a huge issue in 2013, as its already beginning to be now.

In Australia’s chart, the Moon is in the First House of personality and the eclipse is in the Seventh House of friends and enemies. So its not hard to see that we may either love or hate land-purchasing foreigners even more strongly next year.

We have been born into interesting and challenging times and as 2012 finishes we will collectively deal with the residue of all the hype over the Mayan calendar. We’ll also deal with the financial changes that will come about as the European union, the banking system and the need for security and surveillance increases, and governments take even more measures to protect themselves from all sectors of society.

December 2012 can be our pivotal turning point. The basic planetary directions following on from the last month of 2012 are up to us all as individuals and as humans.

The traditional everyday Mayan greeting is expressed as “In Lake’ch”, which translates as “I Am Another Yourself “. We need to get to the fullest depth of understanding and wisdom in this greeting and do it very quickly now, as 2013 approaches.

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psychic & spiritual

2013 Duty Calls Numerology with Francis Bevan

A

s 2012 winds down, it’s time to look at what next year will demand from us. Duty is the word to describe what we can expect during 2013. Many of us will take on new responsibilities, be more creative, or engage more with the community.

Most of us wonder what our future may hold, dreaming of what might be. However, after discovering numerology, there is no need to fantasise.

Numerology reveals all! Just as astrology explores the stars to predict the future, numerology probes the numbers 1 to 9 to explain your destiny.

Pythagoras claimed that life operates in cycles of nine. These cycles of nine can be applied to days, weeks, months or years.

The yearly cycle lights the road ahead and offers guidance and warning posts, and by doing so illuminates you in the now.

Tapping into the Universal cycle makes romance, adventure, and career come alive.

It is important to understand the Universal vibrations, because this is the way the world is continually influenced, and each one of us along with it. It is a general trend determined by Universal laws and is indicated by the numbers we find on the calendar. The character of this trend changes every 12 months and with the coming in of each year, we have a different vibration to respond to.

Old vibrations weakening As September is the No. 9 month the year begins to finish the influence that has prevailed since January 1st and to forecast the one of the New Year; it is “on

the cusp” – not quite through with the old, not yet assuming the new, but giving us a combination of both. So until December 31st, the old vibration grows weaker and the new one stronger, until the old year is finally seen out and the one ushered in on its own merits.

Finding the Universal Year Number To find the Universal Year Number, add the digits of the year together and reduce this sum to a single digit. For example to calculate the Universal year cycle in 2011: Add 2+1+1 = 4.

To be a little wiser during the coming year, we need to understand the vibrations of the Universal Year 6.

The Keyword for the Universal 6 Year of 2013 is Duty!

First half of 2013 The year 2013 will bring an increase of responsibility and activity within our domestic lives. On many occasions you will be helping loved ones and your sense of duty will be strong. You will have to assume new responsibilities. This is a year for creative achievement, or embarking on projects that are community and business orientated. It is the ideal time invest in property, renovate, move home or buy a wedding ring. If your outlook is negative then this can be a most difficult year, where intense anxieties will lead to arguments, broken homes and relationships.

The employment and business outlook is excellent and you should be free of occupational and financial problems.

Through expressing love and sympathy you can gain financially. It may be difficult to save any large amounts of money, but all immediate needs should be well taken care of. Educational and health matters are prominent, as is teaching, learning or graduating. Whether this is in the school of life or in an academic institution, what you gain will help to further your ambitions.

The action of 2013 is slow and this will seem most noticeable between January and June, but from then on your plans and adjustments can be pushed forward.

June to November Between June and October there will be many home and family responsibilities to deal with. By October or November you should realise you have worked things out to a more definite conclusion, pointing towards more time to yourself next year.

March brings deep conclusions. June is a good holiday month and July brings practical matters that will require your management skills.

September to December September ushers in home and family affairs, which are to be lovingly handled, and December is a sort of wind up and throwaway time.

For further information, phone (02) 9673 6321, email fbevan@bigpond.net.au, or visit www.francisbevan.com CONSCIOUS LIVING Issu e 88 |

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Learning Life’s Lessons

Fallacy or Fact?

Rev. Bente Hansen was privileged to channel the energy of Edgar Cayce to audiences in the Northeast of the US for about three years. Many questions were asked about career, life purpose and other core issues. In one gathering, an audience member spoke about a particular experience and asked Edgar if there was a lesson in the incident.

“The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”(Einstein)

E

dgar responded: “Why does there have to be a lesson? It is because of the teachings of the churches…

From where I sit now I’m able to see a bigger picture. I see control and power by those who lay down the law as to how things are. When it comes to lessons, that’s not what life is about. Lessons are a manmade concept.”

From an early age, our parents, teachers and others in positions of authority remind us we have lessons to learn, and if we haven’t learned particular lessons then we are at fault. The harder we apply ourselves the greater the likelihood of success. The yardstick of measurement is constantly at work. Will we pass, or is failure in store?

Are we going to disappoint our superiors, parents, teachers and mentors?

TEACHINGS OF RELIGIONS Edgar Cayce mentioned the teachings of religions. How often are we reminded that “man is born into sin”, or “born into suffering”. From Catholicism to Buddhism, and even within the New Age movement, the message is: we are not good enough; we are flawed, inadequate, and to overcome these characteristics we must make atonement throughout life. As a result, continual striving and self-judgment have become normalised within our psyche’s.

Am I the only one who questions the concept of life being a series of “lessons” to be learned? Have we become so heavily entrenched in this belief system that we have lost sight of our real purpose for having the human experience?

Ask yourself if you have learned a particular lesson. As you do this, take note of your feelings. Each time you feel you have not mastered yet another of the countless lessons life has a way of throwing in your direction, you add to your accumulated feelings of inadequacy, lack and unworthiness.

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Lessons are a reminder of school. If you pass you receive approval, breathe a sigh of relief and brace yourself for the next lesson.

If you fail, and failure tends to be more common than success, it adds to feelings of confusion, resulting in a sense of futility.

JOURNEY OF SELF-DISCOVERY Life is not a school. There is, instead, a liberating and powerful alternative way of perceiving and experiencing life as a satisfying journey of self-discovery, rather than lessons to be mastered.

Edgar Cayce, in a private communication, shared that the soul embodies in order to have experiences.

Through these experiences, awareness and understanding develop. As a result the soul evolves to higher levels of consciousness.

Isn’t this a much gentler way of viewing, and experiencing, the journey of life with all its challenges?

Einstein is quoted as saying: “The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

To experience a true paradigm shift, we need to question our accepted beliefs and doctrines. Where teachings and beliefs result in individuals feeling inadequate, inferior or inept then they lack merit. Our soul purpose is to evolve, and soul evolvement can only be achieved in the highest vibrations with best intentions that highlight our inherent goodness and value.

Rev. Bente Hansen is a medical intuitive, author, radio host and teacher. For more information visit www.edgarspeaks.com and www.dynamichealing.net Bente is a keynote speaker at the Conscious Living Expo.

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BOOK REVIEWS

CRYSTALS Author: Rachelle Charman Publisher: Rockpool Publishing ISBN: 978-1-921878-70-1

THE LANGUAGE OF THE ANGELS Author: Claire Nahmad Publisher: New South Books ISBN: 978-0-28564-116-7

This book is a gift to be: a gift to all who desire to work with and understand fully the healing power of crystals.

Charman has created a beautiful, comprehensive guide that presents clear photographs and information as well as space for recording working notes below each illustration.

Each section is designed as a teaching aid, which will encourage you to use the gemstones in so many ways for healing.

A very useful “quick” reference section to Crystals for Healing makes choosing the right gemstone for the “job” easy to do.

Inspiring, informative and well rounded, this book will encourage you on your journey into healing and crystals.

MORE than constructs of whim or fantasy, Angels are beings, Author Claire Nahmad tells us. She advises that whether we believe in them or not, we should all get on familiar terms with them, because they are an important aspect of our everyday lives.

Helpful, instructive and easy to read, the detail, combined with Nahmad’s genuine love of the Angles and their gifts, makes this an informative and delightful little book. Designed to be just the right size to fit into your bag, you can keep it with you to dip into the angelic information of your Angels whenever and wherever you happen to be.

HOW TO GET YOUR MOJO BACK Author: Dr Ginny Mansberg Publisher: New Holland ISBN: 9781741109245 TAKE heart that help is close at hand as you read your way into beginning to understand how better to cope, regain a better perspective of your life and learn how not to expect to be everything to everyone. All of this is served up with a light touch and great sense of humour, without taking away the genuine understanding of the challenges faced by the modern young woman.

Dr Ginny Mansberg writes from her heart and experience, as she helps you cope with life’s challenges, while learning how to get your mojo back, even if you have not realised you’ve lost it, and begin to enjoy living again.

NEW VEGETARIAN KITCHEN Author: Nicola Graimes Publisher: DCP Publishers ISBN: 978-1-84899-035-7 IMPRESSIVE, flamboyant, celebratory and a totally fantastic, fresh look at the humble vegetable makes this one of the most understated books that will ever take its place on the bookshelf in your kitchen.

There is something for every palate and meal style, from the dinner party to casual dining, which will impress your guests and, best of all, taste terrific.

For those looking for a change from the same ol’, same ol’ for dinner every night, or something totally different and memorable, grab a copy of this inspiring revamp of what used to be vegies and fruit, and celebrate a taste

by Janet Mawdesley

MEMOIRS OF A PILGRIM FOOTPRINTS ON THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO Author: Brad Kyle Publisher: Zeus Publications ISBN: 978-1-921731-35-8 WHEN Brad Kyle set out to walk the Camino Trail to Santiago in Spain he did so with an air of expectation – about what he was not sure, other than he would be walking the same pathways pilgrims had been walking for hundreds of years.

Written with honesty, including all the tough emotional stuff, but with a gentle and encouraging hand, the refreshing breeze that wafts throughout the pages encourages you to join the journey from Saint Jean Pied de Port along the 800 kilometre journey to Santiago.

Memoirs of a Pilgrim has just been honoured as an award-winning finalist (Travel Essay Category) in the International Book Awards 2012. (in the US) POSTCARDS FROM THE OTHER SIDE Author: Michelle & Ezio De Angelis Publisher: A & U ISBN: 978-1-74237-996-8 DEATH and dying: what are they really all about? Are loved ones who have passed only a thought away? Contained within the pages of Postcards is a wealth of information on this subject sent to help and heal those who have lost loved ones, whether recently or in years past.

Real and honest, we receive comfort, insight, answers and many life lessons sent to us from those who have lived, loved and truthfully understand why we are here and what our life path is all about. Claiming “survival evidence”, Ezio has written that there is no death, only a different kind of life.

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MUSIC REVIEWS BEEING HUMAN Artist: Mark Bruland Publisher: Appley Ever After Music markbruland.com IN THIS Brulands’ third album he manages to combine his love of farming with his love of music, giving us a totally diverse, interesting, relaxing and lighthearted album packed with listening pleasure.

On the first track, BEEing Human leads you into the world of people, friends of the family, neighbours, Bruland’s children and wife with an almost sombre introduction which, wait a while, leads you into an up tempo mood typical of what you’d find in a beehive – seriously busy. Yes – the track was inspired by life in a beehive!

And so the music goes on from there.

Each piece is specific in style: relaxed, fun, and gentle or, as in My Laughing Heart, filled with love, simply that and no more.

So each piece is reminiscent of the person or place that inspired the music.

There are 18 tracks, each one as delightful as the one before. Bruland has given us a complete smorgasbord, which will appeal to all who listen.

EL DORADO Artists: Luna Blanca Publisher: lunablancamusic.com The Boys from Luna Blanca are back. With this, their fifth album, and in their very definite “different” style they have again delivered the goods, giving us a punchy, fun-based rhythm that makes the toe tap and the heart smile. And that’s just the first track, Los Ojos.

Presented in Luna Blanca’s unique way, we hear a meld of varied styles made so exciting with the addition of Honky Tonk piano (great to hear on this comeback album), and the blues harp (inspiring).

In their own extremely flamboyant style, the masters of nouveau-flamenco have once again delivered a fantastic, joyful, funfilled album.

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by Janet Mawdesley

LINGER LONGER Artist: Laura McMillan Publisher: Perhapspiano. com STRENGTH, love and the joy of living ring out from the first note on this very special album.

Emotion has been used unstintingly as a seamless thread throughout the pieces, creating a wordless essay about the many feelings associated with being human, as well as the depth and breadth of life lived and loved.

Written and composed as a tribute to her mother, McMillan applies a modern classical style, bringing the depth of her immense knowledge of music into each piece to produce her own unique sound.

McMillan has used music to bring peace and hope into her life. Her compositions on this album are an invitation to share her journey, create your own personal place of refuge in which to “linger longer” away from everyday busyness. Her work here should become a timeless classic in solo piano.

GIVING VOICE Artist: Rich Osborn Publisher: Free Range Raga records YOU can and maybe should get very technical with the style and rhythm of each piece on Giving Voice.

But in many ways, if you do this, you may miss out on appreciating the suburb effect of each and every note, which combined as a whole, gives us music in a form seldom heard in today’s hectically busy world: a world in which the essence of music seems to be anything but isolationist and pure.

Beautiful and hitting straight to the heart, this is purist in its truest form.

Each note and the telling note spaces in between combine to create divine peace, notably so in the first track Into the Silent Land.

As with all music, you will find what you want within each track: everyone finds something different. With this album you will discover, perhaps, a window into another place within that quiet listening place called peace.

INHALE SLOWLY Artists: Tim White and Joe Paulino WhiteGates Music Publisher: inhaleslowly.com WHEN White and Paulino set out to enhance or, if you like, develop further a set of music they created to aid spokenword meditation they took the basics and transformed them. The result is this amazing album.

In inhale slowly, they have created a collection of tracks that blend seamlessly into one another to give a deep, rich sound, which reaches the soul.

Clear, yet delicate sounds are enhanced to richness by the use of sitar, guitar, esraj, piano, synthesiser and percussion, a somewhat eclectic mix of instruments, to meld into a restful ambience.

Although there are five long tracks on the album, they drift into one another and, in the words of White and Paulino, “help the listener set aside stress and connect to a sense of inner peace”. Beautiful, peaceful and healing.

LOS ANGELES BLUES Artist: Ciro Hurtado Publisher: cirohurtado.com ALTHOUGH the Album is titled Los Angeles Blues, it is perhaps the furthest thing from blues in the traditional style of blues music.

Rather, it is an incredible mix of a vast range of musical disciplines melded together and resulting in an album that ranges from thoughtful melancholy (perhaps blues-ish) to up-tempo Latin American style beats, which underlie each track.

Hurtado has a background which ranges from a childhood spent in the Amazonian rain forest to adult life in the urban beat in Los Angeles, and many places in between, all of which reflect in his music.

Beats, pulses of rhythm, multiculturalism and influences from groups such as the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and many others have all come together seamlessly in this latest release of simply Hurtado and his guitar.

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visit us online

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www.consciousfoods.com.au Available at all leading health food retailers.

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FOOD & NUTRITION

Healthy sustainable living RESOURCE GUIDE Holistic Health, Education and Resource Centre for

Preconception, Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding and beyond

Specialists in Fertility, Pregnancy, Birth

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1 Lefroy Road, Mt Nasura, 6112. Phone: 08 6196 0463, www.CCBCWA.com.au

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HEALTH & WELLBEING Cancer Support Association Cottesloe & Armadale

Cancer Wellness Programs & Support Essential, life-saving courses, programs, groups and counselling to help you on your journey to wellness. We will share with you the information the doctors don’t tell you: • how to cope with diagnosis and find support • lifestyle, exercise and dietary changes to help improve your outcome & prevent recurrence • how to meditate, relax and deal with stress • food & nutrition which may help you recover • safe, natural and complementary therapies

Also at CSA Wellness Centre:

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yoga, meditation, qi gong, reiki, nutrition courses, wellness courses, art therapy, individual and family counselling, support groups, library and resource centre. Individuals and families welcome.

80 Railway St, Cottesloe Cancer Support Phone Line 9384 3544 www.cancersupportwa.org.au CONSCIOUS LIVING Issu e 88 |

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Healthy sustainable living RESOURCE GUIDE

REJUVENATING DAY RETREATS - EAST FREMANTLE

Stop - Relax - Rebalance, Learn & Experience The Five Points of Yoga in a serene garden oasis.

Yoga, Meditation, Raw Food + More.

The Forensic Healing system shows how relationships affect your life. Negative imprints create bad luck, detrimental relationships, financial losses, pain, stress and most health issues. Forensic Healing uses advanced healing secrets and methodologies to free you from your stresses. www.ForensicHealing.com (Booth P15) Free Negative Life Pattern Readings 1300 187 183

Mention ad for 5% discount 0401 180 677 info@rippleretreats.com www.rippleretreats.com

LIFE FORCE Simply Better Change – Naturally

TRANSFORMATIONAL NEUROFEEDBACK TRAINING WITH NEUROPTIMAL See us at the Conscious Living Expo for a free training session.

• How it works

Kinesiology

With 30 years experience, Malcolm’s warmth and deep insights create powerful change in many areas; financial; physical and mental health; relationships; and confidence.

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• The benefits • Become a certified NeurOptimal Trainer WORK

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For more information go to www.neurotribe.com or telephone 08 9250 8333 60

Malcolm Borgward

0409 129 499

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Healthy sustainable living RESOURCE GUIDE NEW

Improve posture.

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Helps relieve: • blocked or runny noses • wheezing and other breathing difficulties • coughs • disrupted sleep • mucous build up

Relieve stress on joints.

Salin Plus is an innovative medical device that removes airborne pollutants such as dust and pollen, whilst also dispersing a dry salt aerosol that when inhaled can reach deep into the lungs and sinuses, where it may assist with mucous clearance and inflammation reduction.

Stimulate your metabolism.

Key facts

• Suitable for everyone, complements your existing medication • International award winner and patented technology • 60 Day 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee • 10,000 devices sold monthly in Europe • 10 year proven track record • 5 Year Warranty

For your nearest stockist visit us online or call us today.

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Are YOU looking for something to make life easier?

Have you heard about the huge range of assistive equipment we have at our centre?

Our health professionals can help you find the right piece of equipment to help with every day living tasks, for example; opening jars and cans in the kitchen to; getting in and out of a car with less difficulty.

We are a FREE service to anyone who needs advice and information about equipment that can assist in everyday living.

We also visit community groups to demonstrate assistive equipment!

See you at the expo!

Contact us on 1300 885 886 or help@ilc.com.au We are located next to Sir Charles, Gairdner Hospital at The Niche, corner Aberdare Road and Hospital Avenue, Nedlands.

Making choices finding solutions

pure

health and wellness clinic

Stuart Morick, Naturopath BHSc(Nat), AdvDip(Nat), Member ANTA

www.purehealthandwellness.com.au Tel 0419 91 77 33

Animal Aid Abroad Inc. Helping working animals all around the world Providing aid and support to the most abused, sick and vulnerable from a life of toil and neglect.

Take a leap into good health!

For more information visit: w: www.animalaidabroad.org e: info@animalaidabroad.org CONSCIOUS LIVING Issu e 88 |

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GROWTH & AWARENESS

Healthy sustainable living RESOURCE GUIDE

TOUCHING LIGHT A Miraculous & Life Changing Possibility.

Experience Alchymie for Heart Awakening, allowing Your Shift in Consciousness.

The Time is Now! Peaches Land 0459 712 377 www.touchinglight.com.au

SOLUTIONS www.brainclub.com.au

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Psychic & Spiritual

Healthy sustainable living RESOURCE GUIDE

Turn your attention to the Source

Go to that place inside where you know your connection is... guidance is within and is never stopping The Meditation College is a place where you can find teachings, tools, inspiration, support and community to deepen your connection, to uncover your True Self, to transform your life into a life with meaning and purpose.

- Meditations - Retreats - Meditation in day-to day life programs - Certified Meditation Instructor Course Online & at Local Centers

Register Your Business NOW

Transcendental Meditation for Women and Girls Inner Peace, Stress Relief, Health and Well-Being Reduced Anxiety, Self Development Contact Brooke Hadfield on 0413 957 287 or email brookeh@tm.org.au meditationforwomen.org.au tmwomenprofessionals.org

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All teachings as Free as Air 38 Ashley Drive Kelmscott Perth 6111 Tel: 08 93904752 Mob: Arun 0478 560 432 www.anandamarga.org.au

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Good Vibrations Morley Shop 21 Coventry Square 243-253 Walter Rd. West MORLEY WA 6062 P: (08) 6189 1304

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Path of Bliss

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MARKETPLACE

Healthy sustainable living RESOURCE GUIDE

Volunteer today Great benefits for you.

Amazing benefits for the community.

Volunteer opportunities across the metro area.

For more information Ph: 9318 5700 www.volunteertaskforce.org.au

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For more information call 08 9848 2748

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