Ecotistic Magazine

STAFF BOX

FEBRUARY 2012 VOL. 1 ISSUE #1

DR. RAJ

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Publisher Beau A. Odom Associate Publisher Mike Dial Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Odom

CLIMATE CHANGE

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Associate Editor George Duenas

BEYOND ORWELL

Art Director Ian Ruz

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Advisory Board: Mike Dial Heinz R. Gisel Jennifer Dial Contributors: Kelly & Crystal Hutchison Heinz R. Gisel Lance Rogers Bahareh Dr. Raj David Bronner Tiffany Janay Jaime Schwartz Aaron Evans George & Antoinette Duenas Jennifer Dial Esther Rubio-Sheffrey Marc Emmelmann

THE RANGE

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BACK IN TIME

GROW

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Advertising Sales Reps: Beau A. Odom Tiffany Janay Sage Bova Richard Huerta

MAKING YOGA YOUR OWN

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HEALTHY PET

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CLEAN GREEN

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HEALTH COACH

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Publisher’s Letter Welcome to the premiere issue of Ecotistic Magazine! We are excited to be able to bring you the information and education about how to introduce more vitality into the lives we lead. Vitality comes from many aspects in life – eating better, taking better care of yourself, and enjoying food, art, music, and life more; filling your downtime with the things that make you feel better and breaking away from the day-to-day race that tends to drag us all down.

We will be learning these things and sharing them with you, our readers, at the same time. We plan on making this magazine yours just as much as it is ours by building a like-minded community within our pages.

Each month we will be showcasing different artisans and businesses in our community who choose to do what they love, whether it is a chef who takes a whole food approach to their culinary endeavors or farmers market vendors who take the utmost pride in making and offering their amazing products to the public.

We will also be bringing you information on sustainable living; gardening to produce your own food at beginner and professional levels; the importance of physical activity and fitness; and the fun of cooking with your children to help them better understand what REAL food is and where it comes from..

We have partnered with some amazing editorial contributors, who are masters at their own particular crafts, and have built an advisory board that consists of some of the greatest minds we respect, including Heinz Gisel, CEO of Vitality Concepts and the author of In Foodture We Trust.

We will be taking editorial submissions from people in our community who want to share their expertise in a particular field as well. All of our articles will be coming direct from the writers and are written exclusively for our publication. Our advertisers will also have the option of submitting information to educate others on their products and services, which will contribute to building a true community magazine.

Every month we will be introducing some of our contributors and giving our readers an in-depth look at the people who are working on bringing this magazine to you.

About the Publisher: Beau A. Odom About five years ago, my wife and I ran into some health issues with our then 5-year-old son. He was beginning to develop the same health issues that I struggled with for my entire life, including debilitating migraine headaches.

This woke us up quickly, as any issue with your children would, and we began to see doctors and specialists and were running into the same diagnosis – “It’s the food”. So we began our journey to educate ourselves on what was in our food and how it was affecting our bodies and quality of life. It was shocking to learn that most of the food at grocery stores was not real food, and that everything we had been taught about food was wrong. Making changes

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& Introductions

in our diets was difficult at first as the habits we learn are tough to acknowledge and change. But as the months went on and the headaches disappeared from our lives, the pounds started dropping off and our energy levels started going up. Our lives were becoming clearer and filled with more love and vitality. We quickly realized that it was our past food and health care choices that were causing all of our health problems. We were done trusting western medicine’s chemicals and pills that let you avoid symptoms so that you could continue to eat poorly. This was not the way we wanted to live our lives anymore, and it was not the way we wanted our child to grow up.

Change is one of the most difficult things for us to do once we have made internal agreements with ourselves. It is terribly hard to break those agreements. We immediately become defensive with our choices as we believe in the agreements that we have made for ourselves. When someone is trying to point out a different way of thinking, our first reaction is to defend our way of thinking by assuming that the person is trying to tell us we are wrong. That hurdle was toughest for me. My wife understood very quickly that every piece of advice and information we were receiving from people was coming from a place of love. In fact, it was them trying to help us realize whole truths. The truth is not something that can be learned; it either is or is not truth. Truth manifests itself. It was truth that the food we were eating and giving our child was creating our family’s health problems, and it was truth that the more steps we took to put good things in our bodies the better our lives became. We were lucky enough to have some amazing people in our lives that we could look to for information and advice; and once we started asking the questions, the information just kept coming! Over the last five years we have met so many amazing people in San Diego and all over the world who have added to our search for vitality. After the food, we started changing the products in our home to natural ones, staying away from chemicals and poisons and on. Again, we started seeing a difference of improvement in our quality of life.

Now, my favorite saying is, “How far do you want to go?” and I say this often because all people have their own comfort level. Not everyone wants to go full organic or raw, or vegan or even vegetarian. Those are personal levels that depend on each person. But the more you educate yourself and take steps to better your life; those are the positive moves that should be applauded. If you eat meat, try to get it from local and sustainable producers; shop from local vendors for your home needs, spend your money in the local community instead of sending it all outside of your community and, in some cases, your own country. All of these little steps add up and help us gain more from our lives. These local producers are our neighbors, and if we support them, it builds community! So “How far do YOU want to go?”

Associate Publisher Mike Dial giving nutrition and grow classes to youth.

About the Associate Publisher: Mike Dial Mike, a Northern California native, has been an avid farmer and gardener for over 30 years and enjoys sharing his research and knowledge with members of his community and beyond. Mike lives in North County San Diego where he runs a farm with his wife Jennifer and their Rottie, Odin. Mike embraces his passion for sustainable agriculture by growing organic, high quality produce and is considered one of San Diego’s Gardening Gurus. You can find seasonal fresh produce from the farm at his retail garden store, Innovative Growing Solutions, Inc., in Pacific Beach. Mike enjoys music, art, hiking and being a steward for our planet. He is also a member of a team that assists other countries in recovering from natural disasters by providing solutions for their agricultural needs.

-Mike is one of the people my wife and I are lucky enough to know. He has taught us more than we could have ever imagined, showing us how the human body, like plants, needs certain minerals and basic elements to be at the peak of vitality and flourish to its maximum potential. Mike will be writing articles in upcoming issues of Ecotistic Magazine and we hope that you will benefit from his knowledge too!

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STAY HEALTHY AND BE HAPPIER

IN 2012

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Dr. Raj's 10 Tips to stay healthier and happier in the New Year T

he New Year is f ina lly here a nd our res olut ions have piled up. Some t hings you may f ind on t he average A merica n’s New Year’s res olut ions list are los e weight, invest, get promoted at work, or even read a b ook. Alt hough we may not have f ull cont rol over our p ositions at t he off ice or t he stock market, we do have some cont rol over what go es on in our m ind s a nd b odies. By t his t ime, our met ab olism s have slowed down, our energy levels have signif ica nt ly de crea s ed, a nd we are no longer high s chool skinny. T he mot ivat ion to exercis e da ily a nd los e weight may b e consumed by long st ressf ul hours at work or rowdy kid s. However, b ettering ours elves a s indiv iduals is one t hing ever yone should have on t heir resolutions list, a nd it ca n b e rat her simple too. To help you achieve t his goa l, I have compris ed a list of 10 ea sy ways to improve our overall wellb eing. Follow t hes e t ips a nd you w ill feel happy a nd healt hier t h roughout t his year!

1. Get Enough Sleep –

Gett ing a n adequate a mount of sle ep is cr ucia l for t he healt h of your m ind a nd b ody. W hen you sleep, your bra in re colle ct s prev ious exp eriences, your memor y is enha nced, a nd your b ody generates hor mones t hat b oost your energy. Ta king 15-20 m inute p ower naps during t he day ca n reduce st ress, but it is no subst it ute for a good night’s sleep.

2. Exercise Consistently – A s we get older, our met ab olism nat ura lly de crea s es. Consistent ly st ay ing active w ill b oost energy, cont rol weight ga in, prevent dis ea s e, a nd improve your mood. Exercis e a nd physical act iv ity w ill a ls o improve t he quality of your sleep.

3. Stay Hydrated – Si x to eight gla ss es of water a day may not b e ne cessar y, but drin king enough to keep your b ody hydrated is ex t remely imp ort a nt.

D ehydrat ion ca n result in a de crea s e in energy, dizziness, dr y skin, headaches, a nd const ipat ion.

4. Soak Up The Sun – Excessive exp osure to t he sun ca n lead to dis ea s es, such a s ca ncer, but just t he right a mount of sunlight int a ke w ill b oost your b ody’s Vit a m in D levels. Vit a m in D def iciency ha s b e en lin ked to t he increa s ed risk of cardiova scular dis ea s es, b one loss, a nd art h rit is.

5. Laugh Often – “Laughter is t he b est medicine.” Laughter t riggers t he relea s e of endor phins in your b ody, causing your b ody to nat ura lly fe el good (nat ura l high). Laughing helps reduce st ress, b oost s your im mune system, a nd promotes a n overa ll s ens e of well-b eing.

6. Watch What You Eat – Our b odies no longer f unction t he way t hey did when we were teenagers. Follow ing a healt hy diet is t he most imp ort a nt t hing you ca n do for your b ody. Poor eat ing habit s ca n lead to har mf ul weight ga in, a de crea s e in product iv ity of your inter na l orga ns, ment a l hea lt h problem s, a nd numerous dis ea s es.

D elay ing or skipping mea ls w ill not only de crea s e your met ab olism, but it w ill a ls o har m your b ody a nd overa ll hea lt h in t he long r un. If you lack prop er nut rit ion, you w ill not have t he energy to exercis e, you w ill not sle ep well, a nd your ment a l hea lt h w ill suffer s evere cons equences.

7. Enhance Your Memory – In addit ion to t he ingest ion of a ntiox ida nt s a nd omega-3 fatty acid s, bra in exercis es also help prevent memor y loss. St udies have shown t hat memor y ga mes a nd m ild st udy ing ca n help prevent memor y loss a nd Alz heimer’s dis ea s e.

8. Keep Your Relationships Strong –

Friend ships are good for your ment a l hea lt h a nd offer ne eded compa nionship. Friend s w ill b e t here to celebrate your good t imes a nd w ill a ls o b e t here to supp ort you during t he bad ones. Good relat ionships increa s e your happiness, reduce st ress, a nd improve your s elf-wort h.

9. Be Optimistic –

St ay ing p osit ive, even during tough t imes, w ill improve your out look on life. Your bra in is t he cont rol center of your ent ire b ody, s o t hin king p osit ively w ill ult imately improve your overa ll hea lt h. Negat ive t hin king caus es your b ody to produce enz y mes t hat ca n lead to dis ea s e, caus e depression, a nd increa s e st ress levels. Improv ing your att it ude toward s life w ill improve your happiness a nd overall content ment w it h yours elf.

10. Relax –

Always rememb er to s et a side t ime for your b ody to rela x. Yoga is a great way to clear your m ind a nd forget ab out all of t he tight deadlines at work. Your m ind need s time to rest a nd re energize, so you do not get over whelmed.

ABOUT DR. RAJ

Dr. Raj is a Double Board Certif ied (A merica n a nd Ca nadia n) Ort hop edic Surgeon ba s ed in Beverly Hills, Ca lifor nia, sp e cia lizing in hip, k ne e, a nd joint replacement s, art h rit is pa in, sp ort s injuries, f ract ures, a nd additional focus es on prov iding top alter native, cons ervat ive, a nd surgica l opt ions for a ny joint, b one, or mus cle pa in.

O ver t he pa st 10 years, Dr. Raj ha s b e en in private pract ice a nd ha s b e come k nown for t he elite V IP s erv ice he prov ides to pat ient s, w it h client s ra nging f rom celebrit ies a nd renowned at hletes, to t he genera l public, young a nd old. In addit ion to b eing embraced by t he entert a inment com munity, Dr. Raj ha s a ls o b e en re cognized for his out st a nding work by t he medica l com munity a s well, ma king t he A merica’s Top Ort hop edics List in 20 07, 20 09, 2010, a nd 2011. Dr. Raj supp ort s numerous charities, including t he I raq St ar Foundation, where he prov ides f re e t reat ment in supp ort of U.S. t roops s erv ing our count r y, a nd t he “Hop es & Drea m s” progra m t hat he founded w it h t he Los A ngeles Drea m Center.

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Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps:

Business as Activism and Our Fair Trade Journey By: David Bronner, President, Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps At Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, our bottom line is subservient to our activism on behalf of worthwhile causes; however, our activism requires a healthy bottom line. In total over the last five years, Dr. Bronner’s spending on social and environmental causes and charities has roughly matched our total after-tax income, and we intend to keep doing so as circumstances allow.

Total compensation of executives is capped at five times that of our lowest-paid position.

Employees annually receive 15% of salar y paid into a retirement/profit-sharing plan, up to 25% of salar y as a bonus, and a no-deductible PPO health insurance plan for themselves and their families.

The over 30,000 words spread across all the soap labels were Dr. Bronner’s life work of searching every religion and philosophy for “Full Truths” that can be summed up in two beautiful sentences: 1. CONSTRUCTIVE CAPITALISM IS WHERE YOU SHARE THE PROFIT WITH THE WORKERS AND THE EARTH FROM WHICH YOU MADE IT! 2. WE ARE ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND WE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER AND SPACESHIP EARTH!

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Being responsible to the people we work with has always been a pillar of Dr. Bronner’s business philosophy. In 2002, we decided to expand that philosophy to our supply chains and were determined to shift our major raw materials to certified organic sources. By 2003, all of our soaps were certified under the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), but over the next t wo years we realized that our supply chains were opaque to us: we bought from intermediate brokers and did not know whether the organic farmers, farm workers, and factor y workers in our supply chains received fair prices and wages, or whether child or exploited labor made our organic oils. While the organic movement initially had social criteria regarding pricing, wages, and working conditions, those had been completely dropped from the final NOP regulations. Inspired by fair trade brands such as Equal Exchange and Guayaki, in 2005 we decided to commit our company’s full financial and staff resources to converting all major raw materials and supply chains to certified fair trade status. These materials include organic coconut, palm, olive and mint oils, and they collectively constitute over 95% by weight of our agricultural volume – ever ything except water and the alkali needed to saponify our soaps. In effect, this switch would allow us to produce “fair trade” soaps.

First, we researched the basic tenets of fair trade and resolved to follow them: cut out intermediaries in the purchasing chain and know the farmers and their communities from whom you are buying; build long-term trading relationships; make sure prices for crops and wages are fair and paid promptly; help finance farm inputs such as organic compost; set a floor price that guarantees to cover farmers’ cost of production (COP) plus a fair profit should market prices crash below COP; ensure that working conditions in processing operations are safe; follow rules set by the International Labor Organization regarding working hours, gender equity, and the right to collective organization; contribute a fair trade premium for community development, such as for medical equipment, health clinics, school books, water sanitation – whatever the local needs might be; and achieve the participation of all stakeholders.

We then searched for existing producer projects for our main raw materials that would meet these criteria. The fair trade movement had initially emerged around coffee, cocoa and tea, major export commodities whose producers around the world routinely suffered from major price fluctuations and exploitative trading practices. Only recently had the fair trade concept begun expanding into other commodities, and the only fair trade supplier of the raw materials we required was the olive oil producer Canaan Fair Trade in Palestine. The company had organized more than 1,000 small olive farmers in the West Bank into village groups in cooperation with the Palestine Fair Trade Association (PFTA) and was able to supply the volumes we required. However, there were no credible fair trade sources for our other main raw materials, so we decided to set up organic and fair trade projects for coconut oil in post-tsunami Sri Lanka, for palm oil in Ghana, and for mint oil in India.

Canaan Fair Trade was already a member of the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), a North American fair trade group that accepts only dedicated 100% fair trade organizations as members. However, FTF does not certify operations by conducting “on the ground” inspections of farms and factories; rather, like many membership organizations, it uses an audit process. Having witnessed the lack of integrity concerning professed organic claims on personal care products, we knew that we needed to have credible third-party inspection and certification of Canaan Fair Trade and the other projects we intended to set up.

Thus, we met with TransFair USA, the U.S. arm of the international Fair Labeling Organization (FLO), who had set product specific standards for several basic commodities. TransFair told us there were no FLO standards for the materials we needed. They therefore could not certify those materials, whatever the source, and suggested that we ask FLO to set such standards. We visited FLO’s headquarters in Bonn, Germany and met with their standards group at the 2006 BioFach trade show. They liked our intentions but said they would not have standards in place for our commodities for at least another five years, so we should wait and talk to them then. We soon realized that the key hurdle was FLO’s approach to setting global minimum prices for each new commodity, which was a rather time- consuming process.

We asked ourselves: what was wrong with the fair trade movement and its main certifier, given that their rules prohibit certifying a project such as Canaan Fair Trade, which is fair trade in ever y sense of the word? In contrast, NOP organic standards allow certification to proceed without regard to who, where, or what is being certified as long as organic rules are met, chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides are not used, and soil fertility is maintained naturally. Why was the same not true for projects that meet all fair trade criteria? A fair trade project internalizes additional costs associated with ensuring production and operations are fair and need third-party certification to win consumer trust. Fair trade certification delayed is fair trade denied.

At the same show in Germany, we met with the respected Swiss organic certifier IMO (Institute for Marketecology). IMO was founded by the late visionar y Dr. Rainer Bächi, an early pioneer of organic and socially responsible agriculture. IMO had helped FLO in developing several of their fair trade standards, and many of IMO’s organic inspectors also inspected FLO–certified projects. IMO had realized the need for a fair trade certification system that avoided FLO’s burdensome global price-setting mechanism, commodity by commodity. IMO, instead, addressed local production scenarios directly, considering their unique costs, product mixes, cultural contexts, and producer organizations on a case-by- case basis.

Their approach to fair pricing was to ensure that a transparent, market-based price was negotiated in good faith bet ween parties, but with the requirement that it had to cover, at a minimum, the cost of production and a fair return. IMO also paid much more attention to other parties in the supply chain, including the main company/ brand that sold a given fair trade certified product.

IMO released its “Fair for Life” program in 2006, and in 2007 Canaan Fair Trade was one of the first groups certified under the new program. Since then, Dr. Bronner’s has purchased almost all of its olive oil from Canaan, more than 100 metric tons per year and growing. We pre-finance deliveries and support

Canaan in its expansion where we can, as fair trade is about long-term relationships and mutual benefit.

In the Spring of 2007, after organizing fair trade organic coconut farmers and investing close to $2 million in setting up a modern factor y for virgin coconut oil, Dr. Bronner’s Sri Lankan subsidiar y Serendipol began operation as the world’s first major fair tradecertified producer of coconut oil. Serendipol now produces over 1,300 metric tons of coconut oil for Dr. Bronner’s and 300 metric tons for other companies, employs close to 200 workers, administrative staff and field officers, and buys from more than 400 farmers. Serendipol supports its growers through education in organic methods and the supply of compost to improve productivity of their land. Compensation and working conditions at Serendipol are far superior to comparable operations in the area. Dr. Bronner’s contributions to the project’s fair trade fund, over $250,000 in 2010 so far, are used for a range of projects in health care, education, and staff welfare.

Our sister project for palm oil in Ghana, under the auspices of our subsidiar y Serendipalm, has taken longer to emerge. We converted about 250 smallholders in Ghana’s Eastern Region to organic farming, and we process their palm fruits in a small oil mill that now employs 100 workers. The output currently meets Dr. Bronner’s demand, but, because fair and sustainable palm oil for use in natural foods is in high demand, we expect to grow the project in the years to come, providing jobs and attractive returns to farmers in an area left behind by development. Also, in partnership with Earth Oil India, Dr. Bronner’s developed a mint project in Uttar Pradesh, India to supply our mint oil needs and to meet the demand for fair trade menthol by other companies. Finally, Dr. Bronner’s purchases domestic fair trade hemp oil from the Farmer Direct Co-operative in Canada, as well as Fair for Life- certified avocado oil from Kenya.

There are other fair trade projects on our horizon.

We are planning a project for the collection of wild jojoba seeds by Seri Indians in the Sonoran desert.

The Seri are not farmers, but IMO’s Fair Wild program offers fair trade certification of such non-farming proj-

ects, ensuring that wild collection is also done in an ecologically sustainable manner.

So far, we have been ver y happy with our four-year partnership with IMO. They have proven to be an experienced and sincere certifier dedicated to making global production and trade of agricultural products fair and sustainable. Unlike TransFair/ FLO, they combine rigor with consideration of the local setting.

Their program allows comprehensive certification of diverse projects and products as fair trade along the entire value chain, which consumers can trust.

Some of our customers are concerned that the palm and coconut oils we use in our soaps may come from plantations that were established on recently cleared tropical forestland or other wise contribute to environmental destruction.

As with any other crop, it’s not what you grow, but how you grow it. For one, all growers we purchase from are certified organic. This means that no agrochemicals are used (chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides) and soil fertility is replenished by natural means – compost, manure, mulching with crop residues. The production of our oils also does not contribute to deforestation. The palm oil comes from about 2,500 acres of smallholdings in Ghana that were established decades ago and we support growers in improving palm fruit yields, thus getting more oil out of the same amount of land. Our coconut oil comes from some 500 small to mid-size farms in Sri Lanka, most of which have been in the owners’ family for generations. We encourage the growers to intercrop with other beneficial species and supply organic fertilizer at a subsidy. This improves soil fertility, yields and profitability of small farms and allows them to compete with plantations.

By having our entire supply chain certified organic and fair trade, we also want to demonstrate that one can produce any crop, and the products made from them, sustainably.

For more information about Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, go online to: www.drbronner.com.

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By: Lance Rogers Cli·mate, noun, \’kli-mǝt\: (3) the prevailing influence or environmental conditions characterizing of a group or period.

Change, transitive verb, \’chānj\: (1) (b): to make radically different.

SOURCE: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

CLIMATE

As a civil rights attorney, I have fought many battles for my clients over the years, both in the court of law and the court of public opinion. Through these experiences I have come to realize that the struggle for fundamental rights never goes away, it just changes with time.

The purpose of this monthly column is to highlight important geo-political, economic, and environmental battles around the world and at home.

Through this focus on global and local “climates”, we will effectuate “change” in our world.

“Today, more than ever before, life must be characterized by a sense of Universal responsibility, not only nation to nation and human to human, but also human to other forms of life.”

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama GLOBAL – OVEREXPLOITED FISH POPULATIONS When I was young, I didn’t care much for seafood. I liked fried fish sticks lathered in tartar sauce. Everything else tasted too much like a fish. Maybe it was in my head, but the thought of eating a fish grossed me out. When I started making my own decisions about food and other stuff, I realized that if prepared by someone who knew what they were doing, seafood was good. Sushi was really good. Today, I will pay more for a fresh ahi steak than a filet mignon.

For this month’s inaugural edition of Climate Change, I have decided to focus on an issue of global importance that affects every person on the planet (or at least those who eat seafood and/ or depend on fishing to survive) – the world’s dwindling fish stock. With 72% of the planet covered in water and three billion people who rely on fish and shellfish as an important source of protein, this may be the largest issue, geographically speaking, facing the world today.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, 90% of the world’s large fish (think tuna and swordfish) have been removed from the world’s oceans and eaten at a Red Lobster near you.

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These predatory fish have been replaced with another not-so-delicious predator, the jellyfish, which compete with these fish for food.

In addition to competing with the large fish, jellyfish eat fish eggs, poison those fish that survive, and can survive in oxygen depleted environments where fish cannot. Take a moment to picture a day when the only thing living in the ocean is jellyfish…

Currently, 70% of global fisheries are overexploited or have crashed, and just 25% of U.S. fisheries are known to be sustainable.

Interestingly, despite this economic reality, there is still a disconnect with some fishermen who deny the problem exists. Marine Biologist Daniel Pauly describes the debate in terms of objective and subjective information; “Imagine an overfished area of the sea in the shape of a hockey field with nets at either end. The few fish left therein would gather around the goals because fish like structured habitats. Scientists would survey the entire

field, make lots of unsuccessful hauls, and conclude that it contains few fish. The fishermen would make a beeline to the goals, catch the fish around them, and say the scientists do not know what they are talking about. The subjective impression the fishermen get is always that there’s lots of fish – because they only go to places that still have them...fisheries scientists survey and compare entire areas, not only the productive fishing spots.”

SOURCE: Fisherman Life (2008) An interview with Daniel Pauly

by Margaret Boyes.

While I have difficulty conceptualizing this “hockey field” that Dr. Pauly writes about (he lives and works in B.C., Canada of course), I have no trouble imagining 90% of the world’s tuna population being replaced with worthless jellyfish that always seem to find their way under my feet when I run barefoot on the beach.

The good news is that the overexploited fish population crisis is not impossible to fix.

All we have to do is manage the fish population properly. Easier said than done I am sure.

CHANGE Groups like the Environmental Defense Fund support a concept called “catch shares” in which fishermen get a share of the allowed catch, which grows as the fishery recovers. A study by Nature Magazine showed a 400% increase in fish populations under catch share programs over a 17-year period.

The other good news is that, according to Dr. Pauly, the effects of overfishing are fully reversible. Unlike habitat destruction on land, the ocean can heal itself. As long as we do not drive a particular species to extinction, we can preserve a healthy and abundant ocean for our children.

One simple change that is easy to make is to seek out sustainable seafood options over exploited fish. The Monterey Bay Aquarium prints an annual “Seafood Watch” sustainable seafood guide that you can download and print (there’s also “an app for that” for iPhone or Android devices). For example, the guide reports that you should avoid Chilean sea bass due to “illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing” in the area. A recipe alternative is sablefish from Alaska or British Columbia or Pacific halibut, which are more sustainable.

Proper stewardship of international waters is an ideal that we should encourage our political leaders to embrace. However, we can all do our part by being conscious of the seafood we consume and whether it is from an exploited or healthy source.

LOCAL – LISKO ARTISAN DELI In addition to highlighting global issues, this column will showcase a local organization, cause, or business that is changing our community for the better. Keeping with the theme of sustainable seafood, I received a tip to visit a new local fish market committed to bringing fresh, local, sustainable seafood to San Diego kitchens.

Lisko’s Deli and Fish Market has a new brick and mortar location where it dishes out freshly prepared sandwiches and seafood dishes to patrons. The business has been a presence at farmers markets around the county for years. This new shop gives din-

• 90% of large fish like tuna and swordfish have been removed from the oceans.

• 70% of global fisheries are overexploited or have crashed.

• 25% of U.S. fisheries are known to be sustainable.

SOURCE: Environmental Defense Fund

ers an opportunity to enjoy fresh seafood prepared to order. Anyone in the area should definitely check them out. I highly recommend the clam chowder – fresh ingredients with just the right amount of kick.

Lisko Artisan Deli and Fish Market 6548 El Cajon Boulevard San Diego, CA 92115 (619) 252-7687 www.liskoartisandeliandfishmarket.com

Lance Rogers is a local civil rights attorney.

In addition to state and federal criminal cases, Mr. Rogers handles civil litigation matters, asset forfeiture proceedings, and immigra• 3 billion people worldwide tion consequences resulting from criminal proceedings. rely on fish and shellfish as an Mr. Rogers received his important source of protein. undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego and his Juris • 30% lower income for the typiDoctor from California Western School of Law. He is cal fisherman compared to the a member of the San Diego average male worker in the U.S. County Bar Association, San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association, and the Hemp • 72,000 fishing jobs have been Industries Association. Mr. Rogers is an Adjunct Faculty lost in the Pacific Northwest Member at California Westalone because of declining ern School of Law.

salmon stocks.

SOURCE: Environmental Defense Fund

ECOTISTICMAG.COM | 11

Home at The Range Article: Marc Emmelmann Photos: A7D Creative Group INC. “Home, home at The Range, where the sports fans and craft beer aficionados play, where seldom is heard a discouraging word, and Hillcrest skies are not cloudy all day.”

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A smart renovation has given 1263 University Avenue a dynamic presence that will be hard to rival in Uptown San Diego. The Range, which opened in August of 2011, sits next to the Ruby Room on University Ave. in Hillcrest. If you appreciate fresh local produce or grass-fed/

cage-free delicacies, then The Range may just be your next home away from home.

The creative spirit behind The Range is impressive. It certainly has a casual vibe, but don’t let that fool you – the creative team has certainly not been casual about their earth-toned renovations and artistic décor. From the mason jars on candle sticks

used for “Southern Sips”, to the tractor seat bar stools, you can sense the love in the details and trust that the establishment is handled with care. Repurposed wood from old barns and crates adorn the restaurant’s interior and exterior with some of the most beautiful spectrums of soft colors. Floor-to-ceiling glass garage doors ensure plenty of natural light, but when rolled up, they make warm summer dining an irresist-

ible experience. The high vaulted ceilings are elegantly laced with barb wire (don’t worry, you aren’t tall enough to touch) and the spacious, airy Range also has a loft section upstairs – great for private parties, events, or large groups. Primo sidewalk seating is also available. Within the main floor is their prestigious “chicken coop” section. Have you ever eaten behind chicken wire?

Although this is his first restaurant, restaurant owner David Schiffman is no stranger to brick and mortar based hospitality, says General Manager Edward Camarillo, who also shared, “David is a well-known nightlife stakeholder in downtown San Diego with a successful trinity consisting of Whiskey Girl (5th & G), Double Deuce (6th & F) and Tipsy Crow (5th & F).” The conception of The Range was much like the one for Ecotistic Magazine. Both came about by recent discoveries of ordinary people experiencing the physical and emotional benefits of a healthier lifestyle. If you appreciate healthy options, The Range is for you. All proteins are freerange, grass-fed, and harvested locally. Some vegetarian and gluten-free cuisines are available too. With the liquor license en route, The Range is already well-established for serving local wine from Temecula and boasting 12 draft beer handles, 9 of which are craft beers, including Batch 19, a relatively “new” pre-prohibition recipe back on the shelves.

The culinary team, led by Al Kellenberger, has crafted a mouthwatering menu featuring signature items: The Range Burger – Kobe beef burger served on a toasted artisan bun topped with house smoked brisket, cheddar cheese, and a fried egg; and the Potato Chip Chicken Tenders – chicken marinated in buttermilk and dipped in homemade crushed potato chips. Other key dishes include Local Greens, Simply Spinach, and Marinated Grilled Vegetables. Some small bite options are Brussel Sprouts with Peppered Bacon or Sautéed Chickpeas with Lemon Mint Vinaigrette. Breakfast options are available everyday as well, with the Omaha Omelet, the Farmhand, and, wait for it…Potato Chip Chicken Tender & Waffle being a few of the house favorites. As for dessert, they have that covered too. How about Devil’s Food Cake or Whiskey Glazed Bread Pudding?

This destination also knows how to relax, unwind, and have fun. They have entertained one Ugly Sweater Contest and have become a hot spot for watching sporting events, especially NFL football and NBA basketball. Edward explained, “There aren’t very many places in Hillcrest to watch sports, so it caught on quick.” There are six TV screens and a large film screen for your viewing pleasure. In addition, The Range hosts monthly Movie–Dinner nights, which you may learn more about on their website, TheRangeSD.com. This spring, they will also be hosting a Hillcrest Business Association Mixer.

Final thoughts: This is not your run of the mill restaurant.

Will this place break your bank? Not by a long shot. You can also sign up with Mogl.com for an app that lets you earn cash back at The Range and even win jackpots. But that’s another story. Bon Appetite!

Mon-Thurs: 11-11 | Fri: 11–Midnight Sat-Sun: 9–Midnight Happy Hour | Mon–Fri | 4-7pm $2 Off Craft Drafts & Appetizers.

Movie Night Reservations: 619.269.1222 Feb. 8 Featuring cult classic Dirty Dancing www.therangesd.com | Facebook.com/TheRangeSD

How I Became an

Allergen-Free Baker By: Jaime Schwartz

A

t one time or another, everyone’s life hits a turning point. The path you’ve been traveling for years pivots, forks, or, on rare occasions, ends in a sharp precipice overlooking a bottomless and terrifying gorge. Perhaps you spent years training for your first big marathon only to fall down a flight of stairs and fracture your ankle the night before the big race. Or maybe your childhood dream of being a naval officer was thwarted by the sudden and unrelenting onset of seasickness. My downfall came from a most unexpected source, the snowy white marzipan coating on a three tiered wedding cake.

After four years at Rutgers University studying biology, evolutionary anthropology, genetics, and any other disciplines of science I could fit into my schedule, I realized that spending my life doing lab work held little appeal. Congratulating myself on avoiding a life of boredom, I immediately packed up my sporty little PT Cruiser (yes, people still drive them) and headed across the country to attend culinary school at the Art Institute of CA. Previously, baking was something I did to break the stress during finals week, or at 2am when I had a 15-page paper due the next day and was so burned out I couldn’t have typed the alphabet if someone offered me $50. All of a sudden that thing I did to shut out the world when life was getting too stressful became a viable career option. I mixed, 14 | ECOTISTICMAG.COM

I chopped, I piped things out of plastic bags with funny shaped tips on the end, and I realized that most of what I was learning was based on the basic scientific principles I had studied during college – the protein strands in egg whites, gluten molecules in rising dough, the way your taste buds react more favorable to flavorings mixed with fat, and even why we add salt to sweet things like chocolate. I was learning what to do in culinary school, but I had already learned the “why” at Rutgers and wasn’t even aware of it.

Time passed. I graduated culinary school and got a job prepping, cooking, and, most importantly, baking for a hotel in downtown San Diego. I loved it. I spent all day cooking. People would eat what I made and be happy, which made me feel good, so I cooked more and they ate more and it was perfect. Things were going so well, in fact, that one of the managers at the hotel asked me to make her wedding cake. It was a gorgeous cake: 3 floating tiers of square dark chocolate cake with panels of marzipan coated in sunshine yellow royal icing, decorated with flood filled flowers piped to resemble stained glass. Of course, I hadn’t made a wedding cake before and was nervous. It was my boss’s wedding and it had to be perfect. So I practiced, and I practiced some more. When I was sure I had it down, I practiced a little more just to be sure.

The wedding went off without a hitch. The cake was perfect, everyone was happy, and I went home and had a piece of one of the practice cakes to celebrate.

Then my throat closed up.

It was the marzipan. Marzipan is a paste made of sugar and finely ground almonds, and I had been elbows deep in the stuff for weeks. After a rather eventful ER visit, and an extensive allergy test panel at the doctor’s the next day, I was diagnosed with Adult Onset Food Allergies. Or more specifically, I was now highly allergic to almonds and cashews.

As anyone who is living with a food allergy knows, overnight, the world becomes a scary and uncertain place. Was my burger cooked on the same flat top as the almond encrusted tilapia? Did my candy bar get made on equipment that also makes nougat? Had the friend steeling a sip of my soda just finished eating a handful of spiced cashews? The answer was, inevitably, yes. I went through a dozen epinephrine pens that first six months. My family had to relearn how to eat and shop. Almost all processed foods were out, restaurants were chancy (putting my life in the hands of an overworked line cook did not appeal), and all baked goods were out unless I made them myself. Worst of all, my job, the job I loved, disappeared after an ill-fated meeting with a batch of rainbow cookies in the kitchen (almond flour and paste are the main ingredients).

I couldn’t blame them. I was a liability and put my own health and safety at risk every time I entered the kitchen. But what was I going to do, rewind five

years and start out as an intern in a lab? Absolutely not!

Get a job at Barnes and Noble? Tempting, very tempting, but no. I loved working in a kitchen and I didn’t want to stop. The only solution, as outrageous as it seemed, was to open my own place where I could control what ingredients were used and what products were created.

While I was researching for my business plan, trying to come up with anything that might convince a bank to lend me the staggering amount of money needed to open a bakery, I discovered something interesting. There were hundreds of thousands of people in the United States just like me; children who had to be homeschooled because they couldn’t risk a peanut butter sandwich at lunchtime, or adults who were baking their own bread because they couldn’t eat gluten.

It was like an epidemic had swept the country and the only people who were aware of it were the ones affected. So I started playing with my recipes.

It’s easy to make a chocolate chip cookie without nuts, but what about eggs? Not hard at all as it turned out; but what if you don’t use the common vegan egg replacer that contains soy? Much, much harder. Then remove the flour. That pancake-like greasy puddle on the cookie sheet is what happens when you remove the flour, or the eggs, or the milk, or one of a hundred other ingredients that may not have one of the top six food allergens, but could be contaminated by one due to how it was processed.

What started as a challenge, a way to fight my way out of the depression that inevitably follows a health crisis, became a passion. How many people in the world crave

an honest to goodness chewy oatmeal raisin cookie just like their grandmother baked, but are allergic to the ingredients it takes to make one? As it turns out, not all of the allergen-free baked goods on the market today would pass the grandmother test. Maybe they taste alright, but they look like half-baked balls of dough; or maybe it

appears to be a perfectly normal cookie, but when you bite into it your mouth is coated by some odd oily substance that doesn’t go away no matter how much water you drink. The truth is that it’s difficult to bake great desserts without flour, butter, and milk – very difficult.

But it’s not impossible. By deconstructing each cookie, determining the cause and effect of each ingredient and their combinations, and using a basic knowledge of how molecules interact with each other during the baking

process, I was able to develop recipes that taste, feel, and look as much like the genuine article as it is possible to get them. There were failures and they were epic, but the successes more than made up for them – crisp biscotti coated in chocolate, dense moist macaroons with candied orange peel, soft chocolate chip cookies, and a jam filled shortbread that you have to taste to believe.

All those times I dreamed about the future when I was a kid. I never saw myself here, owning my own business, waking up at 5am every morning to essentially bury myself in cookie dough, spending hours each night pouring over accounts and product catalogues. I hit my turning point, swerved off the road, and found, to my surprise, that I’m thoroughly enjoying the scenic route.

Starry Lane Bakery 10769 Woodside Ave Santee, CA 92071/ (619) 328-0500 www.starrylanebakery.com Jaime Schwartz is the owner of Starry Lane Bakery, an allergen-free bakery in Santee that opened in the fall of 2011. They specialize in cookies, and all are guaranteed free of gluten, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, and eggs. They are also completely vegan.

D

o you let others decide what car you must buy? Of course not; it’s not even up for debate how you spend your own money, right? Well then how is it possible that we tacitly accept the government to legislate what food we are allowed to eat, what chemicals are added to our tap water, and even what we can and cannot grow in our gardens?

Not that we have ever authorized the government to meddle with our dinner plate, but it’s just that we let them do it with impunity.

When we behave like sheeple, the wolves become ever more brazen; but there the analogue ends. When wolves are fed, they go away; but not a bureaucracy whose sole objective it is to expand and enforce its power.

Now if the media has successfully hoodwinked you into believing you have the free choice of eating and drinking what you want, then consider that EPA, FDA, USDA, FTC, DHS, SEC, U.S. Congress, and the President have ruled otherwise, where no statute exists, and simply act according to their own devices with no compunction!

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By: Heinz R. Gisel

You may be proselytized by the media that your supermarket sells all of the food that the people want and the customer is king. But it’s not just about what you can buy; it’s also about what you can’t. For example, you won’t find raw milk at any supermarket. Just go to a farmer or a co-op, right? Not in the land of the high jacked American Dream. There the “understaffed” FDA will mobilize any number of armed agents to illegally raid such places of unadulterated produce trading at gunpoint, destroy the corpus delicti, and then later claim it was “contaminated” without providing evidence 1.

Yes, this is the same agency that ruled GMO (genetically modified) food does not need labeling, because “it is no different than conventional food” 2. One might ask: if it is no different, why is it modified? Doesn’t the term “modified” mean, by definition, that it is different? And if it is not different, why is it patented? Even President Obama knows GMO is different, so much so that he made the explicit – yet unfulfilled – campaign promise to label GMO foods 3. Getting back to the supermarket, you won’t find any GMO products at all, because you are not entitled to know 4 and the food industry bows to the FDA. It is noteworthy that the regulatory agencies protect the food industry and not the consumer.

As a result, Americans are not deemed worthy to know what they feed their families. They are forced to unknowingly eat foods that most other countries consider toxic and prohibit their sales 5. Engaging logical reasoning, one would think your elected congress members would draft some legislation to protect the U.S. consumer 6. But “logic” and “ethics” are alien terms on Capitol Hill. Monsanto et al. have bought them and declared their use as “Anti-American”! Instead of protecting the health of Americans, the U.S. State Department coaxes other countries into Monsanto’s Global Food Control agenda. It is using its embassies 7 to spy on corruptible politicians, and if that doesn’t work, they threaten a trade war and coerce the WTO 8.

Back home at the supermarket, you will be challenged to find a food that is free of GMO ingredients; but consider that almost all packaged foods contain soy and/or corn.

You can bet that if the label doesn’t say “certified organic”, the soy is “roundupready” 9 Monsanto owned, including soy sauce, tofu, “soy milk”, etc. Corn is another mainly BT crop (Bio-Technology) that is ubiquitous, not only in packaged foods, but also in farm animal feeds! You may think that food will always be cheap because you haven’t noticed inflationary pricing; but the food industry is fighting cost pressure by quietly replacing healthy ingredients with those of lower quality, such as oils with the omnipresent canola, which – you guessed it – is GMO oil 10.

Some labels try to avoid the term canola, but “vegetable oil” means just that. If you have indeed found a food that has none of those nasties, then your next challenge are the sugars. Sugar beets are now USDA cleared GMO 11, but more than likely your product contains the cheaper HFCS, an illfated term now laundered to “corn sugar”, but, nonetheless, a product linked to serious health concerns and obesity 12. The U.S. corn refiners have muscled their way into every food store shelf: bread, soups, condiments, salad dressings, all canned foods, and even fish and beans. Why? Because it is cheap! Remember, corn is the most heavily government subsidized crop in the U.S. If you try to exercise your delusionary right to choose in the candy and bakery isles, you are out of luck. Hershey’s, for instance, forces GMO chocolate down your throat while they export the non-GMO to Europe and elsewhere. 13 They obviously consider the U.S. consumer to be ignorant, buying anything as long as it’s cheap.

Of course, GMO is not the only onerous foodstuff. If you can stand the sickening odor of chemical preservatives in the bakery isle, you may go on to read the labels, provided you have a college degree in chemistry and muster an “A” in spelling.

If you pick up a candy with a list of 30 to 50 ingredients 14 that you can’t pronounce, you may wonder if these are safe. You are not alone. The FDA doesn’t know either, and doesn’t want to know. 15 The FDA is probably the last health authority in the developed world that doesn’t know of the

dangers of mercury in dentistry tooth fillings. Obviously, the agency’s commissioner Margaret Hamburg is still being lobbied by the top purveyor of amalgam in the U.S., Henry Schein, where she was paid as a director. 16 But the revolving door is a standard operating procedure in D.C.; for example, it is hard to keep track if an official is working for the USDA or Monsanto, so it is not surprising that the USDA’s rulings seem to come from a desk at the “We Own the Food” giant. But it makes no difference anyways, the USDA let’s Monsanto regulate itself: if Monsanto says it is safe, it is safe. So much for the fox guarding the hens!

Neither the FDA nor the USDA seemed concerned with antibiotics, steroids and growth hormones in the CAVO pork and beef and the concentration camp factory poultry. The U.S. consumer doesn’t seem to care either.

The cheapest meat in the world justifies personal health and ecological damage of epic proportions 17, a fact that is exhibited in America’s highest healthcare cost in the world. So why is there silence on Capitol Hill? Well, remember the hoopla of the health care overhaul bill, aka Obama care, which the house and senate ratified without reading while absolving themselves?

They didn’t need to read it because it made no difference. Virtually all elected officials are owned by the “special interest” major corporations, who are financing their reelection and promise them a lucrative future after their terms end. With six registered lobbyists preying on every elected member on Capitol Hill, it is not surprising that the senators and representatives only remember you when election time nears. Once in office, they have to return the favor to the ones who financed their campaign and promised them employment when their term is over.

Interestingly though, the same U.S. consumers, who don’t care about the government tampering with their livelihood, keep electing the same politicians time and again while expecting a different outcome! This fact emboldens the incumbents to focus on power-grab

ECOTISTICMAG.COM | 17

while the sheeple are numbed into believing their vote makes a difference.

The MSM (mainstream media) assume a pivotal role in manipulating the masses and at no other time has this become more blatantly obvious than in this preelection cycle. The virtual abolition of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in a hastily passed NDAA – aka “the indefinite detention” act – 18 was all but completely ignored by the MSM while it extensively reported on such things as if Lindsey Lohan showed up on time at her court date. Another disturbing manipulation of facts is the MSM’s rendition of the presidential candidates.

The networks have united in disliking Ron Paul, and that fact justifies gross distortion of poll numbers, outright lies in commentaries, and marginalizing the candidate.

Moreover, the MSM is not only feeding on the corrupt system, it is actively promoting it. Here again, the sheeple believe mistakenly that their opinion and subscription counts; but the MSM is financed by the very same contenders who buy the politicians. There are two ways to verify this fact: compare the content to the ads, and compare for-

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eign news with the cherry-picked, spoon-fed “news” the U.S. networks want you to succumb to. As a result, when your constitutional rights are trampled on by government arrogance, don’t expect the MSM to step in, unless you are a minority and none of their advertisers are adversely implicated.

For example, we are all involuntarily mass-drugged with fluoridated drinking water, despite the fact that the highly toxic chemical is not approved by the FDA and there is abundant scientific evidence to the adverse health impacts. 19 However, the MSM is completely mute on this topic. Why so? Because the promoter of this scheme is the American Dental Association, which hypocritically claims that fluoride added to tap water reduces caries. Obviously, the self-serving politicians were quickly convinced.

Apparently, no one questioned their motives, like: why are dentists eager to reduce their business? If lawmakers did their job and investigated the matter, they would have quickly learned that the cavity rate in the developed world that does

not fluoridate the water is actually lower and they have no incidence of fluorosis, the ugly yellow-stained teeth that skyrocketed in the U.S. when fluoridation was introduced. 20 The absurdity of many schizophrenic FDA rulings has been a subject of ridicule in the alternative media while the MSM fails to report on their unwarranted armed raids on organic farms and dietary supplement companies. If you are a visitor to websites or a consumer of natural food supplements, you may have noticed the mandatory disclaimer: “This Product is Not Intended to Diagnose, Treat, Cure or Prevent any Disease.” So the vendors of anything natural are lying by decree.

The FDA is denying that anything but a pharmaceutical can “cure” and “prevent” disease. But the agency’s definition of a drug is the apex of obscurity. Recently, they sent a warning letter to a company selling shelled walnuts: “We have determined that your walnut products are promoted for conditions that cause them to be drugs because these products are intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease…Because of these intended uses, your walnut products are drugs…” 21 The motives are clear; the FDA protects the pharmaceutical industry who is financing them. And as these companies are considered too big to fail, they will amass more power and so will the politicians and the media.

The U.S. will enforce its sinister Total Food Control agenda through the WTO, the World Bank, and its embassies. At home they will further intimidate the consumer and systematically attempt to eliminate any critics, whistleblowers, and non-conformists. The handwriting on the wall is evident: the recent passing of the NDAA, the pending bill to curb the Internet, and the DHS’s definition of “domestic terror suspects”, which includes anyone who stores food for more than 7 days, and anyone who grows food on their property for their own consumption.

Whenever you turn on the TV in the U.S., you are urged to go shopping to support the economy, and the sheeple seem to listen. This distraction is engineered to keep you from questioning your own purpose of being, and to keep you compliant. Thomas Jefferson saw this clearly: “If people let the government decide what foods they eat and medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls who live under tyranny.”

Remember, you are an individual with your very own intellect, unique talents and will. You are not sheeple! Some life principles never change: you reap what you sow – more than you sow – later than you sow!

References: 1. http://www.naturalnews.com/033280_FDA_raids_timeline.html 2. http://www.psrast.org/fdalawstmore.htm 3. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/06/barack-obama-gm-food-labelling 4. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/09/18/fda-labeled-free-modification/ 5. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/09/jeff-smith-interview-gmo-week.aspx 6. http://www.organicconsumers.org/gelink.cfm 7. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/03/wikileaks-us-eu-gm-crops 8. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/04/world/main7211185.shtml 9. http://www.psrast.org/subeqau.htm 10. http://www.canolacouncil.org/facts_gmo.aspx 11. http://www.rodale.com/genetically-engineered-sugar-beets-0 12. http://www.naturalnews.com/029403_high_fructose_corn_syrup_liver_damage.html 13. http://www.naturalnews.com/030826_Hersheys_GMOs.html 14. http://ytality.wordpress.com/ Can You Show Me The Food?

15. http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/index.jsp 16. http://www.healthtruthrevealed.com/articles/16433723008/article 17. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/14/dr-christine-horner-interview.aspx 18. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/jan/02/ndaa-historic-assault-american-liberty 19. http://www.fluoridedebate.com/ 20. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10682330 21. http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2011/aug2011_FDA-Says-Walnuts-Are-Illegal-Drugs_01.htm

H

einz R. Gisel is an unrelenting innovator of healthcare technology, medical devices and lasers, full-spectrum cell-resonant nutrition for humans, animals and plants; and he has spearheaded the Predictive Health Information System, which “measures” health, rather than disease.

He is an author, radio host, and public speaker on many health technology, business, and quality of life topics. His recent book, In Foodture We Trust, unveils how America has become the sickest nation on earth and the way it can escape out of it.

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Back in Time - San Diego Balboa Park - April 2-8, 1959 3rd annual AUTORAMA Car Show Article by: Kelly & Crystal Hutchison | Photos by: William Burger (age 13 years old) It was an exciting time for San Diego in 1959.

The San Diego Chargers were formed; “Some Like it Hot”, starring Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon, was being filmed at the Hotel Del Coronado; and in Balboa Park, at the old Electric Building, the 3rd annual AUTORAMA Custom and Hot Rod Show took place.

It was no ordinary car show, but rather a car show of legends. The event attracted over 4,000 people and had cost 25 cents to get in the door.

Ed “Big Daddy” Roth was present at the show with one of his earliest creations, “Excalibur” (named after his mother-in-law’s family’s Revolutionary War sword that he used as the shifter). The name he later changed to the “Outlaw”. Ed drove down in a 1957 Chevy with a trunk full of t-shirts, easels, and an airbrush kit. He painted his signature “Weirdo” shirts during the event. His most popular design was the newly introduced “Rat Fink”. The character later became the symbol for the entire Hot Rod and Kustom Kulture scene of the 1950s and 1960s.

Along with Ed Roth at the event, there was TV Tommy Ivo showing off one of his first customs of a Model T. In attendance were Larry Watson, Willy Clark, the Jackman Brothers, and many other talented individuals in the business who later became legends.

Kookie’s Car, built by Norm Grabowski, was pulled off the set of the “‘77 Sunset Strip” tele-

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vision show just to be displayed at this event. It was a bold move. If anything would have happened to the car, it would have halted the production of the show and much of the success it later famed. There were also go karts on display that would have had to be some of the first ever manufactured models, if not the first.

TV Tommy Ivo arrived in a custom Buick with a Nailhead V-8 Engine. He was a drag racer and actor from Denver, Colorado. He was known as “Tommy Ivo” until he began an acting career playing Cynthia Pepper’s boyfriend in the “Margie” series. He then became known as “TV Tommy Ivo”. Frustrated with the performance of gasoline engines, Tommy became famous for building a twin engine Buick, which was the first to reach 160–180 miles per hour. He later built the “Showboat”, which was a dragster with four Buick engines powering it.

Larry Watson displayed a brand new 1959 Thunderbird at the event that he had just purchased and repainted. Larry became a famous pinstriper and painter. He grew up in California and witnessed the work of Von Dutch and Dean Jeffries at Barris Kustoms. He taught himself how to pinstripe and later opened his own shop, Watson’s House of Style. The Thunderbird on display was the very first car to show off a panel paint job; a style he invented that later led him to working with George Barris himself.

The Jackman Brothers became a legendary custom car building team shortly after 1959.

Many of their cars would later grace the covers of various hot rod magazines throughout the years. Tom and Harry Jackman, also from California, began working on cars under their father’s direction in the early 1950s. They brought their first build to this show, a ‘32 Ford Sport Coupe. A couple of years ago, the car made the news when it was thought to be lost forever. It was recently discovered in the care of an owner in Kansas.

Nine months after the San Diego AUTORAMA car show, Ed Roth’s “Outlaw” (originally “Excalibur”) was featured on the cover of Car Craft and helped launch his career to stardom.

Today, the vehicle is on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The top, however, went missing sometime in the 1960s. Ed Roth stated, “I remember jammin’ through Kansas with my open trailer and lookin’ through the rear-view mirror to see if the Outlaw was doing okay, and I see the top has blown off in the crosswind. I didn’t go back to find it ‘cause it woulda’ been destroyed anyway. The poor farmer that found it musta’ thought he had a piece off a flyin’ saucer.”

In 1978, the Electric Building in Balboa Park burned to the ground. The fire was caused by two teenagers. Two weeks later, the Old Globe Theatre also became a victim to arson and was destroyed. The San Diego Aerospace Museum, now called the Air & Space Museum, moved to the renovated Ford Building in the South Palisades area of Balboa Park as a result of the fire.

The Air & Space Museum still operates today and Balboa Park now has its own Automotive Museum, which it didn’t have back then. In 1980, the city council approved a lease for the San Diego Automotive Museum located next to the Air & Space Museum in a separate building. They were able to open to the public in December of 1988 after the idea was sparked in the late ‘70s by Briggs Cunningham, an auto racer and collector. Today, the San Diego Automotive Museum serves as a tribute to the automobile and its impact on our culture. With its magnificent collection and exhibits, it is well worth a visit and a true gem in San Diego. For more information: www.sdautomuseum.org

Museum photo by Nathan Odom [Age 10]

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Grow with Me By: Tiffany Janay

T

he only t hing I’ve ever grown f rom a s e ed is my dog, Ka li. D o es t hat even count? I’ve had her mom, Bourgeois, since she wa s a puppy, a nd I wa s t here t he day Ka li wa s conceived a nd t he day she wa s b or n. Yea h, t hat count s. But I have never grown a nyt hing t hat I would event ua lly eat.

Wit h t he way t hings are in our society today, it s eem s imp erat ive to st art grow ing our own food. In fact, it s eem s t hat t hings have gotten to t his p oint largely b ecaus e of p eople dep ending on a system a nd not hav ing t he k nowledge, res ources, or t he la nd to prov ide for t hem s elves.

Nowadays, t here are GMO’s in place of rea l orga nic heirloom food s. T hey are doing t hings such a s adding f rog genes into tomato es, s o t hey are more resist a nt to “p est s”. T he whole e cosystem is cha nging right b efore our ver y eyes.

W here do you f it in on t his cha nge? A re you doing not hing ab out it a nd letting it evolve “nat ura lly”, or are you doing s omet hing to da m t heir river, s o to sp ea k, a nd cha nge t he current flow?

I’m not sure what my actions w ill have on t his part in histor y, but what fe els b est for me a nd my fa m ily is to lear n how to grow our own food. It cert a inly ca n’t hurt t hings. It’s a skill t hat I should k now how to do. Even if I never eat a single t hing out of my garden or de cide to never grow a nyt hing ever aga in, I should at lea st k now how.

In t he spirit of mot ivat ing mys elf, I’m st arting a n edible garden. I’m going to f ina lly lear n how to grow s omet hing…edible.

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I st arted w it h s eed s. It ha s b een a long time f rom when I made t he de cision to grow to act ually grow ing. In Novemb er I pla nted my f irst s eed s; a nd by D e cemb er 8t h, I got my f irst sprout s.

I have b een told ma ny t imes t hat t he s oil in our city is not good for gardening, s omet hing ab out t he m inerals a nd nut rient s, a nd ot her p eople say it’s a weird sa ndy condit ion. I def initely ne eded to get good s oil if I wa nted a successf ul garden.

I went to City Far mers a nd b ought a few bags of orga nic s oil, t ra nspla nt s ( kale, cucumb er, a nd red cabbage), s e ed s, fertilizing s oil, a nd s ome s ort of s eedling p ot cont a iner. I had s ome s e ed s t hat I had b een colle ct ing f rom Blackbird Seed s a nd f rom t he coop. I de cided I wa s going to pla nt a litt le bit of ever yt hing a nd s ee what I got.

I had a small wooden b ox t hat I us ed a s my ra is ed b ed. I us ed my Bee Line hemp w ick to mark my si x mea sured s quare foot spaces. I chos e to go w it h a ra is ed b ed b e caus e of my concer ns w it h t he city’s s oil, a nd b e caus e t hey are als o good for area s where t here isn’t a lot of room to grow. You ca n t ra nsfor m a ny space into a food grow ing me cca w it h ra is ed b ed s.

I us ed t h ree of t hem a nd pla nted my t ra nspla nt s in t hem.

Tra nspla nt s are pla nt s t hat s omeone els e already took t he time to grow to a cert a in p oint, s o it’s ea sy for a b eginner gardener.

All you have to do is get t he t ra nspla nt a nd t ra nsfer it to a bigger space. I wa s able to grow a head of broccoli just a few we ek s after I purcha s ed it.

Here’s where t hings got a litt le conf using. I f illed my s e edling p ot s w it h t he fert ilizer s oil a s suggested by s omeone at City Far mers, a nd t hen I did a row of one typ e of s eed. My b oys each chos e which s eed s t hey wa nted a nd t hen we st arted pla nting t hem. T he problem for us is t hat we didn’t lab el t he s e ed s, s o I have no idea which s eed s are which.

I water t hem ever y single mor ning. I do my b est to get up a s early a s p ossible to water b e caus e I read t hat pla nt s like to b e watered early when it’s lea st hot, so t he water do esn’t heat up a nd get too war m. I a ls o t alk to t hem b e caus e my mom says t hat pla nt s ca n fe el my energy. So if I’m cool w it h t hem, t hey w ill b e happier.

I wa s so excited when my f irst sprout s p opp ed up.

T hey are grow ing nicely. Some rows of s eed s sprouted, only one or t wo of t hem out of a row of f ive, a nd some didn’t sprout at a ll. T he ot her m ist a ke I made wa s putting mult iple s e ed s in one s e edling cont a iner. I found out t hat I only ne eded to put in one s e ed. If you put too ma ny, it caus es crowding a nd t he pla nt s w ill f ight for nut rient s a nd space a nd may event ua lly die f rom t he lack t hereof.

For now, t hey are grow ing well. I’m going to keep reading a nd lear ning ab out grow ing a nd gardening. It s eem s a bit conf using on how to ba la nce out t he nit rogen, ox ygen, a nd nut rient s. T he s e eding part wa s ea sy, but now I have to get t hem t he prop er fert iliz at ion a nd t ra nsfer t hem to a b ed for t heir f urt her grow t h.

I just picked up s ome wor m ca st ings, s o I ca n st art a wor m far m a nd us e t hat a s fert iliz at ion. I read a nd have b een adv is ed t hat it’s rea lly b enef icia l to t he pla nt s.

It is my intent ion to st art a sma ll garden a nd ma ke m ist a kes a nd lear n how to overcome t hem. Event ually I pla n to t a ke my skills on t he road a nd f ind my fa m ily a pie ce of la nd to live on a nd b e a s s elf-suff icient a s p ossible. You are w it nessing my b eginning days.

Read my mont hly colum n in Ecot ist ic Magazine a nd b e inspired to grow your own edible garden too. If you have tips on how I ca n b e a b etter grower, plea s e ema il me a nd let me k now.

Tiffany Janay st arted out her life follow ing t he paved pat h to achiev ing t he A merica n drea m. She sp ent long days a nd night s working 9-5’s t hat never s e emed to bring her enough f ulf illment s, p ers ona lly or f ina ncia lly. After realizing t hat t he typica l pat h wa s not going to lead her to where she felt content ment, she made a dra st ic cha nge to cla im creat ive f re edom. She excha nged her munda ne a nd predict able life for a more excit ing, nourishing, a nd unpredict able pat h. Current ly, she express es her creat ive f re edom t h rough w riting, event coordinat ion, lifestyle consulting, a nd creating market ing a nd media ca mpa igns at Orga nic Blood. Follow her movement at: www.OrganicBlood.com

The Healthy Pet Corner: By: Esther Rubio-Sheffrey

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n most households, dogs are family members. My husband and I consider our lovable fourlegged canine our first child.

We adopted Kobee when she was just over four months old. A tiny little bundle, Kobee was afraid of loud noises, shadows, and men.

On top of the obvious neglect and possible abuse, she had a severe case of Giardia. Today, at 18 months, she is a healthy, friendly, ball of energy who receives multiple compliments regarding her leanness from fellow dog owners.

We are convinced that her welldefined muscles, shiny coat, and overall health are due in large part to the food she eats. We are not alone in this theory. There are dozens of veterinarians, holistic and natural health practitioners, and pet experts who link poor health issues and life expectancy to the quality of a dog’s food.

Adopted on a whim, my husband first purchased a large bag of low quality, cleverly marketed dog food – yes, the price played a role in his decision.

Kobee, however, did not seem to like the food much and had trouble digesting it, which did not aid us in treating her Giardia. It took some time and research, but we switched her to what we now know are superior food brands.

My intent is to share with you this experience by first sharing some of the disturbing truths I learned about dog food, discussing specific dry and wet food brands and offering you some useful tips. Treat this as a starting point for your own research because not all dogs are created equal. While I have discovered the foods that work best for Kobee, there are dozens of equally reputa24 | ECOTISTICMAG.COM

ble brands with similar benefits and varying price ranges.

Ingredients Equal Quality “You are what you eat” is undoubtedly a familiar phrase.

Many of us go out of our way to eat the most organic and natural meats, vegetables, and fruits; not just because of the health benefits, but because you have

Dog Food Basics acquired some knowledge about pesticides, chemical laden preservatives, and unnatural slaughter house practices.

Most people give little thought to how spoiled supermarket food, slaughterhouse “leftovers” (organs, heads, hooves, etc.), road kill, bread and cereal rejects, along with contaminated grains, are disposed. One would think that such garbage unfit for human consumption wound up in landfills, but for many manufactures, this trash is “recycled” into profits via rendering plants across America.

During the rendering process, all of this garbage, plus its accompanying maggots and toxic waste (pesticides and plastics), is tossed into giant steel pits, diced and shredded into manageable pieces for cooking. For several days, through an intensive heating process, moisture and fat is removed from the meats and bones and then pulverized into a gritty powder known in the industry as meat meal. It is then labeled by its dominant animal and sold to ranches, feedlots, and pet food manufacturers.

Meat meal can be nutritious and rich in protein, but to tell the garbage apart from the quality, one must read labels carefully. Several high-end dog food brands take pride in using fresh and/or deboned meat as the prominent ingredient, and the meat meal animal is always identified (i.e. chicken meal, beef meal, etc.). Stay clear of any meat meal that includes the words “by-product”, “animal fat”, or fails to identify the specific animal source.

Manufacturers also use creative slogans and labels to dupe consumers into thinking they are buying something nutritious when they are really getting mostly inferior grains. Cheaper grains tend to be leftovers and by-products of the human food industry, such as mill floor sweepings, unfit for human consumption. These grains present a completely different set of problems, from toxins produced by grain mold, to food allergies and diseases not evident in your pet until it is often too late.

If a no-grain option is not monetarily feasible, look for grain to be lower on the ingredient list, and make sure it is whole grain such as brown rice, barley, or oatmeal. Stay away from ingredients like “grain by-products”, “cereal food fines”, as well as corn or soy. Dogs cannot easily digest the latter, and more often then not, corn and soy are the filler, carbohydrate ingredients that keep your dog full, but lacking in nutrients.

Not surprisingly, some of the most common and readily available brands, such as Purina, Pedigree, Iams, Hill’s Science Diet, and Kibbles ‘n Bits, are some of the industry’s worst offenders that feature primarily grain-based food with assorted by-product meals as their main source of animal protein.

Dry Brands vs. Wet Brands Dogs will eat anything. Ideally, fresh, raw food is the best, but preparing homemade meals is time consuming, and purchasing these types of meals is the most expensive option. I will discuss those benefits in a future article because most people either purchase dry or wet food.

Kobee eats mostly dry food, but once a day, two to three times a week; she gets a can of wet food.

It is important to note that wet food tends to be more expensive but preferred by dogs because dogs are genetically meant to eat fresh food, which typically contains up to 70% moisture.

Dry food contains roughly 8% moisture, causing two things – your dog to have a greater need for water, and their kidneys to work harder. To compensate for this, it is a good idea to add a little bit of water to dry food or some low-sodium chicken broth for added flavor; do not create a mushy mess, but rather a nice gravy.

It is also important, especially for dogs with digestive issues, that you purchase dry food for the appropriate life stage.

Puppy food, unlike adult and senior food, is smaller and contains different nutrients needed for a developing body.

While there are many good brands, we are big fans of Dogswell, Castor & Pollux Organix, Wellness, and Blue Buffalo.

When it comes to dry food, Kobee has had some issues digesting the grain-free options from Wellness and Blue Buffalo. So we purchase the other options offered by both, or Castor & Pollux Organix, all of which list deboned meat as a main ingredient, clearly identify the animal meal source, use whole grains,

and include several vitamins and needed supplements. The Castor & Pollux Natural Mix even includes dehydrated pieces of vegetables and fruits, something Kobee loves and I have not seen in another brand.

Kobee has sampled and thoroughly enjoyed canned food from Wellness, Blue Buffalo, and Evanger’s. But despite their high quality ingredients, they all look like a slab of refried beans, with no visible whole beans or cat nib. She loves the Dogswell and Castor & Pollux stew options just as much, and with these, you get chunks of the meat source with visible whole grains and vegetables covered in gravy. I kid you not; she licks her lips with anticipation when I am putting this stuff into her bowl.

Aside from knowing that we are providing the best that we can for Kobee, we feel that we are also ensuring she will live a happier, healthier life – one that above everything else begins with her healthy diet. We spend less than $100 a month on food and treats and find that every penny is worth it.

Useful Tips Feeding your dog food that is on par with the quality that you consume is affordable, especially through careful researching and bargain hunting.

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Do your own research. DogFoodAdvisor.com is a great resource tool that rates almost every wet and dry dog food brand on the market based on its ingredient quality. It creates lists based on a five star rating system.

Manufacturers are required to list food according to the most prominent ingredient. So unless you’re purchasing a vegetarian option, be sure the meat is first followed by grains, and avoid the ingredients listed above.

When deciding between dog food brands, purchase small bags of dry food to avoid having an excessive amount of food that does not meet your dog’s needs. With cans, it is easier because unopened cans can be exchanged at most retail stores and supermarkets.

Introduce new food slowly by mixing it in with portions of the old food gradually, so as not to upset your dog’s stomach.

Always store your dog food in a cool, dry place, and keep the bag sealed to avoid having any mites, insects, or mold contaminate the food.

There is a significant price difference between high-end and lower quality foods, but good food can be affordable. Costco’s Kirkland brand, while not the best, is a highly nutritious option. It is better than any popular brand name option and it costs about the same.

The internet is a great resource. Many high quality foods can be purchased on websites like Amazon and PetCareRx at significant discounts and with free shipping rates.

Stock up on sale items. Large pet supply chains, such as Petco, and local health food stores, such as Sprouts, frequently feature discounts on high quality products.

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Why Bamboo: CaRiLoHa By: Antoinette & George Duenas

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ariloha is a new addition to our Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego that is bringing a sustainable lifestyle to you.

It’s a one stop shop for your basic sustainable needs, with everything manufactured from unique bamboo fibers. There is a wide selection of bamboo clothing and accessories for men, women, children, and even your home!

Their bamboo bed sheets are as soft and luxurious as cashmere or silk and are just one reason to shop at Cariloha. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice sustainability for comfort and style, because you’re sacrificing a lot more than your wallet.

Times are changing and so is the fabric. In the last few years more and more eco-conscious businesses have been popping up, utilizing more environmentally-friendly materials and socially responsible methods of production.

Organic fibers or sustainable fabric like bamboo can reduce the amount of chemicals you bring into your life.

In the fashion world, there is so much focus on the next big thing that it becomes easy to 26 | ECOTISTICMAG.COM

forget the benefits of natural resources in their organic forms. Many resources use gas guzzling tractors and herbicides to harvest before production, which isn’t good for anyone. Luckily, there has been a rise in sustainable fabrics made from organic fibers. A number of fashion designers are using fabrics made from organic cotton, wool, hemp, and even bamboo. Bamboo is one of the most abundant resources on the planet and doesn’t need pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers to grow or harvest. “Bamboo apparel features several qualities that make it a superior fabric. It’s twice as soft as cotton and keeps you a few degrees cooler. It’s naturally antibacterial, hypoallergenic, and helps prevent skin odor and skin irritation,” says Rodrigo Lagunas, manager of the new San Diego location.

Today, more and more San Diego businesses, products, and people are making the transition to “green”, and Cariloha is one more option to help you make a responsible choice from a local standpoint. “Cariloha’s use of this unique, renewable resource illustrates our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. We don’t claim to be the ‘greenest’ store on the planet, but rather a step in the right direction,” continued Rodrigo. And with regard to how Cariloha fits our city’s laid back setting, he said, “San Diego has a great relaxing quality to it. Our apparel is a mix of the Caribbean style with the Hawaiian aloha spirit, which is embodied in our collection of bamboo products and island inspired wares.

We were also looking for a location to showcase our unique apparel to a wide range of locals and visitors alike, so the Gaslamp Quarter made perfect sense.”

Walking into Cariloha, I was immediately attracted to their wall of silky bed sheets and bamboo tote bags, but I was more impressed with the knowledgeable staff. I was encouraged to feel how soft the bamboo fabrics were and had a chance to explore the store. When I asked Rodrigo about the layout, he told me it was designed for interaction and education about their bamboo products. “We encourage all visitors to touch and feel the bamboo-soft difference of our shirts, bed sheets, towels and hand bags. We are also hoping people enjoy the party atmosphere we try to bring to our store. It’s an experience with great customer service and great quality products that bring people back over and over again.” The atmosphere was unquestionably upbeat and fun, but it also meshed well with the tranquil color scheme. If I had to sum up Cariloha in a few words, organized and clean come to mind. It was one of my better shopping experiences.

I loved the great layering tanks, tees, and sweaters; and the fabulous tote bags, skinpleasing sundresses, and fun accessories already had me thinking about summer! Don’t

worry fellas; there is plenty for you to choose from too. There is a wide selection of button ups and polos for happy hour or that casual Friday at work. And for the kids, they have ultra soft graphic tees. With a warmer season just around the corner, make sure to stock up on SPF and some extra face protection with a bamboo herringbone hat. “Of course we are excited about our shirts, polos, dresses, and crazy soft socks, but what I love the most is our bed sheets! They are as soft as silk without the downside of silk sheets. The bamboo bed sheets are breathable, machine washable, and softer than 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton!” added Rodrigo. It is remarkable and very unique to feel that soft quality throughout all of their merchandise. I’ve never experienced that in a store before.

It reflects the impeccable quality of bamboo fabric.

Don’t miss out on the total Cariloha experience and walk through a store that is designed for you to touch the merchandise. Stop in and take advantage of their great Valentine’s Day special and get 10% off bed sheets or $10 off bamboo towel sets all month long. While you’re there, check out their spring line for men, women, and kids! In addition to great deals, Cariloha also has an Athletic Fit line that will make its debut in March.

So make it easy on yourself and the environment; shop Cariloha bamboo apparel this season and take a step in the right direction.

Cariloha/ 435 J Street (between 5th Ave & 4th Ave) San Diego, CA 92101/ 619-550-1414 www.cariloha.com ECOTISTICMAG.COM | 27

Clean Green By: Jennifer Dial

In today’s world, our bodies are bombarded by toxins every day. Some toxins we ingest, such as pesticide-laden foods, artificial sweeteners, refined sugars and medications. Some come from our environment: air and water pollution, skin care products (including cosmetics), cleaning products, industrial waste and heavy metals. Modern industry and innovation have made our lives much easier, but the by-products of such an industry have caused everyone everywhere to carry a frightening array of chemical contaminants within our bodies. While exposure to toxins is largely unavoidable, many toxins, especially indoors, are within our control to regulate and remove. A few simple changes within your home will have a positive impact on the health, vitality, and well-being of your entire family, including your beloved pets!

Start the detoxification process with the harshest offenders, the bathroom and kitchen.

Begin by pulling out all of your cleaning products and reading the labels. If it’s a commercial cleaner, you will likely find the precautionary statement, “Hazard to Humans and Domestic Animals”. You will probably also find suggestions for first aid and a recommendation to call poison control in the event that the product gets in your eyes, contacts skin or clothing, is swallowed or inhaled. These products need to go. Box them up securely and store them outside or in your garage until your community’s next hazardous-waste collection day. Now you are ready to replace those nasty chemicals with natural, environmentally (and body) friendly products. Try doing it the old-fashioned way.

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Make your own household cleaners! With common household ingredients, you can get bathroom and kitchen surfaces sparkling clean, naturally.

White Vinegar: Mix distilled white vinegar with water to clean any kind of floor, window, mirror, or other shiny surface. To open a clogged drain, dissolve 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar in boiling water and pour down the drain. Vinegar also removes odor in the sink and mold in the shower. Soak your showerhead in white vinegar for an hour to remove lime scale. To keep colors from fading, add a drop or two of vinegar to laundry water.

Castile Soap: Castile soap and hot water clears away dirt. Make a simple mixture of baking soda, liquid castile soap (such as Dr. Bronner’s), and/or vinegar and use it anywhere to get the job done. Add a few drops of essential oil to the mixture to create a nice fragrance while you clean.

Baking Soda: Baking soda can be used to clean cutlery and scrub toilets and tubs. Anyplace you once used scouring powder, you can use baking soda. Sprinkle baking soda on rugs or carpets for an intense deodorizing effect. Another well-known use for baking soda is in the refrigerator or freezer to zap the stink.

Borax: Dissolve 1 cup borax in a gallon of warm water as a general cleaner and disinfectant.

Borax, like baking soda, is great for scouring. An environmentally preferred alternative to automatic dishwashing detergents (many contain phosphates that pollute waterways) is one part borax and one part washing soda. Adjust proportions in hard water areas to avoid dish scum.

Lemon Juice: Use the lemon’s whitening ability as a substitute for bleach.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Susan Sumner, a food scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, worked out the following recipe for super-sanitizing results. All you need is 3% hydrogen peroxide and plain white vinegar. Spray your counter first with the vinegar and then with the hydrogen peroxide (or vice versa) and the results are more effective than any bleach-based cleanser at eliminating bacteria. (Bonus: the paired sprays work well at sanitizing food prep surfaces, including wood cutting boards).

Say YES to reliably safe store-bought cleaners too. A host of products are increasingly available in natural food stores, such as Trader Joe’s and Jimbo’s. Stick with companies known to be environmentally responsible, such as Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyer’s, Dr. Bronner’s, and Ecover. Read the labels and look for words such as ammonia-free, biodegradable, nontoxic, noncarcinogenic, and free of dyes or perfumes.

While you’re detoxing the kitchen, you can protect yourself further by making the following changes: Eliminate chlorinated white paper towels and replace them with a chlorine-free version.

The EPA found that dioxins, a by-product of chlorine, are highly carcinogenic and known endocrine-disruptors. The same goes for toilet paper. Do you really want a carcinogenic substance on your behind? Given that we’re on the topic of bleach, ditch bleached coffee filters in favor of unbleached or oxygen-bleached filters to eliminate chlorine from leaching into your daily cup of Joe. Toss the nonstick pans. A chemical in nonstick cookware can contain chemicals known as perfluorochemicals, which are linked to a host of health issues including liver, kidney, and immune system damage. Typically, pots and pans that are in good shape don’t pose a threat, but scratched up versions can potentially cause harm. Furthermore, scratched pans end up in landfills where the toxins eventually leach into the earth. A safer alternative is cast-iron, porcelain coated, stainless steel, or glass pans. Cast-iron cookware has been used for generations and offers added iron to your diet and long-term, nonstick attributes when properly cared for.

Replace plastic containers with glass. Manufacturers use plastics more than any other material. Studies show that contaminants from plastics may leach into foods and cause harm to the endocrine system, especially when heated in the microwave. Plastic containers made from type 3–polyvinyl chloride (PVC), seven–polycarbonate (PC), and six–polystyrene (PS a.k.a Styrofoam) should be avoided at all costs. PVC-based plastic wrap should also be placed on the do-not-use list as hormone-disrupting phthalates and dioxins leach out when it comes into contact with heat, water, air, or our bodies. Pyrex reusable food storage containers are a good alternative to plastic, and they also help cut down on the use of disposable wrappings. The lids are 100% free of harmful bisphenol A (BPA).

Now think about what is in your cosmetics and skin care products. Have you read the ingredient labels carefully? Does the product even list the ingredients? If the ingredients aren’t made known, don’t use it! Cleansers, moisturizers, and cosmetics are a huge source of chemical poisoning. Every absorbable substance that comes in contact with your skin reaches your internal organs within seconds! Many large companies use toxic ingredients in their skin care products, such as mercury, lead, toluene, formaldehyde, parabens and phthalates. These chemicals can damage your skin or be detrimental to your overall health.

Opt for natural cosmetics and personal care products that consist of natural, plant-based ingredients such as Nature’s Body Food (www.naturesbodyfood.com), Dr. Hauschka or Jason.

Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database (www.ewg. org/skindeep/), which takes the ingredients in more than sixty-nine thousand products and matches them with sixty toxicity and regulatory databases.

Freshen up your bathroom and kitchen naturally with all-natural, hypoallergenic products packaged in non-aerosol containers, such as Citrus Magic. They make a great carpet deodorizer that leaves your home smelling like oranges. Artificial room deodorizers only mask foul odors while pumping out phthalates into the air you breathe. Get rid of them!

The chemicals in our world are impossible to avoid altogether. Fortunately, we can make choices that help to eliminate toxins from our most treasured environment – our homes.

Cleaner choices not only keep you and your family healthy, they also sustain the earth.

Jennifer Dial was born and raised in sunny San Diego, California. She lives in North County San Diego with her husband Mike and Rottweiler, Odin, on their 5 acre farm. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication from San Diego State University. Jennifer enjoys yoga, hiking, snowboarding, water skiing, and photography. Healthy living is her passion and she loves cooking organic meals and making preserves with the produce grown on their farm. Jennifer works at Innovative Growing Solutions, Inc., a retail garden store in Pacific Beach, and also owns Nature’s Body Food (www.naturesbodyfood.com), an organic skin care product line.

Article by: Aaron Evans Photography by: Alexis Embrey Photography Four years ago, if you stopped me on the streets and informed me that someday I’d be writing for a new age magazine about yoga, I would have laughed at you…. hard…really hard. I’m talking about one of those bellowing blahaha’s brought on only by the disbelief that absolute absurdity can breed. In fact, I would have wagered my soul against the most meager reward if only due to how confident I would have been that this moment would never arise. See, in those days I was an alcoholic rock star more concerned with raging into the night than making sure that my mind, body, and soul was properly aligned. Simply put, I wasn’t the type; and any part of me that perhaps once was, had fled from the path I was walking at that point in life long ago. Being brutally honest, I was a lost soul screaming out for salvation. But I guess that’s the most beautiful thing about prayers, mediations, or set intentions, you never know what curveball the universe’s cure may be.

It’s not that I wasn’t into physical fitness throughout my life, because I grew up as an athlete who excelled in several sports. I lived for the rush of competition and worked out year round. Still, I grew up in the era just before yoga had yet to be accepted by mainstream society. Though yoga is an ancient art form, we here in the states have waited quite some time to let this lotus blossom bloom into our day-today lives. I, like many others did at that time and still do to this day, looked at yoga as something used by ballerinas, gymnasts, and circus performers to improve their balance, or a new age fad sure to fade fast from the ranks of hippy moon children who proclaimed that contorting their bodies like pretzels brought them some form of inner peace. I can also admit that I bought into that notion that yoga was somehow “girly” and I could never see my masculine side ever giving up pumping iron for poses with names like downward dog and sun salutation. Boy, was I wrong.

I’m not quite sure when my change of perspective happened, but I know a pivotal moment was when I quit drinking and started paying attention to my overall health again. My alcoholic days ended quite abruptly as I awoke in a jail cell. My last memory was being on stage at my own show the night before. Obviously, it was time to enter a new era of life. I returned to my roots and routine of hitting the weight room as often as possible to replace the negative addiction with a more positive direction. Yet, almost instantly, I began to notice the added need for the preworkout stretching I had found so annoying as a youth. It turned out my 27-year-old body needed a little extra love and care before I could tear into the dumbbells and bench-press I used to relieve stress. *At this point, I believe somewhere within me a seed was planted.

The next step in my evolution toward embracing yoga in my daily routine came 18 months later when I met my current girlfriend and personal yoga guru, Shelby Lafrinere. Shelby is an ERYT (Experience Registered Yoga Teacher) who has been practicing yoga for over 15 years and teaches at some of the best schools in Southern California. From certifying new teachers at Yoga Well, to giving private lessons to lawyers, to instructing public classes at Pilgrimage of the Heart, Shelby shares her knowledge, gifts and talent with individuals from just about every walk of life. But here’s the twist; Shelby may be my yoga guru, but I am most definitely her rebel renegade student. Since day one, I was resistant not only of yoga, but also of the spiritual dogma attached to it. Though I’m an adamant believer in spirituality, I’m also one who holds very close to my heart the notion that each of our paths is very unique and personal. It was going to be hard enough to convince me to slow myself down long enough to focus on my breath and these abstract forms of stretching and strengthening, let alone subscribe to any philosophy that claimed to be the best way to achieve enlightenment. Then Shelby said something that changed my perspective forever. She told me to make yoga my own. In an instant, “Vinyaaron” was born.

Now, at this juncture, I should probably introduce and explain just what “Vinyaaron” is. Seeing that I’m a person who enjoys and embraces life’s simple truths, I’m going to do my best to keep this as basic as I can. Now when Shelby told me to make yoga my own, whether it was her intention to or not, this immediately released me from any spiritual baggage I may have attached to yoga in the past. It reminded me that with any philosophy or religion, it was my choice to take what I needed. I could relate to each doctrine and leave behind anything that didn’t sit right in my heart.

Shelby told me that if nothing else, I should take at least several moments a week to reground myself and focus on connecting with my body. I was somewhat skeptical, but I still had no sound counterargument. Thus, I began making my old high school sports stretches part of my workout routine, even on days I wasn’t going to the gym. *The seed has now broken its shell and is beginning to break through the top soil.

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After several weeks stretching, I had begun to see some fairly amazing results. I was more energetic, uplifted and outgoing than I have been in years. Still, my practice had very little to do with what most people would call “yoga”.

That’s when Shelby informed me that doing inversions and headstands could help me with an old back injury I had suffered years ago in a freak diving board accident (that’s a long story set for another time). I was intrigued. Her suggestion seemed like a challenge that not only satisfied my curiosity to try some forms more directly related to traditional yoga, but also my inner manhood, which needed a feat of strength to feel fully satisfied. *The seed is now a plant, with roots racing into the earth.

Little by little I began mastering the balance needed to maintain this difficult, yet playful pose and the strength to sustain it for prolonged amounts of time. I instantly fell in love and found myself doing headstands at the most random times and in the most random places.

Even when I wasn’t thinking about it, I began to see myself doing yoga as a fun pick-me-up. It was an instant high available at a moment’s notice. Better yet, it began to relieve pains I thought I would live with forever, and I was granted a new lease on life. *The plant is now a strong adolescent, sturdy and proud, craving more nourishment to grow.

At this time, “Vinyaaron” became a fully conceptualized idea as I introduced more and more yoga poses into my life. But like I said, I like to keep it simple. The main form of yoga that Shelby teaches is Vinyasa, and “Vinyaaron” is just

a combination of that form’s name and my own. After all, if my practice was to be mine and mine alone, then I needed to give it my personal signature. I’m the only person on the face of the earth that can practice “Vinyaaron”. It’s all mine. No one can tell me it’s right; no one can tell me it’s wrong. Even to this day, many of the poses I do are my old sports stretches only modified by an extra emphasis on breathing. Some would say this isn’t true yoga, but I would beg to differ.

“Vinyaaron” isn’t a new form of yoga; it’s a new philosophical outlook on the culture. Then again, maybe “Vinyaaron” is what yoga was supposed to be about all along. Making yoga your own empowers each of us to incorporate this incredible beneficial tool into our lives as we each see fit. For instance, “Vinjessica” may be going to three yoga classes a week to help her tone up for the swimsuit season, where as “Vinjames” may be practicing to a video every few days to prevent sports injuries. “Vintiffany” may be preparing to enter a teacher training program to study the craft all day every day, where as “Vinyaaron”, my practice, is, at the present moment, going to the beach at 7am every morning to center myself and prepare my mind and body for another day of artistic madness.

I plan to cover every angle imaginable in moving forward with this column – classes, seminars, private lessons, schools and anything else I find interesting with the hopes that everyone can find an angle to incorporate this invaluable resource into their lives. My aim is to show why yoga isn’t for any one kind of person. Yoga is for everyone. The key part is making yoga your own.

For more information about Aaron Evans and his many forms of self-expression, please visit: www.aaronevansimagination.com

before

By: Tiffany Janay The right way to live seems like it should be an easy thing to define because it is “right”, but it’s something that many of us will spend a lifetime trying to discover.

There are so many misconceptions going around and, at the same time, so many other things that keep us busy, so it makes it hard to do the research to find out what is right or wrong.

For me, I felt it was necessary to take the time needed to research what exactly is going on. Most importantly, I needed to get in touch with my body, and that is the connection that has proven to be the most beneficial to my journey. It helps me navigate through all the claims, marketing, and evidence that are presented as truth out there. I also needed to reassess what I did for a “living” and find something that made me feel good while supporting my lifestyle, financially.

About 6 years ago, I created a connection with a man who soon became my husband. Starting a marriage is a big deal. It’s the creation of a legacy. We made the decision to live the highest quality life we possibly could. When I was younger, a high quality life equaled lots of money and material possessions; but in my wisdom I learned that wealth equaled health.

At the time, I was overweight, moody, sick, tired, confused, suffering from kidney stones, high cholesterol, glasses, and a stomach ache every single day since I was a kid. I was also extremely miserable with my job. My husband had high blood pressure and was about 100 pounds overweight. We had issues. We hung out with people who had them too, so it didn’t seem like what we were going through was abnormal; it felt like it was just the way things were.

Another aspect of my life that didn’t feel “right” was having to work a dreaded 9-5-type job just to get by. It was something that added greatly to my stress levels and, despite the good money that came in, it lowered my quality of life. As badly as I needed a new diet, I needed a new way to take care of myself that didn’t include me doing something I despised for long periods of the day for small amounts of money.

There was a group of people who didn’t live this way though. They seemed happy, healthy, free, and light. I wanted to find out what they were doing. I started studying. After studying food, nutrition, the body, mind, entrepreneurship, and spirit, I naturally fell into a plant based diet. I found that in order to obtain the level of health and wellness that I sought, it was best to eliminate as many poisonous foods as possible from my diet. This elimination would help me to think more clearly in general as well. This included meat and animal products, white foods (white bread, white flour, and white sugar), artificial flavors and colors, partially hydrogenated oils, and high fructose corn syrup.

And it worked! We got rid of all of our health problems, quit our jobs, and became full-time dedicated entrepreneurs. My husband lost over 100 pounds and I lost 50 pounds, and we haven’t had to take a single pill or give in to any schemes to do it either. We haven’t deprived ourselves of anything and we enjoy food to the fullest every single day.

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after

I started sharing what I was doing with other people and met quite a bit of resistance from some. At the time, I felt so good with what I was doing that I felt it was the “right” way for everyone to be living, but not everyone felt that way. I encountered lots of arguments and anger and people were offended. I was confused. I thought that I had found the answers to what everyone was seeking. I would argue to prove my point why certain foods and ways of living were good or bad for us. It became tiring and was taking away from the peaceful lifestyle I wanted to be living.

Today, I’m in a much different place. I feel good about what I’m doing, but I’m not sure that it is the right way for everyone to live. And I’m no longer interested in long drawn out arguments with people to prove why everyone should make the same decisions I am.

Quite frankly, I’m not sure if the fangs we have are a sign that we are supposed to be meat eaters, nor can I prove that by having a certain blood type is proof you should eat meat. I don’t know if tofu is the best thing for everyone, and I can’t be sure that eating algae from certain lakes will guarantee longevity. And you shouldn’t just up and quit your job and go searching for your calling if it doesn’t feel right to you.

What I do know is that 6 years later I’m feeling the best I have in life. I’ve found my groove with how I eat and how I prepare foods. I cook as fresh as possible with minimal use of already prepared foods and boxed/canned products. I have slowly been acquiring the kitchen equipment I need and have been adding and eliminating different foods and regimens constantly. I have managed to keep 50 pounds off of me for all these years, and all of the problems I once had are no longer a reality in my life. Before, I used to be deathly afraid of something happening to me and me not being able to recover. Now I get excited when a new challenge arises; it gives me a chance to try out a new herb or remedy and expand my knowledge as a healer.

In our society we are a melting pot of different cultures from different regions all over the world. Some of us know our history and most of us don’t. Where our ancestors came from is very different from the land here in America. Some of us come from tropical rainforests, deserts, snowy mountains, and oceanic sceneries. The way our families ate back then on our homeland was based on what grew in that climate and what naturally inhabited the land.

Today, conditions are much different. We import a lot of foods from different countries. We can sample all sorts of culinary art from all around the world in a single day. We don’t have to eat what is in season or what naturally grows here in San Diego. We can pretty much have whatever we want and can afford.

The point is that there are many factors that will determine the right way for you to be living. The best thing you can do to figure that out is to get in tune with your internal workings; tune into your heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, and intuition.

Let them serve as your final decision makers. After you eat something or make a life changing decision, pay attention to how you feel. Was it a positive or negative feeling? Even if it’s the healthiest thing you could possibly eat, or a job offer with the best company ever, if it doesn’t agree with YOU, then you should take heed.

Totally unplanned, initially, by me dedicating myself to health and my desire to be creatively free, I was able to create a whole business around it! I’ve been blogging and sharing my journey from the beginning and have picked up a following of people who are interested in what I am doing and then share it with new people; thus, giving birth to Organic Blood.

Now I get to create events, market products I believe in, network with cool people who make cool things, and write. I work from home or anywhere I want. I feel free and good about myself.

You never know where life is going to take you. I learned not to concern others and myself with doing the right thing and to do what feels best for ME. If you aren’t happy about life, then you know that what you are doing isn’t the right thing for you. Make the necessary changes; dedicate yourself to the outcome you envision and change your life to what is the best for you.

MOTIVATE

YOURSELF.

Organic Blood is the combination of unemployed entrepreneurs expressing ourselves creatively through the creation of events, marketing and media campaigns, food, writing, and music. We educate through entertainment about more organic ways of living life. Join our Bloodline and be apart of the movement. www.OrganicBlood.com

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Your Health Coach Are you ready for a healthy lifestyle? Follow us each month for tips and guidance to get healthy and stay well.

Goal Setting: How to Set Smart Goals We’ve now had a month to test our New Year’s resolutions. How are you tracking yours?

In January, gyms and fitness studios around the nation are packed. By February, however, the crowds have already started to dwindle. Do we really lack the discipline or motivation to keep going? No! I know as well as you do that most of us want to be healthy and have the motivation to do it. What we need are smart goals that help us incrementally change our behavior and develop new habits. New habits sustained over a period of time become part of your lifestyle.

So how do you set smart goals? Write down one of your goals as you read through and make adjustments as necessary. As an example, let’s use: “I want to eat a healthier diet.”

1.

2.

Smart goals are incremental. We are creatures of habit and it’s much more difficult to make drastic changes than it is to make incremental ones. So step 1 is to see what you want in the future (for example, 6 months from now) and step 2 is to break it down into incremental goals (for example, 3 months from now and then 1 month from now). Working backwards helps you take steps in the right direction.

Smart goals are present tense. Your goal is further from reach when you state it in terms of the future (“I will eat healthier.”) or in terms of needs (“I want to eat healthier.”). State your goals in the present tense (“I am eating healthier… I am running my first marathon… I am meditating daily…”), so you can see it and feel it come true. Each time you say it, it reaffirms it!

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3.

4.

5.

Smart goals are positive. Think about what you are adding to your life versus focusing on what you are depriving yourself of. Planning to have green tea each morning creates a more positive feedback loop than focusing on not having coffee. You may still want to quit coffee, but you are just coupling it with a positive action.

Smart goals are actionable. Keep your goals specific and directly actionable. “I want to be healthy” is a very general and daunting goal. Incorporating greens into each meal, exercising 5 times a week, or starting a meditation practice, begin to break that goal down into more manageable components.

Smart goals are attainable. Do not limit yourself and, by all means, have stretch goals in your life! But, keep a healthy reality check on your goals. If you currently lead a sedentary lifestyle, do some research regarding the training time necessary to compete in your first Ironman Triathlon. See your doctor and make sure your vitals are on track.

Then break that big goal into attainable steps.

So our initial goal of “I want to eat a healthier diet” can be transformed into “In 6 months, 50% of my lunch and dinner will consist of healthy greens.” Why is this a smarter goal?

–Because I have 6 months to achieve this. That means that I work backwards and set my 3 month and 1 month goals to lead me up to 50% of my plate, for 2 meals. The statement is in present tense and I can see and feel myself having already achieved it. It’s a positive statement that helps me focus on what I am doing versus what I am cutting out. It’s also actionable, meaning I know I need to buy greens the next time I’m at the store, or order greens the next time I eat out. It is also attainable because I know I can achieve the 1 and 3 month steps to my 6 month goal.

Once you have your goal statement, write down some steps you need to take to achieve it.

In our example above, this means making a grocery list and finding recipes for kale, chard, and collard greens. Next, schedule the steps in your calendar. To help, we’ve posted a goal sheet for you online. You can access it at www.ecotisticmag.com/myhealthcoach.pdf.

Remember, you are what you do! Make choices that result in healthy habits and take action to create a healthy lifestyle.

In health, Bahareh Bahareh is a certified Health Coach based in Encinitas, California. She empowers busy professionals to live healthier, happier lives by eating well, reducing stress, and achieving balance. www.mindbodyalliance.com