Ecotistic Magazine Issue 4

STAFF BOX

ISSUE #4 Publisher Beau A. Odom Associate Publisher Mike Dial

PERFECT PIE CRUST

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ORGANIC GIRL

Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Odom Associate Editor George Duenas Art Director Ian Ruz Advisory Board: Mike Dial Heinz R. Gisel Jennifer Dial

Guns are OK But Don’t Grow Food

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DALAI LAMA

Contributors: Heinz R. Gisel Lance Rogers Bahareh Urban Farmer Randy Villarba Tiffany Janay Jaime Schwartz Aaron Evans George & Antoinette Duenas Jennifer Dial Esther Rubio-Sheffrey Marc Emmelmann Jeffrey Von Stetten Marco Alvarez Eric Fowler

I’M DOING GREAT

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Advertising Sales Reps: Beau A. Odom Tiffany Janay

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WHOLISTIC EXPO

THE HONEST KITCHEN

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Sales & Marketing Manager: Matt McDonald Distribution/Subscriptions: Print Media Resources information@printmediaresources.com Contact info: Publisher: info@ecotisticmag.com Art/Design/Web: ian@ecotisticmag.com Editorial submission: submit@ecotisticmag.com

Shakti Rising

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HEALTH COACH

© 2012. ECOTISTIC Magazine.

All rights reserved.

ECOTISTIC Magazine is a free publication distributed locally to certain stores and offices. We are not responsible for any actions taken by our readers. We are supported by our advertisers who are ressponsible for their own ads and content. At times we may use materials placed in public domain, if so please contact us and we will acknowledge you. Reproduction of any content is encouraged if you get permission from the publisher.

ECOTISTIC Magazine is printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink.

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ALL ABOUT WATER

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Publisher’s Letters By: Beau A. Odom Thank you for picking up the 4th issue of Ecotistic Magazine! Summer is in full swing and time spent with friends and family is what I am overwhelmingly thankful for right now. We are excited to be able to bring you another great issue with some outstanding information from our talented pool of writers.

This issue is also a special Wholistic Expo issue.

The Wholistic Expo will be taking place at the San Diego Convention Center on August 24th–26th. It will be packed with vendors from all over the world, as well as guest speakers throughout the event covering the topics they specialize in. Of course, the Ecotistic staff will also be in attendance, so please come out and visit us while you are at the event.

Tickets for the event are on sale now, and if you use Promo Code: Ecotistic, you can save 10% on your admission.

Also in this issue, we are excited to cover the Dali Lama and his recent visit to San Diego; we’re so blessed to have been able to cover the once in a lifetime event. The amazing Heinz Gisel has done it again with another article that shakes up and awakens readers, or the sheeple, who are still sleeping.

Jamie Schwartz of Starry Lane Bakery writes about her search for the perfect pie crust. Jennifer Dial dives into Water and shares some great information. And our contributor Randy covers Shakti Rising, another great organization.

Again, thank you for reading, and make sure to “Like” us on Facebook and stay up-to-date with us on our website: www.ecotisticmag.com Until next time, Stay happy, healthy and walk fair,

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What was here first, the Organic Movement or the Birth of Chemical Fertilizers?

The one thing I know about this is that “somebody” knows the answer. When we were all farmers, or at least 97% of us, it was all very organic in every way. We just did not think about the word “organic” because it was just who we were before chemical fertilizers. This was before the word “organic” was used for marketing to get your whole paycheck. At first, it was just a way of life for us – “the good life”. So let’s look back to the 20th century, just in the USA, to see how we went from a nation of organic farmers to a nation of consumers of unhealthy foods with proven health hazards.

In 1935, there were 6.8 million farms in the United States. According to the USDA, in 2000, there were less than 2.2 million farms. Then, we went from a nation of farmers to a nation of chemical agribusiness for the most part, with promises of chemical-based agriculture that could feed the whole world with a lot of cheap food without a lot of hard work. So let’s look at some time lines.

DDT was first used in the United States as an insecticide in agriculture in the 1940s.

Some of the first chemical fertilizers came to the farms in this part of the world in the 1940s, the same year a British agriculturalists named Sir Albert Howard put a book out called An Agricultural Testament telling us how all chemical fertilizers are bad for us in every way. Now remember this the next time you say, “How was I to know?” And, “Shouldn’t somebody fix this before it kills us?” From day one, somebody told us about the dangers of the chemicals in our food chain – the land, air and water. Lady Eve Balfour wrote “The Living Soil” in 1943 and it was the first book about what we were getting into with chemical farming. Do you see how fast it took somebody to see what we where getting into, not long at all.

Now how about the birth of the words “Organic Farming”? Well, here in the US, it seems to me it came from somebody named J.I. Rodale, who published Organic Farming and Gardening magazine in 1942, which is now Organic Gardening magazine. Research from his farm, the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania, has been here providing us with info about the need for organic farming and how to farm organically from the 1940s. Then, we were being informed about the need to go back to the small farms in the 1960s, for whole fresh unprocessed foods grown local in an organic way without chemicals. At this time, we had just started to go down the wrong road. We did not even have all the health problems that have come from chemical foods, but books and info were telling us to turn around and go back to the simple life, which was almost around the same time big corps were figuring out that they could make a “KILLING” from feeding us cheap chemical foods for a lot of money. Then, a great book, Silent Spring, got the first small part of the masses into a movement for organic foods and the need to move away from the chemical world we had fallen into – I’m glad someone was doing something to help fix the wrongs. Silent Spring was published in 1962. We all need to know how a book by a biologist named Rachel Carson exposed DDT and how its effects as a harmful chemical and pesticide were harming our food, people, animals, the environment, and the world, not just the USA.

In Silent Spring, Rachel Carson wrote, “For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death.” She wrote this in 1962. Then we had the 1970s. Not a lot, but a few good things came out of the ‘70s – a counterculture, a revolution of supporters to stop death by chemicals. The world had its first Earth Day and one of the first acts to ban DDT (1972). But a little too late in 1985 when Dr. Arnold Schecter, a professor of Preventive Medicine, said, “In the United States we’ve found that not somebody but everybody’s got dioxin in them.” It is sad that we have had this info the whole time right from the start. But big corps have more money to fill our minds with lies, and authors just have facts they put into words, not radio or TV with actors and props.

When somebody tries to get the word out, they’re called environmentalists in a bad way, like they’re some radical stoned hippies. But today, they’re educated consumers. And yes, some of them have graduated from being stoned hippies to educated hippies. They have a voice because they are part of our middle-class that is purchasing food. That makes them somebody making a demand for organic products. The power of the consumer over corporate involvement with our food is on somebody’s side if somebody uses it. We have to use this power right now while we can. We now know what they told us were lies, how they could grow all the world’s food chemically. So now we know chemicals in our food network are bad. We need to stop all the GMOs and pesticides in our children’s food; the synthetic fertilizers in our rivers, lakes, and drinking water; the antibiotics and hormones in our animals’ feed and factory fish farms. Faster foods with longer shelf life and more food miles is what it is all about for the food factories.

So here we are in the 21st century. We know that we started with about 7 million farms in the United States, and now we have around 2 million; it looks like somebody lost about a million farms every 10 years. Do you see why every time I write I talk about the need for somebody to become a farmer? It’s not that we need more than we can use, it’s that we have less than 2% of farmers left to grow our food for 98% of the consumers in the USA. It’s just bad math. It doesn’t add up and that’s why we have food factories.

So the same year (1940) that chemical-based agriculture was pushed on us, somebody gave us books about the dangers of chemicals in our world. Then, 20 years go by and we are shown the effects of this chemical life in 1960. Then, 20 more years and we are told that all of us have a dangerous chemical (dioxin) in all of our bodies. Do we need to wait 20 more years to see the effects of GMOs and all of the chemicals that we use today and what it can do to our babies? Let’s stop, read and learn about how we can work together to stop this kind of madness – death by chemicals. As I have looked at all the bad that has come from the chemical world we live in over the years, I have often wondered why “somebody” is not doing something about it? Now I realize that I am that somebody, and maybe you might be somebody, too. Think about it; who is that somebody? As always, what the hell do I know anyways, I’m just an old farmer.

All the best to you all, The Bio-Farmer, Mike Dial

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Moves In and Makes Its

Presence Known in San Diego In today’s society, people are more knowledgeable and know better than to eat pesticide residue on their produce. This newfound “knowledge” has led us into an entire organic movement, which has picked up traction and is exactly why consumers are so attracted to organicgirl’s good clean greens.

Plain and simple, organicgirl began with a small group of women and men in California’s fertile Salinas Valley who wanted to offer the best organic produce available. Don’t let the name fool you; organicgirl is for both men and women alike who enjoy healthy, fresh, sustainable produce grown in harmony with Mother Nature.

Organicgirl’s good clean greens have been gracing the aisles of San Diego grocery stores and giving shoppers a reason to eat organic. Organicgirl participated in the SuperGreens Chef Tour to introduce its fresh products to San Diego Vons stores; after previously being available exclusively in Ralphs and Jimbo’s. Professional chefs prepared samples of smoothies, sautéed greens and salads made with organicgirl produce.

To show its support to the San Diego community, organicgirl has partnered with myLab Program to sponsor a seven-week robot-engineering course for students impacted by homelessness, at San Diego’s Monarch School. Through the sales of products purchased with myLab Programmarked coupons, organicgirl has raised over $1,000, to-date, for the non-profit to use toward this program.

San Diegans are reciprocating the love to organicgirl by creating their own yummy, healthy meals with the produce, and by showing their support at local events organicgirl attends, such as San Diego’s Earth Fair.

Organicgirl’s good clean greens’ line includes mixes of baby spring mix, baby spinach & arugula, romaine heart leaves, supergreens!, baby spinach, and 50/50! blend. In addition, the company offers all-organic salad kits, green onions, romaine hearts and baby greens specifically for cooking.

Here’s a tasty recipe from organicgirl for you to try: Mango Strawberry SUPERGREENS! Smoothie 2.5 oz. organicgirl SUPERGREENS! ½ c. almond milk 6 oz. vanilla yogurt 1 banana 1 whole mango, pitted 1-handful strawberries, destemmed *Put all ingredients into a powerful blender and blend on high until smooth. Adjust consistency as needed and serve.

We have it on good authority that Mother Nature is an organicgirl, and we think you’ll agree – mother always knows best!

For more information on organicgirl products and store locations, visit www.iloveorganicgirl.com. Stay up-to-date with its San Diego efforts by “liking” organicgirl on Facebook: www.Facbook.com/iloveorganicgirl.

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The Search for the By: Jaime Schwartz

Perfect Pie Crust I have very few summer memories from my childhood that don’t in some way include pie…A Dutch apple pie from the farm stand down the road on the way home from an evening little league game; a slice of tart strawberry-rhubarb at a neighbor’s BBQ; picking globs of cherries and sticky crust out of my hair after a scuffle with my older sister that got a little too close to the picnic table. No matter how you slice it, summer and pie just seem like the perfect match.

berry tarts, lemon curd that somehow managed to dissolve the crust under it into a gloopy mess, and an apple pie that managed to defy all laws of thermodynamics by burning to a crisp on the outside while remaining completely raw and cold on the inside (my family still reminisces about that particular culinary gem).

Really, it was the crust that was the problem. Fillings I could do (or buy in a handy little can), but the pie crust was crucial. I firmly believe that the key to a great pie is a great crust. It shouldn’t simply be a vehicle for conveying the filling from dish to mouth; the crust should have its own flavor that compliments that of the filling. Its texture should Pie isn’t as fussy as cake. It stands up to the summer heat that stand up to the weight of the filling, but still be flakey enough to melt with every bite. would leave any prettily frosted cake in a puddle of its own icing in But how do you achieve such a crust? That was the question. the middle of the table. You can put one together in under an hour with whatever fruit you have on hand. Any kids hanging around A traditional pie crust has only four ingredients; flour, sugar, fat, and water. Some the kitchen can be bribed into rolling out crust or pealing apples. recipes call for eggs, but I found that adding eggs to the dough makes it very tough And best of all, it’s perfect for any occasion. The glisten of sugar (all those protein strands). So while it holds up very well, the finished texture is more crystals on a perfectly browned lattice crust is fancy enough for like a cookie than a crust. Some of the recipes I looked at called for shortening, some a dinner party, while a quick oatmeal and brown sugar crumble of them said butter (two of them called for lard, but they were really old recipes and topping sprinkled generously on top of peach filling is perfect to I didn’t even know where to find lard). So what’s the difference, and what would it do haul along to a beach bonfire. You just can’t go wrong with pie, to my crust? unless you’re me.

It turns out that the difference is one of taste vs. texture. A crust made with shortening Eating pie, as I found out to my shame, is a far cry from being has a flakier texture than one made with butter. The shortening doesn’t melt as fast able to create one of those golden brown delights. The things I during the baking process, which means it holds its place in the dough and creates a have managed to create instead of an actual edible pie are as larger firmer space after it finally does melt. Unfortunately, shortening doesn’t taste varied as they are numerous. Hockey pucks disguised as blue- very good, and the resulting product was bland and unexceptional. Butter on the other

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hand tastes wonderful, and the crust I made with it had a sweet rich flavor; it was, however, much more dense. The butter melted faster than the shortening would have and so the spaces it left behind in the dough were much smaller. The ideal compromise, then, would be half shortening and half butter.

and the rest is bland because it didn’t get any. Then the fat goes in and the upper arm workout begins. I’ve found that the best size to cut the butter into is about the size of a raw pea. Any smaller and the dough is too dense; any larger and the holes left behind are too large to support the filling.

So now I have decided on what fat to use, but what is the best way to add it to the recipe? The way fat is introduced to the rest of the ingredients has a huge effect on the finished product. In brownies the fat is liquid (either oil or melted butter).

For cookies you want to cream the fat with the sugar, incorporating air that will help leaven the finished product. Scones, on the other hand, are made using what is called the biscuit method; basically adding chunks of cold fat to the dry ingredients and cutting them into tiny pieces that are evenly distributed throughout the flour. The biscuit method seemed like the best option, but it was tricky.

After you cut the fat into the right size pieces, you’re left with some oatmeal looking stuff in a bowl (this does not bake off well, trust me). To stick it all together, ice water is the best bet. The ice is crucial because it keeps the water cold enough that it won’t melt the butter before you have a chance to bake off the crust. Add just enough water (leave the ice in the glass) to bring the dough together. Too much water makes a gooey mess; not enough and the dough won’t hold together. Once it’s perfect, it goes right in the fridge (got to keep that butter cold).

The most important thing was the temperature of the fat; it should be cold…Really cold. Like just out of the fridge, hasn’t been sitting on your counter while you gather the rest of your ingredients, cold (yeah, I discovered that little gem of a problem too). Next, you need to decide what tool to use to cut up the butter. My grandmother always swore by two butter knives, wielding them ninja style and sending flour flying everywhere. I decided not to try that one. My mother always used a food processer, pulsing the ingredients together until they were blended.

When I tried it that way (a much cleaner option by the way) the butter got too soft, and I didn’t feel that I had enough control over the size of the fat pieces. The only other option was to go old school and buy a really cool piece of equipment called a pastry cutter.

Depending on what filling I’m using, sometimes I’ll add a little spice to the crust along with the flour and sugar. Cinnamon for an apple pie, ginger for peach, a pinch of salt with a chocolate cream (really it works!), or some grated lemon zest for blueberry. Really, the options are endless. The crust can be prebaked (don’t forget the pie weights) for already cooked fillings, or left raw for baked fruit pies.

A pastry cutter is four or five half-moon shaped blades (dull blades, don’t worry) attached on both sides to a central handle. The benefit it has over the two-knife method (besides being way less scary than an 85-year-old woman waving knives around while flour flies all over the kitchen) is that those multiple blades cut the butter up much quicker. And since you’re doing it all by hand, you have more control over the size of the pieces than you get with the food processer. Plus, the food processer generates heat that melts the fat as it cuts it, which doesn’t happen with the pastry cutter.

So first the flour and sugar go in a bowl, then they get mixed together. Badness happens when one piece of crust is super sweet because it has all the sugar,

And the best part about homemade pie crust is the left over bits. Roll them out, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake right next to your pie. Instant pie crust cookies! Everyone will love them, that’s if they get a chance to leave the kitchen. So try your hand at homemade pie crust, create something new, and then stop by the shop and tell me all about it!

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.

Starry Lane Bakery / 10769 Woodside Ave Suite 110 Santee, CA 92071 / (619) 328-0500 http://www.starrylanebakery.com

Guns are OK – but don’t

grow Food!

By: Heinz R. Gisel

“Food is power. We use it to change behavior.

Some may call that bribery. We do not apologize” Catherine Bertini, Director of the UN World Food Program at the Beijing Woman’s Conference (1995) The right to own guns is all but the sacred cow in the US. If you want to win an election, you better not tinker with the NRA. This Second Amendment – the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed – is peculiar to the US and has arguably shaped the image of the US as the country of freedom and opportunity; it has evolved as an integral part of the “American Dream”.

As of late, we see the current administration trying to tacitly ignore, circumvent, re-interpret, and abolish the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as it has been demonstrated with the NDAA and 923 “Executive Orders” signed by President Obama1 that eliminated one liberty at the time. What is common to all these sneak attacks on the “American Dream” is that they are always ratified when no one is looking so that the media “forgets” to report on these “non-events”, as President Obama likes to label them.

While the merits of gun ownership by private individuals with no training in use and handling of these devices may warrant a debate on its own, it is interesting to appreciate the power of the gun lobby that has – so far successfully – dwarfed attempts by the administration to curtail these liberties, albeit in an election year. That makes it all the more remarkable to apprehend the signs of the time, aka the NWO “New World Order” where, if you don’t have the backing of a powerful lobby for whatever you are doing, you are toast.

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You may remember a time when the media actually served as the primary information source for the public, when they were selective rather than protective of their advertisers. In those days, you could turn to the media when your liberties were trampled on. But nowadays, you only deserve coverage if you are either gay, Muslim or an atheist. But ever since the MSM, “Main Stream Media”, was hijacked by the NWO, it got their “fair and balanced” and “world news leader” credos utterly distorted to junk status.

At the beginning of June, the very core of the NWO, the “Bilderberg Group”, met for their annual meeting at a hotel in Chantilly, Virginia protected by the Secret Service and hundreds of armed to their teeth guards2. A few hundred of the top elite movers and shakers of the global corporate and world government “1%” gathered there to coordinate the agenda for the sheeple, for the other 99%’s future. If you thought this would be a media event, you are right; it was, but only for the “conspiracy media”. The MSM gave tribute to the event by completely ignoring it, despite the fact that there was nothing else newsworthy for a front page on those days, and the headlines on the networks were just trivia.

While the industry gets hammered for coordinating pricing, the MSM can fix their broadcasting (or the lack of it) with impunity. Have you noticed that their coverage and noncoverage and their spin is nearly always identical? That should come to no surprise, considering that 90% of the US media are owned by News Corp, Disney, Viacom, Time

in daily contact with Anwar al-Awlaki5, who was “taken-out” by a US drone in Yemen. The latter has also been stripped of his al-Qaeda title and has morphed into “the American cleric”.

• Does that mean the term terrorist has been abandoned? -Not at all. As a matter of fact, you may be registered by the ISA, CIA, DHS and FBI as a “terrorist suspect” just for paying cash at a hotel • or buying bulk ready-to-eat meals, according to an FBI handout. Further, if you store more than 7 days of food in your house, or even if you have a “perception that the government is controlled by Jewish persons”, according to the DHS Domestic Terrorism Lexicon6. Should you come to realize that the Federal Reserve’s US dollar is backed by faith and faith alone and try to turn the green ink into shiny metal, you could be termed a suspect; although, you may have doubts that this rule extends to the citizens of Wall Street. By the way, the DHS awarded an $11 million taxpayer funded contract to General Dynamics to spy on you on Facebook and Twitter to search if you have the audacity to criticize them!

Warner, CBS and Comcast.3 What the six have in common is that they all report to Wall Street, so you can imagine where the decisions of what the sheeple are fit to watch are concocted. The administration is very comfortable with this oligopoly for obvious reasons, and we can predict even further consolidation. The MSM loves the US two-party system because it enables them to confine you to see things in black and white (or red and blue if you prefer) while constantly conning you with the illusion that you have a choice and your voice matters.

You see, it is a lot easier to manipulate (and control) the masses when they can be controlled digitally (it’s either this or that) than if they think freely and see the spectrum of options and alternatives. Just observe how they contrive their interview in the predetermined direction by asking black and white questions. Then they further the Hegelian dialectics by setting the stage for what is “appropriate” language, to “right” the wrong no matter how deceptive: illegals become migrants and Major Nidal Hasan, the selfproclaimed Jihadist who shot dead 13 people and injured 32, is not at all a terrorist, but merely a “shooting suspect”4. The MSM has completely erased the fact that he is a Muslim, despite the fact that he was

The 7-day Food criteria has really spawned my • curiosity, particularly as it includes all the members of the Mormon church, which urges its members’ preparedness for disaster and disasters we have abundantly in America: fires, floods, earthquakes, droughts, riots, tornadoes and hur- • ricanes. At first sight, it seems absurd. Why would the government consider it a suspicious act to store up on catastrophe survival items like food and water? When we try to make sense of this illogic, we have to look beyond the apparent overreaction of a lone bureaucrat and search for the big picture strategy of the designers. Here are the pieces of the puzzle: • •

•

•

•

EXECUTIVE ORDER 10998 allows the government to take over all food resources and farms.

EXECUTIVE ORDER 11049 assigns emergency preparedness function to federal departments and agencies, consolidating 21 operative Executive Orders issued over a 15-year period.

EXECUTIVE ORDER 11051 specifies the responsibility of the Office of Emergency Planning and gives authorization to put all Executive Orders into effect in times of increased international tensions and economic or financial crisis.7 May 2012: Illinois Department of Agriculture secretly destroys beekeeper’s bees and 15 years of research proving Monsanto’s Roundup kills bees. 8Prior to that, Monsanto bought out the leading bee research firm, Beeologic, after being implicated with “CCD” Colony Collapse Disorder. The genemanipulating giant will now be able to control the flow of information and products coming from Beeologics for CCD.9 April 2012: Michigan government unleashes armed raids on famers, forcing them to shoot all their own pigs. 10DNA staging raids involving six vehicles and ten armed men on two farms with the intent of shooting all the farm-

ers’ pigs under a bizarre new “Invasive Species Order” (ISO) that has suddenly declared traditional livestock to be an invasive species.

April 2012: City of Roswell, GA bullies Andrew Wordes to death over his chickens he had legally been raising in the backyard of his suburban Atlanta home, following a crusade of terror perpetrated against him.11 2012-2006: 12Numerous armed FDA raids on raw Milk Farmers and Farm-to-Consumer Organizations, and buying clubs to curtail unpasteurized milk sales. The number of cases where livelihoods are destroyed are mounting namely in Rawesome Foods, CA, Estrella Family Creamery, WA, and the Amish Farm in PA. In a related lawsuit, the FDA claims: “There is no ‘deeply rooted’ historical tradition of unfettered access to foods of all kinds.” And further: “Plaintiffs’ assertion of a ‘fundamental right to their own bodily and physical health, which includes what foods they do and do not choose to consume for themselves and their families’ is similarly unavailing because plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to obtain any food they wish.” 13 In many western states, it is illegal to collect rainwater on your own property. The states claim a monopoly on water and they want to sell it to you with fluoride and other added chemicals.14 2011: A health department official without a search warrant conducted a raid of Quail Hollow Farm, an organic community supported agriculture (CSA) farm in Southern Nevada during its special “Farm to Fork” picnic dinner put on for guests – and the agent who arrived on the scene ordered that all the fresh, local produce and pasture-based meat that was intended for the meal be destroyed with bleach.15

The list goes on and on. Obviously, these are not isolated incidents involving rogue government agents, rather, there is a disturbing pattern. Clearly, Monsanto wants to control the world food supply, and one tiny nuisance they have to deal with is to eliminate their opponents, like the “organics” proponents. Well, that’s a slam dunk for the US government who shares Monsanto’s global dominance agenda for obvious reasons: If they control the food, they control the people and the populations. It’s far more effective than waging war and the miniscule resistance is easy to deal with, see above.

The appointment of Tom Vilsack as Agricultural Secretary by the GMO labeling campaign promise breaker Obama is no coincidence. Vilsack’s strong ties to Monsanto are known and nauseam16, and the revolving door system just gained momentum.

Under Vilsack, US food became the most pathetic in the world, with virtually nothing to buy at the supermarket that is GMO-free. The USDA under Vilsack allowed Monsanto to regulate itself, illegally grow GM crops (e.g. Alfalfa) prior to approval, and decompose the “organics” standard to rubble.

“Organics” is a pesky bug for Vilsack and Monsanto et al., hence, part of the “pest control” is to discipline the sheeple. To accomplish this quickly, Obama ECOTISTICMAG.COM | 13

elevated the notorious Monsanto lobbyist Michael Taylor as the Food Safety Czar17, who now holds the second highest position at the FDA. Researching his past will provide the clue of who’s behind the FDA armed raids to exterminate healthy foods, raw milk, the non-labeling, and force-feeding the population with pesticide-laden GMO crops.

Sadly, under the circumstances, we have to brace for an accelerated pace in persecution of family farmers who grow what’s right according to the laws of nature. What does that mean for the health conscious consumer? It means that “consumers” have to step out of the shadow and become activists. If we don’t support our local farmers and farmers markets now, we will soon be relegated to the NWO’s depopulation agenda – Monsanto’s sheeple and eat only their toxic crop intended to drastically reduce your fertile years and make you a slave of the pharmaceutical industry.18 Evidently, if you have the notion that local organic produce is expensive, think twice: for freshly harvested locally grown food, you pay only once. But biotech produce is engineered for population reduction and dependence on pharmaceuticals; that is why they have to eradicate healthy food. Remember, Biotech reports to Wall Street while the farmer relates with you. We still have the right to bear arms 14 | ECOTISTICMAG.COM

because there is a powerful lobby, the NRA. But those hardworking farmers who put healthy food on our tables are on their own – unless we – who demand wholesome food, support them!

References:

1. http://beforeitsnews.com/story/2221/614/Obama_Has_Signed_923_Executive_Orders_In_40_Months_-_Video.html 2. http://www.infowars.com/why-does-the-mainstream-media-ignore-the-bilderberg-group/ 3. http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6 4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/10/nidal-hasan-trial_n_1414369.html 5. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/14/al-awlaki-used-dozens-email-accounts-to-reach-followers-including-hasan/ 6. http://info.publicintelligence.net/DHS-ExtremismLexicon.pdf 7. http://beforeitsnews.com/story/2221/614/Obama_Has_Signed_923_Executive_Orders_In_40_Months_-_Video.html 8. http://www.naturalnews.com/035920_beekeeper_Illinois_raid.html 9. http://www.naturalnews.com/035688_Monsanto_honey_bees_colony_collapse.html 10. http://www.naturalnews.com/035585_Michigan_farms_raids.html 11. http://www.naturalnews.com/035524_Andrew_Wordes_Roswell_chickens.html 12. http://www.naturalnews.com/033280_FDA_raids_timeline.html 13. http://www.naturalnews.com/028757_raw_milk_FDA.html 14. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jjxg8f3Gq0 15. http://www.naturalnews.com/034125_food_freedom_picnic.html 16. http://grist.org/article/2011-01-27-in-stunning-reversal-usda-chief-vilsack-greenlights-monsantos-al/ 17. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/youre-appointing-who-plea_b_243810.html 18. http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2012/06/07/depopulation-food-while-making-profit

Heinz R GiseI is an unrelenting innovator of health care 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.

His Holiness, His Coolness: The Article By: Marco Alvarez / Photos By: Eric Fowler

So you, a young person, after hearing about the Dalai Lama’s visitation to San Diego and his respective lectures at the universities here, wonder, “What could the Dalai Lama really offer me?” The answer is not hard to come to: truth and wisdom - because they are invariably the same thing.

There is an emphasis toward the young because they embody the future, but his advice is for both young and old alike, for age is no guarantee of wisdom gained over time.

In the Dalai Lama’s lectures at USD, UCSD, and SDSU, as parts of his Compassion without Borders tour, he touched upon several profoundly relevant themes of daily human life such as: external/internal comfort, positive/negative emotion, and nature/nurture. He took these binaries that seem to be in opposition with each other and turned them inside out, reconciling the two. His suggestions clarify and remove us from our narrow visions of ourselves and provide a renewal of perspective and approach to living.

He talks about how our external and internal worlds are intertwined and influence each other, and how we mustn’t let our habits of materialism override our spiritual health.

He says that material values give physical comfort but not mental comfort, and our physical comfort is temporary and fleeting whereas our mental and emotional health is of long-term importance. The Dalai Lama explains that one can live a luxurious life but be unhappy and restless. Thus, peace of mind equals happiness. The ultimate source of happiness is within ourselves. Both the enemy and the key is yourself, in destroying or allowing inner peace.

How do you achieve peace of mind? –Increase positive emotion. Reduce negative emotion. Regardless of religion or political stance, the Dalai Lama recommends for one to use common sense and keep a calm mind. Negative emotions like anger, hatred, distrust, etc. demoralize us and negatively affect the body. He says not to show pity to others, but a “genuine sense of respect.”

The Dalai Lama gives us an authentic perspective of democracy amid a time of confusing war and overdependence on technology. “We all affect the future.” He believes that through education, awareness, and understanding of the system of the inner world of mind and emotion, we can then attain inner peace and justice. “If you find some sense, then think more.” He encourages us to find different ways to explore and investigate our lives, and asserts that if we “put in effort on all levels, we transform the world.” He gives America a particular distinction and self-worth by celebrating our “worthwhile innovations” and encouraging us to be an example for others.

After a deep and enlightening talk, the Dalai Lama ends on a fresh note of humor. He smiles and says it is time for him to go, with the playfully concluding words, “so you have to manage.”

For news updates, live webcasts, and more relating to the Dalai Lama and his historical visit to San Diego, you can check www.dalailamasandiego.org 16 | ECOTISTICMAG.COM

Dalai Lama

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Your journey to a career in holistic health begins at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine According to the American Psychological Association (APA), 54% of Americans are concerned about the level of stress in their everyday lives, and 62% percent of Americans say work has the biggest impact on their stress levels. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes the key to good health is to live in physiological and psychological balance. Experiencing “dis-ease” on a day-to-day basis will eventually lead to disease. TCM uses natural, non-invasive methods such as acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and massage to restore balance in the body and mind, and according to the US Department of Health and Human

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Shakti Rising: An Invitation to Discovery, Empowerment and Social Change By: Randy Villarba “When women are healthy and educated, and can participate in the economy, the benefits extend to their children, communities and nations,” UN Women Executive Director, Michelle Bachelet said. “Poverty and malnutrition decline, living standards improve and economic growth increases.”

The definition of Shakti is the female principle of divine energy, especially when personified as the supreme deity. Shakti Rising is a nonprofit social change organization committed to answering the urgent need in the world for women leaders who live, work and lead differently. They transform the lives of girls, women, the larger community and those who yearn to discover and follow their purpose. Their mission is to empower young women to uncover, rediscover, and reclaim their whole selves. Shakti Rising creates large-scale social change by investing in girls and women; their education, health and leadership. They empower young women to draw the essential connection between personal and collective transformation.

Shakti Rising was started unofficially in the fall of 1997 when Shannon Thompson, Founder and Visionary Director, started providing informal services to young women with co-existing conditions such as addiction, body image issues, sexual abuse, family and dating violence, depression, and low self-esteem. Thompson provided weekly groups, individual sessions, mentoring, and worked with the women in her garden, apothecary, and art studio. She had realized the need for structured programs that did more than traditional client service models, education frameworks, and leadership opportunities. Through this, Shakti Rising was born. When it all began, there was no official name… no formal programming or marketing. Regardless, it was only a matter of time before the word of Shannon’s work with young women spreads quickly.

Officially founded in San Diego in 1999, Shakti Rising now also has campuses in the California Bay Area and Kauai, Hawaii. At each site, Shakti Rising delivers a combination of leadership, educational and recovery services that empower women to uncover, rediscover and reclaim their whole selves and that awaken them to their personal, significant capacity to contribute to this important cause and the world.

Shakti Rising has received considerable recognition for its successes with women and community-building. Thompson has received multiple accolades for her work with Shakti Rising. She has been honored with awards such as Molina Healthcare’s “Community Champion Award”, San Diego Business Journal’s “Most Admired CEO Award” and the San Diego Soroptimists’ “Making a Difference for Women Award”. This year, Thompson was also one of only five nationwide recipients of Traditional Home Magazine’s “Classic Woman Award”.

Shakti Rising believes that the current crises in economy, environment, leadership, health and safety are interconnected. The creation of woman and child-friendly societies is the solution to these interwoven issues. Shakti Rising has worked towards this solution by investing in girls and women. Shakti Rising believes that the personal transformation of a woman is the first step to creating far-reaching social change.

When a woman is transformed, it inspires and empowers her to become an agent of change, not only for herself, but also for her family, friends and entire community. In this way, it puts in place a “ripple effect” that impacts the individual, community and world.

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Q&A with Breyn Hibbs, Advocacy and Marketing for Shakti Rising: I’ve read that Shakti Rising has grown exponentially, first serving 50 women and then up to 1000 between California and Hawaii. Have your efforts and numbers expanded to other states since?

Part of the vision and mission of Shakti Rising is to create women and child-friendly societies – global villages, as we like to say – that have not only national, but international reach. Shakti Rising’s formal sites are in California and Hawaii; however, there is a network – a tapestry – of individuals who have been touched by Shakti (graduates of the Transformational Recovery program, former staff and volunteers, donors, students and family members of individuals who have benefited from Shakti’s services) that extends across many states, including: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland and New York. We also have supporters in England, Scotland, and in several countries in Africa.

Can you elaborate on the different efforts in San Diego, the Bay Area and Kauai?

Each of the Shakti Rising sites, or tribes, is like a cutting from a Mother Plant. At the core, each of the plants are the same material. They are simply developing and being cultivated in different climates, soil, with different nutrients and with varying community needs; thus, three distinct plants now exist in San Diego, the Bay Area and Kauai. Each site is its own distinct entry point for people to experience Shakti Rising and our unique approaches to healing, leadership and social change.

Shakti Rising started in San Diego in 1999. Shakti San Diego is a “programmatic boutique”, meaning it is the site at which all of our core pro24 | ECOTISTICMAG.COM

grams (and the sub-projects within them) are functioning most fully year-round and at maximum quality.

Shakti Rising’s Northern California tribe began in 2009. This region’s focus is on select educational and leadership development programs that are customized for partnerships with higher education institutions and corporations.

awareness of themselves and their communities and encourages a socially-conscious desire to give back and create ripples of change in their families, communities and, ultimately, the globe. As such, our current Education and Leadership Projects continually incorporate personal growth with service learning principles, leading those who take part to experience the following outcomes: • Build the inner authority to affect change • Increase personal investment in community • Practice gratitude and generosity For more information on Shakti Rising, visit shaktirisingnp.com or contact them at: Shakti Rising P.O. Box 5655 San Diego, CA 92165 shakti@shaktirising.org Main Line: 619.501.2746 Business Line: 619.795.2673

Shakti Rising’s Kauai tribe began in 2011. As the youngest tribe, it is currently completely volunteer led and driven. This region’s focus is on beginning to build teams, community connections and structures that will eventually allow Shakti Rising to offer diverse retreat opportunities on Kauai.

Shakti Rising focuses on transforming the lives of women, girls and the larger community. What are some things that men and boys can do to get involved with the efforts of Shakti Rising?

Shakti is an 80% volunteer run organization and is always grateful for the supportive men and boys in our community who want to become involved in this way. Shakti Rising’s volunteer and leadership development program, referred to as Transformation Through Service, is aimed at building character, leadership, and teambuilding skills of both women and men. As part of this, all volunteers are individually trained and placed in leadership positions throughout every level of the organization. Volunteer opportunities include working in the garden, cooking for community dinners and writing grants, among many other possibilities.

Would you like to call attention to any organizations you may have partnered with or assisted in replicating your model?

In order to expand our reach, Shakti Rising forms long-term, mutually-beneficial partnerships that have allowed us to meet community needs and substantially improve our impacts and outcomes. Partnerships are cultivated to ensure the provision of a seamless continuum of care, to create multiple points of access for services, and to strengthen capacity within service providers. Shakti Rising has strategic alliances and partnerships with various grassroots and community-based organizations in all three regions, including middle and high schools, youth service projects, foster care agencies, holistic health care providers and residential treatment programs.

For instance, Shakti Rising is proud of the relationship we have formed with schools like Harriet Tubman Village Charter School, where we provide leadership services to at-risk youth. Additionally, through providing professional development training to and partnering closely with staff at this school and others, Shakti Rising is able to ensure that there are advocates on-site positively reinforcing our model and curriculum on a daily basis. This works to embed positive leadership development even more deeply in the at-risk youth we serve.

How are your 2012 Outreach Education and Leadership Projects coming along?

Shakti Rising creates individual and social change through a process of ongoing transformation. Our work is based on the belief that when individuals cultivate and reclaim who they are through doing personal transformation work, it creates in them a stronger

Randy Villarba is a San Diego native, whose love for nature has him trapped living in the Eastern Sierra of California.

Villarba left America’s Finest City following his love for the backcountry and nature; fishing, hiking, mountain biking, photography, skiing, and snowboarding. A graduate of San Diego State University, Villarba has also studied at the University Of London Union in the United Kingdom and the University of California San Diego. He has worked for Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum, the San Diego Natural History Museum, and the San Diego Unified School District.

His writing has been published in 90:00 Minutes Soccer Magazine, Dining Out San Diego Magazine and The Mammoth Times. www.randywrites.com

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By: Tiffany Janay My garden is back in full effect. In the last few months, I’ve been in the flow of life and haven’t been able to get to the garden like I would like to, but I finally decided that it was time and planted seeds again.

I find so much inspiration being out and about and around the city seeing other people’s gardens and use of some really small space. The other day, while in North Park, a family had food growing all over in their front yard; they had raised beds, and from the looks of it, they converted an old bunk bed and added shelves and were growing food all over it in pots. In Imperial Beach, someone took a car trailer and turned it into a food growing space. They had vines of pumpkins growing all over the bed.

I went to LA a few weeks ago to visit a friend and she had about a 6-foot high tomato plant growing out of concrete next to her pool! It has become so big that it has completely taken over what used to be an outdoor eating table. Apparently, someone was eating at the table and dropped a single seed from their tomato in the crack of the concrete, and from there, this beautiful plant has emerged and is getting bigger by the day. You can’t even see soil. It’s amazing.

I’ve been thinking of gardening as a really complex process and that has kept me away, but I’m learning that it can be as simple or complex as I want it to be. Here at home, we have just been tossing seeds in the backyard and food has been growing nicely out there. There was an avocado pit tossed out there about a year ago from lunch and now there is a healthy avocado tree growing. I was going to make kale chips, so I soaked sunflower seeds. But, I ended up getting too busy to use them, so they sprouted, which made them a waste for my chips. We took the big batch of them and just threw them in the dirt in the backyard and now there are sunflowers growing. So easy and simple.

I resurrected my raised bed. If you remember from my first article, I started a raised bed to grow my food in. I kept forgetting to water it and tend to it, 26 || ECOTISTICMAG.COM ECOTISTICMAG.COM 26

so eventually drought and bugs took over and everything died. In Oceanside you can go to the city and get organic soil that they make using the city’s compost, so I went and picked some up and started my bed. I also visited the La Jolla Farmers Market and grabbed some transplants to add in there too, so I can already have food growing.

The transplants I got are bell peppers, Thai chilies, three heads of lettuce, habanero peppers, and cucumbers. Unfortunately, I have already killed the habaneros from not watering them, but I am doing my best to bring them back to life. As far as seeds go, I planted sage, cilantro, and basil in pots. In my bed, I planted broccoli, rainbow chard, and snap peas. The lettuce is ready to eat and I intend to make a fresh salad with it. The lady who sold them to me said that as long as I take the leaves off on the outside, they will grow new leaves a few more times. I have one beautiful bell pepper growing and I’m planning a tasty dish with that.

I woke up this morning at 5:30am to water my plants, just as the sun was beginning to rise. That’s the best time to water, so the sun doesn’t heat the water too high and scorch the plants. I’ll do my best to keep that routine up. If not, then I will water them in the late afternoon.

We have a lot of snails up here, so as a natural pesticide I’m going to use Diatomaceous Earth. It’s a white looking powder that is highly useful in the garden to kill bugs, but, strangely, it is super nutritious for us to eat. I use it for fleas on my pets too. It dries up the shells of fleas and kills them off. For snails, it feels like they are sliding across millions of particles of broken glass, and it ends their life that way. Sounds brutal, but it’s the best organic method I have discovered. As a note, I do try and redirect the snails as much as possible before doing anything to send them tragically to their deaths. Anyways, I recommend doing some research on DE; it’s a great tool to use for you, your pets, and your garden.

Thank you for being a reader of this column. I get people who stop me on the streets asking me about my garden, you are my motivation. It’s been a challenge to keep this going, so I am grateful to you for growing with me and encouraging me to keep going.

Tiffany Janay started out her life following the paved path to achieving the American dream.

She spent long days and nights working 9-5’s that never seemed to bring her enough fulfillments, personally and financially. After realizing that the typical path was not going to lead her to where she felt contentment, she made a drastic change to claim creative freedom. She exchanged her mundane and predictable life for a more exciting, nourishing, and unpredictable path. Currently, she expresses her creative freedom through writing, event coordination, lifestyle consulting, and creating marketing and media campaigns at Organic Blood. Follow her movement at www.OrganicBlood.com

Lucy Postins is the founder and president of The Honest Kitchen, an all-natural pet food company based out of San Diego, CA. The Honest Kitchen makes a line of 100% human-grade, dehydrated whole foods for dogs and cats, as well as treats, teas and supplements.

Why is a holistic approach to pet health so important?

The term “holistic” really gets thrown around a lot in our industry, and it’s used as a buzzword, which many people have started to use to try to convey that a product is natural or high quality. In fact, holistic doesn’t mean either of these things. Holistic means taking into account the whole body, as well as the mind/ spirit and the environment, too. By definition, a food can’t really be holistic at all, but food is a cornerstone to holistic health. A holistic approach to health is important for pets because many of them suffer with problems that result from a variety of factors.

Take fleas, for instance. A conventional approach to fleas involves harsh, topical chemical pesticides that can do untold damage to the animal’s internal system. In a holistic approach, we understand that animals with good nutrition and a whole food diet are less prone to the ill effects of fleas. We might supplement the diet with essential fatty acids or antioxidants. We also look at the environment and use herbs or more natural compounds, like boric acid, to get rid of infestations – and then maybe some essential oils topically as an additional repellent.

What role does food play in pet health?

Food is a true cornerstone to a holistic approach to health. Just as with humans, what pets eat is more than just fuel for daily life. It has a direct effect on long-term health and longevity, immunity, and total well-being. The quality of food and the specific ingredients a pet consumes can mean the difference between chronically itchy, red, inflamed, and agonizingly uncomfortable skin and a coat that gleams; the radiance of the skin is a true reflection of what’s going on inside with the organs and various body systems. Just as when the liver is diseased on the inside, the skin tells the story outwardly by turning yellow. Similarly, the skin and coat are one of the first ways we can detect whether an animal is consuming the right sort of food.

Honest Kitchen is a proud sponsor of the Wholistic Expo’s Pet Area, come and visit us there!

Whole foods that are gently prepared, rather than undergoing harsh heat treatment or irradiation, tend to be packed with nutrition and vibrant phytonutrients, which support the immune system, eyes, heart, blood and the ways in which individual cells actually communicate with each other and reproduce – something that’s of major interest in cancer research.

The Honest Kitchen is a recognized leader as a sustainable pet food company, by both Green America and Greenopia, what does the company do to ensure you have a light environmental “paw print”?

We have very strong partnerships with our raw ingredient suppliers first and foremost. Each of our vendors provide us with a signed pledge annually to verify that they are selling us non-GMO ingredients. We also use as many certified organic ingredients as we can (and add more as they become available), which means less pesticide and fertilizer usage – that’s good for the pet and the environment. We do source ingredients from around the world but also try to use local ingredients when we can.

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From a packaging standpoint, we use BPA-free bags for our foods, which are recyclable after use. The bags are packaged inside natural unbleached kraft boxes that are made from a combination of SFI (sustainable forestry initiative) and postconsumer recycled paperboard. The boxes are recyclable or biodegradable after use. While having two components to our packaging does involve more material usage, the balance is that it has a less long-term effect on the environment. If we did away with the boxes, we’d need a multi-layered bag to protect the food and that wouldn’t be recyclable at all, which means it would end up in the landfill.

By: Jennifer Dial Summer is in full swing and, with record high temperatures across the nation, we are reminded now more than ever of the important role that water plays in our lives. The value of water cannot be overstated. Most of us know that the human body is mostly comprised of water and maintaining hydration is essential for good health, but that is just the tip of the (melting) iceberg. Drinking clean, pure water provides a host of benefits in the body from head to toe.

Head – Your brain is composed of 75% water! Stay hydrated and you will boost brainpower, elevate your mood, and increase your ability to concentrate. A well-hydrated brain is less prone to headaches – dehydration is the cause of 75-80% of headaches.

Face and Skin – Water not only helps to moisturize the skin, it also plumps up tissues reducing the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin. Drinking plenty of H2O helps the body flush out toxins to reveal a clear, glowing complexion. A cold splash of water will shrink pores, too.

Internal Health - All muscles, joints and organs need moisture and cushioning to minimize internal friction. Water regulates your body temperature and keeps cells functioning effectively. Water serves as a transporter of vitamins and nutrients where we need them and similarly transports toxins and waste that we don’t need out of the body.

The additional benefits of staying hydrated include better sleep, weight loss, improvement in exercise, increased metabolism, and elevated energy levels. Nearly all of the body’s major systems rely on water, and with the average person losing up to four cups of water a day just through normal bodily function, dehydration can occur rapidly. Dehydration sets in when you lose as little as 2% of your body’s water!

While consuming an adequate amount of water is vital to your health, drinking clean, toxic-free water is just as important. The amount of chemicals (including pharmaceuticals) in most tap water is astonishing.

The Environmental Working Group’s national database shows results of tests conducted by water utilities and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the California Department of Public Health. Between 2004 and 2009, water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants in their drinking water. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated. A quick search in the database revealed that the San Diego Water Department reported 20 pollutants in their water supply between 2004 and 2009. Large portions of these contaminants are the result of a chemical reaction between chlorine and organic/inorganic matter in the water. These chemicals are not only ingested when we drink tap water, we also inhale them and absorb them through our pores when we activate the chemicals by heating our shower water. Water quality experts 30 | ECOTISTICMAG.COM

report that the amount of chlorine a person will absorb through their lungs and skin during a typical shower equates to drinking 8 glasses of chlorinated water. Buy a chlorine filter for the shower – you will notice a difference in your skin and hair in a matter of days.

There are a number of sources of filtered water available, each with their own set of pros and cons. Here are some common types.

Activated Carbon Filter - A standard 53-certified filter allows water to flow through a carbon filter that attracts and traps many impurities.

They vary by brand and help reduce potentially harmful contaminants such as lead, copper, mercury, cadmium and benzene. They also reduce the taste and smell of chlorine. Contact your local water supplier for a recent quality report and find a filter that removes the contaminants at the National Science Foundation’s complete database of verified brands of all types of water filters: http://www.nsf.org/Certified/ dwtu/. Always read filter labels closely – brands differ significantly on what contaminants they do and do not filter. It is important to note that activated carbon filters do not filter out pharmaceuticals that make their way into our water supply when human urine is recycled into drinking water.

Bottled Water - Interestingly, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers bottled water a food product, not drinking water. This means that the FDA, not the EPA, regulates bottled water products. Some states have additional requirements that bottled water products must meet in order to be bottled or sold in that state. Bottling companies may obtain water from a spring or well or an approved potable water source, such as municipal water. Water from a spring or well is often treated with ozone or ultraviolet light to disinfect the water.

Bottled water is typically categorized according to the source of the water and the method used to treat it. FDA does not require bottlers to list any naturally occurring substances on the label, but if the company chooses to add any ingredients, such as minerals or fluoride, it must be stated on the label.

Reverse Osmosis (RO) – RO is a filtration method that uses a semi-permeable membrane to remove ions and larger molecules such as metals and minerals. The types of metals and minerals that are reduced include copper, chromium, lead, sodium, and chloride. Additionally, RO systems may also reduce arsenic V, fluoride, bacteria, viruses and nitrates. While water from a reverse osmosis system is very clean, some report that the water can be somewhat “flat” tasting. This is due to the filtration process causing the structure of the water to disassemble, thus reducing the water’s hydrating qualities. The reverse osmosis process produces a significant amount of wastewater. Up to 20 gallons is wasted to produce 1 gallon of drinking water.

What type of drinking water is best? Spring water direct from the source! Spring water is unpolluted, molecularly structured, and the result of thousands of years of Mother Nature’s own filtration system within the Earth. Check out www.findyourspring.com, a community and user created database of natural springs around the world. While drinking spring water is ideal for your health, trekking through the woods in search of a natural spring may not be a realistic option for everyone. Try combining filtration methods, such as reverse osmosis plus a faucet-mounted carbon filter to remove the maximum amount of contaminants.

A note about fluoride – Fluoridation is the practice of adding a fluoride compound to the public drinking water supply purportedly for the purpose of fighting tooth decay. Fluoridation became an official policy of the U.S. Public Health Service in 1951 and became widely used in the 1960s through today. Currently over 50% of the United States’ population is consuming artificially fluoridated water. The practice of fluoridation is highly controversial. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies fluoride as a drug when used to prevent or mitigate disease (FDA 2000). By adding fluoride to our water supply for the sole purpose of preventing tooth decay, we are essentially being medically treated without our consent. Fluoridation opponents argue that fluoride is not an essential nutrient, but a neurotoxin that causes damage to the brain such as reduced IQ. Studies show fluoride may also negatively affect the pineal gland, thyroid gland, bones, reproductive system and more. The two types of filters that will reliably remove more than 90% of the fluoride are reverse-osmosis filters and activated alumina filters. Read the filter label carefully.

The Brita® Filter label touts that their filter “keeps a healthy level of fluoride, a water additive that promotes strong teeth.” A growing number of the population would argue that there is no healthy level of fluoride.

(Source: www.fluoridealert.org) 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.

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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.

Achieving Balance: Creativity & Discipline

Striking a balance in our lives is an integral part of wellness. Balance in our nutrition, exercise, and emotional well-being contributes to our health, or in turn, results in injury and disease. To this point, balance between creativity and discipline in our approach to living can help us overcome small mindedness, connect to a larger view of life, and experience success.

Creativity and discipline then need to work together for us to be productive, energetic, and reach our full potential. The balance comes with being mindful of our thoughts and actions, and blending our creative nature with a disciplined approach that supports the creative process.

What are some steps we can take to balance creativity and discipline in our lives?

Think about an aspect of your life. This may mean • your career, the relationships in your life, your finances, or your wellness goals. Now think about • the interplay of creative input and discipline required to succeed. When we apply too much of one or neglect the other, the imbalance results in stagnation or even issues that keep us from being • our best.

First, think back to that aspect of your life where you may have an opportunity for improvement.

Will you benefit from removing obstacles that may be hindering your creativity, and giving yourself some room to breathe? Or, will you benefit from setting some structure around this part of your life to free yourself from constant worry or anxiety?

Take a few minutes and write down (this is the discipline) some ideas that come to mind (this is the creativity). Make a commitment to apply at least 2 of these ideas over the next week and observe the outcome.

Engage a friend or coach to help you stay accountable to your commitment. Share your results at the end of the week and make changes as necessary.

First, let’s think about creativity. We are naturally • creative, and from making breakfast, to planning our day, to communicating with others, we are constantly flexing our creative muscles. We create when we are inspired and, in a couple words, In health, creativity gives us joy and energy. When we lack creativity, we feel unmotivated, we may lose interest and feel depleted.

Now, let’s think about discipline. Discipline is a learned behavior. It gives us focus to spend our energy on what really matters and expend it in an effective manner. It gives us the power to think beyond ourselves, or our immediate needs, and think about the benefit of others or a long term vision. It gives us the satisfaction of having goals and staying on a path. Without discipline, we feel anxiety, experience fear, and fall back into “small mindedness” or the “me” plan of existence.

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

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