Friday

Just yummy stuff

Because sometimes, it's all about eating yummy things. Some good for you, some not so much. This cake was made from a Pamela's Products cake mix. I added AlterEco dark chocolate, quinoa flour, coconut oil, olive oil, tapioca starch and almond 'milk' I guess I got lucky because it's mind blowingly good.
I've shared a lot of food photo's on this blog but seldom do I share recipes. That's because, as much as I enjoy cooking meals and making random kitchen messes, I am terrible at following recipes. I had learned to cook and bake in professional kitchens many years ago but I escaped from that institution and I've learned how to break all the rules but make it work. 

Never stay between the lines! Adventure is always outside the lines.
Here's a few more food shots to get your appetite going.

Experiment away!

Tuesday

We're all owned.

Lets face it, we're owned by the food industry. Most of us are NOT growing our own food from seeds that we personally cultivated. We're not all eating the 100 mile diet. Heck, most of us can't even afford to buy organics all the time.  We all make the best choices for our own individual economic realities while trying to keep it as healthy as possible but it's nearly impossible to avoid GMO and the chemical engineering of many foods in our diet. Well, here comes a story that really brings this to light. 
We already know that wheat was modified at some point to create a hybrid that produces a higher percentage of gluten once processed.  We know that our bodies have had a difficult time breaking down this high powered gluten and I personally have never heard of anyone, anywhere in the world, who is growing the older version of wheat. Ever asked yourself why not? Who owns those old wheat seeds? Who owns (the patent) on MOST of our foods? Monsanto. Don't be shocked, the patenting of living organisms dates back to at least 1873.  But don't for one minute think that just anyone can grow their own foods from their own seeds, because in fact, seed saving can be against the law!
Conspiracy theorists will love this scenario: To coincide with the growing numbers of gluten-intolerant people in our current population (and to bypass the convoluted pharmaceutical route) "BIO-ENGINEERED" wheat with Celiac friendly gluten will be introduced in a few years. 
OH -Yippie-Kai-Yay! Call me paranoid but... this all sounds like a financial plan to me.
What?-you haven't seen Food Inc yet? Well, pop up some genetically modified corn, put some genetically modified canola oil margarine on it and sit down with the DVD. What are you waiting for? Here's a teaser. Be afraid-- be very afraid!
Some more food for thought: " many people in the United States want food that approximates – in so far as possible – the food their forebears ate. Whole communities such as the Amish mandate this of their members. This powerful instinct will always exist among certain groups, regardless of scientific advances and safety analyses. "
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/yes-labels-on-gm-foods
And lastly another article about seeds:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-four-steps-required-to-keep-monsanto-out-of-your-garden/
 
 

Friday

Moderation and observation

With new reports and various studies coming out all the time on how certain foods are adversely affecting our health, it almost seems as though we have to become more and more discerning about what to put in our bodies. After all, we aren't all nutritionists and biologists, how do we juggle all this constant information and make the wisest choices for our diet?

Every living body is different from the next. Everybody experiences different reactions to basic foods, everyone is exposed to their environment in different ways. With so many variables to consider, there's a daily dance we have to perform according to our body's own needs and the messages we receive.

There are the basics, like being thirsty means we should drink water. Being tired indicates a need for sleep but what about all the smaller messages our brains are signalling? Can we hear those precious messages too? How are we to respond when we don't 'speak the language' of biochemistry?

We're all amazingly talented in that we multitask constantly with our minds. Whether we're aware of it or not, there is a constant stream of signals going on in our mind and in our body that we are responding to. Even now as you read this your body is telling you something really important.

Everyone needs to take time out during the day to listen to these messages and respond. Our body can't just leave us and go food shopping for what it needs. It's up to us to listen and try our best to supply what our body needs. It's a constant juggling act. This is a huge responsibility we have every day and the more attention we pay to our inner messages, the more effort we must put into this relationship. This is not something we can put off. Our everyday physical and mental health depends entirely upon us behaving as responsible adults to our own bodies. Be your own best mom, listen and respond.