Ellen Gustafson

Photo from: http://www.ellengustafson.com/About

Ellen Gustafson is one of those people that I really admire. She's a strong women who wants to make a real impact on the way our food system works. Here's what she's all about, don't forget to check out her TEDx Talk down below!

"Ellen Gustafson is a sustainable food system activist, author, innovator and social entrepreneur. She is the Co-Founder of Food Tank: the Food Think Tank, an organization that grew out of the 30 Project, which Ellen founded in 2010 and Danielle Nierenberg’s Nourishing the Planet initiative. The 30 Project has been a significant part of changing the conversation about the global food system by connecting hunger and obesity. She is also the creator of the ChangeDinnercampaign and HealthClass2.0, which are helping individuals change the food system at dinner tables and in schools.

Ellen previously Co-Founded of FEED Projects, LLC, a charitable company that creates good products that help FEED the world, and is the Co-Founder and former Executive Director of FEED’s non-profit partner, the FEED Foundation. Under Ellen’s leadership FEED provided over 60 million school meals to children around the world. (See CBS Evening News piece about FEED.)

Ellen was also previously a US Spokesperson for the UN World Food Program, a terrorism research reporter in the ABC News Investigative Unit and a research associate for the Military Fellows at the Council on Foreign Relation. She has a BA in International Politics from Columbia University. " 

Free Food and Medicine

 You might remember this book from this post here. I got it for my birthday. I am so excited to develop my new found hobby of eating wild plants! There is a guy up in Canada that gets all his food in a 1 mile radius of his house, and he lived in the suburbs. So I plan on going around my 1 mile radius to see what is edible where I live. Plus foraging in the mountains. This book identifies all kinds of things from what we call "weeds" to things we have domesticated into our own vegetable gardens, and things you would find in the desert, mountains, tropics, the list goes on. It also tells if the plant's leaves, stem, fruit, and root is edible and the benefits we receive from it. I think that learning what plants are edible around us is just one of the ways to be able to survive any catastrophe we might face. And the way the economy is going, it's good to be prepared. Not to mention I recently took a test to see how I learn best and it said I learn things when in nature so this book is right up my alley.

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Photos taken by yours truly.

Pregnant Raw Vegan Controversy

 Loni Jane Anthony, a 25-year-old expecting mother follows a 80/10/10 raw vegan diet created by Dr. Douglas Graham. Meaning 80% of food is carbs, 10% fat, and 10% protein. She has made quite the controversy because of those that call her diet "extreme." Many have expressed their worry and concern for her baby because of her diet strictly just fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

"She says she switched to the diet, created by longtime athlete and trainer Douglas Graham, after a lifestyle of heavy drinking and lots of junk food that led to a battery of health problems. 'I started getting skin infections, acne, and putting on weight, which was weird because I'd always been so slim,' she says. 'I wanted to sleep all the time and ended up with a whole range of health problems including candida overgrowth, hormone imbalance, irregular periods, and hair loss. I also got really sick on a trip (read: fully-blown bender) to Thailand and picked up parasites and dengue fever.' 

After a series of antibiotics made her sicker, Anthony says she came across Graham’s diet book, 'The 80/10/10 Diet," which taught her that “you can live and thrive on this lifestyle by just eating higher carbohydrate vegetables, fruits, and juices, and keeping your diet low fat. You even keep good fats low to keep your blood sugar stable. It's been amazing.'

Graham tells Yahoo Shine in an email that there is no reason to worry about Anthony's diet. 'Eating fruits and vegetables, universally acclaimed as health foods, is not dangerous. A pregnant woman needs extra calories, but neither she nor her unborn baby benefit when she eats foods that lead to illness,' he says. 'Some folks see 80/10/10 as a threat, thinking that if they eat healthy foods it will mean they can never eat their unhealthy foods ever again. This is not so. People can and do eat what they want.'" 

Food is such a sensitive subject because in a way it defines who we are. Though during pregnancy I do think her intake of fat and protein should be increased, isn't eating fruits and vegetables good for you? I mean according to the Food Matters documentary, in 23 years only 10 people will die from supplement overdosing where as over 10,000 people die every year from adverse affects of medication. This is medication prescribed by doctors, not including people who overdose or abuse prescription drugs. That is a lot of people!!! And she doesn't supplement, it's right from the source. I mean isn't her diet better than the many pregnant women who eat processed food and fast food everyday?
I'm interested to see what you guys think about her "extreme" diet.

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If you would like to read the full article you can here: http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/is-she-bananas--pregnant-woman-on-raw-fruit-diet-causes-controversy-194918045.html

Bernando LaPallo Turned 112-Years-Old

This last August Bernando LaPallo had his one hundred and twelfth birthday!

He says he has never been sick a day in his life, walks everyday, gets enough rest, and eats mostly organic fruits and vegetables. He says the secret to staying young is that "you are what you eat." The 5 things he eats almost daily is garlic, honey, cinnamon, chocolate (probably not milk chocolate), and olive oil. His dad, who was a doctor and lived to be 98-years-old, told him not to eat red meat, lambs was fine though but only once in a while. He's never eaten french fries, hot dogs, etc. He says eating close to what people in Biblical times is important and have faith in God and he'll take care of you. Bernando says, "So far He has." Great inspiration to us all. It's never too late to be healthier!

For more on Bernando visit his website: agelesslivemorestore.com

Chris Beat Cancer Dot Com

Chris was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer at the age of 26 years old. After getting a gold sized ball tumor out of he didn't feel right about chemo therapy and searched for alternative ways of healing himself. After almost 10 years later, he is cancer free and thriving! Since then he has found several people who have healed themselves of cancer and other dis-ease from their bodies. He now spreads his story, others who have healed, and his information with others on his website chrisbeatcancer.com and through his youtube channel Chris Beat Cancer. Please take the time to educate yourself on options of healing whether it be cancer, diabetes, depression, etc. Alternative clinics healing cancer have had higher success rates than allopathic doctors do. Medical doctors have even switched to more alternative ways in their practice because he have found truth and found that modern day medicine does not heal.

DIY: Lotion for Sensitive Skin

Do you think that your beauty products are safe because it has the word 'pure' or 'natural' on it? Think again! Many of our products have toxic chemicals in them that pollute our environment and are absorbed into our skin. When I say toxic, I mean things that are linked to cancer! And since only about 10-15% of cancer is genetic, the rest being environmental reasons, it's so so SO important that we are careful what we are putting on our bodies. Our skin is our biggest organ and absorbs everything we put on it, I learned this out when I was putting progesterone cream on my skin to help balance my hormones. I have a hard time trusting products so for the most part, I just choose to make my own.

If you don't believe me, check out this website: Skin Deep
And please take a few moments to watch this YouTube video: The Story of Cosmetics

So if you are looking for a great alternative to lotion, and if you're like me, with dry skin living where there isn't much humidity, try this recipe that I have found from the book: My Home Pharmacy: How Foods and Herbs Can Be Your Medicine

Ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon emulsifying wax or beeswax
1/8 teaspoon lecithin (I don't put this in because I don't have it, but it helps with emulsifying too)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup aloe vera gel (don't just buy what ever is on the shelf because it's not pure aloe vera gel)
a few drops of an essential oil (I use lavender)

Directions:
Blend the coconut oil, olive oil, wax and lecithin in a double boiler, heating just enough to melt and mix the ingredients. Add 1/2 cup boiling water and stir thorougly. When the mixture cools to room temperature, add 1/2 cup aloe vera gel. Mix well by hand or with a hand blender, then add the essential oils.

Don't stress about the cost of ingredients, this lotion lasts a good while, plus nothing in here is toxic and won't make you ill over time.

(Click on this picture so you can actually read everything on it!)

If you are looking for something more convenient, or are looking for some of these ingredients and don't have a natural foods store near you, check out: Vita Cost it's a discount online store for natural products.

Enjoy!


Pictures by: Mind Body Green & Toxic Beauty