Teaching of the Tao

Happy Equinox Everyone!!

I just woke up to the Equinox in Texas! It was so amazing to go to sleep to the sound of cicadas and wake up to the noise of different birds than we have at home!

Today I'm posting the recording of a webinar I listened to the other night by The Barefoot Doctor. It is a sales pitch for his School of Warrior, however it's really interesting and he teaches some very valuable basic principles of The Tao, which are just great. So if you are into Chinese 5 elements, Tai Chi, Martial Arts or simply want to learn how to become more centered, calm and collected, then its really worth a listen. I'm so excited about it I think I'm going to join the full teachings.

Anyway, here is the link

http://school-for-warriors-blog.com/replay-magnetic-personal-power-9-2011/

Much love

Georgie

Earthing

A couple of years(?) ago I blogged about the difficulty I have breathing through my nose at night. This has got a lot better in the last year, although still not consistently so. I have come to believe that this has something to do with my ch'i being low. If I do certain things it improves and I have more energy, plus experience the bliss of breathing through my nose all night! One of the things that has really help me is understanding and putting in practice the concept of earthing.

Earthing 

This is all about electricity. We are electrical beings. We are surrounded by electronic appliances in our lives, all of which create positive charge around us and in us. So, rather than being neutral or preferably slightly negatively charged, we go around charged up! This causes inflammation, irritation, anxiety and can stops us sleeping well. 

This is not a new phenomena. There are famous winds around the world like the Mistral in southern France famous for making people angry and irritable. This is because the geology that the winds blow over robs the air of negative ions - leaving it charged with positive ions. Conversely everyone knows the calming, good feeling we get from being by the sea where the air is charged with negative ions. 

Earthing is about getting our bodies into the right electrical state and this can be done simply through contact with the earth. Be your own electrical conducting rod, simply by having contact with the earth. Walking barefoot and sitting on the ground will draw out the excess positive charge, calming us down and reducing inflammation. This is a very simple but powerful healing concept. 

Earthing has really helped me and I've had a very enjoyable summer barefoot walking and snoozing on a rug on the lawn. Now it's getting chilly and wet... not so easy, so I'm going to buy an earthing bed sheet. This is an under-sheet that has a silver threat woven through it. You plug it in to the electric socket (it only has contact with the earth) and it earths you while you sleep!

I'll let you all know how I rate it. 

Cacao-cashew snack

I don't know about you guys but when I'm detoxing I sometimes get a bit peckish in the afternoon. Probably because I ate mainly salad for lunch. My latest yum snack that is also really good for you! Is raw cacao nibs with cashews. Raw cacao nibs are really quite bitter, but are very nutritious - full of antioxidants and a great source of magnesium! The cashews are sweet enough to balance the cacao and bring out the delicious flavours. They complement each other so well! 

I take a few cacoa nibs - like 6-8 in the palm of my hand then add 2 whole cashew nuts and swing 'um back. Bloody lovely!

Detox - Personal experiences

Thought I might just share a bit of personal experience. I've been doing these detoxes for a few years now and what I love is what I've learned about my body's relationship with food. 

I've come to realize that my life is SOOO much better for me without wheat, dairy, sugar, caffeine and alcohol. Wow, that looks a bit scary when I write it down. But there it is - it's been a long process getting there - 6 years in fact. First went caffeine, then sugar, then wheat and dairy and now alcohol. Well ok, when I say went, it's not like I never have those thing! Blimey! What I mean is that they are not an every day norm anymore, they are occasional foods. And life is soo, soo much better as a consequence. Calmness, clarity of thought, energy! Feeling happy. 

It's been a process whereby my brain has been re-wired. Foods that previously I would have gobbled up and then felt like rubbish afterwards, now I don't really want...

This re-wiring of the brain takes time and more importantly repetition. This is what is so beneficial about doing this detox a couple of times a year. This is the repetition that our sub-conscious brain needs to starts to 'get it' and turn our tastes and desire around and line them up with what makes us feel great!

Foods that make me feel great

I personally thrive on a diet that comprises of plenty of raw foods; loads of fresh salad, vegetable and fruit; some fish or meat everyday; some grains and pulses; quite a lot of different oils and fats; and plenty of fresh water and herbal teas. Plus superfood supplements like sea kelp, super greens and maca.

What's right for you?

What's right for one person will not necessarily right for another. Some people are naturally vegetarian. I've found that I'm not. If I eat a vegetarian diet I get really hungry for sugar, I believe this is because there's not enough oil and protein a vegetarian diet for me.

Try taking different things out of the diet each time you do the detox. That way you will find out what foods slow you down and which one's make you zing!

Kombucha - quite a lot has been added to that discussion on the forum for anyone interested. Would love to hear your experiences and thoughts. http://www.equinoxdetox.co.uk/forum.php#/20110915/kombucha-866933/

Make your own detox toothpaste

Hi Folks

I wrote about Bentonite clay being a powerful detoxifier the other day and ways to get it into your system... I mix it with lemon water in the morning.

I've also been thinking about making my own toothpaste with it. A great way to detoxify the mouth and you can swallow the stuff to detox the digestive tract to.

This link is to a video by Daniel Vitalis about making your own toothpaste with clay. Love it!

http://www.danielvitalis.com/2011/07/how-to-make-your-own-detoxifying-toothpaste-and-details-on-my-annual-trip-to-peru/

Black Mica

Anyone heard of this? I'm going to get my hands on some before the next detox! It sounds like the most powerful detoxing tool on the planet! Black mica is used to clean water but will also clean your body. It has the power to precipitate heavy metals, fluoride, other toxins and bacteria out of water and render them harmless. In your body it will pull heavy metals, etc, out of every cell, supposed to be a great treatment for candida too.

This sounds is a great product if you haven't got a good clean source of water because it purifies your drinking water. Also amazing if you are traveling and not able to get clean water

Here is a link to a place you can buy it in the USA - there is a 1/2 hour audio about water and how black mica works - it's pretty techie but worth a listen if you're interested in this kind of stuff.

http://www.longevitywarehouse.com/Black-Mica-Extract-16-oz-p/blackmicals16oz.htm

If want to buy it in the UK this site has it:

http://www.rawliving.eu/adya-clarity-500ml.html

I'm going to be at The Longevity Now Conference at the end of the month so will make sure I learn all about this and tell you guys in more detail next time!

Georgie x

Kombucha

I've been into Kombucha for a while now. This fermented tea is a great natural probiotic. Its 'brewed' with a combination of naturally occurring bacteria and yeast that are beneficial to the digestive system. Unlike the yeasts we use these days to make beer, wine and bread which are not beneficial to the gut.

Kombucha is a refreshing delicious drink. I find it wonderful for a couple of things.

1. To combat sweet cravings

2. For when you get a thirst that seems impossible to quench - something I seem to get when detoxing. Somehow the kombucha does the trick. It doesn't stop the thirst but then when I drink water after the kombucha it hits the spot.

Kombucha is great for healing the gut and re-establishing your gut ecology, especially if you've been on anti-biotics or have candida issues. Similar pro-biotic foods include Sauerkraut and Kefir. In the USA it's fairly easy to get coconut kefir.

Water v Teas

You know I've been wondering for a number of years why if I drink a load of herbal teas it doesn't seem to hydrate me the same as cool fresh water... I figure it's got to be something to do with the boiling of the water. Well recently having read some of David Wolfe's work and find that he recommends that you don't boil your water to make teas and infusions for this reason. Better rather to heat the water without letting it boil. I have been doing this recently and I think it really helps... 

If you would like to comment on this you can on the forum of the new website just click the link

http://equinoxdetox.co.uk

Bentonite Clay

Many of you will have heard of Bentonite clay and I'm sure some of you will have tried the cleanses that use clay shakes as part of a rigorous detox regime to rid you of your 'mucoid plaque'

I like using clay but not in such an extreme way. It is questionable whether mucoid plaque really exists. It is not something found in autopsy which leads one to wonder if it is a combination of stuff stuck in our colon and the clay that comes out all together.

Clay is incredible. It absorbs toxins into its structure and renders them inactive. All native societies use clay to keep themselves healthy. Especially when traveling to avoid getting ill, they eat small amounts with a meal.

I've started using Bentonite clay as part of my morning detox regime. I have half a pint of cool water with a big slice of lemon squeezed and I add 1/4 of a teaspoon of clay. It's not so easy to mix in.. I mix the clay at the bottom of the glass with a tiny bit of water first, using a chop stick, then add a bit more water at a time. 

Taking this in the morning will mop up toxins left in the gut from the day before.

What you need to do a detox?

That kind of depends how deep you are going into it. But here are the essentials

Lots of fruit, vegetable in the kitchen!!!!! This is the most important thing. You don't want to be going hungry, because you don't want to be doing direct battle with temptation! Snack as much as you like but snack on seasonal fruits like grapes, peaches, apples, blackberries, etc, get organized with some dips and go crazy with the carrot, cucumber, celery sticks, etc. Have some dried fruit and nuts too.

Supplements wise the things I never do without are: 

Vitamin C. When animals are sick their bodies produce more vitamin C. Humans can't make it so it's a good idea to take it when putting the liver under stress. It's a great support to the liver in detoxing.  Take 2-3 a day. No point in taking more than 500mg at a time as you just wee the rest out.

Supergreen powder or Chlorella. This is such an amazing aid to detoxing. These green powders are very nourishing and detoxifying - ie. they carry bad stuff out the back door for you. 

Sea Kelp. This is something I use all the time. Not only is it detoxing. Its a great source of minerals. My hair always feels healthier and more full of life when I take this. 

Milk Thistle. This supports the liver and is a powerful antioxidant.

Bitter Herbs. These are great to help combat liver headaches that sit at the front of your head. Mixed bitter formulas can be found in good health food shops. Detox tea contain bitter herbs.

If you want to get serious with detoxing get some Bentonite Clay. I'll talk about that next time.

Hi Folks

Hope that you are all well!

I'm really looking forward to this detox. Its so nice to take time out and give yourself the opportunity to do something for you. AND to be able say "no thank you, I don't want .... I'm on a detox." Its a pretty good defense against peer pressure when it comes to that glass of wine or slice of cake!

For those of you who haven't done the detox before and would like to give it a go its pretty simple. First take a look at the website and decide from the 'what to cut out list' what YOU want to take out. This can range from the whole list, to just one item on the list. Do what you know you CAN! This detox isn't just about detoxing, its about learning what certain foods do to your body and how you feel without them. Its gonna help you WANT to be healthier all the time. 

I will write this week about some of the things you will need.

Any questions? Fire them my way!

With love

Georgie

Hello lovely people!

Well it's feeling particularly autumnal here in the Lake District. All a bit too soon if you ask me! But it does put me in mind of the need I feel for a detox!

EQUINOX DETOX, will be running as we come up to the Equinox on September 23.

START DATE: Monday September 12 - Full Moon

END DATE: Tuesday September 27 - Moon Dark

Do something wonderful for you! You are a beautiful spirit struck from the crystal spring of existence. Your body is the vehicle of your spirit in this life. Clearing your body will allow life energy to flow with ease within you - The best feeling in the world!!

I will be sending out regular emails. If you would like to receive these blogs via email please let me know at gpwh@yahoo.com 

I look forward to sharing this experience with you!

Equinox Detox has a new website with a forum

Its currently only accessible at
www.equinoxdetox.co.uk

Soon www.equinoxdetox.com will point there to....

This detox: September 12-27

Fructose - a poison?

Hello!

Think I've touched on this in other detoxes, but its so important just want to flag it up again.

THE DANGERS OF FRUCTOSE

Table Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup are both the same thing in that they contain 50% glucose and 50% fructose.

Glucose can be used by every cell in the body. Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver. Very much like ethanol the sugar in alcohol.

Its what fructose get metabolized to that is the real problem. 30% of the fructose ingested will end up as VLDL - Very low density lipo-proteins. This is the bad stuff. You thought LDL cholesterol was bad well VLDL is worse. It causes heart disease, hypertension, increased blood tri-glycerides, a fatty liver, and most alarmingly of all, insulin resistance. Which means you don't properly store the glucose you ingested along side the fructose. Leading to elevated blood glucose and insulin levels. What we're talking about here is Type II Diabetes.

And pre Type I.

If we just ate fructose from fruit and veg we'd ingest around 15g/day. And this was about what was consumed pre world war II. Today, this increased alarmingly by 4-5 times. No wonder we are facing an obesity and diabetes epidemic.

And all the time they blamed dietary fats.

You ever looked at the ingredients list on a low fat product?

It'll be sky high in sugar cos otherwise it wouldn't taste of anything!

So eat your fats - the good ones

And wean yourself off the sugar. Cos its never gonna do you any favors!

Don't use fructose as a sugar substitute!

Eat sugar as nature intended. Packaged in fruit with a whole load of fiber!

To find out a load more on this follow this link to a talk on the subject by Dr Robert Lustig

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/sugar-dangers.aspx

Big hugs

Georgie

Herbs off the shelves and wild foraging

EU Herbal Directive

After extolling the virtues of Swedish Bitters I find I now can't get it any more. Here in the Europe the ever wisdomful EU, is changing the landscape of herbal medicine forever. Age old remedies like Swedish bitters are gone from our shelves because the companies can't afford the 20,000 - 100,000 pound cost of registering them under the new legislation that says all herbal products have to come in line with Pharm. drugs and be lab tested for safety accordingly. Because decades, neigh centuries of public use is not enough to prove they are safe. This is quite an extraordinary move seeing as herbal medicine has not exactly proven dangerous over the years... unlike big pharm. drugs.

Anyway, on a more cheerful note

Wild Foraging

Today, apart from the appalling weather, was a day of celebration for me. Celebrating my first wild foraging of this year! Yippee! The wild garlic is up in profusion in our local woods and the nettles are just though enough to pick some tips. So I enjoyed the delights of eating food picked less than an hour before I ate it! Full of vitality and goodness. Wild garlic leaves are wonderful in an omelette - about 8 leaves chopped up and mixed into the beaten eggs with some jalepeno. Yummy. The nettle tips I sauteed with some nutmeg. Soon there will be enough nettles for making soup soon! Delicious!

Happy foraging!

xxx

Swedish Bitters

SWEDISH BITTERS

Want to say a word on this fantastic remedy. Bitter foods are generally lacking in the western diet and is important in detox and to stimulate the digestive system generally.

General use

This is a great remedy to have in the medicine cabinet to treat any kind of indigestion. When food sits in your stomach like a brick, or if your sensitive to fats and oil and they leave you with a little nausea. Swedish bitters with almost squeeze your liver and gall bladder into action and relieve symptoms.

In a Detox

You can use this as part of a detox program by taking a teaspoon after each meal. It will stimulate digestion and give your liver a boot us the back side. If you have any signs of a liver that is struggling - brain fog, difficulty concentrating, anger and irritation, indigestion of any oily foods. Then try this remedy!

Chickpea and Kale Soup

Oh my gosh! I just made the best soup ever:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/11/north-african-chickpea-and-kale-soup.html

Molly

Georgie's response on Cultured Foods

Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates is an excellent, one of the best I've read on health in a while. If you have any digestive issues its one to get.

Mols, I know that Body Ecology do Coconut Kefir starters as well. You could try use brown coconuts but its the green ones that have the excellent nutritional profile. The older a coconut gets the more of the goodness gets locked into the fleshy part.

Gigi, the Kifir soda could be coconut kefir. It is kind of fizzy like a soda. Have been thinking that apple juice might be interesting to try and culture so if you find out anymore on the soda's let us know.

Janee, definitely have to be careful over the long term with strong acids like lemon juice and apple cider vinegar eroding teeth. But wouldn't worry too much if you are drinking 1-2 times a day, and well diluted.

Georgie

Cultured foods discussion

Ok guys lets get this discussion on the blog where everyone can see it.

GIGI WROTE
I have recently been enjoying Kombucha...a lovely fermented tea
that has made a big difference in my life. I haven't made it
successfully at home...yet...but the bottled stuff (GT's) is
very, very good.
Love,
G2

MOLLY WROTE

Hello Happy Detoxers!
Wasn't sure if I should post here or the blog....
I made cultured veg last winter and wanted to give my experience.

I did buy the starter from the Body Ecology web site (great book and site)
http://www.bodyecology.com/cveggies.php

as I just wanted to make sure I did it right the first time.

I used 1.5 heads of cabbage - green and red. Added some shredded carrot, ginger and garlic. So it was kind of a non-spicy Kim Chee.

I sure made enough! I still have a load in the fridge. There seems to be 2 variations out there in terms of producing it. One is in the 6th edition of the Body Ecology and the 10th edition has a different way. The way with the plate, possible mold, and all that I did not try (I presume the older way). The newer is just put a lid on it and let it do its work.

The only thing I would do different in the next batch is no garlic and make less. I have so much in there to finish before I can experiment with another recipe. Also, I don't really like the flavor. It is very powerful. My favorite way to eat it is just mixed into a salad. But I try to think of it as medicine, not food, and that helps.

If anyone finds a recipe that they love - let me know. Also, Dea - I would love to hear about your Coconut Kefir experience. I would love to make it but haven't tried it yet. We have the brown coconuts in the stores - can you use those? What to do if you don't have a green coconut?

Cheers! Happy cleansing!
Molly

GIGI WROTE

I've been drinking Kombucha lately. LOVE IT. Tried brewing it
once, unsuccessfully. Anyone have any thoughts on this? GT's
is very good, and I try to drink one bottle over the course of
a day.

I have also heard about something called Kefir Soda...is that
like the coconut kefir? It's supposedly relatively easy to make...and
very kid friedly.

(Molly...would love to try your Kim Chee...although I wonder
what "powerful" means?)

Love to you...
G2

JANEE WROTE

Hello folks,

I take Apple Cider Vinegar most days, great for the gut. I take it first thing in the morning and then before my evening meal, mixed with water. Some people don’t like it at all but I love it and I begin to crave it after a few days if I don’t have it. Its very refreshing after exercise.

I think a recommended dose is 2tbsp ACV to 250ml water. I don’t sweeten it, but its possible to add a little honey if you really cant tolerate the flavour. Try it though – it grows on you!

I read in this website http://www.earthclinic.com/ that it is not recommended to take ACV or other remedies every day because it creates dependence. I guess my cravings are testament to the truth in that advice! I just cant imagine the torment of going cold turkey through apple cider vinegar withdrawal ; - )

There is also some information there that says the ACV should be mixed with bicarb soda to stop the vinegar from decaying the teeth. I must admit I don’t do this at the moment as the bicarb mixed with vinegar makes a big frothy mess and its so much easier first thing in the morning to just mix a bit of ACV and water. I’ll have to go to the dentist and see what they say!

Best wishes for the Detox and bring on Spring,

Janee

ACV + Bicarb Soda link: http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/acv_baking_soda_cures.html#RF

Cultured foods

Hello!

Just had a email from Dea saying she made her own Kim Chee this morning and has been making Coconut Kefir! Very envious. Your lucky in the USA you can get fresh green coconuts!

Ok, this was a topic I wanted to talk about so I'm gonna take this cue. Cultured foods are one of the greatest ways to restore and maintain gut health, and gut health is so key to good health generally. Culture foods are like fermented foods but its bacteria rather than yeast that are the active agents. These foods are basically a living pro-biotic; they feed and amplify the good bugs in our gut. Sauerkraut is a great example of this and a great option if you are not in a position to make your own cultured veg. Take a heaped tablespoon of Sauerkraut with or before a meal. Make sure you get the un-pasteurized sauerkraut though as pasteurization kills all those beneficial little bugs!!

Other good culture foods - Kim Chee, Apple Cider vinegar, Natto.

There are many more and you can make your own. Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz is a good guide to making your own.

Happy experimenting!

Georgie

xx

March 9, 2011

Morning follks!

Well I'm home and its cold, but the sun is shining!

How you all doing? Hope you have got off to a good start, and if you haven't, be gentle on yourself!

Ok, what am I loving so far about the detox. Well I'll admit I'm breaking myself in slowly. I put some different beans and grains in the sprout this morning. Loving that. Growing food is just the best. Look forward eating them at the end of the week!

Tell you what I'm really loving is spring greens. Call me mad but I think this might be my favorite vegetable. It is so sweet and tender and need hardly any cooking if at all. My favorite breakfast at the moment (as its cold) is eggs, kind of Japanese style. Rice, with 2 poached eggs on top and spring greens sautéed with fresh ginger in coconut oil and a little water. All seasoned with a little shoyu. Soo yummy!

Quote of the moment: "The vegetable garden is also our nations medicine chest - it yields a large portion of the vitamins which protect us against infection" Lord Woolton, Ministry of Food, 1941.

Remember if you have any questions please ask!

Welcome to Equinox Detox March 2011

Hey everyone!

Good morning and welcome to this Equinox Detox! I'm really feeling good about this one. I can really feel summer on the way! Ok, so I'm completely fooling myself. I feel like this because I'm in Israel right now and the weather is gorgeous. However I fly home tonight and the forecast back there is for snow... Hmmm. See how I feel tomorrow!

Anyway hope you are all feeling good about doing the detox. If you are in a cold climate try find somewhere to go get a sauna. Its such a lovely treat to yourself and so healthy while you detox to help the body get the stagnant stuff moving. Its great to do things like sauna's, massage, etc. Things that to make the detox feel like something really positive you are doing for yourself and that you can enjoying the taking care of yourself! Those of you who have done it a few times I'm sure know that the reward of feeling bright and healthy at the end out weights any pain in the process.

I'm doing things a little different this time. As you know I've asked people to sign up. So these emails are just going out to those who replied. This makes it a lot easier for me as I know those I'm communicating with are taking part. So we are a smaller group but everyone on the email list is taking part. So feel free to "reply to all" to share stuff. And if you want to tell any friends thats great to. There's no limit to adding people. Guess I should be doing this on facebook eh? Will look into that.

So have you decided how you are doing your detox? If this is your first time. Check out the website. You need to decide how deep to take the detox. If you are just going to cut out alcohol for example, or cut out everything on the list. Remember set yourself achievable goals!! That way you can feel going about attaining them!

Website

Ok, folks. Thats all for now.

Speak tomorrow from the snowy English Lake District! Ahhh!

xx

Detox March 2011

Hi Folks

The Next Detox runs from March 7, 2011 till March 26, 2011. If you would like to take part please email me on gpwh@yahoo.com and I will add you to the mailing list.

Check out the website from details of how the detox works

equinoxdetox.com

Warmest Wishes

Georgie