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Now that Spring is near it's a great time to tune-up your bike and begin getting out for a ride. Whether it's to visit friends, ride to work or go to the farmers market, consider riding your bike as the weather improves. You'll do the environment a favor, your body will love you and your mind will appreciate the feeling of the sun on your face, wind on your back and fresh air in your lungs.
Check out our bike commuting primer, if you're thinking about commuting.
You can not only eliminate phantom power use by unplugging your laptop, but prolong the life of your battery. This is too easy not to do.
Fascinating article in today's NY Times Magazine on how groups of people on the Internet in China pursue individuals who they believe have done wrong. When they identify the wrong-doer and gain enough momentum they conduct what is called a 'human flesh search' to find the individuals place of work, home address, etc. and then proceed to destroy their lives. This reminds me of an excellent novel I read last year on the Cultural Revolution called 'Brothers', which depicted similar group think targeting. It's nice to know we don't tend to do this in the West.
I was excited to discover this guided meditation for the iphone. It's wonderful to think that anywhere i go I can plug in my earphones and listen to a guided meditation. This one has very positive reviews and a number of settings.
I've become a big fan of Bill Maher's Real Time on HBO. While his brand of humor isn't always on, the guests and discussions are often great and very though provoking. For example, on last nights program he started out talking with Sean Penn who reminded us how horrible things are in Haiti and that the media seems to have forgotten now that it's not as interesting. The disaster in Haiti is likely to become a lot worse in months to come as the rainy season emerges. The scope of the disaster is far greater than most of us living in luxury and comfort realize. The next guest was Michael Moore, who reminded listeners that absolutely no regulation has been put in place to oversee the banks who caused the greatest financial calamity in modern times. The comparison which Maher made was that in Haiti they have no building regulations and were devastated by a 7.0 earthquake, while in Chile they have strict building codes and the loss of life and destruction was far less despite suffering a 8.8 earthquake (500x greater). We need to realize that putting oversight and regulations is critical to protect us from the financial industry building glass houses. The last segment had Arriana Huffington and Andrew Ross Sorkin , both of whom I have tremendous respect for, discussing a number of current event topics.
After recently finishing our CLEAN detox, my wife and I are trying to get off of dairy products. The reasons for cutting out dairy are to lower cholesterol and fats, cut back on sugars contained in dairy and lower the amount of phlegm the body generates when consuming dairy products. It's surprisingly easy to quit dairy due to some new products. This morning I had light coconut milk in my coffee in place of cream and I had cereal with almond milk, which actually tastes better than milk. We've decided that we're going to cut out cheese except for the occasional piece of good quality imported cheese. Almond milk and coconut milk can both be used for baking and the health benefits of almond milk and coconut milk are amazing.
Nutrients from almond milk are protein and high in monounsaturated fat and contain some polyunsaturated fats. Other nutrients that they provide are fibre, Vitamin E, calcium, zinc, selenium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, iron and copper.
Nutrients from coconut milk include vitamins, minerals, potassium and electrolytes.
If you're like me you love sushi and the healthy benefits of of eating fresh fish. However, there are many questions these days about the environmental and health costs to consuming fish. Many of us have heard about the devastation taking place in our oceans from over fishing. There is also the mercury hazard posed by large fish when consumed. Another concern is the environmental toll of eating farmed fish.
While each of these concerns is valid, with some consideration there are ways that you can eat fish while minimizing the health risks and environmental costs.
At first glance it's easy to assume that farm raised fish cannot be a good thing. However, a close look reveals that farm raised fish have some benefits and should be part of a comprehensive strategy for managing the global over-fishing problem. Where a particular fish is in high-demand and is over-fished, fish farming is a great alternative until the ocean levels are restored. Additionally, farm fish are much less likely to have mercury exposure. The down side is that the protein rich feed required is from raising fish as food and then grinding it. Additionally, a lot of fresh water is required for fish farming and it must be regularly treated to ensure it remains a healthy environment. The most common fish which are farm produced are salmon, carp, tilapia, catfish and cod. While these are not over-fished in the ocean, the carbon cost of transport is far less than ocean trawling, storage and transport.
To minimize your risk of mercury exposure ensure that the fish you consumer is either farm raised of from the bottom of the food chain. Fortunately, many of the ocean fish which are not facing over-fishing risk are also much lower on the food chain.
Here is a list of fish which are not facing imminent risk from over-fishing
1. Abalone (farmed only)
2. Alaska or walleye pollock (MSC certified)
3. Bib or pouting
4. Black bream or porgy or seabream
5. Clam, American hardshell (from hand-gathered farmed sources only)
6. Clam, carpet shell (hand-gathered only)
7. Cockle (MSC certified)
8. Cod, Pacific (MSC certified)
9. Coley or saithe (from NE Arctic and combined N Sea stock)
10. Dab
11. Dover sole
12. Flounder
13. Gurnard (grey and red)
14. Lemon sole
15. Lobster, Mexican Baja California red rock
16. Lobster, Western Australian rock (MSC certified)
17. Lythe or pollack
18. Mackerel
19. Mahi Mahi (handline caught from targeted fisheries only)
20. Mussel (sustainably harvested or farmed e.g. rope grown))
21. Oyster (native & Pacific, sustainably farmed)
22. Pilchard or sardine, European
23. Red mullet (not from Mediterranean)
24. Salmon, Atlantic (Organically farmed)
25. Salmon, Pacific (MSC certified from Alaska)
26. Scallop (sustainably harvested e.g. dive-caught)
27. Scampi or Dublin Bay prawn
28. Seabass (line-caught and tagged)
29. Snapper, Red or Crimson
30. Spider crab (pot caught only)
31. Tilapia (sustainably farmed)
32. Trout (brown or sea and rainbow, Organically farmed)
33. Tuna, albacore (pole and line, handline or troll-caught from S Pacific or S Atlantic)
34. Tuna, skipjack (pole and line or handline-caught from Pacific (western & central) or Maldives)
35. Winkle (sustainably harvested e g. hand picked)
Here is a great radio story from Storycorps about an adopted son and his relationship with his father. Says so much about where meaning and richness comes from in life.
This is a healthy salad which tastes great.
One bunch organic fresh kale (remove the white center vein and shred)
Slice a bunch of fresh organic radishes
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
Juice of one lemon
1/4 tsp of sale
3 tbs olive oil
Combine above and let marinate over night.
Congratulations Mexico City on your social progress and bravery. Read the Wall Street Journal report.
We just started carrying the TrickleStrip after an evaluation. This smart powerstrip eliminate phantom power drain at your computer workstation or entertainment center by not allowing devices to draw on phantom power through the powerstrip. When the master device (computer or tv) is powered on the rest of the devices have power passed through. Pays for itself over time and lowers your carbon footprint. Also has built in surge protection.
Paul Krugman is featured in the New Yorker magazine and it's a wonderful piece. I'm a big fan of Krugman and this piece reinforces my enthusiasm for his thinking, writing and contribution to society.
The president today outlined the health care legislation he intends to have the congress pass with a simple majority (just like the Bush tax cuts of the past decade). I believe that passing this legislation is parallel to passing civil rights legislation, women's rights legislation and many of the landmark bills which were resisted by a morally weak minority. The time is now for the wealthiest country in the world to move out of the 37th ranking for quality of health care.
Excerpt from the presidents speech: “At stake right now is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem. The American people want to know if it’s still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future. They are waiting for us to act. They are waiting for us to lead. And as long as I hold this office, I intend to provide that leadership. I don’t know how this plays politically, but I know it’s right. And so I ask Congress to finish its work, and I look forward to signing this reform into law.”
We've just launched our new Green Kitchen Guide. We'll be posting tips, articles, videos, recipes, book and product recommendations regularly in the guide. Check it out Green Kitchen Guide
First, you need to find some 100% buckwheat noodles. They are surprisingly expensive and most 'buckwheat noodles' are made with wheat as the primary ingredient. Real buckwheat noodles are amazingly delicious with a nutty rich taste and unique flavor. Buckwheat is very low on the glycemic index and has properties which reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.
1) One package 100% buckwheat noodles (boil in water with teaspoon of olive oil)
2) Combine 6 tbs Tamari, 2 tbs grapeseed or olive oil, 1 tbs honey into a sauce
3) Saute 1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots over low heat until soft and browned
4) Saute 1 tbs thinly sliced garlic over low heat until soft and browned
Remove the buckwheat noodles and run cold water over to decrease stickiness. Drain the water and add tbs spoon of grapeseed or olive oil and stir into noodles. Add sauce and stir.
Serve noodles and garnish with garlic and onions.
Consider serving with braised salmon, halibut cheeks or sliced lamb.
My wife found this chicken on the way home from dropping off our daughter at school this morning. It's an amazingly friendly and beautiful chicken, hanging out in our backyard today. We're looking for the owner and if we don't find them, we may keep it. I'll keep you posted.
For those who follow this blog, I wanted to give an update on my completing the CLEAN detox last night. After three weeks, I've completed a cleansing detoxification of my body. As a recap, Dr. Alajeandro Junger has written a book titled 'Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body's Natural Ability to Heal Itself ', which has a large and vibrant community of followers. It's not a weight loss diet, but instead a cleansing detox to get your body back to a place where you feel "clean" and more balanced. Since I have never believed in diets, but did want to start eating more healthfully, I agreed to take on the 3 week detox with my wife.
Now that I'm done here is a summary of what I experienced and how I'm feeling. The detox was not as difficult as I had imagined going in. My wife and I tend to eat a fairly healthy diet, but having small children and busy lives it was not clean (whole foods and nothing toxic). I expected to have strong sugar, carb and coffee cravings all the time. The sugar and carb cravings were fed by the occasional fruit smoothie and eating the whole grains permitted on the diet. The coffee cravings were more difficult to treat, but a good cup of jasmine green tea helped a lot.
During the detox food tastes wonderful and preparing fresh, whole and quality lunches was a true treat. We did spend a little more time shopping and planning our daily meal and smoothies, but I think this was driven by our desire to ensure a successful outcome. Some of the supplements were difficult to get down, particularly the fiber drink which was recommended in the morning, but the tinctures were no problem. In the evenings we would often feel hungry, but not ravenous.
During the detox period my mood was much more stable than the roller-coaster I usually experience on a daily or weekly basis. I felt more clear headed and lighter. My energy level was not as high as usual for the first two weeks, which I attribute to the caloric roll back. During the third week my energy was back to usual. I lost around 10 lbs during the detox and that feels great and I suspect that during the next week I'll continue to lose weight, because I plan to adopt much of the detox diet into my daily eating. I'm not going to quit coffee, but instead switch to 3/4 decaf with a low acid blend.
During the last few days of the detox I experience what felt like a sudden and powerful flu. I had a terrible sore throat, chills and fever for a day and then mucus discharge for 36 hours. Interestingly a number of people report experiencing this at the end of the detox and attribute it to "deep detoxing" and your body discharging. I'm not sure if this was just a bug I caught from my kids or a "deep detox", but it was only for about 3 days, which would be a short flu.
Many people who have done this detox have experienced what they describe as incredible energy and clarity. There are also many who describe the experience as transformational for their life. I can't say that is what I feel. I feel good, more balanced and clear that the idea of eating organic whole foods is the right thing to do. My wife and I have decided we are going to do what is called 80% ED, or 80% of the time we're going to stay on the diet prescribed in the book. This will allow us to not feel completely boxed in or bored by the diet, while most of the time getting the benefits of having stable insulin levels and a low cholesterol and high fiber nutrient rich diet.
There is growing scientific and academic evidence that our bodies have inflammation when we take in excess toxins. These toxins come from eating processed foods, high sugar or fat foods and exposure to every day chemicals in our environment. The idea that heart disease is not from cholesterol build up, but from inflammation causing cholesterol build-up makes sense to me. The CLEAN diet is intended to lower your inflammation and I believe this is one of the biggest benefits.
If you believe, like I do, that our countries health care problems could best be addressed by eating a better diet, than I would suggest that this diet is one which many people should consider.