Recipe Eden Sweet Aduki Beans and Mochi

Sweet beans may sound odd, but it is a very common thing in Japan and other cultures..think along the lines of baked beans and how sweet they can be...I have extra adukis so I will try this recipe.

Eden Sweet Aduki Beans & Mochi

Serves 3
Prep Time 0:05
Cook Time 0:25

Ingredients

15 ounces Eden Organic Aduki Beans, drained, reserve small amount of the liquid

1 Tablespoon organic maple syrup

1/4 cup organic raisins (or other dried fuit)

1 teaspoon Eden Shoyu Soy Sauce, or to taste (shoyu has wheat ingredients you can substitute Bragg's Liquid Aminos if Wheat Free or Gluten Free)

3 pieces Eden Sweet Brown Rice Mochi, cut into quarters

or Eden Sprouted Brown Rice Mochi


Directions

Place the aduki beans, syrup, raisins and shoyu in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes. If liquid needs to be added, add a small amount of the reserve bean cooking liquid. When the beans are about half cooked, place the mochi on a baking sheet and bake at 350° for about 5 minutes or until it puffs up. Place 4 pieces of mochi in individual bowls and spoon the sweet aduki beans over.

Nutritional Info

Per serving: 177 Calories, 1g Fat (3% calories from fat), 10g Protein, 60g Carbohydrate, 7g Fiber, 0mg Cholesterol, 125mg Sodium

Related Recipes

Beans, Dessert & Pastry, Eastern, Good/High Fiber, Good/High Protein, Japanese Food, Low Fat, Low Sodium, Macrobiotic, Vegan, Whole Grain, Whole Grain

©2010 Eden Foods, Inc.

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month

This is a very great accomplishment for Celiac Disease Awareness! Please see the sections of the article that I highlighted and bolded .

Senator Parker Proclaims May as Celiac Disease Awareness Month in NY!

Senator Parker Proclaims May as Celiac Disease Awareness Month By Created 04/28/2010 - Published on New York State Senate (http://www.nysenate.gov/ )

Senator Kevin Parker [1] (D-Brooklyn) honored groups and individuals dedicated to increasing awareness of Celiac Disease, an inherited, autoimmune disease that hinders the body’s ability to absorb nutrients properly. In recognition of the seriousness of this disease and the efforts of those dedicated to fighting it, Senator Parker passed a resolution proclaiming May as Celiac Awareness Month in New York State.

 Celiac Disease causes damage to the lining of the small intestine from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats. The exact cause is unknown; however, those with a family member with Celiac Disease are at greater risk for developing the disease. The disorder is most common in those of European ancestry and women are affected more commonly than men. More than two million people in the United States, or about 1 in 133 people have the disease. In New York State, approximately 150,000 people suffer from Celiac Disease. “No treatment can cure Celiac Disease. However, you can effectively manage Celiac Disease through changing your diet,” Senator Parker said. “Gluten is found in bread, pasta, bagels, pizza and many other popular foods but can also be found in medicines, vitamins and lip balm. People with Celiac Disease may have no symptoms but can still develop complications of the disease over time. Raising awareness among medical professionals and the public could save lives.

” There are numerous diseases and conditions associated with Celiac Disease including: ·

Anemia ·
Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus ·
 Certain types of intestinal cancer ·
 Dermatitis herpetiformis ·
 Down syndrome ·
 Lactose intolerance ·
 Miscarriage or unexplained infertility
 · Neurological conditions ·
 Osteoporosis or osteopenia ·
 Thyroid disease ·
Type 1 diabetes

 “Another characteristic of Celiac Disease is that it is often misdiagnosed, or only diagnosed after years of suffering, missed work, and expensive diagnostic testing-and ineffective treatment. Consequently, raising awareness among medical professionals and the public about Celiac Disease could save the State of New York hundreds of millions of dollars otherwise lost to unnecessary or ineffective medical treatments, or in lost work productivity,” said Senator Parker. “Experts in the field of Celiac Disease tell us that one percent of the population worldwide has Celiac Disease. Sadly, 97% of those individuals go undiagnosed for years due to a lack of information and awareness,” said Senator William Stachowski (D-Buffalo). “Immediate relief for those individuals is as simple as not eating certain foods, but these foods, like wheat, are so common it’s hard to avoid them. Once more people learn about the disease through our awareness raising efforts, our next step will be to make New York State a place where people can easily find gluten-free foods and products to make living with the disease easier. I am pleased to see so many of our State’s restaurants and businesses stepping up to provide gluten free products for suffers, and make living with the disease easier. I will do what I can to support their ongoing efforts, and to find ways to lower the costs borne by New Yorkers, New York businesses, and by the State's health care system.”

 Senator Parker has sponsored two bills that would raise awareness of this debilitating disease. The first (S.5751A) would create a statewide education program within the Department of Health to promote awareness and train health care professionals concerning the causes and consequences of Celiac Disease. The second bill, (S.7460) would increase the safety to those with food allergies by requiring every cafeteria owned, leased or operated by the state to post all information regarding the gluten content of foods being served. Groups recognized by Senator Parker for their work in helping to raise awareness of Celiac Disease and ameliorate the suffering of New Yorkers with this disease include: -The Greater New York City Celiac Support Group -NYCeliac -The New York Restaurant Association, -The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University -Sherry Lynn's Gluten Free Restaurant -Wheatfield's Restaurant -The Celiac Disease Foundation -The Celiac Disease Resource, Inc. “This proclamation is a giant step in the journey to increase awareness of this highly under diagnosed and untreated disease,” said Daria Spiak, Vice President of The Celiac Disease Resource, Inc. (www.celiacresource.org [2]). “We thank Senator Parker and all who helped in getting this proclamation to fruition.” "Celiac Disease is the #1 disease you've never heard of,” said Elaine Monarch, Founder and Executive Director of the Celiac Disease Foundation (www.celiac.org [3]). “We applaud Senator Parker's efforts to help us raise awareness of this vastly under-diagnosed disease with his Resolution J.4813 designating May as Celiac Disease Awareness Month in the state of New York. The Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) thanks you Senator Parker for your advocacy, dedication and passion that will make a difference in the lives of people with Celiac Disease and those yet to be diagnosed." “I want to thank Senator Parker and the New York State Senate for recognizing Celiac disease and the many individuals whose lives have been changed by adopting a gluten free diet,” said Sherry Birch, Owner of Sherry Lynn’s Gluten Free Restaurant and Bakery, Latham, N.Y. “We believe that Celiac awareness will be enhanced with the introduction of this resolution. Beyond any doubt, it will help more New Yorkers to cultivate the lifestyle necessary to reduce the chronic symptoms and complications of this largely under-diagnosed ailment.” “We at Outback Steakhouse are proud to support Celiac disease awareness and the Celiac Disease Resource Inc. in their efforts to raise awareness,” said Bruce Anderson, Managing Partner, Outback Steakhouse #3351 – Albany, NY. “We are thankful for all our loyal patrons and happy to provide them with safe dining options.”

 Authored by Senator Wed, 04/28/2010 http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-parker-proclaims-may-celiac-disease-awareness-month

Brian McKnight- "Home"

29 Simple Pleasures from Care2

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/29-simple-pleasures.html?

My High Raw Collard Wrap Video!

Here is another Raw food video that my husband, daughter and I made. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBMth2rpH7I

Soaking Beans

Click on the link below...
Ok for my raw readers you can soak and sprout the beans...you can find soaking and sprouting charts in many books including "Living on Live Food" by  Alissa Cohen.
For my macro readers soak beans before cooking (also I just bought a pressure cooker at the request of my macrobiotics counsellor)  2 great benefits of using a pressure cooker:
1) cooks tons faster! 5-10 minutes for beans (you still have to soak them overnight before hand)
2) use less water and the nutrients stay locked in the pot

Also read more benefits below....

http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/02/18/ten-reasons-soaking-dried-beans-can-change-your-life/

Christina Pirello Links

As seen in a past post Christina Pirello cured herself of Terminal Leukemia with a macrobiotic diet. Here are some of her links to look at, as usual I have included a recipe link. Christina cooks with many macrobiotic overtones but does not follow the strict macrobiotic healing diet...that said her recipes are still imaginative and fabulous! Check them out!

http://www.christinacooks.com/ Christina Pirello's website

http://www.christinacooks.com/recipes/my_current_series  Recipes from "Christina Cooks" Tv show

http://www.christinapirello.org/  Healthy Eating Initiative

Raw Food/Cooked Food

Photography Credits

Just a quick thank you to my daughter whose photography I use many times on my blog. My daughter is an outstanding photographer and artist and I thank her for the many beautiful nature and food photography that she shares with me. If you see a photo and like it more often than not it is hers not mine. I wish I had her gift for great photography....You go girl!

Macrobiotic Meals- Spring/ Summer

http://www.macrobioticmeals.com/macrobiotic_recipes.html

Macrobiotic / Recipes Website

http://www.macrobiotics.co.uk/recipes.htm

From My Local Celiac Group / More Accurate Testing

Message from Dr. David Milkes


A number of members at the last meeting with Dr. Milkes requested more information regarding a new blood test.

Here is a message from Dr. Milkes:

The deamidated gliadin antibody testing is the new blood test that is more accurate in screening for celiac disease compared to the conventional gliadin antibody testing.

David Milkes, MD

So What's Wrong With Me?

This is a question a friend that I saw the other day at a Healthy Eating/Less Stress Class at my local library asked me. She had Lupus and no longer has it. She asked me to see her doctor and I did about 8 months ago. The doctor did saliva readings (psychometric aura analysis) I thought it was odd but I did the test.
The doctor gave me the results and she did touch on a few of my issues...mercury, digestive issues, pesticide residues and other things. Also she said most of my organs.systems were functioning at about a 70% out of 100%. She recommended many supplements which I was unsure of how my body would react, so I didn't continue with her....

So what's wrong with me today (testing and my new doctor shows)

Mercury and Lead (not in regular blood test, but in provocation test)
Pesticide Residue
Food Allergies
Celiac Disease? never was formally tested (before went GF)but sure seems like I have it , want to get the gene test
Nutritional Deficiencies
Phalates and other toxins have poisined my mitochondria
Leaky Gut
Intestinal Dysbiosis
Candida?

I feel pretty well and macrobiotics focuses so much on digestive health, many foods are cultured/pickled to grow friendly bacteria the food is cooked so as to be easier on the digestive system. I have less joint pain, no brain fog, more energy,  less to almost no heart palpitations, and better bowel movements to name a few GREAT benefits!

"Simply Raw- Reversing Diabetes in 30 days" Documentary Trailer

David Wolfe and Ridding Your Body of Candida

http://www.longevityconference.com/longevity-expererience-dvd/   Candida Part 1

http://www.longevityconference.com/longevity-experience-dvd-preview-part-2/ Candida Part 2

How Your Home Affects Your Health

A really great article to be aware of the toxins in your home and how to reduce your exposure. All the toxins you are exposed to can build up in your body and cause your Lupus symptoms to increase.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-your-home-affects-your-health.html

Amazake Custard

Amazake is a Japanese fermented rice drink. You can find amazake and kuzu at many health food stores.

I tried it today for the first time. I bought almond flavor from Grainassance.

It is pretty thick, like a shake to start with, but you can also make a custard out of it for a cake or tart.

1 cup almond amazake
1TBSP kuzu root/starch mixed in 2 TBSP cold water

Heat the amazake. Put in the cold water/dissolved kuzu starch and stir, let simmer on low for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Pour into a ramakin and chill in fridge for 1 hour. Enjoy!

See more healthy and healing recipes at http://www.lupushopecookbook.blogspot.com/

Trail Mix Treats

3/4 cup Toasted Almonds
2 TBSP Dried cherries soaked
2 TBSPDried Apricots soaked
3 TBSP Mini chocolate chips (Enjoy Life makes dairy free,gluten free and  soy free)

Grind toasted almonds fine in a food processor
Add soaked cherries and apricots mix in food processor til well combined
Add chocolate chips and pulse til mixed

Shape into balls and refrigerate. These taste like trail mix made into treats. Satisfy your sweet tooth! Yum!

****You can make this recipe "raw" also with raw almonds and raw chocolate chips or raw cacao nibs.

See more healthy and healing recipes at http://www.lupushopecookbook.blogspot.com/

A Kushi Institute Video Interview

Interview Video
http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/morning/macrobiotic_approach_to_good_health_092509

Kushi Institute Website
http://www.kushiinstitute.org/

Now We're Cooking With Gas!

Another unique idea in Macrobiotics is that microwave ovens should NEVER be used! Electric stoves should not be used and gas cooking/cooking with fire is the way to go. Cooking with electricity denatures the food and speeds up the molecules in the food too much.

I cannot afford to get gas into my neighborhood (23,000 dollars!) so we bought a propane campstove for outside. I will now cook out on the patio... probably good to get the fresh air too! Thank goodness it's spring!

Warming foods have seemed to make me feel even better (except for my diet mistakes of yesterday and the day before.)  I also have been noticing I don't need to sit and take a rest during the day like I used to. Wondering how much this macrobiotic diet is doing for my nutritional deficiencies....I want to get another blood test soon and check what's going on.

On a side note, if I get good at using the campstove I thought how nice it would be to have outdoor cooking classes....Hmmmm......

I still think whether you choose a raw food diet or a cooked food diet eat good foods that you are not allergic to and get tested for celiac disease (Mark Hyman MD just wrote that he believes 60% of autoimmune diseases start because of celiac disease!) and don't eat junk foods (I'm going to spank myself now for yesterday!--just kidding) Have a GREAT day!

No Tropical Foods in Temperate Zones/ and an Update

I live in New York State. When I went to the macrobiotics counsellor, he said that tropical foods are a
 no no. In his booklet that he gave me it says to eat sparingly for most (or for me to totally avoid because I have Lupus) tropical nuts and fruits.

 Many of these are in Raw Food dishes I was making...In other words if it doesn't grow in my area I shouldn't eat it. These foods are meant to cool the bodies of people that live in the tropics, they have a cooling effect that is Yin in nature. Lupus is an excess of Yin disease, so I need warming foods not cooling foods to rebalance my body. I have been feeling better lately less heart palpitations (almost none!) and better bowel movements too (I always hate mentioning that but I want you all to know all the benefits I am getting from this diet..)Even more loose joints too! 

However I did have a small downfall yesterday...enjoyed a few of the Babycakes Chocolate Chip cookies that I made for my family...and then after that had too much Lindt chocolate(Bittersweet no milk) and then had a little bit of Peanut Butter Zig Zag Soy milk "ice cream" and oven fries with Organic BBQ sauce... OK well I went to heck with myself...(I got frustrated that I ate something the night before and got a stiff neck(could have been a new sauerkraut brand, brown rice syrup, or a taste of Divvies Benjamint Crunch ) and went "off the wagon" to try and appease myself... but just felt worse afterwards not health wise just guilty....

Macrobiotics seems to be helping me even more and I hate it when I turn my back on it and "indulge" in not so healthy foods...I usually have a treat or 2 here or there but yesterday was just RIDICULOUS! Well back on the wagon again...wish me LUCK!


Tropical Nuts

Brazil Nuts
Cashews
Hazel Nuts
Macadamia Nuts
Pistachio Nuts

Tropical Fruits

Banana
Coconut
Dates
Figs
Mango
Papaya
Pineapple
Citrus Fruit
Avocado

My Children's Pediatrician

This is a small rant, and this is why I feel you need an advocate or you need to be your own advocate.

Took my son to his pediatrician and asked for a blood test (routine yearly) asked her to test his D3 as well as B12. She said she would add this on, but didn't even know how to write it on the prescription. She was asking me! It is in the news that 75-80% of the US population is deficient in D3. Why wouldn't  a pediatrician test for this, why wouldn't all doctors test for this.(So many of the kids today are not out playing as they used to they are using computers/video games and in waiting for their parents to come home from work after school. ) Vitamin D3 is so important for many of the bodies' processes!

I had the same issue with my regular general physician. He never tests for Vitamin D3, and didn't even know how to write in on the script either! AHHHHH! It makes me mad, we pay doctors so much, they should be more educated and keep up to date on the new advances.....

Mochi Donuts/ French Toast Sticks

Please see this and other healthy recipes at http://www.lupushopecookbook.blogspot.com/

Mochi is sweet brown rice cooked and pounded so it is chewy/ crunchy, you can fry it /bake it, and lots more. You need to try it to believe it, it's delicious. It comes plain or in flavors like cinnamon raisin and even a brownie flavor.

Ingredients


1/4 of a Prepared block of mochi (available at health food stores usually near the soy cheese/ products, refrigerated section) I usually buy Grainassance brand
1/4  cup Brown Rice Syrup or Real Maple Syrup(make sure the brown rice syrup is Gluten Free- Lundberg)
1/4 cup Toasted finely minced pecans

Cut mochi in half (to make it thinner) then cut into 2 inch squares

Pan fry in a small amount of oil, you can brush on a small amount of oil. (peanut or toasted sesame) when the pan/oil is hot fry the mochi for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Dip the mochi in warm or cold brown rice syrup or maple syrup and cover with finely chopped toasted pecans.

This tastes like french toast sticks YUM!

Miso Soup Recipe

Also look for this recipe and many other healthy recipes  at  http://www.lupushopecookbook.blogspot.com/

Ingredients (you can find these ingredients at your local health food store or Asian market)
2 cups water
2-3 Shiitake mushrooms (dried) soaked+ soaking liquid
2 tsp flakes  or 1 in pc soaked Wakame seaweed
1/2- 3/4 cup Root veggies (carrots, daikon radish)
1 small shallots or 1/4 cup of green onions
1-2 tsp Miso (I use Gluten Free Brown Rice Miso- South River Brand) (use less if cutting down on salt)
1 cup (packed) Dark leafy greens of your choice (Kale, collards, etc)

1) Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in 1/2 cup lukewarm water for 1/2 hour to 1 hour
2) Pour 2 cups cold water into soup pot, add 2 tsp wakame flakes or a (1 inch piece of wakame (soaked til soft))
3) Add long cooking veggies, carrots daikon (shallots if using)
4) Boil Wakame and veggies for 10 minutes
5) Slice soaked shiitakes mushrooms and disgard the stems add to the soup (also add shiitake soaking liquid)
6) If not using shallots add scallions
7) Add dark leafy greens
8)Take a ladle of  hot soup stock in a separate bowl, add 1-2 tsp miso stir til disolved and add back to soup
9) Simmer on low for 3-5 minutes and enjoy soup

Miso Soup Info

Enjoy this information about miso soup and the health benefits of miso (fermented soy bean paste)

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=114

Sit Down Relax and Eat!

Sounds easy right? Wrong... How many of us truly sit down at a table and take the time to enjoy our nourishment?? I found it got much harder this week when under a time crunch...

My  daughter has been practicing in drama club for a play that is running this weekend. This has added stress to the whole family, extra rehearsal time after school and bringing dinner for her at school (she has food allergies too). So I was planning what to bring in a lunch box that was easy to eat...AND we also pack her lunch each day, so that was 2 meals on the run....and had to be foods she'd eat....

It is hard not to say well I'll look at a macrobiotic cookbook as I eat my meal, or I will check my email while I eat, or catch a TV show like Dr. Oz, or Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (that's on tonight!)...but NO I need to have ALONE  time with my food, that's what macrobiotics teaches. Well you can have other company too, but you need to focus on your food with pleasant conversation being the only other distraction while you eat.

Time to go now and enjoy my Miso Soup. They say it cleasnses the blood and many more health benefits too. A great  book to read on the medicinal healing properties of macrobiotic foods is "Japanese Foods that Heal.." by John and Jan Belleme.
Remember, you don't have to buy the books I recommend, just ask the librarian at your local library!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Mark Hyman MD's take on Autoimmune Disease

Many people think I just make this stuff up about celiac disease, food allergies, toxins, heavy metals, please read this article and see where my research comes from. Dr. Hyman and many other doctors believe the same.

http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/autoimmune-disease

Want some more books to read on the subject... check my "Books to Read on Healing" These are books  that I have read and gathered my information from for this blog. I also get information from the internet, doctors, seminars, "The Incurables"(Veria Channel) and any where else that I can find great healing information.

http://lupushope.blogspot.com/2009/03/books-to-read-on-healing.html

How to Make Carrot Flowers

Brighten your day and look how cute carrots can look. Its's all in the imagination....

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/playing-with-your-food-how-to-make-carrot-flowers-069679

5 Secrets to Aging Well

A quick and simple article but I liked it very much and wanted to pass it on. Enjoy!

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-secrets-to-aging-well.html

Christina Pirello's Macrobiotic Healing/Cooking Story

There are many stories of macrobiotic healing on the internet and in books from the library. Please click on the link to watch the video. Have a great day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxbjeJquBok

Another Macrobiotic Cooking Video

Enjoy!

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/zen-living-cooking-a-macrobiotic-meal/2757158930

Composition of a Macrobiotic Meal Video

This video explains the basic composition of a macrobiotic meal. Click on the link for access to the video.

http://www.ehow.com/video_2335101_composition-macrobiotic-cooked-meal.html


PS- When I can figure out how to get the video picture to download with the sound of my new camcorder, I will be making more cooking videos myself too! I am trying to figure out why I am having technical difficulties...

Macrobiotics the Downside...the Upside....

Macrobiotics should be practiced for life. It is not a diet you should go on and off. If you are ill (like me with Lupus, Hashimoto's and Raynaud's etc.) you need to follow a STRICT macrobiotic diet/ lifestyle, there isn't much wiggle room. Well that's what I thought at first...

OK I'll let you know I  am a GREAT cook!  I "studied" with Martha Stewart and Emeril and Alton Brown and Giada DeLaurentis and Ina Garten and Joann Weir and Julia Child, Gale Gand  and many more!(well I watched them on TV ALOT !!!).. and I got to be a tremendous cook. I could make killer cheesecakes, gravies, sauces, lasagna, genoise cakes, greek lamb and phyllo dough and tons more.

 Then I went gluten free and dairy free and learned how to make GFCF (gluten free casein/dairy free) brownies, donuts, pizza, cookies breads hot pretzels, corn muffins, when I had that mastered and then wanted  to go raw. With raw food I made delicious salads, tarts, custards, smoothies, cheesecakes, pies, cookies, crackers, wraps. Had that mastered and now I get thrown as a novice into macrobiotics...

Well my first week on only macrobiotics was pretty BORING. The food is simple and not very tasty. Just beans, grains, some fish, sea veggies and regular veggies, nuts, seeds, tea. Wait though, don't stop reading here...read to the end. After a few days eating macrobiotics,  my "chef" imagination started kicking in...Could I make sesame seed candy out of sesame seeds and brown rice syrup (not for everyday but an occasional treat)...could I make lace cookies out of quinoa flakes and brown rice syrup...could I make mochi (chewy sweet brown rice cakes) and put almond butter and stewed fruit on top, could I use sesame oil and umeboshi vinegar and make a cool bean salad, ...YES I COULD! Could I take what was given to me in this "BORING" diet and" kick it up a notch"?  You BET I could! God gave me the ability to cook and the desire to cook and an incredible imagination to use ingredients in different ways! Thank you God ! and it seems He just keeps "raising the bar" and saying OK come up with something tasty and outrageous with THIS! Well I am up to the challenge and here I go up to the next level!

I was looking for macrobiotic cooking videos on the internet,  and saw a macrobiotics chef making a lemon couscous cake (I could use a different grain, because couscous is made from wheat) with a custardy and jello-y fruit topping, yes it SURE can be exciting food! The video was very scattered in small pieces so if I can find it all,  I'll post the recipe soon. Have a great day!

Macrobiotics is NOT just a diet

I apologize... I talked way too much that I was trying a new "diet". Macrobiotics is not just a diet, it is a way of life.  Yes, it is a way of eating but there is much more involved... it is a life practice. There are many books out there written by people who reversed terminal leukemias and other cancers. There are many videos/articles on the internet too. But  it is best if macrobiotics is brought into your life BEFORE you are ill though so let those healthy people around you know about it too!

As always I ask you if you are interested in any of the protocols explained in my blog, do your own research, check every detail and report, and decide for yourself with your doctor/health care practitioner if a protocol/diet would help you. It would aso be helpful to do every 6 months or a yearly blood test to make sure you aren't deficient in any nutrients.

If your doctor disagrees with you on something you think would be good for you, seek another doctor...for instance my rheumatologist still doesn't believe that diet change can help a person with Lupus even after I told her of my experience and she even wrote 2 research papers that Lupus and Celiac Disease go hand in hand.(I continue with her just to get my bloodwork done every 6 months to a year).  I have seen at least 5 doctors personally,  and heard of at least 12 other doctors that agree that diet change has a TREMENDOUS benefit when a person has Lupus...therefore it is necessary to find the appropriate doctor for you.

Macrobiotic Life Plan
1) Body Rub (to increase skin's detox capability/ increase circulation)
2) Foot Bath (to help body detox and increase circulation)
3) Build a relationship and a thankfulness about your food
4) Taking responsibility for your health, develop a strong will and determination to create your own health
5) Treating your body as the "temple" that it is
6) Treating the earth and animals of the earth properly
8) Becoming the best person that you can be
9) Striving for peaceful living, less stress
10) Being kind and forgiving
11)Rising early and sleeping before midnight
12)Keeping you mealtimes regular
13) Eating organic  whole foods
14) A natural environment indoors and out : plants, glass, wood and metal
15) Not using electricity to cook, use gas/fire
16)Wearing cotton clothing near skin
17) Getting and giving support, both for the diet and other life issues
18) Have natural curiosity, appreciate life
19) Be flexible and adaptable in your macrobiotics practice
20) Learn to cook well
21) Do life related exercise, gardening, housework, walk to the store/farmstand to shop etc.
22) Cultivate and take time for hobbies

Macrobiotics Day 7

When I elimininated all of the food allergens from my diet as well as processed foods and tons of white flour and sugar products (2 years ago)..I  felt so much calmer. I had told the doctor that I was going to, that I felt like I had a frontal labotomy...(in a good way) I felt more peaceful, less stressed. I had so many foods that I was allergic to... and add on the extra sugar and salt (I was eating way too much).... it was stressing my body out because each time I ate those allergens my body created a war inside me and decide to attack the gluten/egg/dairy (and many more foods) invaders. This takes so much of the bodies' energy it is no wonder autoimmune diseases happen.

Macrobiotics is making me feel even more at peace. Mealtime is like a ceremony, a treatment and meditation all in one. The foods in  macrobiotics are medicinal in nature (such as the umeboshi plum, and many other foods too) so you are in effect eating your  "medicine". Then as you prepare the food and set the table, it is like a ceremony, the pace slows, you chew thoroughly, thinking good thoughts/healing thoughts and  even praying or meditating if you are alone or having pleasant conversation when you are with others.

One difficult thing for me is temptation.  I have a husband and 2 children that eat other foods and I have a lot of temptation. Nothing too horrible, soy ice cream, lemon sorbet, chocolates, meat, but these things are not on my macrobiotic diet. Also being a mom and a wife, at times I need to cook things for my family...make GFCF candies for my kids, chicken  for my husband and other things that are tempting! The macrobiotic counsellor said to take one day at  time and improve and head in the direction of a correct macrobiotic diet step by step and not to stress myself out. So occasionally I cheat a little, but I try to keep it in check because I keep my eye on the prize. The macrobiotic counsellor said that Lupus and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis both can be healed/reversed.
That is my ultimate mission to reverse or heal my Lupus and Hashimoto's!

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Petition

Please sign Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Petition (click on the link below) it is about changing the school lunch system and getting processed foods out of the schools and good healthy, "prepared from scratch" food onto the school lunch rooms instead!

Jamie is also trying to educate Americans how to cook and prepare healthy foods for us all to be healthier.
Help him help America!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition

Macrobiotics Day 6

Tomorrow I will have been practicing macrobiotics for one week already! Time flies!

A few new things I have learned are:
Umeboshi Plums (pickled plums) are the Far Eastern equivalent to aspirin/apple a day mentality.

http://www.mitoku.com/products/umeboshi/healthbenefits.html

Grated daikon radish helps your body digests fat and oils better/easier. Good to eat with salmon/fish/foods sauteed in oil.

Tree fruits (apples, cherries,pears etc.) are best eaten cooked, to be more easily digested.

Pressure cooking is preferred type of cooking grains.

Spinach is not on a macrobiotic diet, you may eat many other greens but due to it's high oxalic acid content, NO SPINACH!

Some things I already knew but are fun to share:
Kukicha tea (bancha twig tea) helps your body digest and assimilate grains.

Miso (fermented soy bean paste) cleanses the blood.

Putting a piece of kombu (seaweed) is macrobiotics version of adding a bayleaf for easier to digest beans.

Sea weeds and sea vegetables have an incredible array of minerals for your body to fix any mineral deficiencies it may have.

Whole Foods and Let's Retake Our Plates

Find More information at  http://www.letsretakeourplates.com/

I am Still Searching

Wanted to let you all know that when I took the foods I was allergic to out of my diet, more than 2 years ago, it made me feel much better as well as reduced my body's inflammation, this is shown and proven on my blood tests. I lowered my cholesterol, lost 85 lbs and counting...effortlessly (well I did have to eat radically differently..that took a lot of effort...), but no extreme exercise etc.and I eat as much food as I want and never starve myself.

In other words I feel pretty well most days, fatigue still gets to me at times as do my heart palpitations (which have gotten better during my first few days on macrobiotics) and constipation (which has gotten better on macrobitics too)...I still have joint pains if I eat something that has an allergen in it by accident. I believe I still have sun sensitivity and will get discoid Lupus sores if I am in the sun too much (I will try to monitor that as it gets warmer here in NY.)

My mission though, is to heal myself completely and reverse my Lupus, I have not acommplished that yet.
As I am on my journey I will continue to share my healing path with you all and hope, that in doing so, I can help you too! So I am still on that journey and that is why you still see me trying new things, the newest being "full on" macrobiotics, with the help of a very experienced macrobiotic counsellor. Wish me luck, as I wish you luck with your endeavors.... and great health and healing!

Total Vegan...is THAT the answer?

I sooo agree with so much in this video! Dr. Jameth Sheridan and I seem to have done the same research! I KNOW that the Gerson Therapy, Hippocrates Health Institute, Kushi Institute, Raw Food, and Macrobiotics can all reverse cancer and other diseases.

Cooked food is not evil, junk food/processed foods are evil !!!! And one of the most frustrating things for me is weeding through the information such as 70% and up chocolate/ cocoa is good for you (1-2 oz/day)...wait no other side of the argument ....it's BAD for you. Then you need to decide.... how does it make YOU feel ? Do you feel healthier? or do you crave it/eat it too much? Or is it harming your health? And BE HONEST!

Macrobiotics Today...

Today's Tip:
Focus on your food as you eat, don't watch TV or read or use your computer. When you prepare your food think good thoughts, and stay near when you cook/prepare and lovingly prepare your food. ....A step further imagine as you eat slowly and chew fully that all of  the cells in your body are being nourished by the food .

I have propelled myself into a new world, although I know the basics of macrobiotics...I went to a macrobiotic counsellor and received his personal recommendations. I realized that with all I know there is so much more to learn. I will be sharing some tips in the coming weeks that can be used with macrobiotics or any healing diet.

I have been hearing many people say that when  a person has Lupus it affects the spleen and kidneys. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) if these organs get stagnant and stop working they will let toxins build up in your  blood. This will of course make you feel poorly. Although I have been doing a lot of raw food, TCM believes that the warming, mostly cooked foods, of macrobiotics will warm and strengthen your organs, especially the spleen. Although Lupus is seen as a inflammatory disease and you would think cooling foods would be good to cool off the inflammation,many times it is warming that the body needs to strengthen the organs to work properly and the inflammation will go away.

I am so happy for any opportunity to learn about any way to strengthen my body and it's healing ability. So as usual I will share with you all my experience and how it goes. Juicing is allowed but only 2x a week, and for the time being I will try to work in the supplements until my blood tests show that I am not deficient in any nutrients, etc. Have a great day!

Big Pharma Gets Away Again!

I was asked to pass this article along for as many to read as possible...please pass it along also if you can.
The drug companies are just too big and powerful and need to pay for their mistakes and get taken down a few notches! Please read the following article...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/02/pfizer.bextra/index.html?hpt=T2

Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

Hope all of you have a pleasant and joyful holiday! Things have been hectic here lately....my kids are home for their Spring Break and I went to a macrobiotic counsellor and am starting to practice macrobiotics.

I will blog more about macrobiotics when I get the chance.