Excalibur Dehydrator Videos... and How to Make Homemade Yogurt

I don't recommend making yogurt from dairy, but you could make yogurt with coconut milk, nut milks, rice milk, soy milk etc. I am trying to get more fermented foods in my diet.


More how-to videos from Excalibur!
http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/media.php

"Never Be Sick Again" by Raymond Francis M.Sc.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it a while ago, and have to return it to the library...Raymond Francis really hits all the key points to recovering your health. He talks about deficiency, toxicity, and how to turn these around and choose health! I recommend this book, check your local library...it's free!

http://www.beyondhealth.com/

Free Body Ecology Cookbook

Click on the link below to get a free Body Ecology Newslettter, Cookbook, and lectures.
http://www.facebook.com/BodyEcology

Have a Happy Memorial Day weekend and eat healthy at those BBQ's! Grill some veggies! or make a pressed salad, or some raw Fetuccini Alfredo (I love Alissa Cohen's recipe in "Living on Live Food" it's so good you can take it with you to a regular BBQ and EVERYONE will LOVE it!

Gluten Free Strawberry Pie

This can be vegan, without even the regular gelatin,  if you use agar flakes instead. Again this is not super healthy, only a once in a while treat, although you could also make a raw nut/date crust instead of their GF crust. Do you see a pattern here of me sharing sweet recipes??? It is PMS time.... all of a sudden desserts are on the mind. I am not making these all, thank goodness, just sharing them with you all. Personally I prefer my strawberries straight up, nothing added except maybe other berries as well!
We are going organic strawberry picking on Saturday! I can't wait!
For this pie, if you made a nut crust (using almonds and pecans or walnuts) and used soaked dried apricots instead of dates and used a strawberry kanten for the filling it would be MACROBIOTIC! I'm getting pretty good at changing recipes to fit macrobiotic/raw food/gluten free/vegan. Great job Toni!

http://www.livingwithout.com/recipes/Gluten-Free-Strawberry-Pie-1543-1.html?ET=livingwithout:e224:1299a:&st=email

Ani Phyo's Raw Chocolate Video

Was at  http://www.lupusgirlgoesraw.com/ and saw that Lisa posted this. Thanks Lisa, I've been trying to make raw chocolate for a while now and just couldn't get it perfect. I will let you all know how this comes out when I make it! OK chocolate is not recommended on a macrobiotic diet, but I do indulge occasionally. In fact I got "a talking to" at a recent macrobiotic meeting (Thanks Meg and Ken I do really appreciate you caring! The seed has been planted in my brain...)

Macrobiotic Crispy Rice Treats

This is one of those "eat rarely" recipes, the rice crispies are baked and very drying to the body,not great for the kidneys, but if you are healthy enough, or if you want to make your kids a healthier treat this is a good one. You can use organic peanut butter (get organic peanut butter because regularly farmed peanuts are sprayed with lots of fungicide) instead of the other nut/seed butters. Make sure the rice syrup is gluten free!

http://macrobiotic.about.com/od/snacks/r/RiceBalls.htm

How to make Cultured Veggies with Donna Gates and Renegade Health

There are 3 parts to this recipe. All parts are listed in the links below. Here is the Part One to watch...



http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2009/09/17/how-to-make-cultured-vegetables-with-donna-gates/

http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2009/09/18/how-to-make-cultured-vegetables-with-donna-gates-part-2/

http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2009/09/21/how-to-pack-and-ferment-cultured-vegetables-with-donna-gates-part-3/

Food Allergies and Immune Disorders

I read in the book "The Body Ecology Diet" by Donna Gates that if you have food allergies it is a signal that your immune system is not working properly. I searched "Food Allergies and Immune Disorders" and I found this terrific article. Click on the link below.

http://www.alive.com/267a1a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=112

"The Body Ecology Diet" by Donna Gates

A quick description of "The Body Ecology Diet" is a diet that focuses on rebuilding your immune system though a combination of raw foods, macrobiotics, fermented foods, food combining, all types of  foods are allowed in the later stages of the diet, blood type diet, acid alkaline balance, cleansing, following your  intuition, reducing stress. Sounds good doesn't it?



Sign up for Donna Gates' Free Newsletter  http://www.bodyecology.com/signup.php

Dark Chocolate Tofu Mousse

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/dark-chocolate-mousse-recipe/index.html
I made my changes to the recipe as always....

Ingredients


1 (12.3-ounce) package silken tofu, drained   (make sure it's organic, non GMO)

3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I use Lindt Bittersweet bar 3.5 oz milk free)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed (I use Ghiradelli cocoa powder)

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon brandy (I use 2 tsps vanilla)

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice or sugar or other sweetener
Directions

In a blender or food processor, puree the tofu until it is smooth.

Put the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup water, sugar, and brandy (if using vanilla add after the pot is off the stove) in a saucepan or heat-proof bowl fitted over a pot containing 1-inch barely simmering water. Stir frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. (You can also use a saucepan without a double boiler/simmering water underneath, just keep stirring and put the heat on medium or low, chocolate will burn quickly if left unattended!)

Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu and puree until smooth and well blended. Spoon the mousse into serving dishes, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

She also makes a whip cream topping, being vegan I leave that off!


Yield: 5 servings (serving size 1/2 cup of mousse each person)

Macro vs. Raw of Note

Dirty Teeth (covered in grains) with macro... much cleaner with raw food (I had written this before I went to the dentist!)

Don't think all cooked or all raw, either one, is the answer think need both (wrote this before the dentist visit)

Warm Foods feel better in stomach and warm foods seem like a better idea to help Raynauds/circulation

More interesting food choices/recipes in raw food

I'm not fond of Japanese foods to begin with...

More intestinal healing built in to diet with macrobiotics, but could learn to add to raw (David Wolfe)

More medicinal things with macro, but could learn and add them with raw (David Wolfe)

No chocolate in macro, in most raw food diets considered a super food

More lifestyle directions in macro

Fermented pickles and  fermented other foods in both diets

Sea veggies in both diets

Lots of tropical foods in raw... not allowed in macro

No meat, eggs, dairy, in both diets (eliminates many peoples allergies both are good "elimination diets")

Gas cooking in macro

Both considered healing diets

Raw has more interesting desserts

Macro has soy (usually fermented)

More grains in macro (diabetes risk?)  in raw some sprouted grains

Nightshades in raw... not in macro

Cooked beans in macro,  sprouted beans in raw

Tea in macro

Herbs in both raw and macro

****As of the end of this month I have been on a macrobiotic diet 2 months******

Tooth Health and Macrobiotics

I went for my 6 month checkup today at the dentist. This time the hygenist said I had more inflammation. I told her I switched from raw food to cooked foods and grains (she doesn't understand macrobiotics)
She said I NEED some raw foods to exercise my gums and teeth. For instance eating a raw apple "brushes" your teeth for you as you chew...on macrobiotics I am eating all softer foods, even have to cook my apples!
I do cook many of my veggies lightly, (al dente)when cooking for macrobiotics, but this still isn't giving my teeth enough exercise. I am sure I am getting lots of nutrition on a macrobiotic diet for strong teeth...but...
I also feel that with grains (supposed to eat them 3x a day! and snacks too!) I always feel like I have a "slime" on my teeth that didn't happen with raw food.

 Last time (6 months ago) I went to the dentist, I had a glowing report and a healthier mouth on a  raw food diet. Less inflammation, strong teeth.

What I am trying to say here is that I believe both types of food are required, raw and cooked, to eat for a healthy life.

I still believe there is a place for macrobiotics and raw together in my life, and that I need the miso soup(for digestion and probiotics) and the sea veggies(for the minerals) and grains and beans (for protein and to sweep out the cholesterol and other toxins) etc. but again I've come to the opposite conclusion that raw food is NOT evil either (macrobiotics cooks almost EVERYTHING!)

I have come to the conclusion that no extremes are good, it doesn't have to be all raw or all cooked.

PS - I feed my dogs and cats raw meat food and they need a marrow bone to chew on too regularly...we all need to work our teeth!

Peanut Allergies Triple.... by Care2

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/why-have-peanut-allergies-tripled-in-a-decade.html

Recipe for Macrobiotic Pressed Salad

I am camping this weekend, "macro on the road" so there have been less posts. I will  try this pressed salad soon and let you know how it is... for camping I brought salmon and brown rice cereal(grits) and brown rice, strawberries, almond butter, cabbage/carrot/brown rice wrap on a brown rice tortilla, nori, umeboshi, sauerkraut, miso soup, rice and lentil and veggie stew. I'll be back on Mon or Tues, have a nice weekend!

http://macrobiotic.about.com/od/salads/r/PressedSalad.htm

Today's Breakfast - Macro Stew

Recipe Coming Soon...

Yesterday's Breakfast- Tofu, Potato, Kale Scramble

Recipe Coming Soon

More Macro Recipes..

http://www.kushiskitchen.com/macrobiotic-and-whole-foods-recipes.html

Some Favorites Vegan and Macrobiotic Cook Books

Four Stars = great, highly recommended

****"Vegan Lunch Box" by Jennifer McCann
****"Love, Eric and Sanae" by Eric LeChasseur and Sanae Suzuki (do use wheat often)
****"Love Eric" by Eric LeChasseur (do use wheat often)
??"The Allergern Free Baker's Handbook" by Cybele Pascal (tried one great recipe so far)
****"The Real Food Daily Cookbook" by Ann Gentry
****"The Joy of Pickling" by Linda Ziedrich
****"Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for all Seasons" by Nava Atlas
****"Japanese Foods that Heal" by John and Jan Belleme
??"Flying Apron's Gluten Free and Vegan Baking Book" by Jennifer Katzinger(didn't try recipes yet)
****"The Vegan Table" by Coleen Patrick Goudreau
**Babycakes" by Erin McKenna (the original recipes posted on the internet are better than the recipes in the book...)
**** Any cookbooks by Christina Pirello
**** "The Kind Diet" by Alisha Silverstone (uses wheat)

12 Tips to End Clutter by Care2

I love to organize things, but sometimes feel like I don't have enough time, or am too tired. Even though my joint pain, headaches, sinus pain, symptoms of Lupus don't normally bother me, I still have issues with fatigue at times. When I spoke to Sherry Rogers MD she said that she believed from my blood work that my mitochondria are not working properly from toxins in my body (like phlalates/plastics and pesticide residues).
If your mitochondria are not working properly you have low oxygen and low energy.Click below for more information on mitochondria and how to feel better..from a previous post..
http://lupushope.blogspot.com/2010/03/metabolic-tune-up.html

Clutter can make me feel worse and overwhelmed,  if it does the same for you click on the link below on advice on how to lessen or eliminate the clutter.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/12-tips-to-end-clutter.html

Simply Raw Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days

I was able to find "Simply Raw Reversing Diabetes in 30 days"  at my local library(the county library system) and request it. I watched it twice, once by myself, and once with my husband, I actually would like my kids to see it also but I don't know if they would sit through it. It was a little slow moving in spots..but all in all terrifically made and had great information.
I HIGHLY recommend this DVD to people with diabetes or anyone with any disease to see how food can change your situation and though pharmaceuticals can be life savers,  there can be another way to completely heal.
Through my research I have found many diabetics have Celiac Disease also (can't digest gluten properly).
Therefore not only are the sugar in foods affecting them they shouldn't have gluten either...
To complicate the situation many people who have Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance and have had an issue for any length of time can get a leaky gut or intestinal hyper-permeability, and larger molecules of other foods can pass through the intestinal wall,  into the blood stream and the body reacts to that by forming antibodies to the new foods and then you have MORE food allergies/intolerances, so you may have issues with more than just gluten by the time you are diagnosed... I wish the first doctor had told me to get tested for celiac disease before I went gluten free...

Leaky Gut Explained Click below
http://www.purebodysolutions.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/PDF/leaky_gut.pdf

If the diabetics in this DVD had muliple food allergies/intolerances, a  raw food has no gluten, dairy, eggs, just veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds and sprouted grains. So they would naturally feel better and take the stress off their body that needs to fight the bad foods... and be able to heal.
******Just a quick note The Kushi Institute has a diabetes program also and says that macrobiotics has been very successful to reverse diabetes also.
http://www.kushiinstitute.org/html/diabetes_workshop.html

Cheating...

Wanted to explain my cheating...

On my strict macrobiotic diet, to heal my Lupus, I am under certain guidelines from my macrobiotic counsellor.
pressure cooked grains
pressure cooked beans
fish occasionally
pickled veggies/cultured veggies
nuts and seeds(all cooked except pumpkin and  sunflower seeds and walnuts)
no baked/dried products like breads ricecakes etc. (dried fruit OK occasionally)
no non dairy "ice creams" (like soy/rice dream "ice creams")
lots of cooked veggies
no spices/herbs
some seasonings/condiments ( like soy sauce/sesame oil/gomasio)
sea veggies (kombu/nori etc)
snacks should be leftovers, or mochi, nuts seeds, nut butters
very little cooked tree fruit or raw berries (bush/ground fruit)
sweets (amasake, brown rice syrup ,chestnuts( occasionally to rarely) (no chocolate -the hardest)
no nightshades -potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers etc

That's the basics although I am sure I left some things out.... when I cheat, I still stay inside the realms of my intolerances although I am not following macrobiotics strictly.

I have soy delicious soy "ice cream" or potatoes, or an occasional cupcake/ cookie that is gluten free and vegan home made (no eggs- no dairy), a rice tortilla(food 4 life), and of course (dairy free/dark)chocolate... chocolate is the hardest for me because I am not allergic to it and it seems to make me feel better. Dr. Oz said on his show one day that chocolate helps the spleen. I can't explain it but I really think chocolate helps me...I know what you are thinking...I'm addicted...but it doesn' feel that way at all.

Just wanted to put this out there. If I was to cheat and eat bread or eggs or dairy, I would be in pain for days with joint pains, headaches, migraines, sinus pain etc. that just isn't worth it...and as it still happens some times by accident - cross contamination - and I didn't know I ate it - and all those pains hurt me anyway....

Do try to find what you are allergic/intolerant to, then you can avoid those foods, have less body inflammation and feel better too. Hope you are having a pain free day!

Meg Wolff Blog

Found out that there is a macrobiotic get together once a month in Montauk, NY.  It is a bit far for me to attend, but they told me that Meg Wolff is the guest speaker this week and when I "googled" her I found her blog, here is the link below. She is a 2 time cancer survivor that says macrobiotics helped save her life.

http://www.becomingwhole2.com/

Ken Walles Macrobiotics and Prostate Cancer

http://www.youtube.com/user/PersonalCureTV



6 Years Later Still Cancer Free (click on the link below to read the article

http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=262282&town=Montauk&n=Montauk%20man%20still%20cancer-free%20six%20years%20after%20diagnosis

You Are Worth It!

I remember, years back, when I worked at an electronics company. I was having a particularly trying time in life, had a boyfriend that was making my life miserable and my supervisor said "Toni, you don't deserve this! You are worth more than this and he should treat you better." It meant the world that she said that to me and I "woke up" and dumped that guy and never looked back.

So now I want to say it to you. "You Are Worth It!" What are you worth? You are worth the time it takes to make a nutritious meal or snack for yourself and /or your family! Don't tell me you don't have time...if you really time it you'll see that it really doesn't take all that long. I did time the raw wrap video and it took 15-17 minutes to wash, cut and put together the wrap (OK you do have to go shopping or to the farm stand and have the items in your fridge...) Here's the video again



When I cook macrobiotics I make the grains and veggies in the morning and then just lightly warm them and eat them throughout the day (and again yes I have to shop and chop and cook...and make miso soup too...) OK I do think macrobiotics is harder to accomplish than raw food.....but I am worth it!
You are worth it too so "dump" that junk food/ processed food/fast food !

Veggies are Your Friends!

Eat more veggies! In macrobiotics eat them cooked, raw foodies eat them raw. Just eat them!
Some macrobiotics recipes say to long cook your veggies, but most say to lightly warm them.
I believe both raw foods and macrobiotics are such healing diets and I like to teach them both, but it is so odd that one says almost all cooked and the other says all raw. Either way one thing they agree on is people should take out the processed garbage foods and eat lots of vegetables!

Brown Rice Tied to Better Heart Health

My Vitacost Community


Sunday, May 16, 2010

Brown Rice Tied to Better Heart Health in Study

Conversion to white rice strips vital ingredient, researchers believe

(HealthDay News) -- Two kinds of rice -- brown and half-milled rice -- may reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure by interfering with a protein linked to those conditions, research suggests.
In a new study, researchers report that the findings could indicate that brown rice is better than white rice when it comes to protecting the body from high blood pressure and artherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

"Our research suggests that there is a potential ingredient in rice that may be a good starting point for looking into preventive medicine for cardiovascular diseases," said researcher Satoru Eguchi, an associate professor of physiology at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Eguchi and colleagues said their experiments show that an ingredient in brown rice appears to combat a protein known as angiotensin II that contributes to high blood pressure and clogged arteries.

The ingredient is in a layer of rice that is stripped away when brown rice is converted to white rice. But the layer can be preserved in half-milled (Haigamai) and incompletely milled (Kinmemai) rice, which are popular in Japan.
The study is slated to be released at the Experimental Biology annual conference, April 24-28, in Anaheim, Calif.

More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has details on nutrition.

-- Randy Dotinga

SOURCE: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, news release, April 26, 2010

Depression and Food Allergies

Many people with Lupus suffer from depression. Please click on the links below and read how avoiding food allergens can help break the cycle of depression. 

http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/brainallergies.htm

http://www.cure-your-depression.com/allergies-and-depression.html

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!!!????

I just thought of that famous saying "Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!" from the Wizard of Oz.

I realized that I could subsitute anyone saying (myself included)
 "Gluten Free and Raw Food and Macrobiotics OH MY!"

Sometimes these things seem daunting how could you possibly change your diet???

I also realized I am now posting macrobiotic recipes..... but let me go back to grass roots and say even if you have found out you have allergies or think you might have allergies, God gave us PLENTY of foods to choose from, there is ALWAYS something left to eat! I promise!

For instance if you have an issue with gluten , put together a dinner of  fish/meat, rice or potatoes and vegetables or a salad(watch the salad dressing and NO CROUTONS (unless there from gluten free bread). Then you've got an easy GF(gluten free) meal. No rolls/bread/breading/breadcrumbs/ watch gravies, etc.

I have been studying nutrition on the internet, at the library,through famous holistic doctors and the books articles they write,  through various doctors I have gone to and now my macrobiotics counsellor. I hope one day to formally study and get a certification/degree.

I REALLY believe the reason that people feel so much better when they are on a raw food diet or a macrobiotic diet is that those diets are free from dairy, eggs,  and many people can easily make them wheat/gluten free also. They also include tons of veggies and some fruits (for extra nutrition) and  both take out ALL processed boxed, salty, sugary, preservatives and artificial colors from the diet. This is a WIN WIN situation. Be healthy and happy.

Don't Forget to Look at my Healing Plan

My Lupus Hope Healing Plan Blog combines all of my research in one quick and easy to read blog. Then if you need more information or have any questions, just email me ( Lonedoggy@netzero.com ) or post a comment and I'll get back to you. You can also search this blog for more information.

The great thing about this blog is you can see how bad my symptoms were, how I was diagnosed with Lupus and what I did to be healthier. Also more healing modalities that I want to check into in the future. Also included are the "books on healing" that you can read that support my blog's information. You can get many of these books at your local library. Click on the link below and read my story.

http://www.lupushopehealingplan.blogspot.com/

Secret Chemicals in Popular Perfumes by Care 2

Think twice before you put on your favorite perfume...another way for toxins and cancer causing and hormone disrupting chemicals to be absorbed through your skin.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/secret-chemicals-in-popular-perfumes.html

A Macrobiotic Glossary

The white discs are daikon radish, I used a cookie cutter and a knife to make a flower and a heart from daikon radish and carrot.

This glossary explains what these foods are,  as well as why they are used and the benefits of the various macrobiotic foods.

http://macrobiotics.co.uk/glossary.htm

Kicking It Up a Notch

I had been "cheating" on my macrobiotic food plan more often, and it upset me. My macrobiotic counsellor said I didn't need to be perfect, but I wasn't doing as well as I wanted... I think it had to do with me getting bored with my food choices....especially the lack of great healthy macrobiotic desserts. Here are some foods I made yesterday and today...YUM! I will post the recipes soon.

Blackberries and Strawberries

Chocolate Tofu MoussePan fried tofu and Veggies

Hipchick Jessica Porter Macrobiotics Classes

I liked watching Jessica's sample class, she gives a lot of information as she cooks! Click on the link below and check it out!

http://www.hipchicksmacrobiotics.com/blog/intro-to-macrobiotic-cooking/

2 Very Interesting Articles About Fats/Cholesterol

I have been following Pure Jeevan's Blog about their research into Wendy's Lyme Disease and how to cure it. They are only researchers, not doctors but I find their journey and research fascinating so I thought I would share it. If you want to continue hearing about their research you can subscribe to their blog for yourself. They mentioned sterol and fatty acid imbalance... the second link is an article I found explaining this.
Enjoy!

http://purejeevan.com/blog/?p=2454&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PureJeevan+%28Pure+Jeevan%3A+Transform+Your+Life+with+Living+Foods%29&utm_content=Yahoo%21+Mail

http://www.nutri-spec.net/cholesterol.htm

Charlotte Gerson Interview

In this interview with Kevin Gianni, Charlotte Gerson tells about her father's work and how he curesd cancer with food, through trial and error. Please read this and watch the video it has great information! If you or a loved one has health issues maybe research the Gerson Institute for yourself or your loved one!

http://www.renegadehealth.com/gersontapes/

My Daughter's Creation

My daughter had a cute one the other day and I thought I'd share...as I said something "got me" the other day, probably something I ate and I was under the weather headache, neck and shoulder pain, sinus pain etc. I'm better now...

My daughter started singing (to the tune of Rain Rain Go Away...)

Pain Pain Go Away
Don't come back any other day.

I said I LOVED the song and I said I would post it on my blog, so here it is! Hope you all can relate and I hope you are all having a pain free day!

Happy Belated Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms here! Had a mellow one here, stayed home and relaxed but it was a blog free day....

Something "Got Me" Again... (also cravings...)

The reason I talk so much about food allergies and what avoiding those foods/allergies has done for the quality of my life, is it really is AMAZING! When I avoid the foods I have tested allergic/intolerant to I have no pains, aches, have more energy, etc.

 But occasionally things "get me"...I have a good amount of pain in my neck/shoulder area and a headache and sinus pressure and more heart palpitations this morning . What does that all add up to? Something I ate "got to me". Could be something that "snuck in" (cross contamination either here at home or from a company's prepared foods, or I ate something I thought I am OK with but I am not...  Sometimes even exposure to the sun can do this to me also or extra added stress...Also to add to the confusion not all foods I eat are on my food allergy tests, so some foods are just trial and error as to how they make me feel. Sometimes I will try to just drink water and or eat veggies(ones I KNOW I'm not allergic to)  for 1/2 a day and usually whatever was in my system will be digested and I will feel better. Sometimes I have to be quite the detective to figure it out and sometimes it is as plain as day, like the day I ate olives and just felt like my heart was racing afterwards...had an allergy test a few months later and sure enough olives were a high allergen...but I could tell without the test...

Even though I am allergic/ intolerant to certain foods my family and my pets still eat some of the things I can't have. For instance my dogs and cats eat eggs, I must prepare their foods much of the time...I always try to wash my hands well etc. after preparing them. My son can eat wheat, I sometimes need to prepare his foods...so you see cross contamination is very easy here when not careful...

On another note, I was doing VERY well without having cravings/cheating on my diet then something just shifted, I was cheating like there was no tomorrow.... I decided that what is missing are delicious healthy macrobiotic desserts and I am going all out to find some great recipes, or make up some of my own.  I found when I was eating raw foods there were so many interesting and delicious desserts, I know I will find great desserts with macrobiotics too, I just need to search harder...one thing I have found is that macrobiotics is less popular on the internet for You Tube preparation videos and such. Well, I will be making more videos of my own soon...so I will change that a bit...I will be adding macrobiotic cooking, gluten free baking and cooking, and raw food also. I will try to post more pictures and videos of the foods on my recipe blogs
http://www.lupushopecookbook.blogspot.com/  (super healthy healing recipes) and  http://www.myfamilysfavoritegfcfrecipes.blogspot.com/ (foods to be eaten when have a craving... eat sparingly on special occasions--not super healthy recipes, but much better than store bought because you know the quality ingredientst you put in)

Try To Buy Organic Flowers

I try to do everything that I can for the environment and for my health as well as all my family members and friends. Read the following article , it also tells places to buy organic flowers. Also check with your local organic farmers. I just searched this morning for organic farms in my area and there used to be only a couple, now there are at least a dozen! I'm already so psyched that the farm stand opens here on Memorial Day weekend! Yea! Fresh produce...and flowers!

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/why-organic-flowers.html

Healthy Macrobiotic Desserts

http://www.macrobioticmeals.com/healthy_desserts.html (If GF (Gluten Free) change out the wheat flour with GF flour/mix)

Celiac Disease Foundation Conference

Sorry for the late notice on this...It's on May 15th 2010 in California...well if you can make it...wish I could do it, sounds like a lot of fun and great information. maybe I'll try for next year.Take a look at the page below,

http://www.celiac.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92&Itemid=205

Also for anyone in the New York area the Suffolk County Celiacs have a great GF vendor fair the end of August 2010. http://www.suffolkcountyceliacs.org/Events.html

Celiac Disease and Lupus and Thyroid Etc.

Celiac Disease

Dermatitis herpetiformis is also present in some people with celiac disease. Other autoimmune disorders that people with CD are at greater risk to develop include Addison' s disease, autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, Alopecia Areata, Graves' disease, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 1), myasthenia gravis, scleroderma, Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, and thyroid disease. Thyroid diseases and diabetes are the two most commonly associated diseases found with celiac disease. Thyroid disease is most commonly associated with DH.

Other conditions frequently seen in persons with gluten intolerance include anemia, early bone disease, Downs Syndrome, and fertility problems. Some persons with DH also have a higher incidence of other skin conditions, such as eczema.
 While other connections have been suggested - such as with autism, MS, and mycosis fungoides, the research is either inconclusive, suggests a weak connection or offers no substantial connection.

My Take (written by Toni) --I have seen other places that MS has a much more substantial link to Celiac Disease see Ann Sawyer' sbook "The MS Recovery Diet  Also see Dr. Peter Green's book "Celiac Disease : A Hidden Epidemic"



As knowledge of gluten intolerance diseases expands and new findings become available, you can expect that the list of associated health problems and conditions will also change.
 To learn more about the recently published multi-center prevalence study of celiac disease visit, http://www.celiaccenter.org/.


Taken from the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research

Is Your Body Contaminated With Pesticides?

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/is-your-body-contaminated-with-pesticides.html

Some New Cookbooks

"The Allergen Free Baker's Handbook.." Cybele Pascal  (Gluten Free Vegan Classic Crumb Cake on Page 50)
"The Body Ecology Diet.." Donna Gates (recipes and also an anti- candida diet/book)
"The Vegan Table" by Coleen Patrick-Goudreau (I think I will buy this one- pad thai recipe was in here)
"Vegan with a Vengeance" Isa Chandra Moskowitz (many wheat recipes)
" Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons" by Nava Atlas
"Matha Stewart's Dinner at Home" by  Martha Stewart (has a good amount of vegan/vegetarian choices/ many wheat recipes, but can change them failry easily)

My Cooking Skills Can Be Used For GOOD or EVIL!

Hi Everyone! What a weekend! I am tired and just slightly under the weather...I will explain...
I decided to get a bunch of new cookbooks from the library last week.(I will put the titles on my next post) I am eating mostly macrobiotics and have many food allergies/intolerances, I will post below and my daughter has a good amount of allergies. My son can't have dairy and my husband can't have gluten and egg yolks (they just got retested and we should get the new results in about a week or so.) All together as a family we are trying to eat less meat (at present I only eat fish about 1 time a week)

As far as being under the weather, I ate gluten free egg free dairy free coffee cake that I made over the weekend...I also had homemade pad thai for dinner (and something with both of them did not make me feel too wonderful, plus it is "that time of the month" and one dog that sleeps in our bed has fleas and she is up all night itching and keeping my husband and I up all night too....We also went for a 3 mile walk at a beautiful park yesterday, but 3 miles at a clip( we walked pretty fast) is more than we're used to... OK I am TIRED! To make me feel better that it was not ONLY me my husband was tired too...

The crumb cake and the pad thai was cooking for evil...even though the recipes were gluten free, dairy free and egg free,the coffee cake was baked (no baked foods for Lupus on macrobiotics, Bad Toni) , it had sugar, cinnamon,coconut oil, and the pad thai had red pepper flakes and other things I shouldn't eat...

On the other hand I can make delicious healthy things for myself like miso soup, salmon, mochi treats, tofu, beans and greens/veggies and other delicious foods that are GREAT for my body. Sometimes the devil sits on my shoulder and says make this "for your family" and then just "try a bite" GRRRR! I hate that voice...being a good cook can also make me stray more also....Here are my daughter's and my allergies/intolerances that we know of  at present...PS they can change if you have an issue with leaky gut...

Toni Allergies/intolerances-- dairy, beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, yeast, banana, crab, shrimp, asparagus,cranberries, gluten, wheat, spelt, corn, garlic, beets, cauliflower, haddock, malt, oat, black pepper, hops, mustard,olive, sunflower, lots more foods are mild intolerances that I should rotate and not have each day.

My daughters allergies/intolerances--dairy, eggs, chicken,coffee, sugar, cranberry, lobster, oyster, asparagus, wheat, gluten, oats, peanuts, rye, sesame, spelt

Mark Hyman MD and Reasons to Avoid Dairy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/dairy-free-dairy-6-reason_b_558876.html