by ken winston caine

Dr. Dolittle was very busy.

He was busy trying to decide things.

He was trying to decide: Should he do this? Or should he do that?

And if he did this, should he do it tomorrow or the day after?

And then, should he do it in yellow, or should he do it in blue? And would that be sky blue — as if the sky is still blue anywhere.

Dr. Dolittle decided to consult the internet.

Is there anywhere where the sky is still truly blue? And exactly what shade of blue is sky blue anyway? Does it have, for instance, a PMS number — one of the numbers that printers and designers consult on a chart as they mix pigments in order to assure consistency in colors from job to job and across the industry?

Or, Dr. Dolittle wondered, with computer graphics the standard now, do printers still use PMS numbers?

He decided to consult the internet.

Dr. Dolittle is very, very busy.

Dr. Dolittle fired up his computer.

He planned to Google whether printers still use PMS numbers. Whether he should do this or that.

Whether tomorrow or the day after.

Whether in blue, or yellow, if the day after.

But first, he thought as the computer came to life, I should check my email.

And that caused him to recall six or seven emails that earlier in the morning he had been thinking that he needed to send.

A couple were especially urgent. And a couple were to respond to people who had emailed but to whom he had not responded for several days. One he hadn’t replied to for more than a week. Better do it now, before he forgets, he thought.

Otherwise those people will think that he is impolite. Or doesn’t like them any more. Or is incompetent.

Or dead.

One absolutely must respond to emails.

He began re-composing in his mind a couple of the of the emails that earlier in the morning he had been thinking that he should send.

But it had been too early then. The computer was not on. And he had not had his tea. Or his breakfast.

He had not brushed his teeth.

One should never send an email before one has brushed their teeth.

Nor had he caught the top of the hour news on Morning Edition. And now, (more…)

Great video and great tips from Dr. Mercola on how to find locally grown produce — and other farm products — in the winter, no matter where you live. As well as why this is good for your health and the health of the planet.

See both here:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/02/12/Your-Bes t-Options-to-Eat-Locally-in-the-Winter-Wherever-You-Live.aspx

Raw almonds will no longer be, well, raw, reports Mike Adams at NewsTarget.com.

The Almond Board of California has decided to require that all almonds produced in California be pasteurized or irradiated. And you won’t know. Because despite the fact that they will have been either heated or nuked, the packages will still say “raw.”

Let me share this urgent message I received today:

SPREAD THE WORD

Tell Congress to shift funding from chemical-based agriculture to more environmentally friendly organics!

“According to the subsidy data from the Environmental Working Group, one giant cotton farm collected $2.95 million through crop subsidies in 2005, nearly as much money as the federal government spent on its primary research program for organic agriculture last year — $3 million.”
– The New York Times, July 4, 2007
“The Debate Over Subsidizing Snacks”

Dear Supporter,

New York Times reporters aren’t the only ones poring over the information in EWG’s Farm Subsidy Database. The unfair funding distributions have everyone’s attention and EWG Action Fund’s Grow Organics Campaign (www.ewg.org/organics/petition) for organics funding is taking off. Thanks to your generous support, we surpassed our goal and raised a total of $45,000! These vital funds will help our staff meet with lawmakers to gain support for crucial changes in the Farm Bill.

But organics aren’t safe yet. In just a two short weeks the full House will vote on a new Farm Bill, which could be the first to include significant funding for organics. To make this happen, our Representatives need to hear from us! Add your voice to the Grow Organics petition today at www.ewg.org/organics/petition.

More than 17,000 of you have signed on to level the playing field for organic farmers with the petition so we’re more than halfway to our goal! Now is the time to (more…)

by ken winston caine

If you are battling weight gain, should you cut carbs? Cut fat? Either, neither?

It looks like there really is an easy way to know.

• Cutting refined carbs seems to help every body lose weight and is especially essential for those who pack on the fat around the stomach — the classic spare tire and apple shapes.

• Cutting fat intake results in

(more…)

Been surprised while reading nutritional information and ingredients on food labels recently.

Since the beginning of the year, food manufacturers have been required to list on the label the amount of deadly trans fats in each serving.

But I’m discovering that foods labeled “0 grams trans fats” often do have trans fats in them. The ingredient label says so. Mentions “partially hydrogenated” oils of one kind or another.

So, “0 grams trans fats” does NOT mean zero trans fats. All it means is less than 500 milligrams of trans fats per serving. And, as supersize Americans know, very few of us eat just a “serving” of anything.

And most important to know, there is NO safe amount of man-made trans fats for human consumption. It is believed that the body can metabolize from 1 to 2 grams daily of organic trans fats found in tiny tiny amounts in vegetables, nuts, meats and so on. But there is no amount of man-made trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils or highly heated vegetable oils) that is safe for consumption. Not 1 to 2 grams. Not 500 milligrams.

To put “less than 500 milligrams” into perspective, consider this:

The federal government’s “recommended daily allowance” of Vitamin C — a nutrient essential for life and health — is only 60 milligrams for adults. That’s PER DAY.

Yet the same federal government allows food manufacturers to pack more than 8 times that much of trans fats — a deadly substance known to clog arteries– into EACH SERVING of foodstuffs and to then label the food as having “0 grams of trans fats.”

499 mg of trans fats is a pretty potent slug. And it can be cumulative. You can eat a serving (or more) of several foods at a meal that each have “0 grams trans fats” according to the label but secretly are destroying your health by pumping trans fats into your bloodstream.

Trans fat labeling is a (more…)

by Ken Winston Caine

You may already know that cinnamon is an anti-inflammatory — one that nicely complements ginger and turmeric.

Now test tube, animal and human studies are confirming that cinnamon lowers blood sugar.

As little has 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoonful of cinnamon per day lowered blood sugar by roughly 20% in a recent U.S. Agricultural Research Service study involving 60 diabetic volunteers who were not using insulin.

Added bonus: Their cholesterol and tryglyceride levels dropped, too.

Double bonus: Other studies have shown (more…)

Quick. Easy to fix. Tasty. Healthy. Less expensive than a Taco Bell plain bean burrito and twice as good.

Calling it a burrito is a New Mexico stretch. It’s kin to the Santa Fe “smothered” burrito. You can’t pick this up to eat it. You eat it with a fork on a plate.

Ingredients:

- 1/3 can of Trappey’s Jalepeno Navy Beans
- Whole wheat tortilla (more…)

by Ken Winston Caine

A diet isn’t necessary when you change the mindset…

When you Evoke the Spirit of Wellness ….

When you emphasize your values and strengthen balance and meaning in your life. Which is what Evoking the Spirit of Wellness is all about.

Because when you put into place the LaughingLovingLiving factors you will naturally, and automatically, change how you eat. You will:

• Eat fewer fattening foods.
• Eat nutritious foods your (more…)