I have to begin by admitting to being a former sugar addict.  Never having dealt with weight issues, I felt I had a free pass to eat as much sugar as I wanted, whenever I wanted.  I consumed sugar daily and more often than not, all day long in some form or another.  Dessert was a must.  A full package of cookies in a sitting was no big deal.  I wasn’t consciously aware of any guilt. I thought I was a healthy person.  I was fit, I was active and I ate what I thought was a pretty healthy diet, besides the sugar of course.  Luckily, my body finally gave me a reason to look deeper into how I had been treating it.  A lot of things have changed for me now, my life has improved dramatically and I owe most of this to what I have learned about sugar.

Sugar, it’s seemingly sweet and simple, but this kitchen staple has a dark side.  Besides fake (chemical & genetically altered) and cruel (factory farms) food, this is one of the most damaging ingredients you can consume.  I could go into depth on the ways sugar harms the body and mind, but Vin Miller at Natural Bias has already written an excellent and thorough article on the topic here, which I highly recommend.

With a history steeped in unconscionable crimes against humanity and the environment along with a present day ‘Big Sugar’ lobby in Washington, sugar has more than it’s fair share of injustices.  Sugar has it’s roots in slavery and today still relies heavily on indentured servants.  One example of the grave mistreatment of human beings in the cultivation of sugar are the Bateyes (sugar workers’ towns) in the Dominican Republic.  Haitians are often bribed to take ‘jobs’ with the promise of a better life for their families.  They are trucked into the DR and then after confiscating their documentation (so they have little means for escape) are forced to live in police states.  They are expected to work 12 hours of hard labor each day for the average pay of two dollars…per day.  The work is some of the most labor intensive still performed by humans today and the conditions are harsh.  With extreme temperatures, clouds of dust and working mostly with machetes and bare hands, illness and injury runs rampant.  The workers have no access to medical care and very limited access to food.  Families are forced to purchase food from the stores erected in the bateyes at costs double and triple that of what is available in local towns.  Families caught growing their own food have their gardens destroyed, forcing many to go hungry or subsist chewing on canes of sugar.  You can imagine the damage this causes for their bodies and teeth, especially in growing children.

Everglades and Turner River by Chauncey Davis

Environmental damage is of great concern, especially here in the US where the ecologically important Florida Everglades is being destroyed by sugar farms.  Efforts to protect the environment and place taxes on sugar production have been futile as the Big Sugar lobbies hold huge power in government.  Two years ago the governor of Florida proposed a $1.75 Billion deal to buy out the 180,000 acres of Everglades land currently owned by the sugar elite, however this deal has been dramatically scaled back during negotiations.  Just last week the state voted in favor of a plan to purchase 27,000 acres for $1.97 Million.  Even though it sounds like a small victory, it is US Sugar who benefits the most from this deal.  The acreage is made up of six disconnected parcels, much of which has been devastated by plant disease and toxic chemicals such as DDT and arsenic.  US Sugar let go of some unusable and contaminated land and gets paid far above current market value.  The Everglades are in a critical state and this purchase has actually stopped the restoration work that was in process as available funding will now be appropriated to the sale.

Seek out healthy substitutes for sugar.  Cutting out sugar doesn’t mean never having a sweet again, once you re-balance your tastes a little sweetness goes a long way and it can be achieved through more natural and nutrient rich sources such as dates, honey, stevia, molasses, coconut sugar or maple syrup.  It is time for us to cultivate awareness and take action.  We need to inform ourselves because, currently, there is a carefully placed veil between us and the most basic things in our lives.  Information is readily available on most every topic, most times at the touch of a button.  Question, explore and find more meaningful ways to find joy than the fleeting euphoria of a sugar high.

As a sidenote, with two authors of this blog the views expressed are not always shared between both parties.

Over the past several months my eyes have opened to the carefully crafted lies we’ve all bought into about our food, our water, our consumerism, our energy consumption and our ‘health’ system. Our entire culture has been brainwashed over decades by a system based on greed and suppression.  For a time, we didn’t even notice it was happening.  However, now the math is beginning to sneak into our psyches.  The calculations have been running quietly in the backgrounds of our minds, beginning to make us uneasy, even when we didn’t consciously know why.  The stuff from which our stuff is made is running out.  The soil is dying, we’re running out of forests, we’ve devastated the landscape and destroyed the water.  All of this ecology is also habitat and the life within each has been direly impacted.  The bottom line is, it’s bad, it’s really bad.  There is a reason that we are looking for sustainable answers to today’s problems, because the way we have been living is not. By definition our UN-sustainable lives, practices and energy sources [oil] are seeing their limits and, it seems, they’re just beyond the horizon.  The sun is about to set on this illusion and we are running out of daylight.

Waking up to all of this knowledge, seems overwhelming.  We feel powerless and we want to put our blinders back on.  We stare straight ahead, afraid of what else we may uncover if we begin to believe the editorials of the horrible crimes that have been perpetrated against us.  We lose hope knowing that in turn, we perpetrated horrible crimes against other cultures, innocent beings and the earth through our support of this system.  I am guilty.  It feels bad and I’m sorry, but instead of dwelling there, I want to fix it.  This is an opportunity.

I am ready to do what it takes to end this war on life.  It doesn’t have to be a difficult process.  We can have grand plans about a perfect system that seems impossible to employ, but it can be much easier than that.  We can worry individually about the things that we don’t want to do and the skills that we don’t have, but when it boils down to it if we embrace unlimited compassion within our hearts and let our egos dissolve, the world will begin to right itself.  By this I certainly don’t mean we all sit around with our fingers crossed waiting for some magic fairy to come, wave her wand and restore everything.  When we begin to rebuild from a foundation of love, things have a way coming together.  It means we all do the things we LOVE and we commit to them.  It means we put forth honest effort.  Instead of slackly doing something you dislike for someone you don’t respect (which will inevitably wrap you in a downward spiral of discontent), figure out what you love, stop worrying about money and just do it.  Do it morning and night, with passion, for days until the brilliant ideas start forming in your head.  Don’t be scared along the way by what the television says, or by what the billboard says or even by what your friend or relative says.  Just keep moving steadily forward.  Trust yourself and listen intently for your intuition.  Don’t be easily discouraged and maintain flexibility.  One of my favorite pieces of advice from the Dalai Lama is this:

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Instead of immediately complaining about how you didn’t get what you wanted, be open to the possibility that this is the best thing that could have happened.  This could be clearing a path to an amazing future.  Let go of your grasp on how things should have been and unlock your potential for progress.  Be honest and loving with others and you’ll no longer have to worry about others’ being honest and loving with you.  Drop your ego and it won’t matter what anyone else thinks of you.  You become free.  When you become free, you become happy.  When you become happy you become more productive, more creative and more resourceful.  We are beautiful spirits, capable of amazing things, all we need to do is trust ourselves.

Here are some important changes to make in your life (if you haven’t already) that can make this transition flow more smoothly:

• Look behind the scenes to see where things are originating and the processes that created them.
• Eat nutritious foods; source (non-genetically modified (GMO), no pesticide) whole foods from real people.  Talk to the farmer about how the food was grown.  Eat healthy saturated fats like coconut oil and/or grassfed butter & raw milk and avoid unhealthy vegetable, canola and hydrogenated oils.  Taste the difference and feel the changes in your body.  GMO foods do not have to be labeled.  If it’s in the grocery store, has corn or soy in it and it isn’t labeled ‘organic’ or ‘non-gmo’ then it’s a pretty sure bet that it is gmo.
• Cut as far back on sugar as possible.  This is easiest to do by eliminating all sugar (including most fruit) for at least a week.  Then stay away from all processed sugars including (GMO) high-fructose corn syrup as much a possible.
• Seek out clean water.  When fluoride is artificially added to our drinking water it is a toxic poison.  It is not helping our teeth and even if it were, topical applications would cover us – we shouldn’t be drinking it and bathing in it on a daily basis.  Harvest spring water from a local spring (check out www.findaspring.com to see if there is a spring listed near you, even if there isn’t that doesn’t mean you don’t have one locally).  Install a Reverse Osmosis filter or if well water is clean and available switch over.
• Enjoy the outdoors, take a little time each day to appreciate all the beauty and wonder that nature has to offer.
• Make more connections with people.  This can be as simple as striking up a conversation with the guy standing next to you in line.
• Limit mass consumerism to the best of your ability.  Fill the void with love instead.  When you are about to buy something ask yourself if it is really something that you want or need and how long it is going to be of use to you.  When you do shop seek out local, independent retailers.  If you need a gift for someone else consider lessons or classes, purchase them rights to a streaming movie from amazon, some used books you know they’ll love or buy or make something handcrafted  & from the heart.
• Avoid chemicals whenever possible.  Read the ingredients on everything and research alternatives.  A simple example of an eco-friendly alternative to the toxic soaps we use in the shower – try a local soap from a farmers market or Dr. Bronner’s available at many natural food stores.

The current controversy over the fluoridation of public water supplies doesn’t really leave my thoughts much these days.  This is a practice steeped in deception and elaborate marketing.  Shouldn’t we all have the right to choose whether or not we want to ingest this chemical additive, without having it quietly injected into our drinking water?  A quick check of your local Consumer Confidence Report will show if your town is fluoridating like the majority of towns in the US.  If you currently have fluoridated water here are some simple solutions to get clean drinking water:

• Check out Find a Spring to see if there is a local spring where you can harvest your own spring water.
• Install a reverse osmosis home water filter.
• Install a well if you have clean water at your home or reconnect old wells after testing water.

Whatever the reasons actually are, I think we need to act now to eliminate this practice as soon as possible.  For more information on why you should oppose fluoride in your drinking water check out what these folks have to say here:

10 Fluoride Facts

50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoride in Drinking Water

To find out the levels of Fluoride in your own town’s drinking water call town hall (or go to their website) and ask for a copy of the Consumer Confidence Report.

Well it’s sickness season again and with all the H1N1 hysteria I’ve been trying really hard to keep my mouth shut.  Vaccinations have to be a personal choice; I don’t want people telling me what to do so I try to be careful of pushing my beliefs on to others as well.  Unfortunately, after weeks of holding my tongue, I’m ready to explode.  This blog is a place where I come to give my opinion on things.  It’s time for me to state my opinion, if you agree, if you disagree that is fine, at least we’re talking about it.  The most painful part of the whole medical system for me is that so many people give their doctors blind trust.  Remember, doctors are people too, and EVERYONE, including all doctors and me, makes mistakes!

I personally feel that most strains of germs (including H1N1) are already present in your body all the time.  Illness is the outcome of prolonged stress. Maintaining the fight or flight response, which turns off your immune system so that blood can be preferentially sent to the limbs.  Fight or flight is a highly intelligent program that comes standard with your body at birth, but it was intended for a world where dangers are acute, i.e.  threat of attack from predators, not home forclosure, job loss and other chronic stressors.  So if I become sick and start to blame someone else for sneezing on me, or coming into work with a cold or the flu, it really just sounds like passing the buck.  I am the one who is in control of my health.  What I should be most concerned with is: ‘How can I  reduce stress in my life?  How can I find balance between responsibility and play?  Where can I find joy on a rainy day with a mailbox full of bills?’  The answers are there if you look for them and when you do you will be rewarded with true health and the ability to say no to the injections and chemical concoctions.

]]> http://bareinboots.com/2009/12/01/stress-less-medicate-less/feed/ 0 http://bareinboots.com/2009/11/05/going-green-soap-nuts-for-laundry-and-more/ http://bareinboots.com/2009/11/05/going-green-soap-nuts-for-laundry-and-more/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:31:49 +0000 M.Cokas http://bareinboots.com/?p=192

Soap Nuts for Laundry

You want clean laundry, but you also want to be green, who can you turn to?  Mother Nature; it’s long been common knowledge that she cleans the air, but now, we’re finally realizing, she’s also made provisions to clean our clothes.  Soap Nuts are one of my latest easy to employ (important when you’re a mom of 3 or just plain busy), green cleaners.  How green are Soap Nuts?  Well, they grow on trees; is that green enough for you?  Soap Nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry Tree.  So, you might be wondering how they stack up to a regular detergent, here is what I have found switching from Tide to Soap Nuts:

Soap Nuts

• Much Cheaper than regular detergents, as little as .06 cents per load
• 100% Natural and Biodegradable
• You don’t need to add fabric softener (which makes them even cheaper!)
• Clothes come out just as clean
• No scents & hypoallergenic
• They are gentle enough to use on delicates
• They are low sudsing, so they’re great for HE Washers
• They are easier to use!

How do you use Soap Nuts?  Grab 2 or 5 soap nuts, depending on water temp (I always use cold to save energy).  Throw them into the little cotton sack and throw the sack into your washing machine.  That’s it.  And once that sack is in there, if you’re using cold water you can leave it in for up to 5 loads!  You don’t have to worry about using any fabric softner because the soapberries have their own natural softening agents.  When the shells are used up, just toss them into your compost.

If these little fruits haven’t done enough for you yet, toss a few in a cotton sack and throw them in the dishwasher to replace the chemicals or expensive green substitute you’re currently using.

Laundry Goes Green

Organized Bathroom Cabinet

For many the bathroom cabinet can be a frighteningly muddled wasteland of expired nail polish, hair products and medicines that will never see the glory of use again.  I am here to introduce you to my bathroom cabinet.  One of which I am so proud, I often include it in the tour of my house given to guests I’ve sometimes just met.  I have a feeling of calm and order wash over me everytime I approach it knowing that I am going to be able to find exactly what I am looking for and in record time.  Now I want you to share this feeling when you head into your bathroom to.

How I did it and you can to:

1. Empty out your bathroom cabinet onto a floor or table where you have enough room to work.

2.  Grab the trash can and a recycle bin.  Sit in front of all your hordes of long lost product and sort it into easily definable piles, ie.: cough & cold, stomach, soaps, thermometers, makeup, etc…Clean and recycle what you can no longer use and toss what cannot be recycled.

3.  Assess your piles that are left.  How much of each type is in your piles.

4.  Go out and get yourself some of these handy little plastic drawer units.  Except no substitutes.  You may think some cute baskets would really look very nice and accomplish the same goal.  Wrong; this style of drawer with the see through fronts is really the key to the success of this (and many other) organizational project.  You can get them at Target or Walmart, really anywhere that sells organizational supplies and they are pretty cheap $5-10 each.  I used a combination of the little ones and the big ones in order to fit each of my piles nicely into a drawer.

5.  Put each pile into it’s own drawer and then the MOST IMPORTANT STEP – LABEL EVERY DRAWER.  This is how you keep your husband (or wife:) from mixing up all of your amazing work.

6.  Fix yourself a drink and sip it in awe in front of your new masterpiece.

Remember by doing this you are also helping the environment and your wallet, because when you can find the things you already have they don’t go to waste and you don’t have to buy new ones.