Friday, September 2, 2011

Amazonian Indian Turns 120 Because of Healthy Lifestyle


Check out this story about a woman from the Kaxinawa tribe (or Huni Kuin - "true people" as they call themselves) in Brazil who just celebrated her 120th birthday a couple days ago.  Her longevity could have been a result of keeping a strong connection to the indigenous ways of her people (and maybe also not eating salt, sugar and other processed foods!).  Read about it here.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

A Green Smoothie that Gandhi Would Have Loved

The other day I turned this into.....


this!

I found the lovely Purslane plant growing out of the pavement at my sister's house, pulled up several stems, through them in a blender with a hand full of pineapple, a banana and some water and made the most delicious smoothie.  Originating in India, Purslane is the wild edible know for having the highest omega 3 content of any plant.  It also contains high amounts of vitamins A, C and E and minerals iron, potassium, maganese, calcium and magnesium. I was also pleased to find in my research that purslane was one of Ghandi's favorite foods.  Read more about it and get a closer look at this succulent plant so you can more easily identify it here and here.
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Monday, July 18, 2011

More Drum, Dance and Song of the Congo



The other night my family and I had the privilege to see an amazing group perform in one of their first U.S. appearances.  With awesome choreography, drumming and dance, Ngoma za Kongo (Drums of the Congo), take traditional rythms and ritual dance from several regions of Central Africa, combine them and then add their own contemporary elements.  This four man, one woman group had everybody up and dancing by the end.


Saturday, July 9, 2011

Diet of the "Running People" of the Sierra Madres


Check out this post from Yael Writes about  tribe of people (the Tarahumara) who live in the mountains of New Mexico and are known for their excellent health and long distance running skills.

Read about them here

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Learning About Green Smoothies in East Africa

Amazingly awesome; Valya and Victoria Boutenko of the Raw Family have been in Kenya teaching locals ways to consume the organic greens they have been growing with the help of non-profit Organics 4 Orphans.
Vitamix even donated blenders for the cause. 
Maybe I will carry the torch when we move to Senegal.  This inspires me so much.

I've posted the full article below from their newsletter, because I wasn't able to link to it their site.

From Kenya


Dear Friends.
I am sending you this newsletter from Kenya Africa.
Victoria Boutenko in Kenya
Valya and I are witnessing a great health revolution here. Thousands of African adults and children are learning to grow organic greens and to eat them daily. Several churches are serving green smoothies on Sundays because most people don't have electricity at home.
It all started several years ago, when a Canadian couple, Dale and Linda Bolton, learned that 30 million orphans were starving in Africa. Dale and Linda realized that it was impossible to feed all these children. That is why they co-founded a non profit organization called, "Organics 4 Orphans." (www.organics4orphans.org) Five years ago, they started training African people to grow vegetables organically. They trained several experts in organic biodynamic gardening who continue to constantly train others. In four years, they have created over 120 huge gardens one of which is pictured below.
Victoria Boutenko in Kenya


Every one of these gardens received organic seeds, tools, and training from Organic4Orphans. When it was necessary, this organization helped to drill a well and to repair houses. Each garden is cared for by 6-12 women.

Victoria Boutenko in Kenya



Each of these groups of women takes care of up to 100 orphans ages 2-10. Together they grow predominantly green vegetables.

Victoria Boutenko in Kenya
Last year Dale contacted me asking for help. "How can we inspire the growers to eat their own greens?" he asked. Their organization had taught Africans to grow delicious greens, but they had a hard time teaching them to actually consume those crops. Valya and I decided to fly to Africa. I wrote a letter to the president of Vitamix Corporation and told him about this project. In response, Vitamix generously donated six blenders for this project. Three weeks ago, Valya and I arrived in Kenya and began teaching. Every day we visited numerous farms, schools, and churches.


Victoria Boutenko in Kenya
We met with several African people who reversed many illnesses by simply adding lots of fresh greens to their meals. We asked these people to come and share their stories in front of large audiences. The six blenders became handy. Each time we brought enough smoothies for hundreds of people to taste.

Victoria Boutenko in Kenya
In addition we washed greens and passed them out to our audience. I have never seen anyone munching greens with such positive enthusiasm. When Valya and I teach, our listeners are very attentive and ask lots of questions. Several students from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Congo, and other countries came to study with us.
We are greatly inspired by what we see in Kenya. We hope that this great African healing with greens will bring health to many other countries including North America.

Valya is videotaping our activities. Just wait until we return back home, and she will put together several short videos for you to watch on youtube. Greens are ending poverty and hunger in Africa, and Africa is inspiring the rest of the world to become healthy the natural way.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Valuing the Indigenous Way of Knowing


My search for the meaning of education especially as it applies to my seven year old son with a "learning difference" and a poor aptitude for academics, has brought me to the doorsteps of the alternative and progressive and unschooling movements.  Through the Alternative Education Resource Education newsletter I discovered this appropriate essay on the limitations of Western knowledge; "The Other Way of Knowing" by Lilian Na'ia Alessa, a descendant of the Salish tribe of British Columbia.  Her writing appears on the site of an equally amazing and appropriate movie titled "Schooling the World: The White Man's Last Burden", a film that "poses an almost heretical challenge to the long-unquestioned assumption that the western model of education and schooling improves lives wherever it goes."
Please check out the trailer for this important film here:  SD Trailer | Schooling the World

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Day at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum

Last weekend we spent the day at one of our favorite museums, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center.  Housed on the South Eastern Connecticut Mashantucket tribal land next to the famed Foxwoods Casino, the museum contains a stunning collection of "multi-sensory dioramas and exhibits of eastern woodland and Mashantucket Pequot life", with detailed videos on everything from cooking traditional dishes to making dug-out canoes.











Sunday, March 13, 2011

10 Things I’ve Learned Traveling Around the World | Frederic Patenaude Raw Foods Diet

Photo by Frederic Patenaude
Interesting article by a raw food educator, Frederic Patenaude.
Some of his observations include that people eat a lot "junk" food pretty much everywhere and in many countries "health consciousness" is still a strange idea.
Check it out here.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Beautiful Stills from BBC Earth's "Human Planet"

Timothy Allen, Central Highlands, Papua New Guinea
Breathtaking slide show of photographer Timothy Allen's favorite still shots from his work on the BBC Earth's show Human Planet
View the slide show with Tim's fascinating commentary here.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

A Magical West Africa and South Africa Musical Collaboration



Last night I went to a great performance with one of my favorite African artists, Habib Koite.  The concert was a beautiful intra-African collaboration and melding of West African and South African talents.  Featuring the guitar stylings of both Habib and Afel Boucom from Mali and Oliver Mtukudzi of Zimbabwe, the show was a rare treat.  Tuku, Wassoulou and Tuareg sounds and rhythms were played by a musical group that included both the N'Goni (Malian guitar predecessor) and M'Bira (thumb piano).  Take a listen to parts of two songs above.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Free "Healthy 4 Life" Traditional Nutrition E-Book


The Weston Price Foundation is offering a free e-book of "Healthy 4 Life" - a book containing a summary of their basic nutritional philosophy, as well as many traditional recipes.
Download it here
Via the great Nourishing Gourmet site.
More about Weston Price here

Thursday, February 3, 2011

"Health Doesn't Come Through a Needle"

Please take a moment to read this brief compelling article by Dr. Sheri Tenpenny. It's a very well stated explanation of a health concept whose time is long overdue.
Read it here

Thursday, January 27, 2011

" I love Music...And I Want to Make People Dance"

The above spoken by DJ Frank Gossner of the Voodoo Funk blog in the soon to be completed documentary, "Take Me Away Fast", "a film about a DJ who journeys throughout West Africa to discover rare, vinyl recordings of Afro-beat and Afro-funk music."   Frank is a true cultural preservationist; saving a part of these cultures (the film chronicles Ghana, Benin and Togo) that might otherwise be lost forever, as the vinyl is often destroyed or forgotten about.


Through  his blog found out that I could pledge money to help get the film completed by going to the Kickstarter sight of filmaker Leigh Iacobucci.  I couldn't give much but I hope it helps get this film finished.  Looks like it will be a great!
Help Leigh with the completion of the documentary with a pledge even as small as a $1 here.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Healing Power of Rhythm and the Voice


Last weekend I had the pleasure of drumming for a yoga and chakra balancing workshop at my sister's yoga studio (Mystic Yoga Shala).  Instructor Jim Conlan led students through a series of chants in coordination with various rhythms and yoga postures.  My sister and I played along with a cd by famed percussionist Glen Velez comprised of 7 different rhythms that are believed to stimulate and balance the 7 chakra energy centers of the body.
I wasn't able to chant while playing the rhythms, but the concentration it took to play them was a meditation in itself and put me in a yogic state I haven't experienced in a long time while drumming.  I hope to do much more of this kind of drumming in 2011!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Start the New Year Off With Supreme Nutrients for Your Body


Had to do a new year's re-up of the Boku line of superfood, protein powders and more.
 My family and I have been making smoothies from both the superfood powder and brown rice protein powder for the past year and a half now and I can at least say that my husband and I both notice an increase in our energy and an overall general feeling of being healthier.  As far as my 6 year old goes, he probably doesn't notice anything different, but I feel confident that he's getting important nutrients that will offset the dominance of pizza and cake in his diet.  Oh yeah, and did I say that it tastes really good too?  (This comes from a major sweetaholic.)
Take a gander at the stellar line up of ingredients(pictured above) in their Super Food powder.........nuff said.  The best of the best for your body.
Not listed, raw brown rice protein powder boasts a full spectrum of amino acids and "26 grams of highly bio-available protein".
You can order Boku products here.