Coronavirus and Immune System

Bill and I have received some requests from many countries asking if we would share our thoughts on how they can protect themselves and their families from the coronavirus. The key to good health is a strong immune system.  If we have a weakened immune system we are more susceptible to colds, flu and other problems. Germs are everywhere and being exposed to them is a natural part of life. Every one of these flu pathogens originates in the animal kingdom. The more animals we concentrate in small spaces the more these contagions spread and become stronger. The solution is to Go Vegan - We must continue to educate that by eating a whole food plant based vegan diet is where we build immunity.

Natural Ways to Strengthen Your Immunity

Building a strong immune system is your best defense against infectious illness and disease.  Your immune health depends on the lifestyle choices you make every day. By supporting your body's own natural ability to defend itself against pathogens, you will not only have resistance to colds and flus but to other infectious illness that comes your way. 

Consume a diet rich in fresh, whole foods with abundant organic vegetables, and fruits, avoid sugar, chemicals and processed foods; refer to my book Go Vegan for more dietary information, delicious easy to follow recipes and words of wisdom to keep you in great health as you age.

Cutting down on your sugar intake and working towards cutting it all out altogether should be your number one priority. Sugar decreases our immune response.

Boost your immunity by adopting the following principles:

Eat an Organic Wholesome Diet 
It is essential to give your body excellent daily nutrition to keep your immune system healthy and strong. Nutritional deficiencies make it easier for us to be susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Make sure you have a variety of organic whole-foods including grains, beans, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and  seeds. It is vital to have a balanced macrobiotic/wholefood vegan diet with a variety of ingredients.

Many of us are attracted to eating snacks. Today many foods are highly processed and loaded with sugar such as biscuits, boxed cereals and juices. These additive rich foods will actually weaken the immune system. Snacking can become problematic if you fill up on these 'nutritionally empty foods' and don't eat delicious healthy meals. Make sure to always have good quality snacks such as vegetable sticks, fresh fruit, rice cakes with spreads, sushi or roasted nuts and seeds.

Cold foods; excessive amounts of raw fruits and juices have a weakening effect on the immune system and should be eaten in moderation and only in hot weather, if at all. It is best to eat the whole fruit. 

Kukicha (bancha) tea has a strengthening effect on immunity. Drink it warm with rice syrup or barley malt added if necessary to curb your sugar cravings.  Hot apple juice is relaxing for the body and can be diluted with kukicha as a healthy alternative to cold drinks.

Add fermented foods such as good-quality miso soup to your diet. A cup every day is recommended.  Adding good bacteria to your intestines helps build up your natural defenses. A small amount of good-quality pickles (1-2 tablespoons) to each meal is another way of adding good bacteria to your intestinal flora as is adding natto to your diet.

The greatest concentration of cells related to our immune system is in our small intestines. The healthy bacteria from fermented foods interact with the cells in our intestines in a way that has been shown to activate our immune system.

Make sure you are getting plenty of sweet tasting vegetables such as squash, carrots, cabbage, parsnips and onions. Lightly cooked leafy greens like watercress are also extremely beneficial.
Sea vegetables provide important minerals and help to strengthen the immune system. Nori sea vegetable is very good for using as a snack and can be used on a regular basis.

Phyto Nutrients

Phytonutrients come from a plants own immune system and are helpful for our own healing. The best known of these being antioxidants; Phytonutrients can be found in all plant foods.

Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotics and Vaccines

Today, people are prescribed excessive amounts of antibiotics. Antibiotics can seriously weaken the immune system and also build up a resistance to the medicine itself.

Sleep

We heal during sleep. One of the ways we do this is to release melatonin from our pineal gland. We do this best sleeping in a room that is dark and has minimal EMF (Electromagnetic field).  Keep phone and electrical equipment, including radio alarms well away from you, as the body confuses EMF with light, suppressing melatonin secretion. We produce the most melatonin when asleep between 11pm and 3am.

Enjoy Nature

Getting out into the fresh air can stimulate the immune system cells in lungs and help make our immune system more active. Deep breathing can help as this will also bring more oxygen to our blood.  Nature is an excellent immune stimulator and being exposed in a happy, healthy way does wonders to all aspects of our lives. Relaxing exercise will help blood and lymph circulation, making it easier for our immune system to operate and get rid of unwanted bacteria or viruses.

T.L.C.

Give yourself lots of T.L.C.(tender loving care).  I always do!  Indulge yourself in a seaweed bath, this is a wonderful way to detox and strengthen the immune system. Dry skin brushing daily is a wonderful way to rid the skin of dead cells and boost the lymphatic system.  Treat yourself to a wonderful mitt and body brush and get started.

Immune Boosters – Immune System

• Remove Sugar: Cut out canned drinks, pastries, biscuits and such. A few grams of sugar can destroy your white blood cells' ability to resist infections for several hours.

• Eat for the season – Root vegetables, soups and slow-cooked stews and casseroles are all favourites for the winter, as are beans and lentils. Don’t worry about calories.  Focus instead on the nutritional content. It’s normal to gain some extra weight in the winter. There are over 200 delicious, easy to make seasonal recipes in my other book ‘Macrobiotics for all Seasons’
• Eat more Garlic and Onion: Besides being rich in antioxidants and selenium, garlic is antibacterial and antiviral. Both garlic and onions are part of the Allium family, which is rich in Sulphur-containing compounds responsible for many of their health-promoting effects.

• Exercise: Moderate exercise, even walking a mile or two at least three times a week, helps your lymph system cleanse impurities to boost your immune system. Avoid long grueling workouts. A brisk walk every day is all you need in the winter. Mindful practices such as winter ChiBall, qi gong, tai chi, yoga, Pilates and Feldenkrais are also excellent for building and balancing yin and yang. I have taught this concept for decades and love it. Dry skin brushing and ginger body scrubbing is great for cleansing the lymphatic system and strengthening the immune system.

• Stress Less: This should be an all year practice. Many consider stress or anxiety as the leading cause for decreased immunity. Lighten up. Try meditation or yoga. Laugh more. Be less critical. Worry less.

• Sleep: Not necessarily more, but better. Make sure where you sleep is totally dark so your melatonin production will be sufficient. There are natural melatonin supplements if you feel the need. The different phases of sleep contain two cycles that are deep enough to refurbish your immune system. You need to sleep through them.

• Probiotics: Your body contains ten times more bacteria than cells. Most of them have to be friendly. Friendly bacteria not only attack pathogenic bacteria and fungi, but also they trigger appropriate white cell reactions to invaders and they influence your mental/emotional state. It's estimated that eighty per cent of your 100 trillion bacteria are located in the gut. Friendly bacteria are usually depleted, especially by GMOs. Commercial yogurt is insufficient. Fermented foods, like miso should be staples.  If you're forced into taking antibiotics, double up with fermented foods such as sauerkraut, tempeh and miso soup twice daily.

My Favourite Immune Boosters

Maitake mushrooms Maitake is commonly referred to as 'Hen of the Woods' because the petals resemble plumage. This delicious morsel is very high in protein (27%), contains 15 amino acids and is being studied for its positive effect on the immune system. Maitake takes on a nutty flavor when sautéed. Delicious paired with rice and beans and also many pasta dishes.  I use it in everything. Medical researchers have been studying the anti-tumour activity of mushrooms. Simply put, they can turn on the immune systems T-cells, which travel the bloodstream seeking and destroying cancer cells.  Maitakes are considered the king of mushrooms, because they are so delicious and have a reputation as a very powerful healing food.  Enjoy them in soups, stews, and teas.  This is a great food to boost the immune system.

Burdock

Burdock is a wild hearty plant from the thistle family.  This long dark brown root is renowned as one of nature’s finest blood purifiers and skin clarifiers.  A strong dense root vegetable, burdock has a very centering, grounding energy, and is most commonly used in stews and long simmered sautés. It is a fantastic food to boost the immune system.

Shitake & Maitake Mushrooms

Shitake’s are loaded with nutrition and very powerful to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to cleanse blood alongside boosting the immune system.   Scientists have recently isolated substances from shitake that may play a role in the cure and prevention of heart disease, cancer and AIDS.   Shitake mushrooms can be found in natural food stores.  They have an intensely earthy taste so a few go a long way.  It is necessary to soak the dried ones until tender, about 20 minutes before cooking.  Use the soaking water.    Trim off the stems as they can have a bitter taste.  They are wonderful in soups, stews, gravies sauces and medicinal teas.

Umeboshi plums

Japanese pickles (actually green apricots) with a fruity salty taste.  Pickled in a salt brine and shiso leaves for at least one year (the longer the better) ume plums are traditionally served as a condiment with various dishes, including grains.  Ume plums are reputed to aid in the healing of a wide array of ailments from stomachaches to migraines, because they alkalize the blood.  These little red plums (made red from the shushi leaves) which add vitamin C and iron make good preservatives.  Medicinal teas made with umeboshi boost the immune system.

Ume-Sho-kuzu

The harvested root of the kuzu plant is mighty strong. Imagine the strength of that hardy plant’s root, harvested for this drink, and coating your intestinal walls. No wonder this drink boosts our immunity! I love teaching this in macrobiotic cooking class because it is helpful for so many health conditions and for travel.

• Dissolve 1 teaspoon of kuzu in 1 cup cold spring or filtered water add the flesh and stone of one small umeboshi plum (you can mash the plum with the back of a fork or chopsticks)
• Bring to a simmer, stirring continually to avoid lumping.
• Once the water becomes transparent, add a few drops of shoyu and a 1/4 tsp freshly grated ginger juice along with a few nori seaweed threads

Shio-Kombu – to strengthen the blood and immune system

• Shio-Kombu means ‘salty kombu’ and is a popular condiment in Japan.

• Soak 5 to 6 strips of Kombu until it is soft enough to cut into squares the size of a postage stamp.Place in a sauce-pan and cover with a mixture of ½ cup shoyu and ½ cup water

• Simmer until all the liquid evaporates, about 30 to 40 minutes.Cool off and store in a glass jar.  The Shio-kombu will keep unrefrigerated for over a year.  Only 1 or 2 small pieces are eaten each time.

Tekka – This condiment is made from 1 cup of minced burdock, lotus root, carrot, miso, sesame oil and ginger flavour.  It can be made at home or bought ready-made.  Use sparingly due to its strong contracting nature.  It is a wonderful tonic and aids in helping to create a strong immune system.

Please share my video link on how to live a long healthy life by keeping your immune system in tip top condition. 

In good health

 

 

 

How To Eat Right & Save The Planet

A wonderful start to a new year for me as I share the work from my beloved Bill Tara. His latest publication How To Eat Right & Save The Planet. I have highlighted the link for his book here that is now also available as a kindle version  Please spread the word to your friends, contacts, social media lists, and anyone else. The title for me says it all, what else to say? apart from Go Vegan. Both go hand in hand and our vision is that one will serve the other in terms of bringing more and more people to the table to join us in service for a healthy world for humans and nonhuman alike.

The ethical wasteland of Big Business, Big Medicine, Power Politics, and Advertising has manufactured a diet that is the root cause of so many diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, as well as a broad range of common ailments. It has also created an industry that kills over 70 billion land animals every year.

Too few of us realise how our food choices actually contribute to the climate change we are now experiencing worldwide. Recognizing and understanding the impact of our food choices is the first important step in reversing habits that damage the body, heart, and soul.
 
How to Eat Right and Save the Planet cuts through the hype and nutritional confusion that surround us by first showing how they hide the truth. It then explains how the food that we eat can be a massive force for good in creating personal, social, and environmental health.
 
Bill Tara not only provides vital nutritional facts based on the latest dietary and medical research, but also explains in plain English how our diet impacts social justice and environmental sustainability.
 
How to Eat Right and Save the Planet offers a complete guide to creating a healthy and earth friendly diet for you and your family. With this book in hand, you will understand that each of us can take back control of our health, our family’s health, and, to a great degree,the health of this planet—and it can all begin with our next meal.
 
As many of you know Bill founded the Community Health Foundation in London, England, which was the largest natural health education centre in the world. He was the co-founder of the Kushi Institute and served as Executive Director of the institute’s programmes in both London and Boston.

Bill and I teach a wide variety of workshops and intensive training in macrobiotics, vegan nutrition, and natural health care. We look forward to switching on many more lighthouses around the globe in 2020. 

In good health

Vegan Cooking Classes London

Clearspring & MACROVegan - the birthplace of good food and education

It is our desire to participate in co-creating a world that is filled with connection and love for all who live here, humans and nonhuman alike.

FOOD IS OUR FUTURE……TRUST IN THOSE WITH EXPERIENCE

Learn from dynamic teachers with a combined 90 years of teaching around the world. Eat delicious food, and gain tools to transform your life and take charge of your wellbeing.

The Healthy Vegan Workshop Series London - Purchase Your Tickets Now

25^th January 11.00a.m. to 4.00p.m.

Expand your knowledge with new and exciting classes from MACROVegan

This is a great starter class for those who desire total health and vitality through a vegan diet and lifestyle. A jam-packed day sharing inspiration on how you can eat tasty, healthy food that doesn't break the bank, every day of the week. From breezy breakfasts to dinners in a flash, all these recipes take 30 minutes or less to cook from scratch. Demonstration and participation at the cooking station

What’s Included In Your Day:

Teas and snacks

Servings of all dishes from the menu

Clearspring starter bag filled with fabulous products

Two Presentations on creating a healthy gut biome

Your health questions answered

Recipes and educational tutorials to download to your electronic device

What’s On The Menu With Quick Meals For Busy People

Miso Broth With Tamari & Ginger

Creamy Short Grain Brown Rice Risotto With Roasted Flaked Almonds

Thai Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Coconut Curry

Energised Greens Topped with Sweet Balsamic Glaze & White Sesame Seeds

Mini Orange Chocolate Pots

Cost £169

Whether you join a cooking class, weekend workshop, our Ultimate Health Experience 6 day event or 3 day Mini-Break you will come away educated, motivated and ready to take your health to the next level, and have lots of fun guaranteed.

Bill Tara and Marlene Watson-Tara are international teachers and authors. Both will be doing a book signing at the event. Go Vegan Marlene's latest book is fast becoming a household name. Bill's latest book How To Eat Right & Save The Planet has over 300 reference/studies. Both books are life-changing.   

We look forward to meeting you.

In good health

Our 2020 Vision

In 2006 while living and teaching in Portugal Bill and I drew up our plan to launch our non-profit, entitled, MACROVegan The 2020 Vision. As an essential for solving the current climate emergency, funding and donations were promised but did not come to fruition. However, we continued with our own 2020 vision creating a world were all species could live in peace. That world is a vegan world. Nothing else will bring about the change that is so desperately needed world-wide to heal our environment. 

But alas, as always the world looks to SCIENCE for the answer. The Duke of Cambridge has today announced “the most prestigious environmental prize in history” in a bid to galvanise a decade of action to repair the planet. The Earthshot Prize aims to encourage and inspire people across the world to find innovative new solutions to one of the gravest problems facing the Earth.

As always, they avoid the elephant in the room. Just more of the same old same old. Science does not have the answer, humans do. Every aspect of our lives is ruled by the balancing dance of Yin and Yang, taught through the principles of Macrobiotics. It's the only thing that has ever made sense to me. Restoring and maintaining harmony with nature is key to our health and all who live here, that includes all 8.7 million species. This ancient wisdom sits at the heart of what we teach at MACROVegan . 

We have grown our vision in 27 countries where we have graduates of our MACROVegan  approach to life. As we launch into 2020 with high energy, passion, commitment and never- ending passion to bring about change, we ask you to join us as a new decade dawns. 

By adopting the principles and following our guidelines from our latest free ebook available to download from our online store you can literally change the world with every bite. The situation we face today is solely because of you and me in thinking that human beings are at the centre of the universe, we are so wrong.  We are utterly dependent on other species and we have to take care of them. We are members of one Earth community and need a new trinity that is holistic and inclusive, that embraces the entire planet and all species upon it. Soil is the source of our life and its good to remind ourselves that soil and man are not separate. Without soil there is no food and without food there is no life, trees, forests, animals or people.

My vision for a vegan world inspires me daily. To use my voice for our animal kingdom brings me the greatest joy. Please Go Vegan and love all of life. 

Bill and I wish you a healthy, happy new year and as always, thank you for sharing our work. Your support is much appreciated.

In good health

Health & Healing Start In Your Kitchen

Searching For The Silver Bullet

Science is the language of the modern age. It is only challenged by religion in terms of popular belief. Roughly four hundred years ago science began its steady progress as a social force through insight and invention. The ruling belief in invisible forces driving religion was eventually replaced by the invisible forces of protons and electrons. The accusation of being “anti-science” is equivalent to the ancient curse of heresy in the secular world. Woe be to those who challenge scientific dogma.

The attitude of scientific certainty in all matters is, unfortunately, wide of the mark. Science has produced astounding benefits but can be notoriously abused. The abuse usually comes from one of two sources, they are the ethics of the application of the discovery and the question of who paid the bill. The fact that inventions and insights are often best left till the implications of their use is fully understood is something that the rush to market often ignores. The same is true of science that has been bought and paid for to support the need for a product or service that is harmful or useless.

We have the research to show that heart disease can be managed and even reversed through simple changes in lifestyle and yet we are willing to take dangerous drugs to offset the symptoms. The rate of diabetes in teens sky rockets, we know the cause and yet the problem “needs more study”. We suffer from a naive belief that science will come up with a pill or a miracle cure. We have given away our ability to act before given expert permission.  It reminds me of the character from the old joke about the man who falls off a twenty-story building and is heard to say as he plunges past the tenth floor, “So far, so good”.

Nutritional Science Started In Your Kitchen

The study of nutrition in ancient times was focused on the medicinal effects of foods. The kitchen was where nutritional science was born in making healing soups, stews and teas.  It was only in the 19th century that we started dissecting the food and looking for its hidden secrets. That approach helped solve many health problems. The links between diet and illnesses such as scurvy, beriberi, anaemia and rickets helped save lives and reduce misery. The great breakthroughs were about deficiencies.  The problem is that most nutritional problems in modern society are diseases of excess. It is what we are consuming in excess that is killing us. To learn how to disease proof your family join us at our Vegan Workshop Series London 2020. 

The modern diet is filled with animal fat and protein, trans-fats, refined sugars and chemical additives. It is heavy on calories and light on nutrition. The solution is simple: what is required is the opposite – a diet that is low on calories and nutritionally dense. A diet that fits these criteria is the one that we have been recommending to our clients and students for decades. Marlene's latest book is filled with delicious, nutritious recipes and educational material to guide you back to health.

The drive to discover 'what’s missing' continues to be an institutional prejudice in nutritional science. Nutrition researchers are always excited by the latest super-nutrient hiding in an obscure tropical fruit, or the single evil chemical lurking in a common vegetable. We are searching for outlaws and miracles and ignoring the simple truth that sits before us, a macrobiotic vegan diet not only promotes health but can also assist in reversing many disease processes. It is a sustainable, healing and delicious diet that promotes justice and health for all life, human and non-human alike.

For more information, video links, on-line courses, blogs, books and free e-books visit us at www.macrovegan.org.

Please Go Vegan and love all of life. The world needs you, right now.

In good health

Bill Tara

 

DHA Supplement Is Not Required

We are still swimming in the sea of confusion about nutrition on a plant-based vegan diet. Do we need supplements? What about DHA? There has been so much fear mongering over the past months about supplementing with DHA - Docosahexaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid that is a primary structural component of the human brain, cerebral cortex, skin, and retina.

In physiological literature, it is given the name 22:6. It can be synthesized from alpha-linolenic acid or obtained directly from maternal milk, fish oil, or algae oil.

This is the best and most honest presentation I have found that Bill and I 100% support. Please watch the video from our good friend Dr. Tim Radak it will answer every question you may have about supplementing with DHA.

We obtain all we need from plants. The only supplement we require is B12. You can also obtain B12 from fortified foods such as nutrition yeast. 

Vitamin B12, also called "cobalamin," is one of the eight water-soluble vitamins that play a key role in the metabolism of every cell in the human body, and is especially important in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and the formation of red blood cells. 

Only bacteria have the enzymes needed for the synthesis of various forms of Vitamin B12. No fungi, plants, or animals can make vitamin B12. However, animal tissues significantly store vitamin B12, which is made from bacteria that they have consumed. This is the reason that meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and dairy foods are recommended sources of B12 in people's diets. Those of us who follow a vegan diet (no animal foods) are often told we must eat animal foods or risk developing deficiency of this essential vitamin. This is absolute nonsense. Bill and I see countless clients who are big meat eaters with B12 deficiencies.

Fortunately, we live in a world naturally populated with trillions of B12-producing bacteria. Plus our mouth and large intestine are very large reservoirs of B12-synthesizing bacteria. The various sources of bacteria in our environments supply sufficient amounts for most people, and as a result, actual cases of vitamin B12 deficiency disease due to lack of sufficient oral intake are very rare.

Following a delicious, diverse whole food plant based vegan diet is the way to go for optimal health. You will find 85 recipes in my latest book Go Vegan available world-wide on amazon or in bookstores. All my recipes have the perfect balance of omega 3 and omega 6 ratio. Hydrate, exercise, eat plants, get some sun, go vegan and enjoy life. 

In good health

Bill Tara Receives Life Time Achievement Award

Lifetime Achievement Award - Kushi Peace Prize

We recently returned from a trip to Boston and the beautiful Berkshires, Massachusetts, where Bill was being awarded an accolade for his life's work. Previous recipients that you may know are

• Suzuko Yamamoto who introduced Shiatsu massage to the West
• Dennis Kucinich, an American politician, a vegan and great supporter of health initiatives
• Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
• Dr. Maggie Cottrell, a pioneer in medicine and in treating AIDS with natural therapies

The Gala Dinner & Keynote Speech

Bill was presented the award for his 55 years of teaching and spreading Macrobiotics world-wide. Ed Esko gave a lovely talk about how Bill was a true pioneer and inspiration, travelling all over Europe and giving lectures and seminars. His keynote speech, 'The Future Of Nutrition' was enjoyed by everyone. I am very proud of Bill for speaking the truth and never changing his story. His passion for our environment is like no other and I look forward to his words of wisdom for many more decades to come.  

In the days prior to driving to the Berkshires, we took a trip down memory lane to visit the first Macrobiotic store in downtown Boston where Bill worked in the mid 60's. 

Thanks to all who organised the Macrobiotic Summer Conference at Eastover, a beautiful part of New England. We both taught many classes and had much fun catching up with so many friends that we hadn't seen in years, and in particular for Bill who left the Berkshires in the mid 80's he sure had the best trip down memory lane. 

Join Us In Service For A Healthy World

We look forward to our next two week intensive MACROVegan Health Coach Course here in September. Switching on more lighthouses around the world is our mission. My book Go Vegan is now in the following countries: Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia, Hungary, Dubai, USA, Belgium, Croatia, The Netherlands, India, Japan, U.K. China and France. I thank all of you for supporting our work. If you have purchased my book from amazon world-wide I would very much appreciate a review and thank you in anticipation.
In the words of Albert Einstein 'Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of human survival on planet earth as much as the evolution of a vegetarian diet' 

In the worlds of Marlene and Bill - That evolution is here - it is veganism.  Please join us in service for a healthy world for humans and nonhumans alike. Thank you all. 

In good health

Summer Solstice Tips

Summer Living - Take It Easy

The summer solstice (or estival solstice), also known as midsummer, occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky and is the day with the longest period of daylight. At the pole, there is continuous daylight around the summer solstice.

Summer Fitness

As a teacher of ChiBall/Yoga, summer is one of my favourite classes to teach, both physically and in my cooking/nutrition sessions. As the season of passion, abundance and high energies, we should flourish physically, mentally and emotionally. In my Summer ChiBall class we will have sequences based on specifically working the heart and small intestine, as these are the corresponding organs for the fire element. The heart pumps blood – the small intestine processes food so the body can use it. The stomach receives food – the small and large intestines transmit and excrete waste. The triple warmer releases heat and the pericardium protect our heart from emotional stress.

Summer Fun

FIRE – Laughter and joy are valuable emotions and today there are sadly not enough of these wonderful emotions on display.  Someone who can’t laugh or show love and affection, or who demonstrates excess amounts, reveals a Fire imbalance. Remember we are all looking to achieve the same.  BEING IN OUR ELEMENT! The key therefore to the Fire Element ChiBall class is for healing your heart, improving your circulation…relieving insomnia…reducing anxiety…developing self-love, because when we lack fire, we lack emotional warmth. If your energy reserves are low and you feel fatigued, this can mean that the kidney energy is low and that you did not rest enough and recuperate during the winter.  If this is the case, then it is essential that you look after yourself as much as possible in the summer months, or your energy could be even lower in winter, leaving you more susceptible to colds and other viral infections.

Summer Tips

This is the best time of year to lose weight, so choose foods which are easy to digest, eat salads and fresh fruits. Sea vegetables salads such as wakame with grated apple, Arame mixed with fresh greens are a great way to pack in minerals.  Use Sweet White Miso to lighten up the taste of your daily miso soup and simply cook with tiny tofu cubes. Macrobiotic Paella is a favourite dish of mine to cook at this time of year served alongside a delicious summer salad. Use spring onions and some parsley for garnish.  On the whole our diet should be of a cooler, lighter nature. Foods that strengthen the heart are bitter endive and dandelion, asparagus, whole grains such as rice and bulgur or couscous, and don’t forget to drink lots of clean living water. Dandelion root tea is an excellent tea for strengthening the heart and also aids in digestion.

Calming Summer Foods

As the ‘shen’ or ‘spirit’ is ruled by the heart, it is important to recognise both the foods, which settle and support the ‘shen’ and those, which weaken it. Sugar, alcohol, tea, coffee, refined foods, large evening meals and food consumed late at night, weaken it. Lemons have a calming action on the mind, as do whole grains, such as oatcakes which is attributed to the fact that these raise serotonin levels, an important neurotransmitter in the brain which is known to promote sound sleep and tranquillity. You will find a plethora of foods for every season in my book Go Vegan available world-wide on amazon.

Summer Solstice Noodle Bowl

Here is the basic formula for creating an endless variety of wholesome, tasty, and brilliantly colourful pasta salads based on what you find throughout the seasons. Always a great hit among the ‘mixed’ crowd of vegans and non-vegans. 

1 pack corn and rice fusilli pasta 

For the dressing 

1 cup oil-free mayonnaise (page 194) 

1½ tbsp brown rice vinegar 

2 tsp Dijon mustard 

2 tsp brown rice syrup 

2 tbsp juice from dill pickles or ume plum vinegar 

For the salad 

1 cup roasted red pepper, cut into small dice 

1 cup carrots, grated 

1 cup olives, black and green, chopped 

1 cup celery, cut into small dice 

1 cup cucumber, peeled and cut into small dice 

2 cups spring onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal 

1 cup red radishes, very thinly sliced 

1 cup dill pickles, cut into small dice 

½ cup fresh parsley, minced 

½ cup fresh coriander, minced 

Garnish 

Red and green chicory leaves 

Chopped chives and roasted pine nuts 

In a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dressing and set aside. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Remove from the heat and rinse in cold water until completely cooled. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Add all the vegetables herbs and mix well. Stir in the dressing and garnish with the chives and roasted pine nuts. Decorate with the green and red chicory leaves. Enjoy my bowl of sunshine. Makes 6–8 servings. 

Essential Oils

Lavender has an affinity with the Fire Element, partly due to its ability to clear heat. On an emotional level calms and soothes the ‘SHEN’ in times of stress and exhaustion, so helping with symptoms such as panic attacks, hysteria and insomnia. Invokes peacefulness of spirit and tranquillity of the mind. Can lower blood pressure and ease palpitations.

Flower Remedies

Agrimony, for those who on the surface may appear cheerful but underneath is hiding anxiety and pain. Can transform inner pain and suffering by bringing a note of lightness, joy and the ability to laugh at our problems.

When is the last time you said to a friend, how healthy are your intestines? Not something we are likely to talk about is it? Most of us, however, would be unlikely to gauge the health of any of our organs. Physical symptoms to watch out for if our intestines are not functioning properly are, anaemia, poor muscle tone, pain in the lower abdomen and haemorrhoids. Treat yourself to some ‘Sweet Orange’ Essential Oil, antispasmodic oil that is ideal for digestive disorders and can help to unblock stagnant chi when it accumulates in the body. Physically it can also help with symptoms of abdominal distension and pain, flatulence or irritable bowel. Sweet Orange is mildly sedative and on an emotional level can help to relax the ambitious workaholic who over-works. Instils an air of buoyancy and joy when inhaled and can be a good oil to help combat insomnia.

Having understood then about the FIRE ELEMENT [heart and small intestine] let us all look at the phrase ‘quality time’ which is one we hear often in this busy day and age – time to put aside a regular appointment with number one ‘YOURSELF’.

As you are aware the ChiBall Method is a holistic approach to exercise, therefore, holism means the care of the whole person, mind, body and spirit, so let’s grab the opportunity with both hands and improve our well being!

Thank you for your interest and have a healthy and enjoyable summer.

In good health

 

 

 

 

 

 

The World Goes Vegan

Our vision that the world goes vegan is what Bill and I teach with gusto daily. If you think about all the food that is grown in the world, corn, soybeans and grains, just to feed animals, it is enormous. These crops are genetically engineered for animal feed and here is the problem. Firstly you have to irrigate these crops which takes up a huge amount of water, you have to use fertilisers so there is a lot of nitrogen going into the soil and lets not forget to mention the pesticides and herbicides that are used also. As the crops are irrigated, the nitrogen trickles off the fields into streams and ends up in the rivers and as this accumulates you end up with a huge overgrowth of algae growing because of all the fertiliser run off going into the water. The algae die off and end up destroying any life forms in the water and that is what is causing the dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico.

Making The Best Food Choices

THE FOOD CHOICES we make have an ENORMOUS IMPACT on the environment. This devastation to our water all started because of that ear of corn or soy that is grown to feed livestock. What's the answer? The answer is to eat the plants directly, grown organically for humans and not grown to feed animals that we then kill and eat. We would have a much cleaner planet and we could feed more people. Agriculture occupies forty percent of the earths land-mass, that's nearly half! Incredible, just incredible. We bulldoze down huge amounts of land to raise crops to grow feed for livestock, it's just outrageous. If people went vegan, the amount of land needed for agriculture would be just a fraction of that. 

If you are not following a vegan diet, you are not an environmentalist. There is no two ways about it. You are either a vegan, or you are part of the problem. Aside from Bill's recent book Eating As If All Life Matters - one of the key books we ask all our students to read is Diet For A Small Planet by Frances Moore-Lappe. Frances wrote that book over 40 years ago and today, continues her wonderful educational work. At least thirty percent of all greenhouse gasses can be contributed to food production, and it also takes 1800 gallons of water to produce just 1lb of beef. Huge amounts of grains are also grown to feed chickens and again come with a load of pesticides and other toxic fertilisers. 

The EAT Lancet commission came up with some interesting findings: Not only can you save the environment but you can save lives if people moved towards a plant based diet. This has been taught in Macrobiotics for the past five decades, however, science is catching up. Increasing plant consumption can eliminate 11 million premature deaths a year. A plant based-diet saves lives, will save the environment and eventually end the inhumane cruelty to animals. Where does climate change fit in with all of this? The impact that green house gases have on climate change are real, very real and reducing them would help stop climate change. As our friend and colleague Dr. Neal Barnard says If you took all the cows in NA and put all the cows in one side and all the people on the other side, each cow is as big as a sofa so the mass of cows is far bigger than the mass of people. Each cow is belching out methane. Belching comes from the cows mouth, they are ruminating. When you drink milk or eat beef, you are ingesting products that came from a methane producing factory.

Factory Farming Is Ruining The Earth & Its Inhabitants

There are factory farms all over the US producing methane. We all have the choice to shut down these methane factories that produce green house gas by choosing to adopt a vegan diet. While carbon dioxide is typically painted as the bad boy of greenhouse gases, methane is roughly 30 times more potent as a heat-trapping gas. Human-related Sources: In the United States, the largest methane emissions come from the decomposition of wastes in landfills, ruminant digestion and manure management associated with domestic livestock, natural gas and oil systems, and coal mining. To grow all those grains you need tractors that use fossil fuels that also contribute to the production of methane. Animal agriculture is a bigger contributor to green house gasses than cars, trains, planes and transportation in general. You don't need to wait for a factory to cap its smoke stacks you can control your contribution to climate change by going vegan. 

Feed The World

There are nearly one billion people starving to death and one billion people eating themselves to death. Two-Thirds of maize, barley and soy and about one third of all grains are used to feed animals instead of feeding humans. Livestock are fed daily the grains that are used to fatten them up for very little return in terms of the meat produced. This is crazy. Think of the acreage and the amount of food that could be grown to feed humans, no one would be hungry. We can grow enough food to feed the world and as a huge bonus think about the reduction in health care costs, it would be simply mind-blowing. Our human ecology diet weaves all of this together. You get healthy, you save the animals, you assist with the reduction in green house gasses, you help others to have food, the benefits are bountiful to all we hold dear. 

When clients come to us for health counselling, they have no interest in veganism. However, as their health is renewed, their heart opens along with their eyes. They become concerned about the cruelty to our animals, the devastation to our earth and many register to study with us to become health coaches. It's seriously a great joy to behold. 

Eating a plant-based diet is simple and easy to do. You will find many educational videos like this one here on how to cook grains beans, vegetables dishes and desserts on our TV Channel. There are delicious recipes on our website and in our on-line store for free download and my new book Go Vegan stacked with education and 85 mouth-watering recipes is available for pre-order world-wide on amazon. 

In good health

The Perplexity of the Vegan Ecologist

What is known is - the world is disintegrating before our eyes. I am not speaking about societies they come and go. I am referring to the actual world, what we usually refer to as the environment – nature. When nature goes it doesn’t come back. Damage can sometimes be reversed but the extinction of a plant, an insect, a fish, a mammal or a bird is a final act. It is gone forever. With it goes the function that it served, a thread in the vast tapestry of life.  Who would do such a monstrously stupid thing? Who indeed?

Now some, but not all, realize that the existential threat of our actions is rebounding on us. As ice melts, oceans rise, insects disappear, and climate driven fires burn down the forests we consider action. We need action.  Sign a petition, march in the streets, change the lightbulbs, buy a bike – all good stuff. Maybe we can elect green politicians that can sort it out, maybe we can force the oil and coal industries to “leave it in the ground”. Maybe someone else can undo the damage we all contribute to every day.

Our default setting is to look for someone to blame and there are plenty of villains out there, both real and imagined. Greedy business bosses, crooked politicians, industrial polluters, gods will, the position of the stars or our position on the Aztec calendar. But what about us? Are we victims of a cruel world?

I have noticed, you may have too, that the act that every person can do to slow and even reverse climate change is often left as an afterthought. What is known is – eating animals and using them as food is the number one cause of environmental destruction. Yes, there are other causes but animal agriculture, the production of animals for meat, dairy, eggs and even fish farms are an environmental tragedy. What is known is – if we stopped eating animals and using animal product the world would be a better and healthier place for ourselves and future generations. The question is why don’t we just do that?

DO YOU HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME?

Great little saying that I understand comes to us from the wonderful world of investment finance. Having Skin in the Game means that you actually put in some of your own money before advising others to invest. It means that you share personal risk in a project. You are not on the sidelines cheering, you are not an observer you are a participant. Being a vegan means you have “skin in the game” of ecological renewal, you are serious.

When I hear that someone is 80% vegan or vegan on Fridays or vegan with some fish added my first thought is that it is like saying you are a little bit pregnant. My second thought is that they are not serious, they have no skin in the game. Environmentalists who suggest we “reduce” the amount of meat and dairy have no skin in the game, they are unwilling to make the issue of environmental health and justice personal. It seems they do not want to upset anyone with actual personal action.

Living a vegan life reinforces your commitment to the living planet every day in a very intimate way. The most common social action, eating with others becomes a statement of purpose. This is not about shouting at people about their habits, that is childish. This is not about showing snuff pictures of animal farming. This is about you, living a violence free life.

If we need further motivation past the reversal of climate change there is always human health, the saving of non-human life and many other “benefits” from turning our backs on animal slaughter as a cultural norm. If we don’t do it, we have simply not thought about it, and we have no skin in the game.