For as long as I can remember my family always had some form of veggie patch in suburbia Melbourne and Canberra. When I moved out of home, it wasn't until I moved into my first rental house that I could start growing veggies again and it didn't take me long to get back into it - even as a single mum at the time, I loved the idea of going out the back and picking what I was going to eat that night.
Most people don't bother. They just go to one of the big super markets and purchase their food there. It's convenient. But at what cost? Listen to any media these days and they are reporting higher obesity levels, increased cancer, diabetes and disorders such as ADHD and Autism. Food allergies and sensitivities have gone through the roof also. When are we going to realise that our move to production and processed food is in line with the increase of dis-ease and dis-orders we are experiencing today? A move to a natural, sustainable approach is on the way... not only because many people don't want chemical, genetically modified food, but because we have to.
How much more can you're body take? A veggie garden doesn't have to take hours each weekend and by getting the kids involved, then you create interest and ownership in the food that lands on the table. I found this Youtube movie inspiring, hopefully you will too.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Amazing Chook
I never thought I could go ga ga over a chook, after all they are just something you eat on a Sunday night aren't they? You just buy it at the supermarket and take it home and cook it. That was before my son was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of five. At that point we decided not to put him on the drug Ritalin or any other drug. What we did was clean up his diet and went organic where we could. Which wasn't very easy in the early 1990s. One of the most memorable moments was comparing his organic chicken breast to ours (purchased from the supermarket) and saw that his looked pink and healthy, whilst ours looked grey and off. The taste was different too. We ended up getting an organic Turkey for Christmas dinner that year and the taste was devine. It's hard to say that we went back to supermarket food, but we did. Cost and time was an element and the fact that Ben was swapping his gluetin free, sugar free, preservative free, organic food with other kids in the play ground. Somethings never went back into his diet (like Coke a Cola) and we limited what sugar and preservatives he had to help him. That and lots of love and changing primary schools to one that supported him and our decision not to put him on drugs helped Ben become the man he is today.
Since then, two other members of our family (niece and nephew) have been diagnosed with Autism and one sister is aggressively pursuing the link to diet and digestive issues now associated with this disorder. So she is now on the path I was 16 years ago and thankfully it's much easier to get organic food. We of course, supply her eggs from our amazing chickens who huddle around us for scraps and pellets and proudly announce arrival of their eggs by clucking rather loudly. We have a lovely male Bantam Rooster who is an absolute delight to have. He shows off to the girls, looks after them and is a pleasure to be around. We put him into a cage in the shed at night as he tends to crow at all hours of the morning and continually for about 5 minutes. He's used to the routine now and walks (and sometimes bounds) down to the chook yard in the morning.
We have a large chook yard (as shown in my last update show) and our new addition is a chook tractor. It was built out of scraps where possible and used giant bamboo for the frame. The bamboo was collected from a friends place down the road. In the tractor we have four of our old girls which were purchased for next to nothing from an egg farm. These girls do not lay very often but still enjoy the social life of a hens life. They scratch the dirt and create baths, fertilize where ever they go and generally prepare the bed for the next planting by eliminating old plants and all weeds. This is why I think they are amazing. They do this work for us, for next to nothing.. Occasionally we put Fifi in (a rooster we named as a chick when we didn't know she was a he), just to keep the girls amused (they hen peck him and put him in his place).
If you'd like to see what it looks like in action , click here:
Since then, two other members of our family (niece and nephew) have been diagnosed with Autism and one sister is aggressively pursuing the link to diet and digestive issues now associated with this disorder. So she is now on the path I was 16 years ago and thankfully it's much easier to get organic food. We of course, supply her eggs from our amazing chickens who huddle around us for scraps and pellets and proudly announce arrival of their eggs by clucking rather loudly. We have a lovely male Bantam Rooster who is an absolute delight to have. He shows off to the girls, looks after them and is a pleasure to be around. We put him into a cage in the shed at night as he tends to crow at all hours of the morning and continually for about 5 minutes. He's used to the routine now and walks (and sometimes bounds) down to the chook yard in the morning.
We have a large chook yard (as shown in my last update show) and our new addition is a chook tractor. It was built out of scraps where possible and used giant bamboo for the frame. The bamboo was collected from a friends place down the road. In the tractor we have four of our old girls which were purchased for next to nothing from an egg farm. These girls do not lay very often but still enjoy the social life of a hens life. They scratch the dirt and create baths, fertilize where ever they go and generally prepare the bed for the next planting by eliminating old plants and all weeds. This is why I think they are amazing. They do this work for us, for next to nothing.. Occasionally we put Fifi in (a rooster we named as a chick when we didn't know she was a he), just to keep the girls amused (they hen peck him and put him in his place).
If you'd like to see what it looks like in action , click here:
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sustainable Health Care
If you prefer to put natural substances in your body so that you remain healthy and feel good and yet sometimes, despite trying to do all the right things, still getting sick then your mind body system is not working as efficiently as it could be.
If your plants get sick, you can apply compost, seaweed tea, mulch them, water them, and feed them with organic fertilising solutions. You nurse them back to health or you check the PH of the soil and nurse it back to health for the next planting. When we get sick, many of us are powerless to find out what is wrong quickly to restore the balance to the body so that you flourish again. We're force to go to a doctor or "expert" to help us deal with the symptoms of the problem.
When a body (or plant) is operating at its optimal level, each system, cell and atom is in constant communication with each other at all times. Through exposure to the stresses of day-to-day life, poor nutrition, and over exertion of the body, these lines of communication can become compromised and illness or decline in physical and /or emotional health occurs.
When you get sick and visit the doctor, any prescription of antiviral, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory or worse a cocktail of drugs is being taken in by your body and targeting the problem using a sledge hammer approach – killing more than it needs to and doing harm to the natural order of the mind body system. Taking too much medication ends up weakening our immune systems and making us more prone to more and more illnesses.
If you can imagine an iceberg – Western medicine mainly focuses on the tip of the iceberg (the symptoms and signs of disease) and what’s under the water (the cause) is not uncovered. The result can be years and years of visiting doctors and keeping the pharmaceutical companies stocks increasing. Eastern medicine goes towards looking at areas not widely understood in the western scientific world – the energy centres and meridian pathways which deal with the bodies energy system which govern the complex exchange of messages between organs, endocrines right down to cell level.
Except for such still rare and sometimes invasive applications, (EEG, EKG, PET and MRI scans), Western medicine has produced few treatment modalities to date that take full advantage of the ways the body’s energies can be directed to mediate the complex flow of biological information to restore health.
Natural health systems work with the body and do not rely upon chemicals to kill off bacteria or restore order. Many of these health systems you would know of, they include naturopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic, yoga, acupuncture, and so forth. Some of these systems work more efficiently with your body if used regularly as a proactive (rather than reactive) measure to reduce stress and restore the body to a natural state before it brings on more serious illness. Regular applications of natural alternative methods can help keep the body healthy and more resistant to illnesses.
One of the most elaborately articulated sustainable models, and one that has held up relatively well to Western scientific scrutiny, is the practice of acupuncture. Some western medical schools are now offering Acupuncture as a learning module for new doctors. Acupuncture is not only among the oldest known medical treatments, extending back at least 4,500 years, it is one of the most widely used health care systems on the planet. The World Health Organization lists more than 50 conditions for which it is effective, including psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
However, many people do not like the idea of someone sticking needles in them and in addition to that issue, it relies upon you seeking the expertise of another person to have the procedure being done to you. What if there is a better way?
A relatively new approach has been formulated by an Australian pioneering man, John Veltheim, and is called The BodyTalk system (http://www.bodytalksystem.com/). BodyTalk is an astonishingly simple and effective holistic therapy that allows the body's energy systems to be re-synchronized so they can operate as nature intended.
BodyTalk is non evasive, does not require any medications or machinery and utilises the body’s natural abilities to heal itself. BodyTalk is considered the missing link between western medicine, eastern medicine and alternative therapies. It encompasses:
The BodyTalk Access wellness routine helps your body maintain its best energetic balance so that it can maintain good health, thus preventing disease. Being proactive in your health routine is one of the best things you can do for yourself. It's right up there with eating healthfully, getting enough sleep and being physically active.
Each of the 5 techniques are easy to perform and if performed on a daily basis (approximately 10-15 minutes of your time). The course also provides techniques to allow you to respond quickly to any injury to stop the hurting, throbbing or swelling.
BodyTalk works with the premise that we can heal naturally if we address all the issues under the iceberg. Due to the fact that BodyTalk and BodyTalk Access only utilize the natural healing tools already found within us, this is a sustainable personal health practice. There are no medications prescribed or given, the techniques are totally non-invasive and they also do not require any outside tools or resources. BodyTalk Access is good for you and good for our planet!
In addition to being a health tool for you and your family, BodyTalk and BodyTalk access can be used on your animals, land and plants. For more information about BodyTalk and the BodyTalk Access course, please contact vanessa@love2live.com.au or come and listen to her talk at the November CROPO gathering.
Loesje Jacob talks about BodyTalk Access
If your plants get sick, you can apply compost, seaweed tea, mulch them, water them, and feed them with organic fertilising solutions. You nurse them back to health or you check the PH of the soil and nurse it back to health for the next planting. When we get sick, many of us are powerless to find out what is wrong quickly to restore the balance to the body so that you flourish again. We're force to go to a doctor or "expert" to help us deal with the symptoms of the problem.
When a body (or plant) is operating at its optimal level, each system, cell and atom is in constant communication with each other at all times. Through exposure to the stresses of day-to-day life, poor nutrition, and over exertion of the body, these lines of communication can become compromised and illness or decline in physical and /or emotional health occurs.
When you get sick and visit the doctor, any prescription of antiviral, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory or worse a cocktail of drugs is being taken in by your body and targeting the problem using a sledge hammer approach – killing more than it needs to and doing harm to the natural order of the mind body system. Taking too much medication ends up weakening our immune systems and making us more prone to more and more illnesses.
Except for such still rare and sometimes invasive applications, (EEG, EKG, PET and MRI scans), Western medicine has produced few treatment modalities to date that take full advantage of the ways the body’s energies can be directed to mediate the complex flow of biological information to restore health.
Natural health systems work with the body and do not rely upon chemicals to kill off bacteria or restore order. Many of these health systems you would know of, they include naturopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic, yoga, acupuncture, and so forth. Some of these systems work more efficiently with your body if used regularly as a proactive (rather than reactive) measure to reduce stress and restore the body to a natural state before it brings on more serious illness. Regular applications of natural alternative methods can help keep the body healthy and more resistant to illnesses.
One of the most elaborately articulated sustainable models, and one that has held up relatively well to Western scientific scrutiny, is the practice of acupuncture. Some western medical schools are now offering Acupuncture as a learning module for new doctors. Acupuncture is not only among the oldest known medical treatments, extending back at least 4,500 years, it is one of the most widely used health care systems on the planet. The World Health Organization lists more than 50 conditions for which it is effective, including psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
A relatively new approach has been formulated by an Australian pioneering man, John Veltheim, and is called The BodyTalk system (http://www.bodytalksystem.com/). BodyTalk is an astonishingly simple and effective holistic therapy that allows the body's energy systems to be re-synchronized so they can operate as nature intended.
BodyTalk is non evasive, does not require any medications or machinery and utilises the body’s natural abilities to heal itself. BodyTalk is considered the missing link between western medicine, eastern medicine and alternative therapies. It encompasses:
- Western medical expertise
- The energy dynamics of acupuncture (without the needles)
- Osteopathic and Chiropractic philosophy
- The clinical findings of applied kinesiology and
- The insights of modern physics and mathematics.
Since 2005, the International BodyTalk Association has been offering a one day course for the layman, on 5 techniques which provide assistance to returning the body to optimal health and increase resilience to illnesses and injuries. Now that’s sustainable health. The course is called BodyTalk Access and is taught in over 39 countries, many of these where access to doctors and medicine is in short supply. In Australia, it’s becoming popular due to the shortage of GPs and or easy access to doctors. In Ben Franklin's words, the phrase "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" goes a long way to describe the good health and balance that can be found with BodyTalk Access as a part of your daily life.
Each of the 5 techniques are easy to perform and if performed on a daily basis (approximately 10-15 minutes of your time). The course also provides techniques to allow you to respond quickly to any injury to stop the hurting, throbbing or swelling.
BodyTalk works with the premise that we can heal naturally if we address all the issues under the iceberg. Due to the fact that BodyTalk and BodyTalk Access only utilize the natural healing tools already found within us, this is a sustainable personal health practice. There are no medications prescribed or given, the techniques are totally non-invasive and they also do not require any outside tools or resources. BodyTalk Access is good for you and good for our planet!
In addition to being a health tool for you and your family, BodyTalk and BodyTalk access can be used on your animals, land and plants. For more information about BodyTalk and the BodyTalk Access course, please contact vanessa@love2live.com.au or come and listen to her talk at the November CROPO gathering.
Loesje Jacob talks about BodyTalk Access
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