“Everyone Knows Someone Who Needs This Information”
This week and next, we’ll help you prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday and include a couple of recipes which will help diabetics enjoy the festivities, as long as they eat reasonably. I also want to discuss some of what Thanksgiving may mean to us in 2008, and also acknowledge that yesterday would have been the 94th birthday of my father, Arthur. This blog has always been dedicated to my Dad, who was an inspiration to everyone he met, long before he became a Type-2 diabetic, and definitely after that, too. I am Thankful to have had such a wonderful father. I miss you so much.
And, for more ponderings of the Past – Europe was a Mess when the Pilgrims and others left it, first chance they could. I’ve always wondered how these good Christians could come to the “New” World and wreke so much damage and carnage to the Native peoples whom they found here. Their actions mystify me, especially as they had been persecuted themselves in Europe.
There were a few newcomers who made friends and acted well, when the local people offered welcome, but most Europeans automatically set themselves apart, and / or thought themselves superior. At least, the English Pilgrims did better than the Spanish Conquistadors, whose only view was subjugation, but in the end, the results were not much different for the Native Peoples (First Nations), especially as more militant English and other Europeans arrived later.
The legacy of all this is often lost or at least glossed-over in the “Anglo” world and in Spanish echelons of the countries in Latin America, but the memory of the American Native Peoples is long, and they have not forgotten. Today’s world is still not treating them well.
Yet, we have made progress in this current world which we should be Thankful for, and our awakening, increased Awareness is mostly positive. We still have huge new problems to deal with, globally, nationally, locally and personally, but that should never deter us from finding the Positive in Life, in fact, doing so is even more necessary.
So, as you gather with your family to shop and cook and eat and talk, please spend some time reflecting on today’s world: what are you grateful for; what are you worried about; what should you be doing to help yourselves and others in need; how can others help you; what are the things we need to Change most in the way our world is run; can you help make that good Change happen?
Each person is responsible for how they live each moment of their Life. Never forget that.
Don’t let your Life be a mindless succession of unthinking moments. Instead, let each moment have Purpose. Promise that to yourself.
My family wishes your family Joyous times. Even if far away from each other, you can still share your Love.
And, a positive note - for diabetics in California - who are dealing with chronic nerve pain and other issues which require them to have a medical prescription for Medicinal Marijuana,
AND, also for ARTISTS of all kinds, anywhere, who would like to vye for Financial Grants, please read about the new, socially-conscious, socially-active non-profit, the Artists Collective.
Learn more at http://www.walkaboutjones.com/announcements/artists-collective-now-open/ and Walkabout Jones is a savvy, fun, edgy and enlightening community of friendly people and Dann and the other writers and artists help to bring quality-time to your day. Come visit at www.walkaboutjones.com and register for the community forum www.walkaboutjones.com/forum .
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Now, for an interesting first recipe. Before you start the holidays, use the following for at least 4 days before your Big Meals. It will help cleanse your system, get rid of bloat and concurrently use meals that have more fresh, raw, simple choices, with smaller portions, about 6 times a day. Sassy Water was originally a recipe from Prevention Magazine’s resident dietician, Ms. Sass. I have merged that recipe with aspects of the Master Cleanser recipe, and my own suggestions.
Em’s Sassy Water
8. 5 cups spring water ( 2 liters) (filtered tap water, only as a last resort) OR
6.5 cups of spring water AND 2 cups Amy and Brian’s clear Coconut Water, canned or clear coconut water from fresh, young green coconut (NB: this is NOT coconut “milk”!) *
1 t fresh grated ginger (put a 1/2″ piece in the freezer; it grates easier) **
1 med. English cucumber - skin on, halve longitudinally, slice extremely thin ***
1 medium organic lemon – squeeze juice in and cut the lemon in thin slices ****
12 fresh spearmint or mint leaves – crush gently *****
1/16t or tiny sprinkle cayenne pepper ******
pinch – 1/8t Celtic Sea Salt *******
OPTIONAL: You can add 1t -3t of Grade B Organic Maple Syrup (no other kind!), only if you need to “balance” the flavor from the sea salt. Or, for less glycemic implications, try the same amount of agave nectar.
Combine everything and let it stand in refrigerator overnight. Let the vegetables, herbs and spices infuse the water, then remove the solids. Prepare another 2 liters (approx 64 oz.) on the day you drink the first bottles, so you always have some being processed. Drink the 64 oz. of Em’s Sassy Water throughout next day, after the overnight infusion process.
You can try to reuse the solids once, but I think you always must add some fresh material.
Drink for 4 days straight and then drink as a portion of your daily 2 liters / 8 cups of fluids, or if you feel bloated. Use no tea or coffee, period.
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IMPORTANT: ask your physician if you have good enough kidney function that you could take a magnesium supplement along with this. Magnesium helps your body in many ways, but in this case, it increases bowel motility. As written, without using the magnesium pills, this drink will still help you “eliminate” the stagnant stuff already in your intestinal system, just more slowly. Once you have cleared things, and become more alkaline, you’ll be able to cope with a “bigger” meal, better. You will also be hydrating yourself with an alkaline drink. That’s significant progress.
* The coconut water is clear, not coconut “milk”. It comes from the liquids that flow from the cavity of young coconuts (the dehusked ones look white and are wrapped in plastic and refrigerated; find them in good health stores) or still husked green ones or in cans. It is in the recipe to insure you have the same electrolytes as your blood needs and that helps you have proper minerals. Coconut is also very alkalinizing, which will help take pressure of your pancreas to produce the alkaline buffers you need to “combat” metabolic and dietary acids.
You could also substitute some highly alkaline spring water like Evamor or Essentia for some of the regular spring water. Do not use Trinity alkaline water.
** The ginger is there to help “settle” your digestion.
*** The cucumber is there to soothe and alkalinize. If you use a regular cucumber, make sure you remove the applied vegetable wax with a veggie wash product, and then keep the skin on. I would only use regular cucumbers if the English cucumbers are too expensive, as regular cucumbers upset some people’s stomachs.
**** The lemon is a potent alkalinizer in your body even though it is a citric “acid” fruit, it’s metabolic “ash” is alkaline (and that’s the definition of an alkaline food). If you cannot afford fresh lemons, then use Minute Maid’s yellow bottle of just-juice; it’s in the freezer case. This is NOT the same as “lemonade”, and it contains NO sweetening.
***** Mint is an herb which soothes and settles your gastro-intestinal tract and which provides a spark of fresh flavor.
****** The cayenne pepper should not be overused. It is a balancing act between its benefits of providing a metabolic revving-up and irritation of tissues that you may have already caused, if your tract has not been working optimally. If you cannot use the cayenne, use some pureed red bell pepper to provide some vitamin C and leave it at that, even though it doesn’t do the same thing. As you heal your G-I tract, you may want to incorporate a little cayenne then.
******* The Celtic sea salt will help you start this “elimination” bowel process, and you can add more, as long as you are near a bathroom, and that you also don’t mind the drink being a bit more salty (up to 1/2t) (although 1t will cause “fast results!”). Go slow.
DO NOT USE REGULAR TABLE “SALT”. Do NOT use an iodized salt. If you can’t find the unrefined Celtic Sea salt in a good health store or at Trader Joe’s, then get it online from The Grain and Salt Society.
This is a very alkalizing drink, that will speed-up transit, and help detox your system somewhat. You could also have a thicker drink, by using a blender to thoroughly incorporate the cucumber, mint and flesh of the lemon (after you manually remove the rinds). Your choice.
But in any case, as this is a slightly detoxifying process, take it easy on yourself and start the process well ahead of Thanksgiving. You may find you get some headaches in the beginning, if you have lots to detoxify, or you may get some skin flare-ups, if you are extra toxic, but it all will settle down in a few days (that’s another reason to start ahead of time like maybe Thursday or Friday this week or begin on the week-end and into Tuesday). Be sure to keep up fresh, small meals with lots of raw veggies and some healthy oils. By Thanksgiving, you may find you have lots of extra energy and a brighter outlook, and that will be another reason to give Thanks!
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I’ll add more recipes for meal suggestions for the Holiday, as I can. Now, go check out the Artists Collective and the contest, too!
http://www.walkaboutjones.com/announcements/artists-collective-now-open/
Best to all — Em
Please make sure to use the Titles Tab on the upper Navigation Bar to read more articles in the several pages of Archives. Enjoy!
REFERENCES:
Grain and Salt Society(Click here)
Amy and Brian’s Natural Coconut Water(Click here)
Information about cayenne and Master Cleanser(Click here)
http://www.walkaboutjones.com/announcements/artists-collective-now-open/
(c)2008 Em http://diabetesdietdialogue.wordpress.com
If you desire to quote from my article or use my article, please respect my copyright and include it and my website address in your footnotes or reference section. Thanks!
