Hello all just wanted to speak on the importance and the significance of Earth Hour coming up on March 27th, 2010. Why is this one hour so important? It is so because it brings about awareness on a global scale about the level of importance this issue has for all of us. It is now clear more than ever that the earth cannot remain sustainable at current levels of mass consumerism that we now have reached. All the cause and effects we have witnessed over the past 100 years have now caused something much greater on a global scale which now affects all of us! No longer is it just simply an oil spill in a remote region, no longer is it a polluted environment in a remote area, the land dumps each city has generated; the earth can no longer get rid of all this junk because it has been bombarded and overwhelmed. We are draining the earth of its resources to amply supply us with everything we need because we have been taught that consumerism = happiness, yet it doesn’t and we like to mass store money we don’t need, food we don’t need, clothes we don’t need, shoes, cars, the list goes on and on.
My friends over at Urban Grassland posted this Earth Hour video that demonstrates the energy and power that we all have on this situation to make change. We do not need to approach this situation with anger or frustration, yet simply know what we need our resolve to be and approach it with intention, purpose and know that there are millions of people across the globe who feels just like me and you. Realize what our outcome needs to be and it will become so. Our resolve must be to find new sustainable energy sources that Mother Nature endorses by amply providing us with them. Sustainable fuels and energies can be created from crops, and the wind the earth provides; yet we have been convinced since early age that we need oil, coal and gas like substances to be able to run vehicles and worst yet travel across the globe to acquire these fuels that create great amounts of pollution just so we can buy fuel that we always had at home locally available to us. My focus is mostly on energies because for decades they have been the drive for mass consumerism, corporate bullying, unfair labor, fighting, violence and the list goes on.
In conclusion I hope that each and everyone of us takes into consideration what this hour means, do not take it for granted. Stop the consumerism and waste of resources just for on hour. We owe the earth that much just out of respect for all the awe inspiring moments she has given us and all the joy of food, air and life she has provided.
Until next time seek unlimited knowledge for your green lifestyle!
Hello to all, today we are touching on a different subject all together. In a way I guess it’s like mixing business with pleasure.The business we conduct will affect the pleasure we take in the earth, the air, the quality of life we seek. Our children and grandchildren and many generations after will be affected by the choices we make. We as a society and as a race are always breaking beyond our borders of comfort; if this were not so we would not and never would grow beyond the scope of our own present level of consciousness. The video chosen here was only to reinforce what we already know; we are ready for change and very much welcome it. Lets spread the word as much and as often as we can because our sphere of influence is growing and we are awakening so many others that we are in contact with daily. Even though it may not seem as so, remember our thoughts and actions are like seeds that grow and they remain implanted in the minds of others and it begins to embed their consciousness. All we can do and ever should is live the life that is right for us and that energy is contagious!
I would also like to welcome our readers’ thoughts on how do you make your life green? For example me and my wife buy sustainably close to home. Even though we are vegans, we purchase meat for our dogs’ raw diets. They eat food that is grown close to home as well; it is also hormone free, and food that is raised naturally. We actively seek products, that are certifiably organic, made from recycled material; and local farmers’ markets have become our shopping centers so to speak. I look forward to reading your comments.
Hello all, first if all I’d like to apologize for being away for so long. I would like to thank everyone for your kind words of encouragement and am grateful that all of you have enjoyed the blog postings on Golioth’s Marketplace. That being said let’s get down to business, with our next topic. I wanted to talk about today on the subject of raw food diets for dogs. My wife and I are stern believers that all of us not only humans should follow an instinctual way of eating the way we were meant to; this means to eat what is good for us. I have long been a fan, and companion of dogs. We have 3 of them roaming around our household at all times; now that we are planning the acreage life and since bylaws allow it, this number is surely going to range from 5 to 10 at least. There is something majestic and peaceful about being a packleader and having these little souls join our lives and enrich our soul and spirit.
This all being said this is the first time, in my lifetime that I am fully in the right cognitive frame of mind (knowledge wise) to start our new companion into a raw, organic lifestyle which I guarantee you he will love and cherish. You see we are now prepared with the tools and the knowledge to provide a perfect balanced diet for this little guy and what we are following is what mother nature and universe intended; to eat by instinct. I have been feeding raw food diets for our dogs for years but am more knowledgeable than ever that we are as close to the raw wolf diet that is enjoyed by dogs in the wild than ever before. To boot, we have discovered local meat markets which are providing: “animals that are raised in stress- free, outdoor environment, with access to plenty of feed and clean water. These animals have never been fed hormones or medicated feeds, nor have they been fed any feeds containing other animal parts.”This means heaven to a dog just like fresh fruit and veggies are heaven to us who are herbivores!
The diet is quite simple; it is 60 to 75% meat, and some green vegetables to top it! Our dogs’ day begins as such:
* This amount is for our Doberman who is 60 to 65lbs.
2 and 1/2 cups of meat usually I use 50% lean ground beef and 50% organ meat ( liver, kidney, heart, tripe, any of these are nutritious!)
1 cup of chopped carrots, spinach, or any other leafy greens to simulate the stomach content of the animal prey
1 to 2 table spoons of cod liver oil
Ground up egg shells about a teaspoon will do
That is all! It is simple yet effective (like mother nature) and if your dog has been on processed dog food and is suffering from ailments such as allergies, lethargic behavior and other problems, they will disappear. All three of our dogs have had these diets implemented on them since the moment we got them and their skin, and eyes brightened up in a day or two. Important to note: if your companion suffers from lethargic behavior, crushed powdered kelp may be of great help (you can find some in your local health food store) about a 1/4 teaspoon if it’s a little guy and full teaspoon if it’s a bigger dog like Labrador size or greater. The iodine in the kelp assists in balancing the thyroid. This can be discontinued once the little guy or girl has gotten their energy back. In future blogs we will talk about using apple cider vinegar to balance stomach acidity.
May the conscience and the common sense of the peoples be awakened, so that we may reach a new stage in the life of nations, where people will look back on war as an incomprehensible aberration of their forefathers!
The thing about science is that you cannot pick and choose the bits which are and are not convenient. You cannot negotiate with the laws of physics and chemistry.
Hello all just wanted to drop a few thoughts in your plate about morning eating rituals. Now from since I was a young little boy, I had always heard, read and been indoctrinated that breakfast should be made of cereals packed with sugar, milk for animal sources which has been proven to be non-digestible by the human body; and let’s not forget eggs and bacon produced from 1) animals with poor health and 2) meat which is not digestible for human consumption! Much later in life I discovered that eating this stuff is killing people by way of diabetes, heart disease, sluggish energy, and starting your day just downright crappy. So what gives? Why have we always been told that these aforementioned items chalk up to a breakfast of champions? So champions feel unhealthy and sluggish all day? Risk day in and day out achieving an unhealthy diabetic or arteriosclerotic state? It doesn’t sound like being a champion is much fun now does it?
Now many years later through very limited information, guidance and much experimentation I have reached the road to raw food. It is an awesome world where we can all feel like champions all the time, all day long. Here is a simple breakfast recipe that tastes, and looks awesome. Just as appealing is the fact that it will take less than a 1 and ½ minutes to prepare.
Ingredients needed:
1 – banana sliced
4 to 5 - Strawberries (small to medium size)
10 to 15 – Raw Cashews
10 to 15 – Pecans
1 cup – cocoa flavored soy milk or desired taste preference
This recipe is infallible! It is like eating dessert first thing in the morning and the nutrition score can’t be beat. Trust me you will love this dish.
Hello all, my wife and I have just returned from a wonderful land of green scenery, awesome food and an environmentally friendly cultural consciousness that I never knew existed. This land is a wonderful land full of positive vibrant energy, where its inhabitants and infrastructure all work towards one common goal; living and respecting each other as well as the planet. What is this land might you ask? Is it even here on earth? Is it on Mars? Nope! The place is Maui, HI; and we (my wife and I) have become huge fans and advocates of this great place.There are three main categories that I will break this story down in: Food, Eco-friendly commodities and The Island au Natural
The FOOD The local store Down to Earth is a marvelous place where wonderful raw food marvels are created! Such items as raw food cheese cakes, sprouted bean salads, raw veggie patties, pizzas and other assortment of items can be found; just check out their deli menu items alone are awesome! Most of the produce we found was all local to Maui, the only items we found outside of the scope of Maui’s territory were grapes brought in from California; talk about reducing your carbon footprint! The restaurants cater to to the fancies of herbivores a.k.a “vegetarians”. There were so many choices and options we spent most of our time not knowing where to eat! The list can go on and on… vegetarian rice rolls wrapped in nori but instead of fish, pickled cucumber and tofu. If tofu isn’t your thing than try mushroom as a replacement to the tofu. Breakfast buffets that if you were to try to eat everything on the menu … well you would need to leave in a stretcher ! The list goes on and on.
The ECO-FRIENDLY COMMODITIES
Maui’s terrain is beautiful and the local communities realize this. Every where you travel on the island home and business solar panels are found. The sun gives rise @ approximately 6:30 a.m. and sets approximately 12 hours later each and everyday giving those solar panels a good run for their money to be able to collect their energy for the day. On the north side of the island you will find one of the most amazing practices I have ever seen! The company is called Pacific biodiesel and they gather and manufacture biodiesel from used french fry oil and recycled canola oil. This is amazing! Now before you go and negate this idea, I should tell you that me and my wife had the pleasure of using one of Maui’s car rental places that runs their vehicles on pacific bio-diesels’ fuel products; and let me tell you that there no difference in performance or feel of the vehicle when driving it! If anything you get better mileage and performance according to my opinion; we drove all around the island for close to a week and were only 3/4 tank down still it equated to approximately 440 miles on 3/4 tank of biodiesel. That is tres cool!
The ISLAND au NATURAL
Maui’s landscape has something for everyone and it is truly awe inspiring and beautiful. They have it all the beaches, mountain side views, dormant volcanoes,the urban city type view and you are practically surrounded by nature at all times. The infrastructure seems to be advanced in its green practices compared to North American metropolises. They encourage and protect the scenery of the island, having strict policies on littering as well as recycling almost anything and everything imaginable. The roads are quite clean and kept looking new. Their infrastructure of the roads and buildings is quite amazing. A majority of all the buildings (businesses) have solar panels to capture the effect of the suns rays and put it to good use.
All in all we say cheers to Maui and we hope to be there again pretty soon. Until next time.
The phrase that you are only as good as what you eat has a lot of weight behind it. You truly are what you eat and I my self am a testment of this fact. My story begins like this:
“Once upon a time in a continent away from America I was born into an Italian family who unbeknownst to me were meat eaters for no other fact that their philosophy was to live off the land based on what they believed to be their God given right to consume plant and animal alike to their liking and choosing.” Their generation was taught to consume animal as were many generations before them, always being desensitized from birth to the consumption of their animals as a food source. The result from all of this was the fact that all of my aunts, uncles, and their parents have all partaken in a sad ritual of passing long before their time. They all but a single one died from heart and cardiovascular disease. This is not a small family that I am speaking of; try this on for size. My grandparents family consisted of 14 brothers and sisters who all died around the ages of 55 to 65 all from heart related diseases. I believe with all that I have learned throughout my lifetime that their death’s could have been prolonged for quite a long time!
By general terms most of European culture tends to live a long, healthy and vibrant life. My experience in European culture is with a Mediterranean lifestyle. The foods that are available to live off the land there are in abundance and delicious. When I speak of living off the land I am talking of all the vegetation that grows around there, makes me wonder why my parents ever wanted to leave and come to Canada. There are fruits and vegetables all year round; olives, broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce, beans, onions, garlic,herbs, berries (all sorts), peaches, plums, apples, just to name a few. Could you ask for more? So why was it necessary to break into the animal food chain which congests arteries and leads to a short sedentary lifestyle? Who knows…
By the look of the picture at the top of the article could one say they ever needed more to eat? There is such an abundance of taste and nutrition in this picture that it is all that any one person would ever need to cook and live in the raw off of. Me personally if I can get away with it I will eat raw, the health benefits and tastes are amazing, nothing better! Just pull some of those tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil add a little olive oil and you have a salad that tastes to nothing you can ever compare. Sprout some kidney beans, grains and add tomatoes is another one that the taste is indescribable! Trust me you have to go and create this yourself and you will truly know what I am talking about. Now that’s a good-a food! There are so many resources and avenues of information out there now that it is no longer an excuse to say that “I don’t know how” and “I don’t have any recipe to follow” the excuses can build up quite nicely for someone who is looking to procrastinate. Just get off your duff and DO IT! You and your family will be glad you did. Until next time…
Discover the impact that you as a single person can have on waste disposal which pollutes our earth for years to come! There are tons of sites with information on the power of composting.
Do you grow a garden during the spring and summer seasons? Well there is a lot of reasons why you should compost everyday food scraps, coffee grinds, leaves and grass clippings. First and foremost, it saves space from landfills with all this good compostable material sitting in never decomposing garbage bags. Second and a huge motivator, composting saves you money! Think about it… when you need to grow fruits and vegetables most of us go out and buy bagged or processed dirt from commercial chain giants or landscaping stores. Is the dirt we are buying good for nutritive growth of our plants that we are about to consume and digest safe? Free of chemicals and pollutants? Better yet if it is combined with cow and other animal manure, were the animals fed purely herbivore diets from free range farms without the use of pesticides and growth hormones? Remember that what goes through the digestive tract of the animals that produced the manure comes into your composted dirt that you are purchasing from a supermarket or landscaping store. Translation you are eating the pesticide and growth hormones that were fed to the animals that helped produce your polluted dirt that you will be using to grow fresh clean vegetables! Sadly if you trace what you are eating it is not hard to see what is in the family line of your fruits and vegetables.
So how can we assure that we can grow good healthy produce and not take in toxins in the process? Start with cleaning up your food chain that enriches the soil that grows the produce that you will later on in the season ingest and digest. If you are using food scraps for composting make sure that the food sources are clean; such as free range manure if you must use it. When buying vegetables to eat visit local farmers’ markets as they are more surely to use safely grown methods as opposed to large farm chains that are only looking at the bottom line for residual dollar value and investor and share growth. In the process you will be helping out and enriching you local community with more business and helping local farmers.
It is more imperative than ever that we clean up our food chain and make sure that we are eating healthy and delicious food. Nothing beats eating right from your own garden! With all the amount of material that can be used from compost why wouldn’t you do it? It will be done for all the right reasons.
Grow your own delicious food
Save money by not having to buy composted dirt which may not be free of pesticides or growth hormones
Keep waste out of our landfills
Feel safe with the quality of eating home made food
Reduce your waste footprint on the planet by at least 50% but I am sure it amounts to way more than that.
I have found that in our household waste that we put out to the curb since we started composting decreased from 8 bags a week down to 1 to 1-1/2. It is very exciting and I love it! Until next time…
! The list goes on and on.
Maui’s landscape has something for everyone and it is truly awe inspiring and beautiful. They have it all the beaches, mountain side views, dormant volcanoes,the urban city type view and you are practically surrounded by nature at all times. The infrastructure seems to be advanced in its green practices compared to North American metropolises. They encourage and protect the scenery of the island, having strict policies on littering as well as recycling almost anything and everything imaginable. The roads are quite clean and kept looking new. Their infrastructure of the roads and buildings is quite amazing. A majority of all the buildings (businesses) have solar panels to capture the effect of the suns rays and put it to good use.
Discover the impact that you as a single person can have on waste disposal which pollutes our earth for years to come! There are tons of sites with information on the power of composting.