Coachella Trading Company - recent posts from Health & Well-Being community

MORE isn’t always what you need (video)

2009-04-10T13:51:06-07:00

We often want more in our life. More happiness, more friends, more free time, more things. More. Be careful what you ask for and how you go about achieving it. That is the topic of this video from Happy Product and Mark Osbourne. I first saw this video many years ago and have shared it with many friends through the years.

More is a haunting animated short film exploring the “fire in our bellies” and how it can be subverted, and how easily we can squash it out if we aren’t mindful of it.

From the film description at happyproduct.com:

The Academy-Award nominated animated short-film tells the story of a lonely inventor, whose colorless existence is brightened only by dreams of the carefree bliss of his youth.

By day, he is trapped in a dehumanizing job in a joyless world. But by night, he tinkers away on a visionary invention, desperate to translate his inspiration into something meaningful.

When his invention is complete, it will change the way people see the world. But he will find that success comes at a high price, as it changes himself, as well.

I am moved every time I watch this piece. The film opens and closes with the scene and sounds of laughing playing children. The inventor in the film, mired in a monotonous soul-less job in a hollow world of stuff, seems driven subconsciously, or perhaps consciously to bring back that simpler happier way of life. He uses the fire in his belly to bring joy to himself and to the world but along the way it doesn’t work out like he planned, only to discover that the fire in his belly seems to have gone out.

Never forget about that fire in your belly. What gives you joy? What passions give you a reason to get up in the morning? Don’t turn your back on that joy and passion, be it, live it, know it.

Even if you feel as though you’ve already burned up that fire, unlike the film, I don’t think that fire actually burns out. It is never too late to seize your life, to seize the day.

Please watch this film and share it with others and then go out and live your life. Really. Live your life.

Visit Mark Osbourne’s site to learn more about Happy Product and the astounding short film More

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Laughing your way to enlightenment, laughing yoga is no laughing matter

2009-02-16T22:42:51-08:00

Honestly I found this video extremely funny and had planned to share it here just to share a laugh with you all. But like any good journalist I thought I should at least do a quick search for laughing yoga instructor just to see what I might find. I thought I would find, if I were lucky, a wacky cult group with the gentleman in the video above as the maniacally cheery leader.

Instead I discovered that a lot of people are taking this laughing yoga thing quite seriously. According to this AP story at MSNBC laughter yoga is,”a sidesplitting new fitness fad that’s part traditional yoga, part improv and all silliness…”

This is no joke: It’s a typical day at sunny Main Beach and a dozen people are wandering around with their hands in the air, laughing hysterically, squawking like chickens and talking gibberish.

Now limbered up, they suddenly form a loose circle and begin clapping and chanting before they resume a group stretch.

There appear to be dozens of international laughing yoga organizations and countless more local groups around the world. There is the American School of Laughter Yoga , Laughter Yoga International , and the Laughter Yoga Institute . With all these organizations you are sure to finding a jolly chapter laughing enthusiasts to chuckle and stretch with.

But what if you aren’t a happy laughing kind of person? What if you don’t feel like laughing when the next session comes around? The Concept And Philosophy primer at LaughterYoga.org says:

Contradicting popular belief, Laughter Yoga has proved that one does not need a sense of humor to laugh. Laughter can be learnt and programmed into the body to bring about a complete transformation. Research has proved that just 10-20 minutes of fake or real laughter has a profound impact on life.

So if you find a typical yoga workout to be too much, get an invigorating workout through laughing instead. I’m heading down the comedy club right now!

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Hey ladies, get rid of a one night stand in the morning! (NSFW)

2009-02-08T17:37:18-08:00

Shoot, I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I saw this. Apparently the girl in the video had a few too many drinks the night before and the ‘beer goggles’ had been activated. Fortunately she had a way to scare the guy off in the morning, well, how do I say this, “By peeing standing up!”

I laughed so hard because we sell something very similar to the Whiz Biz device she uses in the commercial, but I would have never thought of a commercial like that! Wowee!

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Negative Ions for Positive Health

2009-02-02T06:53:36-08:00

I was at a customers office the other day visiting and one thing really stood out and that was the energy around the entire office. It was positive and up beat. This peaked my interest and I had to ask how he created such a positive environment with business so bad.

Bill was on vacation in Italy and he kept seeing these large chucks of salt and salt lamps displayed at businesses. Through questions and research Bill found out that the negatively charged ions are created by heating the lamp. This process pulls water molecules from the air to it’s surface, salt is added which neutralizes positive ions (pollution) and neutralized molecules are released back into the environment. These negative ions help clean and purify the the air. In nature this process happens by thunderstorms, the oceans and waterfalls. Bill found through his research that negative ions: strengthen immune system, improve well being, improve metabolism and increase mental clarity and alertness.

Bill has created a healthier work environment and in the process he has educated his employees and they are all benefiting from this new positive energy… He doesn’t know if it is the salt crystal’s or having something to believe in but through this down economy and lay offs but his business is strong and employees energy and outlook is positive.

What is BPA and is there a problem with polycarbonate lexan water bottles?

2009-01-26T21:52:09-08:00

You are barreling down the trail or in the middle of intense workout at the gym. Sweating and quickly losing fluids you diligently take a swig from your polycarbonate lexan plastic water bottle. Then you grow two heads, your boobs increase dramatically is size (especially noticeable if you are a guy), and then you get breast cancer.

What? Okay maybe you won’t grow two heads, but according to a U.S. study from the National Toxicology Program the chemical BPA (bisphenol A) reports that exposure in rats to high levels of bisphenol A during pregnancy or nursing were more likely to die, be born smaller, suffer from other defects and developmental problems, and in some cases delay puberty. In other studies, according to Rob Waters with Bloomberg , suggest that lower doses may cause precancerous growths in prostate and breast tissue, and may alter early development of the prostate and urinary tract, and possibly trigger early puberty in females.

And since these studies came out the number of articles, warnings, and even boycotts on polycarbonate bottles are coming out in alarming numbers. TreeHugger.com released an article in the spring of 2008 entitled, Don’t Buy A Nalgene Water Bottle Until You Read This . SheKnows.com with their article, Avoid plastics to avoid BPA health hazards _ . It made headlines at the PBS Online News Hour with _Chemical Used in Household Plastics Sparks Concerns . It is even making the rounds in customer comments at places like epinions regarding Rubbermaid Stain Shield 20-Piece Food Storage Sets under a response titled Use only if you understand the hazards of BPA .

Now I’m not a scientist, nor am I even the most logical person sometimes, but as I read these articles I can’t help but noticing that not only does the National Toxicology report have no real information about the effects of human exposure but the articles own wording beyond the headline uses phrases like ‘indicates’, ‘suggests’, and even ‘may’ be harmful in a variety of ways. In fact the report itself said specifically regarding the harmful effects…

‘Though the animal research is limited and there is a lack of data on humans, the possibility that bisphenol A may alter human development cannot be dismissed,’ the National Toxicology Program report said.

I’m sorry but that is a stretch from, “the possibility that bisphenol A may alter human development cannot be dismissed,” and “STOP BUYING WATER BOTTLES OR YOU WILL DIE.”

So what is BPA (Bisphenol A)?

According to bisphenol-a.org

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic resins, epoxy resins, and other products.

Bisphenol.org which is operated by the American Chemistry Council and are therefore not the least biased source also say in their BPA FAQ:

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most extensively tested materials in use today. BPA has been safely used in consumer products and researched and studied for over 40 years. The weight of scientific evidence clearly supports the safety of BPA and provides strong reassurance that there is no basis for human health concerns from exposure to BPA.

Safety assessments of bisphenol A (BPA) conclude that the potential human exposure to BPA from polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins is more than 400 times lower than the safe level of BPA set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This minimal level of exposure to BPA poses no known risk to human health.

The use of polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins for food contact applications has been and continues to be recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Food, the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency, and other regulatory agencies worldwide.

So while I’m not going to simply accept theirs or the FDA’s assessment of BPA and any dangers to humans, we can at least agree what BPA is. Plastic.

What might be unhealthy about BPA?

According to the studies, BPA is reported to have an estrogen-mimicking effect that interferes with hormone levels and cell signaling systems. The theory is that long term exposure puts humans at risk for a variety of health hazards. BPA leaches from the container into the food or beverage, you ingest it, and then it pretends to be a hormone interrupting your normal body functioning. This leaching process is increased when the BPA plastic is heated or comes in contact with hot liquids.

According to Scott Belcher, PhD with Science Daily , new and used polycarbonate drinking bottles exposed to boiling hot water released BPA 55 times more rapidly. Bottles used for up to nine years released the same amount of BPA as new bottles.

The list of POTENTIAL side effects include:

Ovarian disease
Disrupted thyroid action
Proliferation of human prostate cancer cells
Early puberty in girls
Late puberty in boys
Altered development of prostate and urinary tract
Behavioral problems and hyperactivity

BPA is all around us

It is everywhere, in many hard-plastic items like water and baby bottles, and even in the linings of canned goods because of how it helps prevent acidic foods from deteriorating the container. And as mentioned above BPA has been all around (and IN) us for over 40 years.

What we do know about the relationship between BPA and humans, from the National Toxicology Report is that it is in the urine of 93 percent of children under 6 years old. (Though one website I found said it was in 93 percent of ALL Americans, so who do you believe?).

It’s there, and now we have to decide what to do about it.

To be BPA-free or not to care?

Honestly, I don’t trust the official line that BPA is harmless. We just don’t have the facts. We have indicators that BPA isn’t necessarily a good thing, regardless of just how bad that really is.

However, I can’t condone the onslaught of negative publicity BPA is getting on the same basis. We just don’t have the facts. We have indicators and suggestions. That includes the attacks on specific products like Nalgene by TreeHugger (of the best intentions I know) who at least updated their article with a note that, “Nalgene no longer sells water bottles made with Bisphenol A. Number 7 as a plastic type means any plastic that is not in the first six, so having number 7 on the bottom does not necessarily mean that it contains BPA.”

What do I think? In light of the fact that there are now many BPA-free bottles on the market and many bottle manufacturers are getting rid of their polycarbonate bottles with BPA entirely, why risk it? Harmful or not the public spoke and we got a chance to see the free market in action. Eventually we’ll know whether the outcrys against BPA were well founded or not.

Personally while I think plastic is an amazing human invention, sometimes humans are bit overeager to use chemicals to solve the worlds problems. And historically speaking that hasn’t always worked out for the best. So let’s just say, I would err on the side of caution.

And erring on the side of caution, CoTradeCo has opted to quit selling water bottles that contain BPA. However, if you want to take the risk, and demand it, we’ll dig on out for you.

In closing I leave you with this impassioned plea in the letters and comments section at U.S. News & World Report .

Study of Chemical in Plastic Bottles Raises Alarm and several reports released recently may cause confusion and unnecessary alarm about Bisphenol-A (BPA) [usnews.com].

The National Toxicology Program report indicated that the effects of BPA produced negligible risk, the government’s lowest possible risk ranking. In fact, the U.S. government has studied the health effects of BPA exposure for more than 40 years, and the overwhelming body of scientific evidence continues to prove that actual exposure as found in some consumer food and beverage containers has no adverse effect on humans of all ages. The FDA, the European Food Safety Authority Authority and the World Health Organization have all evaluated and approved the safety of minimal amounts of BPA used in plastic containers. Consumers can rest assured and continue to safely enjoy foods and beverages in the many forms of packaging provided without changing their purchasing or eating patterns. The food and beverage industry continues to monitor research and regulatory developments related to food packaging to ensure consumer confidence in our products. We remain dedicated to providing high quality and safe products to our consumers across America and will continue to evaluate the safety of BPA on an ongoing basis.

Robert E. Brackett, Senior Vice President and Chief Science & Regulatory Affairs Officer, Grocery Manufacturers Association

Consider me rest assured and still be BPA-free.

http://flickr.com/photos/xerostomia/324460847/ image used under a
Creative Commons License
courtesy of Rob!’s at Flickr

I had to use this image. A glowing water bottle was just perfect for an article about the evils of water bottles! Bad water bottle, bad.

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I think mom is Santa Claus (Video)

2008-12-25T10:24:06-08:00

The evidence was there to be found, we just needed to know where to look. Apparently someone was naughty this year and Santa will be doing more than putting a lump of coal in their stocking. Or would you say, Santa has something up her stocking?

Merry Christmas.

Sunscreen basics from Better.tv

2008-10-12T16:12:31-07:00

This video from Better.tv provides some basic background on sunscreen with extra attention and information for our children.

Make sure you are using a sunscreen that is blocking UVA and UVB rays. SPF only blocks UVB rays so it is important to make sure your sunscreen includes a UVA blocker as well.

SPF 30 is only 4% more than SPF15 and anything higher than than SPF30 isn’t offering much extra protection. SPF30 is just about the best sun and skin protection you can realisically get at this time, so buying SPF 70 and higher is NOT giving you twice the protection but you might be payinig twice the prices.

80% of the life time sun damage you get occurs before you graduate highschool. Sun damage is cumulative. 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, and over time this adds up to serious skin damage down the road.

50% of harmful rays make it through even on a cloudy day, so don’t neglect to apply sunscreen just because it isn’t bright and sunny out!

Darker colored clothes and tighter weaves can help mitigate the damage but only have an approximate SPF10.

Sunscreen does block the suns UVB rays and energy your body needs to produce vitamin D naturally. However, this should not stop you from using sunscreen, taking a vitamin D supplement will make up the difference while helping to keep your skin strong and healthy.

Most people do not apply enough sunscreen. You need to use at least an ounce to cover your skin, and most people simply don’t use enough. You should also re-apply every hour and half to two hours.

For your children, don’t apply it for them, get them involved by capturing their interest and making it fun. Use a spray-on or sunscreen with glitter, that change colors, and just have fun with it. Help them prevent the damage at any early age that will last for a life time.

Sunscreen highlights from the video:

At SPF30 there isn’t really any more protection higher than that
Reapply every 90 minutes

All sunscreen in the CoTradeCo store have an SPF30 rating and UVA blockers. We offer SunX sunscreen for industrial/organizational distribution and application as well as the extremely healthy Beyond Coastal sunscreen line for the individual and outdoor adventurers looking for extra healthy moisturizing sun screen for fun in the sun.

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Reminded (again) of the beauty of life...Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen)

2008-10-12T15:19:32-07:00

I was searching YouTube looking for videos about sun screen to post here because we just added the Beyond Coastal Sunscreen line to the store here at CoTradeCo. I was hoping to find some valuable resources about sun and skin damage to share. Maybe I will still find them. But I didn’t get past the countless postings of Baz Luhrmann’s beautiful rendition of Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen. A simple search for sunscreen returned thousands of results and at the top of the list were dozen’s of versions of the Baz Luhrmann song set to a new theme, montage, and video.

About 4 months ago I posted one of those versions here. The simplistic beauty of this song never ceases to move me, give me hope and strength; a reason to not just get up in the morning but to do something better today than I did yesterday…because I can.

Clicking somewhat arbitrarily on one of the many visual interpretaions of the song, it was unclear at first if this were even the song. At first the cynical mind took over and threw up red flags telling me that this was some low budget short film interpretation of the song sans the song. Even as the song started I thought, “This is going to be bad.”

But the video I have embedded above is not cheesy. It is not bad. It is perhaps the most moving digital folk art interpretation of this inspiring piece I have seen yet. Watching the version of Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen above was so beautiful it were as if I had never heard the song, not yet felt the joy and hope of it’s sentiment, it’s advice.

Maybe on some level as I searched for sunscreen videos I was hoping to find this. It would do us all well, in our pod-casted over-personalized technical world to listen to this song at least once a day.

Dance. Even if you have nowwhere to do it but in your own living room. And always wear sunscreen.

The version shared here was made by an undoubtedly special group of people under the title Sunscreen Movie – Based on Baz Luhrmann Song – Everybody’s Free under the YouTube screen name, sunscreenmovie as a ferreira films production. They also have a website with a higher resolution quicktime MOV version that you can watch, download and share with family and friends. Please do! Visit their website at http://www.sunscreenmovie.com/

As I mentioned in my previous post on this topic, ‘Wear Sunscreen’ is the common name of an essay, (actually called ‘Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young’ [original essay at The full text – A storage area for long quotes ) written by Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune as a column in 1997.

Now dance.

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Bored? Help feed hungry people. It's easy!

2008-10-03T20:19:33-07:00

Check out http://www.freerice.com/

The United Nations World Food Program gets rice donated to them for every correct answer you give on a variety of subjects!

When you get bored with the questions, next go to http://www.poverty.com/internationalaid.html and ask yourself,”why is the United States at the bottom of the list of the United Nations countries in giving, or even setting a deadline, for meeting the international aid goal to end hunger?”

Click the next button on the above website if you think we shouldn’t be way down there and send a letter to the president!

Free Health Care Clinic in Nigeria using the Pelican 9450

2008-09-30T10:06:02-07:00

Twice a year Dr. Dapo Popoola, MD leads a team of volunteers from The Peninsula Community Church in Palos Vedes Estates, California on a medical mission to Bombo, Nigeria. They provide free medical care for the local residents who would otherwise not have care. Electricity can be an off and on again thing during the day and frequently fails during surgery. On previous visits the nurses often held a flashlight over the doctors head while he worked. Trader Dan and his mother donated a Pelican 9450 to Dr. Popoola and the team which they took to Bombo. The Remote Lighting System gave them great, unobstructed light to operate in without the fear of a power outage.

We are a better world because of the missions that Dr. Popoola, Jim Welch and the team do each year. To see more pictures from the September 2008 trip go to http://.www.easysite.com/uganda. There are numerous articles about Dr. Popoola at www.obesitycommand.com/surgilite/articles/default.htm.

earthquake ready

2008-09-07T15:55:28-07:00

Friday there was a 4.o quake near San Jose. It got me thinking, so I looked on the U.S.G.S.site. There were 22 quakes last Friday and 3 in the last hour (0436 09-07-08) Do you have food and water ready? If not look at the site WWW.Longlifefood.com. I have used them in the past and would give them 5 out of 5.
I just saw the new Pelican area lights. Very cool! Good for your earth quake kit too.
Dave

Free hugs campaign

2008-09-06T15:01:08-07:00

This is a great video, and a great story. Everybody deserves and needs a hug.

35 years later, Christian the lion still spreading joy

2008-08-16T13:49:53-07:00

You all may have seen the short video about Christian the Lion pawing its way around the interweb. The Christian the lion clips circulating are snippets of a documentary of the same name telling the tale of a lion born to zoo-kept parents, sold to a department store of all things, and then purchased and eventually set free in Africa by John Rendall and Anthony ‘Ace’ Bourke with help from conservationist and author George Adamson.

The original clip is a heart-wrenching experience of friendship and reunion. As if the story and reunion aren’t dramatic enough goes one step further set to Whitney Houston’s sentimental ballad I will alway’s love you.

I was among those moved by the clip. In fact I’ve been feeling down and withdrawn lately, like many people feeling the pinch and stress of difficult economic times, and this video has roused some sense of hope for the future.

When Christian is walking towards John and ‘Ace’ then begins to saunter excitedly towards them, jumping up with familiar joy, I was reminded of our dog, Umpa, who has this funny sort of sideways trot that has a majestic and proud look about it. As good as I feel watching the video of Christian the lion it is enhanced by the thought of recreating the video with Umpa in the role of Christian.

Since I haven’t posted anything for a while, I thought I would jump back in with this. The video above, Christian the Lion owners! John Rendall Anthony ‘Ace’ Bourke 35 years later! shows the original clips along with a little more history and thoughts.

I posted this in Health and Well Being because it has played a major role in cheering me up when I needed it most. Friends are so important, and sadly when I need them most I tend to disappear into my shell. I hope you have a similar sense of joy when you see the video. Take care and enjoy.

In the meantime I have some people to write and call to reconnect with thank for putting up with me.

stitches from the heart

2008-07-20T14:16:32-07:00

Knit for babies and fun.

Psychic Newsletter & Special Deals!

2008-04-24T14:46:31-07:00

Warmest greetings,

I found this really cool article about using household items as Psychic Tools (written by S. Wolf) that you can try on your own, from home and I wanted to pass it on to you all! I have tried all of these methods myself, and have close friends in my circle that use them regularly. I am sure you will find these tools both entertaining and useful! I personally favor the ‘yes or no’ swinging necklace tool. (It can also be used to determine the sex of an unborn baby by placing the pendent above the stomach! If it swings in a circular motion, it is a girl. If it goes back and forth, it is a boy!) So fun!

Alright, before you read the article I would really, really appreciate you for taking a moment to check out my weekly special and brief update on my adding readings by yahoo chat.

1) I have really been feeling a oneness with the Universe lately! In the spirit of wanting to help every person I can reach (no matter how much or how little they are able to pay) and to show my faith in acknowledging that the Universal Laws are working for me (and they work hard to please you all as well), I am offering all of my friends/clients a reading of your choice (one question, full reading, tarot, gypsy card forecast or psychic chat) at whatever price you choose! Yes, that’s right…you pick the reading you would like and how much (or how little) you would like to pay! You decide what it is worth to you!

*Whatever you decide is fair value to you, whatever amount you elect to invest in yourself — is up to you and I will accept and honor it in the same good faith in which you offer it. Don’t worry about it for a moment. Whatever dollar amount you decide on, everyone will get the same access, the same amount of energy and guidance, etc.

When you have made your decision, please notify me via email. I will send you an invoice with the amount YOU choose, and make arrangements with you to complete your Reading via chat or email right away!

2) I am available for live chat sessions @ girl.dollie on yahoo! Watch for my availability on line or email me to set up a time to chat!

Okay, enough about me…enjoy this amazing article on how to test your psychic abilities from home…..for FREE!

Wanna try out your psychic ability, but don’t have a old crystal ball in the back of the closet? Your in luck! You probably don’t know this, but ordinary things you have in your house can be converted into psychic tools. Check this out:

Bowl of water. Soft-focus staring into a glass or bowl of water is called scrying. To Start: close your eyes, take a few deep breathes, and focus on a question or topic. Then stare into the center of the water, as if you are staring through the water. If you are good at this, feelings and thoughts will pop into your mind, you might even see images in the water. Write them down so you can check the accuracy.

Candles. Make a psychic game out of lighting tapered candles and see what happens. Close your eyes and get into a relaxed state. The flames will reflect your inner frame of mind. They’ll become really tall and thin or really thick and flat. They’ll flicker up and down and become surrounded by a three inch sparkly vapor. You may see angels in the flames or in the smoke they let off. Try this with a group of friends, the candle will go nuts!

Necklace. You can take any pendant and turn it into instant advice. Hold it still between your thumb and forefinger, close your eyes and ask a yes or no question. It will slowly start to move. After about 15 seconds, open your eyes and see what direction it is swinging. Clockwise means yes, counterclockwise means no.

Tea bag. Cut the tea bag and pour the tea leaves into about an inch of hot water—mix it well. Think about what you want to know and take a sip for good luck. Dump the water out into the saucer, the tea will leave images on the inside of the cup. Get into a relaxed state and study the granules you have left in the cup. Begin reading at the top and continue around clockwise. Do you see smooth lines or bumps? That indicates a smooth or up and down immediate future. Odd recognizable shapes? What pops into your mind as you see them? Use your intuition to read the signs. Write them down so you check the accuracy.

Mirror. Some people find that they can easily see their angel and spirit guide over their left and right shoulder by staring into a mirror. Get into a psychic state. As you breathe deeply, focus at your eyes in the mirror and stare with a soft gaze. It is easier to see the outline of your guides and angels by not staring at them directly. Through the corner of your eyes, what do you see?

Notebook and Pen. Sit in a quiet room. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and concentrate on an area of your life or on someone you know. Write down the words and draw the images that pop into your head. It’s cool, the more you write, the more stuff you get. I like to repeat the name of the person I am “reading” in my head, it “tells” me a lot of information. Date the session so you’ll remember when you did it.

Looking forward,

Dollie

Post Master Cleanse…Day 2

2008-04-01T14:40:07-07:00

This was a good day!

I actually felt energized and quite well. I was finally able to get some serious work done on projects I really should have been working on over the weekend.

But more than that, and not directly related to the fast, we have been having a lot of activity here at CoTradeCo. A lot of inquiries, a lot of orders, and surprisingly a lot of phone calls. Who knew that people still liked to talk to people? I need to do some research on that. But I am glad people still enjoy the human touch.

Thanks to all the action here at CoTradeCo Trader Dan and I were inspired with some new brainstorming that I can hopefully get onto the schedule this week.

But in the evenings I have been addicted to the RTS game I started while on the fast. Which is good and bad. It is a fun and relaxing outlet, but since I didn’t finish working until 11pm, after a break, a walk and some food, I wasn’t starting until after midnight. Not a good thing for games that typically take upwards of 2 to 4 hours. Bad zoe.

Otherwise, specifically regarding the fast, I am feeling more and more that it was worth doing. Not sure when I would want to do it again, but it was worth doing.

It did seem like my insides were definitely cleaned out a bit, and I have always heard that is a good thing. But more importantly, I feel like the mental rewards were the payoff.

Anyway today was good, I felt great, went for a longer, but still mild bike ride, did more stretches and exercise. I think starting next week I am going to not only hit the trails, but start my days out with a ride to a local coffee shop instead of having coffee at home and sitting down to work immediately.

Probably Day 3 will be my last update as my body is mostly back to normal now (note the euphemism). My energy is strong, I feel strong, and my functions are good.

Thanks to Colleen, Alan, and Tammy for playing along. Colleen and I both stopped, but Alan and Tammy seem prepared to go the whole way. I have taken up making the lemonade for my sister to help support her. I also do my best to not cook or eat in front of her. She seems committed and I want to support her the best I can.

Post Master Cleanse…Day 1

2008-03-30T17:18:31-07:00

Well the day isn’t over yet, but I thought I would check in before I run out of energy or mental power to do so.

While I don’t feel physically bad, I am definitely more out of it than usual. So far today I’ve had some coffee, lot’s of water, a banana with some peanut butter on it, and some rice and beans (unfortunately good home style).

After getting up and writing my first Master Cleanse post and tinkering around the house a bit, I was committed to getting on my bike. I haven’t seriously ridden since winter started. I’ve been out a few times for some light rides, but I kept getting so wrapped up in work I have been neglecting health and friends.

So I did some stretches and light calisthenics to get ready, and from that alone I was already feeling a bit strained and lightheaded. Not a good sign! But even if I just rode around the block, I was hell bent on going for a ride.

Recognizing that I hadn’t eaten much, I thought a light spin out of the neighborhood to maybe get some light meal would be a good start, as it was evident I wasn’t going far.

But simply riding about a mile to the shopping center proved too much. I was shutting down. I settled for some rice and beans at a fast food style mexican place, mainly because I didn’t feel like going any farther.

Now I’m back and feeling alright, but definitely still drained, which is bad because I have some work to do today. For my sanity and peace of mind it might have to wait till tomorrow.

Anyway, I will keep you all posted. My sister and Alan are still going strong. My sister isn’t feeling any discomfort, but she is indicating similar odd mental glitches and absentmindedness I had experienced. I hope I can get them on here sharing some of their experiences.

At the very least maybe this whole dialog will get me off my butt to create the “Health and Medicine” community for CoTradeCo. If any of you have any snappy name ideas for this new health, wellness, fitness, and medical community I would love to hear them.

See my previous post I tried the Master Cleanse Lemonade Fast…and failed?

I tried the Master Cleanse Lemonade Fast…and failed?

2008-03-30T14:54:20-07:00

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Master Cleanse Lemonade Fast, it was first introduced to the public in Stanley Burroughs 1941 book The Master Cleanser. Many years later Glickman brought the detox diet to a larger more mainstream audience with his book Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days. And it’s been making people crazy ever since.

The detox diet is based on drinking a simple concoction of:

8oz water
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp maple syrup (Grade B only)
1/10th tsp cayenne pepper (or however much you can stand)

Drink as much of this as you want, but the suggested daily does is approximately 8-12 glasses of the lemonade. Then in the mornings and evenings drink a laxative tea. As part of the more thorough cleansing, like bathing the insides, first thing in the morning you really push it out by drinking four cups of salt water:

4 cups lukewarm water
2 tsp sea salt (not iodized )

Yum. Now that’s a tasty breakfast. In fact that was the worst part of the whole thing. Of course I had remembered the proportion of salt to water and was using two tablespoons instead of teaspoons.

The full master cleanse last 10 days and according to all the books published on the subject, say you can go as many as 40 days for maximum cleansing action.

According to Stanley Burroughs, the lemonade, thanks to the maple syrup, has all the base nutrients and calories you need to not feel hungry and stay healthy. While I have no scientific proof of this I will simply take him on his word. I did not actually feel hungry in the nearly five days I was on the Master Cleanse.

Starting to feel hungry? Have another glass of sweet and spicy lemonade!

The lemonade drink itself was actually quite tasty . It is likely I will mix a batch from time to time for my daily routine and while working/playing on the computer where I tend to snack incessantly.

Fasting is the farthest thing from my mind, ever. I am more the I-love-eating-do-it-whenever-you-want kind of person. My philosophy has always been eat what you want. If you want to be healthier then eat healthier and exercise. And if you want to lost weight, then eat less and exercise more. Intentionally not eating is about the wackiest notion that could cross my mind. And I think some wacky things.

However have a tendency to be somewhat obsessive and/or compulsive and often times more than a casual hedonist, I find myself eating as much of whatever I feel like when I want, consequences be damned. Sometimes I marvel that I am not obese.

But one day while hanging out with my friends, they mentioned that they were all going to do the Master Cleanse, and asked if I were interested. Somehow I didn’t think they were serious, but somehow serious at the same time. Not eating? Based on unproven fasting technology from a book that begins with a statement of the god given right to be free from disease and the importance of asking god to bless your meal? Did they really say fast, as in not eating?

I sheepishly and somewhat humorously said, “Sure?”

The fast was scheduled to begin Wednesday, as it was my friend Alan’s birthday, and his mother would be heartbroken (or at least not understand) why they couldn’t have a birthday meal. Over the next several days I had to keep asking myself (much as my friends kept asking me), “Are you really going to do it?”

Just thinking about doing it brought to illuminated my eating habits. I became even more aware of how much I snack, especially in the evenings while reading, watching a movie, or playing on the computer. It reminded me, painfully, of how inactive I had become over the winter, and how much weight I had gained. As the day neared, and I didn’t feel any more sure or compelled to join in on the insanity, I began eating less and being more conscious of what that was, however slight.

Tuesday rolled around, and we all met with Alan and his family for lunch at the Soup Plantation. We had a hearty and healthy lunch, and the topic of the fast certainly dominated. And everyone, including me, continued to ask, “Are you really going to do it?”

Well, after we parted ways I set off to finish some work that needed done, and then later to wind down I played Grand Theft Auto (it is a really relaxing game actually). The next thing you know it’s getting later in the evening and I had not eaten anything since Soup Plantation. And I knew it because my stomach began to feel painful with hunger cramps and I was getting light headed. And for some reason in that moment I thought, y’know what…I’m going to do the Master Cleanse.

I’m not sure how a painful moment of not eating convinced me that I would do the detox diet. So I ate a couple of crackers to quell the bad feeling in my stomach and headed out to the store to purchase the requisite supplies.

Once at the store I was first shocked to discover how expensive lemons were. Secondly I discovered that most grocery stores do not carry grade B maple syrup, and they also had not one laxative tea in the whole store. So right from the start I should have known I was damned. I settle for grade A maple syrup which the book says will work but is not as healthy or good as the B for this purpose. For all I know this my first bending of the diet that ultimately led to my quitting.

Replete with my food source for the next 10 days, with a queer bit of excitement mix up my first batch. This was the first time I had tasted the lemonade mixture and was pleasantly surprised. I determined from that point forward I was officially fasting.

I enjoyed the remainder of my evening with no discomfort, but it was revealing to notice just how reflexively I would reach for some kind of snack while sitting at the computer, despite there being no snack to reach for.

The next morning I have my first breakfast of salt water. Not able to find a cup big enough to do all four cups at once, I decide to drink the salt water in 2 two cup batches. Bad idea! I downed the first two cups no problem, disgusting but I made it. After rinsing my mouth out and mixing up the next two cups, I didn’t get a few gulps in before my body seized up with indignant revolt. After a few moments I tried again, not getting more than just past half before I spit out the last mouthful and dumped the glass. And perhaps this was the second big error leading to my inability to complete the fast.

Then the big decision was upon me. To drink coffee or not. Nearly very fasting source in the world says that you should not drink coffee while fasting. And many of these sources would go further and say you should never drink coffee or caffiene at all. Determining that to be ridiculous, and science discovering in the last twenty years just how healthy coffee is, I decided to still have a coffee, but I would just cut down. Where I would normally put a dash of cream or whole milk, I opted to use non-fat milk which we had left over from a recent visit with my father. And here we could be the third fatal action in my quest to do the impossible.

The day went on mostly as normal, excepting the massive need to use the restroom shortly after ingesting the salt water. Throughout the day, other than impulsive reflexive motions towards getting food, I was surprised at how easy it was not to eat or need food. It were as if, the lemonade was living up to it’s promises, and my commitment, however flimsy, to not eat were enough.

It was not until the evening that anything seemed amiss. A massive headache came on and I was having a hard time concentrating. After consulting with one of my clients who used to be in the nutritional and longevity scene and a masseuse and trainer at the famous Golden Door, we determined it was the seriously decreased doses of caffeine causing the headache and that drinking coffee was going to do no harm to my fast. Though considering his background including previous week long fasts, I was surprised at how non-chalant and unimpressed he was about the whole concept. He seemed to feel as though the hippy-dippy health claims of purging toxins and diseases were mostly hype. And yet he still said it was worth doing and couldn’t hurt. When pressed, he said that I would most likely feel neither appreciably worse or better at the end, but it probably had some benefit, and at the very least was a fascinating experience. Unfortunately this was a psychological blow to my effort right on the first day, and was perhaps the fourth cause of my failing to go the full 10 days.

Nonetheless I persisted. The main reason was that the next day I woke up feeling good, almost energized. Being smarter about the salt water, I used a pitcher to mix up all four cups and downed 90% of it as quick as I could. But I still couldn’t get it all down without my body telling me to stop. Again, shocked at how easy it was to not eat or long for food, I made it through the day without consequence. I did have my normal coffee for the day, starting with the salt water, then drinking several more glasses of unsalted water, then had a coffee, lot’s more water, then drank 32oz of lemonade, then more water, another coffee, and then alternated water and lemonade the rest of the day, probably drinking about 100oz of lemonade.

Day three was a little more trying. Not at first, I woke up feeling fresh and energized the same as day two. But as the day wore on I felt rundown. While typically my work keeps at the computer, I had to record voice-over for an upcoming video project, and running around, setting up the microphones, computer, and finalizing the script while not normally taxing at all, proved to be somewhat draining. That night especially I was worn out. Though I did cut back to one cup of coffee that day out of sequence of events more than anything, and did not experience any discomfort from that. Overall still feeling generally good though, just worn down and a little out of it. But still amazed at how easy it was to not even really think of food in so little time.

The day before in an effort to replenish maple syrup stocks and finally find an appropriate detox or laxative tea, I went to Major Market, a somewhat classy and amazing grocery store with normal American food stuffs and brands, but items from countries and manufacturers around the world. I though for sure they would have what I needed. Unfortunately they didn’t. They only had grade A maple syrup, and only fancy kinds many of them flavored, and at outrageous prices. Here I should mention that the official master cleanse diet suggests the substitution of molasses in place of maple syrup for diabetics. So when confronted with a choice of excessively priced maple syrup, and reasonably priced molasses, I opted for the reasonably priced molasses. Bad idea. It tasted horrible. It was my fear of what the lemonade was going to taste like in the first place. So for the duration of day three I drank this foul prune juice flavored concoction, and this shift in carb/sugar/nutrient source could be still the next catalyst for failure in my story. Fortunately my sister had replenished the grade B syrup supply so that day four started out with the normal elixir.

Waking on day four did not reveal the same energy or vitality. Right from the start I was experiencing some discomfort and mentally distanced and detached. Was it the previous days activities, the variance in the lemonade mixture, the supposed ill-feeling that some say is the result of purging toxins, was it the coffee, or the dash of non-fat milk I put in it, or simply not eating. Well there could be another reason, which I will get into in a moment.

Much like when I feel sick I withdrew into a lethargic state of wanting to do nothing but sit or lie around and ingest passive entertainment like a movie or something. But recalling that it uses more energy to sleep than watch tv, and still more to problem solve, I determined to play a new real-time strategy game, Sins of a Solar Empire. My logic was certainly flawed. While reasoning that an outdoor activity like riding my bike, which I was beginning to long for, seemed unwise in my current state, somehow the thought of burning extra calories on the brain power of learning and problem solving a difficult new game would be appropriate activity.

And this is where the purists, who are already flipping out about drinking coffee on a fast, and everyday persons will begin scoffing with violent protest and incredulity: I smoke and had continued to smoke thoughout the entire fast. While I understand the logic (or un-logic) that in undergoing an activity to purge toxins and disease from the body, smoking is the antithesis of that, and in some was crazy.

Nevertheless. I have been smoking the whole time. And on the fourth day, sitting down to play this new game I didn’t take into account the fact that when I play video games (which for the record is very rare despite what this article might indicate) I smoke twice as much, ritualistically and habitually, without thought.

And so in this weakened and uncomfortable state of being I set out in the afternoon to play a game that undoubtedly would last 2-6 hours, sitting in a smoke filled studio in my garage. And I will admit that this seems like not the next part of my downfall on the diet, but was likely the cause of my fall from “grace”.

Worse, not only did I play one game, but after barely winning the first game, I felt compelled to try again. Though I took a shower inbetween, and it was there in the warm water feeling very bad, that I had my first longing for food, a hazy vision of macaroni and cheese through the bad feelings and discomfort.

Within the first two days, our friend who had started this whole crazy idea, had quit. She gave in to what were apparently overwhelming urges to eat. I heard through friends first that she had caved in, having some macaroni and cheese. I had stated at the start, that since she was the real reason I was doing this, (despite my rationalizing that it might make me feel better in the end, help revise my eating habits, and possibly lose some weight) if she quit then I would as well. In mind though at the time, I thought this would be like having AA support buddies, someone to turn to when the going got tough and keep you going. In fact I had called Alan the first night saying I was having a hard time (mainly because of the headache and having my last throws of desire to have some food or snack that I enjoyed). We talked, and it was no problem to go on.

So when our friend quit, I was definitely at a crossroad. I was emotionally torn up over the whole thing. And while I determined that I had come this far, so why not go on? I had almost decided at that moment that I would take it through the weekend to go a full 5-6 days and call it quits. I hadn’t consciously made that decision, but I had mentioned it a couple of times as a possibility. And of all the reasons I failed, even more than the smoking, this was probably the strongest cause yet.

I am sure I drank less water and had resumed my normal two cups of coffee for the day, though I did drink all required lemonade. But as the day wore on I began to wear out, feeling worse and worse. In fact I couldn’t even finish the second game, stopping shortly after starting.

Instead of playing a second game, I opted to retire to my bed and lie down in the hopes that I would simply fall asleep and wake refreshed and recharged, possibly even prepared to go the full 10 days.

But I didn’t. As I lay there with my laptop stumbling random videos online my condition worsened. Not only could I not sleep, but my body seemed to be in revolt. Hunger pangs were rising, my whole stomach and intestinal track seemed to be quivering on the edge of some sort of internal seizure. And it was this physical discomfort bordering on pain that was the final straw.

I had mentioned to my sister earlier that day my doubts and ill-feelings. And despite what now seems like a lot of mental preparation for that moment, it took a lot of reverse will power to fight the urge to continue, while actually reaching a moment of realization that food was likely my best course of action.

Once that moment arrived, I got up with conviction and headed out to the kitchen where I proceeded to have some apple sauce. My thought was that it was a fairly liquified but nutritious food stuff with some substance to it. Though I was a bit scared. The diet suggests taking several days to move back to solid food, starting with orange juice, moving to soup broth, and so on.

After couple of spoonfuls of apple sauce I felt better, mentally at least. And within a half hour the rumblings inside my body had mostly subsided, and I no longer felt outrageously unwell. After a couple of hours passed without any adverse reaction, I took the big plunge and had a piece of bread with some peanut butter and jelly.

I was very surprised though that the food didn’t taste better. We had been talking all week about how amazing that next meal was going to be, how much flavor it would have, But the fact was the apple sauce had a metallic taste which subsided after a bit. And by the time I had the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it just tasted great like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich has always tasted to me.

But it didn’t taste better. It taste great and more fulfilling like a long day out on the trail with my mountain bike, feeling worn out and invigorated from a good and exhilarating work out. Food on days like that tastes amazing. Food after nearly 5 days on a fast tasted merely satisfying. Which I will say was good enough at the time.

So I failed. Or did I?

Yes, by drinking coffee and smoking I was defying the conventions of fasting. And as my sister pointed out, the coffee and smoking could have began causing problems because food normally helps metabolize and absorb the toxins of smoking. As for the coffee, who knows, she might be right, but I don’t really think that was a major factor. The two psychologically damaging moments of external doubt coupled with the smoking I think were the major players in my ultimately quitting the fast.

But do I feel like a failure? At first I did, in those moments lying in bed deciding to eat. I also felt like I had done some wrong to the two remaining people on the fast. I was breaking our support group, giving others cause to stop.

But I did not fail and in turn am not a failure.

I did what I thought would be impossible for me, a lover of food and compulsive snacker. I did not eat for nearly 5 solid days. In the past I would have referred to that as monolithic will-power. But I learned that it really wasn’t will-power as I’ve always thought of it. It was a simple commitment once determined was easy to endeavor. I knew I would eat again someday, that I had to eat again someday. So the eating alone could not be considered a failure.

And what I learned about that commitment, is easily something that I can take with me for other activities and endeavors, including the day I finally decide that I have had enough of smoking. From time to time, despite loving the act of smoking, the longer I do it, like anyone, I feel the adverse effects. Though in my case not as bad or extreme as others. And as I am often extremely active mountain biking those adverse effects are further lessened to the point of seeming negligible. Nonetheless, sometime I just don’t enjoy it, and when that day comes where I fully commit to how much I don’t enjoy it or the damage it is doing to my body, I can remember those few days not eating. While I need to eat, I know that I don’t need to smoke, and I can easily apply the same mental state.

But for now, I am going to start by using this “will-power” to ensure that I take the time every day to get outside, get on my bike, spend time with friends, work at a more healthy pace, and quit sweating the small stuff.

I am going to spend more time on what brings me joy. And while the depravation of a fast was the last thing I would have thought to be reminded of that seemingly opposing notion, sometimes we have to suffer a little to recognize the good stuff.

Ahhh, phooey, I’ll take just feeling good any day!

Follow the sage in my next post, Post Master Cleanse…Day 1

Vocabulary for rice????

2008-03-24T18:35:18-07:00

Ok when I was in school I hated vocabulary test, really has not changed much over the years, until now. Check out www.freerice.com for each word that you get correct they will donate 20 grains of rice thru the UN World Food Program to help end hunger! 20 grains does not seem like much but if each of us just does a few words a day or even a week think of what could be done. As of now with very little of my help (160 grains are mine) people have contributed 80,910,000 grains! and that is just today!!!! Trust me vocabulary is more fun when you are helping others in the process. So log on and give it a try! Keep me posted how many grains you are able to help with!

Water Consumption

2008-02-13T11:01:38-08:00

Drink, hydrate! Rule of thumb is to down half your body weight in ounces of water, EVERYDAY! The secret is to find water that you like, whether tap or bottled, and stick with it. It’s a great appetite suppresant and just generally good for your constitution, whatever that means.