Video Blog Day Sixty One

THANKYOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS GIVEN FEEDBACK OR SUPPORT! Please keep the comments and questions coming...I am so driven to bring this information to people who have NO CLUE about the crap that goes into most packaged foods!


Love Love Love xoxoxoxox

Video Blog Day Sixty

Here is what I nourished my body with today:

BREAKFAST: Lemon Water, An Apple, A Banana and A Lemon, Ginger and Honey Tea

LUNCH: Sweet Potato Chilli and Black Beans :)  Ingredients: Sweet Potato Boiled, Onion, Garlic, Chilli, Coconut Oil, Black Beans) Yummmy!

DINNER: More Sweet Potato Chilli and Black Beans...SO hot but SO yummy!

DESSERT: None

EXERCISE: A Run and Dancing around in my room to music for half an hour with weights


I hope you give the Sweet Potato dish a try!
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxoxox

Two Month Video Blog

Here is what I nourished my body with today:


BREAKFAST: Lemon Water, an Apple, a Banana and a Lemon, Ginger and honey Tea

LUNCH: A Coconut and Coconut milk :)

DINNER: Pumpkin Soup (Pumpkin steamed, Coconut Oil, onion, garlic and salt in a saucepan, add water and the pumpkin. Mash and add pepper if you like. Cook until think and creamy! Delicious!)

DESSERT: None

EXERCISE: None


Cooking and preparing food is so much fun! Be creative, and you could just come up with something AMAZING!

Love Love Love
xoxxoxoxoxox

Video Blog Day Forty One

So here it is, the first Superfood featured in the incredible documentary 'Food Matters'...

BEE POLLEN! :)

Okay, so here is some info that I have found during my hours of research:



Bee Pollen - Bee pollen is collected by bees from flowering plants and formed into granules. Bee pollen is the most complete food found in nature and has five to seven times more protein than beef. It is especially beneficial for the extra nutritional and energy needs of athletes and those recovering from illness. It is a natural antidote for fighting allergies particulary hayfever and sinusitus. Research shows that pollen counteracts the signs of aging and increases both mental and physical capability.

Bee pollen has been shown to help people:

lose weight increase energy, vitality and stamina enhance the immune system relieve allergy and asthma symptoms improve sexual function correct digestion problems slow the aging process prevent cancer and other diseases Bee Pollen for Weight Loss and Skin

Bee pollen is the ancient Chinese secret to staying healthy and thin. It is a powerful extracted nutrient that gives the body everything it needs to heal itself, thrive and survive. With over 1000 successful clinical trial patients under its belt, Chinese research groups can enjoy the solid truth that bee pollen is an effective solution for weight loss. The product is available in a variety of forms including a dietary supplement, powder, seeds and added to items such as jam and honey.
The benefits of bee pollen are almost too good to be true. For starters, the average participant in an extensive clinical trial experienced between 15 and 35 pounds of weight loss over the course of one month when taking bee pollen supplements. These results are accumulated from people who did not maintain a special diet and did not workout. It is safe to say that combining bee pollen capsules with a steady diet and exercise routine will drastically increase the workout results for the average person.
There is often a negative side effect or “catch” when it comes to weight loss supplements that promise as positive results as bee pollen, but in this case there is none. Traditional diet pills are often filled with placebos or heavily processed nutrients that are bad for the body. Bee pollen is 100% natural and organic in its derived state. It contains a full spectrum of vitamins, minerals and amino acids that cannot be found in even the most complete multi-vitamin. A person could essentially survive for a few days on bee pollen capsules alone because of all the nutrients that are inside of it.
Bee pollen is carefully derived from plants by scientists. The extraction technique is designed to keep the pollen from being chemically altered in any way. This allows the product to be highly effective. As with many dietary products, there are copycats all over the market. One of the best ways to ensure you are getting high quality bee pollen products is to check the manufacturer for GMP compliance and a certificate of analysis. These small factors will ensure you are consuming pharmaceutical grade nutrients and not a sugar filled alternative to the real thing.
There are many natural moisturizers in bee pollen as well. This allows it to nourish the skin and increase the elasticity of skin. The end result is youthful looking skin around the entire body. Many patients have also reported a drastic decrease in problematic skin conditions especially acne. Because bee pollen acts as a natural detoxifying agent it is able to suck out and flush out the waste that is trapped within skin and fat cells. Other patients noticed an increase in overall energy. On the inside of your body the real magic is happening. Bee pollen flushes out the fat that is trapped inside your cells. During the process the endocrine system is able to function at optimum levels and blood flow and circulation is increased. For this reason, bee pollen can help decrease the risk of numerous health problems if taken daily over time. Each product offers its own recommended dosage. It is important to speak with a doctor before hand to ensure you are not allergic to pollen that is found in the supplement. Signs of allergies include itchy throat, swelled throat and chronic coughing.

I hope you found this information helpful, and an incentive to give it a go :)
Also, I highly recommend watching Food Matters....because it does!

I will see you tomorrow for Day One of my One week raw cleanse :)
Love Love Love
xoxooxoxoxox

Video Blog Day Thirty Nine

WE ARE ALL NUTS!

When you compare an almond to a pecan, or a brasil nut to a cashew, or a macadamia to a hazel nut...you may very well find tiny similarities...but they are all yummy and completely different in their own way.
Last night I came up with a theory, that we are all nuts.
Why do we constantly compare ourselves to one another looking for reasons to get down on ourselves because her butt may be 'firmer/slimmer/more bootylicious than mine' ?????

It doesn't make sense!!!!!!!!!!!!
From now on when you find yourself comparing yourself to someone else...STOP, IN THE NAME OF LOVE ;) and think about how rediculous you're being. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! EVERY SCAR, STRETCH MARK OR BIRTH MARK MAKES YOU UNIQUE!
If you had the option, would you really  want to look exactly the same as someone else?

Think about that :)

Anyway beautiful people, I'm off.
I will see you soooon with some info about BEE POLLEN! :D

Love Love Love
xoxoxoxoxox

Video Blog Day Thirty Three

 

 

 

Coconut Oil is purely AMAZING!

 

After being introduced to Coconut Oil by Therese Kerr (One of this world most incredible and beautiful human beings), I have become addicted!

 

The different health benefits include:

 

May healp you lose weight and boost metabolism

 

Helps prevent dry and itchy skin and give you thicker, healthier hair

 

Provides an immediate, ready to use energy source

 

May help balance cholesterol

 

May help prevent and protect again viruses and infections

 

Here is a deatiled list of benefits:

http://www.healthy-oil-planet.com/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html

 

If you want the most health benefits from this Oil then be sure to use an unrefined, virgin, organic, cold pressed oil. Be sure to check for these on the label.

 

 

 

I hope this Oil changes you life like its changed mine :)

 

 

Love Love Love

xoxoxox

Video Blog Day Thirty Two

Here are symptoms of Iron Deficiency: SYMPTOMS: -Lack of energy, feeling tired and weak -Pale skin on the lining of the eyes, inner mouth gums and nails -Rapid and forceful heart beat -Finger nails become thin, brittle and white -Low blood pressure with position change (from sitting to standing) -Severe menstural pain and bleeding -Tongue may become sore, smooth, shiny and reddened -Decreased appetite (especially in children) -Frontal headache -Shortness of breath during exercise (even during a simple exercise like walking) -Brittle hair -Reduction in immunity and increased vulnerability to infection -The condition called 'Pica' (the strong desire to eat non foods like ice, paint and dirt) -Distrubed Sleep -Abdominal Pain These symptoms are general and could also indicate other health problems or blood disorders. Stay tuned for future blogs where I will test natural cures for Iron Deficiency and let you know which ones had the best results for me. I hope that this helps! Love Love Love xoxoxox

Video Blog Day Twenty Seven

Follow your passion and stay true to what you love :) I feel like I am slowly starting to get my passion back for myself again. It's so hard to forget to give yourself time for you in the commotion of day to day life. We really need to remember to do the things that we love, and that we enjoy every now and again. Also, I found that when I was blogging every day and blogging about my meals, I found it easier to stay on track...so I will also be blogging what I eat from now on :) Another rather important note, make sure that you keep it fun when taking part in this lifestyle. If you get lazy with it, it can get very boring...and most of the fun of this lifestyle is experimenting with all that the Earth has naturally provided :) Anyway, see you in a couple of days :) Love Love Love xoxoxoxox

Video Blog Day Twenty Five

Today was really hard for me.
I need to change my mind set, and stop feeling like I am missing out on anything.
This is a transition, and I hope that my journey helps you with yours.


Here is what I chose to put into my body today:

BREAKFAST: Coffee with Cows Milk, Toast with Hommus

LUNCH: Sandwich with Nutella and Chocolate Wafers

SNACK: Mentos

DINNER: Not burgers on Bread with sauce and baked veges

DESSERT: Pineapple juice and Malibu


In the past, this is what a typical day of meals looked like.
Usually I would binge alot more, however today after the amount of sugar I had, I felt soooo sick...I just can't eat that much anymore.


I'm looking forward to tomorrow. It will be hard but I'm working on changing my attitude...woohoo :)


See you in a couple of days!
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxoxo

Video Blog Day Twenty Four

Day Twenty Four:

In the last week since I filmed the blog for Day Sixteen, I have experienced so many breakdowns, and have been put in positions where I have been unprepared, with no access to Earth Foods which has left me with the option of eating preservative filled foods making me feel gross...or skipping meals. Here is what I have expereced and learnt in the last week.

Firstly, my laptop died, and I had no other way of filming my blog every three days like I had said, this is where my week started going down hill. I always seem to get very down on myself when I don't stick to my word...and for some reason whenever I feel like I have failed...in whatever it is, I get really really hard on myself and my self sabotage starts.

Whenever I feel like I am doing well at something, it's like my mind freaks out and over thinks it...this is when I start to notice that I do anything I can to stop the success, and prove to myself that I can't do amazing things. I have no idea why I do this, but it's something that I have noticed alot in the past week, especially when it comes to diet and exercise! I noticed myself making excuses and making justifications for why I should eat a certain CRAP Food just because people around me were eating them. (CRAP is a word I use to describe foods containing Colours, that are Refined, Artifical and filled with Preservatives) I have also been making excuses not to exercise...which is so rediculous! About 4 months ago I went through a stage where I was so committed to exercising rain, hail or shine and I felt so good about myself! Lately however, I use any excuse to get out of exercise like the weather, or a headache or having a big day and being 'too tired'.

I feel like the last month has been a test of my character, determination and will power. I have been challenged with health problems, physical problems, emotional confrontations and mental challenges. I honestly thought that I was stronger than what I am, but after reflecting on how I've handled myself after a breakdown in the last month, I feel I have a long way to go.
For some reason it takes me a long time to pick myself up and make a breakthrough when I've had a fall.
I am so determined to keep getting back up after a fall...and I have promised myself that I will look back in 5 months time and say 'Wow, look how far you've come...how strong you are. Good girl, you did me proud.'


In the last week I have been eating about 50% Earth foods, and have not been prepared when I've gone out. I have alot to blog about when my video is back online!

Also, I would love you to write in to sarah@theearthdiet.org with suggestions on future blogs, questions or even advice.
Hopefully you will see my next blog in a day or two, and I'll be back to documenting what I eat, along with physical and mental effects.


No matter how bad things get, things always work out.
Remember to be grateful for everything you have, and everything you don't have.
Thankyou for taking the time to read/watch my blog :)

Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

Video Blog Day Sixteen

Here is what my preservative filled day looked like:

BREAKFAST: Eggs on White Toast with hommus, Sweet Chilli and Chives

LUNCH: Hot Chips with Chicken Salt and Tomato Sauce

SNACK: Loads of chocolate!!!

DINNER: Migoreng Noodles with ALL of the MSG filled flavourings

DESSERT: A Warm Lemon Water

EXERCISE: None



After all of this CRAP Food (Crap for me stands for Coloured, Refined, Additives and Preservatives), I always feel disgusting, and question why I continue to eat this food EVEN THO I know how bad it is for my body, with no nutritional value at all. I honestly didn't think that being sick would make me resort back to my old binge eating ways with food...it made me really interested in healing your body with foods when you're sick...look out for future blogs with natural remedies for certain illness's.

For now, stay grateful and remember that your health is your wealth.
Love Love Love
xoxoxox

Video Blog Day Five

Okay, so I've been doing my research on Acidophilus and how else you can source it other than in dairy products.
I found out that what it actually is, is live cultures that are added to foods like yoghurt to maintain a healthy gut.
Other than in dairy products, you can find Acidophilus in capsules and in powder form.
I just found a YUMMY sounding vegan recipie for Vegan Young Cocnut Yoghurt with Acidophilus :)
I will post a blog with my attempt at making this yoghurt sooooon!

Here is what I nourished my body with today:

BREAKFAST: A Lemon and Bentonite Clay Water, Almonds, Walnuts and Dates

LUNCH: Peanuts, Pot set yoghurt with peanuts mixed in

SNACK: Organic Corn Chips (Corn, Oil and Salt) and Organice Hommus with no bad stuff!!!

DINNER: Salad, Bean and Herb Patties and Sweet Potato on the BBQ

DESSERT: Pineapple juice



I am still in the stage where I am craving non earthy foods and feel like I am missing out on something by avoiding eating them. Part of this transition is not only the body, but the mind. There will be alot of future blogs about changing my mindset.
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxo

Video Blog Day Four

(To everyone watching...I am aware of the typo in this video haha.)
I have tried to add a link to some information about the benefits of Bentonite Clay but it's not working :(
I will do the research for you and get all of the facts and bring them to you in another blog :)

Here is what I nourished myself with today:

BREAKFAST: A Banana Smoothie

LUNCH: A Fruit Salad

SNACK: Dates

DINNER: Moroccan Chickpeas and Rice with Organic Soy Sauce

DESSERT: None


I highly recommend using Bentonite Clay for drawing all of the toxins out of your skin! It felt amazing to feel it tighten up...I could literally feel all of the toxins being drawn to the surface. After it'd all been washed off, it was really shocking to feel how soft it actually was! I will be using Bentonite Clay as a Face Mask VERY often!

Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

Video Blog Day Three

Here is what I nourished my body with today...I am so grateful:

BREAKFAST: A Lemon and Bentonite Clay Water, A Rice Milk Banana Smoothie

LUNCH: Walnuts, Pecans Nuts, Dates and an Orange

SNACK: More Walnuts, Pecans and Dates

DINNER: A beautiful home cooked meal consisting of Lentils, Mushrooms, Spring Onion, Mint, Basil, Sweet Potato. It was so delicious!

DESSERT: None

Tomorrows blog will be showing how to apply and use Bentonite Clay as a face mask :)
Be grateful for everything you are, and everything you are not.
Life is beautiful when seen through grateful eyes.
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

Video Blog Day Two

Day Two on the Detox Cleanse...No Chemicals, No Preservatives, No Binge Eating...tired and cranky.
Day Two for me was about cleansing my body with cleansing drinks and protein.
Here is what that consisted of today:

BREAKFAST: Lemon Water and Bentonite Clay, Almonds

LUNCH: Walnuts, Pecans

SNACK: Macadamias

DINNER: Pecans and a Warm Lemon Drink with A hint of Agarve Nectar

DESSERT: Dates


I am off to bed, I have been looking forward to this moment all day!
Goodnight, and remember to be grateful :)
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

Video Blog Day One

Today was about fulfilling cravings whilst drinking detoxing drinks like Lemon Water, Bentonite Clay Drink and Ginger Tea. Here is what I consumed today:

BREAKFAST: Detoxing Lemon Water and Almonds

LUNCH: Almonds, Walnuts, Dates, Carrot and Hummus

SNACK: Cheddar Cheese Grain Waves

DINNER: Chickpeas in an Onion Sauce with Rice

DESSERT: Salted, buttered popcorn, Starburst Loliies, Pineaple Lumps and KitKat

I noticed that after I had my binge at dessert, I felt SO SO SO full, bloated and really irritable. It put me in a bad mood actually, after the sugar high died, I was grumpy and not very good company.

Stay tuned for tomorrows blog about Detoxing the Day Aftert the Night Before...Yummy.

Love Love Love
xoxoxoxox

One Month

Today is the end. I committed to this challenge one month ago, having no idea what I would go through.
Originally I thought it would be all about the food...but I have learnt so much about myself in the last month.
So many metal and emotional issues have come up, and quite honestly, they have all caught me off guard. I had no idea that I had such a twisted relationship with food! so much so that my mind literally started to sabotage my challenge and justify why I should eat a certain food filled with additives and preservatives!
Absolutely crazy!!!!
I emailed The Earth Diet Guru Liana Werner-Gray today...I have found that I tend to struggle when I don't surround myself with high frequency, positive and amazing people. I find that I get really exhausted alot, and I've realised it's because I give so much of myself to people putting out all of my high frequency vibes...and when it's not returned, after a while I get really tired. That is one of the big things that I have learnt from this challenge....along with

• Sticking to my word: I committed to this challenge with everything I had. In our society, I found that there were ALOT of tempting factors. At times, the easiest thing to do would be to give in to temptation and binge out on all of the foods that were so familiar to me, but I know that I would have been so cranky with myself if I had given up. Towards the end of my challenge, if you read back on the last 5 blogs, you will see that my motivation, attitude and will power all collapsed in the afternoons as I started to resort back to my old ways and binge out on preservative filled foods. I didn't even really enjoy them when I was eating...ESPECIALLY when I finished them so quickly and was left feeling disgusting! It is definitely a process you go through, and I feel that one month was not long enough for my body to accept the change.
• Being at peace with my body: I have had a very dysfunctional view of my body for the last couple of years. After I lost about 15kg's the year I graduated, it's like my body transformed, but my mind was still stuck in the 75kg body...I still saw myself a very chubby, wobbly and quite unattractive. I thought coming into this challenge that transitioning from chemical filler, preservative ridden foods would also help me to transition the way I saw myself...but now that I sit here reflecting on the last month, I realise that it doesn't just 'happen', you need to actually sit down and put effort into that. I noticed my body changing after about 3 days of being on Earth Foods. My skin started to glow, my eyes became so bright and I felt so energised and light. That feeling was incredible. I am committed to changing my twisted view of myself, it will be a process, and I'm sure very confronting...but having peace with yourself is such an important element of having balance and TRUE happiness.
• 'Missing out': After the first three weeks, I started getting into the frame of mind that I was 'missing out' on the other foods that I had cut out of my diet...which is so crazy! This mainly happened after I went out to lunch or coffee with my partner or friends...even just going into the supermarket! When you go on The Earth Diet, you have to change your shopping habits, and you realise that there are SO MANY isles that you no longer need to go down, because they are all filled with processed foods. I found myself getting so overwhelmed at how much crap is sold at the supermarket! About 90% of the supermarket was now off limits to me, and I felt really restricted when I would walk down the fruit and veg section. One day I was having such a 'poor me day' and I had to sit down and figure out exactly the reason for me feeling like this! It hit me like a broccoli to the face! I felt so restricted because I had only ever tried about 40% of the fruit and veg sold in the supermarket! There were things that I had never even noticed before like Grapefruit and Rhubarb! That made me so much more excited! My goal in my next challenge is to try more of a variety of foods :)
• Researching: Previous to this diet, I was soooo naive and disconnected with what I was putting into my body. I remember when I was younger, my Mum would take me grocery shopping and always look on the label for different numbers. She never let us get things like Rollups and packets of Chicken Chips etc because of these 'numbers'. I used to complain and whinge in the middle of the supermarket because I wanted what all the 'cool' kids were eating like LCM's and Space Bars...but "Ohhh Nooo, we can't get them because of the stupid numbersss". Mum would always tell me to" get over it Sarah, I'm not buying any of it. When you are old enough to decide whether you really want to poison your body with all of those additives, then go ahead." I used to get so cranky with her! Looking back now, I think she is so amazing. She always stuck to her guns no matter how much me, my brother or sister would carry on. I have since apologised haha. Now that I am old enough to decide what I put into my body, I am so fussy! Researching certain additives and preservatives has opened my eyes up to quite a horrible reality. Majority of companies making the foods that are sold everyday to unsuspecting families are just plain CRAP! They are only concerned about the profit they will make, so they use the cheapest, nastiest ingredients...with no care in the world about our health! If I could get any message out there with my blogs, it would be to research! Don't just accept and trust that what you are feeding yourself or your families is 'good for you' or 'healthy' 99% of the time...IT'S NOT! Set aside some time, get acquainted with Google, and start searching :)
• You can heal yourself naturally: I am a big believed in natural healing. Any problem in you life, was attracted by you (The Law Of Attraction). You create your good and bad times with your thoughts and attitude. I find that I am so much more connected with myself when I am eating food naturally provided by the Earth. I especially notice that if I don't get my body moving sometime in the day...I have such a horrid sleep. I need to expel energy, get my blood pumping, my heart racing, the dopamine flowing through my brain and a big fat smile on my face :) I honestly believe that if I never exercised, that I would have depression. I would have no motivation in life, no drive to be amazing and to do amazing things...I would be a big ball of unused energy getting resentful, cranky and just plain depressed. I believe that you can cure most cases of depression with exercise and a diet consisting of 'live' foods. Also, there are so many natural cures for health problems that require no man made quick fixes. Go down to your locally fruit and veg store, stock up on your vitamins and minerals, get at least 2 fruit 5 veg and protein in your daily diet, get up offa that thing and shake it...and you WILL feel better :)
• Gratitude: One of the things that I started filling myself with when I felt I was missing out on anything was gratitude. It was more than just saying thankyou for this meal, thankyou for my car blah blah blah, I would actually be completely present, in the moment and feel the gratitude with my whole body. Breathe it in, taste it, let it flow through every part of me. I would appreciate the incredible aspects of nature, the sensations and textures of the different plants, the incredible view from the top of a hill etc. Life is so beautiful when you can be grateful for all of the non-materialistic things. When you can understand that the best things in life REALLY ARE free...you don't NEED anything else. How amazing :)
• Happiness ALWAYS comes from you: In my life, I have been known to look for happiness in anything I could. I thought that expensive clothes, perfect make up and hair, the latest everything would make me happy. I was always a people pleaser, and everything that I did was always to make 'someone else' happy. I often found myself going crazy because I would try to make 3 different people happy in one situation...and I never could. This would leave me feeling incredibly miserable and the opposite of what I'd set out to achieve...Happiness. It wasn't until I started this challenge, that I really started to feel happy in a different way than I'd ever experienced it before. It was coming from me, I was walking differently, talking differently, smiling more than ever and people commented that I was literally glowing. My gratitude for everything that I had and did not have, the delicious food that was naturally provided to me by the Earth, the beautiful beaches that I was running on and swimming in, and the pride for changing my ways...it all came through in my demeanor. Gratitude defiantly was the first step to all of this. Not feeling like you 'need' something else to make you happy, but accepting what you have and feeling grateful. It really helps if you have a notepad and write down a couple of things everyday that you were grateful for. Start with 3 and work your way up :)

As you can see, I have learnt ALOT in the last month. I have has success, failures, fun times, not so fun times, good emotions, bad emotions and everything in between.
I have decided that I am going to continue to eat Earth foods...this time for 6 months.
This time I will video my blogs :) That way I can make them so much more fun and entertaining :)
I will be able to video the beautiful places I go for runs, cooking and preparing beautiful Earthy meals, writing music to help me to heal myself after certain events, visits to my local organic grocer and so much more!!!!

ALSO, another thing that I am very excited to capture on camera, is introducing my mummy to Earth Foods. We are so close, yet polar opposites. I am a vegetarian, mum is definitely not, I LOVE Earth foods, mum loves EVERY FOOD etc.
For those of you who have partners who are hesitant to giving Earth foods a go, get them to watch the videos where I make an Earth meal for mum, and it may give them inspiration to try something new :)

I look forward to starting my 6 month challenge and getting to let you see what goes on in my life :)
See you when I film the video blog for Day One!!!
Love Love Love
xoxoxox

Day Thirty One

In the last couple of days, I have been resorting back to my old habits and binge eating.
I always feel so gross and irritated after I have filled myself with the artificial crap, and although I have done some research into what is in these addicitve foods...I feel I need to investigate further.


Todays additive is Aspartame.
Aspartame is such a common additive used as an artificial sweetener. I stumbled across this article yesterday while I was researching for my additive blog. Thankyou to http://www.jons-weight-loss-secrets.com/dangersofaspartame.html for this amazing article!!! :)

If you haven't heard about the numerous dangers of aspartame yet, I would like to welcome you to planet earth!
For decades research has been continuously accumulating, showing the dangers of this chemical. Yet it remains approved by government agencies, and millions of people consume this chemical every day.
If you think that government agencies actually look out for people's health, click here. It just simply isn't true.
As we talk about here and here, aspartame does you harm by "tricking" your pancreas into thinking that sugar is coming (sweetness sensation in your mouth, but no actual sugar delivered). This "trickery" causes a metabolic slow-down and makes it harder to lose weight.
But of course, this is just the beginning of the dangers of aspartame. And on this page, we'll go into more depth (and hopefully cause you to never want it ever again).

---

Russell Blaylock, M.D., in his book, Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, said:

"It is my opinion, after reviewing an enormous amount of medical and research literature, that monosodium glutamate, aspartame, and other excitotoxin dietary additives pose an enormous hazard to our health and to the development and normal functioning of the brain. To continue to add enormous amounts of excitotoxins to our food is unconscionable and will lead to suffering and ruined lives for generations to come. The civilized world, especially the United States, has become the largest experimental laboratory in history."

And I believe that we are now living in a time when these words are becoming fulfilled. It's just that many of us still aren't recognizing these chemicals to be possible contributors.
Carol Simontacchi, in her book The Crazy Makers, said:

"Before long, the FDA was flooded with health complaints from aspartame. More than 7,000 complaints of adverse reactions to aspartame have been filed with the FDA. This accounts for around 75 percent of all reactions to food substances received by the FDA. It's astounding: a single ingredient accounts for 3/4 of all the complaints received by the agency, and yet Americans continue to consume aspartame in alarming quantities: more than 17 pounds per person per year at present.
Of the thousands for adverse reactions [to aspartame] reported to the FDA, most concerned abnormal brain function, i.e., depression, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of the sense of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, and memory loss. Also included were a number of chronic illnesses, including brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes."

And Mike Adams, in his book, Grocery Warning, said:

"But why does aspartame potentially cause these brain cancers and other neurological disorders? The answer rests in the byproducts of aspartame consumption. During the process of digestion in the human body, aspartame breaks down into methanol (an alcohol) and aspartic acid. The methanol, in turn, poses a severe health risk to humans (page 44).

---

So what's the main point here? The problem with aspartame is what your body does with it after you've digested it. Aspartame is converted into methyl alcohol, and then methyl alcohol is converted in the cells to formaldehyde and formic acid, and both of these are potent toxins. Is it any wonder we're all so sick, fat, and mentally unstable?
And how about blindness?
Russell Blaylock, M.D., in his book Health and Nutrition Secrets that Can Save Your Life, said:

"Diabetics who drink large amounts of aspartame-sweetened drinks are more likely to go blind. Aspartame is composed of the excitotoxin, aspartic acid, as well as methanol (also a known eye toxin) and the amino acid, phenylalanine."

So how about that diet coke? Or that diet pepsi?
If these dangers of aspartame aren't enough to make you think twice, I don't know what will. If you haven't watched this video yet, I would recommend it:


So here's your action step. Avoid all products (food and beverage) sweetened with Aspartame ("Nutrasweet").


Today I had an incredible day with nature :)
I started my day with a run...it was so hard! I have lost so much fitness recently, so it was such a struggle to climb the hill...but when I got to the top, this was my reward :) How grateful I am!!!

Here is what the beautiful earth provided me with today...(until I drank ALOT of straight alcohol in the evening and binged out, yet again :( )

BREAKFAST: Almonds and an Apple

LUNCH: An Egg and Salad dish

SNACK: Grapes

DINNER: A Chocolate Smoothie with Almonds

DESSERT: Straight, home made Malibu with frozen pineapple pieces as ice

BINGE: Rice chips, Chocolate Wheatbix and Grain Waves.

Tomorrow is a month of this challenge...after everything I have experienced, every successful day, every failure...I have decided that I am going to continue my challenge...this time, I will NOT give in to that sneaky little voice in my head that justifies why I should binge out on preservative filled foods.

Sleep tight, be grateful for our amazing, beautiful earth and let the people you love know that you love them every single day :)

Love Love Love

xoxoxoxx

Day Thirty

Today started off with good intentions...however like the last couple of days, in the afternoon came the preservatives and chemicals.

I've been questioning why I keep consuming this CRAP!
Day after day, I say I will eat Earth Foods again...and then I just give in.
Could I be addicted?
Is it even possible to be addicted to preservatives and sugar?
I had to do some research to see if I could find some explanations...
Here is what I found:

Dangerous Food Additives and Preservatives

Drugged up, sick and fat.
Unfortunately, that sums up North America pretty good. And the dangerous food additives and preservatives that are used by the Food Matrix are a huge part of why we are all this way.

Here's how this works. The major "food" distributors for the Food Matrix profit greatly off of our addictions. But in order to get us addicted and keep us addicted, they have to overcome many obstacles.

---

First off, in order for us to be drawn to their "food", and to be drawn away from real food, they need to use chemicals (dangerous food additives) to sweeten their foods more than foods were ever designed to be. In the same way that heroine gives the addict a high that, as humans, we were never meant to experience, so also these chemicals give us a sweetness high that we were never meant to experience.
And so when they give us this "high", we become addicted and want more. Moreover the rush that we get from eating their "food" causes us to lose interest in real food as well.
This further compounds the problem for the addict, but makes sure that the Food Corporations profit handsomely (ensuring repeat business until the addict gets cancer or heart disease, and dies).

And another problem that the Food Matrix has to overcome is that of shelf-life. You see the Matrix understands that, if the food they provide never spoils, odds are it will be easier to distribute their "food" further and further, and by so doing addict more people.
You see, the major food corporations ending up wanting you to lose interest in local producers (farmers who actually produce and raise real food). And the only way they can do this is by making sure that the food doesn't spoil on it's way to you (because it often has to travel thousands of miles to get to wherever you are).
And so, to make sure that it gets to you (to distract you from real food), not only do they put chemicals in it to sweeten it to abnormally high levels, but they also must use chemical preservatives, so that, even if it takes weeks or months for someone to actually eat it, it will still taste ok when they finally do (ensures the profitability of these corporations by making sure food is returned for credit because it expired).
This is essential viewing:



So basically, they add dangerous food additives and preservatives for two main reasons:

1. The additives, so they can addict you by creating a "taste sensation" in your mouth that you were never meant to experience by eating food.
and
2. The preservatives, so their food will never perish, thus making sure their products can travel thousands of miles, and then sit on the shelf for very long periods, all without going bad... thus ensuring corporate profitability.

And this section will be devoted to exposing these toxic chemicals, so that you can become aware and educate yourself, so that you can avoid these toxic chemicals and help others do the same.
(http://www.jons-weight-loss-secrets.com/dangerousfoodadditives.html)

This is crazy. I knew about this, but this is the first time I had actually researched into the addictive side.

I have been dreading writing this bit all day!!! :(
Here is what I poisoned my body with today:

BREAKFAST: Grapes, Blueberries, Walnuts and Almonds

LUNCH: An Orange with Sunflower Seeds

SNACK: A Protein Chocolate Smoothie and Carob Licorice Sticks

DINNER: Organic Spicy BBQ Corn Chips, Home made Fried Rice

DESSERT: Pineapple Juice with frozen Pineapple, Malibu and Ice

EXERCISE: A Run along the water, up a hill and along the beach...followed by an amazing swim.

I also think that I eat when I am bored, I switch off and unconsciously eat crap foods.
I will be determined to find helpful distractions to stop myself from binging out.
I can't wait to write tomorrows blog...it is all about Aspartame, I'm sure that will turn me off crap foods again!

Sleep tight, be grateful for clean, healthy and delicious foods :)
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Day Twenty Nine

I have sabotaged myself.
Each day I wake up so determined to get 'back on the wagon' and be as motivated as I was on day one however for some reason...by the afternoon I binge out on crappy preservative filled foods! EVEN THO I know how bad they are for me!
After I did the blog about coffee I started drinking it again. It started with one a day then two then three...and I found myself going back to my old ways. I used to drink coffee and eat hardly any food in attempt to lose weight. I always knew that coffee wasn't good for me but one I started relying on coffee as opposed to food for energy I saw the weight drop off and got really excited. Although I lost alot of weight, I also lost alot of health. My skin went really pasty and I would bruise really easily. I would go for an hour run every day and do loads of sit ups, push ups and dips. After a while of doing this I would get sick and be in bed for a couple of days. When I started eating again, I put on weight so quickly, and my mood was like an avalanche...from being on top of a mountain, to rapidly sliding down seeming like nothing or no one could stop me from reaching rock bottom.

For some reason when I look at my history with food, there seems to be a pattern, and although when I get to rock bottom and change my habits to much healthier/happier one...for some reason I always end up back at rock bottom questioning my will power.


Something I feel is important to write about (even tho I am dreading even mentioning this) is that I used to be so obsessed with my weight. I would start the day without breakfast and opt for coffee and distract myself from being hungry. I would then be starving by the end of the day, so I would binge, and binge and binge and binge!!! I would then feel so gross so I would get on google and look at pictures of skinny celebrities. I would compare them with myself and get really critical of what I didn't look like. Then I would go for a late night run, and go to bed with extremely low self esteem. The pattern would repeat itself over and over...then I would get so sick of living like that so I would dedicate one day to lay in bed and go without food for a whole day, thinking that it would empty me out and make me skinny...then I would exercise like crazy and eat hardly a thing for as long as I could sustain it. I would normally get sick and repeat the whole pattern.

I don't know what to say to explain this...but I am looking into the addictive qualities of preservatives to see if I could have an addiction to preservatives.
I am so not proud to be typing this right now, but I hope that at least one person can relate to what I've been through and want to make a change like I do.

Here is what I consumed today:

BREAKFAST: Grapes, Blueberries, Dates and Walnuts and a Coffee with Rice Milk

LUNCH: Dates and A Chocolate Smoothie

SNACK: Organic Yoghurt and processed vegetarian protein snack.

DINNER: Peanut Butter and Honey on Organic Soy Lin Bread

DESSERT: Grapes, Blueberries, Dates and Walnuts

EXERCISE: A Beach run with an incredible swim!!! Such a beautiful day!


As you can tell, my attitude AND my diet are spiraling down.
I'm nearly at one month...and I have broken the Earth Diet a couple of times.
This is such a powerful challenge for me...it is really showing me that my will power, gratitude, research and living in the present moment all need to be improved dramatically.
Tomorrows blog will be about addictions to preservatives.

Sleep tight, be grateful for amazing beaches and clean, crisp and fresh air :)
Love Love Love
xoxoxoxo