Welcome back and Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that it’s 2020, right? It’s also hard to believe that in a month and a half, I read, watched and ate all the things I am about to share with you. Here we go!
It took me a year to read this book. I just kept it in the bathroom and when I would poop in peace, I would read it in peace! I know I shouldn’t have been but I was surprised by the drug use among artists and their insomnia. I kept finding myself calculating their age, and seeing how that would relate to their lifestyle choices. Whew. Very interesting indeed. There are many paths up the creative mountain which can best be summed up by the following quote from the book:
“There’s no one way – there’s too much drivel about this subject. You’re who you are, not Fitzgerald or Thomas Wolfe. You write by sitting down and writing. There’s no particular time or place – you suit yourself, your nature. How one works, assuming he is disciplined, doesn’t matter. If he or she is not disciplined, no sympathetic magic will help. The trick is to make time – not steal it – and produce the fiction. If the stories come, you get them written, you’re on the right track. Eventually everyone learns his or her own best way. The real mystery to crack is you.”
-The novelist and short story writer Bernard Malamud (p234)
“Fat is our friend, it always has been and always will be.” (p260)
Everyone should read this book – simple as that. We live in a toxic, nutrient deficient, stressed world which the perfect recipe for cancer. Now, what I don’t recommend is reading this book on a cruise. Here I am sitting by the pool with my EMF meter in hand lit up like Christmas tree (there were 700 WiFi routers on the boat) watching people drink their sweet drinks and play with their phones and my brain screaming, “We are THE cause of cancer!” It’s like reading about Nazi Germany on your vacation - depressing! But the book is also filled with hope. Real food, good quality herbs, and conscious lifestyle choices do matter. The reality is that we should all be living as if we already have cancer. This book will teach you what to do. So many tips beyond cancer as well – definitely worth your time.
This is probably the best book I’ve read about EMFs for the average person. She pretty much covers it all in a relatable way. The author herself even suffered from a benign salivary gland tumor on the side of her face she used her phone! That said, I have two criticisms. One is that she writes about foods that help our bodies deal with EMF pollution. It’s good information, but trust me when I say that for the past 16 years, I’ve been eating really, really well and I still developed a sensitivity to EMFs. Sometimes a toxic exposure can overwhelm a nourished body. Second, she is way too gentle, i.e. keep your phone, just don’t use it. Bullshit. I’m not here to make you feel good about your compromises and shitty decisions; I’m here to make you see things in a new way and wake you the fuck up! Your phone is dependent on the cell tower. If you want your phone to work, then there has to be a signal coming in from a tower to make a connection. Wherever that cell tower is located, a child, a pregnant woman, men, women, pets and wildlife are ALL being radiated. That’s not ok. Our home is now officially cell phone free. She doesn’t even really bring this up as an option. I’m guessing she doesn’t want to “lose” her readers. Nonetheless, Zapped is a worthy read, especially if this is a new conversation for you.
These books track each year of your child’s life. They are dated but still very useful and easy to read. They help me normalize certain developmental patterns so I’m not overreacting to a phase. Good stuff!
I read this book on the airplane flight to Florida for our vacation – super quick read and absolutely delightful. The book is about one woman’s journey to heal her eating disorder. She tried everything but what ended up helping is surprising: regularly floating in a sensory deprivation tank. It’s an amazing testimony to what is possible when silence, weightlessness, magnesium, darkness, and water restore nervous system function. I’ve been floating every week for years now and wouldn’t have it any other way. Sweet book.
“Don’t abuse yourself about your low-level of competence, intelligence, beauty or your fears of socializing, the future, money as you lay awake in the night. We all do it. Somehow we never get past being seventeen in the night.”
Fun, inspirational, charming and liberating, this book is the collective wisdom of who used to be the boss of Steven Pressfield (if you don’t know who that is, you should). This would make a great gift for a college graduate or anyone who needs to take it to the next level. The title alone is good medicine.
"Conventional medicine has not paid attention to most of this knowledge [about detoxification], perhaps in part because many allopathic drugs are themselves toxic substances." (p41)
Setting aside his dietary advice and view on herbs, this book is a great resource for learning about the health benefits of saunas, specifically the infrared lamp sauna. This is a worthy read if you are looking to make sense of your options and have a deep understanding of how saunas heal our bodies. I had no idea that it could take YEARS for the full benefits to emerge! Or that during saunas, sweating out lead smells "sickly sweet" or that mercury smells "fishy" or that copper smells like a "rotten egg" or that manganese smells "metallic" (p4-5). This was a great reminder of taking things slowly and making a long-term commitment to this practice: the body decides when it can dislodge toxins, not us! Interesting read with lots of clinical pearls.
What I’m reading right now…
“The average person does not seek information that will make him or her feel badly” (p208).
I’ve been working through this book for a while. Sometimes it’s just too much and I have to take a break. Like Another Name for Slavery, this book should be mandatory reading in high school. To understand what capitalism and “progress” inflicted (and inflicts) upon all of humanity, but specifically people of color, is just the beginning of healing and we have to start somewhere. One of the points he makes very clearly is that there is no integration when it comes to native people and Western culture. They simply cannot coexist: one has to die. This is one of those books that changes you and how you see the world around you – beautiful and heartbreaking. Read at your own risk and I hope you do.
“Did anyone ever tell you that your ancestors were exclusively flesh-eaters for at least two and possibly twenty million years?”
Nope. Not gonna find that in a nutrition textbook! Just started this and am enjoying the living shit out of it. This doc is funny and truthful. As much as I love staying up to date on science, I love reading old books from doctors who were actually healers. This one was published in 1975 and I had to print it myself. Yep, I’m reading it out of an old school binder. Fun!
This is a 20-minute Ted Talk suggesting that we can prevent metastasis through the foods we eat. Good talk!
I mentioned floating earlier. If you’re curious about it, then this would be a useful documentary to watch. Better yet – go get in a float tank and have an experience! Definitely life changing. Although I didn’t notice dramatic benefits until I started floating weekly. As someone who was addicted to her own adrenaline, floating taught me that there is another way of being in the world that’s so much better than stress, sugar and caffeine!The
An absolutely beautiful film that tracks a regenerative farm over the span of 8 years. When I suggested watching this, everyone in my family rolled their eyes thinking, “Oh geez. Boring. Another documentary?!” But they were as engaged as I was – a great, inspiring story. Perfect for the whole family. So sweet.
Another touching film that shines a light on the relationship between farmers and their customers. All it takes is one person with a mission. In particular, I loved the bread baker and his relationship to the farmer. This was an inspiring and hopeful story of what is possible in our food supply, if we can move past monoculture and fields of corn and soy.
“Take your shoes off. They’ll make you sick.” -The words of a Native American before someone enters her tent
So when was the last time your feet touched the Earth? Something to think about, heh? I mean, for me, it’s when I go to the beach. Maybe a week out of the year and that ain’t gonna cut it. For 2020, one of my intentions is to put my feet on the ground a lot more often. There are fascinating stories of healing in this film. My only caution is to do your research before you buy a device. These devices were frowned upon by the scientists at the EMF conference we attended. I’m still trying to sort all this out, but in the meantime, get barefoot and hug a tree. We can’t go wrong with that.
This is a dated film but still incredibly relevant as the situation has only gotten worse. It’s a reminder that people have been committed to this issue a long time and have made very little progress, i.e. our government isn’t going to protect us. Worth watching.
This is an in-depth journalism series that exposes 4 issues: toxic makeup, vaping, deadly dressers and recycling sham. I can’t say I had a favorite; we enjoyed each one. Enjoy may not be the right word but to be informed is good. What a shitshow!
A 90-minute documentary explaining what really happened after slavery ended. Spoiler alert: it hasn’t ended – it only changed forms. Everyone needs to watch this. I have nothing more to say. Just watch it. I hear the book is even better.
Surely you can spare 8-minutes of your time to watch this? I’ve heard cell phones compared to asbestos and lead as well. Sometimes people who speak out against technology are accused of fear mongering. Yes, sometimes that happens, but more often than not, the truth is scary, and people are addicted to convenience, so they turn the other way. All I’m saying is don’t turn the other way. Keep your eyes wide open and entertain the possibility that we are surrounded by a toxin we can’t see.
This is the author of The Invisible Rainbow and I salute him for bringing attention to electromagnetic sensitivity. This is a 30-minute recording of a talk he gave about 5G. It is well worth your time.
I discovered these at Costco a few months ago. A perfect solution for low-carb tacos!
My favorite sausage company now makes meatballs. You cannot imagine the joy I feel - no parmesan cheese, no breadcrumbs, just lots of good protein, fat and flavor. I found them in the freezer section. All you have to do is defrost them, bake them, heat up some sugar free pasta sauce and serve over zoodles. It's perfect for nights when you need to eat in, but don't want to cook - yippee!
You know that whatever you put on your lips you eat, right? I am so picky when it comes to lip balms - too thick, too thin, looks weird, smells funny, etc. This one, however, checks all the boxes and then some. Everyone's going to suffer from chapped lips at some point. This is definitely the product for that.
These are so much fun! Herbs, apple cider vinegar, and honey. I add a tablespoon of the elderberry holy basil flavor to a quart of sparkling water, serve it in a wine glass and everyone feels like they are getting a treat. These preparations exhibit deep colors so you know that there is actually plant matter in it! Nice.
Stay tuned for more recipes and meal ideas. I have a list of yummy things coming your way.
Explore in peace, my friends!
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