Hi, Everyone!
I know there are some new people starting to view this blog as well as others who know about it and who may be eagerly anticipating my next post on "Food Basics Part II" mentioned below. That post is "in progress," however, Right Now I'm going to have to focus on getting my stuff ready to sell at Harper's Ferry Flea Market this weekend, June 25th. (For more info go here: http://www.harpersferryfleamkt.com/)
In addition, just so everyone knows, this is ALL pretty new territory for me; i.e. blogging here, and especially including images. I'm still learning my way around the site itself and figuring out how I can make the most of it. Consequently, these first few blogs are the tougher, more time consuming ones, and I just don't have a lot of time right now, given the other things I have to get done before I actually go on my trip.
Furthermore, I'm still on my old, Familiar, PC and operating system. Pretty soon, even That is all going to change when I get my iPad.
In other words, just like my actual riding of my bicycle, this is all kind of starting in "low gear" and it might take a while for me to build up some speed and momentum. But I trust that with my Awesome Blue Turtle Powers of Slow and Steady Perseverance...I will ultimately be successful! : )
I do appreciate All of the Support I have received from my current friends and associates and the new ones I am starting to meet. I will do my very best to Do What I Say I'm Going to Do; and in that way, not betray the trust you have in me, and not betray The Life Impulse that brought me to this point in the first place.
No doubt, there are some challenges ahead, New Challenges that will require different kinds of adaptation from me. And even if it appears daunting at times, as I said, I am going to do the very best that I can to meet those challenges with courage and humor. : )
Thanks again to all of you who have offered your support and encouragement. Thank you for Believing in Me as that makes all the difference in those moments (though relatively rare), when I begin to wonder "What the heck am I getting myself into?!"
But, here I am...and it appears the only way "out" at this point is "through." In other words, I'm just going to have to Go Through This and see what happens!? Although I might have some idea of what's to come, the Future is as much of a mystery to me as it is for anyone who might be reading this blog. All I know is, right now, I have to get my stuff packed up for Harper's Ferry and once that is done, there will only be five more days before I will be On the Road!
WooooHooo!!! : ))
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Food Basics Part I - Enzyme Nutrition
In 1990 I read Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. I was so "moved" by my reading and new-found understanding about proper food combining and raw food eating, I invested a significant amount of money ($1587.00 to be exact) in an entire home-study course in Natural Hygiene and even made a trip to Austin, Texas to meet with the publisher, T.C. Fry. It was one of those early attempts in my life to do something more "entrepreneurial", even though I had no clue about the time investment or the amount of life-stability and self-discipline that would be necessary to complete the training. Consequently, I did not get very far through the course - however, a couple of the more significant books I did read during this time were Dr. H.M. Shelton's Fasting Can Save Your Life and Edward Howell's, Enzyme Nutrition
In Fasting Can Save Your Life I learned that fasting, i.e. removing the demand for the body to digest food for a while, actually allows the body to "clean house." In so doing it removes toxins that build up and that might otherwise be causing various "-itises"; i.e. irritation and/or "inflammation" of organs and tissues. In addition, and maybe most importantly, the body starts to "autolyze" (i.e. break down) defective cells, even cancerous or potentially cancerous ones. Through this "house cleaning" process, cells, tissues, and organs are "rejuvenated". A fast of seven to ten days can restore years of life to the body, while fasts of even longer periods can help the body heal from many different and even very serious diseases.
Nevertheless, fasting - i.e. removing something (i.e. food) by stopping some other activity (i.e. eating) runs completely counter to both ancient and modern medical approaches to add something more (i.e. medications) or do something more (i.e. administer other treatments or therapies). It is just beyond most people in this society to think that the body often has a better chance of healing itself when you stop feeding it (for a while) and/or refrain from doing other things to it or with it; i.e. just let it rest. (Of course, in modern society there's not much profit to be made by such an approach and that is probably why most people still don't know about it.) Granted, fasting alone may not work for all illnesses, but for those that are so often caused by poor diet in the first place (and that is a very significant number of diseases, actually), going without food for a while kind of makes sense.
From Enzyme Nutrition I learned that even squirrels sprout their nuts (! : )); i.e. by burying them in the ground they are creating the conditions in which the seeds naturally start to germinate. So... when the squirrels eat them later, especially during the colder months when they need to conserve as much of their own Life-Energy as possible, they are no longer eating the dry, dormant seeds, they are actually eating a "plant embryo" with a much higher water content, activated enzymes, and Life Force.
Although there is certainly much more common knowledge about enzyme nutrition today than there was 20 years ago, there are still many people in our culture who do not know about it. Many people do not appreciate the Life Energy that is expended in the basic function of digestion and more importantly, the body's creation of enzymes for that purpose. Enzymes are the "heavy laborers" of the human body and just like labor for any job, you should take advantage of "free labor" wherever it is available. Enzymes from the foods themselves are just that: Free Labor to help your body digest food efficiently. However... just as you wouldn't want to set your construction workers on fire, you can't heat food enzymes much either without destroying them or rendering them incapable of doing their jobs.
Furthermore, movies like Food, Inc. really bring home the fact that Food Processors have completely lost touch with the reality that Food Is Life for human beings. This is clear by the way they disrespect and literally destroy that Life through all of their production and processing methods. Is it no wonder then that so many people in our society are sick; i.e. dying (sooner than they should be) or living as if they were "half dead" already? Or why we feel the need to constantly be "faking" Life Energy by our daily rituals of self-stimulation? Coffee anyone? Fast paced computer game or music video?
But, lest I err as so many others have done, I will now step away from the soap-box! My Guru Adi Da Samraj was quite astute in observing how people can get very serious (>:{) about diet, and dietary disciplines, and can become convinced of how one way of eating might be so much "better" than another (making the people who eat that way so much "better" than other people who don't - at least from the "point-of-view" of the "ego-'I'" :]). He called this common phenomenon "Lunch Righteousness". And believe me, I Was "Lunch Righteous" after reading Fit for Life...so much so that my proselytizing began to alienate all of my friends. It wasn't until I was considering it all in a journal entry one day that I realized I had to make a decision: Did I want to be "right" or did I want to be in relationship. I chose to be in relationship and I have not been overly "serious" about my diet ever since, or attempted to "convert" anyone to my "point of view."
That doesn't mean I've stopped talking about and sharing my experiences with others, it's just that I do not see it as my main mission in life to change the world through forcing my idea of the "perfect diet" down other's throats...so to speak!
I have, however, continued to explore options for myself and to adapt what I have learned about raw food eating to whatever circumstances I have experienced. One perfect example of this was my continuing to sprout mung beans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and almonds in the file drawers of my work center while I was deployed on a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier for six months at a time. It was a good thing too, because sometimes...the lettuce they served us in the galley came out looking a little more like sauerkraut! It was especially on those days I was really glad I had some fresh mung bean sprouts as the base for my "salad" instead!
As I will be discussing in my next blog, this ongoing consideration and adaptation has reached a critical point in that I have been preparing and eating certain foods on a regular basis now since 2010. These are foods that I have also been eating while I on my Bicycle Trek Across the U.S. (2012-2013). The key is that this "basic food plan" includes all the major essential vitamins and minerals from whole food sources, and on a normal work day, I can fit between 15 and 20 of these different whole foods into a large lunch bag (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks).
Once you've read my next blog (or two), you will know how to do that as well - If You So Choose. I will be the first to say that, ultimately, Everyone Has to Find Their Own Way through this vast maze of food options in which we live. And It is Not Easy! It's taken over 20+ years and four fasts of 8 days or longer, trying something new here, tweaking that, realizing something else just really had to go, and/or something else needed to be included...to get me where I am today. And furthermore, what I will be sharing next is the most recent development in what I see as a still ongoing consideration, with even more experimentation and adaptation to come.
But for now, if you're still interested, please read-on through my next blog: Food Basics Part II
In Fasting Can Save Your Life I learned that fasting, i.e. removing the demand for the body to digest food for a while, actually allows the body to "clean house." In so doing it removes toxins that build up and that might otherwise be causing various "-itises"; i.e. irritation and/or "inflammation" of organs and tissues. In addition, and maybe most importantly, the body starts to "autolyze" (i.e. break down) defective cells, even cancerous or potentially cancerous ones. Through this "house cleaning" process, cells, tissues, and organs are "rejuvenated". A fast of seven to ten days can restore years of life to the body, while fasts of even longer periods can help the body heal from many different and even very serious diseases.
Nevertheless, fasting - i.e. removing something (i.e. food) by stopping some other activity (i.e. eating) runs completely counter to both ancient and modern medical approaches to add something more (i.e. medications) or do something more (i.e. administer other treatments or therapies). It is just beyond most people in this society to think that the body often has a better chance of healing itself when you stop feeding it (for a while) and/or refrain from doing other things to it or with it; i.e. just let it rest. (Of course, in modern society there's not much profit to be made by such an approach and that is probably why most people still don't know about it.) Granted, fasting alone may not work for all illnesses, but for those that are so often caused by poor diet in the first place (and that is a very significant number of diseases, actually), going without food for a while kind of makes sense.
From Enzyme Nutrition I learned that even squirrels sprout their nuts (! : )); i.e. by burying them in the ground they are creating the conditions in which the seeds naturally start to germinate. So... when the squirrels eat them later, especially during the colder months when they need to conserve as much of their own Life-Energy as possible, they are no longer eating the dry, dormant seeds, they are actually eating a "plant embryo" with a much higher water content, activated enzymes, and Life Force.
Although there is certainly much more common knowledge about enzyme nutrition today than there was 20 years ago, there are still many people in our culture who do not know about it. Many people do not appreciate the Life Energy that is expended in the basic function of digestion and more importantly, the body's creation of enzymes for that purpose. Enzymes are the "heavy laborers" of the human body and just like labor for any job, you should take advantage of "free labor" wherever it is available. Enzymes from the foods themselves are just that: Free Labor to help your body digest food efficiently. However... just as you wouldn't want to set your construction workers on fire, you can't heat food enzymes much either without destroying them or rendering them incapable of doing their jobs.
Furthermore, movies like Food, Inc. really bring home the fact that Food Processors have completely lost touch with the reality that Food Is Life for human beings. This is clear by the way they disrespect and literally destroy that Life through all of their production and processing methods. Is it no wonder then that so many people in our society are sick; i.e. dying (sooner than they should be) or living as if they were "half dead" already? Or why we feel the need to constantly be "faking" Life Energy by our daily rituals of self-stimulation? Coffee anyone? Fast paced computer game or music video?
But, lest I err as so many others have done, I will now step away from the soap-box! My Guru Adi Da Samraj was quite astute in observing how people can get very serious (>:{) about diet, and dietary disciplines, and can become convinced of how one way of eating might be so much "better" than another (making the people who eat that way so much "better" than other people who don't - at least from the "point-of-view" of the "ego-'I'" :]). He called this common phenomenon "Lunch Righteousness". And believe me, I Was "Lunch Righteous" after reading Fit for Life...so much so that my proselytizing began to alienate all of my friends. It wasn't until I was considering it all in a journal entry one day that I realized I had to make a decision: Did I want to be "right" or did I want to be in relationship. I chose to be in relationship and I have not been overly "serious" about my diet ever since, or attempted to "convert" anyone to my "point of view."
That doesn't mean I've stopped talking about and sharing my experiences with others, it's just that I do not see it as my main mission in life to change the world through forcing my idea of the "perfect diet" down other's throats...so to speak!
I have, however, continued to explore options for myself and to adapt what I have learned about raw food eating to whatever circumstances I have experienced. One perfect example of this was my continuing to sprout mung beans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and almonds in the file drawers of my work center while I was deployed on a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier for six months at a time. It was a good thing too, because sometimes...the lettuce they served us in the galley came out looking a little more like sauerkraut! It was especially on those days I was really glad I had some fresh mung bean sprouts as the base for my "salad" instead!
As I will be discussing in my next blog, this ongoing consideration and adaptation has reached a critical point in that I have been preparing and eating certain foods on a regular basis now since 2010. These are foods that I have also been eating while I on my Bicycle Trek Across the U.S. (2012-2013). The key is that this "basic food plan" includes all the major essential vitamins and minerals from whole food sources, and on a normal work day, I can fit between 15 and 20 of these different whole foods into a large lunch bag (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks).
Once you've read my next blog (or two), you will know how to do that as well - If You So Choose. I will be the first to say that, ultimately, Everyone Has to Find Their Own Way through this vast maze of food options in which we live. And It is Not Easy! It's taken over 20+ years and four fasts of 8 days or longer, trying something new here, tweaking that, realizing something else just really had to go, and/or something else needed to be included...to get me where I am today. And furthermore, what I will be sharing next is the most recent development in what I see as a still ongoing consideration, with even more experimentation and adaptation to come.
But for now, if you're still interested, please read-on through my next blog: Food Basics Part II
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
I Can Already Feel Myself Growing Beyond Limitations
It's kind of funny really... Most of you may not realize this but...I'm a closet introvert! And yet, here I am getting ready to start on a journey that I'm sure will stretch all of my limits - physically, mentally-emotionally, practically, and spiritually.
In the last few weeks, I've learned how to sell things via E-bay and today I figured out how to add a PayPal button to this site (even received my first donation...Thanks, TS! : )). This may not seem like a big deal to some of you (especially younger folks who have grown up with computers) but, honestly, all of this digital stuff is a bit overwhelming for me so what may seem like "baby steps" for some are more like "quantum leaps" for me. But, that's okay, I want to be an "old turtle" that can still learn "new tricks." : )
Although I am most comfortable writing - I'm going to be making videos on this trip as well and posting them to YouTube, something I still need to learn how to do. I expect the first few videos will be kind of rough, but, hopefully, they will get better with time.
Furthermore, in spite of the fact that I am still feeling like crap physically after my trip to New Jersey, I am feeling encouraged as well - in fact, there have been very few people with whom I have discussed my plans who have not offered words of encouragement and support.
I guess, for people who have known me for a while, I have already developed a certain "reputation" over the years - for doing what I say I'm going to do...no matter how crazy it might seem. : ) I may not always do things as quickly as I think I will, but - eventually, with my "Turtle Power" I do follow through.
All-in-all though, I know this trip really isn't just about "me" - I am going to be relying on a lot of support from others along the way - whether it is a couch to sleep on or a place to set-up my tent, or a bag of mung beans here and there. So as much as I may be on my own journey, it is humbling to know that I will not be able to face the challenges alone - just as it would be for anyone in this world today.
We are All In This Together - and we Have to Find better ways of living with one another and with the Natural World. Part of my motivation for making this trip is to help with that basic understanding - to be a "mobile bridge" if you will to help people "cross-over" from one point of view to another and to start re-thinking all of this - all the choices we have made and are making.
It is never too late to Change Your Mind - to try a different approach, to take some chances and just see what the Universe has to show you. : )
(P.S. I just realized it was 12 years ago today that I joined the US Navy - May 25, 1999! Yet another "leap of faith"... so I guess this has become kind of a habit with me. : ))
Update: 6-5-2011 - First YouTube Video posted - Not a big deal really, just a short demo for my Total Gym that I'm selling on e-bay and the "Accessory Caddy" I designed for it. But - there ya' go - another "leap" for me. : ))
In the last few weeks, I've learned how to sell things via E-bay and today I figured out how to add a PayPal button to this site (even received my first donation...Thanks, TS! : )). This may not seem like a big deal to some of you (especially younger folks who have grown up with computers) but, honestly, all of this digital stuff is a bit overwhelming for me so what may seem like "baby steps" for some are more like "quantum leaps" for me. But, that's okay, I want to be an "old turtle" that can still learn "new tricks." : )
Although I am most comfortable writing - I'm going to be making videos on this trip as well and posting them to YouTube, something I still need to learn how to do. I expect the first few videos will be kind of rough, but, hopefully, they will get better with time.
Furthermore, in spite of the fact that I am still feeling like crap physically after my trip to New Jersey, I am feeling encouraged as well - in fact, there have been very few people with whom I have discussed my plans who have not offered words of encouragement and support.
I guess, for people who have known me for a while, I have already developed a certain "reputation" over the years - for doing what I say I'm going to do...no matter how crazy it might seem. : ) I may not always do things as quickly as I think I will, but - eventually, with my "Turtle Power" I do follow through.
All-in-all though, I know this trip really isn't just about "me" - I am going to be relying on a lot of support from others along the way - whether it is a couch to sleep on or a place to set-up my tent, or a bag of mung beans here and there. So as much as I may be on my own journey, it is humbling to know that I will not be able to face the challenges alone - just as it would be for anyone in this world today.
We are All In This Together - and we Have to Find better ways of living with one another and with the Natural World. Part of my motivation for making this trip is to help with that basic understanding - to be a "mobile bridge" if you will to help people "cross-over" from one point of view to another and to start re-thinking all of this - all the choices we have made and are making.
It is never too late to Change Your Mind - to try a different approach, to take some chances and just see what the Universe has to show you. : )
(P.S. I just realized it was 12 years ago today that I joined the US Navy - May 25, 1999! Yet another "leap of faith"... so I guess this has become kind of a habit with me. : ))
Update: 6-5-2011 - First YouTube Video posted - Not a big deal really, just a short demo for my Total Gym that I'm selling on e-bay and the "Accessory Caddy" I designed for it. But - there ya' go - another "leap" for me. : ))
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Breaking-in the New Fender Blender Bike Blender from Rock-the-Bike
For those keeping track, the "Fender Blender" was a little more expensive than your average blender, coming in at $249.00 plus shipping. Rock-the-Bike encourages people to use them as educational tools, promoting nutritious smoothie making as well as demonstrating how a common household appliance can be run using human power instead of electric power. In addition, if you're in a position to sell samples, you can use it as a fundraising tool.
They also offer a chopper/food processor, a dynamo that can generate electrical power, and a spin-art device that can all be run off the same system. (See more here: http://rockthebike.com/blenders/Universale.) Since I drink smoothies every day, this was an obvious choice for me to take on my trip. I'm also looking forward to the opportunity to show it to others wherever that is possible. (And, by the way, if you decide to get one yourself, please contact me. When I told the folks at Rock-the-Bike what I was going to be doing, they offered me a sales partnership "on the spot." I don't mind promoting these because I think they are Really Cool, and getting a little "thank you" in return for good advertising suits me just fine! : ))
The rack that the bike is setting on is the lightest and cheapest I could find. I got it from Amazon for under $20.00. Admittedly, it's a little shaky, but it held throughout all the smoothie making demonstrations my friend Ilona and I did at the Pedal Pushers Bike Swap at Eastern Market on April 2nd. In addition, I'm willing to sacrifice a little safety for the weight (under 2 lbs) since the next lightest option would probably be upwards of three times as heavy, and A Lot more expensive!
All-in-all, I'm very satisfied with this set-up and look forward to making lots of Bike Blender Smoothies in the months ahead!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
My Journey Begins
I know it's a small step, but I have just sold my first item on Ebay, and that is one of several avenues I will be using to divest myself of all of my non-essential worldly possessions over the next three months.
All of this is in preparation for my starting a US Tour...On My Bicycle! It is something I have had in the back of my mind to do for quite some time now, and there are a myriad of circumstances that have all coalesced to move me to do it now rather than later. So, that's what I'm going to do.
It is my intent to also document my travels and experiences here - even these preparatory steps along with all of the more detailed information involved with planning and carrying out this endeavor.
That's all I'm going to say for now, but I will be back here regularly over the next several weeks and will utilize any accessible computers to keep posting while I am on the road.
Peace, Y'All!
: ))
P.S. I'm testing the photo insert options here with a picture of my bike and trailer. More about that later. : ))
And if you would like to donate to support my Writing and Riding please use the PayPal button below, and Thanks in advance for your support! : )
All of this is in preparation for my starting a US Tour...On My Bicycle! It is something I have had in the back of my mind to do for quite some time now, and there are a myriad of circumstances that have all coalesced to move me to do it now rather than later. So, that's what I'm going to do.
It is my intent to also document my travels and experiences here - even these preparatory steps along with all of the more detailed information involved with planning and carrying out this endeavor.
That's all I'm going to say for now, but I will be back here regularly over the next several weeks and will utilize any accessible computers to keep posting while I am on the road.
Peace, Y'All!
: ))
P.S. I'm testing the photo insert options here with a picture of my bike and trailer. More about that later. : ))
And if you would like to donate to support my Writing and Riding please use the PayPal button below, and Thanks in advance for your support! : )
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Introduction
Hi, Everyone!
I have decided to move my writing/blogging from MySpace and/or Facebook to this "Blogspot" site instead. In several of my previous blogs on both of those sites I said that I would follow-up in one way or another on various topics. That is what I plan to do here, where, for one thing, it is a little less "distracting" : ) and for another, I have more control and/or "ownership" over the content.
At the very least, I hope to develop more consistency with my writing. Ultimately, I hope that what I share proves to be USEFUL to others in their own lives and journeys here as psycho-physical beings.
Sincerely,
Lori Lee Bell
AKA: The Blue Turtle
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