Browsing October, 2007
As seen on Oprah
“Crazy Sexy Cancer is an irreverent and uplifting documentary about a young woman looking for a cure and finding her life.
In 2003, 31-year-old actress/photographer Kris Carr was diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer. Weeks later she began filming her story. Taking a seemingly tragic situation and turning it into a creative expression, Kris shares her inspirational story of survival with courage, strength, and lots of humor.
With experimental treatment as her only option, Kris became determined to find answers where there were none. She traveled throughout the country interviewing experts in alternative medicine as she tenaciously dove head first into a fascinating and often hilarious holistic world. Along the way, she met other vivacious young women determined to become survivors. Their stories are as poignant and exciting as the women who tell them. As Kris’s amazing journey unfolds, she realizes that healing is about truly living rather than fighting.
Crazy Sexy Cancer is more than a film, it’s an attitude! It’s about rising to the challenge of life, and no matter what, refusing to give up who you are at your core. This story is as funny as it is frightening, as joyous as it is outrageous. Ultimately, Crazy Sexy Cancer is a thought provoking film about, friendship, love and growing up.”
We all will feel the effects of cancer in our lifetimes. Whether or not we are faced with it ourselves or not, we will no doubt know someone battling cancer, or worse, dies from it.
I just found out that a cousin of mine is facing almost unbeatable odds regarding his cancer diagnosis. Also, a co-worker of my father’s has just died of cancer. We can not get away from it, but we can decide to change our ways of thinking, and see what we can somehow learn from all of this.
My deepest sympathies go out to all of you who have lost a loved one to cancer. I look forward to the day when cancer has no way of winning these battles.
This film is an uplifting look at one person’s battle. Perhaps it will inspire others who are going through the same thing.
Health and Wellness,
Jamie
Can we really reverse global warming?
There have always been two distinct groups when it comes to global warming and its cause. The first group believes that humans are the direct cause of increasing CO2/greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and consequently we have created this disaster ourselves. Generally speaking, I think more people are now on this side of the argument, as most scientists and scholars who are in a position to make that claim have confirmed this.
However, there are still many folks who are of the opinion that global climate change is simply a naturally occurring phenomenon, like the ice age, and all of the cyclical drought, flood, weather patterns that occur over hundreds and thousands of years.
I am not here to debate either side. I believe we are way past that debate. As a matter of fact, I would like to, for a minute, assume that Global Climate Change is a naturally occurring cyclical climate issue, and that we humans have done little to cause this.
Even if you are on this side, you still would probably want to DO something about it. Even if humans are completely innocent in this whole scenario, I can assure you that it will be humans who either change the current state of climate, or it will ultimately be us humans who unfortunately pay the price. Maybe with extinction.
So, that leaves us with a few choices. There is not going to be one silver bullet here that cures this whole thing. It will be a vast and diverse amount of changes and improvements we will make for the effects of Global Warming to be slowed down, let alone stopped.
FUEL- Obviously we need something different than gasoline to power our vehicles. We will get to the point when hydrogen power is affordable and feasible- just not quite yet. So what about right now?
First, we need to change our driving habits a bit. Consolidate your trips each day so you only go out once. Also, smart driving habits like slower acceleration, driving at the speed limit, keeping your vehicle maintained properly-these all add up to better gas mileage and less pollution. There are a few products that do work in regards to improving the emissions of your car and increasing the fuel efficiency as well. I have Bi Tron engine treatments and fuel conditioner in my car right now, and I can say it has made a big difference for me. Maybe it would for you as well.
The point is, don’t wait until you can actually afford a hybrid. Don’t wait until they make an electric car or fuel cell car that doesn’t pollute. Take action now.
ENERGY- This obviously is a huge issue. I believe we need a diverse array technologies like solar, wind, biomass. But for the average consumer, right now you can do a few things: Convert your old light bulbs to COMPACT FLUORESCENT. These can save 80% energy compared to incandescent bulbs.
Another easy thing to do is change your electric landscape lights to solar ones like these HERE.
They are easy to install and are powered 100% by the sun.
If you wanted to go a step further, you could look into a company called Citizenre. They have an interesting plan to install a full solar system on residential houses for a small upfront deposit, then rent the system back to the customer. the really cool part is that the customer can lock in the rate they pay for the rental for up to 25 years. And it will cost no more than what you are paying for your electricity right now. Plus, you will now be part of the solution to global warming, using 100% solar power for your electricity needs! Very cool.
So these little things, will the add up? Well, we have to start somewhere and I like to think that everything must start with us as individual. We can’t always count on our government, or the ones in charge. We need to start this now, at home, each of us individually. We can do this. Let’s be the change we want to see in the world.
Ethanol is another huge topic right now. With corn ethanol greenhouse gas emissions are cut by 22%, however to get the energy equivalent of gasoline, it is still more expensive, at least until more ethanol plants pop up. However, remember that the process of producing ethanol creates more greenhouse gas. It is in no way the solution.
Sugarcane yields 600 to 800 gallons of ethanol an acre, twice as much as corn. Plus, the waste can be burned to power the distillery, lowering fossil fuel use. This is a closed loop system, and is closer to what we need. Plus, greenhouse gas emissions with sugarcane ethanol are 56% less than with gasoline. Brazil is the leader at this point in sugarcane ethanol.
But the most promising of all might just be algae. Yup, that single-celled pond scum. Algae has the ability to not only soak up carbon dioxide from the smokestacks of power plants, but it also can be used to make ethanol, biodiesel, or even jet fuel. And with algae, you harvest literally every day. So compared to an acre of corn which produces around 300 gallons of ethanol a year, an acre of algae could theoretically make more than 5,000 gallons of biofuel every year.
See, it is going to take a continued effort with all of these technologies (and more) to really make a difference. But every little thing we do counts. As long as we don’t take our eye off the ball and realize this, we will succeed in maintaining this planet for our future generations to enjoy.
Please post comments /solutions in order to help us all make that difference.
Peace,
Jamie
Holistic Treatment: Is it in Your Path?
I have been thinking about the reasons people may be hesitant to go see a holistic practitioner. I am always talking to people about it, giving my stories and how I have come to see that this should really be the norm when it comes to getting well. And how it has helped my wife overcome a hyper-thyroid condition without the use of the normal once-a-day radio-active pill-she simply needed to change her diet and temporarily go on some natural supplements. Her natural immune system then kicked into high gear and within one year her thyroid issue was GONE.
Or things like carpel tunnel syndrome. A friend of mine who is a percussionist was just telling me that when he had an issue with carpel tunnel the doctors wanted him to have surgery. He declined and used alternative treatments like acupuncture. It worked! He is pain free with no surgery. There is a woman right now in my yoga class who broke her back in a car accident recently. BROKE HER BACK. She is in yoga class every day and is recovering at an incredible rate. What an amazing example.
These are the types of things that I thought that when people heard, they would immediately say “wow”, that is amazing- there is a better way”. But most people are resistant to change. I can certainly understand that.
In my life, as a musician, I have gone from this gig to that gig, and even if I am going from one that is not so good to one that is going to be much better, there is hesitation and stress. One can get very comfortable where we are right now, even if it is not the right place for us.
Let me say that again- We can get very comfortable where we are right now, even if it is not the right place for us. Change can be frightening. It also can be liberating, but it takes courage. The courage to go against the “norm”, to take a chance, to do something that everyone else is not doing. To NOT follow the crowd. Just because the crowd runs that way, you don’t have to follow them.
Still, I understand that people need to find things on their timetable, when it is right for them.
Unfortunately, sometimes this comes when conventional treatments are at a brick wall, and the medical doctors have reached the limit of what they can do. Then the patient almost has no other option but to seek out alternative means.
So while I believe that holistic is the way to go, I respect everyone for traveling the route that they must travel. Each individual must find his or her path, and that path is no one else’s. We cannot live in each other’s shoes, we cannot walk another’s walk. So I will simply say to all, I wish you peace, happiness and perfect health.
With Much Love,
Jamie
If You Love Almonds, You Need to Read This
I love almonds. They are probably my favorite nut to eat, and are very healthy as well.
When I heard that the FDA wants to pasteurize every single almond that we eat, I went, “what?!”
First of all, nuts in general are very high in unsaturated fats, fiber and micro nutrients. That is a good thing. It is also very probable that nuts can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, one needs to watch the amount of nuts they consume. Too much can be a bad thing. As a rule of thumb, grab a handful of almonds (or your favorite nuts), then stop. Any more than that on a daily basis for most people is too much. If you notice you have been putting on some weight while you are trying to lose it, maybe you are overdoing the nuts.
Now, back to our previously scheduled conversation.
Usually the term “pasteurization” means that food is heated to a very high temperature and then cooled quickly. In the almonds case, this would mean that the nuts would be laid out on a conveyor belt, the blasted with steam to raise the surface temperature of the almonds to 200 degrees. This would kill any pathogens present. They would also make it so we literally could not get our hands on any natural or raw almonds.
When any food is heated to a very high degree, you begin to lose the nutrients in that food. So what do you think will happen to an almond heated to 200 degrees? The nutritional value will decrease immensely.
The president and CEO of the Almond Board of California (ABC), Mr. Richard Waycott, has said that the almonds will not be heated or irradiated but will be pasteurized using a substance called “propylene oxide”. Is this supposed to make us feel better? Do a search in Wikipedia for what propylene oxide is, you probably wouldn’t want to eat it.
The ABC is trying to pull the wool over our eyes by claiming that this “terminal gas sterilization” does not decrease the nutritional value or taste of the almonds. Really. Well, I am not buying it.
There is no way that it will not adversely affect at least the almonds themselves in a negative way, and probably those who consume them as well. It’s not a good policy, folks.
The US Department of Agriculture would be the first place to send a letter, email or fax to put a stop to this. We may not have much time.
Here is the Contact:
Secretary Mike Johanns
United States Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave SW
Whitten Building Suite 200A
Washington, D.C. 20250
Health and Wellness,
Jamie