I'm not out to change the world...well, maybe a little bit

At my Weight Watchers meeting this morning, I realized that some people might view me as a bit of an extremist.... I bake my own bread, I soak and dehydrate nuts, I buy only organic meat and strive to buy as much local food as possible, I get up at 7:30 every Saturday to make it to the farmers' market before 9AM, I eat hemp seeds for breakfast....

And then there was the microwave... There were many comments on- and offline about this. One person who is dear to me said "You can blog all you want about the evils of microwaves but I'm not getting rid of mine." My response was simply, "I didn't ask you to."

That's the point I want to get across. My purpose is merely to share information and how it has affected me and leave the decision making up to each of you. I realize not everyone is going to run out and purchase a dehydrator or burn their Costco membership cards. I would never suggest such a thing - I have a Costco membership myself. I just find I don't go there as much anymore.

I am on a journey - we all are - and at each stop I make, I want to learn something and maybe share something I have discovered as well, like that full-fat yogurt is worth the 2 points versus non-fat 0-point artificially sweetened yogurt. I tend to be rather passionate and outspoken. My hope is merely to cause people to think. If there is something I share that seems like a good change that would work for you, I encourage you to try it. A friend of mine, after a deep discussion about organics, local food and such emailed me the next day to let me know she didn't buy the Chilean grapes. That made me happy!

Its about looking for ways that we, with small changes, can make this a better place to be and live more fully aware. It is about realizing that "dominion over the earth" implies a partnership and symbiotic relationship with its other inhabitants. So, no, I'm not out to change the world. I'm just on a journey and I want to share it with you.

There's A Reason They Call It "Nuking"

Alright so I've been on the fence about this one for a while, but yesterday during a side-discussion at a meeting, a friend of mine said to me "You don't still own a microwave, do you?"

I had to admit that I do and that I use it - not terribly often, but at least once a day to heat up my coffee and maybe one other time during the day to heat up something else, like leftovers. I have at least learned not to use plastic containers for reheating but I have to confess, I use my microwave.

Said friend emailed me some pictures and an article, Ten Reasons To Throw Out Your Microwave (see below). It was quite enlightening. Although I had heard about how it changes the molecular structure of food, what I realized through a bit more research is that it actually kills the molecules. There are bi-products created when we microwave food that our bodies don't know what to do with. Plus if you use plastic wrap in the microwave, the level of carcinogens is astronomical. There are many, many articles on this and I encourage each of you to check them out and decide for yourself.

So we are experimenting. Today, the microwave is going into storage. I have a feeling it won't be that hard to live without. I can put my coffee in a thermal travel mug and reheat leftovers in a pot on the stove. I'll keep you posted. Until then, here are the photos and the article:











Ten Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven
From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical
studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens.
Based on this research, we will conclude this article with the following:

1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long
term - permanent - brain damage by 'shorting out' electrical impulses in the
brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].

2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products
created in microwaved food.

3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by
continually eating microwaved foods.

4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term,
permanent] within the human body.

5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or
altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body
absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.

6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals
when cooked in microwave ovens.

7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths
[tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in
America .

8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to
increase in human blood.

9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system
deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.

10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional
instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

FORENSIC RESEARCH DOCUMENT
Prepared By: William P. Kopp
A. R. E. C. Research Operations
TO61-7R10/10-77F05
RELEASE PRIORITY: CLASS I ROO1a

To Do List for Today: Nothing

First of all, my kids are awesome. Yesterday, the car was loaded up, the gas tank was full and we were just hitting the road for a 2-day trip to Calgary. We were going to see friends - one of whom, Little Star, has been battling cancer on and off for the past 2 years (did I mention she's only 3?) She has been doing well & they are scheduled to return home next week so we wanted to go see them before they left Calgary. However, Little Star wasn't feeling well yesterday so her mom said it probably wouldn't work to get together.

Why are my kids awesome? Because, already in the car and on the road to the Calgary Zoo, I told them I was turning around and taking them to school. Yes, there were a few tears but ultimately they understood and their concern shifted from the fact that they wouldn't be going to the zoo to the fact that Little Star wasn't feeling well.

Okay, so now I can get to the point. Every day I do a to-do list and email it to my accountability buddy. I had sent one before we left saying that we were going to Calgary for the next two days. When I got back home, I was in an interesting frame of mind - kind of sad, kind of tired, kind of restless. I didn't know what to do with myself. Technically, I was out of town so I didn't need to announce to everyone that I was back. On the other hand, here was an opportunity to catch up on some things - that fridge won't clean itself. I had a mile-long list of phone calls I could make...

After talking to my accountability buddy on the phone, I send her another list:
To Do List for Thursday:
Nothing

Ahhhh! It felt great! I realized the need to just take a day off and do nothing. Can't remember the last time I ever did that. I've taken days off from work but I usually end up filling them with other things. I even took a nap! I never nap! I paced back and forth deciding if I actually should take a nap and then found myself laying down under the covers in the middle of the afternoon. Heaven!

The world continued on without me. I can power-down for an afternoon without self-combusting. I am not indispensable. I am worthy of a day of nothing-ness and recuperation.

I can start today feeling much better and more focused. I feel well rested and ready to take on the day. The bags are re-packed for our trip which begins after school today.

As for the fridge, well, there's always next week.