How Industry Giants are Undermining the Organic Movement

How Industry Giants are Undermining the Organic Movement

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Chlorine in Your Baby Carrots

Chlorine in Your Baby Carrots

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A Principle with a Promise

Ezra Taft Benson:
The Word of Wisdom is a law—a principle with promise. If we obey the provisions of the law, we receive the promises. If we do not, there will be both temporal and spiritual consequences.

. . . In this revelation the Lord counsels us to use meat sparingly. I have often felt that the Lord is further counseling us in this revelation against indiscriminately killing animals, for He has said elsewhere in scripture, "Wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need." (D&C 49:21.)

Wheat is particularly singled out as being good for man, as is the fruit of the vine—vegetables and all fruits. This is the wisdom of the Lord on the matter of sound nutrition and diet.

("A Principle with a Promise," Ensign, May 1983, 53)

Research Shows Children are Critically Susceptible to Pesticides

Research Shows Children are Critically Susceptible to Pesticides

Study: Caffeine may boost miscarriage risk

Study: Caffeine may boost miscarriage risk

The Kaiser study looked at 1,063 women in the early stage of pregnancy. Among women who consumed no caffeine, the miscarriage rate was 12.5 percent. In comparison, 25.5 percent of women who consumed more than 200 mg of caffeine a day miscarried.

The Doctrine of Signatures

I've gotten a good email a few times this past year, so maybe you've seen it before, but it's definitely worth posting. Hats off to whoever compiled it!

It highlights a fascinating thing that God has done with some of His creations. He made them look like the organ they treat. That, in a nutshell, is the Doctrine of Signatures...that God has signed his creations. This is a very ancient theory, one that is pretty useful, in fact. Referred to in the classical period of Rome as the "Law of Similarities" it is now called by scientists, "Teleological Nutritional Targeting".

So, enjoy this great bit of info regarding the Doctrine of Signatures:

Peanuts have a profound effect on the testicles and sexual libido. Peanuts were banned as a food for males by the church ofin during the middle ages. Most people don't realize that arginine, the main component of Viagra, comes from peanuts.

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and science shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Eggplant, Avocados and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? ... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries and testicles.


Grapefruits, Oranges, and other citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.


Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

I Had a Love Affair Last May....With Dirt.

I really don't profess to be a great gardener - or really a gardener at all. Don't ask me to tell you what to plant next to each other, how to pollinate (see my friend's hilarious post on pollinating) or when to know if something is ready to pick. In fact, the only reason why I tried gardening years ago, is because I knew I 'should' do it, but primarily because the gardening book I bought had a money back guarantee. I was sure I was going to kill everything like I had before, so I wanted to be sure I only lost time, not money.

I really had no plans to do a garden this year. I knew the time (even though it's a short time with this method, it's intense) and expense - self imposed, mind you - involved in setting up my lazy man's garden, so I just scratched it off of this year's list. Until, my neighbor Mia asked me if I wanted to split a plot with her. We live in an HOA that provides organic community gardens. Initially I was opposed to community gardens, for who knows why, but the thought of splitting our time and cost and still getting results??? I couldn't resist. I sold her on my method, and we went to work. If we didn't have to dig out the plot we had, it would have been no problem, but we spent 75% of our time digging that weed infested dirt out and hauling in new compost, peat moss, worms, bone meal and mulch.3 of the 5 garden slaves, I mean fairies

In the middle of it all, I took a breather, looked at this rich, dark, moist, good smelling compost and fell in love. I loved the way it looked, felt, smelled, and I loved what it was going to give me. I bent down, picked up a handful and rolled it around. When I would get home, I would think about it and wonder if the worms loved it as much as I did. I was almost jealous of them. As I found myself going on and on about my soil to other people who gave me blank stares, in my head I knew I sounded a little mad, but it was almost as if someone else was controlling my mouth. I couldn't shut up about it.

We got all of our seedlings in, watered faithfully and waited with baited breath. When, oh when, were we going to eat our first pepper or tomato or pea??? I had complete faith in my system. It promises no weeding and no tilling. Just water and add compost every so often. I did this method for 2 years in Las Vegas with great success, so I knew it would be a no fail in Utah, right?

Our June was wacky. Lots and lots of rain. I would go to water occasionally and be disappointed that the only thing really progressing was the spearmint and one little bell pepper. I was none too happy.

I didn't do all this work for one miniture bell pepper!

Then July came! Wow...our garden took off. I apologized to my soil for doubting it's power and had renewed faith. Last Sunday I went to water, and thought I'd give one of our zucchini's another 3-4 days to mature. I came back 1.5 days later and it had doubled! The peas, the cilantro....ah, it is so very satisfying.

I wish everyone could know the joy of investing in a garden. It really holds many lessons. Honestly, the book makes it pretty fail proof, and you could technically do it for free or close to it if you planned far enough ahead, but the money and time I shelled out has already been worth it in teaching my girls the joys of working hard, planting, being patient and savoring all our hard work in one bite. Before this, my girls wouldn't touch a pea, now they fight over who gets to split the shell and eat the first pea. You'd think it was gold.

Well, that little book is a gem. It's called Lasagna Gardening . I look forward to next year, when there will be no work involved in getting the soil ready and I will actually start my own seeds. If you've never gardened before, or have been previously traumatized by a garden gone wrong, don't give up! Honestly, this book is Gardening for Dummies.

Honey Soothes the Coughing Child

Honey Soothes the Coughing Child

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Declare Your Independence.....From Pharmaceuticals

It is the 4th of July. I love the 4th. As I reflected for 30 seconds today on the freedoms I enjoy (I have 5 kids and a husband, you know....my reflections are short lived these days), I thought of the typical stuff....

Freedom to worship freely
Freedom to educate my children how I see fit
Freedom to wear stripes with polka dots

I also thought of one of the freedoms I enjoy most....my health. When you are healthy you have the freedom to think clearly, move easily, and be closer to God. The Word of Wisdom guarantees that. This line of thinking led me to appreciating the fact that my family has always been pharmaceutical free, if you don't count the 3 times we've taken antibiotics in the last 14 years. Once for a postpartum UTI 13 years ago, once for celulitis for dd #3, and once for an abscess for dd #4. All of which I wouldn't have done, given the knowledge I have now.

I am well aware that some people need their meds for life threatening conditions, and in no way am I saying that everyone everywhere needs to replace or drop their meds.

But when we talk about food storage and living without our modern conveniences, it never fails that someone says, "What am I going to do about the medications I'm taking?" To which I've yet to hear a suitable answer.

My mom takes about 7 pharmaceuticals today. At one time she was taking 11. I caught my parents at a choice time in their lives where allopathic medicine had failed them and they had turned to nature and God instead. Apparently, I was the only one out of us 6 kids that caught this window, and boy am I grateful. The last time I remember seeing an allopathic doctor was when I was 5 or 6 at the pediatrician for an ear infection. From then on out, I saw an MD turned homeopath that was in our ward.

I woke up one morning at age 11 and really struggled to walk. My legs were in pain when I did. Sometimes in the morning I would be so dizzy that I couldn't see anything but fuzz and I was a terrible insomniac. They took me to Dr. Royal, who I didn't know wasn't 'a regular' doctor, but it was fun going to him. He'd give me vials to hold, push down on my arm, read my feedback on this archiac computer. Turns out I had major allergies. I'd go home, inject myself with shots (which I didn't know were homeopathics), and call it good. This went on for a year and then my allergies were gone and I was fine. My parents also got involved in Sunrider at this time from my aunt and uncle, an MLM that marketed Chinese herbs. So, I'd take herbs and homeopathics, not really knowing I was doing anything out of the norm. My mom never explained anything to me. She herself had very limited knowledge about what she was doing, so I can't blame her too much for my lack of knowledge.

My mom got in a car accident about 7 or 8 years ago, which got her scared and started on the domino of drugs she's on now. Granted, she only hurt her wrist, but you know, she's older so she has to take osteoporosis drugs, right? Those gave her a heart problem, so now she's on heart meds and has had multiple heart surgeries, which messes with her potassium levels, so she has to take a drug for that, of course or else she'll faint. Also, she's always had trouble sleeping, but the meds give her even more trouble, so she takes a sleeping pill. The sleeping pill does this or that, so she has to take another drug to treat that. You know the drill.

So, I asked my mom...
"Mom, what happens when you can't get your meds anymore?"
"Well, we do have a 15 day supply."
"Okay, but what happens after that?"
"I don't know. We just pray, I guess. Or maybe I'll just will lay down and die."

That's the spirit, mom. Unfortunately, I don't think that attitude is so uncommon, though. It makes me sad. And sure, I guess that would be an option, one that some might willingly take, but what if the Lord won't allow it? What if you give up, try to die, but the Lord has other plans? Or what if others end up depending on you for their survival but you're too sick to do anything?

I don't know. It's not a scenario I like thinking about, to be honest. To see all the pain, suffering and chaos happening when people can't get their drugs and they are going through withdrawals. I fear the government will implement some sort of trade with these desperate people that they will feel forced to take.

'Give us your food storage, we'll give you you're meds.'
'Let us implant a chip in you and you can have your meds.'
You see where I'm going with this...it's not lovely thinking.

Like I said, my family has manged to stay pharma free our entire marriage. Not by luck or chance, but through work, study, prayer and blessings. When I tell people that my kids have never had an ear ache, only two of them have had antibiotics once, my husband took no meds during his serious illness, I think half of them don't believe me. I'm not saying this to boast or brag, but to give hope and encouragement.

Maybe you can't go off of all your meds, but you probably can go off of some. For those with major illnesses, like thyroid or heart problems, I always advise to go off of meds under the care of a trained and skilled alternative practitioner. But, on this 4th of July, give yourself back your freedom and replace those meds with better living, herbs, homeopathics, essential oils, massage...whatever your chosen modality is. And for heaven's sake (literally) clean up your diet!! I've seen many people do it and improve their lives. You CAN reduce your meds or be pharma free!

Even if that day never comes that you can't get your meds, you will have given yourself and your family multiple blessings in becoming healthy and liberated. It's peace of mind knowing that the only person you depend on for your health and wellbeing is God and the bounties from the earth.

In Health,
Amy