Farm Bill- Right NOW we have a chance to use tax dollars to support Organic Farming instead of junk food

May 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Our nation’s food & farm policy is on the wrong track.

 

It’s time to get it right.

We have the power to make the Farm Bill better – call your Senators today!

Take just five minutes today – that’s right, just five! – for a better future for our nation’s food and farmers. The U.S. Senate is debating amendments to the Farm Bill this week. It’s a complicated and bureaucratic process, and predictably, all of the lobbyists for Monsanto and big agribusiness are out in full force.

But there is one simple action you can take today, that will have a big impact.

Call your Senator’s office and ask them to support key amendments that will make long overdue subsidy reforms and invest in local food and family farmers.

Step 1: Dial the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected with your Senators. Find your Senator’s name and number here.

Step 2: Urge Support for the Following Amendments
 
“Hello, my name is ___ and I’m a constituent and a voter. I would like to leave a message for Senator ___’s agriculture staffer. Can you take a message for me, please? The message is: I urge the Senator to support the following amendments to the 2013 farm bill that is being debated this week.

1) Shaheen-Toomey payment limit amendment #926 that would place long-overdue limits of $50,000 on crop insurance premium subsidies for America’s wealthiest large-scale farmers.
 
2) Coburn-Durbin amendment #953 that would reduce crop insurance premium subsidies for farmers with incomes over $750,000/year.
 
3) Senator Brown’s local food and market development amendment #1088 that will increase funding for programs that help farmers grow more food for local markets and help communities develop food businesses and increase access to local, healthy and organic food.
 
4) Leahy-Cowan-Collins EQIP Organic Initiative Payment Limit Elimination amendment #1093 that provides organic and transitioning farmers greater access to a key conservation program that helps protect our air, soil, and water resources.
 
Please call your senator’s office TODAY.
 
Step 3: And there’s one more simple thing you can do. Senator Barbara Boxer has introduced an amendment to the 2013 farm bill that would for the first time ever demonstrate Senate support for labeling of foods with genetically engineered (GE) ingredients. Send a message by clicking here telling your Senators that you stand with Senator Boxer’s amendment and you hope they will too.

Step 4: Help us spread the word – by sharing this link with your friends.

Thank you for doing your part to make the Farm Bill better!

OrganicBroccolini

Filed Under: Farming and Gardening, Urban Farming, Wellness Tagged With: , , , ,

Natural Remedies for Common Ailments with Dr. Hyla Cass

May 13, 2013 By 1 Comment


Natural remedies for common ailments.

Dr. Hyla Cass, MD is a renowned expert in using natural remedies for mind and mood disorders. She’s a psychiatrist who’s written several books on the subject and is a leader in the space. In this interview, I get to take a hike with Dr. Cass through the Santa Monica mountains while discussing natural remedies for stress, anxiety, headaches, insomnia, and more. Join us for this fun and informative interview.

ALSO- Dr. Cass is doing a free call TODAY with JJ Virgin on natural ways to break free of your addictions. Click HERE to check it out!

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Hormone Disruptors with Dr. Sara Gottfried

May 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Hormones imbalances are reaching epidemic proportions in the West and the question is ‘WHY?’

In this interview I speak with my dear friend Dr. Sara Gottfried who’s a Harvard trained OB/GYN and specialist on the subject. She’s a NY Times Best selling author and a sweetheart of a person. We discuss the chemicals you absolutely MUST avoid and what types of things cause the biggest problems around the house. There’s some fascinating new evidence out there pointing to specific chemicals in our lives that disrupt the pathways of our hormones and drive us to get fat, sick, and tired.

Endocrine disorders from hormone disruptors are just the start. We’re finding neurotoxic agents that are wreaking havoc on our brains and those of our children on a daily basis. Find out how to avoid these “Black List” items and how to maneuver your way through this toxic world in this interview.

Dr. Sara will be featured on JJ Virgin’s Webinar TODAY- CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE

Filed Under: Diet, Weight Loss, Wellness Tagged With: , , , , ,

Conscious Capital and Sustainable Investment

May 7, 2013 By 1 Comment


Sustainable Investment

Join us for this interesting interview with the CEOs of Artisan Bistro (Scott Killips) and Wild Planet Foods (Terry Hunt) talking about investment in green and sustainable businesses. Both of these gentlemen were investors in the sector who took the CEO positions at their respective companies…essentially putting their money and time where their hearts were.

There are many trials and tribulations in the business of healthy foods and wellness products. Not all good ideas make good business sense and not all founders make good CEOs once the companies start to grow. The goal is to bring more abundance to the sector and support the companies that are maintaining sustainable practices. We vote with our dollars and supporting the good guys is a key to letting consumers drive corporate behavior. Part of this conversation revolves around the challenges of taking “mom and pop” wellness/sustainable companies and turning them into attractive avenues for capital…fueling growth and goodness on our planet.

Enjoy the interview!
logo_artisan_bistro
wild palnet logo

Filed Under: Community, Economy, Sustainable Business Tagged With: , , ,

The Green Feast at The Ecology Center- Showcase of Organic Farming and Gardening Practices

January 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment


Organic food is making is way into every community in the US. Sustainable organic farming and gardening practices have moved from something others do to a way of life for all of us. Whether we keep a few fruit trees in our yard or a tomato plant in the terrace of our apartment, we all have access to the ritual of growing our own food. This latest Well.Org webisode is a celebration of this.

We had a chance to hang with Evan Marks of The Ecology Center of San Juan Capistrano. Evan converted this property into an educational mecca for organic gardening. They teach the community how to plant, grow, harvest, and tend to the soil. Why? Because local slow food is the future. The healthcare crisis in this country revolves around poor lifestyle and our inability to make good food choices. Well, good food choices happen at the grocery store or the farmer’s market. What do I mean by this? Well, once you’re already starving at the end of a busy day, you will reach for whatever is in the fridge…heck, I can eat the dining room table itself after a serious workout. So the importance here is to make sure we stock our homes with healthy foods that are grown sustainably and preferably locally.

The Ecology Center has an annual Green Feast where they bring gourmet chefs from local restaurants to showcase how delicious healthy food can be. Its a great event and we highly recommend that you check it out.

Here’s their website- http://www.theecologycenter.org/

Filed Under: Community, Farming and Gardening, Urban Farming Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Organic vs Conventional Eating- Well.Org Looks at the Facts

December 14, 2012 By 3 Comments

OrganicBroccoliniThinking about the types of food you consume can make huge difference in your health and lifestyle. Organic food is not only more nutritious but it can actually save you money in the long run, when you factor in healthcare cost over the years.

We have created this infographic from several recent health articles and authoritative sources to help you eat healthier. There are plenty of reasons to eat organic foods and people seem to be catching on. Organic foods are the fastest growing and most profitable segment of American agriculture. We have included the unhealthiest conventional foods, some of which may shock you. We’ve also compared the characteristics of a grass fed cow to a grain fed cow in order to show you how many calories you could be saving if you switched to a grass fed cow and how healthier you could be.

Grass fed cows are leaner, have a better flavor and are less likely to cause health risks. Grain fed cows contain antibiotics and can cause inflammation in the body which leads to most modern diseases and current health issues. The E. coli count in grain fed cows is also much higher which is definitely worrisome. There is so much health news today and it is hard to know what information to trust.

Eating organic saves us money in the long run because we offset all of the healthcare costs

Eating organic saves us money in the long run because we offset all of the healthcare costs

Copy the code below to embed this infographic on your website:

Check out the trailer to the “Vitality” movie which really lays this argument out and shows us how to live a healthier life.


Filed Under: Diet, Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Brain Training – Using Neuroscience in a Fun Way to Give us a Mental Edge

December 12, 2012 By 1 Comment

Brain TrainingBrain Training is the way of the future. It has been found that we can create new connections between our neurons in a concept called “neuroplasticity”. This is the hot new stuff that is changing the game. I used to listen to brainwave CDs while at UCLA and derived amazing benefit from them. Today’s technology is even better.

Strengthening the brain and sharpening the mind have tremendous benefits for us. Just like we would exercise our muscles or practice to play tennis, brain training is a discipline which will pay back tenfold for our efforts. The research shows that training the brain daily even for 10 minutes can show significant improvements in cognitive ability and results in better focus. The question then becomes- why isn’t everybody doing this?

In China, if you’re one in a million, there will be 1200 people standing in that room with you- shoulder to shoulder…all competing for the same jobs and positions. The world has gotten very competitive and people who want to get ahead need to improve their overall capacity to think clearly. Being able to relax and engage without high levels of stress is key and it’ll help unlock better memory and even imagination.

Mindset is a key component to the wheel of Vitality. Setting up new neuron connections by playing with mental exercises to enhance our cognitive capacity, is well… a no-brainer. To train our brains we need an everyday ritual that’s fun and easy. We’ve found some great tools that can help you quickly grow your capacity and exercise your brain every day. The training is fun and people are reporting back amazing results.

Check it out here- http://www.peakgenius.com/xmaslaunch2012.html?a=e8e714c4&b=73da97d1


Filed Under: Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Winter Solstice- Learning to Rest at the Right Time of Year

December 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Winter Solstice is on December 21, 2012. It is celebrated by many traditions around the world and is the time when the days are shortest- a time for renewal, rest, and recovery. As it gets dark earlier, it reminds us to circle back in with ourselves and recharge our batteries so that we are not so much a slave to time. Yes- time. Time marches so fast in our modern cultures that we forget to slow down and relax…never recovering from the past year and expecting to have the same amount of energy into the following. That’s simply bad math. The Winter Solstice reminds us of what our ancient ancestors have known for thousands of years- namely, live in harmony with nature and thrive. When nature slows down, we should too. The darkness and the stillness are good for the soul and they help us process the heaps of information and problems we’ve amassed over the past year. As the light returns and helps illuminate the world more and more each day after the 21st, we can then use that energy to ride into a new cycle with fresh inspiration.

 

Here’s an article I did a couple of years ago on the subject that went viral and is still very relevant today- http://taoistpath.com/winter-solstice-is-upon-us-why-it-is-importance-to-rest-right-now/

 

It is time to align with mother earth and get into rhythm with the universal clock which we have evolved under. We are part of nature and our health and mental wellbeing tends to do better when we sync up with this. Many traditions have high reverence for the Winter Solstice as it is truly the real new year. Light returns and the sun gives us more energy daily- energy we can tap into if we’re rested and calm enough to ride that wave :)

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Farmers Markets Offer Good Food and Company to Offset our Toxic Lifestyles

November 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Farmers markets are the way of the future. Paying the oil companies to transport our food across the country is neither healthy nor sustainable. Locally grown foods help our community in many ways. They allow us to shop with our family and discover the fruits and vegetables that are local to our area.

In this video, I toured the Santa Monica Farmers Market with Dr. Jason Deyo. We got to try produce from various vendors and really enjoyed being out there with these wonderful people. It is important to talk with the person who grows your food. We don’t get that in the supermarket. True, it may take a bit more time to peruse the market amongst all the signs and banners, but it is healthy community time. You get to see your neighbors and enjoy the open space. My wife and I allow a couple hours every Sunday for the Farmers market. We see the neighbors and enjoy the ritual of hand-picking the fruits and vegetables we enjoy the rest of the week. It is valuable family time.

The Farmers Market movement is helping individuals attain health and really break free of the conveyor belt model where we buy processed garbage from the supermarket and then need drugs to deal with the illnesses we inherit from poor lifestyle. People who eat well have more energy for fitness, and, in effect, have more time in life because they have less down time due to illness. People argue that the produce is too expensive but if you factor in the price of healthcare needed from taking in toxic materials from the store, it is a bargain. We have to consider all of the advertising that goes into trying to convince us that shopping for the items in boxes or wrapped in plastic is somehow good for us. These companies are in the business of selling their products and the consumer has to be aware of the marketing ploys that are designed to fool us into thinking that their food is OK. Ask the farmers what growing food is like and look at the differences between local organic and agribusiness practices.

Dr. Deyo likes teaching people how to cook so that we are helping ourselves get better with each meal. We customers vote with our dollars. Healthy foods with the nutritional value to sustain people and help them thrive are the way out of our healthcare crisis and into a new model of abundance and health. We are big fans of farmers markets here at Well.Org and actively encourage you to find a local one.

Here’s a list of markets throughout the country- http://well.org/wellness-resources/farmers-markets/


Filed Under: Farming and Gardening Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Organic Coffee that is Good for You? Check out the Fair Trade Alkaline Coffee from Papua New Guinea

November 14, 2012 By 4 Comments

Organic coffee has never tasted so good. Christina Avaness gave us a tour of her roasting lab where she’s having a hard time keeping this coffee in stock. She’s been a great resource for us as she specializes in super enzyme foods that enhance the health. The question becomes- how can we eat well and actually enjoy our food at the same time? Avaness has really mastered the art of making healthy food taste great and now she has brought us a coffee that is good for us.

The bottom line is that this coffee has a net alkalizing effect on the body meaning that it doesn’t have the negative side effects that the regular stuff has. This organic coffee does not dehydrate you like the regular beans which are treated with chemical pesticides. I’m not a big fan of coffee to begin with so I went in very skeptical. My initial reaction was favorable- it tasted great. I hung out while we filmed a separate segment and noticed a couple of things:

1) I was very clear and focused without the wiry edge coffee normally gives me, and

2) my stomach wasn’t turning and growling which is something I’ve come to expect from normal coffee.

I wasn’t fully convinced until that evening when I realized I never got the post-coffee crash. In fact, I felt pretty good into the night and slept well.

We had Christina serve this coffee at the screening of VITALITY and received great feedback from hundreds of people who were at the event. Regular coffee drinkers were sold. The health benefits were there and it was tasty.

This product is Rain Forest Alliance Certified which means it is giving back and preserving the rain forests. They don’t use toxic fertilizers or any synthetic chemicals. Organic coffees that are grown in a sustainable way help make the world greener. These crops are not genetically modified and are certified organic. Organically grown in the tree canopy and not a big farm, this coffee comes from a clean environment and healthy soil. It preserves the natural plants and wildlife on the island which is a nice alternative to the deforestation that comes from conventionally grown coffee.

A whole village has risen to abundance because of the fair trade practices of this company so people can hold their head up high and deliver a quality product to the world. We like products that do this and are actively nudging our viewers to support companies that help make a difference. Good stuff which also shares the love :)

Check out some of the flavors they have and enjoy this stuff for a month and see the difference it makes in your life.


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