Chris Pedersen's Blog, page 9

Kudos to Chipotle for Dumping GMOs

Recently we stopped for lunch at Chipotle. I knew Chipotle has healthy choices AND they were the first food chain to announce they had GMOs in some menu items, but were busily trying to source all non-GMO ingredients.

Well, I'm happy to say, they have achieved what they said they would do. I give them huge props for sticking out their necks and listening to consumers who know what GMO foods are and their danger to health.

What Did I Eat at Chipotle?
I had a bowl (a burrito without the wrap) with the following ingredients:

Sofritas—cooked organic, crumpled and seasoned tofuCilantro-Lime Brown Rice (half of normal serving)Black BeansFajita Veggies (lots of them)Topped with—Mild Fresh Tomato SalsaMedium Hot Tomatillo Green Chili SalsaMedium Hot Roasted Chili-Corn SalsaLettuce
It was YUM. What do you think?

5 Tips to Detox Your Home

If you have cancer or want to prevent cancer you should be following the same pattern for your home as for your body. That is, don't put anything artificial or poisonous in your home.

There are plenty of things we can't change (or at least it's difficult) about the environment, but there are many things we can do in our homes to clean up. Most household chemicals are endocrine disrupters, which means they play havoc on our hormones—one huge reason why we have so much breast cancer and prostate cancer today. It's an epidemic.

To take charge and do something about what you can change, check out these easy solutions to make your home safer for you and your family.

#1 Reduce/Eliminate Cleaning Chemicals
Bombarded with advertising for a cleaning product to use for each chore in your home? Don't fall for it. You really only need a few. There's nothing like white vinegar and water to get glass and surfaces clean. And if you need something a bit stronger, there are lots of gentle organic cleaners like Ecover. I used Ecover to clean a large grease stain on our dark brown leather sofa. Although it did not remove all the stain, it did a good job at reducing it and never damaged the leather or left a water mark.

Check your dishwashing liquid and laundry soaps. I like to use 7th Generation products. And while we're on the subject of laundry, can somebody explain to me why you use fabric softener? I don't use it, but I can tell when someone does. The towels may be soft, but they don't absorb water (so you're left with a damp body) and they have the softener chemical that then gets on your skin.

Here's a DIY post on making green and safe home products.

#2 Install a Chorine Filter in the Shower

If you don't know that chlorine is a poison, just think about why it's in our water. That's right! It kills stuff. And since your skin is the largest organ in your body, you are literally drinking chlorine every time you shower unless you have a chlorine filter.

Of course, you could have a whole house filter that gets all the badies out of your water. That would eliminate the need for one on your shower.

I've used a chorine shower filter for over 10 years. You can purchase a filter like the one I have from Green Home. Get the filter and housing unit the first time, then you only have to replace the filter part every year. It's a breeze to change the filter (Replacement filter is on the right), plus the housing has a shutoff valve to conserve water (we need that here in California).

#3 Filter Your Drinking Water
You don't want to be drinking the chemicals in your water. "What chemicals," you ask? Check out the Environmental Working Group's site to find out what's in your water. Besides chlorine and possibly fluoride (not a good thing for us), recently added to the list of chemicals in our water are drugs like antibiotics, hormones and other prescription medicines.
"Oh, I buy bottled water," you say. Unless you're buying water in BPA-free bottles (there are cautions about BPA-free too), you're drinking a huge endocrine disruptor. BPA (Bisphenol A) is a chemical used to make plastics including water bottles. It's also a coating on receipts you get from a retailer and is used to line most food cans.
You might seriously think about getting a filtration system for your kitchen. I have stainless steel drinking bottles and I also save the nice glass bottles my Kombucha comes in to reuse for filtered water in the car and travel. We have a reverse osmosis system, which takes most chemicals out of the water. It's about the best you can do.
#4 Don't Use a Pest Control Service
Every time we had our annual invasion by ants, my husband would insist we get a pest service to spray. And every time I'd put my foot down and protest. If it kills ants it can't be good for us. I don't care what those people say about their product. It's a chemical. It's poison.

#5 Use Only Organic Fertilizers and Pesticides
Your yard should be a safe place to enjoy—romp barefoot and breathe deeply—so why would you spread chemical fertilizers and pesticides all around, some of which linger to keep weeds and pests from coming back. That only means your yard is covered in poison. Use a blast of water or ladybugs to eradicate aphids. And you get a bonus if you find praying mantis in your yard. Most bugs will gnaw a few holes in the leaves of plants. Is having perfect plants worth ingesting poison?

There are great natural fertilizers out there. I like E.B.Stone products.

Take an inventory of your household use of chemicals. What can you change that will make you and your family healthier?

The BIG B.A.S.H. ~ A Scavenger Hunt & Giveway

The BIG B.A.S.H. is HERE. The Book App Alliance (BAA) wants more moms and dads, aunt and uncles, grandparents and librarians, teachers and therapists to discover our wonderful apps. These beautiful, clever, funny, entertaining and educational book apps just happen to be interactive books for kids.

Win an iPad Mini and enough book apps from our amazing Author Members to keep your kids busy all summer long!
Books that engage the reader get more attention, especially by the reluctant reader.

If you haven't discovered these gems for kids because you're attracted to the shiny appeal of the Disney and Sesame Street offerings. Look no further.

The BAA was founded by independent authors to be an organization of industry leading authors and developers/marketers who offer quality interactive books for kids.

Our mission is to create and grow a community of fans and advocates for the book apps represented here. As a community working together, we bring awareness and spread the word about the BAA book apps to the world.

I am a proud member of the BAA and serve on the Board of Directors. The Prisoner of Carrot Castle  (which I wrote and produced) is one of many outstanding book apps represented and among a few that promote a healthy lifestyle for kids. Did you notice Aiden in the middle of the bottom row in the image above?

Apps that promote a healthy lifestyle for kids.
Okay everyone! Let's spread the word. Start the hunt. This will be the easiest Scavenger Hunt you've done.
The Hunt Starts Here

Quinoa, Cherry Tomato & Olive Salad

Since I'm eating lots of plant-based food, I need to be conscious of getting enough complete protein. Quinoa is a great source of a perfect or complete protein. It contains all the amino acids you need. And it's so versatile. Even restaurants are adding quinoa to the menu in place of rice.

The part I like is how easy and fast it is to prepare quinoa.

I think you'll love this salad I came up. Lots of yummy veggies and quinoa plus a dressing with a tinge of sour flavor. I love Kalamata olives. I hope you do too. If not, you can add black olives for a milder taste. And who doesn't love avocado, which this salad also has?

I've eaten it all my itself as a meal. Yes! For dinner! Never be afraid of having it for dinner. It's light. It's healthy. It contains all the nutrition your body needs. Why wouldn't you have it for dinner?

Quinoa, Cherry Tomato & Olive Salad
from Chris Pedersenyield 4 - 6
category Saladcuisine Vegan, Vegetarian
ingredients
2 C low-sodium Vegetable broth1 C rinsed quinoa1 C quartered cherry tomatos1 C quartered cucumber slices (persian cucumber is best)1/2 C quartered Kalamata olives1 C diced red and yellow pepper1 Tbsp of minced red onion1/4 C choppped cilantro1 avocado, dicedDressing:1/3 C red wine vinegar2 Tbsp Dijon mustard1 Tbsp raw honey1/4 C olive oil1/2 tsp sea salt
directions1. Prepare quinoa ahead so it can cool: bring vegetable broth to boil in large sauce pan. Add quinoa, stir and turn heat to Low. Place lid on pan with slight opening to vent heat. Secure lid once boiling settles down.2. When quinoa is done (water is completely absorbed), place in a glass container, cover and refrigerate.3. Whisk dressing ingredients together then pour into glass salad dressing bottle using a funnel.4. Once quinoa is cool, mix remaining ingredients together. Add dressing, toss and serve.
notes: • Add more or less veggies according to your taste.
If you don't use all the quinoa for the salad, you can save some for another time or salad. Or your husband can take it for lunch the next day and not tell you—as you frantically search the fridge looking for it. "I'm sure I put it in here. Where did I put it? Oh no! Was I spacey and accidentally leave it in a cabinet." See how husband's make us crazy? Gotta love 'em!

Did you ever leave something in a strange place because you were not paying attention?

Interview by Jill Bernard of WellBEing Resource

I was recently interviewed by Jill Bernard of the WellBEing Resource online and in print guide to health practitioners in the Sacramento region.

I hope you'll take the time to read the interview and tell me what you think. You may learn something you didn't know about me.

Interview with Chris Pedersen, Health Coach | Blogger | Cancer Conquerer, Healthy Journey Cafe

Green Tea ~ 6 Ways It Fights Cancer

I LOVE coffee. I mean I like the taste—never ruined it with sugar (yeah, even me a former sugar addict). So when I found I needed to eliminate coffee from my diet, I was devastated—kind of describes how I felt about many things I needed to stop eating/drinking.

Reading the book Nature's Cancer-Fighting Foods by Verne Varona started me on my healing diet, which I attribute to the cure for my hereditary curse. Green tea was one of several things I added to fight cancer, which tended to grow in my colon.

Most are familiar with the addictive properties of caffeinated coffee—just try a day without it and get smacked with a whopper caffeine withdrawal headache. But did you know that coffee, regular and decaf, is very acid in the body? When the body becomes acidic due to a bad diet (consumption of processed foods with artificial ingredients and sugar), it becomes a cancer-producing, inflammatory environment.

Green Tea: A Better Beverage
Even though green tea contains some caffeine, it averages 30 to 40 mg compared to 75 to 155 mg for an equal amount of coffee. But the real issue is acid vs alkaline. Coffee is acidic in the body while green tea is overall alkaline. Acid/alkaline balance is critical to cancer prevention and achieving optimum wellness. Just remember these two things: cancer thrives in an acid environment and cannot exist in an alkaline environment.
Cancer thrives in acid environment.Cancer cannot exist in alkaline environment.

Aside from the alkalizing benefits of green tea, here are more plusses to consider:
Contains EGCG  one of the few substances that kill cancer stem cells, which contribute to metastatic cancer.Suppresses the protein urokinase that contributes to the growth and spread of cancer.Studies show it offers help against breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer.Contains other catechins—powerful anti-oxidants effective at inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, lowering cholesterol, improving lipid (fat) metabolism and fighting bacterial infections.Inhibits the abnormal formation of blood clots.Fights the cause of allergies in your body.Seriously, if you want to be cancer-free—effectively help your immune system rid your body of cancer, you should drink green tea as part of a daily regimen.

I drink about 20 oz. of green tea each morning. We infuse the loose leaf green tea in a ceramic tea pot. With no tea bag you get the full flavor of the tea. Otherwise, I find I can taste the bag—even 100% unbleached cotton bags or silk.

Here are detailed brewing instructions for loose leaf tea. We buy our loose leaf tea in bulk quantities from Mighty Leaf. They offer a number of wonderful green tea blends and have regular sales. My favorites include Green Tea Tropical and Citron Green. Remember you can re-use high quality tea 2-3 times before the flavor and benefits are depleted.
I consider green tea an important ingredient in my cancer-fighting regimen. Maybe you should too.

What's your preferred morning beverage? Scroll down and leave a comment.

Wisdom Wednesday

Tip:
A Canadian study found "garlic is by far the strongest inhibitor of tumor cell growth." The active ingredient in garlic is allicin, which is only available when a protein fragment and a heat-sensitive enzyme are co-mingled by slicing or pressing the clove. If you use garlic in a cooked recipe, to ensure the creation of allicin, keep the cut/pressed garlic from heat for 10 minutes. Follow this little step to reap the benefits of garlic's potent cancer-fighting properties.

Quest for the Cure... Continues Video Series

The 11-part documentary "The Quest for the Cures...Continues" starts tomorrow! With cancer striking one in two men and one in three women, everyone should see it.

After tragically losing both parents to cancer too early, Ty Bollinger has made it his life's goal to spread the word about alternative therapies to heal cancer beyond the conventional treatments of surgery, chemo and radiation. You'll see 28 doctors, 11 scientists, 9 survivors and one special guest break their code of silence.

The first episode, "Modern Medicine and the Cancer Pandemic" airs Monday night (March 30th) at 6pm pacific / 8pm central / 9pm eastern. Register to watch here and you'll get a link when it's live.

If you can't catch it at that time, don't worry, each episode stays up for 24 hours.

Also check out a new 2-minute sneak preview of a very special interview with Chris Walsh, who was diagnosed with Clark’s Level IV Melanoma four years ago. He chose nutrition and natural therapies and is cancer free today. View the preview here.

The Integrated Health Conference—Cure to Cancer Summit Wrap-Up

Hundreds of alternative doctors, practitioners, and thriver/survivors like myself converged on San Diego this past weekend to talk about successful treatments to heal disease, particularly cancer. A couple thousand others came seeking healthy alternatives to their disease. Some having gone the cut, poison, burn route—others coming with a diagnosis and feel the standard treatment by conventional medicine doesn't make sense or they fear the damage it does.

There was plenty to learn. So much information—felt like I was drinking from a fire hose. I met some really special people who were on their own journey and currently were cancer free because of the lifestyle changes they had made.

There was none more impactful than Jared—Kid Against Chemo, who conquered stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma at 17 with his diet changes and alternative treatments. It happened in a few months. After experiencing the devastating effects of his first round of chemotherapy when he thought he was dying, he told his mom he wanted no more chemo. This is one brave kid.

I also met Ty Bollinger, who has produced the most impactful 11-part documentary aptly named the Quest for the Cure... Continues . He picked up on the significance of my genetic cancer condition as a perfect example of epigenetics—the science of changing your genes through environment. In other words, I am able to manage the growth of cancer in my colon through diet and lifestyle changes. He invited me to be interviewed for his next documentary.

I'm passionate about telling others to not be discouraged if you have genes that give you a high probability of cancer like I have for colon cancer. Too many (like Angelina Jolie) opt to have the organ removed to avoid the cancer. The trouble is, you can still get cancer, which the doctors do tell you. Seems celebrities, who have influence on others, feel they are immune to those chances. Hmmmm.

Health Tips/Gems From the Conference

1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will get cancer.Chemotherapy survival rate is 2.1% (source: Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2004).Cut out ALL sugar!Sleep increases our natural killer cells.#1 cause of death is iatrogenic (i.e., medical treatment) induced—a number like two 747s crashing every single day."Cutting out a tumor is like smashing the Check Engine light with a hammer." Ty Bollinger 40 years of study show CBD kills cancer without damage to heathy cells.Curcumin, Boswellia, Ginger and Black Pepper fight inflammation—the underlying cause of all disease.All imported herbs are irradiated.From 1950 to 2009 morbidity from cancer remains relatively unchanged.Mind-body connection to cancer/disease is very powerful.Unforgiveness is like "drinking poison and hoping it hurts them." Chris Wark Alternative Cancer CentersDr. Lodi, MD: An Oasis of Healing, Mesa, AZDr. Tony Jimenez, MD: Hope 4 Cancer Institute, Baja, MexicoDr. Contreras, MD: Oasis of Hope, Baja, MexicoDr. Meza, MD: Sanoviv, Baja, MexicoDr. Chillkov, OMD: Integrative Cancer Answers, Santa Monica, CADr. Connealy, MD: Center for New Medicine, Irvine, CADr. Sunil Pai, MD: Sanjevani Integrative Medicine Health & Lifestyle Center, Albuquerque, New MexicoIf you know anyone questioning the standard treatment for cancer, the centers listed can provide safe and effective treatment without the devastating effects of the conventional route. It's time to show the multinational pharmaceutical companies that there is a cure for cancer and it resides within our own bodies. When we feed on fuel God intended us to ingest—the fruit (fruits, vegetables, seeds, legumes, herbs, spices and grains) of the earth, we thrive, heal and avoid disease. We turn up tumor suppressor genes and turn down Oncogenes (Cancer producing genes).

Many went away from the conference with an arsenal of tools to conquer their cancer. The many doctors in attendance can return to their practice and provide a hope for cancer and illness to their patients. The foundational treatment that everyone at the conference could agree to? Diet. I'm excited that this movement is in motion and here to stay.

Who in your circle of family and friends can benefit from this information?

6 Tips to Go Green on St Patrick's Day

I'm of Irish heritage so when St. Patrick's Day comes around it's fun to sport something green and eat corned beef and cabbage. I never eat corned beef any more (never really cared much for it). Frankly, growing up in my Irish household (including schooling by Irish nuns), we learned it was only necessary to wear green to avoid getting pinched if you were NOT Irish. Anybody else get this message?

Over the years St. Patrick's Day seems to have morphed into a day to eat green food, drink green beverages (especially the adult variety), and wear big green hats with the green-colored clothes. Everybody, whether Irish or not, participated. I don't drink, but I have gone to a local bar with my hubby to take in all the festive activities on St. Paddy's Day. On that day the whole world is Irish.

I'd like to add another way to celebrate St Patrick's Day. Go Green!

Here are 6 tips to Go Green starting this St. Patrick's Day:

#1 Reuse
Today recycling is easy. When I first started recycling, over 35 years ago, I remember having to drive some distance to the recycling center. This was before you got paid for some recyclable material. Now an important part of recycling is to reuse the item.

I reuse the nice glass container the Kombucha comes in from the store to bottle my own Kombucha when I make it. I also use the bottles for filtered water at my bedside and in my car.

Several food items I buy come in Ball or Kerr jars with canning lids. I save those to use as small flower vases or to make fermented veggies. If you're a canner, you can save those jars (and money) when you process those peaches, tomatoes or whatever you like to preserve.

#2 Repurpose
Think outside the box and repurpose an item for some other use. Like using milk and egg cartons to start seedlings for the garden inside out of the cold.  And don't forget to reuse the six-packs you got your starter plants in for seedlings the next year.

Before you throw anything away, ask yourself what you might do with it. When our patio table top got old and fell apart, we threw the top away and repurposed the metal structure into a flower stand by adding a trough and some shelves. Check out how this DIY structured flower garden came together.

#3 Save Water
I live in California where we have severe drought conditions at his point. A recent article in the LA Times stated that we have only one year of water left unless we get some serious rain and snow. Yikes!

We are on water restrictions in Northern California. To help out, while we wait to get hot water from a faucet, we fill a 5-gallon container, which we use to water plants outside. We water in the early morning so the water can be absorbed by the plant rather than evaporate in the mid-day heat. Inside, we only run water when needed.

#4 Plant a Garden
I bought my first summer garden plants for this season. Two tomatoes. I know it might be too early where you live. Some are still getting lots of snow. Boston broke an all time record for snow on Sunday with 108.6 inches for the season. You can always start your garden inside until the last frost passes.

Hey... Boston Strong! Send some of that snow out to California will ya?

I know from my gardening experience lately, tomatoes need heat and since we've had cooler summers (which means a shorter growing season for the tomatoes), getting an early start is important to get the best yields.

#5 Unload
We started reading and watching videos to learn about tiny homes—houses that are 600 - 800 square feet. The process made us reevaluate the stuff we had acquired. If you want to live in 750 square feet, you must eliminate all unnecessary possessions. Many people pay to store their excess stuff and may never question if they need it much less why they hang on to it.

When economic conditions caused a major shift in our lives and we went from homeowner to renter, we began to reconsider the importance of things in our life. I've been selling stuff that we find excessive since the move. It's been an interesting and fun exercise plus adds a few extra bucks to our budget.

#6 Dream Green
My husband and I have always wanted to have a house that was off the grid. He recently read the book Off the Grid by Nick Rosen. It recounts several families' stories across America who cut themselves off from public utilities and power their innovative homes with alternatives means.

Many years ago I planned on building an underground home, built into the side of a hill with a berm roof and lots of south-facing windows. Today we drive an 8-year-old hybrid car with license plate GRN ALT. We monitor our electricity usage so carefully, I call my husband the Energy Natzi.

We don't have our green home off the grid, but our dreams have positively shaped our thinking and enhanced our lives by redefining what is important.

Do you have a Go Green tip to add to the list?