Did you know that today, Virgin Atlantic and Boeing, joined forces with the hopes of making an environmentally friendly 'green' airplane. Their hope is to reduce fuel burn and cut carbon emissions. By 2008 they will have a biofuel demonstration which has never been done before. (more info, from virgin atlantic)
I think more airline companies should follow their lead.... Everytime I fly, which is about 3-4 times a year, I feel guilty.
In my Environmental Health class, we had to calculate our carbon footprint using a carbon calculator. I learned that with the number of flights I took this past year, I would need to plant 11 trees.
I'm glad some people are working on more 'green' airplanes... with the number of flights each year increasing, I think we really need to step up on this matter... Too bad virgin atlantic isn't one of my most frequently used airlines....
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
USC Fogarty Symposium....Violence & Virginia Tech...and HISTORICAL TRAUMA
Yesterday, some of my classmates attended the USC Fogarty Symposium to listen, document, and write stories about what happened at the conference for a new initiative called the "Global Health Review". Participants at the symposium were international interdisciplinary researchers that are doing really good work in the global health field.
I didn't get a chance to be there for the lectures, but I was able to arrive and stay for a little bit during the poster presentations. What struck me to be very interesting, were the different posters on violence. The first in particular that called my attention was a study conducted by Dr. Ron Avi Astor (et al.). His research was related to school violence (this particular poster was a study done in Israel), and predictors of accessibility (of guns and knives) and past victimization were considered. He found that the issue of accessibility was not as important as the issue of past victimization. The more victimization, the more likely a person is to act violently.
It immediately called my attention because of what happened the day before at Virginia Tech. It was unbelievable that 2 shootings could occur, on a major university campus, killing 32 people and at the end, the gunman killed himself. What happened is so sad, and I really feel for the families and loved ones of those that were affected by this incident.
Since then, we have found out that it was a "loner" student, that had many issues that were noticed in the past by professors and counselors, but nothing substantial was done to help this individual. Although this person did a really really bad thing, I still feel bad for him and how he must of felt. Obviously he went mad, but the pain and feelings that led him to that point must have been unbearable. Lately, I have been feeling crazy, and feeling like I can't focus on whats really important. I started to feel discouraged, and I felt that people noticed my low performance and that I was just not good enough.... these feelings, were nothing compared to what this guy felt.
So many people have been victims of violent acts, but why don't we spend time trying to heal from these things? Why don't we have more programs to help people through these things? Why do we instead, criminalize people, and not help them heal from the things that have led them to act in violent behaviors? Why don't we create safe places for people to deal with these things they have experienced?
Another poster that called my attention was the research done by Chelsea Cooper and Aubrey Pirosko on "Child Soldiers and the impact of war on mental health in Sri-Lanka and other conflict and post-conflict countries." This was interesting to me, because it reminded me of what my people went through in the civil war that happened in the 80's in El Salvador. I have heard of stories of child soldiers partaking in this deadly war. With their findings, they recommended these things for successful child soldier recovery and reintegration:
1. Family reunification
2. Mental Health therapy
3. community reconciliation
4. teaching life skills.
I think this is important for any soldier coming back from war. With this let me make a quick comment about the soldiers that are coming back home from the current war. It is critical and necessary that we improve the services provided to these soldiers.
I left the symposium thinking about violence a lot. And I also left thinking about some comments that I had made to Dr. Avi Astor. I mentioned to him, that I was interested in studying historical trauma but as it relates to the Chicano/Latino community. I felt it was somewhat related to this issue of victimization, because its like a cycle. When I described historical trauma he understood what I was talking about, but he said that that is something that people at museums study. Hmmm, I thought. That's interesting. I mentioned to him that it has been written in the literature that communities, such as the Native American and African American communities, need to heal from historical trauma because it relates to issues in the community such as substance abuse, depression, self-destructive behavior, suicidal thoughts and gestures, anxiety, low self-esteem, anger, and difficulty recognizing and expressing emotions. But the literature lacks any perspective of how this is related to the Chicano/Latino experience.
Historical trauma is a concept that was developed mainly by Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, a research associate professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. She describes historical trauma as a "cumulative emotional and psychological wounding over the lifespan and across generations, emanating from massive group trauma experiences (2003)."
When I consider what the Chicano/Latino community has endured over the past more than 500 years, it is very clear to me that historical trauma is present. One doesn't think about this community immediately. Many find it easier to understand this concept among American Indians, African Americans and Jewish community, but not for Latinos or the 'mestizo' population from Latin America. I think this link hasn't been made as commonly as it has in the other mentioned communities because even in the Chicano/Latino community, there is a disconnection that is very commonly made from being an 'indian' or how I like to describe, being indigenous. I know a lot of people, even in my own family, will call someone 'indian' in a derogatory way, and will look down upon someone that is Indian. This is because of the colonization and constant suppression of indigenous communities. Many people were killed for being indigenous, so it is not hard to believe why many wanted to not be identified as indian.
This is something that I feel very strongly about. I identify as being a descendant of a strong indigenous community. When I started to identify in this way, I did this because I found my roots in my culture, and realized how beautiful and intelligent my people were. For so long, I have to admit, I felt my people were not as 'educated' as others, and I think I had this perspective because I saw the disparities that existed in the educational system between communities of color. But the indigenous communities that flourished in the Americas were intelligent scientist, astronomers, healers, architects, mathematicians, artist and just amazing creative beings! I didn't learn this till I was in college and I started reading about it on my own. So I can understand why many other Chicano/Latinos don't identify with these roots. For me, it was extremely difficult to be open about identifying this way, being born in El Salvador. If you look at the Salvadorean census, only 1% of the population is indigenous, 9% is white, and 90% is mestizo. I believe the number of indigenous people is so low, because many are reluctant to identify as indigenous. Many of the indigenous practices and ways, have been incorporated into daily Latino ways of life. This has been noted in the book "Mexico Profundo: Reclaiming a Civilization" by Guillermo Bonfil Batalla (translated by Philip A. Dennis). He explains that there is a sense of ambiguous identity among Mexicans, which I think could be applied across many people in Latin America.
So putting both of these things together, historical trauma and the re-claiming of indigenous identity... In El Salvador, in 1932, there was a mass genocide of Nahua-Pipil indigenous peoples, known as La Matanza. It is estimated that over 30,000 indigenous peoples were killed. During this time, the government, led by President Maximiliano Hernandez Martinez (who assumed power after a coup), would put out articles in the newspaper stating that anyone dressed like an indian, or spoke like an indian, would be killed (because they were believed to be communist). So at this time, many, many Salvadorean indigenous peoples decided that they needed to deny their indian identity for the sake of survival. My grandfather tells me stories of my great-grandmother deciding to not speak Nahuatl (language spoken at that time) and stop wearing her traditional skirts. La Matanza changed the census make up of El Salvador, but the individuals are the same people, except they had to be careful of how they looked, spoke and what they called themselves. I believe this has caused a lot of pain, for many Salvadorans. Then later, with the war in the 80's, I think the Salvadorean community has endured a lot a lot of trauma.
So after leaving the conference, I left with all of these thoughts. What I kept referring back to was what Dr. Astor mentioned to me. That those that would be interested in this topic are those that work at museums. I can see why he says this, for example like the individuals at the Museum of Tolerance. But I got a sense from his comment that he felt these were the only people that would be interested in such a concept. I completely disagree with that. I wanted to talk to him more about it, but another one of his colleagues (someone much older than me) came to him, so he started talking to him instead. I think that as health professionals, we need to keep in mind the historical traumas that different communities have experienced, because it may be an indication of why communities experience similar experiences and may help us or guide us in ways to heal communities. I left feeling with a strong desire to continue with my goals of applying to a PhD program. I want to investigate the concept of historical trauma among the Chicano/Latino community further....among so many other topics that I want to look into!! In the current project I am working on now, we have included a historical trauma measure in our survey among American Indian youth. But this construct is really new. We still don't know exactly how to measure historical trauma, because its a difficult concept to grasp. I feel privileged that I am taking part in this study because we are going to contribute to the literature on historical trauma, and will help further its understanding.
I know I went all over the place with this blog, but I just felt like it was all related...
If you are interested in watching a movie that depicts the children involved in the Salvadorean war, rent the movie "Voces Innocentes" or "Innocent Voices" by Luis Mandoki. It was a hard movie for me to watch... but a very good movie.
I didn't get a chance to be there for the lectures, but I was able to arrive and stay for a little bit during the poster presentations. What struck me to be very interesting, were the different posters on violence. The first in particular that called my attention was a study conducted by Dr. Ron Avi Astor (et al.). His research was related to school violence (this particular poster was a study done in Israel), and predictors of accessibility (of guns and knives) and past victimization were considered. He found that the issue of accessibility was not as important as the issue of past victimization. The more victimization, the more likely a person is to act violently.
It immediately called my attention because of what happened the day before at Virginia Tech. It was unbelievable that 2 shootings could occur, on a major university campus, killing 32 people and at the end, the gunman killed himself. What happened is so sad, and I really feel for the families and loved ones of those that were affected by this incident.
Since then, we have found out that it was a "loner" student, that had many issues that were noticed in the past by professors and counselors, but nothing substantial was done to help this individual. Although this person did a really really bad thing, I still feel bad for him and how he must of felt. Obviously he went mad, but the pain and feelings that led him to that point must have been unbearable. Lately, I have been feeling crazy, and feeling like I can't focus on whats really important. I started to feel discouraged, and I felt that people noticed my low performance and that I was just not good enough.... these feelings, were nothing compared to what this guy felt.
So many people have been victims of violent acts, but why don't we spend time trying to heal from these things? Why don't we have more programs to help people through these things? Why do we instead, criminalize people, and not help them heal from the things that have led them to act in violent behaviors? Why don't we create safe places for people to deal with these things they have experienced?
Another poster that called my attention was the research done by Chelsea Cooper and Aubrey Pirosko on "Child Soldiers and the impact of war on mental health in Sri-Lanka and other conflict and post-conflict countries." This was interesting to me, because it reminded me of what my people went through in the civil war that happened in the 80's in El Salvador. I have heard of stories of child soldiers partaking in this deadly war. With their findings, they recommended these things for successful child soldier recovery and reintegration:
1. Family reunification
2. Mental Health therapy
3. community reconciliation
4. teaching life skills.
I think this is important for any soldier coming back from war. With this let me make a quick comment about the soldiers that are coming back home from the current war. It is critical and necessary that we improve the services provided to these soldiers.
I left the symposium thinking about violence a lot. And I also left thinking about some comments that I had made to Dr. Avi Astor. I mentioned to him, that I was interested in studying historical trauma but as it relates to the Chicano/Latino community. I felt it was somewhat related to this issue of victimization, because its like a cycle. When I described historical trauma he understood what I was talking about, but he said that that is something that people at museums study. Hmmm, I thought. That's interesting. I mentioned to him that it has been written in the literature that communities, such as the Native American and African American communities, need to heal from historical trauma because it relates to issues in the community such as substance abuse, depression, self-destructive behavior, suicidal thoughts and gestures, anxiety, low self-esteem, anger, and difficulty recognizing and expressing emotions. But the literature lacks any perspective of how this is related to the Chicano/Latino experience.
Historical trauma is a concept that was developed mainly by Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart, a research associate professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. She describes historical trauma as a "cumulative emotional and psychological wounding over the lifespan and across generations, emanating from massive group trauma experiences (2003)."
When I consider what the Chicano/Latino community has endured over the past more than 500 years, it is very clear to me that historical trauma is present. One doesn't think about this community immediately. Many find it easier to understand this concept among American Indians, African Americans and Jewish community, but not for Latinos or the 'mestizo' population from Latin America. I think this link hasn't been made as commonly as it has in the other mentioned communities because even in the Chicano/Latino community, there is a disconnection that is very commonly made from being an 'indian' or how I like to describe, being indigenous. I know a lot of people, even in my own family, will call someone 'indian' in a derogatory way, and will look down upon someone that is Indian. This is because of the colonization and constant suppression of indigenous communities. Many people were killed for being indigenous, so it is not hard to believe why many wanted to not be identified as indian.
This is something that I feel very strongly about. I identify as being a descendant of a strong indigenous community. When I started to identify in this way, I did this because I found my roots in my culture, and realized how beautiful and intelligent my people were. For so long, I have to admit, I felt my people were not as 'educated' as others, and I think I had this perspective because I saw the disparities that existed in the educational system between communities of color. But the indigenous communities that flourished in the Americas were intelligent scientist, astronomers, healers, architects, mathematicians, artist and just amazing creative beings! I didn't learn this till I was in college and I started reading about it on my own. So I can understand why many other Chicano/Latinos don't identify with these roots. For me, it was extremely difficult to be open about identifying this way, being born in El Salvador. If you look at the Salvadorean census, only 1% of the population is indigenous, 9% is white, and 90% is mestizo. I believe the number of indigenous people is so low, because many are reluctant to identify as indigenous. Many of the indigenous practices and ways, have been incorporated into daily Latino ways of life. This has been noted in the book "Mexico Profundo: Reclaiming a Civilization" by Guillermo Bonfil Batalla (translated by Philip A. Dennis). He explains that there is a sense of ambiguous identity among Mexicans, which I think could be applied across many people in Latin America.
So putting both of these things together, historical trauma and the re-claiming of indigenous identity... In El Salvador, in 1932, there was a mass genocide of Nahua-Pipil indigenous peoples, known as La Matanza. It is estimated that over 30,000 indigenous peoples were killed. During this time, the government, led by President Maximiliano Hernandez Martinez (who assumed power after a coup), would put out articles in the newspaper stating that anyone dressed like an indian, or spoke like an indian, would be killed (because they were believed to be communist). So at this time, many, many Salvadorean indigenous peoples decided that they needed to deny their indian identity for the sake of survival. My grandfather tells me stories of my great-grandmother deciding to not speak Nahuatl (language spoken at that time) and stop wearing her traditional skirts. La Matanza changed the census make up of El Salvador, but the individuals are the same people, except they had to be careful of how they looked, spoke and what they called themselves. I believe this has caused a lot of pain, for many Salvadorans. Then later, with the war in the 80's, I think the Salvadorean community has endured a lot a lot of trauma.
So after leaving the conference, I left with all of these thoughts. What I kept referring back to was what Dr. Astor mentioned to me. That those that would be interested in this topic are those that work at museums. I can see why he says this, for example like the individuals at the Museum of Tolerance. But I got a sense from his comment that he felt these were the only people that would be interested in such a concept. I completely disagree with that. I wanted to talk to him more about it, but another one of his colleagues (someone much older than me) came to him, so he started talking to him instead. I think that as health professionals, we need to keep in mind the historical traumas that different communities have experienced, because it may be an indication of why communities experience similar experiences and may help us or guide us in ways to heal communities. I left feeling with a strong desire to continue with my goals of applying to a PhD program. I want to investigate the concept of historical trauma among the Chicano/Latino community further....among so many other topics that I want to look into!! In the current project I am working on now, we have included a historical trauma measure in our survey among American Indian youth. But this construct is really new. We still don't know exactly how to measure historical trauma, because its a difficult concept to grasp. I feel privileged that I am taking part in this study because we are going to contribute to the literature on historical trauma, and will help further its understanding.
I know I went all over the place with this blog, but I just felt like it was all related...
If you are interested in watching a movie that depicts the children involved in the Salvadorean war, rent the movie "Voces Innocentes" or "Innocent Voices" by Luis Mandoki. It was a hard movie for me to watch... but a very good movie.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Thank you Emma, for the beautiful 'baby' tomato plant...
This past weekend I got an email from Emma, saying that she had 2 extra little organic tomato plants. I got so happy, because I have been wanting to plant something for so long. These past few weeks have been real busy, so I hadn't had the time to do what my spirit desired. Somehow, Emma and her Grandma provided me with that possibility. Emma's 'Granny' planted them and gave them to her. I immediately replied back to Emma's email.
Today in class Emma handed me a beautiful 'baby' tomato plant. I immediately fell in love. I know it may sound weird, but really it immediately became part of me and I knew it was up to me to allow this little tomato plant to grow. It is very symbolic to me, for this period of healing that I am going through right now.
When I got home I transplanted the plant into a bigger planting container. I'm debating whether to leave it in the container or replant it at my parent's house.
Today in class Emma handed me a beautiful 'baby' tomato plant. I immediately fell in love. I know it may sound weird, but really it immediately became part of me and I knew it was up to me to allow this little tomato plant to grow. It is very symbolic to me, for this period of healing that I am going through right now.
When I got home I transplanted the plant into a bigger planting container. I'm debating whether to leave it in the container or replant it at my parent's house.
I have been wanting to start growing vegetables to full term in planting containers. This would be an experiment, with the intentions of learning if its possible (I know it is, but with the limited space I have and the size of containers, I want to see if its possible). If I am able to do it, then I could pass this info to others that don't have a front/backyard to plant a garden.
on another note, I am also grateful that Emma got this from her grandma. Seeds have alway been past down from generation to generation. Planting, cultivating, saving, and passing them along. I think thats real special.
I think its real important and critical to be able to do this. In my research for my paper, I learned about major seed distributors who change the genetic make up of their seeds to require a certain fertilizer or herbicide to germinate and grow. This creates a sense of dependency on these companies. I feel that this is a major issue, in particular when we are trying to think of ways to help communities at need, those communities that live in extreme poverty, to live in ways that are sustainable. I feel we need to provide the resources to individuals living in extreme conditions to be able to start their own gardens if they want to, by providing them with the most basic things to start their own garden. This could be as little as some seeds, and fertilizer, and some basic knowledge on harvesting water, composting and seed saving. In order for this initial help to be sustainable, communities need to be able to save seeds and plant freely whenever they want. So I am a full advocate of growing organic foods, with non- GMO seeds. Creating a dependency on buying seeds from a certain distributor every growing season does not help communities move out of poverty.
I always tell people, that in my 'survival kit' I include seeds. If there were ever a time, when I can't depend on supermarkets, or I find myself in a situation where I need to survive... i will be ready. Seeds should be cherished.
So thank you Emma... my garden is going to grow this summer.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Okay...technology is good...
I had never really been a 'fan' or an advocate that pushed for the advancement of technology... this is my old mentality... After our lecture on technology, I was left with this feeling of...okay, maybe technology is good. I guess I had this view, because I have in the back of my mind, that someday...this is all going to end.... some day, I would think, we will not be able to rely on technology.... I still think this is true, but now I'm not thinking so backwards about it, and realize that if we have technology that is smart and can help us out now, in particular with our health and well being, then lets put it out there for us to use...
So since I had this change of perspectives, I started thinking about the technology that is good, and I remembered a piece technology that one of my classmates introduced to me.
This is an example of technology that I am hoping to invest in, because I think is a great piece of technology for every woman to have as a form of contraception....
Its called PERSONA.... here some info, directly from the web site... check it out:
"PERSONA is a method of contraception that works in harmony with your body.
It works by monitoring the changes in hormones (luteinising hormone and estrogen) which control your cycle and identifies the days when you are at significant risk of becoming pregnant.
PERSONA consists of Test Sticks and a hand-held Monitor.
The Test Sticks collect hormones from your first urine of the day and process them into information that the Monitor can read. The Monitor reads, stores and uses the information from the Test Sticks to let you know whether you are at risk of becoming pregnant (‘Red’ Day) or free to make love without a contraceptive* (‘Green’ Day).
Through its coloured Lights and Display Screen your Monitor tells you your contraceptive status. (follow this link, and press 'go'...to see how it works)
*Based on independent trials PERSONA is 94% reliable when used according to the instructions and as the only method of contraception. This means that if 100 women use PERSONA for one year, 6 are expected to become pregnant as a result of sex on a Green Day due to PERSONA incorrectly identifying their fertile days. "
This is a company thats based in the UK, so if you are interested, you have to order it online. It cost about $200 dollars (seems like a lot, but it seems worth it...).
Okay, now my question is... why isn't this more popular in the US??? (I like Wilson's Blog on this topic of Americans and Technology... please read...)
So since I had this change of perspectives, I started thinking about the technology that is good, and I remembered a piece technology that one of my classmates introduced to me.
This is an example of technology that I am hoping to invest in, because I think is a great piece of technology for every woman to have as a form of contraception....
Its called PERSONA.... here some info, directly from the web site... check it out:
"PERSONA is a method of contraception that works in harmony with your body.
It works by monitoring the changes in hormones (luteinising hormone and estrogen) which control your cycle and identifies the days when you are at significant risk of becoming pregnant.
PERSONA consists of Test Sticks and a hand-held Monitor.
The Test Sticks collect hormones from your first urine of the day and process them into information that the Monitor can read. The Monitor reads, stores and uses the information from the Test Sticks to let you know whether you are at risk of becoming pregnant (‘Red’ Day) or free to make love without a contraceptive* (‘Green’ Day).
Through its coloured Lights and Display Screen your Monitor tells you your contraceptive status. (follow this link, and press 'go'...to see how it works)
*Based on independent trials PERSONA is 94% reliable when used according to the instructions and as the only method of contraception. This means that if 100 women use PERSONA for one year, 6 are expected to become pregnant as a result of sex on a Green Day due to PERSONA incorrectly identifying their fertile days. "
This is a company thats based in the UK, so if you are interested, you have to order it online. It cost about $200 dollars (seems like a lot, but it seems worth it...).
Okay, now my question is... why isn't this more popular in the US??? (I like Wilson's Blog on this topic of Americans and Technology... please read...)
Thursday, February 08, 2007
This weeks topic in class is of great interest to me. This week we are discussing nutrition, food security, and health. For the past few years, I have been interested in this issue for several reasons. I plan to explain more of this in future blogs, especially since I'm writing my paper on this issue my mind will be full of thoughts on this issue, but for right now and if you all can get a chance to see it before class, please look at this video....
GREENING THE DESERT
http://www.permaculture.org.au/greening.htm
A couple of years ago, I participated in an 2 week intensive permaculture course. It changed my life! It changed my life, because I was able to connect to our mother earth in ways that my ancestors did for thousands of years.
My paper topic is on food security, and even before doing a lot of research on this topic, I already had the idea of using permaculture as a solution for this global problem. And I'm not just thinking about the rural communities, but also urban settings where many of the permaculture principles can be applied.
This video is a good introduction of how it can be used anywhere, even in areas where many people thought it was impossible. I'm really excited to be sharing this with the whole class, and to be able to incorporate it into a paper, since I have been wanting to for many years.
Permaculture can help people with food security issues, as well as a means to get out of poverty.
This is a start to creating self-sustainable communities.
GREENING THE DESERT
http://www.permaculture.org.au/greening.htm
A couple of years ago, I participated in an 2 week intensive permaculture course. It changed my life! It changed my life, because I was able to connect to our mother earth in ways that my ancestors did for thousands of years.
My paper topic is on food security, and even before doing a lot of research on this topic, I already had the idea of using permaculture as a solution for this global problem. And I'm not just thinking about the rural communities, but also urban settings where many of the permaculture principles can be applied.
This video is a good introduction of how it can be used anywhere, even in areas where many people thought it was impossible. I'm really excited to be sharing this with the whole class, and to be able to incorporate it into a paper, since I have been wanting to for many years.
Permaculture can help people with food security issues, as well as a means to get out of poverty.
This is a start to creating self-sustainable communities.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE RAW FOOD DIET
This is my response to a question Marina posed in her blog in regards to raw food and its abilty to reverse diabetes natturally, and whether it was sustainable. As well as some of my own experiences being on a raw food diet.
I believe it is sustainable, if you just keep up the eating habit. Of course in this video, these individuals were at a facility/house where they were provided their meals everyday. Their environment made the process a little easier, since they had no other options to eat.
But talking from experience, being on a raw food diet can be difficult to maintain for many reasons, for example, temptation, financial, access, or lack of creativity. Even to begin the diet and make it a habit is difficult as we saw in the video.
But once someone makes a committment to change, this type of diet can do wonders. I currently have 4 friends that have been on a raw food diet for about 2 years now. They are extremely healthy and active people.
I believe one can definitely reverse diseases such as diabetes, but it will definitely come back if you revert back to the same eating patterns as before. So it is temporary if you choose to do the diet on a temporary basis. If you really want to make lifetime changes, I believe you have to make it a lifetime decision.
I was actually on an 80% raw food diet myself, and during that time it was the best that I have ever felt. My reasons for not sticking to the diet anymore is simply because I started to hang out with more people that weren't raw, therefore it was hard for me to maintain my raw food eating habits. It was my own weakness and addictions to cooked food. But for 1 year I maintained the raw food diet. I constantly tell myself that I want to go back and move more towards that kind of diet, because I know the positive effects it had on my body. I felt I had a lot more energy, and I hardly got sick. And since I was also working out, my body had never looked so great. It was actually during this time that I also lost a lot of weight. (I was a size 14 at one point, but as soon as I stopped drinking soda, I started loosing a lot of weight. Then i stopped eating red meat, and again the same affects. But the raw food diet really made me get down to my ideal weight. Size 7.) It is definitely possible to go back to those eating habits, but I just have to be diciplined about it. I think mostly during the time I was on the diet, it was because I had a strong support network. During that time most of my friends were either on that diet or were striving towards it.
Those that recommend the raw food diet, advocate that fresh vegetables and fruits, along with raw nuts, sprouted beans, or anything that hasn't been cooked (but vegetarian foods) have "live" enzymes that help your body process the food better, and maximizes your uptake of the nutritious contents of the foods.
But I do agree with Marina about having more investigations on this topic. I remember wanting to learn more, and I would enter raw food in OVID a few years back and I couldn't find much. Today, there were a few articles that I found. Here are some of them.
Some supportive evidence of positive health affects of eating raw food vegetables:
Salad and Raw Vegetable Consumption and Nutritional Status in the Adult US Population: Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 106, Issue 9, Pages 1394-1404
L. Su, L. Arab
Hobbs SH. Attitudes, practices, and beliefs of individuals consuming a raw foods diet. [Journal Article] Explore-The Journal of Science & Healing. 1(4):272-7, 2005 Jul.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Describe dietary practices of U.S. raw foods leaders, examine diet rationale, attitudes and health practices of raw foodists. DESIGN: Nonexperimental, descriptive, using semistructured qualitative interview data. PARTICIPANTS: Purposeful (nonrandom) sample of 17 U.S. raw foods leaders, including 11 males and 6 females. Leaders were targeted to provide insights into practices modeled for larger community. PHENOMENA OF INTEREST: Attitudes, practices, and beliefs of individuals consuming a raw foods diet. ANALYSIS: Text analysis and simple descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Subjects averaged 13 years on the diet (range: 3-32 years). Twelve subjects reported a diet at least 85% raw. All diets were primarily vegan. Primary constituents included fruits and juices, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and vegetable fats. Subjects consumed no dairy, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, commercial sweets or alcohol in a typical week. Only one subject used a commercial, nonfood-based supplement weekly (vitamin B12). Six subjects consumed food-based supplements, and remainder used no supplements at all. On average, subjects met or exceeded recommended intakes of vegetables, fruits, and fats and did not meet recommendations for calcium-rich foods, protein-rich foods, and grains. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Those counseling raw foodists must understand the rationale and practices that characterize this eating style. Further research is needed on larger populations to validate findings and determine the extent to which reported health benefits may compare to those from other vegetarian diets. Further studies should examine food-handling and preparation practices in relation to food safety and raw produce
This is my response to a question Marina posed in her blog in regards to raw food and its abilty to reverse diabetes natturally, and whether it was sustainable. As well as some of my own experiences being on a raw food diet.
I believe it is sustainable, if you just keep up the eating habit. Of course in this video, these individuals were at a facility/house where they were provided their meals everyday. Their environment made the process a little easier, since they had no other options to eat.
But talking from experience, being on a raw food diet can be difficult to maintain for many reasons, for example, temptation, financial, access, or lack of creativity. Even to begin the diet and make it a habit is difficult as we saw in the video.
But once someone makes a committment to change, this type of diet can do wonders. I currently have 4 friends that have been on a raw food diet for about 2 years now. They are extremely healthy and active people.
I believe one can definitely reverse diseases such as diabetes, but it will definitely come back if you revert back to the same eating patterns as before. So it is temporary if you choose to do the diet on a temporary basis. If you really want to make lifetime changes, I believe you have to make it a lifetime decision.
I was actually on an 80% raw food diet myself, and during that time it was the best that I have ever felt. My reasons for not sticking to the diet anymore is simply because I started to hang out with more people that weren't raw, therefore it was hard for me to maintain my raw food eating habits. It was my own weakness and addictions to cooked food. But for 1 year I maintained the raw food diet. I constantly tell myself that I want to go back and move more towards that kind of diet, because I know the positive effects it had on my body. I felt I had a lot more energy, and I hardly got sick. And since I was also working out, my body had never looked so great. It was actually during this time that I also lost a lot of weight. (I was a size 14 at one point, but as soon as I stopped drinking soda, I started loosing a lot of weight. Then i stopped eating red meat, and again the same affects. But the raw food diet really made me get down to my ideal weight. Size 7.) It is definitely possible to go back to those eating habits, but I just have to be diciplined about it. I think mostly during the time I was on the diet, it was because I had a strong support network. During that time most of my friends were either on that diet or were striving towards it.
Those that recommend the raw food diet, advocate that fresh vegetables and fruits, along with raw nuts, sprouted beans, or anything that hasn't been cooked (but vegetarian foods) have "live" enzymes that help your body process the food better, and maximizes your uptake of the nutritious contents of the foods.
But I do agree with Marina about having more investigations on this topic. I remember wanting to learn more, and I would enter raw food in OVID a few years back and I couldn't find much. Today, there were a few articles that I found. Here are some of them.
Some supportive evidence of positive health affects of eating raw food vegetables:
Salad and Raw Vegetable Consumption and Nutritional Status in the Adult US Population: Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 106, Issue 9, Pages 1394-1404
L. Su, L. Arab
Hobbs SH. Attitudes, practices, and beliefs of individuals consuming a raw foods diet. [Journal Article] Explore-The Journal of Science & Healing. 1(4):272-7, 2005 Jul.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Describe dietary practices of U.S. raw foods leaders, examine diet rationale, attitudes and health practices of raw foodists. DESIGN: Nonexperimental, descriptive, using semistructured qualitative interview data. PARTICIPANTS: Purposeful (nonrandom) sample of 17 U.S. raw foods leaders, including 11 males and 6 females. Leaders were targeted to provide insights into practices modeled for larger community. PHENOMENA OF INTEREST: Attitudes, practices, and beliefs of individuals consuming a raw foods diet. ANALYSIS: Text analysis and simple descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Subjects averaged 13 years on the diet (range: 3-32 years). Twelve subjects reported a diet at least 85% raw. All diets were primarily vegan. Primary constituents included fruits and juices, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and vegetable fats. Subjects consumed no dairy, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, commercial sweets or alcohol in a typical week. Only one subject used a commercial, nonfood-based supplement weekly (vitamin B12). Six subjects consumed food-based supplements, and remainder used no supplements at all. On average, subjects met or exceeded recommended intakes of vegetables, fruits, and fats and did not meet recommendations for calcium-rich foods, protein-rich foods, and grains. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Those counseling raw foodists must understand the rationale and practices that characterize this eating style. Further research is needed on larger populations to validate findings and determine the extent to which reported health benefits may compare to those from other vegetarian diets. Further studies should examine food-handling and preparation practices in relation to food safety and raw produce
Reversing Diabetes Naturally
| Six McDonalds-munching Americans eat 100% vegan live foods for a month. Medical results are fantastic. Doctors and experts are interviewed including Gabriel Cousens, MD and David Wolfe. Raw for 30-Days Raw for 30-Days will document the journey of five Americans suffering from Adult Onset Type II Diabetes, who undergo a radical 30-day diet and lifestyle change in the hope of reversing or reducing their insulin dependence. The film will show the eating habits that led to the development of this disease and will posit an alternative approach to living and eating, one in which foods can heal and hold the potential to reverse Diabetes. We will recruit subjects who have been subsisting on a standard American junk food diet and who are now insulin dependent and Diabetic. Those selected will journey to the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona to undergo a 30-day health regimen consisting of 100% raw organic living foods that are purported to heal Diabetes. We will select a diverse group of subjects, representative of the different segments of the population most affected by this epidemic. Examples include a Native American from a Reservation, an African American from an urban Northeast city, a Mexican American living in the western US and a Caucasian person from the mid-west or a Southern city such as Chattanooga, TN. | |
Friday, January 12, 2007
Spring '07 Semester has begun....
This blog is being started for a class requirement, but I do have to say that I am somewhat looking forward to it. Keeping a journal of my thoughts has always been difficult to do, I just always seem to get started and somewhere down the line I stop doing it.... then again I pick it up, and then again I give it a rest... So maybe as a class requirement, this process will be more consistent.
My first impression of our first day of class was good. Our professor seems really excited and committed in teaching this class. Plus he has numerous international professional experience, which adds to the lectures and coursework.
What I found very interesting from yesterdays lecture, were the changing trends in population. I am still a little unclear as to why the trend changes to a different shape. I find it interesting though because this has been a topic of discussion with some of my friends and I. My friend just found out that in Germany, the government is giving montly stipends for families that are having babies... I also just watched Children of Men, which is a great movie and I am recommending everyone go see. It was a bit eary, because its something that could happen, and probably is. I mean with the changes happening to our Mother Earth (global warming), and wtih things like radiation, our cell phone use (who knows whats these gadgets are doing to us in the long run), the hormones and steroids in the food we eat (that is unnatural and just WRONG), and all the genetically modified foods they are producing... I have even heard of rumors of corn being genetically modified to sterilize women (I'm definitely going to look this up now...). So its possible. Anyways, I feel like I have rambled, but I guess thats what this blog is for.
I'm really looking forward to this class. Its seems like its going to be a challenge, but I'm grateful for that. It seems that I learn the most from classes that are challenging. I can't wait for discussion as well.... and let me just say that I am really really looking forward to our discusssions on sustainable development. As some of my classmates know... I'm all about self-sustainable communities...
My first impression of our first day of class was good. Our professor seems really excited and committed in teaching this class. Plus he has numerous international professional experience, which adds to the lectures and coursework.
What I found very interesting from yesterdays lecture, were the changing trends in population. I am still a little unclear as to why the trend changes to a different shape. I find it interesting though because this has been a topic of discussion with some of my friends and I. My friend just found out that in Germany, the government is giving montly stipends for families that are having babies... I also just watched Children of Men, which is a great movie and I am recommending everyone go see. It was a bit eary, because its something that could happen, and probably is. I mean with the changes happening to our Mother Earth (global warming), and wtih things like radiation, our cell phone use (who knows whats these gadgets are doing to us in the long run), the hormones and steroids in the food we eat (that is unnatural and just WRONG), and all the genetically modified foods they are producing... I have even heard of rumors of corn being genetically modified to sterilize women (I'm definitely going to look this up now...). So its possible. Anyways, I feel like I have rambled, but I guess thats what this blog is for.
I'm really looking forward to this class. Its seems like its going to be a challenge, but I'm grateful for that. It seems that I learn the most from classes that are challenging. I can't wait for discussion as well.... and let me just say that I am really really looking forward to our discusssions on sustainable development. As some of my classmates know... I'm all about self-sustainable communities...
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