Day 122

Day 2 shooting "The Man In The Maze"...the Earth Diet is possible anywhere in the world...even on a movie set shot in the woods in Alabama! Heheeee ;)

Thoughts:

The Earth naturally provides us with everything we need. EVERYTHING. Today I was eating raw cauliflower, and I love cauliflower, and I haven't eaten it for quite some time and I was wondering what is the point of eating cauliflower? I wonder what cauliflower can provide human beings. So I did a little research on my new white curd friend....

Cauliflower is a vegetable belonging to the Brassica oleracea species, which also includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli and collard greens. The vegetable originated in the Northeast Mediterranean and is presently cultivated in most of the countries of the world. It has a white head and stalk and is surrounded by thick, green leaves. However, the stalk and the leaves are discarded and only the head (white curd) is eaten. Cauliflower can be had in the raw, cooked or pickled form, though it the raw form that holds the highest nutritional value. Given below is complete information on the health and nutrition benefits of eating cauliflower.

Health & Nutrition Benefits of Eating Cauliflower
-The allicin in cauliflower is known to promote a healthy heart and reduce the risk of strokes
-Cauliflower contains selenium and vitamin C, both of which work together to strengthen the immune system.
-Cauliflower has been associated with the maintenance of a healthy cholesterol level.
-Being rich in folate, cauliflower is known to help improve cell growth and replication.
-The high amount of fiber in cauliflower improves colon health and can even help prevent cancer.
-Recently, it was found that cauliflower contains ‘indole-3-carbinol’, a substance that can prevent breast and other female cancers.
-The glucosinolates and thiocyanates, present in cauliflower, increase the ability of liver to neutralize potentially toxic substances.
-Cauliflower acts as a blood and liver detoxifier.
-Sulforaphane, a substance in cauliflower, can remove cancer causing chemicals and also stop the spread of cancer cells, even in the later stages of their growth.
-Researches have suggested that cauliflower contains certain phyto-chemicals that might help reduce the risk of some hereditary cancers.

The people suffering from the following ailments can benefit from the consumption of cauliflower:
Arthritis
Asthma
Constipation
High Blood Pressure
Kidney and Bladder Disorders



http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-cauliflower-1699.html

Challenges: The cast and crew went to the same local diner/restaurant for lunch as yesterday and they serve only fried foods and hamburgers. Absolutely no salads or vegetables or fruits. So I find it's always handy to have raw veggies, or fruits, or my chocolate ball ingredients handy so I can eat something :)

Triumphs: I used to think if I eat really healthy I will be tired and have less energy...I had it that being healthy is hard work. This is what stopped me from being healthy for so many years! I'ts a myth that being healthy, eating less, changing your diet will make you feel tired and energyless. I'ts totally backwards! The healthier and closer to earth that you eat the more energetic, pure, clean, vibrant, fresh and young you will feel (aren't they awesome words!)

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Man-in-the-Maze-Movie/275214654765?ref=ts
www.themaninthemaze.net

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: Damiana herbal tea. 2 oranges. Chocolate balls.

Lunch: Raw cauliflower, brocolli and carrot. Stephanie (who plays my bestie in The Man In The Maze) shared half of her apple with me ;)

Dinnner: 6 nectarines. A beautiful creamy avocado. Sprouts (lentils and chickpeas), walnuts.

Dessert: No dessert.

Snacks: Purple grapes. Raw cauliflower.

Exercise: Working on set ;) keeping my body warm in this chilly Alabama weather is like full time exercise haha ;)

243 days to go!!!

Day 121

Stephanie Lomenick and I...we play besties in "The Man In The Maze" which we are shooting now in Alabama.

Thoughts: First day shoot today for "The Man In The Maze"!!!

Ashleigh Bevin is taking on the Earth Diet on March 1st! She also suggested that I write an article about flaxseed. So I did my usual online research and here's what I got:

Flax Seed Oil is a blue flowering plant that is grown on the Western Canadian Prairies for its oil rich seeds. This natural oil (also known as Linseed Oil) is highly recommended for the general well being and whole body nutrition and is considered to be nature's richest source of omega-3 fatty acids that are required for the health of almost all body systems.

Flax Seed Oil contains omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fiber, protein, and zinc and also provides approximately 50% more omega-3 oils than what you could get from taking fish oil, minus that horrible "fishy" after taste. Sounded good to me already!

Should you add flax seed oil to your diet?

Some nutritionists, researchers, and scientists believe that it could be the most important health-promoting supplement next to a multi-vitamin. Nearly every system in the body can benefit from flax seed oil's natural properties, including the cardiovascular system, immune system, circulatory system, reproductive system, nervous system, as well as joints.

Just look at this list of facts and studies of what Flax Seed Oil can and may accomplish:

- Research shows low incidence of breast cancer and colon cancer in populations that have high amounts of lignan in their diet. Flax is 100 times richer in lignan than most whole grains.

- Studies show that Omega-3 fatty acids help lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and prevent clots in arteries, which may result in strokes, heart attacks and thromboses.

- Helps protect the body against high blood pressure, inflammation, water retention, sticky platelets and lowered immune function.

- Shortens recovery time for fatigued muscles after exertion.

- Increases the body's production of energy and also increases stamina.

- Accelerates the healing of sprains and bruises.

- Eases weight loss in people afflicted with obesity.

- Stimulates brown fat cells and increases the metabolic rate making it easier to burn off fat.

- Improves the absorption of Calcium.

- Strengthens finger and toenails.

- Can improve eyesight and perception of colors.

- Can often improve the function of the liver.

- Can relieve the side effects and stop development of many forms of cancer.

- Can relieve some cases of Asthma.

- Helpful in the treatment of Eczema, Psoriasis, and Dandruff.

- Can relieve the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. It can relieve the symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus.

- Can alleviate some allergies.

- Helps prevent Atherosclerosis (the accumulation of fatty deposits inside the blood vessels, especially the large and medium-sized arteries, that many people experience during the aging process).

- Lowers high blood pressure in Hypertension sufferers.

- Has been scientifically proven to treat some cases of depression.

- Can improve the mental function of many old age pensioners.

- Can help in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.

- Has been proven to improve the behavior of Schizophrenics.

- Can relieve some cases of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) in females.

- And more...!

I also recently tried flax seed meal in my chocolate balls.

What are flax seeds and flax seed meal?:
Flax seeds are very low carb, high nutrition seeds that are useful in a low of recipes. They are the seeds of the flax plant, which linen cloth is made from. Flax has a pleasantly nutty taste. The whole seeds keep well, but they need to be ground into meal for us to get their full nutritional benefit. A simple spice or coffee grinder can do this in seconds.

http://www.essortment.com/all/whatisflaxsee_pfy.htm
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/products/p/prodflax.htm



Challenges: We went to lunch today at a local restaurant and they had only burgers, french fries and fried food. No salad, no fruit...

Triumphs: ...Any excuse to have chocolate for lunch though I love! hehe

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: A green apple. Peppermint tea. Chocolate balls with brazil nuts. A beautiful avocado mm mmm!

Lunch: 2 apples. Chocolate balls.

Dinnner: Indian food...Dahl (beans) with rice and spices and cabbage mmm mmm!

Dessert: No dessert.

Snacks: No snacks.

Recipe: I took my chocolate ball recipe ingredients with me to set with a bowl and a spoon and it's so easy and convenient to just whip it out and make them in five minutes! Recipe for chocolate balls is on blog Day 115.

Exercise: working on set doing multiple takes...AND walking up the hill to set! Oh and because it's sooo freezing cold here...I do squats, and dances, and jumps, and anything abstractly physical to keep me warm! I'm going to be fit after this 4 week shoot! ;)

On location shooting "The Man In The Maze"

244 days to go!!!

Day 120

Thoughts: What are you really drinking when you drink Coke cola...

Did Coca-Cola torture and kill workers in Latin America? Aparantely so...scary...check out http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2622/did-coca-cola-torture-and-kill-workers-in-latin-america and http://killercoke.org/

"Growth, leadership, sustainability..."

These are the words on Coke Colas website. Do they best represent the machine made drink? Decide for yourself....below is what I found on the drink.

Coke says about their mission "At the Coke Cola company we strive to refresh the world, inspire the words of optimism and hapiness, create value and make a difference."

Coke is in over 200 countries, 123 years in business.

History: Ever wondered how Coke came about?
It was 1886, and in New York Harbor, workers were constructing the Statue of Liberty. Eight hundred miles away, another great American symbol was about to be unveiled. Like many people who change history, John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, was inspired by simple curiosity. One afternoon, he stirred up a fragrant, caramel-colored liquid and, when it was done, he carried it a few doors down to Jacobs' Pharmacy. Here, the mixture was combined with carbonated water and sampled by customers who all agreed -- this new drink was something special. So Jacobs' Pharmacy put it on sale for five cents a glass. Pemberton's bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, named the mixture Coca-Cola®, and wrote it out in his distinct script. To this day, Coca-Cola is written the same way. In the first year, Pemberton sold just 9 glasses of Coca-Cola a day. A century later, The Coca-Cola Company has produced more than 10 billion gallons of syrup. Unfortunately for Pemberton, he died in 1888 without realizing the success of the beverage he had created. Over the course of three years, 1888-1891, Atlanta businessman Asa Griggs Candler secured rights to the business for a total of about $2,300. Candler would become the Company's first president, and the first to bring real vision to the business and the brand.

http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/index.html

Some facts about coke:

1. You can clean a toilet with Coke. Truth! According to www.howtocleananything.com, the popular household hint guru Mary Ellen says some coke in the toilet for an hour can do the trick.
4. Remove stains from vitreous china. Truth! According to columnist Heloise.
5. Use Coke and a ball of aluminum foil for rust on chrome. Truth! According to Joey Greene's www.wackyuses.com
6. Clean corrosion from car battery terminals. Truth! This is true of a lot of carbonated beverages.
7. Use a Coke-soaked cloth to loosen a rusted bolt.
8. Use a can of Coke in a load of greasy laundry.

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/w/watervscoke.htm

I also read this comment by Michael "The Greedy Fetus" M. "The company does not actually manufacture and sell soft drinks. The Coca-Cola company actually only produces the bubbles that are force fed into these harmless, defenseless drinks. It's all part of a government plan to see whether vast quantities of carbon bubbles will make the human body invisible to radar. If the government is right, then millions of taxpayers dollars will be saved, as the military will no longer have to invest in expensive stealth weapons and aircraft. People would be able to simply walk from one country to another without being detected on enemy radar screens.

You may of course know that radar is only effective above 180ft, and therefore people can walk under it anyway, but the government is also planning to create soldiers that are 450ft tall, and very strong indeed. These will be born 100ft tall, and already able to speak, so the births should be interesting. When questioned, a spokesman for the government said nothing, because he is dead.

This blatant cover up means that Coca-Cola and other soft drinks that are made fizzy by the same company will continue to be sold to the unsuspecting public. However, it is not only the government that is to blame.

The government originally wanted to conduct this test on animals, but animal rights groups and other neo-hippie tree-huggers objected, and chained themselves to plastic furniture or chanted songs that were not really that catchy. Unable to cope with the extreme pressure of twenty hippies protesting peacefully, the government sent the project underground, and now test on humans instead.

I feel that it is high time we struck back against the oppression of the animal rights activists, who force us to drink Coca-Cola until it comes out our nose, and makes everybody laugh at us. My suggestion is that everybody who reads this should go directly home and burn their cat/dog/hamster, or whatever pets you have at home, or that you just happen to see on the way. In fact, don't do it just to get at the activists. Do it because it's fun. Remember that killing innocent animals for nothing is the only way that we can ever hope to break the multinationals."

http://www.yelp.com/topic/seattle-the-truth-about-coca-cola

Challenges: It's challenging being away from home and not having my own kitchen so prepare any foods I want...I am missing mmm salads and egg plant vegetable dishes...and my juice machine! Next time I work on a film I am for sure bringing a juicer ;)

Triumphs: It's still great to be able to stick to the Earth Diet no matter where I go on the planet...after all I am still on Earth ;) and will always be able to eat foods provided to us directly from nature.

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: Brazil nuts. A peppermint tea. An avocado.

Lunch: A large bunch of green grapes. Brazil nuts.

Dinnner: 2 apple and chocolate balls with brazil nuts.

Dessert: no dessert.

Snacks: no snacks.

Exercise: A run around Florence, Alabama and dancing to 3 Black Eyed Peas songs in my hotel room :) And then a lovely stretch oh and some ab work...love the burn!

245 days to go!!!

Day 118

Autism. The Autism Epidemic, How WE created it, what it is and yes there is a cure!

Thoughts: We drove past a sign today that said "A child is diagnosed about every 20 minutes." Every day 60 American families are told they have a child with autism. I was completely shocked! How could this be?! And what a sucky way to start off life as a child, autism. And I really don't believe it has to be like this! The chemicals, the food, the additives, the artifical sugars create autisim in kids. Of course it does, it completely drowns their cells in chemicals, and they can no longer function as how the human being is designed.

Below is a list of drugs and autism medication commonly used to currently treat certain symptoms in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as provided by the National Institutes of Health. This list is disguisting.

Children's Autism Medication Chart
TRADE NAME GENERIC NAME APPROVED AGE
Stimulant Medications
Adderall amphetamine 3 and older
Adderall XR amphetamine (extended release) 6 and older
Concerta methylphenidate (long acting) 6 and older
Cylert* pemoline 6 and older
Dexedrine dextroamphetamine 3 and older
Dextrostat dextroamphetamine 3 and older
Focalin dexmethylphenidate 6 and older
Metadate ER methylphenidate (extended release) 6 and older
Ritalin methylphenidate 6 and older
Non-stimulant for ADHD
Strattera atomoxetine 6 and older
*Because of its potential for serious side effects affecting the liver, Cylert should not ordinarily be considered as first-line drug therapy for ADHD.
Antidepressant and Antianxiety Medications
Anafranil clomipramine 10 and older (for OCD)
BuSpar buspirone 18 and older
Effexor venlafaxine 18 and older
Luvox (SSRI) fluvoxamine 8 and older (for OCD)
Paxil (SSRI) paroxetine 18 and older
Prozac (SSRI) fluoxetine 18 and older
Serzone (SSRI) nefazodone 18 and older
Sinequan doxepin 12 and older
Tofranil imipramine 6 and older (for bedwetting)
Wellbutrin bupropion 18 and older
Zoloft (SSRI) sertraline 6 and older (for OCD)
*Antipsychotic Medications
Clozaril (atypical) clozapine 18 and older
Haldol haloperidol 3 and older
Risperdal* (atypical) risperidone 18 and older
Seroquel (atypical) quetiapine 18 and older
Mellaril thioridazine 2 and older
Zyprexa (atypical) olanzapine 18 and older
Orap pimozide 12 and older (for Tourette's syndrome—Data for age 2 and older indicate similar safety profile)
Mood Stabilizing Medications
Cibalith-S lithium citrate 12 and older
Depakote valproic acid 2 and older (for seizures)
Eskalith lithium carbonate 12 and older
Lithobid lithium carbonate 12 and older
Tegretol carbamazepine any age (for seizures)

This is disgusting that we treat the children with autism with these drugs, the chemicals that created their autism in the first place! What does autistic even mean? ...an abnormal absorption with the self; marked by communication disorders and short attention span and inability to treat others as.

So what causes Autism? Two theories link autism and vaccines. The first theory suggests that the MMR (Mumps-Measles-Rubella) vaccine may cause intestinal problems leading to the development of autism. The second theory suggests that a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal, used in some vaccines, could be connected to autism.

Is There an Autism Epidemic? When my parents were growing up and especially their parents growing up, autism was rarely heard of. Today, everyone seems to be or know someone with an autistic child. Certainly, the numbers of children diagnosed with autism has surged in the past decade.

There is a cure, and that is to reverse the damage that has been done. Jim Carey's partner and ex Playboy model Jenny McCarthy's son was diagnosed with Autism. He is now "typical". And all it was, was a change of diet and an elimination of toxic chemicals.

Jenny found the ammunition she needed in the form of a strict dairy free and wheat free diet, an anti-fungal medication, and in various forms of behavioral therapy. As Jenny McCarthy remained steadfast in pursuing Evan’s recovery, she found solace in prayer and meditation, often asking “why” she and Evan were put on this path. Jenny believes the answer lies in her ability to reach millions of moms through the audience that she had unwittingly manifested through her successful run as bestselling author of mommy and baby books. Referring to her latest best seller, Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism, she has stated with unwavering faith that, “This is the book I was born to write!”

PR.com: I want to talk to you about what you believe caused Evan’s autism. I know that he is on a wheat and dairy free diet and I know that you put him on Diflucan to get the fungus out of his body. The combination of that with the behavior therapy… then there are the vaccinations. I grew up eating grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream sundaes and my mom vaccinated me. How come I didn’t become autistic, and why do these things affect some children?

Jenny McCarthy: If you look at the vaccine schedule, and you can go on www.generationrescue.com and that’s a really good website… the vaccines that you received in 1983 were ten. Today they’re thirty-six. Thirty-six vaccinations compared to ten back in the day. A lot of these kids seem to be born with a little bit of an auto-immune problem. Maybe they can’t really detox some of the toxins in the environment as easily. For instance, one of the things is glutathione. Glutathione is everyone’s bodies’ natural anti-oxidant that gets rid of toxins and viruses and stuff like that. We’ve noticed that a lot of these kids have low glutathione. So we say, “God, if these kids are born with low glutathione, a lower immune system, then how are they supposed to now take thirty-six vaccines when we never had that before?” So it’s real easy when you look at that list of what it was like, and what it’s like now, to go, “Ah! I see the escalation of vaccines and I see the escalation of autism,” and that’s how we got there.

PR.com: Why are there more vaccines?

Jenny McCarthy: I’m so glad you said that (laughs)! Why are there?! Why do we need a Chickenpox vaccine? I had the Chickenpox. I got to stay home from school.

PR.com: Why is mercury in these vaccines?

Jenny McCarthy: Because it is the cheapest preservative. These are the most toxic neurotoxins on the face of the planet… plutonium, and then number two is mercury. We still have mercury in these shots because it’s very, very cheap. They can completely use something else, but they won’t make as much of a profit.

PR.com: And you believe that when Evan was an infant that he was behaving like a “typical” child?

Jenny McCarthy: Yes.

PR.com: Explain to me how the Candida in Evan’s system affected his autism.

Jenny McCarthy: Once these kids start getting… basically their immune system shuts down. After the toxic levels that they pick up in the air, water, vaccines… it kind of really deregulates the immune system. Once that happens, these kids are getting ear infection after ear infection. You can ask any mother of a child with autism if they had countless ear infections and they’ll say yes. Then the doctors give repeated antibiotics. Well the repeated antibiotics without a probiotic, probiotic is like an acidophilus that you find in yogurt… all these antibiotics create this yeast in the gut. An overabundance of yeast then causes holes in the gut and that causes Leaky Gut Syndrome. Food then travels to the blood, which travels to the brain. Candida literally takes over the body causing horrible side affects. They’re finding that once you clean up those issues, a lot of these children on the spectrum feel so much better. Then they are able to absorb the therapies, like speech therapies, let’s say. They feel better and they can think clearly and they’re not sick. Evan was so sick with that yeast that if I never dug into it and found out about it, he would still be severely messed up.

PR.com: How can you get the Candida (yeast) out of the body if you suspect your child may have that?

Jenny McCarthy: Everyone should always be on a probiotic every day of their life, especially if they are doing an antibiotic; they need a probiotic. I talk about something in my book called ThreeLac, which is a natural probiotic, but it’s a probiotic that eats yeast in the gut. I started giving it to Evan and it’s just a little powder in your drink, like Tang. You drink it everyday. He started pooping out buckets of yeast. He was throwing up yeast. He had so much yeast.

PR.com: Why do you think doctors seem so fearful of acknowledging a connection between illness and nutrition in these kids?

Jenny McCarthy:Isn’t it fascinating? It is so mind boggling to me that the medical community does not support diet. If you ask any doctor you go to about diet intervention, they have no idea. If you ask any medical students at graduation, “How many of you guys have learned about preventative medicine?” no one would raise their hand. It is a pharmaceutical world. Mind you… Evan, for seizures, has to be on pharmaceuticals in order to keep him seizure free. So I’m not against pharmaceuticals, but for the love of God, we need to be teaching doctors that there is a natural way to help these kids. I know these kids are here for a reason, it’s not just to have autism in the world. It’s to show us, “Oh look. Eating healthy makes a body feel better.” I think that, that is really their big message and you know, come on with the toxins and the vaccines and the pesticides in your toxic world. Clean it up.

PR.com: And you sometimes had to fight other people when they told you that, that instinct was wrong, correct?

Jenny McCarthy: Correct. You’ll always face people, and that gut is never wrong. It’s when you start making decisions with your head and not your gut that you’re going to run into problems. That’s how I got Evan where he is today. I followed that gut.

I love that Jenny is making a difference now. Later does not exist.

http://www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/autism-medication.html
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
http://www.pr.com/article/1076
http://autism.about.com/od/causesofautism/p/ontherise.htm



Challenges: Today the director of "The Man In The Maze" Mitesh Patel took me to buy some fruit and vegetable. We went to Aldi, which they actually have in Australia and I was shocked! They aren't like the ones in Aussie land, you walk in and there are boxes and boxes of mass produced foods in cardboard boxes and processed human made foods. The fruit and vegetable section of Aldi was tiny. I've never seen such a small fruit and vegetable section in a supermarket before! I guess they cater for their buyers? Or do they cater for themselves and control the buyers? No wonder people have autism...

Triumphs: The director said to me "I don't know how you eat so many fruits". I thought wow yeah I do eat a lot of fruits...I love my body and my health! And I got grateful for my body and my health. Sometimes I forget how great it is to have health and energy and a love and want to look after my body. There was a point where I was just trashing my body completely with junk food, and I would think "Why do I even eat this when it provides me no nutritional benifits at all" and it was torture because I knew it wasn't good and then I wouldn't do anything about it. Self sabatoge. There is no sabatoging of ones self or body on the Earth Diet, there just can't be! Only love and nuture :) Love it!

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: Green apple. 1 avocado. Black tea with ginger (real black tea, not in the tea bags)

Lunch: 5 nectarines.

Dinnner: Indian Idli, rice cakes and dahl. The rice is grinded to make powder and then compacted together and steamed to make a soft cafe. Dahl is lentils cooked with Indian herbs that you pour on your rice cakes. Mmmm mmmm.

Dessert: my Chocolate recipe with walnuts.

Snacks: no snacks.

Exercise: A run around Florence, Alabama with lead actor Andrew Roth.

247 days to go!!!

Day 119

Thoughts: Lecithin. What is it?

It's in a lot of our foods...including chocolate. And most of the chocolate recipes I checked out on the internet had lecithin as an ingredient so I wanted to find out what it is!

Lecithin is used nowadays in a generic way to designate any group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues, and in egg yolk, composed of phosphoric acid, choline, fatty acids, glycerol, glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipids (e.g., phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol).

However, the word lecithin was originally created in 1847 by a French chemist and pharmacist, Theodore Nicolas Gobley, to designate pure phosphatidylcholine. Gobley originally isolated lecithin from egg yolk (which became its namesake, from Greek lekithos—λέκιθος, litterally egg yolk), and established the complete chemical formula of phosphatidylcholine in 1874; in-between he had demonstrated the presence of lecithin in a variety of biological matters, such as veinous blood, bile, and human brain, as well as from fish eggs, fish roe, chicken and sheep brain...

Lecithin can be easily obtained from readily available sources such as soy beans, from which it is extracted chemically (using hexane) or mechanically. It has low solubility in water. In aqueous solution its phospholipids can form either liposomes, bilayer sheets, micelles, or lamellar structures, depending on hydration and temperature. This results in a type of surfactant that is usually classified as amphipathic. Lecithin is sold as a food supplement and for medical uses. In cooking, it is sometimes used as an emulsifier.

Lecithin is used commercially in foods requiring a natural emulsifier and/or lubricant, and in pharmaceuticals as protective coverings. For example, lecithin is the emulsifier that keeps cocoa and cocoa butter in a candy bar from separating. In margarines, especially those containing high levels of fat (>75%), lecithin is added as an 'anti-spattering' agent for shallow frying.

There is evidence to suggest that lecithin itself can lower cholesterol. Egg-derived lecithin may be a concern for those following some specialized diets. Egg lecithin is not a concern for those on low-cholesterol diets, because the lecithin found in eggs markedly inhibits the absorption of the cholesterol contained in eggs. There is no general agreement among vegetarians concerning egg-derived lecithin, since it is animal-derived; Jains, vegetarian Hindus (like Brahmins) and vegans choose not to consume it.

So I won't be using it in my chocolate.

Here's some comments I have read...

"After reading this and doing a bit of research I am finding a lot of nasty little truths about soy...who wants more chemically processed filler? I've been dealing with a little issue that I originally thought was gallstones but it seems everytime I eat a soy product I get cramping pains in my side, and no doctors seem to know what it is over an 8 month period. Cutting out anything with soy has made a BIG difference, and soy lecithin is no different. I'm happy to say I've found 1 single chocolate bar that says 'no soy lecithin' and it was one of the best treats I've had! and no side effects! Like global warming, maybe if we can get everyone on the NO SOY bandwagon then maybe we can actually start eating REAL food that is good for you. I would like to also state that I have not had any problems with tofu, as it comes in some of my favourite tasty dishes."

"I understand that the method invented by ADM is still used in practice. Soy beans are crushed and soaked with hexane, which extracts the lecithin compounds along with oil. The hexane is then removed in a still (a big boiler with a hood) and reused. Running steam through the remaining mixture makes the lecithin compounds bundle up with each other. The blobs can be extracted in a centrifuge. The resulting sludge is very thick and dark and is the starting point for all kinds of products that are sold as lecithin. The lecithin may be bleached with hydrogen peroxide, or further purified with other chemicals, or made into granules by mixing it with acetone."

Liquid lecithin (and the granules) have a lot of calories, around 130 for one serving. The lecithin has saturated fats.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecithin
http://www.chow.com/stories/10701

Challenges: I haven't had my beetroot, carrot, ginger, celery juice for almost a week now and although I am still pooping the same I can notice the difference in my skin. A little sluggish.

Triumphs: Tomorrow is our first shoot day for "The Man In The Maze". I am nervous and excited woo woo! We are in Alabama USA. I am eating what I can and as raw as I can here in Alabamaaaaa! Before this Earth Diet, if I got nervous I would be eating sooo much to feed my nerves. And now I'm not woo woo :)

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: 3 nectarines. Darjeeling tea.

Lunch: Brazil nuts. Chocolate balls with brazil nuts. A punnet of blueberries.

Dinnner: Indian cooked by the Directors wife Nimi, black eyed peas with Indian herbs and spices mmm mmm with rice and salad and raw brocoli.

Dessert: No dessert.

Snacks: Green grapes.

Exercise: Stretches and walking around shopping malls in Alabama looking for wardrobe for my role in "The Man In The Maze". www.themaninthemaze.net

My veiw from my hotel room, in Florence, Alabama, population 36,000. I love the character of it, the uniqueness :)

246 days to go!!!

Day 117

What is the "right" amount to eat?

Thoughts: An interesting food for thought by Earth Diet reader and friend Dwayne Peachey "That the conditioning to overeat begins as a loving gesture. Parents prepare meals for their children, and plate up what they believe to be a "proper portion" for their growing child to eat, and then make them eat it all. How many times have we heard parents say to their children "finish whats on your plate please" or, when everyone has finished eating "Come on guys, there is only a little bit left here, someone may as well eat it." The fact is that throughout our lives, our body knows what it needs and will tell us, if we listen. But we are conditioned to feel that unless our stomach is completely full, we haven't had a proper meal. Because this conditioning starts from such an early age, this thinking feels completely natural. This way of thinking combined with Television, computers and playstations occupying more and more of our childrens days, leading to them becoming less and less active, can only point to a health disaster for future generations if something isn't done.

Maybe the next generation of parents should try to break this cycle, by filling the house with only good wholesome foods. Go back to the days when desert only happened once a week and takeaways was an occasional (once a month) treat, not an easy option for a busy lifestyle. Teach our kids to eat a balanced diet and that, within reason, if you feel like you've eaten enough, you probably have eaten enough. And help and encourage our children to find physical activities they enjoy doing. Remember, If it is fun, it doesn't feel like excercise. A good healthy lifestyle with SUFFICIENT wholesome food is, I believe, is the best basis to get the most from our life."

Perfect. Thank you for contributing Dwayne. I absolutely agree. There is no "right amount".

Challenges: Obviously some people disagree with the amount of food quantities. I really think we need half of what our Western Culture eat. I mean people in 3rd world countries survive on much less.

Triumphs: Yvonne Dale says "They are many more approaches to dieting, and eating the right food, in the right amount, in the right combination, at the right time, is a difficult art, that can only be learned by experimenting to find out what works best for the individual." I am getting the "shoulds" and "should nots" out of my thoughts and listening to my body and experiementing. Yes everyone is different and requires different things.

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: Walnuts. 2 nectarines.

Lunch: Chickpeas with Indian spices

Dinnner: mmm the best salmon ever at Georgia's in Musselsholls, Alabama. With brocoli :) and the most cooked brocoli I have ever eaten hehe! I actually enjoyed the mushy dead organic matter! Haha



Dessert: no dessert.

Snacks: 1 apple.

Cost: My salmon dish was $29.95 at the restaurant, and thankyou "The Man In The Maze" for the beautiful meal :)


"The Man In The Maze" some cast and crew...from left to around the table (if that makes sense!)...Josh DOP, Erik playing PT, myself, lead actor Andrew, and Steve the UPM. :)

Exercise: a run around Florence in the crisp Alabamian air! I could smell pancakes cooking in the air the majority of my run!

248 days to go!!!

Day 115

Thoughts: Theobromine - meet the bitter alkaloid (a naturally occurring chemical compound containing basic nitrogen atoms) of the cacao plant, found in chocolate, the thing that creates the addiction, craving and is responsible for the lurrrve making later on (aphrodisiac!).

Earth Dieter and reader Warwick Horwood suggested I create a blog on Theobromine after trying one of my chocolate balls! (recipe below). Cocoa is the main ingredient in the chocolate balls, and Theobromine is a naturally occuring substance found in Cacao, know to have positive effects on the body. Cocoa powder can vary in the amount of theobromine, from 2% theobromine to at least 10%.

Following its discovery in the late 19th century, theobromine was put to use by 1916,where it was recommended by the publication Principles of Medical Treatment as a treatment for edema (excessive liquid in parts of the body), syphilitic angina attacks, and degenerative angina. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes that theobromine was once used as a treatment for other circulatory problems including arteriosclerosis, certain vascular diseases, angina pectoris, and hypertension.

In modern medicine, theobromine is used as a vasodilator (a blood vessel widener), a diuretic (urination aid), and heart stimulant. In addition, the future use of theobromine in such fields as cancer prevention has been patented.

Theobromine has also been used in birth defect experiments involving mice and rabbits. A decreased fetal weight was noted in rabbits following forced feeding, but not after other administration of theobromine. Birth defects were not seen in rats.

The amount of theobromine found in chocolate is small enough that chocolate can, in general, be safely consumed by humans. However, theobromine poisoning may result from the chronic or acute consumption of large quantities, especially in the elderly In extreme cases, emergency room treatment may be required. Serious poisoning happens more frequently in domestic animals, which metabolize theobromine much more slowly than humans, and can easily consume enough chocolate to cause chocolate poisoning.

While theobromine and caffeine are similar in that they are related alkaloids, theobromine is weaker in both its inhibition of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases and its antagonism of adenosine receptors. Therefore, theobromine has a lesser impact on the human central nervous system than caffeine. However, theobromine stimulates the heart to a greater degree.[citation needed] While theobromine is not as addictive, it has been cited as possibly causing addiction to chocolate. Theobromine has also been identified as one of the compounds contributing to chocolate's reputed role as an aphrodisiac.

Theobromine can also be found in small amounts in the kola nut, the guarana berry, and the tea plant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theobromine


A diagram of the bronchus. The loosening of the muscles in the bronchus caused by theobromine helps alleviate the symptoms of asthma.

Challenges: Hmmm can I get theobromine poisoning if I eat too many chocolate balls?

Triumphs: I love that I can eat chocolate everyday wooo wooo! Organic, raw and totally totally healthy! Recipe below :)

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast: Spinach and carrot juice. 4 nectaries.

Lunch: 2 nectarines and 5 handfuls of Macadamia nuts (yes too many nuts in one sitting as I found out later in the Bikram Yoga class...body not happy jan hehe)

Dinnner: Salad with green lettuce and spinach and raw snow peas and avocado and lemon juice.

Dessert: 5 nectarines

Snacks: ginger tea (ginger boiled in water) mmm mmm

Recipe: Chocolate Balls

Ingredients: (use your own measurements and human instinct to create the perfect amount of each ingedient for you)
1. Cocao powder (or cocao beans if you totally want to make them from scratch)
2. Agave syrup
3. Nut meal...ethier almond meal and hazelnut meal
4. Whole nuts...my favourite are walnuts and hazelnuts and macadamias
5. Water

Directions:
1. If you buy cocao beans you need to roast them for 40 minutes and then peel them and grind them into powder. If you do this you will absolutely appreciate your chocolate!
or add cocao powder and the same amount of nut meal to a bowl and stir.
2. Add agave syrup to make it sweet and a little water to create a consistency that you love. I love it smooth and bulky so I can roll it into balls.
3. Add the whole nuts. Mix with hands.
4. Roll into balls and put in the fridge for later to eat cold, or eat as a paste now.



Exercise: I long sweaty Bikram Yoga class at Hermosa Beach LA www.bikramyogahermosabeach.com

250 days to go!!!

Day 116

Thoughts:

HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE: Why it's good for you and why it's bad for you.

Chocolate comes from the fermented, roasted, and ground beans of the cacao or cocoa tree. The word "Chocolate" comes form the Nahualt language of the Aztecs. The Nahualt word xocolatl means bitter water. The pre-Columbian peoples of the Americans drank chocolate mixed with vanilla, chile pepper, and achiote. Europeans sweetened it by adding sugar and milk and removing the chile pepper. They later created a process to make solid chocolate creating the modern chocolate bar. Although cocoa is originally from the Americas, today Western Africa produces almost two-thirds of the world´s cocoa, with Côte d´Ivoire growing almost half of it.

Chocolate (pronounced /ˈtʃɒklɪt/ (help·info) or /-ˈəlɪt/) comprises a number of raw and processed foods produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC. The majority of the Mesoamerican peoples made chocolate beverages, including the Aztecs, who made it into a beverage known as xocolātl, a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water". The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor.

After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted, and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground to cocoa mass, pure chocolate in rough form. Because this cocoa mass usually is liquefied then molded with or without other ingredients, it is called chocolate liquor. The liquor also may be processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Unsweetened baking chocolate (bitter chocolate) contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, combining cocoa solids, cocoa butter or other fat, and sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids (and thus does not qualify to be considered true chocolate).

For hundreds of years, the chocolate making process remained unchanged. When the people saw the Industrial Revolution arrive, many changes occurred that brought about the food today in its modern form. A Dutch family's (van Houten) inventions made mass production of shiny, tasty chocolate bars and related products possible. In the 1700s, mechanical mills were created that squeezed out cocoa butter, which in turn helped to create hard, durable chocolate. But, it was not until the arrival of the Industrial Revolution that these mills were put to bigger use. Not long after the revolution cooled down, companies began advertising this new invention to sell many of the chocolate treats we see today. When new machines were produced, people began experiencing and consuming chocolate worldwide.

Why it's bad for you:
It's not the chocolate that is bad for you, it's how they make it these days and the additives and chemicals they put it in. Yes it is possible to eat chocolate that is actually good for you and you can eat it everyday!!! Uhuh uhuh!!!

Today, it is one of the most popular and recognizable flavors in the world. There are many foods that contain chocolate such as chocolate bars, candy, ice cream,cookies, cakes, pies, chocolate mousse, and other desserts. I absolutely love chocolate, hands down my all time favourite taste, and I wanted to figure out a way that I could eat it every day and not get fat, I never thought it was possible until I started this Earth Diet and was forced to look at how chocolate is made so I discovered cocoa and created my own recipe for chocolate balls. The world's top producer of cacao beans is Africa, where recent controversy has focused on the use of child labor in cocoa production.

Several types of chocolate can be distinguished. Pure, unsweetened chocolate contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. These are better for you then much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, combining chocolate with sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. "White chocolate" contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids.

On the other hand, the unconstrained consumption of large quantities of any energy-rich food such as chocolate is thought to increase the risk of obesity without a corresponding increase in activity. Raw chocolate is high in cocoa butter, a fat which is removed during chocolate refining, then added back in in varying proportions during the manufacturing process. Manufacturers may add other fats, sugars, and milk as well, all of which increase the caloric content of chocolate.

There is concern of mild lead poisoning for some types of chocolate.Chocolate has one of the higher concentrations of lead among products that constitute a typical Westerner's diet, with a potential to cause mild lead poisoning. Recent studies have shown that although the beans themselves absorb little lead, it tends to bind to cocoa shells and contamination may occur during the manufacturing process.

Why it's good for you:
The good news is that its sooo good for you, but I'm talking real chocolate, not this processed crap. It's the ingredient that makes chocolate "Cocao" that is good for you. Cocoa solids contain alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Some research found that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate has recently been promoted for its health benefits, including a substantial amount of antioxidants that reduce the formation of free radicals, although current scientific evidence is against health improvements by dietary antioxidants. I eat my chocolate balls almost every day!

Romantic lore commonly identifies chocolate as an aphrodisiac. A study from James Madison University, presented at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting, showed that post-exercise consumption of lowfat chocolate milk provides equal or possibly superior muscle recovery compared to a high-carbohydrate recovery beverage with the same amount of calories. Studies suggest a specially formulated type of cocoa may be nootropic and delay brain function decline as people age


Chocolate is created from the cocoa bean. A cacao tree with fruit pods in various stages of ripening...

Processing
Cacao pods are harvested by cutting the pods from the tree using a machete, or by knocking them off the tree using a stick. The beans with their surrounding pulp are removed from the pods and placed in piles or bins to ferment. The fermentation process is what gives the beans their familiar chocolate taste. It is important to harvest the pods when they are fully ripe because if the pod is unripe, the beans will have a low cocoa butter content, or there will be insufficient sugars in the white pulp for fermentation, resulting in a weak flavor. After fermentation, the beans must be quickly dried to prevent mold growth. Climate and weather permitting, this is done by spreading the beans out in the sun from 5 to 7 days.

The dried beans are then transported to a chocolate manufacturing facility. The beans are cleaned (removing twigs, stones, and other debris), roasted, and graded. Next the shells are removed to extract the nib. Finally, the nibs are ground and liquefied, resulting in pure chocolate in fluid form: chocolate liquor. The liquor can be further processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

When cocao is processed and bagged, thats when I buy it as powder and make my own chocolate. or if you want to go a step further back and I totally adore you if you do and want to hear about it so make sure you email me and you can actually buy the beans and roast them and powder them yourself :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate

Challenges: When I live in a colder environment my body wants warmer foods, which means cooking more foods. I was absolutely loving eating raw and all my salads on the sunny Gold Coast! I will eat raw as often as I can even though I am cold ;) Oh also I was in the shopping center today in Birmingham, Alabama and there was absolutely NOTHING for an Earth Dieter to eat...not even an apple in this entire shopping center! The food court (and trust me I checked out every single food place) was burgers, takeaways, fries, large sodas, etc etc) didn't have one piece of fruit. I guess people don't go to the supermarket to eat healthy?



This is the size of the waffle fries at the shopping mall...almost the same size as his hand! (Andrew Roth - lead actor in The Man In The Maze)

Triumphs: I am in Alabama!!! I lurrrrrrve the Southern accents, the lady on the plane talking through the safety instructions, I was meant to be watching the ladies in front demonstrating the safety exits but I just wanted to watch the lady with the voice from the back of the plane! The planes had wider walkways as well, not sure if that's just because the planes are larger here or because they people are larger. As soon as I got off the plane I smelt deep fried something and sausages and American breakfast mmmm so I went and ate my fruit that I had bought the night before. As I was flying over Memphis I saw white on top of a hill and trees and am thinking is that snow??? Wha and where am i! Ha! Yes it is cold in Alabama and I am noticing how my body is not wanting to eat cold salads with wet lettuce and avocado as that is sort of a summer food, I am craving warm things to keep my body warm.

What I Ate Today:

Breakfast:one green apple and one avocado at the Huntsville airport :)

Lunch: 6 nectarines. One herbal tea from starbucks.

Dinnner: Indian Dahl! Mmm mmm! Lentils cooked with ginger and corriander. With rice. The directors Wife Nimmi cooked and it was beautiful mmm mmm! With raw cauliflower.

Dessert: 3 nectarines.

Recipe: My recipe for Chocolate is in blog Day 115!

Exercise: Driving count? hehe driving around Alabama all day :)

249 days to go!!!