Tuesday, March 31, 2009

A Great Video to Check Out...



This is from the Global Oneness Project
which I feel is REALLY right on about where we need to go.

At the end of the film, they ask a Buddhist nun if
she knows the answer to our problems,
and she said that she didnt.

Could Permaculture and retrofitting our living
spaces into food forests be that answer?
Maybe a large part of it.
Could eating raw organic plants be the answer?
Maybe a large part of it.

Every little bit helps.
What would you give up to attain paradise here on Earth NOW?
Your car? Your fridge? Your computer?
I have all three...so Im not pointing fingers.

Enjoy the video...its worth the full 25 min,
but check out the first 5 and see if you want to continue.
Peace always,



-Anthony

Growing the Gojis and the Incans...

Superfood Consciousness is spreading.
And at the same time, so is the DIY (Do-It-YOURSELF) movement.

And I feel that Raw Foodists are pretty industrious
anyways, so it was only a matter of time before
people who were into superfoods started growing their own.

Lets start out with two:

The Goji

Unless you can get a cutting from an existing bush,
its going to take you 3 long years to harvest some fruits.

I am NO expert on growing gojis, but here is a good
site that was recently shown to me by a friend...Thanks K!

http://forgojiberries.com/HowToGrowGojiBerries.php3

That will lay it out real nice and proper for you.

How nice would it be to have a goji hedge across your front yard?

Incan Berries (Cape Gooseberries)

So...here is something a bit more quick for all of us who demand

a little more immediate gratification.

If you can grow Tomatillos or Tomatoes, you have a good

shot with these cute little guys.

Here is another great link to check out HERE.

So, I havent grown these either YET.

Why the heck am I writing an article about

something I have no experience about??

SHARING INFORMATION

and HOPING TO INSPIRE

AND TO SAVE YOU $$$$$$$.

Send some pics my way and Ill definitely share.

Those links are great and will educate you more than

I ever could about these two plants. Good lucks Greenthumbs...

(Tell the little plants that you LOVE them...it helps)

-Anthony




Monday, March 30, 2009

Seedlings


It might be early for some vegetables,
but no matter what, its fun to start some seedlings
indoors before planting time comes in April-May.

Hokkaido Stella Blue Squash,
Hopi Blue Corn,
Sugar Snap Peas,
Lots of Tomatillos and Tomatoes,
and of course Swan Lake Melons.

I took this pic a few days ago,
and you wouldnt believe the change already.
Ill be adding in some Goji's soon,
along with peppers and some eggplant for fun.

I bought most of my seeds at Whole Foods
because I didnt want to pay shipping, and the
prices were actually cheaper than the online catalogs.

Here is one that I just found though...check it out.
http://rareseeds.com/

Get a head start this season, it cant hurt to experiment a bit!
And its just so much nicer in the apt to have some plants growing again.

-Anthony


Thursday, March 26, 2009

Guerilla Gardening...

Bless the Europeans...



Inspired? Why can't you do the same
if not even better? Attach the good ol'
American work ethic and ingenuity to
this idea and amazing things will happen.


Monday, March 23, 2009

Acne Advice from a Friend...


My friend Elizabeth is in Central America right now,
and her internet service is somehow not letting her
leave comments on the site. Here is what she wanted to share:

something about my internet service here and i cannot leave comments on your blog. although my internet has improved much, (right before we leave of course,) still no comments.

i made a simple remedy for acne...someone asked that. i actually get acne if i eat dairy which sometimes i still do. but also stress and hormones too.
anyway, this has been like the holy grail for me, so i went through a lot to find something that works for me.
here it is:
i make a face cleanser of one part turmeric, three parts nutmeg and three parts cumin. like the dry spices. you can empty a spice jar with a shaker top and keep it in the shower. if you put too much turmeric, it will leave your face a little yellowish. so anywho, put some in your hand and gently you know scrub (oxymoron) on wet skin and then rinse it off. sometimes i leave it on for a few minutes cause literally it smells like heaven and feels delicious on your skin.
then i use alcohol free thayer's rose petal witch hazel with aloe as a toner. i never got into toner but i think it does something good. i don't use paper or cotton balls tho. i just pat some on with my hand and let it soak in.
anyway, then if you have a spot you could put something on it...like watered down tea tree oil.
and then i make this basically food for my face with raw coconut oil and raw honey, like a drop of each and rub them together in my hand. and then i pat it all over my face. sometimes i rinse it off a little after i have let my skin eat it for awhile. but not always. but literally it makes your skin soooo happy and glowy and it heals from spots faster and it's just heaven for your skin. for some reason plain coconut oil starts to depress me cause my hair gets all greasy and i feel like everywhere i go i leave a cocnut imprint from my FACE. YUCK! so...ha ha ha. the honey sort of sets it a little or you can rinse it off. and honey is magic anyway...yeah. great stuff that.

also giving your face a massage can move toxins from the skin faster...but i would just like tap it, you know like play piano on your face all over it. not rub. and similarly, i think awesome quantities of exercise moves lymph and improves acne too, tho, then being sure to at least rinse the top of your skin is important.

i went through a whole thing with raw food, where i felt if i just ate right my skin should come to some sort of equilibrium and be perfect like a child's, but experience taught me that is not the case, at least for me. i think, the world is not perfect and our skin is the first layer facing the world and needs our care and sort of constant communication to it, that it is being supported by us. anyway, i think that is a great little remedy and i know obviously, turmeric is a rhyzome like ginger and to powder it, it is generally cooked. it has many awesome health benefits and is very magic. especially the color, which we don't totally yet understand how color is medicinal from an energy standpoint, like how it supercedes other aspects of reality. so if you want to just be totally raw even in your cosmetics, you could probably just do the scrub and honey/coconut part and have great results...but i wouldn't skip the turmeric because it is cooked. it i believe is the cornerstone of the remedy. sometimes i get over zealous and add too much and then i look like i have jaundice...ha ha ha...just kidding, i never do that.

don't know if that would be helpful to your friend. acne bites.
:)
me


Hope this helps. There is so much going on
with acne, and I have been shown time and time
again that a raw diet is NOT a cure-all for acne.
Other steps must be taken to either undo
the damage of the past or to give the body
a super boost to cleanse out.

Its tough...we want everything to be so easy,
and if we are disciplined enough to go raw,
you would think that it should be enough to
destroy those damn pimples...but sometimes...NO.

So play around...keep learning about cleansing
and see where it leads. This is a VERY brief time
in your life and things can improve really quickly.
Just keep learning and don't give up easily.

One more thing that Ive personally seen work is
High Lignan Flaxseed Complex by Invite Health.
They are pills, and they have worked from what Ive seen.
My skin cleared up after I cut out dairy,
but I was lucky. I took VERY little pharmaceuticals
as a child (just tetracycline for acne) so my hormones
are hopefully more balanced out.

But I have seen young women suffering from acne in
their 20's and 30's and many have blamed it on a hormone
imbalance from birth control pills.

Lots of research to do here, obviously, so keep on digging.

I planted a bunch of peas and corn and melons today in
starter cups, and all the trees are doing great.
Going to have miracle fruit in no time!

Long post...thanks for sticking with it.

Anthony

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Urban Gardening in Cuba



This is what is possible,
and this is what humans are capable
of doing when times get tough.

Will we reap the benefits of local food production
before we are absolutely forced to do so?

Why not start now?

Im starting tomatillos and tomatoes
inside today, and will be starting melons
and cucumbers tomorrow.

Unlimited potential waiting here...



Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Reader Question


Yes...I get LOTS of questions like this.

Dear Anthony,

Im just starting raw and wanted to know if you can give me any advice
on what books I can read and what supplies to get. I live in baltimore, MD
and don't know what to do at times when im hungry. Please help.

...

I would pride myself on resourcefulness.
One, because it made me feel rewarded to dig for
answers myself and I would learn SOOOO much
more than just asking someone for some random thing.

And two, I didnt feel right taking up people's time with questions
that I should be resourceful enough to find out on my own.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to learn.
But we must really try to trust OURSELVES
to attempt to find answers on our own
through the internet or books or whatever else.
I am NOT a guru. Well...just for myself. I'm a particular signpost
pointing in a particular direction. My answers may
or may not serve you...the real guru is YOU.
You already know the answers, it just takes
a little remembering to clear things up.

I answer more questions via email and facebook
than I would have ever anticipated. I am more than
happy to help, but some questions.......

If a person does just even a little DIY research first,
not only will they find the answer, but they will learn
more in the process and will be doing themselves
a huge service by training themselves how to find info.

Im more than happy to give my time to help everyone out,
but it does take a good amount of time to pump out a bunch
of answers that arent half-assed and rushed.

Its better to do the research first, then ask any
questions if that doesnt work. Just going for a quick
answer will be doing a big disservice to yourself.

There is also the FAQ in the header...that should help as well.

We found a place too! Going to be doing some serious
training and getting ready for spring. Ill be starting
seedlings this week so by the time I head back to Minn
they will be ready for transplanting.

If you are wise enough to be gardening this year,
I would recommend to you to start doing the leg-work
for locating more good soil and compost.
Check the yellow pages for horse stables and riding schools.
They will be able to give you good composted manure
that is likely from grass feedings.

Start ordering your minerals and seeds...you could
totally start stuff indoors now and it will be ready
and strong by the time you plant them in a month or so.

Im in the far north of the US, so I have to maximize
growth for the shorter-than-normal season.
Others might be more fortunate to have warmer weather
already. Wherever you are, its time to start prepping.



Monday, March 16, 2009

A quick audio download...

Things have been hectic.
Between work and shuffling our stuff around,
I havent had much time to spend online.

Here is a wonderful listen I would recommend
to all of you. David Wolfe gives some insight into
why we are in the financial situation of today.

http://tinyurl.com/ao8j67

Its going to twist some thoughts.
And its going to hopefully show
where the real problem exists.

More stuff coming soon.

Anthony

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Peak Moment: Creating a Graywater System



My favorite subscriptions on youtube.

Check them out and donate if you can afford it.
This is a ton of inspiration and education.

SO many ideas....

Remember...plants like rainwater far more than tap or even
spring water. If you can have a big rainwater reservoir,
your plants will endlessly thank you.

This vid is great.

www.daily-acts.org

Anthony

Monday, March 9, 2009

Sublet Drama...

Hopefully some can learn from someone else's mistake.

When subletting an apartment, LOOK at it first
before putting money down. Its not worth the risk.
We thought we found a good deal, and wanted to lock it in.
We saw the pics, and they looked good enough,
and we knew the neighborhood well.
Seemed like a sure win, but it was not.
The place was filthy, and there was mold all over
the bathroom. We felt trapped, and spent all of
last night cleaning it while we were supposed to go
to the FTPF Chocolate for Charity Party.

We later discovered that the landlord of the place
found out that the original renter was subletting,
and told him that we could not stay there.
So it actually worked out really well.
We wanted to leave, and this was our chance.

After unloading the car the night before,
we brought everything back down.
Then I found out that I was 2 minutes too slow
in moving my car and I got a friggin parking ticket.

Was I vibrating this? What is going on here?

I listen to a good amount of Abraham-Hicks,
and it leads me to feel that everything happening in
my life is because I vibrated it? Really?
Maybe I was just making my smoothie too damn
slow and got down to the car too late?

Well...the search continues. We are fortunate enough
to have good friends that we can stay with.

I just don't know about New York though...or any city.
I don't feel its conducive to real sanity.
Am I running away from challenges?
Some people would think that my Minnesota project
is like a way of not being able to cut it in the "real world",
but the more time you spend in tranquil places like that,
the more one comes to realize that life doesnt have to be
lived in a metropolis to feel "exciting" or "vibrant".
There is plenty of "energy" in my life without smog, dog poop,
and police sirens. Thanks.

I'm going to give it a month...then I might call it quits.
The money is easy, but is that the point of life?
I feel that at 27, I should focus more on making some
money, and when I hit 30, I can focus more on the passions,
but its getting tougher and tougher. I know where my bliss is,
but I have to figure out a way to earn some money with it.

There are ways of course...its just a process though.

Ok...here is a video for you to check out.
My good friend Bruce showed us tonight
and it was pretty mind blowing.



Enjoy...let it sink in a bit.
Where is your life going?
What role does technology play in your life?
I really need to get educated about EMF protection...

For Your Amazement:
6 Years Old.



http://www.blockemf.com/

I believe this is the one Daniel Vitalis recommends,
this information really has changed my way of life so positively.
Im so excited to start working with tinctures and making
infusions this summer with herbs.

Very excited to get back to that lifestyle.




Saturday, March 7, 2009

THE Movie to Watch

I a big fan of torrents...downloading way too much.

I commonly look for videos about permaculture,
and since I hadnt been on the site for a while,
I found a few amazing ones.

The one I have to share with all of you is this one.
One Man, One Cow, One Planet.
I have never seen a better movie about the future
of farming and the power of biodynamic methods.

I watched the video for free, but am going to order
the real deal because:
1. I really want to support this cause and,
2. Its better quality and I can show it at events.

Here is the trailer.



So well produced, so informative and UPLIFTING.
Isnt that what we need nowadays???
PLEASE watch this video any way that you can.
The DVD is around $25, but its around 90 minutes
long and its a movie that can be watched again and again.
And it would TRULY change the life of most people who watch it.

HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD - DVD OUT NOW

You can get the video at www.biodynamics.com as well as many
other great books. Organic is for the USDA. Biodynamic is for
those who really care about sustainability and soil health.

We are off to NY now...Miami was actually pretty lame.
It was cloudy and cold the whole time, and the only fruits
we got were sapodillas at the fruit tree nursery.

You walk around, and see coconut trees everywhere.
You walk inside Whole Foods, and you see coconuts from Vietnam.
NOT COOL.
I've really got to learn how to climb those trees.

PLEASE check that video out! Look it up on Amazon too for more
reviews and information. I cant wait to show it to my family.

-Anthony

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Chocolate Party and Urban Gardening Beforehand...

Its the annual Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
Chocolate for Charity event.
And I'm missing it by ONE DAY.
So lame...seriously.

Anyways, the last time I went I ate so much
cacao that I had a headache. It was great though.
Its an unreal price ($25) to attend if you are a chocolate fan.

If you are going to be in town earlier in the day,
I would suggest adding in a little urban gardening
info to your experience before heading over to the party.

The Lowdown:

WHAT: Free Urban Gardening Class

In this class we will be going over the details of designing and
constructing a garden in the Urban and Suburban setting.
Additionally, we will be answering any gardening
related questions that people might have.

WHERE: Open Road Community Garden 420 E 12th St New York, NY 10009
We'll be in the green house if the weather is bad.


WHEN: Sunday 3/08 at 3pm

WHO: Ke Xu (Suburban Backyard Gardener)
COST: Free to attend. Optional Fee of up to 5 dollars.

SPONSOR: Tri-State Food Not Lawns

....

You'll have a great day in the East Village.
You can go to this event at three,
sharpen up on your urban permie know-how,
and then if you are hungry, you can
head over to Quintessence or Pure Food and Wine for a bite.
After a good meal (save room for dessert of course)
head over to the the Kush Lounge (just south of Whole Foods)
and have an amazing time with all the folks over there.

What a great day, right? Really wish I could be there.

If any of you do go to this class, let me know
how it went...Id really like to know.

Anyways, in honor of the FTPF,
I bought a cacao tree from Pine Island Nursery
two days ago...price? $25!!!!
Cacao is a wonderful houseplant (tree)
because it likes shade. It can be planted in an
already established forest.
So don't hesitate. Check out Pine Island and see
what the shipping cost is. Nevertheless...they are great
looking trees and it seems that you can totally
grow them inside. The guy there told me it would
be fine in a container, so we'd be all set.

I also bought a Miracle Fruit tree,

a Soursop (Guanabana)


and another pink guava (in case mine got bit too hard by the cold).

They are our new companions on the drive.
Luckily they are fairly small so we can fit them pretty easily.
Id gladly get rid of my luggage to fit them in the car anyways.







Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Elixircraft Mastery Course


I've been fortunate enough to be listening to this
course
lately, and I have to say that I only regret one thing:

That I wasn't exposed to this knowledge YEARS ago.
Daniel Vitalis is blowing my mind with this course.
This is something that I would play for my parents,
because the first part focuses on water and everyone
can relate to wanting good clean water.

This is serious knowledge, and it would speed up your
path to optimal health more than anything else I have listened to.
After the first lecture you will know what I mean.
I feel like a kid finding out about Halloween when I listen to this.


ElixirCraft Mastery from Dhrumil Purohit on Vimeo.

I put my reputation on it.
Over 6 hours of information and all of it
is cutting edge. I am changing so many of my ways
because of it. How I use cell phones, how I fly, how I view water.
I don't want to sound repetitive, but its really that good.

Really...so worth the price.
Not much stuff out there is of value, but this is just amazing.
Thank you Daniel Vitalis for your research and tenacity.
You are doing us a HUGE service.

-Anthony



Heavenly Corn Chips



Not sure if youre subscribed to the rawmodel youtube page,
but I've been adding some videos lately.

This was made last summer, when the organic corn
was being sold in the area of Minnesota that Im from.

The magic ratio is 10 parts corn to 1 part flax.
Use golden flax if you want your chips to stay yellow.

Really try to use SPROUTED flax. The unsprouted will
have enzyme inhibitors that can mess with your digestion
and assimilation of nutrients. I make it myself, but this can
get messy and takes about 2 days total.

I've only tried one kind of sprouted flax
and it was from Pura Vida Products.
Totally good and above all convenient.
You're going to spend more than regular flax seed
for sure, but there is a ton of time and energy saved.
Your choice.

10 to 1. Do a half batch in the high speed blender
or food processor so you don't overwhelm it.

I now like to keep my just a tad chunky.
Not silky smooth, not super chunk.
Think about the texture of oatmeal maybe.
This way there are air pockets still inside the chips,
and it dries faster and has more crispiness to it.

Corn has issues for sure (hybridization),
but maybe just a little bit once in a while?
Purists really get to me sometimes, because as good
as it feels to live off of just fresh fruit and green juice,
its still fun to have chips and cookies once in a while.
Do what makes you happy, but keep the vibration high.

Enjoy the vid! Its about 9 min.

-Anthony

Monday, March 2, 2009

Peak Moment Video! LOVE IT!

I love Peak Moment. Subscribe to them on youtube for sure.




This will add a great deal to your knowledge of where we
are as a society and industrial civilization.

Its time to adapt. Seriously.
Those animals that adapt are the
ones that will survive. Humans included.



The Depth of Patriotic Conditioning



I saw this video just now and had to share it with you.

It has to do with both vaccinations and the military...
you should really check it out when you have the chance.

The most ironic thing is that the young man who was
poisoned and lied to by his military was still so
brainwashed with patriotic and nationalistic conditioning
that he still wanted to go back to the Marines when he got better.

It will be a beautiful day when the vast majority of
America's (and the Earth's) young people finally
WAKE UP
and stop putting their bodies on the line for
governments that don't give a damn about them.
Soldiers are just pawns on the chessboard.
Plain and simple. PAWNS.

It all starts with the pledge of allegiance
and the fourth of July. We are tricked into thinking
that we are being brave and selfless by serving in the military.
That enemies are threatening our way of life and our families.
Are you motivated by fear or love?

Instead, we are fooled into being chess pieces for
the corporate-owned government so they can
gain more wealth and power across the globe.

Id rather sit in jail reading books than serve them.
Violence will never end violence. The past 7 years should
have clearly made that apparent to everyone with even
the most basic level of brain activity.

When the youth finally wakes up, and refuses
to donate our bodies to their cause of murder and greed,
the people that have caused all this suffering across so many nations
will finally be powerless. Unless they build more robots.
Which is obviously happening.

If someone you know is thinking about joining,
show them the movie "Born on the Fourth of July".
At least then they can decide for themselves.
The brainwashing and societal pressure is DEEP.
No one wants to upset the troops.
Lets WAKE THE TROOPS UP instead and get them
to see what they are really fighting for (read: Empire building).

Rant finished. Fight war, not wars.


Sunday, March 1, 2009

My 43 Day Transformation (2006)


You sometimes must experience what you are not
in order to become what you are.

This was a while ago for me,
but I remember it well.

I struggled immensely with emotional eating.
I was living alone, my family was 1500 miles
away, and I was in a long distance relationship.

That, and the fact that I allowed my diet to
exclude me from most social situations left
me pretty solitary for many, many months.

Sometimes it would just be too much,
and I would start to stuff the emotions with
junk food. This would make me tired, and
so I would cease going to the gym as well.
Double negative.

The pictures above were from September 06.
I had a bad spell, which lasted about 3 weeks.
My body couldn't handle the barrage at all.
I slipped into a mild depression.

Everyone has a breaking point though.
I gained about 15 lbs, and that was enough for me.

I decided to get back into gear, and set up the
environment to make that happen.
I put some new audiobooks on my ipod,
and got my ass back to the gym.

I did an hour on the elliptical every morning.
This might seem like a big commitment,
but I needed to see results quick, so there was
no time to take it easy. I often went back in the evenings
to lift some weights too, but the key was the morning
elliptical. I started making green smoothies again,
and remarkably enough, once I had the greens back in my
system, the cravings for junk food faded away quickly.

It took some discipline at first, but I attached pleasure to my
workouts by either watching National Geographic on TV,
or listening to a great audiobook, or some music that got me going.

The muscles are all there, whether there is fat covering
them up or not. I stripped the fat and the water, and
made the core shine through. This took about 40 days.

The keys:
Greens.
Seriously, the biggest thing you can do.
Not only because of their health benefits, but because
they have always diminished my cravings for junk food.
I know I'm not alone in this.

Good protein.
Besides leafy greens,
my clear favorite is bee pollen.
Amino acids, raw protein, and good taste.
Supporting organic beekeepers that are helping
to pollinate our food supply isn't a bad thing either.

Goji berries...ditto. Complete protein in a berry. No joke.

Hemp protein. Manitoba Harvest is my favorite.
Their hemp butter on apples got me through traveling many times.

Meat is dead protein, and dead protein is not absorbed easily by the body.
What gorilla ever ate a steak or a burger?
If you want to eat the flesh of a dead animal, don't do it because
you think you are getting protein. Think about where that idea came from.

And of course...lots and lots of water.
Fill up a gallon in the morning, and chip away at
it throughout your day. It kept me full, and told my
body that water was plentiful so I could finally release
the excess stored in my cells (AND MY FACE).

Consistency is the name of the game though.
People always email me about my workout routine.
My routine is random and frankly doesn't matter.
What matters is that I have made it a daily or almost daily
event in my life. Persistence is the key. Not workout routine.

If you aren't happy with the way your outside looks,
there is no better time to start. Lots of support can be found
online, as well as information and inspiration.

Put on a documentary or whatever you want every morning
and do some jogging in place for an hour.
This done consistently will give you more results than
any expensive trainer or gym membership will likely provide.

Greens, good protein, morning workouts (with audiobooks or tv)
and persistence will make the transformation happen.

Why not try? You have read this for a reason.
You know what can be done.
40 days.





Sharethis