dear god

please guide me well
give me strenght to do the right thing
and not create unnessessary greif
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blogging

Blogging can be fun but most of the time it's like feeling incredibly disconnected. Somehow it feels like retarded a bit. You have "chatting" where, at least you're conversing with someone who hopefully is half real. I mean, really it mostly is a monologue with yourself. Do you read other people's blog? If you do, why? Do you contact te blogger? Interact or just read?

But nobody will ever read your shit if you don't have anything of value (to them). When you communicate, you have to communicate to connect with others. If you do not think of a listener, a reader, someone, then it makes it hard toget into a story. I find.


When you write on a blog, the response is delayed. It can be more like writing a very short book.


If I'd write books they'd be illustrated. Like those "graphic novels"

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The Financially Indepandant, the Drop-out, and the Intelligent poor

Reading ran prieur's'how to drop out' page, a lot of things are confirmed, things you know but haven't experienced...but a lot of things seems inconcevable for me. Spending $3000 a year only, is just impossible, my rent alone costs me more and there is no living for free in these parts. Getting food from dumpsters is not in my idea of sustainable lifestyle right now, and getting land for $15 grand is well, not realistic here, i would have to travel far.


but it made me realise that I am in some ways if not a drop-out, which by what it sounds is a financially indepandant person with low costs, I am more of an intelligent poor. I guess I could buy all my clothes at the trift store, and I most likely will if I have to, I would love to bike to work, but I am stuck with a partner who wants everything to work for him, regarless of my needs - so I travel 90k a day, five days a week. But appart from that, I try to be as frugal as I can. Especially with cooking. Perhaps one days soon I will do more and feel more free, but for now I am saving as much as I can, perhaps not as much as my leach [partner] but a fair amounts considering the predicament I am in.

and I hope you are too,
wherever you are

-peace

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Tiny homes - space, energy efficiency

I often fantacize about the only house I could afford, which would probably end up being about 600 sq feet at the most with the art studio...

Anyway,
some interesting links here:
A tiny house for sale in portland. Give's you an idea of what a 400 sqare feet house looks like.
Tiny house blog
Very interesting Energy efficient refrigerator, shower, composts and toilets devices
Tiny house design
and more design and more tiny houses examples

An organization that offers help to poor people wanting a tiny hhouse.

Then there's the small house society
There's Ross Chapin creating gorgous lill cottages

A lill diversion into solar house designs

and finally, green ressources.
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Revised food pyramid

Here are some recommendations from good ol Neal and Joel

1. Veggies are the base of the pyramid: 30-70% of calories.
Eat them in industrial quantities. Especially Coloured ones. Eat them fresh first, seared, steamed, lacto-fermented and home canned, broiled, or dried - in this approximate order of preference. Avoid frying them, Avoid commercial canned veggies, and highly processed just add water type of veggie preparations when possible. If you have the budget, buy seasonal, local grown organics as much as possible. You'll get extra pointage from mama Gaia.

2. Fruits: 20-50% of calories.

3. Beans: 10-30% of calories.

4. Fish and Dairy products
No more than twice a week or less (20 ounces).

5. Chicken, eggs and oils
No more than once a week or 10 ounces or less (for chicken). Do not supplement your nutrition with oils, even flax or hemp (unless your 'good' doctor say you should temporarily). Rather, use crushed fresh seeds and nuts in moderate quantities.

6. Avoid sugars, greasy and refined foods
Use salt in moderation (avoid canned food and processed for that reason)

7. Avoid alcool
They are linked to breast cancer, diabetes...

8. Avoid caffeine and pop
They deplete bones.

10. AVOID commercially processed foods.
They contain MSG, dyes, preservatives and other additives, sometimes not even listed on the package!

In this category are:
Cookies, cakes, crackers, TV dinners, pop, candy bars, luncheon meats, sausages, packaged sauce mixes, etc. Avoid artificial food additives, especially MSG, certain food dyes, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and aspartame, which are neurotoxins. Avoid most soups, sauce and broth mixes and commercial condiments.

9. Do not use supplements, except B12 if on a total vegan diet and/or vitamin D if you don't get enough sun.

11. Cook only in stainless steel, cast iron, glass or good quality enamel. Avoid plastic containers, teflon coated pots and pans, and Aluminium. Avoid aluminum-containing foods such as commercial salt, baking powder and antacids. Do not use aluminum-containing deodorants. Do not drink fluoridated water.

12. Do not use microwave ovens.

13. Get plenty of sleep, exercise about 4hours a week or more and get some natural light.

20. Think positive thoughts and minimize stress. Practice forgiveness.


-peace

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Revisions, revisions - The story of my nutrition.

Ok,
In a previous post, I was oh-ing and ah-ing about the Weston Price Foundation's new-to-me wonderful "recommendations" as I was influenced by this nutritionist that works with me and my urge to do something to improve my diet.

However, there are quite a few things bothering me about the WPF and some of its supporter: they seem to misinformed, animal products pushers. Like this Dr. Mercola buddy. Although I've tried only for a short while to be 'vegetarian' [2 years] and I sucked at being 'vegan' [mmm, say about 3 whole months of actual veganism ahahah!] I just always thought that this was a saner way to go, especially considering the shape our planet is in.

But truth be told, one of my problem, even when I 'try' to be vegetarian or vegan, is a pretty strong addiction to sugars in particular, and chewing in general. I think it is a sort of soothing thing, and I have never being able to solve this problem to date. I am about to embark yet another food journey and another attempt at reducing my food addictions - and god may you be with me. This time, I will be as off as posssible from artificial sweetners (like aspartame, and the like) I may use a bit of stevia. But the goal is to find out what's behind this sugar addiction and curb it.

But, now that I have confessed my nutritional sins to the world, I can comfort myself a bit: I also know better. During my experimental diet year, if you set apart the aspartame problem, I was actually eating pretty well. I ate lots and lots of veggies. I still used animal products like low fat yogurt, cottage cheese, some chicken and fish. This time, I will cut even more in the animal products department: goal being to reduce their use to nil, appart from the odd family dinner situations or parties...

Honestly, I am a bit concerned that I won't be able to do it, or to maintain this diet for a long time. How I pep myself up again is I remember that it took me five tries - I think I memtioned that before - to quit smoking over about 4 years, but in the end, I made it, I can do it again. It might be a bit embarrassing if sombody I've preached the joy of good vegan nutrition before spots me at the local french fries joint, but I am willing to take the embarrasing risk of not being perfect, and I will learn.

Peace.

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IT band Syndrome and the MEAT protocol?

Those who run or cycle are probably familiar with this injury, which on the top ten list of most common running injuries. It's an inflamation of one of the largest tendon or ligament[?] on the body: The Ilio-Tibial Band, when multiple factors [environmental, poor muscle balance, or squeletal structure problems] cause it to rub against the lateral femoral condyle.I've been dealing with this frustrating problem since my early twenties, seeing multiple physiotherapists, 2 pediatrists, and a few doctors. They all assured me that it would be cured within a few weeks or sometimes 4-6 weeks, but as soon as I resumed my activities, my orthotics in my feet, starting gently, doing my exercises, the pain came back. It's now been over ten years and it's greatly affected my overall shape as I have never been able to exercise for a long time [without pain] ever since. I have tried other sports like swimming, but soon developped repetitive sinus and ear Ginfections, as well as injuries in my shoulders. Its kind of funny in a way and it seriously makes me consider that I probably am a total idiot-basket-case type of 'athlete', nontheless, I havent given up entirely.

Traditional therapy hasn't worked for me, so here are some things I am looking at right now:

MEAT protocol [instead of the traditional RICE]

Active Release Techniques, a series of soft-tissue treatments that manually break up the adhesions or scar tissue in muscles, tendons and ligaments
Running times
Answers: http://www.answers.com/topic/active-release-techniques

Prolotherapy


More on the ITBS [Ilio-Tinial Band Syndrome] and related problems that may cause it.
ITBS on emedicine [your traditional medecine evaluation.

Hip Abductor Weakness

Gluteus Medius Weakness
Beginner Tri [but you have to be a member to read full article.]
Triatlete Mag Stretching tips [ah! I use to do those...]

And an excellent link with some exercises

Hip Extension and Abduction Dysfunction

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