We did it!
365 days of organic eating, organic body care products, 0 harmful chemicals down the drain, conscientiousness consumerism, reduced carbon emissions. The goals were lofty and some were not met in 2009, but we have another year to keep going...
We are not off the grid, but we are on Bull Frog Power, a 100% green energy electricity company that infuses green power into the grid equivalent to what we use. The company generates statistics for you on how you are lowing your carbon emissions and footprint. It is nice to see in print how your actions are impacting (or in this case NOT impacting) the world we live in.
Health and Environmentalism
The primary reason we began this project was health. My health had suffered for years, I suffered for years. A few months before starting the Four Seasons of Green Project my doctor prescribed a diet change and meditation. I didn't really believe that would help with migraines, an addiction to pain killers, gallbladder disease and IBS. Not only did it help all those issues (at least moderately), in 1 month it lowered my heart rate from 94 BPM to 62 BPM, improved my sleep, increased my patience, decreased my anxiety and... I lost 15 lbs. During my daily meditations in the woods I realized how all of nature is deeply and inextricably connected. My health mattered to the ecosystem. I had to make a significant change to my daily habits, my consciousness because of my new perspective on life and my role in social and environmental justice.
From these realizations, and a predisposition to environmentalism and social justice, Four Seasons of Green was born. A year of conscious living and healing was ahead of my family and I, and many unexpected things happened... but I'll save those for the book and film... don't hold your breath it is a busy year, it will get done as soon as it can. But I will highlight some things I have learned that have kept me dedicated.
If you have been following the year you may have noticed that I am vegan, which translates to my family being vegan. However, with carnivorous friends and family the boys generally eat organic meat a couple times a month. They are young and learning about compassionate living, their connection to nature and watching those around them for clues on living, eating and health. As they get older they will make more decisions about their own eating habits and whether vegan or vegetarian living is right for them.
Here are a few things I have learned about vegetarian/vegan living through the year
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| Raw strawberry treat (strawberry, almonds, agave, avocado, cacao) |
Although I do prepare and eat a lot of Raw Food (from sliced veggies to live crackers to sinfully delicious cakes, pies and desserts), I like my broccoli steamed, my potatoes whipped, and sometimes even my carrots roasted. I love lentil bakes, and rice is the staple of my diet. I have found I like 'The Middle Way' in many facets of my life, and balance just seems to make sense.
For most of the year my diet was very restricted and all foods remained whole, unprocessed - even to the exclusion of hummus and pureed soup. I could not tolerate protein powders, crackers, breads, most fruits. So I had to be creative with what I could eat. It is amazing what you can do with an avocado when you are pressed. The kids however, enjoyed the luxury of a variety of foods from fresh baked breads, muffins and treats, to kamut pasta, maki (vegetarian sushi), homemade ravioli (with herbed cashew cheze filling) and a host of smoothies.
Our fruit and veg garden was a hit, although I should have watered it more, and lost some crops as a result - I have gained experience for next season. The strawberries and raspberries took over the yard with the help of a bunny whose poop distributed the seed in the back and front yards. We never got to taste a single blueberry as the birds were quick to scoop each berry that appeared! The gardens (herb, veg, fruit & floral) were not only a convenient way to acquire our food... they offered affordable organic produce, reduced carbon emission (transport to market and our transport to pick them up). I had hoped to instigate a community garden in our neighbourhood, but with so many other things on the go, it was missed.
FYI - you can get the necessary protein, vitamins and minerals through a balanced vegan or vegetarian diet (I do it as a vegan without wheat, or soy). Proper education (dedicated self-education is great) about a vegan/vegetarian diet is imperative for a balanced and healthy veg lifestyle.
Inside and Out
It was great to know the food we were eating was pesticide free. But what you put on your body matters as much as what you put inside of it. As our conventional products ran out we replaced them with organic, biodegradable - eco-frienly products... everything from toothpaste to shampoo, to sunscreen and moisturizing lotion. There is a substantial body of evidence regarding absorption of body-care products into your bloodstream (if you dont want it on the inside - dont put it on your outsides), and if it is soap, shampoo, cleaners... you are also adding them to your water supply - no matter where you get your water, water is not bound by borders and imaginary lines... it evaporates, rains, carrying toxins with it all over the world... meaning we are all responsible for cleaning up the global supply of water.
Here are some of my favorite picks from 2009 (and we tested out a lot of products to find these gems!)
- Natracare feminine hygiene pads (plastic free, chlorine free, organic cotton cover, over 90% biodegradable)
- Luna cloth pads ( I have homemade versions, they are easy to make if you have time, and you can use organic cotton)
- Ecover dish-washing machine powder & rinse aid
- Lavera Sunscreen - best darn sunscreen every used, in Mexico my pale pasty white, blond, blue eyed 4 year old, who was in the water hours on end had one application in the am (and we had to scrub it off at night) came back just as pasty not a single burn... my brother just as pale, pasty white, blond, blue eyes sunburn magnet used coppertone sport 45 as per the bottles instructions got a horrible sunburn with blisters! So kudos to Lavera Kid's Block! Thanks for keeping our skin unburnt while visiting the equator (well close enough)
- Dr. Bronners sensitive liquid soap (add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil for aroma) - CAUTION so not get this soap in your eyes it hurts A LOT - more than you could possibly imagine! Some squirted in my eye and I couldnt open it for 20 minutes, my vision was blurry for a few hours, and it hurt for almost 6 hours - other than that caution, I like it for in the shower as a body soap and as a hand soap
- Coconut oil or olive oil or grapeseed oil - for moisturizing skin great after a shower or bath
- Miessence - Organic toothpaste - the anise is nice
- Giovanni Tea Tree Shampoo and Conditioner (mostly organic)
- Aubrey Organic Shampoo and Conditioner
- Biovert Dishwashing Liquid (Hand washing dishes)
- Tide Free - this was a bone of contention. It is dye and fragrance free, phosphate free, apparently also biodegradable... I am still looking for an effective detergent. We have tried PC Green, Seventh Generation, Nature Clean, Borax, washing soda, Nelly's and biovert... I have two boys and I roll in the dirt just as much as they do... Tide Free is the only one to clean my clothes... the natural detergents are costing more and cleaning less, my cloths look dingy, stains marked our clothes and no amount of washing, detergent and borax mattered until we tried the Tide... so if anyone has any recommendations for an eco-brand that works, I am happy to try it.
- Tub & sink Cleaner: mix cream of tartar & baking soda sprinkle in tub, spray watered down vinegar over the powder and with a damp cloth clean the tub, works well on porcelain - don't scrub to hard or use too much of an abrasive it may scratch your tub
- Crome taps & mirrors - vinegar and water (lemon if you like it scented)
- Kitchen sink - salt & baking soda mix, spay with vinegar, scrub
- Toilet - baking soda & vinegar for bowl (if vinegar is too strong add lemon OR use salt and a fee drops of tea tree oil to disinfect)
Mind Set
What you think and how you think matters to your health, your wealth and your happiness. Your happiness matters to environmental and social justice. (By the way, environmental justice is a form of social justice; I may use the terms interchangeably) Research on the 'biology of belief,' 'biology of emotion', 'molecular healing', 'clinical hypnosis', and 'meditation' consistently show that what you think affects how you feel (emotionally) which impacts your health on a very physical level. Deepak Chopra explains that each organ over a period of days exchanges the atoms within it's structure, and over the course of 1 year your entire body is made up of completely different atoms than the year before. You are made of the environment you live in, both the environment around you and within you. The replacement atoms look at your blueprint (located in your DNA and Subconscious mind) and follow those instructions. If you want a healthier liver, stronger heart, pain free back, or even to reduce and irradiate your cancer - you have to change your blueprint. (for those of you deeply interested in this
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me directly and I can direct you to resources)
The point is what you think matters. How you feel matters. Hormones and chemicals are released into your body relative to what emotion you are experiencing; joy, anger, fear... Anger and fear trigger a release of cortisol and adrenalin, which over a period of time can become harmful to your body. The good news is you can control these hormone levels and increase the beneficial 'happy' hormones. If you want to feel healthy, strong and free of pain, it helps to understand your connection to everything - even on a most basic level. You do not need to have a PhD in this field, just knowing you have the power within yourself to heal yourself and the world world around you is sufficient. That is the hard part, once you realize this, then you can learn the techniques to create the health, wealth and environment you want.
Besides the health benefits, when you truly belief in the possibility of making a difference in your own life and the lives of others... it is amazing what you can accomplish. More info here.
The Obstacles
For starters finances were a huge problem. In the first few months of my dedication to eat only organic there wasnt really enough for me to eat after I fed the kids, so I lost a lot of weight. By May things started to balance out, I freelanced as a photographer and that helped with the bills. Having a supportive community really helped too! Neighbours and friends would often stop by with some organic food to help out.
Finding food at the begining was very difficult, but as the year progressed more mainstream grocers began to offer a greater variety of organics. Now they are everywhere. One does not need to go to the healthfood store for their organic groceries, Loblaws, No Frills, Sobeys, Metro, Wal-Mart, even Shopper Drugmart carries Organic food. Let me take this moment to say that just because it is organic does not mean it is healthy - a cookie dowsed in chocolate and sugar - or potato chips - or overly processed foods, although organic (which is great) are still junk food! So eat them in moderation as a treat, not a meal.
School, sleep overs, friends houses, dining out, and travel...
- Thankfully Malachi's Dad is a devoted environmentalist and he supported the project
- The schools and daycares needed a lot of education around organics - the reasons why we were doing the project... but all hopped on board and even provided organic alternatives to the kids when appropriate
- For sleep overs I prepared food for Kelob and he ate from his stash of meals and treats, this lead to his friends carrying an organic supply - to which they discovered they really liked and began adding more organic foods to their diets as well.
- Dinning out - there are a few restaurants in the GTA, but watch the menu! Some say organic, but only have one thing organic and the rest is local (from somewhere in Ontario - riddled with pesticides) so be diligent, asked questions and if you find a good place please let me know! On the upside, I have become quite the chef. I even discovered I like the creativity and delight of eating a special treat that is healthy and yummy!
- Travel: We went to Mexico in October, and surprisingly with the amount of Organic imports we have in Canada from Mexico one may think it would be easier to obtain organic food...it was not. I brought some organic food, which was confiscated at the border, I found a store in Playa Del Carmen where I purchased the SAME rice that was taken from me at the airport while trying to enter Mexico. Wal-Mart had a small selection of organic food, but basically my diet for a week was rice, re-fried beans, cashews and raisins - I lost 8 lbs. I let the boys eat at the resort - a break from the organic diet and although I expected teh kids to experience GI problems from the influx of pesticides and whatever else, they seamed to feel fine. However - quite unexpectedly their behavior was atrocious! More than just a change in routine, different scenery, I have an audience to perform for behavior - I was very surprised at the change to be quite honest. When we returned home and to the organic food, Kelob had a lot of belly and GI issues for about a week. I wasn't expecting that either. After a week back on the organic food all things returned to normal. I realize this is subject reporting and that there are too many variables to attribute the change in behavior and belly upset to diet... so I am just relaying the story to you as I experienced it.
Timing - like anyone I live under the constraints of too much to do and too little time some days... so accomplishing all the goals with very little or no money, while raising two boys, often cooking from scratch, maintaining a garden, running my own business, studying... lets just say there are only so many hours in a day, and even if there were more - I was getting tired!
The largest obstacle... believing in what I was doing and why... and that it all matters...
The Results
Did any of it make a difference? All of it made a difference. Friends and acquaintances who prior to Four Seasons of Green did not eat organic now go out of their way to ensure there is organic food in their house, even if we aren't coming over for dinner. Organic options made their way into the classrooms and daycares that the boys go to. Through events, television appearances, articles in the local papers... blogs, a few videos, we definitely raised some awareness, even beyond the choirs ears (so to speak).
And as for my health... the combination of diet, yoga, meditation and visualization (hypnosis) made an incredible impact. At the begining of 2009 I still had headaches a couple of times a WEEK, I could only eat rice, peas, carrots, pears and cashews without experiencing stomach and abdominal pain. By August my stomach was feeling considerably better, but the rest of my GI tract was still under construction (that's how I like to visualize it anyway). As of January 2010 I find I am able to eat a varied diet in moderation. I learned how to prepare a variety of delicious raw food and vegan dishes according to seasonal availability of food, which is healthy for the body and the Earth. My headaches grew fewer and farther between, but even in December I still got a couple a month (which is a huge improvement over a few a week). My weight is healthy and stable. Overall there has been a significant improvement in my health and my outlook on life.
And a dedicated change in mindset also led to a romance... which has developed into a great relationship.
Kelob was on Ritalin at the begining of the year (I fought against it for many may years, but for a whole host of reasons, revolving around safety he ended up on a low dose). I never argued about the efficacy of Ritalin, it was the health consequences I was concerned with. As expected it did what it was prescribed to do. By summer time, Kelob began meditation and hypnosis, which became an effective adjunct to his treatment plan - so much so that he has successfully been off his medication since. (For anyone interested in the connection between meditation, hypnosis and ADHD/ADD/Aspbergers & behavioral issues This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it me directly)
Though it was tough at times for the kids to attend birthday parties and not eat the cake everyone else was eating, or the gingerbread houses at Christmas, or pizza from the local pizzeria and worst of all.... no MacDonalds (lol), they survived and have learned a lot of valuable lessons on consumerism, the environment, conservation of resources including electricity, water and land. They learned about hybrid cars from a friend who purchased one in the fall (09), and wind power. They learned about the OSPCA, WWF, and PETA. They also learned about fair trade practices, child labour and human trafficking. They learned about racism, genocide and the perpetuation of race-based fear through cyber-bullying and other methods of negative ethnic stereotyping. Most importantly they learned that their thoughts and actions affect others (as much as a 5 year old and an 11 year old can) on a global scale.
Motivational Highlights:
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| In November I was lucky enough to attend an event that Craig Kielburger (of Free the Children and Me to We), He is an incredibly motivating speaker, and a local hero... Meeting him was a great boost nearing the end of the project, when we were all feeling a little tired out. Thanks for the pep talk Craig! | In the springtime I had the Joy of photographing a workshop for Youth in Aurora, Ontario where Severn Suzuki was speaking! A great event full of enthusiastic youth ready to do what needs to be done and say what needs to be said in the name of social justice! |
Moving Forward
Connecting to Consciousness... The most important thing I learned is that people will not change unless they feel connected to the change. So I have created Connecting to Consciousness to help people access that part of themselves that innately knows who they are, their place in the eco-system and their relevance to humanity. My focus is primarily on people with chronic and severe health issues (chronic pain, FMS, IBS, Headaches, Cancer...). The reason is two-fold;
1. I have the tools and capacity to help people in constant and extreme pain feel better
2. This group of individuals are prepared to make the changes necessary to be healthy and happy - and when they do that, they are creating ripples of healthy, environmentally sustainable, socially just choices
It is possible to work with this demographic in person, over the phone or on video conference. Anyone in the world had the capacity to connect to their consciousness, and make the change to a healthier, happier life which will automatically create a healthier, happier world.
Working full time as a pain management consultant, leading hikes, meditation and raising a family leaves little time to maintain this site, but I will do my best to continue to post when I can...
If you have questions or comments, drop a line, I will post your comments/questions on the site.
Make the Change!
Food for Thought
http://www.raw-food-health.net/SaveTheEnvironment.html (Environmental impacts of the food we eat)
www.bullfrogpower.com/
www.davidsuzuki.org
Alliance for a New Humanity
Pesticide Research
Pesticide Legislation Changes UK
Children and Pesticides in Food
Toxic Levels of Pesticides in Pear and Apples for children 0-5 (when within the legal regulated residue levels)
Food Prep Sites
http://www.compassionatecooks.com/
***my Fav*** http://www.aniphyo.com/
http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/node/312
http://www.vegan-food.net
http://www.vegcooking.com/
http://www.therawfoodworld.com/
http://www.rawbc.org/raw_desserts.html
http://www.purelydelicious.net/
My Favorite Vegan (un)Cook Books
The Joy of Vegan Baking (Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Vegie Food (The Austrialian Woman's Weekly)
Vegan Yum Yum (Lauren Ulm)
The Raw Transformation (Rudell)
Eat Drink be Vegan (Dreena Burton)
The Raw Gourmet (Nomi Shannon)
Uncooking with RawRose (Rose Vasile)
The Art of Raw Living Food (Doreen Virtue & Jenny Ross)
Special Thank You to all who supported The Four Seasons of Green Project...
Regional Councillor John Taylor
Town Councillor Joe Sponga
The Era
Dave Wood
Cathy's Composters
Scanlon Creek & The Conservation Authority
World Wildlife Fund
Trinity United Church & Rev Wardlaw
Goldhawk Live
Bull Frog Power
OSPCA - Newmarket
Clean Air Alliance
Ontario Power Authority
Dulcimerhead
Laura, Neil, Cooper
Liz, Pippa, Judy
Laura, Rudy, Cody, Katlyn, Linda, Lorraine, Janet
Kelly & Crosslands Church
Kelly, Katie, Kontie, Erika
Jake
Eddy
Andrew
Clare
Ken, Terri, Adrian, Sam, & Nora
And especially...Shane, Lisa, Kelob & Malachi
And all of the community & global support!