The New Paradigm

I've been doing some thinking about the Movement that is happening right now in America. I love it- that's my first thought. People are waking up. Thanks to the internet, people are being exposed to truths that would never make the mainstream media news. There is a shift happening, and its palpable. I myself woke up to a whole new level of consciousness in 2013- I started the year as someone who was hiding her head in the sand about the state of things. It was a facebook event that grabbed my attention- the March Against Monsanto. A friend had tried to tell me about Monsanto and GMOs a year prior, and I refused to listen. It was too big, too much, I couldn't handle it. I saw that event and thought- "Here this is again, this Monsanto. I need to know more." I did some research, and I was appalled. I went to the March Against Monsanto on May 25, and the die was cast. I could not return to my former life- my former life meaning eating processed foods for every meal, with no regard to where it came from or what was in it. And in looking at food, which is central to the life of every person, I started to learn more about everything to which I had turned a blind eye. I opened my eyes. I woke up.

Waking up is all good and well, but its nothing without action. I learned this in the course of my life; I am no spring chicken and have had ample opportunity to learn some good hard lessons, and 'faith without works is dead' is a big one for me. I started blogging about my journey, and I started a facebook page to help spread ideas and draw attention to necessary issues. I changed the way I ate, and started culling recipes into a cookbook of easy, healthy, non GMO vegetarian meals. I began to investigate the world of the Food Justice Movement. I started attending beekeeping mentoring with Honeylove, I signed up as a volunteer at Los Angeles Green Grounds, I went to another March Against Monsanto, and other protests. I started to meet more like minded people; we met and talked about our roles in the New Paradigm. I am working on a non-profit for teenage girls, to teach them to grow food and raise bees, to understand their value and empower them to act on their compassionate urge to help, to connect them back to what is important and teach them to take a stand and play a part in the Shift. It is a snowball effect: once it starts it gathers no moss but rolls along with its own momentum. For those who are waking up, who are starting to realize they play a part in this Movement, I say- Fuck yeah. Come on, we need you. But don't just wake up; dig in. Shake the hive. Make waves. get involved. Always look for the thing the presence of which would make a difference, and bring that. All the time. The revolution is 24/7.

What I have been thinking about, however, is the different stances one can take in said Movement. I have found myself in both the anti side of things- protesting, standing against injustices, and pro- the growing and building of the New Paradigm. We need both. We need the fighters. We need them and we need them in great numbers.  But I think, in spite of my fighting nature (and I do have that, very definitely I do) that its my job to grow, and to build, and to teach. To inspire. But first- I have to be inspiring, and that is what I am building now, what I am growing. I am learning the vernacular of the New Paradigm, and how to speak about it in ways that are effective. Often I find many people preaching, and doing a really great job of it. But they are also preaching to the choir, and that is not what I want to do. I want to reach those who don't know and need to know. I want to connect with people who could make a very big difference if their eyes were only open. The system does everything in its power to lull the masses into a state of complacency, and its doing a DAMN fine job of it. People are generally more fascinated by Miley Cyrus's tongue's antics than the fact that Obama is trying to fast track the Trans Pacific Partnership. That's exactly how they want it. But you know this- if you are reading this, chances are that you are one of the lucky ones with a clue about what's going on. And since you likely are one of those people, I have to ask- what are you doing about it?

I have seen people leave the Monsanto March, or the TPP Rally, and go get Jack in the Box. I love that they showed up, that they cared, that they committed half their day to standing against the Fat Cats- but then its all dismantled by a decision. They leave and go support the very evil that they marched against. We must all, all of us who care and seek to make a difference, stop supporting corporations. Just don't do it. Shop at local businesses. Do your best to buy from local farmers- not every city has a farmer's market, but there are natural health food stores and co-ops. Try to buy organic from your market, and if its not the season for a certain produce item, then just don't buy it- it means that its been shipped across the world and picked before its ripened.  Buy your clothes second hand whenever possible- I make exceptions for undies and socks. I buy my technology second hand- I don't need the newest iphone when it hits the market- who really *needs* the latest iphone the second it comes out? Try to not use single use items whenever possible- carry a re-usable water bottle, and re-usable coffee cups if you're a coffee freak. Refill gallon size containers with water at the Water Vending machine in front of your grocery store- its 30 cents a gallon and you can fill up your re-usable water bottle daily.  Re-usable bags for groceries- but NOT JUST GROCERIES. Keep one of those kinds that fold up tiny for any time you shop- the pharmacy, the second hand store, anywhere. Keep flatware in your car for when you eat anywhere that you might need plastic forks or spoons. Never EVER eat fast food.  Bike or walk or use public transportation, or, if you can, get a hybrid or electric car. Look into alternative energy sources if you own your home. (In LA, they will install solar panels for you for free. Look into it!) Eat less, or no, meat. Do anything in your power to be sustainable by looking at your life and really understanding what is necessary and what has been marketed to you based on its convenience. 

 Convenience is killing this planet. People generally shirk commitment and embrace convenience. It needs to be the other way around. That's the start of the real revolution. . Eat food that causes chronic illnesses? Sure, if you make it so we don't have to get out of our car. Give all of our personal information to anyone asking for it? Sure, as long as we have access to apps, social media, and products delivered to our door. Destroy the ocean's delicate ecosystem with excessive non-biodegradable plastic? Sure, as long as we can have a bottle of water with us at all times. Hey- I'm guilty, too. We live in the modern age, and we have learned to hand over our rights so long as we are too distracted to be bothered by it. The process of waking up requires that we all pay attention to how spellbound we are by convenience, and how we go out of our way to avoid commitment...even a commitment to eschew convenience for the sake of living more rightly and true and in accord with the needs of our own body, mind, and world.

Those are just some ways EVERYONE can make a difference. To go a little more radical- start growing your own food. Raise bees- get in touch with a beekeeping association in your area and they will show you how. Raise chickens. Talk about it. Start a blog. Start a facebook page. Have meetings to discuss what your neighborhood can do to reduce its total carbon footprint. There are ways, and there is something each one of us can do. Maybe you're a fighter- then by all means, FIGHT! Show up at rallies, stand for something. Maybe you are more likely to want to build the New Paradigm- look into groups that are already doing it- you don't have to re-invent the wheel, the groups are out there, and they need you. THE MOVEMENT NEEDS YOU. I hope you really are getting that. I don't mean the you that lives next door or sitting beside you- I mean YOU.

Do whatever you can, with whatever you have!

I only have so much time to spare to do anything- like most people, I am raising a family and working. Unlike some people, I am doing this on my own with no assistance. And even so, I find the time to be involved, so there really is no excuse. Still, it has been important for me to get clear on what I am committed to showing up for. It does no good to get burned out or overwhelmed. There are lots of marches and rallies these days, and I feel like I've missed out when I don't or can't go, but my heart tells me to go explore the growing process. And in so doing, I meet the most amazing people who are interested in creating a better world, and I learn new ways to make a difference. We talk about forming alliances, fortifying the Movement, teaching others, reaching out.  Whether you are a fighter, a lover, a visionary or an anti-establishmentarian, I implore you to take who you are and make waves. Start with the small things you can do, right now, in your life, and see where that takes you. Occupy yourself!


XOXO,

Ashley Dane
Shake the Hive

9/11, Society, And the State of Things

9/11 is always a weird day for Americans.

It was, without question, a tragedy. That we were able to also witness, in all that devastation, incredible acts of valor and selflessness was an ode to the human spirit. And in our memories of that day, one thing is also true- we were united. The entire country was focused on one thing. It might have been the first time I actually *felt* like an American. I think I didn't even realize it at the time, but in retrospect, I felt a kinship with my country, with all Americans. I knew we were all experiencing shock and horror and sadness and helplessness and loss and anger- all of us together.

9/11/2001

I wish it didn't take an event like that to bring people together en masse. There is so much that tears us apart as a people, so much that divides us- and personally, I think it suits the powers that be just fine that this is true. If we were really United, we would be a real force to be reckoned with. But as it stands, we are divided such things as republican or democrat, liberalism versus conservatism. When the towers were hit, those things didn't matter. Why? Because in the final analysis, they don't really matter. We can, and do, all have our own opinions. We can opine all day long about who in government is making what decision and how its their fault and the other party wouldn't have. It doesn't matter. Because there is a plane headed towards another tower, metaphorically speaking. There is a lot happening in the world, and I can't speak to all of it. There is a lot each one of us can do, and I can't speak to all those many things. But in the daily life we are living, there are things we can do, should do, must do, to alter the course of things for the future, for the planet, for the children of our children's children.

be afraid. be very afraid.

In a nutshell, there has been a lot of research into the way the food industry has been controlled. Quite literally, we have been told certain foods are good for us that are not. Things that cause heart disease, and cancer. There are posters and ads encouraging us to eat them, endorsed by the Dairy Association, for example. The most famous recent one- Got milk? I'm sure you know if it. Then there are the foods that are a result of our need for convenience. Fast food, snack foods, processed food products in colorful boxes and bags. A person needs to eat two or three times more of this stuff to feel satisfied. We get addicted to the flavorings, the salt, the chemicals they use to enhance the artificial flavors. Little kids now have diseases that only old people who ate crap their whole lives got- hypertension, heart disease, obesity, diabetes. Its all due to diet. And they WANT you and your children to be sick. Diabetes medication makes Big Pharma a fortune, not to mention heart disease medication...not to mention all the medication for all the side affects of extreme obesity...not to mention a lot of other things- too much to list.  THEY ARE MAKING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OFF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE and their compromised health. Doesn't it shock you to think people are working hard to pay for food that makes them sick so they can work hard to spend more money on medicine and doctors and insurance? Because, in effect, Americans are like rats in a maze. We are doing exactly what they want us to do, and we go about our business blissfully unaware. We think its all okay. We think we are making these choices willingly. In a sense, we are, but we don't know we are being slowly poisoned. They don't want to kill us- you can't make money off a corpse. We are like the pods of people in the Matrix- dreaming our lives away while they take everything from you. They allow you to have just enough stuff so you don't even notice. Annnnnnd- I didn't even get to GMOs. Don't get me started. Its just another layer of awfulness that can't be ignored.

Don't be 'most people'. Occupy yourself

If this makes you mad, good. Get mad. You are getting FUCKED. You, and your kids, your friends and their kids, your brothers and sisters and neighbors. The American people, who all came together on that fateful day 12 years ago, are all getting the shaft. And one of the hardest things to do is to get them to recognize it. Its crazy, really, but people do not want to know the truth. Ignorance is not bliss, but there is responsibility in knowing the truth- you can not un-ring the bell. You can not act like you don't know. On September 11, 2001, we watched as people died. The truth of the tragedy of it was awake in all of us. Its so rare, and in moments like that, you realize the power of the people. We could all change things. We could.

We are society. Its us, all of us, that need to change. THEY won't. WE must.

The first thing? Stop buying their crap. That's easier said than done. I don't want to take up a lot of word space talking about how to do it- watch FORKS OVER KNIVES. That's a start. Watch FOOD FIGHT. You will want to understand why you must change the way you buy, and what you consume. The short answer is- if we buy locally grown as much as possible, if we boycott fast food, do our best to eat a plant based diet (I don't, but I'm trying, and this entire blog chronicles my endeavors), learn new foods to eat that are not processed, foods that actually expire in a week or two, and of those, things which are GMO free.

The revolutionary is you, doing something different. Caring. Changing. Pissed!

 It sounds like a lot of work, but its more work to have to get a triple bypass by the age of 55. Its more work for our kids who inherit a planet with no bees, with the food supply controlled by the corporations (farming will become illegal, its inevitable), and with only genetically modified foods available whatsoever. No one has to shift everything overnight- but to start to become aware first- I promise the rest will fall into place. A changed perception can not help but call upon a change of behavior.

This is the trailer from FORKS OVER KNIVES-

The future requires us all to be radical in our own lives, to overthrow the status quo of our own selves and question everything we think we believe in. Some of it isn't ours, and we find we don't want it. We've been branded to since we were born, and our taste buds control us. They know it. Question these things. When you think of giving up processed foods- which ones do you think you can't give up? Really start to ask yourself why. You might even discover you don't actually like the thing. Once you start to eat real food, your body may tell you that you never did like it, only your taste buds, and they are easy to manipulate with artificial flavors.

Below is a video I show a lot, it never fails to shock that the seemingly innocent McDonalds Chicken McNuggets are actually a composite of all the parts of a chicken ground up (eyeballs, feathers, guts, feet, beaks) then soaked in ammonia...well, the rest of it is here to see. This is a processed food. It is so far away from what it was when it started that its barely a food anymore. Try telling that to Honey BooBoo.

This is the start of it. Food is so personal. It freaks most people out to even think about changing. There are a million excuses- I am sure you can hear them in your head right now. Look at it. Rebel against it. This is a real revolution. You are waking up. What is happening in the world is happening to all of us, no matter how divided we allow ourselves to be. No matter if you are a liberal, or a conservative- its all happening to you, and to your children, and to your children's children. Time to stop the madness.  Watch this video. This is US. Not just Americans, all of us. A world of people. Our world.

On October 12th, there will be Marches Against Monsanto happening in cities all over the world. Click HERE to find out where a march and rally are happening near you.

Occupy yourself! You can do it.  I believe in you, whoever you are.

XOXO,

Ashley Dane
Shake The Hive

You Are What You Eat (and then some)

Doing things different is hard. That's probably why we often don't.  I've said it before, and I'm saying it again- I refuse to be a robot, with my actions dictated by my programming.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

For me, the true act of resistance, the really radical thing any one of us can do is to question everything, starting with our own selves. So often we define ourselves by our preferences.  How many times have you said, "That's just me, that's just who I am." Poppycock. There are a precious few of us who are self realized, and those people shirk the concept of "I' entirely. I'm not suggesting that, though- its too extreme for most of us, slugging out our daily lives and trying to be the best and most helpful versions of ourselves.

If you are what you eat, then you are what your taste buds tell you. Your tongue DEFINES you. Try that on for size.

In my life, as in most people's, my relationship to food is defining. For anyone new to this blog, let me give you an example. I have always hated water, and preferred cokes. I hated vegetables. I loved processed foods and fast food. Since I never gained weight, I never thought much about it- and you know as well as I do that weight is a much bigger motivator for people changing their eating habits than health. Sad but true. So for me, I wasn't motivated to change, and more than that, I enjoyed being a food brat. I thought it was funny to eat Kraft mac and cheese every day for lunch, to drink 5 cokes a day, a steak for dinner, and 10 cookies with milk before bed and a big chocolate-y coffee drink for breakfast. But when I started to look at my own resistance to even considering eating more like a GROWN UP, I had to admit, I was stuck. I was rigid about it, I wasn't going to listen to anyone who might suggest I try to drink more water, or eat some veggies. I wasn't going to listen, and I didn't listen. I was stubborn as a mule. And I know many other mules, and I know how they feel. To question our food preferences strikes at the heart of our identity.



Word up, yo

I've come a long way in a short while, if I do say so myself. However, this isn't really about me. I offer myself up as a guinea pig of sorts- this blog inspires me to continue because it might, it just might, help someone else make some better choices. Its a self fulfilling prophecy in the most positive of ways. I just know that if I can do it, you can too, no matter who you are. You have to figure out your 'why'. Mine is entirely a socio-political statement. Health was never a selling point for me, nor weight loss. My reason is entirely this- there are evil corporations that are poisoning our food sources. They seek to dominate the world food supply- and when they do, they will dominate the world. Companies like Monsanto and Bayer are killing our bees, tearing up rainforests for palm oil production, and are genetically altering our food. They feed us crap in bright packaging and we eat it. Every cent I don't spend on processed food is a cent they don't get, and every time I buy locally grown, I am supporting farmers, freedom, and the future of the planet. That is what inspires me now, about all choices I make- but it started with food, and now its taking over everything. That is why I call it a revolution- it is a personal revolution, it is a radical move to question your own proclivities and to alter your own internal system.

I am not sure if this is an ad for Coke, or a warning against it.

My new challenge? WATER. Drinking water and cutting back on Cokes (maybe even cutting them out completely- maybe). I didn't think I was ready for this, and it wasn't even really a decision I made consciously. I just chose other things besides Cokes to drink for the past two days. This might be the first time since I was 10 that I have gone two whole days without a Coke. I'm 44. 34 years. That sounds appalling, but its the truth. Coke was my water. So when I say- "If I can do it, you can too", this exact scenario comes to mind. If I can let go of a 34 year long love affair with Coca Cola, then for sure you can let go of whatever you think you never will.

So I am on day two. I am not telling myself I will never have a Coke again, but I can tell you this- the last few cokes I had, I questioned myself. I thought, "Is this really a good taste? Do you even like this?" And I found that the real answer, behind the knee jerk answer, was no, not really. Its too acidy, too sweet, leaves a strange after taste. So I asked myself what I did like about it, and really I just like the carbonation. Those bubbles are what I am after. I have been drinking sparkling water instead, and there isn't anything I don't like about it.  I love this clip, below- this guy makes a pretty good point. In Mexico, high fructose corn syrup is illegal. And yet you can't even drink the water in Mexico- so even with their standards, high fructose corn syrup is not allowed. And that is the main ingredient in my favorite drink. We all know how a nail will dissolve in it. And even this isn't as compelling as the dictates of our taste buds.

Our taste buds control us. I want to propose that our taste buds make emotional connections that could be entirely based on lies. Or, our taste buds lie- and they are very, very compelling.  When I do what my taste buds tell me, I am the worst kind of robot. I am letting little bumps on my tongue define a large part of who I think I am. I am letting the food corporations manipulate my taste buds into manipulating me. That makes me a big meat puppet. No thank you. I'd rather OCCUPY MYSELF! I will figure out who I really am, what I really like and want in my system, and consider the needs of the future of this planet when making my own authentic choices.

When you come right down to it, its really a trip to start dismantling your preferences. In so doing I have discovered that I also really don't like my Kraft Macaroni and cheese. Or American cheese, or white bread. Or hot dogs. I might not even really like gummy bears, but that's another blog entirely. These past two months of eating fresh food, locally grown food, I have discovered a world that was right there all the time, at which I scoffed. I actually like green food. I even kind of love it.  I like fruit! Water isn't so bad, either. I have cut back on red meat to the extent that I have had it twice in two months instead of every night. I will not ever eat fast food again, ever. Who the hell am I anymore?  Its crazy, but its oh so good. And in taking on this shift in my eating life, it has taken root in other areas. I  accept no substitutes, I don't seek cheap thrills. I am not about to drink the Kool-Aid.  I want an authentic experience in all aspects of my life. I am learning that the old adage is true, after all- we really are what we eat. Damn it all to hell- I hate it that they were right all along. Pisses me off to no end! It is a supreme insult to my inner brat to accept defeat, but the brat has run the show long enough. Its just not that cute anymore.

So- for those of you, who, like me, have a hard time with drinking water, there are some great apps out there-

Google play Water APPs

iphone water APPs

And just to remind us all about the magic of water, and its ability to display the consciousness that it is-

And finally, if you are a water drinker, try to avoid water produced or bottled by Nestle. The CEO of Nestle thinks that people are 'entitled' about water, and that water needs to be privatized. Screw that guy. Learn about water- its not all the same. And try to buy those 5 gallon bottles with a little spigot to keep in your fridge and get yourself a cool water canteen or sport bottle and refill as needed for the day. No need for all the senseless waste produced by all those water bottles!

OCCUPY YOURSELF!

xoxo,

 

Ashley Dane

Palm Oil, Super Sizing, and Kanye West, Oh My!!

Okay, this won't look like much to anyone else, but remember that I am learning to use Aeroponic Garden Towers for urban gardening. When I ordered the seedlings, I didn't pay any attention to how they were marked, so to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what I was growing. I was waiting until it burst open with vegetables, and then I'd know. Yesterday a new friend, who is a nutritionist, came over and pointed out that two of the mystery plants were kale. Kale!!! And ready to harvest! I also had an impressive bunch of chives, too, but they aren't pictured.

So....yay! One small step in the right direction! My baby seedlings are about a week away from planting into the second garden tower- I am hoping to get the swing of it in the next few months so I can help teach others how to do it. I think it will be amazing to help people who live in apartment buildings learn to grow their own vegetables, in spite of the lack of soil. So cool!

Could Kanye West grow Kale like this?

Here is the second picture my sweet friend Becca took- she told me to look as excited as I was- personally I think I look a little psychotic, but make no mistake, that is sheer enthusiasm. And then...I made a big fat kale/strawberry/almond/banana/coconut milk smoothie with it.

Yay organic home grown kale!

My nutritionist friend dropped some science on me about, errrrrr, well nutrition of course, and she always leaves me feeling like the world of food is a great and amazing mystery- not unlike my recently harvested kale. She is like a food Yoda. She says things like- "smokers need to eat more vitamin C than non smokers, so when given a choice between strawberries or bananas, they should always pick bananas." Or, 'adding lemon juice to dark leafy green liberates the nutrients', or "an actual serving of a bagel is 1/4 of a bagel. Not the whole bagel. 1/4. Same with red meat. A serving is 3 oz. Americans eat 12 or more ounce steaks. And we wonder why obesity is what it is." When she explained to me how insulin in the blood works, and how it responds to stuff like pasta, that its this whole tricky thing that goes on inside creating spikes in insulin, more than the body can use, so the insulin is just hanging out in the blood, telling you that you are hungry, even if you are completely full, you will often still feel hungry." Such cool information! I plan on picking her brain and sharing what I find in there with YOU.

Yoda is cute, but my Food Yoda is waaaaay cuter

I really liked this bit of info. It points to the different sides of the fence we all make in regards to food. Its such a personal matter, which is why changing your way of eating is, in my opinion, such a revolutionary act. Some do it for weight, some do it for health, some do it not to hurt animals, some do it to stop supporting the food corporations, hence a socio/political stance. Some unexamined eaters will eat for comfort, out of boredom, for the high, because of a disordered relationship to food, they supersize it because they can, they eat it because its there.  For those who eat healthy out of concerns for weight, I just want to say- the last two times I was at the Farmer's Market, I did not see one single obese person there. Not one. Everyone was, dare I say it, easy on the eyes. They looked fit and healthy and content in their skin.

Here is an angle we don't hear about much, in the face of Monsanto and GMOs. Palm oil production. Have you heard of this?  I hadn't. Apparently palm oil is now in pretty much everything. And this palm oil is harvested in places like Indonesia, where the climate is perfect for it. In order to grow it, they are destroying rain forests at an alarming rate, threatening many species of animals- not the least of which is the orangutan of Sumatra's rain forests.

Read more about palm oil, deforestation and the plight of orangutans HERE

Learn more about what food to avoid that contains palm oil HERE.

Suffice it to say, its many of the same foods you might already be avoiding if you are trying not to eat GMOs. If you aren't there yet, here is another good reason to start being very conscious about your eating habits- these little babies below are one of the species that is being endangered so the food corporations can give the world snacks. SNACKS.

This whole radical shift in the way I am living my life when it comes to my eating habits continues to surprise me. Its so much more than it seems, on the surface. "Its just food, what's the big deal," I used to think, and many still do. But our food is everything. Its the one thing we ALL have to do, eat. Its the one thing that will determine the state of our health. Those who control it have us by the short and curlies and we as a culture are not even aware. Did you know that it benefits insurance companies to keep Americans fat? They can charge you higher rates if your BMI is over a certain percent. Do you think they might be very happy, in fact very encouraging, of the whole Super Sizing food portions?  This isn't conspiracy theorizing. This is an actual conspiracy, and the joke is on us all.

This very reason is why this is a radical thing to do. This is why its revolutionary. If we don't buy or eat their food, then we are, individually, free from their toxic influence. If enough people do it, we start to shift the mantle of power. They need our money to succeed in a capitalist society. Its our money- lets not use it to support those who want to make us fat and dumb, to feed us poison and destroy the earth and its critters. Every cent you spend on processed foods, non locally grown produce, fast food, etc- is money you are giving the McDeath Corporations to poison your children and kill your world. Have you ever seen the movie Wall-E? I'm just sayin'.

Okay, so perhaps I am waxing a little dramatic, but its not far from the truth. Give it some thought. I am here to tell you that if I can do this, you can too. I am here to tell you it IS affordable, it IS fun, there are so many amazing new things to try that you don't even know of yet (check out my Radical Recipes on this blog! New recipes every week.) Its sexy. It changes the way you look at everything. It feels liberating. You feel...awake.  It feels good! In ways you can't possibly understand until you cross over.  And if you aren't ready yet- I ain't mad at ya. You can do your part in other ways. Like share the crap out of this blog!!!!

I will leave my ranting and raving for the day with my favorite song of the week... Kanye West, Black Skinhead. He has redeemed himself, if you ask me.

Xoxo,

Ashley Dane

Radical Recipe #127- Brussel Sprouts again...I am determined to love them!!!

I have gone my entire life hating brussel sprouts, categorically. Emphatically. Ridiculously, as it turns out- I never ate a single one until a couple of months ago. Now I am feeling repentant and a little hang dog that I could be such an inveterate brat as to turn up my nose at something simply because it, well...looked like a tiny cabbage, and cabbages are old people food. And, let me be perfectly honest, it didn't fit into my food groups, which went something like this-

That is my explanation of two brussel sprout recipes in a row. I am happy to discover I am wrong, and am reveling in my new found delight that there is food outside the realm of sugar-y processed goodness. If you think I am joking, I will have you know I ate nothing but Kraft Deluxe mac and cheese and ten spoons of cookie dough nuked in the microwave and smothered in milk for an ENTIRE WINTER last year. I've come a long way, baby.

This brussel sprout dish I recently ate at the uber fabulous SLS hotel in Los Angeles. I don't usually go to such swanky places, but on this occasion I did, and of all the amazing things I ate, the sprouts were my favorite. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the recipe, and here it is- scaled down and sans the 'lemon air'. When you order this dish, it comes with what looks like foamy soap bubbles on top. Its lemon air. if you want to know more, check it out here. There is a video to walk you through it as well.


Makes one serving- You will have to do the math for each person you plan to serve

3 oz. Brussels Sprout Leaves (organic, or from your local farmer's market)
 you have to pull the leaves off the stalk-y bit...I had to cut a little off the stalk to get the leaf to come loose, and as you go in further you may find you need to cut it again- they should look like this-

Its upside down, I don't know how to reverse it, but that is some amazing Himalayan sea salt next to the brussel leaves

1 T. sliced Green Grapes (or whole champagne grapes)
(I got the champagne grapes- if you can get those- Trader Joe's has them- they are your best bet)

1 T. Lemon Pith
(What the hell is pith??? I'll tell you. Its the bitter white stuff on the inside of a citrus peel. You don't have to use this but yo ucan. I scraped it off with a knife.)

1 T. Granny Smith Apple (medium dice)

2 T. Sherry Vinaigrette (sherry vinegar + olive oil)
(red wine vinegar will do just as well, you won't taste the difference unless you are some kind of vinegar aficionado)


1 tsp. Dried Apricot (medium dice)
(Yes, these are plain old dried apricots- you can usually get them at your local farmer's market)

1 tsp. Chives

Lemon Zest

The Radical Recipe Laboratory in Full swing, Yo!

1.    Trim the Brussels sprouts.

2.     Put water on to boil

3. dice into small squares the apple and the dried apricot (make the apricot bigger squares, its hard to cut precisely) chop chives, and put all in a small bowl with the grapes.

4. Mix vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl

5. Put a teaspoon of salt in the water (I prefer Himalayan sea salt- its the best)

6.  Blanch Brussels sprouts leaves for 60seconds in boiling salted water.
(I would take them out with a big spoon and put in a big colander- bite one- if it doesn't sort of melt in your mouth and is still rubbery, blanch them a little while longer)

7.    Place in mixing bowl with apricots, apples, grapes, chives, and sherry vinaigrette. Mix well. Add a little sea salt.

5.    Place lemon pith puree on bottom of bowl and pour brussels sprouts mix

                 NOW EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A GREEN GODDAMN! BECAUSE YOU DO!

I couldn't wait, so here is a picture of my half eaten brussel sprout dish. So freaking good I could slap my grandma!

So the skinny on brussel sprouts is... they are extremely nutrient dense. The more you eat, the less likely it is you will succumb to a variety of ills. And since we are all endeavoring to avoid GMOs- you can safely make this dish from locally grown produce and a couple of condiments from TJ's. Hell to the yeah! Its very sexy to know how to whip together a tasty dish of pure goodness. It will wow your friends and impress your neighbors. And you will be giving a little FU to the bad guys at Monsanto!

 

 

BENEFITS OF BRUSSEL SPROUTS

 Cholesterol
The high fiber content (over 15% of our RDA) of Brussels sprouts lowers our cholesterol by binding with bile acids that the liver produces from cholesterol for digesting fat. Because many of these bile acids are coupled with fiber, the liver is charged with producing more bile acid to digest fat, and therefore requires more cholesterol to do so, ultimately lowering the cholesterol amount within our bodies.
DNA
Recent studies have shown that certain compounds in Brussels sprouts block the activity of sulphotransferase enzymes that can be detrimental to the health and stability of DNA within white blood cells.

Antioxidants
A host of antioxidant ingredients are found in Brussels sprouts, including Vitamins C, E, and A, as well as the mineral manganese. Furthermore, flavonoid antioxidants like isorhamnetin, quercitin, and kaempferol also serve well to protect against oxidative stress on the body's cells.
Inflammation
Glucobrassicin, a glucosinolate particularly abundant in Brussels sprouts, has been shown to fight inflammation on a genetic level once converted into the molecule indole-3-carbinol, or ITC. Furthermore, one and a half cups of Brussels sprouts contain about 430 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids (about ⅓ of the daily recommended amount) that are an essential part of our body's anti-inflammatory messaging molecules. Finally, the wealth of vitamin K found in Brussels sprouts has been shown to effectively regulate our body's inflammatory responses.

Cancer Prevention
Glucosinolates in Brussels sprouts and their detox-activating isothiocyanates are shown to fight against and even prevent various cancers, including bladder, breast, colon, lung, prostate, and ovarian cancer.

Cardiovascular Support
Brussels sprouts contain the isothiocyanate sulforaphane made from glucosinolates. This powerful compounds not only triggers anti-inflammatory activity in our cardiovascular system but may also prevent and even possibly help reverse blood vessel damage. By regulating inflammation within the body, Brussels sprouts can fight against the onset of heart attacks, ischemic heart disease, and arteriosclerosis. Furthermore, the lowered cholesterol mentioned earlier may also lessen the possibility of arterial blockage.

Digestion and Diet
One cup of Brussels sprouts contains four grams (16% of the RDA) of dietary fiber, which can aid in digestion, prevent constipation, maintain low blood sugar and check overeating. The sulforaphane found in Brussels spouts also protects our stomach lining by obstructing the overgrowth of Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that can lead to gastric cancer.

Vitamin K
Brussels sprouts are especially high in vitamin K (one cup contains 273.5% of the RDA), which promotes healthy bones, prevents calcification of the body’s tissues, serves as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, and is essential for proper brain and nerve function.

Vitamin C
The nutritional benefits of vitamin C (one cup contains over 161% of the RDA) found in Brussels sprouts ensure a healthy immune system, ward against hyper tension, lower blood pressure, fight lead toxicity, combat cataracts, and serve as a powerful antioxidant that prevents “cellular rust,” which can lead to atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Vitamin A Brussels sprouts also contains over 20% of the RDA of vitamin A that boosts immunity, protects eyes against cataracts and macular degeneration, maintains healthy bones and teeth, prevents urinary stones, and is essential to our reproductive organs. Folate A biochemical event called the methylation cycle relies on folate to properly transcribe DNA, transform norepinephrine into adrenalin, as well as transform serotonin into melatonin. Furthermore, folate suppresses the amino acid homocysteine that has been shown to contribute to heart disease. One cup of Brussels sprouts contains a healthy dose of folate (almost 25% of the RDA) and the health benefits associated with it.

Consume What You Must, and Boogie

This week, I started to count all the ways I contribute to the problems in this world. As  consumers in this modern age, we barely notice all the waste we cause just by living. Its seemingly natural to have the checkout person at the grocery store double bag our groceries, to drink water out of plastic bottles, to pay the outrageous sums of money for the gas our cars require, which add to emissions and create an environmental crisis that is just rearing its ugly head. We drink our Coffee Bean or Starbucks out of paper or plastic cups with plastic lids, and perhaps a straw every day. We use those wooden chopsticks at Chinese restaurants that are thrown away after one use- for which entire forests have been used, in order to provide the world with these utensils. Its mind boggling.

So, here is what a normal week for me used to look like-

Coffee Bean, every morning. Plastic cup, lid and straw in summer/ paper cup with plastic lid in winter.  7 cups/ lids/ straws a week/ 365 a year

Groceries- once a week, two stores/ Vons and Trader Joes- about 20 bags since they double them

Speaking of groceries- all the packaging. Fruit in plastic clamshells. Cartons of milk, plastic bottles of juice, plastic bags for bread- boxes, wrappers, all of it. Too much to quantify

Gas- about $100 a week- around 25 gallons. $5200 year (around 1050 gallons)

Plastic water bottles- I have a confession to make. I personally don't make much of ripple here, as water is something I am learning to drink. My kids, however, go through about 24 bottles a week.

Electricity- So here is a little lesson. Most people haven't given it much thought as to how the electricity is produced that we all use, and that it requires fossil fuels, in most cases. For your edification-

 

 

Power plants make electricity out of other forms of energy. Most electricity in the U.S. today comes from converting the heat energy released from burning fossil fuels--coal, natural gas and oil. The rest is generated from nuclear reactors and from renewable sources, such as sunlight, wind, falling water and geothermal heat (see Renewables, Unit 5). In a typical power plant, a primary energy source like coal is burned to create heat, which is converted in a boiler to mechanical energy in the form of superheated, high-pressure steam. The steam is directed into a turbine, where it pushes on blades attached to a central shaft or rotor. The rapidly spinning rotor powers a generator. I am going to stop right there. I could just keep going, but I think this paints a pretty adequate picture of what we, individually, are doing to trash the globe. So what am I going to do about it? I'll tell you. Like all things I recommend, its baby steps. You can take big ones- that's awesome- but I find that for something to stick, its best not to change too much at once or your life won't support the shift. 1. For my morning coffee, I now get one cup on Monday, and I re-use it all week. Its easy to rinse it out when I am done and stick it in my work bag. I can't tell you how many times I mindlessly threw it in the trash, only to go back and get it out later. Its shocking, really, to confront that auto pilot thing, to realize how easy it is to just be a consuming and wasteful robot. Today, one of the baristas asked me why I did that. I told him because I love the planet, and we had a nice chat about it. You never know how a chat like that could inspire someone else to do things differently. Talk about what you are doing, and why. Not in a preachy way- no one will listen. 2. Groceries- I've started to shop mostly locally. This reduces the fossil fuel waste which occurs when they ship the produce from a foreign country, usually via several trucks, a plane, and sometimes a train as well. I use bags I bought specifically for shopping. At Trader Joe's,  I try to look at how things are packaged and choose items which are loose- for example- a clamshells full of nectarines, or loose ones that I put in a little plastic bag that I brought, and that I reuse. Or a large bottle of juice instead of 6 small bottles, or a 32 ounce yogurt instead of 8 single serve ones. Another way that this sneaks up on you- you just run into 7-11 for a gallon of milk and don't notice that its in a bag until you get home. or at CVS, you are buying lotion and razors and stuff like that, and you forgot to bring a bag in with you and its too much to carry out. I have been known to take the stuff to my car, empty the bag, and take it back in and give it back to them. It becomes a habit after a while. 3. Gas- I got a Prius! Its funny, I have friends who are judgmental about those cars, and people who drive them. I had one friend tell me that if I go vegan, to lose his number. Someone else said- Not you! You are becoming one of them!  Another said- the money you think you save on gas, you spend on the car itself, so it doesn't average out. What he was missing is that its better for the environment, and for me, that is one of the most important factors when deciding anything. If you think global warming isn't real, check this out. I love Prius drivers. I think they are sexy. I think when people show their concern for the state of the planet and its evident in the choices they make, its just plain old hot. The cars are definitely not sexy, but the drivers are. And the opposite is also true- someone in a gas guzzling but beautiful Aston Martin can not really be sexy by my standards. Someone flying around the globe in a private jet is maybe the most unattractive sort of person there is. No one who loves the planet or cares for the future of mankind would be so wasteful. If you haven't at least looked into getting a hybrid- there is no harm in looking. You might be surprised at how easy they are to finance, or buy used. But you won't know until you look. The other good news, for anyone who says they can't afford to eat local and organic- I will spend about $350 less a month on gas, so I will have more to spend on eating like someone who gives a f*ck about this world. And, p.s.- I am actually spending less by eating right. There aren't brands and ads to lure me in to buy items I don't really need.  I purchase only what I need, I love that its fresh from the farm,  I learn new recipes, and its fun as hell. 4. Plastic water bottles-  Contigo water bottles are my solution. Instead of buying cases of water bottles, we are buying 5 gallon jugs and filling our water bottles for the day at home. (At my work, I installed water filtration systems that also alkalinize the water, and I fill up when I am there, too). Here is a pretty good example of why we should all stop using water bottles, plastic bags, and 6 packs that use those plastic sturdy rings to hold them together. This picture isn't terribly shocking until you realize it is twice the size of Texas, in the Pacific Ocean, and growing all the time.     This is an aerial representation of the garbage vortexes in the pacific ocean. The scale is also represented.     Here are some of the sad results for creatures-   That could have been something I threw away years ago. or you. I can't live with that. If all I have to do is change my ways so this might not happen to another turtle, so that vortex of plastic waste materials doesn't become 5 times the size of Texas by the time my daughters have children. Given these facts, why wouldn't I endeavor to change my ways???  And if you do the same, and influence others to also do the same, we can change where this is going.   5. Electricity. This one is a no brainer. Turn things off when you aren't using them. If you live in an apartment and you notice that the building leaves all its lights on during the day, ask them to get a timer. My kids and I have a tradition when we exit our elevator on the ground floor- we turn off the laundry room light and the one directly outside the elevator. I have trouble getting them to do it at home, but at least its in their consciousness. They are beginning to recognize how gorgeous a person is when you can see that they care, and are willing to take a few extra steps (or more) to be less of a problem and more of a solution on this planet.  If you own your own home- solar is such an exciting option, you lucky thing you! You can also collect rain water, compost, and garden organically, and have a few beehives, and a chicken coop for fresh eggs! You are so freaking lucky- I would give my eye teeth to have a home and some land so I could really take this to the next level.   Here is a great link for all things solar, sustainable, and green for your home- Green Home Solutions   I encourage everyone to make a small list of ways they can change some of these habits ASAP. Here is a small list- try it out!   1. Use recycled bags any time you make a purchase. keep them in your car at all times.   2. re-use your coffee cups, or buy sustainable ones   3. Purchase water bottles that you can keep with you, and buy one big 5 gallon jug at a time, instead of 36 small bottles   4. Look into getting a hybrid car. Just look. Amazing things happen when you start to look into your options- they somehow manifest in the strangest ways. Just start looking on the internet. Can't hurt!   5. Turn off your lights! Turn off other people's lights. remind people to turn things off. Look into solar powered electricity for your home, if you own one.   6. Buy locally grown produce and other goods! This way, you don't contribute to the fossil fuels needed to ship them via truck, train and plane to your grocer. Support the good guys growing in your neck of the woods. Go to your local farmer's market once a week and stock up. Try your very best not to shop at the major chain stores or purchase major brands. I have kids and I have gone in Vons twice in two months- you can do it! Learn new recipes that concentrate on the fresh food in your area. Avoid bringing GMOs into your home. (Click here to check out the buycott app, which will tell you what foods to avoid while you are shopping)   There- 6 simple things that will make a huge impact, the more of us take on this way of living, the better. Even if you just pick one and practice it until it becomes a habit, and then pick another- but by all means, pay attention to your life and in what ways you are contributing to the demise of the planet. We are all part of the problem, by virtue of being alive in this day and age. But we can become part of the solution. Share this blog with your family and friends, so they can join the cause. OCCUPY YOURSELF!   (Why do I keep saying Occupy yourself? Because until you do, something else is occupying you. Only right action and waking up to reality will allow you to OCCUPY YOURSELF. Watch this short video below. This concept is best conveyed with visuals.)     And last but not least, Frank Zappa has something to say. Listen up.       Much love, Ashley Dane

Your Open Mind

Last night, I met three friends and one brand new one for dinner at Good Earth in Studio City. One of them, I travel the globe with. One of them I work with and wish I could travel the globe with. One is very good friends with the previous two and I am getting to know her- we went to the Monsanto Rally together in May. And one is a brand new friend, who will, I am sure, be one of my dear old friends in a few years.

When you get a group of women together, you never know what you are going to get. Often those with a personal history will touch on topics and the others will listen in, too unfamiliar to press for clarifying details, waiting for the conversation to turn into one they can participate in. Usually it revolves around men, botox and filler, or gossip.  This night, however, we had a group of socially and politically conscious women all in one place, and I wish wish WISH we recorded it.

Two of the friends are vegan. I love that they are, I think thats amazing. One of them is very insistent that I watch a documentary called Earthlings. Very insistent. She says she knows if I watch that I will never eat meat again. I am not ready for this- its already a challenge to re-train my taste buds that I eat much less than I used to, because that alone is a process. I don't really eat red meat, but in certain situations, I would. I eat chicken and fish. I rarely eat pork but I might have a little bacon with my fresh from the farm eggs. I just know that right this minute, I am not ready to go to that extreme. But it does seem like a natural progression. She and the other vegan choose that lifestyle out of moral imperatives towards animals. I choose to take on this shift in my life for political reasons, mostly. I love animals, but right now in my life, I am okay with eating them. Thats just me and where I am right now. I prefer to eat free range meat that has been raised gently, and not in meat factories. That works for me, right now.

There was another woman there who is a nutritionist. She could cite reasons for so much of the obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in the US, attributed mostly to the diet of most Americans. Americans eat shit. Seriously. Americans eat fast food constantly. Or they eat specifically with concern to weight, without changing their diets they opt for 'fat free',  or diet products, like diet coke. Lean cuisines and a diet coke is the staple lunch for office workers across the country.  Our food is often 85% GMOs. This woman, who I was quickly growing to love, then brought up the issue coming about in North carolina- this new platform to make the public display of a woman's nipples a felony, to which we all thought we would post pictures of our nipples in a show of resistance.  She also brought up fracking, passionately talking about what a danger it is to the future of all mankind and the planet, and the inevitability of this planet becoming completely incapable of supporting life if this practice continues. She isn't wrong. This planet and its ecosystem can only take so much. These could be the last few centuries of human life on earth if we don't all start to understand and do our part.

I watched these women get very upset by the complacency of other Americans. My vegan friends were angry at people who eat meat, and the nutritionist said she got so upset when people said, "GMOs are proven not to be bad for you," or, "there is plenty of water in the world, fracking will not affect our water supply." The ignorance of others makes them crazy. We had a long talk about that.  They come from families who always viewed people who did not think as they did as idiots. That quickly became the running joke at the table- anyone expressing a view that differed from anyone else the whole table would quip- "you're an idiot!" Its interesting to note that this stance is usually off putting to the very people who would benefit from their message, but I understand their passion and enthusiasm for what they believe in wholeheartedly.

I let my very good and dear vegan friend know that, if I didn't know her and she came preaching at me, I would think, "You're a real bitch, lady." She isn't, she is the furthest things from it, but if I didn't know her I would think it, because I am not where she is, my values are in a different place- that doesn't make me bad, or wrong, or an idiot. It just means I am where I am. There is an opportunity to enlighten me, to raise my consciousness about the issues that matter to her, but making me wrong won't do it. It feels judgmental, and no one likes that. We talked about that, how my vegan friend is not environmentally concerned, where I am all about recycling and re-using and being mindful. I was surprised to hear that, but thats all. The nutritionist says she eats some meat, just not red meat, and the two vegans sort of jumped on her about how she could know what she knows and still eat meat. She said it is simply what she is at peace with in her life, her reasons for making the choices might not be informed by the same passions they are driven by- sure, we all love animals. The nutritionist eats the way she does because she is concerned about her health. The vegans, out of a moral obligation they feel towards animals. My quiet friend that I work with eats the ways she does, which is very healthy, partly because she is a marathon runner and she gives her body what she knows it needs. Her stance is largely a pragmatic approach to being the best running machine possible. Also, she was raised by hippies in a vegetarian household and was never acclimated to processed or fast foods, so in that way, she doesn't need to make a stand in giving up foods that don't support her passion- those things were simply never present. Its just a way of life for her.

It was such a cool night, so many things were talked about, and I realized I was sitting with some really beautiful creatures. Like, not just in appearance- which, I might add, they all are stunning creatures- but they just all vibrate differently. They glow. They are filled with purpose and meaning, concern for animals, the planet, their bodies, women's issues, each other. Their lives are a testament to what they believe in, and all of them believe in greater good.  Including me- I should be saying 'We' here. We want to change the world, in our own corners of it where we live. It would be great if it rippled outward. Thats the goal.

 I want this journey of understanding my own place in the solution to be relatable, so that it might inspire others to do even just one thing differently. And then maybe another, and then to begin to enjoy it, to love the shift, to revel in it, to take on newer and better ways to live in harmony with all things, and to be so enthusiastic that others can't help but notice.

Here I am, working on my blog. I wish I had gotten pictures of all my friends last night- one thing is for sure, if I put real photos on a blog, I get twice as many hits. This is going to be yet another challenge, as I don't like to be photographed. But I will do what it takes to get your attention and connect. I care about you and your world! If you are reading this, you are exactly where you should be. Keep your mind open.

OCCUPY YOURSELF!