A Holiday Message For You!

I wanted to let you know I wrote a post just for you, over at my other blog "The Painting Queen."  So go take a quick visit over there for the Digital Holiday Card I made to share with my friends, family and followers!

Sweet Pomegranate Pear Holiday Salad

While you are out and about this weekend enjoying friend and family's seasonal buffets, don't forget to eat your greens! Now that's the mom in me talking! haha! Really, if you are craving something sweet just add some fruit or berries to your salad greens. Simply by adding pomegranate seeds, you create a colorful, delicious, cancer fighting, holiday dish! This salad is so gosh darn easy, I wonder if I should even write out the ingredients. Well here goes anyway!

Pomegranate And Pear Green Salad 

All ingredients are organic.

Fresh salad greens

We used arugula and Romain

Chopped cucumber

Sliced Pear

Pomegranate Seeds

Raisins

 Pecan pieces

Drizzle with a flavored vinegar

(I used Dr. Fuhrman's Fig Vinegar)

Since it will get hectic during the next week, I am not sure how much time I will have to post. I made an epic soup yesterday, and a yummy smoothie, (aren't they all!) that I hope to share that with you soon. Plus I have two things I planned for the blog at the start of the new year! First up, to help you get back on track with your new healthy lifestyle, I am going to post a bunch of salad ideas so you can see all the ways you can enjoy your greens. Then I am also going to show you how to organize your pantry and refrigerator for your new eating style! It will make meal preparation much easier! I will be sharing some photos of my pantry, with tips and tricks. We are also going to have a giveaway to celebrate my recent one year blog-versary! Stay tuned for that info. Hopefully I will get those soup and smoothie photos edited soon! Ben says eating my latest soup was like dining at a fine restaurant! Well la-de-dah to me. I have to admit it was really, really, good!

Enjoy all the merriment's my friends! I am very grateful you are with me on this food adventure! Saver those sweet moments with the little ones over the holidays, so you can get that wonder and awe vibe going for ya! Be happy, Be healthy, Be Peace! 

A tip for anyone who is being a Grinch in your life, tell them in the words of Tommy Smothers, to "Go fa-la-la-your self!' 

One Year Later: Finding The Secret To Good Health! It's My 60 Pounds Lost And Other Great Numbers Report!

One Year Later: A happy healthy me!

It has been over a year since I started my transition to a plant based lifestyle. Looking back I can say making these changes in my food choices was very easy, rather fun, and life saving! Yes it's life changing stuff! Before this my life had become miserable, because most of my body systems were shutting down. I am too young for that stuff baby! So with the support of my hubby, we did a complete food change to organic, non-GMO, fresh whole plant foods. You can read more about that beginner path on my Get Started page above in the green bar. The initial kick 'in the mind' was watching these documentaries: "Fat Sick & Nearly Dead" and, the movie "Simply Raw" a powerful film about Diabetics, also known as 'Raw For Thirty.' At that point I was feeling helpless, and beginning to believe I was a victim of my body. After watching the movie 'Fat Sick & Nearly Dead' I cried, because I suddenly had an "aha moment," and saw my way through the disease, and found something I could do for my self. I love my life, and I really wanted to enjoy it with vitality! I knew I had found the answer. Time to stop being a victim, and do all that I had power to do about my own situation. For it was made perfectly clear to me what I had to do. This really was something in life that I really did have the power to change and improve, all it took was the knowledge about what is really in the food. I highly recommend you watch these documentaries! You need to break open your mind.

Ultimately this journey to health has been a food adventure for both my husband and myself, full of delish new dishes to try and love! A whirlwind of learning, igniting a passion for healthy good food, and sharing the good news with others ready to hear! After a year I have grown naturally into a vegan, with leanings towards raw foods. That was not a goal, but the body tells you what is best when you listen. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago, I learned from my new doctor that meat, dairy, and oils would have to be removed completely from my diet anyway. It was no biggie for me to do that and I have no regrets. I was already on my way to the next food level of health. When you experience the positive results of your work, it is a joy to continue on that path. I am grateful for the knowledge I have found.

Thanks and giving 2012

Having a cancer thing to deal with was very frustrating in the face of so much success with reversing diabetes, lowering blood pressure, lowering cholesterol levels, and losing the excess weight. Thankfully it was that health and strength that I received from my body improving with my new organic plant lifestyle this year, that was key in getting me through the surgery and overall experience so well. I healed very quickly. I have plant power to alkalize my tissues, and I had already given up the acidosis and inflammation causing processed foods, sugar products, meats, and dairy. Although really I simply over time just lost my taste for meats and dairy. Still I recognize everyone will go at their own pace and realizations as they gain more food and nutrition knowledge. If everyone could just add more and more uncooked organic fruits and vegetables into their life they would see remarkable improvements.

Now I get to feel a bounce in my step as my lighter body moves through the world. As one of my Doctor friends said to me "It will only get better and better!" That is news I can use! Even right after my cancer surgery I had the energy to start Yoga and Rebounding too! I am totally back to working outside and around the house with no problems these days! A far cry from my life a year ago of shuffling across the room, and needing Ben to hold me as I walked across the parking lot to the doctor appointments three times a week. Then there is the new bonus factor to be wearing some of my old favorite clothes, and buying smaller jeans too! Sometimes I pass a mirror and I am amazed at the changes I see looking back at me! I feel and look like me again! There is 20 more pounds to lose in the weight department to get down to 150 pounds. I am confident it will continue to come off slow and steady, just as it has this past year. My initial goal was to lose 1 pound a week this year, and I have done that without thinking on it too much. It was just a natural result of my body getting itself healthy. The magic came from putting the high nutrient whole foods in, and not ingesting the white flour, sugars, and toxins from processed foods and drinks. Simple. 

Christmas 2010 two years ago. I see soda on the kitchen counter!

I tried to find a few photos of me back then. Kinda hard, because I did not want my photo taken, and I am the photo taker anyway. I have posted a few here, and there are also a few Before/After photos on my About page because people can relate to the outward change that has happened. As you view these photos also remember that the real change has happened inside my body. This continues to happen as I regenerate my body to become the healer it really is. Given the opportunity the body reversed diabetes. Some people say to me that I now look like a different person. I say... I now look like me. I think when we become so obese from processed foods and illnesses, we lose our self inside the haze of just trying to get through each day. Breathing became my focus, and now, living and enjoying my life work is my focus. The past three years delayed any life plans I thought I had in my head. Now I can revisit those things or something different since I have life energy. Although I have to admit, I am at the "What am I going to be when I grow up?" stage again!

Photo taken around the beginning of trying to make new food choices.

I can remember thinking over a year ago that if I could lose fifty pounds in a year my life would change. I was willing to wait out the year for the results, because my body was in such pain, and anything would be better than what was happening. Fortunately I did not have to wait long to start to feel better! In a few months there was a shift in my body. People without hypothyroidism will lose weight probably easier than me. My husband has lost 15 pounds. My daughter has lost 80 pounds in less than a year, after she saw what positive results her momma was having with healthier high quality foods. She has become a foodie as well, researching nutrition on her own these days. I am very proud of her, and after all, it is she who is feeding my grandchildren! I wish I could have known about this important life saving food information when my children were young, so they did not have to deal with health issues as adults. Hopefully now my son will join us on our journey to health, so he can be sure not to reap the sick results of the SAD (standard American diet) lifestyle. We may have some genetic weakness, but we can avoid having those things turn on, by eating a plant based whole foods diet.

Before realization: Taken during the one moment I got off the chair on that day.

Over this past year it has been very exciting to hear from 'The Queen's Table' blog and facebook followers, as I have gone on this new adventure. Their desire to also choose healthier whole foods, and to add juicing to their lives has been full of wonderful results. When I attend my husband's concerts and shows, I am always approached by those who are reading my blog posts and making changes. To meet them, and know they are now working on their good health is the best feeling! Plus I can see the actual results of their efforts, and their enthusiasm in person. Well that is totally awesome! Everyone is thrilled to be feeling so good! Juicing and morning green smoothies rock!

So after much delay, due to recently moving and that cancer thing, I finally am able to post the results from my latest labs. I feel this is the solid proof that juicing and eating your fresh local veggies works! All the doctors I speak with are excited about the changes I have made to my health. The only ones who do not "get it" are the ones from the cancer industry. That is just sad. The possible causes of my breast cancer will be discussed in another post in the near future, but I definitely knew I had to step up my research in the cancer area of nutrition and health too. I hope I can help others to realize the options that they do have beyond the limited world and viewpoint of the cancer industry. So if you know anyone facing a cancer diagnosis be sure to read my Cancer Prevention page above filled with links to help you or a loved one get through the system with their personal power intact. There are times we need doctors, no doubt. It is my opinion that they need to be doctors who fully understand the best of all worlds, the scientific and the nutritional. 

Three months after starting to eat real whole organic foods. 
Already feeling better! I am out and doing things again!

Giving yourself the opportunity to create a healthier body is done by your everyday choices. We have to be the ones to learn how to alkalize and detoxify the body, so it can do its job of healing. In all things we must always be our own advocates for health, and participate in our medical choices. This is especially true with the cancer business, which comes down on you hard. If you do not have cancer now, you should still read over my prevention page. In a world where there is a cancer epidemic, you want to make sure that you do not have a body environment that is a home for cancer cells to thrive. If you are eating the standard American diet, I am telling you that the probability is very high that you may have already given cancer a happy home. Believe me, you do not want to hear that diagnosis.

In conclusion, if you start eating whole fresh foods when you are young, you will live a healthy vibrant life. So kids get in on it while you have time, instead of having to fix things later in life like me. Don't risk the agony of disease. I was ignorant to the truth of what has been going on with the food "industry," and what I was really ingesting on a daily basis. The effects of fake foods, chemicals, GMO's, msg, toxins, hormones, antibiotics, fats, sugars, gluten filled modern wheat products, salts, and low nutrients from these so called food stuffs and drinks, is a disaster waiting to happen to you! The body can only handle so much, and eventually will reach its tipping point. If you fill it with this junk, your body will have to spend all its time working on these toxins and have no time to heal and protect you. It is only a matter of time until you will wonder, "Why is this happening to me?"

One year after: I am taking photos at a recent Hectic Red concert. Back to my Rock N' Roll hours!

As a bonus from eating real whole foods like fruits and veggies, I have not gotten sick during this past year with any colds or flu symptoms. Wow! That is very remarkable for me, as in recent years I was always sick with some evil germ. I got the nasty stuff from everybody. Then there was the bad antibiotics I would have to take to fight the various illnesses. Being a person who does not like to take medicine I disliked that this was becoming a common part of my life. So yes, this ingesting of healthier organic whole foods and juicing, creates a strong immunity system too! You gotta love it!

Folks, now that you know... what you eat many times a day.... everyday.....for weeks months, and years...of your life... does matter and adds up, really consider what your eat. Yes...food matters. What direction do you want to go? Check out what changing the 'quality' of the food I ate had on my body this past year below.  Is it worth spending your money on better food choices? Hell yeah! In the long run it is cheaper too!

My Recent Lab Tests Tell The Tale Of Success!!!

A1C (Reading of the sugar in your blood cells that stays there for 3 months) 

(Reference for Normal 4.4 - 6.4)

May 2011 - 6.7
Nov 2011 - 6.4

April 2012 - 6.1
July 2012 - 5.9
Nov. 2012 -  5.3

Daily Blood Sugar:

(Reference for Normal - 70 - 99)

June - Aug  2011 -  Daily Readings ranged from 102 - 176 (average was 130)
Sept - Dec 2011 - Daily Readings ranged from  91 - 125 (average was 110)

April 2012 - Daily Readings Ranged from 74 - 96 (my average now is 86)
Nov 2012 - Daily Readings Ranged from 66 -112 (my average now is 78)

Cholesterol Changes:
(Reference for Normal with no chance of heart attack is 150)
April 2009 - 197
May 2011 - 170 
April 2012- 165
July 2012 - 149
Nov 2012 - Everything looks good so they did not test this time.

Weight loss Changes:
Sept 2011 - 15 pounds gone
December 2011 - 25 pounds gone
April 2012 - 40 pounds gone
July 2012 - 50 pounds gone
Nov 2012 - 60 pounds gone 
Jan 2013 - 65 pounds gone

Blood Pressure Readings:
2009 - 150/100
2010 - 176/100
2011 March -160/110
2011 November - 130/85
2012 April - 120/85
2012 November - 122/70

Medicine Changes:
June 2011 - Immediately dropped the diabetes medicine Metformin after two weeks, and said, "no way!" to taking pills to control something I knew I could change with better quality food. My doctor had given me 3 months to prove I could do it, and I did! I reversed my diabetes!
December 2011 - Dropped one of my two blood pressure medications. 
December 2012 - Dropped my blood pressure medicine altogether.


Everyone is different and each person will approach their changes in lifestyle in a way that is comfortable to them. What is your mindset when faced with the reality of declining health, or even to keep a vibrant healthy body? Do you have an excuse why you don't follow through, even now that you know what to do? I say just start now and reverse it! Keep trying and restarting over and over till you have a pattern of change. The good news is organic whole food works! Sometimes when we immediately say that "we can't because of this or that" we need to ask ourselves, "Is that really true?" What if we asked ourselves, "What could I do differently to make this happen?" Perhaps it's time to change your own "story" about food, and love yourself, more than the excuses. Are having the "excuses be true," really more valuable than you? Have compassion for yourself and keep trying, and move forward with a vision of success. The goal is to feel better, and be as healthy as you can be! You deserve to live your life to its fullest! Just so you know, I did not even do any exercise until I lost 60 pounds! How easy was that?!! It only took changing up the food to change my life. Of course exercise is important, and now that I am lighter, I am adding that element into the new mix because I can!

Hey! Here is an exciting new announcement: Below is my new doctor! When it came time to get a second opinion on my cancer protocol, I went to Dr.Joel Fuhrman Associates. That is the place where science meets nutrition. So I got that going for me! If you would like to learn from a professional doctor how to reverse disease through nutritional excellence visit Dr.Joel Fuhrman's website, which is filled with valuable information and recipes. He is a true light in the medical field and loves what he does in life. Dr. Fuhrman has been featured in just about every documentary on food and health. Along with having specials on PBS recently, Dr. Fuhrman has also recorded a radio show called "Nutritional Wisdom," with episodes that you can download. I like listening to them while I am working on the computer. The two books of his that I highly recommend you purchase are Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss, Revised Edition ' and Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free. He has also written an important book for parents to help transform their family's eating habits, and get their children started on the road to life long good health called Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right. His latest book about reversing Diabetes is a far better method than relying on the usual medications which eventually shorten your life, that book is called The End of Diabetes: The Eat to Live Plan to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes. For me, I choose life! So I highly encourage you to watch the video clip below, where Dr. Fuhrman talks about overall good nutrition, the fallacies of modern medical care, and the importance of having micro-nutrients in your diet for a long life. Dr. Fuhrman has a DVD set that helps you learn to eat like a Nutritarian, which is what you will be if you choose highly nutrient foods over dead processed foods, that set is simply called Eating Like A Nutritarian.




Having gratitude in advance for feeling better, and thanking the Universe for good health at the start of your new journey is a powerful place to begin. Go visit my 'Get Started' and 'Inspiration' pages to get ideas on how to embark on your own exciting journey in health. I am continually adding new information to the pages at the top of my blog, as I tweak what I am eating and doing, while I continue to learn and grow on this food adventure! So be sure to revisit those pages every now and then for tips and information you can use! If you are feeling badly, are overweight, suffering from diabetes and/or other diseases...can you give yourself the present of a year of change?  Visualize yourself taking steps in that direction. I know you can make these improvements too, so that you can live a happy vibrant life and have fun! Every day is a new opportunity to do it better! Juice on to your own happy, healthy life, with amazing results! You are the key to that door!

Be healthy. Be happy. Be peace.

 

Holiday Party Edible Fruit Christmas Tree

This post has turned out to be one of my most popular 'Queens Table' blog posts! So I can assure you that this gorgeous colorful fruit tree is sure to be a hit at your next holiday gathering! Everybody is going to be impressed! I have now added new photos with how to transport your tree in a car too. Go ahead and create this beauty for your holiday party, or any time of the year that you want to make a big statement with good food! I originally got the idea from Fully Raw Kristina in the video below. 

You just have to purchase a wide variety of produce that is also very interchangeable in your own personal design for the tree. Be sure most of it is organic!

You will need: 1 pineapple, 1 pear, strawberries, blackberries, grapes, raspberries or cherries, kiwis, starfruit, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and sweet peppers sliced lengthwise. Plus a box of toothpicks and a strong plate.

This treat is perfect for your holiday table and your happy belly! It's so great to find new inspiration to help us change our old patterns of eating. As we know the holidays can be such difficult times for people to make the best choices. Especially when food is so associated with time honored memories. For our own good health, and that of our family and friends, we now must have alternatives to the empty calories of the holidays past. This fruit tree idea would be a treat everyone could enjoy! Plus it looks fabulous! 





I learned something new by watching this video, and I just love learning new information that I can use! It's that you can eat the skin of kiwis! I did not know that! Still... I would only eat the skin if it was an organic kiwi after washing it well. Don't want to be ingesting any pesticides. Talking about healthy skin... just look how beautiful Kristina's skin is... that is the fully raw glow. Amazing. You could also watch the video that follows this one to learn what Kristina eats everyday to look so beautiful and full of energy. You may be surprised that such a tiny gal can eat so much produce!

Instead of the pineapple star that Kristina creates for her holiday tree, you could get a starfruit and slice that for the star on top of the tree. Then place the other slices on the plate around your fruit tree creation. I hope you enjoy watching how to make a beautiful holiday centerpiece that is super healthy too!

I have made this edible holiday tree centerpiece for our Christmas Day Buffet table. Look how fat my cherry tomatoes were! This tasty tree really was beautiful, and was quite the hit with everyone! I highly recommend making this yummy creation for yourself, or to take to a party! I also sat a small dish next to the tree for the guests to put the toothpicks in after grabbing a bite of fruit. As you can see, I did use the starfruit on mine, and it looked perfect.

When my three and half year old granddaughter came into the house, instead of looking for the gift tree in the living room, or running up to her playroom, she jumped up on a chair and marveled at Grandma's fruit tree on the table. "Oh, look Grandma has a little tree!" she exclaimed leaning across the table pointing at the centerpiece. So cool.

She was so excited to learn that she was allowed to pick from the tree, that she reached out and took a big juicy cherry tomato for herself! Now after seeing and enjoying this tree, other people request that I make this colorful edible fruit tree for their events, gatherings, and holiday parties too! The photo below is from a large family Thanksgiving at an old fishing cabin where everyone brings a dish.

My granddaughter was in attendance and even a year later you can see that she is right there ready to pick the fruit from the tree again! Gotta love that!

To transport your fantastic fruit tower in a car, just line a large bucket with foil, and place the tree and plate inside. I actually use a five gallon bucket with a sturdy handle and cover. To remove: lift the plate upwards while a friend pulls the bucket away. Your tree has arrived safely and intact!

By the way... I have to say that bringing your food to a party in a bucket 
is quite the conversation starter too!

Enjoy the wonderful holiday moments, and eat something good for you! 
Be happy. Be healthy. Be peace.

If you are new to The Queen's Table Blog you can become a follower on facebook, and learn about healthy eating, losing weight, and food news you can use.

Happy Tropical Fruit Smoothie

Even as the cold weather starts creeping into our area of the world, we are fortunate to still have access to organic tropical fruits. Don't limit eating these fantastic tropical fruits to just the summer months. Take advantage of the almighty goodness of these fruits, and add them to your daily life. Here is today's special mega-tropical fruit treat!

Happy Tropical Fruit Smoothie

1/3 fresh organic pineapple peeled

2 ripe bananas peeled

1 kiwi peeled

1 mango peeled (can be frozen)

small handful of pea sprouts

8 oz almond milk or coconut water

1/3 cup coconut flakes

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tb hemp seeds

1 tb chia seeds

1 tb flax powder

Place the liquid in the blender first, then add the super foods, hemp, chia, flax powder, and cinnamon. Add some sprouts and blend. Add pineapple and blend. Then add in the bananas, coconut flakes, and kiwi. Then add in the mango and blend again. You can substitute 4 leaves of Romain lettuce instead of sprouts, or use both. If I had a freesh shot of wheat grass I would add that in as well. I used almond milk, and that is why the smoothie is more creamy colored.

I hear some of you saying, oh I cannot handle that much fruit. I say do not be so afraid of the sweetness of fruit, as it is natural and so good for you. Perhaps you would be better to concentrate on avoiding refined sugars, mucus causing dairy, white grains, processed foods, diet sodas, and eating dead foods like meat every day. Those are the foods that actually cause serious effects in a body. Many of us have unknowingly created an acid filled human body, which then causes inflammation, which then causes problems within the cells of the body. Our entire body is made up of cells, and we want them to function optimally. We got away from eating whole foods like fruits and vegetables raw, as the main basis of our diet. We have been fooled by industrial food stuffs, and thinking we are eating healthy by following rules that have nothing to do with good vibrant health. So if you are over worried about the fruit sweetness, then just have this smoothie early in the morning. Personally we start every day with a smoothie, and certainly most of them are more green than this one. Today we are having yummy sweet fun! As this drink is made in a blender and not a juice machine, it still has all the fiber which will slow the absorption rate of the sugars anyway. Variety truly is the spice of changing up the way you eat! Have a 'real treat' and enjoy the natural alive sweetness and sunshine of fruit.

When you chop up your fresh pineapple, save the core to use in your (Breville) juicer when you make your vegetable juice later in the day! That inner hard core has more nutrients than the rest of the pineapple. Plus it is a great cancer fighting food. All ingredients in this smoothie are organic. Remember if you use produce that is not organic, please trim off the skins completely to avoid the pesticides and fungicides etc.

Be well, be happy, and enjoy everyone's differences! Peace!

My Family Elitist? The Propaganda Machine And Dr. Oz Unleashes Attack Against Healthy Organic Food! Crazy Double Speak!

The latest smear campaign by Big Ag is to call everyday people who want to be healthy..."elitist."  I would not be surprised if Big Pharma and the "sickness industry" was behind this push too. After all, they need everyone to get sick and diseased to keep filling their coffers too. The propaganda minions are now very hard at work trying to convince the American public that organic foods are just extremely expensive 'elitist foods' that are no different than other supermarket foods. The lying liars are now promoting that people who actually choose to buy their food local, buy from farmers directly, choose organic or sustainable grown foods, are "snobs" who think they are better than everyone else. Sound familiar? Have you also been hearing the recent food lies and myths put this way lately? I certainly have, and I am going to share a couple of instances that you can check out for yourself. Make your own informed decision, about what you think is happening. Take time to research any information or article on your own.

First, let me ask: Do you know how to spot propaganda when you hear it or see it in action? A simple guide is that no matter what the subject is of the current discussion, or the particular topic, that you need to just follow the money trail. Although some may come at you in lovely advertisements, much of the deception will come in the form of "media people" or shows where there are "big name advertisers" who are actually the ones behind the face selling you "their" viewpoint. They will present their so called "experts" who will be backed by foundations, or think tanks, which are actually "front groups" funded by corporations and their interests. In addition you will usually get quotes from members, or scientists of a well known "University" where it is now common to promote certain corporate thinking, because those corporations are behind funding and grants to said Universities. Get the idea? No matter what the subject matter of the propaganda, keep your eyes open to these tactics, that are being used to convince you of their message. Be a free thinker and research the issues of this world for real. Don't get it from corporate owned big media news. They are in the business of "selling" you a story.

I believe the reason this organic attack is happening right now, is to stop the huge progress that eating healthier has had on people making informed choices in the supermarket, especially about GMO awareness. Organic and Non GMO products are on the rise. So now the multinational corporations are going after the everyday uninformed people "before" they learn the benefits of choosing to eat healthy. This is an attempt to keep consumers in the dark about what is really in their food, and in the old supermarket patterns of their childhood. They are trying to reinforce the belief that organic is so expensive and not worth the money. The current story they are spreading is the food myth that eating organic and local, is really just an expensive elitist fad. They are hoping this gives people a good excuse 'not to do the work' to learn how to get healthy by changing what they eat all day long. This is especially viable if that is what the consumer really wants to hear. Beyond that, it is an insult to all the people of the 99% who regard their own health and the well being of their loved ones as of paramount importance. And never do these talking heads ever bring up that the unhealthy industrialized foods are subsidized to keep them cheap! Hello! That is why organically or sustainably grown crops cost more! The multinationals get all the freebies from the government at our financial and health expense. The food system is rigged from the inside in so many ways.



I was in our natural organic food market today inspecting all those 'snobby elitist' customers. It was around lunchtime, and the cafe and aisles were buzzing and bustling with all manner of 'elites.' You know, those elderly elites, the middle age elites, the young people elites, the deaf elites, the child elites, the Latino elites, the black elites, male elites, female elites, business elites, and the always ubiquitous crunchy green elites. The store was full of these people who thought they were better than everyone! Who do they think they were? Maybe they are people who care about nutrition, good health, and feeling great, and do not want the pesticides, fungicides, hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, toxins, GMO's, and various poisons that are found in most processed foods. I suspect they would like to eat produce that does not come from 1500 miles away, that was picked way before it was ripe, and fumigated with gases to make it look the proper natural color.

Yes it's true the people who care about their health are now 'name-called' as "elitist" and "snobs,' in order to keep the other uninformed citizens the sick sad recipients of the detrimental consequences of GMO's and chemically laden processed foods. What I really saw in that natural foods store was a cross section of America, a diverse crowd of friendly happy people of every economic strata.  Stopping by the food chain Wegman's afterwards, to pick up a few additional "organic" items, my husband jokingly said,"Wegman's must be the gateway drug to the elitist natural food store!" 

The most recent attack on the good people of America came from a familiar face, and is disappointingly someone that is supposed to be a proponent of good health. Dr. Mehmet Oz, whose television show reaches 3.5 million viewers daily certainly has a lot of clout reaching the public with his "opinions" about health. Yet it was he who just wrote an article for the December 3rd 2012 issue of Time magazine promoting the "name calling" of everyday Americans like myself, who buy locally grown and organic products. You can read the Time magazine article on their website in its entirety if you are a subscriber, It is called: "What To Eat Now - The Anti-Food-Snob Diet." In this article, Dr. Oz used a common underhanded divisive political tactic... class warfare. Calling those who eat organic or local as part of the snobby 1%, and the supermarket industrial eaters are the everyday 99%. Did you pick up the reference to the occupy movement in a twisted mirroring attack. Upside down and backwards. Dr Oz's condescending remarks were actually surprising considering his own personal lifestyle and diet choices. He has stated while talking about his own family that, “The foods that we eat right now tend to be foods that come out of the ground looking just the way they look when I eat them. They’re unadulterated, they’re real foods. I try to eat them raw if I can.” I have noticed that Dr. Oz promotes mixed messages both in his writings and his show. So back to the Time magazine article because I would like to respond to a few assumptions and statements from my elitist locavore snob point of view.

Keep in mind the quote from Dr. Oz above while reading this new quote from him. "...Somewhere...a farmer's market is selling fresh, organic leaf spinach that might have been sprouted from the soil an hour ago. This we are told by any number of glossy cookbooks, TV cooking shows, food snobs and long-winded restaurant menus, is how we are supposed to eat now." Pay attention to the language and the words used to infer a certain connotation. He then goes on to name-call fresh or organic food, "Boutique foods" and "just not very democratic." Really. Sounds like a political word even with a lower case "d". Does Dr. Oz even mention that many of those less expensive supermarket foods and multi-national companies that create mass produced processed foods and GMO crops get huge government subsidies, and that is why they are actually so cheap? Also it's the mono-culture farming techniques that create cheaper foods as well. Hmmmm no. The next political statement used is about not having to eat like the 1% (like him?) to be healthy, and that the diet of the 99% "can" be good for you. The catch phrases : 1%, 99%, and 'elite organic diets' are all used in the same small paragraph. Are you seeing a trend here? The occupy movement of the common people is being used to represent corporate America? I for one can see right through that shameless tactic. I am not buying that the very people who protest companies like Monsanto, which just spent 8 million dollars spreading their lies about GMO's during the Prop 37 campaign in California, are now only interested in eating 'cheap convenient' pesticide and GMO laden foods.

Dr. Oz suggests we "Give (frozen) Peas a Chance" Well yes Dr. Oz, as an elitist healthy eater, I do buy frozen vegetables and frozen berries too, but I do make sure they are organic. Am I so much better than everyone else? No. I am just not interested in the pesticides that are used in the old standard industrial choices. If you cannot get fresh organic produce, we know frozen is the next best thing. And yes, 'The Queen's Table Blog' always recommends reading the labels of every product, whether it is organic or not. If the label is a long list of additives, sodium, chemicals, MSG, sugars etc. you just do not buy it. Keep it simple when it comes to product ingredients is the rule.

Dr Oz did not address the reason to skip the organic processed foods because some of the brands are fronts for multi-nationals like Kraft and Coca-Cola, or that the regulations on small farmers make the term organic a thorn in the side to some local sustainable operations. No Dr. Oz was just pushing and disseminating a divisive name-calling disinformation agenda, meant to confuse the public or keep them ignorant. So to address this just a wee bit... Do you realize how many Multi-nationals now hide behind organic/natural looking companies? There is much to learn about that situation. Here are a few processed food companies I would not purchase anything from, even when they are in the natural food stores, or on the organic section shelves. I would suggest you consider a boycott of these fake-out brands below as well. Many are familiar names that have been bought out by the major players in the industrialized food and agriculture business.

Fake Out Brands That Support GMO Foods

Cascadian Farms

Muir Glen

Lara Bar 

Honest Tea

Naked Juice

Odwalla

Kashi

Gardenburger

Horizon Organic

Ben and Jerrys

Silk

Similac

Morningstar Farms

French Meadow

Bear Naked

RW Knudson 

Lightlife

Alexia

Back To Nature

Santa Cruz Organic 

Green and Black

Imagine

Rice Dream

Arrowhead Mills

Boca Foods

We must be vigilant about the fakers and the those who are supporters of GMO foods.

Now to the subject of canned foods being just as good as fresh...Really? Oh c'mon that darkish grayish flavorless green bean in the can is the same as the bright fresh green bean or even the steamed option? I am laughing at the silliness. 

I am into nutrient density and the availability of the most enzymes available to my cells. My vibrant good health and loss of 60 pounds this year is the result of that focus, and change in my diet... so fresh organic is always my first choice. In reality do we ever buy canned items? Yes we do. I do buy a few beans and soups in cans, but only those stated to be organic, not to contain GMOs, and lined with pba free materials. I mostly buy beans dried, prefer buying soup in boxes more often than cans, and my  processed organic tomato products are always purchased in glass jars only! Most weeks I make my soup from scratch using my organic and local grown vegetables. We don't walk through any food store aisles putting items in our carts willy nilly just because they are labeled organic. You do not turn over your good sense to any corporate entity. Let's get real about shopping smart in any store situation. Even at Farmers Markets you have to ask questions as to the sustainable practices the farmer follows. Oh there goes my elitist snob attitude again.

Dr. Oz posts a list of industrial supermarket products that he feels are better, or "winners," instead of buying organic. In his article these are presented as some kind of quick proof that organic choices are worthless, or a just a lowly "tie" in some comparison circumstances. So the message  here is to save your money and buy the old brands you grew up buying. Our good ole' TV celebrity Dr. Oz claims regular honey is a winner. Well apparently Dr. Oz is way behind in his research. Just read my blog post titled "Honey Isn't Honey... Honey" for the dirty low down on that industry. He then admits more chemicals are used to extract supermarket olive oil, and also claims an egg is an egg! I laugh in your general direction! If chickens are fed GMO grains as their food, you are then the recipient of GMOs in your body. Have you ever seen the big fat orange yolk of a chicken that eats weeds? No comparison. Here is a short post about the nutritional differences of store bought vs. pastured chicken eggs from Polyface farm. Then Dr. Oz basically says supermarket milk may contain hormones and antibiotics, but who cares, it's cheaper so buy it! After all he keeps touting that saving money is far more important than any health concerns! He didn't even mention the pus. How forgetful. As a heart doctor why isn't he telling people not to ingest oils, sugars, mercury, and dairy anyway? I wonder. No thank you for your advice Dr. Oz, and I say that in my most snooty elitist voice! 



Above is a video of Michael Pollan giving an overview of what not to eat, beginning with anything advertised, including feedlot meats. So let's not leave out the Dr.Oz doublespeak about feedlot meats. Dr. Oz agrees that these animals contain antibiotics, hormones, and common things like ecoli bacteria, but he says if you don't care about these sort of things, just go ahead and eat the feedlot meat. It's cheaper! Oh yea! He also uses the code words "meat boutiques and high-end butchers" to make sure you read "elitist" into his words. Dr. Oz out and out lies about there being no nutritional difference between feedlot and grass fed pastured meats. I may no longer eat meat and dairy, (because I had a breast cancer diagnosis this year and those foods contribute to cancer cells), but I sure as heck would like my meat eating friends to choose the healthiest leaner versions of this animal product, and that is not feedlot or mass produced meat. Holy major food borne illness outbreaks! Dr Oz says the supermarket burgers are fine if you grill them. Please people, get your meats from a local farm where your burger is not made of a thousand diseased cows. It tastes better too. Try some elitist Bison burgers.

I recently decided to watch an episode of The Dr. Oz Show online called "Has This Doctor Found The Fountain Of Youth?" at the Dr. Oz website. This featured an interview with Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Seen in many of my favorite food documentaries, Dr Fuhrman is a well known believer that nutrition equals health, and that the 'quality' of what you eat does matter. I enjoyed the little snippets of information that Dr. Fuhrman was able to get across in those short TV segments. What I found really disturbing was in the following segments that Dr. Oz did called, "Eating Right For Your Metabolism." The shows message changes from Dr. Fuhrman's great vegetable, fruit, nuts, seeds, nutrient dense based food pyramid, over to Dr. Oz's motherload of carbs, dairy, meats, and white looking foods. Where is the healthy rainbow of veggies and fruits that was just talked about in the previous segment with Dr. Joel Fuhrman? Gone! What a way to confuse the public! You need to watch the segments for your self with Dr. Fuhrman and then the following segments with Dr. Oz, on this page of Dr. Oz video episodes.

These mixed signals seem to be a trend with Dr. Oz's message. For me, since he jumps all over the place on what 'flavor of the moment' he is recommending, he is not a credible source of health or food information. Dr. Oz is entertainment that people mistake for information. Media driven advertising... advertising driven media. Not the place to learn.  For the other side of this issue, a must read is from 'The Cornucopia Institute' (They promote justice for small scale family sized farming and information about organic foods and agriculture). Their article is called "Organic: Food Justice for the 99% " which goes over the Time Magazine Article point by point with their response to Dr. Oz and Time magazine. Here is an short excerpt from that excellent article: 

"First, we must set the record straight. Scientific studies show that milk from pastured cows contains higher levels of beneficial fats. Beef from grass-fed cattle and eggs from pastured hens are lower in cholesterol and saturated fat and higher in healthy omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamins A and E. Organic strawberries and tomatoes contain more healthy antioxidants. These are all undisputed facts laid out in a myriad of published, peer-reviewed scientific papers."

The next articles you should read comes from Mike Adams, The Health Ranger, who is well known in food, health, and nutrition circles because of his website "Natural News." A quote from his email alert:

"Dr. Oz, always a corporate shill for Big Pharma, has now gone off the deep end on organics. In a new TIME Magazine article, he has attacked organic consumers as "snooty" and "elitist" while cheering the benefits of feedlot beef, pesticide-laden foods and conventional agriculture (grown with GMOs). Here are the shocking details of Dr. Oz's total betrayal of the organic community and his embracing of Monsanto, DuPont, Bayer and Big Ag giants."  

Read Mike Adams opinion article here. I especially love his Update of questions for Dr. Oz in order to respond to criticisms of the Time magazine piece. My thoughts too Mike!

Here is a link to 'The Morning Joe' show on MSNBC, where Time magazine has taken the "99% diet" as they so smugly named their message, on the road, and is promoting the article nationwide. The Time Magazine managing editor 'pretends' it's so difficult to even 'say' the word "locavore," poor guy is only a lowly managing editor after all, and words are just so hard to comprehend and pronounce. Note: this story is only during first half of the linked video. Additionally those on the panel of taking heads just had to promote the "Oh we cannot feed the world with this type of sustainable organic farming" line again. Oh my! Yes, the only solution is we just need to eat the GMOs and spread the chemicals of Monsanto around the world, to help the poor. I will put a little video at the bottom of this post explaining that lie that is attached to every conversation about growing foods without chemicals, toxins and GMO's. 

Too bad you are not one of Dr. Oz's family members, as they are eating mostly raw vegetarian meals grown locally. Did you know that his wife Lisa Oz was part of the anti-GMO documentary, "Genetic Roulette?". Hmmm what's up? I guess only the real wealthy elite are 'allowed' to eat in a healthy manner. Do not pay attention that Dr. Oz promotes double-speak. So do not eat like 'his family' you 99%, just get back into those aisles of the supermarket and enjoy the music.

Wouldn't it be nice to commend those people who really are being proactive about their health and nutrition no matter what strata of society they are labeled? You have to ask why these talking heads feel the need to degrade people who are taking charge of their good health. This is even in the face of convenient junk and fast foods constantly being advertised in the most appealing psychological ways possible. Yet, these same media people will talk incessantly about how fat and lazy the 99% is these days. Oh yeah it's double speak and industry driven. Well how big is the soda and snack aisle where you live? You know it's the entire length of the store here! That empty caloric chemically addictive stuff is soooooooo important. Same goes for those toxic GMO cereal aisles. A waste of space, that my elitist butt is happy not to visit any longer!

You can also go directly to the White House to get mixed messages about what constitutes healthy food. For instance Michele Obama touts the importance of eating healthy and makes sure her family is fed only organic foods. Yes it's the lovely organic garden outside of the White House vs. President Obama quietly filling the FDA and USDA with Monsanto people. Well isn't this the usual doublespeak you get from politicians anyway? Yes, seems it's the rule that corporations, lobbyists, and investors come first, before our good health and truth. Read this eye opening article by Jon Rappoport about the first family's food smokescreen.

Since we had Dr. Oz reaching million of women a day... whom is the other demographic to go after in the population? I believe it's the young and middle age adults. Keep them all ill, and ill informed. If you can handle the constant f-bombs, try to find an episode from Penn and Teller's show called "Bullshit" about organic food. Perhaps the real name of this show should be as my spellchecker created ... "BullshiLL." Are we to believe a show like this has real science? Real experts? Oh brother! Now that really is BS! Penn and Teller are in the business of deception, so who better to be the shill of multinational Big Ag corporations, that much should be obvious. 

Penn and Teller present their first transparent name-calling in the form of a young couple that represent the hippie stereotype of people who would eat organic. Personally we think these are actors playing a part. If they are real people, they were chosen because they seem very airy and unusual. They present the choice to eat in a healthy manner as something crunchy green stupid people do because they are suckers who believe anything looney. Since the majority of people who choose local and organic foods do not look or act like this, this should be a big red flag. People who research food information, and see the correlation between nutrition and health, are actually "in my biased opinion" intelligent people. The message in this show is quite transparent. Let's look at who they provide as their 'experts' on the subject of organic food.

First expert: Alex Avery, Food Policy Analyst, The Center For Global Food Issues at the The Hudson Institute. Here is a list of the companies supporting this Hudson Institute. 

* Ag Processing Inc     
* American Crop Protection Association     
* American Cyanamid
* Archer Daniels Midland     
* Cargill     
* Ciba-Geigy
* ConAgra Foods     
* Conrad Black     
* CropLife International
* DowElanco     
* DuPont     
* Eli Lilly and Company
* Exxon Mobil     
* Fannie Mae     
* General Electric Fund
* Heinz     
* IBM    
* Lilly Endowment
* McDonald's    
* Merck     
* Microsoft
* Monsanto     
* National Agricultural Chemical Association     
* Nichols-Dezenhall Communications Management Group
* Novartis     
* PayPal     
* PhRMA
* PriceWaterhouseCoopers     
* Procter & Gamble    
* Sunkist Growers
* Syngenta Crop Protection     
* United Agri Products     
* Westfield Corporation

I think that list above says enough about that so called "expert" on organic farming.

Next expert: Ronald Bailey of Reason Magazine. In his bio he is touted as one of the personalities that has most significantly contributed to the biotech industry. He produced the TV shows 'Think Tank' and 'Techno Politics'. Hmmm. I suppose he would be a sour puss on Organics and non-GMO foods then. Sorry, but I don't believe the American Cancer Institute as a "fact based" source either. As a person diagnosed with cancer this year don't even get me started on the 'business of cancer.'

Here are a few of their false arguments against organic: 

All farmers use pesticides, and organic farmers use quite a number of pesticides and some of them quite toxic. Today's pesticides that corporate industrial factory farmers use are so much safer.

Really? Well I KNOW my personal local CSA farmer does NOT use pesticides at all. Plus that is also why you limit the number of processed foods you purchase even if they are organic, because we are not there watching over them.

People who buy organics do not pay attention to the big manufactures of Organic products in the marketplace.

Wrong. See my comments in the Dr. Oz area above about that subject Mr. "Assume." Plus we are well aware of the various levels of organic labels such as 100% vs. 70%, or that the product is made with some organic ingredients. That is why it is always best when buying any processed food to keep the ingredient list simple. Best to buy real whole foods.

People who buy organics eat food from China.

Would I trust an organic food grown in China? No I would not! I always read any label even if it says organic. Actually the stores we choose DO list the point of origin of produce, and often the name of the farm too. Just look at the produce tag it will tell you what state it comes from for goodness sake. That is why buying local is best!

People who buy Organics are stupid hippies.
No, they are everyone, and they have to be intelligent enough to see through standard propaganda and mind control techniques that multinational interests have used on a culture for generations.

We would not be able to feed the world....blah blah blah without our chemicals and GMO technology.

It always eventually comes to the world domination of food plan in the chemical manufacturers' scheme doesn't it? Do you really believe they care about poor people around the world? Just research what happens when they muscle their way into countries. Then they pull out the line, "You just don't care about the billions of people who will die if we don't do this chemical proprietary agriculture." Do those chemical companies care about all the people who are dying from them taking over foreign farming as we speak? No.

It's elitist!

Oh there is that fake front man for Monsanto and friends again, talking about those of us who choose local and organic: "There is a political cache to it. I am purer than thou... blah blah blah..." Really? Really? It's that elitist name-calling tactic brought out again, and again.

I admit I may be a bit biased toward organic and fresh local food, because I actually have become much healthier from changing my food quality this past year. Also you should also know that I don't drink coffee, and I don't eat pesticides daily if I can avoid them! So how can I know anything? I only have my personal results. Call me elitist all you want but, I am not interested in the "food-like-stuffs" from dudes in white lab coats. Check out my post on how they got you to eat more cheese on everything, and overdose on fat, sugar and salt products here.

Do your own food research, and do not get it from celebrity TV people, television shows, or ads. Make extra sure it is not coming from fake deceptive front group propaganda experts, or paid scientists either. Get it from people who tell you who they represent, and who use actual unbiased scientific findings. Not science rigged so the outcome represents what the seller and a corporation wants it to look like. Oh what a concept. 

I prefer to get my food information from various sources, and that includes doctors like Dr. Joel Fuhrman, who keep on point with the good nutrition message every time you see them, read them, or go to their websites. Check out the many links and the various documentaries on my Inspiration page, my Reference page, and my Rabbit Hole pages above.

On the Penn and Teller show in the beginning of the full episode they do their slimy fake farmer routine supporting the Big Ag pesticide myth about "feeding the world." Well here is another perspective on that feed the world BS below. Try to keep in mind it is really about chemical companies selling chemicals, and food for profit. Their food plan is not about healthy options, or helping the poor third world countries.



You can read the Food Myths companion guide here.

There is much research on the internet about the corporate control of the food regulatory agencies like the FDA and the USDA. They are being run by the multinational corporations with a huge focus on Monsanto's agenda. Those are the facts. I have documentaries on my Inspiration and Rabbit Hole pages that discuss this problem in length, especially in the Monsanto documentary. Which industries get special treatment from the FDA and the USDA? Who gets subsidized? Who reaps the benefits of the Farm Bill? What and whose food products are affected? The answers are why bad food is cheap. They certainly do not support the small local farmer who is trying to grow you healthy safe food! They make it as difficult as possible with regulations for the small guy, not the big guys. They eat them up, run them out of existence, ruin their lives until they can absorb them. They want to control all the food and seeds of the world, and they do not like you growing your own healthy food either!  Mega corporations like JPMorgan, Coca Cola, Kraft and The Corn Refiners of America, plus many others, support flawed farm bills and unhealthy SNAP legislation. They actually make billions directly just through the Snap food stamp program alone. The USDA SNAP program actually promotes unhealthy manufactured products. In reality it serves these corporate giants to keep the real 99% and especially the poor people ill and diseased. The real elitist 1% industries and banks who receive the real government welfare that is counted in trillions, feels we deserve to eat cheap junk processed food stuffs, and stay sick. This is because that helps their investments in chemicals, fertilizers, GMO crops, and pharmaceuticals.  It is that simple. Feeding the world is a crock of real BS. They have done nothing but ruin many countries. Look into the suicide rate by farmers in India in recent years.

When it comes to our food, the system is set up as an inside job for industry and their investors. No matter what side of the political fence you sit, this current food system is not in your best interest or health. THAT is why I eat local, fresh and organic. And I stay far away from that fake illusionary political fence, where neither party has any interest of doing anything with integrity. It is all about their kickbacks, lobbyists, lawyers, and their immense insatiable greed. Keep a look out for the lies, the deceptions, the misinformation, and the spin, that is meant to keep the real 99% fat, sick, and nearly dead. Eggs are eggs, milk is milk? Well Monsanto is Monsanto. Greed is greed. I am not buying what they are selling. I am the 99%. Happy shopping! Support your local farmer, and the producers of real healthy foods!

Isn't it funny how deciding to eat food the way our ancestors ate is seen as the weirdo thing to do? Before the industrialized and chemical age people actually ate food from their home gardens. Call me all the names that make you feel better, although I have found that perhaps it is not a good idea to blindly turn your life over to corporations if you intend to live a long and healthy life. In this modern age I believe in the right to know where our food comes from, and what exactly is in processed products, or on real looking foods. That includes knowing if my food contains GMO's or pesticides. This is so we can make informed decisions about the foods we are eating everyday. It does affect our health in a major way, as well as the health of the farm workers, and the farmers involved. Yes food matters! When we wake up to the corporate Matrix of the fake food illusion we will become healthier. Funny how that works! Take the control of your life and health away from the predatory chemical corporations who have been making us sick. Being healthier will help you to lead a happier vibrant life and able to fully enjoy the world around you. Don't give up! Keep spreading the word! 'The Queen's Table' supports you in your quest for knowledge and health. Please use my tab pages above this post to learn more, and start feeling better! Thanks for all your positive feedback! I love hearing your inspiring stories of success by changing the quality of your food choices to organic or home grown! Be happy. Be healthy. Be peace.



You can follow the further adventures of 'The Meatrix' series in the links below. 

Meatrix II         Meatrix II 1/2

Well it's time for dinner at my groovy little hippy elitist home, and I am off to dine on my healthy elitist boutique snob-diet food. Tonight it's homemade vegetable soup, loaded with all organic vegetables and hulled barley grains, that I soaked myself. Served with a side salad of fresh organic produce, along with a green veggie juice. Yeah... that's how this healthier elitist continues to roll baby! Snoot snoot.

Update: Read my related article about White House pushing Subway as "Healthy!"
Related posts from other bloggers:
Natural Living Mama "Are You A Food Snob?"
Shows that Dr.Oz just weeks ago said that pesticides are dangerous for your children.
Natures Nurture "Dear Dr. Oz Why Are You Attacking Organic Food?"
More examples of Dr. Oz promoting organic foods before he flip flopped.