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Journal (The Ember Update)

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Thursday, May 25, 2006

"The cure for 1984 is 1776."

Effigy Burn Party Weekend

We had a party this past weekend. Visit my Effigy Burn Party Weekend travelogue (no, we didn't actually travel), view the slide-type presentation, or click on a photo below to see more:

Thursday, May 11

I've added three more photos to the bottom of the last entry (about Burners and Drug Policy Reformers).

Nutrition and Detox

I've started a whole body detoxification program, using First Cleanse by Renew Life. I decided to do this after mulling it over for the last year or more, talking to various people who've gone through detox efforts, a recent nutrition class, and finally hearing the experiences of a woman at the local health food store.

My friend Maddy pointed out that a detox program needs to be supported by—and followed up with—good nutrition.

The nutrition class taught us (among many other things):

• The four essential classes of nutrients/supplements one should take are probiotics, a multi-vitamin with minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids, and digestive enzymes.
• When you take supplements or medication, the body can most easily absorb the item in powder form (if available), next useful are capsules, and least useful are tablets (the binders can prevent the tablet from being fully utilized by the body, and you might poop it out).
• One should only select items from around the perimeter of your grocery store, where the real food may be found. The stuff on the shelves in the middle (mostly processed foods) are almost universally bad for you.
• The nutritional value of produce shipped from far away can often be lower than frozen veggies, so either buy local organic produce from a farmer's market or go with frozen as often as you can. Canned veggies are the worst.
• We consume and absorb less nutrition than our ancestors. We consume less because of the awful food many folks eat. We absorb less because of the toxins in our bodies, and bad food ingredients can actually interfere with absorption.
• Unfermented soy products are to be avoided (tofu, soy milk, etc., but miso and traditional soy sauce, or tamari, are okay). Surprised? Read The Whole Soy Story (I bought a copy last year) or try this online article. In January of this year, the American Heart Association reversed its former opinion, which had stated that soy lowered cholesterol and reversed heart disease. Among many possible downsides, like thyroid problems, emotional hyper-sensitivity, etc., soy formula can be really bad for babies (soy mimics estrogen, among other negatives).
• Vegetarianism is truly healthy if one puts appropriate effort into understanding and achieving quality balanced nutrition. Vegetarians need to avoid processed foods and unfermented soy too, and should strive for healthy eating that supplies the body everything it needs. Vegetarians still tend to live 7 years longer than meat eaters, but that could be for reasons related to — but not dictated by — strict vegetarianism.
• Either way, don't eat more than one card-deck-sized serving of meat a day, but be sure to get proteins in other ways at every meal (lack of enough protein can cause depression). Alternative balanced proteins can be found by eating a variety of healthfully prepared vegetables, fruits, nuts and beans.
• Consume antioxidants including vitamin A, C and E, and the minerals selenium and zync. Bioflavenoids and berries are recommended.
• Omega-3 fatty acids, from fish oil, ground flax seeds and other sources, are essential to good health (I now use both listed).
• Avoid chlorinated, fluoridated city water. How much water you consume each day should reflect your weight divided by two, in ounces. Water is used in the healthy maintenance of all parts of the body. I try to keep a water-filled glass bottle (decorated with a window sticker) with me at all times. You can also get water from other beverages (avoid sugary ones), soups, and other foods high in water (watermelon, grapes). Only use juices as flavorings.
• Fats should be eaten with every meal.
• At any meal, one should only eat as much as you can hold in your cupped hands. That's about the maximum size of your stomach. The Chinese believed one should only eat 'til you're 80% full. Stomach stapling to control food intake is terrible for the body (e.g., you absorb even less nutrition), and many folks restretch their stomachs after a few years.
• Get your carbohydrates (sugars) from plant sources. Refined sugars are high in free radicals, which accelerate aging and can lead to many health problems.
• Glutamine, an amino acid, is a supernutrient for weight loss, digestive health and immune power. (My mom is now taking this, I have to get some.)
• Nuts are extremely nutritious if prepared properly (soak in salt water overnight, then dry in a warm oven or dehydrator).

How do you really understand and put this kind of information to use? Try this excellent article: Know the Laws of Nutrition by Dr. Patrick Quillin.

A detox book I have lists the following as the best detox foods: apples, avocados, artichokes, beets, cruciferous vegetables, garlic, kiwi, prunes, seaweed and watercress. The following are also useful: alfalfa, asparagus, bananas, bran cereals (though my nutrition teacher cautioned about processed cereals), brazil nuts, carrots, eggs ... and tofu (but that's unfermented soy…). Don't forget WATER.

The nutrition class also included a "Quick Symptom Questionaire" which helps one understand why they may be experiencing the following symptoms: carbohydrate addiction, energy slumps, moodiness, or too much sugar, starch or caffeine. My results (of the eight possible) lay in depleted brain chemistry and possibly unbalanced hormones (I'm getting older). Nutritional solutions were provided. If anyone I know wants to take this questionaire, just ask.

There was also a sheet on "The Four False-Mood Types," which addressed low seratonin (our natural Prozac), low in catecholemines (our natural caffeine), low in GABA (our natural valium) and low in endorphins (our natural chocolate or heroin). Sufferers usually fall into just one of these categories (I may have low endorphins, but none of the conditions were very strong for me). Nutritional recommendations were provided. Again, ask if you want to see the sheet.

Finally, we were pointed to this article about Weston A. Price and diet as reflected by dental development in countries and cultures around the world. Very interesting reading!

I wonder if nutrition labels on products reflect the nutritive value of the ingredients before the item was processed, or the value when the product was packaged, or if it's supposed the be the value after you've cooked the food item. My guess it is NOT the third option. The way you cook something impacts how much nutrition is left (no or little cooking, like steaming, is best; microwaves apparently kill a lot of food value). If the value reflects the original ingredients before processing, that's a real gyp, since processing changes the nature of everything. I'll have to ask Kevin's sister-in-law about this, she works for the FDA.

I continue to work on having a better diet.

Thursday, May 4

Ha, ha, ha! My friend Skip just IMd me saying he'd typed "let's kill someone" (without quotes) into Google, and I came up as the second result … and he's right! (But watch out if you hire me, the "victim" might get a massage instead!)

Burners and Drug Policy Reformers

Troy Dayton is a compatriot of ours: both a Burner (a person who has attended Burning Man) and a drug policy reformer. We met Troy at an event in Baltimore last year called Flattery, but he was already familiar with my name through my work and the Balt-Wash Burner list. Troy is one of the principals in the Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative, and this party was his farewell, held at Rob Kampia (head of the Marijuana Policy Project) and Trina's place in Washington, DC. That's Rob (with Chuck) and Trina to the right. Sadly, I neglected to get a photo of Troy…

Troy is moving to Las Vegas for 6 months. Why? Nevada is on the cusp of making marijuana legal for adults, and a recent ballot initiative is polling 50/50. His time in NV will be spent working to persuade religious leaders to speak out in favor of the initiative. Per the party invitation, "It could provide the tipping point for the most significant drug policy reform victory in history." If you support this effort, please consider sponsoring the work Troy is doing by making a contribution to the IDPI, no matter how small.

Anyway, the party was lots of fun, and it was neat getting to finally meet Rob (who I'd previously seen speak at three conferences). Kevin and I brought friends along, Maddy and Ben (both Burners) and Louie (who wants to be), and we got to make a few new friends (hi Jenny!), plus visit with Steve Silverman and Scott Morgan from Flex Your Rights, and Chuck Thompson (head of the IDPI, pictured with Rob above … dude, you sure can belt out those Dead songs!).

I was also delighted to meet Brenda (Silver Raven), who is an accomplished fire spinner, a.k.a. poi (I have a photo of her spinning, from a newspaper article on the topic). Brenda is running the DC Fire Conclave performance group for this year's Burning Man, including two teams of poi spinners and five fire fan dancers, one stilt walker, one staff spinner, and one fire hooper (think hula hoop on fire). Kevin and I would both like to learn to spin poi this year, and while we couldn't perform any time soon, we've offered to be "fire safeties" in case the DC team needs safety help. Even if that doesn't work out, we look forward to seeing the performances at this year's Burn.

I also enjoyed meeting W--- (darn memory!), who has been the proud owner of no less than 7 art cars! We didn't get to talk long enough for me to really delve into the subject, but I gave him my card and hope he emails. I have a bunch of art car related topics I look forward to discussing.

I'll be adding at least a few more photos to this collection, of Kevin, Maddy, Ben, Louie and me, once I get the pic from Maddy (who just got a new camera, yay!) … [later] and here they are!

Cranio-Sacral

Following a referral from one of my massage therapy teachers, I had an appointment with Kelly Furgeson yesterday, a cranio-sacral massage therapist. The term Cranio-Sacral comes from two areas of the spine, the cranial vertebrae (the neck) and the sacral vertebrae (the fused vertebrae near the lower end of one's spine, just above the coccyx or "tail bone"), but generally refers to the "membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord." The purpose of this type of massage is to "release restrictions in the craniosacral system to improve the functioning of the central nervous system," thus enhancing the client's natural healing processes and bolstering resistance to disease. For more information on the uses and benefits (the list is topped by migraine headaches), see the Upledger Institute's web site.

At the start of our session we spoke about my physical history and Kelly examined my alignment as I stood. I believe I may have suffered some kind of head trauma between the time I was born and then adopted 20 months later. My reasoning results from various clues:

• When I had my deviated sceptum fixed in 1998 the surgeon asked if I'd experienced some trauma, for my condition wasn't natural
• As a child, the orthodontist wanted to break my jaw before proceeding with braces (I didn't let him). Dentists ever since have commented on my unusual crossbite.
• I began suffering from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo—an inner ear condition that can result from head trauma—in my mid-20s. Onset is usually in the mid-50s.

I also have more typical misalignment in my body. Nothing very serious, a slightly raised left shoulder and a twist forward, some atypical callouses on my right foot (revealing a problem with my gait), etc.

Beginning the session—during which I was fully clothed, sans socks, and lying supine—Kelly started by doing a standard contact hold on my feet, moved to my knees and then pelvis, gently pressed my hips, and proceeded up my center slowly, as if she was gradually pushing the energy up my spine. Everywhere she touched and held I experienced interesting sensations, from intense warmth to bubbles and jolts of energy. After working below my ribs for a little while, easing energy towards my head, I felt a lump appear in my heart area. Kelly commented that she'd just felt a release into my chest. Moving there, she continued to "squeeze" energy up, and I started to feel a great thickness gathering at my throat—as if the energy was trying to move into my head, but was being halted by my jaw. She kept working the area, gently trying to release the block (which she obviously sensed, we did almost no talking during the work). Only a little seemed to get through, and the manipulations she did on my head above my jaw left little impression on me, as if there wasn't much to work with (don't laugh!).

Moving behind my head, Kelly pressed/pulled at the ridge at the base of my cranium. Almost immediately I felt a lightness, floatiness, fullness in my hands, which were folded on my ribs. This also happened when she gently tugged at my ears. Another time, back at my knees, with one hand on a knee and the other on a hip, I felt a distinct sensation in my forehead, above and to the left of my nose, like a sharp line of pricklyness. Moving back down to my feet, I sensed the energy being pulled out of my right sole, as if it were a string.

After the very interesting session of sensations produced by her work on me, we talked some more. Kelly said that when it came to my throat, she felt as though there was only a straw letting a trickle of energy through into my head, and not much happened above my jaw. She identified my "power centers" as my stomach, or third chakra, and my throat, or fifth chakra. I recall from my visit with Shelly that we identified my throat chakra as an issue for me.

But the most interesting thing Kelly had to say to me was that she was really intrigued by the energy on the left side of my body, running from my shoulder, down my arm and to my hand. She sensed a man with dark facial hair and a turban standing next to me on that side, with his left hand resting on mine. Kelly was aware of this presence when I first arrived, but hadn't said anything then. She experienced this once before when a teacher she met, who (I think) was giving a lecture, presented Kelly with the impression that the woman had a guru standing with her. I was pretty surprised to hear this, and I remarked that I'd recently been reading Biography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, but had to return it to the library after the third renewal, before I was able to finish it.

Kelly is now going to lend me her copy of the book. And further, she's decided that she is going to treat me for free. Not just free yesterday, but free for some time to come. Part of me wanted to burst into tears at the offering of such a gift! This type of giving was an element of her training, where she and her fellow students were encouraged to pick a client or clients for whom to give free treatment as part of their continuing education and practice. I recognize the value in this type of gift, and will certainly pass it on when I'm ready and the right person appears.

So, if you've read this far, does this all sound like a bunch of hooey, or are you open?

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