A NEW EARTH

By now, you are bound to have heard about the free 10-week teleclass that is being offered by Oprah and Eckhert Tolle, based upon his book, "A New Earth". This is a great opportunity for anybody and everybody to participate. All you need is the book and a computer with an internet connection and most importantly, the desire to change your life for the better. You don't even need to leave your house to attend! If you were to take this class or a similar in-person seminar with Eckhart Tolle, you'd pay a lot of money. This valuable 10-week course is being offered free. Class begins on Monday, March 3rd. Haven't started reading yet? Not to worry. You have time. I haven't even reached page 100 yet myself. My sister recently told me that over 365,000 have registered. Want to be part of something huge? Want to start living your life in a way that brings you more satisfaction? Then I encourage you to consider being a part of this important, global event.

To register, go to Oprah's website by CLICKING HERE.

Winter Wonderland

If you live in the Northeast, you are probably experiencing a very snowy day. I live in Boston, where it has been snowing since dawn. The snow was light, but steady, until about 3:00 PM when it began falling more heavily, and as of 9:15 PM, the city is fully covered under a blanket of snow, approximately 7 inches thick and the snow continues to fall. As children, snow meant a possible day off from school and a chance to play outside, build snowmen, go sledding and maybe have a friendly snowball fight. In our younger days, we were excited at what this winter weather meant for us. As adults, however, the snow becomes an inconvenience; we all endure a longer and more stressful commute (whether you walk, drive, bike ride or use public transportation), we're assigned shoveling duty and for city dwellers who own a car, it can mean having to suddenly find something to do with your car, when the city declares a snow emergency and you have to move it off the road. Next time you find yourself feeling inconvenienced with the snow, slow down and appreciate it for it's beauty and it's wonder. Focus on it's positive attributes, instead of looking at how it may be negatively impacting you. This is Mother Nature at work and snow is winter's gift.

DailyOM has a great perspective on winter and reading this may help you appreciate this chilly season:

Stoking The Inner Fire: Turning Inward During Winter

In the depths of winter, we can forget that bare trees will once again be full with foliage, and grass and flowers hidden beneath a blanket of white or a deceptive covering of hardened earth will burst forth once again. While they slumber, nature is continuing its work at the center of each living thing. We can think of our blankets and warm clothes as similar protection—like the cocoon that surrounds a changing caterpillar—while we undergo our own inner transformational work. In the meantime, the lights that twinkle and the fires that warm us can serve to remind us of the flame of life that burns within us.

In order to stoke our inner flame, we can use the time indoors to focus our attention on our homes and families. We can become distracted by the world outside and forget that we need to nourish the lights that warm our hearts. Interacting at a soul level can be done by sharing stories from our hearts, doing projects together, dancing, or playing games. Devoting energy this way helps us build a stronger bond that will sustain us once the world allows us each to pursue our individual goals again.

Winter allows us to feed the flame in our own centers by reading or researching to nourish our dreams and plans for the future. This can mean catching up on all the quieter things we wanted to do but didn’t have time for, like reading books, watching movies, or listening to music. We may have set aside creative pursuits such as painting or writing that can be brought back to the center burner now. It is also a great time to do some journaling to look back on the year that has passed and perhaps the years before this one in preparation for forward motion in the coming year. Nature’s wisdom offers us opportunities to nourish our inner seeds of hope in preparation for our future, so let us enjoy the inner warmth and be grateful for it all.

Note: This appeared in DailyOM on January 9, 2008.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD

"The Future of Food" is an excellent documentary that I had the pleasure of seeing at The Brattle Theater back in October 2005. I now own the DVD. I highly recommend it and now viewing it is even easier; no DVD player or TV necessary. And no trip to the video store. But alas, you must have a computer and a good internet connection. Oh, and a subscription to Netflix is also in order! Thankfully, "The Future of Food" is available as a "Watch Now" option on Netflix. You can view it online, using your computer. As Netflix subscribers know, regardless of your plan, you now have unlimited access to watch as many movies on your computer, without awaiting for the DVD and without paying any additional fees. Why is "The Future of Food" so powerful? I have many reasons and most important is this: knowledge. Americans are very disconnected from their food. Convenience foods, pre-packaged and highly processed foods have unfortunately become the norm in the modern American lifestyle. People don't know where their food comes from and many of us accept this, when in fact, we should actually be very alarmed by it. If we don't know where our food comes from, how it is made and what it is, is it really safe and healthy to eat? If you're accustomed to reading food labels, surely you've seen ingredients and wondered what exactly they are; especially the plethora of chemical ingredients that are unfamiliar to the average person that are now so prevalent. And if you're not reading food labels? Start now. If you have a chronic condition, food allergies or sensitivities or digestive issues, you definitely need to read labels carefully so you can better manage your symptoms and to be in control of your health.

"The Future of Food" focuses on what is being done to our food supply, not just in America, but across the world. This affects not only our health, but also our global economy and of course, our natural environment. Essentially, it impacts EVERYTHING. One of the biggest threats (if not THE biggest) is Genetically Modified Organisms, known as GMOs. In America, GMOs are prevalent in our food supply. However, most Americans don't realize that, because it is not indicated on our food labels and it is rarely talked about by mainstream media. This lack of disclosure furthers the problem. Unlike the European Union and many other places, the FDA doesn't require labeling. In fact, they'd rather keep it mum. If you eat foods made by Kraft, General Mills , Hunt's, Betty Crocker, Kellogg's, Hershey's, Nestle, Coca Cola, Conagra, McCain, Lean Cuisine or thousands of others, you are consuming GMOs. Due to GMOs, most of the world's food supply is being controlled by only a few corporate conglomerates. This domination is not a good thing either.

For the health of yourself, your family and this planet, I urge you to get educated about food and a good place to start is the GMOs.

For an excellent brochure explaining GMOs and for an impressive, comprehensive Shopper's Guide, which details which foods do and don't contain GMOs, please CLICK HERE

For "The Future of Food" documentary website, please CLICK HERE

For further reading about GMOs, check out "Seeds of Deception" by Jeffrey Smith and "Stolen Harvest" by Vandana Shiva. There are many books regarding GMOs and these are two good ones to start with.

Interested in lobbying to get the FDA to listen to American's concerns about their food and truth-in-labeling? There are many organizations that can help you. Below, are two links to get you started:

THE CAMPAIGN
THE CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY

And finally, don't forget to log on to your Netflix account and queue up "The Future of Food".

Finally! A Raw, Vegan & Organic Restaurant in Boston!

As many of you may have already heard, Alissa Cohen will make history this month by opening Boston's first raw, vegan and organic restaurant. Set to open on the 13th, "Grezzo" (Italian for "raw") is located at 69 Prince Street in the historic North End. Grezzo plans on using local, seasonal ingredients whenever possible as well. This is a long overdue and very welcome entry into the Boston dining scene. Every time I got to New York I am blown away by all the various healthy eateries (organic, raw, vegan, vegetarian, locavore etc.) in all five boroughs. I always wondered why Boston couldn't host the same menagerie of these eclectic and yummy restaurants. Never been to a raw food restaurant? I encourage you to try it. And here is your chance! A little unsure of eating raw? Let me assure you, raw chocolate desserts are so yummy; so reward yourself after your meal (think of it as a little incentive). Let's support this new local venture; put a visit to Grezzo on your social calendar today! To see Grezzo's website and menu, CLICK HERE. For more information on chef/owner/raw food enthusiast Alissa Cohen, CLICK HERE. Remember:

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well,

if one has not dined well."

- Virginia Woolf