Are you having issues with your ears or hearing now?

I must admit, this happened to me as well.

Turns out, I cannot eat as much ice cream, soy ice cream, coconut ice cream, and cold beverages as I want, and do just fine.

Started out with a little earache, then a little crinkle, then BOOM–I lost half my hearing in my right ear, and it feels like there is a wetness in there. Some pressure, and ringing, pain only when I push on it. But almost impossible to have a conversation!

What to do? Plenty of things, but most importantly, don’t rush to the doctor. Try it at home for a week:

1. Eliminate all cold foods, they weaken the kidneys (related to the ears). This includes ice cream, iced beverages, and super cold foods. If you want to cool down, jump into water, or use compresses, or AC instead.

2. Eliminate fruit juice, soda, alcohol, sugary snacks, and non-organic raw foods such as lettuce, strawberries, tomatos, peppers, bananas and mangos. Also reduce hard foods such as crackers, barbecued foods and hard-boiled or fried or baked eggs.

3. Boil some brown rice one day, and buckwheat the next. Eat for 1-2 meals, and eat Soba noodles as well. Avoid semolina (regular pasta) and other white flours. Also eat plenty of beans, especially azuki, garbanzo, black soy, and mung. Miso soup and sea vegetables and shiitakes are also good.

4. Use grapefruit oil drops, or sesame oil, or a natural ear wax softener, and an ear syringe to remove wax buildup. Give this a few days, and be gentle.

5. Get plenty of sleep, and sing fun songs every day. Do not listen to heavy rock or other loud music, and avoid loud noises.

Other ideas such as ginger compresses and kidney drink are very beneficial. Call me at 508-333-4153 for assistance.

Good luck!!

4.

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Life On Cape Cod

Awoke at 5:45 in our beachfront cabin in Dennisport today. A beautiful day, although it is raining.

Had a nice walk along the beach, and did my affirmations and do-in.

We had ice cream after a healthy dinner last night.

The wife is making coffee. I am making miso soup.

Then, we wake the kids and make our way to Provincetown for the day.

I love my life. This week on Cape Cod.

All my best to you today.

 

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Crazy Night, Meet Mellow Morning

Greetings! The weekend is a wonderful thing, eh?

Like most of you, I took the opportunity on Friday night to be festive, i.e. to overindulge with food. First go around, I had a small plate of veggie lasagna (yes, it had cheese; but I was at my daughter’s shabbaton, a special one-a-year celebration at the synagogue; and this was the healthiest choice). A couple of tater tots, some rice pilaf and a cup of water were all fine. If only it had stopped there.

For whatever reason (I’d like to think it was because I had the stress of “behaving” and being polite to some of the least enlightened people I can think of), it was enough, and when they said we could go back for seconds, I got a fish stick, more tater tots, a small piece of (farmraised) salmon, and some apple juice (I wanted cola, but even in my weak state, I’m not going to put high fructose corn syrup into my body) and enjoyed every bite. Dayenu.

If only I had known the education program (on Israel’s “seven species”) also included tasting such foods as: barley beer, almonds, olives, chocolate covered pomegranite seeds, and fig newtons, I might not have overdone myself at dinner. Suffice it to say I was was overstuffed Jew by 8:30.

But by the grace of the universe, the sun also rises. I slept until 7:40, did ten minutes of do-in, stretches, breathing and affirmations, and I was motivated to take care of my body. Here’s what I went on to do:

1. Feed the cat and turn on the turtle light
2. Make miso soup: fill a small pot with water, add wakame flakes, turn on to boil. Chop some
scallions and collard greens, and mix a teaspoon each of white miso and chick pea miso (remember, I’m
trying to stay light, not be hardcore healing like I would with barley miso; it’s even called “mellow white miso”) 3. Take out yesterday’s rice, add a few drops of water and put on low heat.
4. Go outside and get the newspaper, doing a few more stretches and loosening up my liver with a few taps.
5. Back to the soup. Grab some warm water from the pot to create a miso slurry, add in the veggies to boil gently for one minute, add in the slurry and turn off after one minute. 6. Set the table.
7. Ring the bell.
8. Enjoy a wonderful breakfast with my darling wife and my amazing teenage son, while my ten-year-old daughter wakes up among good friends.

One mellow morning, resulting in a great day.

(message here–give yourself regular healthy habits, and they can make a big difference)

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Some Days You Know…

Today I woke up and knew I had to eat light.

I had trouble getting out of bed–three days in a row eating potato latkes might have contributed.

So here’s my plan…

1) Get plenty of fresh air and exercise
2) Eat lightly, and chew very well–brown rice, cooked veggies and soup only
3) Stay away from things I like and have been eating lately, such as bread, crackers, nuts Don’t eat standing up, or between meals
4) Have some hot carrot juice to stay relaxed about 3pm
5) Meditate on how lucky I am to have so many great people in my life

Tomorrow, I’ll probably go back to eating more, if I’m up to it. My body knows what to do.

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My Sabbath…

Today I’m relaxing in my own special way…

-Homemade Corn Grits and Hearty Miso Soup for Breakfast

-Body Rub/Do-In/Walk in the Woods

-Yard Sale

-Lifting and Stretching at the Gym

-Home Decorating

-Listening To Rock & Roll

-Warm Carrot Juice for Me, Warm Apple Juice and S’mores for the Kids

-Hugs

Are you also relaxing today?

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Powerful Plant Foods

This morning, we had some leftover Kinpira with our miso soup and brown rice. Besides being delicious,

kinpira is very strengthening. Sort of like an sausage egg mcmuffin, but without the cancer-causing pesticides,

anger from the pig and chicken, and pancreas-crushing yang energy.

Kinpira is usually made with matchsticks of carrot and burdock root, sauteed in sesame oil then simmered in water,

with a dash of shoyu and some ginger juice. Today’s batch included some rutabega, which I love. With the energy

from this dish, I can accomplish the planning, writing, communicating and assisting friends, family and clients, at least

until lunch, with no suffering.

 

If you want to learn more, get in touch at david@kaganmedia.net

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Taking A Day Off

Yesterday, my mother-in-law Mary Rosen finally passed away, after almost 20 years with Parkinsons. We are very thankful that we got to say goodbye, although being without her is difficult to imagine.

Although her life was very difficult for 10 of those 20 years, she never once complained. She was always unselfish, thinking about those around her quick to make a funny comment or helpful suggestion.

Today I’m going to eat lightly in her honor, and to prepare for the possibility of eating some of the salty and protein-rich foods typically found at any jewish shiva.

Here’s an example of what I might eat when I’m on a healing diet…small amounts, chewed very well:

Breakfast

-Miso Soup

-Brown Rice

 

Lunch

-Sweet Vegetable Drink (no-sodium broth made from sweet organic vegetables, ask me for the recipe)

 

Dinner

-Fried brown rice w/veggies (use a small amount of sesame oil, with tofu and veggies)

-kinpira (sauteed burdock root and carrot)

-shiitake tea

-pickle

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How I Wake Up Every Morning

The beautiful serenity of a good night’s rest can be quickly shattered by an alarm clock or an uptight spouse.

I have taken many classes in meditation, yoga, d0-in, and have developed a morning routine that works well for me. Here’s what I normally do…

1) Open the shade and window, and breathe in deeply while gazing at the rising sun in my woodsy backyard (I am lucky)

2) Sit up straight and breathe, then give myself a masssage from my head and face to my neck, shoulders, arms and hands, to my shakras (7 altogether), to my legs and feet.

3) Then I do a frog stretch, and a table with extension, then give myself a footrub, while breathing consciously.

4) Then I do hip flexors, jump up and do exercises for my shoulders with rubber bands, as I do my 12 line affirmation that I keep on the dresser.

5) After putting on breakfast (usually miso soup and rice, sometimes with sauteed veggies), I go outside to get the newspaper, and do more breathing, stretching, a little more do-in, and walk either a few paces or a full :15 (if I have time and kitchen coverage). Otherwise I do a nice walk in the woods a little later

6) Finally, I do a body rub (read The Great Life Diet for a full description, http://www.skyboard.net/greatlife/) before my shower, which opens up the pores, gives attention to my body, and helps get rid of dead skin.

All of this takes less than :40, but keeps me happy and healthy and motivated.

What is your morning exercise routine?

 

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A Typical Morning In The Kitchen

Our kids don’t always love it, but most mornings when we greet them in the kitch, it’s over a nice bowl of miso soup.

A large bowl for the parents, a small one for the kids, have a few sips and we’ll bring you some nice brown rice (and sauteed vegetables). Or, sometimes it’s barley, or millet, or oats, maybe even a melange of grains. We ask them to chew it well, and not to read while they eat, although my son is now addicted to reading the horoscopes and comics at some point in the am.

My wife usually adds a slice of steamed sourdough bread, with Earth Balance and tekka (a japanese condiment made from vegetables), or rice cheese. I would say that breakfast is a peaceful and nourishing event in our home, but it makes a great start for the day.

Does it sound Japanese? It is, really. We like it, but we love the results. Good health everyday, physical and emotional. We have things that bug us, but our bodies respond well.

Do we ever party? YES! Saturday my son had five friends over for a Super Smash Brothers (WII) competition, and we had chips and dips and homemade vegan cookies and brownies. It was a crazy good time. And guess what? Nobody is sick on Monday. What a revelation! Could even be a revolution if anyone is reading this.

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Neat Uses For Seaweed

At first (25 years ago), it seemed weird, but I was told seaweed was already in the cheese, yogurt, jello, cosmetics and so many other products we buy, I said “I’ll try it.” Now, I eat sea vegetables (sounds better, doesn’t it?) every day. You can do, and you should because it’s an easy way to keep your body happy, without drugs or doctors.

How do they work? Well, the scientific answer would take a long time, but the bottom line is they have a lot of well-balanced minerals, and when we were in the ocean, we came from this stuff. Now that we are on dry land, we should be eating more fish that comes from this stuff, but we don’t. We eat garbage, and fish that comes from pesticide swamps inland. Seaweed is also a beauty secret, it’s great for your skin and nails and hair.

If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, anemia, or joint problems, then seaweeds are for you.

What types should you consider?

Wakame-I buy this at Whole Foods usually, for about $8, and it lasts for 1-2 years. Every day, I make soup from scratch, using water, vegetables and miso. Most of the time I also add a few flakes of Wakame, which taste nice and make the soup prettier. I also add vegetables, beans, grains, tofu etc., always different, sometimes blended, takes just fifteen minutes. INCREDIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS FOR EVERY HUMAN.

Nori-I buy this (pretoasted) at Whole Foods too, for about $6, and it lasts about six months. About once per week, I shred a sheet and add it to soup, salad or stirfy, or even a sandwich or tortilla. A couple of times per month, I make rice balls (brown rice, vinegar, umeboshi plum, nori, sesame salt), and maybe once a month I make nori rolls (sushi without the fish). THIS STUFF TASTES GREAT, ALSO VERY GOOD FOR YOU.

Kombu-I get this at Whole Foods too, for about $9, and it lasts about six months. I use it to create soup stocks and sauces, but mostly to cook beans and grains (unless I’m using sea salt). It helps things cook faster, and has a hearty flavor. ALSO VERY GOOD FOR YOU.

Dulse-This is red seaweed, and yes, I get it at Whole Foods, for about $10, and it lasts 1-2 years. You can use it in soups, toast in and put in on salads or casseroles, and use it in stirfries etc. VERY YUMMY, ALSO GOOD FOR YOU.

Agar-This is also known as Kanten Flakes, and can be gotten at Asian markets, or online, or you guesssed it, at Whole Foods. $7 a packet, it only lasts me a couple of months. I use this to make fruit (or vegetable) kantens, usually desserts with apple juice and fruit. So delicious, and GOOD FOR YOU!

Arame-This I also get at Whole Foods, costs me $9, and it lasts for two years. It’s a bit fishy, I eat it because it’s good for me. Generally, I cook it with onions and sweet potatoes, but there are many recipes you can find. Because it’s strong, I only eat it about twice per month. YES, IT’S GOOD FOR YOU!

I hope that helps, please feel free to get in touch for any advice…

david@kaganmedia.net, or http://www./DavidsOrganic.com

 

 

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