The Natural Way Network
Newsletter
Editorial
I have been back from the USA for 2 weeks now and settled into the winter weather after those glorious Southern California beach days! Not that I had any time to go to the beach mind you… I think I walked past it once in the 7 weeks I was there!
It seems people are serious about getting healthy now that the economy is on a downward slide, people can simply not afford to be sick any more and buying your health in a bottle of supplements is clearly not working as the USA has more degenerative disease than any other country in the world, but they consume the most health supplements. So clearly supplements do not work… a healthy diet and lifestyle do however. It is so wonderful to meet people, who have been on The Natural Way for some time now, either from reading one of our books, attending a talk or doing the 100 days to health program.
Merrily and Jane organized an awesome weekend retreat in the mountains of Southern California and what a treat. This is the first time I have held a retreat with a small group of 12 (all we could manage in the accommodation arranged) and it was great! I got the opportunity to get to know everyone and make real connections and what an awesome bunch of girls! Many asked for a “couples retreat” with Mark and myself, so Kerri Wilder, who is married to a stunt man and lives in Malibu, offered her house. So who knows, if things work out we may do this in September or October. Contact merrilybright@yahoo.com if you want to get this going.
Can we do this in South Africa? I am working on it. It was so life changing as we spent the time together cooking, talking, walking, stretching and gave the girls a real feel of what it is like to live The Natural Way. Many have taken the DVD from our seminar on Perfect Health and hormones and run their own mini retreat at home for their family and friends, serving the food we made (most from Perfect Health book). They are reporting some amazing responses!
While on the retreat I showed the girls how to cook garbanzo beans (Chickpeas) and gluten free pastas in our vegetable stock powder. Since then I have been adding it to Polenta and the amazingly delicious new shipment of our brown rice. Man.. just a bowl of rice cooked with our veg stock and some extra virgin olive oil is a very satisfying meal – after your raw vegetables of course.
The garbanzos cook for 4-5 hours on a low temperature and reduce the water until almost gone. Then I cool and scoop into Ziplock bags (small ones so you don’t need an ice pick to break up 1 large lump). So make sure it is 1-2 cups per bag. Then I take out a pack every other day to make my hummus and allow it to thaw. Sometimes I forget and just plunge the bag of frozen beans into hot water, but even frozen it works! Saves a ton of money too!
Mary-Ann’s Hurried Hummus
1-2 cups garbanzo beans
1-2 tsp Mary-Ann’s Garlic & Herb salt
1-2 tsp ground cumin
1 bunch cilantro (coriander)
quarter cup tahini
half to one cup filtered water
juice of 1-2 medium lemons
Blend all ingredients excluding tahini, which you add when the garbanzos are smooth. Serve with raw vegetables or over salads or with anything, it is so delicious!
Hummus (a transliteration of the Arabic: حمّص; also spelled hamos, houmous, hommos, hommus, hummos, hummous or humus; see romanization of Arabic) is a Levantine Arab[1] dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. It is a popular food in various local forms throughout the Middle Eastern world and elsewhere.[2]
The pasta I am really enjoying is boiled in water with our vegetable stock, drained and tossed with sliced artichokes, diced red pepper and our Herb salt.
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School lunches
This month I want to take a look at what schools are serving as lunches and give you some ammunition to try and bring change to your kid’s school. The other alternative is to home school your children, that way you keep the junk out of their bodies as well as their minds. Lets face it school is the ideal place for brain washing and getting people to conform to the norm.
Dear Mary Ann
I am a 41yr old mom of 2 girls ages 2 and 5 who are just starting their journey through school and I am shocked and disgusted by the junk/preservative/colourant laiden fare they are offering at our school - Parklands College - private (same fees as Bishops) and I would guess most other SA schools. I have made a sincere, factual (with my limited knowledge) and motivated plea for healthier food but it has fallen on deaf ears and I was told, amongst other things, that I am the only one who has complained. South Africa seems to me to be years behind because it’s not just the school it’s also the other parents I am meeting - they look at me like I'm a freak when I say my kids don”t eat sweets - my kids think yoghurt and raisons are a treat. (I am also S.African but I spent 10yrs in the UK). The problem is also that my kids get exposed to all this junk food at school because what young child is going to choose raisons over smarties (which all their peers are eating).
So Mary Ann I beg you please sort SA school diets out - PLEASE BE OUR JAMIE OLIVER - I sit here angry and frustrated that I am so powerless to change mind sets but you can. I know you are very busy and I am not even sure if you will ever get to read this but I have got to try do something and I feel you are the only one with enough clout to make a difference .........or if you are to busy do you perhaps have any suggestions as to how I can move forward to prevent my kids (and others) from eating junk at school for the next 12 years?
I have just received our schools tuck shop menu which drove me to now sit down and write to you which I have been thinking of doing for over a year - (please see below) they think hot dogs and hamburgers are healthy! and thats besides the nik naks etc which is always on offer.
TREATS TUCK SHOP
(HEALTHY OPTIONS ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN RED)
Breakfast Menu:
Muffins R 4 / Scones R 5 / Pancakes R 7 / Toasted Cheese & Tomato R 9.50 / Toasted Cheese & Bacon R 12 / Toasted Bacon & Egg R 11
Tea Time / Lunch
Mondays
Product Sweet
Pies R 10 / Brownies R 4 / Pitas with assorted fillings / Beef Burgers MacD R 10
Chips MacD R 9 Small / R 12 Medium
Tuesdays
Pies R 10 / Donuts & Milk Tarts R 4 / Rolls with assorted fillings / Chicken Burgers R 10
Chips MacD R 9 Small / R 12 Medium
Wednesdays
Pizzas R 6 / Crunchies R 4 / Pies R 10 / Sandwiches with assorted fillings /
Toasted Cheese & Tomato R 9.50 / Toasted Chicken R 12.50 / Vetkoek
Thursdays
Pies R 10 / Cake R 7 / Wraps R 12 / Quiches(H) R 12 / Hot Dogs R 7
Fridays
Pizzas R 6 / Cupcakes R 4 / Pies R 10 / Wraps R 12 / Mini Pies R 4 /
Mini Sausage Rolls R 4 / Samoosas R 4
Please Mary-Ann, if there is anything you can do or suggest, please help.
I mean this is laughable.. the entire menu is not only acid-forming, it is extremely acid-forming as the foods are mostly animal protein, highly refined and or fried in oil! There is no way this menu could be considered remotely healthy. In case you are not sure what a “Vetkoek” is, it is a lump of white dough, fried in oil, much like a doughnut without the hole and then usually stuffed with minced beef or syrup and sugar. A “Samoosa” is made from white flour rolled into a thin dough and then folded over a curried meat or vegetable filling in a triangular form and then deep fried in oil.
Now the problem with this diet is that being acid forming it in no way helps anyone’s brain to work efficiently. It is alkaline forming foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables that increases mental abilities. The British research institute found that the more alkaline the environment in the brain the smarter the child. Now considering that this is a place of education and at that very expensive private education, it is rather shocking to see their choice of food.
One can only put this down to sheer ignorance or a calculated opportunity to slow down the children’s learning process so that 1) they don’t question you and 2) they repeat the year and so the school makes more money! I can honestly only assume that this is sheer ignorance the other two options are too crazy to contemplate!
Then on top of being acid forming the diet contains a large amount of heated fats and even in small quantities, heated fats prevent your body from using essential fatty acids. These fatty acids are essential to the development and growth of a child’s brain and body and are found in raw nuts and seeds, avocado, cold pressed vegetables oils, sweet corn on the cob and dark green leafy vegetables. Now you do not need to have a boring diet. There are snacks to meet these needs - an avocado sandwich or roll, a seed bar or carob and nut bar, even dry popped popcorn with olive oil and herb salt! Man they are not even trying!
Unfortunately we do live the age of the almighty buck and money seems to be the motivating factor, so rather than feed the children’s brains, the taste buds are tickled because then you sell more and that means more income from the school tuck shop for the school. Considering the fees of most private schools they should be embarrassed that they need to make a buck out of feeding their pupils junk.
On top of all of this they serve bacon and hotdog meat that both contain nitrites and nitrates, which are known carcinogenic substances i.e. they cause cancer! So they feed the kids meals that will make them stupid, retard their mental and physical development and discourage a healthy immune system. Sounds like they should be sued, not paid school fees!
Yours in health!
Mary-Ann
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