Jennifer Thompson » USA

How to Make Kombucha, a Naturally Fermented Health Drink

Jennifer — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 17:15:06 +0000

Kombucha is considered to be a health drink because it contains natural bacterias that can help replenish the bacterial balance in the colon. The kombucha itself is the yeast/bacteria combination which is formed into what is called a ‘SCOBY’ or Symbiotic Colony of Yeast and Bacteria. The SCOBY looks like a slimy pancake; some people refer to it as the ‘mother.’

GT Kombucha

The ‘mother’ kombucha culture is what is used to make your own kombucha batches at home, in the same way that people brew their own beer. The kombucha drink will also become ‘fizzy’ when fermented, but the alcohol content is extremely minimal.

You can start your own kombucha culture by buying a container of GT Kombucha Drink from any WholeFoods store. Drink enough of the liquid to leave about 1/4 inside the glass; leave out at room temperature with the cap off but covered in cloth. In about one week, you will see your very own SCOBY pancake floating on top and you are ready to start fermenting!

All of the details on how to make your own Kombucha at home are detailed in the above video, filmed at my friend’s organic farm in Maui, Hawaii. Here is a brief set of directions which I received when I purchased my SCOBY online through Dom’s Kefir Grains:

Directions for Kombucha:

1. Prepare tea with 4 teaspoons of conventional loose tea or 4 teabags in 4 cups of boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes. (Green tea, black tea or a combination is suitable).

2. Strain tea in an 8-cup glass jar and dissolve 1/3 cups sugar (either raw sugar or organic refined white sugar).

3. Let sweetened tea cool to room temperature, then pour kombucha ‘mother’ with the solution in which she was stored.

4. Place a clean cloth or paper napkin over the mouth of the jar and secure in place with an elastic rubber band.

5. Ferment, leaving undisturbed, for 7-12 days at room temperature range of 19C – 25C (66F – 79F).

6. Strain kombucha tea and repeat the whole process.

As for how much kombucha to drink daily to enjoy it’s health benefits, I would recommend about 1-2 cups per day or 250ml- 500ml daily. It’s a nice refreshing drink to enjoy on a hot day, and the natural bacteria will help with digestion and even can help stimulate the bowels, thus avoiding constipation. Kombucha can help lessen any overgrowth of candida and is good for anyone suffering from intestinal parasites. If you are addicted to pop or soft drinks, and are looking for a fizzy drink that is still considered healthy, kombucha is the drink for you.

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Jerry Hicks Has Cancer? Will Leukemia & Chemotherapy affect the future of Abraham-Hicks?

Jennifer — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:47:13 +0000

This week it’s been reported that Jerry Hicks, the husband of Esther Hicks, is currently undergoing ‘massive chemotherapy’ for leukemia. Esther Hicks is widely known as the Teacher of Abraham who channels his message and spreads the idea of Law of Attraction around the world. She teaches her followers to ‘get in alignment’ with what they want by the power of their thoughts. Esther explains that if they are not experiencing the life that they want, it is because they are thinking about what they don’t want and therefore attracting more of it.

The story was first reported in a blog called Kyra Speaks. Many of the Hicks-Abraham followers are up in arms over this news. For one, they can’t understand how, if everything Esther teaches is true, did Jerry get cancer in the first place. If you think about a positive healthy life then you should never attract something like cancer into your vibration, according to Esther. Second, her fans are upset that they went straight to chemotherapy and did not use this opportunity to stand up to the power of their teachings and actually put it to the test. People are also upset that the Hicks camp seem to be hiding the truth having mentioned a ‘spider bite’ as the reason for ‘massive chemotherapy.’

Personally, I love Esther Hicks and her ability to teach how our thoughts can create a reality. I often quote her in my Twitter and Facebook feeds. She has a way of telling stories which is so genuine and always seems to be the exact teaching that I need. Whether or not she is actually getting her information from Abraham doesn’t worry me so much; I still value her message and I think it can help a lot of people.

Does the Law of Attraction work?

As for Jerry, we don’t know what he was in vibrational alignment with and what his ‘vibrational escrow’ was. Perhaps he had an underlying fear of cancer or dying his whole life. Perhaps he felt tired of being in the shadow of his wife and was building negative energies around that. Certainly having cancer has given him attention – maybe he was lacking that in his life too. What we do know is that he is human and he could have any or all of those energies, even with a great teacher by his side.

What I do know about Esther Hicks is that she never talks about diet and the importance of food for one’s health. I have never heard her mention the need to do a physical detox or cleanse to clean toxins out of the body. She herself doesn’t have the ‘glow’ of health and vitality. Imagine if Esther Hicks ate a raw food diet and did regular colon cleansing – how powerful her vibrational alignment would be!

The lesson here is not to disregard the teachings of Abraham or to question the authenticity of Esther Hicks, but to understand how truly necessary it is to treat the mind, body and spirit.

We cannot heal just the mind alone and we cannot heal just the physical body alone.

Wayne Dyer, another well-known self-help advocate, announced in 2009 that he has chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

There is a lesson here for us folks! Do the work, yes…but also eat the right foods too!!

It would be a shame for someone to give up on the power of conscious thought just because of this. So stay in alignment with what you want – focus on it every day! And take care of your body too. Eat foods which are natural, whole and pure. Clean out the old built-up toxins and make way for a new healthy you!

Please note that this story has as of yet been unconfirmed by the Hicks-Abraham headquarters. Popular Posts:

Hidden Sources of MSG on Food Labels: Video Guide

Jennifer — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 15:23:56 +0000

Jennifer shows you how even so-called healthy and even organic foods can have hidden sources of MSG in them. MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a flavor enhancer that adds a salty, savory flavor to foods. In Europe and Australia, they call these additive ‘E numbers’ and MSG is E621. If you have an intolerance to MSG, you can experience migraine headaches and insomnia.

Some countries will list it as 621. But, did you know that food manufacturers can also legally ‘hide’ MSG in other ingredients, such as ‘yeast extract,’ ‘pea protein,’ ‘soy extract,’ ‘Vegetable Protein Extract,’ ‘Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP),’ ‘Autolyzed Yeast,’ ‘spices’ and even ‘natural flavorings’? If not, you need to see this video. Jennifer even finds MSG in a organic non-GMO chicken stock. Knowing the trickery in food labels can help you increase the quality of food you are buying instantaneously.Popular Posts:

Jennifer’s ‘Raw Foods for Success!’ Class in Philadelphia, PA

Jennifer — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 17:27:44 +0000

October 2010 found Jennifer in the USA visiting family and friends…and also sharing her love of detox, live raw vegan foods, fasting, juice, green smoothies and love with the local people of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She presented a workshop called ‘Raw Foods for Success – Finally!’ at the Essene Market & Cafe in Philadelphia.

In the class, she discussed many things including the importance of mental, emotional and spiritual focus and clarity on one’s healing journey. Hope you enjoy the clips – finally!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Raw Food Classes and Restaurants in Los Angeles

Jennifer — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 17:08:35 +0000

Los Angeles, California is the place for sun, beauty, beach, stars and fun….but did you also know it’s a great place to find raw food classes and eateries? On my recent trip to LA, I was amazed at the interest and enthusiasm over raw cuisine.

Raw Food Vegan Chef Blythe Metz is all over the LA scene offering FREE classes at various Whole Foods Markets – check out the Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Sherman Oaks locations for more details.

My friend and I joined the class one Saturday after yard-saling around LA, and we had so much fun! At the class, Blythe shows each recipe and then of course we get to taste the results

Our Raw Food Class featured:

Kale Salad and Kale Chips
Butternut Squash Soup (recipe below)
Raw Chili Chocolate Treats
Coconut Smoothie

Eventually, we were ready for a proper meal. In the afternoon, we went to Juliano’s Raw Food restaurant in Santa Monica called Planet Raw. I recommend order several dishes and sharing – that way you get to enjoy even more! Planet Raw claims to be the only raw food vegan restaurant in Los Angeles which is also all organic. Maybe that explains the high prices But it’s a treat and you’re worth it! My personal favorite was the Green Junkie Salad and the Mint Chocolate Shake for dessert – o.m.g. – it is so good!!!

There are plenty of other raw food eateries to explore in the LA area such as Leaf Organic, Mooi, Good Earth, Elf Cafe and Cru…and there seem to be more popping up all the time, and they need our business to stay in business…so let’s support the raw food vegan community – yeah!

Living Butternut Rosemary Soup Recipe

from Raw Food Class at WholeFoods in LA with Blythe Metz

2 young green coconuts – water and flesh
1 cup cubed fresh butternut squash
1 Tbsp. raw agave (or 4 dates)
½ inch fresh ginger
¼ tsp. whole cloves
dash sea salt (to taste)
dash cayenne pepper (to taste)

Can also add fresh rosemary, chives or nutmeg. Blend all ingredients.

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Raw Food Potluck Recipes

Jennifer — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 15:29:53 +0000

A monthly gathering is a great excuse to try new raw food dishes. Having a network of support can help guide you on your healing journey.

Look for a Raw Food Potluck near you by searching online, checking out your local craigslist.org and by searching for notices at your neighborhood health food shop. And if there isn’t one, then create it! Tweet and facebook the info to your friends and watch your online health network grow too!

Recently I checked out 2 local Pot Lucks while in the USA: Arnold’s Way, a 100% raw food restaurant in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, and the Kinzer, Pennsylvania Raw Food Pot Luck, an amazing group of people including many of the local Amish!

Below are some of the raw food recipes from them!

Raw Food Recipes Galore

Pineapple Salsa

2 tomatoes
½ pineapple
1 mango
1 jalapeno pepper
fresh cilantro (coriander)
dash cayenne pepper (to taste)
Chop all ingredients. Enjoy!

“Tuna” Wrap

Kinzer, PA Raw Food Pot Luck

Ingredients for Tuna:
½ cup soaked sunflower seeds
¼ cup soaked almonds
2 Tbsp. water
1 ½ Tbs. celery
1 Tbsp. each minced onion, parsley or dill, lemon juice
Tamari (to taste)

Ingredients for Wrap:
2 Nori sheets or fresh lettuce leaves

Ingredients for Garnish:

Fresh sprouts
Thinly sliced peppers of choice
(For a real hardy meal you can also add zucchini hummus or dressing)

In either a blender or food processor: blend water, sunflower seeds and almonds, together so they are well mixed but still a bit course.
Add celery, parsley or dill, lemon, and tamari to the mix.
Then wrap in a delicious nori roll (or fresh lettuce leaf) with or without extras.

Pasta with Marina Sauce

Ingredients for Pasta:
3-4 zucchini or squash, spiralized or shredded using the Raw Food Slicer

Ingredients for Sauce:
2 ½ cups tomatoes and/or red bell pepper (capsicum)
9 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked and rinsed
3 large dates, soaked and rinsed
Fresh parsley, basil and oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Chia Banana Pudding

2 cups fresh almond milk
2 cups chia seeds
½ cup coconut flakes
2-3 bananas

Blend and pour into serving bowls. Chill before serving.

Donut Holes

1 cup almonds (soaked overnight & rinsed)
1 cup dried pineapple (with no added sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup dates (soaked)
3 heaping Tbsp. dried coconut

Put almonds into food processor and blend. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Roll into balls and add additional coconut.

Raw Pumpkin Pie (from Alissa Cohen Cookbook)

Ingredients for Crust:
2 cups almonds
1/3 – ½ cup dates, pitted and soaked

Ingredients for Filling:
2 cups shredded pumpkin or butternut squash
1 cup dates
½ cup almonds (soaked) or sunflower seeds
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ cup water

To make Crust:
Add all crust ingredients and blend until smooth. Press down into pie plate.

For filling:
Blend until smooth and pour into pie crust. Chill before serving.
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Visions of the Big Island, Hawaii

Jennifer Thompson — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:37:13 +0000

Take a minute to enjoy the most amazing sights of Hawaii – the Big Island up close and personal.

There are 2 pages of pictures here so be sure to check out them all!

The aquaponics farm can be found at friendlyaquaponics.com. Be sure to check out their farm tour every Saturday on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is pretty amazing to see and not so hard to do yourself… The lettuce and taro growing from the trays looked pretty perfect and the best part is that there are no chemicals used! The fish in the system fertilize the water through their waste, a completely natural process with no depletion of minerals in the soils. This system could be the future of farming as we can continue to grow healthy food while giving Mother Earth time to regenerate and renew!

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The ‘New’ MSG – Is it even more deadly than MSG itself? Ribonucleotides & The Ribo Rash

Jennifer Thompson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:37:36 +0000

I like to call this additive the ‘New’ MSG, or monosodium glutamate, because many food manufacturers want to be able to market their product as having ‘No MSG,’ but of course they have to add flavor somehow…so they are using these other flavor enhancers more than ever before. We are being led from one nasty chemical to another with these additives in our foods.

This additive is salty and savory just like MSG. It is found in many of the same foods as MSG. The chemical name is Ribonucleotide, and often the reaction people get from eating it is an extremely itchy, irritable rash which we call the ‘Ribo Rash.’ Below is my personal story of suffering from the ‘Ribo Rash.’

In 2004 I arrived in Australia and I started to develop a very itchy red rash on my body. It started under my arms, in my inner arms, on my lower back, on my breasts and around my eyes.

An unhappy sufferer of the Ribo Rash - - - Reclaiming my health (no more rash!)

The rash quickly got worse. It seemed to spread like fire actually, itching like crazy and making me mental. I had never experienced anything like it before, and there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to what would trigger it. Creams seemed to make it worse – somehow they felt like they were ‘trapping’ the rash inside of me. I could not control my desire to tear my skin off from the itching; I especially enjoyed scalding my skin with hot water – what a sick feeling of relief that provided!! I also started getting heart palpitations…at any time my heart-rate would increase from 60 beats per minute to 140, and I had no history of anxiety whatsoever. I was generally eating quite healthy (at least so I thought); I didn’t smoke, barely drank, exercised (obviously), so how could I be so sick?

Friends told me to meditate. Doctors told me it was a simple case of excema. I had a complete round of testing done and everything came up fine. I was tested for heavy metal poisoning, various viral infections, standard food allergies (milk, wheat, eggs, gluten, etc); I had chest x-rays and EKG’s done – and they found nothing. The only thing that came up suspect during that time is my URIC ACID levels were high. The doctor suggested that I go on medication to bring down the uric acid; he said I was in danger of having gout. (I now know that food additive #635 Ribonucleotide can cause uric acid levels to rise.)

At the best of times, the rash was mainly around my eyes

Eventually, out of desperation, I started my own ‘elimination diet’ in an effort to narrow down the possibility of it being a food allergy. I just had this feeling that the rash was being caused by something I was eating. I had tried all the changes of soaps, washing powders, etc etc, and I felt like I had no other option to even try. It was at least 1 year of suffering with the rash at this stage, not always as bad as the photos mind you, but always present and always itching like hell. The elimination diet was worth a try.

I started off by telling people at my new job that I was a celiac (i.e. no wheat or gluten). I also started keeping a food diary, writing down what I ate daily and when I had an outbreak. The wheat and gluten-free diet helped tremendously, and now I know it is because ribonucleotides are often found in products containing wheat. About once a month or so I would still have an outbreak, but it seemed manageable – I kind-of got to the point where I accepted the rash as a part of my life and decided I could tolerate it in the small amounts I was getting.

Puffed out after a nice anaphylactic reaction to #635

At the same time though I started to get more of an anaphylaxis reaction in addition to the rash, so when I had an outbreak, my lips and throat would swell. I started to take anti-histamines and I carried them with me where-ever I went. It is crazy to think back now how I just carried on living through all of that!

Finally the day of reckoning came to me. I hadn’t eaten anything the previous day and I made a salad using the cheap salad packets at work. About an hour later I started to feel the itchiness start in my face, eyes and lips. Somehow I just knew it was the salad dressing. I quickly did an internet search on ‘food additives itchy rash’ and instantly found Sue Dengate’s site. Actually I sobbed tears of joy while I read countless stories of others who had suffered with the SAME EXACT symptoms as me, and I KNEW that I was not crazy, I knew at that moment that I had found the cause of my suffering. There was no doubt in my mind that I was suffering from the Ribo Rash. I noted the list of foods on her site that contain 635, and when I checked my food diary, EVERY SINGLE TIME I HAD A REACTION I had eaten #635. Even on the wheat-free gluten-free diet, I realized that I had eaten seaweed-flavored rice crackers, the veggie burger at Hungry Jack’s (with no bread), cheap salad dressings, and other flavored tofu products which were causing my outbreaks. Sometimes when I try to tell people what happened to me, they cut me off and say, well I don’t eat any of that crap…and I say YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE CRAP THAT YOU ARE EATING!!

I was not eating junk food. If you think seaweed crackers are healthy you are wrong!! If you think flavored tofu is healthy you are wrong!! We are being poisoned slowly by these additives. It was 9 months into the elimination diet when I finally made this life-altering discovery.

This additive, can be ANY of the following 3 names or numbers on a food label and they are universal, i.e. the same in every country in the world:

Ribonucleotide – #635 – E635

Disodium Guanylate – #627 – E627

Disodium Inosinate – #631 – E631

It is often used in combination with MSG, monosodium glutamate or #621 (E621).

Foods to Avoid, All Containing Artificial Flavoring

It took about 3 months from the time I eliminated #635 from my diet for the rash to go away entirely. It did not itch whatsoever during that time, it just slowly but surely started to clear up.

After 3 months I finally contacted Sue Dengate personally to thank her and tell her my battle with the Ribo Rash so she could include my story on her site. She told me I had one of the worst cases she had ever seen. Since then I have worked with her to help educate people to the dangers of this chemical. My photo is on her site and is also in her DVD entitled ‘Fed Up with Children’s Behavior – How Food Additives Affect Behavior.’

When the DVD was released in Australia in 2006, I was featured on Today Tonight, a 30-minute news program, to discuss my story.

NO ONE should go through what I went through. It it so obvious to me now that I was suffering from an extreme allergic reaction, and it angers me that doctors are so completely ignorant! How could any medical professional shrug off such an extreme reaction and say it was stress?? I went to many different doctors during that time. It is unfortunate that they are not being educated about the dangers of food additives.

It’s been 5 years now since I eliminated #635 from my diet. I have no rash whatsoever, not even the tiniest spot anywhere on my body. People often compliment me now telling me I have ‘amazing skin.’ Sometimes I tell them, ‘You have NO IDEA how much that compliment means to me.’ I think they think I’m crazy, but they just have no idea what I’ve been through. For 2 years I was embarrassed to go out in public; I felt unattractive and uncomfortable all the time. Now I have beautiful skin which radiates from the inside out.

I still have to watch labels and always be aware of what I am eating.

Eating Natural, Whole & Pure means NO RASH for me!

You can now imagine why the thought of an all-raw food diet started to appeal to me. Perhaps this allergy was a blessing in disguise for me because it was really after this whole experience that I decided to try eating all raw. In fact, I started to see the raw food diet in a completely different way - to me it now represents safe and healthy eating in a way that I could have never comprehended before. I now understand first-hand the poison that is in our processed foods and I am so happy to be able to make the choice to not continue to poison myself anymore.

On occasion I have been accidentally exposed to some ribonucleotide, especially when eating out at restaurants. It happens less and less to me now as I learn from experience what foods it is in and what foods are ’safe.’ But if I do have a reaction, I go home and immediately take about 10-12 charcoal tablets. That seems to absorb the toxins and chemical and usually after about 30 minutes I started to feel better. If after 45 minutes I still feel itchy or hot, I take another 3-4 tablets. It is much more natural on the body to do this rather than even think about taking any anti-histamines.

If you think you are having a reaction to ribonucleotides or you want to ask me specific questions about my rash, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Also please be sure to read Sue Dengate’s site and educate yourself on the dangers of all of the nasty additives.

If you know anyone who has a child suffering from ADHD or Autism, please refer them to this site as well; we are only now just discovering the links between food additives and behavioral problems in children.

There is some good additional information on food allergies, food intolerances and rashes on the Lance Armstrong livestrong.com site.

If you have been affected by the ribo rash, please leave a comment and include your story below so that we can continue to educate others and hopefully prevent more suffering!

More information on what foods to avoid: List of foods that contain 635, 627 and 631.

To learn about food labeling, go to: The Truth in Food Labeling – Food Additives to Avoid & Hidden Sources of MSG

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Visions of Maui, Hawaii

Jennifer Thompson — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:44:20 +0000

Finally, some pics to share my from time in Maui, Hawaii! For one week, I stayed with my friends in Hana on their organic permaculture farm – it was so great simply harvesting our food every day, eating from the land and living so in tune with the earth! At that time, we had plenty of wild edible greens and fresh herbs so we made beautiful salads every day. We also had a lot of papaya and liliquoi – the Hawaiian passion fruit – my favorite! One day we even made fresh liliquoi juice concentrate…so much fun and yummy too!

I also taught Green Smoothie Classes in Wailea and gave individual Iridology sessions there as well. The response was overwhelming, and I was so happy to see people interested in their health, nutrition and natural healing. Hawaii is a fantastic destination for a healthy holiday and Maui especially has a lot to offer for raw foods and organic farming!

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Images of Natural, Healthy Hawaii…

Jennifer Thompson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:13:28 +0000

An abundance of natural, healthy foods just waiting for you in Hawaii Check pictures of the raw foods available, healthy restaurants, organic farming, aquanponics, vegan and vegetarian foods, local eateries, fresh fruits, farmers markets and even green smoothies.

All great reasons to go to Hawaii for a healthy holiday!

For 2 weeks of my time in Hawaii, I had a nice family vacation with my parents, sister, brother-in-law and nieces. We satyed at a posh condo villa place – huge resort, full of tourists, and I couldn’t help but think what a perfect place this would be for a detox fasting spa. It’s ideal really, with beach, sun, pools, massage, nice views, relaxing time – if they offered a fasting program here I would totally do it!

Maybe in a few years the rest of the world will be ready for cleansing…certainly more and more people could use it!

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