Additives::What is Xanthum and Guar Gum?

I went to a popular "organic market" yesterday. I was about to buy something when I noticed it had an abundance of additives and preservatives. I looked through several items similar to the one I wanted to purchase and noticed these two additives, Xanthum Gum and Guar Gum were in everything. I know for a fact that I have never seen Xanthum Gum or Guar Gum in the vegeatable section so it has to be some man made drama going on.

So here's the scoop:::
Guar and xanthan gum aren't the safest ingredients. Guar gum can best be described as a natural food thickener, similar to locust bean gum, cornstarch or tapioca flour. Guar gum is said to have significantly more thickening ability than cornstarch, at a fraction of the cost. This has made guar gum a popular additive in products such as puddings and ice creams. Until recently, guar gum was also an ingredient in non-prescription diet pills designed to create a sense of fullness.

"FDA also recalled Cal-Ban 3000, a heavily advertised diet pill containing guar gum (a vegetable gum that swells when it absorbs moisture, providing a feeling of fullness, according to advertising claims) after receiving a number of consumer complaints of adverse reactions. In a number of cases, the tablet caused gastric or
esophageal obstruction, and one person died as a result of complications following surgery to remove the mass of gum blocking his throat."

The FDA states that some bulking agents (eg. guar gum) used in dietary supplements to swell the stomach and increase "fullness", can be harmful. In certain cases they can cause obstructions in the intestines, stomach, or esophagus. The FDA has taken legal action against several promoters of diet supplements containing guar gum.

Xanthan gum is considered a polysaccharide in scientific circles, because it is a long chain of three different forms of sugar. What's important to know is that all three of these natural sugars are present in corn sugar, a derivative of the more familiar corn syrup. The Xanthomonas campestris bacteria literally eat a supply of this corn sugar under controlled conditions, and the digestion process converts the individual sugars into a single substance with properties similar to cornstarch. Xanthan gum is used in dairy products and salad dressings as a thickening agent and stabilizer. Xanthan gum prevents ice crystals from forming in ice creams, and also provides a 'fat feel' in low or no-fat dairy products.

Are Additives Harmful?
Food additives preserve flavour or improve its taste and appearance. This basically means that companies know certain foods will be shelved longer than most or they expect them to have a long "shelf life". As a result, the foods won't be as nutritious to you and may taste better than they feel. Partially hydrogenated oils are acknowledged contributors in the obesity controversy among children and adults in the United States. Trans fatty acids are now added to many snack foods that we consume each day and some research indicates they are more harmful than saturated fats because they increase the plasma concentrations of LDL (low-density lipoprotein, also known as the “bad” cholesterol) while reducing the concentration of HDL (high-density lipoprotein, which removes cholesterol from the lining of your arteries.)

Muse:::Sebastien Tellier>>>Tony Allen...Lead In

Tony Allen can not be touched...I just found out he played drums on this track with Sebastien Tellier who is dope in his own right. Check the vid/drums and the read. Peace.


Lyrics to La Ritournelle :
Oh nothing's going to change my love for you
I wanna spend my life with you
So we make love on the grass under the moon
No one call tell, damned if I do
Forever journey on golden avenues
I drift in your eyes since I love you
I got that beat in my veins for only rule
Love is to share, mine is for you
(Merci à gnazio pour cettes paroles)
Tony Allen
Fela Kuti said that "without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat". It will not be an exaggeration to say that he invented a whole new style of drumming. There are at least three main variations in Afrobeat as far as I can see. Having a double snare hit on beats one and three(Don't Fight and Jakewaleh), having a double kick on beats one and three(Kindness) and having the dotted sixteens on beat one(Masters At Work). I recently noticed one more and will try to put an example here soon.If you go to his web page and then click on the discography link below, there are two live videos. I just noticed in those videos that he almost never plays double sixteen notes on the hi hat, always three sixteen notes. It is hard to tell such a difference from listening to the songs in the albums. For example, it is standard in afro beat to open the hi hat in the second sixteenth note. I wasn't sure if he was doing this with double hits or triple hits. Playing triple sixteenths seems a little harder at first but when you get used to it, the feel of the beats also sounds more close to his playing. If there are only two sixteen notes on the hi hat, you should add the third one and play three of them. Alright, let me not act like I know music...Check his music when time allows...Bless...Define water?

Level>>>Misc Flux

Just Bcus...



http://www.myspace.com/thecornelwesttheory

Monument Eternal>>Book of the week

I love books from the 70's. The writing was more internal because there was more LOVE. Alice Coltrane was a significant writer and musician. Many of her books can only be found in Cali so you should try and link them through her Sai Anantam Ashram in the Santa Monica Mountains.

As Alice Coltrane observed in her book, Monument Eternal: “Many of the Celestial instruments can be played without the use of hands or without any physical contact whatsoever. Your mind, your heart is your only approach to them. Your thoughts open up the many avenues of sound and expression on these wonderful instruments.”

"At dawn, sit at the Feet of Action.
At noon, be at the Hand of Might.
At eventide, be so big that sky will learn Sky."

Long lived wellness to A. Coltrane- Turiyasangitanda

Neem>>>

Neem needs no introduction in today's world. A very famous herb of India with worldwide fame and having magical antibacterial properties known for its miraculous medicinal values from past 5000 years. Neem is a multipurpose herb, which is recommended in every type of ailment. Following are the wonders of neem, which ayurveda has to offer to this world and modern life style of living.

Action:

· Neem act as anti bacterial, anti parasitic, anti fungal, anti protozoal and anti viral thus helps in protection from all the microorganisms, which are always ready to invade in our body causing serious ailments.

· Local application of neem powder or neem oil has miraculous results. As it is a famous anti microbial herb, it renders all the microorganisms inactive therefore helping in proper healing of wound without causing any infections and septic conditions.

· Taking bath of neem leaves water is a very common sight in Indian homes that helps our body to counter mild infections, which our body might get in day-to-day activity.

· Its tropical application makes us relieved from acne, eczema and even ringworms

· In skin related diseases, neem works as blessing of God on mankind. It has an action on almost every kind of skin disease thus making its indication in eradicating every kind of itch, rash, infection and allergy.

· Neem water is extensively used in burn injuries, thus to protect them from any kind of infection and also promote healing.

· Neem oil is extensively used in hair fall and early graying of hairs with very satisfying results. It also find its application in dandruff and in lice growth

· Its local application on arthritic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis
, gout, Osteoarthritis, lower back pain, and musculo skeletal pains is highly recommended with good results

Internal action:

· Due to presence of tickt rasa it is beneficial in indigestion, constipation and restoring taste of mouth.

· It helps in fighting with the intestinal worms there by act as a deworming agent

· It is highly recommended in hyperacidity and epigastric pain as it suppresses pitta that is the main culprit in the aggravation of such illness.

· Good results have also been seen in gastritis

· Widely and extensively used as blood purifier as it possess the properties like tickt rasa which helps in detoxifying any toxins floating in our blood stream which may lead to illness.

· It gives wonderful results in diabetes incipidus and diabetes mellitus due to presence of tickt rasa.

· It is very helpful in curing urinary tract infection

· It stimulates liver for proper functioning therefore helps in maintaining proper secretions of liver

· It acts on all kinds of skin disorders and provides great relief.

· It works as an anti inflammatory and pain relieving agent

· It also helps in suppressing extra heat generated in body due to any reason thus helps in maintaing normal condition in hyperthermia. Very useful in suppressing fever.

· Anti malarial action of neem has also been seen

· Since old times neem leaves have been used as an agent that helps in increasing vision as it helps in suppressing kapha disorders thus releasing congestion on eyeballs caused due to mucus accumulation in sinuses.

· Coughing is relieved by use of neem water

· It helps in reducing excess micturation

· It has given very good results in diseases like gonorrhea and syphilis

· It works as an immunoboosting agent therefore making our immune system very strong and efficient to fight against any foreign invasion making our body strong and disease free

It often amazes me how one vegetable and fruit can do so many things. I feel in many ways all natural elements contain the same things, some more potent than others. I use NEEM toothpaste. Most NEEM products can be found at any organic market. Be well>>>>Keep digging your well...ness>>>

Do you talk too much?

Ever listen to someone who, long after you’ve spaced out, continued to blab on? What did you think of that person? Probably self-absorbed and interpersonally clueless. Being long-winded is a sure route to career failure, indeed life failure.

Of course, no one thinks they’re perceived as talking too much, otherwise they wouldn’t do it. But without realizing it, could you be one of those irritating people?

True Or False:

1. You think of yourself as a talker rather than a listener.

2. In conversation, your utterances frequently exceed one minute in length. (This is the most important indicator that you talk too much.)

3. You are able to come up with many ideas on the fly, so you want to express them all in one fell swoop.

4. You’re detail-oriented. People who are detail-oriented often include details that seem important to them but bore the pants off the typical listener.

5. People at their workspaces tend to look away from you when you walk by. (They’re afraid you’ll come over and bend their ear for 10 minutes.)

6. The people who know you best have called you self-absorbed, narcissistic, oblivious, selfish, or egocentric. A conversation is about sharing and paying attention to your conversation partner’s needs.

7. You don’t stay alert for a sign that your listener wishes you’d shut up: eyes wandering more than 1/3 of the time (or the opposite, staring frozen at you), finger or toe tapping, frequently interrupting you, a body position that suggests the person is trying to get away from you, frequently saying “uh-huh” as if urging you to get on with it. Yes, some listeners are impatient by nature, but if you observe such reactions from more than one-fourth of the people you converse with, the problem is more likely you.

The more times you answered “true” to those six questions, the more you need to follow The Traffic Light rule of thumb: During the first 30 seconds of an utterance, your light is green: your listener is probably paying attention. During the second 30 seconds, your light is yellow—your listener may be starting to wish you’d finish. After the one-minute mark, your light is red: Yes, there are rare times you should “run a red light:” when your listener is obviously fully engaged in your missive. But usually, when an utterance exceeds one minute, with each passing second, you increase the risk of boring your listener and having them think of you as a chatterbox, windbag, or blowhard.

How do you ensure you’re seen as interesting not annoying? Try these:

1. As you’re talking, keep asking yourself, “Does this detail risk boring my listener, risk your being thought of as the King or Queen of Hot Air?

2. Unless you’re saying something you know deserves more than a minute, at the 30-second mark, look for a place to stop. If your listener wants more, he or she can ask a question. She rarely will. Try it and see.

What if you’re saying something that requires more than a minute? Break it up into segments, and after each segment, ask something like, “What do you think of that?” or “Am I being clear? Really?” The “really” is important because it lets the listener know that your request is not gratuitous: you really want that question or comment

3. Be alert to your listener’s non-verbal cues, especially as your utterance passes the 30-second mark. Does your listener seem fully engaged?

Remember, anyone who cares about other people must make them part of a conversation. And if you tend to be selfish, know that you’ll get more of what you want if you trade in your talk-talk-talk self for someone who truly listens as much as he or she talks.
Lest I be accused of not practicing what I preach, I’m going to stop this column right here. Anyone wish I continued on? Be well>>>>>>>>

Bike Day>>>

The black and pink one...

Clark vs Puma Easy Rider from Clark Magazine on Vimeo.

Freeman Cycles makes ill frames

Show them love here::: http://freemantransport.com/index.php

The Purifying Effects of Drinking Hot Water

For those who like to drink cold water, this post is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine . Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer . It is best to drink hot soup or hot water/tea after a meal.

Most people do not consider drinking hot water refreshing or to have any health benefits in addition to those gained by drinking cold water. Although drinking cold water on a regular basis is good for your health, some experts believe that drinking hot water can be equally beneficial, but in slightly different ways. Both hot and cold water hydrates you, which is the main benefit of drinking water. Cold water sounds more appealing to most people, and does help burn a few extra calories after a work out than lukewarm water. It is also absorbed into the bloodstream easier, which helps hydrate your body, especially if you have been sweating, which dehydrates your body. However, some people are drinking hot water as a way of purifying their bodies, very much like going to a sauna.

If you drink a glass or two of hot water, you increase your body temperature slightly. Your body, in order to maintain your temperature around 98.6 degrees, will begin to sweat to cool itself down. The sweating induced by drinking hot water helps purify your bloodstream by flushing toxins out of your body. It is reported that drinking hot water also helps remove deposits in the nervous system that have a negative effect on your thoughts and emotional responses. By drinking hot water, you are able to purify your body and mind, creating a balance that will make you feel healthier and think more clearly.

You can use hot water to purify yourself simply by drinking a glass of hot water once or twice a week. The water should be quite warm so that it causes you to sweat, but does not burn your mouth when you drink it. You should begin to sweat quite a bit as your body tries to lower its temperature. After you stop sweating, wipe away the perspiration and begin drinking another glass of hot water to balance your temperature.

Drinking hot water is also extremely useful in clearing your nasal cavities, especially if you are sick. The water vapor causes the buildup to loosen and make you feel less congested. Using hot water is preferable to tea or coffee, since their caffeine will dehydrate you, and that is the last thing you need when you are sick. In addition, sweating some can help you to remove some toxins from your body and hopefully get better sooner, and improve your overall health.

One Meal A Day>>>>>>

Some of you may know who wrote this but I still think it holds value for now and forever.

1 Eat one meal a day or one meal every other day, and it will prolong your life. Do not think that you will starve. On the contrary. you will be treating yourself to life, and a life filled with sickless days. You can hardly get sick eating this way. I know because I have this experience.

2 In eating once a day or once every other day, you must not eat between meals. And, you should try to eat at the same hour tomorrow as you eat today. Do not change your meal hours if you can help it. That causes your stomach to react to various hours of the day for a meal, and will set up gas on the stomach. Do not even drink juices, milk, or soft drinks between meals.

3 And, do not eat candies or fruits between meals. You are welcome to drink water, but I know you will not want too much water between meals since your stomach will not call for it. You may drink coffee between meals, but do not fill your cup with half sugar and half cream and pour coffee on top of that.

4 Again I say, many vegetables are good to eat; also many fruits. But the vegetables you have been warned against eating such as collard greens, turnip salads, black -eyed peas, field peas, lima beans, butter beans and soy beans - Should not be eaten. Be sure that you do not eat the large size navy bean, eat the small size navy bean.

5 Surely Sugar diabetes can be controlled and driven out with your abstinence from eating sugar and Starchy foods. And, with your corrected way of eating once a day or once every other day (if started in time), you will become negative of Sugar in your blood. If you are a victim of sugar diabetes, you should not eat white or sweet potatoes. And even if you are not a victim of diabetes, you should not eat too much of any starchy food (such as potatoes), and positively no sweet potatoes. You Should be careful of eating this type of food.

Synergy - Cords 1977

Here is some more synergy. If you like synth's its worth your time.
Download here http://www.mediafire.com/?vzygmhmdgen

How should your tongue be cleaned?

Most people overlook cleaning their tongue but starting to do so on a regular basis can be the single most beneficial treatment for bad breath (halitosis) that a person can institute. The reason for this is related to the fact that the anterior portion of the tongue is somewhat self-cleansing and therefore less likely to harbor large numbers of odor producing bacteria. Many tongue functions require that the anterior portion of the tongue touches firmly against the hard palate. This friction produces a cleansing action, therefore preventing any significant bacterial accumulation.The posterior portion of the tongue, in comparison, rubs up against the soft palate. And these contacts are relatively gentle.

This soft palate contact does not provide enough friction to produce any significant cleansing. And for this reason it is typically the posterior aspect of the tongue that is found to harbor the bacteria that cause a person's breath problems. Because of this, the posterior tongue is the most important area to clean.
While cleaning your tongue with a brush can be satisfactory, many people find that scraping their tongue with a tongue scraper is more effective. As an added benefit, some people find that they have less tendency to gag when using a tongue scraper as opposed to a brush.

Use a spoon as a tongue scraper. It's easy to experiment with tongue scraping. To do so, pick out a spoon (smaller is usually better than larger), invert it, and then go ahead and give tongue scraping a try. Place the spoon on the posterior portion of your tongue and then draw it forward. Be thorough but also gentle. Don't scrape so hard or vigorously that you irritate your tongue.

If tongue scraping seems to be an acceptable technique for you then you might investigate those products that have been specifically designed as tongue scrapers. You will probably find that they are more effective at cleaning than your spoon is.

Below are scrapers you can buy at Whole Foods or any organic market.Bad breath comes from tongue bacteria simply because the tongue happens to be a great place for anaerobes to live. They flourish in all the tiny grooves between papillae and taste buds on the surface of the tongue, covered by a blanket of mucus and other non-cellular material. There, they can safely carry on the business of breaking down proteins that they find floating around in the mouth, and producing volatile sulfur compounds to make us all hold our noses. Wellness...

Person of the day>>Mati Klarwein

During the 1960s Klarwein's work would be appreciated and utilized on several records by some of the decade's most progressive musicians. Klarwein's painting Annunciation (1961) was seen in reproduction by the musician Carlos Santana, who subsequently used it as the cover image of his band Santana's second album Abraxas (1970). In the following years Klarwein produced comparably striking designs for the covers of two Miles Davis albums, Bitches Brew (1969) and Live-Evil (1971), as well as a portrait of Jimi Hendrix[1], which was supposed to have been used for the guitarist's collaboration album with big band leader Gil Evans, which never came to fruition due to the guitarist's death.[1] His painting Zonked (1970), originally planned for use on a Betty Davis album of the same name,[1] would later be used as the cover of a Last Poets album Holy Terror (1995). (For a complete list of albums which feature Klarwein's art, see below.) The association of his images with these very successful and widely admired counterculture musicians made Klarwein's work known outside the circle of lovers of contemporary art. Many of these paintings, and others, were included in Klarwein's first book Milk n' Honey (1973).


During the 1960s and 70s, Klarwein would occasionally search for cheap paintings at flea markets and "improve" them, painting over them or adding things at his whim. Klarwein made over a hundred of these "improved paintings" throughout his career.Here we present to you one of the most legendary painters of our century. Bless in Peace brother!

All About Flutes

I've been meaning to post this>>>Thank you Ms. P and Thanks Monk!

The Genesis


The Exodus::Egyptian Flute


The Revelation::BeatBox Flute

Power Fruit Segment:::Mangos

One of the most delicious and most fattening fruits, mango is truly called the ‘King of Fruits’. A tropical fruit, it comes in as many as 1000 different varieties, each of them totally delectable. Though native to Southern and Southeast Asia, the fruit is now also grown in Central and South America, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula also. Apart from being high in calories, mangoes are also rich in a large number of nutrients and hold great nutritional value. Infact, they have been known to have positive effects in case of a number of ailments. In the following lines, we have listed numerous health and nutrition benefits of eating mangoes.

Nutritional Value of Mango
One medium sized mango comprises of:

* Calories - 107
* Protein - 0.84 g
* Carbohydrate - 28 g
* Total Fat - 0.45 g
* Fiber - 3 g
* Vitamin A - 6425 IU
* Vitamin C - 45.7mg
* Magnesium - 18 mg
* Potassium - 300 mg
* Calcium - 20 g
* Cholesterol - 0 g
* Saturated fat - 0 g
* Traces of manganese, selenium, iron, sodium and phosphorus

Health & Nutrition Benefits of Eating Mangoes

* Mango, being high in calories and carbohydrates, is good for those who are trying to gain weight.
* The phenolic compound found in mangoes has been found to have powerful antioxidant and anticancer properties.
* Being high in iron, mango is said to be very good for pregnant women as well as for people suffering from anemia.
* Mango is believed to be effective in relieving clogged pores of the skin.
* The vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin E and selenium present in mangoes provide protection against heart disease.
* Mangoes have been found to be quite helpful in treating acidity and poor digestion.
* It is being said that the Vitamin E present in mango helps hormonal system function more efficiently and thus, boosts sex life.
* The anti-inflammatory properties of mango might help alleviate asthma symptoms.

Other Benefits
Mango has been found to be beneficial for people suffering from the following ailments

* Bacterial Infections
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Dysentery
* Eye Disorders
* Hair Loss
* Heat Stroke
* Leucorrhea
* Liver Disorders
* Menstrual Disorders
* Morning Sickness
* Piles
* Prickly Heat
* Scurvy
* Sinusitis
* Spleen Enlargement
* Vaginitis

Eat Well

Buying frozen veggies versus canned: Which is greener?

Frozen Packaging Requires Less Energy to Make
Assume about 450g of corn, the amount that will fit into a normal can. To make the packaging for it, if its going to be frozen requires about 722 kcal of energy, that's about 840 watt-hours if you prefer to think in those terms. To make the can that corn will go in requires about 1006 kcal of energy.

Canning Less Energy Intensive Than Freezing
Then comes the differences in processing: The amount of energy required to process the corn for each storage method. Processing and freezing that 450g of corn requires about 1550 kcal of energy; processing it for canning requires about 1300 kcal.

Canning & Freezing Nearly Equal in Energy Usage
All told, for 450g of corn, the can totals out to be 2,306 kcal, while freezing requires 2,272 kcal. Pretty much a dead heat...Except when you consider that you can store the can in the cupboard without any additional input of energy.

Food, Energy & Security assumes that it's going to take about 120 kcal/month of energy to store each package of frozen corn. That means that if that corn sits around in a freezer for more than about 100 days, the very slight advantage it has over canned corn is gone.

The verdict: In terms of energy usage in packaging and processing, freezing and canning come out pretty even.

Which then leaves us with variables well beyond the scope of this comparison: Nutritional value of canned versus frozen, how long you plan on storing them, if you're going to be doing so for emergency usage when you can't count on electricity being available, the fact that pretty much everyplace will recycle those cans but not necessarily the frozen packaging, etc, etc, etc...

Not to mention a third option: Canning your own.