Living in an Ice Cube

        One place I really didn't plan on visiting on my 6 month vagabonding trip to Europe is Sweden, but after stumbling across this article, I may have changed my mind.

The World's Strangest Hotels

1. UFO Capsule Hotel -- Tokyo, Japan
2. ICEHOTEL -- Sweden
3. Hotel Fox -- Denmark
4. StayOrange Hotel -- Malaysia
5. Propeller Island City Lodge -- Berlin, Germany

Link: www.vagobond.com/worlds-strangest-hotels

Ice Room

        I wanted to focus on what I personally thought was the coolest hotel ever, The ICEHOTEL in Sweden. It is, literally, the first and largest hotel built entirely of ice, but it is much more than that. ICEHOTEL is a piece of art that artists from around the globe build once a year -- a constantly changing inspiration factory!

The Rooms:
        As well as warm lodging, the ICEHOTEL has its unique "cold accommodations" in the form of three different types of rooms -- the Art Suite, the Ice Room, and the Snow Room.

Snow Room

Art Suite

What do they offer?
        ICEHOTEL offers all sorts of activities for guests, both summer and winter activities, but for now I will only mention winter activities. All information can be found at the link to their website on the bottom of the page.

        Winter Activities (include but not limited to):

• Snowmobile Tours
• Dog Sledding
• Skiing and Snow Shoe-ing
• Arctic Trail Safari
• Ice Sculpting
• Northern Lights Tour

        What I have decided on is that at some point, I must visit this magnificent hotel, but I'm not sure if this visit will be the time to do it. Check out the other hotels on the Strangest Hotel list and if you have any strange hotels of your own, let me know!

Link: http://www.icehotel.com/

Wishing you all the best until I see you again,
-A

Fasting Day One

Update on liquid fast:

What I've consumed today:

• Water
• A few sips of coffee
• Half of a protein drink
• More water
• 2 cans of Amy's Organic Split Pea soup :]

Thoughts: I am hungry... mentally hungry, not physically hungry. Gotta get over that and reset my eating habits.

Fun Stuff: Top 10 Superfoods

• Edamame: 17 g of protein per cup
• Kiwifruit: 84 mg of vitamin C -- increases fat burning potential
• Sweet Potatoes: Increases fat burning; reduces hunger
• Yogurt: Contains 20% more of daily calcium needs
• Eggs: Blocks fat absorbtion
• Olive Oil: Contains healthy fats, protein, and complex carbs
• Lentils: Shrinks fat cells and fat burning
• Quinoa: Protein rich and full of essential amino acids needed to build metabolism-revving muscle
• Apples: 4-5 g of fiber; filling and delicious!
• Wild Salmon: Omega-3 fatty acids; reduce body fat

Source: Self Magazine

Note to self: Eat Healthier. Snack Less.

Much Love,
-A

The Magic Mirror

        Today I am going to share one of the miracles I have found in Bragg Healthy Lifestyle by Paul C. and Patricia Bragg. This weekend (starting Friday and ending Sunday morning) I plan to go on a liquid fast consisting of lots of juices and water, guided by Bragg himself.

The Magic Mirror: (chapeter 9)

        The tongue, believe it or not, is actually a great indicator of your health; a white-coated tongue tells us that you are full of toxic crap.. literally. The coating is evidence of "Mother Nature" attempting to force out all the deep toxic waste of the body.

        So... what if you find that your tongue is white? Or what if you are feeling heavy, tired, or sickly?

The Fast:

        The goal here is to get to the point where I fast regularly, allowing my body to push out all the bad and make room for the good! Bragg reccomends a once-weekly 24 hour fast and an occasional 3-day fast. If done regularly, fasting helps maintain a healthy, comfortable weight and leaves a fresh, cleansed feeling!

The Gameplan:     

        Prep Phase, Day 1: Friday -- green drinks (juiced kale, alphalfa, wheatgrass, etc.); fresh, live fruit drinks

        Day 2: Juice Fast; new combinations -- TRY: Beet, Alphalfa, Garlic, Radish, Watercrest,Goji Berries

        Day 3: Water fasting, day 1. Continue for 1-3 days.

Benefits of Fasting:

• Quickest way to loose weight
• Relieves tension and insomnia
• Eliminates addictions such as drugs, alcohol, and smoking
• Effectively treats schitzophrenia and other mental conditions
• Improves dietary habits
• Educates the body to consume food only when needed
• Fasting is a rite in all religions

Over the next few days, I will document my progress and feelings as the fasting continues. I encourage everyone to pick up a copy of every single Bragg book on the market!

Happy Fasting,

-A

P.S. I have decided to re-adopt vegetarianism. More to come on the benefits of that.

18 Rules

Though I would share my latest inspiration...

The Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:
       Respect for self
       Respect for others
       Responsibility for all your actions
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Goal: Relate 5 of these rules to my day, everyday.

Best of luck to you all in doing the same...

-A

Label GMOs

Millions Against Monsanto

Do you think that consumers have a right to know what's in the food they eat?

      The protesters out side of Lassen's grocery store think that they do. Yesterday I was approached by a very sweet lady who proceeded to ask me if I would sign her petition to require food companies to label genetically modified products. I, being the environmental nut that I am, agreed to sign her petition (which is actually pretty rare). Before I left, she gave me some "literature" on the subject which I kindly summarized below. (side note: posting this while drinking delicious organic green tea)

What is a GMO?

      A GMO (genetically modified organism) is a product that has artificially altered DNA in order to grow faster and at a cheaper price. It is commonly altered with genes from other plants and animals, and sometimes with bacteria and viruses.

The Facts:

• "Over 70% of processed food on the grocery store shelves contain GMO's"
• "50 countries including the European Union, Japan and China already label genetically engineered foods" (p.s. my dog is going absolutely ballistic right now...)
• The FDA does not require any safety studies on the effects of GMOs, even though their scientists have insisted upon long-term studies.
• Some GM foods contain insecticide in every single cell!

How does is effect me?

• "GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive, metabolic, physiological and genetic health" - The American Academy of Environmental Medicine
• Private studies have shown that animals fed GM foods responded with allergic reactions, organ disruption, accelerated aging and other problems.
• Children are more vulnerable and extremely sensitive to the effects of GM foods (food allergies in children have increased 18% in recent years)

What can you do to save yourself and others?

• Buy USDA Organic foods and support your local farmers market
• Avoid products made with corn and soy, canola oil, cottonseed oil, Hawaiian papaya, and animals fed GMOs
• Call or mail public officials and urge them to vote yes for labeling GMOs (simple but effective)

Who uses GMOs?

• Kellogg's/Kashi, Coca-Cola, Kraft/Nabisco, McDonald's, Frito-Lay, General Mills, Quaker Oats, Safeway, Wal-Mart, Campbell Soup, and more.

Learn More:

• Videos: The Future of Food and World According to Monsanto (Netflix), Islands at Risk and Deconstructing Supper (YouTube)
• Sites: www.fooddemocracynow.org , www.organicconsumers.org , www.responsibletechnology.org , www.labelgmos.org