TIME

A prince was I in a darker day
A pointed face to smile at the moon
One flip, a trick, a sip, a kiss
The devils dance I do miss
The presents brother and sister
Boulder and Anvil so aptly named
Crushing away until we once again have

Now

A disgusting retroactive maze
The fallen mediocre without a map
Water and fire make steam
Disappearing at the height of the moon
Running out of the wheel just at the eclipse.
The ungrateful peasant I now am
A concept so unreal that if it were I would murder it

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Adam Absinthe in Guitar Centers new commercial!

The first book, of several I plan on writing, is out now. This one is full of song lyrics and poetry, along with some of the original artwork the songs were written on in my late teens/early twenties. Click on the picture below to log onto my storefront to preview and or purchase. Also now available on Amazon!!!








My Poetry/Lyrics and Art Book is for sale now!  80 pages full color! Perfect for dark intelligent fans of NIN, Marilyn Manson, Dir En Grey, Tool, My Chemical Romance, AFI, etc... Click picture above for a 17 page preview, or to purchase.

Six Basic Human needs that drive every decision we make.



The Needs of The Ego:

1. Certainty/Comfort. We all want comfort. And much of this comfort comes from certainty. Of course there is no ABSOLUTE certainty, but we want certainty the car will start, the water will flow from the tap when we turn it on and the currency we use will hold its value.

2. Variety. At the same time we want certainty, we also crave variety. Paradoxically, there needs to be enough UNcertainty to provide spice and adventure in our lives.

3. Significance. Deep down, we all want to be important. We want our life to have meaning and significance. I can imagine no worse a death than to think my life didn't matter.

4. Connection/Love. It would be hard to argue against the need for love. We want to feel part of a community. We want to be cared for and cared about.



The needs of the Spirit:

5. Growth. There could be some people who say they don't want to grow, but I think they're simply fearful of doing so—or perhaps NOT doing so. To become better, to improve our skills, to stretch and excel may be more evident in some than others, but it's there. When something stops growing it what? Dies.

6. Contribution. The desire to contribute something of value—to help others, to make the world a better place than we found it is in all of us.




If anything meets 3 of these needs at once, it becomes and addiction. We need to make sure it's a constructive (ie: helping someone, working out) one rather than a destructive one. (ie: smoking, killing another) True fulfillment can only come from 5 and 6. :)

I suggest reading some Anthony Robbins and Eckhart Tolle if this blog has special interest to you.

Also:

The Four Agreements

As you may have noticed I have really toned my profile down this year. The reason for this is because of professionalism in my industry. With agencies representing me, and casting directors looking me up online, it's always a good idea to keep the rants and incriminating pictures to a minimum. But I do like to share interesting things I've found along my journey and share them if I think they will help others. No harm in that right?  I usually read about 4 books a month and put my favorites up on my "The Stranger Within" Page. At times I highlight some stuff on this profile as well. One of my favorite recent books was The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. I'm really happy to see the mainstream start acknowledging these works as we come upon a crucial time in our evolution. Often times, you'll see this book, amongst others, like Eckhart Tolle's works, mentioned on Oprah causing them to become bestsellers. Below is a brief synopsis of the 4 agreements, that if followed, really make a remarkable difference in your day to day life. They've worked wonders for mine.

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Did you know that,Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Voltaire, Henry David Thoreau, George Bernard Shaw, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Mahatma Gandhi were all vegetarians!!!

Below is an extremely detailed article on reaching optimum health. Also if you have netflix, you can go to the watch instantly section and watch a wonderful program by DR. Andrew Weil : http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=60001240&trkid=438500

-------------------------------------------------
 Optimal Healthy living: (Written by someone else. When it says "me" or "I" in the article it is the author and not me, although I follow most of this as often as I can.)

Breath Walking:

Breath Walking is a principle that Tony first discusses on the Daily Magic session on Get the Edge (GTE). It is the principle of walking and breathing in a pattern that stimulates the lymph system and energises the body. Tony suggests using this during the 'Hour of Power' in order to create a peak, mental state.

The process of Breath Walking outlined during this session is to make strong, purposeful strides and walk in a rhythm. You want to be at a steady pace, but do not want to be out of breath. The rhythm of breathing is 4-4, so take four short breaths in, one after another, followed by four short breaths out - in time to your steps. So: in-in-in-in | out-out-out-out. The breaths in should be through the nose, and the breaths out through the mouth.

Tony also discusses a further technique to this, which involves stimulating the meridians in the fingertips (an acupressure technique) by touching your thumb to a fingertip on each breath/step. The technique is to tap your thumb to finger starting on your left index finger, then on each finger across to your little finger (on breaths in) and then repeating on your right hand on (breaths out).

This walking technique is excellent for increasing energy, even when practiced for just five-to-ten minutes and can be an excellent pick-me-up during the afternoon or early morning.

This is an excellent resource on walking and the correct technique to walking and I recommend you take a look at it before you start Breath Walking.

Vital Breathing:

Vital breathing is a slightly different technique and one that Tony Robbins promotes more during the Unleash the Power Within Seminar and on Personal Power II.

If you are able to give yourself five to ten minutes each day to practice deep, cleansing 'power breathing' then you will definitely reap the rewards. This is one of the best, most effective exercises you can do for free, every day.

The Tony Robbins breathing exercise is mentioned in the excellent book Unlimited Power and basically consists of breathing in the following ratio:

Breath in for 1 count
Hold for 4 counts
Breath out for 2 counts

For example – if you were to breath in for four seconds, then you would hold your breath for sixteen seconds and then breath out for eight.

If you are able to do this ten times, three times a day (morning, evening and before bed) you will notice a huge difference to your energy, your clarity and your ability to ward off illnesses.

Providing our bodies with proper nourishment and nutrition is absolutely vital to remaining healthy and vibrant. Modern lifestyles, often focused upon speed, ease and convenience often lead to us ignoring the importance of proper nutrition. This section explores the need for pure, water and live, water-rich foods in our quest for maximum energy and vitality.
Pure Water

There has been much discussion over the past few years about the quality of the water we drink and the effects that this may have on our health. Many health experts believe that the low-quality of tap water in the UK can pose health concerns, particularly if we rely upon this as our main source of water when consuming the recommended 3+ litres each day.

As a result, millions have turned to bottled water - creating a £1.57 billion market in just one generation. However, with prices constantly on the rise, and serious question marks over quality (is it really any better than tap water) - individuals are now looking to increase the quality of water in their own home.

The Gift of Pure, Living Water

Water is one of the most important factors when becoming and staying healthy and vibrant. Our bodies are 70% water and our blood is 94% water - if we follow the recommendation to drink at least three litres of water per day and this water is acid and polluted - imagine what this will do to our bodies?!

As the majority of the foods we eat create acid wastes in our system, it is important to drink pure, alkaline water in order to maintain a optimal health and energy, particularly as acid water (less than pH 7.0) is a hotbed of microorganisms, bacteria and viruses.

Acid wastes (from the lifestyles we lead - not only from food and drink, but also from stress and other pollutants) are dumped into the bloodstream and lymph, and then are transported to the liver and kidneys for the detoxification processing and elimination. The pH level of our internal fluids affects every living cell in our bodies and the effect that over-acidification can have upon the health of our bodies is immense, with a chronically over acidic pH creating an extremely negative environment which affects all cellular functions from the beatings of the heart to the neural workings of the brain.

In order to hydrate your body optimally, you need to drink water that is alkaline and mineral rich. Alkaline water helps to neutralize acids and remove toxins from the body. Alkaline water also acts as a conductor of electrochemical activity from cell to cell. Ideally, water should have a ph between 9 and 10, and you should be drinking 3-4 liters of it daily. As you hydrate your body properly, you'll develop more of a thirst for water. Food cravings are often the body's cry for water. You might already have more of a thirst than you even realize.

Where Can We Find Alkaline, Pure Water?

There are several methods for making our water more alkaline. The first step is to purify the water using either a distiller or an ioniser. You can find more information on distillers and ionisers in our full resource.

Further to this, the alkalinity of the water can be increased by using pH drops such as the Alkalive pH Booster. Products such as these are extremely effective as they structure and cluster the water for optimal absorption, alkalise the water to an optimal pH of 9.5 and infuse your body with charged ions.


Live Foods

Of course, the ideal waters to consume are those that are nutrient-rich and can be immediately used by your body. These waters are those that are found in fresh, raw foods such as vegetables, salads and low-sugar fruits.

You should aim to consume approximately 70% water-rich food. The following chart outlines some of the most water-rich, alkaline foods that you should look for:
Food % water
Cucumber 94%
Watercress 90%
Tomatoes 93%
Spinach 92%
Onions 89%
Lettuce 96%
Grapefruit 88%
Aubergine 92%
Cauliflower 91%
Carrots 90%
Broccoli 92%

Aerobic exercise is absolutely vital to our health and energy. Diet alone can only get you so far! While anaerobic exercise (weight training and high-intensity training) are also very beneficial to our long term health, during the ten day challenge it is important to focus upon aerobic exercise as a way to help cleanse and detoxify the body.

There are obviously many ways to exercise aerobically, however, the key principle is to have a solid understanding of what aerobic exercise actually is.

"Aerobic literally means 'with oxygen', and refers to the use of oxygen in the energy-generating process for muscles. Aerobic exercise describes any type of exercise, typically performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time that increases your heart rate. Oxygen, fats, and glucose are used to produce adenosine triphosphate, the basic fuel for all cells."
Source: Wikipedia

More practically, aerobic exercise means performing exercise at a heart rate that is no more than 180 minus your age. Sustained exercise in this heart rate zone will burn fat as your primary source of fuel as opposed to sugar, meaning you can exercise for longer and get in great shape.

In this resource we focus upon two highly effective aerobic exercises: running/walking and rebounding.
Running and Walking


As mentioned, the intensity level of exercise during a cleanse/detox should remain within the 'fat burning zone'. By this it is understood that your heart-rate should not exceed a certain level. This is particularly for those who chose running as their form of exercise as it is very easy to exceed your maximum heart rate.

The 'fat-burning zone' is different for everybody. To calculate this zone, we recommend the Stu Mittleman method. Stu is an ultramarathon champion and set the world record for running the 1,000 mile run (he completed it in 11 days) and also holds the US record for the Six Day Run: 578 miles (96 miles/3.7 marathons per day!). Stu also ran across America in 55 days, at a rate of 52 miles per day in 2000. We can consider him to be somewhat of an authority on aerobic training and running!

Calculating your Heart Rate Zones

The method for calculating your heart-rate zones according to Stu is to subtract your age from 180. This defines your uppermost limit before you start burning sugar instead of fat. Have you ever finished a run and felt dizzy and queasy? This is because you were burning sugar instead of fat! When exercising at this level, the exercise actually becomes anaerobic instead of aerobic and serves more to increase muscle strength/capacity. Indeed, while training above this zone has many benefits and uses as part of a wider training regime - it is far too intense while detoxing.

The fat burning zones are broken down into three stages, at the lowest level of intensity is the warm-up zone, followed by the mostly aerobic pace (MAP) and then the most efficient pace (MEP). MAP is the zone where the most fat burning takes place and it is within this zone that you should concentrate your efforts whilst detoxing in order to give yourself a work-out and to help flush your lymphatic system.

Using myself as an example:

180 - my age (25) = 155

MEP Upper Limit = 155
- 10 = 145
MEP Lower Limit = 145

MAP Upper Limit = 145
- 10 = 135
MAP Lower Limit = 135

-10 = 125
Warm-up Zone = 125-135

Unless you run frequently, it will probably be fairly difficult to keep within the warm-up and MAP zones whilst running and therefore you may need to intersperse your running with walking, perhaps for 200 meters every kilometer in order to keep your heart-rate down.

Knowing your Heart Rate

Obviously, the best way to know your heart-rate is to wear a heart-rate monitor. However, if you do not own one of these, you can still roughly estimate which zone you are in using the following guidelines:

Signs of being in MAP or MEP:

- you can still talk normally without being short of breath
- your vision is clear and you have heightened senses of smell and sight
- you are in a steady, comfortable rhythm
- you would rate your level of intensity somewhere between 4 and 7 (at the very most)

Signs of being out of the fat-burning/aerobic zone:

- you are short of breath, especially when talking
- you may feel dizzy or nausea
- you do not feel comfortable
- you are looking forward to finishing!
- you would rate your level of intensity as above 7

1. Break your fast (breakfast) with only fresh vegetables, vegetable juices and/or green drinks until noon.
This is an approach of Tony's that has been modified over the past five years - you may have read Unlimited Power or have been to UPW and heard/ read the 'only fruit til noon' concept. On Get the Edge and the PowerTalk with Dr. Young, Tony admits that this approach was wrong due to the highly concentrated level of sugar that consuming only fruit til noon would provide. His discovery of the alkaline/acid approach to health has led to the creation of the new approach above.

Green Drinks are the mixture of green powders (such as Ultra Greens, SuperGreens, Beyond Greens, Alkalive Greens etc.) and water (preferably alkaline, pure water). For vegetable juices, raw, alkalising soups and other breakfast ideas, see our detox, alkalising recipes.

2. Properly combine your foods for maximum nourishment and energy.
Many research studies have proven that different foods and drinks cause different reactions in the digestive system. If foods are poorly combined, the chemicals that are secreted to digest these different foods can cause negative reactions and can lead to foods not being properly digested. The outcome of poor digestion is that the nutrients cannot be properly extracted from the food and whatever foods are not properly digested by our bodies will be 'digested' by harmful microforms in our bodies (such as yeasts, causing candida for example) and can cause the formation of mucus and cold like symptoms.

However, that does not mean that food combining has to be confusing or difficult! While there are a million equally confusing food combining charts out there - just a few simple principles should be followed to make sure you effectively combine your foods. Our bodies are not designed to digest complex meals, particularly not some of the classics we feed ourselves when we consume starch and protein together (i.e. almost any kind of sandwich, fish and chips, meat and potatoes etc).

Food Combining Rules:

a) Low sugar and high water fruits (alkaline fruits) and vegetables combine with almost anything on their own.

b) If animal protein must be consumed, mix it with vegetables or alkaline fruits only. Do not combine with starches, acid foods or oils. Vegetable proteins, however, can combine with all alkaline fruits and vegetables, as well as good fats and oils. In other words combine fish or meats with high water vegetables, instead of rice, pasta, bread or potatoes.

c) Starches should be combined with low sugar and high water content fruits and vegetables. Do not combine starches with animal proteins or acidic foods, oils or high-sugar fruit.

d) Eat high sugar fruit on its own in all instances.

e) Good fats and oils can be consumed with vegetables and low-sugar fruits and also starches.

Low sugar fruits are: avocado, tomato, lime, lemon, non-sweet grapefruit and peppers/capsicum.

3. Do not eat when you are stressed
Eating when stressed is a surefire way to guarantee that you are going to eat too much, as well as too much of the wrong foods. Eating when stresses also increases the likelihood of hurrying your meal, not chewing properly and therefore poor digestion. This article covers stress and eating in more detail.

Eating should be enjoyed slowly and in a relaxed frame of mind. Your body will thank you for it.

4. Eat comfortable amounts of food
Overeating is an easy mistake to make. In fact, it is a habit that so many of us have formed that we find it incredibly difficult to notice when our bodies have had sufficient amounts and no longer require us to carry on eating. I imagine that this habit formed for most of us in our early years when we were not allowed to leave the table until we had finished our dinners!

We need to train ourselves to be able to pick up on the signals our body sends us when it has had enough! The most straightforward techniques for doing this include:

a) eating slowly and taking breaks during your meal - this will give your body a chance to register the food consumed and send the signal to your brain to stop

b) portion control - by giving yourself much smaller portions you reduce the risk of overeating

c) make 'picking' meals whereby you lay out lots of different salads, dips, dishes etc on the table and start with very small portions. This effectively combines the above and ensures you do not continue to eat because you do not want to waste the food you have cooked

d) start your meal with a soup or salad starter, then give yourself a five minute break before your main meal

e) avoid eating in front of the television or while doing other activities as this will distract you from the messages to your brain that you are full

f) learn to associate pleasure to leaving at least something on your plate - do it the Chinese way and leave a little on your plate to show you are full!

More portion control techniques can be found here.

5. Do not drink water with your meals
Drinking during meals has been said to hinder digestion, but personally I feel that this also contributes to the point above in that it could hinder your accurate assessment of how much you need to eat. Some research has also gone as far as to cite a link between drinking during meals and oesophageal cancer.

Whatever the reasoning, your body derives all of the water it requires for digestion from the foods we consume and so there is no need to complicate your digestive process.

6. Eat organic foods whenever possible
While still being priced slightly more expensively in the supermarkets, the benefits of organic food far outweigh the financial costs.

Having a totally directed mind is an important part of having a healthy, energised body. Being comfortable, relaxed, directed, motivated and confident plays a huge part in maximising your energy and knowing what to do with that energy to create consistent success.

There are three basic components to having a directed mind:

1. Relaxation/ Stress Control
2. Creative and Achievable Goals and Aims
3. Strong and Enjoyable Relationships

How does having a directed mind effect your health? Many people do not realise this, but the mind is hugely influential in the state of your health. It effects everything from the your energy levels to your immune system.

Dr Weil among many others have researched the link between the mind and our physical health. His research at Harvard University has found that external matters are not the cause of disease, rather that they are agents who are waiting to cause specific symptoms within susceptible bodies. Accordingly, the more vulnerable we are (though poor diet, nutrition, exercise and stress/worry), the more susceptible we become.

This makes perfect sense - consider the times when there is a bug 'doing the rounds' - if you are under high levels of stress, working too hard, under pressure or worrying do you think there is more chance that you will come down with the bug? Of course there is - this doesn't mean that the bug was suddenly stronger, but that it found a susceptible host.

On the ten day challenge there are seven points to consider in having a directed and focussed mind:

1. The mind has a tremendous power over the body - the two should not be considered in isolation
2. Anger and resentment are poisonous to the body!
3. Stress is a result of how you interpret situations and the associations that you have to specific situations
4. Fear and stress compromise your immune system!
5. Stress disappears in a state of certainty - it is essential to develop empowering beliefs that let you know that there is always a way if you are committed.
6. Physiology plays a major part in how we feel mentally. If we behave physically as if we are vibrant, happy and directed we will be so. Emotion is created by motion!
7. Stress and upset disappears if we have a compelling future. Set goals, review your goals and reward yourself for moving forward.

The final part of this is to develop three empowering questions and answers that will put you in a positive, vibrant state at any time!

The premise of the 'structural support' element of the ten day challenge is that you should look to reward your body - as making so many physical, mental and dietary changes can feel restrictive. You should always reward yourself for every little success. The five rules of structural support are as follows:

1. Give Yourself Rest!
Your body needs rest just as much as it needs movement and exercise. You should aim to make the most of the opportunities that you have to rest your body. Take time out to think about all of the things that are good in your life and plan all of your future successes. Take an extra long bath and ask yourself some power questions to put yourself into a positive and relaxed state.
2. Give Yourself Sunshine!
Not always easy in the UK and Northern Europe, granted, however, daylight is just as important. One of the primary causes of depression is a lack of bright light. Although the lack of sunlight during the winter months is a major contributor, this can also be exacerbated by our lifestyles, as many Europeans now work up to 10 hours per day in artificially lit offices and rarely see daylight before or after work during these months.

To put the importance of sunlight into context - the sun emits up to 100,000 lux (the Metric measurement of light quantity), whereas artificial lights emit just 300-500 lux. If this is our only source of light each day, it is easy to see how problems can occur. Make sure you spend plenty of time outdoors, breathing full breaths of fresh air!
3. Indulge in muscular relaxation or massage!
As mentioned - you should reward your efforts! Whether this means a massage, a day spa or just a long hot bath - set time for yourself and reward your good efforts.
4. Have an assessment for spinal alignment!
When the body is correctly aligned the head is positioned over the shoulders, the shoulders align with the hips, the hips sit directly over the knees and the ankles are straight with feet pointing forward. The human body relies upon correct alignment and joint position to function properly. Incorrect alignment can arise through a variety of reasons, with a lack of motion (exercise) being one of the most common. Tony Robbins extols the virtues of The Egoscue Method which is a postural program involving a series of gentle stretches and exercises to properly align the body.
5. Give Your Body Any Other Support it Needs...
Whatever this may be - listen to what your body is telling you...

o be more accurate, the lesson should be to eliminate excess bad fats and oils, but to maximise the consumption of good fats and oils. First, however, lets tackle the bad fats.

Bad fats include, hydrogenated fats, saturated fats, trans-fatty acids and any oil that has been heated, fried, exposed to light or air excessively. In less technical terms this includes margarine, butter (although better than margarine), vegetable oils, castor oils, canola oil, sunflower oil, any oil contained within packaged foods and any cooked or heated oils or those packaged within clear, plastic containers. Milk and dairy products are also very high in saturated fats and so should be limited (as discussed below).

There are several consequences of a high fat diet:

- Diabetes: According to Diabetes UK, Type 2 Diabetes is, in most cases, caused by being overweight. Type 2 is caused when the body can still make some insulin, but not enough. A diet high in fat leads to insulin production becoming desensitised, causing poor glucose control.

There are hundreds of studies including this one undertaken by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute which prove, beyond doubt that a high-fat diet dramatically increases the onset of type 2 diabetes.

- Cancer: Research published in one of the most respected medical journals in the world, The Lancet has shown that women who eat 90g of fat per day have twice the risk of developing breast cancer than those who eat less than 40g of fat. More specifically, they are measuring this as being a high proportion of saturated fats such as 'high fat milk, butter, meat and some cereals such as biscuits and cakes'.

- Arthritis: The Arthritis Research Campaign point out that fat is 'the most important single link between your diet and arthritis''. If nothing else, the weight gain from a high-fat diet will cause far more stress on our joints and bones and the lowered oxidation caused by excess fat can accelerate the wear and tear of our joints.

- Increased Blood Pressure: a diet high in fat causes thickened blood and blocked arteries increasing the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and other degenerative diseases. According to the American Heart Association: Eating too much saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol level, which increases the risk of coronary artery disease (clogged arteries) and heart attack.

These are just a few, however, what is more important to note is the health benefits that are gained by including good fats in your diet, namely the Essential Fatty Acids omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 in the correct proportions. They are called 'essential' because the body relies upon us to provide a food source as it cannot produce them on its own.

While most diets contain ample, if not some omega 6 and omega 9, it is estimated that up to 90% of the UK are deficient in omega 3 (according to the Institute for Optimum Nutrition).

The benefits of increasing your intake of essential fatty acids include:

- Increased Energy

- Weight Loss

- Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

- Decrease in Symptoms of Inflammatory Diseases such as Arthritis

- Strengthened Immune System

- Improved Brain Function

- Increased Recovery and Healing Capabilities

- Healthy development of Infants

- Decreased Possibility of Infection

- Stronger Bones

- Protected Genetic Material

- Reduced PMS Symptoms

- Clearer Skin, Stronger Nails, Shinier Hair!

More recently, studies have also highlighted the positive effects of omega3 fatty acids on the development of infants, in treating ADHD and other behavioural problems, in treatment for depression and to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Among other things, omega 3 can be gained from the following food sources:

- Flax/ flaxseed
- Hemp Seed
- Sesame Seed
- Walnuts
- Brazil Nuts
- Avocado
- Almonds
- Salmon, Trout and other Freshwater Fish
- Soy
- Many Leafy Green Vegetables
- Spinach
- Pumpkin Seeds

However, the most effective way to ensure that you are consuming the recommended amount of EFAs is to take a high-quality, organic oil supplement such as Udo's Choice. Udo's Choice ensures that a correct balance of high-quality EFAs are delivered to your body on a daily basis.

While we leave you to your own devices over whether to eat meat or not above, we strongly urge you to eliminate milk, cheese and all other dairy products from your diet.

Millions of people around the UK consume dairy products on a daily basis. Our huge consumption of dairy is due not only to the convenience it brings to cooking and the habit of cooking with and eating dairy for the majority of our lives but more alarmingly because of the mantra that we are fed by government and the dairy industry that it is beneficial to our health that somehow you need dairy to ensure you consume enough calcium to maintain strong and healthy bones.

The stories we are told about why we should consume dairy are based almost entirely upon half-truths and are driven, not for the benefit of the nation's health, but to ensure the continued profits of the dairy industry.

The Myths Surrounding Why We Should Drink Milk

We Need the Calcium Provided by Dairy for Strong Bones

Dairy UK advocates the promotion of three portions of dairy products per day. They claim that research results show that dairy is 'even more favourable (in terms of blood pressure, cholesterol, weight control, certain cancers, bones and teeth) than fruit and vegetables'.

This has been the golden ticket of the dairy industry for many, many years – regardless of the fact that it simply is not true. Literally hundreds of highly respected research studies conducted over many years and with a huge cross section of participants have shown that increased dairy intake does not correlate with improved bone strength (Cumming and Klineberg, 1994; Huang and Himes, 1996; Cummings, Nevitt and Browner et al, 1995; Nordin, 1997). In several studies, dairy calcium has been shown to actually increase the risk of osteoporosis and decrease the strength of bones!

How the dairy industry is still allowed to promote their products on the basis of the benefits of dairy calcium is beyond comprehension. Research has proven beyond doubt that bone strength is not related to calcium intake.

Bone strength is increased through exercise (Lloyd, Petit et al, 2004), increased intake of vegetables and fruit (Tucker, Hannan et al, 1999) and a reduction of animal protein and sodium (Finn, 1998).

3 Servings of Dairy Helps Weight Loss

'Dairy Management Inc. (responsible for the 3-a-day campaign) is the non-profit domestic and international planning and management organization responsible for increasing demand for U.S.-produced dairy products on behalf of America's dairy farmers.' – So clearly our welfare is more important than sales and profits then….

The UK and US dairy industries are allocating more and more of their marketing spend to the message that three servings of dairy can actually help people to lose weight.

This campaign has clear commercial, rather than health goals as the dairy industry looks to ensure that dieters are given a reason to continue consuming dairy. In the US, the $180-million milk-moustache ad campaign during early 2005 was spearheaded by celebrities such as Dr. Phil, giving consumers very little information, but sending the message that it is ok to consume dairy on a regular basis. This campaign has been met with mixed reviews in health circles, but the bottom line is that it has boosted sales of milk in the US through the publicising of just one research study, funded by the dairy industry and with very questionable data. Is this legal?

The basis of their argument is that dairy contains calcium (stronger bones argument again), plus potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins D, A and B12, riboflavin and niacin. However, nowhere on throughout the 3-a-day literature are quantities of these nutrients or daily requirements discussed – nor the fact that you can get each of these nutrients in abundance from fruit and vegetables without having to consume the cholesterol, calories, saturated fats and sugars contained in dairy produce.

There is simply no way that dairy can help support weight loss. Even skimmed milk is over 50% sugar (as a percentage of calories) and of the thousands of research studies conducted on dairy and its role in health, only one researcher claims that milk aids in weight loss. And his research is funded by the dairy industry.

The Facts about Dairy

The increase in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and asthma that has occurred in the Western world over the past century directly correlates with the increase in dairy consumption.

In fact, a Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, Colin Campbell, has undertaken the largest study of diet and disease in medical history. His findings are incredible - high animal calcium and animal protein intake is the primary cause of degenerative disease.

Granted, dairy may contain certain useful nutrients in varying proportions. However, similarly to how we often hear that coffee, red wine and dark chocolate are 'good for us', it doesn't mean we should ignore the negatives or start on a diet of red wine and chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As with all life choices, we have to weigh up the pro's and the cons – and with dairy, the cons far outweigh the pros .

Twelve pounds of milk are required to manufacture one pint of Ben's very rich ice cream.

Reasons to Kick the Dairy Habit:

1. Trans Fats, Sugar, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Chemicals, Calories

Dairy products are riddled with dangerously high levels of bad, saturated fats, cholesterol and sugars which all contribute significantly to degenerative disease. For example, butter is 100% fat, Cheddar cheese 74% fat, whole milk 49% fat and even '2% milk' is 35% fat .

High fat diets are, without doubt, strongly linked to the alarming obesity levels in the US and UK, with research showing that 59% of American men and 49% of American women now being overweight. In relation to dairy, this may have something to do with the fact that the average American consumes approximately 600 pounds of dairy products every year – that is five times more dairy than fruit!

2. Cancer

Dairy products are directly related to an increased risk of prostate cancer , ovarian cancer , prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and testicular cancer

The American Cancer Society states that "about one-third of the 500,000 cancer deaths that occur in the United States each year is due to dietary factors…Although the committee recognizes that no diet can guarantee full protection against any disease, we believe that our recommendations offer the best nutrition information currently available to help Americans reduce their risk of cancer."

Furthermore, their two highest recommendations are: "1. Choose most of the foods you eat from plant sources"; and "2. Limit your intake of high-fat foods, particularly from animal sources."

3. Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

CVD is the number one cause of death in the UK and the US with research suggesting that over 3,000 Americans suffer a heart attack every day – and over the past 40 years, research from highly respected journals such as, the International Journal of Cardiology , European Journal of Epidemiology and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have all found a direct correlation between regular dairy consumption and a massive increase in CVD.

This increased risk of CVD is not just a result of the cholesterol and fat contained in dairy produce , but also the animal protein, milk carbohydrates and milk sugar lactose which play havoc with our bodies health.

4. Osteoporosis

For many years milk has been marketed for its supposed ability to prevent osteoporosis – however, research has shown this to be untrue . According to the 12-year Harvard Nurses' Health Study, milk intake had absolutely benefit with regards to bone fracture risk and that increased dairy calcium could actually have the reverse effect and lead to a decrease in bone strength!

Studies into the factors that effect bone strength in young adults have highlighted that exercise is actually the predominant determinant of bone strength. Another research exploration which examined over 58 studies into nutrition and bone health found very little evidence to suggest that increasing milk or other dairy intake improved the bone strength of young adults .

5. Diabetes

Medical science has proven, beyond doubt that there is a direct relationship between frequent dairy consumption and an increased risk of diabetes. For instance, a cross-cultural study conducted with children from 40 different countries identified that the higher the consumption of dairy and other animal products, the more likely the child was of developing diabetes. The study also found that those children who had a largely vegetarian diet has a highly decreased risk .

Diabetes UK claim that 'over 80 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight at diagnosis. The more overweight you are, the greater your risk of diabetes.' They also add that those with cardiovascular illness and those with high blood pressure are also highly at risk of diabetes. As it is clear that a diet high in dairy dramatically increases the likelihood of being overweight and of suffering from cardiovascular problems, the chances of suffering from diabetes are also increased.


A full alkaline/acid balance resource exists, however, to put things most simply:

the over acidification of our bodies (through the consumption of acid foods, drinks and drugs) can be attributed to be the root cause of almost all illness and disease in the human body. In an acid environment harmful microforms thrive and our body slowly breaks down trying to maintain an alkaline/acid balance. In this compromised environment, disease is given the opportunity to thrive and our depleted immune system is not able to ward off illness.

Through live blood analysis, the microbiologists Dr Robert Young, Dr Theodore Baroody and Dr Christopher Vasey have shown that an over acidic diet can be the cause of the following symptoms and diseases:

Infections, fatigue, indigestion, diarrhoea, food cravings, antisocial behaviour, hyperactivity, asthma, poor memory, aching muscles, dizziness, diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, yeast infections, loss of sex drive, cysts and tumours, mood swings, PMS, hay fever, acne, overweight, underweight, bad breath, bladder infections, gum disease, low energy, heartburn, bronchitis, colitis, insomnia, impotence, psoriasis, viral infection, Crohn's disease, Leukaemia, arthritis, mental disorders, dizziness, kidney failure, osteoporosis and more!

The antidote to over-acidity is of course to a) eliminate acids foods from your diet and b) to replace them with alkaline forming foods!

As part of the ten day challenge the focus is to eliminate the following seven acid forming foods:

1. Sugar
2. Vinegar
3. Salt
4. Tobacco
5. Alcohol
6. Caffeine
7. Drugs and OTC Prescriptions

However, we recommend that you go one step further on the challenge and try to incorporate alkaline foods into your diet for ten days too. The combination of these two will give you immense benefits!

Alkaline foods to include could be:

1. Green drinks
2. Vegetable juices (fresh)
3. Salads
4. Lightly steamed vegetables
5. Pure, alkaline water
6. Veggie snacks with hummous
7. Raw soups
8. Herbal teas

Posted on montalk.net

Matrix Agents: Profiles and Analysis (Part I)

 From the upcoming book "Jesus Checks his Myspace at the Hilton" © 2006


Gay men, who fuck, women and hate them homophobicly

 Do you ever notice how straight men will tease each other in a derogatory fashion, if one of them does anything feminine? "Dude you look like a girl in that coat", or " Man you hit that ball like a pussy,"or "Shit bro, you write like a bitch." The irony of  this is that, anything that is feminine, must be an embarrassment, making them woman haters, or in the closet man lovers. So if you hate women, and how they are so much, why do you call yourself straight? Wouldn't a straight guy admire a woman's beauty, and learn something from it. Is it really a mystery that the poor, fat, stupid, plumber for arguments sake, can't get laid, and freaks out when he sees a hot girl with a rocker kid in makeup? "Look at that fucking fag man, what does she see in that"? "I could kick that fairies ass." I don't think it occurs to them that women like the same as us, usually. Last time I checked, we weren't fond of smelly, sloppy, hairy, fat women.The other thing is, if you're doing anything that has been thought of as a woman only activity, by the vast majority of cattle, you are a "fag". This brings me to my next point, and how this all relates to me. My roommate just got a job as a promoter for a club in town. I've always wanted to get into a nightlife job, and make tons of contacts, and work during hours when I am at my best. Not unlike Michael Alig, or Taime Downe. She said she could get me a job, perhaps security, or passing out fliers. These weren't part of my vision though. They seemed boring, passe' and predictable. But when she mentioned dressing in drag, standing at the door, and getting paid for it, I lit up. Why? I'm straight right? Yes, and I wear makeup when I go out often to certain clubs. I might also like to note, that even though I'm not gay, I'm not defending myself because I think it's wrong. I don't have a problem with anyone's choice of sexuality as long as it's not abusing anyone. But to most troglodytes, working at the makeup counter, or going out in it, makes you gay. I do both of these things. A woman came up to me at the counter I work at and as I put her eyeshadow on, she took great pleasure telling me how much I'd love South Beach, and how all the men hold hands. I was about to say "Broadway in Manhattan is more my style," but I didn't even have the energy to be sarcastic, nor did I feel like joining in on her stereotypes. Another day, a huge ogre came in and leered his walking ape man Pithecanthropus Erectus body near my counter and proceeded to tell me how I was a "sick evil mother fucker", and how he was going to kill me outside. He did this for about 5 minutes from a chair across the aisle. I wanted to tell him that I was going to be busy fucking his mother....in the ass, that night, but common sense told me that I can't have a mangled face at the counter. I pent up my rage and as usual, and lashed out in true Absinthe fashion later in the week. My friend Evil and I, went out and drank till I couldn't talk right and ventured back to my house. In an attempt to symbolize the dying feminine balance that the world wants to kill, I took my Paris Hilton cutout of the corner of my room which I got from the fragrance stockroom because I was enamored by her dichotomy of being smart and beautiful and yet being a rotten slut. The image epitomized the essence of feminism in my mind at the time. I took all my clothes off and drenched myself in fake blood and put lipstick all over my face. I was going to give world, men and women, what they wanted. I beheaded Paris while Evil cut the crotch out of the life size replica. He always seemed to be on the same wavelength as me, I stuck my dick through the hole and placed my face on her neck, while Evil took pictures while the male female balance that the perfect man should have...bled to death. I will continue to do shit like this as long as narrow minded mainstream America wants to suppress people like me. And believe me there's a lot more of us than they think. It's 2006 America, get over it.

© 2006 Adam Absinthe

Jesus checks his Myspace at the Hilton.

What does my Myspace popularity or anyones for that matter, Paris Hilton and a Jesus bobble head have in common? They are all products of Americas Dreamy obsession with Hyperreality. Perhaps a better word than obsession would be condition. It seems we have lost touch with the real and started to worship simulacrum's. We stay stupid and consumerism thrives. Don't deny that you're reading about Brangelina while you're sitting on the toilet. Reality T.V. is our biggest simulacrum right now. Myspace being our next biggest. Myspace is now one of the biggest sites in the world and it's for this reason. All the Geoffrey Moons, Vicki Vodkas, and fantastic personalities, on the site are a simulation of something which never really existed. What has Paris Hilton done to be so popular? Has she won an Oscar, written a bestseller, found the cure for aids? No. She is a Jesus bobble head. Rather than worship God, people have learned to worship the icon of god and lost touch with the original. Paris is the Hollywood symbol of this simulation. Paris IS the "authentic fake". Famous for being famous. Chuck Klosterman said it best when he claimed his girlfriends fell in love with John Cusacks characters in films when they simply said they were in love with John Cussack. And who wouldn't fall in love with a photoshopped thumbnail on Myspace instead of the actual person.Who wants to wake up next to them without makeup and horrid breath? The simulation is more important. The profile is more real than the person. I'll borrow from Bauldrillard who borrowed from Borges. The profile is a map of a city drawn so perfectly over it that the original decays and the map becomes the reality. The reality T.V. phenomenon has nothing to do with reality. Reality sucks. Who wants to watch the television show Cops just to see police bust a wall street business man for money laundering? We want to see shirtless men on crack running through and alley bleeding, while cops excitingly chase them down with backup rather than sitting at a traffic light eating a donut. Why would we want to ride our bikes in the woods when we can go to Disney Land and fly on them on the E.T. ride. But at some point Americans started believing in the E.T. ride was real, and forgot what a real bike and woods was, in the case of Paris' popularity. The person with the most Friends on Myspace is a flavor of gum called Wild Ice Blast Berry. There's no such thing as Wild Ice Blast Berries but, we love them. Paris Hilton then is a Plastic X Mas tree which is profoundly better than any real tree could look in your living room. Perhaps that's what the most successful movies Warner Brothers ever made called the Matrix trilogy was trying to tell us. Our postmodern culture is a symptom of hyperreality. Paris Hilton as far as I'm concerned is a holographic image devoid of spirit and walks around as a representation of what a famous person is. Perhaps at one point there was a famous person who actually did something to be famous. They then photographed her. Someone after that point may have painted the photograph, and now that painting is our celebrity and the original is long lost. Paris would be that painting. So would the Myspace icons. I can tell you right now that I am a recognizable face from my unexpected Myspace popularity. When I'm laying at home in bed with my girlfriend, I'm me. When I go out to a bar and socialize I can't avoid being a Myspace simulacrum even if I lay in a bed in the middle of the floor next to my gf at the bar. People worship me from Myspace rather than what constitutes who I am. I'm guilty too. I used to worship Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in The Doors movie, both Jim And Val were lost to what I considered as the Doors.

© 2006 Adam Absinthe