Persimmon Tart with Spiced Pecan Crust {Paleo, Vegan, Gluten-Free}

We are at the midnight hour for a post about Thanksgiving - almost too late, but not quite. Even though time has slipped away from me, I could not pass up an opportunity to slowdown and really contemplate the true meaning of the day.

Gratitude for all aspects of life helps to cultivate health of the body, mind, and spirit. Living from the grateful space of the heart promotes true abundance and positive outlook. Research has proven time and time again that a positive orientation to life is one of the most effective and important keys to robust health. A very inspiring website on the grace of gratefulness is found here.

Vibrant babies and children - Embrace a balanced live food diet for growing bodies

Concerned parents are questioning the dangers of a standard American diet (SAD) and exploring more nutritious options for their children. As serious childhood disease and disfunction escalate to alarming levels, researchers and parents alike begin to make the connection with poor food choices. Many have found a carefully selected raw and live food diet fosters exuberant mental, physical, and spiritual health in children.

The standard American diet relies heavily on meat, dairy, sugar, hydrogenated fats, and processed foods. This unbalanced approach creates many nutritional deficiencies and encourages serious illness such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Schizophrenia, autism, and attention deficit disorder are also linked to the consumption of low quality food. And yet, this is the very diet many children are given from a very young age, thus negatively effecting intense periods of growth and development.

An inconvenient truth about climate change - Grazing livestock may hold the secret to preventing environmental annihilation

Allan Savory is a controversial figure with a shocking message: Global warming and desertification can be radically reversed by grazing large herds of animals. The antithesis of accepted thought on climate change, Savory's solution has rubbed many in the scientific community the wrong way. But the question remains -- can his method save us from imminent environmental doom?

Standing ovation for a radical message

After Allan Savory's presentation, "How to Green the Desert and Reverse Climate Change," at the 2013 TED global conference, The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered., he received an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience. This was not the typical parched scientific lecture on global warming. The TED talk explored the disturbing trend of desertification, described by Savory as "a fancy word for land that is turning into desert," and the implications this holds. The devastation of habitat, usable land and waterways are the stark realities of spreading deserts. Climate change is also accelerated. Due in part to the widespread practice of burning dry grasslands in an attempt to revitalize the soil, global warming is also aggravated by the carbon and moisture loss from exposed soil. Considering the burning of a single hectare of land "gives off more and more damaging pollutants than 6,000 cars," said Savory, better solutions are urgently needed. Keep in mind that Africa alone burns over one billion hectares a year.

Discover the abundant health benefits of a traditional Native American diet

Containing many superfoods, the traditional diet of Native Americans offers great health. A diet rich in berries, roots, and nuts traditionally kept tribal members powerful and robust. As the modern diet displaced these nutrient dense foods, the health of Native Americans began to decline.

An article by the Organic Consumers Association reports on the need to combat the epidemic of diabetes and childhood obesity among modern Native Americans with a return to the traditional diet enjoyed by their ancestors.

Bea Medicine, a Native American Anthropologist, describes the change in diet:

"Traditional food staples of Indian tribes--wild game, berries, roots, teas, and indigenous vegetables--were high in protein and low in fat. That's a switch from the modern Native American diet, which is high in fat and refined starches and sugars."

Trace mineral lithium really does curb violent crime, depression and suicide

The word lithium frequently conjures images of catatonic psychiatric patients and side effects so severe that premature death is commonplace. But naturally occurring lithium is a far cry from pharmaceutical grades. Found in the soil, water and certain foods, it is an essential mineral for maintaining physical and mental health. When exposure is low, suicide rates, mental illness and violent crime increase.

Mental well-being influenced by trace mineral intake

Lithium has a long history of use in the treatment of mental disorders. However, it hasn't been until recently that scientists began exploring the psychiatric implications of naturally occurring lithium in the water supply. As stated in the article, Foods Rich in Lithium And Lithium Supplements:

"Research suggests that locations with the highest concentration of lithium tend to have the lowest rates of depression and violent crime. These studies have been conducted across the globe in different climates with different natural habits and diets. Researchers have therefore concluded that this phenomenon is fairly universal."

Superfood Blueberry Galette with Hazelnut

As we approach Thanksgiving, I wanted to include a recipe that highlights several traditional Native American superfoods. For those of you unfamiliar with mesquite flour, you are in for a treat. This novel flour is gluten free and nutrient packed. It is a rich source of protein and fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc along with the amino acid lysine. Mesquite flour has a mildly sweet, nutty flavor that lends itself well to baking. Blueberries, hazelnuts, and maple syrup were also important staples in the tribal diet. Blueberries provide ample antioxidants that help counteract free radicals and protect against cataracts, heart disease, and cancer. Hazelnuts are a wonderful source of vitamin E and folate together with carotenoids, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins which help prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer. Although not considered an absolute superfood, maple syrup has high levels of zinc and manganese, both of which are immune boosters. More information can be found here.