There is a huge controversy, I have just learned, regarding the ethics of sneaking vegetables into foods so your kids will get some nutrition along with their Mac n’ Cheese and breaded fish sticks.

As I understand the situation, numerous books have appeared on the shelves suggesting ways of getting fruits and veggies into your kids’ gullets without initiating World War 111 at the dinner table. Some of these books, such as Missy Chase Lapine’s cleverly titled The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on your Man (In the Kitchen) Hiding Healthy Foods in Hearty Meals , go beyond tricking the kids and move into the uncharted territory of tricking your husband into eating a little fiber along with his T-Bone and deep fried onion rings.

These and other similar books more or less passed under the radar until January of 2007 when Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld made its appearance. The book became a popular hit, and along with it came controversy and debate regarding the “correctness” of tricking the kids into eating healthy foods.

It’s not clear to me which came first – the book’s popularity or the controversy — but I suspect one led to the other. I have never written a book, but if I ever do, I PRAY that there will be a controversy and perhaps even a banning. I know of no better way to ensure sales. However, that’s a topic for another time. Let us return to the ethical considerations of tricking your kids at the dinner table.

I admit to feeling a little squeamish at the notion of tricking people into eating anything. It brings back memories of people trying to “trick” me into eating liver, a food I particularly dislike. Even though many years have passed, I still feel distrustful of the cooks who tried to sneak this foul substance into me by mixing it into beef pies and stews, and then taunting, ‘Ha, ha! Got you to eat liver and you didn’t even know it!” To this day, I question how far one can believe these well-meaning people or put trust in what they say. In other words, I consider that this type of trickery has the potential to damage relationships and the damage, although not huge, can last a lifetime.

Advocates of food trickery will argue that the end justifies the means. Good nutrition is vitally important to health and well-being. It is perhaps more important than ever as North America currently faces an epidemic of childhood obesity. If tricking the kids by adding a little pureed cauliflower to the pasta sauce means they’ll enjoy better health and perhaps achieve a lower body weight, then surely that is a good thing. Surely the long term effects of the improved nutrition are worth the small amount of distrust that may develop.

My position here is that nutrition is important – enormously important, and that nutritious foods should be served unabashedly and unashamedly. You might, for example, incorporate some pureed avocado into the quesadillas. You don’t do it because you are trying to trick anyone into eating better. You do it routinely because its good nutrition for everyone.

Yes, of course the oatmeal cookies contain grated carrots. Yes, of course the chocolate cake contains pureed beets. (Don’t laugh. It’s surprisingly good. You can’t taste the beets and the recipe is far from being new. Chocolate beet cake has been around for decades).

I was raised on a farm. We grew much of the food we ate, as did our neighbors. Fruits and veggies found their way into many dishes. After all, why would you cook with store bought ingredients when the root cellar and the canning shelves were filled with food waiting to be consumed?

We didn’t call it nutrition; we didn’t look at it as sneaking healthy food into people. It was just the way we cooked and ate. I carried this approach to cooking into my own household and considered it normal. Sneaking it in? No way.

I have not read Jessica Seinfeld’s book, nor have I read any other book of its ilk. However, according to the reviews at Amazon, Seinfeld herself is not advocating trickery by sneaking fruit and veggies into kids. She appears to be saying much the same thing I said earlier. Make this your natural approach to food preparation, keep no food-related secrets from the kids and when possible, involve your children in the cooking and food preparation process.

Given that Seinfeld doesn’t advocate deception in the first place, I’m confused as to how the controversy generated around her book. Perhaps it stems from the book’s title: Deceptively Delicious. The title itself may be a bit deceptive.

I do want to make one additional point. Incorporating fruit and vegetables into various recipes, or making healthy smoothies for lunch is an excellent way to improve nutrition. However, it is not, in itself, a remedy for obesity at any age. To lose weight or to prevent gaining body fat, age-appropriate portion control and activity levels must be added to a nutritional diet.

Now go eat your veggies

Bookmark To

You’ve probably heard all the buzz around the documentary film, “The Tapping Solution”, formerly known as Try it on Everything.

This breakthrough film shows the power of EFT to change lives – it’s documented, it’s real and it’s affecting people around the globe in a dramatic way.

Featuring well known experts such as Jack Canfield, Bruce Lipton, Carol Look, Dr. Joe Mercola, Joe Vitale, Dr. Patricia Carrington and more this film is a riveting ninety minutes where you’ll laugh, cry and most importantly learn the secrets to getting the most out of tapping so you too can experience the miracles and Breakthroughs seen in the film.

Now the creators of the film have raised the ante…

I had to do a double-take when I saw what they proposed…

Find out what’s going on here:

l The Tapping Solution

This incredible opportunity is only available for FIVE days.

It’s one of those “no-brainers”

But it’s only for those that are really ready to change.

To create and manifest what they most  dream of and desire in life.

If that’s you, then don’t delay:

The Tapping Solution

As for me, I am CONVINCED that energy work or tapping is the one approach to long term weight management that is effective, safe and without side effects. And cheap. With this deal, you can learn the technique for $1 and then use it for the rest of your life.

Bookmark To

The EFT Hub is offering all of the audios again on May 30, 2010. Those who signed up the first time around but missed some of the audiotapes have a chance to catch up.

Those who didn’t participate the first time around can listen to as many audios as they can fit into a day.

It’s all free!

If you aren’t familiar with this event, the EFT Hub was a seven day online event featuring Emotional Freedom Technique audios prepared by an assortment of experts and respected personalities in the field. Each day, several audios were available. The event covered a huge range of topics, including weight management, pain control, phobias, post traumatic stress disorder, relationship building, tips on building an EFT practice and much more.

The entire event was free.

If this interests you, catch the audios again on May 30. The link is EFT Hub Reloaded

If you are new to this, EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. Its am amazingly effective method of stress reduction that is a combination of Eastern acupressure techniques and Western mind-body medicine.

Check it out. I’ve been regular practitioner of EFT for a few years now and I can’t speak highly enough of what it can do.

Bookmark To

The EFT Hub, a Global Learning Resource, launches Sunday. This resource provides audio files from certified EFT practitioners such as Brad Yates, Carol Look, Gary Williams, and many more. The introductory audios include an interview with the one and only Gary Craig, creator of Emotional Freedom Technique, or “tapping” as it is sometimes called.

During this week, free audios are available daily, covering an array of EFT related topics. Once the program launches, interested persons can purchase monthly memberships with discount available for those who purchase for longer periods of time.

So far, I’m hugely impressed with the quality of the free audios. If the paid memberships are as good — and you would expect them to be even better, they will be an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning more about energy psychology.

From what I can see, there is a wide range of tapes, so there is something for the beginner, the experienced, and for those who provide EFT services on a professional level.

Sign up now for some free video until Sunday, or sign up monthly. The link is EFT Hub.

Bookmark To

I have just written an article outlining nine benefits to the raw food diet plan.

I am sure that the benefits, as described, are real.

However, I have some doubts as well.

That is, I don’t doubt that the benefits are real — I question whether the raw food diet plan is the best or even only way to achieve these results.

Let’s think about it this way. Let’s say I was eating badly. And by badly, I mean large quantities of food that wasn’t particularly healthy. Let’s say I was eating a lot of foods containing sugar and processed carbs. Let’s say I was eating plenty of red meat, butter, cheese, whole milk and flavored yogurts. Let’s say I was eating a lot of baked goods, chips and snack foods that were high in transfats. And lets say that I wasn’t eating all that many fruits and vegetables.

So far, what I have described is a fairly typical North American diet. And its more than typical for a lot of folks who struggle with overweight.

So now let’s say I change my eating habits and now I eat food that is low in fat, low in processed carbohydrates and high in fiber and nutrients.

Within a couple of weeks, maybe less, I am going to feel better, guaranteed. I am going to experience many, perhaps all of the benefits attributed to the raw food diet.

So what I am saying here is that in my opinion, the benefits are attributed to healthy eating patterns, not to the fact that the foods are raw. Any healthy eating plan would give you the same results.

And as for the weight loss — who would want to overeat on a diet that is so limited and so boring. You would eat less simply because you had no interest in eating more of the permitted foods.

And secondly — who among us is going to stick with a raw food diet for the rest of our days? It would be a matter of time until you gave up and went back to the old routine.

If anyone is interested in pursuing the raw food diet, the Eating for Energy plan is as good as any.

But as for me, I still say the only lasting solution is something that permanently changes your emotional and psychological self. In my opinion, and based on personal experience, meditations like the Silva Method, EFT or other forms of tapping are the answer.

Carol Look is among the leading experts in weight loss using EFT tapping. Her web site is Attracting Abundance. Follow the links to the Weight Management section.

Bookmark To

There are less than 48 hours left before the close out of the 2010 Tapping World Summit.
The producer of the event Nick Ortner just released a message that some people may think is a bit controversial.

It’s a very honest message that I think is important to hear:

World Tapping Summit 2010

You should definitely check it out right away.

Bookmark To

It’s already Day Three of the ten day free event, the World Tapping Summit.

This is an online presentation in which various experts present audio and video presentations on an array of topics.

Already we have had presentations dealing with financial blocks, overcoming psychological and emotional traumas from the past, silencing the critical voice within and changing a negative self image.  Some presentations include tapalongs, which are useful.

Today’s two presentations are related to business — how to overcome blocks and resistance that are hindering our business success.

If you have never tapped before, its not a problem. An introductory video explains and demonstrates how its done.

I listen, sometimes twice, to every singe presentation. It’s an excellent event. Its free. It’s useful beyond measure.  I cannot understand why anyone would opt to miss it.

The link to register is :2010 World Tapping Summit

Bookmark To

On February 1, registration opened for the Tapping World Summit 2010, an online event that introduces and promotes an alternative therapeutic approach known as “tapping.” The event is scheduled to run for ten days, commencing on February 21, 2010.

Tapping: What It Is

Derived from the new field of energy psychology, tapping is touted as a revolutionary approach to health and well-being. It borrows from the art of Chinese acupuncture and combines that knowledge with the latest practices in modern day psychology.

Many practitioners report that the painless and easy-to-learn practice provides fast and often permanent relief from mental, emotional and even physical conditions that had proven resistant to more traditional therapies.

About the Summit

The World Summit encompasses ten days of audio and video presentations from eighteen experts in the field, including Bob Doyle, Patricia Carrington, Brad Yates, Margaret Lynch and others.

The event offers free registration and participation. No tapping experience is necessary. The Summit provides demonstrations and tap-a-longs that gives a beginner the basic skills needed to participate.

Registrants have access to two audio or video presentations per day, for ten days. At the end of the event, the presentations are available for purchase.

Presentations

The presentations cover an array of topics related to personal well being.

Among the titles are:

• Using Meridian Tapping to Quickly Manage and Eliminate Pain from Trauma, Injury or Surgery
• Healing the Critical Voice
• Skyrocket Your Success by Overcoming the Most Common Business Fears
• Speaking Your Truth: Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
• Overcoming the Damaging Effects of Childhood Trauma
• Breaking the Chain of Addictions with Meridian Tapping
• Freedom from Food! Releasing Your Cravings and Compulsive Eating Habits to Lose Weight and Feel Great
• Meridian Tapping for Cancer Support
• — and several more.

Those who register prior to February 21 have access to three recorded interviews with prominent figures: Jack Canfield of the Chicken Soup series, Joe Vitale (appeared in the highly publicized movie The Secret ), and Bruce Lipton, the author of The Biology of Belief .

Background

According to organizer Nick Orter of Try it On Everything LLC, Tapping World Summit 2009 attracted 81,000 participates from around the globe. He anticipates even better attendance in 2010.

Tapping is a similar practice to Emotional Freedom Techniques ® (EFT). EFT is a federally registered trademark belonging to its developer, Gary Craig. Before his recent retirement, Craig was instrumental in introducing EFT to numerous therapists, lay people and organizations around the world. His work has stood up to rigorous scientific testing.

To Register

For more information or to register at the Tapping World Summit 2010, please visit this link:

Tapping World Summit 2010

Bookmark To

The 2nd Annual Tapping World Summit opened its doors this morning for registration. It’s 100% free to register. I registered last year and I can’t speak highly enough of the excellent content that these people provided daily for the duration of the event. Last year, 81,000 people participated.

Tapping is the process of tapping one’s fingers lightly on energy points for the purpose of releasing blocked energies, emotions, outdated believes and much more. It’s amazingly effective and is helpful for numerous conditions, including weight management.

You may know tapping as “Emotional Freedom Technique” or EFT. However, these terms are trademarked by Gary Craig and are therefore not used. The term tapping is used instead.

I am a strong advocate of both tapping and the Silva Method to produce emotional freedom, behaviour change and sometimes healing of physical conditions as well.

The World Summit starts on February 21 and lasts for ten days. Each day, two experts in the field of tapping and energy psychology present videos and audios. You have 24 hours to listen to the these tapes. At the end, you have the option of purchasing all of the videos if you choose.

Why not sign up to attend? It’s free and hugely effective.

2nd Annual Tapping World Summit

Bookmark To

I’ve been looking for a way to bring in some extra cash through blogging, so needless to say I was interested and intrigued when I discovered Blogsvertise.com.

http://www.blogsvertise.com is an online service that helps both bloggers and merchants increase their bottom line. In other words, speaking as a blogger, this service helps me monetize my site and earn some extra dollars.

I know we’d all like to think that bloggers maintain their blogs purely to pursue their passions and interests, to express themselves through writing and to assist the viewers acquire useful information. All that may be true, but the other side of the coin is that we have to cover the expenses of maintaining a blog or a web site. In addition to that, many of us have to earn a living and ideally have enough cash left over to splurge on a few treats.

That’s where http://www.blogsvertise.com comes in. When you register as a blogger with Blogsvertise, you receive payment for writing about the web sites that they assign. The really great news is that you don’t have to compromise your integrity by endorsing  these sites if you question their worth.  If you want to give the site a negative critique, you are free to do so.

The only requirements are that you write about the site within five days of receiving the assignment, that you link to the site once, and that you mention the site’s name at least three times in the post.

This post is an example of a Blogsvertise post.

Blogsvertise does have a some requirements regarding the blogs it will accept. These requirements strike me as being simple, reasonable and easy to understand. Furthermore, if your blog doesn’t quite meet expectations at the time you register, they assign you a probationary status and the opportunity to improve your blog’s standing.

I think its a great idea — its win-win to everyone concerned, including blog visitors. They get the opportunity to learn about new web sites and services. Bloggers get to make some cash and merchants benefit by the  links to their web sites.

I’ve signed up with http://www.blogsvertise.com.  If you’re a blogger, you might want to give them a look over as well.

Bookmark To