Cris Ramis - The Baron's Blog

Healthy Raw Chocolate Brownies - Version 1....

2011-02-28T14:24:22+00:00

I'm now a big fan of making my own desserts.

Having spent considerable time, effort and money on improving my health and getting rid of parasites and candida from my body, I'm even more fussy about what I put in it.

I've got a cracking recipe for raw food cheesecake that's both wheat-free and dairy-free and tastes great (to me anyway, and that's what counts), and I've got a raw chocolate fondue recipe from Catherine Carrigan at www.totalfitness.net(available for free on her website in a article called 'Comfort Food for Healthy People - that'd be me then).

At last year's Real Food Festival I bought some organic chocolate powder as I was running low on it at home.

It had sat in my cupboard for a while and was near its use-by date, so I decided to attempt to create a healthy, raw, chocolate brownie.

I asked around for recipes from friends and researched online as well as in the healthy cooking books I have (Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, and The Lifefood Recipe Book by David & Annie Jubb).

I found plenty of recipes of varying complexity. I settled on one of my own creation:

cacao powder, raw honey, hazelnuts, desiccated coconut, raisins.

First I processed the hazlenuts first, then added them to raisins, desiccated coconut and choc powder. I didn't use the raw honey after all, as the choc powder I used had sugar in it already.

I'll be using unsweetened raw cacao powder from www.detoxyourworld.com next time.

I blended it all together with around 6oz water, placed it into Pyrex dish and froze for an hour and 20 mins. Here's the pic of it:

And here's a pic of a slice of it:

It came out a bit too cold and a bit dry. Not as sweet as normal, though still pleasant.

I'll give it another go, though next time I'll process the nuts (hazelnuts or walnuts) with choc powder and dates first.

I'll then add some coconut oil plus the water that the raisins were soaked in.

I may need to add honey as the powder I’ll be using will be raw and unsweetened.

I may also add a little desiccated coconut (not too much as I think it makes the brownie mixture too crumbly), though this is optional.

Lastly I'll add raisins in after everything else is processed so they aren’t as chopped and shredded as everything else.

Alternatively, I may leave out raisins and blend the mixture with dates instead. I think this may create a stickier, firmer brownie mix.

The healthy dessert experiments continue. I've found a very simple recipe for making your own ice-cream using goat's milk (http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/clay92.html), so I'll give that a go using raw, organic, biodynamic milk or yoghurt I get from Holly Park Organics, Hollypark North Lane, Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 4LX, 01424 812229.

Stay well and happy.

Cris

In memory of Jack Lalanne....

2011-02-21T14:35:45+00:00

Jack Lalanne was a pioneer in terms of living a healthy lifestyle and a happy life.

Many of the information and ideas he espoused and lived by are the same ones being recommended by modern day health, fitness and wellness coaches, myself included.

He passed away on January 23rd 2011, aged 96.

Dr Mercola posted a nice video of an interview with him from 1994 here:

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2011/02/17/words-of-wisdom-from-one-of-the-greatest-fitness-leaders-of-all-time.aspx

Jack's website is http://www.jacklalanne.com/.

I suggest checking out the list of quotes attributed to him or 'Lalanneisms' as they're described. There are some great ones on the list.

Stay well and happy.

Cris

Bodyfat update....

2011-02-14T19:31:33+00:00

My 10 week detox is over. I've had a re-test and am free of parasites. The candida overgrowth is ok too.

My brother visited for Sunday lunch and was kind enough to my body measurements for me, which you can below:

Circumferences (inches):
Neck: 15 & 1/8 (down by 3/8)          Chest: 42¾ (down by just under ¼ inch)
Waist (widest part): 33.5 (down by 1 inch)
Note: My own measurement of this spot first thing in the morning was 32½
Hips (Greater Trochantor level): 39 (down by 1¼ inch)
Arms – L: 15¼ (down by 5/8)                          R: 15¼ (down by ½)
Thighs – L: 23 & 3/8 (down by 5/8)                  R: 24 (down by ½ inch)
Calves – L: 15¼ (down by 3/8)                        R: 15¾ (down by 1/4)

I'll spare you the calculations I used to work out my bodyfat, fat mass and lean mass and just give you the figures.

Bodyfat percentage = 8.1% - down by 0.7%

Bodyweight = 12st = 168lbs or 76.4kg (down by 6lb)

Fat Mass = 13.608lbs/6.1884kg = 13.6lbs/6.2kg – down by 1.7lbs/0.8kg

Lean Mass = 168lbs – 13.6lbs or 76.4kg – 6.2kg

Lean Mass = 154.4lbs/70.2kg = down by approx 4.3lbs/1.9kg

The goals for my training during this period were guided by the fact I was on detox for 10 weeks having been diagnosed with a candida overgrowth and parasite.

I cut back on my training and followed a 3 day per week minimalist routine from Jason Ferrugia. My reasoning was that I wanted to stress my body minimally and let it focus on detoxifying my body (getting rid of the lead in my lungs and gall bladder) whilst removing my parasites and candida overgrowth.

The routine was geared toward building strength and size as are most of Jason’s, although he does have routines for fat loss too.

I walked pretty much daily for anywhere between 20 and 60 minutes to maintain some kind of cardio fitness, and to ensure I got out into natural light as much as possible over winter.

Having completed 10 weeks of detox, I’ve lost bodyfat and muscle, which is disappointing and surprising. I have got stronger in places though not universally. My Military Press in particular has suffered.

My left forearm has improved though is not yet 100%.

Though my overall calorie intake was down, I kept my protein intake up. In the last few weeks I’ve upped the volume of vegetables and protein as I was feeling hungry between meals (I was eating every 2-3 hours as per normal).

My water intake was always around 4-5 litres a day.

Now I’ve completed the detox, I’ll finish off the minimalist routine and then may follow another one of Jason Ferrugia’s routines, though one that’s built around a lower body/upper body split and requires 4 days per week of weights.

I’ll continue to walk daily and will gently increase my calories by re-introducing seasonal fruits, raw goats’ dairy and root vegetables like potato and sweet potato which I had to cut out whilst on my detox (too high in sugar).

Rather than aim to ‘bulk up’ and regain my weight and muscle mass as quickly as possible, I intend to up my calories on my training days, whilst keeping them at more of a maintenance level on my non-training days.

I’ll re-measure in 4-6 weeks time once I’ve completed my current routine and take it things from there.

Stay well and happy.

Cris

Petition...

2011-02-11T15:56:51+00:00

Here's a petition you may like to sign. Your choice. Depends if your eco minded or not. I am.

http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/save-our-forests#petition

Stay well and happy, eco or otherwise.

Cris

Renewable energy...

2011-01-31T16:23:34+00:00

I'm Green.

I support the Green party, Green politics and do my best to live my life in as Green a way as possible.

By that I mean I do as much as I can to live my life in a sustainable way that benefits myself and the planet.

I like to do my bit and I do so without shoving it down anyone else's throat.

Having said that, I found this article online and wanted to post a link to it as I found it so interesting:

http://www.fastcompany.com/1721388/study-100-renewable-energy-for-world-in-40-years-yes-only-our-doubts-in-the-way

I'm an optimist by nature, the article gave me more cause for feeling so.

I look forward to the day when the ideas in the article come to pass.

Stay well, happy and sustainable.

Cris

Funny video....

2011-01-05T18:40:21+00:00

Below you'll find the link for an advert that a friend of mine, Dane Winn, put together with colleagues. he's studying computer animation at Bristol Uni and will one day work on the big animated films we see at the cinema.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z58RLASGW1w

He's found his true calling for sure.

The advert was entered into a contest for Doritos. The winner would have their ad chosen and shown on TV as part of Doritos next ad campaign.

I'm only endorsing Dane's work, not Doritos - which I avoid and encourage everyone else to do the same.

You can see more of Dane's work at his website - http://www.dane-winn.co.uk/

Stay well, happy and animated.

Cris

New website for Five Fingers...

2011-01-04T16:43:24+00:00

I've been wearing 'Five Fingers' footwear for running for 3 years now.

They are a bit battered through all the use, though they still do their job.

Vibram, the makers of Five Fingers have got a new website that's worth a look:

www.youarethetechnology.com

A bit, how shall I say 'saucy', though definitely eye-catching.

Stay well and happy.

Cris

Positive quotes to start off 2011...

2011-01-01T10:29:42+00:00

Happy New Year everyone,

Wanted to start the New Year on a positive note.

I've been wading through emails and e-newsletters over the last few days and de-cluttering my inbox as i have been my entire life back in 2010.

One of my intentions for the year is to spend less time 'micro-managing' emails and other computer related stuff, and spend more time physically engaging with life.

This seems like a wise idea as I intend to be busier and more active on both personal and professional fronts. Whilst I'm still establishing exactly what my true calling might be, I'm certain it doesn't involve spending hours a week online reading emails and e-newsletters, unless of course I can get paid to do that and have a positive impact on the planet at the same time.

Mike Boyle (http://www.FunctionalStrengthCoach3.com) posted this at the end of his last newsletter. it resonated with me and I liked it a lot. He doesn't take credit for the line in quotation marks; it's his words after that which I found to be as pertinent as the the quote itself.

“Most people give up right before the big break comes” Don’t let that person be you. Keep moving forward. Remember, the big break might be around the corner.

Catherine Carrigan (www.totalfitness.net) started her December newsletter off with a quote from Dr David Hawkins, her favourite author:

"To let go of the attachments of the ego is like shedding ballast."

Once again, from a personal perspective, this made lots of sense to me.

Lastly, Jesse Cannone (www.losethebackpain.com) shared this quote from success coach, Steve Chandler (http://www.stevechandler.com/index.html):

Finding Joy in an Energetic Life

"Part of the joy of a highly energetic life is the ability to respond rapidly! That's TRUE responsibility. Not putting anything off.

Responsibility has gotten a bad name. We associate it with guilt and blame. But responsibility is magnificent if it's thought about with a high level of consciousness. Responsibility is powerful when thought of in its positive sense. It is the ability to choose our responses. It's our response skill; our "response ability."

When you learn to take full responsibility for setting a goal, you'll reach it in no time. When you learn to totally own a problem, the problem doesn't stand a chance. But because we're so afraid of the negative side of responsibility, we miss out on the sheer joy of cultivating rapid response time.

Let's make 2011 a year in which we respond to opportunity."

I liked the last quote simply because 2010 was a year I embraced taking responsibility for my life and every thing that happened in it. I chose not to blame anyone or anything else for things in my life that I wasn't happy with. Instead, I chose to accept that I'd created it, or manifested the experience, and I'd done so to learn from it somehow. I brought myself some challenges in 2010, and I chose to do my best accept them, take responsibility for them and to learn from them all.

May 2011 be a positive year for all of us.

Stay well and happy.

Cris

Atlanta Trip – Day 5, Part 2...

2010-12-31T15:18:59+00:00

I freely admit that discovering a candida overgrowth, a parasite and heavy metal toxicity was initially a bit of a blow to me. I’d spent time and money and effort clearing myself of H Pylori from my gut and healing the damage it had done back in 2007/08, and really didn’t feel like doing all of that again.

Once I’d got over the initial shock and disappointment, I chose to view these new discoveries as a total blessing. I had noticed a few things going on health-wise and had now found the root cause of them. I could now address and get rid of these issues, and take my health to an even higher level.

Catherine and I discussed the way forward; following the anti-fungal diet as laid out by Dr Doug Kaufmann in his book ‘The Fungus Link’ coupled with supplements to eliminate the parasites and candida, and gently leach the lead from my body.

I’m following this for around 10 weeks (currently just over 4 weeks in) and will follow up with pro-biotics to re-colonise the gut with healthy bacteria and bring it back into balance.

Catherine ordered the relevant supplements for me and told me she’d forward them to me when they arrived.

She doesn’t like extremely restrictive diets (her latest newsletter confirms this), preferring those that are strict enough to get the job done. She told me my diet was fine as it was and that no major changes were needed other than to avoid all the items I’d tested as sensitive too.

She advised me that once I’d purged the candida, parasite and lead from my system I could re-introduce the foods I’m sensitive to.

I decided that I’d follow the anti-fungal diet as strictly as I had before, with the exception that I’d allow myself rice once a week if it was part of the Sunday lunch recipe that my Mum usually cooks for my brother and I.

I also decided I’d start the detox as soon as possible, and that means I’ve gone through Christmas without the usual chocolate and gluten-free treats.

Instead I had a mix of raw organic pecans, macadamia nuts, cacao nibs and blueberries to pick at when Christmas Day and Boxing Day rolled around, and very nice it was too. I’ll remember that for when I’m allowed ice-cream again.

It’s been a little challenging, though I’ve kept my mind firmly set on the prize of better health. The treats can come back in at a later date.

Catherine and I finished up our session and clarified everything that I needed to do when I got home.

We had a snack and then she drove me to the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (M.A.R.T.A. for short), which is like Atlanta’s version of the London Underground.

We talked all the way and Catherine told me that Sue intended to hold Level 5 of her internship in Atlanta in January, and that Sue thought it would be quite ok for me to attend even though I’ve yet to do Levels 1 to 4. I took that as a compliment and told Catherine I’d see how things panned out before committing. I’d taken in so much from my 4 days here that I really wanted to let it all sink in.

We said our goodbyes and I thanked Catherine for a wonderful trip and all her help and healing.

My flight was due to leave at 5.15pm and I wanted to be there with plenty of time. I caught the MARTA at around 3pm and was at the airport by 3.30.

I checked in using the automated checking system (after a few false starts with it) and made my way through airport security. I went through a Full Body Scanner which was interesting, though apparently very unhealthy for you if you go by Dr Mercola’s (and other natural MDs) advice. Oh well, I was wearing my Q Link and about to spend 8 to 9 hours in a plane which isn’t meant to be great for you either, so c’est la vie.

I was cleared through and ready to go by 4.30 and bought myself a couple of litres of water for the trip home. I had snacks I’d bought from Whole Foods ready for the journey home.

We actually boarded early and were ready to fly by 5pm. ‘Fantastic!’ I thought, ‘With the tail-winds as they are, I’ll be home earlier than expected’.

We taxied for take-off, stopped and then taxied some more. By now it was 5.45 and we’d not taken off.

The pilot then announced they had a technical problem that they couldn’t resolve without returning to the airport terminal. Once they’d rectified it and re-fuelled, we’d be on our way.

So much for getting home early. Still, I was quite happy for the airport ground crew to take their time, sort the problem out and re-fuel us properly. That way I’d have the best chance of actually making it home in one piece.

Well they’d kept the in-flight entertainment systems working so I amused myself by brushing up on my geography using the GPS map system, and then flicked through the films on offer.

On the flight out to Atlanta I’d chosen to sleep or read as much as possible. On the flight home I was ’buzzing’ a bit, and decided to watch some movies instead. I picked ‘Kick Ass’ with Nicholas Cage to begin with, and was well into it by the time we took off around 7.15pm (midnight UK time).

Having dispatched ‘Kick Ass’ and enjoyed it, I picked ‘The Other Guys’ with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Another good choice which I also enjoyed.

With around of couple of hours left until landing at Gatwick, I went for ‘Predators’ starring Adrien Brody and just ran out of time to see the end of it.

I could’ve picked ‘Avatar’ and ‘Inception’ to watch, though saved these to watch on a bigger screen. According to my friends, I need to see both of these films either on HD TV or on a cinema screen to fully appreciate them.

I touched down around 8am UK time, and at under 8 hours the flight had been quicker than I’d expected.

Having left rain in Atlanta, I was greeted by sunshine in the UK. The opposite of what occurred when I flew out the previous Thursday.

After negotiating customs etc, I made my way back to dear old Southend-on-Sea by train; a journey which took approximately 2 hours or so.

I’d had a great trip, it was good to be back and I was looking forward to taking action on everything I’d learnt.

I also look forward to going back to Atlanta in the future. For now, I’m focused on the present and making the most of it. It's my intention to put into practice all I learned on my trip and make 2011 even more successful for myself on all fronts than 2010.

Stay well and happy, and best wishes for the New Year.

Cris (El Baron)

Atlanta Trip – Day 5, Part 1...

2010-12-29T12:46:54+00:00

On my last morning in Atlanta, I awoke early and ready for the day.

I’d packed the night before and was on time to get to Catherine’s for our early (8am) start.

It was raining again, and it was torrential! Monsoon weather as we might say. My colleagues on the course had joked that I’d brought the rain with me – I plead not guilty. I’d enjoyed (thoroughly) the sunshine and 60-70 degree weather so far, and this was quite a surprise.

As it was my last day, after my usual breakfast I treated myself to some strawberries (see below):

They may not have been organic, though they were massive! I thanked the staff for their service, checked out (thanking the staff again for my great stay) and took a cab to Catherine’s.

I recognised the driver from a day or two before, and we talked during the 20 minute drive.

Over the course of the conversation he told me he had been in the air-force prior to being discharged in the mid-80s.

I asked where he was stationed, thinking he may have been in Europe or the UK, and he said ‘The Philippines’. I’d wondered why he had been discharged though didn’t ask him.

We had a nice chat and were soon at Catherine’s. As I paid him, I noticed my driver’s fingers; they were swollen and misshaped – like they had been burned or perhaps melted in a fire. Was this why he was discharged from the air-force? Once again I thought better of asking him, and just gently reminded myself to be happy and grateful for my life and everything in it.

Catherine let me in and told me she was just about to take Belle for her morning walk. She said it would just be long enough for Belle to go to the bathroom and then we’d start.

Belle looked so cute in her raincoat that I decided to take a picture. Though the lighting and flash make her look a little possessed, I can assure you she is anything but.

I caught up with Ken whilst Catherine walked Belle.

Catherine was back within a few minutes (it wasn't the kind of weather to have a pleasant stroll in) and we got down to work.

The morning session focused on ‘willingness’, something Catherine believes is a hugely important aspect to address with clients, and I agree.

We addressed my willingness to change and to implement the actions we decided that were needed and were in my ‘highest, best interest’ (a.k.a. HBI) on both a personal and professional level.

Once again we used kinesiology, flower essences and other techniques to do this.

We took a break for a snack and then started working again around late morning.

This next session was a big one and we covered many areas including:

Business – finding my true calling, my willingness to act upon what we found to be in my HBI and to allow the necessary changes to take place, my attitude to myself in terms of my work and my ability to succeed.

I was allocated a flower essence to use for 3 months to continue the healing process on this area.

Personal – my current and future living arrangements and familial role, my attitude to success in all areas of my personal life.

Personal – my intimate relationships and how to make them more successful.

I was recommend a book called ‘The 5 Love Languages’ by Gary Chapman to help with this area

We broke for lunch (with Ken at a local Chinese noodle bar) and then headed back for one more session.

The afternoon session looked at my health and we tested for food sensitivities. We found the following:

Banana – slightly surprising though not completely unexpected; I notice I get a runny nose after eating them.

Brewer’s Yeast – upon further testing we found that I’m not sensitive to gluten or wheat. I am in fact sensitive to the Brewer’s Yeast used in many of the products that contain gluten a dn wheat.

Beer – no problem here as I’m teetotal, though it must be down to Brewer’s Yeast again. When I started drinking beer in my mid-to-late teens, I'd notice that my stomach would bloat very quickly. When I switched from beer to Guinness or cider I had no bloating, and then hangover was different too (though still present).

Chocolate – Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Upon further testing we found that milk or white chocolate were the culprit as they are made from Cow’s milk (see below). I’m ok with dark chocolate – yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!

Coffee – Another common food sensitivity and another one irrelevant to me as I don’t drink it.

Fish – many fish are contaminated with toxins i.e. mercury, though Catherine advised me I was ok with wild caught salmon which is the only fish I eat on a weekly basis.

Cow’s milk – no problem for me as I only consume raw goat’s cheese on a weekly basis, though it did mean curtailing eating organic ice-cream along with some forms of chocolate (see above).

Shellfish – aside from being a common food allergy, the majority of shellfish are also contaminated with toxins like mercury.

Soy – although touted as a healthy food, soy is something I avoid and recommend everyone else does. Both www.mercola.comand the Price-Pottenger website (http://www.ppnf.org/catalog/ppnf/index.htm) have more information about soy and why it’s to be avoided.

After checking for food sensitivities, Catherine tested me for candida and parasites and also for heavy metal toxicity.

It transpires I have a candida overgrowth, a parasite in my small and large intestine and lead in lungs and gallbladder.

Yay.

Stay well, happy and focused on the positive.

Cris (El Baron)