GIG of Portland

The Oregon earthquake "Cascadia" is due, that's a fact. No, sorry, you can't bury your head in the sand or look away. "Lalalala"...come on, take those fingers out of your ears now. It's gonna happen, we just don't know when. It may not happen in your lifetime (fingers crossed!), but we can't predict that.
Get your Disaster Preparedness Kit together....now. Place it in your garage or someplace easy to access in your house (not your basement). Place tools outside and nearby to ply away fallen wood frames/timber from your house in order to access your supplies.
Water, food, supplies for 2 weeks. If you have food sensitivities or allergies, you ESPECIALLY need to get your food ready. Helloooo celiacs and non-celiac gluten sensitive: most disaster shelter food is gluten-laden!!
Water: 1 gallon per person/day + 1 gallon per pet/day for drinking (+ 2 gallons for washing yourself, plates, hands)
Non-food: goggle, dust masks, work gloves, tools, phone chargers, can opener, camp stove, pots/pans, utensils, tarps, tent, sleeping bags
Then go through your stock 4 times a year, with every season to eat close-to-expiration date supplies and restock/re-evaluate the food & supplies.
See video below for ideas.
http://www.oregonlive.com/…/disaster_preparedness_kit_how.

Health Impact News

The Origin of Your Health Problems Might Actually be in Your Mouth
The American Dental Association, which owns patents for various formulas of mercury amalgam, says that when mercury is mixed with other metals such as silver, copper, zinc, and tin to create amalgam fillings, they are creating a durable, inexpensive, and harmless substance.
The truth is that amalgam dental fillings have serious health risks, which can appear as expensive and life-threatening diseases.

The evidence has continued to grow since the early 1970s that these so-called "safe" fillings should be banned in the United States, as has been done in other countries. Yet, American dentists keep on using them. Neurological symptoms in many forms are associated with mercury exposure. The consequences of mercury exposure include: MS, lupus, Alzheimer's, ALS, arthritis, Parkinson's, leukemia, Gulf War Syndrome, diabetes, seizures, and birth defects. This is actually a short list.
The late Dr. Hal Huggins, DDS, indicated that 200 diseases are associated with mercury exposure. Dr. Boyd Haley’s research shows a definitive relationship between mercury exposure and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Also on the list are numerous digestive system dysfunctions as well as infertility. Dentists are far behind the times.
The EPA adopted rules to remove mercury from paint, because it was unsafe to breathe the mercury that was being released from the paint on the walls of homes. Fish that contains too much mercury cannot be sold to consumers. Yet, it is legal and still the normal practice of nearly half of dentists to keep on putting mercury amalgam in the mouths of children, pregnant women, and people who are already ill when the mercury being released from fillings is a far higher amount than that in paint or fish.
It is time for a change!

A Survival Guide to Dining Out Gluten-Free

Going out to eat should be fun and stress-free even if you have Celiac or are gluten-intolerant. The key is to let the restaurant and server know right away, don’t be shy!
Here is a quick and easy guide to help make your dining out experience stress-free when eating gluten-free:

• Most restaurants now have their menu online, so before you go check with their website
• Just ask…most restaurants have a gluten-free menu
• You don’t have to explain your whole health history to the server, just tell them you have an allergy to gluten and for the server to notify the chef.
• Its all in the sauce! The main culprit that chefs love to add to sauces and dressings is flour or gluten containing ingredients. Know that soy sauce is not gluten-free.

Relax! Most cuisines are gluten-free but be cautious when eating:

• Thai food: some curry dishes use flour to thicken the sauce, so just ask the server if they use wheat to thicken the sauce or soy sauce and if they do ask if they can make the dish without it, most restaurants will!
• Italian food: this is a little trickier but recently more places are offering gluten-free or rice pasta dishes and even gluten-free pizza!
• Mexican food: this one is easy…just ask for corn tortillas! But be aware that most enchilada sauces might have flour in them.
• Sushi: ask for gluten-free soy sauce! If you are a frequent diner at sushi restaurants just bring your own gluten-free soy sauce so you know you will be able to enjoy your sushi. I have found most place will not mind, especially if they do not carry it.
• Burgers: Just ask for “protein” style which is made with a lettuce for a bun or ask for no bun. Some restaurants now have gluten-free buns.
• Fries: most fries are naturally gluten-free but the oil that they are fried it may be contaminated with gluten/wheat. Sweet potato fries maybe coated with flour as a thickener so these may not be gluten-free. If you are really sensitive to gluten- see if they can make your fries in fresh oil. But note that some restaurants do buy pre-packaged fries that do have gluten in them as a preservative…so just ask!
• Beverages: All distilled alcohol is gluten-free. For beer, Redbridge is now nationally distributed and at most chain restaurants. But there are others such as Bard’s, New Grist, New Planet, and Green’s. Wine is gluten-free.
• Dessert: Safe bet is ordering sorbet or flourless chocolate cake. But most chefs are willing to accommodate and can make something for you!

This is just a quick and easy guide to surviving your dining out experience when you are gluten-free. There are great resources online that have travel tips and “Celiac/Gluten-free” travel cards that you can take to restaurants explaining more in detail about your allergy so you don’t have to tell them if you are not comfortable.
- By Ellie Heintze, ND
For further information please visit: www.celiactravel.com and www.celiac.org

Painful Joints

If you suffer from pain in the joints, then you know that it is a serious problem since pain affects every aspect of your life. Every person who suffers from this type of pain claims that common medicines are only a temporary solution. Joint pain and its symptoms can be reduced only by changing your diet and lifestyle.
Ana H. suffered from severe joint pain and decided to help herself with natural medicine. She was working as a typist her entire life and her job led to this disease.

“A couple of years I lead the fight against pain in the joints and hands and after that doctors diagnosed arthritis caused by the hard work and malnutrition. Since I’m not a person who immediately reaches for chemistry, I decided to try with natural solution and I am glad that I did. I spoke to the doctor and he said the same thing that I can try apple cider vinegar, but I have to be persistent. I started to use it and now after 2 months I can say that I am quite better. The first month I was doing it three times a week and now twice. I have put hands in vinegar before sleeping and I did relieve pain and tingling in the hands that I had. I have used natural drink made of apple cider vinegar and water with a little honey. I want to recommend everyone to try, because I have succeeded. “-says Ana H.
Apple cider vinegar is a powerful antioxidant that cleanses the body from toxins and is also great against joint pain.
It can be used in a several ways to help you get rid of joint pain:
Rubbing
Prepare a mixture from 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Apply the mixture on the painful joints.
Healing Potion
Add 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in 300 ml of water or some fruit juice and prepare your healing potion. You should consume it 3 times a day, before meals.
- Healthy Food House

Gingerbread People

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

Author: Rachel Carlyle Edington - Gluten Free Mama

Ingredients

• 3 cups Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 10 Tbsp. butter or dairy free margarine
• ½ cup molasses
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg (or 1½ tsp. egg replacer mixed with 3 Tbsp. warm water)
• Course sugar or royal icing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a mixer, cream butter with molasses, sugar and vanilla. Scrap down sides of bowl. Stir in egg. With mixer running on low speed pour in a little flour mixture at a time until all is combined.
4. Place dough on large piece of plastic wrap and cover. Chill for 1-2 hours. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface about ⅛-1/4 inch thickness. Cut out gingerbread people. Place on cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with course sugar or leave plain for frosting. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to remain on cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to cooling rack.