stevia, the herb that escaped the FDA black list, unlike that other powerful green leafy, marijuana. the powers that be have to decided to gift us the sweetness of stevia. thank you dark forces. in this dawning era of full disclosure and transparency, it’s being welcomed by america with open mouths. this plant is an ancient herb… why have we not been privy to its bounty before??? because it’s not a moneymaker for anyone other than the stevia grower and producer!!! in other words, its consumption won’t lead to obesity, which will lead to disease, which will lead to pharmaceuticals, which will lead to your wallet being drained on a constant basis. there are no nasty side effects with this magical herb. it is even safe for diabetics. the one small problem is that there is a subtle aftertaste. but one gets used to it very quickly, especially when one realizes there are no calories, no fat, no nothing, but flavor. i now carry around a bag of stevia in my purse, so that i can whip it out at starbucks and the like. i did that the other day and the clerk laughed, admitting her dad does the same thing… i couldn’t believe it. another freak.. i’m not the only one? wow, cool.

i grew some stevia in my garden this year and low and behold, the raw leaves really do taste like sugar. it’s crazy! i made a cocktail, of course, muddling the leaves. it actually wasn’t sweet enough, so i had to add some granulated stevia into the shaker before the drink became palpable. as with all herbs, when the leaves are dried the intensity of the flavor is magnified. stevia is available in almost any grocery store at this time. i dug my stevia up and brought him inside of the winter. he’s so cool… i can’t bear to see him die off in the next heavy frost. but, in this icy part of the world, stevia is considered an annual. if you prefer to shop for stevia rather than grow it… no prob! only a few months ago it was hard to find. we are loving stevia. health food stores will have more options besides the powder form… stevia pills, stevia serum… it’s all good–i’ve tasted every shape and form. whatever you do, don’t fall for the latest trick which is to rename the bad, lab-made sugars with cute, natural names like “IDEAL”—and color the package green with a leaf or something along those lines. always read the labels because there should be one ingredient listed and that is STEVIA (all though, on some brands dextrose is also listed as an ingredient).

STEVIA SOUR:
1 1/2 oz choice of spirit (i love gin)
3 sprigs fresh stevia
3/4 oz lemon juice
stevia powder or serum
***muddle and adjust with stevia powder to taste. shake over ice and enjoy that way too. garnish with a sprig of stevia.

october is the first ever NON-GMO month… just say NO to GMO!!!

In my tiny area of the globe, I am a gardener, keeper of animals, feeder of birds – someone who is concerned about the protection of the earth, land, soil, waterways, air, and all living beings. Increasingly, I am aware of the myriad ways we have become detached from nature, and the natural ways of living on the planet. One of the main issues of concern is our lack of knowledge about where our food comes from.

(photo) Recently, the Corn Refiners Association applied to the FDA to change the name of high fructose corn syrup to “corn sugar.” Apparently, more and more consumers have been reading labels and they don’t want the syrupy stuff in their food. Now, an attempt to put another
blindfold over the eyes of the American public has been made, to lead us to believe that their product, implicated in the nation’s obesity epidemic, is nothing more than sugar from corn. (Gwen’s Comment: Have you seen the ads on TV yet? They’re hysterical.)

I can detect high fructose corn syrup in any product. It cheapens the taste and has a sickly sweet flavor. “Corn sugar” will do the same. It isn’t like regular sugar and doesn’t taste like it even though the argument laid out by the Corn Refiners Association is that high fructose corn syrup has the same nutritional value as sugar. Well, for Pete’s sake, who eats sugar for its nutritional value, which is nil? Let’s not forget the real issue is that we, as a nation, consume too much sugar in any form.

Even if you are a fan of eating products that contain high fructose corn syrup, I think it’s still wise to know the source of what you are putting into your mouth. Anything derived from corn (and soy or rice) carries the potential to be genetically modified (GMO) so it can withstand a few solid drenchings of pesticides and herbicides, including Monsanto’s Roundup. The corn can also be modified by changing its DNA so that it “naturally” wards off bugs and increase crop yields. (Gwen’s Comment: crop yield increase has been found to be untrue in numerous studies)

(photo) Currently in the United States, the FDA has not required genetically engineered products to be labeled as such, while many other countries have demanded the labeling, including the European Union. A number of people work in the government, including the FDA, who stand to gain through their association with corporations like Monsanto, thus the labeling law has gotten bogged down in red tape.

Labeling all products with GMO ingredients is a vitally important issue that we as consumers must insist upon. The FDA hasn’t required labeling, indicating it’s too complicated. They say the evidence against GMO food isn’t clear enough, they don’t want consumers like me and you to look down on GMO ingredients in our food, and, what they don’t say, is that there are powerful people with corporate interests whose personal wealth will be negatively affected when we stop spending our money on their products.

We do know that there are adverse health effects from this form of biotechnology, that it was not and hasn’t been studied properly before it was used in the food supply, and that the use of GMO seed in crops contaminates other fields, including those that are organic. We also know that in many cases, more pesticides and herbicides have to be used on these crops. If you would like to learn more about this, read Dr. Joseph Mercola’s article entitled “10 Reasons to Avoid Genetically Modified Foods” at http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/02/27/10- reasons-why-no-one-needs-gm-foods.aspx. (Check Gwen’s side bar link category, ECO WHORES, for additional resources on genetic modification.)

(photo) Whenever I write about these concerns, and when colleagues have done the same, someone (often working in Washington, DC) responds with a scathing letter, an attempt not to state facts, but rather disqualify the author and further confuse the public. The responses are personal attacks instead of rational disputes. This is spin, and it’s done because big money is involved, they know the facts are building against them, and they’re afraid the American public won’t remain in the dark for long.

But the American consumer is king and all we need is knowledge. We are the ones with the money who buy the products, and there is power in that. We could change the system at any time, with the dollar. By buying whole organic food, preferably from local farmers, and shunning the processed food world or at least demanding proper labeling, each of us declares that we support foods (including corn) to be grown the way nature intended, not modified by scientists, however well-meaning they might be. Keep in mind, all non-organic foods you pay for that contain corn (and soy) derivatives are likely to in some way support the GMO practice, while allowing chemical companies like Monsanto to control our food supply. This includes conventionally grown beef and chicken, since they are subjected to the GMO food in their daily feed.

October 2010 is the first official “Non-GMO month” involving more than 580 natural food stores nationwide. This will be to promote awareness and celebrate your right to choose food that is not genetically modified. You can learn more about the event by reading a press release from the executive director of the Non-GMO Project: http://www.nongmoproject.org/wp-content/uploads/ 2010/07/Non-GMO-Month-Press-Release.pdf.

If you want to watch two good movies, see The Future of Food and Food, Inc. They help clarify these issues, and at the very least, make us more aware of the necessity to have a GMO labeling law. This law might be complicated to enforce, but no more so than the prospect of an entire food supply being contaminated.

(photo)

If you’re interest is piqued, read Jeffrey Smith’s book Seeds of Deception. For more on the American food industry read Marion Nestle’s Food Politics and Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation.

A descendant of Midwest farmers who came to California to work in the fertile Central Valley, I’ll continue to be an advocate for organic farmers and local farmers’ markets. I hope you will do the same, or we run the very real risk of being fed solely by a chemical giant who doesn’t have our best interests at heart.

NON-GMO’TINI:
1 part grenadine
(that does not contain corn syrup, unless organically grown)
1 part vodka
(that is not made with corn, unless organically grown)
1 part clear citrus
(lemon or lime, which has not been genetically modified)
top with tonic water
(that does not contain corn syrup, unless organically grown)
add ice, stir, adjust to taste, cheers…
to a world free from the unseen ravages and false truths of genetically modified foods!

Dr. Christina Grant is a holistic healer and spiritual counselor who uses astrology in her work to help people better understand their purpose and life circumstances. She works in person and by phone. She has helped hundreds of people attain physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being through personal transformation. Her writing is published nationwide. To learn more, see WWW.CHRISTINAGRANT.COM

The Environmental Protection Agency warned that drinking water pollution is one of the top environmental threats to our health. Contaminants are routinely measured in municipal drinking water including lead, cadmium, mercury, metals, pesticides, fertilizers, and chlorine. These can enter your body not only by drinking the water, but through bathing in it.

Our blood is 90% water and our muscle tissue is 75% water. We need to drink clean water to deliver nutrients and oxygen, discharge metabolic wastes, and clear out toxins. Our ultimate goal is to relieve the body from daily environmental stressors, but what do we do when
one of these stressors is our own water? Although water from our faucets and city water supplies is ordinarily safe from bacteria and harmful organisms, undesirable contaminants in the water are an ongoing concern.

One of these contaminants is fluoride. As an additive to public water supplies, fluoride has been banned as unsafe for public health in many countries, yet it is added to many municipal water supplies in the United States with assurances that it is a “proven health measure.” Michael Barbee, author of Politically Incorrect Nutrition says, “Fluoride improperly mineralizes many tissues, including bones, joints, and teeth. It also disarms the immune system and calcifies the pineal gland.”

Despite the urgings of dentists, fluoride may not be necessary to protect teeth. Tooth decay appears to result from a poor diet and lack of basic hygiene. You can read more about this theory at http://www.westonaprice.org/notes-from-yesteryear/186-price-and-fluoride.html. And if you’re interested in how fluoride became so widespread, read The Fluoride Deception, written by Christopher Bryson, which details how public opinion has been molded to believe fluoridation is a good thing. See a review of Bryson’s book at http://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/thumbs-up/380-fluoride-deception.html.

(photo) Fluoride and other contaminants aside, we still must find a way to have healthy drinking water. Coffee, sodas, and other commercial drinks don’t adequately hydrate the body like pure water does. Lack of water in the body weakens immunity and increases susceptibility to disease because water actually protects cells from diseases and viruses. When your cells lack water, it is easier for foreign invaders to enter them. Adequate water holds the cells in a structure that allows for optimal functioning.

In regard to healthy water, Mu Shik Jhon, Ph.D., author of The Water Puzzle and The Hexagonal Key tells us, “What was once only theory is being confirmed. Water has a specific structure which varies with environmental conditions.” He tells us that water around cancer cells is less structured than water around normal cells. His research has shown that cancer has a common feature: the destruction of the water structure at a cellular level. Dr. Mu Shik Jhon says when hexagonal structure of water near cells is compromised, cells are more vulnerable to (photo) external stimuli. Cells surrounded by less structured water are weaker and more prone to malfunction and genetic mutation. “The failure to consider water’s impact during disease may be a glaring oversight,” he says, and goes on to say that water is especially critical for cancer patients, protecting cells from environmental damage. Through this research, some have suggested the possibility of returning cancer cells to a normal state by improving the water environment at a cellular level.

The road to good health involves being adequately hydrated with healthy water. Bottled water is not optimal unless you know the source is pure and it comes in glass, as plastic is an environmental pollutant that can leach toxic chemicals into your water.

What to do? Filter your own drinking, shower, and bath water with high quality filters. Look for filters for your drinking water that eliminate contaminants found in your municipal water. To learn more about the tap water in your community, see the Drinking Water website for the United States Environmental Protection Agency at http://water.epa.gov/drink/index.cfm.

GWEN’S THOUGHTS: i love ASTRO SHRINK’S post this month, because i’m all about the water! after studying kangen water for 6 months now, the ground breaking research on water i have found has left me flabbergasted. forget about food. forget about nutrients (for now.) forget about everything except straightening out your water supply. a dependable source of high quality water needs to be your number one priority. then worry about the other stuff. every single disease in the world comes from a single trigger: dehydration in the body. lack of absorption. problem solved. it’s almost too simple. change your water, change your life. i have been going on about the alkalinity of kangen water, which is great at resetting the ph of our body to a normal state by reducing the acid. (photo) but, equally important is the molecular structure of the kangen water molecule. it is highly structured, and i’m told that this can be witnessed this by washing your car. the combination of soapy water on the waxed car will bead up, but kangen water will create sheets. this illustrates the water’s connective properties, which enables kangen water to move through our the body 3 dimensionally. this is akin to spirits walking through the walls of a house, the same way the spirit of this water moves through the walls our our cells. kangen water does not use the traditional pathways, or veins for lack of a better word, that regular water uses. ASTRO SHRINK advises everyone to seek out the best possible water for themselves and their loved ones, (photo) and i can promise you all that you need look no farther than your local kangen water distributor. this is the rolls royce of water. the cream of the crop. don’t put a price tag on your health. get kangen! if you can’t find one, email gwen@intoxicatedzodiac.com. and here’s a great idea, if you’re getting married, or having a Bat Mitzvah, birthday, ect… but a kangen machine on your gift list, because kangen is the china ; ) hear, hear, a toast to raising the vibration of our planet through water…

give the gift life: GIVE WATER. watch the movie trailer HERE.

Dr. Christina Grant is a holistic healer and spiritual counselor who uses astrology in her work to help people better understand their purpose and life circumstances. She works in person and by phone. She has helped hundreds of people attain physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being through personal transformation. Her writing is published nationwide. To learn more, see WWW.CHRISTINAGRANT.COM

i wish i could attend, but this is one weekend that i am booked solid for. if you can make it, there is a SPILL INTO WASHINGTON DC to rally for the gulf, this labor day saturday & sunday. (BTW, did you know that our commander in chief cashed in his BP stocks the week before the accident, along with BP CEO?) if that doesn’t get ya fired up, i don’t know what will!

for details on this unprecidented march on the capital, visit SPILLINTOWASHINGTON.org, or buy a tee shirt now for $20. car pools are being organized… this will be one for the history books, peeps.

you can also help the gulf by purchasing our charity SPILLTINI™ martini kit. fifty cents from each sale will be donated to gulf rescue.

we here at IZ are trying our best to do what we can for the gulf disaster… thanks to my friend katherine for suggesting i turn the GULF SPILL COCKTAIL into a saleable item. great idea! for only $10, you can sip your very own SPILLTINI™, fifty cents from each purchase will be donated to charities assisting with the gulf of mexico oil spill. each kit makes about eight-ten drinks, because SPILLTINIS™ are best enjoyed with friends.

cheers to finally, for the most part, securing the gulf’s gusher. it’s only been since april 20th, but as they say better late than never. question is… will it hold? and will this have taught us anything?

this spring’s gulf spill was so big it overshadowed the other disastrous oil spills happening around the world simultaneously. like say, the other gulf spill. or the spill in the red sea. in fact, it is estimated that oil spillage off the coast of nigeria surpasses that of the gulf of mexico spill, EVERY YEAR! (but because it affects shack-dwelling africans, rather than wealthy, ahem, americans we don’t hear about it. if you’re an oil spill junkie, you can keep up with the latest crude catastrophes here on wiki. whatever you do, please don’t tell me we need to drill, baby drill. oil spills are not isolated incidents, and now matter what drilling precautions are taken in the future, or how many safety laws are adopted, the spills will remain inevitable. it’s time to get our alternative energy on!

of course in the apocalyptic (unveiling) times we find our selves living, this whole scenario comes as no surprise. earth has an incredibly challenging–and blessed–chart forecast for this summer. a perfectly synchronized cocktail party of cardinal crosses, grand squares, sensitive trines, new planets, stressful angles and unrelenting celestial energies that are stripping our world and everything in it to its core, exposing the flaws in both our own personal lives, and in the bigger sociopolitical arena. hello BP cover up? hollywood couldn’t write a movie like this! but get ready for more still because august is predicted to be the most intense month yet, according to most astro blogs. “We are in the midst of formidable astrological energies. we finally undergo a Grand Cardinal Cross on August 7th 2010.”

but hey, think positive peeps, because the fun lies in rebuilding it all, better than it ever was. after all, my fave ascended master saint germain, has decreed this to be the golden age–and 2010 the year of creation. if you still think the gulf spill was merely an unfortunate accident, you’ll think again after reading these words of oil wisdom from gerald o’donnell.

i concocted this libation to symbolize our addiction to oil. the glass is rimmed with sand, the contents are saturated in crude, and the garnish is floating, belly-up. because i don’t know about you… but i could use a drink.

GULF SPILL
1.5 blueberry juice oz
.5 oz kahlua
.5 oz chocolate liqueur (i prefer godiva)
3 blueberries
sand colored sugar, like raw or demerara
optional:
bar spoon chocolate sauce to make extra chocolatey! if you’re an addict, and chocolate is your poison, might i suggest CHOCAGAVE. this stuff is amazing and sort of healthy (considering that it is chocolate sauce!)

shake ingredients over ice and strain into sugar-rimmed glass. float berries on top.

what i love most about FRAGOLI STRAWBERRY LIQUEUR is the cute little strawberries floating in the bottle. they look like little strawberry stars, floating in a sea of passionate strawberry love… yummy!

it’s unfortunate that the beautiful red hue is augmented with dye not from natural sources (aka oil). i recently learned that italy banned the use of cochineal beetles to provide color in food-grade products. as this colorful libation is from italy, i guess FRAGOLI didn’t have a choice. but in this time of getting back to nature, it’s ironic that we’re increasingly expected to consume toxins. i wish they’d stop doctoring up our food and drink with dye, sulfur and god knows what. personally, i’d rather consume a little less color and a possess little more health!

but, hey, the good news is that FRAGOLI’S strawberries are wild-picked––hence free from pesticide. (750 ml $36 / 375 ml $20 / prosecco gift basket $30)

ask any cocktail aficionado, and they will agree that quality ice is an important ingredient in any good drink. (see my related water post here).

why does kangen water make the best drinks? (i use it for cubes, syrups and sub it for distilled water.) read below:

In a nutshell, kangen water has THREE jobs:
1… it is the most alkalized substance known at this time to the public, on the planet. it has 30 times more antioxidants than green tea. there is only one other water purifier that is on a par, i know that for a fact. all the others are CRAP. if you are in the market for this device, ask the manufacturer how high and how low the water can be made. kangen water gets as high as 11.5 and as low as 2.5. except for one other company, no other machine does this so don’t fall for it. if you are going to invest in a water enhancing device, don’t cheap out. get the best.
2. the water cell is restructured from approx 15 molecules to approx 7 molecules allowing it to be absorbed more easily by the body. it also allows this water to pick up and carry more flavor if you are cooking with it, as i do. i make all my cocktail syrups with this water and they always turn out amazing. i love making my cocktail syrups!
3. lastly, kangen water filters all the crap out. actually, not all of it. if you really wanna get crazy, there is another filter than pre-filters the water before going through the machine. there is so much shit in our water supply. hundreds and hundreds of toxic chemicals. kangen water removes most of them.
4. the FDA is actually allowing kangen water to say that they “are clinically proven to reverse the aging process.” if you are familiar with the workings of the corrupt FDA you’ll know how much of a miracle that is.

BENEFIT TO COCKTAILS:
so, using this water, the purest on the planet (unless you are living on the top of tibet) makes the best cocktails for obvious reasons. FIRSTLY… there are almost no chemicals left in the water after filtration, leaving it with almost no flavor. PS, water should not have much of a flavor. when you taste a flavor in water, that’s not a usually a good sign. SECONDLY… because the water is like a sponge, it picks up the other flavors in the cocktail and amplifies them. THIRDLY… it makes the libation easier to drink. this is because the molecules are smaller and therefore easier to swallow. you probably think this is funny. but it’s true.

There are hundreds of waters available today, all promoting a unique feature from some sacred spring from which it sprung, to anti-oxidant qualities rivaling that of acai, pomegranate and cranberry put together, to the extreme eco-friendliness of recycled sewage or tap water. my good friend jan swears by Jennifer anniston’s smart water. world renowned Masaru emoto happens to market his own brand of energized water as well, which i’m sure works. if you think for a moment, i’m sure you know AT LEAST one person that has invested in a water ionizer. personally, i’m hopelessly in love with the water from my parent’s upstate NY well, so much so that i’d schlep 20 gallons at a time back to manhattan with me. the bottom line is that we love water, and obviously believe the quality of our water matters. if you don’t believe that water is magical, mutable, alive, and conscious, then perhaps watching this mind-blowing video will change your mind. again, the incredible japanese have devised a way to transmute water into fuel. it’s likely that cars will one day run off of water!

i have outlined my personal experiences with kangen water below. i give you my word that i have not made any of this up, it is all truth and witnessed by myself, first hand. really, seriously, CHANGE YOUR WATER, CHANGE YOUR LIFE! it changed mine.

during my trunk show at henri bendel i met a doctoral student who was familiar with kangen water—he said it was an amazing product. i was surprised he knew of it, as most new yorkers have never heard of it. i naturally assumed he had his own kangen water machine, but he told me he didn’t. surprised, i asked why not? he told me he doesn’t need one, because he transmutes his own water! Ok, well, if you are transmuting chemical-laden city water into healthy vibrant water with only the power of your mind, or some other newfangled device, don’t bother finishing this article… you don’t need a kangen machine! But if you’re like me–not fully able to alchemize lead into gold just yet–then read on my Neanderthal friend, read on… [UPDATE 2/1/11: this person has since bought a machine]

i first learned that i had an acidity problem 1 1/2 years ago. doctor mony vital, explained to me that i could simply alkalize my body by cutting out the highly acidic foods such as EVERYTHING I SUBSISTED ON! as a vegan, my pickins were all ready slim, and now i had to nix such dietary staples such as citrus, tomatoes, soy, mushroom, white rice, dairy, garlic, coffee and that little old thing called S-T-R-E-S-S. it took over a year to accomplish this herculean feat, but for the most part, i’ve done it. (contact mony for a free one-time health analysis—it will blow your socks off. watch mony’s groundbreaking video here.) no sooner of course, did i kick those devilish foods, when i learned about the secret shortcut called KANGEN WATER. to think i could have just been drinking this water the whole time–it’s good i found out about the kangen water after i gave up my favorite goodies or i’m pretty sure i’d never have done it.

the fact is that kangen water can FAST TRACK you (and your pets) to an alkaline body and better health. If you don’t know that acid is a serial killer, well let me be the first to tell you. Acid is one of the major routes of ANY type of disease. the way-ahead-of-his-time german scientist, OTTO HEINRICH WARBURG, found that cancer grows in acidic environments, and not alkaline ones. he also found that a lack of oxygen in the body creates acid. GENIUS.

Our bodies are 70%-90% water. In light of this scientific fact, There should be no question that each of us is our own walking fish tank. Keeping fish (especially tropical) requires regular testing of the tank water to ensure the safety of the fish. If the water is too acidic, the fish will sicken or die. When this happens, the entire tank must be emptied and refilled with fresh, neutral water. If we treated our bodies more like the fish tanks they were, we’d be quicker to identify, and even prevent, disease. Obviously we can’t exactly change the water in our body-tanks, but we can pump fresh, high-quality water into them. just know that like men, all water is not created equal; and all water ionizers are not created equal either. well everyone, i am here to tell you that i have officially found the highest quality water that money can buy: KANGEN. in a nutshell, hydration is the root of all illness, simply because oxygen is carried in water. if the water is not being delivered to all of our 70 trillion cells, then our body is operating in an oxygen-deprived environment. that is the true reason for disease. kangen water has been restructured to be able to fit through our cell membranes and deliver this oxygen to our cells. is is this simple!

MY EXPERIENCE WITH KANGEN WATER THUS FAR:
i was introduced to kangen water only a few months ago––in that short time i’ve seen astounding results. read on, dear reader…

1. i have noticed that my healthier friends don’t usually find the water immediately special after drinking it. but my less healthy friends are almost instantaneously and ostensibly helped by the water. i’ll admit that as a reasonably healthy person i felt nothing special about the water when i first drank it. but my distributor friend insisted that it was special, and my mom even told me that she’d noticed a boost in her energy when she tried it. hmmnnn… i was determined to prove kangen’s power or not! so, when i fell ill this winter, the perfect opportunity to test the healing power of the water presented itself. I’m going to attempt to maintain an ounce of my privacy and spare you the precise nature of my affliction. Let it be said though, that after a week or so of drinking kangen water, my little problem went away. when i stopped drinking the water, my little problem came back. that’s when i first realized that there was something about this water… [2.1.11 UDATE: i have been drinking the water for six months, and my health is perfect. my little problem is gone. i would not sell my kangen machine for any amount of money in the world. this machine is the reason for my health.]

2. My good friend jan (smart water fan above) has a 14 year old dog who was bedridden—or more accurately–floor-ridden. sweetie wouldn’t get up, wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t drink… and it had been three days. jan was thinking about the unthinkable, if you catch my drift. I decided to bring sweetie some kangen water as a last resort. no sooner had i placed the bowl of water on the floor in front of sweetie, than she started lapping it up like she’d never seen water before. jan’s cat even tried to get in on the action and sip some up for herself, even though i made it perfectly clear that this was dog, not cat, water. well within five minutes sweetie was practically running laps around the apartment. seriously, this was a miracle, and i had seen it firsthand. sweetie then ate, and went for a walk with me outside. granted, sweetie was falling down every now and then, and running in an odd circular pattern—but for someone who was supposed to be “passing over” any minute now–she was doing awesome. jan bought a kangen machine from me the next day. She claims it makes her 72 year old hair feel like silk, and that she has more energy too. recently, i paid jan and cookie a visit. as a test, i offered cookie some tap water, which she turned her nose up at. when i offered her freshly made kangen water she drank half a bowl without taking a rest. swear. jan told me cookie she is regaining strength in her back legs, but she still has difficulty getting around. jan’s fellow seniors at the center she dines at daily, have remarked that her hair looks fabulous. (credit) they all to want to know what she is doing to make it so beautiful! jan also shared with me that she has never been able to grow her nails long as they chip and break. she now has healthy, long, hard nails! she has no desire to drink any other type of water, except her kangen—she’s completely off her smart water. one last observation is that jan started brewing her coffee with kangen. it should be noted that jan is quite the coffee connoisseur to say the least. jan’s mouth almost exploded when she tasted her kangen coffee… the flavor was beyond description. she claims she’d never tasted coffee that delicious in her life: wow. i personally have noticed that jan has much more stamina when i visit her. personally, i find the difference in her energy level astounding. [2.1.11 UPDATE: jan's recurring yeast infection is no longer. this is another priceless miracle. the doggie died three months later.]

3. most recently, i met someone with Sciatica, and i just happened to have a gallon of fresh kangen water on me. i’d heard this water was particularly good for relieving this type of pain, so i offered it to her… and went about my business, returning to check in on my new friend a few hours later. when i returned she was in awe as she explained to me that the mind-numbing pain in her leg was completely gone. i had witnessed yet another kangen miracle. this person also claimed that it gave her an incredible energy boost.

4. jan’s friend jennifer had a severe urinary tract infection that needed treatment with cypro. her doctor forgot to write the script and jennifer was forced to endure another night in agony. jan ran some kangen water over to her, instructing her to drink it as if it were medicine. it was only a few hours later that jennifer called jan to say she was still in some pain, but to a much less degree. in fact, she went on to tell jan, she had actually gotten up and cleaned the house and went shopping–something she hadn’t been able to do in weeks! again, she commented not only on the immediate and lasting burst of energy, but the clarity of thought that the kangen water gave her.

5. i gave some kangen water to my mom’s friend, who has a high blood pressure problem. she drank the water for two days and got her blood pressure tested. it was lower all ready! coincidence? i don’t believe in them… [2.1.11 UPDATE: this person has been off her blood pressure meds for four months, and is in love with her kangen machine. she even takes it on vacation with her. she is finding that she has a lot more energy than she used to. she is also pleased that her 6 year old grandson comes and asks her for a glass of "miracle water." children love kangen water! her other 4 year old granddaughter had problems going number two, if you catch my drift. she has no problems at all now that she has been drinking the water.]

[2.1.11 UPDATE: for those of you who don't know, i am a die-hard animal lover. i live with my dog and five cats. here is our story:
my cat had megacolon, which means he became unable to eliminate on his own. i have been giving him daily cat enemas to help him go and stay alive. on top of that, he has been on a strict pumpkin and low ash cat food mixture. this was working, for about 10 months. but then even that stopped. i called the vet to put him to sleep and realized that i had never seriously tried the kangen water. i cancelled the vet appointment, and vowed to give him a real shot to live. every day, mixed his food with freshly made kangen water. well, it has been three months, and he is pooping again on his own. my vetrinarians think i'm lying. they don't even believe me! i occasionally give him an enema, but he is able to live now on just his modified diet with kangen water. this cat was supposed to be dead over a year ago. (UPDATE 4.12: ok, so now it has been nearly 3 years and chai is still here. sometimes the electric will go out due to storms... the hudson valley has been pummeled lately... and with regular tap water he gets all backed up again. the kangen machine requires electricity to operate. so, it is amazing to witness that without this water chai would simply be dead. on a totally separate note to cat readers with the same problem if you happen to be reading... the pumpkin sent chai into seizures. apparently, too much vitamin K is toxic to cats. who knew? certainly not the vet who prescribed it! so, the seizures stopped with i switched to spaghetti squash mixed with kangen water and sensitive stomach canned food. one a pain in the ass, no pun intended. but there you have it.)

my siberian husky will not drink the well water any more. she will only drink kangen water. she would rather go thirsty on the porch all day than drink the bowl of regular water out there. it is astounding. incidentally, she had cancer two years ago. the vet did surgery on her and gave her a year to live--tops. well, it's over two years later and the vet is in shock that she is not only here, but in great health. the reason is that i have been giving her cancer-fighting herbs, more veggies, better quality food, and kangen water. (UPDATE 4.12: nikita died this year. severe arthritis prevented her from getting up. her cancer was completely gone.)

my other cat is 21 years old. she was getting really bad… we were talking about putting her to sleep. she wasn’t eating much, and stopped moving around. that is when i bought my kangen machine. she is now eating like a horse, and walking around the house with a spring in her step. she is at that water bowl, 20 times a day, drinking kangen water. i am positive she knows it is the reason she is still here.

my other cat is only seven. every morning when i get up she waits by the bowl of kangen water. she mews incessantly until i fill it up with FRESH kangen water. (it expires after two days, which is why you need your own machine.) as soon as i fill it she laps it up.

my friend’s duck was attacked by a coyote. it was a bloody mess. he thought for sure the duck was dead. he applied the level 2.5 sterilizing kangen water to the wound for a few days. the duck got better. no infection came to the wound. this wound was very deep, and my friend was shocked that the duck actually made it. In Japan, this water is used during surgery to clean the area being worked on. water. yup you heard me right.

my mom is an avid gardener. she was unable to get some dandelions out from between the stones in her path. she even tried the god-awful ROUND-UP. i suggested that she use the level 2.5 sterilizing kangen water on the weeds. IT WORKED! no more dandelions. (UPDATE 4.12: they did actually grow back the next year. I think several seasons of repeated application would work but my mother was too impatient for that.)

since i have started drinking kangen water, my three mile jog comes in five minutes faster. no kidding!

also, since i started drinking the water, i am not so hungry. the brain cannot distinguish between food and water in the satisfaction of hunger. so, if you drink the water your body thinks it is full with food. the water does not sit in your stomach like regular water, because it is moving three dimensionally through your body.

***i use the kangen water to clean my windows. no more windex! it works just as good.
***i use it to clear skin blemishes, no more creams! the water feels like silk on your skin.
***i use it to degrease my stove, no more cleaning agents! it works BETTER than the cleaners. schmutz just comes right up, no elbow grease needed. it is truly amazing.
***i use it to brush my teeth, and whiten them too.
***i water my plants with the level 8.5 when they are in flower to give them an extra boost.
***i add it to my laundry to get the dirt out with less detergent, and make it brighter.
there seems to be nothing that can’t be done with this kangen water!

so peeps, this has been my short and collective personal experience thus far. and i can assure you i’m so not making any of this stuff up. through others, and from others, i could recount endless stories that I’ve heard along these same lines… tales involving horses, dogs and cats, tales involving humans with autism, depression, insomnia, asthma, heartburn, arthritis, krohn’s, ulcers, gastric problems, heart disease, pet and other types of allergies, kidney stones, skin conditions, gout, candidiasis, fungus, gastronomy problems, sarcoidosis, diabetes, cancer, weight problems, prostate and colon problems, auto-immune diseases, brain fog and more… they are all tales of varying success. my apologies for discussing nasty stuff on a cocktail blog, but i feel compelled to advertise the extreme medicinal nature of this water, so forgive me for being gross!

SO HOW DOES KANGEN WATER WORK?The name kangen is Japanese for “return to the origin,” which describes the fact that kangen converts our now toxic water back into its natural, pristine state. i’ve been told that the actual technology for the kangen machine was used by the Russians, long before japan capitalized on it. If this is the truth, I say THANK YOU, to the japanese for bringing this miraculous technology to the public! There are too many suppressed ideas, technologies and inventions out there. the japanese studied the healing water at the spring of lourdes, france, famous for it’s life-enhancing quality. it was found to have a high concentration of hydrogen, which means it was really alkalized! the structure of the famous water at lourdes was emulated and in 1965 kangen water was born. the inventor, Dr. Shinya is no quack. he treats the japanese royal family, at least one US president and many politicians and celebrities. he’s been professor of surgery at albert einstein college of medicine, chief of endoscopy at beth israel medical center and is the founder of the shinya medical clinic. Kangen water FINALLY arrived in the states in 1995 in california (of course), and has only been available on the east coast since 2004. available the world over, a new office is opened every three months—in a worldwide recession. so now you CAN drink the water in mexico!

The kangen machine hooks up to a regular sink and cycles the tap water across electro magnetic plates, which replace the acidity with alkalinity. This highly alkalized water only lasts for 48-72 hours. After that, it returns to regular water. While It won’t hurt you to drink stale water, it certainly won’t help either. This two-day shelf life is why kangen water cannot be sold in stores, but can only be served fresh. Recently, during my trunk show at henri bendel I had a Japanese customer. (The Japanese LOVE all things zodiac —and they especially adore intoxicated zodiac candles!) I asked my Japanese customer if she had heard of I asked if she had one in her home and she said no, whenever she wanted some she would just go to café where she could buy a glass. not only is it regularly sold in restaurants, kangen water and she said yes, of course! but every major hospital in japan prescribes kangen water to its patients. This is a medical grade machine, not to be confused with a regular water ionizer. The platinum and titanium plates are manufactured in korea. Unlike the other water ionizers on the market, it’s not made in a Chinese factory that specializes in manufacturing refridgerator parts.

ECO TRAGEDY: read my post on plastic bottle art here. not only are plastic beverage bottles made from oil, but two million of them bottles are used in the US every five minutes. it’s disgusting that most of them are never recycled. when i travel, if i can’t recycle my trash on the road i will bring it home with me. my friends call me a fanatic, but i’ve been called worse. if you are like me, an avid recycler, remember that even recycling takes an immense amount of resources! now phylates are showing up in cord blood! let me repeat that: plastic has been found in children’s blood-not to mention every subtle and unseen link of our ecosystem. obviously, recycling isn’t quite cutting it. this is just one more reason to make your own, homemade, bottled water! PS: to sterilize your bottles, simply rinse them in kangen 2.5 electrolyte water! easy peasy…

WISE INVESTMENT: the fact that most people spend more money on bottled water than on gas for their cars is reason enough to buy a kangen machine. $2 per day = $730 per year = $5110 in 7 yrs. so you see, a machine pays for itself over time… kangen is not an expense but an investment.

BELOW I CONDUCTED SOME KANGEN TESTS FOR YOUR PERUSAL AND AMAZEMENT:

DROPPING ACID: i tested the kangen using drops. for all you chemistry buffs out there, i used a bottle composed of ethanol, phenolphthalein, bromothymol, blue and methyl red:

1) KANGEN WATER turns purple with an acidity of -900. that is hyper-alkalized!
2) WELL WATER turns blue—the best you can hope for without the benefit of an enhancing device such as a kangen machine.
3) VODKA (smirnoff) tested neutral and turned green. not acidic. not alkaline. not bad—after all, it is vodka! (different brands will turn different colors—i guess it has to do with the original source of ingredients used.)
4. SODA is off the charts with an acidity of +400 and a bright orange color. ironically, many “health drinks” such as gatorade are just as bad!
5. BOTTLED WATER that is highly acidic with a color similar to the toxic soda above. (every brand differs in its acidity.)
6. MORE BOTTLED WATER that actually promotes its “anti-oxidant” qualities on the label!
7. TEQUILA tested super acidic, but again, different brands of alcohol have different levels of alkalinity and acidity.

TEA BAGGED:

the second awesome feature of kangen water is that the molecular density of the molecules is restructured in the alkalizing process, making them small enough to fit through our cell membranes. have you ever drunk a big glass of water and felt like it was just sitting there in your stomach? that’s because it was! and that’s why you might still thirst, even after several glasses of water. to demonstrate this amazing feature i placed in tea bag in a cup of ROOM TEMPERATURE water: the glass in the middle contained fresh kangen water and the others contained various bottled and tap waters. well, wouldn’t you know that the tea bag in the kangen water turned the water a pretty dark brown, and the tea bags in the other waters stayed a light shade of brown. with kangen water, you can have a cup of tea without even boiling water! the penetration of the water is so intense it can permeate a tea bag in cold water! wow. that blew me away.

LUBIN’ UP:

on the left you will clearly see a mixture of oil and tap water. as usual, it does not mix, but the oil sits on the surface of the water.
on the right i combined oil with KANGEN WATER. it immediately emulsified the oil! you will see that it looks cloudy…

DIRTY DIRTY:
kangen electrolyte water 11.5 will take the pesticide off produce. yup, you heard me right… if you can’t afford to buy organic, you can now escape the pesticide, herbicide, wax and who knows what crap they soak our food in anyway!

to test this quality, i soaked a tomato in tap water in the glass on the left. you will see that it is perfectly clear water. on the right, i soaked a tomato in kangen water and you will see that it is brownish in color. that is what the kangen water stripped away! it should also be noted that all fruits and veggies cleaned in kangen water taste better too. i guess it makes sense that pesticide does reduce the flavor of the fruit to which it’s adhered, no? incredible as it sounds, the restructured kangen molecule is reduced to 5 or 6 atoms down from 12-15. thus, it is able to really “get in there,” and you are able to enjoy relatively poison-free produce.

KANGEN ACIDIC WATER HAS A PLETHORA OF PRICELESS USES:
another feature of kangen water is the machine’s ability to produce not only alkaline water, but acidic water too. This highly acidified water (Strong Electrolyte Acid Water pH 2.6) may be used to sanitize surfaces, and can replace all the cleaning agents in your home. talk about green cleaning!

Amazing as it sounds, acid kangen water is increasingly used in wound treatment to sterilize infected areas. salmonella? gone! here is a list of organisms that are all killed within 30 seconds of contact wtih 2.6 kangen: Hepatitis B virus, Tuberculosis, AIDS virus, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Typhoid fever, Candida albicans, Pneumonia, Bread mold, Bathtub mold, Red yeast, Red color on plumbing fixture, Athletes foot, E. coli. for a complete and more specific list click here. after 72 hours, kangen water returns to its previous state. It is not harmful to the environment, or any living thing. dentists have started using this water for routine cleanings. and amazingly, this water smells just like bleach!

if you have a rash of any sort apply kangen water 2.5 to the affected area you will see results within one month and likely shorter. no more need to buy creams and medications! feel like you’re coming down with something? rinse your mouth out not with salt water, but with kangen electrolyte 11.5 water. this machine has a substantial variety of uses beyond drinking water.

in fact, I’m certain that one day someone will publish a book titled, 101 uses for kangen water. But for now, word of mouth has given me several ideas. Personally, I think a kangen water martini is in order!

ALTERNATIVE USES FOR KANGEN WATER: (besides those listed above)
thermal conduction: kangen’s quick transfer of heat saves time and energy
great for outing yellow toilets stains with 11.5 and then 2.5
ice made with kangen makes cocktails tastier and healthier 9.5
food cooked with kangen 9.5 has more flavor
cut flowers last longer in kangen 95.
houseplants thrive when watered with kangen 9.5
pets love kangen 9.5, it’s as good for them as it is for us
degrease with kangen 11.5
remove mildew with kangen 2.5
wash clothes to clean more thoroughly and whites whiter with kangen 11.5
teeth, when brushed with kangen 2.5, become whiter
add kangen 11.5 to bath water
use kangen 5.5 (beauty water) as an aftershave
when making pasta and tempura substitute kangen 5.5 (beauty water) for oil
enhance athletic performance with kangen 9.5

BEAUTY WATER: here i am, getting my beauty on. mist with electrolyte 5.5, an astringent. because of the water’s exceptionally penetrative nature, it is especially hydrating for the skin.

FOR MORE INFO ON KANGEN WATER VISIT THESE SITES:

if you feel like making the schlep to orange county choppers, there is a weekly kangen water meeting held in the hampton inn opposite it. every wednesday night at 7pm, come and have your mind blown by this breath taking demonstration. just be sure to sign in under the name of gwen kaiser, distributor #6151863.

kangenwatertime

kangen4pets.com (effects on pets & other animals)

https://sites.google.com/site/switchtokangen/ (medicinal effects on everything from brain disorders to allergies.)

kangenwatergreen.com (environmental benefits)

http://kangenworldteam.wordpress.com/ (personal testimonials)

www.kangenwaterreport.com (disinfectant test results)

phwaterforhealth.com (creative ways to use kangen)

articlesbase.com (kangen beauty water)

http://enzymefactor.com/ (kangen inventor, dr. hiromi shinya’s newest invention)

mywholywater.com (watch video)

sharethiswater.com (free ebook)

waterforyourhealth.com (free DVD)

mywholywater.info (my distribution group site)

enagic.com (corporate site)

whymolecules.com

if you’d like to buy a kangen machine, i sell them too! drop me a line at gwen@intoxicatedzodiac.com to arrange purchase… you cannot buy one without a referencing distributor ID, so if you want to buy one use my ID # 6151863.

i love bees. while they might fly around like mad little geminis, i believe they are truly capricornian in nature. as a goat myself, perhaps that is where my fondness for them stems. their byproduct, honey, is ruled by venus and is therefore a libra or taurus. so now that we’ve got the zodiac angle covered, let’s talk about honey, bees, and booze…

barenjager honey liqueur is like spiked honey, straight from the hive. and i would know, as i was lucky enough to eat it straight from the hive when i was a kid. yup, i grew up surrounded by bee hives; my parents were apiarists. the bees were harmless—i used to actually pet their fuzzy backs, just to prove they were.

the downside to having 20 beehives in your backyard of course, was getting stung on a semi regular basis. because the lawn was perpetually blooming with some sort of wildflower—be it clover, buttercup, dandelion, you name it—the bees were constantly landing on the lawn to gather pollen. and because the lawn was our barefooted playground, standing on an unlucky bee a few times a year—and getting stung—was unavoidable. please note that the bees would never, EVER sting out of hostility. even if a—new to the world of bees—friend happened to swat at them. they would fly away, not looking for a fight. all they wanted was a queen to worship, a hive to call home, and flowers to pollinate.

did you know that when a bee does sting, it is a suicidal act for them? the bottom half of its body is left along with the stinger—so they think twice before pulling the trigger. bees aren’t sting happy, because they aren’t anxious to die. this is not the case with hornets or yellow jackets, who tend to give honey bees a bad name due to mistaken identity. those ill-tempered imposters can sting over and over again—and not produce an ounce of honey. of course with the new africanized killer honey bee around now, it’s a whole new ball game… all the money honey in the world wouldn’t convince me to pet one of those angry insects. luckily we don’t have to contend with them up north.

which brings us back again to this delectable substance, barenjager honey liqueur. barenjager translated from german means “bear hunter,” which is what hunters used to lure the bears with. i could do without the cruel and antiquated logo on the bottle’s label. and as cute as the plastic bee hive-shaped cap is, it is not recyclable, which is a problem. other than that the packaging is a really cute basket weave type of thing, and after all, it’s the taste that counts. and the taste is WOW, SWEET AS HONEY!

BARENJAGER HONEY, $28.00+

happy earth day fellow terrans! today i bring your attention to INOCENTE TEQUILA, which translated mean free from sin or wrongdoing. this organically grown tequila comes in a hand blown 100% recycled glass bottle intended to be upcycled into a decorative vase, or to store vinegar, etc. a natural cork is used in each bottle, and each one is packaged (or not packaged) without a cardboard box to save trees. the agave is grown using only natural products and the soil is nurtured in the same manner. i love INOCENTE because it has a subtle smokiness to it, (usually reserved for mezcals), even though it is a blanco tequila.

even martha likes a good thing when she sees it… INOCENTE TEQUILA, is featured in may’s LIVING magazine. yeah, i wonder where martha got the zodiac cocktail idea?

what this drink lacks in appearance, it makes up for in flavor. WOW! if you are a chocoholic, then this glass of goop is for you.

i was perusing my natal birth chart yesterday, when i came upon my SATURN QUINCUNX URANUS position… apparently meaning that yours truly has a “disobedient spirit.” IE: chronic irritability, nervous energy, refusal to accept authority, and a resistance to living a “normal life”– (these were some of the nicer traits). so, awesome! however, there was some hope for me… yes, i went on to read, it is possible for those with my astrological affliction to harmonize their inner tension and live a peaceful life. well, i think i found a way to help me harmonize, and i called it the DISOBEDIENT SPIRIT.

the hazelnut is ruled by mercury–so says nicholas culpeper–in his seventeenth-century book: heal thyself. mercury happens to rule gemini, and such a naughty name deserves an equally heady sign to go with it. oh gemini, gemini, wherefore art thou cocktail? the unscrupulous twins are the tricksters of the zodiac, and if any sign is going to be referred to as disobedient, let it be gemini!

DISOBEDIENT SPIRIT:
1 part vodka
1 part melted nutella*
1 part coconut creamer*

shake HARD over ice and strain into glass. harmonize your ass off.

***my latest discovery is coconut creamer. it’s amazing, and it’s GMO-free, and it doesn’t cause tumors. (soy causes tumors, rice is genetically modified, almonds have arsenic in the skin from the peeling process, dairy has RBGH3 growth hormone). to be honest i have not tried hemp milk, it just doesn’t get me exited. but coconut creamer? i just couldn’t resist! look for it in the health food store. you will so not be disappointed.

***to melt nutella, submerge the glass jar in a pan of water and simmer until nutella is melted. then just scoop it into the shaker. if the nutella is in a plastic jar it will melt just the same if you don’t mind phylates. i’d recommend scooping out the nutella and heating it in a double boiler. if you don’t have one, use a small pot inside of another slightly larger pot with water instead.