Showing posts with label go gluten-free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label go gluten-free. Show all posts

Friday, September 25, 2026

Japan Zen simple with Grandma Kinoe

Bodhidharma must be kidding because there's so much we can do, beginning with appreciation

Japanese grandmother leads simple Zen life
(Japanese Grandma Kinoe) Living alone in the Japanese countryside: a day in the life of 93-year-old Grandmother Kinoe.
  • Minamoto Yoshiie at Nakoso barrier
    Wisdom Quarterly: Gramma Kinoe, should Lana Del Rey keep obsessing about love, relationships, men, lesbian summer crushes...
  • Grandma Kinoe: What's a summer crush?
  • WQ: It's like when, you know how sometimes at the all-girl schools in Japan you get carried away admiring the little uniforms they make us wear, and two students get, um, carried away?
  • GK: Oh, you mean rezu-dōseiai (女性同性愛者).
  • WQ: I guess. Lana just does it for attention and to be inclusive of her big LGBT fanbase.
  • GK: What's a fan base?
  • WQ: It's sort of, never mind that.
  • GK: I mind that!
  • WQ: It's like a base, for a fan, or fans.
  • GK: Oh, you mean tessen (鉄扇) like for war.
  • WQ: Yes, exactly. Look, you're living the "Zen" life. What's it like? Shouldn't you move to a temple nunnery-monastery (zendo) where everyone practices proper form, slows down, and goes the Way of the Tao, with the flow and wu-wei (noninterference)?
  • GK: You mean seppuku (切腹, harakiri [ritual suicide])?!
  • Why does J art look cartoonish?
  • WQ: No, no, like royal forms and formalities but in a dojo, bowing and turning, taking your shoes off and sitting correctly for zazen on zafu and zabuton, meditation cushion and mat.
  • GK: Oh, you mean go to the senbutsu-jō (選仏場)? I can do that in the comfort of my own home...if my darn grandkids didn't keep filming me for these silly YouTube videos. What is a you tube anyway?
  • WQ: It's like a tube for you.
  • GK: Oh, you mean shiso-arabiki (粗びき) [sausage].
  • WQ: No, no! That's pig slaughter and offal; YouTube is more like crockpot TikTok pig butchering and awful.
  • GK: What's offal/awful?
  • WQ: YouTube is. It's really gone downhill since all the corporate Google censorship.
  • GK: OK, OK, enough chit-chatty. Let's listen to soothing music and talk about 21 healthy foods to add to diet.
  • WQ: Yeah, good idea, Gramma.
  • GK: "Gramma"? I'm Kinoe! Why does that girl keeping calling me "Gramma"?
  • WQ: She's trying to perfect her practice of wabi-sabi (侘び寂び).
  • GK: Oh, that makes sense! Good for her. Good luck, Lezzie!
  • WQ: No, Grandma! It's Lizzy or Lana now.

Zen: The Art of Simple Living

Zen: The Art of Simple
Editor/translator Allison Markin Powell (shown here smiling) and author Shunmyo Masuno have 4.6 out of 5 stars (with 3,688 reviews) for this handy little guide. Relax and find happiness amid the swirl of the modern world with this internationally bestselling guide to simplifying life by a Japanese Buddhist priest who embodies the wisdom of Zen.

Drawing on centuries of wisdom, renowned Zen Buddhist Shunmyo Masuno applies the essence of Zen to modern life in clear, practical, easily adopted lessons -- one a day for 100 days. Discover how:
  • lining up our shoes after we take them off can bring order to our lives
  • putting down our forks after every bite can help us feel more grateful for what we have
  • spending time barefoot can strengthen our bodies
  • planting a flower and watching it grow can teach us to embrace change
  • going outside to watch the sunset can make every day feel celebratory.
Author Zen Priest Shunmyo Masumo
In Zen: The Art of Simple Living, readers will learn to find happiness not by seeking out extraordinary experiences but by [moments of appreciation and] making small changes -- to what we do, how we think, how we interact with others, and how we APPRECIATE the present moment (yes, this one right NOW).

[This is what the historical Buddha called sati or "mindful awareness," diligence, vigilance, conscientiousness, wakefulness, and MINDFULNESS].

With each task, we open ourselves up to a renewed sense of peace and inner calm. More

Maybe centenarians are what they eat?
(PhytoWise) 21 foods that make Japanese people virtually immune to any illness for longevity
  1. natto (whole fermented soybean)
  2. miso (fermented soybean paste)
  3. tofu (vegan soymilk bean curd cheese protein)
  4. edamame (young saltwater boiled soy pods)
  5. shoyu (umami savory soy sauce)
  6. tsukemono (lactic acid pickles, sauerkraut)
  7. [taiyaki] (murdered cooked fish)
  8. sashimi (murdered raw fish, omega fatty acids)*
  9. wakame, nori, and kombu (mineral-rich seaweed)
  10. shirasu don (bowl of warm rice, calcium topping)
  11. daikon winter radish (enzyme-rich)
  12. beni imo (Okinawan-purple-sweet potato, anthocyanins)
  13. shiitake and other mushrooms (dried savory beta-glucan)
  14. goya bitter melon (bitter gourd, Momordica charantia)
  15. J-rice (white and brown, polished and whole integral)
  16. soba (buckwheat noodles, gluten-free with its own toxin)
  17. matcha (green tea, phytonutrient-rich, antioxidant catechins)
  18. yuzu (flavonoid-rich citrus zest, usually for warm soaking)
  19. wasabi (horseradish vegetable with antimicrobial powers)
  20. umeboshi (salted fermented citric acid apricot-like plum)
  21. [*hemp seeds (raw Cannabis sativa, protein, EFA-rich): Gummy 'flower' on 4/20? Cannabis (ma huang)].

Unseen Japan: magical land of many worlds

UNSEEN JAPAN | The Secret and Incredible Places in Japan | Travel Video
World Travel Doc(World Travel Doc) May 16, 2026: This documentary is a guide through the most extraordinary places in Japan, perfect for planning a trip. Discover wonderful Buddhist Japan through spectacular images and fascinating stories for an unforgettable journey through unseen places that will leave viewers breathless.

I think it's very wabi-sabi. Good work!
01:48 - Yakushima. 04:20 - Ishigaki and Yaeyama Islands. 07:09 - Shirakawa'go. 09:46 - Koyasan. 12:44 - Ise. 15:29 - Hakone. 18:15 - Nikko. 20:59 - Kanazawa. 23:42 - Takayama. 26:37 - Japanese Alps/Nagano. 29:28 - Mount Fuji. 33:14 - Kamakura. 36:12 - Yokohama. 39:03 - Tokyo. 43:12 - Kyoto. 47:09 - Arashiyama. 49:54 - Outro – Japan Beyond the Postcard.

Is this "hardcore" enough for you, American Zen Priest Brad Warner, the punk-monk?

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Why we humans drink alcohol (science)


Ah, man, the Five Precepts say no drinking?

The Five Buddhist Precepts (Etsy)
The fifth of the Five Precepts the Buddha advised humans to adopt is to abstain from intoxicants that occasion heedlessness such as alcohol, drugs, and such substances [12, 13].

The Five Precepts (guidelines for morality, virtue, human ethics, harmlessness, ahimsa) are called pañca-sīla, binding on all Buddhist laypeople. They are to abstain and refrain from:
  1. killing any living being
  2. stealing (taking what is not given)
  3. sexual misconduct
  4. false speech (which means speaking falsehoods or lying and malicious speech, harsh speech, and frivolous speech or "animal talk"* mislabeled as gossip)
  5. the use of intoxicants (such as beer and spirits or surāmeraya).
Avoid doing all harm and be happy.
Early Buddhist texts nearly always condemn alcohol as do Chinese Buddhist later post-canonical texts (of the Mahayana tradition).

Smoking is sometimes also included here. In modern times, traditional Buddhist countries have seen revival movements to promote the Five Precepts, the least good karma if we hope to ever be reborn on the human plane again and avoid the subhuman planes.

What are the Five Precepts?
In the West, the precepts play a major role in Buddhist organizations. They have also been integrated into mindfulness training programs -- though many modern "mindfulness" specialists, having changed the definition of "mindfulness" (which the Buddha called sati) to something that better suits them -- do not support this because of the precepts' spiritual religious import.

Lastly, many conflict prevention programs make use of the precepts. More

What do we do when drinking other than "animal talk"?

Back off, Bich! - Don't call me 'bich,' Birdbrain!
*What is "animal talk"? It is lowly speech, literally "beastly talk," the name the sutras (ancient texts) give for the following: "Talk about:
  • rulers and robbers [criminals in and out of office, like kings and robber barons],
  • politicians and armies,
  • dangers and wars,
  • eating and drinking,
  • fashion (frivolous clothing) and dwellings,
  • garlands and scents (baubles and cosmetics),
  • relationships (relatives),
  • vehicles (chariots),
  • villages and markets (real estate and shopping),
  • towns and districts,
  • women and heroes,
  • street talk,
  • gossipy talk by the well,
  • talk about the departed from days gone by,
  • tittle-tattle,
  • talk [speculation] about [the origin of the] world and ocean,
  • and talk about gain and loss" (A.X.69, etc.) 
In the Commentaries, four further kinds of low talk are enumerated, bringing the total to 32 varieties, namely:
  1. talk about sensual enjoyment,
  2. self-mortification (tapas, penances),
  3. existing eternally (Eternalism)
  4. self-annihilation (Annihilationism).

Friday, February 20, 2026

Happy National Muffin Day (2/20)



Think of something more universally loved than muffins? Can't be done (except maybe chocolate chip cookies). The beloved muffin deserves a day of its own, and for that we have February 20th. It’s National Muffin Day! "English muffins," with the prominent nooks and crannies from the sourdough, have been whipped up in kitchens as far back as 1,000 years ago in Wales, and American style muffins have been around since the 18th century. Muffins are a bad breakfast on the run, a better substitute for toast during brunch, and an easy sugar treat to make and give as a gift to people we don't like. Sugar is bad. How is any American going to celebrate National Muffin Day? Eating a face full of muffins probably, but there are ways of making this gluten-toxic treat good and good tasting. Here are a few ideas for toasting this usually bad when spectacular-when-baked good. Make it vegan, gluten-free, add blueberries and nuts, and serve it with a side of raw hemp milk or almond. nationaltoday.com

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Yoga Expo Los Angeles, Pasadena (Feb. 7)


Yoga is easy fun for every body.
Discover new yoga modalities, wellness innovation, and headliners Travis Eliot and Lauren Eckstrom at Yoga Expo LA 2026. All ages. The Yoga Expo LA 2026 is a Forward-Thinking Gathering of Yoga, Wellness, and Innovation.

Join in on Saturday, February 7th, 2026, at the prestigious Pasadena Convention Center for the nation’s largest yoga-inspired gathering.

Now in its 8th year, The Yoga Expo LA is evolving to highlight the future of yoga, wellness innovation, and conscious community building. This all-day immersive event welcomes 3,000+ attendees and features:

🌟 World-Renowned Headliners: Practice with Travis Eliot and Lauren Eckstrom, co-founders of Inner Dimension TV, as they lead powerful, transformational sessions designed to inspire and elevate.

🧘 Yoga for Every Body: Experience diverse styles and new modalities—from vinyasa and restorative to trauma-informed practices, sound healing, and next-generation yoga hybrids.

🌱 Wellness Innovation: Explore the latest in holistic living, biohacking, functional wellness, mindfulness technologies, and sustainable lifestyle solutions.

🛍️ Curated Marketplace: Discover eco-conscious brands, yoga apparel, clean beauty, superfoods, supplements, and regenerative wellness products.

🎤 Presentations and Workshops: Engage with teachers, healers, and facilitators offering classes, talks, and practices to deepen this journey. Each exhibitor receives a 50-minute presentation slot to connect directly with attendees.

🤝 Community and Connection: Network with studio owners, retreat leaders, conscious entrepreneurs, and fellow seekers who are shaping the future of wellness.

✨ Opportunities to Participate: Presenters, Teachers, Facilitators: Share gifts on stage.

Exhibitors and Brands: Showcase products and services.

Sponsors and Partners: Align with a trusted platform and reach a highly engaged audience.

The Yoga Expo LA 2026 is more than an event—it’s a movement of forward-thinking wellness and conscious connection. Be part of a day that inspires, educates, and uplifts.

👉 Visit TheYogaExpo.org to register as an attendee, presenter, exhibitor, or sponsor.
  • Saturday, Feb. 7th, 2026
  • 10:00 am-6:00 pm
  • 9:00 AM VIP early entry
WHAT TO EXPECT
Enter the healing salon pyramid.
🌟 Headliners: Travis Eliot and Lauren Eckstrom: Experience transformational practices with Travis Eliot and Lauren Eckstrom, world-renowned yoga teachers and co-founders of Inner Dimension TV, leading main-stage sessions that will inspire, challenge, and uplift.

Yoga and Movement: From energizing vinyasa flows to restorative practices and cutting-edge new modalities, there’s something for every body.

Move, breathe, and expand practice while exploring the future of yoga. Expect classes all day long led by a diverse lineup of teachers, plus live music, movement, and community networking.

🧘🏾‍♂️ Meditation and Mindfulness
What would Patanjali do? (Yoga Sutras)
Discover accessible yet powerful meditation practices rooted in ancient wisdom and adapted for today’s world. Learn tools for stress relief, resilience, and clarity from teachers blending tradition with modern insights.

💡 Keynotes, Panels, and Wellness Innovation: Join inspiring talks, panels, and forums led by industry leaders, exploring yoga philosophy, integrative health, wellness tech, biohacking, longevity, and conscious business. This is where movement meets personal and professional growth.

👩🏼‍👦🏼 Family and Little Yogis: Yoga is for all ages! Kids can explore yoga, mindfulness, breathing techniques, and creative activities in a safe, playful space—making The Yoga Expo a family-friendly experience.

🛍️ Marketplace: Explore over 125+ conscious brands from local artisans to global innovators. Discover yoga apparel, retreats, clean skincare, wellness products, cultural crafts, and sustainable solutions—all curated to inspire conscious living.

🌿 Organic Food and Beverage Sampling: Fuel the day with delicious, health-focused food and drinks. Enjoy tastings and options ranging from vegan, organic, gluten-free, and non-GMO to innovative wellness snacks and beverages.

✨ Community and Connection: Beyond classes and products, The Yoga Expo LA is about connection—meeting teachers, practitioners, conscious entrepreneurs, and seekers who are shaping the future of wellness. Be Part of a Transformational Experience Step into a day of yoga, movement, and mindful living, hosted by Arianne Traverso and Sandra Tribioli. Together, they bring decades of expertise in yoga, wellness, and transformational community experiences, curating a space where ancient yogic traditions meet modern innovation.

🌟 Exhibitors and Sponsorships: For exhibitor and sponsor opportunities, connect with: Sandra Tribioli | sandra@theyogaexpo.co

WHAT ATTENDEES SAY
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • "There was a great variety of classes offered and lots of different vendors to shop with. It was a fun-filled day, and well worth it! I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next one!"
  • "Amazing experience. Tried so many classes—there were endless choices. All the instructors were inspiring and unique!"
  • "Spent the entire day at the expo and was able to enjoy four different classes. The marketplace was out of this world. Already planning for next year!"
  • "Such a beautiful event filled with amazing people and conscious vendors. As a beginner, I felt so welcome—I explored so many styles of yoga. Best weekend ever!"
  • "It was a day full of laughter, joy, and unforgettable memories. The kids were glowing with happiness exploring yoga life."
WHERE TO STAY
⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎
Hotel Dena (formerly the Sheraton Pasadena) 📍 Right inside the Convention Center 303 Cordova Street, Pasadena, California, USA, 91101 📞 Toll Free: +1-800-457-7940. Why? Exclusive discounted group rate with breakfast included. (Call hotel directly for updated rates if needed.)

WHAT TO KNOW
💵 Cash-Friendly — Please support vendors. Discover innovative yoga mats, tools, clothing, jewelry, travel destinations, and more.

🎟 VIP & Ultra VIP (High Life) Passes — Enjoy early entry, skip the lines, receive a premium gift bag, and access extra perks.

🧘 Classes — First come, first served. Arrive early to secure a spot.

🚫 Ticket Policy — All ticket sales are final. No refunds. 🌦 Rain or shine — the event will go on regardless of weather.

✨ Learn more or subscribe at TheYogaExpo.org. Thanks to sponsors and partners! Holistic Wander Global Sound Bath and Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Fat Thursday: preparing for Lent

The Polish way of praise with fat and flour, fried and coated with sugar to not lose weight
Fat Thursday in Poland is a Catholic celebration of Lent-fasting by fattening up first to be closer to G

Catholics get a Hindu tika for Ash Wednesday
Fat Thursday (French Jeudi Gras, not to be confused with next week's Maundy Thursday, ahead of Mardi Gras) on the Catholic Calendar takes place on the Thursday ahead of Ash (Tilaka) Wednesday (the official start of Lent) in February, right before the 40-day period of Lent. That’s February 27 this year.
And yes, it’s exactly what readers may be thinking — a time to indulge. Clear the kitchen and pantry in preparation for FASTING. That’s what Lent is all about, abnegation, austerity, asceticism as watered down as can be and still called a sacrifice and abstention.

As the lean season of Lent draws near, food becomes central to many peoples’ thoughts. There’s nothing like a fast (intentional cleansing starvation) to get us thinking about food, particularly those forbidden treats loaded with calorific ickiness.

If donuts were the first thing that came to mind, then that mind is on the right track because this holiday, originating in Catholic Poland, is about stuffing our faces with Polish donuts, known as pączki, and a few other exotically named sweet treats. Pancakes come to mind.

Every Fatso knows calories don't count today.

History of Fat Thursday
Though the exact origin of how this holiday came to be founded is unknown [though the eating up of all the forbidden foodstuffs of the next forty days seems like a pretty convincing explanation], the Polish tradition of consuming donuts is very much known. It dates as far back as the 1500s.

On the religious side of things, Fat Thursday is the last hurrah before the fasting period of Lent, wherein devout Catholics give up many indulgences in the 40 days leading up to Easter, the pagan Day of Rebirth (Resurrection and fertility), when the world springs back to green life after winter.

Roman Catholicism is as far from Christ's message as Protestantism

Traditionally, Catholics abstain from meat and alcohol during this period, as the idea is to give up things one is addicted to, loves, abuses, can’t give up even though one knows one should, in order to focus on the meaning of Easter.

Fat Thursday is known as Tłusty Czwartek in Poland. For those who doubt, the "fat" part of the name refers to the fried sugar crust of different types of pączki (pronounced \poonch-key\ or \pots-ski\) consumed by Poles all over the European country.

The Pope is dying, and all we're worried about is will he get his Angel Wings? We'll get ours.
.
Is that where the US jelly doughnut comes from?
The most traditional form of pączki is a fluffy donut filled with rosehip jam and dusted with powdered white sugar that looks like cocaine and the contents of a bloody nose on toast.

However, there are many variations now when it comes to fillings. Essentially, this day serves a dual purpose, as it allows Poles to indulge guilt-free in their favorite confectionery, while also carrying a religious meaning.

  • Rio Carnaval: Fat Tuesday in Brazil: Carnival in Rio (Portuguese Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro) is a festival held every year before Lent that is considered the biggest (and probably the sexiest and most decadent) celebration of Carnival in the world, with two million people per day on the streets, first celebrated in 1723 (wiki).
Guilty sexy Catholics party for Rio Carnival
Some even refer to the day as International Polish Donut Day, and the average Pole will eat two or three today, which translates to about 1,050 empty calories (if anyone is counting, though we’re not)!

If the thought of consuming donuts scares an eater (because of the gluten, fried oil, toxic white sugar, strange fillings, rancidity and carcinogenic acrylamides from heat exposure), the recommendation is to eat just one gluten-free one with a better sweetener (agave, coconut blossom powder, erythritol, monk fruit, birch xylitol, or herbal stevia, because not eating a donut on this day means bad luck for the rest of the year, according to fat Polish tradition.

Another traditional Polish dessert that is extremely popular on this day is faworki, in some places, also known as Angel Wings. Faworki are thin gluten dough ribbons, fried until crispy and sprinkled with powdered white sugar. More
  • National Day Today, 2/27/25; Recovering Catholic Madison, Ashley Wells, Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Happy Nat'l Pizza Day (Gluten?)

VIDEO: The Right Stuff celebrates National Pizza Day (Feb. 9, '25) with Good Morning America

The Right Stuff celebrates National Pizza Day
(Good Morning America) Feb. 7, 2025: Lifestyle contributor Lori Bergamotto shares top pizza recommendations for Super Bowl Taylor Swift Viewing party and National Pizza Day this Sunday. GET PIZZA FIX HERE: tinyurl.com/bdhzaw3u

Pizza is an American invention
Gluten-free vegan deep dish?
They don't eat pizza in Italy. They don't even know what it is. Italia eatta panini, a kind of fluffy bread with just a few garnishes for flavor. It took an American to make a pie. Living on the West Coast, which may arguably be the best coast, we are all about a thick crust, preferably gluten-free.

The East Coast, in New York style, a flour tortilla is used, the thinner the better. (How does that make any sense?) Living outdoors in giant in backyards, the west and Southwest can have their own pizza ovens year around, except for the two weeks when it rains.


Vegan nut cheese drizzling, Beyond meat toppings, and lots of fresh green basil, thin heirloom tomato slices, herbs, and no pineapple (we repeat, no pineapple, this is not Hawaii), with savory spices, maybe even some shitake mushrooms... There's no end to what the imagination can create on Pizza Day.

Oddly, this year falls on 4/20, and Pizza Day falls on Super Bowl Sunday -- traditionally known as the day more avocados are consumed than any other (except maybe Cinco de Mayo) due to the dips, chips, and sandwiches. It's almost as if someone, some deva up there, knows what's going on down here.
  • Q: What's wrong with gluten?

Gluten kills (Pura Vida Foodology)
A: Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, oats, and buckwheat (not a grain or grass but full of a gluten to protect itself), a plant toxin appearing in different forms with different names but doing the same thing to our intestines -- stripping the cilia and leading us to have digestion and malabsorption issues. ALL oats (even the ones labelled "gluten free") are the worst because they are full of avenin (oat gluten); the label is accurate because the wheat version (from cross-contamination) is called gluten, not the oat version.

Our intestines should look like a shag rug on the inside, not a smooth water hose. But as colorectal exams show, we are no longer equipped to absorb nutrients. All humans are harmed by any amount of gluten (gliaden, avenin, etc.), but we're used to it.


Monsanto (Bayer Inc.) and others have manufactured new higher-gluten forms of grains. That makes food production more convenient, addictive, and harmful. We all want spongy, chewy, moist breadlike products, full of protein (the cause of gluten's harm) and lots of starch, which is quickly converted into sugar by the body.

Youngevity Founder Dr. Joel Wallach (doc)
Dr. Joel Wallach
(
criticalhealthnews.com) states that nothing is more widespread and harmful than the glutens (a plant lectin), killing countless people every year but doing so slowly by malabsorption, malnutrition, and the inability to replenish the micronutrients needed for vibrant living. Deficiencies caused by eating glutens cause many diseases, and supplementing won't help if we are still being exposed to gluten (hidden everywhere or in obvious sources) because our cilia has not been allowed to grow back. Macronutrients like calories come in, but not the trace minerals and vitamins from healthy foods and supplements. The soil is depleted, so even the best most varied (organic, seasonal, local, fresh, healthy) diet will not help restore the 65 to 90 vital nutrients we need if gluten is still in our diet.