So in my attempt to eat less processed food, I decided to make my own vanilla extract. That way I could be certain that it would be gluten and nightshade free.

I bought Fair Premium Vodka, which is a Certified Fair Trade Vodka made from Quinoa, from Whole Foods. While I was there, I also picked of 6 sticks of Madagascar vanilla beans. I chopped the beans in half, then length-wise to expose the seeds. Then I dropped them in the vodka, and a month later I have a ton of high quality vanilla extract. You can also make this with cheap vodka to reduce the cost. It will work the same, but is usually derived from potatoes. It is recommended that you store this in a cool dry place and turn the bottle over every so often to get things flowing. A couple months are best.

This extract will not go bad if only vodka and vanilla beans are used.

This also makes a lot of homemade gifts with little effort, just divide the larger bottle into smaller decorative bottles for multiple gifts.

I was watching the second Gasland on HBO, and around the same time received an email from Patagonia (one of my favorite sportswear stores) about this website that let’s you enter your zip code or city and it will give you a map of the the fracking zones in your area. For those of you in the Los Angeles area, they mention in the documentary that there is fracking in Baldwin Hills, so not even major cities prone to earthquakes are exempt from this dangerous practices that contaminates the water, air and causes earthquakes. Smart right?

Since I started my health journey, we buy water from Smart and Final because I didn’t trust the tap water. Paranoid maybe, until proven right. Hopefully one day soon, I will be able to afford a high end water filter. Hint, hint, family and friends this is going on my wedding registry.

Here is a map I made of LA:

Here is the website so you can map your own town:
http://earthjustice.org/features/campaigns/fracking-across-the-united-states?sssdmh=dm23.158284&utm;_source=patagonia

1. High alcohol consumption can lead to estrone dominance . Estrone is a form a estrogen that in excess can be dangerous for the breast and uterine cells, possibly leading to cancer. High estrone can also block the beneficial effects of estradiol, which includes a healthy sex drive, helps build healthy bones, good for cardiovascular health and your blood sugar balance, protecting your nerve cells, helping memory and your skin texture (Turner 70).

2. Consuming alcohol depletes your body of much need magnesium and B vitamins. Both these nutrients activate enzymes in the body which in involved in hundreds of reactions in the body. A deficiency in either of these nutrients can lead a host of symptoms difficult to diagnose (Dean 15).

3. Alcohol is acid forming and can negatively affect the pH of you body, increasing your risk for a large range of diseases. Alcohol is often consumed with large amounts of sugary mixers which are also acid forming and contain processed and potentially dangerous ingredients. Oftentimes alcohol is made from ingredients that can cause allergies, such as wheat which contains gluten in the case of beer, potato which is a nightshade in the case of vodka, and the wine making process uses eggs.

4. Your liver has enough work to do detoxing the air, heavy metals, pesticides from your food, chemicals in your shampoo and cleaning supplies. Drinking will make these things harder for your body to accomplish, which can cause problems of toxic overload from acne to cancer, or even chronic pain (Rogers 139).

5. It’s expensive. A mixed drink in LA can cost up to $12 to $15 dollars. The places to drink such as nightclubs and bars ask for $20 covers just to get in. A decent bottle of wine is over $15 at a grocery store and more around $30 at a nice restaurant if you order the cheapest one. Ask people why they don’t buy grass-fed chicken or organic vegetables and they will tell you it’s too expensive. I would argue the actual price of alcohol is more expensive, not to mention the hidden expenses of healthcare if your health is compromised.

Source:
The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D.
Pain Free in 6 Weeks by Sherry A. Rogers, M .D.
The Hormone Diet by Natasha Turner, ND