Healthy Eating

The world is replete with advice on how to eat properly -- the following tips are from "The New Detox Diet" by Elson M. Haas, M.D.

• Eat whole foods -- fresh fruits & vegetables, vegetable proteins (beans, peas, nuts, seeds)

• Reduce refined foods -- lower intake of sugars, excess fatty & rich foods, foods with additives -- avoid genetically engineered foods -- avoid chemical pesticides, choose organic

• Drink with meals -- should have no more than 4 oz. of liquid with meals -- excessive liquids with meals dilute the digestive juices

• Drink water daily -- should drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily, plus herbal teas -- 2 or 3 glasses each morning before breakfast -- 1 or 2 glasses an hour or so prior to lunch and dinner

• Chew & relax -- chew food thoroughly -- relaxed environment

• Get sufficient fiber -- beans, peas, nuts, seeds, flaxseed meal, etc.

• Use nutritional herbs & supplements -- digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid, pancreas products

• Moderate Use -- go easy on alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, excessive use of prescription drugs & recreational drugs

• Exercise -- set up a regular exercise program -- combine flexibility, strength, endurance

• Maintain regular elimination -- diet, exercise, stress levels should allow bowel movement at least once or twice daily -- after illness or antibiotic usage, take probiotics (acidophilus and other digestive bacteria)

You are what you eat & think -- eat wisely & think with gusto.

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The following advice is from the Mayo Clinic

When your legs are upright, gravity holds water in the lower part of your body (legs swell -- when you lie down, the lower body seeks level with the kidneys, making it easier for the kidneys to remove the water, which is why people need to urinate more often at night.

The most effective times to drink water.

• 2 glasses of water after waking up -- helps to activate internal organs

• 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal -- helps digestion

• 1 glass of water before taking a bath -- helps lower blood pressure

• 1 glass of water before going to bed -- helps avoid heart attack or stroke, and prevents night-time leg cramps

“It is chronic water shortage in the body that causes most diseases of the human body" Dr. Masaru Emoto

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Quote for the Day -- “Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.” Sophia Loren

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Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where the body is a temple to be nurtured wisely.

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Hopi Prophecy

The Hopi are a Native American tribe who live on the Hopi Indian Reservation in northeastern Arizona. They believe that humans on Mother Earth pass through great epochal cycles, called worlds,

"Now we are at the very end of our trail. Many people no longer recognize the true path of the Great Spirit. They have, in fact, no respect for the Great Spirit or for our precious Mother Earth, who gives us all life. We are instructed in our ancient prophecy that this would occur." Dan Evehema (Hopi Elder)

The Hopi Prophecy indicates that three Worlds have now passed. We are into the Fourth World where we are about to enter the Fifth World, based on the timing disclosed by Nine Signs.

• The arrival of white-skinned men who take land that is not theirs and strike their enemies with thunder -- (guns)

• The coming of spinning wheels filled with voices -- (covered wagons)

• A strange beast like a buffalo, but with long horns and in large numbers -- (herds of cattle)

• The land is crossed by snakes of iron -- (railroad tracks)

• The land is crossed by a giant spider's web -- (telegraph, telephone & power lines)

• The land is crossed with rivers of stone -- (concrete & asphalt roads)

• The sea turns black, killing many things -- (oil spills)

• Many young people will wear their hair long, like our people, and visit tribal lands to learn our ways and wisdom -- (Hippies)

• A dwelling place in the heavens above the Earth, appearing as a blue star, crashes into Mother Earth, signifying the end times -- (a planet or space station??)

The Blue Star is also called a Kachina -- a supernatural spirit being.

“The return of the Blue Star Katchina who is also known as Nan ga sohu will be the alarm clock that tells us of the new day and new way of life, a new world that is coming. This is where the changes will begin. They will start as fires that burn within us, and we will burn up with desires and conflict if we do not remember the original teachings, and return to the peaceful way of life." Dr. Robert Ghost Wolf

The Hopi Prophecy Rock is on the Hopi Indian Reservation, near Oraibi, Arizona. It clearly depicts two paths.

Path 1 -- a 2-hearted path -- a 2-hearted person is one who thinks with their head rather than their heart. Modern persons are out of balance because they live in a left-brain dominated society, leading to conflict and imbalance, which will ultimately lead to the destruction to those on this path.

Path 2 -- a 1-hearted path -- a 1-hearted person is one who thinks with their heart whereby the path leads to harmony and balance.

The Prophecy Rock depicts a fork in the journey where the 2-hearted people have the choice of selecting to start thinking with their hearts or continue to think only with their heads. If they continue on the heads-only path, it will lead to self-destruction, symbolized by a lightning strike from a cloud.

Those who chose to think with their hearts will return to the 1-hearted path leading to their own survival.

"Nothing living will go untouched, here or in the heavens. The way through this time it is said is to be found in our hearts, and reuniting with our spiritual self. Getting simple and returning to living with and upon the Earth and in harmony with her creatures, remembering that we are the caretakers, the fire keepers of the Spirit." Dr. Robert Ghost Wolf

The Prophecy Rock contains three half-circles that represent three world-shaking events.

• The 1st world-shaking event occurs when mankind tosses bugs into the air -- (airplanes, first used in World War I)

• The 2nd world-shaking event occurs when mankind uses the Hopi symbol of migration -- (the swastika adopted by the Nazi Party in World War II)

• The 3rd world-shaking event will be recognized by a red cloak or covering -- (fire or blood or possibly representing communism??)

The Hopi Prophecy indicates that the following will also be signs of the 3rd world-shaking event.

• The trees die -- (destruction of the rain forest or acid rain??)

• Mankind builds a house in the sky -- (space station)

• Cold places become hot and hot places become cold -- (changing weather patterns)

• Lands sink into the oceans and lands rise out of the sea -- (global tectonic plate movement)

• The Blue Star Kachina appears in the sky -- (return of the Hopi ancestors in the sky)

According to the Hopi Prophecy, when the Blue Star appears in the sky, the Fourth World will collapse and the Fifth World will be ushered in.

"Our relatives from the Stars are coming home to see how well we have fared in our journey." Dr. Robert Ghost Wolf

Apparently, there will be a very interesting moment in human history heading our way -- visitors from above arriving to check us out.

Keep your powder dry and your nose to the wind.

It would also be wise to choose the correct path and follow your heart

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Quote for the Day -- "You have noticed that everything as Indian does is in a circle and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles.... The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood and so it is everything where Power moves." Black Elk (Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux)

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Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where Mother Earth is a sacred place.

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Forrest Fenn's Treasure

Forrest Fenn is a former Vietnam fighter pilot and successful art dealer in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In 1988, Fenn was diagnosed with cancer. During his illness, he came up with an idea to hide a chest of treasure for anyone to find. He filled a chest with rare coins, gold nuggets, gemstones, jewelry and a jar containing his autobiography. His intention was to hide the treasure chest and end his life nearby.

However, he survived his cancer and waited until he was 80 to hide the treasure.

The treasure chest is an ornate Romanesque box, 10 by 10 inches, weighing 40 pounds.

Fenn has revealed that the chest is hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, at least 8 miles north of Santa Fe and south of the Canadian border, at an elevation above 5,000 feet. That would put it somewhere in Montana or Wyoming or Colorado or northern New Mexico, in the Rocky Mountain region.

For further clues, Fenn wrote the following poem.

As I have gone alone in there

And with my treasures bold,

I can keep my secret where,

And hint of riches new and old.

Begin it where warm waters halt

And take it in the canyon down,

Not far, but too far to walk.

Put in below the home of Brown.

From there it’s no place for the meek,

The end is drawing ever nigh;

There’ll be no paddle up your creek,

Just heavy loads and water high.

If you’ve been wise and found the blaze,

Look quickly down, your quest to cease

But tarry scant with marvel gaze,

Just take the chest and go in peace.

So why is it that I must go

And leave my trove for all to seek?

The answers I already know

I’ve done it tired, and now I’m weak

So hear me all and listen good,

Your effort will be worth the cold.

If you are brave and in the wood

I give you title to the gold.

Many people have searched for this treasure and at least four people have died searching for it. There is even a blog-site dedicated to searching for the treasure.

Fenn is now in his late 80s. "Don't look anywhere a 79 or 80 year-old man can't put something... I'm not that fit. I can't climb 14,000 feet." Fenn has declared, revealing another clue.

I suspect Fenn may be urging others to embark on a journey or adventure, perhaps in preparation for a more spiritual death at life's end by believing in something we cannot see but have faith in its existence.

 “You can either be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure. It all depends on how you view your life.” Paulo Coelho

Fenn's treasure may or may not even exist, but I don't care -- I have the heart of a gambler and adventurer. I like the outdoors and need the exercise. Plus, I believe I have a good idea where it's located. I may take a shot at finding it too.

"No one knows where the treasure chest is but me," Fenn has claimed. "If I die tomorrow, the knowledge of that location goes in the coffin with me."

Happy hunting.

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Quote for the Day -- “Every treasure is guarded by dragons. That's how you can tell it's valuable.” Saul Bellow

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Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where the greatest treasures are found by the heart.

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The Founding Fathers on Religion

The Founding Fathers of our country were primarily made up of Deists and Unitarians who believed in unalienable Rights being endowed by a Creator. They also believed in freedom, including Freedom of Religion, based on tolerance and freedom of individual conscience.

Deism is a religious philosophy, also called a natural religion, based entirely on reasoning, which rejects all forms of revelation. A Deist believes in God as an explanatory mechanism, but disavows all claims of divine authority, including Jesus Christ. Deists adhere to the ethical teachings of Jesus and other religious prophets. However, they denounce all religious dogma and are strong believers in religious freedom.

Unitarianism is a non-authoritative formula of religious belief, opposed to a traditional religion of rules or vows. It's committed to the principles of science, reason, tolerance and freedom of thought. With a philosophy of naturalistic humanism, it welcomes all people of good will, believers and nonbelievers.

The Declaration of Independence explicitly states that government derives its power and authority from the consent of the people -- not from God or the Bible.

The U.S. Constitution, Article 6, prohibits any religious test as a qualification for holding public office and allows appointees to affirm rather than swear an oath -- this is the only mention of religion in the Constitution, which contains no references to God or the Christian religion. In addition, the presidential oath of office, Article 2, does not include the phrase "So help me God."

The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights prevents Congress from establishing a religion or interfering with the religious practices of citizens. This freedom of religion Amendment is the only reference to religion in the Bill of Rights.

Thus, the Founding Fathers of America established a new nation of freedom, committed to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Benjamin Franklin

(1706 - 1790)

Franklin was a Deist -- He was called "the First American" because of his tireless campaign for colonial unity. He rejected all doctrines of Christianity, including the divinity of Jesus, although he approved of the ethical teachings. He opposed religious tests and oaths for public office and considered morality to be independent of religion. In 1776, he was appointed to the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence.

"We must, indeed, all hang together or most assuredly we shall all hang separately." Benjamin Franklin (after signing the Declaration of Independence)

"How are we to interpret the Bible? Although they place such importance on it, the fundamentalists, in my experience, strangely misuse the Bible." Benjamin Franklin

"The divine gift of reason begins to expand itself in the mind and calls man to reflection... The little and paltry, often obscene tales of the Bible sink into wretchedness... The Deist needs none of those tricks and shows called miracles to confirm his faith." Benjamin Franklin

George Washington

(1732 - 1799)

The first President of the United States was a Deist -- He belonged to the Anglican Church, primarily because you had to belong to the dominant church if you intended to have an influence on society in colonial America. However, he did not conceal his disbelief in Christianity. He denounced the doctrine of original sin, seldom attended church and was accused of being an agnostic or an atheist.

"The Government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion." George Washington

"A just government protects all in their religious rights." George Washington

“All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.' George Washington

John Adams

(1735 - 1826)

The second President of the United States was a Unitarian -- He studied for the ministry at Harvard, but doubts about Christianity led him to shift his studies to the law. Although he rejected orthodox Christian dogma, he wrote favorably about Jesus and Christianity throughout his life.

“The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." John Adams

"The doctrine of the divinity of Jesus has made a convenient cover for absurdity." John Adams

Thomas Jefferson

(1743 - 1826)

The third President of the United States was a Deist -- As the author of the Declaration of Independence, he coined the phrase "the wall of separation of church and state." He did not consider the Bible to be God's word and denied the deity of Jesus. However, he did admire the moral teachings of Jesus and even collected them into a booklet that would be called Jefferson's Bible.

"Christianity has become the most perverted system that ever shone on man." Thomas Jefferson

"I have examined all the known superstitions of the world and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature." Thomas Jefferson

James Madison

(1751 -- 1836)

The fourth President of the United States was a Deist -- Known as the father of the U.S. Constitution, he believed one of the basic rights of citizenship was in freedom of conscience. He opposed any form of government support for religion, including opposition of the appointment of a chaplain for the U.S. Congress, because he felt that established churches tended to produce "superstition, bigotry and persecution."

"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries." James Madison

“Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind, and unfits it for every noble enterprise, every expanded prospect... During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in laity..." James Madison

James Monroe

(1767 - 1848)

The fifth President of the United States was a Deist -- He attended an Episcopal church, but never talked about religion because he considered religion to be a private matter and a matter of liberty of one's own conscience.

"The emigrants, although of different parties and different religious sects, all flew from religious persecution in pursuit of liberty." James Monroe

"While we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess and to observe the Religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot deny an equal freedom to them whose minds have not yielded to the evidence which has convinced us." James Monroe

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Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the last two surviving members of the original American revolutionaries who had stood up against the British Empire and created a new political system in the former British Colonies, based on freedom and liberty for all.

John Adams died on July 4, 1826, at age 90 -- his last words were "Thomas Jefferson still survives."

But he was mistaken -- Thomas Jefferson had died, at age 82, some five hours earlier on the same day.

Ironically, James Monroe, fifth president of the United States, died on July 4, 1831, at age 73.

Thus, 3 of the first 5 Presidents of the United States died on July 4 -- the birthday of the Independence of America.

Contrary of the misconception of many, the United States of America was not established as a Christian nation but rather as a shining beacon of freedom. Too much blood has been spilled in this world based on religious differences. The Founding Fathers introduced Freedom of Religion as the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights, not because they were seeking a Christian Nation, but because they believed in the sacredness of individual conscious thought.

The quest of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness is an eternal battle for a freedom that requires tolerance of others and freedom of individual conscience.

Perhaps, the struggle for freedom remains eternal and the Great Mystery of our existence is always meant to be a mystery.

May the Force be with you.

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Quote for the Day -- "Freedom is another word for nothing left to lose." Kris Kristofferson

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Bret Burquest is the author of 11 books. He lives in the Ozark Mountains with a few dogs and where freedom is never free.

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