You’re Never Old Unless You Believe You Are By Jackie Lee

Having been born with physical challenges shaped my life as it inspired me to find answers and to become as capable and active as others who did not share these challenges.  Because I lived on a farm in a remote area, there were no medical facilities available – even if the knowledge had been.  This has become a lifelong quest since new challenges have a way of turning up, just when you believe you are ahead of the game.   The good news is that science is continually discovering new technology to aid us in this effort – and much of this is now aimed at slowing or reversing the aging process.

In spite of pernicious anemia, migraine headaches, a severe thyroid deficiency and Reynaud’s syndrome, as a teenager I became an active member of a traveling gymnastic team in college which performed at various high schools around the state.  I have been able to retain much of this training, still able to perform cartwheels, headstands and balance positions, which motivated me to become a certified yoga instructor in 1999, even though I was well past 60 years of age.  More proof that if you were once capable, you can maintain this capability, regardless of age.  At the ripe old age (for body builders) of 47, I became a competitive body builder and competed for six years in another state before moving to California.  Seven years ago I decided to begin competing again – and again I am the oldest “girl” in each contest.  Even though bodybuilding is a young person’s sport and there will always be age discrimination, there are 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th place trophies, and to date I have won over 40 trophies.  However, the best awards have been the people who came up to me at the contests to tell me that I have inspired them to change their lives, either because they have lost  weight, begun an exercise program, or started walking again.  Even young people tell me that they are motivated to continue exercising for as long as they are able, because they now realize that age sets no limitations.

                        Jackie Lee Age 73!

In addition to body building, I am a personal trainer – focusing on older adults and those with challenges, a yoga instructor, a motivational speaker and I sing with an award-winning choir which received a standing ovation and three curtain calls at Carnegie Hall in 2005 as well as performing as back-up singers in Gladys Knight’s movie.  When I speak, I begin with an acrobatic dance, then relate my experience in Detroit when I was thrown out of my car at 90 m.p.h., feet first into three lanes of oncoming traffic by a carjacker, but was able to jump up and chase him after he totaled my new car.  This is my proof that injuries can be overcome if you are determined and you can return to your previous capabilities.  I have also been a member of an acting class for over 10 years, which performs twice annually, once for friends and family members and once for a convalescent home.  We act, sing, and dance, writing most of our material, thus keeping ourselves flexible, mentally and physically.  Most of us also go out on auditions for roles in movies and commercials, proving again that age is only a state of mind. One of the members of this class is 93, and he writes his own jokes!  Another lady is in her mid-80s and still sings with a beautiful voice.  You are never old unless you believe you are.

My advice is to continue to do whatever it is you do, find new directions to expand your capabilities, always follow your dream, and inspire others to do the same. You can be a wonderful example just by being yourself. You never know who will be motivated just because you were brave enough to continue something that others would have decided they were too old to even think of.  I forgot to mention that I am also an award-winning poet, having been published several times, and was nominated for a poet-of-the-year award recently.  I have been writing poetry since I was a child.  And I paint designs on fabric, decorating clothing for myself as well as for gifts for others.  There is no limit to your dreams – hitch your wagon to a star and begin climbing!  They sky is indeed the limit! Or, perhaps, a distant galaxy. © Jackie Lee

L.A.’s Water Supply at Risk By Zuma Dogg

As you may know, the City of Los Angeles is on a mission to create massive amounts of high density housing to accommodate all the new residents migrating to this international jewel of the region. But some folks have recently brought it to my attention that the issue of providing water to all these new homes is a serious issue to be considered, which Villaraigosa and City Council ARE NOT considering. Because they take an "analytical" approach to planning, not "holistic". In other words, they just approve project after project; evaluating the project's impact, as if it's the only 40 story condo going up in town -- failing to consider the other 40 story condos being built right next to it.

AND -- AS DAILY NEWS HAS NOW BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION -- YOU CAN'T BASE YOUR WHOLE FUTURE ON THE FAULTY PREMISE THAT YOU CAN GENERATE AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF WATER, LIKE IT'S A NUCLEAR GENERATOR !  (DUH!!!!)

That is why the City Charter has made the proper provisions to make sure we don't end up in these messes. BUT, the City ignores the Charter and Planning recommendations and other laws -- day after day, week after week -- and now you can add "risky water supply" to homeless, gridlock traffic and LAUSD crisis to your list of things that came back and bit you in the butt, because you ignore things too long -- AND YOU KNEW THIS IS A PROBLEM!   © Zuma Dogg

Organic Beehives Remain Intact

Concerns deepen about our nation's honeybee losses and the affliction now known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), but what is actually happening to our honey bees still remains a mystery. The good news is: the organic beekeeping world is not currently reporting any losses, according to an organic beekeeping list of about 1,000 people, mostly Americans, which further deepens the debate. One organic beekeeper reports that his losses stopped when he switched over to natural sized cells. The media has failed to cover the fact that the dying bees are actually hyper-bred commercial varieties coaxed into a larger body size, starved out due to feeding them artificially and moving them great distances, creating major stress for the bees and their hives. The bees seem to have reached a biological limit, or triggering agent, which is why CCD seems to have happened out of the blue. Studies are now focusing on determining weather GM crops, lethal to sub-lethal pesticides, parasitic mites, a parasitic fungus, or cell phone radiation could be the cause of severe losses of honeybee hives across the nation. Approximately 140 billion commercially raised honeybees are responsible for pollinating about $20 billion worth of crops in the United States, and as many as 700,000 of the 2.4 million bee colonies have been affected. Captive colonies in the United States shrank from 5.9 million in 1947 to 2.4 million in 2005. © CCOF 

Laguna Farm Seeks Energy Interns

Laguna Farm is hosting a summer internship program focused mainly on Alternate Energy. I am continuing with the bio-fuels work and adding fuel saving device work ( water-injection/ hydrogen booster etc) and a big plan to build a methane digester to fuel the veg-generator with bio-gas. I am setting up a summer camping area with rustic kitchen setup and solar shower bathhouse. The 3 week internship includes the housing and food and an incredible opportunity of learning in Sustainable ag and energy. Applicants send an email to express interest and skills. Start in June.   www.farmsnotarms.org

How To Detox Depleted Uranium Residues

After any sort of radioactive exposure you want to be eating seaweeds and algaes along with almost any type of commercial heavy metal chelating formula to bind radioactive particles and help escort them out of the body. Whether you’re worried about depleted uranium, plutonium or other isotopes, this is the wise thing to do which can possibly help, and certainly won’t hurt.

Supplements: Many nutritional supplements have been developed for the purpose of detoxifying heavy metals, most of which contain the algaes and plant fibers and other binding substances.

An anti-radiation diet should focus on the following foods: · Miso soup  · Spirulina, chlorella and the algaes (kelp, etc.) · Brassica vegetables and high beta carotene vegetables  · Beans and lentils  · Potassium, calcium and mineral rich foods  · High nucleotide content foods to assist in cellular repair including spirulina, chlorella, algae, yeast, sardines, liver, anchovies and mackerel  · Cod liver oil and olive oil  · a  good multivitamin/multi-mineral supplement  · avoid sugars and sweets and wheat.