Green Life Style Film Festival

Hi friends:

Just wanted to add some photos and updates. Of course, I had my wonderful visit with Leah. A few weeks ago, my dear friend, Leslie Birkland did the first part of her Murad infomercial. We had a nice visit and I got to see her son, now a young man!!

And this part weekend I volunteered at the Green Life Style Film Festival. What a great event!!! Everyone was so open, warm, and friendly. I was able to purchase some great environmentally friendly products, good health products, but the best part was the opportunity to watch some of the films. I was truely inspired. My favorites were the short film "Homegrown Revolution" and the two films "Curing Cancer" and "Healing Cancer from the Inside Out."

"Homegrown Revolution" is a short about a family in Pasadena that has converted their 1/10 of an acre lot into a homestead. They grow almost all their own food and live a healthy lifestyle, incorporating solar power and alternative fuels. They are able to grow enough food to feed themselves as well as provide food for local restaurants. As many know, I am an avid gardener and last year decided I would only grow food I could eat. Nothing like flowers or other non-edibles. I rent a house, so I can not change the landscaping of this home, so all my plants have to be grown in containers. This limits me slightly but this year I am trying to expand. I am including banana tress and papayas. Who knows, but I will keep you posted.

The other two films dealt with cancer and some amazing facts about cancer research and healthy healing. As many of you know, my dad died of metastatic colon cancer a few months ago. And my mother had colon cancer as well. So my risk is definitely increased. So I was particularly interested in what these films had to say. First, I had no idea of the intricate connections between the American Cancer Society, American Medical Association, and major pharmaceutical companies. To say the drug companies have a big hand in cancer research is an understatement. The Board of Directors for ACS includes many drug company officials and AMA members. The research is geared towards drug "cures" and not towards healthy living options and natural approaches. I spent a lot of time after the festival researching the data, and it was surprising. Though chemotherapy does increase survival, it is very minimal if you look at the actual survival versus relative survival. The statistics and stunning. Nonetheless, the money is in drugs and that is what the focus of research is.

On a positive note, the films explored healthy diet and natural treatments as a potential therapy. The survival rates were the same and the side effects were very different. With a change to a plant based diet, the risks of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes drop dramatically. Not a little, A LOT. This means making a change before cancer strikes. So....I am trying to change my diet to be more plant based, thus mostly vegetarian. It will be a challenge, but I am excited about it. Fortunately I have several friends who are vegetarian, so they can help me adjust my recipes. Now, I am not saying I won't ever eat meat again, I am just trying to eat healthier for my future. And growing my own fruit and veggies will help!!!

Next on my agenda is helping with some additional films, volunteering at the food bank again, and helping at the second part of the Murad shoot. Hope everyone is doing well. Happy Spring!!!