Hi Everyone,

I was away this weekend at a Bereavement Retreat, which I’ll tell you about in a little while, but I came home to a NY Times Magazine article that has made me sick! The headline, “Thirty years ago, we could have saved the planet.” By the title, it’s pretty obvious what the article is about, but it is infuriating to see it down on paper, in black and white. Study after study, paper after paper, conference after conference, all spelled out the consequences of inaction, of not creating regulation to curb the burning of fossil fuels and to address climate change as the greatest threat to face humanity. We had President Carter who put solar panels on the White House, only to be taken down by President Reagan, and now we have the current President undoing all of the environmental protections that President Obama put in place. We need to stop making climate change a political issue, and do the hard work that is necessary to reverse the trend. According to this article, we are too late to save the planet as we know it. There have been no new breakthroughs, only more accurate predictions of the outcomes, while the fossil fuel companies continue to suppress science and bribe politicians.

What kind of world are we creating for our children and grandchildren? Is it fair to bring babies into the world, knowing what they will be facing? Are we that selfish that we are not willing to make some sacrifices now, in order to save the planet for future generations? Believe it or not, I am an optimist, and I’m hoping some new, great innovation will be discovered to help turn things around, but we certainly can’t plan on that. What we do know is that the production of animal food is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions then all of the cars on the planet, and that by reducing the demand for meat, we can cut greenhouse gas emissions. We also know that re-planting forests and sustainable farming practices can be part of the solution, by sequestering carbon in the atmosphere, and putting it in the ground where it is needed. We need to start somewhere!

This past weekend was the Bereavement Retreat at the Himalayan Institute in the Poconos, where I presented a cooking demo, with ‘happiness’ as the theme. The retreat was a time of healing in a supportive atmosphere, with yoga, meditation, creative art projects, writing, and of course cooking! Food can really have an effect on one’s mental state, and when you are going through a trauma, such as a loss of a loved one, it is often a time when you forget to take care of yourself, and don’t create the time to cook. But cooking is not only a wonderful opportunity to practice mindfulness while preparing your meal, it is a time to nourish yourself and to choose foods that will make you feel good and help you heal. Check out Dr. Drew Ramsey’s “Happiness Diet“, and give me a call if you have any questions.

My guest this week on the Progressive Radio Network is Chef Marcus Guiliano, the chef and owner of Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville, NY. Chef Marcus is an award-winning chef, green restaurateur & real food activist. Devoting his career to a whole food, whole life approach, Chef Marcus marries healthy food with ethically and socially responsible sustainable business practices. Marcus is a wine & craft beer expert specializing is small independent brands. Chef Marcus & Aroma Thyme has been featured on CNN, Dr OZ, New York Post, New York Times, TEDx Longdock, Best Chef’s America, Sierra Club Magazine, Huffington Post, International Wine Masters, Bottom Line Publications, Smithsonian (Online) and Organic Spa Magazine. The Colorado Dept of Agriculture stated, “Marcus Guiliano is the Willie Nelson of Farm to Table”. Recently, OneGreenPlanet.com named Chef Marcus as one of The “5 Food Activists Helping To Make Big Changes.” Chef Marcus has launched activist/watchdog oriented sites including: NoFarmedSalmon.com, ChefonaMission.com & the controversial FoodFraudTV.com. Please join me on Thursday, and listen to the stories that led Chef Marcus on his path to food and activism!

Remember, my show is recorded live, every Thursday, from 10-11 am, EST.  To tune in, navigate to PRN.fm and click the “Listen Live” button on the left.

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With love and gratitude,

Bhavani