Source: The Real news
Bio
David Harvey, a leading theorist in the field of urban studies whom Library Journal called "one of the most influential geographers of the later twentieth century," earned his Ph.D. from Cambridge University, was formerly professor of geography at Johns Hopkins , a Miliband Fellow at the London School of Economics, and Halford Mackinder Professor of Geography at Oxford. His reflections on the importance of space and place (and more recently "nature") have attracted considerable attention across the humanities and social sciences. His highly influential books include The New Imperialism; Paris, Capital of Modernity; Social Justice and the City; Limits to Capital; The Urbanization of Capital; The Condition of Postmodernity; Justice, Nature, and the Geography of Difference; Spaces of Hope; and Spaces of Capital: Towards a Critical Geography. His numerous awards include the Outstanding Contributor Award of the Association of American Geographers and the 2002 Centenary Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for his "outstanding contribution to the field of geographical enquiry and to anthropology." He holds honorary degrees from the universities of Buenos Aires, Roskilde in Denmark, Uppsala in Sweden, and Ohio State University.
Transcript
PAUL JAY, SENIOR EDITOR, TRNN: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Paul Jay in New York. On Wednesday, June 29 in Greece, the Greek Parliament passed a series of austerity measures as thousands of people outside the Parliament buildings protested against exactly that. Wall Street Journal was rather happy, saying that investors around the globe thought this was a good short-term fix. But was there any choice for the Greek people other than accepting these austerity measures? And was defaulting as bad for the Greek people as their prime minister said it would be? Now joining us to talk about all of this is David Harvey. David is a distinguished professor at City University of New York, director of the Center for Place, Culture and Politics, and author of numerous books, including The Enigma of Capital and the Crises of Capitalism. Thanks for joining us.
DAVID HARVEY, DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR, CUNY: Thank you.
JAY: Alright. So did the Greek people have any choices here?
HARVEY: Yeah, I think they did. I think they should have defaulted, simple as that, and they should have done it earlier rather than later.
JAY: What would have been the consequences if they had?
HARVEY: Well, the consequences are going to be awful whichever way you look at it. What they're doing right now is awful. There's going to be no economic growth in Greece for about the next 10, 15 years, the standard of living's going to decline, and at the end of that, they're still going to have to default. So the only question is when they're going to have to default.
JAY: Okay. So the contrary argument is: they don't default, they're able to get loans because they have more loans, and because the government gets out of the way there's now more capital freed up for investment, and so on and so on. So what's wrong with all that? And growth will emerge.
HARVEY: They've got more loans, but on the other hand, the standard of living is going down, the demand is going down, the jobs are disappearing, and entrepreneurial people are leaving the country in droves. So, you know, the future of Greece is very, very dismal the way things are right now, as is the same case in Ireland, where, you know, they've been through this and they haven't revived growth at all. So you're not going to get any revival of growth. And, actually, I don't think the real question is what can the Greeks do. The real question is why is it that Europe is not actually responding in a much more responsible kind of way.
JAY: When it comes to this issue of demand, which means higher wages so people can actually buy stuff, which in theory grows the economy, when you look at the document that came out of the Toronto G-20, it seemed that the leaders of the world understood that when it came to China.
HARVEY: Yes.
JAY: There they said, oh, there should be higher wages, oh, there there should be more social safety net, oh, there you should increase demand. Well, if they understand that for China, how can they not understand that, if you do this in Greece, you aren't--how are you ever going to be in a situation to really pay off debts?
HARVEY: Because what's going on both in Europe and in the United States is a political project, not an economic necessity. And the political project is about feathering the nests of the very, very rich at the expense of the very poor. The Republican Party in this country has done this--in this country has done it several times before. You run up the debt and then say, savage all the social programs. That's what Reagan did. That's what Bush has done. And what do we see? Tremendous increases in inequality. So it's a class project to actually gain more and more class power for the very ultra-rich at the expense of the mass of the people.
JAY: I can kind of understand it if I was a multibillionaire in the United States, I can kind of understand the logic, because even if there's not much demand here and the economy continues to have, you know, real rates of 18 to 20 percent unemployment, I'm still making enough money here, and boy, can I ever make money elsewhere in the world right now, so who really cares what happens here anyway. But if I'm a European banker or politician, do I really want such a--I hate to use the word, but to turn Greece into a complete basket case economically? But that seems to be what they're doing.
HARVEY: Yes. But, actually, since the euro was introduced, the amount of German trade with Greece has shot up. And, essentially, German industry has destroyed all Greek industry over the last, you know, 15 years, that sort of period.
JAY: The great German export story.
HARVEY: Yes. And, of course, Germany's doing very well right now. Partly, again, it's exporting to China, and China's doing what you're saying, it's growing. So there you have a situation where Germany's doing okay. Now, what would be a responsible thing to do on the part of the Germans would be to do what the United States did to Germany when it defaulted after World War II. I mean, basically, the United States bailed Germany out. Free.
JAY: Not with demands for massive austerity measures.
HARVEY: No, no. Not at all, not at all. Exactly the opposite, in fact. And it actually built German growth. What the Germans should do is the same as the United States did to them way back then. And, actually, a very interesting article just came out in Der Spiegel pointing this out, that actually the country that's defaulted more times in the last century than any other is Germany, and each time they got bailed out, and particularly when--with the US bailout after World War II.
JAY: Now, we interviewed, you know, a progressive Greek economist, and he was saying that there's a section of the Greek left which was not in favor of default, that even though they thought this whole thing was terrible and they didn't agree with the austerity measures as presented, that default would be so destructive to the Greek people that you couldn't default; there was just too much suffering [crosstalk] default comes.
HARVEY: Well, it's a downward spiral. Downward spiral. You know.
JAY: But they must know this.
HARVEY: Well, they do, but it's a downward spiral for the economy, but it's an upward spiral for the very rich. I don't know if you've seen the data recently. In this last recession, over the last two or three years, the rich have improved their position.
JAY: In Greece. Certainly here.
HARVEY: Well, throughout the whole world, actually. And in Greece, of course, the very rich people in Europe have got all their money out in Europe anyway. They haven't got it in Greece anymore. So they're doing fine.
JAY: So from the point of view of the Germans and the German bankers and the European politicians, what's their long-term vision of Greece? I mean, to have this kind of important country within Europe, not one of the biggest economies, but still an important country, to go into such deep recession for a decade, which seems to be the only possibility here, they seem okay with that. Is it partly just they won't let a country default and get away with it, they have to just kind of prove to everyone, you can't get away with not paying off your debts?
HARVEY: Well, the big holders of Greek debt are the French and the German banks. And so, if the Greeks did default, then those are the--those banks may well go under, and then Greek--then the German government or the French government would have to bail out their banks. So you can see the game that's being played here. You rescue the banks all of the time, and then, you know, let the people take the hit [crosstalk]
JAY: And the other big issue is the collection of taxes.
HARVEY: Yes. Yes. And there's no question that the upper classes have not been paying taxes [crosstalk]
JAY: And in the austerity measures that have been forced on Greece, how much of those measures includes you'd better collect taxes from the rich? I haven't heard too much [crosstalk]
HARVEY: No, you don't hear too much. But it's the same, you know, almost everywhere you go. You don't hear too much at all about, you know, what's going to be done for the very affluent and the very rich and those who can afford it. And, of course, in Greece it's very difficult to catch them, 'cause, like I say, most of their money is in Europe anyway, and who knows exactly where they've got it. So it's very hard to track them down. So it's just--you know, it's the civil servants and it's the pension funds and unionized employees who are going to lose all of their assets.
JAY: And then the other accusation or charge is that the Greek people, especially unionized workers, that their pensions and the age at which they retire and things like that are simply more than the country can afford.
HARVEY: Well, those are the kinds of stories that get told around in Europe. If you start to compare country by country, it varies a lot. They're not markedly, you know, better than, say, the French and so on.
JAY: The counterargument would be that France is more productive, it can afford it, and the Greeks can't.
HARVEY: Yes. But, again, the German system is quite generous, and particularly over unemployment benefits and so on it's very, very, very generous.
JAY: How much does this push by Europe on Greece have to do with the elites of Europe telling their own working classes, you are not going to defy these austerity measures, and look what happens to the Greeks, and don't think we're going to give in to you, whether it's in London, in Paris, or somewhere else?
HARVEY: Oh, absolutely I think that's, you know, very much what it's about. I mean, it's also true in the United States as well that it's disciplining labor, disciplining particularly the public sector employees that you see a strike on in London today, and we've seen what happened in Madison, Wisconsin [incompr.] right wing right [incompr.] across Europe and right across North America [crosstalk]
JAY: Yeah, we saw this at the Toronto G-20. This was ascending on the global stage, 'cause all the leaders were there. Canada gets to say, well, here's what we'll do when protesters don't like these policies.
HARVEY: Absolutely.
JAY: Well, I guess rationality is not something we're seeing anywhere in the globe when it comes to these kinds of pushes.
HARVEY: Right. No.
JAY: Thanks for joining us.
HARVEY: Okay.
JAY: Thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.
End of Transcript
DISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Libya: Turkey recognises Transitional National Council
July 3, 2011
Source: Shabab Libya
Turkey has recognised the rebel Transitional National Council as the true representative of Libya’s people.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu: “I am here to express solidarity with the Libyan people”
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said it was time for the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to go.
Turkey has pledged a further $200m in aid for the rebels in addition to $100m announced last month.
In another development, the rebels have rejected an initiative by the African Union to sponsor talks between them and the government in Tripoli.
Rebel spokesman Abdel Hafiz Ghoga said: “We have rejected it. It did not include the departure of Gaddafi, his sons and his inner circle.”
But TNC head Mustafa Abdul Jalil has conceded that Col Gaddafi is welcome to live out his retirement inside Libya as long as he gives up all power.
“As a peaceful solution, we offered that he can resign and order his soldiers to withdraw from their barracks and positions, and then he can decide either to stay in Libya or abroad,” he told Reuters news agency.
“If he desires to stay in Libya, we will determine the place and it will be under international supervision. And there will be international supervision of all his movements.”
‘Permanent solution’
Turkey’s foreign minister met Mr Jalil in Benghazi, the rebels’ main stronghold in eastern Libya, before addressing a news conference in the city.
“Public demand for reforms should be answered, Gaddafi should go and Libya shouldn’t be divided,” said Mr Davutoglu.
“I am here to express solidarity with the Libyan people. Their legitimate right should be realised, there should be a permanent solution to the crisis, which is possible only through a political solution based on the demands of the Libyan people.
“We see the Transitional National Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people to achieve their goals.”
Correspondents say Mr Davutoglu’s trip to Benghazi signals that Turkey – a key regional power and Nato member which initially opposed Western-led military action in support of the Libyan rebels – is throwing its weight behind the Libyan opposition.
Turkish companies were involved in construction projects worth billions of dollars in Libya before the outbreak of the anti-government uprising in February.
Meanwhile, the Russian government has said the Libyan crisis will be a key item on the agenda at discussions with Nato on Monday.
The talks, in the southern Russian resort town of Sochi, will include a meeting between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Russia is a critic of the Nato military action in Libya.
South African President Jacob Zuma will also attend the meeting.
Source BBC News
Source: Shabab Libya
Turkey has recognised the rebel Transitional National Council as the true representative of Libya’s people.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu: “I am here to express solidarity with the Libyan people”
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said it was time for the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to go.
Turkey has pledged a further $200m in aid for the rebels in addition to $100m announced last month.
In another development, the rebels have rejected an initiative by the African Union to sponsor talks between them and the government in Tripoli.
Rebel spokesman Abdel Hafiz Ghoga said: “We have rejected it. It did not include the departure of Gaddafi, his sons and his inner circle.”
But TNC head Mustafa Abdul Jalil has conceded that Col Gaddafi is welcome to live out his retirement inside Libya as long as he gives up all power.
“As a peaceful solution, we offered that he can resign and order his soldiers to withdraw from their barracks and positions, and then he can decide either to stay in Libya or abroad,” he told Reuters news agency.
“If he desires to stay in Libya, we will determine the place and it will be under international supervision. And there will be international supervision of all his movements.”
‘Permanent solution’
Turkey’s foreign minister met Mr Jalil in Benghazi, the rebels’ main stronghold in eastern Libya, before addressing a news conference in the city.
“Public demand for reforms should be answered, Gaddafi should go and Libya shouldn’t be divided,” said Mr Davutoglu.
“I am here to express solidarity with the Libyan people. Their legitimate right should be realised, there should be a permanent solution to the crisis, which is possible only through a political solution based on the demands of the Libyan people.
“We see the Transitional National Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people to achieve their goals.”
Correspondents say Mr Davutoglu’s trip to Benghazi signals that Turkey – a key regional power and Nato member which initially opposed Western-led military action in support of the Libyan rebels – is throwing its weight behind the Libyan opposition.
Turkish companies were involved in construction projects worth billions of dollars in Libya before the outbreak of the anti-government uprising in February.
Meanwhile, the Russian government has said the Libyan crisis will be a key item on the agenda at discussions with Nato on Monday.
The talks, in the southern Russian resort town of Sochi, will include a meeting between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Russia is a critic of the Nato military action in Libya.
South African President Jacob Zuma will also attend the meeting.
Source BBC News
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Libyans ‘executed’ for shunning Gaddafi rally: relative
June 27, 2011
Source: Shabab Libya
BENGHAZI, Libya — Hours after thousands packed Tripoli’s Green Square cheering for Moamer Kadhafi, Mohammed said the still warm body of his nephew was dumped outside the family home with two bullets in his head.
Mohammed told AFP why he is certain 30-year-old’s Ahmed’s fate was sealed while green flags were waving on the other side of the capital and as Kadhafi dished out threats against Europe, NATO and Libyan “traitors” on Friday.
Ahmed’s execution, he said, was punishment for his family’s refusal to take part in the rally, a vital show of strength by the Libyan leader amid a five-month-long uprising that has pushed the regime to the brink of collapse.
“Four or five days ago a member of one of Kadhafi’s revolutionary committees approached my brother’s family in Tripoli,” the 50-something Mohammed told AFP on Saturday, his voice ringing with anger and mourning.
“They told him: ‘We have your son, he is being held at Abu Salim prison. If your family does not come out to demonstrate on Friday you will never see your son again’.”
With an extended clan of around 50 adult males alone, securing the family’s attendance would have helped Kadhafi reach his aim of putting a million people on the streets to undermine rebel morale.
But angry at the thought that Ahmed may already be dead and hearing that many neighbours had received similar threats, his family refused to go.
“My brother told them ‘whatever happens is going to happen, we are not going to go out to demonstrate for Kadhafi’,” Mohammed said, holding his head in his hands.
“We did not think it was possible that he (Ahmed) was still alive, we thought the guy was just making threats.”
Ahmed went missing in Tripoli a few days after the uprising against Kadhafi began in February, as Tripoli’s youth burned images of the self-styled “leader of the revolution” and stormed a state-run television station.
When Kadhafi hit back and Ahmed disappeared, the family assumed he had been shot by soldiers, mercenaries or one of Kadhafi’s feared security services.
They now believe he was arrested on February 22 and taken to the notorious Abu Salim prison with many others. Either way, the next time the family saw Ahmed was on the doorstep of their home on Saturday.
“The bullet wounds were fresh. He was shot this morning, even the blood was still warm,” Mohammed said from the safety of Benghazi, after reaching his brother using clandestine communications earlier in the day.
Mohammed said he knows of at least two other families in their neighbourhood of Tripoli who also received their sons’ bodies on Saturday morning. Both had also refused to attend the Kadhafi rally.
It was not possible to fully corroborate Mohammed’s account of events because reporting is severely restricted in areas under Kadhafi’s control.
However, groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported evidence of extrajudicial executions by government forces across the country.
Reports have also surfaced about such threats and executions inside Tripoli, but international human rights groups have no presence in the capital and have not been able to fully investigate.
A representative for the rebel National Transitional Council in London on June 26 claimed there were “confirmed reports” of 187 prisoners being killed at Abu Salim prison over the course of two days earlier last month.
Because of petrol shortages in Tripoli, Mohammed said relatives there planned to walk around four or five kilometres (about three miles) on Saturday to be able to bury Ahmed.
“There is nothing but air and God in Tripoli,” he said. “You are either with Kadhafi or you starve.”
“I just want the world to know how Kadhafi works,” added Mohammed, explaining his reasons for speaking out. Despite the dangers “we are obliged to put this out in the open,” he said.
Source- Andrew Beatty for AFP
Source: Shabab Libya
BENGHAZI, Libya — Hours after thousands packed Tripoli’s Green Square cheering for Moamer Kadhafi, Mohammed said the still warm body of his nephew was dumped outside the family home with two bullets in his head.
Mohammed told AFP why he is certain 30-year-old’s Ahmed’s fate was sealed while green flags were waving on the other side of the capital and as Kadhafi dished out threats against Europe, NATO and Libyan “traitors” on Friday.
Ahmed’s execution, he said, was punishment for his family’s refusal to take part in the rally, a vital show of strength by the Libyan leader amid a five-month-long uprising that has pushed the regime to the brink of collapse.
“Four or five days ago a member of one of Kadhafi’s revolutionary committees approached my brother’s family in Tripoli,” the 50-something Mohammed told AFP on Saturday, his voice ringing with anger and mourning.
“They told him: ‘We have your son, he is being held at Abu Salim prison. If your family does not come out to demonstrate on Friday you will never see your son again’.”
With an extended clan of around 50 adult males alone, securing the family’s attendance would have helped Kadhafi reach his aim of putting a million people on the streets to undermine rebel morale.
But angry at the thought that Ahmed may already be dead and hearing that many neighbours had received similar threats, his family refused to go.
“My brother told them ‘whatever happens is going to happen, we are not going to go out to demonstrate for Kadhafi’,” Mohammed said, holding his head in his hands.
“We did not think it was possible that he (Ahmed) was still alive, we thought the guy was just making threats.”
Ahmed went missing in Tripoli a few days after the uprising against Kadhafi began in February, as Tripoli’s youth burned images of the self-styled “leader of the revolution” and stormed a state-run television station.
When Kadhafi hit back and Ahmed disappeared, the family assumed he had been shot by soldiers, mercenaries or one of Kadhafi’s feared security services.
They now believe he was arrested on February 22 and taken to the notorious Abu Salim prison with many others. Either way, the next time the family saw Ahmed was on the doorstep of their home on Saturday.
“The bullet wounds were fresh. He was shot this morning, even the blood was still warm,” Mohammed said from the safety of Benghazi, after reaching his brother using clandestine communications earlier in the day.
Mohammed said he knows of at least two other families in their neighbourhood of Tripoli who also received their sons’ bodies on Saturday morning. Both had also refused to attend the Kadhafi rally.
It was not possible to fully corroborate Mohammed’s account of events because reporting is severely restricted in areas under Kadhafi’s control.
However, groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported evidence of extrajudicial executions by government forces across the country.
Reports have also surfaced about such threats and executions inside Tripoli, but international human rights groups have no presence in the capital and have not been able to fully investigate.
A representative for the rebel National Transitional Council in London on June 26 claimed there were “confirmed reports” of 187 prisoners being killed at Abu Salim prison over the course of two days earlier last month.
Because of petrol shortages in Tripoli, Mohammed said relatives there planned to walk around four or five kilometres (about three miles) on Saturday to be able to bury Ahmed.
“There is nothing but air and God in Tripoli,” he said. “You are either with Kadhafi or you starve.”
“I just want the world to know how Kadhafi works,” added Mohammed, explaining his reasons for speaking out. Despite the dangers “we are obliged to put this out in the open,” he said.
Source- Andrew Beatty for AFP
Jordanian protesters want PM jailed
2011-06-30
Middle East Online
Police clash with more than 100 demonstrators demanding downfall of government, parliament outside parliament.
AMMAN - Police on Thursday clashed briefly with Jordanian demonstrators outside parliament before dispersing an anti-corruption protest, which called for the "imprisonment" of the prime minister.
"The people want the imprisonment of (premier) Maaruf Bakhit. The people want to expel Bakhit," more than 100 people, mostly youths, chanted in central Amman.
"The nation is a red line. We demand the downfall of government and parliament as well as the corrupt in the state," read one of the banners they carried.
They were protesting a lower house decision this week not to impeach Bakhit for his alleged role in a suspected graft case about a multi-million-dollar deal that his government singed with a UK-based company to build a casino, between 2005 and 2007 when he first served as premier.
The lower house has cleared Bakhit despite a parliamentary committee report which has found Bakhit partially responsible.
"The police dispersed the demonstration because they did not want to hear what we say," former MP Ali Ali Abu Sukkar, who took part in the protest, said.
The protesters wanted to hurl rotten eggs at the parliament building and MPs, but later threw them in the streets.
"We came from all parts of Jordan to protest the casino case farce by the government and MPs. We want them all out," Hisham Hees of the southern city of Theiban said.
Three MPs have resigned in protest against the lower house decision, news reports have said.
The powerful opposition Islamist movement as well as other groups plan to hold similar demonstrations in Amman and other parts of Jordan on Friday.
Since January, Jordan has faced a protest movement demanding political and economic reforms and an end to corruption.
Middle East Online
Police clash with more than 100 demonstrators demanding downfall of government, parliament outside parliament.
AMMAN - Police on Thursday clashed briefly with Jordanian demonstrators outside parliament before dispersing an anti-corruption protest, which called for the "imprisonment" of the prime minister.
"The people want the imprisonment of (premier) Maaruf Bakhit. The people want to expel Bakhit," more than 100 people, mostly youths, chanted in central Amman.
"The nation is a red line. We demand the downfall of government and parliament as well as the corrupt in the state," read one of the banners they carried.
They were protesting a lower house decision this week not to impeach Bakhit for his alleged role in a suspected graft case about a multi-million-dollar deal that his government singed with a UK-based company to build a casino, between 2005 and 2007 when he first served as premier.
The lower house has cleared Bakhit despite a parliamentary committee report which has found Bakhit partially responsible.
"The police dispersed the demonstration because they did not want to hear what we say," former MP Ali Ali Abu Sukkar, who took part in the protest, said.
The protesters wanted to hurl rotten eggs at the parliament building and MPs, but later threw them in the streets.
"We came from all parts of Jordan to protest the casino case farce by the government and MPs. We want them all out," Hisham Hees of the southern city of Theiban said.
Three MPs have resigned in protest against the lower house decision, news reports have said.
The powerful opposition Islamist movement as well as other groups plan to hold similar demonstrations in Amman and other parts of Jordan on Friday.
Since January, Jordan has faced a protest movement demanding political and economic reforms and an end to corruption.
How to Drink Your Way Out of Fatigue
June 25 2011
Dr. Mercola
Here, Cherie Calbom, also known as "The Juice Lady," shares her insights on juicing and how it can help improve your health.
She’s authored numerous books on the subject of juicing including two excellent books on the subject: Juicing for Life, and The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet. She also has a Masters Degree in Whole Foods Nutrition from Bastyr University.
Sources:
Video Transcript
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Juicing is a powerful tool that can accelerate your progress towards optimal health, and Cherie Calbom, aka "The Juice Lady," is an expert on this subject.
Virtually every health authority, even conventional doctors, recommend 6-8 servings of vegetables and fruits per day but very few of us actually get that. I've found juicing to be a simple and easy way to virtually guarantee that you'll reach your daily target for vegetables. Juicing also allows you to add a wider variety of vegetables to your diet that you might not normally enjoy eating whole, and makes it easier for your body to absorb all those wonderful nutrients.
Cherie Calbom earned her nickname "The Juice Lady" back in 1991, when she worked for the Juiceman company. But her passion about juicing began way before that, as she healed herself from a multitude of disabling health problems through juicing in her late 20's.
Using Juice to Detox
Juicing is one way to detox your system and is in fact one of the reasons why some people start juicing in the first place. This detox effect no doubt helped Cherie recover from many of her ailments, which included chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, allergies and candidiasis.
Wheatgrass is particularly helpful in this respect. It provides nutrients that accelerate and facilitate detoxification, especially in your liver where most of your body's detox occurs.
Depending on how toxic you are, you may experience detox reactions and actually feel worse, before you get better. In Cherie's experience, most people need three months of regular juicing before significant improvement becomes apparent. Interestingly, three months is also the average lifespan of red blood cells. So in three months you should have renewed most all of your red blood cells, which would help explain the reason for this typical time frame.Common cleansing reactions include diarrhea, flu-like symptoms and headaches.
Once you get over that initial hurdle, however, the benefits can be nothing short of miraculous for many, such as:
* Sleeping better
* Improved memory, mental energy and cognition
* Improved focus
* Reduction in aches, pains, and headaches
* Eliminating cravings
"This is one exciting thing that I've heard from so many people: in a week or two, their pain subsides," Cherie says. "I had one young woman who had plantar fasciitis; suffered with it for years. The only thing they had been able to do for her was a special shoe. She got started juicing, lost 18 lbs, and got rid of her plantar fasciitis."
Detoxing Fat Stores Typically Requires Expert Help
It's worth noting, however, that about 100-times more of the toxins are stored in your fat than in your blood. And although juicing may help you shed excess fat, which would reduce toxic stores, it will not in and of itself draw it out of your fat. More aggressive intervention is required for that, and likely needs to be done through a qualified physician.
For example, I recently met a surgical oncologist who uses high dose niacin to cause lipolysis (breakdown of fat), in conjunction with exercise to raise your core body temperature, followed by 40 minutes in an infrared sauna. Doing this process daily for a month causes your body to excrete stored toxins from your fat.
However, this is not a detox cure you can dabble with at home. First of all, 20 to 25 percent of people cannot tolerate niacin. It causes massive flushing. Second, although it's a vitamin, at the doses required for detox, it's treated as a drug. He starts his patients out at about 100 mg and progresses all the way up to 5,000 mg, which is a massive dose. You'll be beet red from the niacin flush! So intense detoxes like these have to be used with extreme caution under a physician's care.
Weight Loss—An Added Boon of Juicing
Cherie's book, The Juice Lady's Turbo Diet, is in large part oriented towards weight loss. Obesity is one of the primary health challenges here in the US. Technically, more than a third of American adults are obese, and nearly 80 percent of Americans are overweight! However, she didn't set out to recommend juicing specifically as a weight loss aid. This, she found out through countless clients and readers, was a side effect of juicing.
She decided to look into it further, and her investigation eventually led to the creation of her book.
"There were two studies completed in 2009-- last year, I believe it was one at Baylor College of Medicine and the other at UC Davis using Vegetable Juicing and for Weight Loss. which They found that the people who included one to two glasses of vegetable juice a day lost four times the weight of the non-juice drinkers. I thought that was rather interesting and significant…
In one of the studies, the majority of the people in it had metabolic syndrome; insulin resistance. I found that very interesting because that's a tougher condition to work with and still see weight loss results… I really got excited and that's when I put this book together, giving people the whole program of how to integrate vegetable juicing into their lifestyle with menu plans, shopping list, and recipes.. Since that time, I've heard from people all across the country who have said they've given this diet a try, and they're losing weight—many times where nothing was working for them before."
Juicing Alone is Not the Sole Answer for Weight Loss, You Must also Alter Your Food Choices
However, juicing in and of itself likely will not solve your weight problem. Your overall diet is just as important, if not more so, and her book prescribes a low-glycemic diet together with juicing to achieve maximum results. She essentially combined the diabetic diet with vegetable juicing.
According to Cherie, this combination has been the most effective for people with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, or diabetes. She also recommends including coconut oil, as it too can help with weight loss. Cherie recommends using about one teaspoon to one tablespoon a day for this purpose.
Other Reasons for Using Coconut Oil
"I was absolutely shocked when I first started reading about coconut oil because I, like so many people, have been told that it's a saturated fat, and to avoid all tropical oils," Cherie says. "When I got awakened to the truth, I wanted to know more and, eventually, wrote the book, The Coconut Diet.
I discovered that coconut oil, even though it is saturatued, is a very healthful oil. is marvelous. The body prefers to burn it rather than store it in fat cells. It is rich in lauric, acid, caprylic, and caproic fatty acids, which are short- to medium-chained fatty acids that work on breaking down the outer wall of yeast cells. There was a study done not too long ago in Nigeria at University College Hospital. They used coconut oil for treating people even with Candida albicans, which is one of the toughest yeasts to destroy, and it worked even on that yeast."
However, when you first start out on coconut oil, you may feel ill. Why is that?
"The yeasts are dying off," Cherie explains. "So just cut back on the amount of coconut oil you're taking and then work back up."
You could do as much as one to three tablespoons of coconut oil a day as a therapeutic dose to kill excessive yeast, although you will need to work your way up to that amount, and It is probably safer to start with one teaspoon.. Your level of tolerance depends on how well your liver functions as it is a fat. But it may be too many calories for some people, as three tablespoons would give you about 400 calories just from coconut oil.
Additionally, many individuals who chose to be a vegetarian or vegan will have dangerously low cholesterol levels and coconut oil can be very effectively used to increase cholesterol levels. If you already have high cholesterol levels though it is not dangerous unless you take very large quantities.
You always want to make sure you're using organic, virgin, unprocessed coconut oil, and avoid the refined kind as the processing eliminates many of the healthful fatty acids. Cherie and I also agree on the recommendation to use it for all your cooking needs as well, in lieu of other cooking oils.
"It has a medium smoke point of about 350 degrees," Cherie explains. "Most of the sautéing that we do in our home kitchens aren't over 350 degrees. I always say if you see it smoking, pull it off the burner right away because that's the point where your oil is starting to break down and will start to oxidize. It's a durable oil because it's saturated. The very fact that it's saturated makes it more durable than your polyunsaturates, which will oxidize much more easily. I don't recommend polyunsaturated oils at all."
For high-heat, such as baking around 400 degrees or so, you can use almond oil instead.
How Much Juice Do You Need?
Cherie's program calls for juicing twice a day. If you're diabetic, hypoglycemic or insulin resistant, you'll want to focus on dark greens. Cherie also recommends diluting all your juices with cucumbers instead of water, to gain the extra nutrients. This way you'll also avoid any and all potential toxins, such as fluoride, in your tap water.
If you're juicing for weight loss, Cherie recommends a minimum of 16 ounces of juice a day. Ideally, you'll want to strive for a full quart of juice, split up between the morning and the afternoon.
When juicing that much, I recommend juicing it all at once, to save time. Then use a FoodSaver, or put it in a glass jar filled to the very top so there is no oxygen, and put it in the fridge immediately. You're probably going to retain well over 90 percent of the nutritional value if you do it in that way and consume it within 12 hours.
Juicing to Perk You Up, or Calm You Down
Besides juicing for detox and weight loss, other reasons to juice include boosting your energy, or alternatively, calming you down at the end of the evening.
"I talked with one young woman who had a two-year old and was coming home after work, tired but still lots to do, and would have a glass of wine. She said, "I was ready to just lay on the couch and go to sleep." Now she comes home and makes juice for the whole family instead, and she's energized to make a healthy meal.
So it's excellent to make your juice for the next day and your evening cocktail all at once. Have a glass of juice while you're making dinner to perk you right back up," Cherie says.
"So many people say they come home just dead tired and starved. Maybe they didn't eat for a good portion of their day. Maybe they skipped lunch or ate something really fast at their desk. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips or some awful snack when you run in the door and you're hungry, go right for your juicer and make a glass of juice. It's going to be energizing. It's going to send a signal to your body that you're not as hungry now. You're fed. You've got all these nutrients now. So hopefully, then you're not going to eat as much at dinner."
You can also make a small amount of calming juice to drink just before you go to bed. Celery and romaine lettuce are very calming and will help you sleep.
Nutritional Typing and Food Sensitivities
Nutritional typing, for those who aren't familiar with it, is a concept that really seeks to divide people in three different types:
* Protein types benefit from large amounts of protein and fat, and small amounts of carbs
* Carbohydrate type need high amounts of vegetable carbs, and lower amounts of proteins and fat
* Mixed type need a little bit of everything and can tolerate most foods
Your genetics and biochemistry determines which group you fit in. Paradoxically, even the healthiest of foods, such as dark green leafy vegetables, are not as well-suited for everyone.
Dark green leafy vegetables are very high in potassium, and for protein types, potassium-rich foods tend to drive your biochemistry in the wrong direction. Hence, care must be taken to select the most appropriate foods, even when we're talking about something as healthful as vegetables.
A giant clue is to check how different foods make you feel. Listening to your body is one of the KEY elements of nutritional typing. If something makes you feel worse (sleepy, gassy, or lethargic, for example), it's a sign it's not beneficial for you—even though it might be generally considered a very healthful food. A healthful food for YOU will make you feel better. It will raise your energy level and suppress your appetite. Typically, if you're still hungry, it may be a sign that you need a little more fat and protein in your meal, or with your juice.
Must All Your Veggies Be Organic When Juicing?
Organic produce has been shown to have a much higher nutrient-content than conventional fresh produce, which should offer plenty of incentive to locate organic produce that has also been grown locally. On average, conventional produce has only 83 percent of the nutrients of organic produce.
However, pesticide contamination is another important issue when it comes to juicing, since you're using higher quantities of fruits and vegetables than you would normally eat whole. The Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide is an excellent resource to help you figure out what to buy organic, and what conventionally-grown veggies you can get away with buying with the least amount of health risk. The guide is now also available as an iPhone application.
The produce ranked the highest in terms of pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organic are:
Celery Peaches Strawberries Apples
Blueberries Nectarines Bell peppers Spinach
Cherries Kale and Collard greens Potatoes Grapes
Meanwhile, the produce below has the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown. Consequently, they are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume:
Grapefruit Avocados Onions Pineapple
Mangos Sweet peas Asparagus Kiwi
Cabbage Eggplant Cantaloupe and honeydew melon Watermelon
By paying heed to the typical pesticide load, you can put your money where it's going to be the most beneficial. However, ideally ALL your foods should be organic if you can afford it.
What Can You Do with the Pulp?
Many are concerned about wasting the pulp and throwing it away. Well that can easily be solved by composting it into your vegetable or ornamental garden. However, an even better solution would be to eat it.
From a nutritional perspective it is far more useful to eat the whole vegetable as the fibers actually serve as a prebiotic and raw fuel for your good bacteria to grow, and as a weed killer that actually helps to eradicate harmful organisms like yeast and pathogenic bacteria. You are probably thinking "how disgusting," and "why would I ever want to do that?"
Well if you dress up the pulp with some Himalayan salt and other condiments that you may enjoy, like balsamic vinegar and crushed red peppers, it becomes far more palatable. What I have recently figured out though is if I put a few lightly poached eggs over the pulp with some melted fresh raw organic butter, it really is turns it into a delicious meal.
The butter and eggs provide fat and protein that actually balance out the meal. I used to feel hungry after juicing but since I started eating the pulp with poached eggs I feel very full and satisfied.
Some might ask why I don't just use a powerful mixer like a Vita Mixer and have less mess to clean up and prepare it quicker. Well there are several problems doing it this way as the speed of the Vita Mixer is too high and will actually damage some of the nutrients in the vegetables. More importantly is it is MUCH less palatable as it becomes a thick, almost undrinkable slurry rather than a tasty meal and refreshing thin juice you can drink right down.
What about Pre-Made Vegetable Juices?
Many people don't want to go through the hassle of juicing from scratch and instead opt for supplements like Juice Plus+, which purports to have all the same benefits as fresh juice. However, there are significant drawbacks with these conveniences. When you look at the cost/value equation, to get the same amount of nutrition from a glass of high quality organic vegetable juice, you probably have to take a bottle or two of these Juice Plus+ tablets and the cost would extraordinary.
"There is also something else that's missing," Cherie says.
"People have asked me about Juice Plus+ for years. But you don't have biophotons in there. How could you? It's processed. So you're losing the LIFE of the plant. That's probably my number one reason to juice—to get that life into my body."
Aside from the lack of biophotons, processing may also destroy complementary co-factors that you get when you juice a whole food and drink it fresh. In a nutshell, you simply cannot compare a processed juice supplement to the real thing, because you simply will not receive all the benefits of whole, fresh juice. A supplement is going to be better than nothing in circumstances when you don't have access to a juicer, such as when traveling, but cannot be recommended as a substitute for regular juicing.
Hopefully, this interview has been able to inspire you to start exploring the world of juicing, if you haven't already, as juicing can massively facilitate the improvement of your health.
Related Links:
Juicing index
Juicing For Protein Types -- NOT Off-Limits!
Can Juicing Really Lead to Happiness?
Dr. Mercola
Here, Cherie Calbom, also known as "The Juice Lady," shares her insights on juicing and how it can help improve your health.
She’s authored numerous books on the subject of juicing including two excellent books on the subject: Juicing for Life, and The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet. She also has a Masters Degree in Whole Foods Nutrition from Bastyr University.
Sources:
Video Transcript
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Juicing is a powerful tool that can accelerate your progress towards optimal health, and Cherie Calbom, aka "The Juice Lady," is an expert on this subject.
Virtually every health authority, even conventional doctors, recommend 6-8 servings of vegetables and fruits per day but very few of us actually get that. I've found juicing to be a simple and easy way to virtually guarantee that you'll reach your daily target for vegetables. Juicing also allows you to add a wider variety of vegetables to your diet that you might not normally enjoy eating whole, and makes it easier for your body to absorb all those wonderful nutrients.
Cherie Calbom earned her nickname "The Juice Lady" back in 1991, when she worked for the Juiceman company. But her passion about juicing began way before that, as she healed herself from a multitude of disabling health problems through juicing in her late 20's.
Using Juice to Detox
Juicing is one way to detox your system and is in fact one of the reasons why some people start juicing in the first place. This detox effect no doubt helped Cherie recover from many of her ailments, which included chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, allergies and candidiasis.
Wheatgrass is particularly helpful in this respect. It provides nutrients that accelerate and facilitate detoxification, especially in your liver where most of your body's detox occurs.
Depending on how toxic you are, you may experience detox reactions and actually feel worse, before you get better. In Cherie's experience, most people need three months of regular juicing before significant improvement becomes apparent. Interestingly, three months is also the average lifespan of red blood cells. So in three months you should have renewed most all of your red blood cells, which would help explain the reason for this typical time frame.Common cleansing reactions include diarrhea, flu-like symptoms and headaches.
Once you get over that initial hurdle, however, the benefits can be nothing short of miraculous for many, such as:
* Sleeping better
* Improved memory, mental energy and cognition
* Improved focus
* Reduction in aches, pains, and headaches
* Eliminating cravings
"This is one exciting thing that I've heard from so many people: in a week or two, their pain subsides," Cherie says. "I had one young woman who had plantar fasciitis; suffered with it for years. The only thing they had been able to do for her was a special shoe. She got started juicing, lost 18 lbs, and got rid of her plantar fasciitis."
Detoxing Fat Stores Typically Requires Expert Help
It's worth noting, however, that about 100-times more of the toxins are stored in your fat than in your blood. And although juicing may help you shed excess fat, which would reduce toxic stores, it will not in and of itself draw it out of your fat. More aggressive intervention is required for that, and likely needs to be done through a qualified physician.
For example, I recently met a surgical oncologist who uses high dose niacin to cause lipolysis (breakdown of fat), in conjunction with exercise to raise your core body temperature, followed by 40 minutes in an infrared sauna. Doing this process daily for a month causes your body to excrete stored toxins from your fat.
However, this is not a detox cure you can dabble with at home. First of all, 20 to 25 percent of people cannot tolerate niacin. It causes massive flushing. Second, although it's a vitamin, at the doses required for detox, it's treated as a drug. He starts his patients out at about 100 mg and progresses all the way up to 5,000 mg, which is a massive dose. You'll be beet red from the niacin flush! So intense detoxes like these have to be used with extreme caution under a physician's care.
Weight Loss—An Added Boon of Juicing
Cherie's book, The Juice Lady's Turbo Diet, is in large part oriented towards weight loss. Obesity is one of the primary health challenges here in the US. Technically, more than a third of American adults are obese, and nearly 80 percent of Americans are overweight! However, she didn't set out to recommend juicing specifically as a weight loss aid. This, she found out through countless clients and readers, was a side effect of juicing.
She decided to look into it further, and her investigation eventually led to the creation of her book.
"There were two studies completed in 2009-- last year, I believe it was one at Baylor College of Medicine and the other at UC Davis using Vegetable Juicing and for Weight Loss. which They found that the people who included one to two glasses of vegetable juice a day lost four times the weight of the non-juice drinkers. I thought that was rather interesting and significant…
In one of the studies, the majority of the people in it had metabolic syndrome; insulin resistance. I found that very interesting because that's a tougher condition to work with and still see weight loss results… I really got excited and that's when I put this book together, giving people the whole program of how to integrate vegetable juicing into their lifestyle with menu plans, shopping list, and recipes.. Since that time, I've heard from people all across the country who have said they've given this diet a try, and they're losing weight—many times where nothing was working for them before."
Juicing Alone is Not the Sole Answer for Weight Loss, You Must also Alter Your Food Choices
However, juicing in and of itself likely will not solve your weight problem. Your overall diet is just as important, if not more so, and her book prescribes a low-glycemic diet together with juicing to achieve maximum results. She essentially combined the diabetic diet with vegetable juicing.
According to Cherie, this combination has been the most effective for people with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, or diabetes. She also recommends including coconut oil, as it too can help with weight loss. Cherie recommends using about one teaspoon to one tablespoon a day for this purpose.
Other Reasons for Using Coconut Oil
"I was absolutely shocked when I first started reading about coconut oil because I, like so many people, have been told that it's a saturated fat, and to avoid all tropical oils," Cherie says. "When I got awakened to the truth, I wanted to know more and, eventually, wrote the book, The Coconut Diet.
I discovered that coconut oil, even though it is saturatued, is a very healthful oil. is marvelous. The body prefers to burn it rather than store it in fat cells. It is rich in lauric, acid, caprylic, and caproic fatty acids, which are short- to medium-chained fatty acids that work on breaking down the outer wall of yeast cells. There was a study done not too long ago in Nigeria at University College Hospital. They used coconut oil for treating people even with Candida albicans, which is one of the toughest yeasts to destroy, and it worked even on that yeast."
However, when you first start out on coconut oil, you may feel ill. Why is that?
"The yeasts are dying off," Cherie explains. "So just cut back on the amount of coconut oil you're taking and then work back up."
You could do as much as one to three tablespoons of coconut oil a day as a therapeutic dose to kill excessive yeast, although you will need to work your way up to that amount, and It is probably safer to start with one teaspoon.. Your level of tolerance depends on how well your liver functions as it is a fat. But it may be too many calories for some people, as three tablespoons would give you about 400 calories just from coconut oil.
Additionally, many individuals who chose to be a vegetarian or vegan will have dangerously low cholesterol levels and coconut oil can be very effectively used to increase cholesterol levels. If you already have high cholesterol levels though it is not dangerous unless you take very large quantities.
You always want to make sure you're using organic, virgin, unprocessed coconut oil, and avoid the refined kind as the processing eliminates many of the healthful fatty acids. Cherie and I also agree on the recommendation to use it for all your cooking needs as well, in lieu of other cooking oils.
"It has a medium smoke point of about 350 degrees," Cherie explains. "Most of the sautéing that we do in our home kitchens aren't over 350 degrees. I always say if you see it smoking, pull it off the burner right away because that's the point where your oil is starting to break down and will start to oxidize. It's a durable oil because it's saturated. The very fact that it's saturated makes it more durable than your polyunsaturates, which will oxidize much more easily. I don't recommend polyunsaturated oils at all."
For high-heat, such as baking around 400 degrees or so, you can use almond oil instead.
How Much Juice Do You Need?
Cherie's program calls for juicing twice a day. If you're diabetic, hypoglycemic or insulin resistant, you'll want to focus on dark greens. Cherie also recommends diluting all your juices with cucumbers instead of water, to gain the extra nutrients. This way you'll also avoid any and all potential toxins, such as fluoride, in your tap water.
If you're juicing for weight loss, Cherie recommends a minimum of 16 ounces of juice a day. Ideally, you'll want to strive for a full quart of juice, split up between the morning and the afternoon.
When juicing that much, I recommend juicing it all at once, to save time. Then use a FoodSaver, or put it in a glass jar filled to the very top so there is no oxygen, and put it in the fridge immediately. You're probably going to retain well over 90 percent of the nutritional value if you do it in that way and consume it within 12 hours.
Juicing to Perk You Up, or Calm You Down
Besides juicing for detox and weight loss, other reasons to juice include boosting your energy, or alternatively, calming you down at the end of the evening.
"I talked with one young woman who had a two-year old and was coming home after work, tired but still lots to do, and would have a glass of wine. She said, "I was ready to just lay on the couch and go to sleep." Now she comes home and makes juice for the whole family instead, and she's energized to make a healthy meal.
So it's excellent to make your juice for the next day and your evening cocktail all at once. Have a glass of juice while you're making dinner to perk you right back up," Cherie says.
"So many people say they come home just dead tired and starved. Maybe they didn't eat for a good portion of their day. Maybe they skipped lunch or ate something really fast at their desk. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips or some awful snack when you run in the door and you're hungry, go right for your juicer and make a glass of juice. It's going to be energizing. It's going to send a signal to your body that you're not as hungry now. You're fed. You've got all these nutrients now. So hopefully, then you're not going to eat as much at dinner."
You can also make a small amount of calming juice to drink just before you go to bed. Celery and romaine lettuce are very calming and will help you sleep.
Nutritional Typing and Food Sensitivities
Nutritional typing, for those who aren't familiar with it, is a concept that really seeks to divide people in three different types:
* Protein types benefit from large amounts of protein and fat, and small amounts of carbs
* Carbohydrate type need high amounts of vegetable carbs, and lower amounts of proteins and fat
* Mixed type need a little bit of everything and can tolerate most foods
Your genetics and biochemistry determines which group you fit in. Paradoxically, even the healthiest of foods, such as dark green leafy vegetables, are not as well-suited for everyone.
Dark green leafy vegetables are very high in potassium, and for protein types, potassium-rich foods tend to drive your biochemistry in the wrong direction. Hence, care must be taken to select the most appropriate foods, even when we're talking about something as healthful as vegetables.
A giant clue is to check how different foods make you feel. Listening to your body is one of the KEY elements of nutritional typing. If something makes you feel worse (sleepy, gassy, or lethargic, for example), it's a sign it's not beneficial for you—even though it might be generally considered a very healthful food. A healthful food for YOU will make you feel better. It will raise your energy level and suppress your appetite. Typically, if you're still hungry, it may be a sign that you need a little more fat and protein in your meal, or with your juice.
Must All Your Veggies Be Organic When Juicing?
Organic produce has been shown to have a much higher nutrient-content than conventional fresh produce, which should offer plenty of incentive to locate organic produce that has also been grown locally. On average, conventional produce has only 83 percent of the nutrients of organic produce.
However, pesticide contamination is another important issue when it comes to juicing, since you're using higher quantities of fruits and vegetables than you would normally eat whole. The Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide is an excellent resource to help you figure out what to buy organic, and what conventionally-grown veggies you can get away with buying with the least amount of health risk. The guide is now also available as an iPhone application.
The produce ranked the highest in terms of pesticide load, making them the most important to buy or grow organic are:
Celery Peaches Strawberries Apples
Blueberries Nectarines Bell peppers Spinach
Cherries Kale and Collard greens Potatoes Grapes
Meanwhile, the produce below has the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown. Consequently, they are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume:
Grapefruit Avocados Onions Pineapple
Mangos Sweet peas Asparagus Kiwi
Cabbage Eggplant Cantaloupe and honeydew melon Watermelon
By paying heed to the typical pesticide load, you can put your money where it's going to be the most beneficial. However, ideally ALL your foods should be organic if you can afford it.
What Can You Do with the Pulp?
Many are concerned about wasting the pulp and throwing it away. Well that can easily be solved by composting it into your vegetable or ornamental garden. However, an even better solution would be to eat it.
From a nutritional perspective it is far more useful to eat the whole vegetable as the fibers actually serve as a prebiotic and raw fuel for your good bacteria to grow, and as a weed killer that actually helps to eradicate harmful organisms like yeast and pathogenic bacteria. You are probably thinking "how disgusting," and "why would I ever want to do that?"
Well if you dress up the pulp with some Himalayan salt and other condiments that you may enjoy, like balsamic vinegar and crushed red peppers, it becomes far more palatable. What I have recently figured out though is if I put a few lightly poached eggs over the pulp with some melted fresh raw organic butter, it really is turns it into a delicious meal.
The butter and eggs provide fat and protein that actually balance out the meal. I used to feel hungry after juicing but since I started eating the pulp with poached eggs I feel very full and satisfied.
Some might ask why I don't just use a powerful mixer like a Vita Mixer and have less mess to clean up and prepare it quicker. Well there are several problems doing it this way as the speed of the Vita Mixer is too high and will actually damage some of the nutrients in the vegetables. More importantly is it is MUCH less palatable as it becomes a thick, almost undrinkable slurry rather than a tasty meal and refreshing thin juice you can drink right down.
What about Pre-Made Vegetable Juices?
Many people don't want to go through the hassle of juicing from scratch and instead opt for supplements like Juice Plus+, which purports to have all the same benefits as fresh juice. However, there are significant drawbacks with these conveniences. When you look at the cost/value equation, to get the same amount of nutrition from a glass of high quality organic vegetable juice, you probably have to take a bottle or two of these Juice Plus+ tablets and the cost would extraordinary.
"There is also something else that's missing," Cherie says.
"People have asked me about Juice Plus+ for years. But you don't have biophotons in there. How could you? It's processed. So you're losing the LIFE of the plant. That's probably my number one reason to juice—to get that life into my body."
Aside from the lack of biophotons, processing may also destroy complementary co-factors that you get when you juice a whole food and drink it fresh. In a nutshell, you simply cannot compare a processed juice supplement to the real thing, because you simply will not receive all the benefits of whole, fresh juice. A supplement is going to be better than nothing in circumstances when you don't have access to a juicer, such as when traveling, but cannot be recommended as a substitute for regular juicing.
Hopefully, this interview has been able to inspire you to start exploring the world of juicing, if you haven't already, as juicing can massively facilitate the improvement of your health.
Related Links:
Juicing index
Juicing For Protein Types -- NOT Off-Limits!
Can Juicing Really Lead to Happiness?
New Research Proves Mothers Who do this Bond Better With Their Children
July 03 2011
Dr. Mercola
Breast milk may be tremendously important to mother-baby bonding. New research shows that breast-feeding mothers are more likely than formula-feeding moms to bond with their infants, and also demonstrate stronger brain responses when they hear their baby cry.
Researchers divided a group of new mothers into breast-feeders and formula-feeders, and performed functional MRIs (fMRI) on them about a month after their babies were born. Although all the mothers' brains became more active when listening to their own baby's cry, the changes in the breast-feeding mothers' relevant brain regions were much greater.
Time Magazine reports:
“The study, which the researchers say is the first to link brain activity with maternal behavior, is likely to reinforce the convictions of breast-feeding mothers that they're doing right by their babies”.
Sources:
Time Magazine May 20, 2011
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry April 18, 2011; [Epub ahead of print]
Medical News Today May 30, 2011
Pediatrics May 29, 2011 [Epub ahead of print]
Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care May 20, 2011 [Epub ahead of print]
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Breastfeeding is the least expensive and most effective way to improve and protect your baby's health, and now a first-of-its-kind study also suggests that breastfeeding may have a direct impact on a mother's brain, promoting 'maternal behavior' and increasing emotional bonding between the mother and child.
This is not altogether surprising, since breastfeeding promotes the increased release of oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone," or "bonding hormone."
Breastfeeding Alters Your Brain Activity
Still, it's interesting to note the changes in brain activity observed in breastfeeding moms. The results were published in the April issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and the researchers suggest that breastfeeding may be "the secret" that strengthens mother-baby bonding.
The Yale University researchers divided mothers into two groups:
1. Nine breast-feeders
2. Eight formula-feeders
About one month after giving birth, the mothers underwent functional MRIs (fMRI) while listening to audio clips of their own baby, and an unknown baby, crying. While all of the mothers' brains became more active when listening to their own baby's cry, the breastfeeding mothers displayed more significant activity in relevant brain regions.
Whether or not this is directly related to increased oxytocin levels, or whether some other mechanism is at play is still unknown. But it can be worthwhile to take this information into consideration if you're still on the fence about breastfeeding, or perhaps if you're concerned about being able to successfully bond with your baby whether breastfeeding, or not.
The Many Health Benefits of Breastfeeding—For Both Mother and Child
Aside from promoting stronger emotional bonding, breastfeeding offers a long list of life-long health benefits, not just for the child, but for the mother as well.
Studies have shown that breastfed babies gain added protection against:
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) Eczema Respiratory- and other types of infections
Heart disease Obesity Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
Bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease Asthma and allergies Necrotizing enterocolitis among premature babies
Breastfeeding can also help promote cognitive development in your child. It also benefits the mother in several ways, including:
Enhancing maternal behavior through increased oxytocin release "Natural birth control," as it suppresses ovulation, making pregnancy less likely Diabetic mothers typically require less insulin
Easier weight loss Reducing your risk of endometrial-, ovarian- and breast cancers Reducing your risk of metabolic syndrome
Breastfeeding More Successful with Proper Maternity Leave
A recent article in Medical News Today brings up a related and important point in terms of what can help make breastfeeding more successful, and that is extended maternity leave.
Ideally, you'll want to breastfeed your baby for at least six months, but this can be tricky if you have to return to work after a few short weeks of maternity leave. An article in the journal Pediatrics, published last month, points out that national breastfeeding rates in the US still fall short of the "Healthy People 2010" goals.
Of the women who had at least 13 weeks maternity leave, just over 74 percent started breastfeeding. Meanwhile, the breastfeeding rate dropped by nearly 10 percent for women who only had one to six weeks maternity leave. Those with longer maternity leave also had the highest ratio of babies still breastfeeding at three months of age.
The authors concluded:
"If new mothers delay their time of return to work, then duration of breastfeeding among US mothers may lengthen."
One answer to increase breastfeeding rates would be to extend the Family and Medical Leave Act, which is the recommendation of the study's authors. American women are currently entitled to 12 weeks unpaid leave after giving birth, according to the US Family Leave and Medical Act. However, this federal law does not apply to many women who work for small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, as they only have to offer this benefit to women who have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours in the preceding 12 months.
For comparison:
* Swedish mothers get 16 months maternity leave at 80 percent pay
* Japanese women receive 14 weeks leave at 66 percent pay, and
* Canadians get 17 weeks off at 55 percent of their regular salary
Since American law does not require the employer to pay a percentage of a woman's salary during maternity leave, taking extra time off is a financial impossibility for many families. While there's no easy answer to that dilemma (barring legislative changes), if you can afford it, it may be well worth considering...
Is Home Birth Right for You?
In related news, home births are now at the highest level since 1990, and this could be a beneficial trend to help increase breastfeeding rates.
While there are multiple reasons for this trend, I see it as a sign that more families are now starting to take back control of their health, and that of their offspring. Patient-doctor trust is wearing thin these days, as conflicts of interest are becoming increasingly obvious, and more people are looking for low intervention birthing options. Many parents also want to return to a more soothing and natural way of greeting their child into the world, and opt to avoid immediate vaccinations.
As an added benefit, home births are also less expensive, costing about one-third of a hospital birth.
According to a recently published study in the journal Birth, the number of American women delivering their babies at home increased by a healthy 20 percent between 2004 and 2008. The primary thrust behind this change is attributed to white women increasingly opting to give birth at home—Caucasians accounted for 94 percent of the increase.
Which is Safer—Home Births or Hospital Births?
There's much controversy over this issue. Some studies have concluded that hospital births are safer, and many women are still dissuaded by their obstetricians to pursue a home birth.
But is all that worry warranted?
An interesting review of the evidence was published back in 2003, which shatters many of these concerns.
Published in the journal Birth, the authors criticize the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for sensationalizing negative studies; one in particular alleged to have found that home births doubled the risk of newborn death. However, upon more careful review, the study in question contained "numerous flaws and limitations," and "could not be used" to make an informed decision about whether or not women should be discouraged from opting for home birth.
The review reads, in part:
"... The authors noted "controversy" in literature concerning the safety of home deliveries, but cited only 4 studies that they claim support their findings of increased risk of neonatal mortality and adverse outcomes. They failed to mention or discuss findings from the bulk of the recent national and international literature, which concluded that planned home birth is a safe and reasonable option. More importantly, they misrepresented the literature that they did cite. Even a cursory examination of those studies revealed that two of them included both low- and high-risk women in the home birth group.
... [R]eviewing controlled trials in Europe, Springer and Van Weel concluded that planned home birth is "safe in selected women and with adequate infrastructure and support". In the United States, Murphy and Fullerton concluded, "home birth can be accomplished with good outcomes under the care of qualified practitioners and within a system that facilitates transfer to hospital care when necessary."
The authors also point out that:
"... Recently, a policy statement by the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association concluded that "Births to healthy mothers, who are not considered at medical risk after comprehensive screening by trained professionals, can occur safely in various settings, including out-of-hospital birth centers and homes."
High-risk pregnancies that are typically not good candidates for home birth include women who are:
* Over the age of 40
* Obese (weighing over 300 pounds)
* Hypertensive
* Diabetic
The review concludes with the following advice:
"... Each year in the United States more than 25,000 women choose to deliver at home. It is time for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to recognize that the evidence calls for improvements in the provision of out-of-hospital services, rather than their elimination, and to provide leadership in ensuring adequate infrastructure and support for those women choosing home birth.
It is time for national funding groups, government health agencies, and editorials to support investigations on the models of care that produce optimal outcomes across birth sites."
And:
"... When the findings of a new study disagree with copious evidence from high-quality trials, the study methodology and interpretation must be examined closely."
Hopefully this level-headed review of the evidence will help put your mind at ease. Because while there's no way to completely eliminate all risk inherent with childbirth, there's actually very little evidence to indicate that giving birth at home with a well-qualified birthing professional is riskier than giving birth in a hospital, as long as you're in good health, and have a normal, low-risk pregnancy. On the contrary, it may actually be safer. And the added benefits can be great.
Help for Moms Who Can't Breastfeed
Ideally you should strive to breastfeed your baby exclusively for the first six months, and only then begin to supplement with solid foods (while still continuing to breastfeed as well). If you're having trouble breastfeeding, Le Leche League is a terrific resource to contact for help.
However, if you're unable to breastfeed for any reason, please steer clear of commercial infant formulas as much as possible and definitely avoid all soy infant formula. The next best alternative to breast milk is to make a healthy homemade infant formula using this recipe.
Related Links:
Seven Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child That You Need to Know
Breastfeeding Best for Mothers as Well as Infants
Why Breastfeeding in the First Hour of Life is Important
Dr. Mercola
Breast milk may be tremendously important to mother-baby bonding. New research shows that breast-feeding mothers are more likely than formula-feeding moms to bond with their infants, and also demonstrate stronger brain responses when they hear their baby cry.
Researchers divided a group of new mothers into breast-feeders and formula-feeders, and performed functional MRIs (fMRI) on them about a month after their babies were born. Although all the mothers' brains became more active when listening to their own baby's cry, the changes in the breast-feeding mothers' relevant brain regions were much greater.
Time Magazine reports:
“The study, which the researchers say is the first to link brain activity with maternal behavior, is likely to reinforce the convictions of breast-feeding mothers that they're doing right by their babies”.
Sources:
Time Magazine May 20, 2011
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry April 18, 2011; [Epub ahead of print]
Medical News Today May 30, 2011
Pediatrics May 29, 2011 [Epub ahead of print]
Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care May 20, 2011 [Epub ahead of print]
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Breastfeeding is the least expensive and most effective way to improve and protect your baby's health, and now a first-of-its-kind study also suggests that breastfeeding may have a direct impact on a mother's brain, promoting 'maternal behavior' and increasing emotional bonding between the mother and child.
This is not altogether surprising, since breastfeeding promotes the increased release of oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone," or "bonding hormone."
Breastfeeding Alters Your Brain Activity
Still, it's interesting to note the changes in brain activity observed in breastfeeding moms. The results were published in the April issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and the researchers suggest that breastfeeding may be "the secret" that strengthens mother-baby bonding.
The Yale University researchers divided mothers into two groups:
1. Nine breast-feeders
2. Eight formula-feeders
About one month after giving birth, the mothers underwent functional MRIs (fMRI) while listening to audio clips of their own baby, and an unknown baby, crying. While all of the mothers' brains became more active when listening to their own baby's cry, the breastfeeding mothers displayed more significant activity in relevant brain regions.
Whether or not this is directly related to increased oxytocin levels, or whether some other mechanism is at play is still unknown. But it can be worthwhile to take this information into consideration if you're still on the fence about breastfeeding, or perhaps if you're concerned about being able to successfully bond with your baby whether breastfeeding, or not.
The Many Health Benefits of Breastfeeding—For Both Mother and Child
Aside from promoting stronger emotional bonding, breastfeeding offers a long list of life-long health benefits, not just for the child, but for the mother as well.
Studies have shown that breastfed babies gain added protection against:
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) Eczema Respiratory- and other types of infections
Heart disease Obesity Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
Bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease Asthma and allergies Necrotizing enterocolitis among premature babies
Breastfeeding can also help promote cognitive development in your child. It also benefits the mother in several ways, including:
Enhancing maternal behavior through increased oxytocin release "Natural birth control," as it suppresses ovulation, making pregnancy less likely Diabetic mothers typically require less insulin
Easier weight loss Reducing your risk of endometrial-, ovarian- and breast cancers Reducing your risk of metabolic syndrome
Breastfeeding More Successful with Proper Maternity Leave
A recent article in Medical News Today brings up a related and important point in terms of what can help make breastfeeding more successful, and that is extended maternity leave.
Ideally, you'll want to breastfeed your baby for at least six months, but this can be tricky if you have to return to work after a few short weeks of maternity leave. An article in the journal Pediatrics, published last month, points out that national breastfeeding rates in the US still fall short of the "Healthy People 2010" goals.
Of the women who had at least 13 weeks maternity leave, just over 74 percent started breastfeeding. Meanwhile, the breastfeeding rate dropped by nearly 10 percent for women who only had one to six weeks maternity leave. Those with longer maternity leave also had the highest ratio of babies still breastfeeding at three months of age.
The authors concluded:
"If new mothers delay their time of return to work, then duration of breastfeeding among US mothers may lengthen."
One answer to increase breastfeeding rates would be to extend the Family and Medical Leave Act, which is the recommendation of the study's authors. American women are currently entitled to 12 weeks unpaid leave after giving birth, according to the US Family Leave and Medical Act. However, this federal law does not apply to many women who work for small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, as they only have to offer this benefit to women who have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours in the preceding 12 months.
For comparison:
* Swedish mothers get 16 months maternity leave at 80 percent pay
* Japanese women receive 14 weeks leave at 66 percent pay, and
* Canadians get 17 weeks off at 55 percent of their regular salary
Since American law does not require the employer to pay a percentage of a woman's salary during maternity leave, taking extra time off is a financial impossibility for many families. While there's no easy answer to that dilemma (barring legislative changes), if you can afford it, it may be well worth considering...
Is Home Birth Right for You?
In related news, home births are now at the highest level since 1990, and this could be a beneficial trend to help increase breastfeeding rates.
While there are multiple reasons for this trend, I see it as a sign that more families are now starting to take back control of their health, and that of their offspring. Patient-doctor trust is wearing thin these days, as conflicts of interest are becoming increasingly obvious, and more people are looking for low intervention birthing options. Many parents also want to return to a more soothing and natural way of greeting their child into the world, and opt to avoid immediate vaccinations.
As an added benefit, home births are also less expensive, costing about one-third of a hospital birth.
According to a recently published study in the journal Birth, the number of American women delivering their babies at home increased by a healthy 20 percent between 2004 and 2008. The primary thrust behind this change is attributed to white women increasingly opting to give birth at home—Caucasians accounted for 94 percent of the increase.
Which is Safer—Home Births or Hospital Births?
There's much controversy over this issue. Some studies have concluded that hospital births are safer, and many women are still dissuaded by their obstetricians to pursue a home birth.
But is all that worry warranted?
An interesting review of the evidence was published back in 2003, which shatters many of these concerns.
Published in the journal Birth, the authors criticize the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for sensationalizing negative studies; one in particular alleged to have found that home births doubled the risk of newborn death. However, upon more careful review, the study in question contained "numerous flaws and limitations," and "could not be used" to make an informed decision about whether or not women should be discouraged from opting for home birth.
The review reads, in part:
"... The authors noted "controversy" in literature concerning the safety of home deliveries, but cited only 4 studies that they claim support their findings of increased risk of neonatal mortality and adverse outcomes. They failed to mention or discuss findings from the bulk of the recent national and international literature, which concluded that planned home birth is a safe and reasonable option. More importantly, they misrepresented the literature that they did cite. Even a cursory examination of those studies revealed that two of them included both low- and high-risk women in the home birth group.
... [R]eviewing controlled trials in Europe, Springer and Van Weel concluded that planned home birth is "safe in selected women and with adequate infrastructure and support". In the United States, Murphy and Fullerton concluded, "home birth can be accomplished with good outcomes under the care of qualified practitioners and within a system that facilitates transfer to hospital care when necessary."
The authors also point out that:
"... Recently, a policy statement by the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association concluded that "Births to healthy mothers, who are not considered at medical risk after comprehensive screening by trained professionals, can occur safely in various settings, including out-of-hospital birth centers and homes."
High-risk pregnancies that are typically not good candidates for home birth include women who are:
* Over the age of 40
* Obese (weighing over 300 pounds)
* Hypertensive
* Diabetic
The review concludes with the following advice:
"... Each year in the United States more than 25,000 women choose to deliver at home. It is time for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to recognize that the evidence calls for improvements in the provision of out-of-hospital services, rather than their elimination, and to provide leadership in ensuring adequate infrastructure and support for those women choosing home birth.
It is time for national funding groups, government health agencies, and editorials to support investigations on the models of care that produce optimal outcomes across birth sites."
And:
"... When the findings of a new study disagree with copious evidence from high-quality trials, the study methodology and interpretation must be examined closely."
Hopefully this level-headed review of the evidence will help put your mind at ease. Because while there's no way to completely eliminate all risk inherent with childbirth, there's actually very little evidence to indicate that giving birth at home with a well-qualified birthing professional is riskier than giving birth in a hospital, as long as you're in good health, and have a normal, low-risk pregnancy. On the contrary, it may actually be safer. And the added benefits can be great.
Help for Moms Who Can't Breastfeed
Ideally you should strive to breastfeed your baby exclusively for the first six months, and only then begin to supplement with solid foods (while still continuing to breastfeed as well). If you're having trouble breastfeeding, Le Leche League is a terrific resource to contact for help.
However, if you're unable to breastfeed for any reason, please steer clear of commercial infant formulas as much as possible and definitely avoid all soy infant formula. The next best alternative to breast milk is to make a healthy homemade infant formula using this recipe.
Related Links:
Seven Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child That You Need to Know
Breastfeeding Best for Mothers as Well as Infants
Why Breastfeeding in the First Hour of Life is Important
Friday, July 1, 2011
U.S. flotilla boat stopped by Greek Coast Guard after setting sail for Gaza
Jul 2, 2011
Joseph Dana
+972 Blog
Source: Institute for Middle East Understanding
The Greek Coast Guard intercepted the Gaza flotilla’s American ship this afternoon, less than one hour after it had set sail from the Athens port. The Greek authorities demanded the boat return to the port, resulting in a protracted standoff at sea, with the captain of the U.S. boat in talks with the authorities over their demands. After a couple hours, and under the threat of an armed takeover by the Greek authorities, the boat agreed to be escorted back to land. It arrived at the Athens coast guard port at roughly 8.:30 PM local time. As the time of writing, most reporters have left the boat, but the passengers remained on it.
It emerged that just before the boat had set sail, Greece issued a blanket ban on ships sailing to Gaza from its ports. According to the decision, approved by Minister for Citizen Protection Christos Papoutsis, the “broader maritime area of eastern Mediterranean will be continuously monitored by electronic means for tracking, where applicable, the movements of the ships allegedly participating in such campaign” [to sail to Gaza].
The boat, named the Audacity of Hope, left the Athens port at 4:30 PM en route to the Gaza Strip, carrying 35 passengers, five crew members and 11 journalists. It departed without permission from the Greek authorities to sail.
Former U.S. Army colonel Anne Wright, leader of mission, told +972 soon after the ship set sail that it is “defiant in going to Gaza. Israeli and Greek won’t pressure won’t stop us.” Along with its 51 passengers, the ship is carrying letters for the people of Gaza. Israel’s Channel 1 TV looked though the entire boat before its departure.
Around the time the American boat was stopped by the Greek Coast Guard, the organizers of the Canadian ship said in a Twitter message that they are being held at port by the Greek authorities:
ALERT: Greek authorities preventing Canadian Boat and #Flotilla2 from sailing. Israeli blockade of Gaza reaches shores of Greece.
On Friday evening, Haaretz reported that Greece had promised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that it would stop the flotilla. Israel, the report said, used its influence in recent months to help the Greeks in their negotiations with the European Union regarding the country’s financial crisis. The two governments had also tightened their military cooperation. “The flotilla organizers’ didn’t understand that this year’s Greece is not last year’s, and they paid a price for it,” an Israeli source told Haaretz. Also on Thursday, Netanyahu, speaking at an Israel Air Force academy ceremony, singled out the Greek prime minister in thanking world leaders assisting Israel in working to stop the flotilla.
Earlier this week, organizers said that they have complied with all requests to inspect their vessel and its "seaworthiness," claiming the boat is seaworthy and that the pressure from the Greeks is politically motivated. In order to prove this, they have decided to sail and test the Greeks authorities’ reaction. The captain told me in an interview from the wheelhouse that he expects to be arrested and personally fined for his actions, despite the fact that he claims to have done nothing wrong legally.
For more live updates please check out my twitter feed: @ibnezra.
Joseph Dana is in Greece reporting for The Nation from the American ship to Gaza.
Joseph Dana
+972 Blog
Source: Institute for Middle East Understanding
The Greek Coast Guard intercepted the Gaza flotilla’s American ship this afternoon, less than one hour after it had set sail from the Athens port. The Greek authorities demanded the boat return to the port, resulting in a protracted standoff at sea, with the captain of the U.S. boat in talks with the authorities over their demands. After a couple hours, and under the threat of an armed takeover by the Greek authorities, the boat agreed to be escorted back to land. It arrived at the Athens coast guard port at roughly 8.:30 PM local time. As the time of writing, most reporters have left the boat, but the passengers remained on it.
It emerged that just before the boat had set sail, Greece issued a blanket ban on ships sailing to Gaza from its ports. According to the decision, approved by Minister for Citizen Protection Christos Papoutsis, the “broader maritime area of eastern Mediterranean will be continuously monitored by electronic means for tracking, where applicable, the movements of the ships allegedly participating in such campaign” [to sail to Gaza].
The boat, named the Audacity of Hope, left the Athens port at 4:30 PM en route to the Gaza Strip, carrying 35 passengers, five crew members and 11 journalists. It departed without permission from the Greek authorities to sail.
Former U.S. Army colonel Anne Wright, leader of mission, told +972 soon after the ship set sail that it is “defiant in going to Gaza. Israeli and Greek won’t pressure won’t stop us.” Along with its 51 passengers, the ship is carrying letters for the people of Gaza. Israel’s Channel 1 TV looked though the entire boat before its departure.
Around the time the American boat was stopped by the Greek Coast Guard, the organizers of the Canadian ship said in a Twitter message that they are being held at port by the Greek authorities:
ALERT: Greek authorities preventing Canadian Boat and #Flotilla2 from sailing. Israeli blockade of Gaza reaches shores of Greece.
On Friday evening, Haaretz reported that Greece had promised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that it would stop the flotilla. Israel, the report said, used its influence in recent months to help the Greeks in their negotiations with the European Union regarding the country’s financial crisis. The two governments had also tightened their military cooperation. “The flotilla organizers’ didn’t understand that this year’s Greece is not last year’s, and they paid a price for it,” an Israeli source told Haaretz. Also on Thursday, Netanyahu, speaking at an Israel Air Force academy ceremony, singled out the Greek prime minister in thanking world leaders assisting Israel in working to stop the flotilla.
Earlier this week, organizers said that they have complied with all requests to inspect their vessel and its "seaworthiness," claiming the boat is seaworthy and that the pressure from the Greeks is politically motivated. In order to prove this, they have decided to sail and test the Greeks authorities’ reaction. The captain told me in an interview from the wheelhouse that he expects to be arrested and personally fined for his actions, despite the fact that he claims to have done nothing wrong legally.
For more live updates please check out my twitter feed: @ibnezra.
Joseph Dana is in Greece reporting for The Nation from the American ship to Gaza.
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