Need a Quick Rejuvenation Trick? 

I've got just the thing for you - a simple little Qigong exercise you can do anywhere, any time, to give yourself a lift. It's called 'Washing the Face.'

You know from my last email that I'm transitioning into sharing more Qigong. To do that I want to do more video. BUT, I've had a heck of a time learning how to edit video.

I've spent too many hours dealing with the technology and decided it was better just to get it to you than to try to make it perfect. So I will ask for your patience and overlook the couple little glitches in this video. Please just focus on the exercise, and I'll continue to try to improve. Sound fair?

Check out this great little 3 minute exercise and my first video editing attempt here. And one more thing: if you'll let me know what you think, that will help guide me to create more quality content for you.  

Click here to access your simple rejuvenation exercise. 
 

Don't Be a Guinea Pig! 

Even though my focus is more towards Qigong, there are some things regarding overall health that are just too important not to share.

The Impossible Burger is one. Thanks to the Center for Food Safety, we've learned that the FDA has 'fast tracked' a risky ingredient in this product, making anyone who eats it a human 'guinea pig' test subject. Here is their commentary:

'Following an “unusually rapid” approval process, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just approved soy leghemoglobin or “heme”—the color additive that Impossible Foods uses to make its GMO Impossible Burger appear to “bleed.”

This is the first time that people have consumed “heme.” In this situation, FDA is supposed to require testing to make sure that this new substance does not cause allergic reactions in people, but the agency did not do so.

Through the synbio process, new compounds—including proteins—may be created that have never been consumed by humans before, and thus the impact of these compounds on our gut and our overall health is unknown. 

Impossible Foods makes “heme” through a brand-new genetic engineering process called synthetic biology or “synbio,” which uses yeast that has been genetically engineered to contain the gene for soy leghemoglobin. Through the synbio process, new compounds including proteins may be created that have never been consumed by humans before, and thus the impact of these compounds on our gut and our overall health is unknown.

FDA’s approval is especially troubling because the first time Impossible Foods submitted data on the allergenicity of its “heme,” FDA found it to be inadequate and came back to the company with clarifying questions. Instead of answering them, Impossible Foods responded by withdrawing its application in order to redo its research. Although the FDA now says that it has "no questions" about Impossible Foods' latest research on the safety of "heme," the agency itself has not affirmatively declared that "heme" produced in genetically engineered yeast is safe for human consumption. FDA also warned Impossible Foods that it cannot claim its “heme” is a source of iron based on this review and that it must label its product as a potential allergen.

Instead of requiring Impossible Foods to file a new food additive petition before the company could sell its GMO burgers in restaurants, FDA allowed the company to use a weak regulatory process called “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) in which Impossible Foods does its own research and chooses its own reviewers to self-certify that the product is safe for human consumption.
However, before Impossible Foods could sell its GMO Impossible Burger in grocery stores, the company had to file a color additive petition with FDA. The speed with which FDA approved “heme” suggests that the agency accepted Impossible Foods’ claims from last year’s flawed process at face value rather than conducting its own independent testing.

Tell FDA to stop its approval of “heme” until independent testing shows this new color additive to be safe!

Contrary to what Impossible Foods claims on its website, there is no evidence that shows Impossible Burger customers would have purchased a meat burger if not for the option of getting a GMO Impossible Burger. It’s not a coincidence that the companies entering the GMO “meat” market are often the same companies that have been producing meat—unsustainably—for generations.

CFS has a lawsuit challenging the GRAS food additive loophole that the GMO Impossible Burger was able to slip through. By challenging the irresponsible GRAS approval process, we at CFS are trying to prevent a domino effect of “synbio” additives making their way into products on the market without proper, independent testing.

Tell FDA to stop its approval of “heme” until independent testing shows this new color additive to be safe!'

Pretty scary, huh? Please take a moment to sign the petition. If you'd like to learn more about the pros and cons of manufactured 'meatless meats,' check out Ocean Robbins' well-researched report on the major brands here. He has also provided recipes for making your own meatless burgers. 

Thank you for all you do to help keep our foods safe.

Here's an Exclusive Offer Just for YOU! 

If you knew me several years ago, you might have noticed that I was an abrasive, stressed-out, impatient Type A personality. I would agree with you. My Qigong practice changed all that. By bringing more harmony to my mind and body, it helped me relax, sleep better, develop patience and acceptance, become more in tune with nature, lose the sugar cravings (no more binging), and much more. And it all came from inside, which means, it didn't take willpower, it just took Qigong practice.

Of course, I have a LONG way to go. But at least I'm on the path, and more aware of my interactions in the world and what kind of energy I'm putting out there. I'm also more in tune with my body, and my true self - which makes me a much happier and grateful person.

If you're ready to take a different approach to enhancing your mind/body health and spiritual practice, I invite you to enroll in one of my upcoming Yi Ren Qigong classes. I'm offering two. The first is a live, in-person class on Thursday nights sponsored by Skagit Valley College so it's a GREAT price. To register for this class, call the college at 360.378.3220.

The other is a Tuesday lunch-time live, on-line class. I make no bones about how 'tech challenged' I am, and this on-line streaming has been difficult for me to wrap my head around with all the equipment and connecting all the pieces. So here's the exclusive offer: I'm offering this class only to followers of my work on this email list. Not only that, I'm offering it to you at a 20% discount (for the online class only.) Use this link to register, and use code FIRST-ONLINE when you register. Please do not share this code with others. This is for those who currently know me and my work, know I'm not some marketing whiz with all the bells and whistles, and are willing to help me bring my knowledge to you and others. It's just me, raw and real, sharing what I love.

I also have two Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance sessions this Fall, Level 1A and Level 3, both on Wednesday and Friday mornings. By the way, I'll take this moment to share that I recently received high marks and praise from my teacher and have been awarded the next higher level of teacher certification. It's a pretty effective class, and I really enjoy teaching it. Click here to see the schedule and register.

For more information on all my Fall classes, including, click here. 

One Last Thing: 

For this holiday weekend, you may have three glorious days off, or you may be working. You might be catching up on yard work, care-taking someone, working behind a counter, building something, providing client service, volunteering, creating art, raising kids or grand kids, cleaning houses, doesn't matter.

Whatever kind of work you do, I applaud you! I acknowledge that you are making the effort and are making a difference for someone. Thank you! I wish you a joyous holiday weekend - you deserve it!

Thank you for following my work and sticking with me. Together let's make a difference in our lives and those of others.

Yours in Qi,
Stephanie