I discovered a really cool internet music show: Live From Daryl’s House. That is Daryl from one of my all time favorite music group Daryl Hall & John Oates. It is a free website and every month Daryl has a new guest that come to his house, and they all sing a couple of their own and a couple of Daryl’s songs. It is always such a treat to watch. Daryl looks so friendly and down to earth.

I happened to click on the top bar link I have to LFDH by mistake. I hadn’t watched the show for many months and this month’s episode is the 40^th so to celebrate the show’s anniversary, they filmed it in Kauai at Todd Rundgren’s house! I just love those unexpected surprises. I started watching and then suddenly felt like having some kava. I hadn’t had kava for a few months and I think this was the longest break I ever had from kava since I started drinking it.

During the show they always have a feast and the house chef, Wendell Gabriel Jr showed Daryl and Todd how to make chicken laulau. Chicken laulau consists of chicken breasts massaged with black lava salt placed on top of chunks of taro, wrapped in ti leaves and luau leaves. Then they put it in the imu pit ( underground oven) along with the kalua pigs to cook. The background music for the segment was Todd’s song from the 70’s I saw The Light which was beautifully performed earlier. They later had a Luau and we don’t  see them drink kava…

It was a wonderful episode and kava was just the perfect sidekick. Thanks so much for your incredible generosity Daryl and Todd and the whole crew, if ever by a chance in a Billion you ever stumble onto this site! And thank god for kava! Aloha, mahalo and a hui hou!

Todd Rundgren Music

It gives a good feeling, like you would expect from kava but after a while, the taste gets too much.

Today we got the Kona Kava Farm kava chips we ordered at the end of the year before the special ended. The package says: Lawena kava chips. A Google search didn’t return many results. It could be a typo and maybe we should read Lewana instead? It looks as though this kava grade is considered the poor man’s kava, not unlike the Kukicha tea in Asia.

I tried 3 methods of preparing kava with the chips: eating raw (like potato chips) boiling and soaking.

I had one big piece and I must say eating the chips raw is not at all like eating potato chips. It gives a good feeling, like you would expect from kava but after a while, the taste gets too much. You don’t swallow the thing, you just chew until there’s no more pulp, just the woody fibre, and discard it. I had enough after my first chunk even if I had a good relaxed feeling so I went on to the boiling method.

Boiling 30 grams in 2 cups of water, covered for 35 minutes didn’t soften them enough and I had to cut them in small pieces. I put them in the blender with the liquid and blended for about 4 minutes. I must say the feeling wasn’t the best ever.

Kava Chips from Kona Kava Farm

So I tried just soaking them in cold water for 40 minutes. I used 30 grams of kava chips (2 big pieces)for 2 cups water. In the regular method which is to use the fine powder straight in the blender, I would use 2 big tablespoons per cup of water and that is about 40 grams. I then had to use a big heavy chopping knife to cut in smaller pieces to put in the blender for 5 minutes with the soaking water. This time I used the new muslin bag I bought along with the kava and I found it worked really well and it extracted the liquid faster than our regular knee high stocking. I hope it lasts as long. We’ve been using the same one for more than a year. So they are right when they say boiling kills the kavalactones then. It doesn’t kill them all but it kills the “Feel Good” ones.

I am drinking the last batch as I am writing and I must say I like it a lot. It is very potent although it is a little time consuming and it takes more time to prepare.  I had a lot of kava tonight! Yes, I drank everything! I guess it would be time to think about supper now!

You can buy the Kava Chips, even in Canada, at Kona Kava Farm…our favorite Kava with the best Kava!

Under a snowy shroud we walk through the woods of New Brunswick to enjoy a sacred kava ritual in the Canadian Winter. So far from the Pacific Islands of Hawaii, Fiji and Vanuatu but still all part of this magical planet that we share. In snow or in sand the kava moment can be rich and valuable and peaceful!

Normally, when you think of a kava ritual you think of palm trees and beaches and warm tropical breezes. When you live in New Brunswick you might have to make a few changes to the kava ritual itinerary that will include: snow banks, wind chill factors and lack of daylight.

We recently went through some major storms here that included being pounded by storm surges from the Atlantic Ocean, having floods and power outages in many areas of the Maritimes, and being pummeled with snow squalls and hurricane winds!

After all of that..my goodness…what we needed was a calming kava drink! But we wanted to do something different instead of just mixing up some root powder in the blender and snuggling beside the wood-stove near our tiki statue…we decided to mix up some Kona Kava and get bundled up and go for a walk on the Dobson Trail. The Dobson Trail is an awesome wooded trail that runs from near where we live to the Bay of Fundy which boasts some of the highest tides in the world.

We walked for an hour on what had become basically a snowshoe trail, with knee-deep snow and trees bent to the ground from the accumulation of snow. We walked for an hour, passed a beaver dam, white fields of frozen snow, and eventually came to the rest spot that folks used as a fire pit. There was no-one there…everything was buried in snow but there were actually some chairs left there…it was if they were waiting for us!

We sat down and shared some kava. We had mixed it up with pineapple juice and sipped it from a plastic bottle…defiantly not a traditional kava ceremony but as we sat there in the freezing cold with the blue sky above us and silence all around us we became very thankful this kava moment we were sharing!

We contemplated the sky above us and could feel a connection with the earth around us and had a connected sense of the curve of the planet. We wondered about life beyond our atmosphere and wondered if people were evolving to be giants…so many thoughts out there miles and miles from civilization, deep in the woods, with good friends sharing kava in the most unusual fashion!

The woods of New Brunswick might be far away from a traditional kava ceremony but there is something serene and strangely beautiful about enjoying kava in the winter while hiking to a secluded spot in New Brunswick. Kava in the outdoors is truly amazing!

Because the sun was setting we couldn’t sit in our snow chairs longer than 20 minutes and had to trek back home where the fire was waiting but it was a wonderful day!

One of the great things about kava is that we could enjoy a plant that came from so far away from such a tropical climate and even though we were knee deep in snow with our thick mittens and snow boots we could appreciate and enjoy the wonderful moment with kava.

We tried Kava and Egg Nog and we liked it! Merry Christmas and Bula!!

It was two days before Christmas and we were getting ready to just hibernate for 10 days. Stay at home with the wood-stove and not work and not go anywhere but to the fridge and back! I went out to buy the last of what we would need for our Christmas parties and brought home some Egg Nog, light of course, to have a little special drink on the 25th.

When I got home with the egg nog DD had already mixed up a little batch of Kona Kava Farm instant vanilla kava and was enjoying that. She must have saw the Eggnog out of the corner of her eye because she said…hmmm…maybe it would be good with the kava!

I didn’t think the eggnog would be good with anything but some amber rum but she insisted and added a pinch of eggnog to her kava….hey…she liked it!

So we thought it was a perfect little mix for Christmas…a little Kava Nog!

Speaking of Christmas and specials…Kava is on sale for Christmas here!

Hello kava friends, we wanted to let you know that Kona Kava Farm offers 20% off on their mahakea kava root powder and on kava chips only (chunks of kava root). Simply click here and enter the code ROOTONLY20NL at check out . As mentioned on the previous post, they currently have the strongest kava root powder so hurry up! The deal is available until December 31st. Have a Merry Kava Christmas and a Happy Kava New Year!

After my discovery last night,  which was boiling whole kava roots,  I was looking forward trying another recipe from my new kava book. The recipe said to put 1 teaspoon (tsp) of powdered kava root and let it steep in hot boiling water for at least 5 minutes. I used a very thin meshed teaball and let it sit there until I drank the whole cup: Woa! That is strong stuff! For the same effect 6 times the amount using the blender with cold water and lecithin would give me! I had to stir the content a little because it tend to stay in a ball and the middle wouldn’t get soaked. It didn’t give a super clear tea (the stuff in the teaball looked like the mud at the bottom of our pond) but it tasted better than the cold stuff. It probably would work best with kava chips. I guess you could add honey or sugar if you wanted to. I also tried mixing the kava directly with the hot water in a bowl, using 400 ml of water and 2 tsp kava. I let it steep for about 7 minutes and strained it in a nylon stocking. This tea was clearer but the water a little hot for the hands. Warm water definitely helps extract everything there is. It makes sense. Wouldn’t the rain water in a barrel somewhere in Tonga, Hawaii or Fiji be warm? And because the kava we are using is dried, it needs a little extra help!

So here you go, we’re happy to share this with you because we all work hard for our money and we deserve to get the most out if it and if we can find ways to save money with kava we definitely want to share it with you! I know this is not the traditional way to drink kava but we’re adapting kava here. As the weather gets colder I will look forward every evening for a nice hot cup of kava in front of the fire. When the warm days come back next summer we might go back to the blender recipe or we could do this same tea recipe, prepare it a day ahead and leave in the fridge. So many ways to have kava!

Season’s Greetings!

Kava Books at the Dollar Store!

There I was today, shopping at the dollar store when I stumbled upon a book about kava by DK Publishing. I was so surprised, I couldn’t believe my eyes. That is because kava is not sold anymore in Canada since 2002. It is possible to buy it online from vendors in the US and have it shipped in Canada for personal consumption but unfortunately, Health Canada forbids the sale of kava in stores. The 63 page book in question is called Kava, Relax your muscles & Mind. It gives a good overview of kava although it has been written in 2000, two years before the ban. We are fortunate to be able to have it shipped in Canada because it is forbidden in the entire European Union although I am sure some manage to have kava shipped without having the word kava put on the package and only herbal products written. I was chocked when I read a praise about the German Commission E which is actually to blame for the liver scare! It is because of Commission E that the kava business in all the South Pacific is having a major downfall!

The book is good publicity for kava anyway, and I am glad it is out there but I read some odd stuff in there. Like how to make your own extract in alcohol, simmering the end results for 20 to 40 minutes to remove the alcohol properties! Say what? I thought boiling killed the kavalactones? They also suggest to boil the kava root  for 20-40 minutes to make kava tea! Shut the front door!

So I am trying it as I am writing this. They say to boil 25 grams of chunks of dried kava root into 750 ml of water with the lid on and it should reduce to 500ml. I can’t wait to see or should I say “feel” if it’s true that boiling burns out the kavalactones. I am using whole kava roots that I slit in half before it started to boil. I let the kava roots simmer for 30 minutes and there is 500ml left just like supposed to. It tastes pretty strong. It has a light brown color. I sip it slowly because it is very hot. It is pretty strong stuff! I do feel the numbness on my tongue. I am getting a buzz, really. This will be a new way for us to have our kava. The kavalactones are not dead! LOL They’re alive! So the do “not boil thing” would be false? So my verdict is it’s ok to boil your kava! It’s perfect for those cold Canadian winter nights! If you want to try this recipe, you can buy your bundle of Vanuatu kava roots here, or chips of dried mahakea kava here. Let us know how you liked it!

Who would have thought I would learn something new about kava at the dollar store! It was well worth the dollar!

Everyday, we are so thankful and grateful for kava. Today we would like to say a big thank you to all the kava farmers, kava workers and retailers in the world! Kava has changed our lives in such a positive way. Whenever we receive a kava order, it’s like Christmas again! Speaking of Christmas, if you haven’t tried kava yet, now is the time to treat yourself and turn your postman into Santa! You’ll be so happy when he comes to deliver your first kava order! Don’t be scared by all the bad things you read and hear about kava, it is mostly false and trust us, pure kava root is safe. We drink kava almost everyday and get tested (blood and urine) at least once a year and we are fine! At this present moment, Kona Kava Farm has the strongest batch of mahakea kava  root powder ever! You can buy their kava here. Or you you could try our other favorite kava. Enjoy! Cheers! Santé! !Salud! Aloha! Bula!

Try looking for information on kava and you’ll see the media warnings about how dangerous it can be. Kava is made out to be something like “The Blob” or an alien creature from science-fiction movies; an evil flesh-eating plant that will suck the life out of anyone who tries it!

The media makes Kava out to be a B-Series Monster!

According to the B-Movie hype Kava will melt your liver, turn your skin jaundice and make Hepatitis look like a head-cold in comparison! Watch out for the Giant Evil Kava or it will Kill You!

If you look on the Internet that is pretty much what you will find when looking for information about kava and health risks.

Every week a few new articles about “the dangers of kava” cross my desk and it boggles my mind to read these news reports which keep repeating the same old mantra that kava is going to kill you.

It seems to me that the writers of these articles are just trying to fill up space without uncovering any new facts on kava or sharing any insights into why Kava was banned in some countries in 2002.

Today I read an article from a Registered Dietician writing for an online website who said:

Seems Using Kava May Come at a Cost
Kava is a popular and also controversial dietary supplement. It’s commonly used to treat anxiety, insomnia and to relieve stress and tension. Yet there has been increased fear among consumers regarding this supplement, as a growing number of case reports have raised serious concerns about kava’s safety, including risk of severe liver injury.

Read the full article at FYI Living: http://fyiliving.com/nutrition/vitamins-supplements/herbs/seems-using-kava-may-come-at-a-cost

Talking about the dangers of Kava use and showing a picture of a traditional Kava ceremony is misleading! The trouble with kava is when it is not prepared properly. Don't throw the baby out with the grog!

What really pisses me off is that this article showed a picture of a traditional Kava bowl and what looks like a traditional kava ceremony…the reason kava got banned was not because of traditional kava use being linked to liver damage but to modern corporate greed creating potions using garbage kava to add to supplements that caused liver damage. When they show a picture of a traditional kava ceremony and then discuss the 2002 kava ban it makes my coconuts boil!! They should show a freakin’ pill bottle and not a carved wooden bowl…oh darn those media dumbats and their sensationalism!

This is the same non-reporting that has been going on for years so I shouldn’t blame a registered dietician who has taken a 28 hour course at a community college (I’m kidding) for spreading the same old same old bad publicity for kava should I? I’m just so sick of hearing people dredge up the old “science” about kava that caused it to be banned in Canada and other countries (well we can buy it for our own consumption in Canada). The linking of Kava to Liver injury can be considered a bit of reach if you ask me…it doesn’t relate to the thousands of years of proper kava use by Pacific peoples and their health, stamina and well being, instead it is based on Western mixtures designed by corporations for profit.

Wherever you look you will find websites saying that Kava is dangerous because of the liver attacking properties of this plant; it causes liver failure and countless other human toxicities. But these articles are all based on mainly one German study that now more and more research is showing is lo-and-behold, perhaps not true after all.

Kava, a natural gift from our planet, has been used for over 3000 years. Brewed into a drink this wonderful plant has been given a bad rap by modern science and corporate manipulation of facts

In a November 2010 article in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology authors Rolf Teschke1, Jerome Sarris, Xaver Glass, and Johannes Schulze summarized their findings with this:

The use of the anxiolytic herb kava has caused toxic liver injury in Western countries and economic problems in South Pacific Islands due to the regulatory ban of kava. This analysis shows poor quality of kava raw material as cause for its toxicity and suggests preventing measures by going back to the traditional use of kava to the sake of the patients and the South Pacific economy.

Did you read that? This is from a 2010 kava study! Let’s read that again shall we?

“This analysis shows poor quality of kava raw material as cause for its toxicity and suggests preventing measures by going back to the traditional use of kava.”

That is huge news that every serious health reporter issuing new articles about the status of kava should read and report on instead or replaying the old myths and fallacies! Sounds like some companies poisoned people using crap kava and improper kava parts and used bad extraction methods and the whole kava plant and kava industry was blamed and shut-down!

Yep…sure in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s there were Western companies pumping out supplements filled with crappy kava and other ingredients processed using potentially dangerous techniques that could have been linked to sickness but think about this supplement industry a bit (look at diet pills, energy drinks) :

The health and diet supplement industry is pumping out new concoctions all the time and creating fancy marketing for their new fad diet products. Just like these new energy drinks are creating issues of intoxication and death because manufacturers are putting dangerous products on the market. Should every ingredient in Red Bull be banned because deaths have been associated with Red Bull or just that particular mixture branded as “Red Bull”?

The liver damage and few deaths that lead to the 2002 kava ban were NOT caused by the natural kava root but by either the processing of a poor quality kava (imagine processing a kava root with formaldehyde to speed up the extraction process or tweaking the chemistry a bit with some harsh chemicals just like a crystal meth lab does).

Beating The Dead Horse that they called Kava.

Also, the deaths attributed to kava back in the late 1990’s were mainly in patients who either had alcohol consumption or hepatitis issues, pre-existing liver problems, or else their conditions could never be traced specifically to kava as they were using a whole panoply of supplements or had other aggravating conditions.

The interesting thing this new study states is that we should go back to the traditional use of kava…not the corporate production and marketing of kava as a silver bullet and adding it to supplements to then market the value of kava in a dangerous recipe.

Stick to the consumption of kava as the Pacific Islanders have done for centuries.  Be careful of any product that lists kava among one of the 50 ingredients…stick to pure kava root, pure kava powder, pure kava extracts. Just like food, when using kava, the less processing the better.

If the FDA and Health Canada really want to ban a plant responsible for a few illnesses they should maybe look at tobacco. How is it that cigarettes, a known carcinogenic product responsible for thousands of deaths per year, can be sold legally but kava is banned because of unscrupulous companies that transformed bad quality kava using harmful processing techniques into supplements for profit?

According to Liver International 2010, regarding the safe use of Kava Kava:

The raw material should consist of peeled rhizomes and roots excluding all aerial parts of the kava plant. To be on the safe side, the kava extracts should be water based (, at least initially; evidence is lacking that solvents such as ethanol or acetone are primarily responsible for hepatotoxicity by kava extracts, but they may theoretically play some role when poor-quality kava raw material is used.

Moreover, daily overdose and prolonged treatment should be avoided and comedication should be reduced.

So be smart! Enjoy Kava like the islanders do…mix up some good quality kava only once and a while and don’t drink the stuff until you overdose every day and get your daily exercise and eat well and love your family and friends and you will be ok because you live a balanced life!

Find balance through moderation in all things and holistic health through nutrition and you will find happiness…naturally!

I remember when I worked at a repertory cinema in Montreal back in the day, my job was doorman, ticket taker, popcorn seller, bathroom cleaner, film hauler and basically the all-round handy-man at the old Rialto Theatre in Montreal.

We used to have Tamil Movies every month or so when the Tamil community would rent the theatre and bring in these awesome song/dance/musical/action love story movies…stuff that even the film noir or latest film festival releases were no match for.

We had Bollywood movies too! I used to love working the door for those movies…the local cultural community came out to see the newest film straight out of Jaipur! The lineups were filled with long flowing colored veils and dresses and it was really a family event!

So when I read about kava being possible featured in a new Bollywood movie being filmed in Fiji I was excited to learn more and if possible I’d love to see that scene where they sat around the kava bowl and drank the kava grog and then started dancing to the music flowing from the palm trees of Fiji!

“We’re going to amalgamate both the countries, both the cultures, together in the film,” Bombay Muumbaai director Prem Raj said.

Mr Raj, who is in the country with Aiysha and executive director Mohammed Jamal, said the idea was to promote Fiji to India and the world.

“We definitely want to talk about the Fijians, talk about the culture in the movie and promote them too because I feel that this country is as good as my country,” said Mr Raj, who directed Mein Aurr Mrs Khanna starring Salman and Kareena Kapoor last year.

I’m not really knowledgeable on the latest Indian films but according to the Fiji Times a Fiji-born popular singer named Aiysha will sing and dance with Indian Superstar Salman Khan in a movie called Bombay Muumbai. Part of the reason for the film, besides rockin’ the Bollywood experience, is to promote Fiji culture and Indian culture and the film, which will be filmed in March 2010, and it will have a kava ritual scene!

It would be great to see a kava ritual in a big time movie! I wonder if they will break out into song and dance after they have a few shells or will they kick back and just watch the fireflies circle in the dark perfumed night of a Fijian beach?

If I was a big time movie director I’d love to see Jack Black slurping a shell of kava in a movie…or better yet…Jack and André Sauvé sitting with us watching this Fiji movie on DVD in our family room beside the fire having some kava!

Bula LOL!