My March Faves.

Music:

Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago

Track 3: Skinny Love (mp3)

Piece of Art:

John Singer Sargent’s El Jaleo

Part of Isabella Stewart Gardner’s permanent collection in her Boston museum.

‘Green’ Item:

Reusable shopping bag from Whole Foods.

Recipe:

Fried tofu and Kale with couscous.

Similar recipe (html).

Fair Trade Product:

Zhena’s Gypsy Tea in Grand Green.

Restaurant:

Hidyan Cafe
80 Kilmarnock St. Boston, MA

617-437-0966

Best take out! Veggie wraps- hummus & falafel, make your own frozen yogurt- 50 different flavors to pick from.

Kevin Trudeau- so good or no good?

Recently my mom called me raving about her most recent findings in the world of all-natural remedies. This is not a strange occurrence, for she’s always been a strong believer in homeopathic remedies, using various seed oil recipes to cure anything from stinky feet to face rashes. I later found out, having gone home to find my dad struggling with the new dietary regiment my mom had implemented, that my mom was devoted to Kevin Trudeau’s most recent book, More Natural “Cures” Revealed.

Although I had no prior knowledge of Trudeau, after being handed a shiny, large-print Walmart book depicting a goofy middle aged man, I was immediately skeptical. My dad informed me that the goofy guy staring back at me claimed to be in his sixties. I immediately Wikied it and that’s when I found his extensive track record of fraud and infomercial fame. (AND his real birth date- he’s only in his 40’s, I’m not sure where my parents heard that tall tale.)

Looking through his book I noticed that on one of the first pages was a disclaimer stating:

“This book is considered by some a work of fiction, yet inspired by a true story. some truth is sprinkled in to spice things up. On occasion, names, dates, and events have been changed or made up for fun. It contains the opinions, theories, and conclusions of what some people call a raving lunatic, conspiracy theorist, snake oil salesman, political activist, consumer advocate, believer in immortality, and delusional fraudster. Believe what you will. It is for entertainment purposes only. Remember, the author is not a doctor and has no medical training. He is a two-time convicted felon. Yet…then again, did he say it’s all 100 percent true?”

My mom had been duped.

Just watch:

Now, I’m not one to completely trust pharmaceutical companies or advocate America’s dependence on drugs, but Trudeau is a complete whacko. The only reason I’m even giving this guy another thought is because tonight while flipping through TV, I saw one of his outrageous infomercials where he claimed to have the cure for cancer.
I couldn’t find the infomercial I saw… but he says pretty much the same thing in every interview- http://www.naturalcures.com/watch-the-infomercial.aspx

I can see how people like my mom would take his “cures” seriously- since most of the natural remedies he gives are plain common sense. While some of his “cures” may be beneficial, he has no scientific evidence to back up his claims. What bugs me the most about this creep is that he’s clearly writing and selling these books just for the money. He has no empathy for all the sick people who are looking to him for hope.

Kevin Trudeau gets a big ‘No Good’ in my book.