THE FOOD FREEDOM REVOLUTION: Taking Back Control Of Our Health

WHAT YOGURT IS BEST FOR KIDS?

2012-02-04T06:59:00.000-08:00

The most healthy and nutritious fermented milk products should ideally come from unpasteurized, unhomogenized, full fat, certified milk from grassfed animals who have access to pasture and sunshine.. This milk can come from cows or goats. Goat milk is purported to be easier to digest than cow's milk but many find that when cow's milk is unheated, unhomogenized, and comes from animals fed their natural diet, with no antibiotics, hormones.... or added sugar...then most people have success in the digestion department. There are also fewer problems with allergies.

Children and adults need the full cream in the milk to buffer the absorption of the milk sugar. When skim or low fat milk is consumed, ....the quicker absorption of milk sugar, due to the low or no fat, can stress the body's insulin handling abilities. Fat is also needed for the absorption of calcium and fat soluble vitamins. If we are unable to absorb many of the vitamins and minerals of a food then what is the point of consuming it?

When milk is homogenized the fat particles are broken down into very tiny unnatural particles which may play a role in milk allergy. However, if one does not have access to unhomogenized raw milk then organic, pasteurized whole milk products would be the next best choice.

Instead of starting your baby out with the sugar filled baby yogurts, try a more natural brand, such as Stoneyfield plain unsweetened yogurt. You will be surprised at how babies and toddlers will love the plain tart taste.Added sugar only defeats the purpose of the good bacteria which is found in fermented milk products

Make sure the yogurt you choose says that it currently has live yogurt cultures. Some brands will say that they "are made with live cultures"....however, this can mean that the milk product was pasteurized after the yogurt was made with live cultures, which can mean that the good bacteria are no longer alive or active.These "good" or beneficial bacteria comprise a large portion of our immune system. Making sure our diet is full of healthy fats and fermented foods will boost our immune systems in a natural way to help ward off colds, flus and more serious disease. One way to ensure that your fermented food is brimming with these healthful organisms is to make it yourself. You can find all the equipment, cultures and directions you will need through the banners below.I haven't made my own yogurt yet but I do make kefir(drinkable yogurt) every week, which I drink plain or I make it into a shake with frozen berries and or bananas and sometimes healthy raw egg yolks from pastured hens.It is very simple to make kefir. All you have to do is acquire the culture (which can be reused forever) and put it into a jar of milk of your choice . Leave it for 24 to 48 hours at room temperature, shaking it several times. Once it jells, you place it in the fridge till ready to use. No heat required.

One of the purposes of healthy fats, calcium and other important minerals found in milk products from grassfed animals...is for the formation of healthy bone structure.Today, in modern society, crowded teeth, braces, and malfunctioning sinus cavities are all considered fairly normal. It is important to know that this growing tendency is far from normal. Well formed dental arches and sinus cavities depend on the pregnant mother having a diet rich in healthy fats (rich in vitamin K2) and minerals and it also depends on the child consuming the same healthy fats in their formative years. Below are examples of a well formed arch (horseshoe shaped) with room for all the teeth and an arch which is malformed and which forces the teeth to be crowded.

For more information on why we need Vitamin K2 from healthy fats and why we should fill our diets with live fermented foods, see the following links

http://www.foodfreedomrevolution.blogspot.com/2011/11/disease-fighting-properties-of.html The Disease Fighting Properties of Fermented Foods

Vitamin K2 for Healthy Heart, Bone and Skin Health http://www.foodfreedomrevolution.blogspot.com/2012/01/vitamin-k2-for-heart-bone-and-skin.html

Harvard Law School Food Law Society Hosting a Raw Milk Debate

2012-01-28T04:35:00.000-08:00

http://saveyourdairy.com/

Harvard Law School Food Law Society Hosting a Raw Milk Debate

At one time, everyone drank raw milk. But with the invention of pasteurization and its alleged safety benefits, consumption of raw milk in this country almost completely disappeared. In fact, in some states it is illegal to sell raw milk. But a growing segment of the population is clamoring for increased access to raw milk, citing its nutritional benefits and recently discovered inbuilt safety mechanisms. Opponents are skeptical of such nutritional claims and believe the safety risks of unpasteurized milk are simply too high.

Join the Food Law Society as we present a debate covering the legal, health, and nutritional merits of raw milk. The participants are:

Fred Pritzker, Pritzker & Olson Law Firm

Dr. Heidi Kassenborg, Director, Dairy & Food Inspection Division, Minnesota Department of Agriculture

vs.
Sally Fallon Morell, President, Weston A. Price Foundation

David Gumpert, Author, The Raw Milk Revolution

When: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 7:15 pm – 8:45 pm

Where: Harvard Law School, Langdell South Classroom. For those that can’t make it, the event will be live-streamed. Video will also be available after the event.

Contact: Jonathan Abrams, jabrams@jd12.law.harvard.edu

IS FDA PROMOTING DANGEROUS SALT RESTRICTION?

2012-01-27T06:06:00.000-08:00

WE NEED HEALTHY UNREFINED SALT

URL of Press Release: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=243574
Full Text of Comments: http://www.westonaprice.org/images/pdfs/wapf-comments-fda-salt.pdf

Videos of Press Conference Critique of Salt Recommendations:
http://youtu.be/OfDbJ2nsBmo

http://youtu.be/5ex0vaghmyw

FDA Warned on Dangers of Salt Restriction
Weston A. Price Foundation Nutrition Education Non-Profit Files Comments
January 24, 2012--Washington, DC

The Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) has warned the FDA that plans for salt restriction pose a health threat to Americans of all ages, in comments submitted to the agency yesterday.

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a non-profit nutrition education foundation dedicated to accurate scientific information about diet and health. Last year, WAPF led the criticism of USDA 2010 dietary guidelines.

WAPF noted that by entitling their document “ Approaches to Reducing Sodium Consumption,” the FDA has signaled that it has already decided that Americans’ sodium consumption should be reduced. But neither history nor the scientific evidence support this approach.

“A study from 1991 indicates that people need about one and one-half teaspoons of salt per day,” says Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. “Anything less triggers a cascade of hormones to recuperate sodium from the waste stream, hormones that make people vulnerable to heart disease and kidney problems. This is proven biochemistry. Yet, FDA as well as USDA want to mandate drastically restricted sodium consumption at about one-half teaspoon per day.”

WAPF testimony noted that salt plays a critical role in body physiology and brain function. In the elderly, lack of salt is associated with increased hip fractures and cognitive decline; low salt diets in growing children predisposes to poor neurological development.

Proposals to restrict salt cite benefits to hypertension. But only 30 percent of the population experiences a slight reduction in blood pressure on a salt restricted diet, while 70 percent show no benefit.

“These statistics don't justify a population-wide policy of salt reduction,” says Fallon Morell.

Recent studies show a correlation of salt restriction with increased heart failure and with insulin resistance leading to diabetes. Studies show that even modest reductions in salt cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Higher incidence of inflammatory markers and altered lipoproteins are also found by researchers evaluating those on salt reduced diets. These factors are precursors to metabolic syndrome, which predicts heart problems and diabetes.

Both sodium and chloride, the components of salt, are needed for digestion. These elements form the basis of cellular metabolism and our only source of adequate intake is salt.

The Foundation also cautions the FDA that salt reductions will increase food safety risks. Salt is a traditional food preservation medium with an excellent track record. Artisan cheeses, preserved meats like salami and traditional pickled foods like sauerkraut require salt to prevent contamination by pathogens.

“Our biggest concern is that with FDA dictates against salt, manufacturers will add imitation salt flavors like Senomyx to processed foods,” says Fallon Morell. “Marketed as a food, so it does not require testing, and added in amounts so small that is does not need to be labeled, this neurotropic compound can interfere with our natural taste for salt, leading to severe deficiencies. Or, people will become obese as they eat more and more, trying to satisfy the body’s need for salt.”

The Weston A. Price Foundation fully referenced commentary is posted at http://www.westonaprice.org/images/pdfs/wapf-comments-fda-salt.pdf.

Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501c3 nutrition education non-profit. www.westonaprice.org

CONTACT: Kimberly Hartke, 703-860-2711, 703-675-5557, press@westonaprice

EASY TO MAKE LACTO-FERMENTED FOODS: VIDEO REVIEW

2012-01-25T04:54:00.000-08:00

Easy To Make Lacto-Fermented Foods

Presenter: Annie Dru

"Life in all its fullness is mother nature obeyed”. This quote from Weston A. Price summarizes his research and is included on the cover of every issue of The Price Pottenger Journal of Health and Healing. Annie Dru, the presenter of the video “Easy To Make Lacto-Fermented Foods”, strongly believes that we can restore society back to health, harmony and fullness of joy, by following the principles of Weston A. Price. This video is divided into two basic sections. The first part summarizes the work of Weston Price and explains why it is so important. The second section deals with the actual demonstration of how to prepare different types of food for the fermentation process. Oodles of interesting facts and helpful hints are sprinkled throughout the entire video.

Immediately upon watching this presentation, I was very impressed with Annie Dru’s effervescent nature and clarity of thought. I felt that her presentation flowed beautifully, was very well organized and very entertaining. Her exuberance is a testimony to the six principles which she lays out for us in the first part of the video. She is a natural speaker and engages her audience with her wonderful examples and descriptions.

Annie begins the six principles with fermentation and the fascinating role this process plays in transforming already nutritious foods into even more nutritious superfoods. She explains that vitamins, enzymes and beneficial bacteria are all increased upon fermentation.

Principle number two involves the importance of bone broth. Dru includes complete instructions on how to make bone broth and discusses the role gelatin plays in aiding the digestion of meats.

The next principle focuses on why we should be soaking, sprouting and sour leavening beans, seeds and nuts. Dru explains how these processes neutralize the anti-nutrients found in these foods and makes them more digestible.

The fourth principle discusses why certain animal foods should be eaten raw. Special attention was given to liver and dairy products.

Principle number five centered on organ meats. Information was shared concerning the practices of animals in the wild and of indigenous people. When there was an abundance of food animals and indigenous peoples went straight for the organ meats and discarded the muscle meat of their prey. The animals instinctively knew what parts of their prey contained the most dense nutrition. People learned the same lesson either from experience and/or from watching what the animals did.

The last principle revolved around saturated fats and cholesterol. Dru explained how indigenous people made it a priority to save the fat from the animals and how important it is to include fat along with the meat we consume. Fat aides in the digestion of meat and also increases the assimilation of various vitamins and minerals. Dru stressed the idea that in order for people to be healthy, the animals that they consume must be fed their natural diets. For example, chickens are supposed to eat insects…..not corn. When animals or people eat a food they are not designed to eat, then their health suffers and their fat ratios also change. The animals pass their health status and their fat properties on to us.

In the second half of Dru’s presentation she actually demonstrates how to ferment vegetables and milk products. Included are sauerkraut, ginger carrots, beet kvass, crème fraiche, and soft cheeses. She encourages the audience to experiment with fermented foods and stressed the idea that fermentation is not a laboratory science. She added the fact that every batch of a specific fermented food will result in a little bit different end product and that this is ok.

Because our medical system is based on Pasteur’s Germ Theory, we have been taught to fear and obliterate all germs. Dru shares the fact that the human body is largely composed of bacteria and that instead of fearing these organisms, we need to learn how to coexist with them and how to put them to work for our benefit. Better health will result from working with nature instead of against it.

After I finished viewing “Easy To Make Lacto-Fermented Foods”, I realized that watching this video with my family and friends would be an exceptional way to share with them the vital research of Weston A. Price. The information was presented in such a clear, friendly, and interesting manner that it may even convert the most diehard junk foodie …or it would at least plant the seed for further exploration into real nutritional wisdom.

Our fast food technological society is depriving people of the joy of real connections to the food we eat. However, we don’t have to let this continue. We can once again experience the rhythm of the seasons through growing and preserving our own foods. We can increase our health by preparing our foods using more traditional soaking and fermentation methods. When we turn our focus to restoring and maintaining health as a foundation for increased harmony, not only will the individual benefit but society as a whole will begin to heal. Annie Dru provides a much needed stepping stone in this learning process and I encourage those who want to make a difference to watch this video and to share it with others.

This video can be purchased from the non-profit Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation

http://ppnf.org/index.php/store?main_page=index&cPath=38&view=solidcart&sort=20a&page=4

THE 150 HEALTHIEST FOODS ON EARTH

2012-01-19T04:37:00.000-08:00

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth

By Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.

“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” This sage advice was given to us in 400 B.C. by Hippocrates, the “Father of medicine.” When we take the time to step back and observe the modern medical system, we can readily see that this natural basis for balanced health has been abandoned in favor of convenience and profits.

Most of us will agree that we must return to the practice of placing more emphasis on prevention and cures, rather than just treating the symptoms, while the underlying cause of disease goes unidentified and untreated. It is becoming increasingly obvious that modern allopathic medicine is failing miserably at keeping people truly healthy. As our drug oriented society pushes forward, our health is sliding backwards. Degenerative disease is crushing us.

We have become so far removed from our natural food supply that it is difficult to know where to begin to increase our knowledge of natural foods and their healing properties. A book that I just finished reading, “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth” by Jonny Bowden, was very helpful in this respect. This beautiful glossy volume is filled to the brim with helpful facts, interesting tidbits, wise advice, and colorful photos for each food item listed. Being a sensate person, I fully appreciated the large size of the book, the smooth feel to the cover and pages, the attractive food photos, and the comfortable print set up. This book is a pleasure to read, with no strain involved.

The different types of foods featured are divided into the following sections. First we have a 9 page introduction which covers fat facts, the issue of soil quality, a little about what the term organic really means, and some broad information about antioxidants, fiber, and the glycemic index. The first and largest food category consists of what Bowden considers to be the healthiest vegetables. These vegetables are listed alphabetically with big red stars next to the ones which he considers to have exceptional nutritional qualities. Some of the food listings include a highlighted section labeled “worth knowing” where the author includes warnings or other important facts concerning a particular food. I hadn’t realized that for example….. grated raw turnips can serve as a digestive aid and are good for general detoxification.

In Chapter 2, the author explains why this section on grains is one of the smallest chapters in the book. Bowden clarifies that while agriculture has allowed civilization to grow beyond our hunter/gatherer population boundaries, this doesn’t mean that grains are the best suited foods for our “ancient digestive wiring.” It is thought that many of our modern health complaints may be at least partially due to the overconsumption of grains. His list of recommended grains is limited to oatmeal, quinoa, and brown rice.

The next chapter, which covers healthy fruits, is quite large. The author reassures the reader that there are no “bad” fruits and that it was very difficult for him to weed down this chapter to an acceptable number of entries. Bowden does talk a bit about the blood sugar issues concerning fruits but maintains that “if you’re not overweight and don’t have issues with blood sugar, there are no concerns about fruit at all. Eat it, juice it, consume it raw or cooked, just make it part of your daily routine (along, of course, with tons of vegetables). But if weight, diabetes, or any other condition that requires paying attention to your blood sugar is an issue, you might not want to munch mindlessly on large bowls of grapes and bananas.”

Other important food categories covered are nuts and seeds, soy, dairy, meat, poultry, and eggs, fish and seafood, specialty foods such as bee products, dark chocolate, green foods and drinks, fermented foods, and more. Chapter 11 covers beverages. Herbs, spices and condiments are included in chapter 12. The book concludes with chapters on oils and sweeteners. Scattered throughout the book are top 10 food recommendations by different experts in the field of nutrition. It’s interesting to observe the foods which are repeated on the different lists as top ten contenders. Included with the book is a bonus CD where Jonny Bowden shares helpful excerpts from his three CD set entitled “23 Ways to Improve Your Life.”

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth is presented in an easy to understand, casual and lighthearted manner, which I feel makes this book of interest to a large segment of the population. As a person who has had a lifelong interest in nutrition, I still learned many new and interesting facts from reading this book. Nowadays it’s very easy to become discouraged when we hear about all the foods we shouldn’t be eating. Of course we need to know what foods to avoid and why, but then it becomes empowering when we turn our attention and focus on the wonderful bounty of natural foods we still have to choose from. Bowden’s book is not only a delight to read but those who are interested in improving their health, will also find it to be a very handy reference.

VITAMIN K2 FOR HEART, BONE and SKIN HEALTH

2012-01-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue is a naturopathic doctor who has recently written a much needed book called Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox. I will be reviewing this book at a later date but I want everyone to be aware of the importance of this subject and how more knowledge of this crucial vitamin will prevent much suffering and death.

If you are concerned about heart health, bone and tooth health , wrinkles and improved insulin sensitivity, you will want to listen to what Dr. Kate has to say concerning Vitamin K2. This vitamin may possibly be the missing nutritional puzzle piece which was named by Dr. Weston A Price, back in the 1930s, as Factor X. To learn more about Factor X and the diets of healthy native people, please visit The Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation at www.ppnf.org

The modern practice of feeding cattle grain, instead of their native diet of grass and other forage, has negatively changed the health of the animals and of other consumers higher up on the food chain. The animals raised in factory farms are crowded together in unsanitary conditions, rarely have access to natural Vitamin D from sunshine, and their immune systems are also undermined by the cows being fed a diet which is not meant for their digestive systems.Their whole fat ratio is changed from a high percentage of omega 3 fatty acids to one high in Omega 6 fatty acids.Learn more about how Vitamin K2, along with the other fat soluble vitamins, such as A and D, are needed together to ensure that calcium from our food does not get placed in dangerous places, such as our arteries.

To learn more about this life-changing vitamin and what it can do for you, please set aside the time to listen to this special 2 hour show, featuring Dr. Kate(a leading expert on Vitamin K2), on the In Short Order Radio Show....right here.

Listen to internet radio with In Short Order on Blog Talk Radio

And......if you want to learn more about where you can find grass-fed meat and milk products, such as butter and cheese, check out the Wellness Meats video and link below

US Wellness Meats sells quality grassland meat products - Visit us Online!

FORKS OVER KNIVES Presents Unbalanced Advice

2012-01-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

When viewing movies involving subjects which have such power to affect our lives in either a negative or positive way, we need to be very discerning.Studies can be manipulated and propaganda is rife. In all areas....not just with this movie...we desperately need to learn the tactics and methods of persuasion and manipulation if we want to maintain our health and freedoms.

The film...Forks Over Knives.... is telling us to eliminate several whole food groups from our diet. The producers claim that meat, dairy products and fats are bad for us and that eliminating all of these food substances and living solely on plant foods will produce robust health. The China Study and a few personal testimonies are used to back up this stance. If one believes that animal products are bad for people, due to the conclusions of The China Study, then one should read a few of the rebuttals to this study. Here is one response http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Campbell-Masterjohn.html I feel that The Vegetarian Myth is also a book which needs to be read. It discusses the politics behind the obvious mainstream push for veganism and vegetarianism.

To avoid disinformation, we need to look at history and anthropological works on nutrition. Modern day research in the medical field and in the nutrition field often has more to do with corporate interests and control rather than health and well-being.I respect people who are vegetarians and vegans when they are doing so for religious or what they feel are moral reasons....but if they are following these types of diets for health reasons then they really need to read works such as the classic anthropological study by Weston Price....Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.Other helpful books are Deep Nutrition, The Vegetarian Myth and Vitamin K2 and The Calcium Paradox.

The movie, Forks Over Knives does have some good points. The film encourages people to avoid processed foods. This is excellent advice. However,having done some research in the art of propaganda, I have learned that we need to closely evaluate all information we are exposed to. Often partial truths are used...in books, on the news, on the internet and in film....to persuade and to promote certain goals or agendas. Partial truths are often used ...even by "supposed" alternative media...to draw us in.When it is made to appear that the producers or authors are against the corporations or establishment and seem to be on our side...then we tend to take the rest of their information in with less scrutiny. It is true that milk products from our modern factory farms are causing allergies and other health problems. The same may be true for the meat raised on factory farms, however this does not mean we should eliminate these crucial food groups. The solution lies in feeding the animals their natural diets. In the case of cattle, this diet is fresh grass growing outside in the sunshine.

One of the main issues the movie should have focused on concerns the way animals are raised in modern factory farms and the food the animals are fed. No distinction was made between grass-fed meat and grain-fed meat.When ruminants are fed corn instead of grass this practice changes their whole fat ratio. In addition, when animals are raised inside they no longer have access to the sun and the animal fat can no longer be relied upon to provide us with substances such as CLA, K2, Vit D...etc. You may find this hard to believe but pastured pork fat (lard) was considered by our ancestors to be very nourishing and was used often in cooking.Pastured pork provides vitamin D. The fat on meat helps us to digest the meat. We also need fat to aid the body in absorbing the fat soluble vitamins and also the minerals. The practice of buttering our vegetables is not just for making them taste better. The main point of combining fats and vegetables is to improve absorption of vitamins and minerals from the plant food.

An all plant diet may be good for a short period of time for the purpose of detoxification but if this diet is followed for life, one is apt to suffer deficiencies which only show up later in life. Fat is needed for reproduction and especially for the growth and healthy bone structure of the fetus and growing child. Our brains are largely composed of cholesterol. It is not cholesterol that causes heart disease....it's the sugar and processed foods that negatively influence how our bodies handle and store the cholesterol.

Forks over Knives featured patients who went on the no meat, no dairy, no fat and NO PROCESSED FOOD diet and whose cholesterol and other health parameters improved. They also claimed to feel much better. When analyzing this information one needs to take into consideration that the patients gave up all of these foods together so how does one determine whether it was the avoidance of animal products or whether it was the avoidance of processed foods which caused the improvement? Again....there was no mention whatsoever as to whether the patients had been eating grass fed or grain fed/antibiotic/hormone fed meat products.

In his travels,Weston Price(author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration ) www.ppnf.org was hoping to find cultures that were totally vegetarian or what we now term vegan. He did find some groups who ate less animal food but he did not discover ANY cultures that were totally vegan. He discovered that those who ate the more starchy diets, were less robust and were easily overtaken by other groups or societies. If one is thinking of totally eliminating meat or animal products,don't just listen to modern propaganda but go to the older books and try to find research that substantiates that there are cultures who have been able to reproduce through generations on a total plant diet. The Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation is a great place to begin www.ppnf.org

I was also disappointed that the movie did not address the serious issue of plant anti-nutrients and toxins.....or the extreme importance of soaking our grains. Grains, such as oatmeal, wheat, rice, quinoa...etc...need to be soaked before cooking to remove the protective plant substances which when present in the food, keeps us from assimilating and or absorbing certain vital nutrients. I am continually amazed at how our ancestors knew to do these things...without information from formal studies and chemistry labs. Additionally we should not eat certain vegetables raw for the same reason. http://www.foodfreedomrevolution.blogspot.com/2011/11/is-totally-raw-diet-safe.html

The movie also did not address the vital issue of fermentation. Fermentation was used by our ancestors to store food but this process also rendered certain toxins and anti-nutrients as harmless and even increased the nutrient values of food. Beneficial bacteria from fermented foods is another absolute must for anyone who wants to maintain robust health and avoid infectious disease. Instead of getting a flu shot...buy yourself a fermentation crock..

The movie, Forks Over Knives also fails to mention the fact that historically people ate meat and meat products... extensively.... and thrived without heart attacks or cancer and diabetes(which the movie attributes to animal products) The Native American Indians ate alot of guts and grease and had magnificent bone structure, stong immunity, and respect for nature. They preferred the older animals as they had a better accumulation of fat. http://www.manataka.org/page2200.html . Many people look to the Native Americans as an example of deep spirituality and dignity....so it follows that if we want to emulate these qualities, then taking an honest look at what they really ate would help us to live more "sustainably" and healthfully. We need fat and we can thrive on meat and animal products....BUT these animals must be treated humanely and raised on pasture, eating their natural food. When the animals are healthy, they pass on their health to us. Our farms also need the recycled foods of farm animals to be able to sustain nutrient dense soils.

I will sum up what this movie is advocating. The movie is promoting the elimination of all animal proteins, dairy products and fats. Eliminating these food groups prevents us from adequately absorbing certain vitamins and minerals. There was no mention of soaking grains, fermentation and the need to cook certain vegetables. These essential methods of preparation are also necessary for the elimination of plant toxins and for the absorption of vitamins and minerals. In other words, Forks Over Knives is promoting a diet which prevents the consumption and absorption of crucial nutritional factors. A population which is lacking vital essential nutrients will become prime customers for medical industrial complex.
So...if you haven't yet watched Forks Over Knives.....please do so with a discerning eye and take the time to research what our ancestors really ate and just as importantly....how they prepared their foods before cooking. Of course we need plenty of vegetables and fruit in our diet (they are very healthy foods) but not to the exclusion of meat, dairy and fats, which our ancestors have eaten for thousands of years.We would not be here today if these foods(produced naturally) caused cancer, diabetes....etc. These are modern diseases caused by processed foods.

Watch the video below and learn more about the benefits of grass-fed meat. Granted, it is an advertisement, but I feel it accurately portrays the research and it makes sense.
US Wellness Meats sells quality grassland meat products - Visit us Online!

THE DISEASE FIGHTING PROPERTIES OF FERMENTED FOODS

2011-11-27T10:41:00.000-08:00

            HOW 'PROBIOTICS' FIGHT FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS

                 By Beatrice Trum Hunter

From Consumers' Research Magazine. Issue : Dec.1993
Photo By Peter Beard

Food-borne illness caused by infectious pathogens has developed into an important health problem in our time. However, there are beneficial bacteria that can help prevent or mitigate the effects. In recent years there is growing awareness of beneficial bacteria, termed "probiotics" (from the Greek, "for life"). Interest is developing to utilize them for disease prevention and control.

Use of probiotic bacteria is not new, but long employed with dairy foods. In ancient times, the Roman historian, Pliny, recommended fermented milks to treat gastrointestinal infections. Early in this century, bifobacteria (the predominant intestinal organisms of breast-fed infants) were given to infants suffering from gastric upset in the belief that these beneficial bacteria would displace putrefactive ones which would displace putrefactive ones responsible for infantile diarrhea. During that same period, the Russian scientist, Metchnikoff, reported that consumption of large amounts of yogurt replaced toxin-producing intestinal bacteria, and would result in better health and extended longevity. All of these uses of probiotics in dairy foods depend on the action of live microorganisms, especially lactic acid bacteria.

Gradually, as probiotics have been examined, additional findings have been made about their beneficial effects in the digestive system. They help maintain the normal intestinal and urogenital microflora and help prevent infections.

Probiotics help prevent some food-borne illnesses. Both bifobacteria and lactobacilli inhibit common microbial pathogens, such as salmonella, campylobacters, escherichia, and shigella. The lactobacilli especially seem to inhibit pathogens in the urogenital tract, including prevalent Candida albicans.

In test tube experiments, L. acidophilus inhibited the growth of 27 different types of bacteria in lactic acid-free preparations. Ten of the bacteria were common pathogens.

In other studies, Salmonella typhi died within 30 to 48 hours in yogurt. Escherichia coli were unable to develop, Salmonella paratyphi and Corynebacteriae diphtheriae lost their pathogenic properties, and Neisseria meningitides and Vibrio comma lost their virulence.

Pathogenic bacteria are seldom recovered after being kept for two to four days in yogurt that contains from 1.65% to 2% lactic acid.

Probiotics help protect against infantile, traveler's and antibiotic-induced forms of diarrhea. A report from Canada noted that diarrhea developed in all newborn babies fed on regular cow's milk; none, on fermented milk.

Probiotics can help individuals who have too little or too much hydrochloric acid secretion in the stomach to normalize the level.

Cheese made from milk kefir

Probiotics in dairy products alleviate lactose intolerance. Lactose malabsorbers may tolerate fermented milk products, which contain less lactose than regular milk. Also some fermented milk products contain a form of lactic acid that is more easily metabolized than others.

L.acidophilus supplementation relieves chronic constipation. Although weeks, or even months, may be needed, ultimately beneficial results are achieved.

In supplement form, L.acidophilus has been reported to mitigate herpes simplex (an oral ulceration) within 48 hours.

Probiotics in fermented milk products boost the nutritional value of foods. For example, yogurt that contains live lactobacilli and bifidobacteria have increased biological value of protein, and increased levels of most B vitamins (folic acid, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, and pyridoxine), and vitamin K. Fermented dairy products also may also increase the bioavailability of important mineral nutrients, such as calcium, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, and phosphorus. This improvement might be due to the lowering of the gastric pH by fermented foods.

Probiotic bacteria-containing dairy food products, including infant foods, are available commercially. Fermented milk products containing live L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus are sold in many countries. Yogurts containing probiotic bacteria such as live S. thermophilius, L. bulgaricus and L. acidophilus are widely available. Some European countries, notably Germany, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Czech, and Slovakia, as well as Japan, sell numerous dairy products that contain strains of other probiotic bacteria. Some of these same European countries also sell pharmaceutical preparations that contain probiotics. Unfortunately, the United States lags far behind. However, some interest is developing.

In the Future
Researchers at Utah State University have been experimenting with starter cultures of L.acidophilus and B. bifidus to produce ice cream mixes. The researchers found that these bacteria survived freezing for as long as five months, thus ensuring that enough of the bacteria would survive passage to the digestive tract to bestow their helpful benefits. This product, if developed successfully, would differ from many commercial frozen yogurts now being sold, which do not have these bacteria to provide the benefits of yogurt. Some of the presently available frozen yogurts have not been fermented, and are more like soft-serve ice cream, with only 5% to 10% yogurt added to the ice cream mix.

Several studies have shown that B. bifidus helped rid the intestinal tract of harmful bacteria. As people age, the number of B bifidus naturally present in the intestinal tract decreases, and the number of harmful bacteria, such as clostridia, streptococci and coliform increases.

Apart from the long recognized benefits bestowed by probiotics in the digestive system, more recent investigations may hurtle probiotics into a wave of the future. A host of other health benefits may be offered by consuming fermented dairy foods.

Probiotics may help reduce high serum cholesterol levels. Organic acids (such as uric, orotic, and hydroxymethylglutaric) present in fermented milk, have been found to inhibit cholesterol synthesis. Also, some strains of lactobacillus and bifidobacteria deconjugate bile acids, which results in less absorption of cholesterol from the intestine.

In epidemiologic studies, the Masai people, who traditionally consume large amounts of saturated fat but also consume large quantities of fermented milk in their daily diet, were found to have normal cholesterol levels, and showed few signs of cardiovascular problems. (Another contributing factor to their good health may be their physical activity.)

Probiotics in dairy foods are credited with helping to prevent osteoporosis.

Probiotics can help reduce the side effects of hepatic encephalopathy, an advanced liver disease that also involves degeneration of brain function.

The immune system may be strengthened by lactic acid bacteria. By increasing the body's specific and non-specific immune mechanisms, lactic acid bacteria were found to offer protection against infections by enteric pathogens, such as the prevalent Listeria monocytogenes. ( See "Food for Thought," CR, November 1991.)

Live lactobacilli have been suggested for AIDS patients, to help inactivate the HIV virus.

Gamma-interferon is a substance that modulates immune function and helps prevent infections. Test-tube experiments showed that small amounts of live lactobacillus-containing yogurt produced three to four times as much gamma- interferon in humans' blood as heat-treated yogurt ( in which these valuable probiotic bacteria are killed.)

In human studies, individuals fed a diet supplemented with lactobacillus-lacking skim milk showed no increase of these immune system enhancers.. It was suggested that individuals who suffer from allergies might benefit from lactobacillus containing yogurt as a means of increasing anti-allergenic responses.

Probiotics exhibit anti-cancer activity, and they may help prevent cancers in the colon and bladder. In animal tests, lactic acid bacteria were found capable of suppressing tumor formation. It is difficult to extrapolate from animal tests to human experience, but cases have been reported in which prolonged therapy with L. acidophilus has made human colon tumors disappear.

Colon cancer has been related to the consumption of large amounts of red meat and saturated fats. However, the Finnish population appears to be an exception. Although Finns consume high levels of both red meats and saturated fats, they also consume large quantities of fermented dairy products such as yogurt, and other strains of probiotics in fermented milk, such as "ropa," "pimma," and "filla bima". These products may protect the Finns from colon cancer.

It has been reported that lactic acid bacteria can inactivate potent mutagenic compounds in food products, such as azo dyes used in some food colors, and nitrosamines which can form from nitrite preservatives. Also, lactic acid bacteria may reduce the activity of certain fecal enzymes in the colon that are capable of converting potential carcinogens into active ones.

Recently, a practical application of probiotics was suggested for restaurant use. By adding lactobacilli to Waldorf-type salad, and allowing the salad to ferment, its shelf -life was extended to five weeks. Untreated, such salad soon becomes contaminated with microorganisms and becomes unfit for consumption. The process, devised in the Netherlands at the University of Wageningen, made use of a naturally-occurring lactobacillus isolated from the water in which soy curd had been soaked. The bacteria were mixed with the salad dressing, allowed to incubate and then the salad with dressing was refrigerated. The lactic acid produced by the bacteria during the incubation period prevented the growth of other bacteria when the salad was held at refrigerated temperature. The fermentation delayed oxidation of the saturated fatty acids in the dressing's oil because the added bacteria consumed all of the oxygen. It is thought that the process would be suitable for salads in which thick dressings comprise at least 30% of the total bulk. The addition of cumin or oregano was found to be undesirable because they inhibit lactic acid bacteria growth.

Doubtless, additional benefits and practical applications will be discovered as probiotics are investigated more fully. Those in fermented dairy foods have been explored to some extent. The healthy benefits of probiotics in many non-dairy foods are largely unexplored. Traditionally, many non-dairy foods were fermented to improve their keeping quality, wholesomeness, and flavor. Along the way, it was discovered that fermentation also improved nutritional values by producing desirable enzymes, and by synthesizing some vitamins. Also, fermentation may result in a more favorable amino acid balance in some foods. Examples of beneficial, fermented, nondairy foods are sauerkraut and numerous soybean products.

Probiotics are but one group of naturally occurring substances that can be utilized for health benefits. Other groups include bacteriocins, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. All await further elucidation and applications for maintenance or improvement of human health.

The author, Beatrice Trum Hunter, MA, has written more than 30 books on food and environmental issues, frequently before widespread public awareness. She was food editor of Consumer's Research Magazine for more than two decades. She is an honorary member of The Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, as well as an honorary fellow of The International Academy of Preventative Medicine and an honorary member of The American Academy of Environmental Medicine. She has been the recipient of many awards, including The Jonathan Forman Award of The Society for Clinical Ecology, The New Hampshire Society for Preventative Dentistry, and The Donnon Pepper Humanitarian Award. She can be reached at 243 Falls Road, Deering, N.H. 03244

IS A TOTALLY RAW DIET SAFE?

2011-11-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

THE RAW DEAL: Why You Should Avoid the Trendy 'All Raw' Diet

By Beatrice Trum Hunter
Photo by Peter Beard

The dietary fad of eating only uncooked foods surfaces repeatedly. Currently, about three dozen haute-cuisine restaurants scattered throughout American cities offer all-raw food. "Living foods" are touted as offering improved nutrition and health, spiritual enlightenment, and inner contentment. Cooked foods are disdained as "dead foods".

What's wrong with a diet consisting of solely raw foods? Plenty. A totally raw food diet seriously limits the broad base of a mixed diet. An all raw diet eliminates quality protein foods, unless one is willing to risk foodborne illness from pathogens that likely contaminate raw high-protein foods, but which are deactivated by heat.

A Leap Forward for Humankind. There was a sudden spread of hearths about 40,000 years ago, indicating that humans added firemaking to their cultural heritage. The universal use of controlled fire made possible both creature comforts and cooking, and, with this development, a greatly expanded and diversified food supply. Cooking was a necessary evolutionary step that preceded the cultivation of cereal grains that require cooking - such as wheat, barley, rice, and corn. The possibility of cooking food gave humans a major revolutionary advantage. The development of cultivated tubers, legumes and vegetables, all requiring cooking, expanded the diversity of foods. Cooking deactivated toxic substances, present in many of these cultivated foods, through accelerated oxidation with heat. Cooking made possible the consumption of many foods that, in a raw state, are undesirable, inedible, or toxic. Many plants produce chemicals that discourage insects, animals, and humans from devouring the plant. In widening the base of food intake, humans were able to obtain needed nutrients from a greater variety of foods.

Some Unjustified Claims for the All-Raw Food Diet.
Raw food enthusiasts claim that cooking destroys nutrients. However, water-soluble vitamins and minerals that leach out in cooking can be retrieved if the nutrient-rich liquid in which the vegetable is cooked is added to soups, stews , or sauces.

All-raw food proponents claim that cooking destroys food enzymes that facilitate digestion, and that in order to utilize cooked foods, the body must use up its own supply of enzymes. This reasoning is flawed. The enzymes in raw food are tailored to meet the specific needs of the plants. The enzymes destroyed in food when it is cooked bear little relationship to human health. The healthy human manufactures needed enzymes for various systems. The only evidence that we have that an external source of enzymes is useful to humans occurs in the reaction of human infants and young animals to extra supplies of phosphatase, as supplied by breast milk or cow's milk. Other food enzymes merely contribute to quicker spoilage of food, or deterioration of flavor. This is the reason that produce needs to be blanched before canning, in order to deactivate nuisance enzymes. Heat destroys thiaminase, an enzyme that destroys thiamine (vitamin B1) in raw fish, shellfish, Brussels sprouts, and red cabbage.

Raw-food boosters claim that uncooked foods are metabolized more efficiently than cooked foods. There is no evidence to support this view. On the contrary, with newer knowledge of phytochemicals (discussed below) it has been found that these beneficial substances are far more available after food is cooked than when it is raw.

Usually raw fooders consume raw nuts and seeds. However, these foods are not tolerated by everyone. Tree nuts are among the major allergens. Peanuts (not a true nut, but a legume) also are a major allergen, and a number of people with severe peanut allergies continues to soar. Cashew nuts contain appreciable amounts of a shell oil, which can contaminate the surface of raw cashews. The oil can cause a generalized skin eruption. Roasted cashews do not produce this reaction. Sesame-seed allergy can be reduced by deactivating the offending allergen in toasting the raw seeds.

In recent years, a popular practice has been to add raw mushrooms to salad greens. Yet many raw mushrooms are indigestible. They become edible through cooking. Some mushrooms contain poisonous substances that are destroyed in cooking. Raw mushrooms contain hydrazines, some of which are carcinogenic. Most hydrazines are destroyed by cooking or drying the mushrooms.

Risky raw-food choices are raw fish at sushi bars; raw clams and oysters at oyster bars; steak tartare; intentionally undercooked meat, fowl and fish; and Caesar's salad made with raw egg. Although food-borne pathogens are associated primarily with foods from animal sources, vegetarian raw fooders should not feel completely safe. In recent years, some food-borne outbreaks have been associated with the consumption of raw sprouts, lettuce, raw juices (especially apple), raw raspberries, and raw canteloupes. Such outbreaks demonstrate that any raw food is risky, if it happens to be contaminated.

Raw fooders face a very restricted diet. Over time, the all-raw diet, deficient in many essential minerals, inevitably leads to health problems. Some raw fruit, berries and melons in season, and raw salad greens are desirable in a mixed diet; by themselves, these foods are inadequate for health maintenance and body repair. Yet these are the staples of the raw food diet in extreme vegetarianism, "sproutarianism," and "fruitarianism." At the very extreme end are the "breatharians" who try to emulate the ascetic saints who allegedly obtained all of their nutrients from the air.

Cooking Makes Food Safer. Some naturally occurring toxins in foods can be rendered less poisonous by cooking. Some toxins are changed into harmless products by heat. Even the water used in cooking may serve a useful purpose, by diluting the toxins.

Cooking destroys avidin in raw egg white. Otherwise avidin would bind biotin and some iron present in egg yolk, and make these nutrients unavailable.

Cooking increases the bioavailability of niacin (B1), present in a bound form in many cereal grains.

Heat processing increases the digestibility of starch, by gelatinization; and the digestibility of protein, by denaturing.

Many plant foods contain anti-nutrients that make the nutrients unavailable to humans. Cooking improves the digestibility of foods with anti-nutrients.

RETAINING NUTRIENTS IN COOKED VEGETABLES

Cook vegetables only long enough to loosen the fibrous matrix that surrounds nutrients. Use as little water or other cooking liquid as possible. Use a pot with a tight fitting cover. Steam, pressure-cook, or microwave the vegetable only until it is fairly tender, retains its color, and still has a bit of crunch. Stir-frying is another cooking method that works well. Because it is fast and done without water, water-soluble nutrients do not leach out. In fact, the light oil coating helps to retain nutrients. Also, the oil helps us utilize the fat-soluble vitamins present in foods. The tab of butter added to a cooked vegetable achieves the same goal, as well as adding palatability. Beta-carotene is absorbed best in the presence of butter or oil. Thus, stir-frying carrots helps us to absorb this phytochemical.

     Similarly, antioxidants in spinach are far better absorbed when spinach is cooked and butter or oil is added.
      In a series of tests conducted by Dr. Gertrude Ambruster and colleagues at the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University, the investigators found that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in cooked vegetables decreased as the amount of cooking time and amount of water increased. In general, the lowest levels of ascorbic acid were found in boiling vegetables. Steaming was somewhat better; and microwaving, considerably better. For example, broccoli contained about 81 milligrams of ascorbic acid per 100 grams after boiling; 125 mg after steaming; and 162 mg after microwaving. Similar results were achieved with asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower.
     Frequently ascorbic acid is used to test foods for nutrient losses. This vitamin is heat-,light-; and time-sensitive. It is reasoned that if ascorbic acid is lost, other nutrient losses also occur.
                                                                                                                                               B.T.H.

Legumes (beans and peas) contain numerous anti-nutrients, most of which can be reduced by long cooking. Legumes contain the trypsin inhibitor. This anti-nutrient prevents action of the enzyme, trypsin, found in the digestive tract of humans and animals, from digesting and assimilating proteins properly. The trypsin inhibitor renders protein virtually worthless. This condition persists, regardless of increased protein intake. In addition, trypsin normally allows vitamin B12 to be assimilated. Thus, by blocking trypsin activity, legumes increase the requirements for B12 and actually can create a deficiency of this vitamin. The trypsin inhibitor in chick peas resists even heat treatment.

Raw beans contain hemagglutinins. These anti-nutrients have the ability to agglutinate (clump together) the red blood cells in humans and other animals and significantly suppress growth. Hemagglutinins combine with the cells that line the intestinal wall, and interfere with intestinal absorption of nutrients. Hemagglutinins in beans are reduced by long cooking.

Raw beans contain a goitrogenic factor, which blocks the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland, and can lead to the development of goiter.. This factor is reduced by long cooking of beans.

Raw lima beans contain complex glucosides that release hydrocyanic acid, a highly toxic gas. After cooking, cyanogens are oxidized to harmless products.

Raw fava beans are toxic. Eaten in large quantities, raw fava beans can lead to hemolytic anemia, a characteristic of "favism," which is common in some Mediterranean countries.

Raw soy beans contain numerous toxins, including the trypsin inhibitor described above. The raw soybean's anti-coagulant property is attributed to its anti-trypsin activity. Raw soy beans also contain other anti-nutritents, including phytic acid from phytates, which binds and prevents mineral absorption, especially zinc, calcium and magnesium. Raw soy beans contain hemagglutinins, too.

Raw peas contain lathyrogens, substances that can disrupt the structure of collagens in the body. Lathyrism, a disease in humans, is characterized by muscular weakness and paralysis in the lower part of the legs. Lathyrism has been recognized since the time of Hippocrates. Although many people celebrate the new crop of sweet peas by eating them raw, the practice is unwise. The sweet pea contains not only lathyrogens, but also hemagglutinins and trypsin inhibitors. All of these toxins are reduced by cooking the peas.

Cereal grains should never be eaten raw. Minerals and trace minerals in them are bound, chemically, to phytic acid. The human digestive system cannot break down phytic acid and make the minerals available for assimilation until the grains are cooked.

Some healthful vegetables and fruits contain toxic and undesirable substances. Spinach and rhubarb contain high levels of oxalic acid. This toxin blocks calcium absorption and can cause severe liver damage. These foods should be cooked to reduce the oxalic acid. Cooked spinach accompanied by a calcium-rich food , is a good combination. The calcium will buffer the effects of the residual oxalic acid in the cooked spinach. The leaves of the rhubarb should never be eaten, raw or cooked, because they contain high levels of the toxin. Fortunately, rhubarb's appearance in gardens and grocery stores is for a limited time period. It is far from ideal as a year-round food. If eaten, it should be used sparingly.

Red cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower,
and kale ...all nutritious vegetables.....contain goitrogens. By cooking these vegetables, the goitrogens are destroyed or greatly reduced.

In general, hard, cellulose-rich vegetables are better digested after being cooked. Cooking breaks down the cell walls of food, and makes nutrients more readily available. Thus, vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot yield more nutrients when they are cooked than when raw. Such vegetables should be cooked long enough to loosen the fibrous matrix that encases them and locks in nutrients. A common but unwise practice is to add raw carrot sticks, and cauliflower and broccoli florets to appetizer platters with dips.

Anyone who chooses carrots as a reliable source of vitamin A needs to select mature carrots, and cook them. The vitamin A is locked into a strong cellular structure and is released only by cooking, Older, more mature carrots contain more vitamin A than so-called "baby" carrots. Raw carrots should not be given to young babies. They have not yet developed the acidity present in adult stomachs. Raw carrots can ferment inside babies' stomachs. Babies can tolerate cooked strained carrots.

Generally, the human body has no problem absorbing vitamin C (ascorbic acid) from foods. Although broccoli contains vitamin C, eating it raw was found to be 20% less effective in raising vitamin C levels in human blood than other foods. The study was conducted by the Agricultural Research Service and the National Cancer Institute. It takes alot of chewing to get the maximum benefits from some raw foods such as broccoli.

Cooking increases the palatability of some foods, making them more appealing and increasing their consumption and the nutrient intake from such foods.

Cooking Food Releases Phytochemicals. In recent years, researchers have uncovered newer findings about formerly unknown substances in foods, phytochemicals. Frequently, these valuable substances are bound within foods, and released when foods are cooked. Then, phytochemicals are well utilized. Some examples:

1) Lycopene is a carotenoid that acts as an antioxidant. It protects our cell membranes from free-radical damage and DNA mutations. The tomato is a good source of lycopene,which is absorbed best when the tomato has been heat processed. Cooking releases lycopene. Products such as bottled tomato juice, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and even ketchup, are better lycopene sources than raw tomatoes. Tomato sauce, with olive oil, fat-containing cheese, or fat containing ground meat all yield appreciable amounts of lycopene. Although red-pigmented fruits such as watermelon, pink grapefruit, and guava are good lycopene sources, these fruits are eaten raw, and their lycopene is not as readily absorbed as the lycopene from cooked tomatoes.

2) In raw foods, beta-carotene and other carotenoids are not always released from inside the fibrous walls of plants. They are released when the food is cooked and made more available to the body. According to Dr. John W. Erdman, Jr. Director of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, chewing on a raw carrot results in relatively large chunks that cannot be broken down easily by digestive enzymes. As a result, some individuals may absorb as little as 1% of the beta- carotene contained in a carrot.

DRIED CORN

3) Cooking sweet corn increases its disease fighting antioxidants. In studies at Cornell University, Dr. Rui Hai Liu and his colleagues stripped kernels from fresh ears of sweet corn and heated them at various temperatures and for different lengths of time. The researchers found that the higher the cooking temperature, and the longer the heating time, the greater became the concentration of phenolic acids. Cooking released these potent and beneficial antioxidants, which otherwise are bound to the plant's fiber and unavailable for absorption by the human gut. The antioxidants in the cooked corn can neutralize free radicals, the damaging molecules that are believed to wreak havoc in the body. Canned corn, tortillas, and some bakery products made with corn are among many food products using heat-processed corn.

Raw Food Is Not For Everyone. Although raw fruits and appropriate salad greens should be part of a mixed diet for most people, raw foods are not tolerated by everyone. The digestive tract of some individuals cannot tolerate large quantities of raw foods. Such individuals can tolerate cooked foods, especially if they have consumed mainly cooked foods over the years. Any radical shift to an all-raw food diet can spell disaster.

Cooked foods are less likely to offer allergic reactions than raw foods. Usually, proteins are the allergic constituents in foods. Cooking denatures the offending proteins, and renders the foods less allergenic.

At-risk patients, such as those with severe burns, patients recieving cancer treatment, those with indwelling catheters, and others whose immune systems are impaired and makes them susceptible to infections, should be discouraged from eating raw foods. The most frequent infections result from consumption of raw tomatoes, radishes and celery. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and klebsiella are the most troublesome contaminants affecting debilitated individuals. Some hospitals dealing with cancer patients, all raw food is treated with radiation to kill pathogens on the food.

A Nutritionist's View of the All-Raw Food Diet.
According to Rebecca Reeves of the Nutritional Research Clinic at Baylor University in Houston, Texas, the scientific basis of the all-raw food diet is lacking. "You take some of these principles. Ok, the American diet is lacking in fruits and vegetables, agreed; OK, probably we do overcook vegetables, so we lose some vitamins. Agreed," says Reeves. But, she adds, "You're probably looking at two exact extremes. Neither of them is healthy. We somehow need to moderate it to get it into the middle."

The author, Beatrice Trum Hunter, MA, has written more than 30 books on food and environmental issues, frequently before widespread public awareness. She was food editor of Consumer's Research Magazine for more than two decades. She is an honorary member of The Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, as well as an honorary fellow of The International Academy of Preventative Medicine and an honorary member of The American Academy of Environmental Medicine. She has been the recipient of many awards, including The Jonathan Forman Award of The Society for Clinical Ecology, The New Hampshire Society for Preventative Dentistry, and The Donnon Pepper Humanitarian Award. She can be reached at 243 Falls Road, Deering, N.H. 03244

Neutralize Toxins and Anti-Nutrients Through Fermentation

BENEFITS OF YOGURT

2011-10-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

Photo By Peter Beard

Benefits of Yogurt

By Beatrice Trum Hunter

From Consumer's Research Magazine Dec. 1990

Yogurt, one of many fermented milk products, has enjoyed a venerable history of use. Traditionally, yogurt was a home or cottage industry. In recent years, large-scale commercial

production in the United States has escalated. The popularity and availability of yogurt has increased, with choices that now include plain and flavored products; whole-, low-, and non-fat yogurts; fresh, frozen, and shelf -stable products; and low-cholesterol, reduced calorie, and calcium- fortified versions.

Part of yogurt's current popularity stems from health benefits derived from eating the product.

For example, yogurt can play an important role in preventing and mitigating many common food-borne illnesses. With viable lactic acid bacteria, yogurt can disrupt the colonization and proliferation of pathogens that cause gastrointestinal illness.

Indirectly, yogurt may prevent food-borne illness in patients given antibiotics, by protecting them against diarrhea. The antibiotics destroy the beneficial microflora in the intestinal tract that normally protect against disease-producing organisms. Yogurt can help re-establish the microflora.

How the live, active, lactic cultures in yogurt protect against intestinal infection is not well understood. At least three mechanisms may be involved:

1) The live, active, lactic cultures can raise the acid level in the intestine, which not only favors beneficial lactic acid bacteria growth, but also other acids (acetic, propionic, and formic ). This acidic environment discourages the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria.

2) Yogurt, which competes with pathogens for essential nutrients in the intestines, may limit disease - causing bacterial growth.

3) The metabolic byproducts of yogurt cultures, too, may create an environment that limits pathogenic growth

Yogurt may strengthen the immune system. Laboratory experiments suggest that live active bacteria in yogurt may enhance specific and non-specific immune mechanisms. For example, when mice were fed a diet supplemented with yogurt, the animals had increased resistance to infection from Salmonella typhimurium. The yogurt-fed animals showed increased antibacterial activity of lymphocytes ( cells that participate in immune functions), and increased numbers of macrophages and splenocytes (infection fighters) at the infection site.

Test-tube experiments reinforced these findings and showed that lactic acid bacteria in yogurt provide immunological benefits. The addition of yogurt to a culture of human blood lymphocytes increased the production and release of gamma-interferon significantly by activating T-cells

(T-lymphocytes, responsible for cellular immunity, formed in the thymus gland).Gamma-interferon has a wide range of immunological activities. To evaluate how gamma-interferon can be stimulated by yogurt, 20 healthy adults consumed yogurt for four weeks. Gamma-interferon increased, as did a number of natural killer cells in blood.

Lactic acid may offer general protection against cancer by stimulating the immune system. In addition, the lactic acid bacteria are capable of modulating certain enzymes that can convert potential carcinogens into active carcinogens.

One strain of lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus acidopholus) may increase the cellular uptake of nitrates in the intestinal tract, and prevent the nitrates from forming carcinogenic compounds (nitrosamines).

The lactic acid bacteria may also reduce the activity of fecal enzymes which are capable of promoting carcinogens.

"Bifidobacteria" are being added to some commercial yogurts. Bifidobacteria are found in the intestines of breast-fed newborn infants. Because these beneficial organisms protect against many pathogens, they have been found useful for adults in correcting flora imbalances created in the large bowel after antibiotics have been given; in assisting the elderly who have impaired gastrointestinal function; and in benefiting individuals who suffer from liver and kidney diseases, as well as cancer patients.

It is recognized that fermented milk products, such as yogurt may be tolerated by lactose maldigesters. (See "Food for Thought," CR, March 1986)

Nevertheless, because of processing techniques, some yogurt products lose some of these potential health benefits. For example, many commercial yogurt products are subjected to heat treatment after the milk is cultured. This practice increases the shelf-life of the products, but unfortunately reduces their immunological benefits, and destroys their usefulness for lactose maldigesters. The heat treatment also reduces or destroys the beneficial, active, live cultures and enzymes.

Labels of heat-treated yogurt products state "pasteurized yogurt" or "heat treated after culturing." The statement "made with viable cultures" is meaningless. Viable cultures must be used to produce yogurt. Look for label statements "contains live cultures", or "contains viable culture."

Popular frozen yogurt products, too, contain little of the beneficial live cultures or enzymes, which are sensitive to freezing temperatures. A recent study of 19 commercial frozen yogurts showed that the amount of culture in most products was below the level needed to offer health benefits.

To boost the viable cultures in frozen yogurts, manufacturers are being offered a concentrated culture in frozen pellet form. The pellets are added to frozen yogurt mixes to increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the finished products.

The author, Beatrice Trum Hunter, MA, has written more than 30 books on food and environmental issues, frequently before widespread public awareness. She was food editor of Consumer's Research Magazine for more than two decades. She is an honorary member of The Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, as well as an honorary fellow of The International Academy of Preventative Medicine and an honorary member of The American Academy of Environmental Medicine. She has been the recipient of many awards, including The Jonathan Forman Award of The Society for Clinical Ecology, The New Hampshire Society for Preventative Dentistry, and The Donnon Pepper Humanitarian Award. She can be reached at 243 Falls Road, Deering, N.H. 03244

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN KEFIR.....VERY EASY! KEFIR GRAINS and Yogurt Cultures available below the video

Fluorine and Fluoride

2011-09-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Food For Thought Column from Consumer Research Magazine

February 1983

By Beatrice Trum Hunter

Question: Can you give me information about fluorine and fluoride in foods?

Answer: Fluorine is one of over a hundred elements that have been identified to date. Fluorine is found naturally in many foods, with high amounts in fish, especially mackerel, salmon and sardines, as well as gelatine, bone meal, salt pork and brewed tea. Among commonly consumed vegetables, kale, potatoes, and spinach have moderately high amounts. Root and tuber crops, especially, accumulate fluorine when phosphate fertilizer is used. Fluoride, a fluorine compound, is found at levels of 0.5 to 4.0 percent by weight as an impurity in phosphate fertilizers.

Another source of fluoride in the food supply has been found in recent times with the introduction of mechanically deboned meat, poultry, and fish. (For a discussion of this subject, see Consumers' Research magazine, Feb, 1979). For example, frankfurters, composed of up to 10 percent mechanically deboned meat, were found to contain about 1.7 milligrams of fluoride per kilogram (2.2 lb. approximately) of the meat product.

Although fluoride is introduced intentionally into many public drinking water supplies for the purpose of preventing tooth decay, increasingly fluoride is entering the food supply unintentionally, indirectly, and in an uncontrolled manner. Three major sources are: 1) the use of water for food processing in plants located in communities where the water is fluoridated, 2) the increased use of commercially prepared infant feeding formulas and baby food products which contain fluorides, and 3) the ingestion, especially by young children, of toothpastes and tooth powders containing fluoride.

Severe fluoride poisoning

White spots of mild fluoride poisoning

Researchers have found various concentrations of fluorides in commercial infant feeding formulas and baby foods. In many cases, the level of fluoride was related to the fluoride-treated water in the community where the product was manufactured. Both concentrated and ready-to-serve-type milk-based baby food formulas have been analyzed for their fluoride content. The amounts ranged from 0.58 to 0.67 milligrams (mg) per liter (1.06 qt.) in products processed in communities with fluoridated water, contrasted with levels only up to 0.15 mg per liter in places where the water supply was not fluoridated.

The fluoride intake from typical diets of infants from two to six months of age was estimated to average about 0.1 mg. per kilogram of body weight from foods processed in communities with fluoridated water. Fluorosis (fluoride poisoning) can develope from a daily fluoirde intake as low as 0.1 mg. per kilogram of body weight up to the age of twelve, which suggests that safe flouride intake assumed to be safe may be exceeded for many infants. Parents shopping for the baby feeding products have no way of knowing whether the product they buy has been processed in fluoridated or nonfluoridated communities, nor the level of fluoride present.

Food intake of the two year olds was estimated to be within a more acceptable range for safe daily intake of fluoride. The fluoride level in dry cereal products intended for babies also strongly matched the fluoride level of the water in the community where the product was processed. A high fluoride content in baby food products such as strained chicken may be related to the presence of bone chips in these products. The fluoride content of ready-to-drink fruit juices intended for babies was found to have been increased by 5 to 20 times when fluoridated water had been used in the processing of the juices.

Skeletal fluorosis

Beverages, soups, canned fruits and vegetables, and other foods prepared with water and consumed by all age groups, may also show high levels of fluoride, depending on the locations of the processing plants.

Nearly all dentrifices sold in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand are fluoridated. To some extent, all dentrifice users unknowingly ingest some of the product as they brush their teeth.

It was reported that nearly half of all children in Great Britain begin brushing their own teeth by the age of 12 months; three fourths of all children, by 18 months. It is likely that the British finding is typical for other countries where dentrifices are used. How much dentrifice children under two years of age ingest is unknown, but it has been reported that, of all age groups, children under five years of age ingest the most.

The presence of fluorides from unintentional and uncontrolled sources in the food supply, not only for infants and young children but for the entire population, is a growing fact that can no longer be ignored. Food sources increasingly contribute a significant amount to the total intake of intentional fluorides in treated water, as well as unintentional sources of fluorides from environmental pollution. It is quite possible that the total intake of fluorides from all sources may now be higher for many individuals than is considered to be a safe level.

Beatrice Trum Hunter is the author of a number of books concerning food topics of importance to consumers. The most recent ones include The Great Nutrition Robbery, The Mirage of Safety, and The Sugar Trap and How to Avoid It. Hunter is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and at meetings of health professionals, and from time to time, she appears on national commercial and public television programs.

PARMELEE FARM COMMUNITY GARDENS

2011-09-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

In the year 2000 the town of Killingworth, CT bought 132 acres of land and has recently established a community garden and several beautiful walking trails. The property was named The Parmelee Farm to acknowledge it's first owners, Horace and Eunice Parmelee. The Parmelee house, which was built in 1847 (photo above) will soon house The Killingworth Historical Society.

It wasn't until this summer....the summer of 2011...that I finally discovered this magical place. The gardens, pond, fields and trails are a peacful refuge from our modern hurry scurry world. When I walk the fields and trails, sit by the pond and stroll around the old house and barns, I feel as if I am transported to another time.

The concept of forming community gardens needs to be encouraged. Big agriculture is becoming a monopoly and in order to have affordable healthy food, we need to maintain our right to grow our own food and or to support other local growers. It makes more sense ecologically to grow and buy our food locally, it's good for self sustainability and for the sustainability of the planet.....and it is much better for our health.

Local organically grown food is the first step in maintaining our freedoms and reversing the deteriorating health of our society. I also try to encourage people to utilize their property to the fullest. Edible landscaping should be a landowner's primary focus. Let your dandelions, chickweed, purselane and violets grow wild. Plant more fruit trees, vines and bushes, and add a vegetable garden or even just a few raised beds.Grow your own mushrooms! Doing this is much more rewarding and healthy than stuggling to grow a plain green lawn that has had pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers sprayed all over it. We have been duped by the monopolies of commerce. We have been conditioned to think that food comes only from a store and that our land is for show only. We are steadily losing the rights to grow our own food. This fatal trend is beginning with the loss of our small local farms and if we do not begin excericising our constitutional and God-given right to produce our own food, soon there will be severe restrictions. Now is the time to learn about growing different types of food. Learn how to forage and how to preserve this food through drying, fermentation, canning and freezing.I have found the learning of these skills to be an ongoing and exciting adventure!

Now I will take you along for a walk through the woods and fields of The Parmelee Farm.In the 1950s the Bosco family bought the farm and raised turkeys.The photo below is taken from within the fenced in gardens looking towards the old barn where they used to process the turkeys.

The first time I visited the farm I met the poliwogs (froglets) below. The pond was teeming with them.

The next time I went for a walk the poliwogs were all grown up.

From the pond we walk across a field and into the woods. Recently I have become interested in learning more about mushrooms...their health benefits, how to grow and cook them. I haven't learned to identify many ground growing mushrooms yet so this "tour" will just be showing the large variety of mushrooms that can be found in one ecosystem. I won't attempt to identify any of them. Before anyone ever eats a wild mushroom, they should be absolutely sure of whether the mushroom is edible or poisonous. Many mushrooms look alike and beginners should always have an expert to help them identify anything they are thinking of eating. I was amazed at the large sizes of some of the mushrooms I came across.

The mushrooms below had somewhat of a luminescent look

The Mushrooms below MIGHT be chanterelles

I just love the different colors and shapes of fungi......an almost infinite variety.Take the time to savor the various colors and shapes

Just moss at the base of a tree can be soothing and beautiful

How cute are these guys below?

This fern looks like it was wired together to form a circle but it grew that way naturally

A cute little brown frog that hopped by and stopped to pose so I could take his picture.

This mushroom was pretty BIG!

I love when I find the mushrooms in little groupings or communities

I love the way this mushroom swoops out from the tree

It's fun to learn to appreciate the different textures and patterns in nature

As we near the end of the red trail, there is a pretty archway looking out into one of the fields

In the fields we see bees and butterflies collecting pollen and nectar.

The ravages of time.......window of old stone turkey processing barn

We end our walk back at the community gardens, looking out from them at the garage where the farm equipment is kept. Hope you feel more relaxed than when you began!

A FUN and DELICIOUS WAY TO PRESERVE CORN

2011-09-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

Dehydration is an excellent way to preserve food and is a method which has been used for thousands of years.While some foods , such as herbs, may lose some color and flavor during the dehydration process, other foods, such as corn, are reported to actually gain flavor. I was reading Heirloom Gardener and came across an article which included instructions on how to dry corn and how to rehydrate and cook the corn when ready to use. I am a very visual person so when I saw photos of the dried corn in the above magazine, I was almost ready to dry corn just for the natural decorative effect! See how wonderful the corn looks in the jars above....warm and earthy.

It's not too late to buy 30 or so ears of corn to blanch and dry. The information I have read says that corn, when thoroughly dried, will last for years in airtight jars. As I write this I am drying ten more trays of corn in my dehydrator. It's a very simple process. You husk the corn and drop it into boiling water and let simmer or steam for 3 minutes. Remove the corn, let cool and then shave the corn off the cob with a sharp knife. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can dry the corn in a 250 oven ( stirring the corn occasionally) until the corn turns a brownish golden color....and is very hard. If you like to experiment you can place the corn on trays and put them outside on a sunny day. You would want to cover the corn with cheesecloth to prevent bugs from congregating on the corn. It may take more than one day when drying outside and it would be wise to bring it in a night to prevent the night dew from slowing down the dehydration process. Some people have dried food in the back window of their car. I use the Nesco Gardenmaster dehydrator and I like it very much. It has a fan which circulates the air to dry all the stacks of trays evenly. There are other dehydrators available at this link

or there are different types available at Amazon.

You can use dried corn in many different ways. You can add the kernels directly to soups, stews and chilis or you can make delcious stewed dried corn. I have not yet reconstituted any of my corn. I am waiting for the cozy days in fall and winter to try it out. It seems pretty failsafe however and is supposed to be delicious.

To make stewed dried corn (basic recipe from Heirloom Gardener) you gather together 2 cups of dried corn, 3 and one half cups of water, 1 TBS of sugar (or other natural sweetener), 2 Tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper to taste and a cup of whole milk or half a cup of milk and half a cup of cream.

Soak the kernels in water that has come to a boil. Shut off heat and soak for an hour. Then simmer until corn is tender and the corn has absorbed much of the liquid. Add salt , sugar and bring to a boil. Add milk and cream and heat gently for 5 more minutes.

You can dehydrate canned or frozen corn also to save storage space but personally I think it makes much more sense to buy fresh corn in season and then dry and store it. The flavor will be much better and the corn will not have already gone through an extra step of processing (canning or freezing). The more processing that is done to a food, the less nutritional value will remain with the food. Since we lost power for a week during Hurricane Irene, the idea of learning the art of drying food seems to be more important than ever.Remember....if dried correctly, this corn will last for years in a tightly sealed jar.

A WHOLE FOODS PRIMER

2011-08-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

CHOOSING NUTRIENT DENSE FOODS: A WHOLE FOODS PRIMER

Author: Beatrice Trum Hunter

The importance of a whole food diet cannot be overstated. I would like to share a quote from A Whole Foods Primer which provides just one of the reasons why we should be consuming foods in their whole form rather than foods which have been processed and stripped of their cooperative properties.Speaking of the dangers of first processing foods and then trying to add back the vitamins and minerals which were removed, the author, Beatrice Trum Hunter, goes on to say….. “The enrichment program breaks numerous relationships that exist between nutrients, including dependencies and antagonisms. An example is cadmium and zinc. Cadmium in the whole grain is not well absorbed in the body in the presence of zinc. Zinc is concentrated in the germ and bran of the whole grain, where it is held until needed to grow roots before the young plant can obtain it from the soil. Cadmium, on the other hand, is distributed throughout the grain. The result of removing the germ and bran then, is that most of the zinc is removed, whereas the toxic cadmium remains in the grain. In the whole grain, cadmium’s toxic effects are held in check by the zinc. However, the zinc is no longer available. The result is that the toxic cadmium remains unbuffered in the refined flour. (Sugar, too, in refining loses its supply of zinc, but the cadmium remains.)”

As I already mentioned, this is just one example of the synergistic effects of the different components in whole foods. There are also many components or elements in food that we are not yet aware of.....so when we rip these foods apart in an unnatural manner, we have no way to determine what all of the consequences may be.

A Whole Foods Primer is a compact book filled with helpful and interesting information to help the reader select and best utilize foods in their most natural state. The author divides the book into the following chapters….. A Cornucopia of Vegetables, Succulent Fruits, Wholesome Whole Grains, Nutrient-Dense Nuts and Seeds, and Quality Counts with Protein Foods. I have been interested in nutrition for all of my adult life but yet I still was able to glean many gold nuggets from the pages of this book. A few of my favorite discoveries are listed below.

1. Reasons why the soaking of grains is important

2. The different amino acids that make up protein and what their specific functions are. I can now realize how inadequate protein intake or poor digestion of protein could cause many of the health problems people face.

3. From page 119: “Antibodies, manufactured in the body to ward off infectious bacteria and viruses, are proteins. If protein supplies are low, antibody creation is limited and the body is more susceptible to infection and disease.”

4. A component of tart red cherries is more effective in treating inflammation than aspirin.

5. Elderberry extract greatly reduces susceptibility to stress.

6. Certain forms of some natural foods are more effective at preserving the food they are added to than many of the chemicals we use.

Hunter shares many tips on how to select, store and prepare specific whole foods. Many health benefits are also discussed. Beatrice Trum Hunter bases her information on solid science, traditional methods which have benefitted folks for eons…..and on common sense. As a renowned author of many books on food, nutrition, infectious causes of disease, and hazardous toxins in our food and environment, she tells it like it is. Hunter is not one for promoting single magical food cures but instead believes in a well rounded whole food diet where each class of food plays a role in maintaining our health. We all yearn for a quick fix to our health problems but, restoring health and vitality often means giving up processed foods and balancing our diet by adding a variety of natural whole foods, prepared in more of a traditional manner.

I think that A Whole Foods Primer would be a great addition to anyone’s food and nutrition library but I feel it is especially appropriate, as the title suggests, as a primer or concise introduction for those who have a newer interest in food, health and nutrition. Many people do not have the time or patience to wade through an in-depth book which contains too many irrelevant or complicated details. I think that A Whole Foods Primer would also make a wonderful gift. It is easy to read and contains many interesting tidbits to grip the reader’s attention.

PURCHASE BOOK AT BARNES and NOBLE

CHOOSING NUTRIENT DENSE FOODS: A WHOLE FOODS PRIMER

OUR CENTRALIZED FOOD SUPPLY NEEDS TO CHANGE

2011-08-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

The centralized food distribution system that we are currently experiencing is the farthest reach from a healthy, natural and ecological way of life. Why are we depending more and more on the large corporations to grow our food for us? Why are we being conditioned to think that we don't have the time to grow at least some of our own food and that planting seeds, watching them grow, harvesting and cooking our own food is drudgery? We have been trained to think that instead of experiencing the joy of interacting with nature...that we need to have more time available to watch TV... which is further brainwashing us to accept the status quo. Why is the small farmer being run out of business by too many bureaucratic rules and regulations?

We have been brainwashed into thinking that artifical trim lawns of grass are extremely desirable...so much so that we will spray this grass with poisonous herbicides and pesticides. What does green grass actually do for us in the larger scheme of things? We are often reluctant to plant a vegetable garden in our front lawn......after all...what would the neighbors say? It seems ok to plant flowers but oh dear.....vegetables are a little bit more unruly! It's interesting to consider what some of our most nutritious greens are. Chickweed, dandelion, purselane, and violet leaves and flowers are just some of these natural gifts which grow without effort in our yard. These greens are extremely nutritious and have not yet been genetically engineered. They are free and can be cooked or eaten in salads. Hmmmm....maybe that's the problem...... if we grow much of our own food or forage our lawns and woods for food that is free, then not only are we more independant but we will most likely be healthier due to the excercise and the consumption of healthier food. This would take profit away from Big Agriculture and from the Medical Industrial Complex.

History shows us that when the food supply becomes centralized the political system arranges itself into a feudalistic society where we have the overlords and the serfs....and not much inbetween.Whoever controls the food supply controls the people. The video below is just one example of an extremely dangerous and rapidly growing trend. Protesting, signing petitions...etc....will probably do little good. We need to take action. Begin now learning to grow your own food. Plant fruit trees and bushes instead of ornamentals.... and if you don't even have a balcony in the city for growing veggies in pots....support your local farmers. Learn how to raise mushrooms. Start a stinging nettle or bee balm patch to make medicinal teas with. Let the wild rasberries grow on the edges of your yard. Last year I planted a few commercial raspberry plants but they haven't really done much. We had cut some tree branches down on the side of our yard and this year.... in that spot..... we had the most bountiful crop of strawberries which the birds must have planted (photo above). Let's dare to be different and share our enthusiasm with neighbors. Convince others that growing our own food or buying from local farmers is much trendier than buying it in the grocery store. Don't waste too much time on petitions and protests...especially if they are in lieu of actual ACTION. Maybe if we change our priorities, we won't need two or more jobs per household. Serfdom has taken on a more modern appearance. Don't be fooled!

Government Raid On A Legal FoodShare

2011-08-08T04:14:00.000-07:00

More and more laws are being created to take away the right of the people to grow and sell their own unprocessed food. We are told that these laws and raids are for our protection but they are actually for the purpose of government/corporations gaing more money and control. The raid in the videos below affects all Americans. It's time we speak out, turn your lawns into gardens, support your local farmers.We need to stick together and protest with the constructive action of growing our own food.

ARTIFICIAL WEATHER DESTROYING CROPS?

2011-06-12T05:41:00.000-07:00

Most people are now aware that our extreme weather disasters are not normal. Usually no explanation is given for the dramatic destructive rapid fire sequences of recent storms.The news and or the weather reports NEVER mention the possibility of weather warfare. Sometimes we will be told that the unusual storms are due to global warming. However, we must also analyze the whole global warming theory or subterfuge. It appears that some governments have the ability to create and steer storms, to create earthquakes and to even melt the polar icecaps (the only real proof of the global warming scenerio). There is talk in the news and on the internet about how the melting of the polar icecaps has made it very convenient now because trade routes have opened up and natural resources , such as oil and fish are now much more accessible.

Our economy is slowly being ruined and crops are being destroyed by one storm after another. People are being relocated . Look up Agenda 21. http://agenda21today.com/ Weather warfare can be an anonymous way of perpetrating war on an unsuspecting world......as is biological warfare through insect vectors. There may be an ongoing effort to bring all nations down to a certain level where a totalitarian One World Government can be instituted. Yes...this is a theory...but we need to closely examine this theory, act alert... and make some noise ...before it is too late.

The two photos of the sky are of the strange cloud formations that developed immediately before the predicited severe thunderstorm. These cloud formations and this recent storm (May, 2011) came a week or so after the Springfield Mass.tornado. Tornadoes are very rare in the Northeast...especially in a city area. Those who have been watching the radar on the internet have noticed that many of these tornadoes seem to appear suddenly out of the blue without the normal or usual timeframe of building up before it attacks. A funnel cloud was also sighted nearby during this particular storm.

I think it might be a good idea to observe and take photos of the sky BEFORE predicted severe storms occur. So...when the weatherman warns of severe weather coming your way...get outside with a camera and take both videos and photos.People need to begin comparing this possible evidence. Research scalar weapons, chemtrails, weather warfare, and scalar cloud signatures. HAARP may be involved but our weapons in space seem to be ignored as one of the possible culprits of crop circles and weather warfare.

The tree below was twisted and snapped during this storm. We didn't notice a funnel cloud but the wind was whipping the trees around in circles .The videos below show the sky right before the storm and the very beginning of the storm right before the downpour and power losses.

CELEBRATING SEEDS

2011-06-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Passing seeds down from one generation to another used to be one of the most sacred and necessary traditions. Saving bacterial food cultures and passing them on was also a practice that was seriously observed. Hence the phrase...."preserving the culture" of an indigenous people. Of course preserving the culture also means to pass down customs, language, religious beliefs....etc.Life itself often depended on this activity of saving seeds and bacterial starters or cultures. Individuals and a few privately owned companies are still continuing on with this most vitally important movement. We can all play a role in preserving this tradition.

I have been ordering my seeds from a company called Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds. This particular company now offers two simply gorgeous free seed catalogues. Each December I check my mail everyday with keen anticipation.I having been growing with their seeds now for several years with great success and much joy when watching new varieites grow ...varieties I had never tried before. Seeds are just amazing! I was very excited to find out that the owners of Baker's Creek Heirloom Seeds recently bought the oldest seed company in the United States....Comstock Ferre & Company...in Wethersfield CT. They are preserving the building, keeping the name and have created a line of seeds based on some of the old varieties from this area.
http://comstockferre.com/

Baker's Creek Heirloom Seed Company is now located in three areas of the country. Their home base is in Mansfield, MO. http://rareseeds.com/ and they have also opened a store in Petaluma , CA. There are two videos below, one of the seed bank in California and the other is a video of the owner of the company speaking. Spreading the word about heirloom seeds and our heritage is not only the owners' vocation but you can tell it is also their passion. I have met them and they are very down to earth wonderful people. Below are some of the pictures I took at their store in Wethersfield. It was a celebration of the 200th birthday of Comstock Ferre Seed Co. and a celebration of Baker's Creek Seed Co. restoring the old buildings and carrying on this most sacred tradition. Crafts, food, music, plants, seeds, antiques, demonstrations......it was a special day.

Photo below is of the owner Jere Gettle (the one in old fashioned garb)

THE HEIRLOOM LIFE GARDENER : AUTHORS ARE OWNERS OF BAKER"S CREEK

THE EDIBLE HEIRLOOM GARDEN

THE CURE IS IN THE WILD

2011-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been trying to read everything I can on mushrooms and other wild foods that nature has provided for us. Throughout more recent history man has developed agriculture....trying to feed more people but also trying to improve on the foods that nature or God has given us.... which used to be free for the taking. When agricultural societies form, slavery usually is following close behind....and often in a subtle or disguised form. We are doing everything backwards and we are doing it the hard way with declining results. Just as a side note, humans are also now trying to improve themselves through genetic engineering and other forms of eugenics. When will we learn that "you can't fool mother nature" or that nature knows best? Everything is interconnected. In the intricate web of nature, when one part is altered....it affects another part. Mankind is trying to become God and it will never work. Through our arrogance and our domination of nature, we are creating our own demise.

I have almost finished reading The Cure is in the Forest . I find the main focus of the book to be absolutely fascinating. Here in the United States we are conditioned (for purposes of commerce) to expect effective natural medicines to be found only in the remote uncharted areas of the world...such as the Amazon rain forest. While there are many potent plant medicines found there and many yet to be discovered....we need to begin looking a little more closely to home. The Cure is in the Forest focuses on this important information. Just some of the medicinal/nutritive foods found in North America are dandelions, violet flowers and leaves, chickweed, staghorn sumac, wild berries and grapes,barberry root, birch bark, beebalm (in the wild oregano family) chaga fungus, other types of mushrooms...etc.

The author, Dr. Cass Ingrahm, feels that trees often provide the most powerful medicines as the trees themselves are strong and powerful. White birch bark and chaga fungus (which derives its nutrition from the birch tree) are his favorite forest health promoters and he shares interesting and scientific reasons as to why he feels this way. There have been quite a few studies conducted on Chaga which show its usefulness in preventing and treating cancer. Chaga also has antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties. Chaga, taken in the form of tea or drops can aid in digestion and help to improve adrenal and liver function.It is a potent immune system enhancer.

Dr. Ingrahm writes about Chaga's uses in different areas of the world. " No doubt, chaga mushroom is a disease-fighting powerhouse. This mushroom is highly regarded in Russia and eastern Europe as a cancer cure. Here, it has been used for at least 400 years in the reversal of this disease, particularly stomach and lung cancer. The Siberians also hold it as a secret for long life and physical stamina.. Too, in northern Canada the Ojibway hold it as a cure for various tumors.For this tribe it is a favored cancer cure. In Europe it has been used to cure inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. In Korea it is known for its capacity to fight stress and regulate energy. This demonstrates that this natural medicine is highly versatile for the improvement of human health. Moreover, since it is a kind of food - an edible medicinal mushroom- it is entirely safe for human use."

NOTE : Be sure to watch the two videos at the very bottom of this post which show how to harvest and prepare Chaga Mushroom
The photo at the top of this post shows the chaga tea I made from the chaga mushroom I purchased in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs and the photo below depicts what the chopped up mushroom looks like. It's very simple to make chaga "tea"...which is actually similar to coffee. I drink it cold and unsweetened or when I feel like a hot drink, I warm up a portion of the already made tea and add some cream and low glycemic sweetener. I think it tastes good. To make the tea, they say it's good to use an enamel, glass or stainless steel pot. You can make it in any quantities but I usually use half a cup of the chaga to a gallon of water. I bring it to a boil....cover it and then simmer or low boil it for a couple of hours. Drink some hot if you like and cool the rest in the fridge. Drink 2 to three glasses a day and try to use it up within 3 to 4 days. There are different methods of making the tea and if you want to try them out, it is easy to find directions online. The Cure is in the Forest
recommends drinking the tea from Chaga mushrooms but the author also quite heavily stresses the use of certain extracts as an adjunct.North American Herb and Spice, ChagaMax, 90 Capsules . Personally I feel that you get more bang for the buck by buying the ground chaga mushroom in bulk and making your own tea. You can reuse the chaga grounds several times till the color of the brew gets very light. Making your own tea from Chaga Mushroom is a more direct method method of gaining the benefits of this natural food/medicine. If you live in the northern regions of the world, Chaga may even be found near you in the wild. When possible we need to begin connecting to the source of our nourishment. Indigenenous people relied on whole herbs, buds, berries, nuts, greens and seeds, not fractionated parts isolated in laboratories. However, if one lives in the city or for other reasons you don't have the inclination to prepare your own elixir, then the extracts become an important resource.

Birch bark is also highly recommended in Dr. Ingraham's book. It has many of the same properties (antiviral and antitumor, etc.) of the chaga mushroom only perhaps not as concentrated. It is suggested that birch bark be used by itself in a tea or in combination teas...with chaga or other herbs. White Birch Bark is also more common than the Chaga mushroom and can be found more readily in the wild. If harvesting the bark yourself, take only from dead standing or fallen trees. I have just ordered a couple of pounds of the bark so I have not tried making a tea yet out of birch bark. I am going to also be on the lookout for old dying birch trees in the woods nearby.

One of my favorite herbs to grow or find in the wild is bee balm (picture below). Other names for this medicinal and culinary herb are monarda, oswego tea, wild oregano and bergamot. The Oswego Indians and other indians used this herbal medicine for many different ailments. When I make my different herbal tea concoctions, beebalm is almost always an added ingredient...along with spearmint, licorice root, cinnamon and sometimes lemon verbena. Bee balm is an antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and a nervine. It is very easy to grow and in fact can take over like spearmint and peppermint.....so plant it in an area where if it tries to spread into the lawn, it can just be mowed down. I dry several batches... during the summer season..... in my food dehydrator and then have an abundant supply all winter long. I use it in teas and in any recipe that calls for oregano. I also like to crumble it up on green salads. It's a beautiful plant that blooms for most of the summer.

I am just beginning to learn about all of the natural foods and medicines available from nature. As I come across more exciting foods and remedies (who was it that said "let food be your medicine"?), I will be sharing the information with you. If anyone has tidbits to share, feel free to post them under comments.

The Cure is in the Forest

HOW TO FIND and HARVEST CHAGA VIDEO

HOW TO PREPARE CHAGA TEA VIDEO

THE GLUTEN-FREE ALMOND FLOUR COOKBOOK

2011-05-09T04:08:00.000-07:00

The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook (See all Low Fat Diet Books)

By Elana Amsterdam

There seems to be a vast increase in the numbers of people, who for one reason or another are sensitive to grains. For some folks, gluten is the culprit and for others it is the different proteins in wheat or other grains that causes problems. Grains also have anti-nutrients and if not prepared properly (soaking and or fermentation) these anti-nutrients can prevent certain vitamins and minerals from being absorbed by the body. The growing problem of grain sensitivity could be due to intestinal permeability or perhaps it involves the genetic engineering of wheat and other grains. Regardless of the reasons for grain intolerance, many are finding that the elimination of this food group helps to decrease allergies, gastrointestinal issues, blood sugar problems, arthritis, fluid retention, etc.

Without healthy and delicious substitutes for grains, the avoidance of this food category can be a pretty difficult lifestyle change. This is where The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook comes to the rescue. The author, Elana Amsterdam, has opened new vistas for those with celiac disease, other grain intolerance problems and for anyone who wants to experiment with a gluten free diet to see if their overall health improves.

So far I’ve only had the chance to try three of the recipes in the book…which were delicious. In fact, as I am writing this I am waiting for the banana blueberry muffins(recipe from page 14) to come out of the oven. I made these muffins once before but I didn’t have blueberries so I used cranberries. The substitution worked fine and I liked the muffins so much that I am making them again…this time with blueberries. The only sweetener in these muffins is mashed bananas. I am impatiently looking forward to trying some of the other tempting recipes, which I have made special note of in the front of my book.

Elana has included recipes for muffins, bread, crackers, main dishes and desserts. I am excited about this cookbook because I had become discouraged, finding out I was gluten intolerant, and then noticing that most gluten free cookbooks were using substitute flours devoid of fiber and nutrients. I had attended a gluten intolerance seminar and was disappointed that the main discussion centered on keeping grains in the diet (processed grains especially). White rice flour, white sugar and tapioca flour are just a few of the refined ingredients in the food products which were being promoted at this meeting. This mindset reminds me of Alcoholics Anonymous where instead of addressing the underlying problems of poor blood sugar control, they just substitute sugar and caffeine for the alcohol. Elana describes her similar experience with gluten -free foods. “As I explored the gluten- free world, I was disappointed. I could not get accustomed to the dry, odd-flavored baked goods and strange, gritty textures. I wouldn’t compromise taste just because I had celiac disease. In addition, I found that much of the (overly sweetened) high- glycemic, gluten-free foods played with my blood sugar in an alarming way. For me, mood swings and high-carb hangovers were unacceptable side effects of a gluten-free diet.” In Amsterdam’s almond flour cookbook we are given recipes that use a nut meal or flour which results in a much more nutritious product that helps to keep blood sugar levels more even.

Most gluten-free cookbooks require a combination of several different types of flours in order to try and replicate the type of grain products we are familiar with. The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook only uses almond flour as the base ingredient. I also found that the recipe ingredients were fairly common and that there were not a lot of different exotic ingredients required for each recipe. Once you have stocked your pantry with grapeseed oil, almond flour, and the sweeteners you decide to use….then you are pretty much set to go. Buying almond flour in the health food store can be a rather expensive proposition so I shopped online and was able to get it much cheaper in bulk. Almond flour keeps fairly well in the refrigerator and even better in the freezer.

I only had one concern with the book and that was with the recommendation of using agave nectar as one of the main sweeteners. When agave nectar first came on the market it was being touted as a very low glycemic sweetener but more recently its true properties have been revealed. David Getoff , the vice president of PPNF, has this to say about agave nectar; “Almost everyone knows that high fructose corn syrup is not healthy but most people don’t know the reason: concentrated fructose has been shown to cause insulin resistance leading to diabetes. The only substance which is higher in fructose than corn syrup is agave nectar. “So, what are we to do? Is there any healthy substitute that will not interfere with our glucose metabolism? In working with the recipes from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, David Getoff has found that yacon syrup is the only sure ingredient that will work well in lieu of agave in each of the recipes. Yacon syrup is extracted from the roots of the yacon plant, which is found in South America. The syrup has little to no effect on the blood sugar and is safe enough for diabetics. The component that gives the syrup a sweet taste is Fructooligosaccharide, or FOS. FOS is not absorbed into the bloodstream and therefore does not affect glucose levels. Amsterdam does list yacon syrup in her book and includes it in several recipes.

One of the cookbook’s features that I especially liked was the sweetness level index. Each recipe that contained sweeteners was rated as either low sweetness, medium sweetness or high sweetness. I found this to be a very handy guide for determining which recipes I would save for special occasions and which ones I would serve more often. I was pleased to find that there are also many savory recipes included. Some examples are Chicken fingers, chicken parmesan, chicken pot pie, turkey burgers, salmon dill burgers, broccoli pizza, eggplant parmesan, savory vegetable quiche and kale tart with cranberries. Being a pushover for visual effects, I thoroughly appreciate the full page photos scattered throughout the book.

I feel that The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook is groundbreaking and offers people healthy delicious alternatives to their favorite foods made with grains. The recipes are fairly simple and the directions are easy to follow. You don’t have to have Celiac disease or gluten intolerance to appreciate this book.
See the video below to meet Elana and learn more about the cookbook and the benefits of using almond flour.

Yacon Syrup

ALMOND FLOUR

THE PRIMAL BLUEPRINT

2011-05-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy (See all Weight Loss Diet Books)

The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy.

By Mark Sisson

Mark Sisson begins his book by challenging the main elements of conventional nutritional advice. Many of us are beginning to realize that modern man is experiencing a serious increase in degenerative, autoimmune, and infectious disease. Conventional wisdom (The USDA Food Pyramid) promises us good health if we follow their nutritional guidelines. The Guidelines include greatly increasing carbohydrate intake, mostly in the form of grains, and decreasing healthy saturated fats and animal proteins. We must begin to closely observe what physical and mental effects are experienced by those who follow this high carbohydrate low animal fat advice. Sisson feels that this trend towards high carbohydrate and low healthy fat intake is the worst mistake in the history of the human race. He informs us as to how this type of diet “drives excess insulin production, fat storage, and heart disease.”

Whole grains have been touted as nutritious and full of healthy fiber. The author debates this point by describing what types of food our early ancestors (hunters and gatherers) ate and shares his reasoning as to why he thinks we would be much healthier by following their example. Through implementing a truly healthy diet Sisson proclaims that “instead of falling victim to your genetic vulnerabilities, you can control how your genes express themselves in constantly rebuilding, repairing, and renewing your cells.” To put it a bit differently, we can reprogram our DNA for better health and longevity.

Those who follow the Primal Blueprint food suggestions should lose weight; however, this goal is not the primary focus of the book. Mark Sisson offers a holistic blueprint for the purpose of achieving overall health. Weight loss is often a natural added benefit. The author has formulated The Ten Primal Blueprint Laws which include everything from diet rules and exercise to getting adequate sunlight and sleep. A lot of this advice is basic common sense but the book elaborates on each rule or “law”, giving examples and tips on how to implement them. If you like books that encourage and impel you into action, you should find The Primal Blueprint helpful and motivating.

Sisson suggests that moderate intermittent fasting can be very productive in achieving better health. In my own experiences, dealing with worn out adrenal glands and poor blood sugar control, I have been leery of fasting due to the metabolic consequences I would encounter when going without foods for longer periods of time. The author relates his similar experience….. “In my days as an endurance athlete, I burned so many calories (and relied so heavily on carbohydrate to repeatedly fill the glycogen stores I drained on a daily basis), I’d feel like I was on the verge of a hypoglycemic coma if I did so much as skip breakfast or otherwise failed to stuff my face several times a day. Now I marvel at how often I forget to eat – and the fact that doing so has no impact on my energy levels.” “Intermittent fasting is easy to handle when you control insulin production with Primal Blueprint foods and really, really hard when you are entrenched in a typical American diet.”

Another very important section of the book covers excessive insulin production and its pro-inflammatory effects on the body. Science is discovering that chronic inflammation may be one of the near root causes of our chronic illness pandemic. I say “near root cause” because something obviously is causing the inflammation and we need to find out what these causes are. Instead of merely reducing inflammation temporarily with drugs, the Primal Blueprint plays a vital role in addressing one of the basic root causes of this rapidly increasing health problem. A high carbohydrate diet…again….seems to be one of the culprits.

Sisson includes a section on the importance of including high quality animal foods in our diet. He respects those who have philosophical objections to eating meat but points out the fallacies that eating a diet high in animal foods causes heart disease and obesity. He adds the observation that no society has ever survived for any length of time on a vegetarian diet. He feels that the fats and other nutrients in animal foods are required for optimal brain function. The author seems to agree with Lierre Keith (the author of The Vegetarian Myth) in that they both feel that agriculture is largely responsible for many of the ills of society, “including whole-scale warfare, starvation, tyranny, epidemic diseases, and class divisions.”

Slow weight loss is the way to go if you want to continue to eat satisfying and optimally nutritious meals and at the same time maintain muscle mass. The act of losing weight slowly, often aides in maintaining that weight loss. Eliminating the carbohydrates found in grains is one of the basic health and weight loss tenants in this book. It is thought that primal humans were hunters and gatherers and didn’t engage in agricultural practices. Some evidence shows that they ate meat, fish, berries, nuts, seeds, some greens and root vegetables. This is the diet that The Primal Blueprint advocates. Many people find that eliminating grains (excess carbohydrates) helps to regulate their blood sugar and reduces their weight. People report more energy and an increased feeling of wellbeing.

The book gives sensible advice on exercise workouts and weight loss. If you don’t enjoy long intense workouts then you may be happy to hear that exercise which is too intense and too often can actually harm your immune system. Sisson claims that primal man engaged in intermittent, short and sometimes intense workouts when hunting for food but he also had to reserve his strength for survival and wouldn’t have engaged in daily intense marathons.

I found The Primal Blueprint to contain some very sensible advice. I thought that the only element missing was some recipes. However, Sisson has written another book called The Primal Blueprint Cookbook, which I also have read and would recommend. The recipes are low carb, grain free, dairy free and gluten free. The instructions are simple and the photographs are enticing. The author also has a website called Mark’s Daily Apple ( MarksDailyApple.com ) where he compliments his books with more recipes, tips and interactions from readers. The Primal Blueprint is not only a program that is easy and fun to follow but with a moderate amount of effort you can reap great rewards. Eliminating grains and other processed foods from the diet can be difficult at first but once your blood sugar levels have been moderated by following this food plan, you will no longer crave a high carbohydrate diet. Try it and see if you don’t have an increase in health and energy, a loss of weight, and a more positive outlook on life.

THE PRIMAL BLUEPRINT
THE PRIMAL BLUEPRINT COOKBOOK

TIME OF YEAR TO EAT YOUR LAWN

2011-04-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

VIOLETS

After long cold winters our ancestors looked forward to the greens that sprouted up in the spring. Certain types of greens were selected for their nutritious cleansing properties. Many of these plants are still available to us today but instead of cherishing them, we poison them with herbicides. We have been conditioned to think that these helpful friends are horrid nasty blemishes in our perfect outside carpets. What a twisted nonsensical mindset. I am not blaming the average person though...it's what we've been taught. However, has our "perfect lawn" education been for our benefit or more for the profits of lawn maintenance companies, commercial agriculture and the drug companies?

For several years now I have been eating my lawn. It all began when I read the book

Healing Wise (Wise Woman Herbal Series) This is one of my favorite books on foraging. It focuses on burdock,chickweed, dandelion, nettle, oatstraw, seaweeds and violets. The author Susun Weed shares her knowledge of these plants in both a whimsical and scientific manner. The book is a delight to read and I refer back to it often. She tells how to use the plants medicinally and in the kitchen. In a minute I will give brief descriptions of these plants gleaned from Healing Wise but first I want to share a few thoughts on eating wild foods.

I want to boost everyone's enthusiasm for natural foods....and I mean REALLY natural! When I think of the foods we eat from our grocery stores and even from our gardens, I realize how manmade they really are. Have you ever seen broccoli, stringbeans, tomatoes, pepper plants, pumpkins, eggplant, etc, growing wild in the woods or fields near you? Maybe I'm strange but I think about that often. I'm not saying that these foods...especially when home grown....are not full of vitamins and minerals but maybe the foods that grow wild in our native habitats (even in city parks: Check out Wildman Steve Brill http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/ )have a something extra special and in the right proportions tailored to our specific needs.These plants, trees and fungi pick, grow and thrive in certain areas to compliment the particular ecosystem and we are part of that ecosytem.

You can eat your lawn. You can eat certain flowers and don't forget the free healthy and medicinal foods found in the woods.Of course if you are going to eat anything from your lawn or fields, you want to be sure pesticides and herbicides have not been used there.The most common response I get when I speak of finding our food in nature is...."Gee...what if a dog or cat urinated on the plants in the lawn? I say...."that's easy, you wash the plants off". And then I remind them what most plants grow in...dirt and manure.We are composed... to a large extent...of bacteria. We require bacteria to live. Basically it's the terrain of our body which determines whether or not we become sick and whether or not germs become pathogenic in our bodies. So...I guess one of the main messages here is not to be afraid of natural substances that our food requires to grow.... but to be very wary and concerned about pesticides and herbicides. We seem to have it all backwards!

Violet leaves and flowers, dandelion blossoms and leaves and chickweed are the main forage I personally have used in salads. I have made infusions with nettles and have added them to soups. Sometimes I cook up the young nettle tops like spinach. Very tasty...... http://tinyurl.com/y5j6eq8
First we will describe the properties of Violets which are pictured at the top. They're blossoming now in the northeast. Go outside and take a look!

VIOLETS : they gently alter the function of the respiratory system, the nervous system, reproductive system and the immune system. They are very nourishing and Susun Weed feels they are very helpful for problems of the breast , such as fibrocystic disease and cancer. They contain vitamin C, vitamin A and important minerals.

DANDELION: All parts of the dandelion can be used. It is especially known for cleansing the liver after a long winter of meat and starchy root vegetables. Dandelion leaves are a bitter and help the digestion. Dandelions are also extremely nutritious. I have used roasted dandelion roots as an excellent healing coffee substitute.

NETTLES : Nettle leaves are a superb nourisher. They help strengthen the adrenal glands and as a result help with allergies. Nettle infusions are gentle enough be used on a regular basis. They reduce fatigue and stabilize blood sugar. Nettles are helpful for the kidneys. You can find them in the wild or start your own nettle patch http://tinyurl.com/y5j6eq8

CHICKWEED: Where I am in the northeast, chickweed comes a bit later....so I don't have a photo. It can be found in gardens and lawns. If you keep clipping the tops for salads, you can keep the chickweed from getting too spindly or stemmy. Here is a quote from Healing Wise (Wise Woman Herbal Series) "Chickweed saponins increase the absorption of nutrients, especially minerals,from the digestive mucosa. Her saponins also gently dissolve thickened lung and throat membranes, emulsify and thus neutralize toxins, and weaken bacterial cell walls, maling them vulnerable to disruption of their activities."

EAT YOUR FLOWERS
http://tinyurl.com/287wba6

Let's stop the insanity, try to eliminate the use of herbicides and pesticides and enjoy nature's healthy gifts

IS FUKUSHIMA RADIATION SCARE FAKE?

2011-04-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

Most thinking people realize that the media...both mainstream and much of the alternative media is controlled by corporations/governments.We cannot simply believe either side of the media because of this "controlled opposition". So...what do we do then? We question........AND if anyone tries to make it look as if this questioning is "off limits" or that the questioners are traitors then the logical thing to do is to question the motives of those who say we should not question. Logical thinking people do not just believe what they are told. They want evidence. Where is the evidence for the common person to determine whether or not radiation is travelling all over the world from Fukushima?Its pretty conveinent that radiation is invisible. We are told that geiger counters, which the public own ,are not specific or strong enough to measure the type of radiation supposedly being spewed forth from Fukushima. That should be a red flag right there.

If there are justifiable questions as to the legitimacy of the media radiation scare, then we also need to look at possible motives for possible deception surrounding this issue. Check out the article below this one or at this link http://foodfreedomrevolution.blogspot.com/2011/04/radiation-hijacking-worlds-water-supply.html for one potential motive. The alternative media is acting like controlled opposition by playing up on the idea that radiation is leaking and spreading all over the world. If the alternative media was sincere, contemplative and questioning...they would also be presenting the opposing idea that the radiation scare could be a scam. They would be putting it all together with the probability that tectonic weapons were used to accomplish whatever goal and that those who caused the disaster also would most likely have made sure that the power plant was "prepared" ahead of time to withstand whatever might have been orchestrated. Remember....Gorbachev was quoted as saying " The environmental crisis is the cornerstone of the New World Order."

The two videos below pose very pertinent questions that need to be asked concerning the whole Japanese disaster and the resulting claimed radiation leakage. Where is our direct evidence? Are we to just believe what we are told? If huge numbers of people begin to get sick, we should not automatically think that it is from radiation.There are other less polluting ways to make people sick to make them believe it is from radiation. I want to make it clear that I am not entirely negating the idea that radiation is leaking from Fukushima, however, we absolutely need to question the TV "PROGRAMMING" which has also taken over the internet to a large degree. When You hear the alternative news blasting radiation scare news...ask yourself if they are also presenting the possibilities we are speaking of here? None of us can be absolutely sure of what is actually happening so even those in the alternative media cannot credibly state with certainty that radiation is spreading everywhere.

RADIATION & HIJACKING THE WORLD'S WATER SUPPLY

2011-04-05T05:34:00.000-07:00

Over the past year we have have experienced two major environmental catastrophes. The first disaster was the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the second major disaster was the tsunami and the nuclear power plant problems in Japan. Both of these events center around water......our most precious natural resource. For a number of years now the rumor has been that the globalists want to own the food supply and the water supply. If the U.N and or other global entities can gain control of these "Life Essentials" then they will have total control of the people. We can see evidence all around us of progress towards this goal. We have Monsanto and their GM terminator seeds and under the guise of "protecting the public", governments are making it more and more difficult for the small farmer to survive. We already have municipal water supplies where chlorine, fluoride and who knows what else...is being added to our drinking water.

Can you imagine the negative ramifications of having to pay for every drop of water used? The horrifying possibilities are just stunning. If you were part of a global think tank that wanted to own the water supply, how would you go about convincing a very reluctant public to go along with your plan? I would think that one way to do this would be to scare the people into thinking the water supply was contaminated...whether it was the ocean water and or whether it was the water that we drink and water our crops with. We could be conditioned to think that the U.N needs to pass laws to regulate the water use of the different nations and taxes could be levied to pay for this supposed protection and filtration. Maybe other laws would be passed to make it illegal to drink well water due to supposed radiation or other contamination. Here is an older article from Natural News
which talks about the Water Restoration Act http://tinyurl.com/3m8arl7 . Many fear that this act will severely limit our freedoms. Below is a link to this bill which is labeled Senate Bill S.787 - Clean Water Restoration Act - A Bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify the jurisdiction of the United States over the waters of the United States." From what I can tell by looking at this link
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-s787/show ...... the latest action on this Bill was Dec. 10, 2010 . This says to me that the parties behind this Bill are still trying to push it forward into Law. If I was an entity trying to gain acceptance from the public for the purpose of passing this Bill, and if I had no conscience and only cared about money...then perhaps I would use the latest modern technology (weather and tectonic warfare,along with disaster staging, maybe some fabrication and extensive media coverage) to persuade the public into believing we need a change. If the situation was horrible enough the public might be convinced that because corporations (such as those that own nuclear power plants) are seriously polluting our water, then we desperately need this Bill which would give total power and control of the water supply to the government. However, what they might not tell us is that the corporations ARE the government. They have become one and the same and we are now living in a corporate dictatorship. So don't believe anyone who tells you that we need more government control over certain issues (healthcare included) because the corporations are taking advantage of us. Again, the government is so heavily influenced and infiltrated by the corporations that they are now currently meshed.

Now....I don't want you to think that I am against clean water. I am very concerned about this issue.However, if my line of thinking is correct .....the very entities who supposedly care about the environment, may be the ones who are actually damaging it by creating pollution through artificial earthquakes, hurricanes, and perhaps intentionally created oil spills which may then have been exaggerated. The Law of the Sea Treaty and The Water Restoration Act are still looking for approval...but in order to get this approval they may have to use information warfare on the public to frighten the people into acceptance. If they frighten us thoroughly enough they may even get us to beg for what appears to be our idea but will really be their solution.

I feel it is possible to clean up our polluted earth through REAL education. If governments really cared about the people and the earth instead of control and profits, they would encourage the small farmer to farm sustainably. There would be massive campaigns for all homeowners to grow ORGANIC food on their property instead of useless grass. They would encourage organic farming instead of the overuse of chemical fertilizers, weed killers and pesticides. The government would encourage the small farmer to sell healthy raw milk from grassfed cows. We would be taught how to use mushrooms/fungus to keep the waters clean and free from animal manures....etc. However, the laws they want to pass take responsibility and freedoms AWAY from the people and makes us more dependent on the government.....which is the way they want it.

So....when you hear the news media shouting everywhere that the nuclear power plant in Japna is melting down in Japan and the radiation will effect everyone....or that water in a certain area is contaminated....just keep this blog post in mind. I am not absolutely sure that the nuclear meltdown scenario is over exaggerated and controlled but we really need to keep this in the back of our minds. Or when other possibly orchestrated disasters occur....remember videos can be faked and witnesses can be hired and information warfare is VERY effective. Events are occurring much too quickly in an artificial time sequence which seems very apparent to me. I believe it is not God or "Mother Earth" punishing or revolting but that it is the creation of chaos to form what the elite feel is "Order". Order out of chaos is their mantra.

To sum things up, we need to realize the possibility that controlled opposition may be using information warfare. One of the tactics of information warfare is to control the information coming from BOTH sides. The world financiers control the mainstream media and they also heavily infiltrate the ALTERNATIVE media. This whole disaster in Japan feels like a setup to me....from beginning to end. I suspect that the earthquakes were caused intentionally and that MAYBE the supposed dangers at the nuclear power plant are also orchestrated and controlled. The world financiers are not stupid. If for whatever reasons they did cause the eathquake and tsunami with tectonic weaponry, I would think that they would take precautions at the nuclear power plant to prevent disaster that would destroy forever the land and water which they also need to survive. Check out another post which speaks to Agenda 21 and another reason they could be orchestrating both sides of the media output concerning this disaster http://tinyurl.com/2vdvznv .

Radiation is invisible. We are being frightened into thinking that massive radiation will basically contaminate the whole planet. This is a possibility but it is also a possibility that those who own the airwaves and cyberspace are controlling most information that reaches us. They play on our vanity. This is an example of how controlled opposition works. The mainstream media puts out partial information or even basically accurate information. Then ,because the public does not trust the mainstream media, the controllers also use the alternative media. In this case it may be that they are using their controlled opposition to play the other side saying "the mainstream is lying to us.......the world is being polluted and they are covering it up" . I have observed that those who rant and rave and get people all riled up, angry and fearful......similar to pentacostal fire and brimstone preachers.... usually have an agenda. The object of this type of information warfare is to get the people to feel they are more awake than the so called "sheeple" and that they know the real agenda and are fully informed. We know that controlled opposition does tell us partial truths and that is their main method of operation......so it is our job to unravel the truths from the distortions and diversions and in order to do this we need to consider all possibilities.

When myself and others have brought up the idea that to some extent at least...those in control want the best for themselves...a clean pure environment and nontoxic food.....a common response to this point is....."that the controllers are aliens and the toxins that harm us don't harm them and besides...they are going to live underground anyway. I don't buy that explanation. I feel that the whole alien hubbub is also controlled opposition. That's not to say that there is absoltely no other life in the universe. We can never rule that out. However, I feel information warfare is also being used on us concerning the subject of Aliens. I think it is another piece of the manipulation.

People need to study controlled opposition, information warfare...etc. When we understand the tactics being used on us, we won't have to depend on talk show hosts to inform us as to what is really going on. I know that in the Lyme disease community, I have been banned from a couple of lyme activism email lists simply for directing people to the controlled opposition tactics being used on us.That really brought home to me the reality and pervasiveness of controlled opposition.

I wish that I knew of an honest book on this subject to recommend but I have gained most of my insights into this subject by researching here and there on the internet. I have collected a few posts on this subject at
http://lymesentinel.blogspot.com/search/label/Activism%20Concerns
So.....while I could be totally off base with the ideas in this post, please consider them and keep them in mind as we watch the news unfold, bills passed....etc.

THE GREAT WATER HEIST

Whether or not radiation is escaping in Japan, there are three whole food substances that I am using to support my immune system and to protect against radioactivity. You can buy forms of these natural foods in the health food store but I like to buy in bulk from a reputable herb wholesaler that I am affiliated with. I have always been happy with their products, their service and their ideals. An alternative to buying these products is to grow and or harvest/forage your own. This can be a healthy, fun and self reliant way to live. I do a combination of growing, foraging and buying.
Seaweed contains high amounts of essential minerals. It helps to detoxify the body and can help to protect against radiation...whether that radiation is in the environment or from medical diagnostic tests. Different types can be found at the following link.I mainly use kelp powder as a seasoning and dulse flakes I add to soups, stews,salads, scrambled eggs, stirfrys, pilafs, cheesy rice dishes...etc.

http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/seaweed/seaweed.html

Nettles can be added to soups, other dishes and what I like to do the most is to make a green tonic out of them.You can grow your own patch. They are extremely nutritious and have a mild taste. Mountain Rose Herbs is currently out of them but more should be available in the spring when nettles spring up in nature. Here is an article I wrote about their exceptional qualities http://lymesentinel.blogspot.com/2009/10/health-benefits-of-stinging-nettle.html

Medicinal Mushrooms these can be foraged in the wild, some can be cultivated inside or outside. Some of them can be bought fresh in the grocery stores and a larger variety can be bought dried in bulk. Research and indigenous traditions show that this natural food is extremely potent in supporting the immune system and protecting against radiation.Mushrooms can be helpful for allergies also. Read more here http://foodfreedomrevolution.blogspot.com/2011/03/support-your-immune-system-with.html

SUPPORT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS

2011-03-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

PLEASE WATCH THE INTERESTING VIDEOS AT END OF ARTICLE

Living in our modern industrial world presents us with many health challenges.While there are foods that can help to fortify us against chemical and radioactive pollutants, we must begin to drastically curb our input of these toxic chemicals into the environment before the burden becomes too overwhelming. In the meantime there is much we can do to support our immune systems, including the thyroid gland. Medicinal mushrooms are a natural food source that has tremendous ability to nourish, protect and detoxify. Mushrooms are specifically noted, through scientific studies, to support the immune system, prevent cancers,and to help support people's immune system when going through radiation therapy. It is also advisable to consume the types of mushrooms below when undergoing many xrays and other radioactive medical tests.

On a recent car trip I was reading a new book I had ordered...all about mushrooms and how they can help to save our health and the health of the environment. I feel it is a very important book. The name of the book is
Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World . The author, Paul Stamets, is an expert in the field of mycology. Michael Pollan, author of The Botany of Desire, has this to say about Stamets and his book, "Stamets is a visionary emissary from the fungus kingdom to our world, and the message he's brought back in this book, about the possibilities fungi hold for healing the environment, will fill you with wonder and hope."

Fungi have the ability to cleanse our environment and Stamets shows us the many ways we can put this idea into practice. He also shows us how we can grow mushrooms, how to repopulate our environment with fungi, how crucial fungi is to the survival of the planet......AND what is of great interest to me.....how we can improve and protect our health with medicinal/culinary mushrooms. Stamets devotes a large section of his book to the specific mushrooms which are naturalized to outdoors and which have been proven to have siginificant medicinal and beneficial ecological properties.This large chapter is called The Magnificent Mushrooms: The Cast of Species. It includes very helpful charts which show which mushrooms have specific medicinal actions. He tells how to harvest and prepare them.

In the photo at the top you can see the mushrooms I have chosen to begin using. The Maitake and Shiitake mushrooms are not only noted for their immune boosting properties but they are also delicious and easy to prepare. They are food! I am finding that it makes more sense, especially if one is trying to stock up on nonperishables....that aquiring the whole food, instead of tinctures and powders, lets you have your food and your medicine all in one package.Whole foods also retain their nutritional and medicinal properties longer if not ground into powders ahead of time. You can't survive on capsules or tinctures. These fractionated forms of natural medicines definitely play a role (you can even make your own from the whole food)however vitamins, minerals and other medicinal substances come in a synergistic package that often needs to stay intact. Whole foods provide the most health benefits and are usually safer than fractionated components.

I have added Chaga mushroom or fungus to my list and it should be arriving today.I will give brief descriptions of these mushrooms and what their purported health benefits are and what bodily systems they aide ....according to Paul Stamet's book.

Reishi Mushrooms....anti-bacterial, anti-candida,antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,antitumor,antiviral,blood pressure,blood sugar moderator,

cardiovascular, cholesterol reducer, immune enhancer,kidney tonic, liver tonic, respiratory system, stress reducer. Reishi is too tough to eat so teas can be made by boiling the sliced mushrooms. Here is a link that shows how I have done it.It's very easy. http://tinyurl.com/4hmhkkg Sometimesyou can buy these mushrooms in a healthfood store but often the mushroom is only available in capsules or tinctures and teas. In order to get a much better price and to have a supply on hand, I order my sliced Reishi mushrooms from Mountain Rose herbs, which I have become affiliated with. Here is the link. http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/bulkherb/r.html

Maitake Mushrooms antibacterial, anticandida, antitumor and antiviral, blood pressure , blood sugar moderator,immune enhancer, respiratory, nerve tonic and stress reducer. These mushrooms are delicious AND medicinal. I love having them dried so I always have a supply and don't have to worry about using them soon after purchase. When you get more adventurous and familiar with mushrooms and how to identify them, you might even be able to forage some from your own back yard or local forests.These mushrooms are not readily available in the grocery store but can be bought dried in bulk. They are simple to reconstitute.Break each clump into several pieces and then you just place the selected amount you will use within several days and put them in a bowl of water ...to cover. 20 minutes to half an hour later you have your reconstituted mushrooms AND do NOT throw out the broth or soaking water. That is where many of the nutrients and flavor reside. You can drink it or I like to put it into soups, stews and sauces. You can freeze the broth if you don't have a use for it right away.. So far, the ways I have used these mushrooms after soaking are sauteed with hamburgers and turkey, rice pilaf, and stew.Oh yes....and one morning I mixed left over sauteed mushrooms with my scrambled eggs! When it comes to stew and soups you can add the dried mushroom right to the pot without reconsituting first. Currently I am trying to incorporate the reishi tea into my regular diet, along with whole mushrooms. So...different days I may have both or just one or the other. The first time I ordered a pound of dried Maitake I was very surprised at the number of meals I got from it. Here is the link to buy dried Maitake. http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/bulkherb/m.html

Shiitake Mushrooms

So far I have used the shiitake mushrooms several times. These take a bit longer to reconstitute than the Maitake....about half an hour to an hour. I have sauteed them in butter and added them to soup. These mushrooms are also delicious with a somewhat smoky flavor and meat like texture. Before sauteeing..... cut the mushroom caps into slices and you may want to cut off the stems, which are a bit chewy...or cut them into smaller pieces before cooking. Some of the health benefits are antibacterial, anticandida,antitumor, antiviral, helps to regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, cholesterol reducer, immune enhancer, kidney and liver tonic, sexual potentiator and a stress reducer. The link to Shiitake mushrooms and more info is http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/bulkherb/s.html

Chaga Mushroom

http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/bulkherb/c.html

I haven't tried Chaga mushroom yet as I have just recieved my order in the mail . Usually a medicinal tea is made out of boiling this ground up fungus. It has been used extensively in Russia, Poland and China and is reputed to be a longevity tonic. This fungus can be found in the U.S and mainly invades birch trees.It's appearance is that of a black charred growth on the tree. Chaga's health benefits are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antiviral, blood sugar moderator, immune enhancer and liver tonic.

There is much more to be said about these particular mushrooms and there are other medicinal mushrooms that I haven't covered. Some of them must be acquired directly from the woods and cannot be dried or even refridgerated for any length of time. Mushrooms, especially those found in the wild, are one of the remaining foods which consumes its natural diet. Even many commercially grown mushrooms are grown on logs, which is the natural diet of many mushrooms. This is a very important point. We must go back to eating foods which consume their natural diets. This includes animals, mushrooms, fish and even vegetables. These food substances pass on their quality of health to us. Here is a link that shows pictures of chaga growing on a tree and has more info on the fungus. http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/the-chaga-natures-medicinal-mushroom/

If this subject interests you, learn more on the internet, acquire books on the subject, try identifying wild mushrooms, learn to grow your own...and even make money doing it. Mushrooms are largely an untapped resource which can benefit our health and the health of the planet.

If some of the mushrooms above are out of stock, look elsewhere on the internet and check your local healthfood store. Sometimes supermarkets sell some of these mushrooms but not always.

THE HEALING PROPERTIES OF CHAGA

STALKING THE WILD CHAGA

FOOD FREEDOM

2011-03-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Even with a tiny parcel of land you can grow some of your own food. This brings with it a sense of connection to the earth, healthier pesticide free food and independence from the commercial food chain.We have come to view our relaxing time as sitting in front of the TV. Then we have to pay to work out in an unnatural setting(the gym) to get rid of the weight we could have shed through excercising while growing food outdoors.Growing our own food provides us with many benefits. We even have leftovers to share with others. Watch the video below and see what one person is doing. The book below the video explains how to grow food in small spaces in raised beds.

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/1055.html
SQUARE FOOT GARDENING

POTTENGER'S PROPHECY

2011-03-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

Pottenger’s Prophecy: How Food Resets Genes For Wellness or Illness

By Gray Graham, N.T.P., Deborah Kesten, M.P.H. , and Larry Scherwitz, PH.D.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have the ability to reshape our genetic potential, especially if we could do so in a natural manner? In recent times it has been the accepted idea that we are stuck with our genes which have been passed to us from our ancestors. However, this belief is beginning to be challenged. The authors of Pottenger’s Prophecy feel that with emerging scientific discoveries and by heeding the wisdom of the past, we may already have the tools and the ability to re-create our health destiny.

Speaking of Francis Pottenger’s study findings and current medical advances, Graham, Kesten and Scherwitz tell us, “For it suggests that many health conditions can be reversed, that what we think we inherited from our parents is changeable, and that what is passed down from generation to generation isn’t necessarily fixed. In other words, DNA isn’t destiny, something else is. And that something else tells us that even devastating and often life threatening ailments can be reversed; that both degeneration and regeneration – for both ourselves and our progeny – may be possible through the quality of food and lifestyle choices we make each day. In other words, we believe from recent evidence in transgenerational studies that Pottenger got it right: the food we eat each day is a strong determinant of our health, which, in turn, reflects the health of the genes we pass on to our children.”

Chapter one of Pottenger’s Prophecy gives us an example of how certain health problems can be corrected or even prevented by discovering a person’s genetic shortcomings through genetic testing. In this case the remedy was high doses of vitamin D. Genetic testing had discovered that the patient had a genetic variation which prevented her cell receptors from binding properly with vitamin D. This meant that the vitamin D which was present in her body was unable to do its job. The solution was consuming high doses of vitamin D, which reversed the patient’s osteopenia. However, the authors do caution that the seeming solution isn’t always that simple. It is explained that genes apparently team up with other genes to accomplish specific tasks. So, if you manipulate one gene, this could affect the function of the whole gene team. It is a very interconnected web. For example, if a drug is created to affect one gene, it may end up affecting the whole organism in unpredictable ways.

The study of epigenetics is telling us that the food choices we make now can change aberrant genetic tendencies for the better and that our children and grandchildren may also benefit from our positive dietary and other lifestyle changes. The good news is that we can be in charge of our health and that we are not destined to particular illnesses thought to be due to unchangeable genetics. The authors tell of a 2005 twin study conducted by Mario Fraga ; “Born with identical genes, you might expect that if one twin got a certain disease at a particular point in her or his life, the other twin would also be susceptible to the same disease around the same time. Rather, his study provides an epigenitc explanation as to why identical twins not only do not get a disease at the same time, but why one may get sick and the other doesn’t.” They go on to say that as twins become older and have different life experiences and practice different lifestyles, that these differences would sway their genetic expression.

Pottenger’s Prophecy gives many examples of how our diet and the environment can affect our genes and consequently our health and the health of our progeny. More importantly they include guidelines for implementing this new science of nutritional epigenetics so that we have a practical blueprint to proceed from. Chapter 10 contains the Ten Green-Gene Food Guidelines. One of the Guidelines which is heavily stressed, warns us that the quality of the fat we consume is of the utmost importance. Fat is one of the most contaminated substances in the food chain and we must try and locate the purest sources that we can. We also need to try and consume animals which have access to their natural diets. Another important issue involving fats concerns whether or not the fat has been heavily processed. Always choose the fats which are the most minimally processed. Readers are advised about how to store and prepare foods. Also listed are the cleanest and dirtiest foods in regards to pesticide exposure. Pointers are given on how to choose foods that are right for you.

The authors offer the thought that it is not just the chemical composition of our foods that heals and regenerates but it is also the atmosphere which enfolds us during the meal experience.Turning off the TV, listening to soft music, being grateful for our food, and taking time to eat in a relaxed manner, are all good points to keep in mind.

Pottenger’s Prophecy is a very intriguing and informative book. The book is written in a manner which is easy to understand. The authors share a comment which I feel sums up their message…. “Ultimately, we wrote Pottenger’s Prophecy to introduce you to a new nutritional concept: that as much as 95 percent of today’s chronic conditions may be due to the nutritional environment of cells and not to defective genes.” In an age of chronic illness and degenerative disease, this is a book that should be read by everyone. We can reverse our “inherited” and self inflicted suffering by becoming familiar with the ideas in this book and in other books which present similar concepts. Once we understand where our problems stem from, then we will have our cornerstone on which to build a healthier and more joyous future for ourselves and subsequent generations.

POTTENGER'S PROPHECY

UNITED NATIONS and SMALL SCALE FARMING TO FEED THE WORLD

2011-03-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

The article at the bottom link talks about the U.N., stating that in order to feed the world we need to increase our small scale farming.This is what many of us wanted to hear...because it really is the only solution to our depleted soil conditions and saturation of pesticides.However, I think I am being a realist and not a pessimist when I caution about the following.

Feudalism can become a very real problem when the U.N or a particular country organizes a system of agriculture. We need to push forward with the idea that anyone who has even a little bit of land should begin producing at least some of their own food but at the same time we need to resist government or UN interference with our personal food production. The first thing I envisioned when I read about the UN making this declaration was mandatory laws being enacted requiring people to give over portions of their food for "the good of the whole", high land taxes, monitoring of our gardens through the global positioning system, telling us what we can and cannot grow...etc. Here is a description of Feudalism http://tinyurl.com/4ok5um3

And here is the article concerning the U.N and their declaration
http://tinyurl.com/6h2bsjy

Its almost as if the timing of this announcement is coinciding with earthquakes, storms, droughts...etc that may be orchestrated, along with other disasters, threats or predicitons, wars, removal of rights...etc. This is why we cannot be too ready to jump at solutions. We need to carefully evaluate and look before we leap. Often crises are intentionally created for the purpose of furthering specific agendas. Weather warfare and tectonic weapons are now technological realities. We need to keep this in mind if we notice that the speed of disasters is being ramped up.

PROBIOTIC FOODS FOR GOOD HEALTH

2011-02-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

Probiotic Foods for Good Health: Yogurt, Sauerkraut, and Other Beneficial Fermented Foods

Author: Beatrice Trum Hunter

Over the years when I have thought about indigenous peoples and their customs, I began to be concerned that these societies were losing their cultural heritage. Almost all areas of the world are becoming industrialized, sanitized and homogenized. One definition of culture from the New World Dictionary is….. “The ideas, customs, skills, arts, etc. of a given people in a given period.” Another definition is the growing of bacteria or other microorganisms in a specifically prepared medium. Fermentation of food depends on specific cultures of microorganisms. These cultures, which have been developed in various parts of the world, were revered, and guarded for reasons we will talk about below.
Kefir Cheese

People realized that these microbial cultures and the resulting fermented foods, were vitally important in preserving the food, in adding to the food’s digestibility and nutritional content, and helped to keep the people in robust health. These “cultures” were an integral piece of their overall culture of arts, language and customs. I was fascinated by this connection made by the author of this book, Beatrice Trum Hunter. On page 119 she speaks of a cultured milk called Taette, which originated in Norway.

“When Norwegians emigrated they were reluctant to abandon their taette cultures. Doubtless, there were many experiments to find some way to transport the culture to a new location. One successful method was to dip a clean piece of linen into the taette and air dry it. Later in the new location, the taette was reconstituted and found to be viable. For me this feat is a metaphor. Just as emigrants faced an unknown future, so was the dormant culture facing an unknown future. Would either survive? Also, cultural ties are strong, and are especially strong for food traditions. By transplanting taette successfully, the emigrants retained their cultural heritage. The old and the new were connected. The past could be savored in the present, and there was hope that it could be savored in the future, as a vibrant milk culturing agent would be passed along, from one generation to another.”

After reading this section of the book, the phrase “to preserve a culture” has taken on a whole new meaning for me. It has also illustrated just how vital the fermentation process is for humanity. Generational sharing of fermentation practices not only plays an important role in preserving our heritage or culture but it is also a requirement for the preservation of our health. Our ancestors were instinctively aware of this fact. However, with the development of our industrialized food system…. pure, unadulterated, live fermented foods are difficult to find. “Probiotic Foods for Good Health” is one of the few books available which is working towards restoring the recognition and practice of this very valuable health tradition.

The author thoroughly and plainly explains the science behind the health benefits of fermented foods. She discusses how the probiotic bacteria in these foods help to form and strengthen our immune systems. Hunter talks about the importance of the integrity of the mucosal barrier in the GI tract and how a breakdown in this barrier may be one of the main reasons for allergic reactions. Thus, by healing this barrier, through the use of probiotic foods, along with the rotation of foods, we are able to improve or eliminate many allergies. Probiotic bacteria are very healing to the intestinal mucosa.

Some studies and clinical experience show that lactose intolerance can be improved through the fermentation of milk. Many who experience digestive troubles when drinking sweet or unfermented milk, can tolerate milk when it is made into yogurt or kefir. Hunter also shares advice on how to determine whether a person’s symptoms are caused by lactose intolerance or true milk allergy.

The process of fermentation is not just limited to milk. Our ancestors used this process to improve and preserve many different types of foods, from meats, to fruits, vegetables, and grains. Many foods which were once available as live cultured foods… are now pasteurized and bear little nutritional resemblance to their natural unprocessed counterparts. The process of pasteurization is one of the main processes which destroys the probiotic bacteria, enzymes and some of the other beneficial properties of the food, which help to keep our immune systems strong. In other words, pasteurization is an instigating factor which contributes to the disabling of our immune systems. Some examples of this adulteration are processed sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt, buttermilk, beer, cider, etc. Even soda began as a fermented beverage but is now a toxic mix of chemicals and sugar. The author informs us of the many different processes the food industry uses to supposedly improve these fermented foods but which inevitably strip the food of its vital health giving essence. Hunter leads us through the dairy isle of the grocery store, advising as to what products are better for us , which ones are best to avoid…and why. High sugar content, lack of live cultures and unnecessary additives, are some of the things to look out for.

The author includes a chapter on the importance of fermenting grains. Traditional societies almost always soaked and fermented their grains to make them more digestible and to rid the grains of certain antinutrients and toxins. Today the world consumes an overabundance of grains which are not aged in this beneficial manner. This lack of natural processing of the grains may account for much of our degenerative disease. Hunter gives examples of some of the different fermented grains that were used in specific areas of the world and explains why unfermented grains can cause nutritional deficiencies.

Near the end of the book, probiotic supplements are discussed. Advice is given on how to select the proper form of probiotics and what to look for on the product labels. The author also includes the benefits that can be expected from these commercial probiotics.

One of the main focuses of modern medicine is to develope an increasing number of drugs to kill off pathogenic bacteria. Are the pharmaceutical and insurance companies aware of the already existing arsenal of beneficial bacteria which exist in fermented foods? Are they cognizant of the fact that if these beneficial organisms inhabited our digestive systems, much of our infectious and degenerative diseases could be prevented? The insurance companies may be interested in this logic but I doubt if the drug companies would investigate further into this matter. Prevention is not in the best interests of the pharmaceutical industry. Hunter describes the antimicrobial nature of fermented foods….”Therapeutically, fermented foods such as yogurt act gently and effectively to alleviate health disorders such as chronic yeast infections or chronic constipation. The value of fermented food to combat infectious agents is constant, whereas microbes learn to resist antibiotic drugs, and the drugs themselves become less and less effective. Also eating fermented foods strengthens the immune system. Fermented foods become instruments of preventative medicine.”

I feel that Probiotic Foods for Good Health is an important addition to the few books existing on this subject. This book is not a manual on how to ferment foods. Instead it is a very helpful guide in understanding why fermented foods should be an essential element in our diets. The book also aides us in sorting through the many products on the market which claim to be cultured and beneficial. Fermenting our own food can be an easy, fun and inexpensive way to maintain our health. I already consume a few fermented foods and have enjoyed a few foods I have fermented myself at home….however, this book, by Beatrice Trum Hunter, has further peaked my interest in this subject. It has encouraged me to add more fermented foods into my diet and to explore further into the art and practice of fermentation. Together lets preserve our cultural heritage!

Milk Kefir Grains can be bought at Cultures For Health. Just click on the banner below. I have also just received in the mail a batch of water kefir grains, which I have not tried yet. Water kefir grains can turn water and healthy teas into sparkling effervescent probiotic beverages that taste great! If you want to learn a little more about fermentation and see some of my experiments, check this link out http://foodfreedomrevolution.blogspot.com/search/label/FERMENTED%20FOODS

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL WORKABLE WAY TO LIVE

2011-02-16T09:51:00.000-08:00

Abundance

There is a difference between this community in the video below, and their method of sharing, and a state mandated way of life where everyone is alloted the same amount of goods, volunteerism is required and everything is supposedly for the good of the whole. The video below shows a way of giving that is a result of mutual agreement and love and caring for your neighbor.This way of life is integrated into the social fabric and spiritual lives of the people. It connects them together in a deeper way than any false or orchestrated programs initated or forced on people by the government of countries, the United Nations, etc.

This video illustrates the spiritual law of reciprocity. One reason why some people have alot and others have next to nothing...is not mainly due to authentic famines....or just scant resources. Its usually due to people being fearful of not having enough....so they hoard and steal.If we see our resources as being finite and material, then there will be shortages and people may not have enough. But if we see God/Spirit as the source of ALL that is needful and joyous and don't put all of our faith in paper biils or metal coins, bank accounts, stocks, jobs, etc...then we will have all we need every moment. When we look to Spirit for the world's supply, we will find that "supply" is infinite and our human lives will express this abundance.

There is a link on the video below http://www.otherworldsarepossible.org/share which I have checked out briefly. It appears to be sincere.

Tyrannical Control Over Our Food Choices

2011-02-12T05:47:00.000-08:00

When the food supply becomes tightly centralized...so does the power over the people. This has happened throughout history. Whenever there is a large centralized agricultural society, this translates into loss of freedoms and serfdom. We need to realize the subterfuge being used to make the public believe that food safety and other restrictive food regulations are for our protection and health. Some regulations are necessary but they are not concentrating on the needful aspects of cleanliness and humane treatment of animals. The main thrust is to bankrupt the small local farmers and to further corporate agricultural dictatorship.

The current USDA food Pyramid is constructed with grains as the central focus or base of the pyramid, with healthy fats and protein playing a very minor role. It is much more profitable for our industrialized agricultural system to promote plant food as opposed to animal food. They want you to think that raising animals on pasture is destructive to the environment and unhealthy to eat. On the contrary......agriculture, with its pesticides and stripping of our soil, is much worse for the environment than animals naturally grazing on grass.When it comes to our diet... Instead of listening to the biased advice of Corporate America, lets be reverent and wise and look to the time honored foods and methods of food preparation that our ancestors used. Their nutritional advice did not shift with corporate interests as our modern profit seeking nutritional guidelines do. We are not healthier from reducing healthy animal fats and increasing the refined oils of commerce....we are sicker...much sicker. It is the strong emphasis on carbohydrates and refined vegetable oil (very subject to rancidity and deterioration with heat) that is making us fatter and less healthy.

The Commentary below is from the Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts Journal and is written by Sally Fallon Morell and Mary Enig.

CARBON TRADING

You thought carbon trading was all about reducing dependence on fossil fuel? Think again. A proposed trial of a personal carbon trading scheme will also aim at getting people to reduce consumption of "fatty foods" in the name of targeting obesity. The three year project will involve giving everyone on Norfolk Island , a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia, a card preloaded with "carbon units". They will pay for their power and gasoline with carbon units - and from the second year also their food. "If people are thrifty," says Professor Garry Egger, an organizer of the program,"and don't buy alot of petrol or power or fatty foods, they will have units to spare, which they can cash in at a bank. If they aren't frugal and produce alot of carbon and consume unhealthy fatty foods, then every year they will have to buy extra units" (www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au , October 28, 2010 ). Looks like carbon trading is morphing from a plan to "save the planet" into a social engineering and public policy scheme. If carbon rationing becomes widespread, the same system can be used to ration food and make government nutrtion objectives mandatory.
THE WESTON A PRICE FOUNDATION http://www.westonaprice.org/

THREE NECESSARY BOOKS FOR UNDERSTANDING WHAT FOODS WE NEED TO EAT, HOW TO PREPARE THEM, WHY THESE FOODS ARE HEALTHIER FOR US AND THE POLITICS BEHIND CURRENT NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES

NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL DEGENERATION

NOURISHING TRADITIONS
THE VEGETARIAN MYTH

HEATING LEFTOVERS WITHOUT USING RADIATION

2011-02-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

If you worry about the dangers of microwave ovens but feel that there is no other way to conveniently heat leftovers......then you need to learn about the joys of double boilers. I had used a microwave for many years while my children were growing up and periodically I had heard about how microwaves rearrange the molecules of our food and how oven doors can leak radiation. Every time I thought about this information I would feel guilty. Finally one day our microwave oven made an exploding sound and stopped working. I decided that this was a good time to give up this form of cooking and we never bought another microwave oven. You know what? I don't miss it all. Between our toaster oven and double boilers, cooking and warming leftovers is still easy. Before you read any further you may want to read an article about the dangers of microwave cooking http://www.unhinderedliving.com/microwave.html

Today I was browsing in a local antique store and I found a vintage double boiler (picture above) that has never been used. It still has the label on the back. Both pieces can be used by themselves or together as a double boiler. The covered bowl to the right fits tightly into the pan on the left. Most people think that double boilers can only be used for melting chocolate and for making sauces. However, I heat almost all of my more solid leftovers in this very handy type of cookware. For example, when I want to heat up leftover pieces of lasagna, I fill the bottom pan a third to halfway up with water and I cut the lasgana pieces in half and place them in the top pan.I cover and simmer for maybe half an hour. It takes longer than a microwave but you can basically let it heat unattended. The food does not stick and burn because it is steam that is heating the bottom of the top pan and the pan with the food in it is not sitting directly on a dry intense source of heat. I like this method of reheating because you don't have to hang around the pot to stir it.

Here is a picture of my double boilers......all different sizes and shapes

I've had theThe Revere-ware pan in the very front for 33 years and still use it often. The two taller pans on either end also came with vegetable steamer pans. As you can see, each of those pan sets has 3 pieces. I used to cook all of my frozen vegetables directly in a small bit of water but now I find it much easier to use these steamer pans which come with some double boilers. Steaming also saves vitamins and minerals which don't leach out into the cooking water as much as when cooking directly in liquid. If you have a wood stove with a flat top, then its fun and easy to put your double boilers on the stove early enough to let them heat thoroughly. Sometimes I put the pot on the wood stove an hour and a half before I know I am going to eat. When I don't have alot of time I use the double boiler on the gas stove and turn it up higher so that the food can be done within half an hour...depending on the amount and density of the food you are reheating. It just takes a little trial and error experimentation. Try it for the first time when you are not in a rush.

Other foods that reheat well in a double boiler are leftover chicken, already cooked hamburgers, meatloaf, pilafs, leftover spagetti and meatballs already mixed, macaroni and cheese, other types of casseroles...etc. When you are reheating larger meals I like to use the double boilers that have a larger diameter. When I am reheating leftover vegetables or small amounts of other food, I use the smaller diameter double boilers. If you were only going to purchase one double boiler, I would pick one with a larger diameter. I looked around a bit for what is available because we want to give one as a gift. The Fagor double boiler with the steamer insert looks like the best size at a good price....but there are many to choose from for different tastes and uses.

If you want an all around meter which tests for microwave leakage and general EMFs, I bought the Trifield Meter and am very happy with it. I have been using it to determine how far away I want to place certain lights and appliances from where people will be sitting, sleeping...etc. I have also changed certain flourescent light bulbs to bulbs which emit less emfs. Dimmer lights are a real contributer to large amounts of EMFs Trifield 100XE EMF Meter

Trifield 100XE EMF Meter

The book Zapped is a great book to read to learn the dangers of EMFs, microwave pollution, and what you can do to minimize your exposures.

WILL HOME GARDENING BE AGAINST THE LAW?

2011-01-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

The video below expresses the dangers we are facing in the future when it comes to producing our own food. The corporations/government want the cash and the control of the food supply. Control of the food equals control of the people.Obama's new food safety bill ...under the guise of safety...is helping government accomplish this nefarious goal. If the government really loved and cared about us and the freedoms of our country...the government would have massive campaigns to encourage Americans to grow their own food and also there would be educational programs teaching citizens about how to enrich and protect our soil...how to garden sustainably.

NATURAL DISASTERS OR MANMADE?

2011-01-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

Jets Systematically Forming A Cloud Bank In CT on Jan 15, 2011

This morning I found the news article below in my email. The main thrust of the article is that humans often complain when confronted with floods, fires, hurricanes etc.....but that instead of blaming it on nature and calling it a "Natural Disaster"...we should see how we have caused the disaster by not respecting nature.
http://www.naturalnews.com/031025_natural_disasters_floods.html

It is true that cutting down massive amounts of rainforest and other large scale destruction of nature can most likely have an effect on the weather. The author of the article at the link above also speaks of how stupid people are to build their homes on the sides of mountains, in flood plains and directly on the waterfront.Then when their homes are destroyed they cry out why...why? These statements do have some validity......however, the author seems to have left out an extremely important and evolving issue. That issue is weather warfare. People who don't think that governments currently have the ability to control much of the weather and set off earthquakes and possibly volcanoes...need to read Weather Warfare

The latest trend in extreme environmentalism is to blame the public at large for all of our environmental/weather problems. While we most definitely need to "clean up our act".....we need to focus our attention on what forces are leading us to our own destruction and enslavement. The very World Movers and Shakers who contend that they are trying to save the environment are often the ones who are destroying it. For example, it has been reported that current technology can melt the polar icecaps and an article from North Carolina newspaper, written back in the 80s, speaks of The Soviet Union's desire to melt their polar icecaps so they could have access to more of the area's natural resources.I have included that newspaper report in the following article Weather Warfare or Global Warming http://lymesentinel.blogspot.com/2009/06/weather-warfare-or-global-warming.html

Another point I would like to make is that the rate of the so called natural disasters is coinciding with the unnatural rate of disastrous events all over the world. They are working towards a cresendo of chaos to bring us to our knees. We need to recognize what events are being orchestrated for the purpose of global control. The United Nations is working towards this total globalization power center....so don't be fooled by proposed enviromental laws that will supposedly save us all when the goal is to enslave us all.If you will notice ....the "alien"(outerspace aliens) agenda is also increasing at the same time. A recent news article mentions that the United Nations is preparing for a "first encounter". Will there be an orchestrated invasion using Star Wars Technology? Be Vigilant
Recently I have read comments by those who are pushing the global warming scenerio and want to issue carbon taxes...etc...that because of the melting of the polar icecaps in the northern regions, there is now an opening of the trade routes and a much greater access to natural resources...such as oil. Is global warming a cover story for the intentional melting of the icecaps....for financial gain? Is the blame being placed on citizens in general for the purpose of taking the focus away from the real most dangerous perpetrators? Yes, we all have a responsibility to care for our environment but first let's see what is really going on!
I recommend 2 books on this subject Angels Don't Play This HAARP and Weather Warfare

COCOCHIA PUDDING

2011-01-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

This may be the first time I've made up my own recipe.I even thought up a catchy name for it.....CocoChia Pudding. I have taken ideas from several different recipes which used coconut milk, coconut flakes, almond milk, chia seeds....etc...all in different combinations. One recipe consisted solely of coconut flakes and coconut milk, which was chilled. It was ok but it didn't do much for me. Yesterday I decided to use coconut milk with chia seeds. A fussy sugarholic relative just stopped by so I asked if he'd be a guinea pig, try my pudding and give his opinion. He was a little bit skeptical when he heard the ingredients... but... he chowed it right down and then he even asked for the recipe!! Now I feel more confident in sharing my concoction. It is low carb, contains healthy fats and has high quality complete protein from the chia seeds. You can adjust the recipe to your suiting. In opposition to mainstream nutritional advice, saturated and monosaturated fats are good for you. It is the carbohydrates that mess up our metabolism and encourage weight gain and blood sugar problems. In addition to the healthy fat in coconut milk, the chia seeds contain omega 3 fatty acids. I wanted to try real maple syrup for the sweetener but I couldn't get the bottle open ...so I used organic whole cane sugar. I used a very small amount...only a teaspoon

If you would like to learn more about the health benefits of coconut oil or fat, I found The Coconut Oil Miracle (Previously published as The Healing Miracle of Coconut Oil) to be a very helpful book.

Here's the basic recipe. You can add more or fewer chia seeds and adjust or change the flavorings

1 13.5 ounce can of whole fat organic coconut milk

3 TBsp of chia seed

1 Tsp organic whole cane sugar

1/8 Tsp of powdered cinnamon

1 Tsp of real vanilla

When I opened the can of coconut milk, it had separated. The solids were at the bottom and the liquid was on top....so I put it in a bowl and mixed it together thoroughly. If the coconut milk is already mixed, smooth and creamy...then you can skip the mixing part.

Next I added the 3 Tablespoons of chia seeds. Then I added the other ingredients, saving a little of the cinnamon to sprinkle on top. Mix together well, cover and let it set in the refridgerator for about 3 hours. I like it served cold. It was very smooth, soothing and cool when just out of the fridge. The consistency of the pudding reminded me of tapioca. How easy and healthy is that! It's odd because even though it wasn't highly flavored I kept going back for more. I found it a little bit addicting. Its simple to make so try it yourself and see what yummy combinations you can come up with.

You can buy chia seeds at the health food store or Mountain Rose herbs has good bulk prices. The cinnamon and chia seeds can be found at this link http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/bulkherb/c.html Check out the health benefits for each by clicking on "contemporary info". Instead of using starchy thickeners for soups and stews...I just add chia seeds instead...till you reach the desired consistency.

For more basic low carb high nutrition recipes I recommend The Primal Blueprint Cookbook

Bioengineered Salmon: State Bill Seeks Clear Label

2011-01-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

Stacy Finz, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, January 7, 2011

Assemblyman Jared Huffman isn't taking any chances. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves a bid to allow the human consumption of genetically engineered Atlantic salmon, the San Rafael Democrat wants every Californian to know what he or she is getting at the checkout aisle.

Consumers have the right to know if their food comes from the wild or was bioengineered, said Huffman, who introduced AB88 on Thursday to require the salmon, which many environmentalists call "Frankenfish," to be clearly labeled.

"This is not a new issue. Genetically engineered food has been a controversy for a long time," he said.

The FDA has yet to decide whether to legalize salmon made by AquaBounty Technologies Inc. The Massachusetts company has been experimenting for 15 years with salmon growth hormone genes and DNA to create a salmon that grows quickly in a farm environment. The FDA closed its two-month public comment period in November and is nearing its final review.

If the fish is approved, it would be the first genetically engineered animal that is legal for humans to eat.

"We don't think it's premature," said Rebecca Spector, West Coast director of the Center for Food Safety and co-sponsor of the bill. "We want to send a message to the FDA that Californians don't want bioengineered salmon, or at least want it to be labeled."

Opponents and environmentalists fear that the bioengineered salmon could ruin the species if it bred with wild salmon, which they say is inevitable. There is also concern that the fish could spread disease in humans.

Ron Stotish, the chief executive officer for AquaBounty, has told The Chronicle that as long as the "seas are fished to the verge of extinction, we have an ethical obligation to use every tool in our toolbox to explore alternatives to meet demand for seafood."

The bill is scheduled to go to committee hearings in the spring.

E-mail Stacy Finz at sfinz@sfchronicle.com.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/06/BA6G1H5F4D.DTL#ixzz1AN3V7KkE

DANDELION ROOT: A HEALTHY TASTY COFFEE SUBSTITUTE

2011-01-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/bulkherb/d.html

When I would complain to friends and family that I absolutely loved my morning cup of coffee but that I shouldn't be having the caffeine...the usual advice was to drink decaffeinated coffee. For some reason that never appealed to me. One of the main reasons I wanted the morning coffee kick was because of the caffeine...and besides I had heard that adding chemicals to the coffee was part of the decaffeinating process. So....I kept on reasoning that one cup of coffee a day couldn't further disable my overstressed adrenal glands.

Well......guess what I am drinking this very moment......instead of coffee? I am thoroughly enjoying a cup of brewed roasted dandelion coffee with a tiny tidge of honey and a splash of farm fresh raw milk. I had my first cup yesterday (after my morning coffee that is). As I drank it I thought to myself.....this isn't too bad...in fact I really liked it. I promised myself that the next day (today) that I would skip the caffeine and only have a cup of roasted dandelion coffee. Here is what it looks like in the pan.

And this is what it looks like in my mug

Before I talk more about dandelion root and its healthful properties......I just want to stress how important it is to have a healthy breakfast along with your coffee or coffee substitute. Breakfast can be the tried and true bacon and eggs (despite govt. warnings animal fat from animals fed their natural diet... is good for you) or it can be a bit different...like my breakfast this morning...pictured below.

The two muffins are gluten free multigrain slathered in healthy coconut oil which I get from Mountain Rose Herbs http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/bulkoil/a-c.html

To the left of the muffins is my homemade fermented ginger turnips and on the top is two slices of grassfed braunschweiger from Wellness Meats

US Wellness Meats sells quality grassland meat products - Visit us Online! This particular organ meat is made from grassfed beef, beef liver and spices...with no preservatives.

I talk more about fermented foods at this link http://tinyurl.com/25tosmh

On and off I am trying to eat a bit more low carb...so I probably could have done without the muffins. Just because they are gluten free doesn't mean that they are healthy for me in other respects. I consider this basically a healthy fast food breakfast because the fermented veggies are made way ahead of time in batches and stored in the fridge, the braunschweiger is cooked and ready to eat and the muffin just had to be toasted.

I just get so excited about the whole concept of free wild food...especially when it is often more healthy than foods we pay money for. Dandelion is one of the most awesome wild foods there is and can be found in many areas of the world. Most people think of dandelion as a pesky weed and put harmful chemicals on their lawns to get rid of it. This pollutes our immediate environment and destroys a special gift.....and for what? Dandelions are beautiful and have been used for many years in traditional cultures as healthy food and medicine. All parts of the dandelion can be eaten...the blossom, the leaves and the root. Today we'll just focus on the dandelion root. Here is a video that shows a bit about collecting dandelion and preparing it to make dandelion coffee.

Here are some of the benefits of dandelion from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/dandelion-root-tea.html

Dandelion Root Tea Benefits
"Some people call dandelion, "the tooth of lion" and use it as a springtime healer. Not only are the roots of dandelion useful, but the other parts are also used either for food or medicinal purposes. The leaves and crowns are used for salads and cooked greens, while the flowers are used for making wine and the juice is used against warts and blisters.

Dandelion root tea is known as a blood and kidney cleaner.

It is also used as a tonic. Dandelion root is rich in vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients. Click to read on dandelion root benefits.

Diuretic uses of dandelion tea are also well known.

It is used as a general cleansing stimulant for the liver and can also be used to treat any malfunction of the liver.

It is also said to be beneficial for people suffering from diabetes, as it contains inulin, which plays an important role in controlling diabetes.

Dandelion can also be used in the treatment of hepatitis.

It is also said to be useful to clear obstructions of the spleen, pancreas, gallbladder as well as the kidneys.

Dandelion root tea is also beneficial for the stomach and intestines and also for balancing the enzymes, which also help in digestion, assimilation and elimination.

Not many people are aware of the fact, that regular consumption of dandelion root tea decreases the amounts of cholesterol and uric acid in the body.

It is said to be especially beneficial for women in their menopausal phase.

It can also be used to treat abscesses, boils, breast tumors, etc.

It is an excellent tonic to treat anemia.

Liver cirrhosis can also be treated with regular consumption of dandelion tea.

The leaves of dandelion are eaten to reduce excess acidity, oxygenate, purify and build blood.

It is also used to regenerate cells.

There are also known benefits of dandelion in treating metabolic disturbances, bone disorders, low blood pressure, etc. You may want to read on dandelion tea benefits.

Dandelion Root Tea Side Effects

Dandelion root tea is normally safe and gentle, however, some people may have an allergic reaction to it. It is important to note, that dandelion root tea should not be take with any other diuretics or any drugs, which have a diuretic action. If you are on diabetes drugs, you should be careful while taking dandelion root tea, as dandelion root can intensify the blood sugar lowering effects of the drugs. It should not be taken by a person, who suffers from diarrhea."

Last spring I did collect dandelion leaves and roots but only used them is salads and I sauteed the leaves and sliced roots together a couple of times...as a vegetable. At that time I didn't realize that a coffee subsititute could be made from the roots. I am looking forward to collecting and roasting the roots next year. However, I am impatient and excited to try things right away so I found that I could buy dandelion root fairly inexpensively in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs....which I am affiliated with. I also ordered the spice tea which contains dandelion and other healthy and delicious ingredients

It smells HEAVENLY when simmering and I thought it tasted delicious..... and with so many health benefits. Check out the ingredients here Scroll down to Winter Spice Tea http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/tea_bev/tea_bev.html
So.....if a person substitutes dandelion coffee for regular coffee, you will be eliminating one source of adrenal fatiguing substances(caffeine) and adding something that gradually improves overall health and stamina. The other trick is to try and not have breads , cookies and other sweets with the tea (only on special occasions). And once one gets used to no sweetener in the tea or to a small amount of an adrenal health promoting substance as a sweetener (such as licorice root)...then usually one loses the excessive craving for the sweet taste. The alarming increase in diabetes and adrenal fatigue related syndromes suggests that we need to find more healthy delicious ways to relax. Once a person eliminates or greatly reduces sugar in the diet...their appreciation for natural flavors increases and a whole new world of exciting healthy possibilites opens up. Just when I think I've learned about all the new fun and healthy foods......something else comes along that surprises me and urges me to try it. Usually I can't resist. :>)

Almost forgot....for those of you who want a quick, easier way of getting the benefits of dandelion, you can buy dandelion root powder in bulk and make your own capsules or you can buy the capsules already made. If tinctures work better for you...then that's also an option with dandelion.But most importantly....DON"T FORGET to harvest some fresh dandelion this spring from unsprayed areas.
If you can't wait for spring you can buy dandelion roots and root powder here http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/bulkherb/d.html

GROWING FOOD IN SMALL SPACES

2010-12-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

MY HEIRLOOM SQUASH AND PUMPKINS

Our food system has become far too centralized to adequately sustain the health of the population. Our soil has become depleted by using chemical fertilzers instead of natural organic fertilizer. Our food and soil has become contaminated by constantly applying pesticides to make up for the poor resistance of the plants due to the undernourished soil.

Corporate government is seriously discouraging the small farmer for the purpose of gaining total control over the people by controlling the food supply. If we continue to depend on this centralized system for our nourishment, at some point the whole system will collapse and or the population will become increasingly disabled due to lack of vitamins and minerals in the food.

Most of us still have the opportunity to grow at least some of our own food...even if it's mushrooms and sprouts inside the house. There are plans in the works to take away the right to grow our own food....so before we become even more entrapped into this system we need to recognize the benefits and the priviledge...or rather God given right to supply our own sustenance and take advantage of it. You can start in small ways and because small successes build confidence....you can expand and progress at your own speed while having fun at the same time. Gardening can be very gratifying, great excercise and nourishing...physically and spiritually. It can help save the planet and our freedom.

The video below is one small example of a woman who wanted to see how much she could grow on her small plot of land and how she could share this exciting practical knowledge with others. Have we been conditioned to think green grass with chemicals all over it....is the ultimate goal? When we examine this idea more carefully, we will see that chemically formulated green grass is actually destroying our freedom. Whoever controls the food supply controls the people. If you do live in the city and can only grow herbs or tomatoes on your balcony....then you can still encourage a more sustainable food system by buying from local farmers.

THE POISON IN YOUR TEETH

2010-12-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

Title: The Poison in Your Teeth: Mercury Amalgam (Silver) Fillings…. Hazardous to Your Health

Author: By Tom McGuire, DDS

Dr. McGuire begins his book by sharing the fact that “mercury is the most poisonous, non-radioactive, naturally occurring substance on our planet.” He also states that there is no amount of mercury that is safe for the human body. Amalgam or “silver” fillings are 50% mercury. These facts would naturally lead anyone to ask……why then is this most dangerous substance being place in our mouths? Those agencies which are pro-amalgam educate dentists and the public to the idea that the mercury in the filling material is so tightly attached to the silver in the filling that it would be impossible for the mercury to escape and leach into the body. However, the author of this book completely refutes this claim. Using science to back his statements, Dr. McGuire explains to us very clearly what normal everyday conditions in the mouth cause the mercury fillings to create vapor, which escapes from the fillings and enters into the body.

The book discusses the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has labeled the ingredients and particles in amalgam fillings as toxic waste. The EPA requires that leftover amalgam or amalgam that has been removed from a tooth, must be placed in a toxic hazardous waste container and that anyone who doesn’t comply with this regulation is subject to a fine. The author asks the reader to reflect on this conundrum. “Think about it. The EPA considers the material that make up an amalgam filling – and the amalgam itself - toxic waste. But now we come to the scary part. If the components of an amalgam filling, and the filling itself, are considered hazardous waste – what does that make the teeth they are put into? That’s right. It makes them hazardous waste containers! Even worse, these waste containers don’t have a lid, and you’re forced to take them wherever you go.”

OSHA safety requirements state that the staff in a dental office must not handle amalgam without protection and that amalgam must be stored away from heat and must be tightly sealed in hazardous waste containers. Amalgam waste particles also must be covered with liquid to prevent mercury vapor from escaping the waste material and exposing the office staff. The author warns us what we would have to do in order to follow these regulations, concerning the fillings in our mouths. “These regulations make complete sense. But imagine if they were extended to the amalgams in your teeth. It would mean that you couldn’t touch your fillings without first putting on gloves. You’d have to cover your tongue before it touched the fillings, and you would be required to keep your teeth covered with a protective liquid 24/7.”

After thoroughly educating the reader about the symptoms and diseases directly related to mercury exposure, the author moves on to tell us what we can do about our toxic exposures and more importantly….how we can do it safely. Mercury can be a heavy stress on the body and many patients dealing with chronic illness greatly improve when these mercury fillings are removed by a dentist who is knowledgeable in the proper amalgam removal procedures. Dr. McGuire includes a section on how to find”mercury free” or a “mercury safe” dentist and what the difference is between the two. Removal of mercury fillings must be done according to a specific protocol which minimizes the exposure to mercury vapors during the removal process.

Once one decides to remove their fillings, it must be determined what materials the replacement fillings will be composed of. The author talks about the safety of the various types of replacement dental materials. He discusses biocompatibility testing which aids patients in deciding which composite materials are best suited to the patient’s particular immune system. It is suggested that anyone with allergies and multiple sensitivities be tested in this manner. If for some reason a patient cannot have their fillings removed right away…or at all….McGuire recommends measures to minimize exposure to the mercury vapors.

The author talks about nutritional and supplemental support during the process of detoxifying the mercury from the body. He lists the important supplements that will help in this process. The book “Poison in Your Teeth, includes information concerning what to expect in the way of improvement. The author explains to the reader that improvement in health takes time and depends on the amount of mercury that has accumulated and the condition of the person’s immune system. There are helpful charts that list the types of symptoms and the percentage of them that were improved or eliminated. Dr. McGuire realizes that if people are trying to decide whether or not it would be worth the expense to have their fillings removed, they would want to be aware of how much of a chance they would have for improvement.

Another section of the book concerns the American Dental Association and the politics surrounding the continued use and endorsement of amalgam fillings. Also included is legal and moral advice to help guide the pro-amalgam dentists. In the resources section at the end of the book, there is a list of holistic dental organizations and laboratories that specialize in mercury testing.

I found the book “The Poison in Your Teeth” to be very thorough and easy to read. The subject matter of the book is of great importance. Living in modern society exposes us daily to harmful chemicals and modified organisms. We certainly do not need the extra burden of permanent toxic exposures that can be prevented by simply using safer materials. Dr. McGuire is passionate about helping others to realize the dangers of mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings and I recommend his book to those of you who care about your personal health, your children’s health and the health of the environment as a whole.

HOW GLUTEN MAY BE RUINING YOUR HEALTH

2010-12-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

The Gluten Effect

By Drs. Vikki and Richard Peterson, D.C., C.C.N.

How effective is modern medicine in preventing and curing disease? Are doctors taught to look for the root causes of illness or are they trained to only treat the symptoms? These are questions which need serious consideration. It is becoming more and more obvious that profit goals are fueling the destructive medical paradigm of keeping the patients sick while making money by treating only the symptoms and not the cause.

The authors of The Gluten Effect place heavy emphasis on getting to the root causes of illness. Often there are many inciting factors that need to be looked at. On page 321 the Petersons summarize their method of treating disease. “Our approach to a person in ill health is first to identify the symptoms and to which bodily system these symptoms are related. The next step is to find what stressor may be affecting this bodily system and remove it. Stressors can include toxins, foods, infections, malnutrition, emotional stress and others. Because our bodies are so resilient, once we eliminate the stressors, our bodies have an amazing ability to heal over time.” The authors call this their “Health Now Method.”

As the title of this book suggests, gluten ( a component of wheat, barley, and rye) is being increasingly recognized as a significant stressor to the body. Gluten is being linked to autoimmune disease, lymphoma and many other chronic symptoms and illnesses. Not everyone is sensitive to gluten but those who are need to permanently eliminate gluten containing foods from their diet. This is not always an easy task as foods containing wheat barley and rye comprise a large portion of the modern diet.

In the beginning of the book the authors include a general introduction to the subject of gluten sensitivity and give reasons as to why they think gluten is becoming a problem for an increasing number of people. The Petersons inform the reader about the differences between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity or intolerance. They explain how celiac disease is only one manifestation of gluten intolerance. Evidence is mounting showing that celiac disease is only the tip of the iceberg when determining the many different ways gluten intolerance can harm the body.

Those who are gluten intolerant can incur damage to the immune system, specific glands and the digestive system. The damage to these areas of the body can then cause multiple symptoms throughout the entire body. The hallmark symptoms of celiac disease were once thought to be digestive problems and loss of weight. While these symptoms can definitely be a part of celiac disease/gluten intolerance, patients can also experience weight gain and a lack of digestive problems. Because of a continued misunderstanding of this fact, many people are being left undiagnosed. A quote from page 275 explains the reasoning behind gluten intolerance and weight gain. “As outlined earlier in the book, gluten sensitivity is a chronic health stress on the body affecting many organs, including the immune system and digestive system. Our hormonal system (specifically the adrenal glands) increases stress hormone (cortisol) production, which causes disturbances in our metabolism and weight. Cortisol, like prednisone, causes weight gain around the abdomen, makes it harder to use glucose from the diet, and increases fatigue through poor sleep mechanisms. All of these result in weight gain.” The fact that gluten intolerance can also lower thyroid function…is also a factor. Hashimoto’s disease has more recently been connected with gluten sensitivity

Celiac disease occurs when gluten sensitivity causes an autoimmune reaction in the body, which in turn flattens the small intestinal villi and results in malabsorption of vitamins and minerals. There are many conditions….such as osteoporosis, which can be the end result of this malabsorption of essential nutrients. B12 deficiency is a very common problem due to damaged intestinal function. The good news is that complete avoidance of all sources of gluten can result in complete healing of the intestines and improvement or healing of other glands in the body which have been affected.

The authors stress over and over again the importance of the fact that the adrenal glands are very frequently and negatively affected by gluten intolerance. I found this specific information to be extremely interesting and I appreciated the fact that the authors repeated this finding quite a few times throughout the book. Often…in order to heal chronic conditions….such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Lyme and coinfections, Arthritis….etc. we need to address the absolute root cause. For example, some naturopathic doctors may diagnose adrenal insufficiency and prescribe certain herbs to alleviate or strengthen the adrenal glands. However, if we continue to consume a weakening stressful substance, such as gluten, if there are any good effects from the herbal remedy prescribed, it will only be palliative or temporary. The weakening substance(s) need to be found and eliminated.

I have recently read several books on gluten intolerance and celiac disease and found them to be rather mediocre and not really getting down to the nitty gritty of how all the body systems interact with gluten. This book…. “The Gluten Effect” is not a book which goes into detail about where to find gluten free foods nor does it offer recipes for gluten free meals. You will want to read other books to obtain this more general information. However……if you want to better understand the possible cause of chronic symptoms or disease and why these symptoms have manifested, then you need to put this book on your “must read” list. I have not included half of the information that is covered in this book, such as testing for gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. To summarize, I found this book to be extremely helpful in understanding what symptoms can be attributed to gluten sensitivity and WHY. My copy of The Gluten Effect is all marked up because on almost every page I found myself underlining and starring important information that I wanted to remember. I heartily recommend this book for anyone who has chronic symptoms and is looking for the root cause. Gluten may not be your root cause, but you’ll never know until you thoroughly research this subject.

HOW TO MAKE LOOSE HERBAL TEAS

2010-11-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

Brewing a cup of tea from a storebought teabag can result in a convenient soothing and healing drink but making tea from loose herbs can be even better. For the past several years I have been having fun growing my own herbs and combining them with herbs and spices that I can't grow.... which I buy in bulk from

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=111632 At Mountain Rose Herbs they have just about every herb you can think of...and I have always found them to be reasonably priced and very fresh. There is helpful information describing what each herb is used for.

The whole process of planting, growing, harvesting and drying the herbs is very soothing and healing.Observing the fragrances, colors and tasting the many different flavors.... all play a role in connecting us to nature's healthy rythmns. I'd like to share with you several pictures of some of my favorite herbs to use in teas. The picture below is my patch of spearmint and applemint growing together. Just one hint.....if you are going to grow mints...make sure you have them in an area where they can spread. I planted mine in the middle of my herb garden and have to contstantly pull out the mint trailers to keep them from invading the growing spaces of my other herbs. Spearmint is very good for the nervous system, the digestive system and for respiratory issues. I use it in many of my tea mixtures. I find it to have a more delicate blending flavor over the peppermint.

The next picture expresses the beauty of sage. Sage is also good for the respiratory tract, digestive problems and winter illnesses in general. It can be used in teas or as a culinary herb

I think my favorite herb to mix with spearmint or applemint is Bee Balm. This herb is in the oregano family and can be used in many recipes in place of oregano. Beebalm was used by the Oswego Indians as a medicinal herb. Beebalm is also called Oswego tea and Monarda. It is easy to grow and and its flowers, which I also dry and use in tea... are very beautiful.

Anchored to my herb garden is an old boat that I filled with bee balm, nasturtium flowers and some parsley. I have other spots in the yard where I have trasnplanted the bee balm...because I want to make sure I have
enough of this healthful versatile herb.

The video at the bottom shows how to make the loose herbal teas and some of the equipment that can make it easier...such as different types of tea strainers, teapots.....etc. You can find some of these things in healthfood stores or you can browse at this link http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/tea_tool/tea_tool.html

Some of the books I found useful were Herbal Teas: 101 Nourishing Blends for Daily Health & Vitality , Growing 101 Herbs that Heal: Gardening Techniques, Recipes, and Remedies AND

AND...here is the recipe for the herbal tea I drink almost every night
http://lymesentinel.blogspot.com/2010/06/join-me-for-healthy-cup-of-tea.html

ARE COMPACT FLOURESCENT BULBS SAFE?

2010-11-27T06:46:00.000-08:00

This video explains more about the possible health effects of compact flourescent bulbs compared to LED lights and incandescent bulbs. Before we switch over to something that may be dangerous, hadn't we better find out more about electromagnetic frequencies and their effect on our health?
This video is posted on The Food Renegade website
http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2010/11/19/are-your-energy-efficient-light-bulbs-dangerous/

Magnetic, Electric and Radio/Microwave Detector. Read the Reviews on Amazon

The Miracle Of Sprouting

2010-11-11T07:31:00.000-08:00

Even though I have been gardening for quite a few years now, it never ceases to amaze me how plants and vegetables spring up from such tiny seeds. Every seed knows what it is and what vegetable it is supposed to produce. All it takes is sunlight, soil , water and a seed....and some sort of inciting energy. Some people call this energy God and others may call it nature. What astonishes me even more than being able to grow plants outside is that all year round...even in the dead of winter...there is a very special food that we can grow inside, without much sun and no soil. All that is needed is water and some seeds.You probably know where I am heading with this. Most of you have heard of sprouting seeds indoors to use in salads, sandwhiches...or just to snack on plain. At least once a year I like to reread my books about sprouts to remind me of their health benefits and the simpleness of producing my own enzyme/vitamin packed produce....without much equipment. This is the kind of thing that gets me psyched. I love being at least partially self sufficient and at the same time being able to control the quality and freshness of the food I serve my family.

The book I am currently rereading is The Sprouting Book: How to Grow and Use Sprouts to Maximize Your Health and Vitality (Avery Health Guides). The sprouting kit in the picture above, I have been using for years and it can be found here Sprout Garden 3 Tray Family Sprouting Kit - Includes: Sprouter, Drainboard, Covers, 3 Sprouting Trays, 2 Oz of Certified Organic Alfalfa Seed, Instructions. Grow Healthy Fresh Sprouts in Your Own Kitchen! It has worked very well and is easy to use.

I'd like to quote from the preface of Ann Wigmore's "The Sprouting Book".... "Sprouts, while inexpensive and easy to grow, afford one of the most concentrated but truly natural sources of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids (protein) known. They are also biogenic ....alive...and capable of transferring their life energy to your body. Biogenic foods are foods that when planted will create new life. All raw, unsprouted seeds, beans, grains, and nuts are biogenic. When they are sprouted and eaten, they provide the body with a form of living energy...a composite of vital food factors not yet isolated by scientists, but proven to be of value in nature's laboratory of day-to-day life." Wigmore goes on to say that vegetables and fruits are different and are bioactive instead of biogenic. Bioactive means that while fruits and vegetables are full of life and nutritious elements they are not biogenic or capable of creating new life. I found that fact to be very interesting.

There are many different types of seeds that can be sprouted and it's alot of fun experimenting and trying the various seeds. One of my favorites is red clover seed and is the seed I am using in my sprouter in the photo at the top.These seeds are at least a year old and as you can see....some of them are floating. Some people say that when seeds float that they are old and inactive but other people say this is not true and that their floating seeds do sprout. Either way, I have always ended up with a full tray of sprouts in the end. The photo at the top is the first step of sprouting....soaking the seed. I used 2 TBSP of seed, filled the container with water and let them soak for 6 hours. I then dumped the water, rinsed the seed , inverted the bottom container, set the tray with the sprouts in it on top of the inverted container and then covered the sprout container with another inverted container. These are stackable and you can sprout several different trays of sprouts at once.

I rinse the seeds under running water twice a day and then recover them to let them continue sprouting. This is what the seeds look like after 24 hours of sprouting. Wait till you see how they transform each day.

After 3 days

Done...After 5 days

I just think it is so amazing!
You can buy organic sprouting seeds at your local health food store or you could buy them here

http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=111632&Redirect=/sprouting/sprouting_seeds.html

Check out the seed sprouting video below

THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE HEALTHY FOOD

2010-11-10T04:40:00.000-08:00

More and more restrictive laws are being created to discourage local and small farm food production. As the video below mentions, the mega food industry is allowed to include poisonous additives to our food and water supply...such aspartame, fluoride, MSG...and the list goes on. The factory farms are allowed to cram cattle into very small areas where they stand in their own excrement and sometimes never move from this confined area until they are slaughtered. They never see the sun, they eat grain instead of fresh grass and they are given hormones and antibiotics. They are sickly.

Then when we hear of these food contamination scares, which may sometimes be orchestrated, more laws are passed to further restrict the sustainable, humane small time farmers.It's a joke. We are told that the government is trying to protect our health with these laws, while the reality is that the government agencies are meshed with the agricultural corporations. These laws and raids on small farms are not about safety but about profit and control. Remember...those who control the food supply, control the people.

We need to educate ourselves so that we can band together and take action to preserve our right to grow our own food. The following is a book that exposes the politics behind our destructive megacorporate food system. The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America's Emerging Battle Over Food Rights
We must decentralize the food system in order to be healthy and to maintain our freedom. Support sustainable farmers. Buy healthy meat from grassfed animals who are treated humanely and allowed to graze on open pastureland. Grassfed meat provides HEALTHY saturated fat with important fatty acids, such as CLA. We are meant to eat saturated fat and our brains are largely composed of this substance. I buy meat in bulk from local farmers and then I buy my organ and sausage prepared meats from Wellness Meats. Read more about this ethical company. US Wellness Meats sells quality grassland meat products - Visit us Online!
Listen to what is happening to the small farmers and then if you want to learn more about the health benefits of meat from animals raised on pasture, watch the video below this one

Farmageddon Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.

KEFIR....A HEALING IMMUNE BOOSTING FOOD

2010-11-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

Due to our heavily processed modern diet, it is often recommended that we take probiotic supplements to keep our intestinal flora in proper balance.....especially if a person has been taking antibiotics. The word probiotic means "for Life" and the word antibiotic means anti or "against" Life. Probiotics or "good bacteria" are an integral part of our body's immune system. The following benefits of probiotics are from The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity . Referring to the good bacteria, the author Donna Gates tells us...."They help white blood cells fight disease, they control putrefactive bacteria in the intestines, they provide important nutrients for building the blood, they assist digestion, they protect the intestinal mucosa, they prevent diarrhea and constipation and they contribute to bowel elimination. They also manufacture important B vitamins and are the most abundant source of Vitamin B12."

The most economical and healthy way to get our probiotics is through fermented foods. Much of our commercial food supply has been sterilized (pasteurized) and as a result provides us with little enzymatic activity or helpful bacteria. A food that has been universally fermented, is milk. Civilizations , for thousands of years, have let milk ferment into soft cheeses, hard cheeses, buttermilk, yogurt and kefir. Often, if one has a difficult time digesting milk, the fermentation process will help to ameliorate this problem. The good bacteria help to digest the lactose in the milk, which is the component that some people have problems with.

The photo at the top shows the jar I ferment my kefir in. The bowl to the left gives you an idea of the consistency of kefir. If you look closely you can see the yellow butterfat interspersed within the kefir. Despite mainstream nutritional advice, butterfat from the milk of gassfed cows, is very healthy and helps us to assimilate certain nutrients in the milk. If possible it is highly desirable to buy certified raw milk that has not been homogenized. Every processing step we add, further destroys the natural food.To find unadulterated fresh milk near you , visit this link http://www.realmilk.com/where2.html . If you must buy commerical milk to make your kefir, probably the best choice is full fat organic milk. Organic milk is heated at even higher temperatures than regular store bought milk but at least it doesn't contain the hormones and antibiotics. When fermented, this milk gains back some of its beneficial properties.

The picture to the right is a closeup of kefir "grains" or culture. These grains are a living colony of beneficial bacteria. They look somewhat like cauliflower and have a rubbery texture. They can be kept alive ...just about forever...by storing them in milk...in the refridgerator, when not in use making kefir. Here is a place that specializes in fermentation equipment and cultures and you can buy real kefir grains here.

If you feel it is too much effort to buy the real thing, you can buy a powdered kefir culture here

OK.....making kefir is really a very simple process. If you use the live grains..all you have to do is find a 32 ounce jar.....or larger, fill it with cold or room temperature milk and then add the grains. Screw on the lid and gently shake it back and forth just a couple of times. The jar can be stored on the counter at room temperature during the fermenting process, which takes approximately 24 to 48 hours to set into one big gel like curd. The fermentation time depends on room temperature and the size or amount of the curds. Shake the jar gently a couple of times each day to make sure that the grains have contact with all of the milk.When the kefir is done, there should be no liquid milk left.....only one large softly coagulated mass. I think most people strain their kefir when it is finished setting. This is for the purpose of getting the grains back out of the kefir so you can save them for the next fermentation. I used to strain my kefir after fermentation but decided I like the texture better when not straining it and it was easier for me to just use a spoon to lift out the kefir grains, which float to the top of the jar. Then before pouring I would gently stir in the fat that rises to the top. I find the texture of the kefir to be smoother when I don't strain it.You may find that your kefir separates into whey(clear liquid) at the bottom of the jar and the solid mass above it. This can mean that the kefir has fermented a bit longer than it needs to. This is ok but you may find that the taste is a bit more tart or sour. When this happens to me...I like to make kefir cheese....which is even easier to make than the kefir itself. When you make kefir cheese, you get to save the whey, which can be used for fermenting vegetables.

I often drink my kefir plain but when I want a real special treat, I make a kefir smoothie. Yesterday I made this smoothie with a banana, a large handful of frozen strawberries, a raw egg and a glass of kefir. I mixed it all up in the blender and when I first poured it into the glass, it was so thick that it formed peaks. The frozen strawberries are what give the kefir smoothie this special quality. It's like a drinkable frozen ice cream! YUM!!!!....and it's so good for you too! Instead of strawberries I also like to use blueberries or rasberries...or even a combination.I usually add a whole or half of a banana for added sweetness.

Two books I always recommend for learning how to ferment are Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats andWildFermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods Also...if you really don't think you have the time or interest to create your own probiotic foods...you can buy kefir already made at the healthfood store or you can buy probiotics in a pill form. I like Jarro-Dophilus because it seems to work well, is reasonably priced and does not have to be refridgerated. Having to keep probiotics in the fridge was always a hassle for me because it was out of sight....out of mind , and I would forget to take it. Jarro-Dophilus is also handy for travelling.

If fermenting sounds like fun and if it makes sense to you, check out the article below concerning fermented veggies