Tag: healthy

  • Adding Herbs Daily for the Culinary and Medicinal Benefits

    The importance of food in our holiday gatherings can not be over emphasized. In a day in age when more than 80% of adults are taking medications for health issues and 50% of our children are diagnosed with chronic diseases we need to modify our thinking about our food. Nature provided us with all the nourishing foods to eat in order to keep us healthy. Medicinal and Culinary Herbs are plants, and all plants have vitamins and minerals. They were meant to be consumed as food, not only to be used for their medicinal benefits.

    When most people think about food they romanticize it. We think about it in terms of  Grandma and Thanksgiving and First Dates, Family Gatherings going out for Pizza and Ice-cream! Picnics and campfire means s’mores and hot dogs; Christmas -cookies; Easter – chocolate eggs & candy; Halloween – more candy!  All that is fun and lovely, but it lets us forget that “we are what we eat” – and that is not a metaphor!  

    The Sad Health Damages of the Average American Diet 

    The average American consumes about 1 gallon of soda per week, which equates to more than 18 fluid ounces, or 1.5 sodas per day. These sodas are loaded with sugar, with a 12oz can containing 35-45 grams – an amount that exceeds the recommended daily intake of ~15 grams. What’s more, these sugars are typically in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, one of the cheapest, and most health-hazardous forms of sugar that can be used. 

    Even More Alarming Statistics on the Average Yearly Consumption of Food Like Products for the typical American includes:

    • 29 pounds of french fries
    • 23 pounds of pizza
    • 24 pounds of ice cream
    • 24 pounds of chemical artificial sweeteners

    But it’s crazy for us to think that if we keep do what we do and expect the outcome to be different somehow…

    There are so many ways you can weave the medicinal and culinary herbs, into your everyday cooking! 

    Such as drinking them in teas, adding them to your meals as spices, to your smoothies and sweet treats, bake with it! The point is this – nutrition comes from food and not lab made supplements, so for me and my family, we start there and we just keep on going that direction.
    Our body has countless safety mechanisms, so when we put it through the wear and tear and one or more systems fail, the others are there to pick it up and keep working. 

    Milla, mother of 3 children who have suffered with chronic disease and diagnosis such as Lyme and Autism explains how she incorporates herbs into everyday life. 

    I use fresh herbs, dried & frozen, fermented, medicinal and culinary anywhere I can! in smoothies, soups, stews, salads, baking, tea/decoctions… I even stuff dates with ground milk thistle seeds. It has become a second nature now, when I prepare food,  I think: “what herb will fly here?”

    Milla shares a plethora of Tasty, Easy and healthy, toxin-free recipes. Gluten-Dairy-MSG-Soy-Corn-Dye-Artificial anything- FREE. Organic only, unprocessed, mostly plant-based, low on fat-grain-seed-legume-nuts. Be sure to visit her website at https://www.siberiancedarland.com/

    SOURCES: 

    http://naturalsociety.com/average-american-diet-infographic/

    RECOMMENDED Reading:

    https://nourishedblessings.com/what-is-reid/

  • Tips to Improve Immunity

    We get one body, and we need to look after it. Our bodies are complicated pieces of machinery which have been protecting us from disease, adapting to changing surroundings and lifestyles and helping us to survive since the beginning of time. Our bodies are not cut out for modern life; for processed diets and sedentary lifestyles, yet they still survive. Take a moment to think about what an amazing thing that is. Think about what we put our bodies through every day, yet they do (mostly) what we ask of them. 

    Be kind to your body. Nourish it with healthy food, condition it with exercise and balance it with healthy products, after all, it has to last you a lifetime.

    What can you do to improve immunity?

    There’s no magic pill to improve immunity, you have to adopt some healthy habits to keep your system functioning as it should.

    Exercise

    Not getting enough exercise can make you sluggish and it can affect your immune system. Exercise is excellent for general immunity, and you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete, even walking has been shown to benefit your immune system. Research shows that people who exercise regularly have more efficient white cells which fight infection. And as we know, exercise is known to release endorphins into the bloodstream; the body’s happy hormone, which reduces stress and promotes sound sleep. These are essential for good immunity.

    Eat a Healthy Diet

    Proper nutrition is essential for the proper functioning of your immune system. A diet high in sugar and alcohol can feed infections so you might want to avoid these if your immune system is low. Ensure that your diet contains plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, so include plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables. Other immune boosting foods include garlic and mushrooms, both of which have antiviral and antibiotic properties.

    18 Tips to Supporting Wellness

    Learn about the three foods that can boost immunity

    Healing Tonic

    Foods that Reduce Brain Inflammation

    Benefits of Bone Broth

    Get Enough Sleep

    Apart from making you chronically fatigued, lack of sleep can make you prone to illness and infection. If sleep deprivation is chronic, it can lead to diabetes and heart disease.  When you sleep, the body heals itself. If you don’t sleep, your body does not get the chance to repair and restore, and your immune function is impaired. Research has shown that 7 hours of sleep per night is associated with an optimal immune function.

    Avoid sleep disruption from EMF wireless radiation

    Learn to Manage Stress

    When your body is under constant stress, you’re more prone to illness and infection. Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are released into the bloodstream when we are under stress, and these weaken the immune system.

    5 Successful Tips to Reducing Stress

    What can compromise and weaken your immune system?

    Learn More visit www.balancemebeautiful.com

    Portions of this article were contributed by balancemebeautiful.com

  • What Types of Toxins Are In Your Sunscreen?

    An investigation by the Environmental Working Group found that 60% of sunscreens currently on the market are not as safe and effective as you may think. Most of them actually contain harmful chemicals that can damage your skin and even cause cancer. Have you read your sunscreen label? Did you read any of these ingredients? Oxybenzone, AVO benzo, Paraben/Propylparaben/methylparaben butyl even fragence -they are TOXIC.Even the best of intentions require diligence and effort, so when you reach for that skin lotion “with SPF,” this summer make sure you’re getting the protection you need and not leaving yourself exposed. 

    • Oxybenzone is an endocrine-disrupting chemical now that means it’s a chemical that disrupts your hormones in your body and acts almost like an estrogen. It’s responsible for increased risks and increased rates of melanoma. It’s been found to lower the birth weight of girls. That’s also been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, cell damage and skin cancer.
    •  AVO benzo is used to absorb the UVB rays now the research suggests AVO benzon degrades in the sun and resulting in the release of free radicals on your skin. That increases the risk of skin cancer. AVO benzene has been linked to severe allergic responses on the surface. I noticed this I see people spray sunscreen all over the place. I try to stand downwind because one of the worst sunscreens is the aerosol ones where you breathe the chemicals in too. Then all of a sudden at 30 minutes later, I’ll see people breaking out with rashes, or they’ll have like pimples like things all over their skin.  
    • Paraben/Propylparaben/methylparaben butyl  Parabens are commonly used as preservatives in sunscreens and a variety of personal care and beauty products as well. They are also endocrine and estrogen disruptors. Parabens in clinical trials have been associated with infertility sterility abnormal development of the testes and kids obesity asthma allergies benign tumors of the uterus and digestive tract cancer as well as breast cancer so make sure that you always use paraben free beauty products and sunscreens.
    • Fragrance, now that sounds like a real natural. They must extract these from rose or jasmine or something like. NO! The reason why is the FDA actually allows chemical companies to use the word fragrance to hide their proprietary blend of chemicals. If you see the word fragrance just know that it can have up to 1500 toxic chemicals hidden behind that name including petroleum. So they’re all grouped together under the term “fragrance” it almost assures you that the product is toxic.

      Be in the sun responsibly cover up with a hat.
      An organic long sleeve cotton shirt is breathable and provides 20 SPF
      Raspberry seed oil and carrot seed oil (even blended together) provide an SPF of about 26

    Learn More about 5 Dangerous Chemicals in Sunscreen:
    https://ghc.us/1r5

    Learn More about Natural Sunscreen Alternatives:
    https://ghc.us/15-

    ——-

    Dr. Edward Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM is the founder and CEO of Global Healing Center. He assumes a hands-on approach to producing new and advanced life changing products and information to help you maintain a clean body and live a healthy lifestyle. It’s our mission to bring back good health, positive thinking, happiness, and love.

    This article originally appeared at: https://youtu.be/zlTeazx00kQ.

  • Four Reasons to Celebrate the California Cleaning Product Right to Know Act

    At long last, the veil of secrecy over chemicals in cleaning products is lifting. In October, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2017, which will require known hazardous chemicals in home and commercial cleaning products to be listed on labels and online.

    Manufacturers of cleaning products have until 2020 to disclose ingredients online and until 2021 to list them on labels. But the impact of the new rules could be felt sooner, and well beyond California. The nation’s most populous state is also the biggest market for consumer products, and it’s likely that the new disclosure rules will trickle down to products manufactured, distributed and sold nationwide. (New York also has a cleaners ingredient disclosure law, but its specific rules are still being worked out.)

    EWG was a co-sponsor of the bill, authored by state Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens. Here are four reasons we’re celebrating the fact that Californians will soon have unprecedented access to detailed chemical information for cleaning and disinfecting products used in the home and workplace.

    1. Rather than disclosing chemicals of concern, manufacturers may decide to take them out of products.

    Transparency often begets reformulation. In 2009, the California Safe Cosmetics Program began requiring companies to report carcinogens and reproductive toxicants in their products. By 2015, more than 150 companies reported removing a total of 2,193 ingredients. Cleaning product makers may take the same path, knowing that once ingredients are known, consumers can make educated decisions to avoid them and choose better options.

    2. Disclosure is mandatory for ingredients linked to chronic diseases and conditions, not simply immediate dangers.

    Previously, only some ingredients, such as those associated with acute hazards like skin or eye burns, physical hazards like flammability, or active ingredients in disinfectants or sanitizers, were required to be listed on package labels. Now, substances linked to longer-term problems like DNA damage, birth defects, endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity and respiratory impacts will have to be disclosed.

    3. For the first time ever in the U.S., manufacturers will have to disclose more of their fragrance ingredients.

    The vague term “fragrance” may hide the identity of dozens of chemicals in a complex mixture in a single product. But fragrance chemicals can trigger asthma and allergic reactions. Some are linked to cancer, like acetaldehyde, or can form carcinogenic secondary pollutants, like formaldehyde, when they mix with air. Some manufacturers have begun voluntarily disclosing fragrance ingredients, but many more have not. Under the new law, companies will have to list more of their fragrance ingredients, including the 26 allergenic components required in Europe.

    4. Impurities will be under greater scrutiny.

    The new law identifies 34 “non-functional constituents” that must be revealed online. These are substances present in small amounts that are not intentionally added, serve no technical purpose in the finished product or are not stripped out. They could be contaminants introduced from raw materials or processing equipment, breakdown products of an ingredient or a byproduct of the manufacturing process. The list includes hormone-disrupting phthalates, carcinogens such as benzene and nitrosamines, and the likely carcinogen 1,4-dioxane.

    While we wait for the bill to start taking effect, EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning highlights products that help reduce exposure to known fragrance allergens and other hazardous ingredients and impurities.

  • Farmed Salmon the Dirty Secret

    HFI: Here are some facts about Farmed Salmon which may get you think twice about buying one again:
    1. Farmed salmon is fed pellets of chicken feces, soy, GMO canola oil, corn meal and other fish with high levels of toxins
    2. Farmed salmon has 7 times higher levels of PCB’s compared to wild salmon
    3. Farmed salmon has 30 times more sea lice
    4. Farmed salmon is given toxic chemicals to intesify their flesh’s color
    5. Farmed salmon is pumped with more antibiotics than any other livestock
    6. Farmed salmon has less omega 3’s as a result of the lack of wild diet
    7. Farmed salmon is prone to more disease

    Next time you dine out and decide to try the salmon, make sure it’s wild and not farmed.

    According to the EPA the most toxic fish in the world is farmed salmon. They even advise people that more than one meal of farmed salmon a month is the maximum they should eat.

    But even their recommendation is wrong because farmed salmon is one of the most toxic FOODS in the world and should not be consumed in any amount.

    You should know that farmed fish of any kind is not good for your health and can wreak havoc on your organism in ways you can’t even imagine. Why? Well, because fish in the wild doesn’t eat corn, grains or pork, while farmed fish do, but they’re not supposed to. Moreover, farmers give fish a toxic combination of vitamins and antibiotics, which afterwards end up in your system. Some fish even get synthetic pigments.

    Farmed Salmon – One of the Most Toxic Foods in the World

    What’s even more surprising is that the toxins in farmed fish don’t come only from pesticides and antibiotics, most of them come from the dry pellet feed. Research has found that the fish feed contains dangerous amounts of dioxins, PCBs and a bunch of other drugs and chemicals which can cause permanent damage to your body and can even be linked to immune system problems, endocrine system disorders, autism and ADHD.

    Dr. Monsen, a well-renowned biologist says:

    “I do not recommend pregnant women, children or young people eat farmed salmon. It is uncertain in both the amount of toxins salmon contain, and how these drugs affect children, adolescents and pregnant women… The type of contaminants that have been detected in farmed salmon have a negative effect on brain development and is associated with autism, ADD / ADHD and reduced IQ. We also know that they can affect other organ systems in the body’s immune system and metabolism.”

    Omega-3 Levels in Farmed Salmon Is Nearly Half of That in Wild Salmon

    The International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO) says that the farmed fish we eat today doesn’t contain even half of the amount of omega-3s compared to a decade ago. This is mostly due to the fact that farmed salmon are now fed more on byproducts of hog and poultry processing, soybeans and soybean oil, canola oil, corn and other grain when they should be fed smaller wild fish rich in omega-3s.

    Farmed Salmon Can Cause Cancer

    According to research, people that eat farmed salmon more than once a month are at a higher risk of developing some type of cancer later in life as a result of the high amount of chemicals and antibiotics found in the farmed salmon fillet.

    Moreover, it has been revealed that farmed salmon contains high levels of cancer causing PCB, 16 times higher than wild salmon. Farmed salmon also contains 11 times more dioxin than wild salmon.

    If this wasn’t enough, farmed salmon is rich in inflammation producing omega-6 fatty acids, which consequently can increase your risk of developing serious diseases like diabetes, cancer, arthritis, coronary artery disease and Alzheimer’s.

    Banned Synthetic Astaxanthin

    It’s astonishing to find out that farmers pump their salmon with synthetic astaxanthin, a substance that has been banned by every government in the world for human consumption. This harmful substance makes the farmed fish’s flesh look more pinkish and similar to wild salmon, fooling people into thinking they’re actually eating wild salmon.

     How can you tell the difference?
    Well, if the menu doesn’t say you can ask, and if it’s cheaper than usually it’s surely farmed because farmed salmon is more affordable than wild. Wild salmon can sometimes cost as much as a high end cut of beef. If you want to preserve your health choose wild and forget about farmed. Another telltale sign your salmon isn’t wild?  The color!  Farm- raised salmon is much lighter than wild salmon!

    Source: http://chere1.com

    This article originally appeared at: http://healthyremedies.net/2017/05/06/farmed-salmon-one-toxic-foods-world/.

  • Buyer Beware: You HAVE To Read Labels

    HFI: Research your foods and learn to read labels. Healthy doesn’t necessarily mean free of harmful ingredients. 

    Food labeled “healthy” should be nutritious, low in added sugar, and free of trans fat and other harmful ingredients, right? Not according to the Food and Drug Administration’s current labeling guidelines.

    The rules for health claims on food products hasn’t been significantly updated since 1994, despite big advances in nutrition science.

    EWG Food Scores database has nutrition facts, ingredients and processing ratings on more than 80,000 products, and our Dietary Guidelines can help you create a healthy and nutritious diet for yourself and your family. 

    It’s clear the FDA needs to modernize its criteria for “healthy.” When we look for “healthy” foods in a grocery store, we are looking for foods that nourish our bodies and are not known to have harmful effects.

     By Dawn Undurraga, Nutritionist and Violet Batcha, Digital Media Manager
    This article originally appeared at: http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2017/05/buyer-beware-what-s-really-healthy-cereal.

  • Food Affects How You Feel

    Harvard Health affirms that food affects how you feel. Your diet matters SO MUCH MORE than you think. 

    Beat anxiety and depression by eating eating more fruits and vegetables!

    “Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. Since about 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, and your gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons, it makes sense that the inner workings of your digestive system don’t just help you digest food, but also guide your emotions. What’s more, the function of these neurons — and the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin — is highly influenced by the billions of “good” bacteria that make up your intestinal microbiome.”

    Start paying attention to how eating different foods makes you feel — not just in the moment, but the next day. Try eating a “clean” diet for two to three weeks — that means cutting out all processed foods and sugar. Add fermented foods like kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, pickles, or kombucha. You also might want to try going dairy-free — and some people even feel that they feel better when their diets are grain-free. See how you feel. Then slowly introduce foods back into your diet, one by one, and see how you feel.

    When my patients “go clean,” they cannot believe how much better they feel both physically and emotionally, and how much worse they then feel when they reintroduce the foods that are known to enhance inflammation. Give it a try!

    Make sure these fruits and vegetables are free from glyphosate and the Roundup product.

    Scientific studies have also discovered that glyphosate is an endocrine distruptor and can cause mental instability and mood disorders. 

    Tryptophan is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins.  Tryptophan is an essential amino acid in humans, meaning that the body cannot synthesize it: it must be obtained from the diet through plant and animal sources that include grains, nuts, oats, wheat, and eggs (list not exhaustive). Tryptophan is also a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin and the hormone melatonin.  Tryptophan deficiency can lead to lower serotonin levels. This can result in mood disorders, such as depression.

    Serotonin also impacts every part of your body, from your emotions to your motor skills. Serotonin is considered a natural mood stabilizer. It’s the neurotransmitter that helps with sleeping, eating, and digesting.

    Glyphosate works in plants by disrupting the plants shikimate pathway.  The shikimate pathway is involved with the synthesis of the essential amino acids, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan.  When we consume Roundup treated plants, we do not get the needed amino acids like tryptophan necessary for the synthesis of serotonin.

    Another interesting point about glyphosate is that because of its chelating (binding and removing) abilities, it also reduces calcium and magnesium levels.

    From the Harvard Health Blog:

    Think about it. Your brain is always “on.” It takes care of your thoughts and movements, your breathing and heartbeat, your senses — it works hard 24/7, even while you’re asleep. This means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. That “fuel” comes from the foods you eat — and what’s in that fuel makes all the difference. Put simply, what you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood.

    Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress — the “waste” (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells.

    Unfortunately, just like an expensive car, your brain can be damaged if you ingest anything other than premium fuel. If substances from “low-premium” fuel (such as what you get from processed or refined foods) get to the brain, it has little ability to get rid of them. Diets high in refined sugars, for example, are harmful to the brain. In addition to worsening your body’s regulation of insulin, they also promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function — and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression.

    It makes sense. If your brain is deprived of good-quality nutrition, or if free radicals or damaging inflammatory cells are circulating within the brain’s enclosed space, further contributing to brain tissue injury, consequences are to be expected. What’s interesting is that for many years, the medical field did not fully acknowledge the connection between mood and food.

    Today, fortunately, the burgeoning field of nutritional psychiatry is finding there are many consequences and correlations between not only what you eat, how you feel, and how you ultimately behave, but also the kinds of bacteria that live in your gut.

    How the foods you eat affect how you feel read more here http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626.

    For more information on this topic, please see: Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry, Sarris J, et al. Lancet Psychiatry. 2015

    The field of Nutritional Psychiatry is relatively new, however there are observational data regarding the association between diet quality and mental health across countries, cultures and age groups – depression in particular. Here are links to some systematic reviews and meta-analyses:

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/99/1/181.long
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23720230
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4167107/

    There are also now two interventions suggesting that dietary improvement can prevent depression:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3848350/
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4050338/

    Diet during early life is also linked to mental health outcomes in children (very important from public health perspective):

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24074470
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25524365 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23541912

    Extensive animal data show that dietary manipulation affects brain plasticity and there are now data from humans to suggest the same:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4563885/

    Finally, while there are yet to be published RCTs testing dietary improvement as a treatment strategy for depression, the first of these is underway and results will be published within six months:

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3636120/

  • 9 Toxins Found In Most Homes

    9 Toxins Found In Most Homes

    We’ve had a noticeable improvement in our health since we began to remove ‘hidden’ toxins that were slowly poisoning us from our home over the past year and a half.  These days most people are generally aware about environmental concerns. And still there is always more to learn…

    The short list of toxins under your roof may surprise you:

    Formaldehyde offgasses (evaporates) from cushions, particleboard and the adhesives used to manufacture most inexpensive wood-based products. Carpets and carpet cushions may also offgas formaldehyde, causing eye and upper respiratory irritation. According to the EPA, formaldehyde may even cause cancer;

    Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, warns the Surgeon General. Radon is a natural radioactive gas that can seep into homes through cracks in the basement, the surrounding foundation and in well water. It enters the body quietly through the airways;

    Lead keeps epidemiologists returning to the drawing board, says Soloway, “mostly because we know more now about the adverse effects of low-level exposure.” Levels once thought to be acceptable are now known contributors to learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Lead is found in paint in older houses, old plumbing and soil near highways and busy roads. It causes neurological and kidney damage, high blood pressure, disrupted blood cell production and reproductive problems; 

    Carbon monoxide will kill an estimated 660 Americans this year. Don’t look for exhaust fumes in the attached garage; the biggest culprit is the unserviced furnace burning propane, butane or oil; Arsenic is still lacing many household pesticides and is increasingly used as a wood preservative. Low levels of inorganic arsenic “may cause lung cancer risk,” according to the CDC. The Department of Health and Human Services agrees, adding arsenic compounds to the list of unknown carcinogens;

    Vinyl chloride is the source of “new car smell”: The plastic interior of a new car offgasses this known carcinogen. Water sitting in PVC pipes overnight may also be steeping into a toxic tea. Very large exposures can lead to “vinyl chloride disease,” which causes severe liver damage and ballooning of the fingertips;

    Hydrofluoric acid “can cause intense pain and damage to tissues and bone if the recommended gloves happen to have holes in them,” says Soloway. This highly corrosive substance is the active ingredient in many household rust removers.

    But even the most liberal list of known toxins pales next to the order of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs comprise hundreds of natural and man-made, carbon-based agents. They react quickly with other carbon-based compounds, and evaporate easily, making them ideal solvents. VOCs can be found in disinfectants and pesticides, too. 

    Solvents: Benzene and methyl ethyl ketome traverse cell walls unchecked by normal cell defense. Both are known carcinogens. Cousins toluene, xylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane and trichloroethylene make up the lion’s share of the solvent market;

    Disinfectants: Phenols, which include biphenyl, phenolics and the preservative pentachloraphenol, are found in disinfectants, antiseptics, perfumes, mouthwashes, glues and air fresheners;

    Pesticides: Chlordane, aldrin, dieldrin, though all banned for nearly two decades, continue to show up airborne in older houses.

    Don’t be a statistical figure on the CDC’s tracking list: Be aware of what substances, from pesticides to cleaners, pose threats in your household. Maintain ingredient awareness. Many poisonings still occur because of product combinations, like the ammonia-chlorine bleach reaction, which produces the deadly respiratory irritant chloramine (a problem labeling practices have not addressed).

    Replace toxic agents with non-toxic alternatives. Above all, educate your household to reduce risk and exposure.

  • Get your kids to eat: Green Peas

    Get your kids to eat: Green Peas

    We don’t usually think about green peas as an exotic food in terms of nutrient composition but we should. Because of their sweet taste and starchy texture, we know that green peas must contain some sugar and starch (and they do). But they also contain a unique assortment of health-protective phytonutrients. One of these phytonutrients, a polyphenol called coumestrol, has recently come to the forefront of research with respect to stomach cancer protection.

    A Mexico City-based study has shown that daily consumption of green peas along with other legumes lowers risk of stomach cancer (gastric cancer), especially when daily coumestrol intake from these legumes is approximately 2 milligrams or higher. Since one cup of green peas contains at least 10 milligrams of coumestrol, it’s not difficult for us to obtain this remarkable health benefit. (source)

    Dried peas need to be washed and any discoloured peas or little stones discarded. Split peas don’t need to be soaked but doing so helps speed up the cooking time, but if adding to a soup they don’t need soaking. Simply wash, add to the rest of the ingredients, and cook.

    Dr. Andrew Weil on health benefits and how to cook them:

    There are few of us who have not found comfort in a steaming bowl of split pea soup at one time or another. Split peas are the dried, peeled, and most often split spherical seeds of the common pea plant, Pisum sativum. They can be purchased whole and un-split as well, though these take longer to cook.

    Peas are thought to have originated somewhere between the Middle East and Central Asia; and, until the 16th century, when more tender varieties were able to be cultivated, they were almost exclusively consumed by humans in their dried form.

    Just one cup of cooked split peas provides a full 65 percent of the Daily Value for fiber, making them, like all legumes, highly beneficial in blood sugar management and cholesterol control. Dried peas are also a good source of B vitamins (folate and thiamin) and various minerals such as magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.

    Cooking time: Split peas, 30-60 minutes; whole peas, 60-90 minutes
    Liquid per cup of legume: Split peas, 4 cups; whole peas, 6 cups
    How to cook dried peas: While dried split peas do not need to be soaked, dried whole peas should be soaked overnight prior to cooking.
    For split peas, combine in a pot with fresh, cold water for cooking. Place on stove and bring to a boil in a pot with a lid. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, tilting the lid slightly to allow steam to escape, and leave to cook for up to 60 minutes, or until mushy.
    For whole peas, drain soaking water and replace with fresh, cold water for cooking. Place on stove and bring to a boil in a pot with a lid. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, tilting lid slightly to allow steam to escape, and leave to cook for up to 90 minutes, or until tender. (source)

    Here is my all-time favorite recipe for split-pea soup WITH fresh (frozen) peas added at the end. I often adapt this recipe by replacing the bacon (nitrate free of course) with 1-cup of leftover ham that’s been diced, labeled, frozen and ready for soup. 
    This recipe is superbly delicious, and it freezes beautifully. 

    Speedy Split Pea Soup With Bacon (or ham)

    Makes 6 generous servings (or lots to freeze) and is ready in about an hour.

    1 package bacon, chopped (or 1-2 cups diced cooked ham)
    1 large onion, chopped
    2 carrots, peeled and chopped
    2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
    2 cloves garlic, peeled sliced thinly
    2 cups dried split peas
    8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
    2 bay leaves
    1 tablespoon dried rosemary
    Salt and pepper
    2 cups of frozen peas
    1 tablespoon of any vinegar

    Place bacon in a large soup pot over a medium high heat. When the bacon is brown and crispy drain away the fat, leaving about 2 Tbsp in the pot (alternately, first cook veg in a bit of EVOO and add thawed cooked ham when adding dried peas, stock and seasonings). Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the pot and sauté for a few minutes. Add the dried peas, stock, bay leaves, rosemary and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking until the soup is thick and the peas are completely soft. Stir in frozen peas and stir to heat through. Stir in the vinegar and add salt and pepper to taste. (recipe source) Gina’s Note: The bright pop of flavor from the fresh/frozen green peas adds a real freshness and depth to this dish, and the vinegar (I use red wine vinegar) simply highlights all the flavours already there. You won’t actually taste vinegar, it’s simply doing its magic of heightening flavors.

     

    This article originally appeared at: https://frontyardtobackcountry.com/2014/03/15/give-peas-a-chance/.
  • 4 Recipes for Creamy Gluten-Free Cheesecake

    4 Recipes for Creamy Gluten-Free Cheesecake

    Basic Gluten-Free Cheesecake

    SERVES 12

    Modify this versatile recipe using different crusts and toppings to suit your needs. It’s fun to create different desserts using one basic no-fail cheesecake.

    2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese, room temperature
    1½ cups sugar
    5 eggs, room temperature
    2 cups Greek yogurt, sour cream or dairy-free sour cream
    2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    1 gluten-free crust of choice, pre- baked
    – Topping of choice

    1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

    2. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar and continue beating for a few minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine. Then beat in remaining ingredients.

    3. Pour the filling into a springform pan that contains a cooled prebaked crust.

    4. Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 2 hours or until the top is golden and feels firm yet soft like a baked custard. Begin checking after 90 minutes. Internal temperature should be 150 degrees.

    5. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for about an hour. Five minutes after shutting off the oven, run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to help prevent cheesecake from cracking as it cools and settles.

    6. Remove cheesecake from the oven and cool completely before chilling in the refrigerator. Cover with toppings of your choice. Slice and serve.

    Each slice with graham cracker crust contains 581 calories, 44g total fat, 24g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 205mg cholesterol, 373mg sodium, 42g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 11g protein.

    Dairy-Free Cheesecake

    Find even more Gluten Free and Dairy Free Recipes at: http://www.glutenfreeandmore.com/issues/4_8/Gluten-Free-Cheesecake-Guide-2054-1.html.