Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween

Once again we purchased a dried fruit snack to give as treats to the kiddos.  There aren't many kids in this neighborhood so we don't need to purchase many; but it's good to know that there is a way that we can encourage others to enjoy this holiday without the junk.  At least dried fruit snacks can offer some sort of nutritional benefit.

I hope your Halloween is as safe and healthy!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Another ND on the Way!


I had to post this comment that I took as a GREAT compliment a few weeks back.  It was in reference to my post entitled Why Holistic: ND vs. MD.  I remembered willfully trying not to be harsh about MDs' practices especially since there are so many amazing MDs out there whom I wish the best.  At the same time, I was also very honest about my observation.

Here was the comment:

This convinced me to apply to Naturopathic Medical School. Thank you for this highly informative and encouraging post!

...and my response:

Yay! That makes me so happy! We need more good NDs in this world.

You may already know which school you would like to attend, but in case you are looking for more choices there are websites on my Wellness Avenues page  that list accredited schools in the country and I THINK one in Canada.

Good luck to you, my friend!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Royal Raymond Rife and His Healing Machine

Royal Raymond Rife postulated that at the heart of every cancer tumor, was a virus.  Of course, the medical community mocked him for it just like they mocked many other brilliant scientists; but that did not make his theory untrue.  For the very reasons he was mocked, today many praise and admire him for being decades ahead of his time.

Once he realized that this virus is necessary to keep the cancer cell alive, he started coming up with ways of defeating cancer without the use of toxic drugs or invasive surgery.  He created a machine that creates a frequency that kills unwanted microbes without harming healthy cells.  One would believe that if he came up with such an incredible find, he would have riches to boast about.  Royal Rife died a pauper, but he left behind his legacy that very few know about today.



Turmeric Milk Comments

I tried the turmeric milk and WOW was it good!  I'm a little too afraid to try my normal sweeteners in it right  now so I used stevia, but it was STILL good!

Turmeric is a candida killer as I've addressed in an earlier post.  So candida sufferers should be drinking this stuff daily.  Since it seems to be good for your everything, we should all be drinking it anyway!  I'm playing with ingredients to make a turmeric milk that I can't do without.  I'll be sure to share it when I figure out a great recipe.  I warn you, however, it could take weeks or months; but I'll keep trying anyway.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Question: How Do YOU Have a Healthy Halloween?

Halloween is on the way.  That holiday where kids go from door to door to get a bag full of that addictive, deadly, poison that we know as sugar.  This is actually the one part of Halloween that is genuinely scary for me.  There is a lot of pressure on people to "just have fun" and not worry about the sugar.  But what about parents who are concerned about their child's sugar intake?

For the last few Halloweens, I've given out dried fruit snacks (with no added sugar) as treats.  But what happens when it's YOUR child that shouldn't be eating sugar?  What kind of fun Halloween traditions can a family do to replace the "trick or treat" business?  Comments are deeply valued.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

List of Fermented Foods & Vegetables that Can Heal Your Gut

If I haven't announced it yet, I've defeated candida again.  I'm hoping that this time it stays away and doesn't come back.  I've been really trying to build my system with probiotics of all kinds and with fermented vegetables.  Most candida sufferers know that fermented foods feed candida and should be avoided as long as the candida is overtaking the gut.  There are some exceptions to this rule, however.

Several sources suggest that some fermented foods grow cultures that can heal the intestinal tract.  Sauerkraut, when not riddled with sugar and vinegar, is one of the best things to eat when you have any disease from lacking gut flora or abnormal gut flora.  Below is an article from Dr. Mercola who interviewed Dr. Campell McBride.

List of Fermented Foods & Vegetables that Can Heal Your Gut

Fierce Phude

I've heard Dr. Rima Laibow and Mike Adams talk about how food can be used as a weapon.  It's scary to think about, but I'm done turning a blind eye to conspiracy theories.  I made a decision that I'm just going to listen, educate and do what I can to be a voice of truth.

Even if these people are all crazy, we still ought to listen.  There must be a reason WHY it is so difficult for We The People to get what we want; even if it is something as simple as putting a label on GMOs.


Monday, October 22, 2012

The Amazin' Peppermint

I first tasted the cool flavor of peppermint from the candy canes that I used to eat at Christmas.  Then one day my father picked some from the back yard and made me a cup of tea with it.  My mom was a nurse and would always give me peppermint in some form whenever I had an upset stomach.  It was also my favorite flavor of toothpaste or breath-mint when I was a kid.  As an adult, I've had many different digestive ailments and peppermint oil played a role in treating and soothing indigestion issues.  So as you can see, peppermint played many roles in my life. It's interesting to see how medicinal it is.

According to Harvard Medical School, peppermint can play many roles in healing.  They found that 75% of patients who took peppermint oil had great reductions in IBS symptoms (irritable bowel syndrome) than the placebo group.  They feel that menthol is the rockstar medicinal aspect of peppermint.  This is why you find menthol in lozenges and "cooling" pain relieving creams like Be*g*y or Tiger Balm.  It's also used to treat, sooth or relieve other ailments like fever, pain, nausea, flatulence, headache and many, many others.

How wonderful that an herb that has been in my life from as far back as I can remember is such a health booster!  It's not difficult to grow peppermint, it grows like a weed in fact.  I look forward to growing it in my own yard in the near future.

Turmeric Milk

I recently heard about turmeric milk which sounded pretty amazing, so I had to look into it more.  I feel like I hit gold in more ways than one when I found this video.

One area I disagree with Dr. Arjan is one of the milk options.  Silk brand soy milk, is NOT recommended by any doctor (whether ND or chiropractor) that has treated me.  Even if soy was a food that they felt was great, however, the Silk brand's integrity is in question now that they have contributed $253,000 in a "no to 37" campaign (in efforts to stop GMO labeling).

I would probably just make walnut milk (which is soooo easy to make) or stick with almond, hemp or oat milk if you want to keep things vegan.  If you insist on soy, however, there are TONS of other brands that are in the business for the sake of your health.  Let's make efforts to support them.


Sunday, October 21, 2012

The Healer That Is Green Tea

I am temporarily supposed to stay away from green tea because of the caffeine, but there are so many wonderful things to say about green it.

For cold and flu, green tea could be an ally.  If you remember in an earlier post, Dr. Chris was telling us about how green tea was an important part of his cold/flu healing protocol.  Hot tea is great for any illness.  Virus and bacteria tend to weaken under the influence of heat and will even die if there is too much heat.  As an added bonus to the heat, green tea itself is antimicrobial.  It may not be as strong as goldenseal, but when fighting off an illness, every little bit helps.

I remember when I was first introduced to Japanese green tea.  I went out to eat sushi for the first time with my roommate.  She came to America from Japan to study English.   We discussed the benefits of drinking green tea over our meal.  She said that green tea is wonderful for the skin and felt that this is one reason why Asians have such great skin.  Well, according to my research, it looks as though she was right!  There are powerful antioxidants in green tea that is GREAT for the skin.  These antioxidants make green tea an avenue of prevention for cancer and heart disease as well.

In the world of warm beverages, it seems that green tea is a rock star!  So have that warm tea for breakfast or teatime, but try to make it green fairly often.

Turmeric Treats Candida Infection and Colorectal Cancers

I found this article on natural news.  This was soooo encouraging for me because I love curry.  I also found out that other curry ingredients like cardamom also fight candida.  This is an awesome discovery for those of us who are sick.  Curry is a wonderful, wonderful healing food!

I make curry from many different main courses, but the one I miss is curry goat.  Goat isn't sold as meat in the US as often as chicken and beef.  Now that my health providers are both telling me to eat more meat, I wish more than ever that I can find organic goat meat.  It would be nice to have something other than chicken and beef all the time.

If you are vegan, curry is wonderful in lentils, chickpeas and white beans.  In any case, give curry a try.  I repeat, curry is a wonderful healing food!

Turmeric Treats Candida Infection and Colorectal Cancers

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Yes, I Said Starvation



I saw this image in Google and had to write a post about it.  It says so much about starvation.  The boy on television is starved (possibly to death) from lack of food; while the boy at McD****ds is starved from lack of nutrients.  We can be so blind when things aren't right in our faces sometimes.  The second boy has parents that are living under the illusion that they are feeding their child well.  Some may even feel like he is being fed "too well" when ironically neither the boy on the television or the boy at McD****ds is being nourished at all.  One isn't eating food while the other eats empty food.

Don't be fooled, both boys are starving.  The day we all see this is the day that we start pursuing the companies that produce real food instead of the ones that give us garbage.  The day we start pursuing this is the day that we will demand our health and health freedom.

Healing Frequencies

I know, I know what this sounds like.  Healing frequencies... huh???  Yeah, that's what I said too.  Until I tried it.  My doctor referred me to a man who assesses energy fields.  Once he assessed mine, he sent a full report to my doctor and sent me frequencies to listen to for 10 minutes per day.  It's a lot of beeping, ringing and buzzing that my husband describes as annoying.  To my utter surprise, it really, really works!

I really feel a difference within seconds of listening to it.  My doctor makes sure that I listen to it for 10 minutes a day every time I talk to her; so she must know of its importance.  I don't even need to know what she knows; I just know that I've been feeling really good lately.

Ol' Man Santo

This video gave me a laugh!  I posted this just for fun.  Be well my friends!


Friday, October 19, 2012

Naturalistic Health Care Providers

I still remember my old acupuncturist in San Diego.  She was amazing.  There were few times that she would have to refer me to a doctor because of something outside her scope.  I didn't need health insurance because of her.  We used to trade services, she would give acupuncture and I would give her a massage with reiki.

I honestly didn't think I would be able to find another acupuncturist who was as wonderful as she was; until now.  There are some things my former acupuncturist could do that my new one doesn't, but there are things that my new acupuncturist could do that my former acupuncturist did not.  It's hard to compare the two; in fact, it's impossible.  If I could have my way, they would work collaboratively within a few short miles from where I live.  Unfortunately, one is still in San Diego.

Despite how much I miss my former acupuncturist, I'm so happy I found the one that I have now.  My low back is almost completely healed thanks to her and my new chiropractor; I don't even remember the last time I had even a small migraine; I've finally been getting some sleep and I haven't been feeling as fatigued as I used to.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Health Freedom Please!

I can understand why people feel that Obamacare is a good thing.  I understand how it could seem like a good thing to stay in a hospital for $12 per night as opposed to the great expense that we must pay right now.  I understand that some people like it because everyone must pay for their own health insurance.  Please understand; I get this. What I feel that many people don't get is the bigger picture.

Clinics and small businesses have shut down because they couldn't be Obamacare compliant.  People don't have the option of not carrying health care even when they pay most of their health care out of pocket like I do.  How do people not understand that it is not freedom when we MUST buy insurance even when we don't need it?  Yes, I understand the argument about car insurance.  If I have a car then I MUST have insurance; but that's IF I own a car!  There is no opting out of health insurance as long as your body has lungs that are breathing.

I'm sorry, but Obamacare is a scary, scary story.  We shouldn't have to purchase anything, especially when unemployment rates are so high.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Healing Herbs

I was curious about candida fighting *herbs*  so I did a little research and boy was I surprised at what I found!  I almost ventured to look further but the article that I found (click the *herbs* link to find the article), it wasn't an eye opener as much as it was a reminder!

I used to take a yeast fighting herb a few years ago.  Most of the ingredients I've forgotten, but the one that I remember was goldenseal.  All along I had a yeast fighting herb in my fridge and I didn't even remember enough to know about it.  Garlic, at first, was another surprise until I remembered that a girlfriend of mine actually used garlic to fight a vaginal yeast infection.  Now, I don't recommend this if you've never tried this before.  She said that there was a certain way that you had to wrap the garlic in cotton.  She is apparently a very skilled woman, but I would have to be pretty desperate to give something like this a shot.  The bottom line is, she healed herself.  Garlic saved her skin... in more ways than one!  Black Walnut was another herb on the list.  One of my health providers gave me black walnut when I had an attack this past summer.  Tea tree oil was also suggested.  It is an antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal compound that I knew about already; but like the other mentioned herbs, I've forgotten about it until now.

I have a supplement called triguard that has goldenseal and tea tree oil.  I can also put more garlic in my foods (but I would suggest to balance it with parsley, milk, cardamom, fennel, lemon or cloves to tone down the smell of the garlic on your breath and skin).  There are so many ways to defeat candida.  So if you're infected, I understand you're frustration, but be encouraged, because you CAN get well!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Oil Of Oregano

You know that oregano stuff that you use to spice up your fish or soup?  Well, it's not just good for flavoring food. Oregano oil is so powerful! My aunt uses this stuff when she feels a cold coming on and as a result, she doesn't really get cold or flu.

It turns out that oil of oregano has more healing power than I thought.  It seems to be anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal and more.


Meat And Veggies

My doctor instructed me not to eat eggs, nightshades, dairy, caffeine, corn, gluten, sugar or any yeast forming foods.  When I told a friend of mine this, she asked me what I eat exactly.  It was difficult to answer because I used to eat lots of eggs, nightshades and dairy.  

My doctor gave me a piece of advice that worked BEAUTIFULLY.  She told me to eat meat, veggies and very little (if any) fruit.  I ate this way for two short weeks and a few days ago, I had a burst of energy that I never thought I would find.  Both my doctor and my acupuncturist told me that I'm looking much better.  Now I understand why my old chiropractor calls this the healing diet. 

The candida is gone; hopefully this time for good.  Dairy and corn are back on the list of foods that I can eat.  I guess this means that I need to keep doing what I'm doing until I can eat normally again.  I intend to keep this up until my health is restored.  I'll keep you posted!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Cayenne Pepper

My hubby insists that his heritage has something to do with his ability to stay healthy, but I feel that it is something else.  He loves, loves, loves spicy foods.  The hotter the meal, the better.  Whenever the Whole Foods deli workers ask him how spicy he would like for his burritos to be, I usually tell them that when his sandwich burns a hole through the counter they are getting close.  It makes me happy that he enjoys it so much because it is SUCH a fabulous immune booster.

The article below gives some additional insight about the healing power of cayenne pepper.  I didn't realize how powerful it actually is.  Cancer cells hate it, it cleared up a bad ear infection that I had years ago and it also could have a hand in preventing heart disease.

I've always found myself sneezing constantly when I make my hubby's food because the spices that I put on it often include cayenne pepper.  I try to have some on occasion, but unfortunately my mouth doesn't really enjoy being on fire.  For those of you who do enjoy it, have seconds; it's good stuff!

The amazing healing powers of cayenne pepper (capsicum)

Healing Foods

"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food" is one of my favorite Hippocrates quotes.  It's not a wonder why I feel far from illness when I eat real food and sick when I do otherwise.  Recently, my doctor and acupuncturist have both been working on my digestive issues and I've seen incredible improvement.  I take a few herbal supplements for some other things, but ultimately the medicine that I'm taking for my digestive tract is food.

I've temporarily eliminated foods that are more difficult to digest.  The one thing that has been a real blessing to me are all the cultured veggies that I've made and eaten.  I don't know what I would do without them.  I'm working on creating other snacks and treats that will sustain me until all of this is over.  I'm looking forward to sharing.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Cosmetic Stuff

Cosmetics; the one thing that many women can't live without.  From experience, I know how hard it was to give certain cosmetics up myself.  The thing that motivated me was the knowledge that I was putting some pretty toxic stuff on my skin and my body was absorbing it.  The problem with "all natural" products and "green" products is that you still have to read labels.  The "all natural" and "green" labels are often to target a group of people, NOT to make the world a better place.

As much as I enjoyed this video, there are some parts of it that I actually disagreed with.  I disagree that we should depend on government to fix this.  Government agencies and programs can be used as puppets for corporate monsters and they often are.  The FDA, for example, is doing more harm than good; for example, there is the the draft guidance programs, the laws against raw milk and there are farmers who were forced to slaughter their livestock for the silliest reasons.  The free market is really the way to go.  If there are companies that create a certification process, they will compete for business.  We need to stop depending on government for everything.


Winter

I apologize for being away from this blog for so long.  Winter hasn't exactly been my best friend, however, I have reason to hope that this will be the last winter that I will despise.  I've learned recently that it is my thyroid that causes the winter blues that I've experienced most of my life.  I expected the sluggishness this winter, however, I'm also expecting that my vibrant health will allow me the pleasure to enjoy the winter next year.  I look forward to that very much.

If you're like me and you become sluggish in the winter too, I suggest that you get thyroid testing before you start taking prescriptions.  Be warned that you may fall under the "normal" range.  My thyroid tested "normal" as well.  I still pursued more information on a hunch and it turns out that there are some people in the "normal" range who still experience symptoms.  If your water supply is fluoridated, that is all the more reason to get tested.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Healthy Winter Greens Recipes and Cooking Tips

I came across these recipes recently.  Most sound pretty wonderful, but I;m sad to admit that the gnocchi dish sparked my interest the most.  I've had gnocchi so few times in my life, but once I realized the horrible effect that white flour has on me, I haven't been able to eat it.  I've been searching for organic gnocchi that was made with whole grain ever since; I came close, but never actually found any that I would consider good to eat.

Healthy Winter Greens Recipes and Cooking Tips

Sunday, October 7, 2012

October's Book

I believe that most who read this blog, flavor food using all kinds of herbs and spices everyday.  Well, this month's book talks about all of the benefits of those wonderful herbs and spices that you eat. 

My husband rarely ever gets ill; could that have anything to do with the crazy amount of cayenne pepper that he eats?  Can curry dishes be a great preventive step because of the turmeric?  Maybe there are other herbs that I should be eating regularly.  This book may have the answers to such questions.  I confess that I never read it, but I look forward to doing so



Not So Cooked

Not all of us can do the raw food diet.  Unfortunately, those of us with digestive issues may need to cook our food.  This doesn't mean that you need to destroy EVERYTHING in your veggie dishes.  I've written a post that gave cooking instructions that only impacted minimal damage to nutrients.  One suggestion that I don't believe I mentioned was keeping cooking below *200 degrees* Fahrenheit.

There are some things that I can put in the dehydrator, however, I now dehydrate at much higher temperatures to make sure the food is cooked.  Not able to eat raw and not wanting to eat completely denatured food, dehydrating food below 200 degrees has become a best friend to me.


Saturday, October 6, 2012

Titanium

According to the Health Ranger, heavy metal poisoning is a possibility with most cookware.  I've used stainless steel for years.  I threw away all of my Teflon once I learned how toxic it is and used only stainless steel.  It is ONE of the better metals, however, the best happens to be titanium.  Titanium is the cleanest of the cookware and above that, it's a nonstick metal!  I actually didn't know this about titanium until VERY recently, but I'm really excited about this information.


Friday, October 5, 2012

Is your cookware killing you?

This article was very educational for me.  Certain types of cookware are known to be unwise choices for cooking because of heavy metal leeching.  I know few people who would use aluminum because of the link between aluminum and Alzheimer's.   Stainless steel is an example of a benign tool, but still has it's risks.  Glass and even stoneware have some risks.  Titanium, according to this article, also has risks and yet it happens to be the safest cookware material on the market.

I also learned that it's not just the type of cookware that you use.  Mike Adams encourages all to keep applied heat below 200 degrees Fahrenheit.  This will keep leaching to a minimum.  It is a prudent practice in any case, however, because low heat will also keep the destruction of nutrients low.  The more heat that is applied the more nutrients are destroyed and the more heavy metal leeching will happen.

Below is a link to Mike Adam's article for more info.

Is your cookware killing you?

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Frankenapples

I've been so sad that apples are now on their way to extinction thanks to Monsanto. I used to really like corn and I'm really sorry to see it go.  I'll be loathed to see apples go too; but I must face the possibility.

Granny smith apples are the only ones that I can eat.  The sweet ones make me nauseous for some reason.  It's okay, I don't miss the other apples.  I love the tart flavor of Granny smith apples.  They are also wonderful pie apples, although it's been a long time since I've had apple pie.

I hope one day We The People of the United States see that WE are the ones with the power to tell Monsanto to back off. With over a million angry citizens trying to get rid of them, there is something dreadfully wrong if they are still around.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Nutritional Guidance for Hormone Health

Here is a video that gives information about natural ways to help balance hormones.  There is so much stuff in our food, water and air that upsets homeostasis.  We talked about different substances that could upset the balance such as fluoride (which upsets thyroid), paraben (a xenoestrogen that can upset hormonal balance), propyls (another xenoestrogen) and goitrogens (which are only hazardous to someone with hypothyroid issues) to name just a few.  Once hormones are imbalanced, it can be a monster of a journey to return them to balance; but don't lose hope because it can be done.  Nevertheless, I urge everyone to really watch it.  Propyls and parabens, for example, are in EVERY mainstream beauty product.  There are a handful of beauty products in health food stores that don't have these toxins, but it is important to check ingredients to be sure.

If you are on the journey back to health, the following video may give a few helpful tips.  I encourage anyone on this journey to stay focused and not to lose hope.  You will be healthy again if you are persistent.  Good luck!




America; Please Wake Up! (Part 2)


There are corporations who want us to believe that we will never survive without them and there are many who believe this lie.  It is said that in a few decades there will not be enough food for the world.  They are betting on the fact that many believe that food comes from boxes and cans at the grocery store.  People who know where food comes from, we all KNOW that this isn't true.  I'm not saying that it can't happen, I'm saying that there are people who will see that this dark picture of people starving DOES happen if we don't follow their lead.  Do we really want to submit to this?

Think about every holocaust that happened throughout history.  I'm not just talking about WWII either, I'm talking about ALL OF THEM.  They all started with psycho leaders who wanted to play God and decided on a New World Order.  They convinced their following that it was a good idea and then started slaughtering people that were seen as resistant.  I'm grateful that it never completely worked out for those sick leaders and I'm inclined to believe that it won't work out for them now either, but we really need to be more aware of what is going on.  We are begging for leaders who want to enslave us because we believe that they will give us more and we are blinded to the extraordinary price for their services to us.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

America; Please Wake Up! (Part 1)

I keep getting disappointing information that leads me to believe that there is a large number of people out there who want what Augustus once called paradise.  He was made emperor because of all the "goodies" that he gave to the people.  Now don't get me wrong; there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving to people in need!  It's a noble and beautiful act to do so.  The problem is, there are many politicians who will USE that as an excuse to gain more power.

Think about it; what would you do to hold on to your financial lifeline?  Anything, right?  Let's face it, without your job or career, you are without income and without money your chances of survival will rapidly decrease with each passing hour.  If you are already struggling and the government starts giving you handouts, THAT is now your lifeline and you will hold on to it for as long as you need it.  Do you really believe that the benefactor in this case doesn't know this?  This is how Augustus created an empire, he was banking on the fact that once he became the lifeline of so many, they would yield to his command.


Monday, October 1, 2012

Clean Cast Iron

Cleaning and seasoning cast iron was a challenge for me.  You aren't suppose to use detergent, so what do you use?  I used to use detergent in a very small amount and rarely.  If you click on the "cast iron" link (in the first sentence) you will see yet another solution.

This individual used salt and a potato to clean their cast iron; this will even remove rust.  I'm very happy with this, because my waffle iron is cast iron (I don't like the machines because of the teflon ).  During the first few days of using it, it got rusty and I'm having a bear of a time getting the rust out.  I may need to get creative and cut the potato into wedges to clean the grooves; but I'm happy that at least there is a way to get it out.


Candida Cleanse

Candida can be a REAL pain!  I have't had problems with it in so, so long and recently it just invaded my body like a thief in the night.  I can't even begin to explain how frustrating it was to be faced with it again.  I went back on the yeast free diet and it was dormant for a few weeks and came back again.  I am livid and determined to get rid of it once and for good.

Once you are off the diet, I urge you to stay on your guard.  Candida is in the air.  If your immune system is working properly, then your body will fight it off.  If it isn't, then you could land in my spot where you are at square one fighting it all over again.

Here is a video going over some of the basics of a yeast free diet.


What Is a Candida Cleanse? -- powered by ehow