Ting!

In Jamaica there is a grapefruit soda called "Ting" that as a child, I couldn't drink enough of!  I went to Jamaica the last time equipped with information and conviction about healthy foods and healthy diets and was shocked and upset to see the ingredients in Ting was not just grapefruit juice, carbonated water and a sweetener.  Yes, I even expected a sweetener!  I didn't expect artificial flavoring and coloring both of which it contained.

Well, amen, I learned how to make my own Ting.  Above is a picture of MY finished product.  When I make homemade Ting it ALWAYS fizzes up something fierce!  I had to "burp" this batch twice after refrigeration.  As you can see in the picture, it was STILL bubbling up.  I made this with grapefruit juice and a ginger bug.  Below is Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist, teaching how to make a ginger bug.  Pour about a fourth of a cup of the ginger bug into about 6 cups of grapefruit juice, cap and wait for one to three days.  I warn you though, it may NOT allow you to wait three days!  This was fizzing like this after just a few hours, so I'm allowing it to finish fermenting in the fridge.

Let me just say that this soda is GOOD!  I enjoy it very much and because it has healthy cultures in it I'm allowed to drink it on my GAPS diet.  Try this at home!

 

Gut, Thyroid and Mental Health

I'm realizing more and more that most chronic illness, including mental illness, starts in the gut.  MANY psychologists and psychiatrists have said that when gut problems are taken care of they have seen things as bad as schizophrenia disappear.  There is no need to pump people with prozac and Thorazine (REALLY nasty stuff, Thorazine) all they need to do is heal.

Many THYROID problems start with the gut too.  So everything this doctor has to say confirms everything that I have recently learned about gut health and overall health.

Optimizing Your Gut Bacteria Can Help Reduce Acne

I recently posted an article that discussed how eliminating gluten will help acne.  Remember how I said that any condition where the symptoms are alleviated by eliminating gluten or dairy is most likely a result of leaky gut syndrome?  This is how I can tell immediately that someone has leaky gut syndrome.  I immediately refer them to a nutritionist and the GAPS diet always helps them right away, it's amazing... but not surprising!

Well, here is clue number two that acne is simply an end result of a damaged gut.  Here is an article that says that probiotics can help reduce acne.  Probiotics, huh?  Man, I hate it when I'm right! :-D

Optimizing Your Gut Bacteria Can Help Reduce Acne

Make A Bee Waterer And Help Hydrate Our Pollinators

I never think about how bees need water too!  They DO work hard and they do SO much for us, but I didn't realize that sometimes the workers need a little water cooler break.  The video and article below give some tips on how you could create a watering station for them.

If you have any additional ideas comments are welcome!



Make A Bee Waterer And Help Hydrate Our Pollinators

No-Grain Diet Clears up Acne for Good

Whenever one has a condition that improves or clears up when dairy and/or grain is removed from the diet, it is a clue that there is an issue with the gut.

I still find it astonishing that there are SO many diseases and conditions that could be cleared up with a gut healing protocol like the GAPS diet.  There are many diseases that people think are genetic or chronic; but when dairy or grain is removed the symptoms go away.  This is a great temporary solution, however, if you really want to TREAT it to a cure; start a gut healing protocol.  GAPS and BED are the best that I've seen; but I encourage you to do the research and choose the one best for you.

No-Grain Diet Clears up Acne for Good 8/23/03

How to Speed Gut Healing and Shorten Time on the GAPS Diet

Sometimes it takes a while before the GAPS diet clears up problems.  This could be a real bummer for many.  A girlfriend of mine just started the diet and she has been discouraged on it because it just isn't going the way she had hoped.  It's also easy to fall off the wagon now and again for many including her.

Well, fear not!  Below there is an article with some tips on how to speed your journey toward healing and bring your GAPS walk to a quick close.  Enter Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist.

How to Speed Gut Healing and Shorten Time on the GAPS Diet

Three Reasons to Eat Turmeric - Dr. Weil

Turmeric is amazing food!  I love, love, love curry, but my new favorite treat is turmeric milk.  Dr. Weil only named THREE of the many, many benefits of eating turmeric.

Besides being an herb that makes my chicken and chick peas delicious, it has served as a healer for me and others.  I remember a time when I had horrible back pain.  After two weeks of drinking turmeric milk, my back pain temporarily vanished.  Once I stopped drinking the turmeric milk habitually, it came back.  Now, don't get me wrong, there was a problem that needed to be addressed and once it was, I had no more back pain for good.  However, I had to note that it was remarkable that this food was a pain medication on top of everything else.  A farmer also shared a story about when his livestock became sick.  He couldn't give it medication to kill the pathogen because it was a certified organic livestock.  He really thought that he would lose the poor sick bird.  One day, he started to put turmeric in its feed.  He was SO surprised; but the chicken started to heal miraculously! Our fethered friend was back with her pack before she knew it!

When I came across the article below, I decided to post it even though three reasons don't even scrape the surface of the rockstar food that turmeric is.  The three reasons that Dr. Weil has, however, are three GOOD reasons.  Enjoy the article!

Three Reasons to Eat Turmeric - Dr. Weil

Natural Jewelry Cleaner

Finally!  There is a way to clean your jewelry to a shine without the nasty chemical infested stuff.  You can use items from your kitchen for most of these cleaners!

In the past, I've used toothpaste to clean my silver. It was the only thing to do with the left over fluoride toothpastes that I don't use anymore.  But now that I'm out of that, I have another method of cleaning to try and I'm SO grateful.  I don't wear a lot of jewelry and I don't wear it often, but now I have quick and easy ways to make what I do wear shine before putting it on!

Let me know what you think of this!


  

Ginger Yummies!

Ginger is one of my favorite treats on the planet.  Not only is it just simply good stuff, but having a history of gastrointestinal problems, it was also medicinal for me and soothing for my stomach.  There was a time when I kept ginger candy in my purse because of these occational attacks of nausea that I used to get. I'm SO glad those days are over!  But I still love that gingery flavor!

I was so happy when I came across the recipe below!  I added it to my Pinterest, but I did't post it on FB because there is one aspect that bothered me... sugar.  I'm simply not in the habit of promoting recipes that utilize sugar except for fermented foods like kefir or kombucha.  I wonder if there is any alternative; maybe maple sugar or crystalized honey?  I'm not sure yet, but you can be sure that I will be doing some experimentation!  How I would love to make my own ginger candy!

If you have any alternatives to the sugar in this recipe, please let me know in the comments below!  (Click *here* for the recipe)

June's Book of the Month: Probiotic Revolution

A girlfriend of mine recently started the GAPS diet and she is loving it!  Her medication was reduced, she has energy like never before and she is completely inspired and telling everyone about it.  She read the Probiotics Revolution and got me interested in it.  I thought that it would be a fabulous book for June as you are growing vegetables and growing the food that you will be jarring in October.

I still make all kinds of probiotic foods.  I intend on becoming an expert on the topic.  If it helps MY body, I know that it will help others as well.