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This is Nature’s source of beneficial bacteria! You don’t need to buy expensive probiotics at the health food store if you are eating fermented vegetables regularly. I remember growing up on the dairy farm and the smell of the silage pits that we used to store the grass for the cows to feed over winter. Wooo-weeee-peeee-eewww!—yuck, gag, blah!…(get the picture?) I assure you, these fermented veggies taste way better than that stuff smelled--and they are super healthy for you too!
Ingredients:
8 oz white cabbage
(or any other vegetable: purple
cabbage, carrots, beets,
turnips, radishes, daikon, onions,
ginger etc)
¼ tsp sea salt
1 tsp herbs/spices: dill, caraway,
fennel, anise, chili; or pickling
spice mix from 'Grandma's Pickles'
(see recipe, pg. 100, Nature's Diet Cookbook)
The addition of spice or peppers is optional.
Instructions:
Chop the cabbage or other veggie by hand or in a food processor and toss with the salt and optional seasonings. Pack the veggies in a pint sized wide mouth jar and pack and pound down very tightly with a meat hammer or your fingers to release the natural juices. Keep pushing down until the cabbage is completely submerged by its own juices.
Alternatively, you can do it like Grandma and Grandpa used to- in a crock. Place all veggies in a crock or pickle press and apply pressure to release juices. Cover with a plate so the cabbage stays submerged under the juices
Choose to leave at room temperature for 7-10 days being sure that the veggies stay below the fluid line. If they rise up push them back down. This won’t be necessary in a 'kraut crock' because the plate on top will keep it submerged. If a layer of scum forms on top just scrape it off and discard.
After fermenting to your desire, store in the fridge up to 8 weeks and serve cold on top of hamburgers, soups, grains, salads and anywhere else you want a healthy dose of Nature's probiotics!
We all know that hot dogs are not the healthiest food, but many people will consume them regardless. What’s the harm in consuming a few frankfurters here and there at BBQs, sporting events and gatherings right? Everything in moderation right? Unsuspecting consumers have no idea what really constitutes a hot dog. Even workers at hot dog factories say it’s an unpleasant business. Arguably one of the most processed, industrial foods in the world, Americans eat almost 200 million hot dogs in the summer months alone.
It’s not that we can’t make hot dogs healthier, it’s that the industry doesn’t want to. People who become addicted to the specific color, smell, taste and texture of their favorite brands are very particular and loyal.
The cheapest hot dogs don’t just taste awful, but they can be disastrous to your health. Even one hot dog can create an inflammatory cascade within the body. There is now scientific evidence that hot dogs like all processed meats increase the risk of cancer. But the meat industry shovels a lot of something special to shelter that information from the public.
Consumption of hot dogs, sausages and luncheon meats, along with other forms of processed meat, was also associated with the greatest risk of pancreatic cancer in a large multi-ethnic study.
Eating too many processed foods with high sodium levels contributed to 2.3 million deaths from heart attacks, strokes and other heart-related diseases throughout the world in 2010, representing 15 percent of all deaths due to these causes, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions.
The World Cancer Research Fund recommends people avoid all processed meats.
The fund’s Dr Rachel Thompson said: “If everyone ate less than 70g a week” or two hot dogs “it would mean there would be 4,000 fewer cases of bowel cancer”
What’s Inside A Hot Dog?
Traditional hot dogs are made from pork trimmings and a mash of left over after chops, bacon and cut always from ham, chicken or turkey.
The meat is ground into a slimy paste and mixed with water, preservatives, flavoring and colors.
The red or light brown dog varieties usually on sale everywhere contain very little real meat. Instead, they are made up of 64 percent mechanically-recovered chicken and 17 percent is pork.
Mechanically-recovered meat is the slimy paste created when a carcass ” stripped of all traditional cuts” is forced through a metal sieve or blasted with water.
The process is banned for beef, but is permitted for pigs and poultry, and the meat produced is ten times cheaper than normal meat.
HOT DOG INGREDIENTS
Fluoridated Water
All hot dogs need water to create the right consistency for the mushy paste, which is then squeezed into tubes and cooked. What kind of water you ask? Toxic fluoridated water of course. Almost 70% percent of the U.S. drinking water supply contains fluoride. If you’re not familiar with the dangers of fluoride, please review http://preventdisease.com/fluoride
High Fructose Corn Syrup Or HFCS is added to more than 60% of all hot dogs in the United States. For what reason a hot dog need a sweetener is beyond me. According to two recent U.S. studies, almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup contained mercury.
Starch All sausages from the cheapest, nastiest brands, to the luxury free-range organic ones are bulked out with carbohydrate starch. Hot dogs usually contain GMO potato starch or wheat flour mixed with salt, baked and crumbled. Starches give more volume to a hot dog. They also bind ingredients together, and make the mechanically-recovered meat and pork trimmings feel more pleasant on the tongue.
Salt Hot dogs contain around 2 percent table salt, which means they are classed as high-salt foods. A single 35g hot dog has up to 0.6g of salt. Not high mineral salts which are good for our health but bleached, colored and chemically manufactured table salt.
Milk Protein Adding powdered milk proteins from pasteurized milk sources to the meat slurry also helps to bind it. Many hot dog manufactures use soy protein, which can also bulk out the hot dog and provide another source of GMO ingredients.
Sodium Nitrite Processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer and sodium nitrite is thought to be largely to blame. It is added to hot dogs to stop them going grey, and keeping microbes at bay. Studies on animals have linked sodium nitrites to an increased risk of cancer.
The World Cancer Research Fund carried out a global study on the dangers of processed meats and found that people who regularly consume 50g of processed meat a day “equivalent to one-and-a-half hot dogs” increase their chances of getting bowel cancer by 20 percent. The charity believes nitrites are largely to blame.
In the body, nitrites can react with protein-rich foods such as meat to produce N-nitroso compounds, or NOCs. Some types of NOCs damage the DNA in our cells and cause cancer.
In 2006, scientists analysed more than 60 studies and found that nitrites are also linked to higher risks of stomach cancer.
Flavors By law, hot dog packets don’t have to say what flavorings are used in them. Many use artificial smoke flavoring, and spices where monosodium glutamate hides and does not have to be labeled.
A few brands use the chemical MSG or E621 to enhance the flavour. MSG gives food a “meaty” feel and is used in soups, sauces and, infamously, Chinese takeaways.
Potassium and Sodium Triphosphates These are synthetically produced colourless salts that act as a “stabiliser, buffer and emulsion”. They give a hot dog a firmer texture, keep it at the right acidity and allow the oils and fats to mix with the water. They are also used in detergents as a water softener, and is added to flame retardants, paper, rubber and anti-freeze.
Another additive common in food. E452 is an emulsifier and stabiliser, improving the texture of the hot dog and stopping fat going rancid. It also helps prevents specific bacteria because even bacteria are wise enough to stay out of poison. Polyphosphates cause a more rapid progression of specific ailments such as chronic kidney disease. Synthetic polyphosphate additives have also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and they’re linked to accelerated aging and interfering with the way your body activates vitamin D.
Sodium Ascorbate A synthetic form of vitamin C, sodium ascorbate is an antioxidant and acidity regulator that stops meat losing its red colour speeds up the curing process. When is taken in supplement form it can cause lung and skin irritation.
Carmine Carmine is another word for the red food dye cochineal, obtained from the aluminium salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some scale insects. For cochineal is made by crushing up the shells of small beetles. The shells are boiled in ammonia or sodium carbonate and the colour filtered off. Carmine is used in the manufacture of artificial flowers, paints, crimson ink, rouge, and other cosmetics, and is routinely added to food products. The colour can trigger allergic reactions and even anaphylactic shock in some people.
If you think that buying the finest most natural hot dogs allows you the bypass the ingredients above, you would be mistaken. The most natural 100% beef or pork hot dogs have been found containing the same exact ingredients even while using the terms “natural” and “wholesome”. Article Source: Healthy Holistic Living
Pop quiz: which is more polluted, indoor air or outdoor air? 10 times out of 10, indoor air in your house, office or apartment is going to be worse than the air outside. Indoor air pollution has been ranked among the top 5 greatest risks to public health by the EPA, and stagnant indoor air allows pollutants to build up and stick to the things inside of your home.
The things in our homes emit some nasty toxic chemicals like formaldehyde for example. You can also be impacted by pollutants like pollen, bacteria, mold, and various outdoor contaminants that find their way inside.
Fortunately, houseplants can help us solve some of these air quality issues. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, these houseplants are basically impossible to kill. Let’s check them out!
1. Garden Mum
This plant was found by NASA to be a real air-purifying beast. It removes ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene from your home’s air. It’s popular and inexpensive, plus they can be planted outside too.
2. Spider Plant
Spider plants are incredibly easy to grow, so if you’re a beginner, this is a great one to start with. It lights bright, indirect light and sends out shoots with flowers on them that will eventually grow into baby spider plants that you can propagate yourself. Before too long, you’ll have more spider plants than you’ll know what to do with.
3. Dracaena
There are over 40 kinds of dracaena plants, which makes it easy to find the right one for you. They remove benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene from the air. They are toxic to cats and dogs though, so if you have pets, you might want to think twice about this one.
4. Ficus
Ficus trees are a favorite of mine as they are able to grow quite large depending on the type of pot you have them in. They typically stand between 2 and 10 feet tall and have some serious air cleaning abilities. You can also keep it outside in the spring and summer. The ficus removes benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde from indoor air.
5. Peace Lily
Not only does the peace lily send up beautiful flowers, but they’re impossible to kill and have great air cleaning abilities. They flower through most of the summer and prefer shady spots with moist but not soggy soil. It removes ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
6. Boston fern.
This plant likes cool locations with high humidity and indirect light. Bathrooms are a perfect spot for these little friends. They remove pollutants like xylene and formaldehyde from indoor air.
7. Snake Plant/Mother-in-law’s Tongue.
I see this one all over the place in offices and restaurants – and for good reason. They’re pretty much impossible to kill. They need water only occasionally and prefer drier conditions. They don’t need much direct sunlight either. They remove benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and xylene from indoor air.
8. Bamboo Palm
Bamboo palms are most effective at filtering formaldehyde. They thrive in full sun and bright light. They grow as high as 12 foot too, making them an incredible presence indoors. They remove benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
9. Aloe Vera
Aloe is a multi-use plant for sure. It has health benefits when consumed in smaller amounts, helps relieve burns, and cleans your indoor air as well. It removes formaldehyde effectively from indoor air.
Go NUTS!! Nuts and seeds are SO good for you--especially if they are RAW and SOAKED.
WHY should we soak them? Just like grains, nuts contain phytic acid, which is part of their defense mechanism to help avoid predators so that they can grow to their full maturity. Soaking helps rid them of phytic acid and also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors, enabling easy digestion and elevating absorption of vitamins and other nutrients in the nuts.
Number of hours nuts should be soaked: Walnuts: 8 hrs Almonds: 12 hrs Pecans: 8 hrs Pumpkin seeds: 7 hrs Macadamia: 4 hrs Garbanzo beans: 12-48 hrs Pine nuts: 8 hrs Hazelnuts: 8 hrs Cashew nuts: 6 hrs Flax seeds: 6 hrs Alfalfa seeds: 12 hrs Broccoli seeds: 8 hrs.
If you are soaking nuts for more than 8 hours it’s advised you re-wash them and add fresh water. The water residue from the soaked nuts should not be re-used (unless to water your plants maybe!) Keep nuts refrigerated.
Easter has come and gone...what remains is a fridge of colorful eggs, yielding days of egg salad sandwiches and buckets of Easter egg art gone to the composting graves of Easter past. But wait...there is another path these shells can take! Within the waste lies a fortune of DIY garden, home and health projects!
Let's get CRACKIN'! Starting from your toes up to your nose, here are some ideas on how to resurrect those shells into some creative ideas that may just have you setting up a year-round designated eggshell basket!
First some eggvice:For most eggshell uses, it is better to make sure they are clean and free from bacteria, particularly if using in your home or body. If you don’t wash the eggs thoroughly before using, bake the shells at 250 degrees on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes. Also, leave the inner membrane, as it is part of the nutrients that makes up the shell. To get a fine grind use a mortar and pestle or a spice blender.
Pest Control
Crush eggshells and scatter them around your vegetables and flowers to fend off slugs, snails, and cutworms. These soft-bodied critters don’t like crawling over sharp pieces of shell. The smell of eggs will also deter deer (its not necessary for you to bake or wash the shells if using them for this purpose)
Start Some Seedlings
Fill an egg carton with empty, rinsed eggshell halves and poke a hole in each one for drainage. Then add potting soil and one or two seeds to each shell. When the seedlings are big enough for transplanting outside, just crack the shell at the bottom and plant them, shell and all.
Garden Fertilizer
Eggshells are rich in calcium and other minerals that help your garden thrive. Crush eggshells into tiny pieces and sprinkle into each hole before planting. Then, sprinkle additional shells around the base of your plants every two weeks. This is a better technique for outdoor plants as eventually the eggshells will break down and may leave a funky compost smell behind.
Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk!! Fun!
What you need for one big piece of chalk :
1 Tbs or approximately five empty egg shells
1 teaspoon flour
1 1/2 teaspoon very hot water (more or less, depending on your consistency)
couple drops of food coloring (for colored chalk)
Wash and dry the egg shells.
Crush the egg shell into a bowl and grind it until it is a powder. Make sure all the pieces are ground. Take out any big pieces before going on to the next step.
Mix the flour and hot water in another bowl. Then add 1 tablespoon egg shell powder and mix into a thick paste.
Add your favorite color food coloring. Just add a drop or two for colored chalk. If you want white chalk do not add anything.
Shape the paste into chalk sticks or press into soap molds for fun shapes. If making chalk sticks roll the sticks up tightly in a paper towel to absorb the moisture.
Let your chalk dry for 3 days.
House Plant Booster
Keep a mason jar of eggshells covered with water for watering indoor plants. Or, after you have boiled eggs save the water for your plants after it has cooled. The water will give them added nutrients.
Fortify your pet
After baking the shells and grinding them down to a powder, add a teaspoon to your cat or dog’s wet food as a great calcium supplement to help their bones and teeth. It's recommended you use fresh eggshells for this, rather than boiled or dyed.
Unclog your drains
Keep a few ground eggshells in your kitchen sink strainer. They trap additional solids and when they slowly break down, they will help to naturally clean your pipes on their way out.
Powerful Cleaner - especially for narrow nozzles and hummingbird feeders!
Ground eggshells make a wonderful (and nontoxic!) abrasive for those tough-to-clean pots and pans. Mix them with a little soapy water for a powerful clean.
Hummingbird feeders tend to grow all sorts of nasty stuff. Clean it by first by rinsing with hot water. Then add some crushed egg shells, fill 1/2 way with water, and shake. The shells act as an abrasive, removing mold or other built-up gunk. Rinse well before re-filling with hummingbird food.
It’s almost impossible to get a scrub brush down the narrow neck of a thermos. Clean your thermos using the instructions above for hummingbird feeders.
Treat Skin Irritations
Drop an eggshell into a small container of apple cider vinegar and let it soak for a couple of days. Dab the mixture on minor skin irritations or on itchy skin. It's recommended you use fresh eggshells for this, rather than boiled or dyed.
Which of these creative shell uses are your favorites?
Share your ideas! -- What do you do with eggshells?
Can DIRT really make you HAPPY? It's not only the avid gardeners shouting YES!
Mycobacterium vaccae is a bacterium found in soil shown to mirror the effect on neurons that drugs like Prozac provide. The soil microbes have shown to stimulate serotonin production, which makes you relaxed and happier.
Lack of serotonin has been linked to depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and bipolar problems. The bacterium appears to be a natural antidepressant in soil and has no adverse health effects. Even better-- these antidepressant microbes in soil may be as easy to use as just playing in the dirt!
Most avid gardeners will tell you that their landscape is their “happy place” and the actual physical act of gardening is a stress reducer and mood lifter. The fact that there is some science behind it adds additional credibility to these garden addicts’ claims. The presence of a soil bacteria antidepressant is not a surprise to many of us who have experienced the phenomenon ourselves. Backing it up with science is fascinating, but not shocking, to the happy gardener.
How does dirt make you happy? Antidepressant microbes in soil cause cytokine levels to rise, which results in the production of higher levels of serotonin. The bacterium was tested both by injection and ingestion on rats and the results were increased cognitive ability, lower stress and better concentration to tasks than a control group.
Gardeners inhale the bacteria, have topical contact with it and get it into their bloodstreams when there is a cut or other pathway for infection. The natural effects of the soil bacteria antidepressant can be felt for up to 3 weeks if the experiments with rats are any indication.
So GET OUT and PLAY in the DIRT and improve your mood and your life!
Neosporin is a well known ointment that the
majority of people go to when they get scrapes, cuts and any other skin
injuries. Although most of us have used this ointment for years, one quick read
over the ingredients list and we might want to question what we are putting on
our open wounds and other vulnerable skin surfaces.
Ingredients include Neomycin Sulfate Polymxin B,
Bacitracin Zinc, Pramoxine and more all mixed in petroleum jelly. There are
many side effects associated with these ingredients such as allergic reactions,
muscle twitching, convulsions, hearing loss, fetal harm, rashes, hives,
tightness in the chest, and the list goes on.
Neosporin costs about $10 an ounce with all
of these unknown ingredients in it. Yet Mother Nature provides us with a bounty
of ingredients that are just as healing and beneficial without the side
effects. Should there be a breakdown in basic civil services, for whatever
reason, you should know how to make an all natural, yet potent, topical
antibacterial solution.
In the recipe below, each ingredient contains
many healing properties. The base is a combination of oils that are anti-viral,
anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-fungal. The herbs have various
medicinal properties as well. Beeswax is a skin protectant, keeping irritants
off the skin while allowing air circulation into the injured area. Witch Hazel
helps to clean and disinfect wounds while speeding up the healing process.
These are just some of the incredible benefits of this natural
antibioticointment.
Ingredients:
1/2
c. coconut oil
1/2
c. almond oil, grapeseed oil, or olive oil
1/2
c. healing herbs of your choice (chamomile, calendula, comfrey, lavender,
plantain leaves (herb not banana), Echinacea root, dried yarrow flowers,
dried rosemary leaf)
4
Tbsp beeswax pastilles
2
tsp witch hazel
15
drops lavender or tea tree essential oils (optional)
Directions:
Infuse
the herbs into the olive oil. There are two ways to do this. You can either
combine the herbs and the olive oil in a jar with an airtight lid and
leave 3-4 weeks, shaking daily OR heat the herbs and olive oil over
low/low heat in a double boiler for 3 hours (low heat!) until the oil is
very green.
Strain
her herbs out of the oil by pouring through a cheesecloth. Let all the oil
drip out and then squeeze the herbs to get the remaining oil out.
Discard
the herbs.
Add
witch hazel and other essential oils of choice and mix.
Heat
the infused oil in a double boiler with the beeswax until melted and
mixed.
Pour into small tins, glass
jars or lip chap tubes.
* Apply to scrapes, cuts, burns, diaper rash,
dry skin, athlete's foot, bites, stings, poison ivy, or other wounds as needed.
** This ointment should be kept in a cool, dark
place. Good for up to a year.
You might think your refrigerators been hijacked by aliens when
you see this crazy hybrid on your dinner plate! Its conical, bright green budding
spores wrap around and weave together in almost mathematical form looking so
strange, yet oh so familiar to its not so ‘far out’ predecessors....can you guess who tops this family tree? Well, with a hybrid name like
BROCCOFLOWER I'm sure you won't need three guesses!
The result of combining the familiar and not always favorite broccoli and cauliflower has produced an alienistic breed that looks out of this world with health benefits that far exceed its ancestors too!
Broccoflower belongs to the cruciferous
family of vegetables, and like others in this nutrient prominent family this
vibrant vegetable contains powerful properties which studies have shown to help
lower the risk of cancer and boost the immune system. However, this
supercharged hybrid contains even HIGHER amounts of the immune
stimulating phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals than other vegetables in its
family. In fact, broccoflower has even MORE vitamin C than ORANGES! Its also loaded with
vitamin A, folate, fiber, and like all veggies you can eat your heart out
because it’s low in calories too.
Not big fan of cauliflower or brocolli?
Think you’re going to hate this too? Well guess what, this overachiever is not
only amazing to look at, its CRUNCHIER and SWEETER than its parents, making it
taste better too! Broccoflower is fun to eat and best enjoyed RAW to get the
most nutrients and the best crunch!
Explore this supercharged all-star veggie today with your
family and bring IMAGINATION back to your snack time while experiencing health benefits
that are out of this world!
Have fun creating snacks that
inspire your imagination!
We all grew up singing that little advertisement jingle in our head, while probably never admitting we wanted our very own 'Chia Pet' too...but who would've known those little seeds could also be so TASTY and GOOD for YOU?!
Chia seeds have long caught the holistic wave of healthy super snacks you can use in just about any type of recipe and are easy on the digestive system too. What makes these tiny little seed specks so special? Don't be fooled. Chia seeds are a nutrient dense 'superfood' loaded with healthy omega-3 fats, protein, fiber, antioxidants and various vitamins and minerals. They pack a heavy punch of healing benefits too! From skin, digestion, teeth and heart health, to boosting energy and metabolism, building stronger bones and muscle -- even loosing weight. This is a one super food you and your family have got to try!
Haven't discovered your inner Chia yet? How about picking up a bag of those little seeds this weekend and trying out something new! Here's a quick, simple and fun pudding that even your kids will love slurping up over the weekend! And they can help you make it too :)
Hint: Prepare the day before you wish to enjoy. Chia seeds will soak up liquid as time passes, turning into a fun, slippery little snack with BIG health benefits!
Easy Vanilla Chia Chai Pudding
Ingredients
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 1/2 cup almond, coconut milk, or dairy-free milk of choice. (vanilla sweetened is yummy)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsps raw honey (or less depending on sweetness of milk and preference)
Dashes of cinnamon
Dashes of nutmeg
Directions
Place all ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake shake shake! (we don't want clumpy Chia pudding!) Wait patiently overnight to enjoy your healthy treat. Enjoy on its own, or top with walnuts, berries, granola etc to give it more texture and variety!
