So as I was coasting through my online forum for school I noticed someone's question about washing their fruits and veggies. She asked how to wash them, and if she needed to wash the organic ones. I thought I'd put below what I do for anyone reading this blog that has the same questions.
I wash both my conventional and organic fruits/veggies. Animals still pee and poop on the organics, and people still touch them. I make my own fruit/veggie wash. I do it two ways. I have a spray bottle that I purchased from Walmart. When I find a BPA free spray bottle I'll switch to that as well. I do one part filtered water, one part white vinegar, a tsp of baking soda, and a tsp of fresh lemon juice.
Mix this in a large bowl in the sink so that it doesn't spill over and make a mess. Then using a funnel pour into the spray bottle. That's great for individual pieces of fruit. For several pieces I use the solution in a larger amount in one of those dish buckets for the sink. Really I just eyeball it. Then I place all of the fruit in there, let it soak for 10-15 minutes, and then dry them off to put them in my fridge or fruit bowl.
Fruit and veggies don't last long around here, so I do wash it right away. Some people say not to wash until you're ready to use it, but we're always ready ;) I have two hungry boys.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Example of Some Recipes for the Healthy Cooking Classes
This is a gluten free veggie quiche.
This is baked berry apple oatmeal.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Healthy Cooking Classes
Mmmmmmmm, Fall is almost here and I was in the mood for some tomato soup. A girlfriend gave me the recipe for the soup, but I changed it up a bit. I had seen a tasty looking salad recipe from the IIN webpage, so decided to try that as well. For protein I made some delicious rice patties. That is a Dreena Burton recipe. I change it a little bit too.
So hopefully sooner than later I will be introducing some raw food and healthy cooking classes to the community, performed by well, ME :) I'll will keep you updated with when these are starting, details about pricing, and what is required. Let me know if you are interested!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Calcium-Where Do You get Yours? (accompanied by a tirade)
*Warning disclaimer-very passionate and sensitive subject for me.
A hot topic these days, especially with bone and breast cancers on the rise is calcium. I'm sure you've seen the commercials on television that say, Milk Does a Body Good. For years now in the television, magazine, and billboard ads we've been bombarded with the "positive attributes" to cow's milk.
Now before you go oh, no here she goes again, wait and hear me out. I am sure like most of you reading this that were probably raised on good old straight from the store cow's milk in a plastic gallon sized bottle. I can remember learning in school about how wonderful Louis Pasteur was with the invention of the process of pasteurization.
So this is what is going to happen I am going to provide some information. You can take it with a grain of salt, or you can investigate further. Please take on the latter challenge. Your health is worth it.
Milk that is in its all natural state, being raw, is full of wonderful health properties. Unlike pasteurized and homogenized milk that has been heated to extraordinary temperatures, changing its chemical composition, which then causes the milk to act like puss in our systems that causes an over active state of mucous in our bodies, as well killing the necessary nutrients God placed in the milk.
When cows and goats are treated properly, supervised,and fed exactly what they should be eating, cows specifically grass, and goats grass as well as hay and millet, they produce healthy milk. When these animals are fed things they shouldn't eat like unhealthy grains and sometimes foods mixed in with feces, this is where there is a problem.
Then these poor animals are given antibiotics because they sick from not being treated properly. On top if that they are given hormones to make them produce more milk.Well, then those hormones go into the milk, and then the milk goes into us and our children. These big, commercial dairy farms make so much money by doing all of these things. See by homogenizing the pasteurizing the milk, its not done for our health. It's done to extend the shelf life of the milk. I have a big problem with all of this.
I live in the state of NC where tobacco fields run rampant for miles, yet it is illegal for my farmers to sell me raw milk. Raw milk that I WANT to drink, that I WANT to give them money for, and support the local farms. I don't understand why the government gets to tell me what I can and cannot drink. When my children turn 21 they can have a margarita, but not raw milk. Still really have a problem with all of this.
Raw milk has minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium as well as awesome healthy bacteria to support our digestive systems, enzymes which aid in digestion that we so need, and vitamins. The vitamins in raw milk are:
B1 - thiamine
B2 - riboflavin
B6 - pyridoxine
B12 - cyanocobalamin
Niacin
Pantothenic acid
A
D
E
K
Biotin
Folic Acid
Someone might say that oh my milk jug says it has Vit D. Yes, processed milk does have synthetic vitamin D with that it's been fortified. Anytime you see fortified vitamins those are synthetic vitamins, which are man made not made in nature by God. I think its rather funny actually. They process the milk, kill all that is good and healthy in it, stick some hormones and antibiotics in it, and then they stick some fake vitamin D back in there to boot. Oh to top it off they market it in a plastic jug...wow, it just gets better.
If well enough was left alone they wouldn't have to do any of this stuff. Our bodies more often than not reject fortified vitamins, so they are not absorbed. Certain synthetic vitamins can cause severe health issues as well, especially vitamin C. Also the vitamin D put back into the milk isn't even the vitamin D we need. Our bodies need Vitamin D3. That's the kind that comes from the sun. We need vitamin D3 to absorb the calcium.
For years we've been told by the FDA that calcium is needed for bone health. I believe this to be true currently, although some other information has been brought to my attention, and I am currently investigating the facts to find what is true. Health food raw guru David Wolfe is saying that calcium is actually dangerous to the body.He is saying that calcium is not synonymous with bone and skeletal health.
At this point since calcium is present in so many foods, I'm convinced it is good for us in some amount. I will continue to check things out. I know that too much calcium is not good. Calcium deposits can cause gall stones, and damage to the heart and arteries. What I don't believe is that we should be eating foods fortified with calcium, or taking calcium supplements. By the way if you are concerned about calcium intake, a far better way for our bodies to take in calcium is actually through plant foods. We absorb the calcium much better along with plant food. An excellent source of calcium are leafy greens like spinach and kale, quinoa, and chia seeds. So eat a salad and then go out in the sun WITHOUT sunscreen.
Bottom line seek the Lord your God in all things, including what you ingest and put in the mouths of your children. Do the research. Make an educated decision. Be a good steward of your temple while you are here. Do what works for your family.
*FYI* Goats milk is almost never homogenized. Homogenization is even worse than pasteurization. So if you must have some milk, or milk products like cheese and yogurt, you can opt for goat's milk products instead if your choices are limited. We like cheese and yogurt here. For milk we drink almond milk, but for cheeses and yogurt though we do purchase goat's milk ones. My sons and I can't handle processed cow's milk products at all. I look forward to the day when I can own a goat of my own, and make our own cheeses and yogurts.
For more information check out these webites:
http://www.draxe.com/raw-milk-myths-are-we-prisoners-of-pasteurization-part-1-of-3/?utm_source=DrAxe.com+Newsletter&utm_campaign=32cf517c18-9.19++Poisonous+Apple+Juice&utm_medium=email
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/index.html
http://www.realmilk.com/healthbenefits.html
http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/fresh-milk.shtml
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/organic-parenting/raw-milk-55061801
A hot topic these days, especially with bone and breast cancers on the rise is calcium. I'm sure you've seen the commercials on television that say, Milk Does a Body Good. For years now in the television, magazine, and billboard ads we've been bombarded with the "positive attributes" to cow's milk.
Now before you go oh, no here she goes again, wait and hear me out. I am sure like most of you reading this that were probably raised on good old straight from the store cow's milk in a plastic gallon sized bottle. I can remember learning in school about how wonderful Louis Pasteur was with the invention of the process of pasteurization.
So this is what is going to happen I am going to provide some information. You can take it with a grain of salt, or you can investigate further. Please take on the latter challenge. Your health is worth it.
Milk that is in its all natural state, being raw, is full of wonderful health properties. Unlike pasteurized and homogenized milk that has been heated to extraordinary temperatures, changing its chemical composition, which then causes the milk to act like puss in our systems that causes an over active state of mucous in our bodies, as well killing the necessary nutrients God placed in the milk.
When cows and goats are treated properly, supervised,and fed exactly what they should be eating, cows specifically grass, and goats grass as well as hay and millet, they produce healthy milk. When these animals are fed things they shouldn't eat like unhealthy grains and sometimes foods mixed in with feces, this is where there is a problem.
Then these poor animals are given antibiotics because they sick from not being treated properly. On top if that they are given hormones to make them produce more milk.Well, then those hormones go into the milk, and then the milk goes into us and our children. These big, commercial dairy farms make so much money by doing all of these things. See by homogenizing the pasteurizing the milk, its not done for our health. It's done to extend the shelf life of the milk. I have a big problem with all of this.
I live in the state of NC where tobacco fields run rampant for miles, yet it is illegal for my farmers to sell me raw milk. Raw milk that I WANT to drink, that I WANT to give them money for, and support the local farms. I don't understand why the government gets to tell me what I can and cannot drink. When my children turn 21 they can have a margarita, but not raw milk. Still really have a problem with all of this.
Raw milk has minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium as well as awesome healthy bacteria to support our digestive systems, enzymes which aid in digestion that we so need, and vitamins. The vitamins in raw milk are:
B1 - thiamine
B2 - riboflavin
B6 - pyridoxine
B12 - cyanocobalamin
Niacin
Pantothenic acid
A
D
E
K
Biotin
Folic Acid
Someone might say that oh my milk jug says it has Vit D. Yes, processed milk does have synthetic vitamin D with that it's been fortified. Anytime you see fortified vitamins those are synthetic vitamins, which are man made not made in nature by God. I think its rather funny actually. They process the milk, kill all that is good and healthy in it, stick some hormones and antibiotics in it, and then they stick some fake vitamin D back in there to boot. Oh to top it off they market it in a plastic jug...wow, it just gets better.
If well enough was left alone they wouldn't have to do any of this stuff. Our bodies more often than not reject fortified vitamins, so they are not absorbed. Certain synthetic vitamins can cause severe health issues as well, especially vitamin C. Also the vitamin D put back into the milk isn't even the vitamin D we need. Our bodies need Vitamin D3. That's the kind that comes from the sun. We need vitamin D3 to absorb the calcium.
For years we've been told by the FDA that calcium is needed for bone health. I believe this to be true currently, although some other information has been brought to my attention, and I am currently investigating the facts to find what is true. Health food raw guru David Wolfe is saying that calcium is actually dangerous to the body.He is saying that calcium is not synonymous with bone and skeletal health.
At this point since calcium is present in so many foods, I'm convinced it is good for us in some amount. I will continue to check things out. I know that too much calcium is not good. Calcium deposits can cause gall stones, and damage to the heart and arteries. What I don't believe is that we should be eating foods fortified with calcium, or taking calcium supplements. By the way if you are concerned about calcium intake, a far better way for our bodies to take in calcium is actually through plant foods. We absorb the calcium much better along with plant food. An excellent source of calcium are leafy greens like spinach and kale, quinoa, and chia seeds. So eat a salad and then go out in the sun WITHOUT sunscreen.
Bottom line seek the Lord your God in all things, including what you ingest and put in the mouths of your children. Do the research. Make an educated decision. Be a good steward of your temple while you are here. Do what works for your family.
*FYI* Goats milk is almost never homogenized. Homogenization is even worse than pasteurization. So if you must have some milk, or milk products like cheese and yogurt, you can opt for goat's milk products instead if your choices are limited. We like cheese and yogurt here. For milk we drink almond milk, but for cheeses and yogurt though we do purchase goat's milk ones. My sons and I can't handle processed cow's milk products at all. I look forward to the day when I can own a goat of my own, and make our own cheeses and yogurts.
For more information check out these webites:
http://www.draxe.com/raw-milk-myths-are-we-prisoners-of-pasteurization-part-1-of-3/?utm_source=DrAxe.com+Newsletter&utm_campaign=32cf517c18-9.19++Poisonous+Apple+Juice&utm_medium=email
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/index.html
http://www.realmilk.com/healthbenefits.html
http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/fresh-milk.shtml
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/organic-parenting/raw-milk-55061801
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Awesomeness of Coconut
So I am nutty for coconuts. They have such a bad reputation, so I figured I'd clear the air. I'm thrilled that so much more accurate and help information about them is being reported. The main reason mainstream doctors and media will tell you that coconuts are bad is because of the fat content.
So first let me toot them a bit. Did you know that coconuts have a wonderful already built in due to our wonderful creator, Jesus, natural antibacterial agent? So stick a tbsp of coconut oil in your smoothies. In fact you'd be better to wash your hands with regular soap, and then follow up with a little coconut oil as a skin moisturizer, than washing with antibacterial soap. Those antibacterial agents in soaps sold in stores strip our bodies of much needed healthy bacteria. They are too strong. Yes, some bacteria is good. That's another post.
Did you catch that up there? You actually get a two for one, natural antibacterial and a great moisturizer in one! Coconuts are a great source of healthy saturated fat. Oooops, did I break the health code and call saturated fat healthy? Yeah, I think I did. Gosh, I'm saucy today. Anyway, we need fat for brain development, heart health, much to the contrary of the American Heart Association, and healthy mobility for our joints.
Not all saturated fat is bad, and while I wouldn't recommend eating a whole jar of coconut butter in one sitting or a whole coconut since that would be glutinous, the stuff is good for you. This is not saying that I couldn't gobble down some plain, raw, coconut butter. Love the stuff! Many island living cultures use the coconut as a staple in their diets and they are not overweight. We in our country aren't overweight because we eat a coconut. We're overweight because we eat happy meals, and then sit on the couch watching Law and Order reruns...ouch!
The more and more I learn about all that the Lord has created the more grateful I am for being His. He gave us all the world to basically be ours and care for, and then He died on the cross for us...really humbling.
The water in the coconut is nature's own electrolyte drink. Skip the artificially colored and flavored Gatorade, and just drink coconut water. When my sons are sick I always go out and get them a young coconut. Forget the Pedialyte. You can use this in smoothies instead of water or nut milks for a healthy punch as well.
Coconut oil has a high heat tolerance, so basically its the best oil to cook with over any other. Unlike many other oils, such as one of my favorites extra virgin olive oil. Very fond of it, but I rarely cook with it because of its low heat tolerance. When we cook with an oil that has a low heat resistance the heat changes the chemical composition of the oil, and then it becomes toxic to our bodies. Fortunately for us like Psalm 139 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our bodies can withstand a lot. At the same time, lets be good stewards.
For more information on coconuts here is an informative website:
http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/
Here is what I had for breakfast this morning:
Tropical Smoothie
5 leaves of raw kale
one banana
2 tbsp coconut butter
3/4 cup of fresh diced pineapple
3 tbsp hemp seed
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
ice
Blend it up and enjoy it!
So first let me toot them a bit. Did you know that coconuts have a wonderful already built in due to our wonderful creator, Jesus, natural antibacterial agent? So stick a tbsp of coconut oil in your smoothies. In fact you'd be better to wash your hands with regular soap, and then follow up with a little coconut oil as a skin moisturizer, than washing with antibacterial soap. Those antibacterial agents in soaps sold in stores strip our bodies of much needed healthy bacteria. They are too strong. Yes, some bacteria is good. That's another post.
Did you catch that up there? You actually get a two for one, natural antibacterial and a great moisturizer in one! Coconuts are a great source of healthy saturated fat. Oooops, did I break the health code and call saturated fat healthy? Yeah, I think I did. Gosh, I'm saucy today. Anyway, we need fat for brain development, heart health, much to the contrary of the American Heart Association, and healthy mobility for our joints.
Not all saturated fat is bad, and while I wouldn't recommend eating a whole jar of coconut butter in one sitting or a whole coconut since that would be glutinous, the stuff is good for you. This is not saying that I couldn't gobble down some plain, raw, coconut butter. Love the stuff! Many island living cultures use the coconut as a staple in their diets and they are not overweight. We in our country aren't overweight because we eat a coconut. We're overweight because we eat happy meals, and then sit on the couch watching Law and Order reruns...ouch!
The more and more I learn about all that the Lord has created the more grateful I am for being His. He gave us all the world to basically be ours and care for, and then He died on the cross for us...really humbling.
The water in the coconut is nature's own electrolyte drink. Skip the artificially colored and flavored Gatorade, and just drink coconut water. When my sons are sick I always go out and get them a young coconut. Forget the Pedialyte. You can use this in smoothies instead of water or nut milks for a healthy punch as well.
Coconut oil has a high heat tolerance, so basically its the best oil to cook with over any other. Unlike many other oils, such as one of my favorites extra virgin olive oil. Very fond of it, but I rarely cook with it because of its low heat tolerance. When we cook with an oil that has a low heat resistance the heat changes the chemical composition of the oil, and then it becomes toxic to our bodies. Fortunately for us like Psalm 139 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our bodies can withstand a lot. At the same time, lets be good stewards.
For more information on coconuts here is an informative website:
http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/
Here is what I had for breakfast this morning:
Tropical Smoothie
5 leaves of raw kale
one banana
2 tbsp coconut butter
3/4 cup of fresh diced pineapple
3 tbsp hemp seed
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
ice
Blend it up and enjoy it!
Coconut Butter Crazy!
So I just wanted to share how much I have a love affair with coconut butter. It is smooth, creamy, yummy, and can be eaten alone, on gluten free toast, on fruit, and in smoothies...oh it will transform your smoothie. I'm going to post a write up on coconuts later.
My personal favorite is Artisana's Raw Coconut Butter. I have to give props to Whole Foods. Yesterday early before church I did a quick grocery run over there. I saw my favorite brand Artisana, along with another brand. I brought them both up to customer service because I was wondering if the other brand was raw as well. It didn't say so on the jar, so none of us were really sure.
Here's the super cool thing, so anyone who bashes Whole Foods for their prices has to consider the customer service going on there as well as the quality in their products. You get what you pay for most definitely. Since neither one of the ladies at customer service knew for sure whether it was raw, and the other brand didn't have a raw option on the shelf, they gave me the Artisana for free! See I brought up both jars up there wanting to know because there was a dollar difference. Every dollar counts, right. Truly was a blessing for me!
So Artisana actually has several wonderful raw products in their line. Here is a link to their website:http://www.artisanafoods.com/products.
Something I'd most like to try is their raw tahini for hummus when I make it. It would be great for raw salad dressings too. I hope to be able to try all of the products. Currently I am entering a contest via another fellow blogger. She is offering a free jar of Artisana coconut butter and 1 each flavor of their on-the-go squeeze packs. Those on the go packs are cool!
Here is her link for the blog: http://sugarpopribbons.blogspot.com/2011/09/artisana-organic-nut-seed-butters.html?showComment=1315833413694#c5657760082417255312.
My personal favorite is Artisana's Raw Coconut Butter. I have to give props to Whole Foods. Yesterday early before church I did a quick grocery run over there. I saw my favorite brand Artisana, along with another brand. I brought them both up to customer service because I was wondering if the other brand was raw as well. It didn't say so on the jar, so none of us were really sure.
Here's the super cool thing, so anyone who bashes Whole Foods for their prices has to consider the customer service going on there as well as the quality in their products. You get what you pay for most definitely. Since neither one of the ladies at customer service knew for sure whether it was raw, and the other brand didn't have a raw option on the shelf, they gave me the Artisana for free! See I brought up both jars up there wanting to know because there was a dollar difference. Every dollar counts, right. Truly was a blessing for me!
So Artisana actually has several wonderful raw products in their line. Here is a link to their website:http://www.artisanafoods.com/products.
Something I'd most like to try is their raw tahini for hummus when I make it. It would be great for raw salad dressings too. I hope to be able to try all of the products. Currently I am entering a contest via another fellow blogger. She is offering a free jar of Artisana coconut butter and 1 each flavor of their on-the-go squeeze packs. Those on the go packs are cool!
Here is her link for the blog: http://sugarpopribbons.blogspot.com/2011/09/artisana-organic-nut-seed-butters.html?showComment=1315833413694#c5657760082417255312.
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