Motherhood Video

If you've never seen this, it's great! Enjoy!

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/23/a-brilliant-hilarious-tribute-to-motherhood.aspx

Right-brained or Left-brained?

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22535838-5012895,00.html

White, Dark, and Red Meats

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/01/what-s-the-difference-between-white-and-dark-meat.aspx

Fast Food's "Healthy" Salads

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/22/the-truth-behind-fast-food-restaurant-s-soft-and-fluffy-claims.aspx

High Fructose Corn Syrup

"...if we really want to maintain or regain our health, we really MUST avoid high fructose corn syrup like the plague."

Read the article online at http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=118

Interesting Website

http://www.oldwayspt.org/

Very interesting! (On Sugar and Sweets)

http://www.dld123.com/sweetsavvy/newdirection.html

"Processed Food is taking over our supermarkets"

http://www.wellnesstips.ca/processed%20food.htm

Kids and Colds: Problems with Kids' Cold Meds

"...children's medicine (and adult's) is usually full of other lovely stuff like high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners, colourings, and flavourings and other chemicals, forcing the body to waste energy detoxifying rather than trying to deal with the invading virus. So, what is a parent with a sick child to do?"

See full article on Vreni Gurd's blog at:
http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=146

Christmas Wassail

David and I have been in a cranberry mood lately, apparently. It all started when I made my cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. (The first attempt last year was successful, so I was eager to make it again this year.) Well, it's a little tart for some people, but David and I love it. I've now fixed a total of 4 batches, I believe, just since the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The fourth batch I just made yesterday, and we've been enjoying munching on it yesterday and today. We use it like a jelly or sandwich spread (we like it with peanut butter, turkey, or plain or with cream cheese) or as a dip (like for bagel or pita chips). We also like it on our salads for a "dressing." I also tried yesterday dipping my apple slices in it, and that was pretty good. I didn't like the celery as well. I prefer peanut butter on my celery (or just plain).

But on to the wassail. David remembered it the other day and I found my recipe before heading out to the store. Tonight I'm enjoying some of my second batch. It does give us more sugar than we usually get, because we rarely drink fruit juice. But it sure does make a nice holiday treat. Here's what I did:

2 cups cranberry juice (100% juice, but it's a cranberry juice blend, not 100% cranberry juice)
2 cups water
2 Tbsp lemon juice (or to taste, I don't measure)
2 Tbsp honey (again, I don't measure)
Cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon
Orange slice with whole cloves

Let simmer on stove top or in a crock pot. Very, very yummy! You'll have to let me know if you try it.

Exercise -- very interesting

"Do you frequently drag yourself out of bed when the alarm goes off in the morning? Do you regularly feel unrested in the morning? Do you frequently have times in the day where you would really like a nap? Do you need coffee or other stimulants to get through your day? Do you frequently have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep at night? Do you have chronic digestive or other health issues, or are you in pain frequently? Are you under a fair bit of emotional stress? If you answered yes to more than one question, parasympathetic-type exercise will give you energy and improve your health, whereas sympathetic exercise (hard exercise) will drain you and worsen your health."

Read the entire article on Vreni Gurd's blog entry:
http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=107

Artificial Sweeteners

"Artificial sweeteners are not a healthy substitute for sugar and they often cause people to eat more food and gain weight. "

Read the entire article online at http://www.wellnesstips.ca/artificial%20sweeteners.htm

Sugar

"On some level most of us know that sugar is not healthy, but I don't think the majority of us have any idea truly how devastating sugar is. "

Read the entire article online at http://www.wellnesstips.ca/sugar.htm

GMO Foods

A list of processed foods and brands which contain GMO ingredients (and alternatives which don't!):
http://www.truefoodnow.org/shoppersguide/guide_printable.html

From the Cooper Institute: Exercise

"According to a new study, even low levels of weekly exercise (below the current recommendations), provide major health benefits. Researchers conducted a 12 week study on 106 healthy, but sedentary adults between the ages of 40 and 61. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group briskly walked 3 days a week for 30 minutes. The second group briskly walked 5 days a week for 30 minutes. The third group was the non-walking control group. After 12 weeks, the findings revealed that blood pressure and waist and hip girth decreased significantly in both of the walking groups. Overall fitness also increased in both of the walking groups. The researchers noted that these positive changes are enough to make a difference to an individual's risk of heart disease. There were no changes in the control group. Hopefully, these findings will encourage people who haven't been able to make time for the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. Remember, some activity is better than none!"

My salad last night (and other recent food-related stuff)

I saw this somewhere recently and wanted to try it, so I mixed it up last night and liked it. I'm posting it here to share and also to remind me if I happen to forget about it (since it was a first-timer, and may not readily come to mind again without a memory prompt).

I mixed together: half a tomato (diced), half a cucumber (diced), 1/2 cup or so of cottage cheese, and 1 green onion (both green and white). I knew I liked all the ingredients separately, but didn't know about combining them -- but it was good. Different, but good.

It made a nice little low-carb, low-cal salad; very filling, very tasty. I try not to do much dairy, so cottage cheese is a little bit of a splurge, but you can't do everything (no grain, no dairy, no meat) all the time -- so I guess I just rotate through them, and in doing so get a lot less of all 3 than I used to. I ate it just like this, but if you wanted I think you could put it on salad greens and eat it that way, too.

Another interesting salad combination I saw this week but haven't tried yet: watermelon, feta cheese, and red onion. Hmm. Several of the comments said it was very good. I have watermelon and red onion right now, and am planning to go to the store today; maybe I can pick up some feta cheese and try it. Feta cheese is not my favorite, but I'm willing to try again.

Oh, and speaking of cheeses and new foods, here's something new I tried and really enjoyed. Okay, let me give you the Aleecia version (the full story): it was about to be the third weekend of celebrating the kids' birthdays. David and I had decided -- celebration, but no more cake. So I wanted something that would be a nice treat and ideally something you could put candles in (so trying to think of an alternative to apple crisp -- yummy and relatively healthy, but not very candle-friendly) -- and saw this idea online: take strawberries and cut them in half length-wise, then fill with a mixture of cream cheese and honey (kind of like you do for devilled eggs). I used a decorative icing thingie for the cream cheese filling, and this looked so pretty on the tray! We put candles in the middle and sang Happy Birthday; it turned out really nice. It is definitely something to do for parties or showers or potluck dinners. It's kind of like strawberry cheesecake but with more strawberry than cheesecake. Very easy, very bite-sized (so in my mind good for big crowds). Well, this doesn't end up using much of the cream cheese (it doesn't take a whole package), so I had this leftover cream cheese-honey mixture. For Jayden, I'm not as worried about breads and dairy as I do for me, because it's okay for her to gain weight, etc. So I had some of the pitas I like to get from Super 1/Brookshire's, and I get the idea to make her a "cream cheese sandwich." I lightly toasted the pita and then added the cream cheese filling (plus a little extra honey for a nice treat); we all loved it. David and I have to keep from eating them; Jayden eats a whole pita of it by herself. If you like cream cheese, I think you'll like this, too. (Think the Toaster Strudels they make with the cream cheese filling; it's like that.) This makes a nice dessert, snack, or even breakfast. It's yummy! You'll have to let me know if you try it.

Vreni Gurd: Artificial and Natural Flavors

"Do you know why fast and processed food, from french fries, hamburgers, ice cream and chicken fingers to microwave popcorn, flavoured yogurts, baked goods, breakfast cereals, fruit drinks and beer all taste so good? The chemical wizardry behind the artificial and natural flavours added to the processed food adds back the flavour that was taken away during the processing and storing of the foods. The long list of chemicals that make up the flavours is hidden behind the words "artificial" or "natural" flavours."

Read the entire article on Vreni Gurd's blog:
http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=126

Quotes

I love this:

"People change for two reasons, They either learn so much they want to or they hurt so bad they have to." (author unknown)

We experienced this last year in relation to our health, but it's so good and so true for all of life. This quote is a keeper!

And, more specifically related to health, I thought this was very interesting:

"I don't always go into details about the possible side effects of drugs. I tell them all drugs are poisons with possible beneficial side effects."-Dr Jay Gordon

I liked that. I think that's a great perspective. So many today treat medications as an automatic fix and jump to a "pill" without even thinking about a possible cause for their illness. We all still have a lot to learn, but the first step is a mindset change.

"High Cholesterol does not cause Heart Disease"

Read Vreni Gurd's article online: http://www.wellnesstips.ca/high%20cholesterol.htm

Summer Salad Recipe

A new salad recipe for us to try (from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/08/a-yummy-scrummy-new-summer-salad.aspx):

INGREDIENTS:
SALAD:
1 pint organic cherry tomatoes
2 cups black, pitted olives
1 cup organic green beans, chopped large
DRESSING:
Approx 1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
About 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 squeeze of lemon juice
GARNISH:
Sprig of fresh mint or oregano

PREPARATION:
Place tomatoes, olives, and green beans in medium bowl.
Place olive oil, garlic oregano, and lemon juice in small bottle and shake.
Pour dressing over salad and toss well.
Garnish with sprig of fresh mint or oregano.

Eggs and Diet Soda (but not together -- in fact, enjoy one and avoid the other!)

"Slowly the evidence is mounting that there is absolutely no need to be afraid of eating eggs, despite the fact that they are high in cholesterol."

"The other interesting study that was publicized this week noted an association between soda pop, both diet and regular, and metabolic syndrome and heart disease. The association for regular pop is a no-brainer, but that diet pop is also problematic is surprising, as diet pop contains no sugar nor high fructose corn syrup, so why would such an association exist?"

Read the entire post online on Vreni Gurd's blog:
http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=116

Body Detox

Check this out: http://www.bodypurenow.com/

(We've ordered one box of these to try.)

--Aleecia

What the World Eats

Fascinating!

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/What-the-World-Eats-21099.aspx

Practical Uses for Soda

This is awesome! A handy reference for later. But it does make you think: people actually want to drink this stuff? And it does all this? =-)

http://www.thebachelorguy.com/34-uses-for-that-can-of-soda-other-than-quenching-thirst.html

(I bought a 2-liter Coke just last week to keep working on cleaning up an old cast iron skillet David's grandmother left here. Haven't had a chance to use it yet, though -- but I have done this before after I let my cast iron skillet, the one I now use all the time, get rusty a year or so back.)

Fast Food Strawberry Milkshakes

Another good video by Luci Locke, this one on the ingredients in a fast food strawberry milkshake. I hope it makes you think twice before you order! (And even better, maybe not go at all ....)

=-)

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Fast-Food-Milkshakes-Exposed-27226.aspx

"Natural" Soft Drinks - a video by Luci Locke

I thought this video was great. Should you buy (and drink) the new "healthy" soft drinks and teas? Well, it depends ....

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Those--quot-Natural-quot--Soft-Drinks----Are-They-Really--28358.aspx

Sugar in our Diet

Another link from mercola.com:

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Why-Americans-Keep-Getting-Fatter-22958.aspx

Primitive Diet

Here's a video posted on mercola.com. Of course I don't agree with the evolutionary part of this video, but the experiment and results (9 volunteers in a zoo for 12 days, eating an "ape-like" diet) are really neat! I enjoyed watching this.

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Can-Eating-Like-an-Ape-Change-Your-Health-in-12-Days--23880.aspx

Another Tuna Salad recipe

Here's a tuna recipe my sister sent me that we can try; she made it and said it was really good.

INGREDIENTS
1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
1 dash garlic powder
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
1 cup chow mein noodles
Lettuce Leaves

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine tuna, peas, celery and onions. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, soy sauce, curry powder and garlic powder; stir into tuna mixture. Stir in almonds; top with noodles. Serve on lettuce if desired.

My Throw-Together Lasagna Success Story

I've always been a fan of lasagna. Pasta, cheese, tomato sauce -- who could resist? Well, Thursday I had lasagna on the brain. We hadn't had lasagna in ages. Plus, with working on the house right now, we're doing a lot of "satisficing" with meals -- so my first thought was to pick up a frozen lasagna at the store on my way out the house. We do have an oven in the house we're able to use, so I figured I could heat that up and that would be our supper.

When I got to the frozen food aisle, I wasn't completely satisfied with either the prices or the ingredients on my lasagna choices. Then, a brainstorm: I wonder if I could put a lasagna together for us? Worst case scenario: I learned it didn't work. But, it ended up turning out really well! We were even able to share leftovers with David's family, and they liked it too. It's definitely a do-over! (In fact, I bought ingredients tonight to make it again this week.)

Here's what I did -- oh, let me give you the ingredients list first:

1 box wheat lasagna noodles (you'll only use half)
1 jar pasta sauce (I used a chunky kind)
1 large carton cottage cheese
1 2 cup bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1 bag frozen spinach (I used half)
1 container baby portabella mushrooms (I used half)

In my (foil, disposable) baking pan, first I put down a layer of pasta sauce, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Then I put four uncooked lasagna noodles, which worked out right for my size pan. Then, I put a layer of cottage cheese, then mozzarella cheese, then spinach and mushrooms. Then another layer of noodles and another layer of sauce, the rest of the cottage cheese and some mozzarella (but save some for the top), another layer of noodles, then more spinach and mushrooms and cheese. Well, that may not be exactly right, but something like that. I covered it and baked it for about 30 minutes at 350, give or take -- and yummy!

I was trying to think about other veggies that would be good in this, too. I think some small carrot bits would be good. Cooked bell pepper and onion would be good. You could always add a meat layer or two, too. I just didn't want to fool with it, and we didn't miss it.

So tonight at the store I only had to buy cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese and pasta sauce; I had the other ingredients already left over from Attempt #1.

So, now we have a recipe for an unbelievable lasagna -- tasty and unbelievably easy! (And not TOO terribly expensive, either.) You'll have to let me know if you try it.

Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes

This sounds like a good idea: (from a Yahoo group I've joined)

Mix 2 cans tuna, shredded carrots, raisins, maybe some diced apple and mayonaise. Then hollow out tomatoes and chop up the middle part you took out and add it to the tuna. Mix it well. Then stuff the tuna mixture back into the tomatoes. These are good served with just crackers or with mac and cheese.

Vitamin D and Cancer

"An exciting study was published this week in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that indicates that getting enough Vitamin D is important for reducing one's risk of cancer."

Read Vreni Gurd's article online at http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=130

Apples - Peel and all

Traditionally, apple peels have been considered healthy because of their fiber content, as the peel contains about 75 percent of the dietary fiber in an apple. But a recent study has shown that the peel also contains most of the beneficial phytochemicals responsible for apples' anticarcinogenic effects.

Scientists processed more than 200 pounds of Red Delicious apples, and extracted phytochemicals from about 24 pounds of peel. They screened the compounds for anti-cancer effects in laboratory cultures of human liver, breast, and colon cancer cells, and identified a group of compounds with potent anti-cancer properties.

Specifically, 13 triterpenoids from the peels of Red Delicious apples were identified and confirmed to be highly effective against cancer. Exactly how and why these biochemicals seek and destroy cancer cells is still unknown. Apple consumption has previously been linked to a reduced risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Commercial Cream

I enjoyed this video -- cute and informative -- and wanted to share:

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Do-You-Really-Want-to-Use-Commercial-Cream--19965.aspx

Groceries: My List

Things I keep on hand and buy regularly (usually weekly):
eggs, bread, peanut butter, canned tomatoes/sauce/paste, fresh produce (fruits and veggies: bananas, apples, other produce in season or on sale), yogurt or cottage cheese, fruit juices, and lately, cranberries and cream cheese

Things I keep on hand but don't buy weekly (but usually at least monthly):
honey, canned tuna, rice, pasta, dried beans, popcorn, frozen veggies and fruit, wheat and rye flour, corn meal, baking powder, raisins, applesauce, chips and salsa, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sandwich pitas,

Things I occasionally buy but don't try to keep on hand:
mixed nuts for snacking, almonds or walnuts or pecans for salads or baking, tortillas

Things I occasionally buy and freeze until I use:
meat and fish (I buy on sale and then freeze -- so I usually have some available, but I rarely actually buy)

I'll try to add to this as I think of other things and make updates as needed ....

I've Been Sick

Between working on the house, drinking too much coffee, and not getting much sleep, I managed to bring a kidney infection upon myself. It's self-diagnosed; but I did an online search and every one of my symptoms were on the lists I read -- and I had several noticeable symptoms. Even though I didn't have every symptom listed, there were no symptoms I had that were not mentioned. So I can be fairly confident that's what it was/is.

It got me really down. It started with the usual "urinary tract" stuff, the obvious: having to go to the bathroom all the time, then a few days later I started to burn, then my lower back started hurting. This all started the afternoon before Bible School began at church -- perfect timing! I made it all through Bible School week alright, though. The Lord really blessed. Saturday I was feeling pretty good and we went out to the house to work. I overdid it -- unintentionally, of course, but I did. I painted and drank too much coffee and stayed up way too late. So Sunday I paid for it. First I was really sleepy in church Sunday morning (this was last Sunday). I did get to nap Sunday afternoon, and we had a Bible School service Sunday night. After that, we came home, and I was sick. I was running fever, achy, yucky, uncomfortable, and then started having chills. That ended up being my worst of all this.

Monday morning I started back to school. (There's no rest for the weary!) Once again, though, the Lord really blessed. Monday class went fine. I felt okay. But by the time I got home, I was wiped out. I slept and slept. Tuesday class was not quite as good, but okay; Tuesday night I felt a little better. My classes each day got progressively worse and my evenings got progressively better. Hmm! Thursday in class I was obviously sick. I made it, and everything's okay, but I couldn't fake not feeling good to the students. But Thursday night I felt like joining Mom and Dad for supper. Friday I was sleepy and took a long afternoon nap, but the evening went well, and yesterday and today have gone well. I've felt much more like myself than I have in a while. This has lasted two full weeks! But I had read that they take a while to go away.

I wanted to share what I did. (What I didn't do: go to the doctor or take antibiotics. Not that I wouldn't have, but I wanted to try it this way first.) First, I drank lots of water. Most of the time I would add some or all of this: a drop or two of grapefruit seed extract (I keep this on hand and take it regularly; I also give it to Jayden regularly in her juice cup), some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, and maybe a little juice: usually cranberry, sometimes pomegranate or orange. I wanted to drink cranberry juice but I was concerned about the sugar (the juice I found at Brookshire's was 100% juice, but not all cranberry juice, so it was still pretty sweet, and I was getting juices and sugar I didn't really need). So I only drank diluted cranberry juice, and not all the time. Second, I ate hardly any meat or dairy or other animal products. I can't say I didn't get any, but I didn't get much. I even limited my butter, which usually we use a lot in cooking. It was good to pull out the olive oil a little more than we had been, though. We really don't eat much meat or dairy anyway, but I ate even less this week. I had a few days of none, but not the whole week. Third, I didn't drink any coffee. I haven't had ANY since Monday, I know. This is unusual for me. But it hasn't been hard. I haven't wanted any. It's not worth it. I haven't had other tea or caffeine, either, except for the one cup of green tea I fixed that then I iced down and diluted -- mmm! I like it this way for a summer drink (with a little honey in it, too). Fourth, I really watched my sugar. I tried not to get any except for a little honey I would use sparingly and the natural sugars in fruit and juices. As far as what I did eat, I focused on veggies, especially fresh veggies, and a few fruits: celery, pineapple, apples. I did take a peanut butter sandwich to school with me a few days (which is not health-promoting as far as I know, but it wasn't animal and I like it, and I don't think it's health destroying; maybe just neutral! =-> .) I think that was my lunch most days this week: a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat toast, several celery sticks, and an apple. For breakfast I would have some oatmeal and maybe some toast, sometimes with fruit (banana or grapes or pineapple). For supper -- well, I didn't have much of an appetite, really, and I slept a lot -- and David wasn't here much from working on the house, so I didn't have to cook -- so I can't remember for sure, but I don't think I ate much for supper. Thursday night at Wendy's, when I was feeling better, I got a plain baked potato, a side salad, and a small chili, and poured my chili on top of my salad and potato. I like it that way! That was a good supper. And one day for lunch David brought me a turkey sub filled with veggies. Friday I didn't eat much until supper - Chili Verde! We got the veggie fajitas, mmm.

Other than diet, the main thing I did was take probiotics. I took two every day and I think they made a really big difference. I also took some garlic tabs and some cranberry capsules, but only periodically. I took some Tylenol and applied peppermint oil for the fever and took a bath with vinegar water the night I felt really bad. I had lots of ups and downs with symptoms. Mostly though the "feeling bad" seemed to be related to the fever, which I could control fairly well with the Tylenol and peppermint oil. Other than that I just felt a little yucky and tired, not really bad.

This has all been an experience for me, so I wanted to share. If I can help answer questions, I'll do my best!

God bless you!
Aleecia

Really Good Budget-Stretching Hints for the Kitchen

Here are some really good ideas for stretching your food budget a little further:

Article: Using Leftovers Wisely, by Terri Cheney
http://www.frugalsimplicity.com/article1020.html

Hidden Story Behind Baby Carrots

Hmm, didn't know this .... (from mercola.com)

"Baby" carrots are not actually young carrots, or even carrots that are grown specifically to be small. In fact, the concept of the baby carrot was born 21 years ago by a California farmer wanting to sell more of his carrots that he was throwing away due to imperfections -- they were too knobby, twisted or broken. After cutting the less-than-perfect carrots down to a uniformly smaller size, they were fed through an industrial potato peeler to smooth the edges and remove the skin. This marked the birth of the "baby" carrot market.

The success of baby carrots may be a reflection of the desire for food that is uniform in appearance and taste, and for food that is sterile, prewashed, and prepackaged.

Processed Foods Are Even Sweeter Than You Think

(from mercola.com)

Food companies have doubled the amount of sugar they add to many of their products. Soups, cereals, and other foods have been heavily sweetened to attract more customers. Breakfast cereals have seen some of the biggest increases, but even whole grain bread now routinely contains almost a teaspoon of sugar in every three slices.

In 1978, Kellogg's Special K contained about 10 grams of sugar for every 100 grams of cereal, but that amount has now increased to 17 grams, very close to the sugar level of vanilla ice cream. Over the same period, the sugar per 100 grams in tomato soup has increased from less than 3 grams to more than 6 grams.

Processed foods contain some of the highest sugar content, often with levels close to or higher than 20 grams of sugar per 100 grams of food. Sugar consumption has been implicated in rising levels of tooth decay, diabetes, and obesity.

Probiotics

There's a lot of buzz about probiotics these days, from Dannon's new "Activia" yogurt, to an article in a recent issue of Prevention magazine, and this article from Dr. Mercola's newsletter/website:

http://vitalvotes.com/blogs/public_blog/How-You-Can-Use-Your-Body-s-Bacteria-for-Better-Health-13144.aspx

Many scientists have begun to argue that the trend of using antibacterial soap and other antibacterial products may actually cause diseases like eczema, irritable bowel syndrome and even diabetes. What's more, the solution may be to feed patients bacteria.

Probiotics, which are pills containing bacteria, have resulted in complete elimination of eczema in 80 percent of the patients treated with it. Probiotics have also been used to treat irritable bowel disease, acne and premenstrual syndrome. In one recent study, infants given a probiotic were, after two years, 25 percent less likely to develop eczema.

From 50 trillion to 100 trillion bacteria live in your digestive system, where they have a complex relationship with digestion and health. Antibacterial products can disrupt the balance that protects you from allergies and malfunctioning immune responses.
Wired April 26, 2007

Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Most people don't realize the trillions of bacteria in your gut outnumber the cells of your body by a factor of 10 to 1. This is one of the reasons they are such a major influence on your health. And one reason you should be staying far away from antibacterial soaps and cleaners is that they kill the good bacteria our bodies so desperately need to fight diseases. That's why an increasing number of health professionals are recommending a high-quality probiotic to rebalance your intestinal bacteria.

Because the nutritional origin of many diseases we face is connected to a lack of balance in our intestinal bacteria, one of the first suggestions I make to a new patient is for him or her to start taking a good probiotic.

Optimizing your diet is certainly beneficial, but frequently that alone won't be enough to replenish the good bacteria that are eradicated after you take an antibiotic or eat sugar -- which is another good reason to reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars from your daily diet, too.

Total health begins in the gut, folks. If your GI tract isn't functioning very well, it's guaranteed your overall health will be compromised. Although I am not a big fan of nutritional supplementation, probiotics are the exception. I don't believe you need to take them constantly throughout your entire life, but one to three months is usually beneficial for just about everyone.

Make Your Own Chicken Stock

It really is very easy! I do this all the time. Basic ingredients: chicken and water. (Of course, there are many optional ingredients and many variations.) Anytime you have leftover chicken bones, there's no reason to throw them away just yet -- boil them up and make you a pot of stock. You can always freeze it for later. Chicken stock is so handy to have on hand for soups and recipes. (I do the same with my turkey leftovers, too.) I haven't bought chicken broth in over a year; it's practically free and so simple to do it yourself. And you can be in complete control of the ingredients.

Check out this video how-to and added information at mercola.com:

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Making-Your-Own-Chicken-Stock-15468.aspx

Ginger Cinnamon Popcorn

Popcorn is one of our favorite snacks. It's great for the munchies! We have an air popper, and sometimes just enjoy the popcorn plain, sometimes with salt and butter, and sometimes we get even more flavorful. Tonight I decided to try a new combination which worked well and so I thought I would share. In a small saucepan, I melted a tbsp of butter and a little honey (I didn't measure, but it couldn't have been more than a tbsp; I'm pretty stingy with the honey since it's so expensive and we don't need to eat much anyway), and then added some grated ginger. I didn't measure it either, but I stopped when I was tired of grating; it was probably about 1/4 tsp, but maybe more. I sprinkled cinnamon directly on the popcorn, then drizzled the melted butter mixture on top, then mixed it all up -- and voila! It was really good. I think it's definitely a do-over. I'm a cinnamon fan, so this is yet another way to enjoy cinnamon (together with butter, even better!). Let me know if you try it and what you think.

$25 Emergency Menu

A few things on my mind lately led me to put together this $25 Emergency Menu/Shopping List this afternoon. This is "healthy" in the sense of whole, nutritious, simple, old-fashioned foods. It is obviously short-run in nature since doesn't provide much variety, but in the short-run the focus is on meeting basic nutritional needs as cheaply as possible. I've devised a one-week plan for a time when money's tight and you need to stretch your dollars and make do!

The dollar amounts I assigned to each item should take taxes into account and are also the "real world" prices I experience in my everyday shopping -- not sale prices. I even rounded up, so I truly think if you walked into the grocery store with nothing but $25, you could get everything on my list and eat for a week. Not feast, mind you, but eat. And nourish your body, too.

My Emergency Menu assumes only that you have a means to cook (a pot or two and a stove or other heat source), and probably something to put your water in. There are no hidden ingredients necessary that are not on the list. There are optional or desired ingredients, but no necessary ingredients. AND, as to the healthy part, I've only included foods we eat on a regular basis. Now, on to the list:

Healthy “Emergency” Menu

$2 Oatmeal (water; optional: salt, butter, fruit, honey, milk or powdered milk) – 42 oz container; should make 30 bowls
$2 Bananas – 7 (possibly even more)
$2 Eggs – 1 dozen
$3 Beans and Rice (water; optional: salt, additional seasonings, canned tomatoes) – 1 pkg of each
$3 Apples – 7 small size
$3 Carrots – 2 lbs
$2 Bread – 1 loaf
$2 Frozen veggie – 1 pkg
$3 Peanut butter – 1 jar
$3 Water – 10 gallons

Total Cost: $25

With a few extra dollars, I would buy some salt and butter and a can of tomatoes for my beans and rice. With even more, I would buy some honey (it's one of our staples now!). If you have a way to pop it, popcorn makes a great cheap snack. You can buy a whole package of popcorn for about $1.50, which makes several bowls big enough for snacking and sharing. I also regularly make cornbread, which is very cheap per pan, but if you were having to buy everything at once it would be a bit more expensive (you need corn meal, flour, baking soda, butter, eggs, and salt; my emergency list only includes the eggs and probably not too many extra for baking versus just eating plain).

Some details about the items I included and what I buy:

I buy the old-fashioned oatmeal; just the kind regularly available in the grocery store, but not instant or quick oats. Natural, old-fashioned oatmeal. We eat it for breakfast almost every morning. We have eaten it and do eat it plain, but usually we doctor it up a little with butter, salt, honey, and some fruit. One of my favorite versions is with chunks of frozen peaches and a little vanilla and some milk or powdered milk. I also like our apple-cinnamon, banana, and blueberry versions.

Eggs: I'm thinking if you boiled them they would be easier to ration rather than scrambled. I put $2/dozen because we have local sources of good, "home grown" eggs for $1.25 or $1.50 a dozen. You can't get store-bought cage free eggs for $2 (especially including tax), but you could get some type of grocery store eggs for that, which would be okay. I do it to save money all the time. Sometimes I buy the better, more expensive eggs, but sometimes I choose to spend the money elsewhere.

Beans and rice: You can get a package of dried beans for $1 which should be 2 cups; I usually make 2 cups at a time which is a good quantity in my crock pot (regular size). It always makes us at least 6 full bowls, maybe even 8 (with rice and usually cornbread, too). Our favorites: pintos, red kidneys, navy beans, and lentils. I'm a little more uncertain about the size and cost of rice, but I feel certain you can get a bag of rice for $2. Making the rice is a great way to stretch the beans and from what I know, nutritionally beans and rice make a great combination. If you need more information about preparing the beans and rice, or the oatmeal for that matter, please let me know.

Apples: several of our stores have had lunch size apples 3/$1 regularly lately (conventionally grown, of course). This is what I based this suggestion on.

Carrots: real, fresh carrots in the produce section. I'm usually able to get them for $1/lb (sometimes even organic for that price), so I rounded up and left in some leeway here. We love to slice them into carrot sticks or chop them and boil or steam them for a great supper veggie.

Bread: you could get cheap bread for less than $2, but I wanted to make this realistic for us and what we buy. Sometimes I buy bread more expensive than this, but I commonly buy a package of 10 wheat n' honey pitas at Brookshire's for $1.50 -- so that would qualify. Or, it's not a regular purchase any more but I would do it again in a crunch -- Nature's Own offers a wheat bread that according to the label does not include high fructose corn syrup. Sometimes I see it for $1.50/loaf. So these two options are what I had in mind for the $2 I suggested.

Frozen veggie: pick your favorite. Many times the Brookshire's brand veggies will be about $1.25/package, so I rounded up and left some leeway (since some veggies are more).

Peanut butter: I've been buying the organic PB Brookshire's and Super 1 offers which is usually about $2.50/jar, but often goes on sale for $2/jar. I only buy natural, sugar-free peanut butter (and usually organic, but sometimes have to settle).

Water: We've been buying the "water by the gallon" from either the Monroe location (Hwy 165 where Brookshire's used to be; in between Albertson's and ULM -- 30 cents/gallon) or the West Monroe location (at the RV park right at the Well Road exit -- 25 cents/gallon). My figure gives you 10 gallons at 30 cents/gallon.

I enjoyed working on this. Let me know if you have questions! Praying God's blessings on you and your family....

Aleecia

Overfed but Undernourished

"As a society, we are over-fed but under nourished, and Dr. [Weston] Price proves beyond a shred of doubt how this under-nourishment leads to physical and mental degeneration, as well as to degenerative diseases. So, what are the nutrient-dense foods we should consume?"

Read the entire article online at http://blog.wellnesstips.ca/blog/index.php/?p=87

(Aleecia's Note: I'm not sure yet about the organ meats and I would disagree about the shellfish, but disregarding those teeny parts this is very much worth posting. I may be getting to read Dr. Price's book very soon! I'm excited!)

Fruity Frozen Treat

David whipped this up for us tonight, and it turned out good -- especially for a first attempt. I think it will be a do-over:

2 bananas
6 frozen strawberries
1 small can pineapple
Crushed ice (2 cups? -- "lots"... or maybe that was "a good bit")

Blend well and serve. It was very thick; thick enough to use a spoon at first until it melted a little bit, and then we could sip on it. This made two big glasses for us plus some Jayden could have by herself. I think we'll try all different combinations of fruit, too. It was plenty sweet for me as is, but you could always add a little honey or other sweetener if you wanted it even sweeter.

Recipe: Eggplant Creole

I made this for supper tonight (first time at this recipe and first attempt at eggplant), and I must say it was a winner. I imagine I'll make this again -- it may even become a "regular."

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 can water, 1 clove (I used ground cloves), 2 bay leaves, 1 bell pepper (chopped), 1 onion (chopped), 1 teaspoon salt; (Optional: 1/2 cup grated cheese, 1/2 cup bread crumbs).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut eggplant in cubes; cook in boiling water for 8 minutes; drain. Place butter and flour in skillet; when blended, add tomato sauce and water; stir until smooth. Add clove, bay leaves, bell pepper, onion and salt. When sauce thickens, fold in eggplant. Transfer to casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs. (I omitted the bread and cheese.) Bake for 1/2 hour at 350 degrees. Serve with rice or pasta. (Next time I may try putting my noodles or rice on the bottom of my casserole before adding the sauce and baking.)

After making this recipe tonight, it seems like it would be very easy to adapt/substitute with additional or alternative vegetables. I think zucchini would be good either in addition to or instead of the eggplant; extra onion and bell pepper would be good, too. Any vegetables that you think of with an Italian-type tomato sauce would be good. You could also add some type of meat if you wanted.

Good thoughts worth sharing

A comment posted on Dr. Mercola's blog by "Dr. David Spitz":

In the 1960's only 5% of meals were eaten out. During special occasions, it was a 'treat' and something really different to go to a restaurant. Most of the time it was a mom & pop place with good 'old fashioned' cooking--(not that it's really good for you anyway--but better than fast food).Today, almost 60% of meals are eaten out of the home. Restaurants will do whatever it take to get you there; hence the Burger King commercial enticing 'real men' to eat their cardiac special...enough fat, salt and who knows what to stop your heart.As usual, it boils down to common sense:
Eat breakfast at home
Never use salt
Bring your own lunch to work
Eat Dinner at home with your family
Once per week go out to dinner, but watch for the oily, salty, fried food.
Don't drink soda---drink 2-3 liters of pure water per day
Eat 5-6 smaller meals per day...snack with fruits, veggies an nuts. You will save money, save your waistline,,,,add years to your life.

Recipe: Spinach Mushroom Egg Bake

From mercola.com: Sounds yummy!

http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Delicious-and-Easy-Spinach-Mushroom-Egg-Bake-10264.aspx

Live Longer: Keep Learning!

An article from mercola.com (I know you'll be surprised that I liked this one)

=-)

http://www.mercola.com/2007/jan/18/one-secret-to-a-longer-life-keep-learning.htm

Is Organic Good Enough?

An article from mercola.com:

http://www.mercola.com/2007/mar/20/is-organic-good-enough.htm

Recipe: Roasted Ginger Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Ginger Sweet Potatoes

A nutty, gingery confection of sweet potatoes that will enhance any of your favorite cold weather foods.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
2-3 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
½ cup real maple syrup
1-2 tsp. grated ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
Black Pepper, freshly ground to taste
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to moderately hot temperature (375° F). Combine potatoes, olive oil, syrup and spices. Toss well. Lightly oil a medium sized baking dish and spoon in the potato mixture. Top with chopped nuts.Bake 35 to 45 minutes. Cover with foil halfway through baking if the nuts are getting too brown.

Recipe: Banana Ginger Jam

Banana Ginger Jam
There are two types of banana jam. One type is real jam with sugar and pectin that is put up in jars and processed in a water bath. The other type, which I have been making more and more lately is just a thick banana mush with a little seasoning. It must be kept in the refrigerator and after a couple of weeks (if you don't gobble it up) it will turn into a science experiment. I make it differently each time because I make it from the bananas which get so ripe my family won't eat them. Since I had the happy combination of over-ripe bananas just as I wanted to post the recipe, I made some this morning. I like a lot of ginger flavor so I used 3 Tbsp. You might want to try less at first. This morning I cooked it up in a pan on the stove before I put it in the crockpot. That shortens the crock pot time to about three hours. Here are the proportions:

Banana Ginger Jam

6 ripe bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
pinch of allspice
pinch of cloves
1/4 cup unsalted butter (this adds a lovely silken taste)
2/3 cup citrus juice (today it was 1 lime and the rest orange juice)

Slice the bananas into a crockpot. Add the other ingredients and mix. You can use a potato masher if you like a smoother jam. Cook at least six hours and spoon into jars. Keep in the refrigerator.

Source: Mary Filmore

Recipe: Carrot Ginger Soup

Carrot Ginger Soup

Carrots are available year round, but for some reason, the warm, golden color and the use of a spice like ginger make Carrot Ginger Soup feel like an autumn food. Depending on what type of liquid you use to cook the carrots and whether or not you add cream to the soup at the end, you can make it vegetarian or vegan.

1 diced medium red onion
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp of minced fresh ginger
2-3 cloves finely minced garlic
1½ c. chopped carrots
3 c. vegetable broth
¼ c. orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
¼-½ c cream or milk (optional)

Heat olive oil over medium heat in the bottom of stockpot. Add onions and cook until soft, but do not brown. Add ginger and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.Add carrots, broth, and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until carrots are exceedingly tender, about 20-30 minutes. In batches, puree soup in blender (or do it in the pot if you have an immersion blender). Thin with additional broth as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe: Spicy Sourdough Ginger Cake

SPICY GINGER CAKE
This is a simple spicy cake made the sourdough method.
INGREDIENTS (Makes 12-16 small slices):
1 cup Kefir.
200 grams butter, from pasture fed cows.
1/3 cup molasses.
2 eggs, from pasture fed chickens.
3/4 cup Californian dates, chopped.
1/2 cup of sourdough starter.
3 cups Spelt flour.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.
1/4 teaspoon cloves.
1 teaspoon mustard powder.
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt.
2 teaspoons ground ginger.
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger.
Tablespoons of water, optional.

INSTRUCTIONS
Process the Kefir, butter, molasses, eggs, chopped dates and sourdough starter in a food processor. In a separate bowl mix the flour and spices, then process them with the other ingredients in the food processor until you get a smooth batter. If the mixture is too dry then you will need to add a little more Kefir or water until you get the desired consistency.
Grease and dust with flour a 12 x 8 x 1 1/4 inch baking tin. Spoon in the mixture and level out with a spatula. Leave the mixture to rise in a warm place (28C) for 12-20 hours or until the mixture has not quite doubled in size. Bake at 180C for 40-50 minutes or until a clean knife comes out dry.
Serve with Kefir cream and All-Raw Red Plum Jam.
NOTES: Depending on the thickness of the Kefir and sourdough starter you may need to use some additional water to reach the desired consistency for the cake mixture.
MEASUREMENTS: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml / 5 gm. 1 tablespoon = 15 ml / 15 gm. 15 tablespoons = 1 cup / 225 ml. 1 cup = 8 fluid oz / 225 ml. 1 US gallon = 3.6 litres. 1 lb = 16 oz / 454 gm. Temperature 20C = 68F. Conversion from Fahrenheit to Celsius: °C = (°F - 32) / 1.8. Conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit: °F = °C × 1.8 + 32

Ginger

Some info on the health benefits of ginger:
http://drbenkim.com/ginger-health-benefits-ginger-ale-recipe.html

Homemade Hot Chocolate or Mocha

This has been a nice treat (a favorite indulgence) of mine this winter. Dry milk is not the most nutritious, but it's easy to have on hand, making this an easy AND convenient hot dessert drink or anytime treat. (If I had fresh goat's milk on hand I would use it rather than dry milk.)

Ingredients (for one large serving): 1/3 cup dry milk, 1 tbsp unsweetened (baking) cocoa, sweetener to taste (1 tbsp sugar, 1 pkg powdered stevia, 1 tsp maple syrup, etc.), hot water (8 oz. or to taste).

Blend well and enjoy!

(I use my over-sized coffee mugs and my hand mixer and blend right in the mugs, but you could always blend it up in a bowl or use a blender, and then pour it over into your serving mugs.)

To make a homemade mocha, use fresh brewed double-strength coffee rather than water. Tonight I made us cinnamon mochas; I put cinnamon both in the coffee pot with the grounds and some extra in the mugs with the powder mixture. Yum!

Whole Wheat Doughnuts?

From mercola.com:

"Don't be fooled by a whole wheat doughnut" (Krispy Kreme's new marketing ploy) --

http://www.mercola.com/2007/mar/17/dont-be-fooled-by-a-whole-wheat-doughnut.htm

Sweet Savvy

A website I just found which looks like good info for my sweet tooth:

http://www.dld123.com/sweetsavvy/

Recipe: Sourdough Pancakes

Originating in Alaska, this recipe was popular in the late 1800s, when a sourdough starter was the common and reliable way to provide leavening for bread products. Preparation begins the night before.

Ingredients:
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1 large egg
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Place the sourdough starter in a nonreactive mixing bowl, add the flour and water. Stir and leave, loosely covered, overnight in a warm place.
The following morning, stir the mixture and remove 1 cup, adding it to your sourdough starter in the refrigerator.
To the warm sourdough mixture, add remaining ingredients, stirring well.
For each pancake, pour scant 1/4 cup batter onto a hot griddle. Cook pancakes until dry around edges. Turn and cook other sides until lightly golden brown.
Makes 2 servings.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup maple syrup, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
Serves: 8

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a food processor and mix until smooth. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix oats, nuts, flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside. Mix 1/4 cup maple syrup, butter, and water separately and add to dry. Mix. Divide dough in half. Butter an 8x8 baking dish and press half of dough in the bottom. Spread the sweet potato mixture over the dough evenly. Crumble the remaining half of dough evenly over the sweet potato. Press gently. Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly crisp on top and golden. Let cool before serving.

Recipe: Carrot Raita

A quick side salad for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:
2 large carrots, grated
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Cardamom
1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt
Serves: 2

Instructions:
Grate carrots in a bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients and chill.

Recipe: Strawberry-Papaya Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup papaya, cut into chunks
4 large, ripe strawberries
1/2 cup crushed ice
Serves: 1

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

"Fats: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly"

A must read: http://www.wellnesstips.ca/fats,%20good%20bad%20and%20ugly.htm

Why Sourdough? (Health Benefits)

I found this info helpful to understand better about the health benefits of sourdough. There's a lot I still don't understand, but I thought I'd share:

(from http://www.angelfire.com/ab/bethsbread/WhatisSourdough.html)

The history of "sourdough" is as old as the history of leavened bread itself. Way back in ancient days (around 6,000 years ago, some say) humans first figured out how to promote the fermentation and leavening of grains to first be brewed into beverages and then, later, to be baked into bread. This probably happened by accident time after time, until someone smart figured it out. Next our ancestors figured out how to save a portion of the fermented grains to use to "start" the fermentation of their next batch of bread. Since that time, humankind has been using and making "sourdough."
That fermented mix of grain and water that was saved and used to start the next batch of dough is what we now call a "sourdough starter" and bread made from such a starter, "sourdough bread."
From a scientific perspective, a sourdough starter is a natural leaven - a mixture of grains and liquid (usually flour and water) inhabited by so-called "wild" yeasts and bacteria which leaven and flavor bread dough. These yeasts are the yeasts that thrive naturally on the surface of grains, fruits and vegetables, in the air and in the soil. The bacteria are certain strains of the so-called benign or "friendly" bacteria Lactobacillus, rod-shaped bacteria that can convert simple sugars into lactic and other acids.
To understand more of what a sourdough is, we need to understand what yeast is. In simplest terms it is a plant. More specifically a fungus, a one-celled life form which digests sugars (such as those contained within the starch in flour) and produces a bit of ethanol (alcohol) and some carbon dioxide (which is what causes the bread to rise). The natural yeasts in a sourdough starter are strains of a yeast family whose scientific name is Sacchraromyces exiges. They are of the same family of yeast as commercial bakers' yeast, whose scientific name is Saccharomyces cerrivasae. The two have what might be called a distant family relationship but differ in one important way. Commercial bakers yeast cannot survive in a very acidic environment whereas natural yeast is very happy to live in such an environment. This is important because the lactobacilli in a sourdough culture produce a lot of lactic and acetic acids (which are what gives sourdough bread its flavor). The acids create an environment too acidic for commercial bakers' yeast, so only natural yeast can live with them.
In a healthy sourdough starter, yeast and lactobacilli thrive in a harmonious symbiotic relationship. This means that they do not compete for the same food and the yeast may actually help feed the lactobacilli. In turn, lactobacilli produce an acidic environment that the yeast like but which is inhospitable to other organisms. Thus the acids in the culture act as a sort of "antibiotic" so that lactobacilli contribute by providing a protective environment for the yeast.
Lactobacilli help bread rise, too. Just like yeast, they digest simple sugars found in flour and produce ethanol and carbon dioxide. In addition, the lactic and acetic acids that they produce flavor the bread with a rich complexity of flavors, sometimes giving it a sour tang.

Sourdough FAQ

A Sourdough FAQ page I found online:
http://www.sourdoughbreads.com/FAQ.htm

Sourdough Bread

I am very glad to report that my first attempt at sourdough bread (real, old-fashioned, slow-rise, no yeast sourdough bread) was successful! I made a half recipe, which was two medium loaves, last night. It's definitely a different taste, but we like it. It's not a bad different.

Here's all I did. Last Friday night I put two cups of rye flour (I used Hodgson Mill's brand which I bought at Walmart) and 2 cups of water in a big bowl. I set it in the oven to keep any bugs out. Then every night for 6 more nights, I added 1 cup of flour and just over 1 cup of water; I stirred it in and moved it over to my other big bowl. (I don't think it matters which order you do those three steps, except I guess the stirring.) I did run out of rye flour on the next to last day (I think), and then just used whole wheat flour. I was following Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions recipe, and she says rye flour makes the best starter. So I bought one box of rye flour and used it up and finished my starter with whole wheat.

Then, to make my bread, Saturday morning I measured out 4 cups (1 quart) of the starter into my other big bowl (the rest I put in the freezer for later) and added some salt; mixed it in good and then added some whole wheat flour. (I'm forgetting the quantities right now; I just made a half recipe from what she says in the book. I could look them up and let you know if you needed them.) Then I kneaded it in the bowl for 10-15 minutes. I cut it in half and put it into my two loaf pans and let it rise for most of the day; I think probably about 7 or 8 hours. Then I baked it at 350 for about 45 minutes. And then, yummy! Fresh sourdough bread. I think it's neat that the only ingredients are flour, salt, and water. No yeast, and no oil. (Some of my low-fat dieters may like this feature of this bread!)

I put my leftover starter into two containers, one quart already measured and ready to make two more loaves from, and about 2 cups extra for my next batch of starter. I feel like I will probably be doing both -- baking more bread and beginning more starter -- later this week.

Sally Fallon says the slow-rise breads are the most nutritious. I don't understand much about those details yet. We do still, and will continue to for now, eat the "quick-rise" breads, including the baking powder breads (muffins, pancakes) and the yeast breads (rolls, bread machine loaves), but maybe I can begin to shift us over to slow-rise sourdough. Hey, I'm just proud Try #1 went well. That's a confidence booster!

Health Hints from Dr. Ted Broer

From Dr. Ted Broer's health update email (3/9/07):

Some Health Tips for Feeling Better and Losing Weight:

*Drink half your body weight in fluid ounces of purified water per day. If you weigh 200 pounds drink 100 ounces or 10, ten ounce glasses per day. Don't drink diet sodas. I have an article on Aspartame listed on my web site, healthmasters.com. Just drinking more water will make you feel better. It's amazing most people run around in a chronic state of dehydration. Sip on the water throughout the day.

*Don't eat fat free meals. Fat helps to keep you full. Because it slows down the digestive process. Good fat is necessary to help you burn fat. Plus, the body in many of the metabolic processes uses fat.

*Don't eat powdered eggs or eggbeaters or anything that doesn't look like a real egg. Powdered eggs wreak havoc on your cardiovascular system. Use only organic, no hormone eggs. They are great for kids and adults. By the way, the reason eggs have a yellow yolk is because they are high in sulphur. Sulphur is critical for healthy hair, nails and skin. I try to eat 2 - 3 organic eggs daily. By the way, my cholesterol is perfect. Real eggs do not make your cholesterol go up, however powdered eggs will make your cholesterol go up. Studies showing that eggs increased cholesterol used powdered eggs. Real eggs in the shell, that you have to crack, have never been shown to raise cholesterol. You should cook your eggs in extra virgin olive oil, organic butter or coconut oil.

*Don't use canola, corn, soy, safflower or cottonseed oils; they are loaded with Omega 6. When you get too much omega 6 it messes up your body chemistry and can lead to heart attacks, diabetes, cancer, asthma, arthritis, blood clots plus a whole bunch more problems.


Aleecia's note: I liked that what he said here matched, once again, with what we've read from so many other sources. I figure when people from all different angles are telling us the same advice, you have to take notice. These hints from Dr. Broer all fit with what David and I believe now and try to practice.

Happy health!

Jesus: "I am come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Sick!

Well, we have a confession to make -- but it's actually a praise and a testimony. Saturday night David came down with something, which Monday we found out was strep throat. We're figuring he caught it at school; we have heard it's going around. This is the first time any of us have been sick since beginning our journey to better health. The praise and testimony is that even though it was strep throat, and he didn't feel too great, it was a very mild case. He had a sore throat and a little fever which lasted about 48 hours. He was able to rest and took it easy for most of Sunday and Monday, and by Tuesday was almost back to normal. He drank echinacea tea, took grapefruit seed extract, had a few zinc lozenges, and put peppermint oil on his wrists and feet for his fever. He did end up taking some ibuprofen as well, but we feel like even though he caught a bug he was able to recover quickly and had a mild case because his immune system was fairly strong from trying to treat his body right. I've had another sick family member, too: Jayden vomited several times yesterday. But even through that she was able to rest and play; she hasn't vomited today and has played all day, so we're planning on her going back to school tomorrow. Here again, even though she did catch a little something, it didn't seem to be bad at all, and it didn't last long! We think that's really cool.

I'm trying to keep Joshua and me from catching either of their maladies, and so far so good. We're being careful not to share dishes and I'm trying to keep my hands washed well. I've had some extra drainage/congestion for about three weeks now, but I've felt fine. I just keep the tissues within reach. =-) I'm hoping this will go away soon. I add grapefruit seed extract to my orange juice and try to get Vitamin C and not much sugar. I need to drink more water and probably need to add some echinacea tea, too. I had a zinc lozenge yesterday.

Oh, and something not related to being sick, but about diet: I wonder how many other 18-month olds ask for more broccoli? (Supper tonight was spaghetti and broccoli.) Maybe a bunch, I don't know. But I'm proud of her, regardless.

Lentils

I fixed lentils for us this week, and they turned out well (a definite do-over!), so I wanted to post about it. Lentils are new to both of us. Neither of us remember having lentils at home growing up. I think I first heard of lentils when I was in Paris. I had leftover lentils and cornbread for lunch today, along with a sweet potato -- and it was a very yummy lunch! And we still have more leftovers for this week. Here's what I did for my lentils:

I soaked two cups of lentils in filtered water overnight. Then the next day I drained and rinsed them, and cooked them (bring to a boil, then simmer) for about an hour in turkey stock with one added bay leaf. (I think I actually used too much turkey stock; my lentils turned out more like a soup, but it's still good.) I cooked some onion and garlic in butter and then added them to the lentils towards the end; next time I may just add them to the pot and let them cook with the lentils. At the end, I added one can of diced tomatoes. And that's it! Lentils are cheap, good for you, and we really enjoyed them. I have some other lentils recipes I plan on experimenting with; if they turn out good, I'll share!

Nourishing Traditions babies

I enjoyed reading this and wanted to share:

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/babies2.html

Sweet Potato Soup

I love new recipes! Check out this one I just found on abcnews.com (of all places!). (I was on the site to find out more about the Nightline program tonight -- they'll have a story about PMD! I'm eager to watch it.)

SWEET POTATO SOUP RECIPE

3 large sweet potatoes, diced
1 large white onion, diced
1/3 oz olive oil blend
16 ounces of chicken stock
1 small bunch-fresh sage
2 bay leaves
Couple sprigs of thyme
Light brown sugar to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
10 oz. heavy cream
8 oz. whole unsalted butter
Pinch of nutmeg

In a medium to large pot over high eat, add olive oil blend, sweet potatoes and onions, sweat until caramelized. Add chicken stock and bring to simmer. Tie up all fresh herbs with butcher string and add to simmering soup. Once sweet potatoes are tender, with a slotted spoon remove potatoes from pot and place in a food processor. Strain off cooking liquid and set aside, disregarding herbs. Slowly add cooking liquid, butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste to food processor and mix well. Pour pureed soup into another pot and bring to a low simmer, add heavy cream and butter. Simmer. Finish by sprinkling nutmeg.


Mmm, sounds good! I think I'll take the easy way out and just use my dried, ground spices and may try to just use my hand mixer in the pot rather than dirtying another pot. I may use Joshua's blender, though. I'm not sure what I'll do about the cream; I'll take any ideas! (I usually use yogurt for my dairy when I don't have goat's milk available, but I'm not sure about substituting yogurt for cream -- ??) Oh, and I'll probably leave out the brown sugar; I'll put a little honey or maple syrup, or even a little stevia, if it needs anything. It'll probably be next week, or at least the weekend, before I'll even have a chance to try it -- but maybe I can make it soon and let you know how it goes!