Category Archives: Health

Seeds of Death: Unveiling the Lies of GMOs

The world’s leading Scientists, Physicians, Attorneys, Politicians and Environmental Activists expose the corruption and dangers surrounding the widespread use of Genetically Modified Organisms in the new feature length documentary, “Seeds of Death: Unveiling the Lies of GMOs”.

See full movie at ▶ Seeds of Death: Unveiling The Lies of GMO’s – Full Movie – YouTube.

How to Make Authentic Milk Kefir

Milk Kefir (pronounced keh-FEER) is a wonderfully delicious slightly carbonated fermented milk beverage similar to yogurt (or buttermilk). Kefir is simply milk that is fermented at room temperature with kefir grains for about 24 hours. It has many wonderful health benefits, a great flavor and is also usually tolerated well by the lactose intolerant. It’s much easier to make than yogurt – no heating or incubating involved, and kefir has a much larger spectrum of probiotics than yogurt. The reusable, sustainable grains also make it more economical.

Kefir has gained in popularity lately, due to interest in eating more responsibly and locally, as well as more economically, combined with a greater awareness of the health benefits of probiotics from cultures and whole foods.

But with that popularity has come a load of misinformation and deceiving products on the web. Authentic kefir can only be made by real kefir grains, not from any kind of packet or powder (or from incubating store-bought kefir). Kefir available at the stores are simply imitations. This is due to regulations on consistent products with known ingredients, bottling procedures and packaging and shipping standards. As with most nutritious foods, real kefir can only be made and experienced at home.

Milk Kefir originated roughly 2,000 years ago in the Caucasian Mountains between Europe and Russia, which makes kefir one of the oldest milk ferments in existence. If you have more questions you can check out Yemoos Nourishing Cultures to see photos, FAQ’s, health benefits and other information on milk kefir.

Now, lets get started!

via How to Make Authentic Milk Kefir.

Yemoos Nourishing Cultures | Milk Kefir or Water Kefir

Milk kefir seeds

When you’ve used antibiotics or if your diet has included a lot of wheat, meat and sugar, you may need to restore the friendly bacteria in your intestines. Kefir is a powerhouse cultured probiotic drink you can make at home. It’s fun!

You can make milk kefir with milk kefir “grains” or water kefir with water kefir “grains”. Yogurt pales by comparison. People who love kefir, love it. Those who don’t, probably haven’t had really good kefir. Animals love it. There is also wonderful information on the Yemoos site about water kefir, kombucha and ginger beer.

This is their introduction to milk kefir:

  • What is milk kefir?
  • What other names does kefir go by?
  • How are kefir grains different to powder starter (such as Body Ecology’s products) or store-bought kefir?
  • What’s the difference between dried and fresh/live kefir grains?
  • What is the advantage of taking kefir instead of a probiotic supplement?
  • Why is kefir generally tolerated by the lactose intolerant?
  • Is Kefir a good option for those with Candida?
  • What strains of bacteria and yeast are found in kefir grains (and kefir itself)?
  • Can you make your own kefir grains or get kefir from just milk?
  • What milks or other liquids can you ferment with kefir grains?
  • What about raw milk?
  • Does Kefir contain alcohol?
  • What does milk kefir taste like?
  • What should kefir grains look like?
  • Are all kefir grains the same?
  • How long do active kefir grains last?
  • Do kefir grains need to be fed every day?
  • What other uses does milk kefir have?

Read more about these questions and much more at  Yemoos Nourishing Cultures | Milk Kefir FAQ.

What about supplements?

I try to get all my nutrients from food, but because modern agriculture (even organic agriculture) is not the same as nature’s handiwork, I do use a few supplements:

  • Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin)
  • Vitamin D3
  • Spirulina
  • Chlorella

Many things I use for seasonings, might be considered healthy additions to any diet. Everything I eat is organic because the negligible difference in cost makes all the difference in how I feel.

  • unrefined sea salt – Celtic
  • olive oil (extra virgin, organic)
  • coconut oil (raw, organic)
  • tamari (wheat-free)
  • miso (fermented rice/barley/soybeans – organic, non-GMO)
  • nutritional  yeast
  • fresh garlic
  • fresh ginger
  • cayenne
  • turmeric

Please share below what you add to your foods to stay healthy…

Cold hands? Cold feet? Try this…

All my life I had cold hands and feet and would stay awake at night, no matter how many blankets I used, unable to sleep. I have reversed that condition. Perhaps what I learned will be helpful to you.

Remember all those cute pictures of fruits and vegetables that resemble body parts and – amazingly – they are beneficial for those same body parts? I now know which food is good for keeping the veins and capillaries that feed the extremities, open and flowing, regardless of temperature.

leafskeleton

I ate ‘raw’ for several years and although it seemed logical to me to eat raw in the hot summertime, when it would start to get cold, I’d think about soups – to “warm” myself. I’d make a yummy soup and my tummy would be happy and warm, but my hands and feet, fingers and toes got colder than ever and I was sleepless again.

Watching deer walking around in the snow in my front yard, seemingly as comfortable as they were in the summer, eating the same plants and bushes, it appeared they didn’t suffer from the cold… and they didn’t eat soup. So as a bold and daring experiment, I decided to “buck” my “soup in cold weather” programming and returned to eating all ‘raw’ foods again. I focused heavily on dark, green, leafy vegetables – and my hands and feet were WARM again. I slept soundly, with warm hands and feet.

Since the dear deer eat almost 100% greens, I started thinking that it might be the greens that air-conditioned me. They don’t just keep me warm in the winter, they also keep me cool in the summer. Dark, green, leafy vegetables that my body loves in the cold also cool my body in the warm weather. It’s all about circulation.

Take a peek at any leaf. There is a main vein down the center, but then there are lots smaller veins that lead to tiny little capillaries that then extend all the way to the ends of the leaves.

Not only are the veins and capillaries reminiscent of our own, but the chemical formula of chlorophyll is only one ion different than the chemical formula of hemoglobin – the foundation of blood. Ingesting chlorophyll is like getting a shot of hemoglobin. And in fact, during war, when they have run out of blood for transfusions, they have successfully used chlorophyll juice. Greens are quite literally the life blood of plants and contain everything we humans need for healthy blood.

I have not experimented further. I do not know whether cooked greens are as beneficial as raw greens. It is my guess that cooked greens are better for you than no greens at all. And I remember that a friend, many years ago in Kansas, said that when she felt a cold coming on, she’d eat an entire package of frozen spinach and she’d never get the cold. Another bit of anecdotal information is that when even carnivorous animals are sick, they eat grass and other leaves.

And the good news is: you can make raw greens as or more delicious than cooked. There is something called “massaging” the greens. and it can be done with your hands, even with wooden rice paddles or in your food processor if you have a dough-kneading attachment. If you have made bread and know how to knead bread, you can do the same to greens. Just fold them over and lean your weight onto them, and continue until they are nice and soft. Whatever method you use, just work the greens until they are relaxed, limp, sensuous – and then put a lovely dressing on them… or start with the dressing on them and massage it into them.

Or you might prefer to slice them into ribbons and marinate them in olive oil and lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) and salt – maybe with sliced onion or garlic – for a couple of hours before dinner. Honestly, I can eat an entire bouquet of collards or kale prepared in this way – they are so delicious. And if you wish, you can put them in the frig in a covered container and marinate them for days.

Another wonderful way to eat greens is to make kale chips. Throw into your blender or food processor: a tomato or two, a large red bell pepper, some garlic, a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper – and then add as much nutritional yeast as you wish – 1/4 to 1/3 cup – to make it taste somewhat like cheese. Wash your kale in a large bowl – any type – curly, italian, plain – and drain it well. Then add the cheesy mixture and work it through every leaf. I use a dehydrator at 105°F (43°C) for several hours or even a day – until the chips are crisp, but some people use their oven at the lowest temperature possible,, and it takes only a few minutes. This is a crisp, healthy, tasty, nutritious alternative to corn and potato chips. Kids love them!

At any rate, I hope that we all can soon grow organic food forests all over the globe so that we can have kale and chard and collards and herbs, etc growing right outside, ready to pick at any time.

Outside my front door is a large planter box with oregano, thyme, rosemary, mint and parsley. As I leave the house, on my way to a meeting or the store, I have been known to pick a sprig of an herb and chew it in the car. If you do this, just remember to check your teeth in the mirror before you get to your destination – to prevent that “spinach between your teeth” phenomenon, you know.

Copyright Patricia Robinett 2015. Feel free to share with attribution.

The China Study

Many scientists have reached the same conclusions as Dr. T. Colin Campbell.

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.” (ADA)

A little preview of The China Study – YouTube.

Gather free food & medicine from the wild

Let nature be your grocery store and pharmacy. Live off the free superfoods in your own area. “Weeds” are miracles of medicine and health. Foraging local wild foods is becoming a new way of life and true longevity. If the world was to be destroyed, dandelions would pop up soon after – and they are some of the most nutritious greens imaginable!

See more at the Free Food and Medicine website

WIld Edibles with Sergei Boutenko

People used to forage for all their food. There were no grocery stores. There were no manufactured foods. In times of emergencies, it’s very good to know how to return to the habits of our ancestors, so we can feed ourselves.

In this wild edibles mini series, author Sergei Boutenko discussing how to forage, clean, and prepare common weeds and wild edibles safely and responsibly. This series is great for those interested in survival, foraging, homesteading, gardening, and nutrition. For more info on foraging please visit: http:www.SergeiBoutenko.com

Why Are the Japanese so Healthy?

Hippocrates said thousands of years ago, “Let food be your medicine and medicine your food.”

Most people forgot that simple bit of wisdom, but in the 1940s when there was no medicine for hypertension and kidney disease, one brave doctor, Walter Kempner, devised a rice diet that worked on his patients… and it worked to heal many other diseases (including obesity) as well!  Voila! The origins of food as medicine in our modern age.

Here, Dr. Frank Neelon, a student of Dr. Kempner’s talks about the diet. He seems to still be astonished at the effects of the rice diet on other problems, but it makes sense to me that simplifying one’s diet – eating only whole, natural foods – would benefit the entire body – and the mind as well.  See my review of “Food & Behavior”, a wonderful book on the subject.