Beet Kvass

Over at Evelyn Fields place she made Beet Kvass.  Apparently I missed this step completely  :(  She did a great post on it and I would encourage everyone to go look at it.

Beet kvass is what I do when I need a detox at the cellular level.  Personally, I add some cayenne pepper to mine (my sister hates that) and drink it by the glass.  I do not recommend this - it is just what I do when I have to do major detox, especially when we choose relationship over healthy habits.  Sometimes those two things conflict and we almost always opt for relationship..... this puts the brakes on legalism.  But a good detox helps :)

Go take a look and enjoy!  The day is gorgeous and I am headed out to weed eat a bunch more grass for the pigs (they are loving it) and for the chickens (ditto).

Our egg production is up, our feed bill is down, our hens are happy, our meat birds are growing.  The day is promising  :)

Cindy

Healing Long Term Disease

The Weston A. Price Foundation Facebook Page posted a wonderful guest article today.  Kathryne Pirtle is a musician who struggled with multiple disease issues for many years on a "healthy" diet.  Her story is not only inspiring, but she covers the principals of nutrient dense eating in great detail.

I would encourage everyone to take a couple of minutes and read her story and how she brought herself to a place of abundant health using a nutrient dense diet.

Agriculture Society - Kathyrine's Story

Be healthy and well today
Cindy

A Critical Issue - pH balance

pH levels and your body

Flu Remedy #2 and 
The beginning of Phase One

First of all, my apologies for not getting this in sooner.  It is the beginning of our entire program.  When I started going through making a "Path to Progress" so it was easier to follow the basic program, there was a big hole.  Apparently the pH opinion never made it from Face Book to this blog.  I have been waiting for....... well, I don't know why I was waiting to fill in this hole.

Anyway.... the whole flu thing reminded me to do something on pH.  If you have a rotten case of the flu, you might try this old, old remedy.

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 lemon or lime

1/2 glass of water

Stir and drink

Day 1 - Use FOUR times
Day 2 - Use TWO times
Day 3 - Use ONCE

You  don't want to do this all the time and you don't want to do more than seven doses in four days.  This just chemically yanks your entire digestive tract to a neutral pH.   We can personally testify that it works for the flu.... just because virus', germs, pathogens, yeasts and other nasty stuff do not like a neutral pH.  These nasty things are weakened and you can recover.... pretty rapidly.  Not instantly.  

This step is the beginning of the program.  If you want to be reminded what Phase One is, go here.   It is safe, effective, inexpensive, easy and not completely disgusting. :)  We do pH testing using strips a couple of mornings every week and are still not at the place where our pH is neutral just from food.  We have been continuing to add this remedy in about 1-2 times per week, but hope to end it sometime.

Our 8 year old gets sips, but not full doses of this.  He really does not need it usually... his immune system is pretty strong.  He really does not like it, but I don't mind it.

Remember that you need to be responsible for the health of your family.  The intent of this blog is to implement the ideas from the Weston A. Price Foundation, Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions and some of the ideas from The Maker's Diet in a step by step approach.  Study one thing at a time, think about it, reason it through, talk with someone about it and come to a good, informed decision for your family.

We want a simple, nutrient dense diet that provides optimal health.  It is so hard to just shift gears mid stream.  My prayer for all of you is that some of these ideas will make sense to you and you change because of knowledge..... not just because someone had a good idea.  Baby steps, where we sift through one idea at a time, gives a little space.  Don't let anyone rush you or tell you what you should be doing in your family.  Change because you are convinced.

So..... THE EXTRA STEP - PHASE 1 - pH levels

Pick one or two articles.... read a little, think a little, pray a little.  Let all of us know how it goes.  Sharing our success and failure as a community binds us together...... no matter where we live..... on to pH

The reason you want your pH neutral is for optimal health.  If your pH is too acidic or too alkaline, your body does not function well.  It is as simple as that.  If it is too far one way, weird things can grow.  If it is too far the other way... the plumbing doesn't work well.  Your blood HAS to stay at 7.3 or 7.4.  Your body will rob from everything else to keep it there.  Don't make your body rob from your bones or organs to keep your blood neutral.   Just figure out a simple diet that works.

This first article is a good, light article on using baking soda and some of the benefits of  keeping your body at a neutral pH.  Remember, don't feel a need to buy any expensive thing anybody is selling.  A simple paper strip is sufficient for the average healthy person to keep tabs on where they are  in the pH dept.

Healthy Holistic Living 

Dr. Mercola does have an annoying pop up add if you are not on his e-mail list, but his information is so good that it is worth it to me.  He has a great web site that covers a multitude of good information, including pH and baking soda. 

Baking Soda/Flu Remedy from Dr. Mercola

This article from Dr. Mercola gives a good overview of Dr. Simoncini.  Some of the research of Dr. Simoncini has heavily influenced me.  Personally, if I had cancer anywhere from my mouth throughout my digestive tract, I would be using a baking soda therapy as part of my treatment.  If you only have time to read one article, this is a good one.

Fungas as a form of cancer - Baking Soda Therapy 

Here is a further one on baking soda and cancer if you want to continue on this vein.

Winning the war on cancer 

And finally, here is one from a kind of odd web site.  A little out there.....  

Ted's Alkalizing Formula 

I hope this helps you.  Some of this information is so good, and as a first step in your healthy lifestyle, this one is good.   

Be blessed and healthy

Cindy

Retracing My Steps - Ginger Ale

How Our Family Deals with the Flu

It appears to be flu season, cough, cold, yuck.  If you would like to have a simple, homeopathic remedy (remember, I am neither a doctor, a homeopath, a midwife... nothing... just opinionated :) you might add cultured ginger ale to your families life.  Purchasing ginger ale probably won't give you the benefits.  Our family always has ginger ale brewing on the counter and a ginger ale/juice mix in the fridge.

 Ginger Ale Break

To learn how to make ginger ale, go to Whey and Ginger Ale Recipes.  Remember that a good gut is your best defense against germs, pathogens, and a generally toxic world.  Ginger Ale is one of the daily things we add for continued gut health.

Why ginger ale, you ask.... well, if you look at the benefits of ginger ale, that might answer your question.  My personal opinion is that cultured ginger ale is BY FAR the most efficient way to incorporate this wonder food into your life.  It is not cooked, the enzymes are all there, it is lacto fermented, the nutrients are bio available and accessible, and you can make it taste pretty good by mixing it with a little juice (I have no hard research on this since I made it up myself... it is kind of an odd drink to get used to.)

 

Ginger Ale with Pomegranate Lime Juice

 If you or your family like ginger ale, you don't need to mix it with juice.  It keeps for a long, Long, LONG time if you don't mix it with juice and you throw it into the back of the fridge.  I always keep a clearly labeled bottle of it, with some of the ginger in the bottom, in the back of the fridge.... Why?  If you have a puking family member, pull out the plain ginger ale.  Give them one tablespoon, by sips, wait 10 or 20 minutes and then give them another tablespoon.  This nutralizes that yuck feeling in your throat and mouth, so have them swish it in their mouth for a bit before swallowing.

If you are pregnant, are involved with chemo, or get motion sickness, you might also give cultured ginger ale a try.  (It helps by turning off something in your brain that tells you to puke - some studies show ginger to be more effective than Dramamine for motion sickness).  Again, my opinion is that the cultured ginger ale is almost the most efficient way to get the benefits of this amazing rhizome.

There are so many benefits available.  I'll list some of the ginger ale benefits as I know them here, and some links for you to do your own due diligence.  Remember, your families health is ultimately your responsibility and  you should check out some remedies, some preventions.  Don't ever subcontract your families health to anyone... doctor, chiropractor, dentist, therapist.... or friend.

Yum!

My personal list of ginger benefits: (please remember that this is not an "instant" thing... except for puking or acid reflux... we drink ginger ale every day... these are just some of the helpful things ginger can help you with over time)

• Overall anti fungal, anti inflammatory, anti bacterial, anti everything... but in a healthy way :)
• Stops heartburn and acid reflux
• Digestion Aid and helps with gas and bloating
• Reduces inflammation
• Fever Reducer
• Morning Sickness help (with changes in diet)
• Mild headache remedy (I still use aspirin occasionally)
• Energy drink (when mixed with minerals and juice)
• Calms your nerves... a little bit :)
• Food poisoning relief (some - a good, healthy, active gut is your best defense against food poisoning..... OK, full disclosure, we use live sauerkraut regularly to combat any food poisoning  :)
• Menstrual Cramp relief
• Some research shows lowered cholesterol levels (when used on a regular basis)
• Refreshing soda type of drink... It is so good in the summer over ice!

I might revisit this page and add stuff.... I am really doing this off the top of my head and might change this page when I have a bit of time.  A little stretched in the time category this morning :)  If anyone has another remedy.... please let me know.

THE EXTRA STEP - PHASE 1

Don't try to go to every one of these sites.  Many of them have repetitive information.  These are just some of the ones I like really well.  I try to find ones that don't have pop up ads, but don't always catch them.

So, true confessions, ginger chews are my all time favorite candy, but I have not been able to get them :(  This is their site for health benefits and it is really good.

My favorite site - Ginger People

These sites are selling their stuff, but they have links to lots and lots of research.  I have not looked at all of it, but some of it.  I especially like the links they have on motion sickness and on cholesterol.

Fitness and Freebies 

Vitamin Stuff - Ginger 

Here is a nice bullet point with research list and one with the nutritional breakdown

Health Diaries 

Health Benefits of Ginger 

Here is a nice, short list with some research and one with the use of honey and ginger.

Health and Yoga 

Honey and ginger benefits 

Anyway.... this is easy and inexpensive and a good tonic for winter.

Best of Health to you 

Cindy

Sauerkraut for four gallons

Directions for 4 gallons of sauerkraut:  This is the size of crock I have - adjust for your size of container.  Also, this batch is for our family.... I added beet greens, apple, black peppercorns, carrots and some parsnips.  This is what I had in my fridge, so this is what I cultured.  That is why it looks so colorful.  Yours might not be so many colors and flavors.... we like intense.

#1 - Gather ingredients:  6 heads cabbage, 9 tbsp or more sea salt, whey, (directions here: Whey recipe)   juniper berries or caraway seeds, and any spices you like.  Spices are INTENSE when cultured, so use with caution.  Our family likes cumin, cayenne, and onions.

#2 - Shred the cabbage. Use a food processer if possible. Reserve the outer leaves to top it off. You need at least 8-10 leaves.

#3 - Mix as you go - I usually put the first bunch of shredded cabbage, some of the salt, and all of the spices in the bottom and mix with my hands. I then continue to mix as I add more and more of the cabbage. This allows the salt to pull the juice from the cabbage.

#4 - If you want to add spices - 1/3 cup of Juniper Berries, 1/4 cup whey, 1/3 cup cumin, 1/4 cup cayenne. If you have someone in the house that likes bland and someone else likes spicy, you can leave the cayenne out and put about 1/4 tsp in each jar as you bottle it.

#5 - Layer some outer leaves of the cabbage on top of your mixture. Don't wash them, just rinse. The white stuff is what you want to culture your sauerkraut.

#6 - If necessary, add salt water to top off. Liquid must cover the cabbage and leaves - If there is not enough cabbage juice, just add salt water (1 tbsp per quart of warm water)

#7 - Put a dinner plate upside down on top of the whole leaves. Put another plate upside right on top of that. Push everything down using the plates. The sauerkraut cultures in the absence of oxygen, so this is how you keep it away from the air.

#8 - Put some more salt water into a 1 gallon zip lock bag or glass container that is sealed tightly.  If you are using a zip lock bag, put the first bag into another zip lock bag.  Put on top of the plates as a weight. You use salt water in case it breaks (which happens more often than not to me-that is one reason I switched to glass) Then you don't ruin your brine.

#9 - Cap your sauerkraut and put it into a cool, dark place for a few weeks. (ideally between about 55-68 degrees)

#10 - When you are ready to bottle it up, undo everything carefully and try to get all the scum or bloom off of the top. Work at the sink. Have a clean rag to wipe the sides of the bucket. It stinks - but not for long!

Bottle up and top off with the brine.  Cap tightly and put into refrigeration to "put your sauerkraut to sleep".  The smell does go away!


Have lots of fun and take some pictures. It is a totally messy, family friendly project.

Enjoy!

Cindy

Raw Milk Yogurt

Full disclosure - I have never made raw milk yogurt myself.  I plan to try it soon.  I understand it is more runny than the yogurt we are used to.  If anyone tries it, let me know.  It would be good if someone worked all the details out for all of us  :)

• Obtain some raw milk, produced in a clean, healthy environment by healthy cows or goats... grass fed is by far the best.  Ideally, the raw milk for raw milk yogurt should be as fresh as possible.
  
  
• Heat one quart of raw milk to 110 degrees F as the first step to making raw milk yogurt. Remove from heat source after reaching 100 degrees.
  
  
• Add 2 tbsp. of live culture organic yogurt for your starter. Any organic, preferably (but not necessary) yogurt is a very good choice as a culture to make organic raw milk yogurt. Use a whisk to incorporate the yogurt into the heated milk.
  
  
• Pour milk into a quart-size mason jar or other glass container.  I understand that a thermos works really, really well for this. Cover the raw milk yogurt with lid.
  
  
• Leave the raw milk yogurt in a warm (110 degrees F) place for eight hours. (thermos or yogurt maker or maybe a dehydrator or crock pot)
• Place your raw milk yogurt in the refrigerator to cool.
  
  
• Enjoy your yogurt. Add chopped fruit, homemade fruit preserves or vanilla extract and maple syrup to the raw milk yogurt if desired.

Some links for your reading pleasure.  I know this is a lot of links, but this is a terrific subject to really mull over.  Spend some time, think it over... try one or two recipes, share the experience.... make good decisions for your family.... own it, share it, live it and move on.

The Weston A. Price Foundation

Organic Pastures

Recipes from Weston A Price Foundation

Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Home Cooking

Best of Health
Cindy

Links for purchasing assorted cultures

It is very possible that you can share good milk (and other) cultures with someone in your community, but if that is just not possible, then the best thing is probably to order some.  I have never used these sites, but am listing them for your convenience.

For the most part, I just try to buy a sample of whatever I am making.  Julie just let me know that they have creme fraiche at Save Mart, so I will go buy some and use it for my starter.  I am looking forward to making some with the raw Organic Dairy cream and using it in various ways.  I love to try new things.  :)  :) :)

Anyway:

Gem Cultures
Kefir Lady  (also lists benefits for kefir)

Also, here are a few sites for cultured milk products and their benefits.  Hope there are not a bunch of pop up ads.  Those are really annoying :(

Backwoods Home
Functional Foods

And a thesauraus of cultured milk products..... gotta love google :)

Cook's Thesaurus: Cultured Milk

Best of Health

Cultured Milk Products

As a part of gut health, cultured dairy products have a huge role to play.  They will also play a prominent role in Phase 2 Good Fats/Bad Fats, so this is a transitional "Extra Step".  I have already covered some of the benefits of cultured milk products.  I would like to you to try one or more of these yourself.  It is a good way to incorporate raw milk into your life.

I confess, I might be at my time limit for cultured products, but really, I think I need to just add a block of time mid-week to rotate half of my cultures, then use my regular Saturday morning to rotate the other half.  This way, I can have cultured, raw milk products on hand for snacks and meals.  Thankfully, my counter is big.  Also, I am trying to go with very simple and wholesome meals to help with time management.

I am finding our nutrient dense meals to be very satisfying, if quite simple.  A soup, made with bone broth, a little meat and some soaked grains... some sourdough whole grain bread with raw butter.... a green salad with oil and vinegar dressing (I have been adding sauerkraut juice to this - it isn't bad).  Simple, filling, easy to prepare and clean up.  What more could you want for a dinner?

Anyway... on to the cultured milks.  Before refrigeration joined us in our industrialized lives it was a lot more common to culture milk before consuming.  Consuming large amounts of uncultured milk was rare.  Yogurt, cheese, clabber, curds and whey were used to effectively prevent milk from spoiling.  Through the process of lacto fermentation, friendly bacteria breaks down both milk sugars (lactose) and milk protein (casein).  This process effectively inactivates the spoiling bacteria and allows your milk product to be preserved for days, weeks... or in the case of cheese, years.

The process of lacto-fermentation also predigests these milk products and allows the nutrients to be easily absorbed by your body with less energy.  Also, these live, culture dense foods help colonize good bacteria in your gut.   Although I have listed yogurt in Phase One as a simple and easy way to begin, there is an amazing variety of cultured milk.

If you are able to study the homogenization and pasteurization process, it might help you understand the benefits and drawback yourself.  I have listed a couple of pages from raw-milk-facts.com for you to look over.

Raw Milk Basic Facts
raw-milk-facts.com - homogenization
raw-milk-facts.com = pasteurization

*note: When dealing with live bacteria, keep in mind that some good bacteria may have names that sound like bad bacteria. Streptococcus, for instance, can be a beneficial bacterium, although most people think of strep throat when they hear the word. Streptococcus refers only to the shape of the bacterium, and has nothing to do with its ability to promote health or cause disease. (Strept means 'twisted" and coccus means "round.") Streptococcus thermophilus has been safely used for centuries to make cultured dairy products such as yogurt, and cheeses such as Mozzarella.

 Some of the various types of cultured milk are:

Yogurt - which is made by first heating milk and then adding a culture... then allowing the culture to develop.

Kefir = a slightly effervescent beverage made from milk.  My friend Jamie is going to buy some Kefir grains from the GEMS website and give it a try.  She agreed to take pictures and let us know how it is going and what she learns.  I am looking forward to that.

Creme Fraiche - a cultured cream product - you can also use it to make a cultured raw butter.  It is apparently wonderful in soups and sauces.  I have not tried this product myself, but plan to soon.

Cultured raw butter needs no salt and has a high enzyme content which makes it really easy to digest and a flavor that is amazing.

Cream cheese and cottage cheese are traditionally made by allowing the fermentation process to continue for several days until the curds (the casein containing part of the milk) separates from the whey. 

Further inoculation and fermentation turns the cream cheese into cheese.

Whey is a valuable activator used in other fermented foods and beverages.

I will list recipes for each of these milk products separately.  This way, they are easier to find.  I hope some of you will find the time and energy to acquire some raw milk and try some of these.  If you can't do raw, try the unhomogenized.  If you can't do that, try organic.  Take baby steps and do what you can.  Try one new thing.  Find a recipe and make it a family project.  Most of these are quite easy..... just requires some time and attention.

I am enjoying the "slow foods" movement, where foods are thought out 2-3 or more days in advance.   Although there is nothing "instant" about these foods, if you have a wide variety of them on hand, they are wonderful, live and right there in your fridge for your use.  To be frank, I find that the actual preparation on a day to day basis requires a lot less time.  It is a process.

Best of Health
Cindy

Some further thoughts on gut health

Hopefully, some of you have made good progress in learning how your gut works, why it is important, how to begin the healing process and how to continue this process as a lifetime project.  I came across a really nice article that does not have a million ads (that I could see) that again spells this process out.

I would urge you to continue to study and learn as much as you can.  I do not believe you can be healthy if your gut is not working properly.  I do not believe you have to spend a fortune to have a healthy gut.  I do believe you should learn how to do a wide variety of lacto fermented foods to populate your gut with good bacteria.  If you have an overgrowth of candida, yeasts, fungi, or other nasty stuff, you will probably need to weaken them.   Find out what makes bad organisms strong (sugars, simple carbs, processed foods, a pH system out of whack) and what makes good bacteria strong (a neutral pH gut, some good minerals and vitamins, good fats and whole foods, lacto fermented foods).  Focus on the healing aspects.

This is just a starting point.  There are endless variations on these themes.  Learn different foods from different cultures.  Incorporate foods your great-grandmother would have made.  Learn some forgotten skills.  Spend your money on good food, not doctor visits.

The following link is a beautiful page that is well laid out and well thought out on gut health and disease.  I think you will find it valuable and non-annoying.  It is one of my new favorites.

Clinica Panacea

Finally, I found a great quote from a website on raw milk.  It is just so good I wanted to put it into this article on gut health.   From the article:

A Word About Diet In General

Use common sense and stick with whole, unprocessed foods, free from genetic tweaking (there's still just too much conflicting information out there on that topic), and you'll likely be ahead of the game.

Cook your foods minimally, and you'll be even better off. Learn about sprouting and fermentation. Question everything before letting it past your lips. 

Explore what worked for countless generations before ours, and put it to work for yourself today. You can achieve great health by diet alone. I've done it, and so can you!

 Raw Milk Facts . Com

Best of Health
Cindy

Sauerkraut

Basic Health Points for Sauerkraut:

*  Increases the healthy flora in the intestinal tract
*  Creates the type of environment for flora to flourish
*  An immune booster
*  Inhibits or actively fights cancer
*  Provides ingredients for gut health
*  Flu fighter
*  Inhibits pathogenic organisms including E. coli, salmonella and candida
*  Creates antioxidants that scavenge free radicals
*  Transforms lactose to lactic acid
*  Neutralizes phytic acid found in all grains and the trypsin-inhibitors in soy
*  Generates new nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, digestive aids and GTF chromium
*  Sauerkraut and its juices are a traditional folk remedy for constipation
*  Facilitates the breakdown and assimilation of proteins -
                 has a soothing effect on the nervous system
*   Strengthens the acidity of the stomach - helps normalize pH
*  Stimulates peristaltic movement of the intestines.
*  Detoxifies the intestines
*  Encourages pancreas function
*  Stimulates the secretion of all digestive juices
*  Helps re-establish healthy intestinal flora after taking antibiotics
*  Improves blood circulation
*  Helps cleanse the blood
*  Supports natural reistance against infections.
*  Strengthens the body's immune system
*  Helps rid the body of worms
*  Lowers the sugar in the blood and urine
*  Controls a craving for sweets
*  Alleviates morning sickness in pregnant women

News release from October 18, 2005 WGN9 Chicago (WGN-TV):

Bird Flu:  A cure for the bird flu may come from a strange source... sauerkraut!  Scientists at Seoul National University say they've successfully treated infected chickens with kimchi sauerkraut.  Kimchi is a seasoned version of traditional sauerkraut, but both contain an important bacteria, lactic acid, which appears to kill avian flu.  13 infected chickens with bird flu ate sauerkraut and 11 of them got better.

Further reading - "A Passion for Sauerkraut" a recipe book by Samuel Hofer

What is Gut Health

One of the most important steps that you can take to improve your overall health is to make sure that your intestines have plenty of good bacteria. There are approximately 100 trillion bacteria and microorganisms living in your digestive tract.   It is important that they are good, useful bacteria.  If your gut is full of virus, bad bacteria, and unfriendly pathogens, you are vulnerable to food allergies, candida, autoimmune problems, weight gain, intestinal problem, skin problems, bowel problems and catching everything unfriendly thing that comes by.   70% of your immune system is located in your gut.  If your gut is not healthy, can your organs be?

Please take a few minutes and look at this web site.  It is one of the clearest picturs I have found of what your gut should look like.... and what it probably look like.  I am listing this link again at the bottom of the page.  You don't need expensive probiotics, you need to correct the inbalance in your gut.  If you don't understand what the problem is, you probably will not understand the solution.  Please think this over.

Biolife

Some of the benefits of an abundance of "good" or "friendly" bacteria and microorganisms:

• Improved digestion and normalized bowel movements
• Correct skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis
• Provide protection against asthma
• Improve your immune system
• Protect against food allergies
• Reduce or possible eliminate seasonal allergies

Some of the possible ways to destroy friendly intestinal bacteria:

• Use of antibiotics (including antibiotics found in dairy and meat products)
• Eating foods that are genetically modified
• Not managing tension and stress
• An excess of sugar or other concentrated sweeteners
• Overuse of antacids or laxatives
• Use of some prescription drugs (including birth control pills and steroids like prednisone)
• Drinking chlorinated water
  

Today, the balance between "good bacteria" and "bad bacteria" that live in your intestines is the result of the choices you make in what you eat and your lifestyle. The healthier your choices, the more friendly bacteria you have living inside of you. Lets look at some of the ways you can bring correction to your gut using food.

Food based ways to begin correction of the bacteria load in your gut:

• Neutralize the pH in your gut.  This will weaken the "bad" bacteria and virus polyps  - it does not appreciate a neutral pH
• Begin a good multi-vitamin to give yourself a good coverage of nutrients for healing and repair
  
• Feed the good bacteria - Coconut oil is great fertilizer for the good bacteria and the bad stuff doesn't like it  (lets call it weed and feed)
• Begin adding "live" lacto fermented foods from a broad range of different cultures - milks, vegetables and roots.  This replaces expensive pill form probiotics and is a more natural, food based way to acquire the "good" bacteria and allow it to colonize.  Eat live yogurt, sauerkraut, drink ginger ale and kefir.  Give your gut what it needs.
  
• Eat a green salad daily to help "scrub" out some of the weakened bacteria.  Make sure there is some olive oil/vinegar on the salad
• Exercise for 20 minutes.  Get your heart rate up and sweat.  This causes your body to produce a broad-based anti-fungal
• Don't eat overly processed foods

The attached web site has a picture of a healthy gut vs. an unhealthy gut.  Take some time to compare the pictures.  Which one do you think yours looks like?  Don't buy expensive probiotics - make your own or buy them locally.

Biolife

Best of Health
Cindy

Path to Progress:  Start your love of cultured foods here with the benefits of sauerkraut. 

The Extra Step - Vitamins

Today's update:

As you begin to make changes in your diet and in your gut, it is really, really important to find a good vitamin that works for you.  The main reason that you want to begin this as soon as possible is to give your body a wide range of basic tools for cleaning, healing, maintenance and repair.  Really, with an intense, nutrient dense diet you might not need a multi..... but that is difficult in this day and age.  I don't really see a time that our family will not be taking a good basic vitamin.

A common problem in our life is too much stress.  This tends to burn up the accessible B vitamins (and probably others ) in our body.  One visible side effect is a rapid graying and/or thinning of your hair  (look at any president).  I don't know what the invisible side effects are.  That is just something you can see.  I am just saying that if you have gone through time of high stress - or  that is just how you live - and you notice thinned or rapidly graying hair....... ask yourself what might be going on inside with your organs or your body systems.

The main reason that my family uses a powder vitamin is the accessibility of the vitamins.  Liquid probably does the same thing, but we found one that worked for us and we just stuck to it.  Other choices are probably just as good.  I know there are some really, really good liquid vitamins available.  The dosage is not an exact science, but it does not need to be.  If your gut is in great shape, you can probably break apart those pills full of fillers and binders and other stuff  :)  go right ahead.

I am NOT a big proponent of switching out pharmaceuticals with vitamins.  If there is a problem in your health I always think it is better to find the source of the problem and correct it as naturally as possible.  Over the past few years I have spent a lot of time trying to replace various vitamins and supplements with foods.  My favorite quote is from Hippocrates "let food be your medicine and medicine be your food"  but the truth is that we live in a toxic world.  Take some vitamins that your body can absorb and use easily.  ESPECIALLY if you have made some significant changes in your diet.

Remember to give yourself some time, make one change at a time, don't push yourself so hard you hit a wall (this note is to me... and maybe a couple of you too!).  Pay attention to the short term and long term changes you are trying to bring about and try some food that is old to mankind and new to you.  Decide on a good multi vitamin for your family and try to tie it to an event.  Allow broad based healing to come in to your life.  Don't shut down detox issues (a different topic) any more than necessary.  Eat to nourish your body.

THE EXTRA STEP:
Real Simple magazine did an article on various types of vitamins.  I have linked the page for the vitamin that our family takes.  It has good information, and really, the entire article looks good.  If someone has that magazine (Dec 2009), I would love to borrow it.

Real Simple

Here is the blog from All One on the Real Simple article (I will just let them speak for themselves).
All-One


While I was trying to figure out how to spell Hippocrates I came across this great web site that really articulates how I feel about food, medicine and health.  You might like it. -Please note that I only was on the page I linked and hope it is a good overall site. 

Alive.com

This looks like a really, really in depth site on agriculture, pharmaceuticals and health.  I only skimmed some of it, but will read it later.  I am listing it here for reference.

Acres USA

Path to Progress:  Go now and learn about  Coconut Oil

The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

I am listing an article for Coconut Oil here. I have it in this Phase 1 because it feeds the good bacteria in your gut, and Phase One is gut health. However, it has so many other good properties. If you can, take a couple of minutes and read some of the benefits. I would say more, but the article pretty much covers it. Why gild the lily?

Organic Facts

Path to Progress:  Continue learning about Gut Health

Baking Soda Information

I have finally written something on pH, baking soda and general health.  Can you please just go to that page and read it.  Thanks  Cindy

Critical Issue - pH Balance

Path to Progress:  Go here for a recipe for Whey and Ginger Ale Recipes

Assorted GMO Information and links

Some links for genetically modified foods

I spent some time looking into the GM stuff. The first link is pretty amazing.... just scroll down and look at the titles of the links there. It appears to be a clearinghouse of stuff....... just read the links listed.

Seeds of Deception

The second one I am reposting from Dr. Mercola

Dr. Mercola

This third one is pretty in-depth. Not for the faint of heart, but I would like to pull a paragraph from it......

exerpt: When mouse embryos were exposed to glufosinate, it resulted in growth retardation, increased death rates, incomplete development of the forebrain and cleft lips, as well as cell death in part of the brain. After pregnant rats were injected with glufosinate, the number of glutamate receptors in the brains of the offspring appeared to be reduced. When infant rats were exposed to low doses of glufosinate, some of their brain receptors appeared to change as well.

Glufosinate herbicide might also influence behavior. According to Kuroda, "female rats born from mothers that were given high doses of glufosinate became aggressive and started to bite each other-in some cases until one died." He added, "That report sent a chill through me."

Disturbing gut bacteria

If the herbicide is regenerated inside our gut,it will likely kill gut bacteria. Gut microorganisms are crucial for health. They not only provide essential metabolites like certain vitamins and short fatty acids, but also help the break down and absorption of food and protect against pathogens. Disrupting the balance of gut bacteria can cause a wide range of problems. According to molecular geneticist Ricarda Steinbrecher, "the data obtained strongly suggest that the balance of gut bacteria will be affected" by the conversion of NAG to glufosinate. end of exerpt.....

Organic Consumers

And on that cheerful note.... :)

Path to Progress:  For information on Baking Soda