Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2011

Eliminating Inflammation by Eliminating Wheat, Sugar, Dairy

Toes inflamed with chilblains (Wikipedia) Inflammation -- the starting point for most chronic and terminal disease.  That sore spot or achey gut is quite likely inflamed tissue...  I recall from a hydrotherapy demo one time learning that inFLAMmation (read: flame; heat; fire) can be cooled with ice (as in the case of a hot, sore joint, back ache, a burn, or a stinging sensation) or with drinking water (as in the case of a stomach ache or a sore, inflamed throat).  Heart attack and cancer start with inflammation. I am going to do three things to eliminate inflammation in my body, three things that I currently do right now but that I know don't work well for me.... I am already vegetarian/vegan/sometimes raw vegan, but these are three areas where I transgress and that usually results in weight gain (another indication of inflammation) and edema for me.  The three things that promote inflammation in some people that I will cut out of my life are: narrowing of the  esophag

Prevent Fresh Berries From Molding

This is the time of the year for succulent berries and fruits -- and unfortunately, many of us will discover the mold has formed on our berries (particularly raspberries) before we get to finish eating the container we brought home from the store or picked in the backyard. But help is here!  I am thankful to my friends who send me simple solutions via email.  Today I got one on how you can use a couple of household items to store your berries while preventing mold.  How? In a glass bottle or mason jar mix together cold filtered water and apple cider vinegar in a ratio of 10:1 Too simple, eh?   Now, merely pour the water over your berries in a large bowl.  Swirl and drain.  You shouldn't need to rinse because the  of the dilution (it's hard to detect the vinegar) but you can if you wish. Pop the berries into the fridge.   Raspberries and strawberries, for example, will keep without going moldy for about 1- 1 1/2 weeks.  Mmmmm....

Perfect All-Natural Foot Soak

--> A friend sends me information about all sorts of natural methods for body care , such as the baking soda-apple cider vinegar no-shampoo and this fantastic foot soak for tired tootsies. Because the no-shampoo works so well for my hair, I tried out the foot soak and was thrilled at how my feet and legs relaxed, and so did the rest of me. Here is what you do: Dig out a basin, or as in the case of vegetarians like me, re-purpose that big turkey roasting pan that you don't plan to use for that any more. Add the following to the pan/basin: 1 T. Green (your choice of brand) dishwash liquid 1 T. Honey (yes, you read right-- a disinfectant and a moisturizer) 2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or other accessible oil) 5-10 drops of peppermint oil (I have linked to my favourite pure peppermint oil) Fill the basin with warm water (as warm as you can take) and soak your feet for about ten+ minutes.  Dry.  Perfect time for a foot rub or reflexology.  Your feet will feel so

What Can Happen When Your Child Eats GMO Food

--> Ronny Satzke's beautiful daughter We hear a lot about GMO (genetically-modified organisms) and how bad they are, but most of us don't really understand the full impacts of buying/growing GMO foods.  And when we do, we don't want to eat the GMO-laden stuff-- and we certainly don't want our precious children and grandchildren to eat GMO foods! Even if you haven't been quite convinced that the 'organic' debate is trustworthy, I think you will hop on board to embrace keeping GMO foods out of your family's pantry is about the healthiest decision you can make in the supermarket (or at the farm gate). Want to know more? Take a look at this video (and if you are impacted by it, share the link with your friends, your local natural foods store, your government representative, your adult kids who are bringing up your precious grandkids).

Instead of Cheese....

--> Okay, I'll admit straight off that today I was craving a big old cheese sandwich (maybe grilled havarti with a dill pickle on the side).  Cheese is currently off-limits for us.  We might get a snip of it when we eat out, but that's about it.  Ed is particularly allergic to dairy, etc.  Anyhow, never one to pout (or not for long) I came up with this flavourful (as in ZING-BING-ZING-BANG) sandwich that satisfied all my salt and fat hankerings (because apparently that is what is behind a cheese crave) and is, I think, pretty healthy.  Here is what is in the above sandwich (and don't judge it by its colour until you taste it!): BREAD: Your favourite bread.   In the sandwich above I used a chia bread that is no longer available. AVOCADO:  Ripe, organic.  Open it up and scoop flesh into a small bowl. Mash. RAW GARLIC: to your taste-- I skin & blend about 20 heads of garlic and then freeze in a jar so just use about a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of garlic. LEMON: Juice of

Earthquake Clean-up with E.M.

When you think earthquake, do you think about the following possible events, sounds and sights? Impassable roads (fallen hidro lines, collapsed bridges, landslides, tsunamis or boulders blocking any passage like the ones you see fenced off on the roads through the Rockies No hydro; no phones because of pole and tower collapses No cell signals because of jammed, inoperable towers Broken water mains; perhaps obstruction by landslides No operable bank machines Fuel confined to use by emergency vehicles only Only the most seriously injured will be seen by doctors or hospitals No food delivery systems Hoarding of supplies results in rapid emptying of shelves in the stores Now, what about smells and pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms?)?  How about the smells that will result when sewage lines break and mix with the flood waters everywhere?  Most of us have had our delicate noses assaulted by something like a backed-up toilet or a malfunctioning septic system once or twice

Being Food Secure in an Insecure World

The world is falling apart.  This is not news.  This is not rocket science.  I happen to be Seventh-day Adventist and believe that this world will come to a startling end and that Jesus will return again, but even if you are not a believer in "end time Biblical prophecies" you probably recognize that there are more wars, rumours of wars, and natural disasters occurring closer together all over the world than ever before .  And that requires being prepared for the "emergency" situations that are going to affect all of us at some point-- the Hurricane Katrinas, the Haiti earthquakes, the landslides, monster blizzards, tornadoes, floods, etc. that will mean, at the very least, inconveniently long power outages, but more likely, no ability to buy any food (let alone good quality organic produce) and water, hunger, devastation to our homes, and clogged emergency response rooms in hospitals and walk-in medi-clinics.  I live on an island.  It's a   large is

Step 2: Get the Organic and Heirloom Seeds

So, yes, I do have that bag of Vermiculite towards my eventual Square Foot Garden, but the highlight of this pre-garden season is going to the Seedy Sunday event in Nanaimo.  We drove there with our dog and met our son Conrad just outside the doors to the sports complex in innercity Bowen Park. Inside the building it's a little like what I remember from my childhood Fair days in the "exhibits" buildings.  Here you will find table after table of people (mostly farmers) selling seeds that they breed and/or collect themselves-- heirloom and organic being the words that you look for on the banner and seed packets.  There are also related items for sale, such as mason bee condos, jams, small plants, lily bulbs, flour varieties, honey, and garden ornaments. Taking command of the place with unmatchable energy is the day's emcee, Dirk Becker.  Dirk and his partner Nicole are "backyard farmers" from nearby Lantzville.  They've run into some conflicts w