Enjoy this Tonic for Beautiful Skin, Health & Weight loss!

 

Two weeks ago I woke up with an epiphany....I seem to be having many epiphanies lately!

Ephiphany:  an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure; an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking, a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something; a revealing scene or moment -(www.merriam-webster.com)

So....here was my epiphany....when I woke up I heard loud and clear: "You need to mix apple cider vinegar with cayenne pepper!"  

And that is exactly what I have been doing for the last two weeks....and wow....I must say....it really is a magic combination!  And it is not surprising, as they both hold similar benefits and compliment each other really well. Normally....I drink them separately - either ACV with water, or cayenne with water.

Personally....I find this combination to be a great energy booster, great toner for my body and wonderful for clear, radiant skin!  I just love it! 

Let's look at the health benefits of these two ingredients and then compare them.......

Apple Cider Vinegar:

Vinegar has been used for centuries as a food preservative and to treat ailments, dating back to the Babylonian times, the Egyptians and Chinese texts back in 1200 B.C.  Hippocrates made his mixture of apple cider vinegar and honey famous!

"Vinegar is created by naturally fermenting fruit, vegetables, grains or sugar into alcohol.  The alcohol is then exposed to air and the bacteria in it.  That bacteria converts the alcohol into acetic and malic acid creating vinegar" - (onegreenplanet.org)

Acetic, malice, lactic and amino acids in ACV have antiseptic properties, this destroys unwanted bacteria and yeasts in the gut and promotes healthy bacteria, and boost energy. It breaks up mucus, cleanses the lymphatic system, reduces inflammation, congestion and water retention. It aids with digestive issues, it is recommended that you drink a glass before each meal. 

It releases iron in the foods you eat, increasing iron absorption and oxygen usage, which leads to weight loss.  It makes your hair shine beautifully and tones the skin.  Just a little can be used in water as a conditioner for hair or to apply to skin as a toner. It detoxifies and treats skin problems like eczema and psoriasis, it soothes sunburn.  It will make your skin healthy clear and radiant.

It is great for diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, balancing blood sugar and creating alkalinity.  It is good for heart health, and clearing the arteries.  It soothes sore throat and whitens teeth.  It is a great energy booster!

Be sure to source 'raw', 'unpasteurized', apple cider vinegar with the 'mother' as all the beneficial probiotics, the potency and healing benefits, will not be found in the pasteurized/filtered version.

Cayenne Pepper:

 

 

The active ingredient in here is capsicum. The America's and Chinese have a history for using it therapeutically.  It is a powerful compound, it detoxes, cleanses, stimulates circulation and lymph flow, improves digestion and neutralizes acid.

Capsicum eases an upset stomach, sore throat, ulcers, and irritating coughs. It clears mucus from the body. It stimulates saliva which is important in digestion and maintaining oral health. 

It is helpful in preventing blood clots and strokes.  It relieves joint pain and migraine (I have recommended it to a friend who has successfully treated migraine; I have tried it successfully for headache myself).

Capsicum is a great metabolic booster and aids the body in burning excess fat.

 

The Combined Benefits:

So...what do we see in common here with both of these ingredients

• Aids digestion
• Improves circulation and lymph health
• Neutralizes acidity
• Detoxes (a double acceleration with both ingredients)
• Cleanses
• Energy booster
• Burns fat and increases weight loss 

 Clearly....we can see...that it really is a great combination....isn't it?

Drink:

1 to 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar, added to 
250ml Warm water
Add cayenne pepper
Add a little raw honey
 

I enjoy drinking just one glass a day, or every second day.  It is highly effective in combating migraines and excellent for accelerating detox and weight loss.

Make sure to add ACV and cayenne pepper to your kitchen cupboard.   Try this and see the benefits for yourself.  I know you are going to love it!



Yours In Good Health
Jess

 
 

Your Gut Brain Rules Your Health And Emotions!

Mercola

Did you know that your gut forms 80% of your immune system?  This is why you need to guard it well!

This is the single most important post that I have ever blogged!  Read this carefully....because it will save your life if you understand and apply it!  A great friend and family Doctor educated me on this around 2013, so protecting my gut health has become important for me.  It has made a tremendous difference to my health and immunity!

The last year has been tough, as I have watched my brother fight a serious immune virus!  With all the pharmaceutical treatment he has had to endure, I can see how this has affected his gut health and immunity further.  I wasn't able to assist him as much as I wanted to with regards to nutrition, as I have had to respect his choices as hard as it may be.  So....here goes:

Did you know that your gut is called your 'second brain'?

No?  How....?

"Numerous studies have shown that your gastrointestinal system acts as your second brain.  In fact, your second brain originated from the same type of tissue as your brain.

During fetal development, one part of the tissue transforms into your central nervous system (brain), while the other develops into your enteric nervous system (gut). These two nervous systems are connected by the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen. *The vagus nerve acts as the Mind/Body connection, and it is the cabling behind your heart's emotions and gut instincts!

Your gut has the ability to impact your mind, mood, and behavior, as it contains high concentrations of serotonin, a hormone that is linked to mood regulation." ~ Dr Joseph Mercola

There is a bidirectional relationship (two-way communication), between the gut (enteric nervous system), and brain (central nervous system).  The brain signals and commands the gut to carry out vital functions, and vice versa.

What Causes Gut Inflammation?

Your gut homes trillions of microorganisms, “good bacteria”, that influence numerous bodily functions, including mood. Studies reveal that the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus helps to lower the stress-induced hormone corticosterone, this reduces anxiety and depression-associated behavior.

You compromise the balance of good and bad bacteria in your digestive tract by eating a diet high in processed food, sweetened beverages, or sugar-laden products; this further affects your mental health, because this allows harmful bacteria and yeast to thrive.  When you eat, you feed this abnormal flora in the gut sending toxins throughout the body.  These toxins travel to the brain and latch onto different brain structures causing various symptoms.

Sugar and processed foods cause leaky gut and trigger chemical reactions in the body promoting chronic inflammation.  This leads to excessive insulin release, resulting in hypoglycemia, causing your brain to produce high glutamate levels that may trigger depression, agitation, anger, anxiety, panic attacks, and an increased suicide.

A toxic gut = a toxic brain!

Studies have shown that depression is often diagnosed alongside gut inflammation and autoimmune diseases.  Chronic inflammation is also linked to cardiovascular problems, neurodegenerative disorders, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.   Thus, researchers report that depression may be a neuropsychiatric problem caused by chronic inflammation.

This proves that inflammation is linked to depression, and is an underlying cause of numerous health problems.

How gut flora impacts health?

In healthy individuals with normal gut flora, you'll find about 500 different species of disease-causing, bad bacteria and fungi right along with good, beneficial bacteria. As long as the good bacteria reign, they'll keep the bad ones from harming you.

Things that can wipe out your beneficial bacteria and disturb your gut flora include - stress, infections, antibiotics, poor diet, and prescription drugs such as contraceptive pills and steroids.

Dysbiosis is the condition that results when gut flora becomes damaged. Pathogenic bacteria, viruses, yeast and fungi flourish and grow out of control, often leading to a rise in allergies and autoimmune conditions.

Where does gut flora come from? 

From mom...

When a baby goes through the birth canal, he or she swallows the first mouthfuls of bacteria and that becomes the baby's gut flora.

Before the use of antibiotics and birth control pills, most women had normal, healthy vaginal flora and that is what they passed on to their children.  Today, contraceptive pills, have a particularly devastating effect on gut health.

Dr. Campbell-McBride, who holds a degree in Medicine and Postgraduate degrees in both Neurology and Nutrition, points out: 

"Abnormal gut flora may not always be the mother's fault. There are times when a woman's flora may be perfectly healthy, but the man's gut flora is abnormal. During intercourse, men share their bodily flora with women and that can have an impact on their babies' gut flora."

Newborns depend upon healthy gut flora for immune development, without this the baby becomes immuno-compromised.  When the immune system is not working well, the mucus membranes start overproducing mucus, this leads to frequent ear and chest infections.  A vicious cycle of infection, and re-infection, with antibiotic use is devastating on the immune system, as antibiotics wipe out beneficial bacteria!

Dr. Campbell-McBride believes the following are connected to abnormalities in gut flora - multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes.

Curing Depression by Addressing Gut Inflammation...

Dr Mercola says to reduce sugar consumption to less than 25 grams per day to keep inflammation at bay, treat depressive symptoms, and promote good bacteria balance in your gut.  The healthiest and safest option would be to replace sugar consumption with raw unrefined honey.

Avoid wheat, pasteurized dairy, and processed foods.

Two other ways to optimize your gut flora:

Increase your consumption of fermented foods by eating traditionally made, unpasteurized foods, as pasteurization kills the food’s beneficial compounds.  See the links to these probiotics on my blog:

~ Pickled fermentations of cabbages, turnips, eggplants, cucumbers, squash, and carrots
~ Fermented, organic grass-fed milk, like kefir

*Read the book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.  Dr Campbell-McBride runs the Cambridge Nutrition Clinic in the UK where she has become recognized as one of the world's leading experts in treating children and adults with learning disabilities and other mental disorders, as well as children and adults with digestive and immune disorders.*








Sources:  drmercola.com, products.mercola.com







#gut #health #microbiome

Kefir Grains: A Powerful Probiotic!

What are Kefir Grains?

Firstly and most importantly, you need to be aware that there are scare tactic campaigns about kefir, being made by people who don't know about kefir and/or don't want you to be healthy.  So, simply ignore them.   Kefir grains have been used in Russian farm homes for fermenting brews for many many years.

Kefir grains are combinations of yeasts and bacteria living on a substrate made up of a variety of dairy components.  These live kefir grains look a little bit like cauliflower florets and are somewhat gelatinous in texture.

There are water kefir grains and milk kefir grains.  Water grains look more translucent in colour, these are for brewing water ferments with fruits; and the milk grains for fermenting raw milk are white in colour.

Kefir milk has a consistency of drinkable yogurt but is tart and effervescent in flavour.  Kefir grains consume the lactose during the culturing process, so this is very ideal for intolerant people. Kefir is very versatile – you can drink it plain, add it to a smoothie, use it in baking, or even drain the ‘whey’ from it to make kefir cheese (like cream cheese) to use in dips.

Storing Kefir Grains:

Kefir grains are a living organism and so need to breath.  Do not store it in an airtight jar, instead cover with a breathable cloth.   Some recommend rinsing the grains in water after each use.  However age old tradition advises against this, as chemicals in the water could destroy the grains, just place into a little fresh milk and store in the fridge.  Kefir grains can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks, when not being used.

Making Your Own Kefir:

Glass jars are best for fermenting.  One should avoid metals and aluminium.   You want to use raw organic milk for best results, not processed milk, as the pasteurization process destroys living enzymes in the milk.

I place raw organic milk into a jar and then pop the kefir grains in and cover the top of the jar with a breathable cloth and elastic.  I then put it into the cupboard and leave it to do its thing and brew the healthy bacteria and probiotics.   I leave it for 24 to 48 hours and voila!  You can then strain the Kefir grains out and consume the kefir milk.

The Fermentation Process:

 When used in the fermentation process, the best temperature for Kefir is between 22o C and 30o C (72 - 86o F).  I like to use a cupboard upstairs in my home, this room gets very warm, and this is ideal for kefir.

Fermentation times are recommended between 12 and 72 hours. Shorter fermentation results in a milder, sweeter aroma and a lively sparkling product. Longer fermentation makes a stronger Kefir aroma, sparkling and slightly sour.

"Kefir fermented for 24 hours has a mild laxative effect, fermented for 48 hours is balancing and longer fermentation of about 70 hours has a very mild constipating effect." ~ Brigitta Cadisch-Umbricht.

Health Benefits: 

Homemade Kefir has 35 different strains of beneficial bacteria and yeasts.  Kefir isn’t at all like yogurt in that kefir actually colonizes our digestive tracts with this beneficial bacteria and yeast.

Yogurt and many other so called probiotic foods on the market today actually only provide prebiotics or simply – they provide food for the good bacteria that live in the intestinal tract.

Laboratory grown yogurt has only 1 to 5 strains of beneficial bacteria and laboratory grown kefir for manufactured products has only 10 strains.  Commercially made kefir sold in the stores is not fermented long enough. In addition the pasteurization process after fermentation kills the probiotic microbes.

When you start making your own kefir, START SLOWLY.  Just a spoonful a day for the first two weeks is enough to slowly introduce your body to this magical substance.  The first two weeks is called the ‘die off’ period, because the kefir is killing off bad substances and this shows up in different ways for different people.  After a few weeks, I could tell when I was ready for more because I suddenly wanted more kefir.  I am now able to drink a cup a day!

Kefir boosts our immune systems by keeping healthy bacteria in our digestive tract (and 80% of our immune system is in our digestive track!). The fermenting bacteria produce lactic acid which heals and soothes the gut lining. Kefir is rich in vitamin A, B2, B12, D, K, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and typtophan.  It has anti tumor properties, prevents disease, increases digestibility and it controls toxins.

Where can I get Kefir Grains?

You can buy them at some health stores, or ven better, find someone in your area that uses Kefir grains and ask them to please share with you.


Protect your gut bacteria.  Be well!

Sources:  www.kefir.biz/ferm,  www.homemademommy.net

#kefir #gut #health #immunity

Fermented Vegetables: The Ultimate Superfood for Immunity!

Our ancestors ate ferments many, many years ago.

I remember when I first tasted fermented vegetables. Not many people take to it so easily at first.  For me, it's not a matter of taste, but more importantly a matter of health.  I eat for wellbeing, so flavors are the least of my concern.  If something is super for my health I will get it down no matter what it tastes like!  Don't worry, ferments don't taste bad at all!

Once you eat enough of these living foods and feel the enormous benefit, you will begin to crave them more and more...like I do! So....here is a pic of a batch that I made...yum!

What are fermented foods?

Fermented foods are foods that have been through a process of lactofermentation in which natural bacteria feed on the sugar and starch in the food creating lactic acid. This process preserves the food, and creates beneficial enzymes, b-vitamins, Omega-3 fatty acids, and various strains of probiotics.  Fermentation preserves nutrients in food and breaks the food down to a more digestible form. A bevy of probiotics are created during the fermentation process, which assist with improved digestion.

Why eat fermented Foods?

Probiotics - you will introduce beneficial bacteria into your digestive system.  This will help slow or reverse some diseases, improve bowel health, aid digestion, and improve immunity!  Things like sugar, processed foods and pharmaceuticals (antibiotics), destroy your gut flora; ferments help to recolonize the gut.

Improved digestion and absorption - when you have a good balance of bacteria in your gut, you are better able to digest your food, as well as absorb all the nutrients from your food, so you will need less vitamins and supplements, as you will be absorbing more live nutrients from your food.

Budget Friendly - ferments are way more affordable than introducing supplements to your diet.  Making your own ferments at home is very inexpensive and will cost you a few rand.

Preserves food - the process of lacto-fermentation preserves food for many months, and you will be able to store these food for long periods without them losing their nutrients, unlike canned foods.

Making your own fermented veg

What you will need:  a chopping board, a big bowl (for shredded veg), wide mouthed 32 oz glass storage jars (so you can get your hand in there and pound it), a nice wooden pounder (like a little baseball bat). *Remember to sterilize your glass jars with boiling water!

Last night, I prepared the following batch:
Cabbage
Onion
Carrots
Kale
Ginger
Garlic
Pink Himalayan Salt
Fresh coriander or parsley / or dried powdered herbs
Cayenne pepper

It helps if you have a shredder.  I just chopped the cabbage, kale, onion, ginger and garlic up finely by hand.  I sliced the carrot up.  I then put a bit of each ingredient into the jar in layers, placing salt, cayenne pepper and coriander powder in between the layers.

Some people use water to make a brine.  I, however, prefer to juice vegetables, like cucumber and celery, for the brine, to make it more potent and better quality.  Or (like I did with this one), you can pound the veggies enough in the jar, until  the natural juices come out...and there is your brine!

I pounded the vegetables, as I added the layers, releasing all the juices, and filled up the jar leaving about three centimeters at the top to allow for expansion.  I then sealed with a lid and placed the bottle in a cupboard in the warmest room.  It takes a week or two to develop, depending on the weather and how hot it is.  You can simply test it after a week to see if you like it.

If you are not up to making your own, you can buy fermented veg, fermented yoghurt, and drinks (kombucha, kefir water), at various health stores, like Earthmother Organic.


"Your gut is much more than a food processing tube — it houses about 85 percent of your immune system. This is in large part due to the 100 trillion bacteria that live there, both good and bad that can stimulate secretory IgA to nourish your immune response.
When your GI tract is not working well, a wide range of health problems can appear, including allergies and autoimmune diseases. If you suffer from any major illness, you simply will NOT be able to fully recuperate without healing and sealing your gut. Balancing the menagerie of microorganisms that occupy your GI tract is a key part of maintaining your immune health."~ Dr Mercola.

Your gut is your immunity.  Be sure to consume ferments daily to protect your immunity!


Eat well...and Be well!

Jess
xxx


Sources:  wellnessmama.com, mercola.com

Feast On Sprouts: An Inexpensive Powerful Superfood!

Sprouts have a long history.  Sprouts are a highly medicinal and nutritious source of food.  Ancient Chinese physicians recognized and prescribed sprouts for curing many disorders over 5,000 years ago.

Two of the easiest and most efficient ways to optimize your vegetable intake is to juice your vegetables and add sprouted seeds to your meal plan.

I eat sprouts daily! Here are some that I sprouted myself (mung bean, lentil and chickpea)

Sprouts are a "superfood" that many overlook.  Sprouts are easy to grow, and grow all year round regardless of the weather.  Seeds can be sprouted in a jar with water, or for greater nutritional content, in a seed tray with a little organic soil.  I like to soak my lentils, mung beans and chickpeas in water for twelve hours, in a glass jar, with net covering to breathe.  I then rinse it once per day, leaving it out for three to five days.  It takes five days to reach two leaf stage.  A final rinse in water and a little apple cider vinegar can protect against bacteria growth.

When these superfoods  are grown to the chlorophyll rich two leaf stage, it has been shown they have been effective in overcoming protein-deficiency anaemia.

The Power of Sprouts:

• They contain up to 100 times more enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables, allowing your body to extract more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fats from the foods you eat

• The quality of the protein and the fiber content of beans, nuts, seeds and grains improves when sprouted

• The content of vitamins and essential fatty acids also increase dramatically during the sprouting process. Depending on the sprout, the nutrient content can increase as much as 30 times the original value within a few days of sprouting. 

• Sunflower seed and pea sprouts top the list of all the seeds that you can sprout, they are 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables you can even harvest in your backyard garden

• During sprouting, minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, bind to protein, making them more bioavailable

• Sprouting denatures protein into the amino acid building blocks so that we can digest them in half the time of cooked foods.

You can sprout a variety of different beans, nuts, seeds and grains.  Sprouts in general have the following beneficial attributes:

• Support for cell regeneration
• Powerful sources of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that protect against free radical damage
• Alkalinizing effect on your body, which is thought to protect against disease, including cancer (as many tumors are acidic)
• Abundantly rich in oxygen, which can also help protect against abnormal cell growth, viruses and bacteria that cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment

The supply of vitamins (B complex and C) existing in seeds can be increased by the sprouting biochemistry over several days by 100% to 2000%.  This biochemistry modifies the array of minerals in sprouts so that they are in a chelated form which is more easily assimilated in the body.

"Free radicals are highly unstable oxygen molecules needing an electron to stabilise their entropy (chaotic state). By stealing electrons from healthy cells the causal effects of this are the breakdown of vital biological structures and the alteration of DNA and RNA (a process called per oxidation).  Once this has occurred, the affected cell will only reproduce the altered version. These superfoods are a powerful source of antioxidants (minerals, vitamins and enzymes) which assist in protecting against this damage.  A healthy body is alkaline (i.e not acidic).  Bio-genic foods have an alkalising effect on the body." ~ sprouts-as-medicine.com.

Raw foods contain oxygen and regular consumption of raw bio-genic foods with their abundant oxygen is valuable to health.

Plant estrogens are abundant in sprouts. They increase bone formation and density and prevent bone breakdown or osteoporosis. They are also helpful in controlling hot flushes, menopausal and PMS symptoms, and fibrocystic breast tumors.

Sprouts are the ultimate locally-grown food, and can easily be grown in your own kitchen, so you know exactly what you're eating.  Sprouts are very inexpensive, so there is no excuse to avoid them. You can find the seeds at health stores.  I buy my organic seeds at Shongweni Farmers Market.


Get Sprouting for super health and energy now!
X

#sprouts #superfood #rawfood #organic

Sources:  mercola.com, isga-sprouts.org, sprouts-as-medicine.com

The Healing Benefits of Raw Honey

quotesgram

Raw honey, the oldest sweetener known to man, has been consumed for thousands of years before sugar was manufactured.  To make one pound of honey, a colony of bees must visit over two million flowers, flying over 55,000 miles.

I eat raw honey with breakfast every day.  I love its incredible beauty and healing benefits!  I really miss it if I run out, because I can truly feel the difference it creates in my body.

What makes raw, unprocessed honey special is its health-promoting properties; it is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal.

Raw honey is honey that has not been heated, pasteurized or processed. The differences between raw and pasteurized honey are substantial. Raw honey is an alkaline-forming food rich in natural vitamins, enzymes, powerful antioxidants and other important natural nutrients. These nutrients are destroyed during heating and pasteurization, making processed honey equivalent to, and just as unhealthy as, eating refined sugar.

Raw honey contains:

Amino acids:  approximately 18 essential and non-essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. These include cysteine, histidine, glutamine, lysine, proline, and tryptophan.
Antioxidants:  contains many of the antioxidants found in green leafy vegetables, particularly flavonoids that help boost healthy balance, increase your energy, support enzyme activity, and soothe your skin.
Enzymes:  acid phosphatase, catalase, diastase, invertase, inulase, and glucose oxidase, which support digestion and assimilation.
Minerals:  calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, and zinc. Selenium is a mineral antioxidant that helps support your cardiovascular and immune systems.
Nutraceuticals:  These important nutrients help enhance your immune system and provide you benefits that go beyond those involved in normal metabolic activity.
Vitamins:  a good source of vitamin C (an antioxidant) and B vitamins, particularly niacin (vitamin B3), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), which help boost your energy.

Dangers facing our Bees: 

Bees are so important to us, they play a vital role in pollination of fruit, vegetable and seed crops. Our survival depends on them.  There have already been reports of their dwindling numbers in some countries.  Current threats are:

Pesticides - “The EPA identifies two specific neonicotinoids, imidacloprid and clothianidin, as highly toxic to bees. Both chemicals cause symptoms in bees such as memory loss, navigation disruption, paralysis and death.

Both chemicals have been linked in dramatic honeybee deaths and subsequent suspensions of their use in France and Germany. Several European countries have already suspended them. Last year Slovenia and Italy also suspended their use for what they consider a significant risk to honeybee populations.” – Mother Earth News

Mites and viruses - some treatments (antibiotic/pesticides) used in the hive to protect against this, have a danger of creating resistant mites and viruses, thus threatening the bees

Cellphones & Wifi - “According to a Swiss researcher who recently published a paper on the subject, the electromagnetic waves from mobile phones have a significant impact on the behavior of honeybees and could potentially be harming honeybees around the world.”

“To test the relationship between honeybees and buzzing cellphones, he placed phones inside bee hives and then monitored the bees’ reaction. He found that in the presence of actively communicating cellphones (those not in standby mode), bees produced the sounds known as “worker piping,” which tends to indicate disturbance in a bee colony.” – ABC News


Make sure you find a trusted supplier, as some suppliers feed their bees refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup in winter when pollen is low.  This not healthy for you or the bees, they should be feeding them raw honey.

"Although honey is the safest and healthiest sugar to use, it is 70% fructose. It is recommended that one has no more than 1 teaspoon a day, especially if insulin resistant, as it will not be beneficial if eaten excessively." - Dr Mercola



Enjoy Nature's Nutrients!
Xxx


#raw #honey #naturalhealing #nutrition #bees

SOURCE:  drmercola.biz

Natures Multivitamin - Is It Safe To Eat Raw Eggs?

I have been on a healing journey, healing my body with food.

A good old family friend, and Doctor of Natural Healht, encouraged me to eat raw eggs....

Are raw eggs safe?

First I thought 'Yuck!" and then,  "is it safe to eat raw eggs?".   I have since come to learn that raw eggs are very safe and nutritious, as long as it comes from the right source.

Pastured raw eggs are a rich source of nutrition, and will boost your intake of vitamins, minerals and fat-soluble vitamins. Raw eggs should be eaten on an empty stomach for best results.

Do you know where your eggs come from?

Conventional eggs, as found in grocery stores are not safe, as the chickens are factory farmed - raised in unsanitary conditions where they are caged up indoors, with no access to sunlight and green pastures; they are also fed an unhealthy GMO soy/grain diet.  DO NOT eat supermarket eggs raw, even if they say free range or organic!  Studies show that caged hens have a higher percentage risk of salmonella, whereas pastured are healthy and safe.

You need to eat 'pastured' eggs. You will find these in health stores or at farmers markets.  It is advisable to purchase your eggs from small organic farms where the chickens are raised in clean, spacious environments and allowed access to sunlight and green pastures.

Let's look at the various types of eggs:
It is necessary to understand the labeling, and know your eggs, in order to make the right choice when choosing to go raw.

Grade A or B eggs - Conventional eggs, sold without specific marketing terms, are tightly confined chickens who never see the light of day. They are regularly dosed with antibiotics and are de-beaked to prevent them from pecking themselves or each other.

Cage Free eggs - “Cage free” hens are confined in a packed shed, also painfully de-beaked. They receive antibiotics and a soy/grain-based diet.

Free Range eggs - means they have some access to outdoor space – for just a few minutes a day, maybe in a gravel-paved lot. They are usually de-beaked, given antibiotics and fed soy/grain-based feed.

Organic eggs - these chickens are fed only organic, non-GMO feed and do not receive hormones or antibiotics. The hens must have "outdoor access", however, this does not guarantee that they get to forage in green pastures.

Pastured eggs - These hens are allowed to roam in pasture just as nature intended! Chickens are not vegetarians, they are meant to forage for grubs and bugs in grass and manure. While supplementing their diet with some grain-based feed (not soy feed) is a traditional practice, the chickens should also be eating grubs.

If you are purchasing pastured eggs directly from a farmer whom you trust, there is no need for the eggs to be certified organic. Certification is very pricey and many family farmers cannot afford it.

Based on nutrition, studies show that pastured eggs have:
3 X more vitamin A
5 X more vitamin D
3 X more vitamin E
2 X more omega-3 fatty acids
7 x more beta carotene
Egg Yolks: Are Nature’s Multivitamin

The white of the egg contains protein.  The yolk is most nutritious, and is packed with nearly all of the vitamin and mineral content; as well as healthy fat and cholesterol.

Vitamin A –  Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, it is paired with the healthful fats in the yolk so we can absorb it. It also balances hormones.

Vitamin D – Vitamin D is also a fat-soluble vitamin, it is sorely lacking from the Western diet. Most individuals do not receive adequate vitamin D from sunlight.

Vitamin B6 – Raw egg yolks contain a moderate amount of B6. This heat-sensitive vitamin is diminished with cooking, so consuming raw yolks ensures maximum absorption.

Biotin – An egg provides about 25% of your daily needs for biotin. This plays a key role in skin, hair, metabolic and blood-sugar health. 80% of the biotin is found in the yolk and 20% is in the white.

Cholesterol – Humans have thrived on old-fashioned, cholesterol-rich animal fats like egg yolks for centuries. In a meta-analysis of over 35,000 individuals, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that there is no significant evidence that the consumption of saturated fat is associated with heart disease. As a matter of fact, studies show that low cholesterol shares an extremely strong correlation to depression, suicide and acts of violence. The cholesterol in egg yolks provides strongly health-protective properties and plays a key role in immune strength and mental health. HDL cholesterol is a good fat that your heart and brain needs; avoid LDL fats, those are bad

Choline – Most are deficient in this B vitamin and one pastured egg yolk provides 35% of your daily value. Choline has been shown to reduce memory loss and plays and important role in the body’s detoxification pathways, because it provides methyl groups to the liver which help neutralize toxins.

Iodine – Pastured egg yolks are a valuable source of iodine, one yolk contains 27 micrograms.

Omega-3 fatty acids – Pastured egg yolks are particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the anti-inflammatory fats so crucial to all aspects of wellbeing.

Selenium – is necessary for the conversion of thyroid hormones from the inactive form to the active form. Egg yolks are nature’s thyroid support supplement, due to the selenium content, vitamin content and healthful fats. (About 40% of the selenium is found in the white and 60% is in the yolk.)

Raw Egg Whites And Biotin Deficiency:

Egg whites are known to cause biotin deficiency if eaten alone.  Egg yolks, however, have one of the highest concentrations of biotin found in nature. So....it is advisable to consume the whole raw egg.

I eat two raw eggs a day - one, half an hour before exercising, and one again straight after exercise. I should in fact be eating three!  I send it down the hatch with a teaspoon of raw honey comb sprinkled with cinnamon...yum!

Purchase your eggs from a small trusted farmer rather than commercial.  You can find good eggs at Earthmother Organic or various health stores in and around Durban.

Please...make sure your eggs are organic, 'pastured' eggs.

Go on...be Brave...try raw eggs today!


Nourish your body...Nurture your Soul!
xxx


#raw #organic #egg #pastured #nutrition

Source:  www.empoweredsustenance.com

Delicious Raw Food Breakfast!

I would like to share my most favorite breakfast with you. Breakfast is important to me, and it must be delicious and nutritious! 

This dish varies from time to time, depending what fruit is available, since I try to source organic.  This contains:

Banana
Pineapple
Strawberries
Raw Organic Jersey Yoghurt
Cinnamon
Raw Honey
Sunflower seeds
Almonds
Walnut
Brazil nut 

I love banana and always include it in breakfast, it's a great energy booster, improves brain power, enhances digestion, combats stomach ulcers.

Pineapple fights many diseases, it's rich in anti-oxidants, helps break down foods, builds strong bones, prevents colds, is anti-inflammatory and rich in vitamin A & C.

Strawberries boost the immune system, are anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-aging.

I never leave cinnamon out of my day. I love it's anti-aging and brain boosting, blood sugar and heart protecting qualities.

Sunflower seeds are for vitamin E and youthful skin.  Almonds have tons of benefits.

Walnuts reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol, have highly potent phytonutrients which destroy cancer cells leaving healthy tissue in tact.  It protects against Alzheimer's. The skin of this nut contains over 90% of the nutrients. It's a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, improves metabolism, and is excellent for body and muscle building.  It protects the liver too.

I love honey for athletic performance and beautiful skin, and other awesome healing qualities.

Brazil nuts strengthen the immune system, maintain integrity of cell membranes, and keep the nervous system healthy.  Nuts are high in healthful fats that the body needs for optimal function.

I soak my nuts (grains) overnight.  Why?  Because, grains contain phytic acid, and soaking removes the phytic acid. Untreated (not soaked), phytic acid becomes an anti-nutrient in the body by combining with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and blocking their absorption. A diet high in unsoaked whole grains/nuts/seeds may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss.

Lastly, I want to tell you about the most delicious raw organic jersey cow yoghurt that I purchase at Shongweni Farmers Market every Saturday. I can guarantee that it is the best yoghurt you will ever taste!  It has done wonders for my health, the cells in my body just feel so alive!  Unlike processed, this is a whole living food, full of digestion-enhancing enzymes, healthy fats, and bio-available vitamins.  It is unadulterated, not homogenized and not pasteurized!  It has great health benefits, of which I will be sharing more with you in an event that I will be hosting next month!

I will be posting an invite to my health talk in the next week.  I would love to see you there!  It will be happening in the first week of September, and I will be having a health professional and guest speaker live from Los Angeles sharing his wisdom.  I hope you can join us at this event taking place in Durban.  

Eating living foods is vital for optimal health, it increases the vibration of the body.  The result is increased mindfulness, awareness and connection, and an expanded Consciousness!

Nourish your body...and experience the vitality and bliss that you we're designed to feel...You deserve it!

See you in September!
Love and Light
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