We are a sick nation, because of what we eat

  Go back 30 years.  We had hardly any ADHD, much less Alzheimer's and cognitive dysfunction, cancer, arthritis, just general illness.  Why? We ate vegetables and fruits and much, much less in the carb department.  Since then, the amount of processed foods in the stores has almost taken over the store.  We have increased carb consumption by over 30 %.  Fresh, organic produce is the smallest department these days.   I would bet that your cupboards are stocked with boxes, bags, and cans of food.  If you really want to feel GOOD stop buying processed junk and start cooking from scratch.  It really does not involve a lot of time, and you will start to loose the aches and pains, colds and flu and your brain will quit dying.,  Carbs cause brain death. Pictures I saw this week show holes in the brain of those who overdid carbs.   Over 5 million people will get Alzheimer' s, and other brain ailments this next year.  All carbs are equally bad, including root vegetables. Carrots, potatoes and beets, turnips and on and on should all be cut out.  If you want more information, check this out on Dr. Oz's show from the first of the week, maybe the 22nd of October. I wonder if the fact that we now consume mega GMO crops is largely to blame for carbs being so unhealthy, we are putting poison in our bodies at an alarming rate.
  I also have been watching Yogi Cameron again, from Veria Living station. His topic this show was much like  Dr. Oz's show. He was treating a woman who had lived on junk food, cookies, chips, burgers etc until she felt so bad she could barely function.  The ideas he gave her were simple and with in a few weeks, she looked and felt like a different person.   He had her make ghee, very simple, just clarified butter, and mix a spoonful of that with a good sprinkle of powdered turmeric, and take three times a day. Also, a little water with a good sprinkle of coriander 3 times a day. For the first week, the diet lets the gut recover, no digestion. SO the only things eaten were pureed veggies. Like carrots, cauliflower, broccoli etc. No squash. No meat. After the first week, you can cube and sauté your veggies in butter and water, and add rice. And other vegetables. Thing is, most of us way overeat, listen to your body, stop when it says enough,  After that, just eat healthy, and avoid all those processed foods.
 Funny thing, your body can handle the right fats, like butter, olive oil, avocados and coconut oil. In fact, they are healing. You can reverse the damage to your brain and organs by just eating right and exercising.  Yoga is great, doing the Cobra, and the pose where you fold your self over your legs, and a pose called the Pigeon are all good for the gut. You can look these up on line if you want to try them. Yogi suggested eating in silence, and with the hands so you are connected to your food.
  I think being too extreme is not something most of us would try, but easing out the foods that inflame your system and replacing them with nutritious, wholesome foods can really help us feel better, longer and not need a host of medicine to keep us going. That's a whole other kettle of fish, I refuse to go there. If you start with one medicine, you will end up on many, Each has side effects that require something else, on and on.  Just take control of your life and take care of yourself. Who wants to end up sick, needing constant care, being unable to function as a person.
  We have had our first taste of winter, has been chilly the last 3 days. And again tonight, we may set a new record low, in the upper  20's.  But tomorrow we warm up into the 60's and by midweek, near 70 again. My son has covered his  squash crop to keep it from freezing, sure hope it works. Having our own fresh food is such a wonderful way to eat. I am already thinking about next spring's planting, will do a lot different. We had a tough growing season because of too much rain this year, a lot of things like zucchini died out from leaf mold.  Okra failed too, was late starting and had little short, tough okras on the plants.
  I am thinking ahead, wrapping a few Christmas gifts for the grand kids, and thinking about maybe a trip to Nebraska. It will depend on the weather, if we have an early bad winter, may wait til spring. But I love watching the girls open their gifts and delight in the season.  And having time to read, and cuddle with them is so special. They are growing up so fast.
  Hope you are enjoying the changing season, staying warm and healthy, take care til next time.

Way to go Hawaii!!!! Organic or not, rice pudding

  Kaua'i has passed a law making labeling GMO's mandatory. Yeah. One down, 49 states to go.  We do have a right to know what we are eating.  No kidding, all that poison has a bearing on our health.  When you are shopping, there are lots of good safe products, cereals include Kashi, Cascadian Farm, Natures Way and Bear Naked.  There have to be others, but those are in my store.  You can look for organic canned goods too, and of course every other thing you buy. If you avoid things with more than one ingredient, you will find better food. Meat, just beef, chicken, fish, nothing breaded or frozen.  Yogurt, just organic skim milk. Add your own organic fruit. Do you know about produce? Rule of thumb, if it has a thick skin, like bananas or oranges, it's safe  because you peel off the outside. But thin things, like berries , lettuce, potatoes, carrots etc, should be organic.  Be sure you put your produce in plastic bags, I hate doing this as I come home and toss the bag, but one of the scariest places in the store is the conveyor belt at the check out. Maybe the last person had chicken that leaked out of the package, leaving e coli etc on the belt.  And of course when you get home,  put your produce to soak in a vinegar/water bath. Leave for 15 or 20 minutes, then rinse well, drain  and dry.
  How about some real comfort food for these cooler days? Brown rice pudding,  like this: Cook a cup of brown rice according to directions.  In another pan, peel, core and chop 4 or 5 organic granny smith apples, and cook in a little water til just tender.  Drain, combine with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 cup of organic brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Add the brown rice, stir and place in prepared baking dish, 13x9 (needs to be oiled).   In a bowl put 1 and 1/2 cups oatmeal, 2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar, cut in butter til crumbly, and  add 1/2 cup of raisins, and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, spread on top of rice mix and bake at 350  for 20 minutes, serve warm.  Sounds so good for a crisp cold fall night,
  Are you getting ready for Halloween? Got kids? How about home made glow sticks. Next time you have a Mountain dew( if you are still drinking soda), leave  about 1/4 of the pop in the bottom of the bottle,  add a good pinch of baking soda and 3 bottle caps of hydrogen peroxide.  Shake gently, glow stick.
  I told you about putting egg shells in vinegar and dissolving them last  time, well, it didn't work for me. Left them in the frig for a week and there was no change.  Sorry, thought the source was reliable and it would work.
 I finally seem to have the heater, car and plumbing back in working order, good thing as the weather is turning colder. Tonight we have temperatures in the 30's coming up. Need to get out and pick the end of my green peppers this afternoon. My son is getting the protective cages ready to go around the squash and other fall plants he is hoping to harvest yet. My garden is done except for herbs, peppers and sweet potatoes. I will miss the warm days, do better with heat than with cold, have a problem with keeping a grip on frost or ice. SO glad the winters here are short, usually December, January and February. By the first of March, we start seeing blooming stuff.  So for a while, staying in with something warm to drink and making greeting cards etc will take over bird feeding and watching, gardening and out door pursuits.
  Have you seen the stories of oarfish, and odd giant sharks washing ashore in CA this last week. The orefish was 18 feet long, they get to be 56 feet long and may be what some sightings of the Lockness monster were all about. Wonder why the ocean is spitting out strange dead critters?  And now we wait til January to see if the government has learned anything or will put us all through so much again with their budget. Does seem if we have to make and use a budget, our system should be able to do the same. Something definitely wrong here.
  Hope you are enjoying the changing season, red leaves, bonfires and all the fall colors. Take care, eat well, and stay healthy.

Chicken recall, winter ideas, graham crackers

  Once again chicken is on the chopping block.  Nearly 300 people have  become     ill from salmonella in chicken. Of those, 42 percent have been hospitalized.  Sad fact is, there is nothing medicine wise that fights this strain. And of course, the government shut down is affecting you knowing about this problem.  If you have any labeled Foster Farms, toss it out. Otherwise, cook it well done and it should be ok.  If you would like to check for other recalls, go to http://www.usasatoday and look for recalled items. I saw cucumbers listed there too.
 Interesting week, have learned a few tips to pass on from Dr Oz and his daughter, Daphne. Lets start with egg shells.  Rinse them, let dry and put in a glass jar with an inch or so of apple cider vinegar. Place in frig. In 3 days orso, the egg shells should be dissolved. Shake this mix and use to rub on aches and pains, it's a natural reliever.  If you are having digestive issues, get some oregano oil capsules. 200 mg  3 times a day should help clean out your system and ease gut issues, it cleans out bad bacteria.  If you suspect parasites, try taking graviola.  And of course we get back to ginger, ayurvedic traditions say  that ginger warms the body from the inside and breaks down toxins so brew yourself some ginger root tea if you are feeling a cold coming on.
  Turns out some of grandma's folk medicine remedies are right on track.  Using honey and vinegar to cut a cough, gargling with warm salt water for sore throats,( I still chew garlic cloves,) using steam to open breathing passages, put a towel over your head over a bowl of boiling water and breathe, and this one is new to me, if you have a boil, put a piece of bacon fat over it and cover with a bandage for several days to draw it out.
  I made graham crackers last week, they were not bad but lacked flavor. Think they needed cinnamon or vanilla added. But they are easy, 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, 4 tablespoons of melted butter, mix, mix in an egg, then add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 2 cups of whole wheat flour.  Flatten out to fill your  cookie sheet,score into 2 inch squares,prick with fork and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  I like them with the new greek yogurt cream cheese that is in the market now.
  Fun week around here, the battery in the car died, had to replace that. Then the heater started making really awful noises so had it looked at. Thought is was ok but when I turned it on this am, it was still making weird noises.  And last night the toilet was acting up, that turned out to be an easy fix, so no problem but it does seem things gang up and come in bunches. Or threes. Yesterday I got up and fixed breakfast including something I seldom have, grape juice. Usually I eat fresh fruit and avoid juice, but had a yen for grape. Well, I had paperwork on the table for the place I work as a volunteer, and a stack of cards ready to mail for church and family members, and of course, I knocked over the juice.  What a mess, won't be getting any more, too klutzy After that, I was cleaning the cat litter box, putting the clumps in a plastic bag, but missed the bag and put it all over the floor. Clean up on aisle 9.  Some days I am a real menace, just plain klutzy. But the day got by and better as it went.
  We are having some really nice weather, coolish nights, just under 50 most of the time, but mid to upper 70s during the day.  Really enjoy it, hate to think of winter coming. We should all be out getting the sun and fresh air while it lasts. Hope you have a wonderful week, full of good surprises. Take care, stay well.

Dirtiest place in your home. Eating out, processed no no's

lf you are a Christian person, read Ephesians 6, it sure pertains to our present situation. Can't help thinking it's not the Democrats or Republicans causing the problems but the president who won't listen to the people of this country. He almost seems like a dictator instead of a president.
  Bet you thought your bathroom was the dirtiest place in the house. Not so, the kitchen wins. And the worst places are your sink drain and dishwasher.  When you put food down the disposal, it may contain e-coli, and fecal matter. Be sure you cover the drain before turning on the disposal to keep the stuff from spraying back into your families breathing space. And to keep the drain germ free, freeze vinegar into ice cubes, bag up and put 3 or 4 down the drain and grind every week.  The other place to watch is your dishwasher. Because it's always moist, it grows mold. Wipe the seal with vinegar every few weeks, and run an empty load with baking soda and vinegar every month or so.
 When I go visit my kids in NE, I love eating at Olive Garden.  Thought by ordering soup and salad I was being smart. Boy was I wrong. Their salad has only 290 calories but has 1,530 milligrams of salt. Wonder if you can get that salad without dressing?  Their entrees, like Alfredo, Chicken Parmesan, lasagna, all are so high in fat, 33 milligrams per serving, and the sodium is awful, 3, 830 milligrams or more.  May want to rethink eating there. And Starbucks, well watch what you get there,  their drinks are like coffee on steroids. 580 calories, and 14 grams of saturated fats , worse than a McDonalds burger. Hagan Daas may taste good, but a serving of that is a down payment on your next round of fat cells.
  Did you know that a can of Campbell's soup is like putting liquid salt into your veins? 1,900 milligrams of sodium per serving. Some are better, look for Progresso reduced sodium and Healthy Choice  if you still need to buy cans. Home made is cheaper and much better, and you can make enough for several days at a time.
  Eat those biscuits in a tube? Full of fat, and hydrogenated fats.  Marie Callender has great tasting pot pies, but  only a part of the pie has 800 milligrams of salt,  1,040 calories and 22 grams of saturated fat. If you eat the whole thing, and who doesn't,  double the amount.
 Let's touch on some things that are good for you. Super foods for better health include sweet potatoes, mangoes, plain Greek yogurt, broccoli, wild salmon, garbanzo beans, butternut squash and leafy greens.  I almost live on these items. We have put out fall squash plants, and are hoping for a good crop before it gets cold.
  A warning about sugar free foods. Some of these promote cancer, and sorbitol may cause diarrhea.  Look for Truvia and stevia, natural sweeteners instead of chemical ones.
  Last evening my son brought me a bag of salad fixings, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions and chocolate peppers. Made a wonderful supper salad and enough for tonight too. Added it to my sautéed red cabbage and  white bean casserole. Will be sad to see growing season end, even if it is  for only a short time. We are usually only looking at cold weather for a few months, and by the first of March it gets warmer again.
  The hummingbirds have packed up and gone south.  Will miss watching them til next spring.
  Final thought, I am enjoying a station called Veria living. Yogi Cameron is wonderful. He taught a lady with eye problems to make ghee and use to cleanse and heal her eyes instead of eye drops. I am going to give that a try. He also adds a little water to his pan, and a spoon full of ghee, then adds veggies chopped small and cooks them instead of using olive oil.  If you don't get this station, you can pull up their website, lots of good information there on organic, healthy living.
 Have a great week, eat well, and pray for our country.