Making Meals Fun!

This simple ceramic plate does not look like much but it has made meal time more fun! Sometimes my kids finish their meal before I even get a chance to sit down and eat. Not that I am encouraging kids to play with their food, but this cute little plate will buy me an extra five minutes of quiet time so I can eat my meal. I bought a set of these plates from The Little Seedling in down town Plymouth. The Little Seedling carries a nice variety of green baby equipment ranging from cloth diapers to glass bottles.

Shopping tip of the week: Butter is Best!

Angelle from Nourish MD told our shopping group that it took her 10 years to get to where she is with her diet. It is not realistic to throw everything away in your pantry and go out and buy new stuff, all at once. I like to do little baby steps and challenge myself every few weeks. I like trying to learn about something new or researching healthier food options/recipes. For example, I used to buy whatever meat was on sale at Kroger, then I opted to buy organic meat and now I buy local grass-fed meat. It was a process and did not happen over night. Another good comparison is milk. I used to buy skim milk, then I bought organic whole milk and now I purchase a partial raw milk from Whole Foods that is loaded with probiotics. Again, this was a process and I try to make small changes along the way.

By the way, I have not gone down the raw milk path yet, even though many of my health mentors strongly suggest it. Its my own personal hang-up. I am the person who requests to have their meat WELL DONE! Kelly and her sisters drink raw milk and absolutely love it and say it is safer then store bought/processed milk. I commend them for doing their research, finding a reputable vendor and going the extra mile with their health. VERY IMPRESSIVE. One day, I hope to venture down that path as well.

Moving on...One small baby step you could do (if you don't already) is to purchase organic, cultured butter instead of margarine. Margarine is a fake food that is riddled with chemical additives. Butter is a real food with real health benefits. All of my mentors agree that raw, organic butter would be the healthiest option but I have a hard time finding raw butter so the next best option would be cultured, organic butter. Cultured dairy products are easier to digest and contain beneficial bacteria. The experts also agree that Horizon products are not the best. They really like Organic Valley. Read the about the health benefits of butter below:

1. Butter is rich in the most easily absorbable form of Vitamin A necessary for thyroid and adrenal health.
2. Contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and candida.
   
3. Contains lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism.
   
4. Contains anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.
   
5. Has anti-oxidants that protect against weakening arteries.
   
6. Is a great source of Vitamins E and K.
   
7. Is a very rich source of the vital mineral selenium.
   
8. Saturated fats in butter have strong anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties.
   
9. Butter contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a potent anti-cancer agent, muscle builder, and immunity booster
   
10. Vitamin D found in butter is essential to absorption of calcium.
    
11. Protects against tooth decay.
    
12. Is your only source of an anti-stiffness factor, which protects against calcification of the joints.
    
13. Anti-stiffness factor in butter also prevents hardening of the arteries, cataracts, and calcification of the pineal gland.
    
14. Is a source of Activator X, which helps your body absorb minerals.
    
15. Is a source of iodine in highly absorbable form.
    
16. May promote fertility in women.
17. Is a source of quick energy, and is not stored in our bodies adipose tissue.
    
18. Cholesterol found in butterfat is essential to children's brain and nervous system development.
    
19. Contains Arachidonic Acid (AA) which plays a role in brain function and is a vital component of cell membranes.
    
20. Protects against gastrointestinal infections in the very young or the elderly.

Here is the butter I like:

"Our cultured butter achieves a rich butter taste through introducing a live culture and slowly ripening the cream. You'll think you've never really tasted butter before!"

Essential Oils in the Shower

Lately we have been throwing all of the kids in the shower and sprinkling some essential oils on the shower walls. It is so therapeutic and soothing. It was especially helpful when the kids had cold a few weeks ago. I now keep a few little bottles of essential oils in the shower at all times and use them daily. Some of them can be more rejuvenating then a cup of coffee. Try it out if you get a chance. Be sure to read the link below that specifies what each oil is capable of doing.

Here is a little more information on essential oils:

"Essential oils are used extensively in aromatherapy and various traditional medicinal systems. Due to the numerous health benefits of essential oils, they are being explored by the scientific community for treating a variety of diseases including cancer, HIV, asthma, bronchitis, heart strokes, etc.

There are more than 90 essential oils each having its own health benefits. Every essential oil blends well with many other essential oils enabling herbalists prepare a number of aromatic preparations.

Given below is a list of essential oils. Most of these oils are strong in nature and can cause side effects, if they are not taken in appropraite manner and quantities. Further, their benefits are indicative and therefore consult a medical practitioner before using these oils, internally or topically."

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Here is an example of one of the oils from the list:

Allspice Essential Oil:
Properties: Anaesthetic, analgesic, anti oxidant, anti septic, carminative, relaxant, rubefacient, stimulant and tonic.
Health Benefits: Induce numbness, pain relief, relaxes body & mind, brings redness in skin, stimulates functions

Check out the site below for a list of essential oils and their benefits:

http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/natural-essential-oils/list-of-essential-oils.html

DIRECTIONS:

1. Determine what issues you would like to solve. You might have a cold or stress in your life that you would like to deal with better.

2. Consult a book or reference guide on essential oils to determine which ones are appropriate for your problem. For example, lavender is calming and eucalyptus can open your sinuses. Purchase pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils.

3. Sprinkle the essential oils on the walls of your shower, and take deep breaths. If you put the oils on the bottom of your shower, the oil will be washed away.

My little patient!

Decorating for Christmas

Thanksgiving at Grampy and Buba's House

Aunty Reba and the kids

An Eventful Weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Our Thanksgiving was very nice. Gramp and Buba hosted Thanksgiving and it was super fun. Of course we over ate and ended up taking a handful of tums later that evening, but it was worth it!

The kids helped us decorate the house this weekend and I have to say, it wasn't a chore this year...it was actually fun. Every single decoration I pulled out was like a new present to the kids. Their excitement is sooo contagious. We decorated our stairs with garland, lights and Christmas stockings and the kids sat on the steps for a good hour, looking at all of the decorations and talking about Santa. I am trying so hard to explain to them that Christmas is about giving!!! This is going to be tough. All they talk about is the spider man car or scooter they want from Santa. We have a job ahead of us!!!

What would a holiday be without a trip to the doctor's office??? This morning I was walking into Ben and Jake's bedroom when Ben and I bumped into each other and I poked him in the eye. At first I thought, this isn't a big deal. But then, three hours later he was still in pain and unable to open his eye. Sooo off to the doctor's office we go... After some eye drops and a sturdy bandage placed on the eye, we are feeling much better. I know it was an accident but I just feel awful!!!!!!!!! Poor guy is such a trooper.

Again, Happy Holidays! :)

Benefits of a Sauna

"The correct pronunciation is sow-na, not saw-na."

If you get the clearance from your doc and are in good health, I have recently learned that a sauna can be relaxing, as well as healing. If you have access to a sauna in a gym or at home, consider spending 5-10 minutes in the sauna a few times a week.

Ideally, a sauna would be best utilized if you could do a detox plan coupled with daily sauna sessions. A detox plan should be administered by a medical professional. Detox plans that are not overseen by a professional can be very dangerous. Consider talking to a clinical nutritionist, chiropractor or holistic doctor for a plan. Once you start to detox, you need to rid your body of the toxins through urine, stool and sweat. That is why people on detox plans are told to drink a ton of water and eat lots of fiber. This is where the sauna comes into play. The sweating speeds up the process of riding toxins from your body. One of the books I am currently reading, Overcoming Thyroid Disease by Dr. Brownstein, talks about how the infrared sauna treatments are extremely beneficial to cancer patients. He has detox saunas in his practice, Center for Holistic Medicine, which is located in West Bloomfield. Certain people should not go in a sauna, especially if you are pregnant. Also, limit your time in a sauna because overheating can cause problems. Read below for some more information from Dr. Weil:

"When you take a sauna, the heat pumps up blood circulation near the skin and stimulates sweating. The Finns say a proper sauna elicits about a quart of sweat per hour. I generally encourage sweating. It helps the body rid itself of unwanted materials and improves general circulation. In medieval times, healers relied on saunas to cure illnesses, and priests used their heat to chase away evil spirits.

In the United States there's a lot of concern about pregnant women taking steam baths or saunas. A study published four years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association found some association between neural-tube defects and heat exposure from saunas, hot tubs, and fever during the first three months of pregnancy. (Neural-tube defects include anencephaly and spina bifida, both disastrous abnormalities.) The biggest problem was hot tubs, which pregnant women should approach cautiously."

Potato Asparagus Soup

This recipe was lovingly stolen from my girl, Maria. Thanks, Ria! It is tasty, healthy and easy all in one. It is so hard to find all three qualities in one recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
• 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules (I used one cube)
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup butter
  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
• 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a large saucepan or soup kettle, combine the potatoes, asparagus, onion, celery, bouillon and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the butter.
2. In a bowl, combine flour, cream, milk, salt and pepper until smooth; add to the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Garnish with bacon and cheese.

*** I recommend spicing it up a bit. Maybe add some garlic cloves??
***I used whole wheat flour and it tasted great.
***If your making your own chicken stock, you can use that instead of the bouillon. I keep the chicken stock in BPA free ice cube trays. I scoop them out frozen and add them to soups, rice and other recipes that call for broth/bouillon. It will give the recipe some added nutrition.

Shopping tip of the week: Gluten 101

"Gluten (from Latin gluten "glue") is a protein composite that appears in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye. It gives elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewy texture.

Enough of the human population suffers from gluten sensitivity of one kind or another that many foods are now labeled to clarify whether they contain gluten."

Earlier this year, I found out I have an autoimmune disease. I have since opted to eliminate gluten from my diet, 90% of the time. This has been sooo challenging. However, since I have cut out gluten (and added supplements) I feel a million times better. I used to get really tired about 3:00 p.m. everyday and felt like I needed a nap to survive the day. Since my diet revision, I have felt a huge surplus of energy. No more mid-day slumps. Sooo you are probably wondering...do I need to cut back on gluten? This is the conclusion I have come to after talking with my panel of experts: YES! We (my family) are cutting way back on our gluten consumption, even though the rest of my family is perfectly healthy. I am not doing a gluten free diet for the kids but am more aware of what I am buying and trying to switch it up here and there. For example, instead of buying whole grain pasta every time, sometimes I will buy rice pasta or my new favorite find, black bean pasta. Sheryl a certified nutritionist, explained to me that it is important to switch things up. Too much of anything is not good.

Kelly, my personal mentor/cousin/CN/smartest person I know :) told me the wheat we consume now is not the same wheat we consumed years ago. It actually contains more gluten then it used to. Wheat can even be genetically modified. The bad news is that wheat and wheat flour are in EVERYTHING!

The best thing is to be more cognizant of how much gluten you are consuming. Try to change it up here and there. The bottom line is that excessive gluten causes inflammation. Inflammation is the foundation for cancer and degenerative/ autoimmune diseases. 1 and 7 people suffer from a gluten sensitivity. If you do have an autoimmune disease and suffer from Chrons, Colitis, IBS, etc., look into trying a gluten free diet for a while. See if you notice a difference. Gluten free diets have been known to help depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders as well. I am so fascinated with the power of food. It can be so damaging and so healing. It really pays to do your homework!

Check out the Organic/Gluten Free Black Bean Spaghetti made by Explore Asian: Authentic Cuisine if you get a chance. It has 20 grams of protein per serving and is pretty tasty. I will give you a heads up...it is black and doesn't taste exactly like white spaghetti but I encourage you to be open minded and give it a whirl. Just like I tell my kids, it is sooo important to try new foods. We all get stuck in a rut with the same foods and start to crave only those items. It is possible to retrain your test buds to crave new foods.

Stay Healthy Moms! :)

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?

This is a cute little turkey I made last year for our Thanksgiving center piece/appetizer. The body is a melon and the feathers are grapes and cubed cheese on kabob sticks. The front feathers are peppers on tooth picks, The face is a pear and and the eyes are raisins. The kids and I had fun putting this together.

A Revelation:

The Skinny on Low Fat/Fat Free Foods!

When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with loosing weight, probably like a lot of other teenage girls. My entire diet consumed of low fat/fat free foods, and I was still overweight. Now, I am at a lower weight and consume all full fat foods. I have let go of the "diet craze" and focus on eating real foods. I have heard people say they are worried they will gain weight if they drink whole milk or eat butter. The truth is, you will not be over weight if your diet is rich in real foods, full fat and all. Being over weight stems from consuming pop, high-sugared food, fast-food and processed foods. But lets forget about weight, our health is at risk if we continue to buy low fat/fat free foods. If you can't bring your self to drink whole fat foods, at least consider doing it for your kids. The more processed food is, the less nutritional value. It is stripped of nutrients and fat that is essential for a developing child.

I beg you to read the article below on the importance to eating whole fat foods by Mary G. Enig, PhD, an expert of international in the field of lipid biochemistry.

(On a side note, I would like to say that I am not easily persuaded into doing something. I am not the type of mom who reads one article on the internet and am sold. I have to read, read, and read some more. Then once I am interested in something, I run it by my panel of experts for their approval. I will say, I strongly believe in and support the Weston A. Price Foundation. It has been a source of guidance and education for me. Anyway, I just thought I'd put that out there.) :)

"The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children two years old and older should eat a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat and non-fat dairy products, beans, fish and lean meats. The guidelines also recommend very low amounts of saturated and trans fats. The “experts” are increasingly urging strict adherence to this diet in children. “The idea that heart disease starts in the 50s has been substantially discounted,” says Dr. Robert Eckel of the University of Colorado and former president of the American Heart Association. “Saturated fat is always an enemy to the arteries, at any age.”¹

I have described some of the harmful consequences of low fat diets for growing children in previous columns (see westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/diet_children.html). The purported rationale for putting children on fat-restricted diets involves preventing future obesity and heart disease. Yet one study indicates that children put on low fat diets actually develop markers for heart disease. Children on lowfat diets whose genes would normally have been producing the desirable light and fluffy form of LDL-cholesterol started to make the dangerous small and dense form of LDL.²

Low fat Diets For Children?

Promoters of lowfat diets have seen to it that whole milk has been virtually eliminated in schools. This new policy is predicated on the assumption that the fat in whole milk will make children become fat. Yet a recent study on children in Sweden revealed that lower fat intake was associated with higher body mass index and greater insulin resistance.³ Children on lowfat diets also consumed more sugar. Since the beverage choice for American children in schools today is either reduced-fat milk or chocolate milk, greater sugar consumption will no doubt be a consequence of the fat-restriction policy.

More cause for alarm comes from another recent study, this one published in Human Reproduction.⁴ The risk of anovulatory infertility was found to be 27 percent lower in women who ate at least one portion of high-fat dairy food per day compared with women who had one high-fat serving of dairy per week, or even less. Women who ate two or more portions of lowfat dairy foods a day increased their risk of ovulationrelated infertility by 85 percent.

The researchers concluded that women who want to get pregnant should consume high-fat dairy products but, once pregnant, switch back to lowfat foods. The assumption is that ovulation can be restored in adult women by switching from lowfat to full-fat dairy products. But what happens in girls who are denied healthy dairy fats throughout childhood, even, it seems, in the womb? Will they be able to become pregnant by consuming full-fat dairy products for the first time when they are adults? This is a dangerous assumption to make since the vitamins in dairy fats are essential for the development of the reproductive system throughout the growing years.

Some researchers are urging caution. Dr. John Kostyak and a team from Pennsylvania State University recently warned in the online magazine Nutrition Journal that so-called “muesli mothers” are taking adult dietary messages to extremes and inflicting them on their children. “Sufficient fat must be included in the diet for children to support normal growth and development,” says Kostyak. Unfortunately, the fats he recommends are the “good fats,” such as olive oil and sunflower oil. However, some commentators are urging full-fat dairy products for children under five—contradicting US government policy that urges restriction of dairy fats after the age of two.

Diet Foods May Cause Weight Gain

As health officials continue to harp on the dangers of weight gain, parents are increasingly likely to give low-calorie products to their children. But studies with rats provide further evidence of the folly of this policy. Young animals given low-calorie version of foods ended up overeating, whether they were lean or obese; however, older adolescent rats fed diet foods did not show the same tendency to overeat.⁹ “Diet foods are probably not a good idea for growing youngsters,” said Professor David Pierce, head of the study. But that is exactly what the “experts” recommend—low fat versions of dairy products and meat, and a restriction of animal fats like butter.

The committee raised serious concerns about side effects of low fat diets. They found evidence of growth failure, nutritional dwarfing and inhibited progression of puberty in children on fat-restricted diets. They also reported that “lower fat intake was associated with lower levels of calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin E, vitamin B₁₂, thiamine, niacin and riboflavin.”

Shopping Tip of the Week: Olive Oil

Sheryl from a "Place To Be" advised me to put more thought into buying olive oil. If you buy the right kind and care for it properly, it will add a lot of nutrition to your food. The brand she advised me to get is Bionature Olive Oil. I believe it is $17.00 a bottle.

I know....sooo expensive! Trust me, I have had many of conversations with my husband explaining why I have to spend more and more money on FOOD! In the documentary, Food INC., they explain that a 100 years ago, Americans spent a ton of money on food and very little money on health care. Now, it has fliped...more money on health care and less money on good quality food. Good quality food is typically expensive.

I catch a lot of flack from people about buying organic foods but I let it roll of my back. People can spend their money on expensive clothes, fancy cars, lavish vacations, but then claim organic food is too expensive. I told Kevin I'd rather cut out other things before sacrificing good quality food for our family. He is supportive but from time to time I can sense his frustrations about our grocery bill. However, he is happy that I now spend LESS on meat and eggs by buying local. Anyway, I am getting off my soap box. Here is the scoop on olive oil:

Buying Olive Oil:

It is best to purchase your olive oil in small quantities because olive oil will age and will continue to oxidize. If you make the decision to buy larger quantities then separate the olive oil into smaller containers and keep them tightly sealed.

Be sure to buy olive oil that is in a dark bottle. Clear bottles let light in, thus damaging the oil. Damaged oil lacks nutrients.

How to store olive oil:

Never store or buy olive oil in plastic bottles. The oil is very reactive and if in contact with plastic will take on the properties of the plastic container.

Always keep the container in dark places and in areas that are slightly cooler than room temperature.

Winter Stew Delight!

This recipe was stolen from Emily! THANK YOU EMILY! This was sooo yummy. My husband told me to put it in rotation. :)

1 small head cabbage, chopped (or I just buy the bag, already shredded)

4 medium onions, diced

4 medium potatoes, diced

1 28-ounce can tomatoes, diced

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced

2 pounds Italian sausage (I used the Applegate turkey sausage)

4 cups beef or chicken broth (I do 2 cups of each)

1 cup tomato juice

1 15-ounce can beans (kidney, black or pinto)

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large, oven proof stew pot. Cover and bake 1.5-2 hours until tender, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add more broth or tomato juice. You can also season with chopped basil, sage or chives. This recipe makes several gallons of stew, which freezes really well.

For some reason, my stew required an extra hour on the stove top. The potatoes needed a little more time to soften. Enjoy!

Happy (Second) Fourth Birthday
Jake and Ben! :)

My twin boys, Jake and Ben, were due this week, FOUR YEARS AGO! Most of my friends know that my twins were born ten weeks early and survived a deadly syndrome. I always give them extra hugs this week. It's sort of like their second birthday. Another chance for me to appreciate them and thank God for my little miracles. I love this picture of Kev and the boys. My hubby is the REASON they are here. :)

Meal	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Dinner
Lunch
Prep.

Do you plan?

When the girls and I went on our shopping tour, the one thing I personally took from it was making my family's health a PRIORITY! To do this, Angelle advised us to make planning our meals top priority. I decided to make this extremely basic chart. This simple chart has alleviated a lot of stress from my life. In the past, I would pick out 4-5 meals for the week for my grocery list but I would either forget what I planned or I would forget to prep my meal, take out the meat, soak the oats, etc. Sooo now, I made this simple chart and it has been really helpful. I post it in my kitchen and have a visual of what my week should look like. Every Monday night, during 90201 :), I make myself write out my grocery list and my weekly plan. Angelle really encouraged me to not only plan dinner, but plan other meals as well. To be honest, I have not mastered the breakfast/lunch meal planning but am working toward that goal. I feel like the busier our life gets, the more important it is to plan. Do you plan? What is your best strategy? I'd love to know. :) Good luck, moms!!

The boys making our annual holiday popcorn balls.

The kids having fun decorating the Christmas tree.

Holiday Traditions!

As the holidays approach, I always try to come up with family traditions. I love the idea of my kids, when they are all grown, smelling a certain food and having a rush of family memories come back to them. Food brings such comfort and love. My mom and grandmas spent hours in the kitchen over the years, slaving over holiday dinners for our family. They hardly would even sit down...they were so busy rushing around making sure every one had what they needed. They never complained about their food being cold, they were just happy to have us all gathered around the table, enjoying a meal together. If that isn't love, I don't know what is...

I have copied many traditions from friends and families. Here are some of my current food/holiday traditions:

1. Halloween: Homemade Sloppy Joes in the crock pot, stolen with love from my mother-in-law.

2. Thanksgiving Weekend: We make huge batches of Monkey Munch and deliver it to the NICU nurses that have to work on the holiday.

3. Decorating the Christmas tree day: Make popcorn balls. See recipe below. My vision for this is to string popcorn for the tree and have a contest for who can come up with the best tasting popcorn balls.

4. Christmas Eve Dinner: My dad always makes an amazing Pasta Fagioli soup that we eat before dinner. It is wonderful and always makes me think of our family Christmas.

5. Christmas Morning: Monkey bread. My husband always complains that we don't have a lot of junk food in the house but for the holidays, I like to mix it up and make some naughty food for the fam. We all deserve special treats from time to time.

That is all I have come up with so far. I am hoping to come up with something for New Years, Easter and the fourth of July. I know...it is pretty cheesy. I just know how much I enjoyed our family traditions and would love to do the same for my kiddies.

Here is the popcorn ball recipe. I looked high and low for a healthy one. Many of the popcorn ball recipes use corn syrup. This one had all of the favorites and was soooo yummy.

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 5 cups hot-air popped popcorn--Be sure NOT to use microwave popcorn. Microwave popcorn has toxic carcinogenic chemicals in the lining of the bag. (Please know I am not telling anyone this to make them paranoid. I am just stating the facts. My opinion is that knowledge is power. The more knowledge we have about the food we eat, the healthier we will be.)
  
• butter for handling

1. Place air-popped popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.

2. In a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl, combine honey, sugar, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of softened organic butter. Microwave for 40 seconds.

3. Pour honey mixture over popcorn and stir to coat with a wooden spoon then set aside to cool.

4. After thoroughly washing your hands first, butter your hands then shape popcorn into balls.

Makes 6 popcorn balls.

Homemade Food Coloring - Healthy and Toxin Free

I really thought it would be fun to dye our popcorn balls Christmas colors but did not want to use food coloring. I found this great site: http://hubpages.com/hub/make-food-coloring that had recipes for homemade/healthy food coloring. I thought this may be helpful with all of the holiday baking coming up. I only posted one example, but check out the site for a bunch of other colors. Here is an excerpt from the article:

"What would the world be like if everything was black and white? Gloomy. Insipid. Lifeless. Probably so. Colors do affect our moods as well as increase our appetite. Look at little children, for example. They tend to enjoy colorful Trix cereal more than boring shredded wheat, and get more excited to taste a bright rainbow cake rather than a simple coconut pie. In fact, adults are like that, too. Imagine two dishes sitting in front of you: one is a salad filled with colorful slices of carrot, apple and lettuce whereas the other is a bowl of dull-green Greek horta. Both are nutritious and tasty, but most of us will probably go with the salad. Why? It looks more appetizing.

An appetizing appearance, however, sometimes comes with a price. One little drop of artificial food coloring can make your plain vanilla icing turn hot pink in a minute, yet it might be ruining your health at the same time. Don't just assume that you're safe because you don't eat multi-color baked goods or candy very often. Synthetic food coloring can also be found in other types of food including sausages, fruit cocktails and even salmon. First, let's take a look at possible dangers of artificial food coloring, reported in recent research studies. And then let's see how we can make our own homemade food coloring and use basic natural ingredients in the kitchen to color our foods.

Beautiful Poisons - Food Dyes to Avoid

NAME	HEALTH RISKS	USAGE
Allura Red AC or Red 17	Asthma, Rhinitis, Cancer, ADHD in children	Snacks, Sauces, Candies and Soft Drinks
Brilliant Blue or Blue 1	Cancer, Tumors and ADHD in Children	Gelatins, Beverages, Icings, Syrups and Candies
Erythrosine or Red 3	Thyroid Tumors and Chromosomal Damage	Baked goods, Candies, Popsicles and Condiments
Fast Green or Green 3	Allergies, Tumors and Mutagenic Effects	Baked Goods, Gelatins, Sauces, Icings, Vegetables
Orange B	Allergies, Kidney Damage and ADHD in Children	Sausages and Hot Dogs
Sunset Yellow or Yellow 6	Adrenal Gland and Kidney Tumors	Baked Goods, Sausages, Gelatins
TarTrazine or Yellow 5	Asthmatic Attacks, Migraines, ADHD in Children, Blurred Vision and Anxiety	Snacks, Cereals, Jams, Instant Noodles, Cake Mixes and Candies

Here is one of the several examples she posted:

Make Purple Food Coloring from Red Cabbage

To make purple food coloring, all you need is one half of a big red-cabbage head. First, chop cabbage into big chunks and put them into a pot of boiling water. The amount of water should be just enough to cover the cabbage. After about an hour, the cabbage should lose its color while the water should turn dark purple. Remove from heat and let cool. Once it is completely cool, discard the cabbage (I saved mine to put in soup or stew). To illustrate the effectiveness of this homemade purple colorant, I used it to make purple steamed rice, by simply replacing water with this natural food dye and then letting the rice cooker do the rest of the job. My steamed rice came out gorgeously purple and didn't smell too much like boiled cabbage. I named it "Riso Purpuraceous."

My "Riso Purpuraceous"

Red Cabbage and Its Cancer-Fighting Nutrients

Anthocyanins or cancer-fighting compounds, which give blue and purple fruits their antioxidant power, are also found abundantly in red cabbage. According to recent research by scientists at the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), red cabbage contains 36 types of anthocyanins that can help prevent cancer, improve cardiovascular health and promote brain function. One cup of boiled red cabbage delivers approximately 4,700 ORAC units (oxygen radical absorbency capacity, the measure of antioxidant power), which is about 50% higher than the minimum amount of antioxidants recommended per day.

In addition, red cabbage is also rich in indole-3-carbinole (I3C), a type of phytochemical that can reduce the risk of breast cancer. It is thus a vegetable women should adopt into their regular diets. Other cancer-fighting nutrients in red cabbage include vitamin A, vitamin C and glucosinolates, which together help battle free radicals and stimulate the body's own natural detoxification enzymes. No wonder many detox recipes use red cabbage as one of the main ingredients."

BAD HAIR DAY

My friend Corey told me that her and her husband fight over who's turn it is to get their girl's out of their beds in the morning. I couldn't agree more...it is one of life's most precious moments. There is nothing sweeter then a baby's sleep face, wild hair and cute little smile that appears as they see their parent enter the room for the first time. Babies are a true example of unconditional love. Don't you wish everyone greeted you like your baby? Wouldn't it be nice if the crabby lady at work was as happy to see you as your sweet little baby??? Life would be so much nicer if we all had a baby's happy, care-free demeanor. :)

Salt is so GOOD!

Celtic Sea Salt is on my “Must Have” grocery list. One of the most interesting things I’ve learned in the last year is about the health benefits of Salt. In October, I went to a presentation by Dr. David Brownstein called “Salt Your Way to Good Health.” The presentation advised people to throw away their table salt, which is just sodium chloride and switch to Unrefined Celtic Sea Salt which is loaded with 180 trace minerals lacking in the American diet.

Government regulations currently advise people to limit salt. Dr. Brownstein totally disagrees. The regulations are advising people to limit refined table salt, which in fact is not healthy. Unrefined Sea Salt is healthy. A book I am currently reading also backs up Dr. Brownstein’s research. The book Real Food: The Fertility Diet by Nina Plank talks about how important it is for everyone to have unrefined sea salt, especially babies. It is so nutritious. Here are some of my notes from the presentation: (By the way, please excuse my typos and grammatical errors. Grammar is NOT one of my strong points.)

There are Two Types of Salt: Unrefined and Refined

Refined- 2% toxic chemicals, bleaching agents, chlorine, made with high heat, contains aluminum, ammonia, etc. All of these chemicals ensure a long shelf life.

Unrefined- no toxic chemicals, 180 trace minerals.

(NOTE: Sea Salt can be refined. You need to read label. Brand names such as Redmond, Celtic Sea Salt and Himalayan are clean unrefined brands. Morton’s is refined and toxic. Also, kosher salt is refined.)

Your body should have a pH of 7.2. At this level you body is functioning better and is not a breeding ground for disease. Acidity causes your pH to drop. Refined foods (certain salts, breads pasta, cereals) are acidic and lack enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Unrefined foods that are high in minerals such as the good salts are alkalizing agents in the body. A mineral deficiency leads to a pH deficiency. We should ingest ½ tsp. of unrefined salt a day.

Low Salt/Low Sodium is linked to acidity, cardiovascular disease, poor lipid profiles, and vitamin imbalances. In so many words, Dr. Brownstein basically believes the government wants to keep our country sick, causing chronic conditions that need drugs.

USES FOR SALT:

Detox Soak: Fill your bath with 1 cup of unrefined salt and 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide and it will detox your body of metals. Sometimes people see a black ring around their tub afterwards.

Salt specifically helps Ménière's disease, leg cramps, asthma (first sign of wheezing…drink a glass of water with ¼ t. added)

Ultimately, the human body was designed to require and utilize unrefined salt. Most studies done on salt, use refined salt.