Strawberry, more than just a fruit

What’s the first thought that pops into your mind, when you think of strawberry – a mouth-watering dessert of strawberries covered with fresh whip cream? The perfect dessert to end an interesting evening meal. Strawberries can serve more than just to satisfy a sweet tooth with something other than processed sugars for dessert because the strawberry is packed with lots of health benefits that make this juicy berry a nutritious fruit for mind and body.

Eat this succulent fruit in its raw form or serve it as jams, syrups, salads, smoothies, wine, juices, and more. Strawberries are loaded with vitamin C, potassium, sodium and iron as well as being low in calories. Not just delicious, a strawberry, due to its mildly astringent properties, is also good for the skin. Strawberry flesh and juice are recommended mainly for oily skin to improve texture, encourage a healthy and more radiant complexion and minimize greasiness. The ellagic acids in strawberries appear to inhibit the growth of tumors (cancer cells). Strawberries are also a good source of salicylic acid that removes dead cells and cleans out pores.

Below are some skin-care-recipes that involve strawberries other fruits, oils, and juices that you can try but let me say first that I am not a doctor or skincare professional and that you the reader of this post should exercise precautions while following any skin-care-recipe instructions from this post. Avoid using any of these ingredients if you are allergic to them. If you have any doubts about what you may be allergic to please consult a medical professional before you used these skin-care suggestions. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer, be safe.

Strawberry possess properties that help with soothing sunburned skin, discolored teeth, and skin blemishes. For example, an alternative to placing cucumber on the eyes, place a sliced strawberry to reduce the puffiness. Strawberries are known to fight heart disease and provide a number of vitamins and minerals that support overall health. By adding strawberries to your diet, it helps to build a healthy immune system. In addition to various nutrients and minerals, strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese, as well as folic acid, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Packed with health benefits, strawberries, when added to beauty recipes for skin, help promote healthy skin. Try these homemade recipes made with this strawberry as the main ingredient.

Kiwi Cucumber Strawberry Facial Cleanser - Blend 5 to 6 strawberries, 1 kiwi, peeled and 1/2 cucumber to a smooth paste, not a runny mixture. If the mixture is slightly runny, add a bit of oatmeal until the potion is of proper consistency. Apply to your face and neck area with gentle massage to exfoliate the skin. Let the paste settle on your skin for 10 minutes and then rinse well with warm water. Your skin will look and feel fresh and clean.

For a Strawberry Facemask - Combine 2 or 3 ripe strawberries with 2 tbsp of finely grounded oats and 1 drop of lemon essential oil to form a paste. Spread the paste on to the face and neck area with fingertips. Relax for 20 minutes. Rinse off with cool water followed by a toner and moisturizer. The pieces of strawberry seeds aid in the skin treatment process.

Make an antioxidant mask with Strawberry and Papaya starring - ½ papaya, 4 strawberries, 1 tbsp rolled oats, 1 tsp honey, and 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. Grind the oats, blend papayas and strawberries till smooth with a few drops of warm honey until it flows freely. Combine and mix well all the ingredients. Apply the mixture to face and let it remain for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water followed with moisturizer.

For beautiful and radiant skin – mash 1 or 2 strawberries mixing it with water to form a smooth paste. Apply the paste on your face, neck overnight. Rinse it in the morning.

Face Lifting Face Pack - 3 to 4 strawberries, 5-6 grapes, 1/2 pear, 1/2 apple and 1 ounce of orange juice. Before putting this paste on first apply a coat of honey before covering with this fruit mixture. Leave it for 30 minutes and then rinse it with lukewarm water. For the final rinse use vinegar to give your face, a perfect lift.

Another Strawberry Mask – 4 to 5 strawberries, 1 tbsp. milk and 1 tbsp. cornstarch. Mix all the three ingredients to make a paste apply on your face for 20 minutes. Rinse it first with warm water, then cold water. You can improve on this pack by using a mild astringent and then use a light moisturizer. You can use this pack for a week.

As I pointed out caution should be used when trying out or perhaps even eating any of the above fruits mentioned in these skincare recipes. Especially if this is your first time eating any of the above-mentioned fruit. My main purpose for writing this post was to point out what a fantastic nutritional and medicinal fruit the strawberry is.

The Basics of the pH Diet

pH miracle diet basics

The pH Miracle diet is the newest phenomenon on my dieting information radar screen. Health experts have noticed that popular diets seem to travel in waves. Unlike the low-fat diet craze from the 90s the last six to seven years have focused more on low-carbohydrate diets like Atkins, the South Beach Diet, Protein Power, and Sugarbusters. As people become frustrated with each type of diet, they look for something new to try. The pH Miracle diet is the focus of a lot of new diet information interest.

The pH miracle diet is so appealing to people because it is a complete 180-degree turn from the high-protein, low carbohydrate diets of the past few years. The pH Miracle diet, also known as the alkaline diet or the Young Diet, after its creator, Robert Young, represents a totally different approach to nutrition. Many holistic doctors and nutritionists see it as a more balanced approach to nutrition that takes the body’s true needs into account.

Basically, the human body has a pH that is slightly alkaline. The theory is that since the human body runs at this pH, our diet should be comprised of mostly alkaline foods. The standard American diet has many foods that are considered acidic, such as animal protein, sugar, caffeine, and packaged foods. All of these foods disrupt the pH balance of the body and can potentially cause a whole host of problems. The proponents of the pH Miracle diet say that all of these acidic foods actually disrupt the body’s use of alkaline minerals. These minerals include sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which make people prone to chronic diseases.

This is the real crux of the importance of the pH diet. The nutrition and health community has come to realize that what a person puts into their body has a profound effect on their overall health. Although the mainstream medical community has emphasized a balanced diet including fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products, the pH diet takes this a step further. It points out that acidic foods actually rob your body of essential minerals. Those who follow the pH miracle diet are those who want to give their body a more non-acidic more alkaline balance.

Many of the foods that we eat commonly are considered no-nos on the pH miracle diet. One of the most surprising omissions was the absence of wheat products. The FDA recommends whole-wheat products for better health. Yet according to the pH diet, grains like wheat, millet, oats, and rice are acidic and harmful. The alkaline grains of buckwheat, quinoa, and spelt are favored for their alkalizing benefits.

Generally, all meats and dairy are omitted on the pH Miracle diet. If you’re worried about protein, goat milk is slightly alkaline. There is also protein provided from vegetarian options like beans, tofu, and certain nuts and seeds. Most vegetables have alkalizing effects, except for mushrooms. Fruits are limited to coconut, grapefruit, lemon, and lime.

Those that have tried the pH miracle diet say that they feel massive effects on their health within the first few weeks. Lowering the intake of processed foods and eating more vegetables is good health advice for everyone, whether or not they follow the specifications of this particular diet. In fact, this has been one of the major criticisms of the pH miracle diet. Opponents say that if people are already eating fresh foods and drinking plenty of water, then the diet will have no effect. However, they do not take into account the acid/alkaline balance theory.

Another important thing to consider is that there has been no scientific testing of the theories behind the pH miracle diet which I interpret as the opportunity to do a little alkaline diet testing myself. Also, many conventional medical doctors see no benefit to the program. However, the principles behind the diet are based on holistic medicine and Chinese medicine, which have been around for centuries. The ph Miracle diet principles are currently being studied at John Hopkins University and by Dr. Neil Solomon of the United Nations. Soon the critics may have to re-evaluate their stance on the diet’s scientific basis.

Taking Care of you Skin

Caring for your Skin

Keeping calories under control when dining out

There are plenty of fun places to dine in San Jose California not only is the city a fun place to visit but the area also contains some of the best restaurants in San Jose. Ever wonder how you can possibly lose weight when the average dinner out contains so many extra calories? Well, don’t worry this post might be able to help! Keeping yourself in shape when dining out is simply a matter of ordering the right things to eat.

Here are 6 tips for having a healthy dinner out (and keeping all those extra calories in check) Tips that will help you turn just about any restaurant into one of the healthy restaurants.

Watch Your Drinks

By not ordering an alcoholic beverage, you've saved yourself a considerable number of calories. Try sipping iced tea sweetened with a noncaloric sweetener, a diet soft drink, or water with lemon. You'll be glad you did when you consider the calorie savings.

Have A Salad

One of the best menus choices is a salad, salads are my healthy fast food. Not only will it fill you up so you'll consume fewer calories overall, but it will also give you a hefty dose of antioxidants which are heart-healthy. Be sure to ask your waitress to hold the croutons and cheese which will further reduce your caloric intake. Also, choose your dressing wisely. Avoid cream-based dressings and go for the vinegar-based ones. You also have the option of using vinegar and olive oil which is heart-healthy.

Don’t Order An Appetizer Unless Necessary

Do you know that some appetizers have more calories and fat than the main course? Plus, many appetizers are fried and served with heavy sauces which will add to your intake of saturated fat as well as trans fats and calories. It's not a healthy way to start your meal.

Choose The Right Kind Of Foods

Go for broiled and grilled rather than fried. Not only will you save calories and fat grams, but you'll also avoid trans fats which are so prevalent in fried foods. Instead, consider asking for a doubles order of vegetables with your entree. Very few Americans are getting the 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended for optimal health. Plus, by avoiding the starch, you'll be reducing your caloric and carbohydrate intake. Also, stick to tomato-based sauces rather than cream-based and you'll enjoy considerable calorie savings. Lastly, ask for the sauce to be served in a separate dish on the side so you can control the amount you eat.

Don’t Overeat

Today, many restaurants are serving larger quantities of food than in the past. If this is the case, put aside a portion of your entree at the beginning of the meal to take home with you. If you remove it from your plate before you start eating, you'll be less tempted to overeat.

No ” To Sugary, Fatty Desserts

Instead, go for low fat or low carbohydrate dessert selections such as a low-carb cheesecake. These are wise choices for the health-conscious eater that still allow you to end the meal on a sweet note. If a healthy dessert option isn't available, try a cup of coffee with skim milk to help satiate your desire for something sweet.

The next time you go out for dinner, keep the above tips in mind. You will be surprised how many calories you are able to eliminate from your meal just by ordering the right menu selection, turn where ever you dine when you're eating out into a healthy food restaurant by the number of calories you can take away!

Going Vegetarian

“Several epidemiological studies indicate that vegetarians have lower morbidity and mortality from chronic degenerative diseases.” Even the Utah Beef Council agrees with that data, but let's face it, today, vegetarians only make up about two percent of the population. Still, every day more and more people give up eating red meat or try their first bite of tofu. Aside from ethics, health and ecology seem to be the main reasons people are turning away from meat?


Hundreds of different studies have shown that vegetarians who eat balanced diets have lower rates of coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, and certain cancers. Registered Dietitian Winston Craig says that eating meat costs Americans somewhere between $30-$60 billion per year in medical expenses related to hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, gallstones, obesity, and food-borne illnesses associated with meat. Dropping some meats from my diet has helped me tamp down the skyrocketing price of meat from the grocery store. And, I remember feeling particularly pleased during the last major hamburger meat recall since hamburger meat was on my do not eat list at the time.

So far just about all of the information I have learned and tried to put to use has been very positive. I was especially attracted to the lower rates of disease amongst vegetarians which were right in turn with what Dr. Craig says; that a vegetarian diet is associated with lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and less obesity.

In 1997, the World Cancer Research Fund recommended a vegetarian diet for reducing the risk of cancer and it was the numbers they shared that piqued my interest. Lifelong vegetarians have 24% less heart disease, while vegans have an astounding 57% less. I'm afraid I fall into the vegetarian category since I have cut way back on meat, but still part-take of other animal products like cheese and milk. Vegans don't consume any animal products at all.

An all-inclusive study of a vegetarian religious group, the Seventh Day Adventists, found that the study group had half the rate of high blood pressure and diabetes, half the rate of colon cancer, and two-thirds the rate of arthritis and prostate cancer as other groups (2001). Also, Cornell University reported that eating less meat did more to reduce osteoporosis than supplementing your diet with calcium.

I am living proof that you don't need to go completely vegan to enjoy some of the health effects mentioned in this post I have noticed several improvements since my making a real effort to go meat-free (whenever I can) there has been some weight loss and an increase in workout energy.  In 1999, a meta-analysis of several vegetarian and vegan mortality studies was conducted. The results of these studies were compared together and re-analyzed. The researchers concluded that even reducing meat in your diet had a significant effect on lowering your rate of disease. People who ate meat just once a week had a 20% lower rate of dying from heart disease, and their over-all mortality rate was reduced by 10%.

For those who ate only fish saw as much as a 34% reduction in heart disease death, while their over-all mortality was lowered by 18%. My ultimate goal is to go completely vegan, right now my family, and extended family is the biggest enabler to my not being able to go completely vegan. The good news here is the more you reduce the consumption of animal products, the more you appear to benefit. Only 7% of the vegans studied died of cancer (lung, stomach, and colorectal). Worryingly, 19% of over-all deaths in the US are from cancer.

Being a Vegan, or even a Vegetarian is also good for the planet. How you may ask? Every year, meat eaters contribute to the cattle farming industry. This industry uses farmlands that could be producing food for people to make grain for cows. As most people know, cows produce large amounts of environmentally-toxic methane gas. Raising cows also uses precious water resources. Don't get me wrong I'm not really hating on cows, it's just that back when a cow or cows took care of a families needs the above toxins (methane) and use of the water supply didn't amount to much.

But once cows were gathered by the hundreds to produce milk and other dairy products for the masses it just seems to me that another problem was created. Believe me when I say it was not easy for me to contemplate giving up meat. I come from a long line of hunters, and meat-eaters who do not believe that man fought his way to the top of the food chain just to eat plants. My favorite uncle, Bae Honey, loved to hunt and said to me once "there's room on this earth for all of God's creatures that live in the forest, right next to the potatoes."

This post is meant mainly to share some of the stats I have collected about the health benefits enjoyed by vegans, and vegetarians in the hope you might find it useful and to share some of what I call the negative health effects from eating meat. Moving now to the negative environmental effects of eating meat, did you know that eating meat also contributes to the destruction of the rain forests? I kid you not. In an effort to make a cheaper Big Mac and Whopper, companies are growing cattle in Central America, where labor and other costs are lower. Eager Central Americans are slashing and burning their native rain forests to make room for the beef industry.

It is estimated that a vegetarian diet saves 1.5 tons of greenhouse gas per person per year. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that producing one calorie of animal protein requires ten times the fossil fuel as producing one calorie of plant protein, and according to the New Scientist publication eating a vegan diet reduces more carbon dioxide emissions than driving a hybrid car.

This is not the first time I have heard about the negative stats involving eating meat, and the price we pay for every hamburger that originated from a rain forest. Cow required the destruction of roughly 55 square feet of rain-forest, and too, studies show that one pound of beef requires 2,500 gallons of water. The water used to produce one hamburger patty is enough for two-weeks-worth of daily showers.

Whether you join my crusade to save the world one hamburger at a time or not I hope you will take heed of the health benefits listed above and at least consider
a reduction in your meat intake and if you fear going-totally-vegan, you can at least enjoy a safe space in the middle because between an unhealthy diet and the healthy vegan diet is the vegetarian.

Organic Food

The label "organic" nowadays used to distinguish one tomato from another is a big stretch from the word's original meaning, until the middle of the twentieth-century organic simply meant something living or derived from living matter. In that sense, the idea of an "inorganic tomato" is a contradiction in terms, unless it is, says, a tomato-shaped glass ornament. With very few exceptions just about all of our food is "organic" no matter how it is produced.

The supermarket word "organic" can be traced back to 1942 when J. I. Rodale launched a magazine he called Organic Gardening. Nowadays Rodale is hailed as a pioneer, but then he was often derided as a crank and a throwback to obsolete ways of farming. He advocated maintaining soil fertility and stability by putting organic-matter, animal manure or compost, back into the soil rather than relying on the "inorganic," or synthetic, fertilizers that were then widely seen as the modern way to go.

So in Rodale's usage, it was the fertilizers, and from them, the farming methods, rather than the food, that was organic making the soil his primary concern and not with issues like biodiversity or animal welfare. It wasn's long before the meaning of "organic farming" soon parted company from Rodale's original narrow distinction between fertilizers. Varying definitions spun out of control as different associations of "organic farmers" tried to set standards in accordance with their own values. Some wanted to stick with a narrow definition in terms of what you could and could not put on the soil, the crops, or the animals. Others wanted to include an entire way of life, including healthy living, an equitable form of distribution, concern for wildlife, and so on. Among organizations of organic farmers around the world, the broader view prevailed. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements settled on this definition:

Organic agriculture is an agricultural system that promotes environmentally, socially, and economically sound production of food, fiber, timber, etc. In this system, soil fertility is seen as the key to successful production. Working with the natural properties of plants, animals, and the landscape, organic farmers aim to optimize quality in all aspects of agriculture and the environment.

Such a definition does not, however, lend itself to being reduced to a label that can be put on products to show that they were produced organically. Without specific standards that could be encapsulated in a label, consumers were often unsure what the various "organic" labels used by different associations and producers really meant. Hopefully, by now it is understood that organic foods mean so much more than simply whether or not a pesticide is used or not.

In 1990, the U.S. Congress decided to clear up the confusion by authorizing the Department of Agriculture to establish legally enforceable "USDA Organic" standards and a certification scheme so that consumers could be confident that their food really had been produced in accordance with the standards. That led, in 2002, to a set of standards that most people in organic farming considered a reasonable compromise among the various views of what organic farming is all about. Crops must be grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, and most synthetic pesticides and all herbicides are also banned, although biological and botanical methods of control can be used.

Soil fertility is to be maintained by the use of animal and plant waste (but not sewage sludge, which can contain toxic heavy metals), crop rotation, and growing "cover crops" like clover between other crops. (Cover crops are plowed into the soil to restore nitrogen and organic matter.) Animals used for meat, eggs, or milk must eat organic grains or other organic food and must not be given growth hormones or antibiotics. (Sick or injured animals may be treated with antibiotics, but then their meat, milk, or eggs cannot be sold as organic.) Organically raised animals must have access to the outdoors, including access to pasture for ruminants. Neither plants nor animals can be the product of genetic engineering, and organic food cannot be irradiated.

Reprinted from: The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter by Peter Singer and Jim Mason. Author, Peter Singer is a professor of bioethics at Princeton University's Center for Human Values. He first became well known internationally after the publication of Animal Liberation in 1975. In 2005, Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people.

Jim Mason is the coauthor of Animal Factories (with Peter Singer) and the author of An Unnatural Order: Why We Are Destroying the Planet and Each Other, which John Robbins, author of the best-selling Diet for a New America, calls "a wonderful and important book." He is also an attorney and the fifth generation of a Missouri farming family.

So if like me, you are a buy-organic-kind-of-person hopefully you will find this information useful. I know the information above broadened my view of the meaning of the word organic as it relates to the food I buy and consume. Prior to now my view of organic-food was simply, did they spray this with pesticides or not? I also learned the pesticides are necessary even on food labeled organic. You can still be okay if you use the labels currently being placed on supermarket foods, I always read the label, with the overall idea being to minimize or remove toxins from the food I eat, and not to add them.

Nourishing Your Skin

This post takes a look at some of the foods that nourish the largest organ on the human body, your skin. I will also share information about a list of foods that have been scientifically proven to boost the strength, health, the appearance of your skin. And some interesting details about the Walnuts, Yellow Bell Pepper, Raspberries, Pomegranates Chickpeas, and Salmon that have been proven to help you maintain healthier skin with fewer wrinkles.

The best way to maintain that healthy skin glow is to eat healthily, and maintain a healthy diet so here are some of the ways to protect the skin you're in. Our body's protective covering of skin is under constant attack from the sun, the gazillions of good and bad bacteria that call the surface of our skin home and from within. Most of the time if you're not healthy on the inside, it will show on the outside, your skin.

So let's start with Walnuts, unfortunately for us, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are not made in our bodies but walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acid and when you eat them walnuts can help our body make collagen that is necessary for healthy skin. Inflammatory skin diseases like acne and psoriasis can be reduced by the helpful anti-inflammatory qualities of the omega-3s that can also be found in other foods like ground flax seeds, flaxseed oil, tofu, chia seeds, and canola oil.

Chickpeas are also good for your skin, the zinc in chickpeas is important for your skin mainly because it supports the regeneration of new skin cells. A benefit most noticeable in skin repair associated with the healing of wounds. Studies have shown that zinc can inhibit propionibacterium overgrowth, Propionibacterium is just one of the gazillion skin-dwelling residents mentioned above that contributes to acne. Zinc-fortified cereals, oatmeal, poultry, tofu, oyster and beans are all good sources of dietary zinc when it comes to keeping your skin healthy.

One of the building blocks of protein is amino acids and amino acids are believed to be related to collagen synthesis in our skin. I have noticed that when I highlight information like that in my blog posts about half the people who read it and share their thoughts with me say something like, "I tried it and I actually believe it works! While the other half shares why they don't believe it worked for them. To me, this sounds about right since not every cookie-cutter health idea fits everyone.

That is also one of the reasons I caution everyone interested in trying something new "health suggestion wise" to be sure to consult with your doctor before stepping off the healthy path your doctor may have laid out for you. The food medicine ideas that I try and work for me might not work for you, especially if you are taking prescription meds. Anyway, back to the amino acids---salmon contains all of the essential amino acids that play a role in skin health. Researchers found that consuming a combination of essential amino acids significantly increased the rate of collagen syntheses in mice suffering from ultraviolet light damage.

In my research, I found that eating a well prepared, grill cooked, salmon meal left me feeling full and very fulfilled and while I do suffer from bouts of dry skin some days I still can't tell if it's the hard water my city provides for bathing or the fact that I don't have salmon as often as I might like that contributes to my dry skin. I do know that salmon is a good source of monounsaturated fat that was found to be a positive associated with skin elasticity in older women in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Carotenoids the antioxidant pigments that give a lot of fruits and vegetables their bright orange, yellow, and red colors can be found in sweet potatoes. Carotenoids help keep our skin cells healthy and go well with fat-soluble foods to help them be better absorbed, so for a boost to your skin health that tastes good add some nuts or a little olive oil to your sweet potato. In the article, I consumed about carotenoids the people whose faces were rated as healthy looking by others around them had consumed 2.9 carotenoid laced fruits and vegetables a day.

To end this post let me mention how Pomegranates and Raspberries can help keep your skin looking healthier and more attractive. These two fruits are high in ellagic acid and research has shown that ellagic acid can significantly reduce collagen breakdown from UV light exposure. To me, it's been eye-opening to see the role nutrition plays in the prevention of collagen breakdown, wrinkle reduction, and other skin damage. For better-looking skin make as many of the above fruits and vegetables mentioned above a part of your skin healthy diet.

Honey and Baking Soda

As natural remedies become more popular for providing a health-boost and in many cases a natural home treatment for infractions, this post was put together to provide the recipe and information about using the combination of honey, and baking soda.  These two ingredients honey and baking soda, which is also sometimes called bicarbonate of soda, work just as well today as they did when the Romans used this natural medicine hundreds of years ago to destroy parasites, bacterial infections, as well as viral and fungal infections. The Baking Soda alkalizes the body and cleanses toxins from the digestive system reducing inflammation in the body. Honey is a natural sugar and more easily absorbed by the body than processed sugar. Processed sugar can worsen cancer and contribute to more inflammation and pain. The health benefits from this combination of honey and baking soda have the potential to fight cancer.


One of the reasons this combination of ingredients is often used as a natural remedy for cancer is that it does not interfere with prescription medication. This combination of ingredients is said to work best when you reduce your overall use of sugar, wheat, and dairy products. By avoiding sugar, wheat, and dairy there will be a more complete lowering of the inflammation in the body, avoiding sugar, wheat and dairy will also give your body the best chance to absorb all of the nutrients from the honey baking soda mixture. Bringing down the inflammation in the body allows cells to begin more naturally healing themselves. Important note, be sure to only use baking soda, and not baking powder like the person writing this blog post did.

The oxidative stress, an imbalance between the production of  free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract or detoxify their harmful effect on the body, can also be reduced using this mixture of ingredients and that can boost brain function to provide you with the feeling of more energy and give your bodies metabolism a boost. The mixture of honey and baking soda can also be used to treat cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and to treat autoimmune disorders. Your skin will look healthier due to the honey mixed with baking soda combination's ability to reduce the effects of aging by diminishing free radicals. You can help this process along by keeping your body well hydrated by drinking your daily recommended amount of water or at least try to replace the amount of fluid you urinate on a daily basis with the same amount of H-2-0 (water).

So here is what you will need: one tablespoon of baking soda, three tablespoons of organic honey or the highest quality honey you can find. Remember don't use baking powder, use baking soda. You'll also need a small clean jar with a top. It's best to make this mixture fresh daily, add the above ingredients to a saucepan, heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly, without allowing it to boil. Let the mixture cool before placing it into your glass jar. Take the mixture for one month, take one tablespoon, four times a day. As always and even though this combination is said to be safe with or without prescription drugs, let me say again, let your doctor make the final judgment with regard to any new treatments or remedies you decide to take on especially if you are already taking prescription meds.

Please follow this blog by e-mail by leaving your e-mail address in the Follow by Email box near the top of the page, that way you will be notified the minute my next food medicine-related article is ready to post.

Vinegar and Honey

These two kitchen groceries, Apple Cider Vinegar, and pure Honey make a great health food combination when mixed with a cup of warm purified water, add a little lemon juice to the mix and you become practically bullet proof. Well not really, let me just say that the majority of people who use this combination of ingredients do experience some positive health effects. I guess the thing to keep in mind is that everyone's body chemistry is made a little different by their diet, the type over-the-counter, or prescription medications they use. I would guess that 80% of the people who use this apple cider vinegar, honey, and purified water combination will realize a benefit from it. What are the benefits?

Let me say this before I say that, if you're a breastfeeding mom, or pregnant you should consult with your doctor before trying any of my herbal suggestions. The same would be true for a prescription drug user, drug user, and people suffering from chronic medical conditions like cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. There are some cases where herbs may interfere with your medication and could cause undesired side effects. My goal is to describe the effects, positive and negative, that herbs used by me for medication have had on me, and to let you know that my results may not be the same for everyone who reads about them here or over on my Facebook location.

The dose of the concoction (apple cider vinegar and honey) I have used for the past year is one teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and one teaspoon of raw honey added an 8 oz. cup of purified room temperature or warm water. Taken at night I have seen a glucose level drop of three to five percent by the next morning. The combination apple cider vinegar, honey, in warm purified water is good at regulating the amount of sodium in the blood and helps normalize blood pressure due to the high amount of potassium in both apple cider vinegar and honey, making this blend of nature a good blood pressure equalizer.

More than a year ago I started using apple cider vinegar and honey mixed into a cup of purified water each morning, at least an hour before I ate anything else and over a four or five week period lost two pounds; and that was without the exercise routine I have today. From time to time I get fancy with my apple cider vinegar, honey, and water mix adding a slice of ginger root, or some lemon juice. The combination of apple cider vinegar, honey, and purified water is said to have way more application than just the ones I use it for, the combo is good for your gut and anything good for your gut is good for your skin and overall health in general. I honestly have noticed an improvement in my skin health over the past year from using this combination of ingredients.

Some other examples of the beneficial effect from combining apple cider vinegar, honey, and water is an easing of heartburn, a decrease in bad cholesterol levels, the removal of acid in the body that can lead to a reduction of pain in the joints. It's an energy booster, and very effective against constipation. So far I have only monitored the blood pressure related benefit of this powerful natures mix but it's nice to know that all of the other bodily points of interest listed above are covered in the regular use of the apple cider vinegar, honey, and purified water blend. It has become my morning and sometimes evening tea.

I'm not sure if you can label the combination of apple cider vinegar and honey with a cup of purified water a panacea (cure-all) but this combination of nature's juices certainly has the potential of curing a lot. Gargling with one quarter-cup of apple cider vinegar in warm water, once an hour, at the first sign of a sore throat provides a natural remedy for a sore throat. When bacteria is the cause of experiences diarrhea try sipping some apple cider vinegar and water tea. Because the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar stops the growth of bacteria and the potassium it contains thins mucus just a teaspoon full in a cup of water can drain your sinus, and clear a stuffy nose.

I'm just happy with my decrease in glucose level, and weight loss since I started using this natural drink mix, and while I haven't had the chance to try all of the healing qualities of my apple cider vinegar honey and water solution, I can tell you this though, if the majority of remedies attributed to this combination of healthy ingredients turn out to be true, my medicine cabinet is going to have a lot fewer over the counter medicine bottles.

What's in the food we eat?

I read some scary news this past week that left me feeling even more determined to learn how to grow my own food. At least some of it anyway. What boosted my determination this past week was hearing about fake rice. So naturally, I did a search online to see if there was more information to back up what I had read and there it was. The information I found came from Viet Nam so I'm not sure if any fake rice has ever made it to America, still food wise, I had never even consider the possibility of counterfeit rice. The scary part was that the fake rice was made of plastic and equal to no nutritional value.

Now I can honestly say I wasn't planning on growing rice but damn! Maybe I should. Anyway, after digesting what I was able to learn about the fake version of this food I also read that there was a way to identify the fake rice from the real rice; that made me feel a little better. Real rice has a tendency to settle to the bottom when placed in water, the fake rice floats and doesn't sink. Fake rice also smells and burns like plastic, but I do not recommend the burning method to testing. From what I could see the fake rice was always mixed with the real rice so that people got the same package of rice with only half the actual rice, I guess.

I really want to think that this kind of thing only happens in other countries and I have yet to read or see anything that suggests that fake food item can be found here in this country where I learned a few years ago some people in Europe were told they had been eating horse meat, sold as regular beef. With regard to the fake rice  I did do my best to see if I could identify the label on the package in the video I saw to see if I ever run into any plastic rice on my grocery shelf, something that would be highly unlikely, just the ideas, however, will keep me checking the rice I buy from now on.

I mention all this as a point of interest and not as an alarm. I'll save the alarm until I find out for sure plastic rice is being sold in the United States. I can't see imported food being subject to the same scrutiny as the food grown here so I imagine if there ever is any problem with food, that food will have come from another country. Meantime not in addition to sharing advice about growing veggies and fruits don't be surprised if I also end up sharing rice planting information.