Gut Check: Choose health, not junk!

CBS This Morning featured a health spot called "Gut Check" today.  The topic of beneficial bacteria is a key point for improving overall health for people of all ages.  The standard American diet is filled with meat, dairy, sweets, fat and refined carbohydrates.  These foods slow the digestive tract, contribute to the growth of inflammatory "bad" bacteria, reduce the good neurotransmitter production which benefits mental health, makes the body very acidic, and destroys the immune system.  The story on CBS This Morning highlighted the negative effects of bad bacteria being linked to diabetes, obesity and inflammation.

For the broadcast of This Morning's spot, "Gut Check", click on this link: 

Gut Check  

How can you improve your health by getting more good bacteria in your gut?  Change your diet.  Eat high fiber foods.  The only source of fiber is through plant foods.  You can get all the good gut flora that you need by eating a large, raw, green, organic salad every day (don't put nasty processed foods or dairy on that!).  The key to health is to get to the root cause of disease.  Heath starts in the gut and it begins with what we feed our bodies.  Don't rely on going through animal based foods to get your nutrition.  Go directly to the source - where the animals get their nutrition - fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains.  I put together a fun video about home made sources of good bacteria (probiotics).    Click on my blog post about Vegetable ferments and probiotics for more viewing and links to help you get started toward reversing your disease.

There are a few more links to my blog posts that might be helpful regarding gut health:  Probiotics,  Beet Kvass,  Some bugs you need to catch.

You only get one body in your lifetime.  Quit eating the stuff that makes you sick.  I call that stuff, JUNK.  If it comes in a package and is ready to eat or drink, then it is junk.  The effects that it leaves behind is fat on our bodies, 90% of our diseases and the wrappers that go in the trash (more junk for the earth).  Choose health.

Light and Simple Cabbage Soup

Light and Simple Cabbage Soup

This delicately flavored soup is perfect for cool days or served cold on hot days.  I give the credit to a good friend who cooks by taste, like myself.  She served a cabbage soup similar to this and told me what seasonings she used.  Here is what I did to replicate her delicious soup.

1 cup lentils

3 quarts water

1/2 head cabbage cut into bit sized pieces, about 3 cups

1 large onion chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

5 large carrots chopped

3 stalks celery chopped

4-5 potatoes, any variety, cut in bite sized pieces

1-2 cups summer squash, chopped

1 tablespoon fennel seed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

salt & pepper to taste

In a 8-10 quart soup pan, bring water to boil and add lentils, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, summer squash, parsley, fennel seed and cinnamon.  Once the soup comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes and lentils can be pierced with a fork (about 15 minutes).  Add chopped cabbage, salt and pepper to taste and simmer another 15 minutes or until vegetables have reached desired tenderness.  This will keep in the refrigerator for a week.  Makes about 16 cups of soup.

How to Prevent Common Diseases: MS, Cervical Cancer, Essential Tremor, Heart disease, Cavities and more!

Dr. Greger addresses the 12 most common diseases for which American's seek treatment.  He presents stunning research and powerful facts that show these diseases to be preventable and reversible.  I hope that you take time to watch the entire video.  If you are not able watch, please read through the bullet points that highlight this valuable information regarding your health.

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/more-than-an-apple-a-day-preventing-our-most-common-diseases/

More Than an Apple a Day: Preventing Our Most Common Diseases

Michael Greger, M.D. 

• Regular physical activity improves immune function, up to 5 times.
• Mushrooms and nutritional yeast increase antibody secretion by 50% and is maintained for a week after consumption.
• Those who eat a healthy, traditional, plant based diets prevent auto-immune diseases.
• M.S. is treatable with a plant based diet free of saturated animal fat.  In a study, 95% of M.S. patients were without progression of the disease 34 years after adopting the diet.
• Essential tremor is the most common neurological disease and is linked to meat consumption.
• Heart disease is a rarity among plant based populations world wide.
• Cavities are preventable through diet (plant based)
• Consumption of trans fats in any amount increases cardiac risk.  The only way to eliminate trans fat is to eat a whole food, plant based diet.
• More than 100,000 Americans are salmonella poisoned annually by eggs.
• The USDA states that eggs are not safe to eat.
• Cervical cancer, caused by sexually transmitted HPV virus, is reversible with plant based diet.  Women eating vegetarian have significantly lower infection rates.  Vegan women have significantly lower rates of all female cancers combined - including cervical cancer.
• Male fertility is significantly impacted by diet.  Increase in saturated animal fat consumption by only 5% is associated with up to 38% lower sperm count.
• 40% of men over 40 have E.D. which places them at more than 50 times the risk of a cardiac event because E.D. is one manifestation of artery disease and a predictor of heart disease.  Young men should be concerned about their cholesterol levels.
• Cellulite is reduced by eating a plant based diet.
• 60 million Americans suffer from constipation.  Not vegans.
• Cancer kills over 500,000 Americans a year, which is equivalent to 5 jumbo jets crashing every day for a year.  However, a tumor cannot get bigger than the ball at the tip of a pen without a blood supply.  Cancer cells are commonly present in every healthy adult.  Tumors release VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) in order to stimulate vascular growth and get a blood supply.  Many of the phytochemicals in veggies can block the VEGF of tumors and prevent cancer growth.
• Cancer is methionine dependent whereas healthy cells do not require methionine.  This is sourced in food.  The highest methionine content can be found in chicken and fish.  Milk, red meat and eggs are also sources of methionine, but plant based foods are the foods that contain the lowest source of methionine.
• A vegan diet has been proven to reduce prostate tumor growth whereas eggs and poultry can double or potentially quadruple the risk of cancer progression.  However, a single serving a day of any cruciferous vegetable (broccoli, kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, etc.) can cut the risk of cancer progression in half. 
• A similar result was found for breast cancer patients.  A low-fat, high fiber, plant based diet with daily physical activity can quadruple survival rate in women with breast cancer.
• In a study regarding esophageal cancer, patients consumed the equivalent of a pound of strawberries daily (in a powdered form) and the progression of the disease was reversed in 80% of the patients.  Of the patients studied, 52.7% of them were completely cured and walked away disease free - just from consuming the powdered strawberry treatment.  Similar results were found in oral cancer patients.
• Urinary tract infections have been traced to a direct link with chicken feces.  This is an animal to human disease, with or without consumption of the chicken meat.  Contamination takes place while handling and/or eating chicken regardless of care or sanitation in handling.  The pathogens colonize the intestinal tract for up to 10 days after contact or consumption.  These pathogens then travel from the intestinal tract to the urinary tract and cause bladder infection.

Are you grounded?

The earth is a huge force of energy.  The fields of science and medicine are starting to recognize that this great force, created by God, has many benefits and therapies for our health.  Since listening to this audio interview with Dr. James Oschman, I have taken advantage of the barefooted opportunities in my yard and garden.  One great benefit for me has been reduction of inflammation in my joints after spending 30 minutes with my bare feet in contact with the earth. While I'm "grounded with earth", my garden is getting weeded.  Walking barefooted can give the same benefits of bringing the human body's stress level down, reduce inflammation, and provide an overall relaxing experience.  

We are exposed to electromagnetic fields when we live in this industrialized society where there is an outlet on every wall, appliances plugged in all day, and constant use of electronics.  Individuals can go to the extent of grounding their bed with a grounding sheet so that they get a better night's rest by reducing their inflammation, stress and pain level.

Inflammation is the body's way of dealing with something that is wrong.  Cancer, chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, Alzheimer's and injuries all cause inflammatory response by the immune system.  The five hallmarks of inflammation are: pain, redness, heat, loss of range of motion and swelling. There is a great big world out there that can be used every morning and evening to help your body heal on a daily basis!  Dirt feels good on your feet!  Your skin will wash off, so get out there and go for a barefooted walk or just sit down and put your feet against the earth.

You can get a good idea of the information in the first interview by listening to the first 30 minutes, but the science and theories behind it is interesting if you have time to listen to both of the following interviews.

Dr. James Oschman on Earthing

Clint Ober Discusses Earthing Research

Diatomaceous earth for garden, pets and you!

We recently entertained a guest in our home who was taking diatomaceous earth as a supplement to help with joint pain.  Since her visit, we have discovered the greatest potential benefit which we will not refuse!  Keep reading and I will explain.

Also known as Fossil Shell Flour, diatomaceous earth (D.E.) is used to kill unwanted insects in the home or vegetable garden.  Because this food grade, fresh water form of D.E. is safe for human and animal consumption, it is the perfect organic way to treat fleas by dusting it on your pets, intestinal parasites by adding to pet food, or dust around the home to kill ants, spider, roaches, bed bugs and more.   

NOTE: only D.E. that is labeled "food grade" is safe for human and animal consumption!

So we ordered a 50 lb bag of D.E. after our friend departed.  Our main hope was to give it to the pets as a worm prevention and use it in our home and garden as an organic insecticide.  However, we also decided to try taking it internally as a potential benefit to our health.  Then we made a discovery of an unexpected benefit!  Keep reading.  

• D.E. is naturally high in magnesium which helps the body to utilize calcium (which would help to detox the kidneys from calcium deposits).  
• Just as D.E. helps to de-worm your pets, it can also rid humans of parasites.  I don't know if we have any intestinal parasites - but if we do, we want to get rid of them!
• D.E. can help with joint pain due to its high magnesium content which helps to lower uric acid levels.
• D.E. promotes healthy hair, teeth, gums, skin and nails.  Some testimonials from women even claim that their thinning hair is having new hair growth.
• See the following testimonials about D.E. helping with constipation, lime disease, hot flashes, blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol and more.
• D.E is a way to detox: heavy metals, harmful intestinal bacteria, viruses and radiation!  This is it!  This is the great benefit that we can not refuse!  D.E. detoxes the body of radiation!  My husband, who had colon cancer, chemo and radiation treatments is now taking D.E. to detox his body of that nasty radiation which can linger for decades without encouragement to depart.

There you have it.  It seems that we have a natural remedy for every medical intervention that my hubby went through to get cancer out of his body.  We have watched the chemo leave his liver by using milk thistle seed powder.  We have boosted his immune system by eating lots of green plant foods (which also help detoxify the body), by taking efforts to consume plant based sources of probiotic foods, and by maintaining healthy life style habits with rest and exercise.  Now we shall target that radiation!  If you haven't met my husband yet, you should check out this blog post where he rants about having a colostomy bag at polebarnthoughts.  

So, I think you should go eat some dirt!  Below, I will post a video explanation of D.E. and a page that lists the health benefits.  We purchased our supply from wolfcreekranch.net.  The product is not expensive per pound.  Shipping is another story.

Diatomaceous Earth---food grade

Some health benefits   http://www.earthyhealth.com/diatomaceous-earth-human-use.html

Home Grown Tomatoes - Pruning for produce

VIDEO click here - How To Prune Tomatoes (Pruning)

The video link above is a good video explanation of how to get the highest yield out of your garden's tomato plants.  By keeping the plant growing upward until one month before frost, your tomato plant can provide you with the best quantity and quality of fruit.  

Another way to increase yield, especially in cooler climates such as mine, is to mulch with a solar mulch that will increase the ground temperature in the early months of summer.  Cover them with row cover which will provide additional protection from late spring frost and chilly days.  It is difficult to get row cover to extend the length of your growing season with tomatoes because they are so large by the end of the season.  In this case, a hot house is the best option.  If you don't have a hot house for your heat loving plants (tomatoes), plant them next to a wall that has full southern exposure to the sun.  The building will provide a great deal of insulation from the cold at night as well as intensification of the natural heat from the sun during the daytime.

Tomatoes are rich in many nutrients that are health protective.  Growing them at home can offer you the best quality for the price.  When you become the farmer, you know exactly how the plants were treated.  You can be sure that your home grown vegetables are chemical and pesticide free.  

Here are a few things that tomatoes can do for you:

• Lycopene offers protection to the bones as well as cancer protection.  It especially helps fight prostate cancer.
• Rich in antioxidants which are cancer and bone health protective.
• Rich in Vitamins A, B1, B3, B6, C and K.
• One cup of raw tomato  has 12% daily value of potassium.
• High in fiber!

Chicken linked to weight gain, obesity virus and urinary tract infections

Before changing to a plant-based diet, chicken was a staple source of protein for me and my family.  I enjoyed the flavor of chicken and purchased it in large quantities in order to package it for the freezer for convenient cooking.  I often roasted whole chicken to use the meat and broth for 3 or more meals in the week.  My favorite, however, was grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast.  After I seasoned it with herbs and spices and then doused it with extra virgin olive oil, my husband took the chore of grilling it on our gas grill.  The result was a meal full of carcinogens: heterocyclic amines (HCA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's), omega 6 fat from the olive oil, fat in the meat (yes, meat has fat right inside the cells), and high protein which elevates IGF-1 hormone.

We live in a time when DNA of bacteria can be identified and traced back to the source.  We live in a time when viruses can be discovered and linked to diseases.  We live in a time when chemicals and antibiotics can be used on food and then found in our organs, our blood and in our urine.  So here are some things everyone should know before they bite into their chicken nuggets or slice into their juicy grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast. 

Meat and Weight Gain in PANACEA Study - www.nutritionfacts.org

Obesity - Causing Chicken Virus - www.nutritionfacts.org

Avoiding Chicken to Avoid Bladder Infections - www.nutritionfacts.org

More Antibiotics in White Meat or Dark Meat? - www.nutritionfacts.org

MRSA in U.S. Retail Meat - www.nutritionfacts.org