The Benefits of Fermented Foods

May 032014

Unlock the True Potential of Vegetables

By Kaare Melby
Organic Consumers Association, January 23, 2014
Want to boost your immune system, increase the nutrient content in your food, improve your mental health and detox your body? Fermented vegetables are for you!Fermentation is the process that occurs when the natural bacteria in a vegetable break down the food’s complex elements into more digestible forms. When fermentation occurs, vegetables become easier to digest, allowing your body to work less, while reaping more benefits. And those benefits include higher levels of available nutrients, and live cultures of pro-biotic bacteria (kind of like the good stuff in yogurt). Fermented foods boost the amount of pro-biotics per serving. These pro-biotic bacteria can improve your digestion, boost your immune system, improve your mental health, and detox your body.

Worried that fermenting is risky? No need! Fermented veggies are actually safer than raw vegetables, because the fermentation process actually kills off any unwanted or dangerous bacteria that may exist on the food prior to fermentation. According to the USDA, there has “never been a single case of food poisoning reported from fermented vegetables.”

Fermented foods have been around for eons. Fermentation is an ancient art that pre-dates writing and agriculture. It’s often considered to be the practice that first ushered our ancient relatives from the natural world, into a culturally driven world. In fact, the word ‘culture’ is another word for fermentation. Sandor Katz, who has written several books on the subject, calls it “a health regimen, a gourmet art, a multicultural adventure, a form of activism, and a spiritual path, all rolled into one.”

And the good news is that it’s a simple process that even the most novice cook can accomplish.

To get started, you’ll want to choose vegetables that are fresh, local, and organic, as your ferment will be only as good as the ingredients you start with. You can ferment any vegetable, but some work better than others. It’s best if you experiment and find a mix of vegetables that you enjoy. Here at the OCA office, we like to mix as many fresh organic veggies together as possible. Not only does this create a variety of textures and flavors, but it also creates a wider variety of beneficial bacteria in the end product.

If you are looking for a good place to start, cabbage is easy to process, and makes a great ferment. Raddishes, carrots, turnips, apples and beets also make good ferments. The fermentation process creates a wonderful flavor that is often refered to as “sour.” But you can add more or different flavors in any way you want. Onions and garlic are great additions, and you can use fresh or dry herbs, and spices, too. The best approach is to experiment until you discover what combination of flavors you like most.

Here’s how to get started.

What you need
• Fresh vegetables
• A knife or grater
• A glass or ceramic jar for fermentation (quart sized, wide-mouth canning jars work well)
• A smaller jar that fits inside the fermentation jar (small jelly jars work great)
• Salt
• Clean water
• A clean towel
• Rubber band to fit over the mouth of the fermentation jar
• Herbs and spices (optional)

What to do

• Chop/shred/grate vegetables, salting lightly as you go. You want to get all of the vegetables as uniform in size as possible. This way, they ferment at the same rate. Vegetables like carrots and radishes do well grated, while it’s best to slice up that cabbage or onion. As you chop or grate the vegetables, add small pinches of salt. But not too much—fermentation only needs a little. Try tasting as you go. The vegetables should taste only slightly salty.

• Mix the veggies well. You want to make sure that the salt is spread out evenly throughout all the vegetables. Taste the veggies, and add more salt to taste if needed. If you are going to add any herbs or spices, add them now.

• Let the vegetables sit for 5 to 10 minutes. As they sit the salt will start to draw the liquid out of the vegetables.

• Squeeze the vegetables to release their juices. Take handfuls of vegetables and squeeze as hard as you can, keeping the juice that comes out. You want to get as much juice out of them as possible.

• Tightly pack the vegetables into the fermenting jar and cover with collected juice. As you fill the jar with the vegetables, be sure to pack them down tightly to the bottom of the jar. This will help release more juice, and remove any air bubbles that get stuck in the vegetables. Add any remaining juice once the jar is filled. Be sure there is enough liquid to completely cover the vegetables. If you need to, use a mixture of salt and water to bring the juice level up over the vegetables. You don’t need too much salt for the water, just enough to make it taste like seawater.

• Fill the smaller jar with salt water, then place it on top of the vegetables in the fermenting jar. The purpose of the second jar is to hold the vegetables under the liquid in the jar. This will help the fermentation process by preventing “scum” from forming on the top of the ferment.

• Cover the fermenting jar with a clean towel, and secure it with the rubber band. Using a towel to cover the jar ensures that gases can escape, without letting any dirt or bugs get in.

• Let it ferment! Put the jar in an easily accessible area, and keep an eye on it. In about 24 hours you will begin to see air bubbles in the vegetables. This is how you know it’s working. After a few days, the ferment will start to smell sour. Taste it at every stage. This will help you determine how fermented you like your vegetables. Some people like “young” ferments that have only fermented a few days, while others like “mature” ferments that have been fermenting for months. If there is a white layer of “scum” that forms just scrape it off. It’s ok if you don’t get it all. When you like the flavor, remove the towel and smaller jar, put a lid on the fermentation jar and put it in your refrigerator. When the ferment cools down, the fermentation process rapidly slows, and you will be able to enjoy your fermented foods for several weeks or longer.

That’s it! Now you know the secret to unlocking the true potential of your vegetables. To learn more, check out Sandor Katz’s book “Wild Fermentation,” available through Chelsea Green Publishing. Good luck and happy fermenting!

Kaare Melby is social media coordinator for the Organic Consumers Association.

Exercise your Chemical Self Willpower

Foods For Wellness, Recipes For Wellness

Dec 302012

27 Foods You Should Never Buy Again

Cross these items off your grocery store list—whether they’re rip-offs, fakes, drastically unhealthy, or just plan gross, here are the 27 foods you should never buy again. Make moderation a part of your Willpower and enjoy your Wellness. Instead, stick with whole foods that are as close to nature as possible, including HDL-fat foods grown the way nature intended, and your body will respond surprisingly well. Avocados and Organic unrefined Coconut Oil are excellent examples. Click this post for more on proper food combining: http://wellnesswillpower.com/wellness/2012/08/24/no-inflamation-or-bloating-when-you-properly-combine-food/

From Dollar Savvy with additional reporting by Rachel Hofstetter

© Michael Blann/Digital Vision/Thinkstock

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

A few shavings of nice cheese on top of pasta or vegetables can take a simple dish from good to great—but you don’t have to fork out $22 a pound for the famous stuff. Instead, look for varieties like Pecorino Romano and SarVecchio, which offer the same flavor at half the price.

Smoked and Cured Meats

From fancy charcuterie to “dime a dog” night, pass on cured meats in any form—they’ve been linked to cancer, disease, high blood pressure, and migraines. Plus they’re packed with artery-clogging grease: regulations allow up to 50% (by weight) of fresh pork sausage to be fat.

“Blueberry” flavored items

Ahh, blueberries…now in everything from your breakfast cereal to muffins, granola bars, and sauces—or are they? Turns out that most of the blueberry-flavored items on grocery store shelves don’t feature a single actual berry, just artificial blueberry flavor. Buy your own berries and add them to plain cereal for a real health boost.

Multi-grain bread

This is junk food masquerading in a healthy disguise. Check the ingredient list to make sure whole wheat is the first, and main, ingredient—otherwise, you’re just getting a few grains mixed into regular white bread. Better yet, forgo the bread and enjoy straight-up barley, brown rice, quinoa, or steel-cut oats.

Reduced fat peanut butter

When companies take out the fat, they have to add something back in to make the food taste delicious. In this case, it’s lots of extra sugar—and who wants that? Instead, spread regular peanut butter on your sandwich for more of the good fats and protein without fake sweetness. Organic peanut butter with nothing added tastes great.

Bottled tea

Brew your iced tea at home and you’ll save both big bucks and your waistline—bottled teas can have more grams of sugar than a soda or slice of pie.

Tomato-based pasta sauces

A jar of spaghetti sauce typically runs $2 to $6. The equivalent amount of canned tomatoes is often under $1. Our suggestion: Make your own sauces from canned crushed tomatoes or fresh tomatoes — particularly in the summer, when they are plentiful, tasty, and cheap. The easiest method is to put crushed tomatoes (canned or fresh) into a skillet, stir in some wine or wine vinegar, a little sugar, your favorite herbs, and whatever chopped vegetables you like in your sauce — peppers, onions, mushrooms, even carrots — and let simmer for an hour. Adjust the flavorings and serve. Even easier: Coat fresh tomatoes and the top of a cooking sheet with olive oil and roast the tomatoes for 20 to 30 minutes at 425˚F before making your stove-top sauce.

Swordfish

Large bottom-feeder fish such as tuna, shark, king mackerel, tile-fish, and especially swordfish are high in mercury. Choose smaller fish, like flounder, catfish, sardines, and salmon instead. Personally I would rather get my protein and omegas from plants.

Energy drinks

Stick to a cup of coffee for your afternoon boost. Seemingly harmless caffeinated beverages are often sugar bombs—and the FDA has received numerous reports linking brands like 5 Hour Energy and Monster Energy to heart attacks, convulsion, and even death.

Gluten-free baked goods

If you aren’t diagnosed with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, keep in mind that gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean healthy—and gluten-free baked goods like bread, cookies, and crackers often are packed with more refined flours, artificial ingredients, and sugar than traditional baked goods. Plus, they can cost up to twice as much as you’d normally spend.

Flavored non-dairy milks

Vanilla-eggnog-caramel soy milk doesn’t win you any points in the health department—and it definitely won’t help your grocery receipt bottom line. If you prefer non-dairy milks for personal dietary reasons, buy unsweetened versions. And if you’re just trying to eat healthfully, skim milk should be just fine.

Foods made of Wood

Take a look at the ingredient list for your high-fiber cereal or snack bar, and you’ll probably see an ingredient called “cellulose.” Turns out that cellulose is a code word for “wood pulp.”Food manufacturers use it to extend their products and add fiber, so it looks like you’re getting more food. But really you’re just left with a mouthful of wood shavings. You can taste the difference between a can of shaker parmesan with cellulose extender added and a real block of parmesan.

White rice

Skip the refined grains and go for whole: a 17% higher risk of diabetes is associated with eating five or more servings of white rice per week, compared to eating white rice less than once a month. Skip the refined grains and go for whole grain brown rice.

‘Gourmet’ frozen vegetables

Sure, you can buy an 8-ounce packet of peas in an herbed butter sauce, but why do so when you can make your own? Just cook the peas, add a pat of butter and sprinkle on some herbs that you already have on hand. The same thing goes for carrots with dill sauce and other gourmet veggies.

Microwave sandwiches

When you buy a pre-made sandwich, you’re really just paying for its elaborate packaging — plus a whole lot of salt, fat, and unnecessary additives. For the average cost of one of these babies ($2.50 to $3.00 per sandwich), you could make a bigger, better, and more nutritious version yourself.

Premium frozen fruit bars

At nearly $2 per bar, frozen ‘all fruit’ or ‘fruit and juice’ bars may not be rich in calories, but they are certainly rich in price. Make your own at home — and get the flavors you want. To make four pops, just throw 2 cups cut-up fruit, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice into a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. You might wish to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water so the final mix is a thick slush. Pour into 4-ounce pop molds or paper cups, insert sticks, and freeze until solid.

Boxed rice ‘entree’ or side-dish mixes

These consist basically of rice, salt, and spices — yet they’re priced way beyond the ingredients sold individually. Yes, there are a few flavorings included, but they’re probably ones you have in your pantry already. Buy a bag of rice, measure out what you need, add your own herbs and other seasonings, and cook the rice according to package directions.

Energy or protein bars

These calorie-laden bars are usually stacked at the checkout counter because they depend on impulse buyers who grab them, thinking they are more wholesome than a candy bar. Unfortunately, they can have very high fat and sugar contents and are often as caloric as a regular candy bar. They’re also two to three times more expensive than a candy bar. If you need a boost, a vitamin-rich piece of fruit, a yogurt, or a small handful of nuts is more satiating and less expensive.

Spice mixes

Spice mixes like grill seasoning and rib rubs might seem like a good buy because they contain a lot of spices that you would have to buy individually. Check the label first: We predict the first ingredient you will see on the package is salt, followed by the vague ‘herbs and spices.’ Look in your own pantry, and you’ll probably be surprised to discover just how many herbs you already have on hand, and you can improvise as much as you want.

Powdered iced tea mixes or prepared flavored iced tea

Powdered and gourmet iced teas are really a rip-off! It’s much cheaper to make your own iced tea from actual (inexpensive) tea bags and keep a jug in the fridge. Plus, many mixes and preparations are loaded with high fructose corn syrup and other sugars, along with artificial flavors. To make 32 ounces of iced tea, it usually takes 8 bags of black tea or 10 bags of herbal, green, or white tea. If you like your tea sweet but want to keep calories down, skip the sugar and add fruit juice instead.

Bottled Water

Bottled water is a bad investment for so many reasons. It’s expensive compared to what’s coming out of the tap, its cost to the environment is high (it takes a lot of fossil fuel to produce and ship all those bottles), and it’s not even better for your health than the stuff running down your drain.

Even taking into account the cost of filters, water from home is still much cheaper than bottled water, which can run up to $1 to $3 a pop.

If you have well water and it really does not taste good (even with help from a filter), or if you have a baby at home who is bottle-fed and needs to drink safe water, buy jugs of distilled or ‘nursery’ water at big discount stores. They usually cost between 79 cents and 99 cents for 1 gallon (as opposed to $1.50 for 8 ounces of ‘designer’ water). And you can reuse the jugs to store homemade iced tea, flavored waters, or, when their tops are cut off, all sorts of household odds and ends.

Salad kits

Washed and bagged greens can be a time-saver, but they can cost three times as much as buying the same amount of a head of lettuce. Even more expensive are ‘salad kits,’ where you get some greens, a small bag of dressing, and a small bag of croutons. Skip these altogether. Make your own croutons by toasting cut-up stale bread you would otherwise toss, and try mixing your own salad dressing.

Individual servings of anything

The recent trend to package small quantities into 100-calorie snack packs is a way for food-makers to get more money from unsuspecting consumers. The price ‘per unit’ cost of these items is significantly more than if you had just bought one big box of cheese crackers or bag of chips. This is exactly what you should do. Buy the big box and then parcel out single servings and store them in small, reusable storage bags.

Trail mix

We checked unit prices of those small bags of trail mix hanging in the candy aisle not that long ago and were shocked to find that they cost about $10 a pound! Make your own for much, much less with a 1-pound can of dry roasted peanuts, 1 cup of raisins, and a handful of almonds, dried fruit, and candy coated chocolate. The best part about making your own? You only include the things you like. Keep the mixture in a plastic or glass container with a tight lid for up to 3 weeks.

‘Snack’ or ‘lunch’ packs

These ‘all-inclusive’ food trays might seem reasonably priced (from $2.50 to $4.00), but you’re actually paying for the highly designed label, wrapper, and specially molded tray. They only contain a few crackers and small pieces of cheese and lunch-meat. The actual edible ingredients are worth just pennies and are filled with salt.

Gourmet ice cream

It’s painful to watch someone actually pay $6 for a gallon of designer brand ice cream. Don’t bother. There’s usually at least one brand or other on sale, and you can easily dress up store brands with your own additives like chunky bits of chocolate or crushed cookie. If you do like the premium brands, wait for that 3-week sales cycle to kick in and stock up when your favorite flavor is discounted.

Pre-formed meat patties

Frozen burgers, beef or otherwise, are more expensive than buying the ground meat in bulk and making patties yourself. We timed it — it takes less than 10 seconds to form a flat circle and throw it on the grill. Also, there’s some evidence that pre-formed meat patties might contain more e. coli than regular ground meat. In fact, most of the recent beef recalls have involved pre-made frozen beef patties.

This list is a great example for you to exercise Wellness Willpower. To your Health……. Walk On

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Probiotics and how they strengthen your immune system

American Wellness, Post of the Week Archive, Recipes For Wellness, Wellness Solutions

Dec 232011

: Kombucha Mushroom Natto Enzyme

Fermenting Vegetables <Click to see video

: Sauerkraut has 12 Trillion live organisms per serving

Probiotics Vital for Wellness

What Are Probiotics?

By Probiotics.org

Probiotics are live microorganisms thought to be healthy for the host organism. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: “Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics; but certain yeasts and bacilli may also be helpful. Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods with specially added active live cultures; such as in yogurt, soy yogurt, or as dietary supplements.

Etymologically, the term appears to be a composite of the Latin preposition pro (“for”) and the Greek adjective βιωτικός (biotic), the latter deriving from the noun βίος (bios, “life”). At the start of the 20th century, probiotics were thought to beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance, thus inhibiting pathogens and toxin producing bacteria. Today, specific health effects are being investigated and documented including alleviation of chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases, prevention and treatment of pathogen-induced diarrhea, urogenital infections, and atopic diseases.

21 Amazing Facts About Probiotics

1) Probiotics In Our Body Outweigh Our Brain

The typically human brain weights about 3 pounds, and a healthy human body will have over 3.5 pounds of probiotic bacteria and organisms (according to Casey Adams Ph.D. The fact that our heart weights only 0.7 pounds, our liver weights about 4 pounds, makes our probiotic bacteria one of the largest organs in our body.

2) There Are 10 Times More Probiotics Than Cells In Our Body

In a healthy person, there are more than 100-300 Trillion probiotic bacteria and yeast, compared to only 10 trillion cells in our body. According to Mary Ellen Sanders, if the bacteria in our body were laid end to end, they would encircle the globe 2.5 times.

3) The Probiotics Market Is Huge

Sauerkraut has 12 Trillion live organisms per serving

According to MARKETSandMARKETS, probiotics is a 16 billion dollar market. Moreover, as of 2008, there were more than 500 probiotic food and beverage products have been introduced in the last decade. And these numbers are only expected to grow as holistic health treatments become ever more pervasive.

4) Probiotics Live Throughout Our Entire Body (Not Just Our Stomach!)

The largest number of probiotics live in the colon, but billions also live in the mouth, oral cavity, nasal cavity, the esophagus, around the gums, in the pockets of our pleural cavity (surrounding our lungs). They dwell within our stomach, our intestines, within the vagina, around the rectum. within joints, under the armpits, under the toenails, between the toes, urinary tract, inside our urinary tract and many other places!

5) The Appendix Is Not Useless – It Incubates Probiotics

In the past, the appendix was largely thought to be useless. Appendicitis, a life-threatening condition, would call for removal of the appendix. In 2007, Randal et al. at Duke University conducted research into the vermiform appendix. The researchers observed that when the body was under attack by pathogens, the appendix would release probiotic bacteria that would perfectly counter the specific type of invaders. The appendix does this by releasing them into the cecum when the body is infected.

6) Probiotics Fight Cancer, Colds and Constipation

It may not surprise you to hear that probiotics can reduce constipation (Italy, Amenta et al. 2006). But what may surprise you, is that probiotics play a role in cancer. They have been shown stimulate production of anti-cancer chemicals (Hatakka et al. 2008). The probiotics, Lactobacillus casei, have also been shown in Tokyo to reduce the risk of bladder cancer, depending on frequency and dosage (Ohashi et al. 2002).

Numerous probiotics have been shown to fight viruses such as colds, the flu, rotavirus, herpes and ulcers. In New Delhi, 100 children ages 2-5 were given L. acidophilus for 6 months. These children have fewer incidences of colds, flu, diarrhea and fever than the placebo group (Saran et al. 2002).

7) There Are More Than 100 (known) Benefits To Taking Probiotics

According to the book, Probiotics by Casey Adam Ph.D., there are more than 100 benefits to supplementing with probiotics. Hundreds of studies have shown different species of probiotics confer different health benefits.

However, we must take these probiotics in their proper context. For example, almost every probiotic study requires the patient to take large, therapeutic doses, for at least two months. Often times, the studies conferred the benefits after an entire year of daily, large dose supplementation.

8) Probiotics Are Responsible For 70% Of Our Immune Response

According to Casey Adams Ph.D., probiotics play a role in 70-80% of our immune response. Probiotics stimulate everything from T-cells to macrophages. Probiotics also activate cytokines and phagocytic cells to coordinate the immune response.

9) Probiotics Produce Antibiotic Chemicals

In the book Probiotics, Protection Against Infection, Casey Adamas writes:

“To protect against pathogens, [probiotics] will produce a number of natural antibiotics designed to reduce the populations of [pathogenic bacteria]…”

Moreover, these antibiotic substances are perfectly tuned to kill the invading pathogens. And if the pathogens become resistant to that chemical, then the probiotics will change strategies and produce a new, more effective antibiotic chemical.

Contrast this dynamic probiotic strategy to our static, oral antibiotics which must be phased out every few years (as pathogens evolve resistance). While we may be able to continue to discover new antibiotic substances, nature will always win in the long term. The bacteria will always evolve resistance. This is illustrated by the fact that bacteria can even survive in nuclear waste!

10) Antibiotics Nuke Our Body’s Immune System

It is well known that antibiotics kill bacteria and can make us better. But what isn’t well known, is that antibiotics also kill our good bacteria. Since probiotics comprise 70-80% of our immune response, antibiotics will kill our immunity.

The moment our probiotics are gone, opportunistic parasites, fungi and pathogenic bacteria rush in to fill the ecological void. Moreover, this use of antibiotics will create drug resistant bacteria that can’t be defeated by antibiotics.

11) Probiotics Easily Kill Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

The use of antibiotics can create antibiotic resistant, super bugs. In fact, MRSA (multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is immune to many different antibiotics…and in some cases they are immune to all antibiotics known to man.

However, probiotics can defeat these super bugs with ease. Probiotic bacteria and pathogenic bacteria have been fighting for billions of years. And healthy humans have the perfect environment for probiotic bacteria to beat pathogenic bacteria. The fact that humans have been surviving before the invention of antibiotics is proof of how powerful probiotics are.

12) Probiotics Will Be The 21st Century’s Antibiotics

Valery V. Smirnov writes,

“… 21st century probiotics will successfully rival traditional drugs on the pharmaceutical market, especially those used for disease prevention purposes…”

The profound point Dr. Smirnov is making is that probiotics will be the antibiotics of the 21st century. This is because their effective medical implementation will revolutionize our perspectives on disease in the way antibiotics did before.

13) 400 Strains Of Probiotics Live In Our Bodies

According to numerous research studies, there are well over 400 probiotic strains resident in our bodies. Some of these probiotics are permanent residents, and others are transient. Interestingly, only 20 strains account for 75% of the mass of bacteria that live in our bodies.

Numerous scientists also argue that the combined DNA of our probiotic residents are more important to our survival than our own DNA.

14) Probiotics Are Bacteria And Fungi That Make Us Healthy

The World Health Organization probiotics definition is “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.” These probiotic organisms can be yeasts (fungi), good bacteria or even organisms commonly found in soil.

The deference between normal pathogenic bacteria or candida and probiotics, is that the probiotic organisms have a symbiotic relationship with our bodies. Our bodies and probiotic organisms have formed a mutual defense treaty. And while we are extremely fearful of bacterium and fungi, specific probiotics strains are very beneficial to our health.

15) Probiotic Foods Have Been Healing For Millennia

There are numerous traditional probiotic foods that are extremely tasty and healthful. These foods have been restoring health for millennias.

Foods like natto, miso, kimchi, tempeh, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha and lassi all have very rich cultural heritages and medicinal benefits.

16) Probiotics Can Decrease Lactose Intolerance

In a 1996 study, Jiang et al. studied milks containing B. Longum grown in a medium rich in lactose. He found that when lactose intolerant individuals consumed this special milk, they showed significantly fewer symptoms of lactose intolerance. They have been numerous studies that have shown probiotics to be helpful in decreasing lactose intolerance.

17)Are You Getting Your Vitamins? Better Get Your Probiotics.

It has been proven that probiotics produce a huge number of vitamins, such as:

Vitamin A
Vitamin K
Vitamins B1-B3, B5-B7, B9, B12
Essential Fatty Acids

So perhaps the need for B-vitamin supplementation is really a call for proper probiotic colonization. I look forward to the day when probiotic companies and organic food companies put vitamin companies out of business.

Additionally, probiotics also increase the digestibility, bioavailability and processing of a large number of nutrients, including:

copper
calcium
magnesium
iron
manganese
potassium
zinc
proteins
fats
carbohydrates
sugars
milk
phytonutrients
cholesterol

These lists are both by Casey Adams, Ph.D. in his book, “Probiotics – Protection Against Infection”.

18) Supplemented Probiotics Don’t Remain In The Body

It is interesting to note that no study has shown supplemented probiotic strains remain in the body for more than two weeks. At the National University of Signapore, Mah et al. infants were given probiotic supplements for the first 6 months of her life. During these 6 months of supplementation, the supplemented probiotic strains were present in the infants’ feces. However, within weeks of stopping the supplementation, the probiotic strains were no longer found in the feces.

These results of this study and the results of other research suggest that supplemented probiotics assist the our native probiotic strains. The foreign probiotic strains form a beachhead for our own native probiotics, and allow our probiotics to proliferate. This situation is analogous to a foreign arming invading a country, fighting one “evil” faction, and allowing another “good” faction time to proliferate.

19) Vaginal Birth Is Our First Dose of Probiotics

It’s no secret that a healthy, loving mother is key to a healthy child. And a healthy mother will have a vagina lined with probiotics to fend off invaders. What isn’t well known, is that when a baby experiences a vaginal birth, the baby gets it first dose of probiotics. In fact, 60% of vaginal births will give infants their first probiotic inoculation of Bifidus Infantis. However, only 1% of cesarean section births will give infants B. Infantis innoculation, according to “Probiotics” by Casey Adams.

After getting a dose of probiotics from vaginal birth, consumption of breast milk gives more probiotic inoculation. In fact, mother’s colostrum has up to 40% probiotic content.

20) Probiotics Are Good For Infants

In a 2004 study, Saavedra et al. gave infants, average age 2.9 months, B. lactis or S. thermophilus for 210 days. The infants who were given the probiotics have a lower frequency of colic and needed fewer antibiotics compared to the control group.

In an Estonian study by Vendt et al. 2006, preterm infants L. rhamnosus GG until they were six months old. The infants given probiotics had grown more than the placebo group.

21) Probiotics Are Vital For Women’s Health

Both oral probiotics and douching supplementation can prevent and cure vaginitis and vaginosis. An interesting study on probiotics and vaginosis was conducted in a 2007 by the University of Milan (Drago et al).They found that after a 6 day daily douche of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus paracasei F19, 92.5% of women had their vaginosis cured. The fishy order was cured in all women. The pH levels of women were normalized to 4.5 in 34 out of 40 women.

Probiotics has also been shown to reduce mastisis. Back to top

Health Benefits from (MCT)Virgin Coconut Oil

Foods For Wellness, Post of the Week Archive, Recipes For Wellness

Nov 072010

Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

(Medium Chain Triglycerides)

For more than 50 years, the American public mistakenly believed that coconut oil was the cause of many health problems. Nothing could be further from the truth.

History

1. Prior to World War II, coconut oil was a staple of the American diet. Because the Japanese occupation in the South Pacific cut off the nation’s coconut oil supply, American manufacturers developed substitute cooking oils. It was the start of the Hydrogenated Oil Industry.

Polyunsaturated Vegetable Oils

2. By the time the war ended, these manufacturers had invested major amounts of money in the new cooking oils and wanted to ensure their success. Meanwhile, heart disease started to increase in America.

Misconceptions

3. The anti-cholesterol movement began, citing all saturated fats, including coconut oil, as enemies of a healthy heart. Unfortunately, by the end of the 1950s, the public had completely turned against coconut oil.

The Truth

4. Trans fatty acids, found in hydrogenated oils, are the true culprits of health problems. Hydrogenated oils are fatty acid chains that have been altered from their natural form through the refining process. Pure coconut oil has many health benefits including lowering LDL cholesterol, stimulating thyroid function, regulating blood sugar, reducing the risk of certain cancers and preventing infections.

Warning

5. Polyunsaturated fats can actually contribute to the formation of blood clots. Coconut oil decreases this risk.

Fun Fact

6. Applying coconut oil directly to your skin can help prevent the development of wrinkles and skin sagging.

View Dr.Mercola

httpv://products.mercola.com/coconut-oil/

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.

How is Lauric Acid Used by our body?
The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia. As a result of these various health benefits of coconut oil, though its exact mechanism of action was unknown, it has been extensively used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system. The Coconut Research Center has compiled various references on scientific research done on coconut oil.

Before we move on to the benefits of coconut oil in detail, let us understand its composition.

Composition of Coconut Oil: Coconut oil consists of more than ninety percent of saturated fats (Don’t panic! First read to the last word. Your opinion may change), with traces of few unsaturated fatty acids, such as monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Virgin Coconut Oil is no different from this. Let us have a bit detailed study of this.

The Saturated Fatty Acids: Most of them are Medium Chain Triglycerides, which are supposed to assimilate well. Lauric Acid is the chief contributor, with more than forty percent of the share, followed by Capric Acid, Caprylic Acid, Myristic Acid and Palmitic.
The Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Linoleic Acid.
The Monounsaturated Fatty Acids: Oleic Acid.
The Poly-phenols: Gallic Acid, which is phenolic acid. These poly-phenols are supposed to be responsible for the fragrance and the taste of Coconut Oil and Virgin Coconut Oil is rich in these poly-phenols.
Certain derivatives of fatty acid like Betaines, Ethanolamide, Ethoxylates, Fatty Esters, Fatty Polysorbates, Monoglycerides and Polyol Esters.
Fatty Chlorides, Fatty Alcohol Sulphate and Fatty Alcohol Ether Sulphate, all of which are derivatives of Fatty Alcohols.
Vitamin-E and Vitamin K and minerals such as Iron.

Let us now explore the benefits of coconut oil in detail:

Hair Care: Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Coconut oil is normally applied topically for hair care.

Stress Relief: Coconut oil is very soothing and hence it helps in removing stress. Applying coconut oil to the head followed with a gentle massage helps in removing mental fatigue.

Skin Care: Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Therefore coconut oil forms the basic ingredient of various body care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, etc., used for skin care.

Premature Aging: Coconut oil helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.

Heart Diseases: There is a misconception spread among many people that coconut oil is not good for the heart. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. However, coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. The saturated fats present in coconut oil are not harmful as it happens in case of other vegetables oils. It does not lead to increase in LDL levels. It also reduces the incidence of injury in arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis.

Weight Loss: Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.

Pancreatitis: Coconut oil is also believed to be useful in treating pancreatitis.

Digestion: Internal use of coconut oil occurs primarily as cooking oil. Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Immunity: Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.

Healing: When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil is most effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.

Infections: Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.

Liver: The presence of medium chain triglycerides and fatty acids helps in preventing liver diseases as they substances are easily converted into energy when they reach the liver, thus reducing work load on the liver and also preventing accumulation of fat.

Kidney: Coconut oil helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases. It also helps in dissolving kidney stones.

Diabetes: Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar, and improves the secretion of insulin. It also helps in effective utilization of blood glucose, thereby preventing and treating diabetes.

Bones: As mentioned earlier, coconut oil improves the ability of our body to absorb important minerals. These include calcium and magnesium which are necessary for development of bones. Thus coconut oil is very useful to women who are prone to osteoporosis after middle age.

Dental Care: Calcium is an important element present in teeth. Since coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by the body, it helps in getting strong teeth. Coconut oil also stops tooth decay.

HIV and Cancer: It is believed that coconut oil plays an instrumental role in reducing viral susceptibility of HIV and cancer patients. Preliminary research has shown indications of the effect of coconut oil on reducing the viral load of HIV patients (Reference).

Finally, coconut oil is often preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting. The reason behind this being that coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.

This article is written by Kiran Patil

Virgin Coconut Oil: Coconut Oil is surely not an unfamiliar name with most of us, but Virgin Coconut Oil may be. No! Unlike most of your presumptions, it is not another name given to the ordinary coconut oil by some company, just to increase its sale, claiming that it is the purest form available with them. There indeed is a substance called Virgin Coconut Oil and, if not entirely, it has some differences with the ordinary coconut oil. These differences mainly lie with the source (more specifically, the physical form of source), the method of extraction and its benefits. Virgin Coconut Oil is rapidly gaining its popularity throughout the world over the Ordinary Coconut Oil, and it is not in vain.

Difference between Virgin Coconut Oil and Ordinary Coconut Oil: Let us check out what made these two sisters, born of the same mother, so different from each other, yet being so similar. Back to top

Extraction: The main difference between Ordinary Coconut Oil and Virgin Coconut Oil lies in their processes of extraction. While the former is extracted by cold compression or cold milling of Copra (another name for dried Coconut kernels), with a moisture content of around six percent, the latter is extracted from the coconut milk obtained from the fresh coconuts. Thereafter, using processes like fermentation, churning (centrifugal separation), refrigeration and action of enzymes, etc., the oil is separated from the water or moisture. In some cases, this fresh coconut oil is boiled to get the oil by evaporating the water or moisture. However, in case of Virgin Coconut Oil, the raw materials and the process of extraction should not allow any involvement of heat. Therefore, in good & reputed firms that manufacture Virgin Coconut Oil, throughout the whole process, utmost care is taken to ensure that the kernels and the raw material, i.e. the coconut milk, are not subjected to heat or sunlight. In some cases, Virgin Coconut Oil is also extracted directly by cold compression of fresh dried coconut meat. This is also called Micro-expelling.
Appearance: The Virgin Coconut Oil looks very slightly different from the Ordinary Coconut Oil and this differentiation cannot be done with naked eyes. This difference is mainly due to the presence of certain colloidal and other particles and moisture in it. On the other hand, ordinary oil is refined and is left predominantly with the fatty acids in it and almost nothing else. Ideally, virgin Coconut Oil should be as clear as water. But, its color may vary slightly depending upon processing.
Virtues: Virgin Coconut Oil has very good taste and smell, like those of fresh coconuts, since it is derived from fresh coconuts and is subjected to very low, if not totally nil, heat and sunlight. It is also not refined. This preserves all the natural goodness of this oil, such as high content of Vitamin-E and minerals, which are otherwise almost robbed from the Ordinary Coconut Oil during processes like heating, filtration, refining, bleaching etc. which are done to make it colorless and odorless. Further, Virgin Coconut Oil is very effective as a moisturizing agent. Its anti oxidant properties are far better than those of the normal coconut oil.
Composition: No! They do not differ much in composition, except that a few good things, such as few poly-phenols, vitamins and minerals, contributing to the taste, fragrance and goodness of coconut oil are more in Virgin Coconut Oil than the its ordinary counterpart. Further, it is richer is Medium Chain Fatty Acids, good cholesterols and has almost no Trans Fatty Acids.

Benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil: Not being subjected to heat (even if it is, it is subjected to very low heat), sunlight, being extracted from fresh (non-dried) coconuts with different process of extraction, it is certainly more in benefits than the ordinary coconut oil. It is higher in vitamin content, anti-oxidants (which is nil or negligible in ordinary coconut oil), minerals, medium chain fatty acids, taste, fragrance and even protein. The shelf life of virgin coconut oil is very long, much longer than any other edible oil and its own variant, the RBD (Refined Bleached Deodorized) coconut oil. It does not go rancid easily. Due to presence of higher amounts of Lauric and Capric acid, prospect of using VCO in aiding treatment of AIDS is also being explored.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMw3d3ohx_s Our story; Alzheimers’ and Coconut Oil: Ian Blair Hamilton and Cassie Bond

Information from OrganicFacts.net

Recipes For Wellness

May 252010

Creative, nutritious recipes for wellness

Healthy Alternative Dressing. Tastes Great!

One Tablespoon of Nutritional Yeast meets your total B Complex for the day.
One Tablespoon of Blue Bottle ( Original) or Green Bottle(Expeller Pressed Canola Oil) Vegenaise. (HDL)
One Teaspoon of Bragg’s Amino Acids. (Soy) 110mg. salt

Mix together in your serving bowl.
Cut up cherry tomatoes. Add to bowl and mix.
Shred carrots and mix in.
Put what ever you like…greens..etc.
In good Health……Tastes Great!

Use Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

What do we use coconut oil for? We cook our eggs in it; toss steamed vegetables and noodles in it. We add it to a pot of rice when it’s cooking and pop our popcorn in it… sauté chicken and fish in it, and brown onions in it. Be sure and add it to your cookie and brownie recipes instead of vegetable oil, shortening or butter: you’ll never use anything else after you taste the flavor!

Now why are we so dedicated to coconut oil and against just about every other oil except extra virgin olive, real butter, hazelnut and sesame oil? Because contrary to what you have been told, coconut oil is the healthiest oil on the planet! People can literally survive on nothing but coconuts and their oils, and not just survive: thrive! Cultures that have eaten just coconut oil as their only oil have almost no heart disease, cancer or other ‘western’ diseases. Coconut oil also has the highest flash point of any oil, allowing you to even fry without creating harmful oil side-effects.

Kimchi ….. Fermented Vegetables

Recipe by Sally FallonYields about 2 quarts

Ingredients
1 head Napa cabbage, cored and shredded
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
1 cup carrots, grated
½ cup daikon radish, grated (optional)
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
½ tsp. dried chili flakes
1 tsp. sea salt
4 Tbsp. whey (if not available, us an additional 1 Tbsp. salt)

Directions

Place vegetables, ginger, garlic, red chili flakes, sea salt and whey in a bowl and pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer to release juices.
Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouthed mason jar and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the vegetables should be at least one inch below the top of the jar.
Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about three days before transferring to cold storage.

From Nourishing Traditions (Newtrends Publishing Inc. 1999) by Sally Fallon