Top 10 facts about Monsanto

1. No GMO laws in the USA
2. Inadequate FDA/USDA safety testing
3. Puts small farmers out of Business
4. Products pollute the developing world
5. Monsanto blocks government regulation
6. Guilty of false advertising and scientific fraud
7. Consumers reject bovine growth hormone rBGH in milk
8. GMO crops do not increase yields
9. Monsanto crops control the US soy market
10. Crops cause new allergies
Article from here.
The most disturbing part of this list is the #1 thing.  We should have laws regulating GMO use in the United States.  It is hard to believe that a country like ours is behind on something so important.  I guess when you factor in all the money Monsanto makes, the picture becomes a little clearer.  There may be a reason there are no laws regulating GMO uses in the USA.  I hope this changes very soon.

Arnica is Amazing

Arnica is the #1 best selling homeopathic remedy in the world and my favorite all- round remedy.

Physical shock and trauma
- Especially helpful after the classic shock response after an accident or severe emotional upset. The person insists, “I’m fine, really. Leave me alone.” When they clearly aren’t fine at all. Really don’t want to be touched or fussed over.
Head Injuries- 
Reduces complication risks following a blow to the head. Reduces pain and swelling. Remember to seek trusted medical help, too.
Bruises-
 Take it and watch your lumps and bumps disappear, almost before your eyes.
Post childbirth-
 Will dramatically reduce recovery times, take as you would a painkiller, repeating as needed.  I used Arnica post delivery of my second son and I had a much faster recovery even though I needed more stitches.  
Exhaustion and fatigue
-Ideal for when you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do! Of course it’s cheating and you will have to rest up later, but if you really must keep going take Arnica. Tour de France cyclists swear by it and so do women in labour.
Recover from Jet lag
-Take Arnica for second wind and you can keep awake long enough to get onto local time.

Amasai Addiction

We have had our fair share of healthy yogurt, kefir, and fermented dairy products around this house.  My son that is 2 years old drinks about 20 ounces of drinkable yogurt a day.  We have a range of "yogurts" that he has been drinking since he was 2 months old.  Maybe that is why is is so healthy and strong.  He first started off on plain raw goat kefir at about 8 weeks old.  Then he moved up to drinkable raw cow milk yogurt at 4 months old and he has been chugging ever since.  Today we do a little of everything.  I find the healthiest and best products available, usually from farms or co-ops and that is what my son drinks.  When I found out about Beyond Organic I was so thrilled!  Really- I wanted to make an order that day :)  I have always had to go straight to the farm for my products or make them at home.  I read over Jordan Rubin's standards for Beyond Organic and I couldn't believe what I was reading.  He is doing things that most grass-fed/organic farmers don't even do.  Many of the well known organic brands in the health food store (that I buy when I am in a hurry) do not even compare to Beyond Organic standards.  You will get the idea when you learn more about why Amasai is unique.

1.            The Cattle – Before he invested in the first blade of grass, Jordan researched the genetic traits of specific breeds of cattle. What he found was a breed of cattle that carried a genetic trait that made their milk protein more digestible. Never one for half measures, Jordan meticulously tested every cow he intended to purchase and only bought ones that carried this genetic trait. 


 

2.            What the Cattle Eat – Great milk comes from great pastures. At Beyond Organic, we’ve spent years getting our pastures ready, from planting to irrigation to growing. Because our cows are only allowed to feed on the grasses, herbs, legumes and forbs growing out of the ground, we place great emphasis on soil regeneration—naturally. This means NEVER using pesticides, herbicides or fungicides on our certified organic land and NEVER using chemical medicines such as antibiotics or hormones on our animals.
 

3.            The Fat – Early feedback from Amasai fans says that people are surprised by two things: how much they crave Amasai and how much it satiates their appetite. This is due to the fact that Amasai is a “true whole milk” cultured dairy beverage. The fat from our GreenFed cattle is not good fat—it’s GREAT fat. We never skim the fat from the milk that our cows produce. 
 

4.            The Culturing Process – Unlike every other cultured dairy product available for sale, Amasai uses over 30 probiotic organisms to culture the milk. This leads to a more diverse set of beneficial bacteria that help provide you the abundant heath you crave. 

            They didn't even list a huge factor for me...which is convenience.  I know this may not be important to everyone, but like I said we go through about 120 ounces of yogurt a week.  That is a lot.  It is so nice to have it delivered to my house! 

            Yes, Amasai is unique and different.  But I am most impressed with Jordan Rubin.  He is very unique and different.  He is on a mission to help everyone have access to healthy and real foods that nourish and strengthen the body.  Someone at his level of success is taking the time to help everyone, even people like me who are just trying to get the best quality food to our children. Thanks Jordan Rubin.

            Check out Amasai here.

Processed Meat and Cancer

This weekend was very busy.  I was babysitting a nephew of mine while my brother and sister-in law moved.  I was a little tired on Saturday night so I sent my husband to the grocery store with the 2 boys.  I made a little list for him, but I knew he would take this shopping freedom and deviate from my organic items.  He came home with a frozen pizza, bacon, roast beef, and some deli turkey.  He also snuck in a bag of Doritos.  After he ate the pizza and Doritos he had to go into work.  He said that he felt terrible and couldn't focus.  I felt bad for him, but I was not surprised.  I had a bite of the pizza and my throat started hurting within a few minutes.  I also had a headache the rest of the afternoon.  No amount of Suero Viv could undo the damage :)  Lately we have really cut back on deli meat consumption.  It is not really healthy.  Of course, a turkey sandwich is better than McDonald's, but we are trying to eat more whole foods for lunch.  I think this is the hardest meal to not take shortcuts on.  I love sandwiches!!  We do still eat sandwiches when I make homemade chicken salad or a raw cheddar cheese melt.  These are some great alternatives to deli meat.  Here is an article that associates the consumption of processed meats with pancreatic cancer.  Go check it out.  This is serious stuff.

Buy Organic Whole Foods here.

Best Flu Remedies

If you want to try some more natural flu remedies this year- keep reading.  People with the flu complain of fever, chills, headache, fatigue, aching muscles and joints, sore throat, and cough.  There is less nasal secretion and more fatigue than with the common cold.  Flu sufferers often feel "wiped out" and just want to stay in bed.  Some influenza has a gastrointestinal component with nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.  
Gelsemium is the # 1 remedy to think of with the typical flu symptoms: tremendous aching, no thirst, a low grade fever (100/101) with chills running up and down the back and clamminess rather than sweating, tremendous lethargy and sleepiness, no energy to talk or open the eyes.
Baptisia looks like Gelsemium but it's much worse--people look and feel very sick. The temperature is higher, the face is a flushed - typically is a dark red (not pale), the pains are severe, there's an intense thirst with profuse sweating, typically the breath and sweat smell bad. The lethargy and sleepiness are so extreme people will fall asleep in the middle of a sentence.
If extreme chilliness predominates then think of Arsenicum or Nux vomica.
Bryonia- if a painful cough develops.
If a low grade fever goes on for longer than 2 or 3 days think of Ferrum phosphoric.
These homeopathic suggestions come from Miranda Castro.  She is a very popular homeopathic doctor that practices in Florida.  

One remedy that is not mentioned that I like to have on hand also, is Eupatorium.  This remedy is given when there is deep aching in the muscles and bones- feels like the bones are broken.  If you can believe it this flu bug went through our family last year.  I remember laying in bed feeling like my legs were broken.  I had never felt such intense leg pain before in my life.  It was horrible.  I will never forget to pick up this remedy during the flu season!  You can pick up all these remedies at your local health food store.  Stay safe and healthy this season.

Why whey?

Click to read the full article here.

The Healing Properties of Whey

Whey has numerous healing properties. It's healing action works in multiple fashions. It acts on the intestines, liver, and kidneys, while encouraging assimilatory and eliminatory functions.

• Whey is a quite gentle laxative. It is effective in the case of intestinal sluggishness as well for both occasional and chronic constipation. It has even sometimes provided excellent results in cases where the intestines have been exhausted by overuse of purges and harsh chemical laxatives.

• By helping the intestinal flora regenerate, whey has a beneficial effect on the digestive process. When intestinal flora is partially destroyed or imbalanced, the transformation of food is poorly achieved, which can cause a number of chronic digestive disorders. Taking whey regularly can cure these problems and restore normal digestive function.  Lactose is the nourishment of choice for the beneficial bacteria of intestinal floras, because it allows them to reproduce and multiply much more easily. It is therefore particularly useful to consume whey at times when the microorganisms of the intestinal flora have been destroyed, for example when antibiotics have been taken.

• Bodily tissues hold a certain amount of fluids that are retained there by, among other things, the presence of salt. Consequently, there is a physiologically beneficial salt content in the body. In certain pathological situations, however, this content can increase, which naturally results in an increase of the amount of fluid that is held. Edemas will appear, often in the legs (particularly around the ankles), the hands (making it difficult to remove rings), and the eyelids. Because this additional water content has caused the tissues that make up the various organs to swell, numerous health problems can result, including high blood pressure, blood or lymphatic stasis, and organ congestion.
  Taking whey, which is rich in potassium, is quite useful in these situations because potassium is the natural enemy of salt and expels it from the body along with the water it has retained. .
  A large fluid elimination is one of he more visible and spectacular effects of the whey cure. The quantities of urine that are eliminated are clearly higher than the quantities of water ingested, especially when the individual has been retaining water.

• The kidneys are among the main organs for the elimination of wastes and metabolic residues. They filter wastes out of the blood and eliminate them in a diluted form as urine. The kidneys are constantly working to maintain the composition of the blood as close to its ideal as possible.  For various reasons however, this elimination can take place in an insufficient manner. Unable to exit the blood, the wastes collect in the body where they can cause various disorders. Gout, for example, is a disease caused by the presence of too much uric acid in the body, acid the kidneys should be eliminating. This disease is displayed by very painful crisis of acute arthritis, generally located in the big toe.
  Other diseases caused by poor renal elimination include rheumatism, osteoarthritis, and some forms of eczema.
  Blood analysis after whey cures confirms that the blood has rid itself of numerous wastes. This is also evident by the fact that the symptoms of diseases will diminish in intensity or disappear altogether.

This article is full of amazing facts.  If only I had this information during both my pregnancies! I had the worst swelling right before labor and right after.  I just hope that more and more people learn about the healing properties of whey.  It is never to late to benefit from the healing properties of whey!

Check out Beyond Organic's Whey sports drink here.

Cooking vs Baking

I must confess that I am not the best baker.  I am great at cooking, but when it comes to baking I have not mastered it yet.   I am always a little nervous when watching the oven timer go down.  Some of these thoughts cross my mind- Did I get it right this time?  Am I going to have to start over again? Is my husband going to like it?  My husband is not easy to impress when it comes to baking.  He comes from a long line of mastered bakers.  His father is a great baker and so are most of his 8 sisters.  For me, when it comes to baking it is still 50/50.  Fifty percent of the time it will work out and fifty percent of the time it won't.  I guess even when the outcome is not great- I can usually talk my four year old into eating some!  He is is a great sport.  One reason I love the Nourishing Traditions cookbook is that it keeps baking simple.  Simple recipes.  Simple healthy ingredients.  Lots of room for improvement.  The bread recipes are awesome and the dessert recipes are lower on sugar than what you may be used to, but very healthy and good.
Speaking of baking and sugar, this week I read an article about Girl Scout cookies being highly processed and unhealthy.  Not a big surprise of course.  This article highlighted the unhealthy ingredient list and really focused on the unhealthy hydrogenated fats that are used, which are terrible for your health and your brain.  Nothing new.  These are cookies coming from a box with many of the same ingredients you would find in Chips Ahoy or Oreos.  You get what you see.  What I did come across that was cool was the Original Girl Scout cookie recipe.  I loved checking out this out!  Here is the link.  If you like thin mints then click here for a homemade thin mint recipe.  Which was my all time favorite growing up.  I remember being a girl scout for many years and eating Thin Mint cookies by the boxes.  They were so addicting then and I bet they still are now!  I think the original girl scouts had the right idea.  They went around selling homemade cookies door to door.  It is too bad that any idea (in the food industry) that starts out healthy or semi- healthy (they are cookies I guess) and makes it "BIG" ends up loosing it's healthy ingredients and replacing them for cheap highly processed ingredients.  It is all about profits.  Food can be made better and healthier, it just take more time and money.  I guess that is not great for corporate America.  This year make your own version of Girl Scout cookies and just donate money to the troop if you feel inclined.  They will make more and your health will thank you!