About Wifi....

Some of you more health conscious readers may realize that wi-fi and other signals create an "electro-magnetic pollution".  But in our modern world, it's hard to use a smart phone or a tablet without access to wi-fi.  So, how do we balance function and health?  Here's what we choose to do for our family:



(Yes, it's an affiliate link, but I paid full price for mine and it's my honest recommendation).  

This router has an amazing feature...an on/off button for wi-fi!  So, want to look something up? Yes, we have to walk over and click a button.  Better than driving somewhere and MUCH better than having to sleep all night with signals you don't need.  If you can just turn it off for 8 hours a night, you've reduced the time your home has signals by 1/3! We have our desk-top computer hard-wired in and only use the wi-fi for phone, tablet, or laptop.  

As a note, for full benefits, you also need to turn the signals off on your phone and other devices...all you need to do is click to airplane mode when you go to sleep and on again in the morning.  You'll save battery power on your devices as well. If you think someone might need to get a hold of you in the night, you can turn off wi-fi only and leave the phone signals on, but consider you might not want that right by your head all night.

Hope this tip helps you find the right balance for your home!

 

Cleaning with Baking Soda

Baking Soda has amazing cleaning power and since it's safe enough to eat, there are no worries for kids or pets.  My latest cleaning project was the grout on my kitchen floor.  It looked like the grout was a dark color, but we turned it back to light.  The difficulty was not getting too much baking soda.  I put just a enough in the crack, sprayed it with vinegar, scrubbed with a toothbrush, and then wiped with a rag.  Sometimes I used more vinegar to wipe the tile itself to get up all the vinegar.  Not only does the rag get more dirt up, it helps you get the baking soda up.  If the baking soda is left behind, you'll see white residue and the floor will feel gritty, so wiping it up is important! The grout completely changed colors and now my floor looks great!  I didn't even realize how bad it was!

How to Enjoy Kefir: My favorite breakfast shake

As evidence by my blog posting dates, learning about health has fallen off my radar.  However, eating and living healthy have not!!!  One of my favorite health secrets right now is kefir.  It's a yummy way to get fermented food and probiotics into your diet. Here's what you do:

1) Get kefir "grains" from a friend (they look like the tops of cauliflower).  Anyone who makes kefir has multiplying grains, so there's always plenty to share.  There are also places to buy them online. I've always just asked on a local e-mail loop.

2) Get good quality milk (raw, from a farm) and put at a least a couple teaspoons of grain in a quart of milk (or how ever much kefir you want to make.)  Let it sit out about half a day on the counter.  You are looking for it to thicken up around the grains at the top. OR do an internet a recipe for refrigerator kefir and make it slowly in refrigerator.

3) Use a strainer to separate the grains from the kefir.  Store grains in a little milk in the refrigerator till you are ready to make another batch.

4) Store kefir in fridge.  In my rather picky opinion, the kefir isn't good to eat plain.

5) Make a kefir shake.  Here's my recipe that I often enjoy for breakfast.

 Put in to blender:

•  1 cup kefir (I use the marks on the blender itself.)
• about 1/2 a frozen banana (stored cut into small chunks)
• berries or other fruit (such as 3-4 strawberries)
• one scoop of stevia (using the scoop that comes in my stevia...it is very small..the sweetness counters the sour kefir taste.)
• a squirt of honey (stevia sweetens, but this just adds a bit of flavor) 
• Cinnamon (helps blood sugar) and Nutmeg (good for adrenals)...I like the taste, but added these originally for health benefits...I have also use the above too with clove when I was worried about a possible ulcer.
• Sometimes I add a green powder or a few fresh green leaves.  I like to keep it small so  I don't affect the taste.

I love the taste and I feel great when I have this for breakfast. When you try it, let me know what you think!

Another reason to use natural cleaners

Convenience could be called the god of our age.  And we sacrifice a lot on the alter of convenience. One of those things is health.

I am a big believer in getting the chemicals out of your house.  Sadly, I read a news story today about how kids things that Tide Pods are candy.  Click here to see the story at ABC.

Tide is working on better child-proof packaging, but really, if it is poison,do you really want it on your clothes everyday, even in small amounts?  In addition to danger for children who might swallow it, chemicals can get into your air. They remain behind after use.  And all-day everyday exposure for our whole life just doesn't seem safe.  With a large dose, the body works to get it out.  But what about a tiny, but steady does?

At our house I use Soap Nuts for washing.  I also use white vinegar occasionally for rinse.  And I have found that I need a spotter (I used diluted amounts of Meyer's laundry detergent--which was what I used before Soap Nuts) and OxyClean (OK, probably not the best) for my whites.  I recently found a recipe homemade version for OxyClean, so when I get around to trying it, if find that it works, I'll be sure and share.  I didn't throw out all my chemicals in a day.  I adopted the philosophy of chemicals aren't good and slowly work at it. 

Little by little is way to win the race.  And good health is definitely a marathon!

Avoid candy? Cows may not--and here I thought they ate grass!

You are what you eat, they say.   Do you think the same is true for cows?  Or at least a cow with a healthy diet is healthy?  And a human eating the beef from a healthy cow is healthy?  Well, today I read a couple reports about farmers mixing candy unfit for humans into their cows' feed (links below). Since the shelf-life of most candy and other mostly-sugar products is years, it makes you wonder what's wrong with them.  Even worse, some of the candy still has wrappers (I think I see some at 31 secs on the video I linked). 

This is just unbelievable!  Apparently,several farmers are doing this and have in the past.  A university professor of animal nutrition says the feed has all the right nutrients in it and one of the farmer says they are "healthy" and gaining weight (implying, therefore it's good!) Just think what kinds of things they might feed them that they don't admit on TV!  Glad I know the farmer that raises most our beef lets them eat grass.  Think I'll look for ways to cut out the occasional store beef despite climbing food costs.  May the Lord have mercy on us!

Article with video at the bottom:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48765348/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/sweet-cows-get-candy-instead-corn-during-drought/#.UGkhRK4lqSp

Article with pictures of candy: http://www.kltv.com/story/19283677/kentucky-cows-eat-candy-instead-of-corn

And here's an article about a second farmer: http://www.inquisitr.com/343289/dairy-cows-put-on-a-strict-candy-diet-its-cheaper-than-corn/

Are you aware that some cleaners in you home contain dangerous chemicals?  Do you want to know which ones are the worst? Environmental Working Group has come out with a hall of shame for the worst cleaners:

http://static.ewg.org/reports/2012/cleaners_hallofshame/cleaners_hallofshame.pdf

Did you see the Green Cleaner in the list?!? Guess you can't trust marketing!  Did you know there is really no need for Comet (which is found in the hall of shame) if you have baking soda?  If you are wondering how to clean without chemicals, you can learn more under natural cleaners.

This is a fascinating study comparing vaccinated children versus unvaccinated ones.  The results, well let's just say it lines up with my health "worldview":  Did God design for us to have things go directly in our veins to improve immunity?  Read the survey for yourself and see what you think.

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/survey-results-are-unvaccinated-children-healthier/

Extreme Recipe Makeover

At a family gathering, I tried a delicious dish that the cook called "Sammies".  Of course, it had ham (which I almost never touch, as I avoid the "dirty" foods mentioned in the Bible), white flour bread, and sugar.  But it's so easy to make it healthy.  Only problem is I need to exercise self-control not to overeat!

Make your sandwiches as normal.  I use natural sandwich meat DeBecca and Organic Valley raw cheddar cheese.  I make it on my homemade bread.

The standard way to make it is to place sandwiches in a casserole dish, pour sauce over the top, and then cook in the oven (about 350 F) for 20 min or so.  I have also poured it over a grill cheese and meat sandwich I made.  Anyway the sauce is made by mixing:

Melted Butter (make sure it's high quality)
Organic Tamari (organic is important with any soy so it's not GMO)
Mustard powder (or you could use real mustard--we never have any)
Poppy seeds
A dash of Stevia (other sweeteners are ok, but Stevia is the healthiest.  This is one recipe where I think it tastes just as good, which is not always the case.)

When I make things up, I don't measure.  Sorry!  But butter is the main ingredient and largest proportion.  Tamari is less, but a decent amount--the rest is in small amounts.  And I listed them in order from largest to least.  And I taste it before I pour it on. 

A simple conversion and in my opinion a much yummier sandwich.  I especially like that my hearty bread soaks up the sauce so well.

Don't say I didn't warn you that they are addictive.  ENJOY!

Is Saturated Fat Good for You?

"In Framingham, Massachusetts, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower people's serum cholesterol...we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories weighed the least and were the most physically active."  --William Castelli, Director the Framingham Study (quoted from the Archives of Internal Medicine, Jul 1992, 152 (7):1371-1372.)

I discovered this quote in the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fvKdYUCUca8

Note--the video is 2 hours!  I got this far which was about 37 minutes in and will have to finish it later!

Definitely worthy thinking about. Food in fat or coconut oil tastes so much better.  Maybe we should trust our tastebuds a little more after all.

Cheesy Tuna Patties

This recipe was contributed to our contest by Carrie from www.naturalmomsrecipes.com :

Ingredients:

• 4 cans tuna (may substitute canned salmon)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 t chopped garlic (or to taste)
• 1 egg
• 1 T  Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients together and shape into patties. You may either fry on stovetop in oil or bake in the oven. To bake, preheat oven to 425F. Place on well greased baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until well browned.

Thanks Carrie!  Sounds yummy! And easy. 

I'll use my healthy soaked whole wheat bread for the bread crumbs.  When I cut my bread, I save the crumbs in a bag in the freezer.  I haven't found a healthy worchestershire sauce, though I need to look for one. (If you know one, please share in the comments.)  I usually just use organic tamari and that works well.

Another way to win!

Since the recipes are not yet flowing in, I'm adding a prize!  For every place you promote this contest, you will receive an entry for a $5 amazon gift card.  So, list it on your blog--that's one entry.  Tweet it--that's 2.  Be creative, but I have to be able to verify what was done and it needs to reach at least 20 people.  For each entry, you'll need to comment below this post and tell me what you did.  Leave me enough info that I can find your blog or tweet.  Or, if you'd rather, you can e-mail me that information if you win. Definitely leave me an e-mail address to contact you!

Promotions should include basic information about the contest and this link:  http://lymeadehealth.blogspot.com/2012/05/quick-whole-foods-recipe-contest.html

Must get 15 recipes or no prize will be given.  I am extending the deadline until June 5th for recipes to get in, but you must promote the contest before June 1st! 

Quick and Healthy: Fried Rice

Since I'm asking you to share a favorite easy recipe, I thought I'd share one of mine. Actually it's not mine though, so I'm going to refer you back to where I got this yummy recipe:

http://accidentalvegetarian.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-to-do-really-good-fried-rice.html

I'm not at all a vegetarian, but I'm thankful to the "Accidental Vegetarian" for sharing her recipe! My only tweaks to the recipe are that I sprout my rice with vinegar. And I leave out the saffron (a bit to pricey) and sorry, but I've yet to find the ginger paste, so I do just use the ginger powder--don't recommend it, but that's what I actually do and it's still super yummy!

Looking forward to posting our first contest entry recipe, so send in your best!

Quick Whole Foods Recipe Contest!

It's a juggling act to balance whole foods cooking with time and modern life! So, give me your best recipe. It has to meet my standards of cooking (or only be cheat a little) and be easy. 15 minutes would be great, but longer will do especially when the cook is just waiting on something in the oven. :)

Right now my family does things like hot dogs (organic beef ones) when we don't have a meal ready, but those are neither cheap nor that healthy. :) So, give me your best recipe. It does not have to be a main dish, but does need to be something simple to help when there is "nothing to eat". I'm probably a little prejudice toward main dishes though. And whatever my family likes best will win.

I will summarize my health standards so you don't have to read ALL my old posts before entering:

-Grains, beans, rice, and nuts should (mostly) be sprouted or soaked for full nutrition.

-Fermented products are good (around our house we often have kefir and fermented salsa--recipe is on here)

-No artificial products, canned products, soy (except fermented soy and small quantities of non-GMO products), pork, or shellfish. 

-Must be something you've made before and have clear instructions (so when I make it--it works and taste good!) 

-I only use quality whole food, so milk is raw milk, oil is olive oil or coconut oil (not canola or vegetable oil), salt is Real Salt etc. You do not have to spell all that out if you don't want to. 

-While I think organ meat is fantastic for your body, we can only handle it when it's really well hidden in food. 

-We use homemade bone broth and do usually have some of this on hand. 

(A hint: the judge's family doesn't eat much fish. :) )

 Prize will be awarded only if there are at least 15 entries! Prize will be a $5 gift credit to Amazon.Not huge, but I don't really make money off this blog (probably should work on that, but I'm too busy homeschooling and trying to cook from scratch and just don't have time to care!) If I have a lot of entries I MAY award 2 prizes instead of one, especially if I can't make up my mind.

 Deadline for entry is June 5th.  Recipes should be submitted to the e-mail address in the about me section on the left side of the page. Submission indicates permission to post the recipe on this blog. Please include a name to post with your recipe (can be a screen name, first name, or whatever). Also feel free to include your blog or website if you want that listed. Up to 3 recipes per person allowed.

 Feel free to send a photo (that is a reasonably sized file) to go with your recipe to entice me to try it. I don't promise to try every recipe--only those that sound good (otherwise it would be months before I could decide!) AND you are also welcome to have your friends comment on the recipe if they try and want to say how great it is! :) Again, prize will be award to my favorite recipe, so no promises to be "fair". That's about it.

Can't wait to see your recipes! Please do me a favor and share this with all your healthy friends. The more people that enter, the more recipes we all get to try!

If you don't have a recipe, look here for how you can still enter to win:  http://lymeadehealth.blogspot.com/2012/05/another-way-to-win.html

A contest is in the works

Just wanted to give you a heads up on what I'm planning....I'm on the lookout for "convenience whole food". Who can keep a standard of practically perfect food in our fast-paced world? So, sometimes we eat healthy and sometime we just eat! Not "fast food", but not as healthy what we wish we could eat. But I'm trying to work on more foods that meet my standards that are easy. So, I'll be giving a prize to my favorite quick and healthy recipe. And of course I'll be sharing all the delicious recipes with you!

So, start looking for your healthy recipes and I'll post more info next week.

Update on my health--A Miracle!

It's been ages since I invested much time here. I've got a great reason too! 2 1/2 years ago I was miraculously healed from Lyme disease at a church prayer meeting. I've yet to be able to get my story down on paper (or should I say a computer screen!), b/c it's very personal and there is so much I want to tell. But the short version is I was healed and so I don't sit around at my computer near as much! In all honest, I'm still building back to full strength from the years I got "old" too early, but I'm just a little out of shape, not sick! God mercifully freed me from bondage and has set me on the path of restoration. He deserves the glory.

One day, I plan to tell you the whole story--something I've meant to do for years! And share with you some of our updated health practices. But for today, this is a start. :)

Soaked Grain Bread Recipe

This is my whole food, freshly ground, soaked grain bread. It's as healthy as Ezekiel bread, but much yummier! I use a grain mill and a Bosch mixer, so my flour measures a bit different and I don't need to let it rise twice. If you try it, tell me what you think!

Lymeade Lady Bread

12 (to 13) c. freshly ground whole wheat or whole Kamut flour

 ¼ c. apple cider vinegar
3 ½ c. water

Add liquid gradually to flour. Mix in Bosch on low speed and leave to soak for 12-24 hours. Cover with plastic wrap on dough to keep moist.

Add:

7 ½ TBL ex. virgin coconut oil (4 TBL= ¼ cup)
7 ½ TBL honey
2 egg
1 TBL salt
3 ¾ TBL yeast

Mix on low speed until moistened (break into pieces with hand if needed). Then knead on medium speed (3) for 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic ball. If it is too liquid-y, gradually add more flour. Grease pans while waiting.

Shape loaves and/or other breads (approximately 6 loaves)***. Don't let dough dry out--keep covered. Let rise in greased loaf pans for 30 minutes or until doubled. For the fluffiest loaves, be sure to let it rise enough in the pans before baking.

Do the Touch Test:
1. Press the dough on the side with the tips of two fingers lightly and quickly about 1/2 inch into the dough, and;
2. If the impression you made stays, the dough has doubled. If the indent quickly disappears, it needs a little more time; cover and let rise longer.
Don't over rise; or it will flatten out in the oven. You want just the right point where it has risen all it can or should, but not too much.

Bake in preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from pans and cool loaves on their sides on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

**Dough can be made into various types of bread. Here’s what I often do: Shape 3 portions of dough into loaves (filling a bit less than half the bread pan).

Shape another portion of dough into a ball and press down to make a pizza crust. Work from inside to outside, leaving a thicker edge as a crust. While waiting prepare sauce, cheese, and toppings. Cook about 12 min without preheating or 9-10 with preheating. Crust should be cooked, but not brown. Add sauce, cheese, and toppings and cook another 10-15 min. until crust is brown.

Use remaining dough to make a small stuffed crust pizza. First I make crust and cook 10-15 min. Then, I put on topping and top crust and cook another 10-15 min. OR use remaining dough to make a dessert pizza with honey, cinnamon, and diced apples.

Swine Flu Shot? Why you should say no....

This article confirms my reasons for concern--untested vaccinations are a risk. And swine flu, in my opinion, is not worth that risk.

Now you might think it's because I haven't dealt with the swine flu, but as I type this, my oldest child is on her third day of suspected swine flu. Actually, she's already back to acting normal today. :) So, now it's just a matter of stay isolated until the fever has been gone 48 hours.

You see, my kids illnesses usually come in the form of a 1 day fever with little to no symptoms (other than the desire to sleep and a bit of ick.) Since we changed our diet and got chemicals out of our house, the girls immunity has been great. So the dreaded swine flu has taken 3 days instead of 1, which seems a long time for us. But her immunity is being built. And once it's over, it's done.

But the risks with vaccinations often involve long-term problems. In fact, the 1976 version of the swine flu vaccine killed more people than the flu. Not a success. Hopefully the medical community will not make such a bad mistake the second time around, but we won't know the results until after the damage is done, therefore, I encourage you to risk an illness instead of an unknown intervention. God made our bodies to deal with illness especially if we take care of bodies.

Traditional Foods Diet backed by Extensive Research

This video gives the research that changed my diet! I now eat a more traditional diet and am even working on some fermented foods. Enjoy.

One cookbook and only one

After recommending Sue Gregg cookbooks as a great place to start, I was asked which one would I pick. Hard choice, but great question.

I would pick of these 3:

• Main Dishes
  
• Breakfasts
  
• Meals in Minutes
  

My version of Main Dishes is not converted to the Nourishing Tradition style (it may be further updated now), but includes a booklet (which you could download from her site for free) that tells how to convert recipes. The other 2 are already converted. The Main dishes IS whole food--just not soaked rice. And it's got charts to help you find recipes you want (kid friendly or low fat or vegetarian or low cost). It is probably the one I'd get (I think)

The Meals in Minutes is designed to fill your freezer, but can be eaten as a regular meal too. If your interested in making ahead, I'd get this. We like pancakes for dinner, so the breakfast one helps, but it's not probably the first one I'd get b/c dinner is the big cooking meal. BUT it is probably my favorite one b/c it helped me get the soaking grain stuff down.

Maybe that will help someone else, too! Happy cooking. :)

Dry skin brushing

I just came across this incredibly thorough article on dry skin brushing. It motivates me to do it more!!! Dry skin brushing helps not only with surface problems of skin and cellulite, but benefits your body so much, it has even made nausea disappear for me. I got my brush from T-Tapp and use the great directions that came with the brush, but I'm fascinated by all the detailed information. Enjoy!

http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/HealingTechniques/Dry_Brushing_Technique.htm