A World of Wisdom

NO!!! Not My Orange Juice, Too!!!

2011-08-22T17:19:00.001-07:00

Is NONE of my Food Sacred?!

Ah, orange juice. So pure. So natural. So refreshing. Or so I thought until I found out the industry's dirty little secret.

I drink orange juice everyday. Let me rephrase. I DRANK orange juice every day. In fact, I was beginning to think something was wrong with me. I drank it A LOT. Almost addictively. It was becoming an expensive habit. But I never gave myself a hard time over it because it was orange juice...what could be so wrong with drinking a lot of orange juice, right? (Besides the fact that it is pasteurized, but I digress.....) Afterall, I wasn't buying it from concentrate, which is way worse for you.

Well, now I know why I was drinking it so incessantly.

There's a reason why your orange juice always tastes consistent i.e. the taste never changes.
There's a reason why Tropicana doesn't taste like Simply Orange.
Besides pasteurization, there's another reason why the shelf life is really long.

Hey kids, an you say 'Aseptic Storage' and 'Deaeration'? These words of the day are brought to you by the orange juice industry itself and should replace 'Fresh Picked' and 'Natural'.

Most, If Not All, Store Bought Orange Juice is Made the Following Way

What I thought was a product that was merely grown, picked, squeezed, pasteurized and then put in a carton is not that simple of a process. The step between pasteurizing and packaging is an open secret in the Orange Juice industry and is standard industry practice.

After juicing the oranges, the juice goes to giant holding tanks and the oxygen is removed from them. This means that it can safely sit in there for up to a year. This also means that the liquid is now tasteless. What gives orange juice its flavor has 100% to do with the oxygen in it!

Flava Flave....Packets

So how come your orange juice tastes like - well - orange juice, then? Ah....the company add in flavor packets.

When the juice is stripped of oxygen it is also stripped of flavor providing chemicals. Juice companies therefore hire flavor and fragrance companies, the same ones that formulate perfumes for Dior and Calvin Klein, to engineer flavor packs to add back to the juice to make it taste fresh. Flavor packs aren’t listed as an ingredient on the label because technically they are derived from orange essence and oil. Yet those in the industry will tell you that the flavor packs, whether made for reconstituted or pasteurized orange juice, resemble nothing found in nature. The packs added to juice earmarked for the North American market tend to contain high amounts of ethyl butyrate, a chemical in the fragrance of fresh squeezed orange juice that, juice companies have discovered, Americans favor. Mexicans and Brazilians have a different palate. Flavor packs fabricated for juice geared to these markets therefore highlight different chemicals, the decanals say, or terpene compounds such as valencine.

Flavor and fragrance packets! That means that 'they' have targeting specific neuro pathways and receptor sites in my brain that do set up addiction.

You have no idea how upset I am. We have all been duped. But maybe I should be grateful for finding this out. It has motivated me to finally buy that juicer I've been meaning to.

On the Hunt

So, I am currently on the hunt asking questions of various juice companies about this. So far, here's some good news:

From Naked Juice:

ConsumerRelations@nakedjuice.com to me

show details 11:15 AM (4 hours ago)

Amy:

We're always glad to answer questions about our totally unfooled around with juices and smoothies.

Naked Juice OJ does not contain any flavor packets. Our all natural juices and smoothies are made from the best bare-naked fruits, with no added sugar, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors, and over 3 servings of fruit in every 15.2 oz bottle, just for you.

We hope this information is helpful, Amy.

Michael
Naked Juice Consumer Relations

Source: Squeezed. What You Don't Know About Orange Juice

In Honor of World Breastfeeding Week...

2011-08-03T21:33:00.001-07:00

Revisit these religious gems....

US meat and poultry widely contaminated with bacteria including superbugs

2011-04-21T20:50:00.001-07:00

So, here's the bottom line.....

Most of America is apparently suffering from a self esteem problem.

How do I know this?

Because we accept this kind of stuff in our food chain and into our bodies.

Proof that we don't think much of ourselves.

Nasty, horrible, sickly substances that greedy men try to pass off as food.

The simple fact is that the ONLY reason why this goes on, is because we let it.

Stop buying the grocery store garbage, people! If you do, THEY WILL CHANGE.

I wanted to also do a post on 'Meat Glue', but I was too nauseated thinking about it to follow through.

Your body is a temple, treat it like it is.

end of rant.

It's About Raw Milk: Debunking the Myth that Pregnant Women Can't Eat Soft Cheese

2011-02-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

Click here to read my article on this!

2011 LDS Holistic Living Conference Speakers and Classes Announced!

2011-01-26T21:06:00.001-08:00

We couldn't be happier to let you know that our new site is up!

Please visit www.LDSholisticliving.com to view our speakers and classes.

Please note our domain and name change from last year (Holisticldsliving.com) and update your bookmarks.

Registration opens on March 1, and the schedule of classes will be posted by February 16. Additionally, vendor registration will also open on February 16. Please spread the word!

The 2011 Conference is going to rock!

Tip of the Day: Spaghetti Squash

2011-01-15T17:15:00.001-08:00

When you cut open a spaghetti squash, if the seeds have sprouted, just count on the thing being very bitter when you cook it. Learned that the hard way today. Yuck.

My New Most Favorite Place: Mountain Town Olive Oil Co.

2010-12-31T22:25:00.000-08:00

In the past 15 years of marriage, it has been the rarest of treats for my husband and I to have a getaway. If it wasn't lack of money, lack of overnight babysitters, or a reliant breastfeeding baby it was something else. Needless to say we've only had 3 one night over-nighters in 15 years.

Which is why I eek every ounce of entertainment and fun out of the events. My brain shifts over into multi sensory mode and everything I eat, smell and see is magnified...it's like being newly postpartum all over again and I love it!

We were staying right next to the Gateway Mall in downtown SLC, and so we had a nice meal at the Gateway and proceeded to walk towards the movie theaters to catch a movie. Luckily, we had a 25 minute window in which to make it in our seats.

We passed by this very classy, minimalist looking store. I stopped, took a step back and studied the signage:

Mountain Town Olive Oil Company

I brought my eyes down at which point I saw copper colored vats, lined up in 4 different rows and that was about it. I was intrigued. No flashing lights, no signs shouting 'sale', nothing that would really draw you in, except its simplicity and clean lines, not to mention it was dedicated to my favorite oil...Olive. I did, after all, name one of my children Athena, the Goddess that caused an olive tree to spring up on the citadel of Athens, thereby becoming the city's patron deity.

So, I gasped, looked at my husband and said, "We HAVE to go in...do you mind?"

I didn't wait for his answer, grabbed his hand and marched in.

I really didn't know what to expect out of this store. The young man behind the counter was clearly a Park City snowboarding transplant, and in fact led off the conversation with his year to date opinion of this year's snow fall in relation to his snowboarding success (not good, by the way).

When he saw that we had a true interest in olive oil, he said, "Well, if you really want to taste a good one, try this." He took a little plastic sample cup and proceeded to open the spigot to one of the copper vats. He started going on about how long it's been aged, where it was sourced and the season the olives were picked. Turns out this guy is an olive oil snob and genius. Loved him.

I Took a Small Sip...

and I was hooked. The olive oil was smooth, not too thick, very subtle undertones of something or rather and I could just imagine it going nicely over a coleslaw for sure. Never in my life have I had tasting an oil bring to mind any of these thoughts before.

I asked him if I could just start tasting all the different varieties? It seemed like there must have been about 100 vats in the store. He said, "Sure, man...that's why the vats are here!"

He then goes on to inform me that the balsamic vinegars are along the back wall and that the infused oils are on the opposite side of the store. There was some dipping bread there, but I decided that that might cloud the full effect of the oil and just went for it.

The Mormon Version of Wine Tasting

All of the sudden I turned in to some wanna be wine taster. The Natural Butter EVOO? Um, yeah...I will bathe in that one please. The Organic Phoenician....that is something no one who loves nuts should be without. The Australian olive oil?Not so much a fan - tasted too strong of grass and pepper. But all the infused oils - I loved every single one, I can't even tell you.

But the Leccino Olive Oil...that's the one we bought. Yum. I was blown away by how different and complex this one little olive could get. I don't know if I can ever ever buy olive oil off the shelf anymore.

But wait! There's more. The vinegars. Get out of town! They were awesome. Pomegranate, raspberry, strawberry, lavender, blackberry, chocolate, vanilla, coconut. No, I'm not joking. Drinking them straight was a pleasure.

My husband and I walked out of there $15 poorer but with this simple sensory experience we will never forget. I appreciated olive oil before, but will never look at it the same again.

Should you ever find yourself in Salt Lake (or Park City), this is one store not to miss. In fact, make a date night of it, you won't regret it. Mountain Town Olive Oil Co - go to there. One of the coolest places ever (and, I'm not even getting paid for saying it).

Forks Over Knives

2010-11-09T20:57:00.001-08:00

Looks like another great film! I love all these opportunities to learn and share. It's so easy now, no one has an excuse to be ignorant. Forks Over Knives

Farmageddon

2010-11-09T14:43:00.001-08:00

The Prophet said to plant a garden.....

and here is one reason why. Our government is raping our food chain, this is an important movie that raises awareness of the illegal activities going on to control our most precious resource - our food.

<p>Farmageddon Trailer 1410 from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.</p>

Now Alcohol Cures Cancer?

2010-10-09T19:58:00.001-07:00

Just to add fuel to KFC's 'Buckets for the Cure" fire, now you can purchase Mike's Hard Lemonade and Chambord Vodka to cure breast cancer. Thankfully, the "cure breast cancer by throwing money at more drugs and treatment instead of prevention" camp is finally saying enough is enough, and accusing the alcohol companies of pinkwashing - using their cause for marketing purposes only.

Honestly, this is all becoming a joke. A sad joke. ::Sigh::

See the full article here.

How I Achieve Flu Free Winters

2010-10-04T23:57:00.001-07:00

Yes, you can get through the winter without one person throwing up from the flu....even babies.

Is it a new miracle drug, you ask? Nope. The new "triple protection" flu vaccine? Nope. Staying inside and not interacting with anyone? No (in fact, this may actually make you more susceptible).

I've gone through two winters in the past 5 years where none of us - that's my entire family - have not gotten sick. Not even the sniffles. Was it luck? Doubtful, since I worked really hard those two winters. The other winters, I was either pregnant and too tired to even do what little I needed to, or too poor to afford anything. Let me tell you, I wish I done what I needed to in order to avoid the flu those other 3 winters!

A Puke Free Winter

In this post I want to impart my tips and tricks to keeping your family puke free this winter.

My approach to keeping my family healthy has morphed and improved over my 14+ years of parenting, and my present protocol is a result of trial and error, experience, study, meditation and prayer. This is what has worked for my family, and I hope this can give you some hope and ideas.

First of all, you need to form and build the foundation for health which includes:
1. A clean diet. No soda, fast and junk food, artificial flavors, colors and sweeteners. Limited refined sugars and flours. Organic and fresh as possible, plenty of fruits and veggies and real whole grains. Limit and eliminate OTC medications, including tylenol, (and especially) antibiotics and vaccines. Eat little animal products.
2. Adhere to a low stress lifestyle and laugh as much as possible.
3. Massage doesn't hurt at all.
4. Address and balance any yeast overgrowth issues with Cand-e-cleanse or Yeast Beaters (or make your own - instructions to follow), probiotic and greens.

If you do not build the foundation, all the pills and potions in the world won't do hardly a bit of good - long term anyway.

The Protocol

Now here is my daily protocol from mid September to the end of February (keeping in mind that I have my days when I forget, but this happens 5 days a week at minimum):

1. Infection Fighter dose (or *make your own - instructions to follow)
2. Probiotic dose. (see past WOW article here)
3. Vitamin D. I do a dose of Barlean's Fish Oil (which tastes like candy) as well as **20 minutes of sun.
4. Thieves spray. One squirt in the mouth or on the bottom of the feet.

Yep, that's it. With my brood of 5, I end of spending about $165 to keep us all well. I do make my own herbal remedies, which saves me about $105 over the winter. If I made my own probiotic and blended my own essential oils, I'd save even more.

The Essential Vitamin

I do want to elaborate on vitamin D. This is a new one I added this year. The more I learn about it, the more I'm convinced that as a whole, this nation is vitamin D deficient.

A trial appeared in the March, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am J Clin Nutr (March 10, 2010). doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.29094) and the results from this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled (meeting the gold standard) study were that 31 of 167 children in the placebo group contracted influenza over the four month duration of the study, only 18 of 168 children in the vitamin D group did.

This means vitamin D was responsible for an absolute reduction of nearly 8 percent. The study involved 334 children, half of which were given 1200 IUs per day of vitamin D3.

8% doesn't sound like a lot, until you put things into perspective:

Flu vaccines, according to the latest scientific evidence, achieve an only 1 percent reduction in influenza symptoms

This means vitamin D appears to be 800% more effective than vaccines at preventing influenza infections in children.

Mom's-to-Be, Let the Sun Shine In

Additionally, the sun's power seems to protect our most vulnerable: Mothers who took 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily cut their risk of premature delivery by half, in a study conducted by researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina and presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver.

Getting the Most From the Rays

**You HAVE to get sunlight in order to have the full protective effects the sun provides. Here's how you get the most from your time in the sun:

1. Don't use typical Sunscreens, they block out the valuable effects of vitamin D. For example, if you wear sunblock SPF 8, you reduce your body's ability to make vitamin D by 90%. If you choose a sunblock with a SPF of 30, you reduce your body's ability to produce vitamin D by 99%
2. The healing rays of natural sunlight (that generate vitamin D in your skin) cannot penetrate glass. So you don't generate vitamin D when sitting in your car or home.
3. The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D. Canada, the UK and most U.S. states are far from the equator.
4. People with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 - 30 times as much exposure to sunlight as fair-skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D. That's why prostate cancer is epidemic among black men -- it's a simple, but widespread, sunlight deficiency.
5. Sufficient levels of vitamin D are crucial for calcium absorption in your intestines. Without sufficient vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium, rendering calcium supplements useless.
6. Chronic vitamin D deficiency cannot be reversed overnight: it takes months of vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure to rebuild the body's bones and nervous system.
7. It is impossible to generate too much vitamin D in your body from sunlight exposure: your body will self-regulate and only generate what it needs.
8. If it hurts to press firmly on your sternum, you may be suffering from chronic vitamin D deficiency right now.
9. Ideally 40% of the body surface (skin) needs to be exposed to the sun.
10. Ideally exposure should be to prime midday sun (10:00 AM to 2:00 PM) when the UVB rays are strongest; UVB are the kind of sun rays that produce vitamin D on the skin.
11. Don't shower after sun exposure. Natural skin oil is critical to the absorption process since vitamin D is only formed on skin that has enough natural oil formed on its surface and if it stays on the skin long enough after exposure to the sun.

Color Does Matter

Recommended time in the sun to produce about 10, 000 IU of vitamin D:

Light skin = 15-20 minutes daily
Medium Skin = 25-30 minutes daily
Dark Skin = 40-45 minutes daily

Some people may worry that if they are in the sun a lot they will overdose on Vitamin D. However this doesn't happen, and here's why. When you're exposed to the sun, the UVB rays creates vitamin D on your skin, while the UVA rays in the sunlight will tend to destroy excessive levels of vitamin D circulating in your body. That means that even "if" you are taking vitamin D and also getting it from the sun, the UVA rays in sunlight won't allow you to have too much vitamin D.
Source: Holick, MF. Vitamin D Deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, July 2007

*Making Your Own

Like I said, I make my own herbal remedies. You can do the Infection Fighter blend in capsules or tincture (liquid). It is equal parts:

Echinacea Angustofolia
***Goldenseal Root
Licorice Root
Ginger Root

***If you are pregnant, be aware that very high doses of goldenseal can cause uterine contractions. An alternative formula to this would be equal parts:

Echinacea Angustofolia

Peppermint

myrrh

You can go here for instructions for tinctures. Here for instructions on capsules.

I buy all my bulk herbs from MountainRoseHerbs.com and my glycerin (which you can sub for the vodka) from EssentialWholesale.com and my other supplies from IndustrialContainer.com.

Inspiration: How to Find Truth

2010-09-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

Spencer W. Kimball:
As a people, we Latter-day Saints have been encouraged by the Lord to
progress in the learning of God as well as in the sound learning of the
earth. Too many of us spend far too much time watching the television or in
habits and activities that do not enlarge ourselves or bless others. Would
that we might lift ourselves to higher visions of what we could do with our
lives! There should be no people who have a higher desire to obtain truth,
revealed and secular, than Latter-day Saints.

There should also be no people who are in a better position to obtain truth
and apply it in their lives. For we have the gift of the Holy Ghost, that
wondrous gift of our Heavenly Father given to all who take upon themselves
worthily the ordinances of salvation. Jesus taught, “The Spirit of truth …
will guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13.) And the prophet Moroni,
speaking to our day, advised us that “by the power of the Holy Ghost [we]
may know the truth of all things.” (Moro. 10:5.)

Having considered all this, let us finally remember that if we desire to
advance, as a people or individually, we must heed the counsel of the
prophets. “To be learned is good,” Nephi taught, “if [we] hearken unto the
counsels of God.” (2 Ne. 9:29.)

(“‘Seek Learning, Even by Study and Also by Faith’,” Ensign, Sep 1983, 3)

Should Children Be Exposed to Breastfeeding? Even at Church???!!!

2010-08-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

Because breastfeeding can be such a fundamental part of lifelong good health, I don't know a single soul that disagrees that it should be promoted.

UNTIL..... the topic of nursing in public comes up.

Then all of the sudden the conversation turns to one of sex, pornography and young boys.

The author of this post I think puts it all into perspective, but I want to take it one step further.

When I went to church for the first time after the birth of my oldest daughter, she needed to nurse in the middle of Sunday School. Without covering up, but in a discreet tactful way I latched her on, looked at my husband, and I thought his eyes were going to detach from his sockets.

I looked at him, hurt. Right then I could tell he did not support me. Ouch. I mouthed to him, "What do you want me to do?!", with a bit of body language that said 'You better respond the 'right way' or else you might not sleep well tonight'.

He gave me a sheepish look and mouthed back, "Go to the mother's lounge?"
To which I replied, "I will go to the mother's lounge every time to nurse, if you come with me. I did not come to church to get stuck in a small room with dirty diapers half the time."

That was the last time he ever said anything to me about nursing in church, and in fact he quickly became a huge advocate of public church nursing. I nursed in sacrament meeting, sunday school, relief society, primary when we taught the CTR class (8 year old's), when I led the primary music (yes, I nursed in the sling while leading the music), young womens when I taught the beehives, the 14 year old sunday school class when my husband and I team taught them, ward dinners, one time I even said the closing prayer in sacrament meeting while nursing my baby in the sling. If my baby was hungry, I would nurse where I was, albeit - like I said - discreetly, most of the time in my baby sling because MY BABY COMES FIRST.

Fast forward 9 years and 3 more babies later, and we were moving out of that ward that I nursed in so frequently. Our old bishop (who was vocally supportive of my parenting practices) stopped us our last Sunday there to let us know that we would be missed. Then he casually said (as if I knew this information), "And to think we spent so many months in bishop's meeting with all the leaders discussing what to do about you nursing all the time, and now they are sad to see you leave!"

I played it off, pretending to know what he was talking about, because I didn't know how to react to that. I turned to my husband in amazement. 'What?! There were discussions about my boobs in the bishop's office?! My parenting choices were called in question?!' All these years, and I had no clue. At first I was hurt. After thinking about who had been in positions of leadership who would have a problem with my public nursing, I knew exactly who the people were that he was talking about. But then I was grateful. Grateful I had no clue about what was being said about me behind my back. Those people, who were primarily women, had since become my friends after that bishop had been released. I knew they loved and even liked me, and I them.

Knowing that they were so constipated about my choice to nurse unhindered would have set a very defensive tone from me towards them during my vulnerable, formative mothering years. And should I been asked to stop like so many other women on birth email groups I'm on? I am grateful to that bishop for doing the right thing, and standing up for me. Forgiveness wouldn't have come quickly during my 20's, I fear. He will forever have a special place in my heart.

One of them even gave me a very high compliment a year before we left,

"Amy, if I believed in reincarnation, I would want to come back as one of your babies."

To this day, this has been the most meaningful compliment anyone has ever given me, and healed any stare or negative look I ever received as a result of my public breastfeeding.

What started off as probably disgust and intolerance of me and my beliefs and practices, had turned into love and acceptance, for most. In that 9 years we were there, I was able to follow many of the kids in the ward from the primary class we taught, to being their activity days leader, then on to beehives, and eventually I even attended one of their births when they moved on into motherhood.

I can't help but think that for many of them, I might have been the only source that normalized what might have otherwise become a very embarrassing thing for them. Nourishing my babies through my breast. I pray that my example may have helped give some of them the courage to do the same.

Here is a very interesting dipiction of public breastfeeding, in sacrament meeting, in the early days of the church. I encourage you to read the post. I think we are doing our brothers and sisters a huge disservice when we run to the mother's lounge every time our babies need to nurse.

Ladies, it's okay to nurse in front of others - in church even. Come to think of it, ESPECIALLY in church!

You are not promoting any kind of sexual sin. You are fulfilling the divine duties the Lord has given you. You are encouraging other mothers around you, as well as the educating the young people for the future, to nurse and promote the physical and emotional health of their children!

My 5th baby, my 2 year old is still nursing, and now if he wants to nurse during church, I do go to the mother's lounge, because nursing a two year old is like nursing a monkey sometimes. He can unpredicatbly pull my shirt up, want to stand on my lap or sit to nurse...let's just say, it's no longer discreet to nurse him in public, it can become a side show pretty quickly. So, when I go in and there are other mothers in their nursing their babies, they are always shocked that a child "so old" is still nursing. Just to break the ice of awkawd judgment towards me, I reply that I nurse until my kids are in college. Most of the time it turns into a conversation about how I miss the days when I could just nurse through my meetings with a calm baby. I hope that then I've gotten those mothers thinking that not only is it great to nurse past 3, 6, 9, or 12 months, but there is no reason why they can't do it in the meetings.

I pray we can go back to the days of when it was common to nurse in church meetings, like the painting depicts. Imagine how much better off the world would be! Nurse!

THIS Asthma Solution Costs No Money…

2010-07-15T22:08:00.001-07:00

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/13/insufficient-vitamin-d-tied-to-severe-asthma-attacks.aspx

Asthmatic children with low blood vitamin D levels may have a greater risk of suffering severe asthma attacks.

A study followed more than 1,000 children with asthma for four years, and found those with vitamin-D insufficiency at the outset were more likely to have an asthma attack that required a trip to the hospital.

Reuters reports:

“When the researchers considered other factors -- including the severity of the children's asthma at the study's start, their weight and their family income -- vitamin D insufficiency itself was linked to a 50 percent increase in the risk of severe asthma attacks.”

Sources:

Reuters June 23, 2010

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology June 8, 2010 [Epub ahead of print]

Eurekalert June 25, 2010

Eurekalert June 23, 2010

Phytotherapy Research June 14, 2010 [Epub ahead of print]

Would You Like Some Dimethylpolysiloxane With That?

2010-07-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Not that anyone is surprised, or that it is going to desuade parents from stuffing these things in their unsuspecting kids' mouths, but just thought you should know what is really in McDonald's Chicken Nuggets.

Apparently our dumb American palates are not as sophisticated as those in the UK. This is McDonald's excuse for including non food ingredients into their food. Additionally the article encourages us to avoid ingredients we cannot pronounce. So, if I learn to pronounce it, is it then okay? American's are not really this stupid, vote with your wallet and leave McDonald's once and for all!

Whole Foods Taking a Stand!

2010-06-18T20:51:00.000-07:00

Hooray!

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_21052.cfm

Slow Death By Peppermint Spray

2010-06-13T00:29:00.000-07:00

"MOM! They are all over in the pantry! Seriously, it's grossing me out."

This is what I heard at midnight tonight as my 11 year old came upstairs from getting a drink of water. Who are 'they'?

'They' are the ants. Ugh. I must admit I hate them.

We've lived in this house two years, and our previous Utah house for three, and every June, the ants have moved in with us. It drives me nuts.

I hate the ant poison, though, for what I hope are obvious reasons.

And then my aromatherapist friend Jonelle reminded me (while I was chatting with her on FB) about peppermint oil! I ran downstairs, grabbed one of my stray spray bottles (a 4 ouncer), filled it with water, dropped in about 15 drops of oil and got sprayin'.

Was it an 'on contact' death? Nope. I sat their and watched those suckers slow down, and then collapse in suffocation. I'm ashamed to admit I enjoyed it.

I cleaned the dead ones up, and then waited for more to come behind them. They didn't.

Then I sprayed everywhere. On my food in the pantry, on the refrigerator doors, the floor cracks. I caught a stray one trying to get inside my gamma sealed steel cut oats bucket. I screwed the lid off and sprayed the perimeter of the bucket. then I did it with the rest of my buckets. I created a nice barrier whever I could. Nothing like protectin the hood at midnight!

Now tell me, can you do that with the other toxic ant poisons? I say nay, of course not.

Then, as I came to bed I got the question, "Hey lady...what's that smell?" in a come hither tone, if you know what I mean. (This from my husband, mind you - lest you were wondering).

To which I responded, "Oh nothing, just a bit of ant killer." Again, I ask....can you get THAT with the other toxic ant poisons? Again, I say nay.

Essential oil brands I love and trust? Young Living, doTerra, Herbalogie.com, and Butterflyexpress.com. Tonight's brand? Eau de Butterfly Express.

E is for Eggwashing, Of Organics Even

2010-06-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

Here is a great expose on egg washing, you will be shocked!

Honestly, can't a person catch a break around here?

It's frustrating, but not surprising, that even organic eggs are subject to adulteration. What's a health junkie to do?

Buy local if you can.

I am so grateful I have 3 local egg producers within 5-10 minutes of me, and I have seen the difference in my eggs!

Yes, that hard shell is porous and whatever you put on it, or soak the eggs in, gets into your egg.

I think our grandparents and great grandparents would be embarrassed to call what we eat today 'food'.

Granted, it's just the fulfilling of prophecy, but it is becoming exhausting to keep on top of it all. Now when our eggs aren't even just eggs, everything becomes suspect.

Great Quote

2010-05-25T09:15:00.001-07:00

Theodore M. Burton:
When I was a young boy we used to sing a hymn in Sunday School entitled “In
Our Lovely Deseret.” We called it the Word of Wisdom song, but it was one of
our favorite hymns and we used to sing it with enthusiasm. One of the verses
reads:

*That the children may live long, And be beautiful and strong, *
*Tea and coffee and tobacco they despise, *
*Drink no liquor, and they eat but a very little meat; *
*They are seeking to be great and good and wise. *

(“In Our Lovely Deseret,” Deseret Sunday School Songs, no. 114.)

I was taught at home and in Church to keep the Word of Wisdom. So from my
early youth I learned an important lesson: to avoid those things which were
injurious to my body. . . .

When I read about “health in [the] navel and marrow in [the] bones,” I think
of the possibility of a devastating plague that could overtake the world as
a result of widespread pollution from radiation hazards in a future war.
Could this, then, be one way the Lord might use of separating the obedient
from the disobedient? Could there be some connection between these forbidden
substances and radioactive particles which could cause increased absorption
in the bone marrow, with resultant increased possibility of damage? I do not
know.

I do know that if we keep the Word of Wisdom, the destroying angel will
spare us.

(“The Word of Wisdom,” Ensign, May 1976, 28)

Follow Up on Previous Post...

2010-05-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

It happened again this morning.....

Check out this report here. Really?! 25% of men experience postpartum depression? I find that hard to believe given that only 10% of US mothers report experiencing postpartum depression. Well, we have an epidemic now, don't we? I know! Medicate the dads, too!

You know, there's anew law, called The Mother's Act, that basically has Big Pharma down new mother's throats before they step foot out of the hospital with their Big Pharma sponsored booty of artificial feeds. Basically, you get screened and possibly prescribed psych drugs before you can even change your first diaper. And, new mama, if you don't take your magic pills like you should, well then maybe Big Brother can raise Little Johnny for you, until you become a compliant patient. In the old days, we took postpartum depression as a normal reaction to a mother not being supported and educated enough after the birth. But nowadays, you have a disease, you are marked for life. No, grandma's, grandpa's, friends and neighbors, don't step up and help out! Just take her to the corner druggist and pop some pills.

You mark my words, there's a Father's Act on it's way. Because Big Pharma doesn't miss an opportunity to inflate the facts, distort the reality, and medicate us to their liking.

The Doping of America: A Patients’ and Doctors’ Guide

2010-05-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

It's not often I post on Big Pharma, because I see this blog serving more of a 'food based' WOW perspective, but if you really knew what was going on behind the scenes, that Big Pharma is also trying to control your food, you would see how Big Pharma needs to be addressed in a Word of Wisdom discussion as well.

Here is a great article http://www.ifnh.org/images/ihr3forreps.pdf I am referencing in this post. You know, I started witnessing what this article discribes years ago first hand. If you pay attention, you'll see it, too.

Because I've been teaching a vaccination class since 2000, I'm pretty up to date on what vaccines are being worked on. It takes (or should take anyway) years for a vaccine to be created, tested, approved by the FDA and then available to the public.

Throughout the many years of teaching this class, I'd inform the students of the vaccines 'in the works'. The ones where I got the biggest reactions and laughs from were what I called the 'lifestyle vaccines', ones where you didn't need a vaccine to prevent the illness at all, just some self discipline and knowledge. These included:

AIDS
Herpes
Chlamydia
Obesity
Cavities
Smoking
Cancers of ALL kinds
Drug Addiction
Contraceptive Vaccines

In fact, many delivery method are also being experimented with, including delivering the vaccine via a cigarette, a tattoo, and in our food supply. I know many people didn't believe me on some or all counts. It all sounded too ridiculous and far fetched.

Well, true to the AMA's and big pharma's marketing form, last week I started hearing one, then two, then three snippets:

"The bacteria that causes cavities may have been identified. Scientists are looking at developing a vaccine to fight it."

Looking at?!!! It's done, it's here. That vaccine is in the approval stages. And soon to be on your child's recommended vaccination schedule, alongside our newest lifestyle vaccine Gardisil. Who knows, one day it may be 'required' for your child to get a contraceptive vaccine before entering high school. Don't think it could happen? Well, a few short years ago people didn't think the cavity vaccine would happen, a few short years before that, they certainly didn't think an STD vaccine would be required for school entrance.

Wake up people, you are being played in the most deceiving way. When you read this article http://www.ifnh.org/images/ihr3forreps.pdf you will see just how carefully you are being played, and what a good player you've become.

The more in harmony you become with living the Word of Wisdom, the more clearly you will see what designs the conspiring men in the last days are using. It will be obvious to you. But unless you commit to live your life in accordance with the Lord's will, you will be blind to what is going on right under your nose.

The FDA vs Raw Milk and the Constitution | Tenth Amendment Center

2010-05-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

The FDA vs Raw Milk and the Constitution | Tenth Amendment Center

Who runs the FDA? Could it be, I don't know.....(insert SNL Church Lady answer here)

A Solar Powered LDS Chapel!

2010-05-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right....check out this article on The Church's first solar powered chapel! Awesome!

Greasy MSG Fried Chicken Now Cures Cancer

2010-04-22T22:49:00.001-07:00

What? You didn't hear the news? Why, yes, Kentucky Fried Chicken now cures breast cancer. Don't believe me? See for yourself

Susan G Komen Foundation

That's it.....THAT'S IT!!!!!

I'm doing it. For years I've suspected this organization was a fraud, but this is the last straw. Considering this is the ingredients for the fried chicken, I think we now have proof that the Susan G Komen foundation is either full of idiots or they are a scam, actually promoting cancer to make money:

• Partially hydrogenated soybean oil (contains trans fats)
• High-Fructose Corn Syrup (linked to diabetes)
• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (linked to cancer)
• Titanium Dioxide (used in sunscreen)
• Yellow #5 (chemical coloring)
• Propylene Glycol (used as antifreeze in RVs)
• Rendered Beef Fat (gross)
• Red #40 (another chemical coloring)
• Sodium nitrite (linked to pancreatic cancer)
• Soy Protein Concentrate (may be processed with hexane)
• Sugar (refined)
• Sodium Benzoate (chemical preservative)
• Hydrolyzed Corn, Soy and Wheat Protein (may contain hidden MSG)
• Beef Extract (eww)
• Corn Syrup Solids (more processed sugars)
• Liquid Margarine
• Sodium Caseinate
• Autolyzed Yeast Extract (another hidden source of MSG)

Don't support this organization people. They haven't found one cure since they've been in existence, yet there is a ton of proof out there that there is one through diet and natural therapies.

The rest of the world just must be laughing.

Monsanto, Your Number is Up

2010-04-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

Again, can we all say in unison, "evils and designs of conspiring men in the last days?" Another reason to garden and/or go organic

Monsanto's GM Corn linked to Organ Failure

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Fasting reduces risk of coronary artery disease

2010-04-15T09:14:00.001-07:00

Fasting reduces risk of coronary artery disease

UCLA study proves Mormons live longer

2010-04-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

UCLA study proves Mormons live longer

90 Percent of Parents Want to Know More About Alternative Medicine, Survey Reveals

2010-04-07T22:59:00.000-07:00

90 Percent of Parents Want to Know More About Alternative Medicine, Survey Reveals

Then come to the Holistic LDS Living Conference!
June 26, 2010
South Jordan, UT

Am I Nuts? I Love Soap Nuts

2010-03-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

A while ago I heard from a few online friends about soap nuts. Seemed like a pretty wacky idea to me. How in the world could these things even compare to detergent? I mean really, even for me....it was out there.

Well, the company I order most of my bulk herbs from had them. I contemplated about it for about 30 minutes. Should I? Is it even worth the trouble.

But I thought, for $2.25, I was willing to take a gamble. They arrived and I just looked at them for quite a while, waiting for the perfect load to try them out on.

Just in case they were going to ruin a whole load or something, I thought I better wait for something I wasn't too in love with....a load of old towels.

So, I wrapped up 5 of them in a square of muslin and tossed it in with the towels. What do you know, they came out pretty good, and the soap nuts emerged intact and didn't ruin a thing. But, then again, the towels weren't that dirty to begin with.

Then I realized that there was a pail of dirty cloth diapers that my baby had out grown that I had forgotten about for over a month. I know, ew is right. But, this would surely be the deciding factor on of these things really worked.

I crossed my fingers and gave it a whirl. What do you know....the diapers came out better than with my regular detergent. AMAZING!

So, what are these things? Where can you get them? How do you use them? How long do they last? What do they cost?

According to my herb website:

Soap nuts contain saponin, a natural detergent. The soap nut shell absorbs water and releases the saponins which circulate as a natural surfactant in the wash water, freeing dirt, grime, and oils from clothing. Soap nuts are found in both the eastern and western hemispheres, but are native to India and Nepal. They have recently become a popular environmentally friendly alternative to chemical detergent, and are a gentle option for those with allergies to chemicals in regular detergents. They have traditionally been used as an expectorant, and in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema and psoriasis.

Just a few nuts (4-6) in a cotton muslin bag should work for an entire load. There will be little or no bubbles during the wash cycle, and it will smell lightly similar to apple cider. They can be used several times and then composted afterwards. They will be slightly soft and grey when they need to be changed - I find I can do 5 heavy loads with 5 nuts. They can also be used in a powder form as a cleansing cream by adding a small amount of water.

20-25 nuts come in a 4 oz bag from Mountain Rose for $2.25. Believe me, though, I will be buying these in bulk for cheaper per ounce. So, give it a try! you'll like it.

Weight Watchers says eat at McDonald's to lose weight (opinion)

2010-03-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

Weight Watchers says eat at McDonald's to lose weight

Honestly, are 'we' that stupid?!

Throwing a Party W.O.W. Style

2010-03-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

My 8 year old (today!) is getting baptized this Saturday and we wanted to throw a nice shin dig for her after the event. It's been muy years since I've thrown an adult party, so I had to dig deep to figure out what to serve for the brunch. Baked potato bar? Seemed too heavy and a little boring for my Sage. Salad theme? We could do the fruity quinoa salad, a nice waldorf salad, the tuscan bread salad...sounded great to me. But not Sage, this was a party for a kid afterall. Then I got it!

A Crepe Spectacular!

I'm so excited for this party. I super love crepes (recipe below). Or in my house growing up, it was Swedish pancakes....don't you dare call them crepes! We Swedes are racist like that I suppose. First off all, you've got to do the crepe right. I made about 100 of probably the healthiest crepes ever today. Organic whole wheat flour, free range local eggs, raw grass fed milk, real salt.....just thinking about it makes me smile. Anyway, you could do it just like everyone else does, but if you have the good ingredients, use them. It makes for fuller bodied taste, not to mention healthier of course. Yum! The beauty of doing a crepe buffet is that you can make the crepes up days in advance and not sacrifice quality. The other beautiful thing about a crepe party is that the fillings are endless.

In my cookbook I have a recipe for spinach mushroom crepes. Oh, man...it's one of my favorite meals. And there is the standard dessert fruit crepe, but what else can you do with crepes? Here are the fillings we have planned, and I'm making them all up ahead of time :

Egg Salad

Brie

Cream cheese

Ricotta

Various fresh fruits ie strawberries, blueberries, peaches, pineapple, bananas

Apple-cinnamon-sucanat ('sauteed' in a pan)

Blueberry-lemon-ricotta-honey

Orange cream cheese blossom

Fresh mint

Peanut Butter

Lemon and lime wedges

And of course maple syrup, jams, and fresh whipped cream!

Basic crepe recipe:
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. water
3 eggs

Heat a medium size skillet on med high and put a small pat of butter in and wait till it sizzles (this is how you know the heat is right). Pour in approx 1/4 C of batter and swirl around till you can't swirl anymore. Let cook until the edges brown and then flip with a narrow spatula. Brown other side and transfer to a plate. Repeat over and over again till batter is gone. Store covered in the fridge for days!

Sara Lee accused of greenwashing marketing hype with its 'EcoGrain' bread

2010-02-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

Sara Lee accused of greenwashing marketing hype with its 'EcoGrain' bread

The evils and designs of conspiring men.....sad.

Serious birth defects linked to the agricultural chemical atrazine

2010-02-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

I had a niece born with, and die of, this birth defect. gotta love those pesticides.

Serious birth defects linked to the agricultural chemical atrazine

Registration Open!

2010-02-22T11:33:00.001-08:00

HolisticLDSliving.com Can it be?! Yes! You can now register for the conference. Please visit the website www.holisticLDSliving.com and click on 'register'.

Additionally, vendor and advertising applications are being accepted.

Spread the Word!

Aspartame has been renamed and is now being marketed as a natural sweetener

2010-02-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

Aspartame has been renamed and is now being marketed as a natural sweetener

Sounds so natural, eh?

In the Salt Lake County Area?

2010-01-28T20:40:00.000-08:00

You can now check the cookbook out from the library!

Here's the direct link

http://ipac.slco.lib.ut.us/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=12G4W40098126.16572&profile=dial&uri=link=3100018~!1022418~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=subtab13&menu=search&ri=3&source=~!horizon&term=Jones%2C+Amy+Cox&index=PAUTHOR

Thank you to whoever requested that my book be there! There are 4 copies in circulation.

How Old Do You Think This Woman Is?

2010-01-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

A walking advertisement for clean living....

direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdeC3OJJIzA

My New Love

2010-01-11T15:03:00.001-08:00

It was on sale AND I had a coupon, making this a steal at $1.50.

What is Korma sauce? I didn't know until I tried it. Basically the best yellow curry sauce ever. Honestly, I normally don't like pre packaged sauces, but this one curled my toes.

Sauteed julienne'd carrots, some broccoli, onions, and whatever else floats your boat. Mix in the sauce, lay over a bed of rice. I wish I was getting some sort of commission for this free advertisement, but I'm not.

Follow Up on my Poll Post

2010-01-08T22:43:00.000-08:00

Well, my poll went in a different direction than I thought. But, were I to vote, I would have voted both. Driving by this place sent off both red flags and hopefulness.

Fresh Market....sounds so, well fresh, doesn't it?

I drove by this place 2 weeks ago. The sign had replaced the Albertson's sign that used to be there. For a moment, my heart was a flutter. Could this be my new shopping haven? After all, my nearest 'natural grocery store' was a half hour away no matter whether it was Whole Foods, Good Earth or Sunflower. Everything was inconvenient and required me to plan a whole day of outings around going there. So I had some hopes of this being my solution.

When I was finally able to check it out, I went with the thought that I would be okay if this store was not what the logo was trying to make me believe it was. When I got out of my MAV (Mormon Attack Vehicle for all you late comer's) and started walking towards the door, I paused as I looked up.

"Pharmacy"

Okay, what health food grocery store has a pharmacy, eh? Big sigh. Immediately I shook my head, but proceeded forward on the off chance this was some sort of 'hybrid' store. Then I looked at the products being peddled by the front door. Snow shovels and chimney sweep logs. Not exactly evoking anything resembling a health food store. Just go in Amy, maybe SOMETHING is worth looking in to.

And then I stepped inside. It was Alberstons. Not in name, but it was the same layout, same signage for the sales, same brands, same everything.

What wasn't the same? My respect. Not towards Albertson's. See, some of their stores were bought out by Associated Food Stores, hence this location is now a Fresh Market. But my respect for the directions grocery stores were going. As I walked up and down the aisles (I was there anyway, might as well look around a bit, plus I needed OJ) my annoyance and disappointment grew. I kept on saying to the oldest, "Man, this makes me mad".

The deception had reached mass scale. No longer is it the subtle, minute deceptions of - I don't know - Tropicana trying to make it's 50/50 juice look healthy, or even domestic (I don't want my oranges from Brazil, thank you). It's not even the more laughable attempts like 7 Up marketing itself as "all natural" as if it were a superfood juice product that is good for you. It's now big, bold, loud and plain insulting.

These big food stores know what they are doing. They don't want to fail. They hire plenty of graphic artists, market specialists and they know what sells. The organics industry grows by leaps and bounds every year, even in the depressed economy, organics are capturing more and more of the market place. They know if they make themselves look more appealing in terms of health, they will get more customers. But they have no real commitment to health, only to their bottom line, and their lack of change shows it.

It's a slap in the face to all of us who are committed to this lifestyle and frankly it's deceptive marketing and a lie. While I'm not suggesting they change their name to "The Store That Will Sacrifice Your Health In Order To Make The Largest Profit We Can", I am saying, don't try to be something your not. The name 'Albertsons' told me exactly what I needed to know, thank you. You were likely founded by a man with the last name of Albertson, and you're probably a typical grocery store that I won't be able to find everything I need at. I can respect that. I don't like it, but I can respect it, and am even willing to buy a thing or two there without feeling insulted.

Hey Fresh Market, us granola types value honesty more than cute logos. We enjoy being looked at as more than a robotic consumer. You don't know it (yet), but we have brains. Do you?

Anti-Depressants: Stroke, death, increased suicide risk, now no better than sugar pill?!

2010-01-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

Watch the Good Morning America Clip. Obviously America's been sold a bill of goods on these meds. I don't agree with everything the clip says, he's way too PC and CYB (cover your bum)for my liking, but I do agree you need to go off of antidepressants carefully.

Are Anti-Depressants Over-Prescribed?

Anti depressants have always been on my hit list with big pharma. I had two acquaintances in high school who comitted suicide while on them. The more I ponder on them, the more I think that these meds leave you more vulnerable to the adversary's influence. I'm not saying the meds are inherently evil, but I just think they are spiritually risky.

As someone who has dealt with depression to the point of thinking the world would be better off without me (and I was tempted to try anti depressants), I understand the angst and temptation that lies there. But as this person, I also want to give others hope that they can recover without these meds. I did it, and countless others have too, and so can you.

Poll!

2010-01-04T14:54:00.001-08:00

If you drove by a store that looked like this, what kind of grocery store would you think it was?

New Study Confirms: Organic Food is Far Healthier Than Conventional

2010-01-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

New Study Confirms: Organic Food is Far Healthier Than Conventional

Movie Review: Food, Inc

2010-01-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. I am way behind on seeing this one. I wanted to go see it when it was in theaters for the half second it was there. But because it was only there for a half second, I didn't get to it. And because we don't have a netflix or a Hollywood/Blockbuster acct and only rent movies from the Redbox, again I didn't see it. But my oldest wanted to rent movies from Hollywood video for New Years Eve, so I went and I was so excited to see Food, Inc there.

So, I'm giving the movie a thumbs up...go see it. I'm putting it in the same category with Super Size Me and King Corn, but NOT in the same category as the Fast Food Nation movie, which stunk. Food, Inc was entertaining, well shot, well researched, and easy to understand. Of course, like Super Size Me, it was at times gross, but honestly.....it's a hard truth that needs to be dealt with. Where our food comes from. And that 'where' is sometimes the most abhorrent places on earth.

I wish everyone would go see these movies, but as one of my relatives put it....they don't want to know because frankly, they want to consume what the want to consume and have no investment in 'the system'. I get it, people don't want to take responsibility for themselves because they think it will require a major shift in lifestyle.

In fact, it doesn't take a major shift. Very small, insignificant changes can make a HUGE difference in multiple areas.

First and foremost, their health. Nothing tastes better than health freedom, as Julia said in one of my post comments.

Secondly their pocket book. My neighbor, Mia, told me about going to the store once and upon checkout the customer in front of her looked over her cart contents (which was all healthy stuff), and said something to the effect, "Isn't it expensive to eat that way?" To which she replied, "Well, you're going to pay someone for the way you eat, might as well be the food producers". True that. Cheap food isn't cheap at all. You pay for it with diabetes, cancer, what have you. In fact, in the movie, one woman was faced with a horrible choice....buy healthy food and cure her husbands diabetes, or buy his diabetes meds and buy crappy food. If she chose healthy food, she risked her husband dying in the process of trying to save him. Wouldn't it just be better to buy healthy food in the first place?

Thirdly, it changes the food industry, our government, better farming practices, immigration ....the list goes on

So, one little thing, like buying organic milk or eggs instead of conventional, CAN make a huge difference. It's $1-$2 more, but a health care and societal cost savings of way more than that.

This movie was great, and was a very easily digested . Anyone can understand and incorporate the advice in this movie, it's just a question of whether or not they want to.

So the question now becomes, do you want to be sick or healthy? Watching this movie is one simple step towards health. Oh, and plant a vegetable, will ya? I am grateful that these types of films are coming out and being supported. Heaven's knows we need them.

New SSRI warning: antidepressants increase risk of stroke and death

2009-12-31T12:07:00.000-08:00

My very first blog post was a compassionate plea to reduce your intake of pharmaceuticals. I urge you to re read that post. SSRI's are one category of pharmaceuticals that you more than likely have a choice on. There are so many proven alternatives to these drugs, I pray you seek them out.

New SSRI warning: antidepressants increase risk of stroke and death

Organic Milk Linked to Lower Rates of Allergies, Asthma and Eczema

2009-12-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

Organic Milk Linked to Lower Rates of Allergies, Asthma and Eczema

Are we really THIS addicted to meat??? GROSS!

2009-12-14T17:10:00.000-08:00

Growing Meat Without Animals ... Would You Eat It?

7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips

2009-11-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips

Great article!

http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100246775

Don't Chop Your Carrots Until After Cooking (Or Better Yet, Just Eat Them Raw)

2009-11-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

Don't Chop Your Carrots Until After Cooking (Or Better Yet, Just Eat Them Raw)

Dean Foods pulls bait-and-switch on 'organic' Silk soymilk

2009-11-10T23:02:00.000-08:00

Ah, Dean Foods....you and Nestle should get married.

Dean Foods pulls bait-and-switch on 'organic' Silk soymilk

Food Matters

2009-11-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

I was thinking today about how I should post a recipe to the blog, as it's been a while since I've done so. BUT....

then I got a link sent to me from my husband, about this movie, Food Matters.

I'm still waiting on seeing Food, Inc., but between this movie, Food Inc, Supersize Me, and All Jacked Up, I do believe we are seeing a revolution taking place! Honestly, the trailer for this looked awesome, I can't wait to see it!
Amy

Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food

2009-11-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food

"Somewhere in Iowa, a pig is being raised in a confined pen, packed in so tightly with other swine that their curly tails have been chopped off so they won't bite one another. To prevent him from getting sick in such close quarters, he is dosed with antibiotics. The waste produced by the pig and his thousands of pen mates on the factory farm where they live goes into manure lagoons that blanket neighboring communities with air pollution and a stomach-churning stench. He's fed on American corn that was grown with the help of government subsidies and millions of tons of chemical fertilizer."

Friendly Bacteria Blunt Anti-Nutrient Action

2009-11-02T14:09:00.000-08:00

Friendly Bacteria Blunt Anti-Nutrient Action

Revelation

2009-11-01T18:53:00.001-08:00

Russell M. Nelson:
For each of you to receive revelation unique to your own needs and
responsibilities, certain guidelines prevail. The Lord asks you to develop
“faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God.”
Then with your firm “faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience,
brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, [and] diligence,” you may
ask, and you will receive; you may knock, and it will be opened unto you.

Revelation from God is always compatible with His eternal law. It never
contradicts His doctrine. It is facilitated by proper reverence for Deity. .
.

Revelation need not all come at once. It may be incremental. “Saith the Lord
God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon
precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken
unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn
wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more.” Patience and
perseverance are part of our eternal progression.

(General Conference, October 2009)

Feedback Please!

2009-10-28T12:10:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

We've set up a new account for those who have Amazon Prime, which allows people to receive free shipping, which is great but it required us to make a whole new listing for the book. This means all the reviews submitted on my past amazon listing are not on the Amazon Prime one, so.....

Go to http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0981694918
Scroll halfway down and click 'create your own review'

Additionally, a digital version is in the works!

In Health,
Amy

Holistic LDS Living Conference!

2009-10-19T13:10:00.000-07:00

Please check out, and mark your calendars for, the Holistic LDS Living Conference!

Sat., June 25, 2010
South Jordan, UT!

www.holisticLDSliving.com

Two Entirely Different Animals: Grass-Fed Meat is Superior to Grain-Fed Meat

2009-10-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

Two Entirely Different Animals: Grass-Fed Meat is Superior to Grain-Fed Meat

Are Organic's Really Worth It?

2009-10-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

Sept - the first tomatoes and bell peppers of the season from our organic garden...finally!

The short answer....yes.

Once I understood that I had a choice in produce, I was always a champion, albeit a fair weather consumer until a few years ago, of eating organics. On a very basic, surface level, it just didn't make sense to me. Spraying and eating artificial poisons....duh, there might be a problem somewhere, right? Also, I thought, we've survived this long without poisons in our food supply, why do we need them?

Granted, people would give me arguments galore about how conventional foods are no big deal, and actually helpful to the planet and people. I had an aunt and uncle who had a peach farm and gee, all these chemicals and gmo's are going to help feed the hungry around the world, right? That's the line they had been fed and regurgetated onto my parents. But something in me never bought it, even though I wasn't well versed on the subject.

Luckily, many studies have come out, spelling out in detail, not only the risks of conventional food and gmo food, but the benefits of organic food. I won't delve into the risks of spraying and sprayed food, but will highlight some points about organic food:

organic foods contain, on average, 25 percent higher concentration of 11 nutrients than their conventional counterparts.***
Organic fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants**
Organic produce had higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc**
Milk from organic herds contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants**
Organic blueberry has higher fructose and glucose levels, malic acid, total phenolics, total anthocyanins and antioxidant activity***
concentrations of dimethyl metabolites, one OP metabolite group, is six times higher for children eating conventional diets.***
The average level of salicylic acid (responsible for the anti-inflammatory action of aspirin, has been shown to help prevent hardening of the arteries and bowel cancer) in 11 brands of organic vegetable soup was 117 nanograms per gram, compared with 20 nanograms per gram in 24 types of non-organic soup. The highest level (1,040 nanograms per gram) was found in an organic carrot and coriander soup. Four of the conventional soups had no detectable levels of salicylic acid.***
organically grown oranges contained up to 30 percent more vitamin C than those grown conventionally.***
27% more vitamin C, 21.1% more iron, 29.3% more magnesium, and 13.6% more phosphorus. In addition, organic products had 15.1% less nitrates than their conventional counterparts. ***
Five servings of organic vegetables (lettuce, spinach, carrots, potatoes and cabbage) provides the recommended daily intake of vitamin C for men and women, while their conventional counterparts do not.***
Organic lemonade contains ten times more eriocitrin (an antioxidant) than a glass of its conventional counterpart. ***
Organic lime juice had three times the level of eriocitrin compared to conventional lime juice.***
organic tomatoes contain on average 79 and 97 percent more quercetin and kaempferol aglycones (beneficial flavonoids) that their conventionally grown counterparts.***
grass-based organic cattle diets reduce the risk of E. coli contamination while grain-based conventional diets increase the risk.***
Antioxidant levels in sustainably (using fertilizer but no herbicides or pesticides) grown corn are 58.5 percent higher than conventionally grown corn.***
organically and sustainably grown marionberries have approximately 50 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown berries***
Sustainably and organically grown strawberries have about 19 percent more antioxidants than their conventional counterparts.***
organic milk contains 68 percent more omega-3 fatty acids, on average, than conventional milk.***
mothers consuming mostly organic milk and meat products have about 50 percent higher levels of rumenic acid, a conjugated linoleic acid, in their breast milk.***
Improved immune system status*
Better sleeping habits*
Less weight and were slimmer than rats fed other diets*
Higher vitamin E content in their blood (for organically fed rats)*

Buy This, Not That

I understand that going completely organic is not practical for everyone, due to cost and/or availability. When I tell people, though, that eating 1 organic apple is like eating 1.5 conventional apples in terms of nutrition, their ears perk up just a bit.

I have such a hard time getting my 4 year old to eat any fruit or vegetable, so when I can get one in her, you bet I'm going to make sure it packs as much punch as it possible can. I make her chocolate chip banana bread (from my A World of Wisdom Cookbook, minus the chocolate chips....look, she'll only eat it if there's chocolate in it, okay?!) with only the finest, organic half rotted bananas I can ;). And the peanut and almond butter in the Better Than Rice Krispie Treats (WOW cookbook again) are with freshly ground organic nuts. That girl needs all the nutriets she can get.

But, if you feel like you have to choose, here is a list of produce that you should always buy organic and has highest pestitcide load:

Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Lettuce
Grapes
Pears
Spinach
Potatoes

The produce with the lowest pesticide load aka, they are alright to buy conventionally:

Broccoli
Kiwi
Pineapple
Eggplant
Asparagas
Cabbage
Sweet Peas
Avocado
Banana
Mango
Onion

Non-organic meats actually have far higher concentrations of pesticides than all of the fruits and vegetables. And the highest concentration of pesticides is actually in non-organic butter.

So, the heirarchy priority to buy organic is:
Butter
Meat
Milk
Produce

I've been spoiled since moving to Northern Utah in that I can get raw, grass fed, organic milk and meat pretty easily. Can I tell you, there IS a difference in not only the way it tastes, but the way it makes us all feel. If you can get it, use it.

I have to admit, before I researched for this article, organic butter and orange juice weren't high on my organic purchasing list, but they are now. One of the biggest deterants to buying organic is cost, which I understand. But you have to look at it as an investment, and that you will be lowering your health care costs buying ingesting organics. And if you are eating in harmony with the WOW, you won't be buying as much meat so your dollars can be converted into buying higher quality organic produce and grain. Yes, I am a big champion of organics. The only thing it could possibly hurt is your wallet, and that's only in the short term. Slowly, but surely, organic costs will come down as more consumers switch to organics, and I am anxious for the day that we make converts out of everyone. And that uncle and aunt of mine? They are no longer peach farming. He has a very severe, deblitating form of alzheimer's, which is one risk of heavy exposure to pesticides. It makes me sad, but it's a very real lesson in the importance of giving your body only the best.

*Journal Agricultural Food Chemistry February 26, 2003;51(5):1237-41,
**Quality Low Input Food Study
***Organic Trade Association

Good Bacteria Fight the Flu

2009-09-03T09:06:00.001-07:00

Good Bacteria Fight the Flu

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The Deliciousness of Homemade Polenta

2009-08-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of mimicooks.wordpress.com

I made my Black Bean and Polenta Casserole tonight. It is one of my most favorite dinners ever. Because I am lazy, I would often buy the store bought polenta, even though I knew the yumminess of homemade.
Homemade polenta really is worlds apart from store bought. It is quite easy, just requires time. It so much more rich and dimensional and you can add all sorts of lovely spices. Store bought just....stinks. It's like grainy rubber. I mean, in a pinch it'll do, but honestly, just trust me. Make it yourself. Thank me later.

Polenta (pg 61 in A World of Wisdom Cookbook)

1 C fine grind yellow cornmeal or grits
3 C milk or milk substitute
1/4 C parmesan (optional)
1 T butter
Fresh herbs as desired

In a 3 qt saucepan boil milk and butter. Turn off heat and whisk in cornmeal, then parmesan for 4 minutes until thickened. Add herbs and cover. Let it sit until it is 'set up' (about 20-30 minutes). Unmold it onto a cutting board and cut 3/4 inch slices. Saute, broil or bake slices and add toppings.

Polenta and beans (pg 71 in the cookbook)
3/4 C chopped cilantro
1 C diced green chiles
1/4 C salsa verde
3 minced garlic cloves
1.5 tsp cumin
16 oz of polenta (about 1.5 times the recipe above)
1/2 C whipping cream
1.5 C black beans or navu beans
2-3 C shredded monterey jack cheese

Combine 1/2 C cilantro, chiles, salsa, garlic and cumin in a middium bowl. Arrange polenta slices on the bottom of a greased 8 X 8 casserole dish. Drizzle half the cream over it, top with half the beans, then half the chile mixture. Sprinkle with half the cheese and repeat layering. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes at 450. Uncover and bake till top is browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.

What in the World are Probiotics?

2009-08-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

Pro biotic: For (pro) life (biotic)
Antibiotic: Anti (against) life (biotic)

I first really understood what probiotics were when one of my kids a few years ago took an antibiotic for an abscess. With everything in me, I didn't want her eczema to flare up again, so I gave her a probiotic. Since then, our family takes probiotics almost daily. I use it for cavity prevention, after someone has thrown up to get the good bacteria flowing again, before someone throws up to get rid of the bad bugs, indigestion, and as an illness preventative.

You've seen the ads. Probiotics this, probiotics that. Yet, when I suggest them to people, they still give me a blank stare like they haven't heard of them.

Probiotics are incredibly important for you immunity, your digestion, your skin, really everything.

Why do you need them?

Short explination: Your body has a balance of bacteria in your system. The good bacteria keeps you healthy. The 'bad' (I put bad in quotes because it's not that the bacteria is so much bad as it can become bad, like my little 4 year old when she wants candy and I won't give it to her), so the bad bacteria can over run the body when you don't have enough of the good bacteria and wreck havoc on your system, causing all sorts of symptoms like yeast infections, fatigue, brain fogginess, eczema, lowered immunity, etc.

Probiotics are basically your good bacteria. The bad bacteria, namely yeast, can literally eat you from the inside out if it's overrun in your system. The role of yeast in our body, is that it primarily helps your body decompose after you have died. But if you have too much of it and not enough good bacteria, it can help you decompose while you are alive.

Why does our good bacteria die off? We are inundated with antibiotics....
stress, processed food, literal antibiotic medicines, other pharmaceuticals, vaccines, plastics...we are all exposed to toxins that kill off our good bacteria.

There are tons of studies on probiotics, like how it increase brain function, immune function by up to 70%, prevent tooth decay, improve behavior, improve digestion.

Here are some studies to whet your whistle:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluNews/story?id=8167051&page=1
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE56Q4PX20090727
http://www.naturalnews.com/026802_probiotic_probiotics_disease.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/026772_colic_bacteria_health.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/024968_probiotics_probiotic_health.html
http://mizar5.com/probiotics.html

With the cold and flu season fast approaching, if you do nothing else to boost your immune system, incorporate probiotics into your routine. They come in many forms:

pill
liquid
chewable's
powder
food, like some yogurts, sauerkraut, and miso

You can also make your own probiotics quite easily and inexpensively, but whatever you get, make sure that your probiotics are refrigerated. It dies in heat, which is why people who live in hot climates need even more supplementation!

Here is a short list of symptoms caused by too much bad bacteria and not enough good:

colic....lots and lots of colic
cradle cap that tuned into a lot of dandruff
eczema/dry skin
extensive diaper rash
prolonged wheezing after illness
psoriasis
unexplained anger
joint pain
fibromyalga
digestive problems
bloating
cramping (during menses or not)
diarrhea
earaches
asthma
allergies
athletes foot
gluten and or casein intolerance/Celiac disease
fatigue
IBS/Chrohn's
endometriosis/PCOS
mastitis (breastfeeding infection)
thrush
sore/cracked bleeding nipples during nursing

To remedy this, I suggest you take the Cand-e-Cleanse from www.herbalogie.com and a good probiotic and fish oil supplement, like Barlean's Lemon Swirl (My kids fight over who gets the fish oil first, it literally tastes like liquid Lemonhead candies). I had to tincture my own cand-e-cleanse formula (and added a little bit of sweet cinnamon to offset the bitterness) to give to my kids, but once their gut was in check, the difference was amazing! I can always tell just by their behavior alone when their gut is off balance now, it's that drastic.

If you have experience with probiotics, please post which brands you and your kids like best!

Depression: Detoxification Outweighs Drugs

2009-08-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Depression: Detoxification Outweighs Drugs

I had a hefty response to my very fist post on this blog, with some of the responders asking how to get off of anti depressants.

So, I give you this article.

There was a lot of things mentioned in this article, and I want to give feedback on my personal experience with some:

Mercury: I had some big allergic reactions as a preteen to mercury and subsequently got some of my fillings replaced. After that, I lost some weight, slept much better, had more energy and was a happier kid. Mercury is a huge toxin that needs to be avoided!

Aluminum: I reduced and have no eliminated my aluminum exposure after I heard rumblings of aluminum being connected to Alzheimer's (Which my Grandma had for years and years) as a teen. This heavy metal, along with mercury, is very damaging. Both cross the blood/brain barrier. Again, avoid it!

Candida (yeast) overgrowth: holy cow, this is a pervasive problem in our country, something like 80% of the population has an overgrowth leading to many varied symptoms. I have personal experience in balancing my yeast levels that I could write a whole blog post about, but long story short, balancing your yeast will make a WORLD of difference. And it can be easy!

Tryptophan: love this supplement. When my husband began taking it during his illness, all of the sudden he could sleep all through the night and took the edge off of his mood swings. BIG fan of tryptofan! Eat your nuts!!!

Depression: Detoxification Outweighs Drugs

Come Here Honey, and Give Me Some Sugar

2009-08-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

This article was my first ever newsletter entry, and it's such a prevalent topic, I thought I'd repost. I wrote this back when Wild Oats was Wild Oats, and not Whole Foods, so make adjustments where mentioned. It's long, but good!

Ah, sugar…..One of the topics most brought up with me when talking with someone who wants to make a healthier switch. And, rightly so. We Americans have become addicted to sugar, and the thought of living without it can send people into a panic. With the holidays fast approaching, and sugar ready to flood our parties, stores, and mindsets, it leaves many wondering ‘What am I to do?’ ‘How can I fend off my kid’s (and sometimes, spouses) whining and begging when they will soon be practically swimming in opportunity to eat sugar right and left?’

Back in 2000 I made the commitment to live the WOW, but it wasn’t until 2001 that I really put a lot of commitment into the sugar aspect of my diet. I was then pregnant with Sage and at the prompting of my good friend Jonelle, I decided to make a commitment to the Lord. We both decided that for one year, we would eat no refined, white sugar. Natural sugars were fine, but none of the white stuff. Keep in mind I was pregnant and the holidays were coming up…A double whammy. How could I pass up my ultimate comfort food at Christmas…my mom’s cinnamon rolls? Real convenient timing, eh? What if I had some pregnancy craving I just couldn’t resist? But making sacrifices isn’t about convenience, so I sucked it up and prayed for help.

Needless to say, I fell off the wagon about 3 times, and each time, because I had made a spiritual contract to avoid sugar, I paid the price with illness. After that year, though, I had a peek into what addicts go through, and never again will I cold heartedly pass judgment on them. The first 3 days were horrible. I went through the cupboards and refrigerator looking for sugar I knew wasn’t there, because I didn’t buy anything with the white stuff. I felt like a crazy person…like a crack addict looking for a hit. Maybe somehow I’d find a stray chocolate chip. Maybe, just maybe, Scott had hidden a candy bar somewhere in the house. Could the girls have dropped an M &M between the couch cushions? I’m glad there were no hidden cameras in my house, I was embarrassed for myself!

The first 3 weeks I thought about sugar all the time. The first 3 months was a lesson in self control and avoiding discussions about sweets. But after the first 3 months, and the holidays, it actually became second nature, although a point of confusion for most people that asked about by commitment. So, anyone who thinks they are not addicted to white sugar, think again. I won’t go into the chemical structure of white sugar, but when all is said and done, after looking at the science, it is clear that white sugar is an addictive substance.

One of the excuses I get as to why people can’t stop using white sugar is the cost of alternative and natural sugars. I address this issue in two ways. First off, once you start eating healthier, you crave sugar less, therefore your ‘demand’ for sweeteners diminishes greatly, and you are not buying sweeteners at the rate you once were anyway. For instance, I find when I have an all fruit smoothie in the morning, not only do I not crave a sweet for the majority of the day, but in fact I often turn them down. Secondly, if you really wanted to make the switch, you would make it work financially. You know, meat costs a pretty penny, yet I never hear anyone complaining how they can’t afford to buy meat. They just make it work, right? And in that vain, per the WOW’s instruction, we are to restrict our meat intake as it is, so just take the money set aside for meat and put it towards natural sweeteners. Also, if you pray to find cheap sources of natural sweeteners, believe me you will find them. If you are living the WOW, it’s that whole “hidden treasures of knowledge” thing that the Lord promises in D&C 89.

Natural sweeteners not only can act and taste just like refined sugar, but some, if not most, have a definite medicinal benefit, stevia and xylitol to name a few. If you have subscribed to this newsletter, I assume you are motivated enough about health to know at least a handful of harmful things white sugar does, so I’ll spare you the preaching. Instead, let me point you to the alternatives to white sugar, as well as my feedback on a few of them. These are just what I would use in baking and I will list these in order of my favorites:

1. Honey: I love honey. My third born's middle name is Honey (after my Grandma, who’s birthday she was born on, but it’s a nice coincidence that I love honey. Plus it’s fun to say, “Come here, Sage Honey”) It comes in tons of varieties and also has many medicinal properties. I prefer raw honey, because the heating/pasteurization kills many of the nutrients and enzymes. I also like raw honey because it’s sure to be organic. Conventional honey is gathered by bees from plants sprayed with pesticides and chemicals and those chemicals end up in the honey we eat. Further, conventional bee keepers use sulfa compounds and antibiotics on the bees regularly. At the end of the season when they are ready to extract the honey, conventional bee keepers will kill the bees with calcium cyanide and carbolic acid. Organic bee keepers don't do that; they work with nature. The bees gather nectar from organic plants. Since bees can fly around a certain area, the entire radius must be free of pesticides. The plants depend upon the bees for pollination. This furthers the entire organic process! Supporting organic honey supports our earth.

2. Sucanat: This word comes from the term Sugar Cane Natural. I first found out about this in 1999 from a random little healthy living newsletter. When I brought it home, I had my husband taste it and he went a little nuts. “Where did you get this?! This is the stuff we used to eat in Brazil. It was the only sugar they really had.” Also, I couldn’t keep the girls away from it – they loved it! I knew I had a winner. It was also relatively affordable compared to other natural sweeteners. How it’s made: After sugar cane is harvested, it is pressed to squeeze out the juice. The juice is then filtered and evaporated to remove excess water. The resulting syrup is then crystallized, and it is rich in molasses flavor plus the vitamins, minerals, and trace elements found in the sugar cane plant remain as a source of nutrition. Sucanat is rich in minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium) trace elements (chromium, copper, zinc, and other) and vitamins. Like other whole foods such as brown rice and whole wheat, Sucanat contains up to 3% mineral salts. Sucanat can be used as a one for one replacement for white and brown sugar. The only down side is that it turns everything brown. It also has a more subtle sweetness than refined sugars, which I personally like, but others don’t. Some also refer to this as evaporated cane juice, but you will see that these are two different things. Rapadura is another name for this product. I usually wait for a sale on the bulk sucanat at Wild Oats and then stock up.

Honey and Sucanat are pretty much the only sweeteners I use, but in a pinch, or if I’m feeling like I want something different; the following is what I reach for next:

1. Agave: LLLOOOVVEEE Agave. I first tried this about a year and half ago at Young Living Farms in Mona, UT. It is naturally "tapped" like maple syrup. It comes from the Agave cactus, native to Mexico, and best known for its use in making tequila. It is similar in consistency to honey but pours more easily. It dissolves nicely in liquid. It is 10% glucose and 90% fructose, but this is fructose in its natural form (unlike high fructose corn syrup). It is absorbed more slowly by the body since it is lower on the glycemic index, and therefore eliminates highs and lows of regular sugar. It does have a slight flavor to it but the lighter varieties have less than the darker varieties. It contains minerals like Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium. You can find it at health food stores, but it is a pricier item.

2. Date sugar: I started using this in 2002, when I would get it from a date farmer at the farmer’s market. It is intensely sweet and very granulated, similar in texture to refined sugar, but darker like sucanat. It is created from grinding dried dates. It is sweet with a wonderful flavor and can substitute regular sugar in recipes 1:1 while imparting more flavor, fiber, and nutrients. In fact it contains all the vitamins, minerals and fiber found in the fruit. However, it does not dissolve in liquid like sugar so it cannot be used in drinks. I bought a lot of this at the farmer’s market, so I am unclear where else it is carried.

3. Xylitol (pronounced Zylitol): I just found out about this one this year as a result in my quest to find ways to remineralize my girls’ teeth. Found naturally in fruits like strawberries, raspberries and plums, and trees such as birch, xylitol is also produced in our own bodies. Xylitol is from a group of sweeteners that are often used in food called sugar alcohols or polyols. These in fact are not either sugar or alcohols, but natural compounds formed from sugars. Not only does this look exactly like white sugar, it tastes very much like it, too. Also, many studies have found xylitol to be great for teeth and preventing cavities, but also good for diabetics. Recent studies show that
Xylitol destroys bacteria that may cause ear infections and ulcers and may even help strengthen bones. My only gripe, besides the price, is that it left somewhat a of a funky after taste when I made cookies with it, but that may have been a fluke, so I will keep on experimenting with this. But my girls LOVE the gum and tooth gel made from it, under the brand name Spry. You can also get this in syrup form. Available at the health food store.

So if none of these float your boat, below I have listed other natural sweeteners. Personally, I have no desire to use any other baking sweeteners, but please let me know your experience with any others!

1. Molasses (I do use this when called for in recipes). There is blackstrap molasses, which is ridiculously high in magnesium and copper, but the molasses that most people bake with is not blackstrap molasses, and while although still nutritious, should not be confused with blackstrap. Check the label, though, as you can get nutritious baking molasses

2. Maple Syrup and/or sugar (evaporated syrup crystals…like the ones left at the mouth of the maple syrup jar). Maple is incredibly high in potassium and calcium (better than milk!).

3. Sorghum (extracted from the sorghum cane (related to millet) and is similar to molasses in consistency, though the color and flavor is lighter.) High in niacin and iron.

4. Amasake (made by fermenting sweet brown rice.)

5. Stevia (not my favorite, but some people loves this plant leaf as it has a great nutritional and medicinal benefit)

Now, as far as store bought sweets, you can actually eat quite well buying baked goods, cookies and what not made from natural sweeteners from the grocery store. Typically evaporated cane juice and fruit juice sweeteners are used.

I want to give you a head’s up about evaporated cane juice, though. While although better and less refined than white sugar, this can also be really refined, and therefore not the first choice, in my opinion. Sometimes Sucanat is also called evaporated cane juice, so you need to be savvy in that regard, they are not the same thing. This processed cane juice is also known as Turbinado sugar and Demera sugar, Florida Crystals and Raw Sugar (these are steam-cleaned rather than bleached like white sugar).

Additionally, when it comes to fruit juice sweetened items, again, while although better than white sugar, when juice is concentrated, it is cooked down and therefore not only are the beneficial nutrients destroyed in cooking, but it turns from a complex sugar to a simple sugar. This is also the case with Brown rice syrup (made from fermented brown rice and sprouted whole barley) and barley malt syrup (made from whole barley which is sprouted to break down some of the carbohydrate into the simple sugar maltose.) Still, I’d eat these any day over white sugar.

Just as a side note, the term refined, as used in our food chain, has an interesting history. Several centuries ago, refined sugars were expensive to produce, and were also taxed at a higher rate. Therefore, only the affluent could afford them. Refined goods became a symbol of status. People who had access to these foods were called “refined” people. Interestingly, this affluent sector of the population also had a disproportionate rate of disease and illness as compared to the lower classes that only had access to unrefined, natural foods. There appear to be references to the evils of sugar as early as the 1800s when rations in the military were compared to standard civilian meals and it was determined that refined foods had a potentially negative impact on health.

I’m not even going to give the topic of artificial sweeteners any time. I hope everyone knows to stay away from these poisons at all cost. Yes, that includes Splenda.

So, eat well my fellow WOW junkies! You can have your cake and eat it, too. Please be sure to check out the web links in my sources as well.
Amy
Sources:
http://www.naturesflavors.com/default.php?cPath=164
http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/sweet.htm
http://www.janethull.com/newsletter/0705/organic-sucanat-natural-sweetener.php
http://www.everydiet.org/articles/sugar_and_alternatives.htm
http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/
http://www.xylitol.com.au/

How Industry Giants are Undermining the Organic Movement

2009-07-30T18:42:00.001-07:00

How Industry Giants are Undermining the Organic Movement

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Chlorine in Your Baby Carrots

2009-07-28T21:16:00.001-07:00

Chlorine in Your Baby Carrots

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A Principle with a Promise

2009-07-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

Ezra Taft Benson:
The Word of Wisdom is a law—a principle with promise. If we obey the provisions of the law, we receive the promises. If we do not, there will be both temporal and spiritual consequences.

. . . In this revelation the Lord counsels us to use meat sparingly. I have often felt that the Lord is further counseling us in this revelation against indiscriminately killing animals, for He has said elsewhere in scripture, "Wo be unto man that sheddeth blood or that wasteth flesh and hath no need." (D&C 49:21.)

Wheat is particularly singled out as being good for man, as is the fruit of the vine—vegetables and all fruits. This is the wisdom of the Lord on the matter of sound nutrition and diet.

("A Principle with a Promise," Ensign, May 1983, 53)

Research Shows Children are Critically Susceptible to Pesticides

2009-07-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Research Shows Children are Critically Susceptible to Pesticides

Study: Caffeine may boost miscarriage risk

2009-07-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

Study: Caffeine may boost miscarriage risk

The Kaiser study looked at 1,063 women in the early stage of pregnancy. Among women who consumed no caffeine, the miscarriage rate was 12.5 percent. In comparison, 25.5 percent of women who consumed more than 200 mg of caffeine a day miscarried.

The Doctrine of Signatures

2009-07-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

I've gotten a good email a few times this past year, so maybe you've seen it before, but it's definitely worth posting. Hats off to whoever compiled it!

It highlights a fascinating thing that God has done with some of His creations. He made them look like the organ they treat. That, in a nutshell, is the Do c trine of Signatures...that God has signed his creations. This is a very ancient theory, one that is pretty useful, in fact. Referred to in the classical period of Rome as the "Law of Similarities" it is now called by scientists, "Teleological Nutritional Targeting".

So, enjoy this great bit of info regarding the Doctrine of Signatures:

Peanuts have a profound effect on the testicles and sexual libido. Peanuts were banned as a food for males by the church ofin during the middle ages. Most people don't realize that arginine, the main component of Viagra, comes from peanuts.

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and science shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Eggplant, Avocados and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? ... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries and testicles.

Grapefruits, Oranges, and other citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

I Had a Love Affair Last May....With Dirt.

2009-07-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

I really don't profess to be a great gardener - or really a gardener at all. Don't ask me to tell you what to plant next to each other, how to pollinate (see my friend's hilarious post on pollinating) or when to know if something is ready to pick. In fact, the only reason why I tried gardening years ago, is because I knew I 'should' do it, but primarily because the gardening book I bought had a money back guarantee. I was sure I was going to kill everything like I had before, so I wanted to be sure I only lost time, not money.

I really had no plans to do a garden this year. I knew the time (even though it's a short time with this method, it's intense) and expense - self imposed, mind you - involved in setting up my lazy man's garden, so I just scratched it off of this year's list. Until, my neighbor Mia asked me if I wanted to split a plot with her. We live in an HOA that provides organic community gardens. Initially I was opposed to community gardens, for who knows why, but the thought of splitting our time and cost and still getting results??? I couldn't resist. I sold her on my method, and we went to work. If we didn't have to dig out the plot we had, it would have been no problem, but we spent 75% of our time digging that weed infested dirt out and hauling in new compost, peat moss, worms, bone meal and mulch.3 of the 5 garden slaves, I mean fairies

In the middle of it all, I took a breather, looked at this rich, dark, moist, good smelling compost and fell in love. I loved the way it looked, felt, smelled, and I loved what it was going to give me. I bent down, picked up a handful and rolled it around. When I would get home, I would think about it and wonder if the worms loved it as much as I did. I was almost jealous of them. As I found myself going on and on about my soil to other people who gave me blank stares, in my head I knew I sounded a little mad, but it was almost as if someone else was controlling my mouth. I couldn't shut up about it.

We got all of our seedlings in, watered faithfully and waited with baited breath. When, oh when, were we going to eat our first pepper or tomato or pea??? I had complete faith in my system. It promises no weeding and no tilling. Just water and add compost every so often. I did this method for 2 years in Las Vegas with great success, so I knew it would be a no fail in Utah, right?

Our June was wacky. Lots and lots of rain. I would go to water occasionally and be disappointed that the only thing really progressing was the spearmint and one little bell pepper. I was none too happy.

I didn't do all this work for one miniture bell pepper!

Then July came! Wow...our garden took off. I apologized to my soil for doubting it's power and had renewed faith. Last Sunday I went to water, and thought I'd give one of our zucchini's another 3-4 days to mature. I came back 1.5 days later and it had doubled! The peas, the cilantro....ah, it is so very satisfying.

I wish everyone could know the joy of investing in a garden. It really holds many lessons. Honestly, the book makes it pretty fail proof, and you could technically do it for free or close to it if you planned far enough ahead, but the money and time I shelled out has already been worth it in teaching my girls the joys of working hard, planting, being patient and savoring all our hard work in one bite. Before this, my girls wouldn't touch a pea, now they fight over who gets to split the shell and eat the first pea. You'd think it was gold.

Well, that little book is a gem. It's called Lasagna Gardening . I look forward to next year, when there will be no work involved in getting the soil ready and I will actually start my own seeds. If you've never gardened before, or have been previously traumatized by a garden gone wrong, don't give up! Honestly, this book is Gardening for Dummies.

Honey Soothes the Coughing Child

2009-07-09T18:37:00.001-07:00

Honey Soothes the Coughing Child

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Declare Your Independence.....From Pharmaceuticals

2009-07-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

It is the 4th of July. I love the 4th. As I reflected for 30 seconds today on the freedoms I enjoy (I have 5 kids and a husband, you know....my reflections are short lived these days), I thought of the typical stuff....

Freedom to worship freely
Freedom to educate my children how I see fit
Freedom to wear stripes with polka dots

I also thought of one of the freedoms I enjoy most....my health. When you are healthy you have the freedom to think clearly, move easily, and be closer to God. The Word of Wisdom guarantees that. This line of thinking led me to appreciating the fact that my family has always been pharmaceutical free, if you don't count the 3 times we've taken antibiotics in the last 14 years. Once for a postpartum UTI 13 years ago, once for celulitis for dd #3, and once for an abscess for dd #4. All of which I wouldn't have done, given the knowledge I have now.

I am well aware that some people need their meds for life threatening conditions, and in no way am I saying that everyone everywhere needs to replace or drop their meds.

But when we talk about food storage and living without our modern conveniences, it never fails that someone says, "What am I going to do about the medications I'm taking?" To which I've yet to hear a suitable answer.

My mom takes about 7 pharmaceuticals today. At one time she was taking 11. I caught my parents at a choice time in their lives where allopathic medicine had failed them and they had turned to nature and God instead. Apparently, I was the only one out of us 6 kids that caught this window, and boy am I grateful. The last time I remember seeing an allopathic doctor was when I was 5 or 6 at the pediatrician for an ear infection. From then on out, I saw an MD turned homeopath that was in our ward.

I woke up one morning at age 11 and really struggled to walk. My legs were in pain when I did. Sometimes in the morning I would be so dizzy that I couldn't see anything but fuzz and I was a terrible insomniac. They took me to Dr. Royal, who I didn't know wasn't 'a regular' doctor, but it was fun going to him. He'd give me vials to hold, push down on my arm, read my feedback on this archiac computer. Turns out I had major allergies. I'd go home, inject myself with shots (which I didn't know were homeopathics), and call it good. This went on for a year and then my allergies were gone and I was fine. My parents also got involved in Sunrider at this time from my aunt and uncle, an MLM that marketed Chinese herbs. So, I'd take herbs and homeopathics, not really knowing I was doing anything out of the norm. My mom never explained anything to me. She herself had very limited knowledge about what she was doing, so I can't blame her too much for my lack of knowledge.

My mom got in a car accident about 7 or 8 years ago, which got her scared and started on the domino of drugs she's on now. Granted, she only hurt her wrist, but you know, she's older so she has to take osteoporosis drugs, right? Those gave her a heart problem, so now she's on heart meds and has had multiple heart surgeries, which messes with her potassium levels, so she has to take a drug for that, of course or else she'll faint. Also, she's always had trouble sleeping, but the meds give her even more trouble, so she takes a sleeping pill. The sleeping pill does this or that, so she has to take another drug to treat that. You know the drill.

So, I asked my mom...
"Mom, what happens when you can't get your meds anymore?"
"Well, we do have a 15 day supply."
"Okay, but what happens after that?"
"I don't know. We just pray, I guess. Or maybe I'll just will lay down and die."

That's the spirit, mom. Unfortunately, I don't think that attitude is so uncommon, though. It makes me sad. And sure, I guess that would be an option, one that some might willingly take, but what if the Lord won't allow it? What if you give up, try to die, but the Lord has other plans? Or what if others end up depending on you for their survival but you're too sick to do anything?

I don't know. It's not a scenario I like thinking about, to be honest. To see all the pain, suffering and chaos happening when people can't get their drugs and they are going through withdrawals. I fear the government will implement some sort of trade with these desperate people that they will feel forced to take.

'Give us your food storage, we'll give you you're meds.'
'Let us implant a chip in you and you can have your meds.'
You see where I'm going with this...it's not lovely thinking.

Like I said, my family has manged to stay pharma free our entire marriage. Not by luck or chance, but through work, study, prayer and blessings. When I tell people that my kids have never had an ear ache, only two of them have had antibiotics once, my husband took no meds during his serious illness, I think half of them don't believe me. I'm not saying this to boast or brag, but to give hope and encouragement.

Maybe you can't go off of all your meds, but you probably can go off of some. For those with major illnesses, like thyroid or heart problems, I always advise to go off of meds under the care of a trained and skilled alternative practitioner. But, on this 4th of July, give yourself back your freedom and replace those meds with better living, herbs, homeopathics, essential oils, massage...whatever your chosen modality is. And for heaven's sake (literally) clean up your diet!! I've seen many people do it and improve their lives. You CAN reduce your meds or be pharma free!

Even if that day never comes that you can't get your meds, you will have given yourself and your family multiple blessings in becoming healthy and liberated. It's peace of mind knowing that the only person you depend on for your health and wellbeing is God and the bounties from the earth.

In Health,
Amy

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HolisticLDSliving.com Can it be?! Yes! You can now register for the conference. Please visit the website www.holisticLDSliving.com and click on 'register'.

Additionally, vendor and advertising applications are being accepted.

Spread the Word!