Feedback Please!

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!

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

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

Are Organic's Really Worth It?

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

Good Bacteria Fight the Flu

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The Deliciousness of Homemade Polenta

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?

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!