Tag Archive for Turmeric

5 Fun Drink Recipes To Improve Weight, Energy, and Inflammation

debbie (27)Great weight, good energy, and optimum health? Oh yeah, they’re important. If you read this blog, you know it’s not a low calorie, low fat diet that makes Health,.. it’s Nutrients; and we get Nutrients from our food. That’s why I’m such a Real Whole Foodie.

Here’s the thing though, it’s more than eating good fats, good proteins, and a ton of Vegetables. Real nutritional powerhouses are Herbs and Spices, and if we want to “up our game”, we need to learn how to incorporate them into our every day life.   The problem: herbs and spices scare people.

Don’t Panic! I get comments all the time like: “I don’t know how to use herbs.” “I don’t know which herbs or spices taste good”, and, ” I don’t have time to do those big recipes that have herbs and spices Debbie, I’m busy!”.
It’s okay! Busy people can be healthy too. Everything’s a journey, right?

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, and that’s how you’re going to approach eating healthy every day. Everything’s only difficult until it’s routine. Then it’s no big deal.

Consider this: (1) We Americans grow up with pretty Bland Tastes: we want sweet, or we want salty. We were raised that way, and for the most part, we’re raising our kids that way. This isn’t working out very well. And (2) we’ve been convinced that Nutrition and Health come from a Pill, a doctor, or Processed Food products with tricky names, like “Ensure”. (Check out the ingredient list of ensure at the end of this Post.) Awareness is a big part of the battle, right?

Here’s a short primer on a handful of herbs and spices, and ideas on how to use them.  If I can do it, you can do it. I was brought up on salt, pepper and sugar, like all good American farm girls. I evolved though, and you can too. Here’s some super delicious (HONEST) recipes to up your nutrition:

20150426_082054This is my Ginger Juice:)
I make this several days a week and put a little in our teas and our waters. It’s simple: buy big, knobby ginger, cut off a piece, peel it, and then chop it into little pieces. Put the pieces in a jar, and fill the jar with hot water. I let this sit and steep over night. Ginger’s anti-inflammatory, great for digestion, and stomach upset. I always make sure to chew and swallow a piece or two also, I’ve grown to appreciate the bite. Ginger’s a great source of iron, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus.

This is a morning smoothie. Smoothies can be SIMPLE (base, fruit, and ice), or smoothies can be vehicles for piling on the nutrients, which is what I do! This smoothie has 2 raw eggs, coconut milk, greens powder, cinnamon, nutmeg,smoothie411 and frozen berries. My smoothies change daily, and I try to keep a mental list of what I use one day so I can switch it around a little the next. Green powder is great for the liver, and now we’re finding that the chlorophyl in greens powder actually helps our cells make energy – just like it does for plants- THAT IS SO COOL! Cinnamon is great for lowering blood sugar, and fighting certain virus and fungi; and nutmeg boosts the immune system, and benefits the blood and skin.

This is Megan’s “Golden Milk” drink. The ingredients: Coconut milk, turmeric, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne, ghee/butter, and Maca. (Pimage (1)roof that our example matters, right?) Here’s some “whys”: Turmeric is super duper Anti-inflammatory, and multiple ( THOUSANDS ) of studies show it’s benefits in cancer, cystic fibrosis, heart health, and and more.   **Turmeric can be off-putting for those of us not used to it’s flavor. I eased my way into the taste by using Garam Marsala and Curry, two spice mixes that incorporateimage Turmeric, but are less pungent.  While I still LOVE, and use, those spices, I’ve also come to love the taste of turmeric.

Vanilla’s shockingly healthy! It has loads of antioxidants and phytonutrients, which means it not only feeds our cells, but can reverse oxidative damage to our cells, much like turmeric. Cayenne’s another powerhouse: weight loss, digestion, throat congestion, heart disease, the list goes on and on. And Maca, have you heard of that? That’s a herbal “adaptogen” That means it makes hormones “normal”, and who doesn’t need normal hormones? Seems like most of us are walking around with totally Crazy Hormones.

20150224_144352 (1)Next, here’s a tea I make in my French Press: black tea, whole cloves, ginger, and slippery elm. Cloves are very anti fungal, anti bacterial, and anti viral, they’re strong. They’re also indicated in fighting cancer, protecting the liver, and fighting mouth disease. The slippery elm has been my new go-to since last fall. Slippery elm helps the body build mucus ( YES – we need mucus. Delete the TV commercials that picture mucus as Bad Bugs out to get us. Reality: when we’re sick, mucus is instrumental in getting the Bad Stuff out of our body. Plus, several parts of our body are supposed to be lined with mucus, like our throat, our stomach, and our lungs. When we don’t have enough mucus, bad stuff happens.) I started using Slippery Elm (and marshmallow root) this fall, most days of the week. For the first time since high school, I didn’t lose my voice once this past winter, nor get a scratchy throat. Slippery elm (and marshmallow root) help the body build it mucus where it needs it.

20150422_140548And finally, here’s one of my favorite afternoon drinks:  In my french press I mix decaf coffee, cocoa beans, coconut flakes, and then usually turmeric, and here I added Ashwagandha.   THIS IS SO GOOD.   ** My decaf is “Swiss Water” decaffeinated, and it matters.  If you’re not drinking Swiss Water decaffeinated coffee, you’re drinking chemically decaffeinated coffee.  Not only do you drink those chemicals, but studies show chemically decaffeinated coffee isn’t nearly as caffeine free as you may think.  Swiss Water is a patented process that only uses water to decaffeinate, and strips out almost 100% of the caffeine.

Coffee is a Nutritional Powerhouse, so is Cocoa.  The phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, are abundant.  So are the health benefits.

Ashwangandha’s another “adaptogen”; it benefits thyroid and adrenal function. It’s also supposed to reduce brain cell degeneration – I need that!

Did you notice that I used the word “anti-inflammatory” often? Let me link anti-inflammatory and weight loss:  If we can’t lose weight despite working out and eating fairly well, it’s probably because our cells are “inflamed” with either Insulin or Leptin Resistance.  When the cell is inflamed, all the doors on the cell that open for nutrients, are instead, shut.  These anti-inflammatory herbs and spices can help reverse that, and correct cell metabolism so that nutrients can get in and be “burned”, which is a dumb term, but paints a good picture.

My point: anti-inflammatory foods aren’t just for sore joints, and bad stomachs, and chronic disease; they have a profound effect on our metabolism.  Who doesn’t want a better metabolism?

Honestly everyone, there’s a whole new world out there to explore when you start diving into to the components of food, and learn how they benefit our body.

When we get sick, or fat, or run down, we’re not missing a medication.  Think about that:  we’re not LOW on meds.  We’re low on Nutrients that our body uses to function, and build, and repair.  It’s so worth the effort to learn a little bit every day of how our body works and what we can do to make it better.

We’re not a Math Equation, we’re a Chemistry Set.  Food is Medicine, or Food is Poison;  our health, our weight, our energy is the cumulative result of what we do every day, day in, day out.  Make choices that produce great end results, and see your health and weight and energy improve day by day, month by month, year by year.

References and Resources:

Check out Drug and Herb Interactions here: www.standardprocess.com/MediHerb-Document-Library/Catalog-Files/herb-drug-interaction-chart.pdf

Research Herbs and Foods here:

www.greenmedinfo.com

www.organicfacts.net

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed

Learn about Swiss Water Decaf:

http://www.swisswater.com/consumer/swiss-water-process

And the Health Benefits of Coffee and Cocoa Beans:

http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-cocoa.html

http://authoritynutrition.com/why-is-coffee-good-for-you/

Great Place To Buy Herbs: www.mountainroseherbs.com

Ashwagandha Benefits: www.draxe/ashwagandha

Finally, look at the ingredients in Conventional Medicine’s healthy drink: Ensure.  Hint, it’s disgusting.  www.rocksolidnutritionandwellness.com/how-to-really-lose-weight-it’s-not-by-dieting-and-a-looks-healthy-but-isn’t

Natural Cures, They’re Real! Learn What You Can Do For Yourself and Your Family.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWho doesn’t want a stronger immune system? Between us and our kids, a weak immune system leads to: trips to the doctor, days off of work or school, trips to the pharmacy, that run down/scratchy throat/headachy/ miserable feeling, and possibly worst of all, if you take any common drug for your symptoms, side effects.

My last Post was on the Immune System. In this Post, I’m going to give you more proven steps to boost your own bacteria and virus fighting abilities.  Our immune system was designed to be a Fantastic, Super Strong, Fighting Machine.  In a perfect world. (Really, who gets 8 hours of sleep every night and always “manages” their stress???)

We don’t live in a perfect world, so we ABSOLUTELY need to take every step possible to make ourselves stronger.

Here’s 14 ideas (barely scratching the surface) for the next time you either “feel something coming on”, or you’re already sick.  Honestly, judging from the success I’ve had with my own family of 6 naturally boosting our immune systems or ditching a bug, these Traditional Therapies honestly work.  If you want proof, click on the links.  Click even if you don’t need proof – it’s important to LEARN about the compounds in Real Whole Food so you can use food as Medicine.

I’m going to guess many of these you’ve never heard of.

#1 Go To: Garlic.  I could never be a vampire, I do a LOT of this. Chop or crush a clove ( or 2), let it rest for 15 minutes ( oxygen activates it’s medicinal properties) and then swallow it down. It goes down surprisingly well – HONEST.  Oh, DON’T CHEW IT, unless you’re really really sick, and very tough.

#2 Go To: Garlic in a spoonful of Honey.  Manuka Honey has actual anti-bacterial properties, butmanuka garlic even regular RAW honey is loaded with healing properties.

#3: Ginger:  Buy a knob at the store, peel and grate the whole thing, and then baggy and freeze it flat.  It’s a time saver.  Crack off a piece and drop it into your tea or hot water, or your food.  Ground ginger is good too, just not as powerful.

#4: Oregano Oil:  This is a powerful antibiotic.  I’m big into essential oils, we’ve been using them for a few years now, and yes, it does matter that you buy yours from a company with a good reputation.  I use DoTerra.  There’s others, Young Life comes to mind, but I don’t know much about them.  Oregano Oil can be applied topically, on the bottoms of the feet, or over glands/lymph nodes.  My oldest daughter and I actually rub a drop or two in our mouths – it tastes beyond horrible, but sometimes it’s worth it.

I also use Oregano Oil in a pill form (it’s called ADP) from a great supplement company called Biotics.  All my girls have a bottle of this whereever they are ( school, traveling, etc), it’s very strong, and while there is a slight oregano odor, there’s no taste.  If they’re home, I have them swallow the pills and I also rub the oil on the bottoms of their feet.

#5: Fermented Foods: We should all be eating something fermented, whether it’s kombucha, keifer, GOOD yogurt, saurkraut, kimchi, Bubbies Pickles, EVERY SINGLE DAY. Talk about loads of beneficial bacteria!  I’ve been getting amazing krauts from my co-op, with all sorts of interesting vegetables in them.  Check out www.localharvest.com to see what you have available in your area.

#6: Rose Hips:  I buy them in bulk from the health food store, grind them, and put a big spoonful in my morning smoothies.  Not only are they an ENORMOUS source of Vitamin C, and the co-factors necessary for absorption, they’re loaded with anti-inflammatory properties.  Buying herbs in bulk from a trusted health food store is CHEAP.

#7: Coconut Oil: It’s not just for preventing Alzheimer’s and Dementia, coconut oil is loaded with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties.  This is something that should be incorporated every day, in cooking, baking, foods, and it’s also excellent in your tea or coffee.

#8: Vitamin C and Zinc: Whether you feel it coming, or you’ve already got it, zap a cold/flu with small doses every 3 or 4 hours.

#9: Turmeric: BIG TIME anti-inflammatory. You can use a supplement ( that would be Curcumin), or buy a jar of Organic Turmeric the next time you’re at the store, and start adding it to what you’re cooking.  If the taste is too strong start with a curry instead.  There’s  turmeric in it’s ingredient mix; it’s an easy way to get used to the flavor. Pretty soon you’ll love it, I promise!

#10: Echinacea: I use it in both a Tincture or tea.  Either way, this is a BIG immune booster.  People with auto-immune conditions should NOT use echinacea.  It’s TOO stimulating.

#11: Clove Oil:  Huge go-to for me.  Again, I use DoTerra Clove Oil.  Clove’s medicinal properties are endless.  This oil, just like the oregano oil, is POWERFUL.  When you use essential oils, you only need a drop, 2 at the most.  I use clove oil throughout the year in my smoothies ( a couple times a week ), but if I feel something coming on or need to fight a bug, I use it every day.

#12:  DON’T HAMPER YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH SUGAR, GRAINS, OR CHEMICALS.  Ever.  It doesn’t matter if you have the best Natural/Traditional program in the world if you put crap in your mouth.  Food is Medicine.  Food either builds us up and makes us stronger, or it makes us weaker.  There are NO NEUTRAL FOODS.

#13: Don’t use the hand blowers in public restrooms! Studies have shown a four-fold increase in the number of bacteria on people’s hands after using a blow dryer. GROSS! One study from 2009, found that people who used a blow dryer to dry their hands had two to three times as many bacteria on their hands as they did before washing them. Not only that, many of the bacteria were pathogenic— the kind of bacteria that cause disease.   Apparently, the vents and bottoms of the dryers get contaminated with all sorts of germs, and the warm, moist environment is a perfect place for them to thrive.

WHO KNEW??

#14: Don’t use the soap in public bathrooms, or touch the door handles.  Any soap in a public bathroom is going to be cheap, full of chemicals, and probably Anti-Bacterial.  Read what the science ways about anti-bacterial soaps.   There’s some great NATURAL anti-bacterial hand sprays and wipes you can find almost anywhere now, check the healthy aisle of your grocery store, or make your own.

Remember, drugs for symptoms DON’T MAKE US HEALTHY.  They just suppress the symptoms while our immune system struggles to overcome the Bad Guys.  Drugs also cause damage to the gut, the liver, etc. Help your Immune System by turning to these proven methods.  Read!  Learn!  Your body responds to these Natural Compounds beautifully.

Use a diet of Real Whole Foods, smart Natural supplements, good sleep, stress management, and appropriate exercise, and I promise your trips to the doctor will literally plummet.  It’s NOT normal to be sick all the time.  Take control of your life and your habits ( and teach this to your children), and get the healthy body you’re meant to have.