decisions, decisions...

we've been toying with the idea of urban homesteading this year. i wonder if i could get away with ducks in the back yard? i mean, we do live in a rural area and there's a rooster across the road/creek that "goes off" at all hours of the day. city girl thought roosters only crowed at the break of dawn. wrong. so wrong. :( i do have some funny stories i could share of when i was in high school and we moved to this rural area and all the stupid things i did. how was i to know? i'm sure i'll be doing many more stupid things. LOL

but the "decisions, decisions..." comes from wanting to re-name this blog and share our veggie life and urban homesteading in one place. Since my business is called Prim Rose Hill i think my husband has decided to name it Prim Rose Hill Homestead.

so if there's any lurkers out there in blogland reading :)
i think i will change the name and web address on Saturday May 19 to......

 primrosehillhomestead.blogspot.com

you can just click and go! :)

Meatless Mondays: Easy Black Bean Soup

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 4 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream (optional), (vegans use Tofutti)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add beans, water, salsa and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice.
2. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree (use caution when pureeing hot liquids). Stir the puree back into the saucepan. Serve garnished with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.

Tips & Notes:  Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Garnish with sour cream and cilantro, if desired, just before serving.

Meatless Mondays: Rainbow Stir-fry

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer

Kids and adults will love this sweet-and-spicy stir-fry. Serve over brown rice.


Ingredients:

3 Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate
2 Tbs. hoisin sauce
1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
½ tsp. chile-garlic sauce
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
½ lb. green beans, halved crosswise
1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 15-oz. can baby corn, rinsed and drained
1 small red bell pepper, sliced (1 cup)
1 cup frozen, shelled edamame
1 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Whisk together orange juice concentrate, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and chile-garlic sauce in small bowl.

2. Heat oil in wok or large skillet over high heat. Add green beans, and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add 3 Tbs. water; stir-fry 3 minutes more. Add cabbage, baby corn, bell pepper, edamame, and water chestnuts; stir-fry 4 minutes. Stir in green onions and orange juice mixture; cook 1 minute more.

~~Vegetarian Times~~

making environmental (and healthier) changes...alittle at a time

i have included on the right hand side of my blog a new block called "what i'm reading right now" and that happens to be "sleeping naked is green" by vanessa farquharson.  i love the title of this book. and yes, i admit that when i saw the title, i picked it up out of curiousity. ;) the writer shares her daily changes (and the struggles) when she decided to make one little environmental change for an entire year on her blog. wow. i wouldn't have made it through the first month! i find myself reading a chapter or two when i can...i can't wait to find out the next change that she makes. i might be able to make the changes of showering in the dark, or using recyled paper towels (before she completely gives them up), banning all styrofoam (I hate that stuff anyhow and paper plates too!) or even starting a compost bin (although the thought of worms makes me want to throw up). the real problems for me would be giving up my car (i live in a rural area with no public transportation and it's 30 miles one way to work...over a mountain!), turning off my air conditioner in the summer (this one would kill me for sure, as hot and muggy as it gets here), handwashing all my dishes (oh God no, there aren't enough hours in the day now for everything I try to get done), or not using fruit and veggie wash or rinsing things for more than a second (i am obsessed with scrubbing my fruit and vegetables, especially the ones that aren't organic).

But as i read her book i realized that i had infact started to make some positive environmental changes in my life without even realizing it. and that made me feel better. so what have i done that is better?

1. no more paper plates, plastic bowls, cups, utensils, etc. instead i bought a thermos and take my tea in it everyday to work. i also bought a thermos for my soup. no more tupperware! ugh, they're bad for your health anyhow! and yes, i like eating with a "real" utensil. i even bought some reusable sandwich & snack baggies...no more ziploc plastic to throw away.

2. no more bottled water. after watching a documentary on the bottled water industry, i realized what a joke it is to buy this stuff. i remember when bottled water was first introduced i laughed and said "who in their right mind would pay for stuff out of a faucet?" turns out i was closer to the truth than i knew.  in an effort to get rid of fluoride from our water and other nasty stuff, we're buying a berkey.

3. switch to organic shampoo, conditioner, soap. omg, do you really want to know what chemicals are in your shampoo? and the body wash you slather on every morning? do you want to know how many of those chemicals are classified as carcinogens? run, don't walk, to the nearest natural foods/health foods place near you and invest in some organic products!

4.  use only non-toxic, phosphate-free dishwasher detergent. i switched over to seventh generation, no dyes, no fragrances. it's safer for you, your family, your pets, and the environment.

5. cancelled cable. Granted our reason for this was to save $$. i mean honestly though, we're paying $50 a month for 50 channels and i rarely find something to watch. ok, when "the walking dead" season 3 starts again in the fall, i'm going to be crying. but surely i can find it on the internet somewhere. oh please oh please. but for now, i am surprised i'm not missing it. in fact, i'm getting alot more productive "stuff" done! and we are signed up with netflix, so when the urge hits, i can watch a drama, comedy, or more documentaries to piss me off at "the government" and "big business".

6. make sure all the lights are turned off before leaving home. a nice, easy environmental change. ok, we did it to not give an extra dime to AEP. their rates are high enough and they're constantly asking for a rate increase. enough is enough! we're on monthly budget rating and can barely afford that.

7. switched to a natural toothpaste. we did it get rid of the floride and saccharin. two very scary ingredients in anything!

8. use stainless steel rather than non-stick frying pan (takes less time to heat up). and along with the environmental element comes the health issue. teflon is like death in frying pan. ditch those suckers and use the stainless steel only.

9. no more ordering food by delivery. yeah, this is another one of those that you can do for the environment, your health, or your wallet! lucky for us we live in a rural area where there's only like 3 places that deliver and the food sucks at all of them! ;)

10. pick weeds by hand rather than with use a pesticide.  we're going organic, baby! this will be our first year using container/square foot gardening and it's all going to be organically grown. the food prices are outrageous for good, healthy, quality, organic food. it's part of  "prim rose hill homestead" that's in the first stage of developement.

11. use cloth instead of paper towels for household cleaning. great way to use rags (old clothing, t-shirts, etc) or dishcloths/tea towels in the kitchen. we didn't use paper towels when i was growing up. my parents/grandparents thought that was too expensive to just use something you throw away after using one time. we need to get back into that mentality of thinking.

12. use the same fork or spoon you stir with to eat with. seriously, how much easier does it get than this? i mean, this is one of those things that you think sounds hokey, but think about how much we dirty up more utensils when that first one really isn't "dirty" to begin with. my dishwasher will fill up slower and that means less water and electricity  and $$ in the long run. not to mention you're an idiot for stirring your tea and then getting another clean one to eat with. ;)

13. use towels several times before changing them. i've been doing this one for years. i mean, how dirty can it be? you just took a shower!

14. not consuming anything that contains or is manufactured with genetically modified corn (ie. high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch, ethanol, corn-fed beef, most tea bags, etc). this is really a health issue for us. after you watch a few documentaries on corn, you will become a paranoid freak, throwing out everything in your kitchen cabinets that contain any form of corn. yep, if it's not "organic" you can bet it's a gmo. we've gone as far as to not buy anything corn, soy, or canola that's not organic. wow that eliminates processed food in a hurry!

15. Only buy beans dry, in bulk. as two vegetarians, we now eat alot of beans. i do buy some organic ones in the can occasionally, but i've been trying to freeze a few bowls here and there so i always have some cooked and ready to use in the house. much better than buying the heavily-salted ones in cans.

16. drink only organic teas. i LOVE numi teas. they are organic and the tea bags are NOT made from gmo-corn. yeah really. most teabags are not bio-degradable and that's why. so now i am spoiled by their aged earl grey & it's all i will drink.  i like that they are an pro-environment, use only organic teas, and no gmo bags. and the best way to show that is to purchase their products. yep, money speaks louder than words. you vote for a product every time you buy it. you tell that company that you approve of their product and you want them to continue making more. sometimes that's good and sometimes it's not. i'm trying to make it more "good".

17. signed up with freecycle.org. well, who knows what i can rid of instead of sending to the dump or dropping off at goodwill. maybe we'll find some ducks or composting worms. ;)

18.  Empty lint traps, cleaning filters on a regular basis. ok, this one i got. i always clean the dryer trap before using it. yep, each and every time.


Changes we'll be making within the next month:

1. buy or grow only local (US only) organic produce. much easier to do in the summer months when  the farmer's market are open again. what we don't grow, we can buy locally.

2.  use tote bags, no more plastic bags. really now. i should already be doing this. i bought the bags at wal-mart when i shopped there but kept forgetting to bring them with me every time i went to the store. i tried to put them in the car. then i'd get to the checkout counter and realize the darn bags were still in the car! ugh. i am going to have to get better about this. especially when i'm at the farmer's market or natural foods store.

3. switch to recycled toilet paper and paper towels. how bad can it be? of course, i never have to buy either since my in-laws stock up on both like there's a crisis coming. ;) everytime they come to visit, they've made a stop at sam's warehouse and bought oodles of paper. so when i finally have to buy it, i'm buying recycled! maybe i can convince them to change now...

4. switch to natural deodorant. i am in the process of doing this one now. oh man. i bought this "fresh apricot" smelling deodoarant & thought how wonderful! after about two hours, i smelled like rotten apricots. no joke. ok, maybe next i'll buy the unscented or order one a different brand online. ugh. this is a hard one.

5. find a pvc-free shower curtain liner. surely i can find one online! you can find anything online!

6. quit using nail polish (or nail polish remover). this is hurting me now. i'm trying. really i am. i've been wearing nail polish since i was 13 years old. i think my hands look better with those mauve-colored tips. i know it's bad for me and yes, it takes my breath everytime i paint  or remove the old polish. it makes me feel feminine.  i feel so blahhhh without it. i really hate this one.

7. use "green" and "natural" cleaners. ok, baking soda. vinegar. those are the two biggies i know about. i'll have to some research on green cleaning. one thing i know for sure: better for the environment and better for our health.

8.  no buying plastic ever again.  self explanatory. :)


Changes to make over the summer:

1. find a natural, safe, vegan, cruelty-free cosmetic company that isn't outrageous. this is going to take some time. I've been looking online and doing some research.

2.  compost. yuck. i will have to get over my queasies. i have been saving our tea for the compost pile/bin that jeff will be building soon. i will start saving our food scraps too.

Meatless Monday: Easy Green Coconut Curry

Serves 4

30 minutes or fewer 30 minutes or fewer

Prepared Thai curry paste is available in the Asian section of most supermarkets. If you can’t find green, feel free to use red or yellow. Since the paste is quite spicy, taste a little before you add it and use more or less as preferred. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts and cilantro if desired.

Ingredients:
1 cup reduced-fat coconut milk
1 tsp. green curry paste
1 ½ lb. frozen mixed Asian vegetables (mixes with peas are good here)
2 Tbs. teriyaki sauce
4 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:
Combine coconut milk and curry paste in wok or large saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil.

Stir in frozen vegetables. Simmer over medium heat 10 minutes.

Stir in teriyaki sauce, and serve over rice.

~~Vegetarian Times~~

Meatless Mondays...it's a great start!

I had heard of this movement, but didn't know they had a website until I stumbled across it in another blogger's post.  Meatless Mondays encourages folks to eat vegetarian for one day a week.  I think it's a great start. I remember back 15 years ago when I didn't think I'd make it as a vegetarian, it never occurred to me to try just one day a week. Like 99.9% of all meat eaters, I thought I needed a lot of animal protein or my body would shut down. ;) It seems rather funny now, but that's what our media and USDA have us brainwashed into believing.  I think I will go sign up with this website and start a Meatless Monday posting here. I did notice there are alot of vegetarian and vegan websites listed. :)

I wish everyone could realize the benefits that could come from everyone doing a Meatless Monday even if you can't take the whole plunge. :) Many benefits include our health, our environment, we could support local farmers (love those farmer's markets!), we would need to slaughter less animals and could be more humane to the ones we do, and let's not forget our wallets. Go Veg! :)

Strong scientific evidence shows that eating berries benefits the brain

As we age, one of the functions that can often deteriorate dramatically is our mental function - our brain power, if you will. The good news is, researchers may have discovered a way to prevent this kind of decline: Eat more berries.

That's right. According to research published in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, eating more blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and other berry fruits may help prevent age-related memory loss and other mental status changes.

In the journal article, Dr. Barbara Shukitt-Hale, PhD, and Marshall G. Miller note that as we live longer on average, there are increasing concerns about the social and monetary costs of treating Alzheimer 's disease and other forms of mental decline. That concern will only grow as the U.S. population continues to age.

Keep your brain healthy and functioning as you age

According to the research, eating more berries can have benefits for the aging brains. "To analyze the strength of the evidence about berry fruits, they extensively reviewed cellular, animal and human studies on the topic," said a press release from the ACS.

A review of the data found that there was strong scientific evidence that berry fruits help the brain remain healthy in a number of ways. For example, berry fruits contain high levels of antioxidants, "compounds that protect cells from damage by harmful free radicals." In addition, research shows that berry fruits alter the manner in which neurons in the brain communicate.

"These changes in signaling can prevent inflammation in the brain that contribute to neuronal damage and improve both motor control and cognition," said ACS, a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress.  "They suggest that further research will show whether these benefits are a result of individual compounds shared between berry fruits or whether the unique combinations of chemicals in each berry fruit simply have similar effects."

'Berry' good benefits

The ACS research isn't the first to suggest that antioxidants in berry fruits are beneficial to your overall health. The Global Healing Center also says berries are high in antioxidants and "have been shown to be some of the healthiest foods on the planet."

The antioxidants in berries and other fruits act as "scavengers" of free radicals, which create a destructive process on the cellular level, causing molecules within cells to become unstable, according to Dr. Edward Group.

"They may even be a big player in the formation of cancerous cells by a 'chain-reaction' effect, causing other cells to become damaged," he writes. "Because of the inherent instability of free-radicals, they try to attack other healthy cells to get stable themselves. This then causes the once-healthy cells to react in the same way, attacking others in [a] never-ending attempt for cellular stability."

Sources for this article include:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/healthy-berries/
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com

Meal Plans March 4 - 9

Sunday March 4:
B: pinto beans
L:  Curried eggplant & chickpea soup, Ezekiel wrap (MSF cal. turk'y "burger", peppers, mushrooms)
D: 13 bean soup

Monday March 5:
B: 1/2 pita bread (MSF cal. turk'y "burger", asparagus, mushrooms), 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon, cucumber)
L: curried eggplant & chickpea soup, org. blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: chickpea & spinach soup, nut sure salad (mixed greens, apple, walnuts, balsamic vinegar), hummus, jasmine tea

Tuesday March 6:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal w/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon, cucumber)
L: curried eggplant & chickpea soup, org. blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: pinto bean soup

Wednesday march 7:
B: 13 bean soup, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon, cucumber)
L:  1/2 pita (hummus, red peppers, mixed greens), org. blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: fishy sandwich, fries

Thursday March 8:
B; 13 bean soup, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon, cucumber)
L: 1/2 pita (hummus, red peppers, spinach), org. blueberries, almonds, tea
D:vegan foccacia pizza (spinach, mushroom, black olives), Red & black bean w/chickpea soup

Friday March 9:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal w/almond milk &banana, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, lemon, cucumber)
L:  1/2 pita (hummus, red peppers, spinach), grapes, almonds, tea
D: seitan & veggie curry stirfry over LC Pasta (dreamfields)

Enjoy jasmine and its many benefits

Derived from Chinese Green Tea leaves, jasmine tea has become one of the most popular teas around. Other names it is known by include Xiang Pian or Mo Li Hua Cha. This tea offers many health benefits, ranging from reducing stress to preventing certain types of cancer.

Jasmine tea is also widely known to lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, lower cholesterol levels and regulate aging processes in our bodies. It is claimed that drinking jasmine tea can assist those who want to lose weight. It also possesses sedative qualities and is said to help prevent strokes, arterial sclerosis and heart attacks.

A study done at Kansas State University showed that jasmine teas are able to inhibit the growth of bacteria such as Listeria and Salmonella, as well as those responsible for causing cholera, flu and dysentery. Gargling with this tea and/or using it as a mouthwash is said to help prevent tooth decay.

Using Jasmine tea can also assist with relieving headaches and respiratory problems. It helps to balance fluids in the body, making it a good choice for those suffering from water retention caused by PMS or any other medical condition. It has been claimed to have aphrodisiac qualities because of the fact that it contains linalool, jasmon, Indole and benzoic acetate (all of which are utilised by herbalists when preparing aphrodisiac remedies).

Preparing different types of jasmine tea:

Many people prefer to simply purchase the ready-prepared varieties, although you can also prepare the tea yourself from scratch using the following tips.

Iced tea can be made by using the green and white varieties of jasmine tea. Ensure that it is properly cooled before adding ice to it though. The green and white varieties of jasmine tea also contain higher concentrations of antioxidants than the oolong or black varieties.

Black: Boil some water and pour 1 cup (250ml) over a teaspoon of loose leaves. Cover and steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain and enjoy.

Oolong: Pour 1 cup (250ml) boiling water over a teaspoon of loose leaves. Cover and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain and serve.

White: Bring water temperature to 185F and pour 1 cup (250ml) over 2 teaspoons of loose leaves. Cover and steep for 5 to 8 minutes. Strain and serve.

Green: Bring water temperature to 160F and pour 1 cup (250ml) over a teaspoon of loose leaves. Cover and steep for 1 to 2 minutes. Strain and serve.

The reasons for different steeping times is that should it steep too much or too little, it can cause the tea to either be too weak or become bitter.

Pregnant women should exercise caution and not consume too much jasmine tea. It should also not be consumed on an empty stomach as it can cause raised levels of acidity in the body.

Sources:

http://www.liveandfeel.com/medicinalplants/jasmine.html
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5009088_health-benefits-jasmine-tea.html
http://www.syl.com/travel/jasmineteahealthbenefits.html

Meal Plans Feb 26-Mar 3

Sunday Feb 26:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L/D: pinto beans, rustic italian bread

Monday Feb 27:
B: Kashi Heart to Heart cereal/soymilk, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: 1/2 pita (lettuce, pepper, hummus), blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: eggplant curry soup, red cabbage slaw, seitan & mushroom burger

Tuesday Feb 28:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: 1/2 pita (lettuce, pepper, hummus), blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: seitan & mushroom burger w/red cabbage slaw, red bean & mushroom soup

Wednesday Feb 29:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: salad (mixed greens, green pepper, carrot) w/italian dressing, pistachios, blueberries, tea
D: hummus w/pita points, seitan & mushroom burger

Thursday Mar 1:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal w/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: 1/2 pita (lettuce, green pepper, onion, hummus), blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: tomato & corn chowder, hummus w/pita points

Friday Mar 2:
B: pinto beans, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: 1/2 pita w/mixed greens, green peper, onion, humus, blueberries, tea
D: bbq tofu & veggie stirfry, tea

Saturday Mar 3:
B/L: pinto beans, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon,spinach)
D: blackened crab-stuffed tilapia, broccoli florets, salad w/ranch dressing

No need to be so snarky, Paula

From Yahoo!TV news....Paula Deen is shrinking. The queen of Southern cooking looks noticeably smaller, and told People magazine she’s dropped two pants sizes.

The Food Network star, who is not shy with butter and frying up anything, came under fire when she revealed she had been living with type 2 diabetes for the past three years but continued to promote unhealthy cooking on her show (one of her dishes is a burger between two doughnuts). The condition is in part caused by obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle.

But Paula seems to be finally embracing a healthier outlook -- and it shows. The chef told the magazine that her new regimen includes walking for 30 minutes every day and cutting her portion sizes in half. She has also said she is easing up on sugary treats such as cake and sweet tea.

Paula still doesn’t know how much she weighs, telling People, "We don't own a scale in our house.” She adds, "Every six months I go for a physical and find out. Now it's time to see the doctor. She'll be so happy if I've lost weight."

The 65-year-old, who has teamed up with a drug company, Novo Nordisk, on a website called Diabetes in a New Light, promised to introduce lighter versions of her Southern-style food.

Paula told the Associated Press, "I am who I am. But what I will be doing is offering up lighter versions of my recipes." Just don’t expect a vegan menu: "I'm Southern by roots. I was taught (to cook) by my grandmother and nothing I can do would change that."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~  * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

And here comes my rant....Paula, I greatly resent the fact that you have hid your diabetes for the last two years while continuing to push your artery-clogging food. Really girl. What's up with that? Now you choose to lose weight after it finally comes to light about your diabetes. Don't you realize why people don't sympathize with you? I am very glad that you are losing weight because, as a diabetic, I too know the risk we put ourselves at with being overweight...AND CONTINUING TO EAT WRONG.

But I have to tell you, I greatly resent your comment. No, I don't expect to see you eating a vegan diet (although that would greatly improve your diabetes). But don't go saying that the reason you cook the way you do is because of your southern roots! I am a southern girl too and we never ate anything like you cook. For those of you from other parts of the country, NO, we do not cook pork fat & a pound of butter in everything (unless you're my mother-in-law, but that's another story). I never grew up eating that...and yes, I too, learned to cook from my grandmother. I had never heard of pork fat in beans until I was older and eating at a friend's house (and oh, yes, my body rebelled after eating it too. Believe me, it did!) Sure we used butter in moderation & we ate "sweets" on occasion, but I assure you, Paula Deen's cooking does not accurately represent the South.

Yeah, I am embracing a vegan lifestyle now and after 1 month my total cholesterol (as a pescatarian) dropped from 166 (which was good anyhow) to 137!! For the first time in my life, my HDL and LDL are great.

The last thing vegans and vegetarians need are for someone to be throwing snarky comments around about our food choices. We've made the choice to EAT TO LIVE, not LIVE TO EAT.

And I have to honestly say, I have never eaten this good before and I am loving the vegan choices I make now.  So keep chowing down, Paula, and throwing the lbs. of butter and fat in your food. As for me, I am looking forward to the day of being healthy and thin and not taking Metformin or sticking a needle in myself every day. And if eating healthy and making the right decisions is what it takes, I'm up for it. How about you?

Harvard study: Pasteurized milk from industrial dairies linked to cancer

The truth has once again shaken the foundation of the 'American Tower of Babel' that is mainstream science, with a new study out of Harvard University showing that pasteurized milk product from factory farms is linked to causing hormone-dependent cancers. It turns out that the concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) model of raising cows on factory farms churns out milk with dangerously high levels of estrone sulfate, an estrogen compound linked to testicular, prostate, and breast cancers.

Dr. Ganmaa Davaasambuu, Ph.D., and her colleagues specifically identified "milk from modern dairy farms" as the culprit, referring to large-scale confinement operations where cows are milked 300 days of the year, including while they are pregnant. Compared to raw milk from her native Mongolia, which is extracted only during the first six months after cows have already given birth, pasteurized factory milk was found to contain up to 33 times more estrone sulfate.

Evaluating data from all over the world, Dr. Davaasambuu and her colleagues identified a clear link between consumption of such high-hormone milk, and high rates of hormone-dependent cancers. In other words, contrary to what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the conventional milk lobby would have you believe, processed milk from factory farms is not a health product, and is directly implicated in causing cancer.

"The milk we drink today is quite unlike the milk our ancestors were drinking" without apparent harm for 2,000 years, Dr. Davaasambuu is quoted as saying in the Harvard University Gazette. "The milk we drink today may not be nature's perfect food."

Meanwhile, raw, grass-fed, organic milk from cows milked at the proper times is linked to improving digestion, healing autoimmune disorders, and boosting overall immunity, which can help prevent cancer. Though you will never hear any of this from the mainstream media, all milk is not the same -- the way a cow is raised, when it is milked, and how its milk is handled and processed makes all the difference in whether or not the end product promotes health or death.

American government seeks to further perpetuate the lie that all milk is the same with egregious new provisions in 2012 Farm Bill
Of particular concern are new provisions in the 2012 Farm Bill that create even more incentives for farmers to produce the lowest quality, and most health-destroying, type of milk possible. Rather than incentivize grazing cows on pastures, which allows them to feed on grass, a native food that their systems can process, the government would rather incentivize confined factory farming methods that force cows to eat genetically-modified (GM) corn and other feed, which makes them sick.

As it currently stands, the government already provides incentives for farmers to stop pasturing their animals, instead confining them in cages as part of a Total Confinement Dairy Model, aka factory farms. But the 2012 Farm Bill will take this a step further by outlawing "component pricing" for milk, which involves allowing farmers to sell milk with higher protein and butterfat at a higher price.

Allowing farmers to sell higher quality milk at a higher price provides an incentive for them to improve the living conditions on their farms, and milk better cow breeds. But the U.S. government would rather standardize all milk as being the same, and create a system where farmers continue to produce cancer-causing milk from sick cows for the millions of children to drink.

To learn more, visit:
http://www.anh-usa.org/healthy-milk-what-is-it/

Sources for this article include:

http://www.anh-usa.org/healthy-milk-what-is-it/

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2006/12.07/11-dairy.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/035039_raw_milk_pasteurized_CDC.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035081_pasteurized_milk_cancer_dairy.html#ixzz1nbMJwhhz

Curcumin in the war against prostate cancer and dementia

Curcumin, the active anti-inflammatory compound found in the Indian spice tumeric, has gained an impressive reputation in the fight against many deadly forms of cancer. New evidence released in the journal Cancer Research finds that the natural phenol can slow prostate tumor growth by blocking receptors used to propagate cell tissue growth.

Additional research published in the journal PLoS One explains the precise mechanism exerted by curcumin molecules to target the amyloid fibrils associated with the unnatural progression of protein-like plaque tangles that are characteristic in Alzheimer's disease patients. Adding curry spice to your healthy diet or supplementing daily with a standardized curcumin capsule will help win your individual war against cancerous proliferation and Alzheimer's dementia.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of the disease, with more than 250,000 diagnoses in the US each year. Any natural compound that targets the proliferation of prostate cancer cells would provide a significant remedy compared with the allopathic methods of radiation, surgery and chemical agents. To conduct the study, researchers subjected prostate cancer cells to hormone deprivation in the presence and absence of curcumin with 'physiologically attainable' doses.


Curcumin blocks prostate cell receptors to thwart cancer progression
The researchers found that curcumin blocked two genetic receptors necessary for prostate cancer advancement. These receptors have been shown is past studies to predict cancer incidence and rate of growth of existing tumors. They noted that the spice extract was "a potent inhibitor of both cell cycle and survival in prostate cancer cells."

The lead study author, Dr. Karen Knudsen and her team found that other cancer cell lines multiply by a similar receptor mechanism and may also be inhibited by the curry compound. She commented that curcumin "also has implications beyond prostate cancer... in other malignancies, like breast cancer. In tumors where these play an important function, curcumin may prove to be a promising therapeutic agent."

In a separate research body, scientists found that curcumin prolongs life and enhances activity of brain neurons, acting as a neuroprotective shield against Alzheimer's disease advancement. The research team determined that curcumin acted to prevent the damaging accumulation of amyloid fibrils around the nerve synapse. Amyloid tangles are known to prevent normal electrical and chemical transmissions required to form memories and maintain cognition.

Scientific research models continue to extol the virtues of natural spice and herbal extracts such as curcumin to help prevent and treat many deadly diseases that kill countless millions each year. Incorporate curry spices as part of your healthy diet or include a daily supplement (250 mg to 500 mg standardized curcumin extract) to significantly lower cancer risk and support healthy brain function.



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035076_curcumin_prostate_cancer_dementia.html#ixzz1nXwnIT3n

Meal Plans Feb 19-25

Sunday Feb 19:
B: scrambled tofu, 12 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon, spinach)
L: tofu & mushroom miso soup,sea salt bagel chips
D: poptarts

Monday Feb 20:
B: Kashi golean cereal w/almond milk, 12 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, lemon)
L: baby carrots, blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: LC pasta w/broccoli/mushroom/seitan/garlic


Tuesday Feb 21:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: Lentil thai soup, salad (mixed greens, apple, walnuts, balsamic dressing)

Wednesday Feb 22:
B: oatmeal w/pecans/raisins/dates, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L:  Blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: tomato bisque soup, tofu stirfry thai

Thursday Feb 23:
B: oatmeal w/pecans/raisins, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: blueberries, pistachios, tea
D: Tofu gado-gado

Friday Feb 24:
(no breakfast, fasting labs)
L: cream of broccoli soup, smoked tofu on foccacia
D: moroccan chickpea soup, bbq tofu & veggie stirfry

Saturday Feb 25:
B: Kashi GoLean cereal, soymilk, 10 oz fresh juice (apple, carrot, lemon)
L: cream of cauliflower soup, 1/2 pita (lettuce, pepper, hummus), pistachios
D: indian-cooked chickpeas, veggie &seitan curried stirfry w/rice

How To Make Newspaper Seed Pots

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Health Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a culinary spice that spans cultures - it is a major ingredient in Indian curries, and makes American mustard yellow. But evidence is accumulating that this brightly colored relative of ginger is a promising disease-preventive agent as well, probably due largely to its anti-inflammatory action.

 

One of the most comprehensive summaries of turmeric studies to date was published by the respected ethnobotanist James A. Duke, Phd., in the October, 2007 issue of Alternative & Complementary Therapies, and summarized in the July, 2008, issue of the American Botanical Council publication HerbClip.

 

Reviewing some 700 studies, Duke concluded that turmeric appears to outperform many pharmaceuticals in its effects against several chronic, debilitating diseases, and does so with virtually no adverse side effects. Here are some of the diseases that turmeric has been found to help prevent or alleviate:

1. •Alzheimer's disease: Duke found more than 50 studies on turmeric's effects in addressing Alzheimer's disease. The reports indicate that extracts of turmeric contain a number of natural agents that block the formation of beta-amyloid, the substance responsible for the plaques that slowly obstruct cerebral function in Alzheimer's disease.
2. •Arthritis: Turmeric contains more than two dozen anti-inflammatory compounds, including sixdifferent COX-2-inhibitors (the COX-2 enzyme promotes pain, swelling and inflammation; inhibitors selectively block that enzyme). By itself, writes Duke, curcumin - the component in turmeric most often cited for its healthful effects - is a multifaceted anti-inflammatory agent, and studies of the efficacy of curcumin have demonstrated positive changes in arthritic symptoms.
3. •Cancer: Duke found more than 200 citations for turmeric and cancer and more than 700 for curcumin and cancer. He noted that in the handbook Phytochemicals: Mechanisms of Action, curcumin and/or turmeric were effective in animal models in prevention and/or treatment of colon cancer, mammary cancer, prostate cancer, murine hepatocarcinogenesis (liver cancer in rats), esophageal cancer, and oral cancer. Duke said that the effectiveness of the herb against these cancers compared favorably with that reported for pharmaceuticals.

 

How can you get more turmeric into your diet? One way is via turmeric tea. There are also extracts in tablet and capsule form available in health food stores; look for supercritical extracts in dosages of 400 to 600 mg, and take three times daily or as directed on the product.

 

And, of course, one can simply indulge in more curried dishes, either in restaurants or at home. However you do it, adding turmeric to your diet is one of the best moves toward optimal health you can make.

 

Turmeric Tea

 

•Bring four cups of water to a boil.
•Add one teaspoon of ground turmeric and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
•Strain the tea through a fine sieve into a cup, add honey and/or lemon to taste.

 

Some people like to add a teaspoon of ginger along with the turmeric. While ground versions are more convenient, it's worthwhile to experiment with freshly grated turmeric for a more vibrant flavor. These distinctive, deep-orange roots are increasingly available in American grocery and natural food stores. Enjoy!

 

~~Dr. Weil.com~~

Yerba Mate Tea in the News

A recent scientific study found that yerba mate tea induces death in human colon cancer cells. Scientists discovered that in vitro cancer cells died when exposed to the bioactive compounds present in one cup of the beverage long valued for its medicinal properties by South American traditional healers.

Caffeine compounds cause cell death
University of Illinois associate professor of food chemical and toxicology Elvira de Mejia stated "The caffeine derivatives in mate tea not only induced death in human colon cancer cells, they also reduced important markers of inflammation." Mejia observed that this is important since inflammation can lead to cancer progression. Her study was published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research in latter part of 2011.

In the in vitro study, de Mejia and former graduate student Sirima Puangpraphant first isolated, and purified, then treated human colon cancer cells with caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives from mate tea. As the scientists increased the CQA concentration, cancer cells died. "Put simply, the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged," de Mejia said.

Inducing apoptosis, or cell death, is one of the tactics medical researchers have been trying to create through pharmaceutical anti-cancer drugs. However research has also discovered that natural medicines also possess this capability. The new University of Illinois study now demonstrates that yerba mate is one of those substances with this cancer-fighting power.


Yerba mate stops inflammation
The study suggests that the mate tea compounds not only have potential as anti-cancer agents but may also be effective against other diseases associated with inflammation. However, since the colon and its microflora play a major role in the absorption and metabolism of caffeine-related compounds, the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of mate tea may be most potent against bowel cancer. "We believe there's ample evidence to support drinking mate tea for its bioactive benefits, especially if you have reason to be concerned about colon cancer," de Mejia noted.

The scientists will also soon publish the results of a further study on yerba mate and colon cancer. The new study compares the development of colon cancer in rats that drank only mate tea against a control group that drank only water.

Sources:

ScienceDaily

http://www.patexia.com/feed/compounds-in-mate-tea-induce-death-in-colon-cancer-cells-2306

http://zeenews.india.com/ayurveda/yerba-mate-brew-bumps-off-colon-cancer-cells_1032.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034806_Yerba_mate_colon_cancer_caffeine.html#ixzz1nBRERRUl

Meal Plans Feb 13-18

Monday Feb 13:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, kale, lemon)
L: pistachios, chick'n & wild rice soup, tea
D: chipolte/tomato/garlic soup, salad (mixed greens, apple, walnuts, feta, balsamic dressing), tea

Tuesday Feb 14:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, kale, lemon)
L: pistachios, grapes, tea
D: tomato & chedar soup, 3-cheese grilled sandwich**
  ** see post: Farewell to cheese

Wednesday Feb 15:
B/L: Kashi golean cereal, almond milk, 10 oz. fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon)
D: pinto beans, mexican corn muffin

Thursday Feb 16:
B: scrambled tofu, 10 oz. fresh juice (carrot, apple, spinach, lemon)
L: pistachios, grapes, tea
D: tofu gado-gado, green tea

Friday Feb 17:
B: kashi heart to heart cereal, almond milk, 10 oz fresh juice, (carrot, apple, lemon)
L: chick'n & wild rice soup, mexican corn muffin, pistachios, tea
D: cream of broccoli soup, Reed's "extra ginger" ginger ale

Saturday Feb 18:
B: oatmeal w/raisin/pecans/almond milk , 10 oz fresh juice (carrot, apple, lemon, spinach)
L:grilled cod sandwich with steamed broccoli
D: Amy's veggie burger, salad w/ranch dressing

Recipe: Scrambled Tofu

 Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, diced
2-3 green onions, diced
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces tofu, (firm or extra-firm) pressed/drained and crumbled
2 tbsp. of Bragg's liquid aminos
1/4  tsp. turmeric
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
additional salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper, green onions, and mushrooms...cook until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

2.Add the tofu and sprinkle it with the turmeric, then the Bragg's. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the tofu is hot.

3.Reduce the heat to medium. Add the spinach and stir. If the mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon or two of water. Cover and steam, stirring every minute or so, until the spinach softens, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the nutritional yeast, check the seasonings, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cook for another minute or two until heated through.

Serves 4.

Farewell to Cheese

Last night Jeff and I had dinner at a small cafe, Wildflour. I had eaten at the original restaurant years ago and thought this cafe was like that one. True, it was originally started by the same owners, but was sold a few years ago to new buyers.  It was not as good as the original I have to admit.  I think in the future I will go to the original Wildflour.  It was not a bad meal by any means. They do have vegetarian options on their menu.

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I ordered the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. Well, other than, "oh yum, my favorite comfort food".  Or atleast it used to be. The grilled cheese sandwich was a cheese-fest! And as if that wasn't enough cheese, they loaded cheese into the tomato soup.  Now a few months ago I would have said YES! BRING IT ON!  But my food choices have dramatically changed, especially in the last two months. 

What possessed Jeff to order the same thing is beyond me. He has certainly had more than his fair share of issues with dairy in the past. We'll just say this was quite a learning lesson for the both of us.

I began to feel sick before I got out of the restaurant. :(  I went next door to JoAnn Fabrics to look around, and my stomach rebelled at the gobs of cheese. Thank goodness JoAnn's has a bathroom!  Ugh. Not going into details, let's just say I'm finished with cheese.  But I got off rather easy compared to poor Jeff.

He woke me up an hour after we had went to bed with the most incredible pain of his life. I got him to the ER and told the Dr's that I thought it was from the cheese-fest we had for dinner. After all, he has been eating rather "clean" for the last month on his new vegetarian diet.  I hate it when people "poo-poo" me like I'm an idiot, especially those in the medical profession. Sometimes I just feel like screaming.  I dispise the attitude that people give me--they act like since the number on the scale is obviously so high, my IQ must be so low!

But I digress...after several tests, they concluded that it was a gall bladder attack and he had eaten too much fatty cheese. (oh shock!) After giving him: a GI cocktail, nexium in his IV, and a shot of morphine, he was finally able to get some relief.

The conclusion is:  Adios Cheese. You have not been a good amigo. We have tolerated your issues for too long and this was the final straw. No longer will we worry about the animal protein that is clogging our arteries & jacking up our cholesterol levels. No more will I have to keep extra toilet paper in stock for your visits. You have hereby been banished from our house and from our dinner plates. Have a nice life someplace else.