Hidden Names for MSG

FACT: MSG: monosodium glutamate, is a flavor enhancer added to our food to improve taste and smell, as well as being a slow poison, that creates a host of health problems.

If I asked you, "Do you intentionally purchase products with MSG?" you most likely would say NO. You might even go further and say, "I absolutely never buy anything that contains MSG!". But you may only be referring to packaging that specifically states on the label that MSG is an ingredient.

How about the products containing the hidden names of MSG? Well you might say, "What do you mean?" MSG can be found in a large amount of processed products. So familiarize yourself with the hidden names stated below and try to avoid consuming products containing MSG, you will be giving your health a boost.

ALWAYS CONTAIN MSG:

Autolyzed yeast
Calcium caseinate
Gelatin
Glutamate
Glutamic acid
Hydrolyzed corn gluten
Hydrolyzed protein (any protein that is hydrolyzed)
Monopotassium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
Natrium glutamate (natrium is Latin/German for sodium)
Sodium caseinate
Sodium glutemate
Textured protein
Yeast food
Yeast extract
Yeast nutrient

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Benefits of Probiotics

SOURCE

Because of the many functions shown below of probiotics, studies are showing that probiotics are beneficial in the treatment of many chronic illnesses that seem to have nothing to do with each other.

Among their many functions are:

• Lowering the intestinal pH

• Controlling growth of pathogens like the H Pylori Bacteria and Intestinal Candida

• Taking up space on the intestinal wall to prevent bad bacteria from adhering

• Production of essential nutrients like Vitamin B12 and Omega 3 Fatty Acids

• Regulation of the levels of IgE and IgG antibodies in immune responses

• Binding and metabolizing Environmental Toxins

• Regulation of intestinal motility

• Mucus production

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7 Steps to Wean You Off Processed Foods

Real Food Has Curves, a new book written by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, offers a 7-step plan for weaning yourself off processed foods:

1. Seek true satisfaction.
Enjoy genuine flavors, rather than fat, sugar, and salt added to mask the metallic taste of chemical additives.

2. Read labels wisely.
You can find food with "real" ingredients in the supermarket if you read labels carefully.

3. Relish what's on your plate.
Devote time solely to enjoying the pleasures of eating.

4. Wean yourself off excess salt, fat, and sugar.
You can also cook with smaller amounts of these ingredients by using natural substitutes like strong spices.

5. Give your palate time to change.
You'll gradually lose your taste for excessively sweet and salty foods.

6. Go for high-quality foods.
Look for products that contain the least amount of processed ingredients.

7. Treat yourself well by not skipping meals.
Try eating three meals a day at fairly regular times, plus a mid-afternoon snack. . And here is the rest of it.

SOURCE: U.S New & World Report, June 4, 2010

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Potassium Rich Foods

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure last week, so I have really started to pay more attention to what I am doing, especially in my eating patterns. What foods am I eating? What foods trigger higher BP, which ones assist in controlling it? Therefore this list is more for my needs but hopefully will be helpful to others out there that may need it as well.

Why Is Potassium Important?
Low levels of potassium can mean elevated sodium levels in the cells. To protect against cardiovascular disease we need to maintain the correct potassium-sodium ratio, which is 5-1,meaning we should ingest 5 times the amount of potassium vs sodium in our diets. The best place to get that potassium is from natural means, particularly in our fruits and veggies.

Another important function to remember about potassium is: it helps to stimulate the kidneys to remove toxic bodily waste. But potassium should be considered as only part of our total dietary pattern. We need to be aware of factors such as salt intake, amount and type of dietary fat, cholesterol, protein and fiber, as well as minerals such as calcium and magnesium may affect blood pressure. Researchers attribute changes in blood pressure to certain patterns of food consumption.

Top Foods Rich in Potassium
When trying to regulate the potassium levels I feel it is always best to incorporate it naturally through the foods we eat. Of course, the quality of the food also plays a significant role- organic being the best route to take. Pull out your notepad, scrap of paper or matchbook cover, what ever it is you use to write yourself a note, and jot down the following information if you are looking to add more potassium to your meals.

Since all the sources I have looked at have varying ranges of mg per size listed, I am just listing those foods that are good to have on your list. You should be able to find a few from this grouping that will appeal to your taste buds while they work on balancing out your ratios.

Beet Greens

White Beans
White Potato Mostly in Skin

Cooked Spinach

Winter Squash

Fresh Apricots

Lima Beans

Avocado

Orange Juice

Black Beans

Brussel Sprouts

Legumes

Raw Carrots

Bananas

Dates

Prunes

Raisins

So there is a less then a complete list, but it offers enough variety to get you off to a good start. Remember working in small steps daily is the way to make big leaps in lifestyle changes!

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Growing Foods From Scraps

Maybe now is not the time to be talking about this, because we are still into the summer growing season and so much can be grown outdoors. BUT, as I was driving my daughter to field hockey practice this morning I was thinking about our garden. I just love this time of the year!

Go outside and pluck some fresh grape tomatoes, or pick a large beefy one for a sandwich, along the way, pick a few cucumbers, hot peppers, and fresh basil for a yummy tomato salad. Nothing could be fresher or healthier than this!

Then my mind fast forwards to mid September, early October, depending on the weather conditions. The fresh produce begins to slow down and the juicy, succulent red tomato is just a lingering memory. If we are lucky, we can find a handful of hardy ones that will make it up through the end of October.

That is when I started thinking, this year I should grow more indoors other than houseplants. In the past I have attempted some herbs for indoors but had not been so successful, but now I am ready to try it again. As I was thinking about it and researching what to do, I came across this article on growing foods from scraps in the kitchen. It seems simple enough and fool proof!

Garlic:
1. Plant a few garlic cloves with pointed tip facing up in a pot with loamy organic soil.

2. Place the pot on a sunny windowsill and water regularly like a houseplant.

3. Green garlicky shoots emerge in a week or so. Harvest with a scissors to using in cooking or as a tasty garnish for soups, salads and baked potatoes.

Green Onions:
1. Use green onions with healthy, white roots attached to the bulb. Snip off green tops for cooking with a scissors. Leave a little green top on the onion bulb.

2. Plant the entire onion while leaving the short top above ground in a small pot filled with a loamy, organic potting soil. Make sure your container has drainage holes. Put in a sunny windowsill and water once a week or when soil feels dry to the touch.

3. Harvest new green shoots with scissors to use for cooking or as a tasty garnish. Continue to leave the onion in the soil. With each new growth the onion will taste more potent. After each harvest of onion tops, dress the topsoil with organic compost. Enjoy green onion tops in stir-fries, omelets, and in sandwiches all winter long

Pineapple:
1. Indoor pineapple plants rarely produce flowers and fruit, but their striking foliage adds a touch of exotic to any houseplant collection. All you need to grow one is the green top you cut off when you eat the pineapple. For best results, use a pineapple that has fresh center leaves at the crown. Lob off the top, right where the crown meets the fruit. Peel off the bottom leaves and clean off the leftover fruit. Let the top rest a day before planting.

2. Fill a shallow pot with rich, loamy organic soil mixed with a few tablespoons of well-rinsed coffee grounds. Pineapple grows best in an acidic soil. Plant the pineapple top so the soil is even with the bottom of the crown.

3. Water well and mist the leaves and crown with a diluted, organic liquid fertilizer. As a member of the Bromeliaceae family, which also includes air plants, pineapple plants take much of their nourishment not from the soil but from nutrients in the moist air.

Avocado:
1. For best results use only a ripe avocado. Carefully halve the fruit and rinse the pit. Pat dry and let sit overnight in a warm, dry spot. The next day, peel off any of the parchment-like skin from the pit.

2. Place the pit with the base (the wider end) toward the bottom in a 7-inch pot full of loamy, rich organic soil. Make sure the tip is above the soil, exposed to light for proper germination. Water thoroughly.

3. If your apartment is dry, place a clear plastic cup over the exposed seed tip to serve as a mini-greenhouse. Though the plant does not need direct light to germinate, placing the pot on a sunny windowsill will speed growth.

4. Continue to water every week and make sure the soil doesn't dry out completely. The pit may take over a month to germinate so be patient.

5. When the sprout emerges and grows to about 4 inches, add another layer of organic soil to cover the pit completely. This not only protects the seed, but also any roots that may poke through the soil in search of nourishment.

6. Once the plant starts growing, it may remind you of the story "Jack and the Beanstalk." You can watch the plant grow tall for a year (supported with a wooden rod) and let it branch on its own, or make a decision to prune it and force it to branch, making a sturdier plant. If you choose to prune, it's best to trim with a diagonal cut 2 inches from the top. Be careful as you prune not to cut the main stem more than 1/3 of its height.

7. Continue to add organic compost to fertilize the soil with each pruning and water as you would a houseplant. Only repot the fast-growing plant when it is 6 times taller than the diameter of the pot.

8. Though avocado plants do not bear fruit if grown indoors, you can plant multiple avocado pits at various times in the same pot for a more interesting arrangement.
Source

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Foods to Help Fight Arthritic Pain

The idea that food can cause or relieve arthritis isn't new. More than 200 years ago, English doctors prescribed cod-liver oil to treat gout and rheumatism. More recently, some health writers have insisted that arthritics should eat or not eat specific foods. The debate is in full swing. Do certain foods cause arthritis? Is there an "Arthritis Begone" diet? All the evidence isn't yet in, but thanks to the studies currently available, more and more physicians are convinced that diet plays a valuable role in arthritis treatment plans.

Foods for Arthritis Relief
Which fruits, vegetables, meat, or fish should you eat? There are no absolute rules, but the results of studies and case histories suggest that these foods may be helpful:

Anchovies: Three-and-a-half ounces of anchovies contain almost a gram and a half of omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids help regulate the prostaglandins, which play a role in inflammation and, hence, pain. However, anchovies are extremely high in sodium, so if sodium-sensitivity or water retention is a problem for you, choose a different kind of fish.

Apples: Not only can an apple a day keep the doctor away, but it may also help to hold your arthritis at bay. Apples contain boron, a mineral that appears to reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis. Moreover, when boron was given to people who already have the disease, it helped relieve pain.

Cantaloupe: This sweet fruit contains large amounts of vitamin C and beta-carotene, the plant form of vitamin A. These two powerful vitamins help to control the oxidative and free-radical damage that may contribute to arthritis.

Chile peppers: Chilies contain capsaicin, which gives the peppers their heat. These vegetables also help block pain by encouraging certain nerve cells to run through their supply of substance P, which they normally use to help transmit pain signals.

Curry: A combination of spices that often includes turmeric, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and so on, curry contains powerful antioxidants that may help relieve inflammation and reduce pain.

Fish: The omega-3 fatty acids in Norwegian sardines, Atlantic mackerel, sablefish, rainbow trout, striped bass, and other fish may help reduce inflammation and pain.

Garlic: An ancient treatment for tuberculosis, lung problems, and other diseases, garlic also appears to relieve some forms of arthritis pain. Although never tested in large-scale, double-blind studies, garlic has been found helpful in many case reports. These helpful benefits may be due to the fact that garlic contains sulfur, which has been known for many years to help relieve certain arthritis symptoms.

Grapes: These bunches of sweet, bite-sized fruit are good sources of the mineral boron, which is important for strong bones.

Mango: A sweet treat, mangoes are packed with three powerful antioxidants: 90 percent of the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowances) for vitamin C, 75 percent of the daily dose of beta-carotene, plus vitamin E.

Nuts: Almonds, peanuts, and hazelnuts are good sources of boron, a mineral that helps keep bones strong and certain arthritis symptoms at bay.

Papaya: Long used as a folk medicine for diarrhea, hay fever, and other problems, a single papaya contains three times the RDA for the antioxidant vitamin C, plus more than half the daily allotment of beta-carotene.

Read the entire article Fighting Arthritic Pain with the Right Foods Adapted From: Arthritis For Dummies, 2nd Edition Source.

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Benefits of Using Raw Butter

Butter has gotten a bad rap over the past decades, mostly due to commerical interest rather than health interests. Butter is a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. The saturated fat in butter actually enhances our immune function, protects the liver from toxins, provides nourishment for the heart in times of stress, gives stiffness and integrity to our cell membranes, and aids in the proper utilization of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Butter will add extra nutrients and flavor to your vegetables, whole grain breads, and sautéed dishes.

Butter is a completely natural food essential to your health - especially when you eat organic. Also, please make the extra effort to obtain high-quality organic, raw butter.

Margarines, on the other hand, are a processed food, created chemically from refined polyunsaturated oils. The process used to make these normally liquid oils into spread-able form is called hydrogenation. Margarine and similar hydrogenated or processed polyunsaturated oils are potentially more detrimental to your health than any saturated fat.

So take a look at the long list of benefits one can receive from eating butter, especially if it is organic raw butter..

1. Butter is rich in the most easily absorbable form of Vitamin A necessary for thyroid and adrenal health.

2. Contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and candida.

3. Contains lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism.

4. Contains anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.

5. Has anti-oxidants that protect against weakening arteries.

6. Is a great source of Vitamins E and K.

7. Is a very rich source of the vital mineral selenium.

8. Saturated fats in butter have strong anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties.

9. Butter contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a potent anti-cancer agent, muscle builder, and immunity booster

10. Vitamin D found in butter is essential to absorption of calcium.

11. Protects against tooth decay.

12. Is your only source of an anti-stiffness factor, which protects against calcification of the joints.
13. Anti-stiffness factor in butter also prevents hardening of the arteries, cataracts, and calcification of the pineal gland.

14. Is a source of Activator X, which helps your body absorb minerals.

15. Is a source of iodine in highly absorbable form.

16. May promote fertility in women.

17. Is a source of quick energy, and is not stored in our bodies adipose tissue.

18. Cholesterol found in butterfat is essential to children's brain and nervous system development.

19. Contains Arachidonic Acid (AA) which plays a role in brain function and is a vital component of cell membranes.

20. Protects against gastrointestinal infections in the very young or the elderly.

Sources:
BodyEcology.com

Taking the Fear Out of Eating Fats

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Super Foods to Boost Your Sex Drive

Sex is not just for enjoyment, it has a number of health benefits such as relieving stress, boosting immunity, burning calories, reducing risks of certain health issues, and helping one to sleep, justt to name a few. So if you are looking to cash in on some of these benefits, here are some of the foods that will help to support a good sex drive.

1. Pumpkin Seeds
2. Gogi Berries
3. Maca
4. Bananas
5. Celery
6. Avocado
7. Bee pollen
8. Asparagus
9. Chillies
10. Basil
11. Figs
12. Garlic

For the specifics about each of these super foods, check out the link below.
Source: NaturalNews.com Author: Cheryl Walters

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Top 5 Alkaline Diet Weight Loss Tips

Thanks to my new friend, Yulia at Great Home Remedies, I found another great website with information about alkalinizing your diet. Here are the top 5 tips they share if you are interested in moving more into this direction.

Although these are really common sense items, how often do we throw common sense out the window when we extremely hungry and ready to eat everything in sight? Just a reminder that being prepared, prepares our being able to handle these challenging moments.

Tip #1 - Drink, Drink then Drink some more!

By far the most important and yet the easiest way to accelerate your alkaline diet weight loss results is to hydrate consistently.

Avoid Coffee, tea, soda and other acidic drinks.

Tip #2 - Avoid Foods with preservatives, food coloruing and additives.

The body wasn't designed to digest these chemical substances, so it must either: eliminate them, neutralize them or park them away where they can't damage your body.

Tip #3 - Avoid artificial sweetners like the plague

If you have been trying to lose weight, chances are you have relied on artificial sweetners to cut calories. You are shooting yourself in the foot on an alkaline diet. They are toxins as in tip #2

Tip #4 - Always have cut veggies and soaked nuts ready in your fridge

How successful do you think you would be in your alkaline weight loss program if you had to fight your craving along the way, every minute of every hour of every day? I bet not too successful.

Well, if you were on an alkaline diet, this would not be an issue because your craving would disappear by themselves over time. I get into that in much more detail in my e-book "Acid Alkaline Diet Simplified"

Optionally, pick up a couple of varieties of hummus to dip the veggies in for added taste.

Tip #5 - Make a huge salad every 3 days

Ever come home so hungry you're ready to eat the first thing that you can get your hands on? Do you regret binging on the junk food, and wish you could have made something better to eat?

If you prepare a huge salad that would last you 3 straight days, you will never come home and wonder what you can eat. With a salad in your fridge - ready to eat - you can eat right away and it's great for an alkaline diet.

Did you know your body can easily return to it's natural weight balance? Click here to find out how an alkaline diet can do this simply. http://acidalkalinediet.com/

SOURCE

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Your Body's Many Cries For Water

WATER "FACTS"

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.


• In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.


• Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.


• One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of dieters studied in a U-Washington study.


• Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.


• Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.


• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.


• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.


• Increasing your intake of water during a case of the flu or common coldcan reduce the number of sick days by 2-3 days.


• Are you drinking enough water every day?
  Remember, once you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.
  
  
  Source:
  From the book: "Your Body's Many Cries for Water;
  You Are not Sick, You Are You Are Thirsty
  By F. Batmanghelidj, MD
  And here is the rest of it.

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Energy Enhancers

To function optimally in this whirlwind world, you may need some help from supplements...all are available in heath-food stores.

• Alpha-lipoic acid


• B-complex


• Carnitine


• Coenzyme Q10


• Lysine


• Milk Thistle


• NADH


• Vitamin C


• Zinc

To read why, check out the full article, Energy Enhancers

.. And here is the rest of it.

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Cancer Diet: Important Vitamins

A cancer diet needs particular emphasis on the following vitamns:

• Vitamin A
  Role: as an anti-oxidant and important for healing


• Vitamin B Complex
  Role: particularly important to the health of nerves and the production of energy.


• Vitamin B17
  B17 interacts with the very large amounts of beta-glucosidase in cancer cells to produce hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde. These two poisons combine into an extremely deadly poison that targets cancer cells.


• Vitamin C
  Role: Antioxidant needed to assist over 300 metabolic functions of the body


• Vitamin E
  Role: Antioxidant, used in circulation and tissue repair.

Read the full article Cancer Diet- The Important Vitamins by Marilyn Bennett
. And here is the rest of it.

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What Color Is Your Diet?

COLOR GUIDE FOR YOUR FOOD BENEFITS

Dr. David Heber, of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition recommends a diet with fruits and vegetables across the spectrum of color. Heber, author of "What Color is Your Diet?" says Americans do not receive enough fruits and vegetables in their diets. He believes a category system he created would make it easier to consume the proper amount and types of vitamins needed in diets.

RED GROUP: (tomatoes, can of V8 juice, pink grapefruit, watermelon) These contain the carotenoid lycopene, which helps rid the body of free radicals that damage genes. Lycopene seems to protect against prostate cancer as well as heart and lung disease. Processed juices contain a lot of the beneficial ingredients. One glass of tomato juice gives you 50 percent of the recommended lycopene.

Yellow/Green Group (spinach greens, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, yellow corn, green peas, avocado, honeydew melon) These are sources of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These are believed to reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Lutein is a yellow-green substance that concentrates in the back of your eye. It may also reduce atherosclerosis.

Orange Group (carrots, mangos, apricots, cantaloupes, pumpkin, acorn squash, winter squash, sweet potatoes) These contain alpha carotene, which protects against cancer. They also contain beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.

It protects the skin against free-radical damage and helps repair damaged DNA. Beta-carotene is also good for night vision. It's important to note that these beneficial nutrients can be received from other foods, too. For instance vitamin is found in dairy products and meat. But it's not as beneficial because you get high calories and fat along with it.

Orange/Yellow Group (pineapple, orange juice, oranges, tangerines, peaches, papayas, nectarines) These contain beta cryptothanxin, which helps cells in the body communicate and may help prevent heart disease. Also, an orange contains 170 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C. It's interesting to note that the skin of an orange is high in a protective fat that has been found to kill cancer cells in humans and animals, which highlights the fact that two-thirds of all drugs come from the plant world.

Red/Purple Group (beets, eggplant, purple grapes, red wine, grape juice, prunes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red apples) These are loaded with powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins believed to protect against heart disease by preventing blood clots. They may also delay the aging of cells in the body. There is some evidence they may help delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Green Group (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage or bok choi, kale)
These contain the chemicals sulforaphane and isocyanate and they also contain indoles, all of which help ward off cancer by inhibiting carcinogens. It's a fact that ten percent of the population - doesn't like broccoli. But it is important in diets because of the beneficial chemicals it contains.

White/Green Group (leeks, scallions, garlic, onions, celery, pears, white wine, endive, chives) The onion family contains allicin, which has antitumor properties. Other foods in this group contain antioxidant flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol.

Source

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Three Numbers You Need to Know for Your Health

WHAT IS YOUR FRUIT TELLING YOU?

I have posted this information before in a longer post that may easily get overlooked. I feel this is so important, I'm am putting it in again, but just this one piece.

It is simple. It is basic. It is empowering. Yet it is not advertised. It is not placed in areas of prominence. Very few people I know are aware of this. Even alternative health practitioner's who I would think have come across this information.

Here are the THREE IMPORTANT NUMBERS you should know when going to the grocery store:

FRUIT LABELS:
The numbers on a fruit label actually have a meaning, and one that you want to know about.

If the first number is a 4 then it is an conventionally grown product
EX: Banana 4011
Note: All combinations of the four-digit code beginning with the numeral "4" have been used up, so new labels beginning with the numeral "3" will also be used to designate conventionally raised produce

If the first number is an 8, then it is genetically engineered
EX: Banana 84011
Produce described a "Genetically Modified" or "Genetically Engineered" means that scientists have manipulated Mother Nature’s original design of that food item. For example: scientists moved DNA from a tomato plant that doesn’t bruise easily into another tomato plant species that produces fruit that is juicy and ripens quickly. The result is a tomato species that produces juicy fruit quickly and ships well.

If the first number is an 9, then it is an organic product
EX: Banana 94011

So next time you go grocery shopping, take a good look at the PCU lables on the fruits and veggies, you will have a better idea about what you are purchasing.


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Sea Veggies from Neptune's Garden

SEAWEED AND ITS BENEFITS:
When I think of getting my veggies in, I think about my garden, our trips to the CSA, and the store to make my selections. I never really think about the vegetables from the sea---SEAWEED, but I should.

Someday I am going to really enjoy these little creatures, but for right now I am content to use seaweed in my baths and detox programs, until I work my way up to eating them. But for those of you that are interested, check out the list of seaweed and its health benefits.

BENEFITS OF A DIET CONTAINING SEAWEED
Fat free
Low in calories
Rich source of minerals (calcium and phosphorous and are extremely high in magnesium iron, iodine and sodium
Contains vitamins A, B1, C and E, as well as protein and carbohydrates
Can remove radioactive strontium and other heavy metals from our bodies

TYPES OF SEAWEED
Brown Seaweed:
"Chemists in Japan have found that brown seaweed, a flavor component used in many Asian soups and salads, contains a compound that appears in animal studies to promote weight loss by reducing the accumulation of fat. Called fucoxanthin, the compound achieved a 5 percent to 10 percent weight reduction in test animals and could be developed into a natural extract or drug to help fight obesity, the researchers say." Science Daily, 9/06

Arame - A Japanese sea vegetable, with a mild flavor, arame is dried and cut into thin strands, it can be added to soups or served as a vegetable side dish.

Hijiki - Found primarily in the Far East, contains the most calcium of any of the sea vegetables, 1400mg/100gr dry weight (compared to milk with 100mg/100gr.) In its natural state it is very tough; after harvesting it is dried, steamed and dried some more. When cooked, it rehydrates and expands about five times its dry volume.

Kelp - This sea vegetable grows mainly in the north along the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines. The name kelp is European in origin and originally referred to the ash derived from burning brown algae, which was used to produce soap and glass. Most often dried and sold whole, granulated or powdered. It can be sprinkled on foods as a condiment, or whole kelp adds a nice touch to salads or it can be used as a wrap for a variety of fillings.

Kombu - Kombu can be used for soup stock or added to the bottom of a pot of rice or vegetables to help them keep from sticking; added to a pot of beans, kombu helps them cook faster and renders them more digestible due to the high mineral content.

Wakame & Alaria - These seaweeds are similar in characteristics but differ in their habitats. Wakame is collected in the cold waters off the island of Hokaido, Japan and alaria is harvested in North America. Wakame is a good source of protein, iron, calcium, sodium & other minerals and vitamins. Alaria is high in vitamin K and the B-vitamins as well as the minerals iodine and bromine.

Red Seaweed:
Agar-Agar - This is a versatile, tasty gel that will set at room temperature. Its been used for centuries in the home as a mild laxative and as a basic ingredient in a Japanese dessert, kanten. Agar-agar is rich in iodine and trace elements.

Irish Moss - Irish Moss is most often used dried in relishes, breads, soups or fritters. Many people snack on this dried dulse straight out of the bag.

Nori - Unlike other sea vegetables that are collected wild, Japanese nori is cultivated. In Ireland, it is known as sloke and in Scotland and Wales as laver. Gaelic people have long made flat breads from flour and nori, known as laver bread. Its most prominent use is as the wrapping for sushi, although it can be cut into strips, lightly toasted and used as a garnish as well. It is exceptionally high in vitamin A and protein.

Personally, I don't like sushi because of the seaweed wraps. I will use Dulse granules to sprinkle over my food. I have tried Kombu --couldn't get it down. But on the other hand, I buy alot of seaweed, grind it into flakes or a powdery state, then blend it with epsom salts, baking soda, sea salts, and a variety of herbs. I then place this mixture into these very cool, large teabags I found online. You fill the bag, then seal it with an iron. The contents stay contained within the teabag, not creating a mess. Toss one of these into a hot tub to soak or a foot bath, and you reap wonderful benefits of detoxing. For me, that is my first step into the world of sea veggies, as I'm not sure I will ever be able to really like or even tolerate the taste in food.

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Organic Labels: What Do They Mean?

If you are like me, you can easily become confused by all the verbage that is posted on products. It is almost as if you need a degree in Label Reading to be able to properly determine what the product is really about. Is there anyone else out there who is asking the question, Do I really know what's in my dinner?

• 100% Organic: According to USDA’s national organic standard, products labeled as “100 percent organic” can only contain organically produced ingredients. Products containing 100% organic ingredients can display the USDA Organic logo and / or the certifying agent's logo.
  
• Organic: To be labeled as "organic," 95% of the ingredients must be organically grown and the remaining 5% must come from non-organic ingredients that have been approved on the National List. These products can also display the USDA organic logo and/or the certifier’s logo.
  
• Made With Organic Ingredients: Food products labeled as "made with organic ingredients" must be made with at least 70% organic ingredients, three of which must be listed on the back of the package and again, the remaining 30% of the non-organic ingredients must approved on the National List. These products may display the certifier’s logo but not the USDA organic logo.
  
• Certified Organic: Foods must be grown according to strict uniform standards that are verified by independent states or private organizations; certified organic foods mean that periodic testing of soil and water of farms that produce organic foods must be conducted, and field and processing facilities must be inspected
  
• Transitional: these are foods produced during the three-year transition period between the conversion of conventional and organic food production
  
• Free Range: USDA regulations allow for a generous definition. These could mean the coop door is open for five minutes a day, whether or not the chickens go out. The rule for the label's use on poultry products, for example, is merely that outdoor access be available for "an undetermined period each day."
  
• Natural/ All Natural: No government agency regulates the use of this word. No standard definition for these terms exists, except when it's applied to meat and poultry products, which the USDA defines as not containing any artificial flavoring, colors or synthetic ingredients.

Did You Know?

All three organics categories prohibit the inclusion of any ingredients produced using genetic engineering, irradiation, or sewage sludge.

Products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients can list the organic items only in the ingredient panel. There can be no mention of organic on the main panel.

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), an expert advisory panel to the USDA’s National Organic Program, voted to exclude cloned animals, their offspring, and any food products from cloned animals from the organic sector.

Fruit Labels
The numbers on a fruit label actually have a meaning, and one that you may want to know about.

• If the first number is a 4 then it is an conventionally grown product EX: Banana 4011
• If the first number is an 8, then it is genetically engineered EX: Banana 84011
• If the first number is an 9, then it is an organic product EX: Banana 94011

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Whole Food Signatures

Here is a bit of information I received via email...making the some interesting associations, so I figured I'd post it. I did some checking around but could not locate the original source.

The "Doctrine of Signatures" contends that every whole food has a pattern that resembles a body organ or physiological function and that this pattern acts as a signal or sign as to the benefit the food provides the eater.

Here's a short list of examples of Whole Food Signatures.

A Siced 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, Avocadoes 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 glyc emic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

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.

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Green Smoothie

Place the following ingredients into a blender:

• 2 oz. dates


• 2 frozen bananas


• 4 oz. dark leafy greens


• 1 apple cut up


• 16 oz. water


• ice cubes

Blend until smooth…enjoy! 2 times a day for best results. Can boost this smoothie with super greens in powered form. This is an immune system booster…it would be beneficial to incorporate this into your daily routine.

Known Side Effects:
Tends to clear the complexion, giving it a healthy glow
Will most likely lead to an increase in energy
May substantially reduce your cravings for sugars and sweets
Will affect the toxic load in the body, causing elimination from cell tissue
May cause you to lose excess weight

Warning: Check first with your physician if you are concerned about any of the known side effects, they may result in improved health.

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10 Food-Based Steps to Take to Protect Your Family's Health

1. Reduce consumption of processed foods.
2. Eat food with ingredients your grandmother would have used.
3. Purchase organic eggs and of course other organic products.
4. Cook with olive oil instead of butter, margarine or vegetable oil.
5. Avoid conventional soy and corn products(most of it is genetically engineered).
6. Avoid meat raised with antibiotics and/or synthetic hormones.
7. Avoid exposing kids under 12 months to non-fermented soy.
8. Consume organic foods during first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
9. Look for organic milk or milk labeled as being made without rBGH.
10. Thoroughly research any vaccines you are considering.

Source: http://www.allergykids.com/

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What Happens Within the First Hour of Drinking a Cola?

• 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system, which is 100 percent of your recommended daily intake. You'd normally vomit from such an intake, but the phosphoric acid cuts the flavor.


• 20 minutes: Your blood sugar skyrockets. Your liver attempts to maximize insulin production in order to turn high levels of sugar into fat.


• 40 minutes: As your body finishes absorbing the caffeine, your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your liver pumps more sugar into the bloodstream.


• 45 minutes: Your body increases dopamine production, tricking you into feeling pleasure and adding to the addictiveness of the beverage.


• 60 minutes: The sugar crash begins.

Source- Dr. Mercola

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