Can Damaged Eyes be Repaired?

Eye damage can come from looking directly at a solar eclipse, eating a nutritionally deficient diet, staring at a computer screen for hours, or any number of other things. Damaged eyes aren't simply corrected by wearing glasses. In addition to near- or far-sightedness, eye damage can look like poor night-vision, photosensitivity, stigmatism, cataracts, crossed eyes, eye floaters, glaucomas, detached retinas, corneal ulcers, xerophthalmia, uveitis, and more! Not a fun list! But there is good news! There are things that you can eat to support your eyes nutritionally. Today I will share with you the majornutrients of the eye, and how you can make sure you are getting enough of them in your diet.

Fair warning: this article gets a little sciency... if you are getting overwhelmed, skip to the bottom to see my recommendations.

Vitamins for the Eyes

Vitamin A: This vitamin is probably most connected to good eye health. Most of us were taught in school that eating carrots was good for our eyes because of the vitamin A in them. Actually, carrots contain vitamin A in the form of carotene, which must be converted into a more usable form of vitamin A through metabolic processes before our body can use it.

Cod liver oil, high vitamin butter oil, and liver are actually our richest sources of bio-available vitamin A. We can also get vitamin A from egg yolks of pastured chickens, grass-fed butter, green leafy vegetables, and some yellow and orange vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots (Lee, R, pg. 21-22).

Vitamin F: Vitamin F (also known as B2) is very important in eye health. When vitamin F levels are restored in a person's body, improvement in certain eye problems have been observed, including decreased photosensitivity, an improvement in long-distance focus, and (when combined with A and C) a dissolving of cataracts. Vitamin F (working alongside vitamin E) prevents and reverses calcium deposits in the eye. This vitamin can be found in large amounts in oatmeal and rye (Lee, R, pg. 31-32).

Vitamin G: This vitamin can also be classified as a B vitamin. However, there are several factors that make it distinct from other vitamins in the B family. Vitamin G is protective to the eyes, and a deficiency can lead to cataracts. This vitamin can be found in liver and other organs, as well as sprouted barley (Lee, R, pg. 33-34).

Minerals for the Eyes

Calcium": Calcium is important in eye health, but having too much or too little calcium is not as important as the balance of where the calcium is. The vitamins B, D, C, E, F and G all play a role in maintaining calcium balance in the tissues, bones and bloodstream. An imbalance of these vitamins can cause an imbalance of calcium, which could lead to eye damage or dysfunction (Lee, R. pg. 37-40). We can find calcium in whole raw milk, butter, yogurt, and bone broth (but only if you don't have a leaky gut!) (source).

Selenium: Selenium is an important trace mineral that is found primarily in brain and nervous tissue. If eating brains is not your thing, it is also found in high amounts in bilberry fruit, which can be purchased as an encapsulated dried berry powder. It was reportedly used by WWII pilots to improve their night vision (Pedersen, M. pg. 46-47).

Zinc: Zinc's main role is bringing vitamin A to the retina to produce a protective pigment (melanin). A deficiency in zinc leads to poor night vision, cataracts, and other vision impairments. We can get zinc from oysters, red meat, seafood, chicken, eggs, wheat germ, and some legumes (source). Zinc is also found in high amounts in bilberry fruit (Pedersen, M. pg. 46-47).

So, how can we protect and heal our eyes?

• Eat organ meats (especially liver), butter, and egg yolks regularly.

• Take fermented cod liver oil daily (even better when combined with high vitamin butter oil).

• Eat a mixture of green, orange and yellow vegetables, as high quality as you can find.

• Consider taking a bilberry fruit supplement.

• Consider supplementing real-food supplements if there are significant deficiencies present.*

Your eyes are important! You only have two of them, and they are worth taking care of! Even if you already have problems, don't give up! Many eye conditions may be reversed partially or completely. Remember, the body wants to be healthy... it's often simply missing the building blocks and tools to heal. Provide it with those tools, add some time, and see what your body can do!

*Many supplements are synthetically manufactured, or are from ingredients that have very little bioavailable nutrition in them. When I perceive that food is not enough to correct a severe nutritional deficiency, I recommend a brand that uses real, bio-dynamically raised animal and plants in an absorbable form. This brand is only available through health care providers. If you feel that you need supplements, and would like guidance, please schedule an appointment with me.  

References:

• Lee, Royal. Vitamin News. San Diego: The International Foundation for Nutrition and Health. 2006. Various pages, cited in the text.

• Pedersen, Mark. Nutritional Herbology: A Reference Guide to Herbs. Warsaw: Whitman Publications. 2015.

This post contains affiliate links. Your trust is important to me, and I only recommend products that I trust.

The Influence of Diet on Concussions

Concussions

From 2001 to 2012 the rate of concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children aged 0-19 years (as diagnosed in the emergency room) more than doubled. Males are statically more likely (almost twice) to get concussions as females, and concussions or TBIs in children under 20 years of age make up about 70% of all traumatic head injuries in America (source). I didn't quote these statistics so you will pull your child from sports, or make them wear a helmet every minute of the day, but because there is a reason for this trend, and if it is addressed, this harmful trend could be reversed.   And that reason is... you guessed it... related to diet!

Here are some factors that play into the increasing risk of concussions and TBIs:  

• A decrease in the consumption of nutrient-dense foods and saturated animal fats.

• An increase in consumption of processed foods and trans-fat vegetable oils.

• A decrease in sun exposure due to a fear of skin cancer and the heavy application of sunscreen.

• An increase in toxins, including aluminum and glyphosate.

  Let's look at each one in a little more detail...

Nutrient-dense Foods and Saturated Fat

When we began eating less red meat and animal fat, we started seeing deficiencies in nutrients important for brain health. This includes sulfur, magnesium, zinc, vitamin D, the B vitamins, and omega-3, especially DHA. That is because, in general, these are more nutrients present and/or bio-available in animal foods than in plant foods. Not only do we need all these nutrients to maintain healthy cells, but we need omega-3 fatty acids to buffer the effects of glutamate, a neurotransmitter released in response to inflammation, among other things (source).

Processed Foods and Trans-fat Oils

We have replaced many of the animal foods we used to eat with processed products. Not only are these foods low in bio-available nutrients, but they contain chemicals, dyes and preservatives, many of which are known neurotoxins. Around the same time, we also started commercializing real food, and vegetables, grains and animals began to be raised with pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and dyes. Additionally, unstable vegetable oils high in trans-fats, free radicals and unstable bonds were sold as "healthier" animal fat replacements.

Sun Exposure

It has only been in recent human history that we have worn sunscreen. For a time we believed it prevented skin cancer (this has been proved untrue). What we do now know is that sun exposure is necessary to build up sufficient levels of sulfate (the oxidized form of sulfur), which helps our brains clean and repair, as well as make hormones like melatonin, serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Sun exposure also helps us make some of our daily vitamin D3 (source).

Toxin Exposure

We are exposed to significantly more toxins today then we were 50 or 100 years ago. Two toxins that have a know link to brain damage are aluminum and glyphosate. Exposure comes food, water, cookware vaccines, even the air. Both of these toxins are harmful on their own, but when they are both present there is a synergistic effect, which increases the damage done to the brain (source).

So what can you do?

You can take steps to protect your child's brain. Eating a diet high in good quality animal fats, meat, and other real food will provide their body with what it needs to keep the brain clean and functioning as designed. Avoiding processed foods, especially those containing dyes, chemicals and pesticides, decreases the brain's exposure to neurotoxins. Spending a lot of time in the sun (without sunscreen) will increase sulfate levels and allow the body to cleanse the brain and produce proper levels of hormones. And exercising caution in vaccine administration and exposure to aluminum foil and weed killers like Round-Up will help keep the levels of these harmful toxins low. Over time, a return to a traditional way of eating will decrease the amount of time your child needs to recover from a concussion or TBI, and it may even prevent them from getting one in the first place. So pass the cod liver oil and butter!

Onward!

The Lost Art of Reheating Food without a Microwave

Microwaves, advertised to be "the greatest cooking discovery since fire," can be found in almost every American home.

And I recommend that you never use one!

There are many reasons why microwaves should be avoided (read:  remove them from your house), including lost nutrition, creation of free radicals and carcinogens, and radiation leakage. These effects are well documented in studies. If you are interested in researching this more, try starting with this article and it's references. But today we are not going to debate the safety of microwaves, but bring back the lost art of reheating food without a microwave.

When I first decided to ditch my microwave I had to experiment with reheating food. Before that moment I don't think I had ever reheated food outside of a microwave. I had a lot to learn. But that was years ago, and reheating food without a microwave is second-nature to me now... I don't have to think about it.

Today I want to share with you what I've learned, so you too can practice this lost art. Choosing which reheat method to use depends on several factors, but in reality, there is more than one way to reheat a dish!

With practice you will be choosing your reheating option without thinking about it.

Basic reheating options are:

• Stove-top (pan)

• Stove-top (skillet)

• Oven

• Toaster oven

• Slow cooker

The method that you choose depends on what you want to reheat, how much time you have, what options you have available, and how hot your house is already (this is a real consideration for me in the summertime because I do not have central air). Again, with time you will figure out which methods work for you. There are no wrong answers—just ones that work better than others.  

Use these guidelines to get started:

• Keep the heat low: high heat = greater risk of dry, burnt food

• Cover the food to retain moisture

• Use a steamer basket to reheat vegetables or pasta

• Add a little water or fat if your food is dry

• Reheat your food in animal fat (bonus: this adds to the nutrition)

• For larger amounts a slow, covered reheat in the oven is efficient

• Use a toaster oven or oven to make food crispy

• When bringing food to a party in a slow cooker, heat before leaving

• Reheat in a slow cooker using the medium or high (not warm) setting

• Place glass jars of frozen soup in water and bring to a boil together

Tips for cleaning and caring for your cookware:

• Soak glass and metal cookware to save on scrubbing time

• If food is stuck in the pot or pan, add a couple of inches of water to it and bring to a boil; allow to boil for a few minutes then wash the dish in hot running water (be careful not to burn yourself!)

• Avoid putting cold water on a hot glass or cast-iron dish

• Wash pots and pans (including cast-iron) immediately using hot water

Special care for cast-iron:

• Do not use soap

• Dry immediately after washing (may use the stovetop)

• Always renew the fat "seasoning" on the cast-iron after every rinse

I hope this has given you the courage to begin reheating your food without a microwave. It is not difficult, it is simply a habit change. You can do it!  

If you're unsure of how to reheat something, ask in the comments below!

The Root Cause of Asthma {Video}

Asthma

It is currently one of the most common diseases in the civilized world. But did you know that despite all of our medical advances, the occurrence, as well as complications and deaths related to asthma have skyrocketed? Asthma is more common than it used to be, and it's also more severe. Since 1980, the death rates for asthma have increased by more than 50% [1] In fact, asthma deaths were considered rare in the early 1900's [2]. So what changed?  

There were three major changes:

First, our world became more toxic. The effects of industrialization had taken its toll on our air, water and food. Additionally, we began to manufacture food-like substances to replace real food. These food-like substances are full of chemicals and preservatives, which had an unknown effect on the human body.  

Second, we replaced saturated animal fats with hydrogenated vegetable oils and trans-fatty acids. This was a double whammy on our lungs. We removed the substance it relied most heavily on to function properly (saturated fat) and gave it a replacement fat full of toxins and unknown substances that it now had to deal with.  

Third, medications like bronchodilators and other inhalers were invented. This forces the airways open against the body's desire to close off an area to allow for lung repair. Before medication were invented, asthma rarely caused death and was generally considered a benign condition.   To find out more about the root cause of asthma, and how the body works, check out my new video below!  

References: [1] http://www.asthmamd.org/asthma-statistics/ [2] http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.200402-185OE

Food Allergy? Or Something Else?

Food allergies are a popular topic right now, and it seems like more and more people are reacting to foods. If you don't react to a certain food, then you probably know someone who does.

First, let’s clarify what I mean by a “food allergy.” The technical definition of a food allergy is a specific immune response to a protein that is in contact with, or is inside, the body.

For the purposes of this article, I am referring to a food allergy in the popular sense, which means any reaction that happens after eating a certain food.

Food reaction symptoms can include itching, hives, headaches, fatigue, cough, runny nose, breathing difficulties, bloating, upset stomach, flatulence, diarrhea or constipation, fever, reddened ears or cheeks, nerve pain, irritability, mood swings, blood sugar instability, and sleeping problems.

And it seems like food allergies are increasing. The questions is, why? There are many theories:

• It’s just a fad, simply the latest craze to jump on.

• We have gotten better at diagnosing.

• It’s a government conspiracy.

• Our bodies have changed, or maybe our food has.

These are all good theories, but what is the truth? I think there is sometruth in many of these theories, but I think it has the most to do with the last one.   Our bodes and our food have changed.

I do not believe that doctors are better at diagnosing disease, and the increase is too significant to be written off for a health fad. But if we look at our modern methods of raising, preparing and eating food compared to any other time in human history, we see that there are huge differences!   Let’s look at the way we grow, prepare and eat food to find out.

Food: Is it a Digestibility Problem?

There is a difference between an food allergy, and a digestibility problem. How food is grown and prepared makes a huge difference in how easy it is for our body to digest it.

For example:

• Hybrid breeds and GMOs may not be recognized by the body.

• Pasteurization and canning change the protein structure.

• Soaked or sprouted nuts and grains are more digestible.

• Meat from animals eating inappropriate foods can cause reactions.

• Soy is highly indigestible unless fermented for a long time.

• Mold (often found on nuts and grains) is often undetectable.

So sometimes a person isn’t actually allergic to a food, but is reacting to the modification, processing, or lack of processing that a food has gone through. So before you write off whole, real foods like eggs, dairy, meat, and even grains, look at how it was raised and prepared. You may find that you don't have to limit those foods!

Body: Is it a Leaky-Gut Problem?

Most of the time, an allergic reaction is not the fault of the substance (allergen) itself, but comes from a leaky gut and overactive immune system.

Here's how it works:

Substances we come into contact with (or eat) are supposed to be stopped by barriers (skin, mucus membrane, or gut lining). If the substance is beneficial to our body, it is broken down, and then allowed to be absorbed into the bloodstream. If it is harmful it is kept out and removed. When we have damaged membranes (like a leaky gut), substances enter the bloodstream without being analyzed or broken down. This causes an inflammatory reaction, including the symptoms listed above. When the problem is corrected by healing and sealing the gut lining, substances can no longer get into the bloodstream to cause a reaction, and the reaction disappears!

Food reactions don’t have to be forever!

Every food reaction has the potential to be reversed. So before you limit yourself to a gluten or dairy-free life, consider changing your food sourcing or preparation, and addressing any underlying issues in your gut. You may not need to avoid that food forever! If you or your child has food reactions, here's what you can do about it:

• Eat more animal fat, especially grass-fed butter

• Drink meat stock regularly (directions)

• Remove the food you react to (until your gut is healed)

• Start taking a probiotic (see which ones I recommend)

• Start buying food that is raised naturally

• Prepare food properly (check out Nourishing Traditions)

• Find a practitioner who understands how to heal allergies

As with all change, healing takes time. Be patient with yourself and your body. You will likely notice a positive change right away, however you may not see significant changes for months. Press on! Keep going! You can do it!

Keep on the journey, Onward!  

Note: Some reactions to foods are very severe, and are not so simply reversed, such as in anaphylaxis. Sometimes these reactions can be overcome, and sometimes they cannot. If you have an anaphylactic reaction to a substance, I do not recommend trying that substance on your own. It’s best to work with a practitioner. Disclosure: Contains affiliate links, which help support my blogging. Your trust is important to me, and I only recommend resources I trust.

Real Food: More Than the Sum of Its Parts

Every time I learn more about the complex interactions between the human body and different nutrients, bacteria, and dozens of other factors, I am blown away! Not sure what I mean? As an example, this was mentioned in my latest post. A seed has enough intelligence to protect itself from being digested, but then is able to release those protections when the conditions are right to grow! All while it's still a seed! And that complicated process relates only to the seed. We haven’t even begun to explore the combining of that seed with some other food, or in a different form, or after the seed grows up. Not to mention the effect stomach acid levels, digestive enzyme activity, and different gut flora have on that seed. And the list goes on and on. Therefore we see that our bodies, and the processes that happen inside them, are incredibly intricate. And it begs the question:

Are vitamins, or carb/protein ratios really what it’s all about?

Eating real food is more than eating food-shaped packages of vitamins, proteins, and fibers. Real food is dynamic, and what you get from a particular food is conditional, and depends on several factors.

Growing Conditions: The actual nutritional value of that particular piece of food depends on the conditions it was grown in, including sun exposure, water quality, and the amount of vitamins, minerals and healthy bacteria in the soil or food the animal was eating.

Preparation Methods: After it is grown, different ways of preparing food will make it more or less digestible; helpful, stressful, or even harmful to the human body.

Individual Body Status: Even if it’s prepared properly, each individual body's environment has a role in determining the amount of benefit or harm that food will have.

In fact, a food's helpfulness to an individual body is dependent on the season, metabolic needs, current hormone state, and a myriad of other factors that are going on in the body at that moment. So what's helpful to your body in the summer may be harmful in winter. Or what's beneficial to eat at noon may weigh your body down at dinnertime. Every minute your metabolic needs may be different.

This is why "eating healthy" cannot be reduced to fortifying processed foods with vitamins, or taking the "perfect" supplement mix. It is so, so much more! Now that you know all this, eating healthy may sound like an unattainable goal. And in some ways it is. Even if we are extremely in tune with our bodies, it is unlikely that we will think “I need 5.78 mcg of calcium and 4.24 mg of vitamin D at 2:57pm”… and so on. And this is my first point.

There is no magic pill or secret supplement!

Even if the advertised effects are real, it doesn’t mean that it will work for you! Your body may need something else entirely. If anyone tells you that they have the one product that will fix all your ills, run the other way! On the other hand, the innateintelligence inside our bodies does know what it needs, and how to get it. We can work on listening to what our bodies are telling us. I call this becoming an expert detective (for more, see chapter 7 of Notes From A GAPS Practitioner).

As we renew the partnership with our body, we will begin to understand its signals about what foods will best support our bodies at that moment. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride talks about this in a wonderful article, One Man’s Meat is Another Man’s Poison. In it she shares how important it is to listen to your body telling you what food to eat at the moment, and how much of it to eat. Becoming an expert detective does not happen overnight. It is a commitment to observe, experiment, create theories, and modify them as needed. It will get easier with time and experience, and every time you learn something, your health will benefit. And you will have taken one more step in your journey toward better health.

Onward!  

Disclosure: Contains an affiliate link, which helps support my blogging. Your trust is important to me, and I only recommend resources I trust.

Why Soak Grains? {Video}

Ever wondered about recommendations like "soaking," "sprouting," "fermenting," or "properly preparing" your nuts or grains? Ever wondered what that meant, or why it's better? I did! In fact, when I first heard about "sprouted bread," I thought it was made-up. But there are real reasons why eating properly prepared seeds is better for your body. Check out the video below to find out why.

Did that make sense?

This is just one example of why food preparation matters. And while food preparation techniques used to be passed on from generation to generation, our modern western culture has largely lost that heritage. But some do remember. And some do research. And some teach. And some write it down for us. That is the entire reason behind the cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon. Traditional ways to prepare foods in traditional recipes are recorded in this helpful resource. If we want to return to health, we need to start understanding these principles. Our health depends on it! Still have questions? Have another food preparation question? Ask it in the comments below.

Disclosure: The link in this post is an affiliate link. Links like this help support my blogging. Your trust is important to me, and I only recommend resources I trust.

Spring! And Natural Allergy Management

Spring has come to my neighborhood! Over the last week, things have been budding and growing. Green has been showing, and flowers blooming. The sounds of spring have been happening for awhile, but are now in full force—birds chirping, squirrels chattering, and children playing. I took an sunset tour around my neighborhood to enjoy the spring evening, and I want to share with you some of the pictures I took. Then keep reading for some natural ways to manage your spring allergies!

There is another way I know that spring is here… my allergies have started to flare. Since going through the GAPS diet, my allergies are mild compared to what they used to be, but they still cause minor irritation—enough that I need to address them. So today I am going to share with you what I do to manage my allergies naturally. But before we discuss management techniques, let’s review what allergies are. Allergy symptoms are a product of the immune system. And we can think of them as a signal from our body to let us know that something is going on. Basically, they signal two things:

The first is that an allergen (a protein chain that is usually referred to as an antigen) has bypassed the body’s protective mechanisms. When this happens, the body mounts a non-specific immune response (an inflammatory response) against that allergen. In this process, certain cells (called mast cells) are degranulated, and release things like histamine into the bloodstream. Histamine travels to receptor sites in the GI tract, respiratory tract and the skin. These receptors then trigger a further response to the allergen, and we see symptoms like hives, mucus production, and swelling.

The second is that our liver is unable to keep up with processing mediators (like histamine) that have been released in the inflammatory response. As we saw above, histamine triggers the symptoms we are accustomed to in an allergic reaction. Histamine is not a problem when it is being processed and removed by the liver fairly quickly. But when it continues to circulate (because the liver isn’t pulling it out fast enough) it will continue to cause unpleasant symptoms—sending you signals that your body needs some assistance.

Okay, now that we are on the same page about what allergy symptoms are, let’s talk about ways to support your body so you don't suffer from them! Again, these symptoms are signals that your body needs some help. So what can we do to help support the liver and immune system?

Feed it Fat

The immune system is a very hungry organ, and what it likes best to eat is fat! Especially the Vitamins A and D that it contains. These are both found in abundance in butter, as well as lard, fermented cod liver oil, and other animal fats. The cholesterol found in these fats also plays an important role, for it is cholesterol that helps the body repairdamage from inflammation (watch this video for more on this).

Eat Sauerkraut

There are two benefits to eating sauerkraut (or fermented cabbage any way). The first is the probiotic benefit. The root cause of allergies is a leaky gut. Bad gut flora has everything to do with this. (This is too much to discuss in this post, so if you have further questions, I recommend chapter 6 of my book Notes From a GAPS Practitioner.) So eating probiotics will help the allergy problem, both long-term and short-term. However, if you are unused to eating large amounts of sauerkraut, I recommend you work up to it slowly. The second benefit of sauerkraut is the high amount of Vitamin C available in it. Lacto-fermenting cabbage increased the bioavailability of Vitamin C by about 4 times. Our immune system also needs Vitamin C to function well. So consuming large amounts of sauerkraut is like taking Vitamin C daily (which you could take in other ways, like arceola cherry powder). I enjoy sauerkraut, and find that if I eat between 1-3 cups a day (broken up with meals, or as a snack), my allergy symptoms are fairly well managed. I generally feel that my itchy eyes and throat are calmed down within about 20 minutes of eating it.

Apply Lavender Essential Oil

This is my quick-acting go-to if my symptoms are overwhelming. Lavender is a powerful antihistamine. If I run into a situation where my allergies flare up quickly, like having a cat rub against me, or when the cottonwood trees are seeding, I pull out my lavender oil. There are several ways to use it. You can apply it topically near the area that is affected (best for skin issues) or on the bottoms of your feet (if you don’t like the smell). You can diffuse it, so you breathe it into your mucus membranes and calm the histamine response there. Or (if you have a pure and safe brand like the one I use), you can take it internally. I prefer to place a drop or two under my tongue and let it absorb sublingually. This is the quickest way to get it into the bloodstream. Lavender tastes about like it smells, but the quick relief I get far outweighs the bitter taste it leaves. I usually feel relief from my symptoms in 2-5 minutes, but for most people it may take 10-20 minutes to feel the effect.

Support Your Liver

There are ways to help the liver when it is overtaxed. First, reduce the amount of toxins you are asking the liver to process, thus adding to its workload. In the spring I am more careful about what I eat. There are some foods I have “graduated” to that can be too much for my body to handle when it also has to deal with extra histamines in my “allergy season.” In the same way, it is good to be cautious about other toxins from chemicals in the environment (or on our skin) that are overloading the body. It is also important to use other methods of detox, such as detox baths and juicing, to help remove toxins and thus reducing the workload of the liver. Finally, eating liver (consuming the animal organ that matches our struggling organ is always helpful) regularly can be helpful. If you don’t like it, you can take desiccated liver. And for a little extra support, I will sometimes take the Standard Process supplement Antronex.

Try Something New

I have not tried this yet because I just learned about it, but this season I am going to try lacto-fermenting honey! Most of us have heard that honey can help with allergies, but it turns out that lacto-fermenting the honey increases these benefits even more! I’m interested to see how it turns out, and if it helps. The honey does have to be local to have a strong effect, and I fortunately have a little honey left over from the year I tried beekeeping. If you want to learn more about it, I would recommend starting HERE.

If you have tried lacto-fermenting honey, found success with any of these natural means, or want to share other things you have found helpful with the community, then leave it in a comment below!  

Onward!

References: McCance, K. and Huether, S. (2006). Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children. Elsevier Mosby. Philadelphia, PA. Pg. 249-255. Lavender and the Nervous System. Koulivarnd, P. Ghadiri, M., Gorji, A. (September 4, 2012) Retrieved March 20, 2017 from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/681304/

Cholesterol Explained {Video}

One of the most frequent things I talk with people about it about cholesterol. It's usually in response to something like:

"But I have a family history of high cholesterol."

"Eating that much butter sounds great, but I can't, because I already have high cholesterol."

"Won't bacon give me a heart attack?"  

What I recorded in this video is what I share with them... and want to share with you... about what the role of cholesterol truly is in our bodies.

Enjoy!

How to Shop Like Betty: Tips on Nutrient-Dense Shopping

In the last post we discussed the differences in food quality, and explored the intricate way God designed our senses to be able to taste, smell, and see the difference. But, as amazing as all this is, we hit a reality check.

We can't all grow our own garden vegetables, have our seafood overnighted, or raise a cow in the backyard. It can be a struggle to even afford purchasing these things.

And that's okay. Most of us are in the same boat.

While I still encourage people to think differently about food budget—considering it instead as part of your health-care budget, I understand that at some point, cash-flow is a limiting factor. You can only do the best you can, prioritizing the things that seem important to your body and family, and go from there.

I want to share a few tips with you. Ones that can help you put more nutrient-dense food on the table. Today let's talk about how to shop.

Nutrient-Dense Shopping:

• Shop sales, coupon, or go to wholesale stores (like Costco), and buy in bulk when the food is a good price.

I actually specifically recommend Costco because of their conscientious sourcing, and their larger selection of organic items. This automatically leads to better quality food options. Buying in bulk, and on sale are also great ways to get things like coconut oil and sugar (to feed your SCOBY, of course), as well as non-grocery items like Epsom salt, soaps and shampoos.

• Find out when your favorite organic-carrying grocery store marks things down for quick-sale.

Stores go through their produce, dairy and meat products on a regular basis in order to catch and mark-down food that is about to expire. Usually this is scheduled, and if you know the time and day you can show up soon after (or during) this mark-down period and get incredible deals! You can also check to see if there is a local discount grocery store, that takes almost out-of-date items and sells them at a large discount.

Produce: The small health food stores that I shop at usually put the older assorted produce in $2 bags. Often times it comes out to roughly a 90% discount! You have to be creative with using it, and be willing to give away food you may not be able to eat (like maybe potatoes, for example), but I often walk out of these stores with $15-30 worth of organic produce that cost me $4-6.

Meat: Similarly, stores mark down meat when it is nearing it's expiration date. Find out what days they go through the organic produce, and shop at that time. Again, I have found even better deals in smaller stores, where they have more to loose by throwing away food. And don't be afraid to buy frozen meat! Very few nutrients are lost when the meat is frozen. If it comes down to buying fresh commercial meat, or frozen natural or organic meat, the latter will definitely give you more nutrition for your buck.

• Know when to spend your money: when quality really matters, or when it varies tremendously.

There are some foods that are more difficult to find on sale, and ones that I recommend paying more for. Many of these items can be purchased much "cheaper," but the quality ranges from very poor to very good, and you get what you pay for. Dairy products in particular are very manipulated by manufacturers, and should be bought with that in consideration.

Dairy: If you can get raw milk, then do it! Otherwise, I do not recommend consuming pasteurized milk unless it has been cultured, like in yogurt or cheese. Aside from milk, most dairy products tend to keep longer, and may be more difficult to find on sale. Organic is important here, because commercial cows are given many antibiotics and hormones that will come through the milk and affect you. Don't "buy cheap" in these areas, especially butter, as it may be a main source of cholesterol (fat) for you. Cream can be purchased at the store, and although it has been pasteurized (some more than others), it is more stable than milk, and is less affected by pasteurization. Cheese, yogurt and sour cream have all been cultured, and those active cultures are working hard to counteract the damaging effects of pasteurization.

Eggs: Deciding which eggs to buy will depend on your area. If you can't purchase them from a local farm (real free-range are better than store-bought organic), then choose your egg based on the color of the yolk, and the taste. The yolk should be bright yellow or orange, meaning the chickens have been out in the sun and may even be able to eat bugs and fresh greens. Never buy eggs from vegetarian-fed hens. Believe me, hens are not vegetarians! Eggs are another large source of cholesterol, and it's best to buy the best quality of eggs you can find (these are not always the most expensive).

• Look for bulk ordering companies or clubs.

You don't have to join a CSA to get farm-fresh produce. There are companies like Azure Standard, Miller's Organic Farm, and others that send you meat and produce from a farm (maybe in another state) and deliver it to you. This is a great way to buy things that are more difficult to get, like lard, nuts or dried fruit. This can also be a good way to get non-grocery items.

I hope these tips help you make more nutrient-dense food purchases. What other ways have you found to make nutrient-dense food affordable? Share your knowledge with the community in the comments below. Happy shopping!

Onward!

Why Betty Got Some Better Butter

Do you remember the old nursery rhyme/tongue twister about Betty Botter buying butter?

Betty Botter bought a bit of butter;“ But,” she said, “this butter’s bitter! If I put it in my batter It will make my batter bitter But a bit of better butter Will make my batter better.” So she bought a bit of butter Better than her bitter butter, Made her bitter batter better. So it was better Betty Botter Bought a bit of better butter.

(courtesy of Wikipedia)

Which begs the deep, philosophical question—was it actually important for her to buy better butter? Or did it just make the rhyme work?

Just kidding... ...or am I? Like many nursery rhymes, I believe this one also has a hidden meaning, a bit of wisdom that is being passed on through the "silly" childhood lines.

Wisdom that we should take to heart...

Quality Matters

Not all food is created equal. Hopefully you have all had the chance to eat fresh food out of a garden. Now compare that to much of the produce you can buy at the store. Can you see, smell and taste the difference? But isn't it all the same foods? How can it be different? Well, let's consider the differing conditions of, for example, a tomato.

1. Grew in good soil vs growth forced by fertilizers

2. Cared for with love vs impersonally raised in mass

3. Picked when it was ripe vs ripening in a truck

It makes sense that all these things affect the taste, but does it really matter? Even if it's not as delicious, isn't it still basically a tomato? Doesn't it give us good nutrients that support our bodies?

Unfortunately, no. Taste, color and smell were put in place to show our bodies the quality and health of a plant. When the appeal is lacking, so is the nutrition. The same is true with all food. Meat, seafood, fruit, fats, dairy products, and any other single ingredient can be purchased at differing levels of quality. And when those ingredients are combined, the resulting dish can be bland or amazing! Top chefs know this. They know that ingredient selection is the most important factor in creating a delicious dish. You too can cook amazing food! Your kitchen skills matter some, but your ingredients matter more!  

Additionally, when the food you are eating has higher nutritional content, you won't need to eat as much. When you are no longer a slave to processed food's addictive substances, or the sugar cravings of bad flora in your body, your body gives signals for eating properly. How does the body "properly" signal, you might ask.  

The body signals hunger when it is needing nutrients! 

 When you eat nutrient-dense food, less will satisfy you! 

Therefore, it is actually more efficient to eat higher-quality food, even if it costs more, because you will need to eat less of it.

The only time this does not give the appearance of being true is when you first start eating nutrient-dense food. When you begin giving your starving body the nutrients it so desperately needs in good-quality, real food, it will ask for that food often! This period of time often lasts one to three months long, although it can be longer. Don't worry, it's a good sign! Your eating will slowdown when your body has caught up. (Also as you add more fat into your diet. Fat is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, and it is incredibly satisfying.)

So, the take away for today is that quality matters!

I know this is easier said than done. Next time we will talk about some ways that could make it possible for you to feed better quality food to yourself and your family. Y'all come on back now...

Onward!

Working with Your Innate Intelligence

In the last post we talked about habits and some different reasons why we may not be consistent with them. One of the reasons we discussed was that maybe the habit you have decided to establish is not the most helpful thing for you to put your energy toward. Your body may have different ideas about what is most important. Let’s stop for a moment and talk a little about your body, or body-partner.

What I am referring to is also called our innate intelligence. Innate intelligence is the idea that our body was born knowing what we need to be healthy and whole.

This may sound a bit out in the deep end, but hear me out. You already know this is true. Think about the time you skinned your knee as a child. Did you know how to heal it? Of course not! In fact, even as adults, there are very few who understand even the basics of how a wound is healed. So if we didn’t know how to heal it, how was our knee healed? The body already knew how to heal it.

Inside the cells of our body is a knowledge that we haven’t even begun to understand. But we can see the effects, so we can know it’s there. It is always working towards being more healthy, vibrant, and whole. And our body wants to work with us and help us understand how to get there. Innate intelligence helps us understand what’s best through senses & desires.

• a desire for certain foods

• tired and heavy eyes when we need to sleep

• brain fog and fatigue when we’re sick

• the urge go to the bathroom

• a "gut" feeling about a decision or situation

And the list goes on... When we learn to listen to our body-partner, our communication becomes more fine-tuned and successful. (To learn more about this, I recommend reading Notes From a GAPS Practitioner, especially chapters 7 and 8.)

Ok, so back to the topic—how do you know what to prioritize for you? What’s the most important thing to focus on? There are so many good things to do. But what’s the most important thing for your healing journey right now? While the answer is not the same for everyone, following these steps should help you know what to focus on. Until later on, when the priority changes. When that happens, simply revisit these steps again. Each time you do this, it will get easier to know what to do! Hang with me here—there are a few steps! You can do it!

Read through a list of some of my top health change priorities. As you read through them, take note of the things that seem more important than others.  

• Eat more fat

• Stop putting toxins on your skin and hair

• Eat fermented foods daily

• Consume meat stock daily

• Stop drinking soda and energy drinks

• Drink more water

• Start moving a little every day

• Eat more food

• Stop eating sugar and processed foods

• Switch to natural scents and cleaning products

• Detox more regularly

Next, I want you to notice the things that are not on this list. Things like “30 min of cardio 5 days a week” or “take more vitamins and supplements,” or even “buy organic food.” Before we go on, throwaway all your preconceived ideas about what “healthy habits” are. These are not necessarily bad habits, but they may not the most important things to focus on.

Now, write down the things that jumped out to you from the list—first impression only, don’t over-think it! Limit your list to 3-5 items. Got them? Great. These things we are going to consider your body’s priorities, and put them on the Priority List. Think back to the concept of innate intelligence—your body knows how to heal itself. It also knows what things will help accomplish that goal, and it wants to let you know. This communication takes practice, but it's worth it! The more you partner with your body, the more effective change you will see.

Out of your body’s priorities decide which one seems the most important or most practical to start. That’s right—one! Unless they go together, like less soda and more water, I recommend working on only one at a time. And this is where your conscious decision and will comes in. For example, something like stopping processed foods and sugars may seem most important, but if you have tried and failed a hundred times, then I recommend that you pick another one from your Priority List. Perhaps eating more fat may be much easier to do consistently, and you may find that you are automatically eating less processed food by default. Even if that doesn’t happen, it is still better to set yourself up for success, because one success will help you with another. And remember, no good decision, however small, is ever wasted!

Make a plan for your change. "Detoxing more" is not possible to achieve unless you decide that “detoxing more” means “oil pulling daily” or “taking a detox bath on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.” Some of the things on the list are big, and should be broken into even smaller steps. It may take a while to feel like you are achieving the habit. But take heart! You are working on something that is one of the most important things to you. It’s worth all the time it takes to do it!

Accountability and support matters! Let the community know what your ONE thing is in the comments below, share your plan, and then go get ‘em! You are going to do great!

Onward!

Laziness? Or a Change in Priority?

A few weeks ago we talked about consistency being the secret sauce. And that is very true, it is. But I have found that it is incredibly difficult to be consistent in things that I don’t really believe are important. And I think this goes beyond a mental game. To be on the GAPS protocol, or to follow any health choices that are contrary to the mainstream, you have to have a strong mental game. I think all of you show a tremendous amount of will power; I’m not worried about your mental game! Could it be something else?

Consistency... It's the Secret Sauce

On my own health journey, I have found that I will keep a habit consistently (like a detox bath every single day for over a year) and then, all of a sudden, stop doing it. I don’t make a conscious choice, I just start forgetting to do it. Has that ever happened to you? Why do you think it happens? Did you (like most people) beat yourself up for being lazy or undisciplined?

I used to do that as well! But now I have a new theory! I think that it’s more than just getting “thrown off” by a change in routine, or losing our mental “game.” I think that often we stop certain things because that habit has ceased to be a priority. Our body (“innate intelligence”, “subconscious”, or “body-partner”) stops pushing for that behavior because something else has become a priority.

Let’s use the example of a detox bath, because it has made this idea most clear to me. Although I am a fairly disciplined person in general, there was another reason why I took a detox bath every night. Namely, if I didn’t, I would get a migraine the next day. Almost guaranteed. So of course I prioritized taking a detox bath. But, when I stopped taking them every night, the migraines didn’t come! My body was better able to handle detoxing, and no longer had to rely so strongly on the assistance of detox baths, so it “stopped being a habit.” Now I would say that I stopped taking a detox bath every night because I no longer needed to take one every night. There were other things that my body knew was more important to do with my time and energy. It could handle the toxins.

I imagine some of you are practically jumping out of your chair right now in protest, and shouting: “Are you saying that we don’t have to work at all to begin or maintain habits? We should just do what feels right and easy?” Ok, maybe you aren't quite doing that...but maybe wondering what I mean?

This is not quite what I am saying. Of course we have to be purposeful and invest energy in habits, especially new ones. And yes, there are times that we (wrongly) stop doing good and necessary things just because it’s easier or more comfortable. We were given will power for a reason. And there are times when we need to use it.

What I am saying is that some of the habits we choose, and put tremendous energy into, are not best for our body. These are the ones we failrepeatedly in our attempts to establish. Sometimes they are rightly not a priority for us. And sometimes they are actually bad habits disguised as good ones (that’s another blog post). And sometimes we need to power through and do them. It depends.  

So stop beating yourself up for failing again. Evaluate the habit and see if it’s actually a priority for your body. (Stay tunes, next time we will talk about how to do that.) Then work with your partner (your body) and use your energy and will power to maintain the important habits. You will be kinder to yourself, and feel and experience more success in your journey towards better health, which is the real goal!

Onward!

Vintage Food Hack: Fermenting (Part 2)

Recently we talked about why I love fermenting so much. If you missed the post, you can read it here. Today, let’s talk about what in the world lacto-fermentation is, and how you can start doing it yourself!

First, what lacto-fermentation is NOT:

• It is NOT making an alcoholic beverage (necessarily)

• It is NOT taking rotting vegetables and facilitating more rot (that is composting, and it belongs in the garden)

• It is NOT (necessarily) making things with dairy or into a dairy product

• It is NOT something only hippies do, modern-day people all over the world continue fermenting in the traditions of their ancestors

• It is NOT something new, it has been done for centuries, likely as long as humans have been around

And here is what lacto-fermentation IS!

• It IS a process of preserving food in a way that keeps the enzymes alive and the nutrition in its natural form

• It IS a way to eat those beneficial bacteria, which have been shown to aid in digestion, boost immunity, regulate metabolism, facilitate weight loss, and more

• It IS facilitating the growth of beneficial bacteria and yeast that produce lactic acid (a substance that pathogenic bacteria cannot live in the presence of)

• It IS easy to “put up” ferments, and very difficult to mess them up

• It IS safe to eat your own fermented foods, because if they turn rancid instead of fermented, there are obvious signs which clue you in that you should throw it away!

• It IS inexpensive to make ferments, your only recurring costs are the food you are fermenting, salt and water

• It IS a lot of fun, and an activity you can do as a group with other interested people

Have I convinced you yet?

Yes?

Good!

“How do I get started?” you might ask.

I’m glad you asked!

There are a lot of resources for fermenting.

• Books and blogs: Katz is a leader in the fermentation world, but there are many others as well

• Online groups: You can join the very active Wild Fermentation facebook group, and there are others

• Websites: Cultures for Health is a website I visit often. They offer instructional videos, a blog, books and other fermenting supplies, and different starter cultures for purchase.

• Classes: There are a variety of classes offered if you like the hands-on approach of fermenting. Many people, including myself, offer these classes. A real-foods chef, Monica Corrado of Simply Being Well, regularly offers and other classes--both locally here in Colorado, and around the Americas.

• Friends: Fermenting is becoming more popular, so ask around. Someone you know may already be fermenting, and probably would love teaching you as you do it together!

The most important thing about getting started is to just DO IT! There is an aspect of fermenting that can only be learned by doing, feeling and trying it out, and failing! And, because it doesn’t cost much, you can throw it away and try again! Next week I will post a simple ferment recipe--it’s an easy one to start with!

Disclosure: I am not an affiliate of any of the above resources, I just like them!

Happy Fermenting!

Onward!

Beet Kvass

Beet Kvass is a liver tonic. Anyone can make this simple fermented drink! It requires only a few ingredients, and only a few minutes to "put up."

Want to learn how? Good!

But first, some definitions:

• Kvass: beverage

• "Put up" a ferment: combine ingredients and set it aside to let it ferment

• Sea Salt: unrefined salt, salt that is the same way it was found in nature

  • contains many trace minerals, depending on which type it is

  • Celtic Sea Salt, Real Salt, Himalayan Salt, others

  • most fermenting enthusiasts prefer Himalayan for fermenting (it's a taste thing)

• Shoulder of the jar: the area of a jar where the jar narrows to become the mouth

Ingredients & Supplies to make beet kvass

• 1/2 gallon glass mason jar

• 1 medium-large beet

• 2 TBS sea salt

• cold, filtered water
  

Directions to Make Your Own Beet Kvass

Cut the beet into 1-2 inch cubes. Do not cut too small or shred the beet! Too much surface area and the beets will ferment too fast and create alcohol!

You do not need to peel the beets, just wash fairly well and cut off the top. A little organic dirt will add minerals and soil bacterium.

Place the cut beet in the mason jar. The beets should fill the jar about 1/4-1/3 of the way

Add salt to the jar. 2 TBS is the traditional amount when whey is not added.

Fill the jar up to the shoulder with cold, filtered water.

Seal the jar with a metal lid and ring, closing tightly.

Gently tip and swirl the jar to help the salt dissolve.

Set on the counter for 3-5 days, until the kvass is a rich purple color.

Move to the fridge (the beets stay in the liquid)

Consume daily!

You can use the beets for two batches

• when the liquid is almost gone (about a pint left) then refill with water and salt

• set on the counter for another 3-5 days

• when the liquid is gone the second time, discard the beets and start fresh

Tips and Tricks for beet kvass

• My beets are floating!

  • It's okay if the beets are floating-they often do, but will eventually sink. You don't need a weight for this ferment.

• How much salt?????

  • The amount of salt largely depends on you--your taste, and your climate.

  • The salt is there to inhibit bad bacteria growth until the good bacteria are strong enough.

  • Beet kvass doesn't seem to go bad often, especially in the dry climate of Colorado.

  • I use about 2 TBS salt and no whey, with no problem. No whey! Ha ha ha, get it?

  • People like their kvass with more or less salt, so see how it tastes best to you.

• I have a white film on the top and/or the bottom of my kvass.

  • DON'T start over!

  • This is merely the hard working lactobacillus bacterium thriving!

  • You can shake or stir in the white film, or skim it off, if you prefer.

• I have blue or black, or another color of mold!

  • This is NOT okay. If you find this, throw it out and start over!

• How much do I take each day?

  • It is generally recommended that you take up to 4 ounces 2x/day.

  • As with all ferments, it is important to START SLOW and increase gradually.

  • It's best to take this on an empty stomach, like first thing in the morning.

Love beets?!?!?!?

Can't get enough of them?!?!?

Learn about other great ways to eat beets here!

Happy fermenting!

Onward!

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Print

Beet Kvass

Author: Amy Mihaly, Be Well Clinic

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon glass mason jar
• 1 medium-large beet
• 2 TBS sea salt
• cold, filtered water

Instructions

1. Cut the beet into 1-2 inch cubes. Do not cut too small or shred the beet! Too much surface area and the beets will ferment too fast and create alcohol!
2. You do not need to peel the beets, just wash fairly well and cut off the top. A little organic dirt will add minerals and soil bacterium.
3. Place the cut beet in the mason jar. The beets should fill the jar about 1/4-1/3 of the way
4. Add salt to the jar. 2 TBS is the traditional amount if no whey added.
5. Fill the jar up to the shoulder with cold, filtered water.
6. Seal the jar with a metal lid and ring, closing tightly.
7. Gently tip and swirl the jar to help the salt dissolve.
8. Set on the counter for 3-5 days, until the kvass is a rich purple color.
9. Move to the fridge (the beets stay in the liquid)
10. Consume daily!
11. You can use the beets for two batches: when the liquid is almost gone (about a pint left) then refill with water and salt, set on the counter for another 3-5 day. When the liquid is gone the second time, discard the beets and start fresh.