Recipes and Tips for Healthier Living and Smarter Budgeting

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

MSG and Nitrates

Back in December I wrote a post about my pregnancy aversion to MSG. Over the last few months it has gotten easier to avoid MSG as I have learned about its many hidden forms, gotten in the habit of checking everything I buy, and not ever going out to eat.

About the same time as I figured out that MSG was my problem, I realized that nitrates and nitrites affect me similarly. (Of course, MSG is often included in items that have nitrates, so the two come together a lot.) As long as I stay away from over-processed meats, like lunch meat, sausage, and bacon this sensitivity isn't that difficult to avoid. And now that Hormel makes a few lunch meats without any preservatives, nitrites or nitrates, MSG, or artificial ingredients, I can still enjoy lunch meat on my sandwiches.

The sad thing is, when you really look into the MSG issue, you realize that while most restaurants claim not to have any MSG in their foods, almost all of them do. And you can't ask employees or even the cooks about it, because more than likely they don't know about all the hidden forms.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Incredible Bee Pollen

As the weather begins to warm--hinting of spring more strongly some days than others--we are beginning to see little honey bees venturing about. In our town there aren't many flowers out, or any blossoms to speak of, so there isn't much work for the bees to do yet, but they're anticipating (like many of us who are eager to get our hands into warm, spring dirt).

I have mentioned before that my father-in-law is a beekeeper, so my husband grew up helping him with the whole process of establishing hives to harvesting the honey. This is lucky for me, since I grew up on honey-sweetened food and an appreciation for honey, so we can be honey connoisseurs together (not to mention the benefit of occasional free jars of honey from my FIL). For as long as I can remember, my husband has wanted to have a hive of his own but circumstances have never been such that we could. This summer we're hoping will be different. Already my husband has located a friend with land who is willing to let him put up a bee box, since our neighborhood is not currently zoned to allow honeybees (much to our disappointment).

I have already praised the virtues of honey in various posts (see here and here, not to mention all my recipes that use it), but what about other bee products? Bee pollen is one of those thing I've heard of people buying to boost their health, but I've never taken it myself. After learning the below information, however, it is something I would someday like to try.

To quote from BeePollenBuzz.com:
  • We know that Bee Pollen is extremely nutrient dense and contains all 8 Essentials Amino Acids and the 2 Non-Essentials Amino Acids that must be obtained from your diet. Dairy, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, all meats, hemp and fish are the other food sources that contain all of the amino acids. To view the complete amino acid profile of bee pollen, click here.
  • At 25% protein, bee pollen is extremely low calorie with only 45 calories per tablespoon. There is no other protein source that has the nutrient content that bee pollen possesses. This would also be an excellent choice for vegetarians who find it hard to get protein, all of the essential amino acids , vitamin B12, and iron.
  • In addition to its high protein content, bee pollen contains over a dozen vitamins, 28 minerals, 11 enzymes and co-enzymes, and 14 fatty acids. It truly is Mother Nature's multi-vitamin!
  • It is very rare to find a profile like this in a single food. When vitamins come in a food base such as bee pollen then they are MUCH EASIER to absorb and digest.
  • Scientists simply are not able to replicate all of the healthy compounds found in nature. There are those that claim we haven't even identified all of the substances in bee pollen yet!
  • Compliment your multi-vitamin and mineral supplement with a tablespoon or two a day of bee pollen to make sure you are getting many of the amazing nutrients that nature made for us. In fact, you'll [probably] get better absorption and assimilation of your vitamins and minerals by doing so! That means more vitamins in your system and less in the toilet!

Friday, March 25, 2011

The "New" Truth About Fats

Like so many other whole foods, fats are proving themselves not to be the evil villain the last couple generations were led to believe. (Honestly, if you read the literature, it was brainwashing, if you ask me.) Although, much of our medical and health education community still haven't picked up on this yet.

I've talked about this before (here and here and here), and I'm sure this won't be the last time, but it's on my mind again because I read another excellent article about the topic on Word of Wisdom Living. In it, the author, like Michael Pollan, advises: "Eat what your great-grandmother ate. Butter, olive oil, and lard." That's what we've been eating in my little family for a while now, with the only recent addition of lard (though I don't have a lot of experience cooking with it yet). If you're wondering why--or how these fats aren't considered "bad" anymore--read the above links. Of course, this isn't to say we should slather our food with these fats either. Remember, moderation is a good watch word for everything.

My favorite quote from this article is, I think, very wise: "Allow a century of use before assuming a new man-made food is healthy." Why it takes so much research to prove that these natural, no- or low-processed types of fats are actually better for us than all those chemically processed and modified fats is beyond me. Sense and logic tell us that the closer foods are to their natural state, the easier and better they are on the body, and the healthier they make us. So it shouldn't surprise us that they taste better too!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Budget Saver Tip #21: Vehicle Purchasing

According to my observations and the latest statistics, most people in the United States take out loans to buy their vehicles. In fact, this is such a common occurrence that most people probably don't even think much about it: That's just how you get a car. (You can also get a really nice car that way.) But since I grew up with very frugal parents who saved as much as they could and avoided debt like the plague, my mentality has always been different. We never had really nice cars, but we always had what we needed, and my parents were never paying off an auto loan. After all, they had things like music, dance, and art lessons to pay for, not to mention school and camp fees and all the other expenses that raising a family entails. They certainly didn't need an auto loan hanging over their heads too.

For about two years now, knowing that with the addition of another child to our family (whenever that happened) we would outgrow our small car, I have been collecting information about minivans. I learned from friends, my parents' mechanic, official statistical reports, and consumer reviews what type of vehicle would best fit our family's needs, meet my desires, have excellent value, and be safe. I also learned approximately how much we would need to spend. For a while, with no extra income whatsoever, all I could do was collect this information without doing anything else about it. Once my husband finished his Masters degree, obtained a job, and we finally had some good income again, we figured out how much money we could save per month and began putting away several hundred dollars a month toward a larger vehicle. Keep in mind, my husband is a school teacher and we are a one-income family. With the tremendous additional help of a large tax refund, we were able to purchase a minivan this past weekend that fit well within our desires and needs. It's certainly not the latest model with the most up-to-date technology, but it's the nicest (and I'll even say fanciest) vehicle we have ever owned. We are thrilled. And we paid for it in cash (well, technically money orders).

I can't tell you how many times over the past couple years I was tempted to just go the "easy" route and get an auto loan--or at least borrow money from family. After all, so many people get auto loans and appear to get along just fine. And, I reasoned, if we monthly put the same amount toward a loan that we had been putting into our car fund in savings, we'd have it paid off in no time. But we have always bought our cars with cash and my husband steadily balked at the idea of going into debt for a car. And I knew we really didn't want to do that if there was any way around it. After all, the more in debt you are, the less freedom you have, and with all the other things we need to purchase or pay for (like a new baby), we need our money to be as fluid as possible, not locked into another loan.

There are lots of things to factor into a calculation of how much you can save by paying for a vehicle in cash versus getting an auto loan, but no matter how little or much you put down, or how long or short your loan term is, if you're paying interest you're paying interest--whether that be hundreds or thousands of extra dollars over the life of the loan. Of course, this also varies depending on the interest rate you're able to get. In our case, our credit union has the currently very low rate of 2.99% (which added to the temptation). So even if we hadn't put any money down, over a five year period we would've only paid several hundred dollars extra. But that's still several hundred dollars that could've gone to something else we needed. Not to mention five years of bondage. And I've always hated the idea of potentially having to make repairs on a vehicle we still owe money on. Paying for gas and maintenance costs enough as it is!

Now, I realize that not everyone is able to line all their ducks in a row to purchase a car in full, particularly when unexpected things happen and there isn't enough time to save up the needed money. But I also believe that "where there is a will there is a way" and that most of us could do a better job of anticipating our needs and planning for the future. It's amazing how much a plan (and the action necessary to adhere to that plan) can, in the long run, give freedom and peace of mind.

There's just something so sweet about the satisfaction of making a large purchase that you have planned and saved for, and owning it free and clear. I love being able to say that it's not financed but is truly ours!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Beef Stroganoff Without Canned Soup

If you like sour cream, this is a delicious recipe for beef stroganoff that I found on SimplyRecipes.com. I was searching for a recipe that didn't use canned soup (you know my problem with MSG) so I didn't have to create my own recipe. I made a couple modifications to this, and it was very tasty.

Beef Stroganoff

Note 1: You can substitute the sour cream and lemon juice for a cup of full-fat plain yogurt (room temperature). Do not allow to boil.

Note 2: This recipe can be modified to be made with a crock pot instead, just be sure to leave out the sour cream till just before serving.

butter
1 lb. ground chuck (or ground beef)
salt and pepper
1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 c.)
8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms (can substitute button mushrooms), sliced
1/3 c. dry sherry*, dry white wine, or water
1/2 c. chopped parsley, loosely packed
1 1/4 c. sour cream (room temperature)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. paprika or more to taste
8 ounces cooked egg noodles (or cooked brown rice or boiled potatoes)

Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Melt 1 tsp. butter in pan and swirl it around. Sprinkle bottom of pan generously with salt. Working in batches as not to crowd the meat (crowding it will make it hard to brown), break up ground beef and add it to pan. Sprinkle meat with salt. Do not stir meat, as stirring will prevent browning. Once meat is well-browned on one side (a couple minutes, depending on how hot the pan), use tongs or fork or metal spatula to flip to other side. Once that side is browned too, use slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside. Continue to brown meat in batches, adding a teaspoon of butter to the pan with each batch if needed, and salting pan and meat, until it is all browned. Remove meat from pan. Drain excess fat from pan.

Lower heat to medium. Add onions to pan. If you are working with very lean meat, you may not have any residual fat in the pan. If this is the case, you'll want to add in a tablespoon of olive oil or butter to pan. Cook  onions, scraping up the meat drippings, until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove onions from the pan (add to meat).

While pasta (or rice or potatoes) is cooking, add 1 Tb. of butter to pan, increase heat to medium high. Add sliced mushrooms. Sauté until nicely browned (about 4 minutes). 

Add sherry (or alcohol substitution) to pan to deglaze it, scraping up any browned bits. Let sherry reduce by at least a half, then lower heat to low.

Remove pan from heat. Mix in sour cream and paprika until smooth. Return pan to very low heat, and do not let sour cream boil (or it may curdle). You may add a few tablespoons of water to mixture to thin it out a bit at any time. Stir in lemon juice and about 1/4-1/2 tsp. of salt (to taste). Stir in meat and onions. Stir in chopped parsley. Add more salt, pepper, and/or paprika to taste.


* I found this great site for alcohol substitutions and calculated the amount based on these instructions: For 1/2 cup sherry use 1/4 cup vinegar + 1 tablespoon sugar + 1/4 c. water OR 1 tablespoon vinegar, plus chicken stock or water to make 1/2 cup. One of these combinations definitely beats just plain water!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Red Meat: To Eat or Not to Eat?

When I was growing up my family did not eat much meat, particularly red meat. Part of the reason, I'm sure, was due to the fact that we didn't have much money, but another was simply that my mom didn't care for much meat (I think she got too much growing up). Like so many other people in our society today, including the medical community, she also believed that red meat wasn't as healthful as other foods and could actually have detrimental affects. Myths about beef, in particular, are still taught as truth and accepted as such--even while the United States' consumption of beef has grown to astronomical rates.

I grew up wishing we could eat more red meat (as in, more than once or twice a month), but when I had a family of my own I gradually got back into the habit of eating it sparingly. The last little while when I have served my family meat it has been almost exclusively poultry. My husband and I didn't miss red meat (and I was quite turned off to it for a long while), and we felt healthy. Our 3-year-old has never been very partial to meat, so she didn't miss it either. But our 6-year-old is a different story.

Back here I wrote about this daughter and her cyclical viruses. Not knowing what else to try in my quest for her consistent health, I began including regular probiotics in her diet, as I mentioned, which did seem to help somewhat. However, I then came into contact with the woman I mentioned here, and she opened my mind to a whole different level of things to think about. I have so much more to learn from her, but the basics of what I have learned are that in order for the human body to maintain optimal health and functioning, it must obtain several electrolytes through diet and/or supplementation. Because each of us is different, what you are deficient in (which is causing various troubles for you, whether emotional, physical, or both) is probably different from what I am deficient in. And what this woman thought my daughter was deficient in was quite a surprise to me. My daughter had never tested low in iron and I had thought she was getting plenty of milk, but I was advised that her recurrent viruses were probably due to her being low in iron and calcium. I learned that iron is the electrolyte that keeps viruses away, so that made sense. Even though I didn't relish the thought of putting red meat back into our diet (since that is the easiest and most efficient way to get enough iron), I was willing to try it if it would make a positive difference in my daughter's health.

What has happened has been quite a revelation.

First of all, I realized how much my daughter loves red meat and how excited she gets over meals that have beef or pork in them. Now I know I should have picked up on this hint long ago and made the connection that her body needs it, even if mine doesn't. The first week of this reintroduction of beef into our diet, I tried to include it in every dinner to give her body a high, consistent dose of iron right off. In the weeks following, I've pared it down so that we have it a couple to a few times a week. I have also come to realize how much more milk she needs than I was previously giving her.

The result of this experiment so far is that, instead of getting sick every 14 days (or less), our daughter has now been healthy for a little over a month! That is huge, especially because that hasn't been the case since last October. So we really feel like we've had a breakthrough.

I still believe in eating (particularly red) meat sparingly (as in once a week, or so) and find it disgusting how much red meat the majority of the people in our society are accustomed to eating. But maybe I just don't need that much compared to someone else. I would also prefer to only eat beef from free-range cattle that are not fed hormones (or any other gross stuff). But I am certainly learning that beef (and other red meat) does have its place. The Weston A. Price Foundation has an excellent article entitled It's the Beef, which I highly recommend. It discusses topics such as: Does beef cause heart disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and asthma?; the truth about cholesterol; mad cow disease; E. Coli; and whether or not vegetarians live longer than meat eaters.

So while many of you out there are vegetarians, and while that may work for your body makeup and electrolyte needs (although I am beginning to doubt this as I continue learning), it is not necessarily the right diet for everyone. Therefore, while this site from a nursing school web page honors 15 outstanding athletes who are also vegetarians, I have to wonder what the long term effects may be on their well being, particularly if any of these athletes have substituted soy products for meat (which is a topic for another post).

As I mentioned before, I still have much to learn about the electrolytes our bodies need and how to tell which ones we are personally deficient in. And, as usual, as I continue to learn I will continue to pass it on to others who are interested.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Products Review--or My New Stuff

As I mentioned here during my one year anniversary month, I ordered a couple things from Wayfair, free. This is the second time I have done a product review for them; it's so fun to get free stuff! I have had my items now for about a week and love them both.

The first item I ordered is this salad dressing (or drink) shaker/mixer. Prior to this I served my homemade salad dressings from a glass mason jar, which has quite the potential for messes. I was kind of tired of that and wanted something better. This is definitely that! It holds up to 2 cups and pours very well, and I love that the lid snaps so securely. It's perfect for storing and serving and is exactly what I needed, so I'm very pleased with my "purchase." (By the way, if you're in need of something like this as well, it's still 47% off, at just under $7.)


Tommy Bahama - 172409 - Viscaya Shower Curtain The second item I ordered is this pretty shower curtain. It was so nice to replace our old, cheepo curtain that would no longer come clean. We've never had a good quality, 100% cotton shower curtain before, so I'm enjoying it. I would never spend $40 on a shower curtain, which is the original cost of this one, but it is currently $25 and thus fit within my allotted free budget. All I had to pay for to complete our bathroom "makeover" was a bathmat from Wal-Mart to replace the one we had (which didn't match). It's amazing how a couple little changes like this can perk up a room.

So, once again, thank you to CSN Stores and Alexandra for another opportunity to try out their plethora of goods. And to any of my readers, if you are interested in doing a CSN product review or giveaway on your blog, let me know and I will put you in contact with Alexandra.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Using Essential Oils

I have used essential oils on myself and family for years...off and on. But it wasn't until about a month ago that I started using them regularly. I went to a presentation that an acquaintance of mine was doing and she inspired me. She also educated me enough to make me realize--again--how much I have to learn about this whole side of health and wellness.

For those who are unfamiliar with essential oils, what exactly are they? Basically, they're very concentrated extracts from plants.

Most people have heard of aromatherapy, and I think most people have the idea that it's just something "nice." Period. After all, how much can a smell do to you? While I already knew that essential oils can truly help people heal and feel better, I'm learning that I have previously completely underestimated their power and effectiveness. And, as long as you're using a pure form of the oil (no fillers, perfumes, or other chemicals--including pesticides), they can even be taken internally.

Some cool things I have learned:
  • The bottoms of the feet are one of the best places to topically apply essential oils because there are so many pores there. It takes less than a minute for the oils to be absorbed into the cells and spread all the way up the body. In fact, often you can smell it on the breath very soon after applying it to the feet!
  • Essential oils are 50-70 times more powerful than herbs.
  • Essential oils kill viruses and bacteria because, unlike antibiotics, they can penetrate cell membrane. This is especially happy information for me, since our oldest daughter has historically gotten so many viruses, which are very frustrating from a medical standpoint.
I feel more empowered the more I learn about how to use specific essential oils, for they each have their own special properties and strengths. The reason I say empowered is because I have so often felt helpless when my children are sick and I have tried everything I know to get them well (or keep them well). Especially with my oldest, all the doctors we've been to over the years have said the same thing, which is that basically there's nothing that can be done, it will just take time. As a parent, that is maddening and can lead one to feel despair! But using the information I am gaining about essential oils, I feel I can better strengthen my family's immune systems and help our own bodies heal themselves. After all, God created our bodies and created all the plants in our world to help us care for them.

One place I like to go to learn more is builddoterra.com. If you click on "Education" it will take you to a page where there are audio classes you can listen to on certain topics, led by a medical professional. The site also has information sheets you can download and print off. It's awesome; I love learning about this stuff!

Friday, March 11, 2011

Fruit Crisp (Sugarless)

This is an extremely versatile dish that is one of my favorite sugarless fruit recipes. We have eaten it as dessert, but because it has no refined sugar, we have also eaten it as part of breakfast, or simply as a snack. I adapted and modified it from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (p.246). I prefer my "crisp" more like cobbler and have therefore. over time, learned to triple the amount of topping (which includes the oats, honey, flour, butter, and coconut). If you prefer yours with less topping, just cut it back down. So far, one of my favorite fruit combination has been fresh apples with several sliced fresh strawberries. Strawberries and rhubarb is also wonderful, and is what is shown in this picture.

Fruit Crisp

5 c. sliced, peeled cooking apples, pears, peaches, apricots, berries, or a combination (can also use frozen, unsweetened fruit in place of fresh)
1 1/2 c. regular oats
1 c. honey (or less, depending on how sweet you want it)
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon (or, if you're like me, you might add skimpy 1/4 teaspoons of two or all three of these)
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. shredded coconut (optional)

For fruit filling, thaw fruit if frozen. Do not drain. Place fruit in a 9 X 13 baking dish.

For topping, in a medium bowl combine the oats, honey, flour, and nutmeg. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in coconut, if using. Sprinkle topping over fruit.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until fruit is tender and topping is golden.

Note: At higher altitudes, like mine, (and with the soft winter apples I last used), cooking it this long would turn it into mush. So I would suggest setting your oven to 15 minutes and then checking how tender the fruit is at that point.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Why Honey Doesn't Go Bad

My father-in-law is a beekeeper and consequently knows a lot about the content of and process of making honey. When I asked him to explain to me again how honey has such a low water content (which is the main reason why it doesn't go bad) he wrote me the following:

While the honeycomb cells are still open, the honey is being reduced in moisture content by exposure to air kept moving by bees on duty fanning the air. The cells are capped once the moisture content is below 17%. It will not ferment after that. It can be used on a small cut because the high concentration of the honey will not support the growth of bacteria.

Reminder: Honey contains enzymes that are difficult for young ones under about two years old to digest.

When honey crystallizes in the jar, it is actually still good, but can be restored to fully liquid form by gentle warming. You can try a few seconds at a time in the microwave, or stand the jar in a pan of lukewarm water, or in summer, set it in the sun and over a time it will change back. However, heating above about 80 degrees destroys one healthful component in that it breaks down the helpful enzymes.

When you remove honey from the hive, you have to be sure to wait until all of the comb cells are capped by the bees, as they don't cap the honey until it reaches the low moisture content needed for long term storage.

Some fun trivia: You will get honey of varying flavors and textures at different times and locations.

I love learning about how perfect products of Nature are in their pure form
, and I have a great respect for these little workers who know instinctively how to perfect their product. It is no wonder to me that the early pioneers of Utah chose the honeybee and the beehive as their motto and state seal.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Homemade Alfredo Sauce


It's so easy to buy a bottle of pre-made Alfredo sauce, but have you ever looked at the epistle of ingredients in those things?! It's really not difficult or time-consuming to make your own, and this recipe uses only 7 ingredients.

One of my friends sent me this recipe the other day and I tried it out to great reviews from even my picky 3-year-old. I've tried several different Alfredo recipes, most of which had a great taste, but they were all too thick and sticky in my estimation (and therefore, difficult to dish up or have as leftovers). This one, while light, still has a good flavor, and it covered all the pasta evenly, without clumping or being lumpy.

Note: I used one box of whole wheat linguine and it seemed the perfect amount of pasta to use. Also, I like to serve Alfredo pasta with some kind of green vegetable, so I added cooked, diced asparagus to the pot at the end. Other times I've used broccoli; they're both good.

Light Alfredo Sauce

2 c. milk
1/3 c. (3 oz) cream cheese
2 Tb. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tb. butter
3 garlic cloves
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese (I used the real kind)

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender (I love how easy this part is!)

Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic.

Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn it. It should be nice and bubbly.

Add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it's nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid; just re-heat and add a little milk.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Word of Wisdom Living

A friend of mine let me know at the beginning of the year about a new health blog called Word of Wisdom Living. I have since added it to my list of "additional resources" (down in the right hand column) because the author has such good things to say and says them so well. And they're right down my alley.

Lately he has been discussing refined sugar and all the negative consequences its over-consumption creates, including diabetes (Type II of which can completely be prevented). How much over-consumption? Well, did you know that the average American diet includes 30 tsp of sugar a day??? To me that just sounds disgusting. And as the blog author points out, this isn't due to adding any sugar to food, but is contained in the food and drinks themselves (factory-made, mind you). If you've been following my blog for very long at all you know I try to avoid cooking with refined sugar, and I've talked about the diabetes epidemic as well. So I appreciate learning more about this topic.

Over Christmas another friend of mine was talking with me about my blog and mentioned how badly sugar affects her system, and how she was determined to get rid of it in her home starting with the new year. But she made the comment that it is very difficult to avoid it completely during the holidays, since so much of our holiday traditions (as families and as a country) are tied to sugary treats. I've thought about that a lot and totally understand the sentiment. But, there's a way around it for those who are committed enough to their health and to feeling well: Substitutions. (You know I'm all about modifying recipes. :))

I have a sweet tooth as much as anyone out there, but my philosophy is, if you can enjoy your sweets without suffering the consequences of refined sugar consumption (such as that short-lived sugar high, headache, or simply feeling yucky and/or lethargic), what's to lose?

It's so nice to be able to make cookies or cake or some other tasty sweet, substituting honey or fruit juice or raw sugar for the refined sugar, and not have to worry about how much of it my children or I consume. And being able to even eat it as a snack--without guilt--is also delightful. Then substitute the refined white flour for whole wheat flour (preferably home-ground) and you have a truly healthy item that is also more filling, so people need less of it but are still satisfied.

As the author of Word of Wisdom Living points out (and which is the whole point of my blog as well), this isn't about temporary diet changes, but about a lifestyle change!

For ideas on sweet, sugarless recipes, see:

Desserts under "Topics" in the right-hand column (disregarding the lemon bars, which I haven't yet figured a way to healthily modify).

Homemade Granola Bars

Fresh Lemonade with Raw Sugar

Best Thanksgiving Yams

"Jello" (Fruit Gelatin)

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Amazing Aloe

Most of us know that aloe vera is the best possible remedy for burns, and that it is used in many lotions and other body care products. I recently learned that it is also excellent for clearing up eczema and athlete's foot, among other skin ailments. My youngest daughter has particularly sensitive skin, so we'll have to try out these other topical usages.

I have been reading up on other uses for aloe vera, since my father-in-law gave us a big bottle of aloe vera juice. I have heard the last few years about how good the juice is for internal health, but I've never tried it. I knew aloe was amazing for the skin, but I had no idea it can do all this!:

Taking Aloe Vera Orally...
(see complete list of topical and oral uses here)

  • Relieves indigestion and symptoms of IBS
  • Relieves heartburn, arthritis and rheumatism pain
  • Lowers blood sugar levels (particularly good for diabetics)
  • Strengthens gums and promotes strong, healthy teeth
  • Helps ease congestion, stomach ulcers, colitis, hemorrhoids, urinary tract infections and prostate problems
  • Reduces cholesterol
  • Excellent detoxifier
And, as long as the aloin* is removed during processing, aloe vera is non-toxic and has no known side effects. (site)

*aloin is used primarily as a laxative, whereas processed aloe vera juice that does not contain significant amounts of aloin is used as a digestive healer. (wikipedia)

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