Forks over Knives streaming

I just thought I would let everyone know that you can watch Forks Over Knives on Netflix right now through their streaming feature. Hope you enjoy! I thought it was Fabulous!

Forks over Knives

Lavender, Eucalyptus and Peppermint; oh my!

So, I have had great intentions to talk more about essential oils and now I actually am going to.

It is important to note that all oils are toxic, that is why they are medicines, and should be used with caution and knowledge. Less is better when using essential oils. You will get the same benefit from one drop of oil as you will from pouring it on you.

If you want to know more about the basic benefits of essential oils and how to use them refer to this post.

You will notice that I will not be talking about any blends. There are a few reasons for this. 100% pure essential oils last longer than a blend. Additionally, I can control what carrier oil is used and how much is used thereby insuring that the pure essential oil can be used without fear of going rancid because of a carrier oil. Most 100% pure essential oils are 2 to 3 times more costly than blended oils, however when you mix 3 drops of 100% pure essential oil with 20 drops of olive oil, you will find out that your pure essential oil will cost you much less than if you had bought the “blend” already mixed. I also like to be able to use my oils for may things. If they are already in a blend it limits what I can do with that oil. I do occasionally make my own blends, but I never use more than 2-3 oils in a blend. One thing that is important to consider when blending oils is their "note". It is also important to know the "note" of the oil so that you will have a better idea of how often you should reapply the oil. There are 3 kinds of "notes" when it comes to essential oils.

Top notes- have small chain molecules. They go into the air easily and evaporate easily. They work quickly, but the effects of them also wear off more quickly. Generally energizing will last for 1-2 hours.

Middle notes- will last for 3-4 days.

Base notes- don't go in to the air as quick and will last for up to a week.

If you are using a middle or base note oil, it is not necessary to use that oil again for a while. You will still get the benefits from it without having to reapply it.

Most of what I have learned about oils has come from this book.


I think it is the best oil book out there and I love that it is not from a particular company trying to sell oils. I feel like I get really great information from it that is not bias toward any one brand.

With all that said, I thought I would just start off by talking about three of my favorite oils. These three I probably use the most and they are very versatile.

Lavender (middle to top note)- We all know that lavender smells great, but did you know that it has the best healing properties of all the essential oils out there. If you only have one essential oil in your home it should be lavender. I will list just a portion of it's benefits below.

• It is a very calming oil that relieves stress and anxiety and calms the nervous system.
  
• It is a great treatment for insomnia, migraines and headaches.
  
• It is very effective for muscle aches and helps ease the pain caused from arthritis.
  
• It helps with other conditions that involve inflammation such as acne, psoriasis and boils.
  
• It is beneficial for asthma.
  
• It is great for insect bites as it calms the bite and helps relieve the itch.
  
• It helps to regenerate cells in the body quickly, therefor it is great for cuts and scrapes. It also works wonders for healing burns, including sunburns. A great burn "lotion" is:

Burn "lotion"

2 oz of carrier oil (Calendula oil and Rose hip oil are both great for the skin)
25-30 drops of essential oils including:
Lavender 15 drops
Geranium 5 drops
Frankincense 5 drops
Peppermint 2 drops (gives a cooling effect)

Eucalyptus (Top note)-

• Great for the treatment of headaches. It is recommended to take it internally (if it a trusted brand) for migraines and issues with the pancreas.
  
• Best know as a decongestant for colds, asthma, flu, sinusitis and bronchitis. . When put on the chest and bottom of the feet it will help greatly with breathing.
  
• The physiological properties of it are great for people who feel emotionally constricted by their surroundings. It helps them to feel like they can achieve greater freedom and gives them "room to breath"

Peppermint (Top note)-

• Used for relief of muscle pain, bruises and contusions, joint pain and insect bites.
  
• One of the most effective oils for the digestive system. It releaves nausea, stomach pains, diarrhea and flatulence.
• Helps with metal fatigue
• Helps relieve headaches and migraines

Cooking classes- Veggies

Some benefits of vegetables with high nutritional values

• A 41% reduced risk of heart disease
• 22% lower risk of certain cancers
• Protection from macular degeneration and glaucoma
• Better teeth and bone structure
• Improved memory and brain function
• Stronger immune system – less colds, flu and infections

Only 14% of U.S. adults eat enough fruits, vegetables

By Lindsey Anderson, USA TODAY 9/29/2009

Only 14% of adults eat the recommended number of servings of fruit and vegetables a day, says a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 33% of adults meet the recommendation of two or more servings of fruits a day; 27% eat the recommended three or more servings of vegetables.

Washington, D.C., leads the nation in eating fruits and vegetables: 20.1% of adults report they meet both daily recommendations. Mississippi sits at the bottom with 8.8%.

Three of the top states are in New England, and three of the bottom states are in the Southeast. The disparity could be a result of the lack of farmers markets in the Southeast and policies that promote healthful foods in schools and communities, says Heidi Blanck, senior scientist for the CDC.

High school students fare worse than adults: 9.5% report they eat two or more fruits and three or more vegetables a day. About the same number of students (32%) as adults say they meet the fruit recommendation, but only 13% say they eat at least three servings of vegetables a day.

The Healthy People 2010 objective from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services aims to have 75% of the U.S. population meeting the daily fruit recommendations and 50% meeting the daily vegetable recommendations.

"At the current rate, the goal won't be met," Blanck says.

To raise the percentage of people meeting the goals, the CDC suggests grocery stores increase their stock of "high-quality" fruits and vegetables and encourages states to form food policy councils that evaluate the access to fresh produce.

It also suggests schools provide more fruits and vegetables in cafeterias and vending machines.

A few recipes that we made:

Hans’ Salad

Throw any of the following ingredients together, chopped into small pieces

Bok Choy

Pickled cucumbers

Onions

Collard greens

Roman lettuce

Tomatoes

Avocado

Rutabaga

Jicama

Carrots

Tomato, Avocado and Almond Salad by Shelly

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1-2 cups diced avocados

1 cup chopped almonds

1 cup chopped celery

4 Tbls chopped green onion

4 Tbls chopped cilantro

2 Tbls fresh lemon juice

1 tsp agave

1 Tbls Nutritional yeast (optional)

Dash of cayenne (optional)

¼ tsp sea salt

Mix together and enjoy

And just a regular salad with Ranch dressing and a Tomato Basil vinaigrette dressing.

Cooking Classes- Sugar

Well, my cooking classes that I have been doing with my cute little neighbor girl have been going well. A few weeks ago we talked about sugar substitutes and what sugar does to your body and more specifically how it effects our hormones.

Did you know:
- That the average American consumes an astounding 2-3 pounds of sugar each week, which is not surprising considering that highly refined sugars in the forms of sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup are being processed into so many foods such as bread, breakfast cereal, mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and a plethora processed foods. When you start looking at labels and know what to look for you will be super surprised at how many things have sugar in them. Prior to the turn of this century (1887-1890), the average consumption was only 5 lbs. per person per year!

-Sugar is addictive. Sugar promotes cravings. The more sugar you eat, the more sugar you want. A high sugar meal raises the blood glucose level, which triggers the outpouring of insulin. This excess insulin lingers in the system, triggering a craving for more sugar, thus adding another hill to the roller coaster ride.

-When we eat sugar it actually depletes our bodies of nutrients. This is because in order for our bodies to digest anything it needs nutrients to metabolize it. Because refined sugar contains no fiber, no minerals, no proteins, no fats, no enzymes, it actually steals those nutrients from our cells.

-Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance; some hormones become underactive and others become overactive.

-Sugar inhibits the release of growth hormone which deppresses our immune system and makes us more prone to disease. Sugar aggravates autoimmune conditions such as arthritis, asthma, and multiple sclerosis.

-Sugar raises the insulin levels in the body which in turn causes our body to store and hang on to fats.

-Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children. Sugar reduces learning capacity, adversely affects children’s grades in school, and can exacerbate learning and behavioral disorders.

-Sugar exacerbates PMS.

-Sugar exacerbates fertility related diseases like PCOS (poly-cystic ovary syndrome) and Endometriosis and is many time the cause of such diseases.

What do I look for on food labels?

Avoid any of the following things that may be on a food label.

• Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)
  
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
• Dextrin
• Dextrose
• Fructose
  
• Glucose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Lactose
• Maltodextrin
• Malt syrup
• Maltose
• Saccharose or saccharin (Sweet and Low)
  
• Sorghum or sorghum syrup
• Sucrose or sucarlose (Splenda)
• Sugar alcohols such as maltitol and sorbitol
• Sugar, brown or white
  
• Syrup
• Treacle
• Xylose

What sugars are safe to use in moderation?

• Agave
• Blackstrap molasses
• Coconut sugar
  
• Dates or date syrup/sugar
• Dehydrated cane juice
  
• 100% pure maple syrup
• Raw honey
• Stevia
• Sucanat
  
• Turbinado Sugar

I mostly use the ones that are highlighted.

We made three recipes this day.

“Almond Joy” Fudge from greensmoothiegirl.com

Put 2 cups each agave nectar (found in health food stores) and coconut oil in the BlendTec Total Blender. Set the blender container in a sink of hot water for 10 minutes to warm them. Add 1 cup powdered raw chocolate (or unsweetened cocoa) and blend well. Pour into a 9×13 pan and stir in 2 cups each of shredded coconut and chopped or sliced almonds. Chill and cut in squares.

Ginger Bread Cookies from simplehealthytasty.com

3/4 cup coconut oil melted
Egg Replacer for 1 egg
1 cup Sucanat
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
2 cups soft white wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each of ground cloves,
nutmeg, and sea salt

Cream together oil and Sucanat. Add Egg Replacer and molasses then mix in spices, soda and salt. Add flour last mix well roll into walnut sized balls. Gently roll in Raw sugar place on cookie sheet press down gently with hand to flatten. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or 10-12 minutes for Ginger Snaps. Let cool for 3-5 minutes before removing from pan to cooling rack.

Tapioca pudding

3 TBLS instant tapioca (next time I will use pearled tapioca, but I couldn't find any and my friend really wanted to try making it)
1/3 cup agave
1 organic egg, well beaten
3 cups almond, or macadamia nut milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine tapioca, sugar, milk and egg in medium saucepan; let stand for 5 min.
Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. cool 20 minutes; stir. Serve warm or chilled.

Fried Pickles

I know, it sounds really weird. That is what I thought when I saw them on the menu at The Garden restaurant in Salt Lake. I was there with some friends and they intrigued us enough to get an order of them and try them. They were SO good! I was pleasantly surprised. The waitress shared the secret with us of how they are made and I immediately thought, "I could totally healthify that!", so I did. Here is the recipe. You have got to try this one.

Fried Pickles

Batter
2 cups spelt flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup Sucanat
1 jar pickle juice
2 tsp dill weed
enough water to make pancake batter consistency

Dredge
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup corn starch

Coconut oil for frying
1 jar pickles (I used the refrigerated kind, not the stuff in the isle by the olives. They have way less preservatives in them. An even better choice would be to use Bubbies pickled cucumbers. I didn't have the money to spend on them right at that time, so I settled for second best)

Mix batter ingredients together and Dredge ingredients together. Slice the pickles into spears. Heat the coconut oil to 350 degrees. Dip the pickles into the dredge and then into the batter then place into the oil. Cook for about 30 seconds or until it looks cooked and then flip over to cook other side. Can dip into this ranch dressing. This recipe will do the whole bottle of pickles. You may want to half it for a smaller family. We had plenty and we even shared with friends.