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How To Sprout Grains At Home – Winter 2010 Catalog

Monday, February 15th, 2010

How to Sprout Grains at Home

By Peggy Sutton

Many folks have been introduced –or I should say re-introduced– to the goodness and digestibility of sprouted grains and sprouted grain flours. Sprouted grains are not a newfangled food trend but a tried and true traditional means of preparing grains, dating as far back as biblical times and as recent as the industrial revolution.

Until modern farm equipment was invented to gather grains out of the field quickly for shipment to cities and large storage facilities, grains were cut and stored in teh fields until time to use or sell them. While the grains awaited use, the dew and rain would naturally sprout the head of grain. The result was an organically more healthful grain product.Today, at-home methods of sprouting grains before baking entails just a few easy steps and not very much time–and the benefits are worth every minute of the process.

Here’s what sprouting accomplishes:

  1. ~ Sprouting neutralizes phytic acid, a substance present in the bran of all grains that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc.
  2. ~ Sprouting neutralizes enzyme inhibitors present in all seeds.
  3. ~ Sprouting produces enzymes.
  4. ~ Sprouting breaks down the starches in grains into simple sugars so the body can digest them like a vegetable (e.g., a tomato, not a potato).
  5. ~ Sprouting produces vitamin C
  6. ~ Sprouting increases the grains’ carotene and vitamin B content.

So let’s get started!

The equipment for your sprouting operation is not elaborate, but each item is important. This is what you’ll need:

  1. 1. 4 to 8 1-quart mason jars with large-mouth lids;
  2. 2. 1 plastic needlepoint grid, 7-mesh size (available at WalMart or craft store)
  3. 3. 1 or 2 large round bowls, big enough to place 4 of your mason jars in an upright position;
  4. 4. A large colander and small strainer;
  5. 5. 1/4 cup organic cider vinegar;
  6. 6. 6 to 11 cups of; organic grains (For breads, cookies, pastries, try wheat or spelt. For sour dough starter, try rye.)
  7. 7. Filtered water.

Before setting up the actual sprouting, wash and sanitize your grains. Although not absolutely essential, I strongly recommend it. Grit often adheres to your grains, and you never know what kinds of “critters” walked through the field where your grains were harvested.

So here’s the washing process:

  1. 1. Fill your kitchen sink with room-temperature tap water.
  2. 2. Pour your grains into the water, and agitate them thoroughly for a minute or two.
  3. 3. Using a colander, scoop up all the grains you can. Then use the small strainer and your free hand to scoop the remaining grains into the colander. If you have a strainer that fits into your sink drain, it will work great to get the remaining grains and drain the water at the same time. Hold the grain-filled colander under the tap for a quick rinse.
  4. 4. Clean your sink thoroughly of all grit and fill with 2 gallons of tap water. Stir in 1/4 cup of organic cider vinegar.
  5. 5. Dump your washed grains into the vinegar solution and let stand for 7 to 10 minutes.
  6. 6. Repeat Step #3.

Now your grains have been properly washed and sanitized, and it’s time to begin the sprouting process.

  1. 1. Place about 1 1/3 cups of clean grains into each mason jar (if you’re baking only 1 large loaf of bread you will only need 4 jars).
  2. 2. Fill each jar with filtered water (the grains will sit on the bottom of the jar).
  3. 3. Place mesh lids* and screw-tops onto each jar and tighten well. Let jars sit on your counter for 4 hours. The ideal temperature for fast, even sprouting is 69 to 72 degrees F. You may need to place in your pantry or laundry room to maintain an even temperature.
  4. 4. After your grains have soaked for 4 hours (it won’t hurt if they soak for 5 or 6 hours, so don’t worry if you’re busy and can’t get back to them after just 4), hold each jar over your kitchen sink and turn upside down, letting all the water drain out.
  5. 5. Turn each jar right-side up and fill with tap water. Then turn them over again and let all the water drain out of the jar.
  6. 6. Once you’ve completed steps 4 and 5 for each jar of grains, place your jars in a large bowl at a slant with the meshed lids toward the bottom of the bowl. This will allow more water to drain off the grains as they sprout. Place the bowl on your counter and leave overnight.
  7. 7. If you are completing step 6 by early afternoon, then repeat steps 5 and 6 in the evening, and leave jars in the bowl to sprout overnight.
  8. 8. By mid-morning your grains should be sprouted. You are looking for a distinct white tail on the end of the grains. Usually sprouts begin with a 2-pronged antenna protruding from the end of each grain. (NOTE: Do not let your sprouts grow beyond 1/4 inch in length, or your grains will take on a “grassy” taste and will be hard to feed into your mill or grinder once dried.)

You’re almost finished! Now it’s time to dry your sprouts.

  1. 1. Remove the sprouted grains from each jar and spread onto parchment-lined baking sheets (with sides) or place onto racks in your dehydrator (set at 105 to 110 degrees, and let grains dry thoroughly).
  2. 2. If you’re using your kitchen oven, place pans onto racks and set oven at its lowest temperature. If that temperature is above 110 degrees, prop your oven door open about 1 inch at the top using a wooden spoon or dowel. Let grains dry thoroughly. This will take several hours or overnight. (NOTE: Most new ovens, since about 2000, have built-in dehydrators. Check your owner’s manual to see if you have one–it took me 3 years to discover mine!)

Store your dried grains in an airtight container in the pantry until you are ready to mill.

Sprouting is not limited only to common flour grains. I find that sprouting beans before making soups, chili, and hummus eliminates bloating and gas after eating them. Try sprouting wild rice, and mill it for gluten-free baking. There are lots of foods you can sprout for better digestibility. Be creative and have fun!

And, of course, if you are not inclined to do your own sprouting, please let us do it for you. Check out To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co. today at www.organicsproutedflour.net. Also, we have lots of recipes on our web site to try with the fresh sprouted flour you made on your own. Happy Baking!

*To make meshed lids for your jars: Remove a solid lid from a jar top. Place the lid on the needlepoint grid and using a pen or Sharpie, trace a circle. Repeat this step for each of the jars you will use. Then cut the mesh lids out using scissors, and place one inside each jar’s screw-top instead of the solid lid.

Peggy Sutton is the owner of To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co., online and wholesale supplier of sprouted flour products. She founded the company in 2006 to produce fine baked goods and now specializes in sprouted flours, including wheat, spelt and rye. Peggy lives with her husband, Jeff, in Alabama.



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Good Sources of Selenium- Fall 2009 Catalog

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Food                                                       Selenium Content (Micrograms)*

Brazil Nuts (3-4, 1/2 oz.)**………………………………………………………..272

Tuna, light, canned in water (3 oz.)…………………………………………….68

Flounder or sole, cooked (3 oz.)…………………………………………………50

Sardines, Atlantic, canned in oil (3 oz)………………………………………. 45

Halibut, cooked (3 oz.)……………………………………………………………..40

Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked (1 cup)…………………………………….. 36

Salmon, sockeye, cooked (3 oz.)………………………………………………. 32

Turkey, roasted (3 oz.)…………………………………………………………….. 31

Cream of Wheat, cooked (1 cup) ………………………………………………   31

Beef, cooked (3 oz.)………………………………………………………………… 30

Salmon, pink, canned (3 oz.)……………………………………………………. 28

Ground turkey (3 oz.)………………………………………………………………32

Macaroni, enriched, cooked (1 cup)………………………………………….. 30

Sunflower seeds, dry roasted (1 oz.)…………………………………………… 23

Chicken, cooked (3 oz.)…………………………………………………………… 21

Cottage cheese, 1% (1 cup)………………………………………………………. 20

Brown rice, long-grain, cooked (1 cup)……………………………………… 19

Oats, cooked (1 cup)……………………………………………………………….. 19

Egg (1 large) …………………………………………………………………………. 16

Whole-wheat bread (1 slice)…………………………………………………….. 10

*Average values (values vary, depending on where the plant grew, or what the animal ate.)

** Limit Brazil nuts to two a day to avoid getting too much selenium


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Posted in Fall 2009 Catalog, Health, Men's Health, Nutrition, Thryoid/Adrenal Care, Women's Health | No Comments »

The Selenium Difference- Fall 2009 Catalog

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

The Selenium Difference: This Trace Mineral Packs a Punch

By Jessica Bischof

You’d think it would be big news if someone discovered a substance that could

  • Protect from certain types of cancer;
  • Keep viral influenza “mild” and reduce the chance of lung damage;
  • Guard against heart disease;
  • Provide strong anti-oxidation protection;
  • Increase energy by balancing the thyroid;
  • Build a stronger immune system.

You might think that, but something as “ordinary” as a trace mineral isn’t as exciting as a new miracle drug. Nevertheless, selenium is a highly researched mineral, and we know a great deal about its significant contribution to our physical well-being.

A Very Busy Mineral

Selenium works in connection with vitamin E to deliver its benefits. Although our bodies need only a small amount of selenium to receive the protection and health support it offers, we must make it a point to ingest it through food or supplements.

Selenium studies have shown that it protects against stomach, breast, esophageal, prostate, liver, and bladder cancers. It also supports the body undergoing radiation– especially the kidneys, which can otherwise be ravaged by such treatment.

Selenium-deficient patients are known to experience mutations of the influenza virus, often resulting in severe lung damage and a worsened case of the flu. Conversely, adequate selenium in the diet protects against the dreaded “cytokine storm” many researchers think is responsible for the severe respiratory tract damage and many of the deaths in the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Avian and SARS flus, and the current H1N1 Swine Flu.

In addition, selenium plays a key role in the body’s critical conversion of the thyroid hormone T4–the “storage” hormone–into T3, the “usable” form we need for energy and proper metabolism.

Selenium Abounds–If You Can Find It

Selenium is plentiful in the soil in many parts of the world although some areas are more notably deficient. The best source of selenium is always food raised in selenium-rich soil. In the US, for instance, farmlands in the Dakotas and Nebraska abound with selenium and folks there who eat a lot of locally grown foods probably don’t need to take selenium supplements. On the other hand, certain areas of China are known to be particularly selenium-deficient and it is no coincidence that some of the worst flu viruses have come from these parts of China.

The accompanying sidebar lists a number of selenium-rich foods to help guide your selections. However, the levels of selenium are not “guaranteed.” The presence of selenium is always dependent on the soil in which the product is grown or, in the case of animal products, the soil that grew the grass the livestock ate. As a result, the chart shows averages. As far as I can determine, no one has yet compiled selenium charts based on geographical regions that food comes from.

How Much is Enough?

The National Library of Medicine states, “No pregnancy category has been established for supplemental selenium intake although it is generally believed to be safe during pregnancy when consumed in amounts normally found in foods.” It also notes that selenium passes through breast milk to a nursing infant.

The FDA’s Recommended Daily Allowance for selenium is 55mcg. This suggestion is based on studies done in China during the 1970′s concluding that individuals that took in 800 mcg daily were not receiving too much. To be conservative, the FDA then halved the maximum safe recommended amount to 400 mcg daily, in order to allow a “safety net” to make sure people don’t get too much. As with many other nutrients, excessive intake can be harmful.

Another factor to consider when evaluating selenium intake for your family is that food-based selenium is always more usable to the body and is retained better. Also, different forms of supplemental selenium offer varying levels of usability. The form Beeyoutiful sells, seleonomethionine, is highly usable by the body. In fact, studies show that it transfers more readily to breast milk, probably because the body is able to absorb it more easily than other forms.

The National Library of Medicine suggests that 50 to 75 mcg of selenium should be “adequate” for adults and lactating mothers. This is certainly a conservative number, and it is sometimes helpful to remember that when the FDA uses the term “adequate,” it is referring to the smallest amount needed to avoid specific symptoms of deficiency. It is not a suggestion of an optimal dose for health. Most researchers suggest a supplement between 150 to 250 mcg daily for adults. Children require less.

As the selenium chart suggests, Brazil nuts offer one of the highest concentrations of selenium. So for my children (who are too young to swallow supplements) I give them one Brazil nut each day as a “treat.” Of course, I never remember every day, so I determine how many nuts to hand out based on how often I’ve remembered that particular week. Toxicity from selenium is unlikely from getting a little too much on any given day. Rather, it is from the result of continuously and exclusively eating foods that come from a selenium-rich environment or by supplementing too aggressively.

So even though you don’t need a lot, many rewards of good health can be traced to this little mineral.

Jessica Bischof calls herself a regular mom with an insatiable desire to research health and nutrition. Her life has been dramatically improved by the research she’s done, especially in the areas of thyroid and adrenal health. She is passionate about helping others cut through the medical mumbo-jumbo so they can make informed decisions. Jessica lives with her husband Drew, their 3 children, and lots and lots of books in the Texas home that serves as a schoolhouse, office for Drew’s business, and research headquarters for writing projects.


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Posted in Fall 2009 Catalog, Health, Immune System, Men's Health, Nutrition, Thryoid/Adrenal Care, Vitamins & Minerals, Women's Health | No Comments »

My Cup of Tea 01- Fall 2009 Catalog

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

My Cup of Tea

By Sharon Tallent

My love affair with tea began 35 years ago when I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia. This life-changing news required sweeping changes in my diet. I wept. I mourned. I love sweets! One of the most tragic losses was sweet drinks–no more lemonade, no more fruit drinks, no more sodas. Back then, there were few artificial sweeteners and the ones I tried didn’t taste the same as sugar (some were downright terrible!) and weren’t good for me. My solace became drinking tea. I drank lots of it then and I still do.

On cold days, there’s nothing quite as enjoyable as sitting down with a cup of hot tea to feel warmed and comfortable. On hot days, a large glass of iced tea hits the spot! What makes tea-drinking even better nowadays is that, through the years, more and more teas have become readily available. Thirty-five years ago, pretty much the only teas you could buy were black or orange pekoe tea (like Lipton’s) and Chinese Black Tea in specialty stores. Now the selections seem endless! There are herbal teas and tea blends that:

  • Aid in digestion, constipation, detoxing, and cleansing;
  • Help with PMS, pregnancy, and nursing;
  • Relieve the symptoms of colds, flu, bronchitis, and allergies;
  • Relax the body and help us go to sleep;
  • Refresh and provide energy.

Of all the herbal teas I’ve tried, there are very few I don’t like. I marvel at people who research herbs, buy them in bulk, and come up with their own blends. I’ve done that, but mostly I’m happy to leave that work to others and stick to prepackaged bags. Traditional Medicinals is my favorite. They’ve already done the research on which herbal blends really work well, combined the herbs, and then packaged them in serving sizes! Because of their dedication to providing the highest quality organic teas, Traditional Medicinal is a brand I’ve trusted through the years.

Gypsy Cold Care

During the cold and flu season, I rely heavily on several teas from Traditional Medicinals. Gypsy Cold Care may be my favorite herbal tea (even though it’s hard to pick just one). Everyone in our family welcomed a warm cup of Gypsy Cold Care when they were down with a cold or the flu. Even when they didn’t feel like eating or drinking anything, the patient would drink this minty-sweet tea. The healing magic is in the ingredients:

Elder Flower has an anti-mucous effect and it, along with the Yarrow Flower, can lower a fever. Hyssop is a decongestant and expectorant to clear nasal and bronchial passages. Peppermint and ginger can ease nausea, vomiting and digestive upset. Peppermint can help clear congestion and cough. Cinnamon has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic properties. Plus, it helps reduce inflammation. Licorice Root soothes a sore throat and is effective against certain viruses, bronchitis, and stomach ulcers. Rose Hip (high in vita-min C) and safflower boost the immune system.

Organic Throat Coat

To especially target a sore throat, I recommend Organic Throat Coat. Unlike other throat-soothing teas I’ve tried, its clinical tests show Organic Throat Coat is truly effective in treating and relieving sore throat pain. And I know from personal experience that it does! It is soothing and good tasting–even without adding sweeteners. However, since the medicinal benefits of honey are well-known, sometimes I add a bit to this and other teas when serving to the rest of my family. Like Gypsy Cold Care, this tea blend includes cinnamon and Licorice Root. Other featured ingredients are:

Marshmallow Root has anti-bacterial and expectorant qualities and also soothes and softens dry, irritated mucous membranes, making it effective in relieving dry coughs and sore throats. Slippery Elm Bark is very soothing and healing to the mucous membranes of the mouth, stomach, and intestines, helping relieve coughs and bronchitis. Wild Cherry Bark relieves dry, nonproductive coughs and asthma-like symptoms. Fennel fights excessive build-up of mucous in the nose and throat. Sweet Orange Peel is an anti-oxidant and aids digestion – plus, it adds a nice flavor to the tea.

Breathe Easy

Breathe Easy is amazing for allergies, stuffy heads, and chest congestion. During certain times of the year, especially when the pollen or smog count is high, I am miserable, even to the point of not being able to sleep. One cup of this wonderful tea, though, and I can get on with my day–or drop off to sleep. Breathe Easy actually works better and faster for me than the inhaler prescribed for me for my asthma! This slightly sweet tea contains: fennel, licorice, peppermint, and ginger. Plus, it has Eucalyptus Leaf which helps loosen phlegm, open up nasal passages, and reduce fever and inflammation. It also acts as an expectorant. Eucalyptus is anti-bacterial and has antiseptic qualities. Bi Yan Pian is all-natural herbal formulation in Breathe Easy which relieves congestion in the lungs and nasal passages and reduces inflammation. Calendula acts as an inflammatory and an anti-microbial. Pleurisy Root reduces inflammation in the respiratory system, acts as an expectorant, and it is an anti-spasmodic.

Organic Echinacea Plus

Finally, there’s Organic Echinacea Plus, also for relief of colds and flu. Besides Echinacea, which activates and stimulates immune cells, relieves pain, reduces inflammation and has anti-viral and anti-oxidant effects, this tea contains Spearmint and Lemon Grass, giving it a fresh mint flavor with a hint of citrus.

Spearmint has similar qualities to peppermint but has a milder taste. An anti-spasmodic, it is often more useful than peppermint as a treatment for indigestion, coughs, and hiccups in children. Lemon Grass is effective against bacteria and viruses, is an anti-spasmodic, helps reduce fevers, and much more. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study, Echinacea Plus was effective in reducing symptoms as well as shortening their duration. I like to add sweetener to this tea–usually the liquid Stevia that Beeyoutiful sells (although lately, I’ve started adding a bag of Beeyoutiful’s Organic Licorice Root to most teas that I drink, just because it is so soothing and adds extra smoothness and natural sweetness).

Being sick with a cold or sore throat is no fun. At those times, perhaps you, like I, can’t stand the thought of food, soup, cough medicine, or anything like that. That’s when you might want to welcome a cup of warm tea. Sometimes I put two or more of the Traditional Medicinals teas in a large container of boiling water to get the full range of benefits offered by each. It works great!

Sharon Tallent is the mother of 3 wonderful adult sons and the grandmother of 3 adorable grandchildren. Through the years, she has spent countless hours researching and trying even more natural and healthy ways to take care of her own health and that of her family. She also enjoys scrapbooking, drawing, traveling, and spending time with her loved ones.


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A Smooth Tansition to Eating More Greens- Winter 2008-2009 Catalog

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

by Nancy Webster

Do you know people who think eating the limp piece of iceberg lettuce on their hamburger means they’ve eaten their veggies for the day? Folks sometimes get strange ideas about what constitutes healthy eating. I once knew a family that considered macaroni salad as their vegetable course. While you know the importance of eating vegetables, it can be a challenge to get them into picky kids-and adults. My sister-in-law found a creative way to bring green food in under the family radar. She blended zucchini into the spaghetti sauce they all loved and she was pleased that she could sneak something green into her particularly choosy son’s diet. It was a great idea-a first step in the right direction I would strongly encourage-but there’s a tasty blend of other possibilities that can transform your nutritional health.

Freeing the Green Goodies

The simple and delicious answer to getting more healthful greens into your family’s diet is smoothies. Yes, green smoothies. Too often, people throw out greens such as carrot tops, wrongly thinking they’re just for rabbits, but Victoria Boutenko in her wonderful book Green for Life explains the amazing health offered when you turn them into smoothies (see sidebar on pg. 5). But why blend them? Why not just eat them, rather than hauling out the blender? It’s because green foods have strong cell walls that hold in their valuable nutrients.

Although the walls can be broken down by cooking, heat kills the living, beneficial enzymes, and many vitamins and minerals are lost in the cooking water (that’s why you should always consume the water after cooking vegetables and greens, either as a drink or disguised in soup). You can also eat greens raw, but no matter how long and hard you chew, you won’t break them down into the 1-2 mm sized particles required to rupture all the cell walls. Blending releases all the stored nutrients without destroying any of the health-giving benefits.

The Greatness of Greens

Greens provide a two-fold magic not found in other vegetables: Greens assist the digestion of all our food, and they contain life-giving chlorophyll. In fact, greens are the only food group that helps digest other foods because they stimulate the secretion of digestive enzymes.

We’re all born with a limited supply of digestive enzymes because the plan was that we’d regularly consume greens to re-supply them. Instead, we’ve generally abused our gastrointestinal tracts with processed foods, chemicals, and stress. Our birth supply of enzymes is exhausted, so replenishing with greens is desperately needed.

Hydrochloric acid (HCl), a substance our stomachs secrete to help digest food, naturally starts to diminish as we near age 40.  Without HCl, stomachs are unable to break down and assimilate nutrients. You may have noticed that even folks with fairly good health habits develop gray hair as they reach middle age. This is because of nutritional deficiencies caused by reduced levels of stomach acid needed to release the nutrients in food. By blending nutrient rich greens, food is “pre-digested,” leaving less work for the stomach. Advocates of regular greens-blending report that some people have regained color in their white hair!

The other special property of greens is that they harness the sun’s healing energy in chlorophyll, a substance muscularly similar to human blood. By carrying oxygen throughout cells, it shuts down cancer cells, fungus, and pathogenic, “bad” bacteria since these enemies are anaerobic-meaning that they thrive in the absence of oxygen. Boutenko reports, “Abundant scientific research shows that there are hardly any illnesses that could not be helped by chlorophyll.” (And to be sure you get the most from your greens, also consume healthy fats as found in avocados, nuts, seeds and their oils, coconut oil, butter, and other animal fats. As Weston Price taught, your body needs fats to help it use minerals from the foods you eat.)

Some Juicy Tidbits

But what about juicing greens? Isn’t that just as good?  While juicing is very beneficial for cleansing the body of sickness and toxic metals, for a busy family it has two downsides:

– Cost:  It takes a LOT of produce to make a little juice.

– Time:  Juicing is not a quick event, especially if you want to provide its health benefits for every member of a larger family.

Perhaps even more significant, though, when you blend the greens in a high-speed blender (Vita-Mix® or K-tec brands are highly recommended, but any durable blender will be better than none), you also give your body beneficial fiber to cleanse the walls of your intestines and to facilitate regular elimination of toxic waste.

If you can manage to buy organic greens, you’ll get more blend for your buck. Organic produce is grown in soil amended only by composted animal manures and naturally occurring rock minerals, so the roots soak up a full spectrum of essential micro-nutrients not available in synthetically fertilized, non-organic produce. Also, organic fruits, vegetables, and greens are not treated with toxic herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides which your body stores in fat cells-making more if necessary-in an effort to protect your vital organs from the toxins.

Although buying everything organic at the store is cost-prohibitive for our large family, we found a local food co-op through which to order organic produce in bulk, making it equal to the cost of regular produce from the grocery store. To find a similar resource near you, ask your local health food store or Weston Price Foundation chapter leader about the availability of co-ops (see www.westonaprice.org for chapter listings).

Another source for organic foods is local farmers who participate in community supported agriculture (CSA). As a CSA participant, you reserve a weekly box of organic, seasonal veggies and greens. The produce is fresh-picked rather than shipped a thousand or more miles, and you support local agriculture in the process-all for less cost to you than the grocery store.

Then, too, you can grow your own greens, either in a garden or by sprouting them in your house. Keep in mind that herbs are greens and are easy to grow indoors year round. Try to use open-pollinated, heirloom seeds rather than those that have been genetically modified.

The ultimate organic source is wildcrafting, the art of finding edible plants growing naturally since nature’s offerings are the most nutritious of all. If your lawn isn’t chemically treated, you’ll probably find an abundant source of plantain and dandelion greens out your front door, particularly in the springtime. Did you know, for instance, that a half cup of wild violet leaves contains the same amount of vitamin C as found in four oranges? It’s important to learn wildcrafting before you try it, though, to make sure you can accurately identify the plants before eating them (Google “wildcrafting” and browse the many online guides and book recommendations).

Green Gobblin’

To get your green smoothie life started, pull out the blender and try one of these:

Raw Family Wild Banango
Blend well:
2 Cups lambsquarters (plantain, chickweed or other weed)
1 Banana
1 Mango
2 Cups water
Yield: 1 quart of smoothie

Victoria‘s Favorite
Blend well:
6 Leaves of red leaf lettuce
Bunch of fresh basil
Lime (juiced)
Red onion
2 Celery sticks
Avocado
2 Cups water
Yield: 1 quart of smoothie

These are only two of the more than 20 delicious recipes in Victoria Boutenko’s book (available from www.rawfamily.com). Once you get going, you’ll also want to create your own. Vary them from day to day so you get the most well-rounded nutrition and keep your taste buds entertained. With yummy green smoothies, even the pickiest eaters will enjoy this change for the better.


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Xylitol- Summer 2007 Catalog

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

by Nancy Brillaut

From the time we are young children, we are taught to brush our teeth, planting the seeds for good dental hygiene. Good brushing and flossing and restricted sugar consumption can reduce the occurrence of cavities, yet they still remain common. A National Institute of Health survey shows nearly 20% of children, ages 2-4, have already experienced cavities; more than 67% of adults aged 35-44 have lost at least one permanent tooth due to dental cavities, and 25% of people 65-74 have lost all of their natural teeth! Here’s what is going on.

Tooth decay is a bacterial disease. The bacterium, streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), is one of many millions of bacteria living in our mouths. Most of these bacteria are harmless, some even beneficial. However, S. mutans is the culprit causing tooth decay by feeding on sugars in our mouth. Simple carbohydrates are fermented by S. mutans into lactic acid. Lactic acid increases acidity in the mouth, initiating the process of dissolving tooth enamel, also referred to as de-mineralization. This is a simplistic explanation of tooth decay; however, this article is not meant to be a chemistry lesson, but rather an introduction to a wonderful sugar substitute called Xylitol.

What is Xylitol you ask? Xylitol is a natural sugar, sometimes called wood sugar or birch sugar. It can be extracted from birch wood, raspberries, plums and other fruits, corn, seed hulls, and nutshells. Xylitol is a 5-carbon structure and, unlike the 6-carbon structure of sucrose, is not a substance on which bacteria can grow. In fact, Xylitol may inhibit S. mutans and other bacterial enzymes and actually interfere with the metabolism of other sugars found in the mouth.

So, what does all this chemistry babble mean to us in terms of our dental hygiene and general health? Xylitol is actually a “tooth-friendly” sugar substitute. Xylitol not only discourages tooth decay, but may actively help repair small cavities. Recent research suggests Xylitol attracts and then starves harmful bacteria, allowing remineralization of damaged teeth. Xylitol is not a sugar, so there is no sugar rush, or crash. Twenty-five years of scientific research, mostly on children, has shown that regular use of Xylitol over a period of time reduces the incidence of cavities. There are many studies, the majority conducted in “developing” countries like Belize, Hungary, and Costa Rica, where routine dental care is limited at best, and the results are consistent; the incidence of dental cavities is reduced by large percentages, in some cases as much as 75%. Most research tested gums and candies (mints) containing Xylitol, since the delivery systems that produced the best anti-cavity results were those permitting direct contact with the teeth for the longest time.

Xylitol is also available in toothpastes, mouthwashes, chewable supplements and breath sprays. How much should we use? Studies show using 4-12 grams per day is most effective. If a piece of gum contains 1 gram, chew a minimum of four pieces per day. Given the safety of this product, this is one case where “more is better.” Remarkably, it appears that regular use of Xylitol for a period of time (2 years in the study of children in Belize), provides lasting protection against cavities. These children were examined five years later and the Xylitol group had an average of only 1.5 new cavities, compared to 4 new cavities in the control group.

Another study indicated that regular intake of Xylitol by mom while baby is in the womb, provides lifelong protection for baby. New clinical evidence appears regularly about this safe sugar substitute. Other benefits include prevention of childhood ear infections, lower risk of Type II Diabetes due to the slower absorption of this sugar into the blood, and reduction of subsequent insulin response. A Finnish study has shown improved bone density.

Apparently Xylitol is here to stay. Children who begin chewing Xylitol gum about a year before their permanent teeth erupt may avoid a lifetime of painful visits to the dentist. In fact, one dentist was reported as saying that regular use of Xylitol in the American diet, could put dentists out of business. Time to change our diets people!

Nancy Brillault is a clinically certified herbalist, certified aromatherapist and practicing wellness consultant in Santa Fe, New Mexico.


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Cranberry Benefits- Spring 2008 Catalog

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

by Nancy Webster

If there were a religion for cranberry juice drinkers, my mother would join it. A chronic sufferer of cystitis (bladder infections), Mama has kept a supply of cranberry juice in the fridge for years. Although she still has flare-ups, she vows that the juice keeps them from being as bad or as frequent as they otherwise would be.

Health experts affirm her conviction. The virtues of pure, unsweetened cranberry juice-especially for the urinary tract-are unparalleled. Drinking it, though, is not without its downside unless you happen to enjoy a severely bitter daily beverage. For a person with even a mild sweet tooth, drinking six to eight ounces of cranberry juice twice a day may be an unendurable torture no matter what the benefits.

Is There a Bitter End?

Many people aware of cranberries’ benefits but averse to the harshness of straight juice drink cranberry juice cocktail instead. It’s cheaper and tastes much better, but it’s also doctored with high fructose corn syrup, an ingredient so pervasive and so bad for you another entire article would be necessary to explain it. Cranberry juice cocktail is simply not a healthy substitute for plain cranberry juice.

So why drink cranberry juice instead of tastier orange or apple juice? People have known for centuries that raw cranberries are beneficial for the urinary tract although they thought for a long time the benefit comes from the acidity of the little red fruit. Now, however, scientists know cranberries contain a natural compound called proanthocyanidins which effect a chemical and physiological change in the lining of the urinary tract. They make it “slippery” so that E. coli, the bacteria responsible for urinary infections, cannot adhere and cause sickness. Only cranberries (and to a lesser extent blueberries) inhibit bacteria from sticking. Orange and apple juices may be friendlier, but they won’t do the job.

If you suffer from chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs), cranberries are a must. And now, the end of bitterness is at hand with healthful, handy, and less expensive Beeyoutiful Cranberry Power Cleanse. Three vegcaps per day (two in the morning and one in the evening or vice versa) provide the same protection as those two glasses of juice doctors recommend, but there’s no bad taste, dirty cup, or refrigeration to dissuade you from using it regularly.

Cranberry Power Cleanse also contains the herb uva ursi, long used for its healing powers over UTIs, cystitis, and kidney stones. The primary compound in uva ursi is arbutin, which the stomach absorbs and converts into a substance with disinfectant, antimicrobial, and astringent properties. Arbutin fights infection, soothes irritation, and reduces inflammation.

Not Just for Bladders Any More

Even if you don’t suffer from ongoing urinary tract infections, there are a multitude of benefits for the rest of your body that make Cranberry Power Cleanse worth adding to your health arsenal. Here are two that matter to everyone:

  1. Oral Health. The anti-adhesion properties of cranberry may also inhibit the bacteria associated with gum disease and stomach ulcers, and the benefit starts in your mouth. The removal of tooth plaque is the most important reason to visit a dental hygienist regularly. Plaque is a build-up of oral bacteria that have attached themselves to tooth and gum surfaces and to each other. This biofilm hangs on in spite of the best brushing and is largely composed of S. mutans-one of many strains of Streptococcus- and the main bacteria which causes dental caries and gum disease. Thanks to the “no- tick” property of cranberries, these destructive bacteria are less able to attach in the mouth.
  2. Gastrointestinal Health. If you think stomach ulcers happen only to people who let stress get the better of them, think again. Helicobacter pylori, a virulent bacteria that thrives in the mucosal lining of the stomach and upper intestinal tract, is increasingly considered to be the culprit for peptic ulcers in adults as well as children. Left untreated, H. pylori infection has been linked to stomach cancer, acid reflux disease, and gastritis (inflamed stomach). Again, the anti-adhesive quality of cranberries, makes it hard for the bad bacteria to stick in gastric mucus.

Antioxidant Power!

The buzzword in health products these days is antioxidants. These stalwart disease fighters are compounds that are both naturally manufactured by the body and ingested by eating fruits and vegetables. But because of the many harmful molecules we are exposed to every day, our bodies can’t keep up with the need for antioxidants.

Cranberries contain copious amounts of antioxidants and other phytonutrients that may help protect against heart attack, cancer and other diseases. To the antioxidants in the cranberries themselves, Cranberry Power Cleanse adds grape seed, known for its superior antioxidant capabilities.

Antioxidants help protect you from atherosclerosis, plaque build-up in the arteries that restricts blood flow. This “bad cholesterol” leads to chest pain, blood clots, and even heart attacks. The American Heart Association says one person in the U.S. dies every 33 seconds from a cardiovascular illness, and that startling number suggests most of us are at risk if we don’t protect ourselves with a diet high in antioxidant-rich fresh fruits and vegetables.

Ranking far higher than strawberries, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, and oranges in antioxidant power, cranberries have been shown in animals to protect brain cells from free radical damage and the consequent loss of motor and cognitive function.

I wouldn’t blame you if you just can’t bring yourself to join Mama in a toast with pure, unsweetened cranberry juice twice a day. But nothing’s stopping you from filling your glass with water and chugging it down with a couple of Cranberry Power Cleanse Vcaps®. You’ll toast health to your urinary tract, your mouth, stomach, heart, and your brain cells. And that’s no bitter pill.

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Wonderful Water- Spring 2008 Catalog

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

by Stephanie J. Tallent

“How much water are you drinking each day?” asked my health care professional. You see, I am expecting our second child and have placed myself in the hands of a dear lady for my own health as well as that of my unborn baby. With test results in her hand showing that I was not drinking enough water I had to fess up. “Probably not enough,” I replied sheepishly. Looking me square in the eyes she said, “I want you to drink at least three quarts a day. Get three, one quart jars and fill them up each morning. Then make sure you drink them each day.” Although she said it very nicely, I knew it was more of a prescription than a request.

While I know water is important, she had me wondering why it is so necessary that she would practically order me to drink sufficiently each day. So I did some research, and here is what I found.

Hydro-Significance

Did you know that nearly three-quarters of your body is made up of water? It infuses every cell and tissue. Each day our body can use 64 ounces of water just for basic body functions such as regulating temperature, aiding in digestion, keeping skin hydrated, and giving us energy. Water is the foundation of our blood. It helps maintain strong muscles, lubricates joints, hydrates organs, flushes toxins, and much more. Without water, your body simply cannot function.

Water is the most common and important compound on earth and is made of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen-hence the familiar chemical formula H2O. Studies confirm numerous health benefits of water. Because our bodies are made up of so much water and because it is responsible for almost all the vital processes that occur, it is important to replace, replenish and rehydrate each day.

As we grow older it becomes more important to pay attention to water intake. Mature adults retain less cellular water. A major contributor to this loss of water is the lack of sensitivity to the body’s cues for thirst. For instance, we often misinterpret the feeling of hunger. Sometimes we think we are hungry when our bodies are actually crying out for water. Try this to see if you confuse your signals: next time you crave a snack, take a drink of water and see if you remain hungry. Your body may be needing water, not food, especially if it is not meal time yet. Because fruit is largely made up of water, it is often a perfect choice for a snack if you still think you are hungry.

Studies have shown that most of us require 6 to 10 glasses of water a day for proper hydration. The more you drink, the more you help your body cleanse itself of toxins absorbed from the environment. Since some of these toxins can show up in skin, drinking more water may rejuvenate your skin and help ward off some types of facial acne. Is your hair dull and lacking the luster it used to have? Drinking enough water each day may help bring that shine back to your hair.

Because of the rapid cell growth and reproduction that takes place when moms are expecting, water intake needs to increase for the demands of the growing baby. In fact, Dr. F. Batmanghelidj in his book You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty, believes that morning sickness is a thirst signal for both the mom and the unborn baby. Increased water intake is also needed during lactation as we provide both water and food for our babies.

No Substitutions, Please

What if you’re “just not a water drinker?” Can other fluids take its place? In a word, no. Other fluids cannot replace the results we can get from water. Juice contains water, but your body will get more nutrients from eating the actual fruits. Milk provides needed calcium and Vitamin D but is still not a replacement for water. In fact, drinking too much milk can have a constipating effect-the opposite of what water helps your digestive tract to do.

What about coffee, tea, and sodas? Though they have a water base, they are actually diuretics and will dehydrate you. For every 6 ounces of caffeinated or alcoholic drink a person consumes it requires an additional 10 to 12 ounces of water to re-hydrate.

Are other health benefits obtained from drinking water? In days past, our parents and grandparents recognized the importance of water, and today, we hear the message from nutritionists and health experts. They confirm that the health benefits of water are numerous. Yet our most common health problem is dehydration.

Dehydration occurs when the body starts drawing water from its own tissues, cells, and skin to replenish itself. Although a very serious condition, it can be avoided simply by drinking the proper amount of water. Since water aids in flushing toxins from our bodies, it is helpful for proper functioning of our kidneys and liver, whose job is to capture and cleanse our bodies of those toxins.

Water has also been shown to possibly reduce heartburn. Heartburn signals a water shortage in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The use of antacids or other medications does not correct the dehydration so the body continues to suffer from a lack of water. Over time, these corrective medications will cause other problems that could have been avoided by drinking a glass of water.

Water can help reduce the pain of arthritis and lower back pain which are also possible signs of a water deficiency. Lack of water in the spine, spinal column, and discs is very painful. The discs are water cushions that support the weight of the body. Intake of water and small amounts of salt have been shown to help reduce some of the pain of arthritis and lower back problems.

Colitis can signal water shortage as well. It is associated with constipation and dehydration as the body squeezes every last drop of water from the excrement. This extraction in turn causes pain as the body tries to eliminate non-lubricated feces. This can potentially lead to diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, polyps, and other more serious gastrointestinal problems.

How Much, How Fast?

But can you drink too much water? Surprisingly, it is indeed possible, though rare. The condition is called Water Intoxication and is caused by drinking too much too fast. The recommended daily water intake is 8 to 12, 8 ounce glasses spaced throughout the day. When you drink too much water-a gallon or more in an hour- Water Intoxication can set in. The debilitating results range from swelling of blood vessels to brain swelling and kidney overload.

Water Intoxication occurs when too much water enters the body’s cells. The tissues swell with excess fluid. As the over abundance of water accumulates the normal saline serum in your body is diluted. Your body tries to compensate for this by sending in more of the saline solution to help balance the excess water. While your body does its best to compensate for the excess water, sometimes it cannot. For already saturated cells, too much water can be like drowning.

Symptoms of Water Intoxication include irregular heartbeat, fluid in the lungs, and fluttering eyelids. The swelling of cells can put pressure on the brain and nerves which can cause seizures, coma and even death. A complete recuperation can occur if water is restricted and additional salt and electrolytes are administered.

But the problem lies not in how much you drink, so much as in how fast you drink it. Your kidneys can process 15 liters (roughly 4 gallons) of water a day, so you are unlikely to experience Water Intoxication as long as you drink over a period of time. Most adults need about three quarts a day. You might need to drink more in warm weather to compensate for perspiration or if you have been exercising or are on certain medications. In my case, though-and likely some of you other busy moms-we suffer from not drinking enough water rather than intoxication.

Quality, Not Just Quantity

The quality of water also matters. If you live in the city, your water has been cleaned and infused with many different things which may include chlorine and fluoride. If you live in the country, you may have well water that should be tested on a regular basis for impurities such as sulfur. No matter where you live, it is a good idea to invest in some form of water purification system to insure that you and your family have the purest water possible. Incidentally, my last checkup showed that my water intake had properly increased! How about you? Do you drink enough? Make sure you get plenty of wonderful water during your day!

(If you would like to further explore the wonders of water, you might want to read for yourself some of the sources I used for this article: Your Body’s Many Cries for Water and You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.; Also Dr. Ben Kim and Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., for articles on Water Intoxication.)


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How Now? from the Cow- Spring 2008 Catalog

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

by Nancy Webster

Admitted coffee lovers that we are, our family couldn’t resist naming this fall’s baby cow De-Calf, but we could just as well have called him Debt-Relief. We owe the local 4-H cattle project the first cow from my daughter’s big brown heifer since she was donated to us (the heifer, not my daughter) by the area Cattlemen’s Association. So keeping the little bull-to-be healthy from the start has been a high priority. Thankfully, his mother (the cow, not me) has done her duty since the night he was born. Unlike some animals we’ve endured, she’s blessed with sufficient maternal instincts to nurse De-Calf freely-which means he received healthy doses of colostrum during his first few days of life.

Colostrum is the nutrient-rich, pre-milk fluid produced by all mammals immediately after giving birth. It’s essential for jump-starting a newborn’s immune system-including baby humans. That’s why breast-feeding advocates encourage mothers who plan to bottle-feed their babies to nurse them for at least a couple of days, in order to impart this life-changing substance.

How Does It Work?

From observing the results of blood transfusions, health researchers about 60 years ago discovered the value of “immune response factor protein molecules.” When these key compounds are transferred from a healthy blood donor to a sick recipient, the recipient’s recovery improves. It came to be called a “transfer factor” because it was first recognized in blood “transfers” from one patient to another.

Because of HIV and hepatitis dangers, blood transfusion nowadays is a risky way to boost a person’s immune system. But a risk free way to the same benefit was discovered about ten years ago in the form of bovine (cow) colostrum. Bovine colostrum is packed with transfer factors like hydrogen peroxide and immunoglobulins (antibodies), and even though it comes from cattle, it is effective “cross-species” which means the benefits are as pronounced in humans as in cows.

Healthy cells make hydrogen peroxide on their own to regulate metabolism and fight off invading pathogens, but sick cells need the reinforcement colostrum can provide. The immunoglobulins go after and stop a microorganism called cryptosporidiosis, a cause of severe diarrhea. Children and adults with acute or chronic diarrhea can be helped by taking a small, white capsule of colostrum such as Beeyoutiful’s Colostrum Transfer Factor.

How Does It Help?

Although cancer cells are always developing in our bodies, our immune systems usually kill them before they spread and do damage- unless we are weakened or unhealthy. Most of us are compromised in some way these days because of diets “rich” in processed and over-preserved foods, so colostrum is a vital supplement to fortify your body. If you already have cancer, colostrum is a powerful ally in the fight. It contains phytic acid which inhibits iron from reaching and nourishing cancer cells. It also isolates and starves fungi and viruses which would otherwise thrive on the iron in your system.

I’ve wondered if this colostrum factor accounts for some of the health differences between my younger sister and me. Our mother bucked the bottle-feeding trend of the time and nursed me, but when little sister was born less than two years later, our by-then overwhelmed mother kept her on a bottle from day one. Throughout our early years and into adulthood, I have never been sickly, but my sister, who fell victim to seemingly every stomach bug and cold that swept through our elementary school, is now a breast cancer survivor and suffers from frequent sinus infections and bronchitis.

Recently on a family trip, our five-year-old son’s chewing gum fell out of his mouth onto the floor of a gas station restroom. Before we could stop him, he’d popped the gum back into his mouth and managed a couple more chews! The next morning he woke up with a low-grade fever and severe diarrhea which continued for two days straight. On Day 2 I remembered the anti-diarrheal ability of Colostrum Transfer Factor, and since he can’t yet swallow a pill, every two hours I opened two capsules into a bit of yogurt or applesauce which he ate happily. By Day 3 his stool firmed up and the diarrhea stopped! Although Beeyoutiful gave it a happy ending, this story now tops the list of absolutely gross things one of our eight children have done.

How Do You Change the Past?

Researchers believe the benefits of colostrum don’t end with infancy. If, like my sister, you or your loved ones did not get the benefit of colostrum as a baby, Beeyoutiful gives you a second chance!

While an organic, natural diet, free from processed foods, is the ideal protection against disease, you’re probably all too aware of the difficulty of achieving exemplary eating patterns. I, for instance, know my family’s weakness for cookies (and did I mention coffee?) and how Real Life throws my healthy cooking intentions out the window more than I’d like. I’ve worried over how we would fare if an epidemic swept our country like the Ebola outbreak in Uganda a few years ago. Fortunately, studies suggest that taking colostrum offers hope for stopping communicable diseases-whether Ebola, bird flu, AIDS, SARS, or the host of new antibiotic resistant illnesses on the rise.

Consider the diseases that can be combated with colostrum, according to Joseph B. Marion’s book The Anti-Aging Manual: campylobacter, Candida and E. coli, clostridium (botulism), food poisoning, helicobacter pylori, listeria, rotavirus, salmonella, shigellosis, and streptococcus. Marion also explains that colostrum counters leaky gut and irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, ulcers, chronic fatigue, diabetes, autoimmunity, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and cancers, and that it may even inhibit schleroderma, fibromyalgia, and multiple sclerosis.

Notice that many conditions in Marion’s list have to do with intestinal function, and bear in mind that colostrum is a form of probiotic, the opposite of an antibiotic. While antibiotics can disrupt digestive functioning because they kill all bacteria-good and bad- probiotics balance the effect. So if you have to take an antibiotic, you might want to offset the downside effects with a probiotic. In addition, if you are a frequent user of NSAID drugs like ibuprofen, your stomach will appreciate the acid neutralizing powers of colostrum. Try alternating Beeyoutiful’s Colostrum Transfer Factor with Tummy Tuneup.

Rapidly approaching 50 and feeling my metabolism slow down, I’m encouraged by what the book Prescription for Nutritional Healing offers: “colostrum can boost the immune system…It may also accelerate the healing of injuries, increase vitality and stamina, and have an anti-aging effect.”

So whether it’s the offspring from a 4-H heifer or cows in general for providing a proven health helper like colostrum, to our bovine friends I say: We owe you!

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Baby Steps to Better Eating- Summer 2008 Catalog

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

By Nancy Webster

We were good Southerners. During my growing-up years my family ate lots of vegetables-boiled or fried near to death-and fruits and berries mostly in the form of pie or cobbler. But as a teenager, I was fascinated by Mrs. Brewer’s very different approach to food.

Long-time family friends, Mrs. Brewer and her husband lived on a small Tennessee farm just outside of Nashville, and every year, Mrs. Brewer grew a magnificent organic garden. She also read Prevention magazine, and-appropriately-took daily brewer’s yeast supplements. Inspired by her fine foods and the many nutritional tips she shared with me, I finally began my own quest for purer eating by asking my parents to take me to a health food store. Shelves of mysterious bottles and austere boxes overwhelmed us, and we emerged with nothing but a package of soy crackers.

Those crackers were the start of a 30-year food journey from college dining hall food and vending machine junk to meatless, soy substitutes, to proper-protein-combining, to fresh-ground, whole wheat bread, to all raw vegetarian fare. Each represented an extreme of sorts, leaving me hungry (so to speak) for a more whole way of eating. If you’re just now at the early stages of a quest for a healthier diet, please allow me to save you years of rabbit trails.

A History of Good Eating

Although it’s easy to let the busy-ness of life push you back to frozen pizza and fish sticks, it’s vital for your health and your family’s to keep taking baby steps towards the healthier way. Every little success makes it easier the next time.

I first recommend bookmarking and reading the articles on the Weston A. Price Foundation website (www.westonaprice.org). Dr. Price, a dentist, toured the world in the 1930′s, visiting people groups which had not yet been introduced to processed foods. They still prepared meals by the techniques of their ancestors. Dr. Price found these people with excellent teeth, and he also noted that they were resistant to illnesses such as tuberculosis, prevalent in that time period. He also took note of other people groups who-in just one generation of eating processed, sugary foods-had developed decayed, crooked teeth and newly succumbed to many diseases. His travels laid the groundwork for the outstanding nutritional research carried on by the foundation that bears his name.

The next thing you need to do is buy Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon. This in-depth volume contains factual information about the value-added benefits of proper food preparation as well as many, many meals’ worth of delectable recipes. Even though the book has more than 600 pages, it’s like the Bible in that you can read a bit here and there and get a lot out of it.

Sally Fallon explains the value of fermenting vegetables instead of pickling them-it’s even better than just eating them raw! Fermenting boosts the enzyme content of vegetables and fills your digestive tract with beneficial bacteria to help your intestines get the most nutrition out of your food. Nourishing Traditions also details how to culture dairy products, a process that predigests lactose (milk sugar, to which many people are allergic) and casein (milk protein, often an allergen). The remarkable healing properties of simple bone broth are highlighted. And, politically incorrect as it may seem, you’ll discover why animal fats are good for you and can even help you lose weight!

The Fantastic Four

To jump-start your venture in traditional cooking, I’ve outlined below a few tips for four of the many important food preparation processes taught in Nourishing Traditions.

(1) Fermented vegetables. You can ferment most vegetables, but start simple, with plain sauerkraut. A spoonful of sauerkraut with your meal helps your body digest food, especially meat and beans, and eating fermented vegetables regularly will lessen sugar cravings. Try this sauerkraut for starters.

Combine:
1 tablespoon sea salt (cheap, regular salt does not contain trace minerals and is chemically processed, so using sea salt is important).
4 tablespoons whey (whey is the liquid you find at the top of an unstirred carton of plain yogurt. You can collect it by draining the yogurt through cheesecloth or a cotton dishtowel. Keep the whey for your recipes, and use the yogurt in place of cream cheese.)

Next:
Chop finely a head of cabbage, organic if possible (a food processor is a big help.)
Mix ingredients in a large bowl and pound them for about 10 minutes to get the juices out of the cabbage. (This is a fun task for small children. My six-year old son loves banging the soup ladle we use for the job.)
Toss in a tablespoon of caraway seeds if you like.
Dump the mixture into a clean 1-quart mason jar, packing it tightly and leaving a 1-inch space at the top.
Tighten the lid, and set it on the counter for three days to ferment. After that, it’s ready to eat, and you can store the leftovers in the fridge for up to two months.

(2) Kefir and cultured dairy products. Kefir is yogurt’s stronger cousin, replete with probiotic good bacteria necessary for optimal health. It’s a cinch to make-much easier than yogurt! The hardest part is finding milk kefir grains to get you started. They’re sold online (google “kefir grains”), or you may even find them free from a local Weston Price Foundation chapter (find one near you at www.westonaprice.org). Kefir grains look like little pieces of cauliflower but are living, lactose-loving bacteria.

To make kefir:
Dump the grains into a 1-quart jar, three-fourths full of milk.
Rubber band a paper towel or cotton handkerchief over the top, so it can get air but stay clean.
Place the jar in a kitchen cabinet for 24 to 48 hours.
Once it’s all done, use a stainless steel strainer (not aluminum!) to separate the grains from the liquid. (Dump them into another jar of milk to start your next batch.)
Store the finished product in the refrigerator.
Kefir is sour, like buttermilk, but you can sweeten it with fruit, honey, or stevia. Try it in a smoothie for a fast breakfast or snack!

(3) Bone Broth. Homemade bone broth is the real stuff you’ll want to use in place of those MSG-laden cans of soup broth and bouillon cubes sold at the grocery store. Ask your butcher or a local meat processor to save bones for you. Nourishing Traditions includes several recipes for making broth from different types of bones, and if you follow the recommended steps, you’ll have incredible broth. A great way to get started, though, is simply to cover a bunch of bones with water and simmer them for several hours. Then strain off any gunk that rises to the top. You can freeze the broth in small containers, and use it in place of water in soup or to cook rice and other grains. And with a pinch of sea salt, warm broth makes a soothing, mineral-rich drink alone or with a meal.

(4) Animal fats. You won’t hear this from popular diet articles and books, but it’s true that animal fats (and other cold-pressed, omega-rich plant oils like flax seed, olive, coconut, and palm) can help you lose weight-if you need to. It’s important to replace fake fats like margarine, hydrogenated shortening and vegetable/canola oils with these real fats. Our brains are mostly fat and require it to function optimally. And bodies need healthy fats in order to manufacture hormones which keep us balanced. Belly fat, which tends to accumulate on middle-aged women even when they watch what they eat, is often a sign of hormone imbalance. The book Eat Fat Lose Fat by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon explains this in detail and might help you overcome the brainwashing we’ve all been subjected to regarding low-fat diets.

Once you’re off and running in this new, old way of preparing foods, you’ll build your momentum and keep on learning. It gets to be a lot of fun. I only wish Mrs. Brewer was still around-now I’d have a few tips for her!

Nancy Webster is a freelance writer, homeschool mother of eight, and an avid researcher on health and nutrition. She lives with her family on their “partially working” farm in Tennessee.

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