The Miracles of Coconut Oil

The post is inspired by a wonderful friend of mine whom I go waaay back in time with.  :-)  I love you my sister.  And know that I am praying over you and your mom.  I love you both very much.  Always remember miracles are around every corner.

Simply beautiful.

This video is what got me pumped up!!  Click here to view.  Soooooo exciting!

Alzheimer's is now being called "diabetes of the brain."  After numerous failed attempts of a new wonder drug to cure or at least help alzheimer's, many are looking in a new direction.  A direction of food.  And numerous people, as you saw in the video are beginning to see positive side effects from using coconut oil.

Get ready to get up in arms at me.  Evidence is showing that the "wonderful" low fat diet we have all been brainwashed into believing is so great for us, plus all the over prescribed cholesterol lowering medication, just might be what is putting our parents and grandparents on the exam table receiving the heavy words from their doctor of, "you have been diagnosed with alzheimer's."  Grant it, heredity and other factors beyond current released research also contribute to alzheimer's disease.

We need cholesterol in order for our brain to function.  The brain may only take up 2% of our body's mass but the brain contains 25% of our bodies cholesterol.  If you remove cholesterol from your diet, you starve your brain, thus enters alzheimer's when we are older.   Read this for more information.

"People suffering from Alzheimer’s should immediately start avoiding polyunsaturated forms of oil such as soy and corn oils, especially if they are hydrogenated and in the form of trans fatty acids!!!!!!"

So, this blog post is all about the new and incredibly exciting information with regards to coconut oil and dementia and alzheimer's   This is so exciting to me and goes to show how POWERFUL food is.  I remember at a young age hearing someone say that food was medicine.  I thought that person was nuts.  Too bad it has taken me 10 years of growing and learning to figure this out for myself.  Hopefully, you will make the changes now and not wait 10 years to "get it."

Coconut Oil Is Known To Be:

• Anti-bacterial (kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum diseases, and other bacterial infections)
• Anti-carcinogenic (coconut oil has antimicrobial properties so it effectively prevents the spread of cancer cells and enhances the immune system)
• Anti-fungal (kills fungi and yeast that lead to infection)
• Anti-inflammatory (appears to have a direct effect in suppressing inflammation and repairing tissue, and it may also contribute by inhibiting harmful intestinal microorganisms that cause chronic inflammation.)
• Anti-microbial/Infection Fighting (the medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides found in coconut oil are the same as those in human mother's milk, and they have extraordinary antimicrobial properties. By disrupting the lipid structures of microbes, they inactivate them. About half of coconut oil consists of lauric acid. Lauric acid, its metabolite monolaurin and other fatty acids in coconut oil are known to protect against infection from bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi and parasites. While not having any negative effect on beneficial gut bacteria, coconut oil inactivates undesirable microbes.)
• An Antioxidant (protects against free-radical formation and damage)
• Anti-parasitic (fights to rid the body of tapeworms, lice and other parasites)
• Anti-protozoa (kills giardia, a common protozoan infection of the gut)
• Anti-retroviral (can reduce the viral load of HIV-AIDS patience)
• Anti-viral (kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other viruses)
• Effective at improving nutrient absorption (easily digestible; makes vitamins and minerals more available to the body)
• Has no harmful or discomforting side effects
• Infection fighting
• Nontoxic to humans and animals

Coconut oil- GET IT IN YOU!!!!!!!!!!!  (This goes for EVERYONE here.....E  V  E  R  Y  O  N  E !)  So, below are different ways to get coconut oil in you!!!  I am going to write all the ways that I can find, so that no one has an excuse.  There has to be 1 way you can get coconut oil in you.  It would be great if you can do all of the ideas below.  ;-)

Click here for 333 ways to use coconut oil!!!  Soooo cool!

Here is a chart giving you an idea of daily recommended dose: 

Weight in pounds/kilograms	Number of tablespoons of coconut oil daily
175+/79+	4
150+ /68+	3 1/2
125+ / 57+	3
100+/ 45+	2 1/2
75+ / 34+	2
50+ / 23+	1 1/2
25+ / 11+	1

Eat it- (start with 1 tsp at a time and try to work up to your daily recommended dose each day)
1.  Add a tablespoon to your oatmeal
2.  Use it in place of butter on your toast and when cooking or baking
3.  Add a tablespoon to your smoothie
4.  Warm it till it is a liquid (use only warm water) drink it
5.  Stop using olive oil for sauteing and use coconut oil instead
6.  Eat a tablespoon of it off of a spoon (if you don't like it solid, place in mouth and let it melt, then swallow)
7.  Mix coconut oil with organic peanut butter (or almond butter) and cinnamon and spread on sprouted bread or eat out of bowl
8.  Make chocolate candy with it. (oh my! and sooo easy)
9.  Use it to pop your popcorn in and melt and put on your popcorn (not microwave popcorn in a bag!!!)
10.  Add it to your pasta dish
11.  Use on your baked potato
12.  Add it to your bowl of soup
13.  This post could go on forever so go here.  lol
14.  You can also by refined coconut oil to keep on hand when you want a healthier oil but not the coconut flavor

Note: Never microwave coconut oil!  Always place your coconut oil in a small bowl and then place that bowl in another bowl with hot water in it (not boiling) and stir the coconut oil around until it melts.  Heating the coconut oil too hot will destroy all the beneficial properties in it.


Skin and Hair-
1.  Use it on your face (just a little) as your moisturizer and your eyelids and neck
2.  Use it in your hair instead of all that gel, styling foam and pomades with loads of crap in them
3.  Use it for your lotion
4.  If you don't want to use it for your all over body lotion, at least rub some onto your tummy
5.  Use it around your eyes to decrease puffiness
6.  Use it as your chapstick 
7.  Makeup remover
8.  Apply to scrapes and cuts
9.  When kids are sick rub it onto the bottoms of their feet and cover with socks
10.  Dry nose in the winter, swab a small amount inside your nose


Coconut oil pulling- this is 1000 times easier than our minds want to make it out to be!
1.  Brush your teeth with water, no toothpaste
2.  When you wake up put 1 tbsp of coconut oil in your mouth
3.  Wait a minute or 2 for the oil to melt in your mouth
4.  Start swishing when you notice some has melted
5.  Try to keep you head bent down a bit so the oil stays on your teeth
6.  Swish, swish, swish and try to put some between your teeth and lips and pull it back into your mouth through your teeth
7.  Go as long as you can.  First time I went 13 minutes.  Goal is up to 20 minutes every day
8.  DO NOT SWALLOW any of the oil, it will be full of bacteria that has been pulled from your mouth and body
9.  Spit out the oil into a paper towel or in your trash can.  Coconut oil solidifies so you do not want this in your water pipes clogging things up
10.  Rinse your mouth at least 5 times with warm clean water, or warm salt water spitting out the water each time before adding new to your mouth
11.  Now here I find conflicting suggestions.  One suggestion is to brush your teeth with a natural toothpaste and second is to not use toothpaste but to use soap, yes soap, by either swiping your toothbrush on your bar of soap or putting a less than pea size of liquid soap on your toothbrush and then brush.  You can also use baking soda.

Note: 
You have to use organic, virgin, unrefined coconut oil here.  Have to.  
You want to do this on an empty stomach.


Benefits to oil pulling---
Weight lose
Whiter teeth
Strengthen your immune system
Prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis
Radiant skin
Shiny silky hair
Improve digestion
Prevent premature aging of skin


WATCH THIS!!!

Another great article regarding coconut oil and alzheimer's.

Here is the Coconut Miracle book and Virgin Coconut Oil book that I want to read.

Acknowledgements: Thank you Jessica over at Delicious Obsessions!!

Thank you Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama for your 333 uses for coconut oil, your coconut dosing guide, your coconut is know for guide and coconut oil pulling directions and all of your obvious hard work!!!!  Your blog is truly amazing!  I am glad I stumbled across you!  :-)  You inspire me.


NOW GO BUY SOME COCONUT OIL and get it in and on you NOW!!!!!!!  :-)

I have heard great things about Gold Label.  (This is now my ABSOLUTE favorite!)


I just bought a 54 oz jug from Vitacost.  I can't wait to try it.  (Tried it! = Delish!)  And I no longer buy this.  Now I buy it from Costco.  :-)  See picture below.


I have been using unrefined, expeller pressed from Whole Foods, their 365 line.

I buy this at Costco for a really good price.  It is not the high quality that you get from Tropical Traditions but it is pretty good.

Do You Eat Oats, Rice or Beans? You have to read this!!

 How to make you own "quick cooking oats" that will be ready in a snap in the morning.  :-)

This is what oats look like after soaking over night.

 



Rinse well with cool water.

Tap strainer to remove water and place oats in saucepan.

 






    

Add milk and cook over medium heat.

Our favs.  (We no longer drink this type of milk.  ;-) )  
And I recommend raw unrefined honey bought locally.

If you eat oats, rice, quinoa, couscous, dried beans or any other grain, this post is a MUST READ!

When I learned what I am getting ready to share with you, my life and my health was changed forever.



What oats look like in their natural state.

Oats

I have been buying organic thick cut oats for a while now and love them.  "Nourishing traditions" recommends not buying rolled or cracked (steel cut) oats from bulk bins as they may be rancid.  But to buy them in packages or, better yet to grind the oats coarsely yourself in a grain grinder or roll your own, if you want (I would love to do this one day!).  I have been buying mine from the bulk section at Whole Foods and fortunately, have had no problems.  You can also buy Bob's Red Mill in the clear bag at Meijer, Bob's is not organic but it is still good.

For as long as I can remember I was told to not buy steel cut oats or quick cooking oats, due to their lack of vitamins and nutrients from the way they are over processed.  I never thought to question this, but after a reader contacted me about this, I did some research and I stand corrected....steel cut oats actually contain more fiber than rolled oats!  So, eat away at the cracked or steel cut oats!  Just make sure you soak them.  And cracked or steel cut oats do take longer to cook due to the fact that they are minimally processed (oh how I love that....less processing = healthier for me and my family, in my opinion).  When you research this topic it looks more like splitting hairs, but I'm going to choose the path less processed.  :-) 

As far as the quick cooking oats that I was brought up with, Quaker brand for example, I do not see any nutritional difference when I research this topic, just an even thinner cut oat.  Having not soaked the Quaker brand, I am not sure of what type of consistency we are talking about after they are soaked and then cooked.  So, if any of you soak and cook the "quick cooking" type, let me know how the texture turns out.  As for me, I will continue eating my thick cut rolled oats and once they are gone, I am switching to steel cut.  :-)  (Thank you Sarah!  :-) )

I only store my oats in the freezer, in a glass jar, if they are organic the have to go in the freezer for a few days, even if they are not organic, they will last even longer if they are stored in the freezer or refrigerator.

The night before you want to eat your oatmeal do the following.....
1.  Measure the amount of oats you want, place in a glass bowl with a lid.
2.  Fill a 1 cup measuring cup with clean water (filtered or R.O. if you can) and pour water over the oats in the glass bowl.  Keep track of how many cups of water you are pouring over the oats.
3.  For each cup of water you pour over the oats also place 2 tbsp of any kind of yogurt in the bowl with the oats. Stir well.
4.  Let sit overnight covered on counter top.  Do not place in refrigerator.  
5.  In the morning, place the oats in a strainer with small holes (small enough that your oats do not fall through the holes) and with your sink water sprayer, spray the crap out of your oats.  I usually do small batches, like 1/4-1/2 cup at a time, spray/rinse with water, place those in a stainless steel sauce pan, add more oats to the strainer spray/rinse with cool water, place in sauce pan, continuing until all oats have been sprayed with cool water.
6.  With all your sprayed oats in your stainless steel saucepan, pour milk (REAL milk or rice milk in our house) into the sauce pan and cook.  It will not take long at all, since the oats have soaked overnight, they are already "quick cooking oats" for you.  :-)
7.  Cook over medium heat until almost all of the milk is absorbed, stirring frequently.
8.  Place oats in a bowl, drizzle with organic honey or raw honey (heated in a small saucepan) until thin, pour a little more milk over the oats in your bowl and add any fresh fruit you would like.
9.  Voila!  You are done and getting ready to sink your teeth in to the best tasting oats you have ever eaten.
10.  And watch out, you might not even feel hungry for lunch, these oats stick to your ribs like nothing I have ever eaten.  Enjoy!

For the science part.  Oats are in rich in Vitamin B and calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.  Oats/grains have an outer coating called phytates and oats contain more phytates than almost any other grain.  This outer coating prevents our body from absorbing all the wonderful vitamins and nutrients that oats have in them.  If we ate a ton of unsoaked oats our bodies could suffer from mineral loss, allergies and irritation of the intestinal tract.  When we soak our oats in the yogurt and water mixture, the phytic acid (phytates) are broken down.  And our bodies are given the wonderful opportunity to absorb excellent vitamins and nutrients from our oats.  Secret:  When our bodies are lacking vitamins and nutrients, we crave foods, sometimes foods that are bad for us....imagine having a body that is happy....a body that is filled with healthy vitamins and nutrients....what would you feel like, what would your skin look like, what would your body look like??  This is a step towards a healthier you.  :-)

Rice, Quinoa and Couscous 
Your rice, quinoa and couscous need soaked too.  Except here we use organic apple cider vinegar (available at Meijer).


The outer coating on the rice, quinoa and couscous need to be broken down just like the oats.  This allows for better absorption of the nutrients and vitamins that are in the wonderful foods rice, quinoa and couscous.


The night before you want to eat your rice, quinoa or couscous do the following.....

1. Measure the amount of rice, quinoa or couscous you want, place in a glass bowl with a lid.
2. Fill a 1 cup measuring cup with clean water (filtered or R.O. if you can) and pour water over the rice, quinoa or couscous in the glass bowl. Keep track of how many cups of water you are pouring over the rice, quinoa or couscous.
3. For each cup of water you pour over the rice, quinoa or couscous also place 1 tbsp of organic apple cider vinegar in the bowl with the rice, quinoa or couscous. Stir well.
4. Let sit overnight covered on counter top. Do not place in refrigerator.
5. Before dinner (or whatever meal you want to eat this) place the rice, quinoa or couscous in a strainer with small holes (small enough that your rice, quinoa or couscous do not fall through the holes) and with your sink water sprayer, spray the crap out of your rice, quinoa or couscous.
6.  Cook as you like.  We love our stainless steel steamer.  It makes the best rice, quinoa and couscous.  Remember you will need to add a little less water, since the rice, quinoa or couscous was soaked in water overnight and has retained some water. 


Note:  Quinoa rocks!!  It is a grain with protein in it.  Even my picky family LOVES quinoa.  And Meijer sells it.  :-)

Beans

Your beans need soaked too. Except here we use organic apple cider vinegar (available at Meijer).  Plus, we all know the canned beans have bpa, so we need to try to cook with dried beans.



The outer coating on the beans need to be broken down just like the oats. This allows for better absorption of the nutrients and vitamins that are in the wonderful food of beans.

The night before you want to eat your beans, do the following.....
1. Measure the amount of beans you want, place in a glass bowl with a lid.

2. Fill a 1 cup measuring cup with clean water (filtered or R.O. if you can) and pour water over the beans in the glass bowl. Keep track of how many cups of water you are pouring over the beans.

3. For each cup of water you pour over the beans also place 1 tbsp of organic apple cider vinegar in the beans. Stir well.

4. Let sit overnight covered on counter top. Do not place in refrigerator.
5. Before dinner (or whatever meal you want to eat this) place the beans in a strainer with small holes (small enough that your beans do not fall through the holes) and with your sink water sprayer, spray the crap out of your beans.
6. Now you boil the heck out of your beans in clean water.  Can take up to 2 hours.  Follow directions on your package of dry beans or check out my other blog post about cooking beans.



Happy cooking!







Why Organic?

A friend of mine suggested I write this Blog post (thank you LE).  She has a HUGE point.  The majority of people do not even know what Organic is, let alone what "Natural", "All Natural" "Non-GMO" "USDA Certified" "Fair Trade" or  "DfE certified" mean and what "Conventional" means.  So, I am going to attempt to explain each of these terms.  So, here we go.


1.  Organic-  Organic foods are produced without the use of the following...
-Genetically Modified Organisms in seeds or any ingredient (GMO's)
-Synthetic pesticides
-Synthetic herbicides
-Artificial preservatives or additives
-Antibiotics
-Growth hormones
-Irradiation (a process where our food is actually exposed to radiation to sterilize our food.  Which actually depletes the food of vitamins and nutrients.  There is a movement occurring right now where we are asking for foods to be labeled if they have been irradiated, that way we know not to buy this food.  Seriously, you are just wasting your money when you buy irradiated food, the nutritional value has been altered so much, you may as well save your money for something else. And right now unless you buy Organic you do not know if your food has been irradiated or not.)

Consumer Reports has found that 77% of non-organic produce items in the average supermarket contain pesticide residues. The beef industry has acknowledged that 94% of all U.S. beef cattle have hormone implants, which are banned in Europe as a cancer hazard. Approximately 10% of all U.S. dairy cows are injected with Monsanto and Elanco's controversial genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone, banned in most industrialized nations. Recent studies indicate that an alarming percentage of non-organic U.S. meat contains dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Organic farms and ranches use far less fossil fuel than conventional farms.  Twenty-four billion pounds of chemical fertilizers are applied on non-organic farms in the U.S. every year not only pollute our drinking water and create enormous dead zones in the oceans.

Organic farming categorically prohibits the use of sewage sludge (sewage sludge is just that, sewage used as fertilizer which animals in turn eat and live in, which are then butchered for our consumption).


On an Organic farm slaughterhouse waste is not allowed.  This is also just like it sounds, waste...intestines, flesh, hair, blood, bones, veins, etc from a slaughterhouse is fed back to animals.  Are you freaking kidding me here?????  This practice has given rise to a form of human mad-cow disease called CJD, often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease. Animals on organic farms cannot be fed slaughterhouse waste, manure, or blood.


Organic farming prohibits intensive confinement and mutilation (debeaking, cutting off tails, etc.) of farm animals. In addition to the cruel and unhealthy confinement of animals on factory farms, scientists warn that these CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations) produce enormous volumes of manure and urine, which not only pollute surface and ground water, but also emit large quantities of methane, a powerful climate-destabilizing greenhouse gas.



Consumers are concerned about purchasing foods with high nutritional value. Organic foods are nutritionally dense compared to foods produced with toxic chemicals, chemical fertilizers, and GMO seeds. Studies show that organic foods contain more vitamins, cancer-fighting anti-oxidants, and important trace minerals.



So, do you see why Organic food costs more than conventional food?  Because Organic food is actually food.  Conventional food, is beginning to look more like McDonald's food to me.  It is something that you can eat, it will fill your belly....but what is it doing to you and your family?  And are you really getting any vitamins or nutrition from it?  Yes, some. 

Cost-many people have explained to me that they cannot buy Organic because of the price.  From what I have seen in grocery stores there are times where Organic food costs the same as the conventional product setting right beside it.  And I know people who have a very tight budget who live on Organic food only.  I will blog more on this later...ideas and tips on living Organic on a tight budget.  Also, a different way of thinking is this...if the foods we are eating today are giving us high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, cancer, etc...isn't that going to cause us to pay more later in life when we are going to the doctor getting help for these problems.

So, do we spend more money now and eat Organic or spend less right now, eat conventional and have poor health and high doctor bills later that we can't afford?

Only food that is labeled USDA Certified Organic is really 100% Certified Organic.  See below under Miscellaneous for a definition of USDA Certified Organic.
Tell me if I am wrong....but isn't this how ALL food should be made???????????


2.  GMO/Non-GMO- You are hearing these 2 terms used more and more each day.  GMO is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques, also called DNA splicing.  In a nutshell, this is where humans try to play God and alter the way food is supposed to be.  Which is not good.  I am not a fan of cloning and I am DEFINITELY not a fan of GMO.

For example....corn....Monsanto's triple-stack corn—which combines Roundup Ready 2 weed control technology with YieldGard Corn Borer and YieldGard Rootworm insect control—is the market leader in the United States.   So, now farms do not simply spray their crops with poisioness weed control chemicals, they are now created inside the seed that then grows into a corn stalk, that then produces corn that we eat or the animals we serve at dinner eat.  So.....we are eating the Roundup Ready 2 weed control chemicals, the Corn Borer and Rootworm insect control chemicals.  READY to go cook some corn??  And it does not have to happen like this!  Look at Organic farms...they are producing corn in great volume that is safe and delicious.  (Side note....Meijer has their own line of Organic frozen sweet corn that is delish!!)

Genetically engineered ingredients are now found in 75% of all non-organic U.S. processed foods, even in many products labeled or advertised as "natural." In addition, the overwhelming majority of non-organic meat, dairy, and eggs are derived from animals reared on a steady diet of GM animal feed. Although polls indicate that 90% of Americans want labels on gene-altered foods, government and industry adamantly refuse to respect consumers' right to know, understanding quite well that health and environmental-minded shoppers will avoid foods with a GMO label.   Sick...sick....sick!!!  Don't you want to know what you are spending your money on and eating?  I do!


Non-GMO is a label you are starting to see on foods.  This means simply the ingredients in that food have not been genetically modified.  All Organic foods are non-GMO.   But not all non-GMO foods are Organic.3.  Conventional Farming-
Look at the definition of Organic...all the things that are not allowed in Organic farming are allowed in Conventional Farming.   The agriculture industry is estimated to use over 800 million pounds of conventional pesticides each year.

The example I was given when I started my Green quest was this...."Would you spray an apple with Raid, rinse it, wipe it off and give it to your kid or eat it yourself?"  I would hope that your answer would be a big NO!  This is what we are doing when we buy conventional fruits and vegetable, just to start with.  Let alone all the other food we eat that are drowned in pesticides before we serve them at our tables.

The major challenges and issues faced by society concerning conventional farming include:
Environmental and social costs
Damage to fisheries
Increased health risks from pesticides****
Increased ozone pollution and global warming from heavy use of fossil fuels


4.  Natural or All natural- Does not mean Organic.  Food labeled "natural" does not contain any artificial ingredients, coloring ingredients, or chemical preservatives, and in the case of meat and poultry, is minimally processed. 

Meat from animals treated with artificial hormones can (and is) labeled "natural," as is meat injected with saline solution (claimed to add flavor, which it does, but it also adds considerable weight to a product sold by the pound). Food containing "natural flavors" such as processed proteins that you may or may not consider desirable can legally sport the label "natural."5.  Fair Trade- Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, chocolate, flowers and gold.  Simple terms, you know you bought something that a 5 year old child did not make or prepare for you. 

6. Design for the Environment (DfE) Certified- The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows safer products to carry the Design for the Environment (DfE) label. This mark enables consumers to quickly identify and choose products that can help protect the environment and are safer for families. When you see the DfE logo on a product it means that the DfE scientific review team has screened each ingredient for potential human health and environmental effects and that-based on currently available information, EPA predictive models, and expert judgment. To learn more about the Design for the Environment EPA partnership program please visit: http://www.epa.gov/dfe/

Wowgreen products are DfE certified.  And I can say that I love using and selling all of the cleaning products wowgreen offers. 

Misc info
1.  Irradiation-cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde (found in finger nail polish).  Many non-organic spices contain irradiated ingredients.  The USDA and large meat companies have promoted the use of irradiated meat in school lunches and senior citizen facilities.





2. Consumers worry about rampant e-coli, salmonella, campylobacter, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and fecal contamination in animal products coming out of the nation's inhumane and filthy slaughterhouses. The Centers for Disease Control have admitted that up to 76 million Americans suffer from food poisoning every year. Very few cases of food poisoning have ever been linked to organic farms or food processors.

3.  For all these reasons, millions of American consumers are turning to organic foods and other organic items, including clothing and body care products - part of an overall movement toward healthy living, preserving the environment, and reversing global warming.

4.  USDA Certified Organic-   This is a 21 page document that shows what is required for a food or product to have the USDA Certified Organic logo placed on it (if simply clicking does not open this link use CTRL click to open it).  It is a very rigorous process to go through.  So, if you have thought to yourself, "well, how do we know it is truly organic?" this document will show you the steps that a farmer or producer have to go through to use the green and white logo USDA Organic.

So, if you believe in voting...keep in mind you are voting every time you go to the grocery store, with your money.  Start small.  Change your milk, yogurt and cheese then move to your veggies and fruits.  Click here to see my posts on what fruits and vegetables are highest in pesticides.

If you feel the desire to start eating Organically just take it one step at a time.  And I am currently working with Meijer to get even more organic food in their grocery store.  They have a great start right now on the choices of organic foods to choose from, but they still have a long way to go.  I will be posting in the future what organic products Meijer carries. 

Also, The Downtown Farm Stand has nothing but organic in their grocery store and restaurant.  And of course, don't forget my favorite place when you are in Indy, Whole Foods.  If you stick with the 365 organic brand at Whole Foods, you definitely DO NOT spend your whole paycheck.  Whole Foods is not perfect yet, they still sell conventional foods...but one day I hope this will become 100% organic.  At least, for now I can buy my organic foods there at a good price.

I have to really share my heart as I am writing this, as I am adding the finishing touches to this post, my brain keeps telling me..."No one's going to read this, no one's going to change the way they eat."  I hope and pray that thought is very wrong.  And I pray that there is a movement in our hearts, that we demand better quality of food on our tables and even in our restaurants.

I would love to hear any feedback or requests for future posts from you.

What's In Your Milk???

I just want to make sure everyone saw the Channel 13 piece last night on Dairy Farms, if not here are my notes. The piece discussed dairy farms, milk and meat.  Click here to see Bob Segall's full piece.


Currently, the FDA is testing our milk for 6 antibiotics, if the levels of these 6 antibiotics are too high the milk is rejected, unable to be sold in stores. Now the FDA is asking that our milk be tested for 26 antibiotics. THIS is wonderful news for those of you who drink milk or your kids drink milk. Why, you ask is the amount of antibiotics being increased? Because the USDA has a list called the FSIS Residue Violation Information System that consists of 160 pages of dairy farms where cows sent to slaughter had high levels of drugs in their meat. Meaning meat inspectors are finding unsafe levels of antibiotics and pain killers in meat. And...this is very scary... milk inspectors are not even currently looking for all of the drugs that are being used on dairy farms (i.e. they are testing for 6 and dairy farms are using hundreds of antibiotics and pain killers in their livestock). In Indiana 16 dairy farms are on the FSIS list for violations. 16!!


Unfortunately, the new testing is not going to happen for several months. So... as I have been preaching....buy organic milk that has a label that reads NO antibiotics, synthetic hormones or pesticides. Yes, organic is more money, but if you buy Meijer Organics the price is not horrible, and you know that organic milk is safe for you and your family.


And for my harsh closing...if you can't buy organic milk, please stop drinking milk. I know that is harsh, but after seeing the levels of pain killers and antibiotics that are being passed onto to us through milk...THAT IS UNSAFE and unacceptable!!! Buy your kids organic yogurt or cheese for their dairy needs. Our kids need dairy to build bone, we all know that, but what we don't want is all the other crap being put into our kids bodies.


I know many of you don't want to go organic but you have to in the area of dairy foods. At least until our conventional dairy food is cleaned up.

Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15. A MUST read and print.

Go to www.foodnews.org  Enter your email address, first name and zip code and print off this guide.  Keep this in your wallet.  THIS IS A MUST TO HAVE with you at all times.  I did make a couple of changes.  :-)

If you can't buy the foods on the Dirty Dozen list organic....DON'T BUY THEM!!!  These 12 foods are produced using high levels of pesticides and other chemicals that are harmful to you and your children.  

Look at prices closing when you are shopping, if I can buy any of the Clean 14, in the organic bin and the price is not drastic, I still will buy organic.  I would rather support organic than conventionally growing any day.

Dirty Dozen+2 ---buy these organic or don't buy them at all...seriously.  Remember DownTown Farm Stand has everything and it is ORGANIC!  If you can't make it to DTFS Meijer has a pretty good selection of Organic, but I would rather support my local small business.
1.  Apples (worst)
2.  Celery (worst)
3.  Strawberries (worst)
4.  Peaches
5.  Spinach 
6.  Nectarines (imported)
7.  Grapes (imported)  (I have bee buying organic raisins since organic grapes are hard to find in the winter.)  (Note:  Organic raisins are delicious!  So soft and fresh tasting.)
8.  Sweet Bell peppers (Buy these when you can fresh, clean, slice and freeze for stirfry in the winter)
9.  Potatoes
10.  Blueberries (domestic)
11.  Lettuce
12.  Carrots (my addition :-) )
13.  Corn (I moved this from the Clean 15.  It is NOT clean if it is genetically modified.  So, I moved it to the dirty dozen.  It does have pesticides in it, when the seed from which it grew had pesticides genetically injected into the seed and covers the plant for the inside as the stalk and ears grow. Gross.)


Clean 14 ---lowest in pesticides, can buy conventional (not organic)
1.  Onions
2.  Avocado
3.  Pineapple
4.  Mangos
5.  Sweet Peas
6.  Asparagus
7.  Kiwi
8.  Cabbage
9.  Eggplant
10.  Cantaloupe (domestic)
11.  Watermelon
12.  Grapefruit
13.  Sweet potato
14.  Honeydew melon

Just remember scrub, scrub, scrub!!!!  I use a white dish pan, fill it half way with cool water, 1/2-1 cup white vinegar (Heinz brand or organic only!) and 3 drops of grapefruit seed extract.  Stir.  This makes a great spa for your fruits and veggies.  Scrub with a soft brush and rinse well.  Enjoy!!

Food Storage

I have to get a bit technical for a minute...bare with me.  :-)

Definition-Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, along with other applications. 
Known to be estrogenic since the mid 1930s, concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products were regularly reported in the news media in 2008 after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, thus prompting some retailers to remove products containing it from their shelves. A 2010 report from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised further concerns regarding exposure of fetuses, infants, and young children.[1]


Ok, now for the results of what high exposure to BPA may do to you or your kids...
cause obesity
cause negative effects on fetal and infant brain development and behavior
alter memory
alter learning
alter mood
ADHD
alter thyroid function
increase risk of cancer
alter breast development
increase breast cancer risk
may reduce sensitivity to chemotherapy treatment of specific tumors
increase in prostrate cancer
increase heart disease in women
preeclampsia
miscarriage
premature labor
colon problems
enhances allergic sensitization
bronchial inflammation (asthma)
heart disease
diabetes


So...in a nutshell...you get it...BPA can be BAD STUFF!!


Now...where do we find BPA.  Hold onto your hat.  BPA is found in...
the plastic lining inside canned foods
polycarbonate plastics, especially those that are cleaned with harsh detergents or used to contain acidic or high-temperature liquids (Plastics 3, 6, 7)
canned soft drinks
in our air
through skin absorption
thermal paper (paper found in adding machines, cash registers, and credit card terminals, airline tickets, event and cinema tickets, certain labels)
carbonless copy paper (like in your check book or some hand written receipt paper)
infant liquid formula (BPA was rarely found in infant powder formula)
formula fed in polycarbonate bottles (must use glass bottles with baby formula!!!)
pacifiers
our kids sippy cups, plates and utensils


How you can you lower your exposure to BPA???
Avoid all canned food (frozen is better for you anyway)
Avoid polycarbonate plastic (any plastic labeled on the bottom with "Other, 3, 6, or 7")
Do not microwave in plastic containers
Do not freeze liquids or foods in plastic containers (or at least when food or liquid is hot)
Avoid putting plastics in your dishwasher
Buy General Mills organic brand of canned tomatoes "Muir Glen"


If you Google BPA, you will see there is some controversay.  But from the reaseach I have done, there is way more research that shows BPA is bad.  So, we are trying everything we can to stay away from it.  I think frozen fruits and veggies taste better than canned anyway.  Or shop for your foods and beverages in glass containers.  I have always thought things taste better in glass rather than in a can anyway, don't you?


I LOVE Pyrex!!  I have been slowly transforming my food storage cabinet into glass food storage for a while now.  After researching this, I think the "slowly" will become an "immediate" final transforming of the food storage cabinet.  You can buy Pyrex very reasonably priced at Wal-Mart and in all shapes and sizes.


You do understand that I am not saying "GET rid of all of your plastic containers!"....right??  I am saying stay away from as many canned foods and drinks that you can and any plastic containers with the recycling code of "Other, 3, 6 or 7."  And please don't microwave or freeze foods or beverages in plastic.  If you have to freeze and use plastic, the plastic MUST be made with Plastics 1, 2, 4 or 5 and allow the food you are putting in the plastic container to cool first before placing the food into the plastic storage container.  And hand wash plastics only!!


There is controversary when it comes to the plastic containers that say they are safe to be microwaved or frozen in.  "Microwave safe" may just mean the item won't melt in the microwave, not that it is "safe."  I am done all together with plastics when it comes to the microwave.  And since I am not a fan of hand washing....it looks like I am only keeping my tupperware (for food storage not cooking or freezing) items and hand washing them...the rest of my plastics...SEE YA'!  In the past, if I stored food in a plastic container, I would transfer it to a glass container before reheating anyway.  So...why not just put the food in the glass container in the first place??


Ironic thought......Maybe if we would not have had this shift to plastics, Ball Corp and Kerr would still be in business!  Just a thought!  Think of the number of jobs that were lost.  If we take action, we may see these businesses open their doors again!  How cool would that be?!

Candles and Air Fresheners-anything with a scent

Well, I will be honest.  For many of you this post will make you very sad.  For some of you this post will make you mad.  But....here we go.

Candles, air fresheners, plug ins, anything that is made with artificial or synthetic fragrance is very very very bad.  There is a lot of evidence that artificial fragrances are related to a lot of problems including headaches, nausea and prepare yourself....birth defects.

Let me explain.  Artificial fragrances are made up of phthalates.  Phthalates are actually chemicals that are used when scientists are working with plastics and chemicals.  WHAT?!?  This stuff is in my favorite candle!!

Phthalates "are present in every synthetic fragrance and are linked to a variety of serious health disorders, including severe allergies, asthma and even cancer.  Phthalates give off volatile organic compounds, known as VOC's, which are also found in vapors emitted from products like toxic solvents, wood preservatives, pain strippers and dry-cleaning chemicals (Green Babies Sages Moms, Lynda Fassa pg 53).  There are also studies linking the phthalates to childhood obesity.

Lynda's book goes much more into detail about VOC's....basically....THEY ARE BAD!!!!!

Phthalates are found in many items like, hair spray, deodorant, nail polish and perfume.

Here is the kicker....this is what REALLY caught my attention.  When it comes to our kids...."in the medical journal Environmental Health Perspectives researchers found a link between premature breast development in young girls (under the age of 9) and phthalates in the bloodstream......The phthalates we have identified have been classified as endocrine disruptor's."  Which would explain why our girls keep developing at an earlier and earlier stage of life. 

"A study by the Harvard University School of Public Health found a link between sperm damage and monoethyl phthalate, a compound used to maintain the color and scent in many cosmetic items such as perfumes, colognes and hair spray."  Which explains why infertility seems to be on the rise. 

Remember, when we look at the labels to find the word phthalate....we won't find it.  Makers of such products are not required to disclose this info. Go to www.nottoopretty.com for a list of cosmetics and fragrances and a system that grades the toxicity levels. 

Lynda gives a list of some clean and healthy alternatives that will still make you smell all so pretty.
www.kuumbamade.com  (I have bought these at Whole Foods and they smell great.  Don't buy any musk scents.  They are made with synthetic fragrances.)
www.sunrosearomatics.com
www.homespaorganics.com
Revlon and L'Oreal have some phthalate-free products
Aveda products
The Body Shop
Essential oils are the best (Organic essentials oils are the very best)

See my deodorant post for the 2 deodorants I use that are phthalate free (the crystal and Tom's of Maine).  Lynda also suggests the Green Salt Stick, Desert Essence and Weleda for your deodorant choices.  I bought my Tom's of Main Deodorant at Wal-Mart south.  (See Deodorant post for more in depth info.)

Plus, I have always heard that the aluminum in the anti-perspirant of deodorant is very bad.  Researchers are trying to tie aluminum in anti-perspirant deodorant to breast cancer. 

Now for the candles and air fresheners. 
Candles-metal wicks....very bad.  Some wicks have a lead core, which when burning is very dangerous (obviously, lead should not be in the air we are breathing).  The fragrance, if synthetic will be filling your home, office wherever you are with phthalates!  The wax in the candles is made of paraffin which is made from petroleum which releases carcinogenic toxins into the air you and your family are breathing.

"Experts from the American Lung Association say that candles are fast becoming one of the most common unrecognized causes of poor indoor-air quality."  "According to Jerome O Nriagu, PhD, a professor of environmental chemistry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, burning as little as four metal-wick candles for two hours can result in airborne lead concentrations that pose a distinct and direct threat to human health."  NOT GOOD!!

What can you buy???

Beeswax candles- (make sure it is 100% beeswax) Whole Foods sells a rockin brand called tru melange www.trumelange.com which are scented with 100% pure essential oils and made in the USA.  Another clean line of good beeswax candles is from Bluecorn Naturals candles. www.beeswaxcandles.com 

Diffuser-you can buy a good diffuser for $20.00 and then buy your essential oils to use with the diffuser.  I have one in my bathroom and I love it for smaller rooms. 

Nebulizer-I bought a nebulizer with my birthday money online and I buy my essential oils at Whole Foods (the nebulizer was pricey.)  Right now I have spearrmint in mine.  Yummy!

Soy candles.  But you still have to check your labels!!  Some candles are still being made with synthetic fragrances.  Always read your labels, do your research and ask questions. 

I am pretty passionate about this one....especially when it comes to my 2 boys and their health.

In a nut shell......essential oils are the best in everything you buy....organic essential oils are the very very best!!!!!  Stay away from synthetic and artificial fragrances (which is most of the things we buy everyday).  No aerosol sprays.  I would rather you and your house stink than harm you and your children's health.  Just being honest.