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Tulsi

May 10th, 2010
by simplyrealfoods.
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A friend introduced me to Tulsi Tea last week. It’s manufactured by Organic India.

Tulsi is the herb known to us as, Holy Basil and I finally found out why it’s holy.

The Tulsi Story: India’s “Queen of Herbs”

“For more than 5000 years Tulsi (also known asHoly Basil) has been considered India’s “Queen of Herbs” and has been revered as one of the most sacred herbs in India, infused with healing power. Hindus view Tulsi (also spelled Tulasi or Thulasi) as a goddess in the form of a plant bestowed with great spiritual and healing powers. According to legend, no amount of gold could outweigh Krishna’s power, but a single Tulsi leaf placed on the pan in loving devotion tilted that scale. In India today, Tulsi is still traditionally grown in an earthenware pot in every family home or garden, and the leaves are used to make a delicious and refreshing tea that possesses wonderful health benefits.

As Tulsi traveled west along the early trade routes from the Orient to Europe, it became known to the Christians as “sacred” or “holy” basil as is reflected in its Latin botanical name, Ocimum sanctum. They hailed Tulsi as “The King of Herbs’ instead of as a queen, and Holy Basil became routinely included in legends, offerings and worship rituals and was looked on by many as a gift of Christ.

Modern research has classified Tulsi as an adaptogenic herb. Adaptogens have been shown to support the body’s natural immune system while relieving the body’s negative reaction to stress. Adaptogenic herbs have been used in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicines for thousands of years to promote and maintain wellness. Many adaptogenic herbs have been referred to by herbalists as rejuvenative herbs, qi tonic herbs, rasayanas or restorative herbs. They help the body adapt to environmental, physical and emotional stressors, support normal functions, and restore balance.”

Dr Mercola credits Tulsi for wonderful health benefits.

Many of the potential health advantages
Tulsi can provide you, by:

  1. Helping boost your respiratory system*
  2. Supporting your healthy vision*
  3. Delivering you antioxidant protection against free radicals*
  4. Helping you alleviate minor discomfort and irritation*
  5. Providing you with a calming effect and stress relief*
  6. Helping bolster your immune system*
  7. Aiding you in enhancing your stamina*
  8. Helping you promote a healthy metabolism*
  9. Boosting your digestive system health*
  10. Helping you maintain blood sugar levels in the normal range*
  11. Providing you with skeletal and joint support*
  12. Aiding you in supporting normal cholesterol levels*

You can find it here or at your local market. The prices vary, so check around for the best deal. My favorite is Ginger Lemon. I’ve tried the Honey Chamomile right before bed and the Licorice for my stomach. So far Tulsi has not disappointed me. It is a wonderful herbal ally.

I’m still struggling with breathing issues and I can’t seem to pin down why (except for the incredibly high pollen count and possibly an active infection of Babesia causing Hemolytic Anemia…AGAIN), but adding Tulsi to my daily regime is helping me breathe a bit easier. My doc has me using Stinging Nettle in any form and increasing my water intake. I also added Mullein which is an herb that I’ll never be without since it’s a great bronchial/asthma ally and Lobelia which is also credited for helping relieve asthma issues.

I harvested the Mullein from my own yard and slapped my old label on the jar for easy identification. After drying the leaves, I crumble them for infusions. But until I”m ready for them they stay in a paper bag out of the light.

I make an infusion with the Nettle, Mullein, Oat Straw and Lobelia by pouring boiling water over the herbs (usually 1 C of each) in a 1/2 gallon jar and steeping it either overnight or for 4 hrs in the morning. I use my coffee press to get all the goodness out of the herbs and drink it cold all day. It’s extremely refreshing, and it seems to have helped some.

However even using the inhaler hasn’t relieved my breathing. And for that reason I think it’s Hemolytic Anemia. If it is and my RBC are again being popped off like ducks in a shooting gallery, then nothing will help except to stop the infection yet again. I’ve been successful at this in the past by increasing my intake of iron rich foods to include; beet kvass, raw & cooked liver, sardines, and fermented Turkish dried apricots, along with  Dr Zhang’s Chinese Herbal medicine specifically designed for Babesia. Artemisinin 3x day along with Allicin have been proven to stop the attack and reverse my RBC to normal.  I recently learned in The Use of the Herb Artemisinin for Babesia, Malaria, and Cancer, that a dose of Cod Liver Oil will make it even more effective. I’ll do whatever it takes. I always feel grateful for every little ounce of new information I can get to fight this disease.

If it’s another active case of Hemolytic Anemia then my free radicals are high and Tulsi will help along with Vit C, Vit E, ALA and other good antioxidants. My liver and bilirubin will also be high so I’ve already upped my liver detox supp’s and I suppose I’ll be back on the bedroom floor having coffee without cream! ;) I have a call into my doc today and he’ll order another blood work up which is the only way for me to know if it’s the Babesia.

If you remember please pray for me. I find it extremely discouraging to be hit right now with this. Actually I’ve never found a good time for it. I hate this disease(s). It’s truly from the pit of hell. I have no doubt. It seems to be the only infection that continues to plague me. For that I’m grateful. So, once again I will equip myself for battle. And prayer for me is always top on my list of battle attire!

Posted in: Ayurvedic, Babesia/Malaria, Bartonella, Herbalism, Honey, Indian Food, Lyme Disease.
Tagged: · · · · · · · · · ·

I’m Peachy Keen

Mar 3rd, 2010
by simplyrealfoods.
6 comments

WARNING: This post will talk about bowel movements….so if you’re sensitive to that, please come back another day. But, since it’s a normal body function and is an important issue dealing with health, I hope you’ll read on.

For a very long time I’ve been tolerating a pain that is located under my left rib cage. It’s gradually grown worse, actually bringing me to tears. We (my doc and I) have decided that it is most likely a hiatal hernia. The pain has grown much worse in the past year and I’ve turned to acupuncture to deal with it. It was at one acupuncture visit, when the needle was inserted my stomach leapt and the pain was instantly gone…thus my assumption that it was a hiatal hernia.

I visited my acupuncturist (happens to be my docs sister) and after chatting and looking and poking, she concluded that in Chinese medicine, I have “heat”. However, a hiatal hernia is a prolapse and is associated with dampness. Her diagnosis of heat was by looking at my tongue, listening to my symptoms including my emotional state and by touch.

My tongue is pointed with a lot of redness. That is indicative of heat. I’m usually warm, but not experiencing hot flashes. Lately I’ve felt very hyper and excitable. I’m having difficulty with my asthma symptoms again (after 10 yrs) and I suspect gluten is the cause. (After withdrawing gluten from my diet again (3 wks now) I am finally finding relief from the asthma which seemed to be triggered from a chronic nasal drip…thus my suspicions are probably correct.) My menses have stopped and I’m having minimal to no menopausal symptoms. I have no depression other than normal ups and downs of living in relationship with people. My energy levels are normal. My sleep is good. No headaches. No aches and pains other than from shoveling 80″ of snow this season! (and thank God I didn’t have to do it all at once.) Over all I feel great except for that intense pain in my upper abdomen. Which seems to be helped by wearing lose clothing and not binding myself up.

In an attempt to treat the prolapse, my acupuncturist touched the area that causes me extreme pain and found that my large intestine in pushing up under my stomach/small intestines into the location under my left ribcage.  She suggested that I was possibly constipated which I’m not (in my opinion). But in our American understanding of constipation, we think that a bowel movement every 3 days is normal. That however, constitutes constipation. Technically, constipation is anything less than having a bowel movement 3X a day.  A healthy bowel function should be after each meal.

Yes, most Americans are constipated. So, technically I am too, since my bowels move once a day, but not 3x. She gave me some Turkey Rhubarb which is a good bowel cleanser and told me to only take it if I was feeling constipated. I decided to take it to see if any of my symptoms improved.

Sometimes we get into a funk when we “THINK” a certain thing is a certain thing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard it repeated over and over again on these “Real Food” blogs that women are suffering from “adrenal fatigue”. It’s truly the catch phrase of the young moms today. Granted, I believe that young moms today are being stretched beyond what God intended. They have their children in every activity created for little tikes. They are cooking from scratch and working a job outside the home. They are stretched beyond reason. Some of it self inflicted and some is the need of the day. And to boot, they write a blog and push, push, push themselves to be #1. Hey, I’m happy all 3 of you are reading this today! ;)

I only refer to that because I think we can get it into our minds that we are suffering from something that we aren’t. It’s possible that I do not have a hiatal hernia. It’s possible and embarrassing that I’m merely constipated. Can you believe I said that out loud??!!!

My point is that we need to think outside the box and truly listen to our bodies. Suppose this unbearable pain goes away simply by having 3 bowel movements a day? Wouldn’t that be great? Yeah. I think so. Suppose I gain more energy? Suppose something else bothering me, like the asthma goes away? And suppose my weight started to go down? I think I would be so happy that it was mere constipation. I do think that it is a bit more though. Gluten.

So, the question of the day is….are you constipated? And might it have something to do with how you feel? We all know the answer is YES! Yes, the workings of our large intestines has everything to do with how we feel. As I work on that issue and work toward a more perfect internal combustion….I’ll also be addressing the issue of heat. You’ll see below how it is connected to the Digestive functions and can cause acute tenderness over the stomach. Possibly my troubles are in the Transverse Colon area that turns by the spleen to go down. I’m really feeling hopeful today that my troubles may be simple to deal with.

Could gluten be the cause of these troubles? Possibly. This pain has been an issue for me for a very long time. When I eliminate gluten from my diet, the pain disappears. Even though I’ve been eating gluten bread that is sprouted/soaked/sourdough, these issues remain, plus in the past year the asthma issues have risen. That really stinks. But it’s becoming more and more evident to me that gluten is not my friend. It’s what pushed me to do genetic testing for Celiacs 10 yrs ago. No gluten, no pain. It’s a pretty easy fix if you ask me. I am not Celiac, but I am gluten intolerant. And now I know that even by soaking/sprouting wheat, it doesn’t change anything for ME. And that’s who I’m treating. I’m not trying to treat you, so you’re fix may be completely different.

I was reading on Matthew Wood’s Sunnyfield Herbal Farm about the 10 herbs he wouldn’t be without and why. One happened to be Peach! And the cooling aspect of Peach seems to fit exactly what I need right now. As my acupuncturist worked to pull heat from my body, I could feel her hands warm up amazingly to a hot state. I was shocked. When she was finished, I was chilled and needed to wrap in a blanket.

I have several cases of sugar free “put-up” canned peaches that I’m planning to add to my diet today…well, not the whole case today. This summer I hope to find some local peach trees and harvest some blossoms and leaves for remedy tinctures as prescribed by Matthew Wood and bring some closure to this issue.

Maybe I’ll kill two birds with one stone….eliminate gluten and improve my bowel function and that will improve the pain under my ribcage and eliminate my asthma and deal with the heat issues in my body according to Chinese Medicine….looks like a win win to me. It’s amazing how we are so intricately designed and put together by Creator God. There is no body function that does not affect the entire person.

Prunus persica, Amygdalus persica. Peach.

  • Peach is a native of Persia and central Asia, but is widely cultivated in mild temperate climates throughout the world. It is an old European folk remedy. Upon its arrival in the New World it was eagerly adopted by the Indian people as a food and medicine. It was also used by the settlers, including the herbalist Samuel Thomson. Peach kernal, leaf, and twig contain fruit acids and cyanogens which are strongly cooling. Cyanide turns down the Kreb’s cycle in the mitochondria to prevent energy production – which is why it is toxic in large doses. Source

Specific Indications of Peach by Matthew Wood Source

Constitution, Complexion, and Characteristic Symptoms
– Fair skinned persons with tendencies to sunburn, irritation from mild heat, allergies,
auto-immune overactivity; heat and irritation of the skin and mucosa.

Mind, Senses, Nerves, Emotions, Personality
– Nervousness, restlessness, insomnia; jangled nerves from bad news; overexcited children;
overstimulation; pain.
– Insomnia (tea of the leaves or twigs before bed, but be prepared to go to sleep immediately
because its effect is immediate) (Susan Kramer).

Head
– Earache (pit).
– “Tongue elongated and pointed with red edges” (Frederick Peterson, 1905, 49);
tongue elongated, pointed, carmine, and dry (Matthew Wood).  Lips cherry red.

Respiration
– Upper respiratory allergies and irritation; eyes, nose, throat.
– Cough with irritation and dryness of the throat and bronchial tubes; whooping cough,
chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis.

Digestion
– Irritation of the stomach and upper gastrointestinal tract.
– Acute tenderness over the stomach; vomiting of nervous origin; especially during pregnancy;
cannot bear the sight or smell of food, even water.
– Nervous, restless babies with inclination to vomit from the least taste or smell of food;
even a teaspoonful of water may be vomited up.
– Debilitating diarrhea and dysentery; cholera infantum, cholera morbus; colic.
– Gastritis, dyspepsia, diarrhea, dysentery; chronic.
– Dyspepsia, gastralgia, and nausea.
– Worms, with symptoms of heat and irritation.

Kidney and Bladder
 – Edema, probably caused by heat, irritation, and dryness of the kidneys.
– Irritable bladder with extreme tenderness over the part; retention of urine, blood in the
urine, irritation.

Female
– Leucorrhea.
– Vomiting of pregnancy and reflex irritation.
– Menopause.

Fever
– Fever with heat and dryness.

Skin
– Skin clammy, retaining water, during hot weather.

Other
– Has an affinity to the vata (ectomorphic) constitution; though not restricted to it.
– Loss of color in hair, loss of hair (with sage).
– Hives, rashes, allergic skin reactions (external).
– Pain (“beat up a handful of the fresh leves, put them in a bag, and steam for fifeen minutes
and apply”) (Ralph Russell, 1911, 327).

I’m participating in Fight Back Fridays over at Food Renegade. See how others are taking back their lives with food!

Posted in: Chinese Medicine, Disease, Herbalism.
Tagged: · · · · · · · ·

Healing Begins In The Gut

Feb 19th, 2010
by simplyrealfoods.
4 comments

( I’d like to announce right off that I am participating in Fight Back Friday. Check it out!)

It’s believed that the majority of Americans are gluten intolerant today. And there are many opinions about why, but it seems to be one of those buzz tags.

You may know, if you visit The Home Of Peaceful Acres, my favorite people to be around are farmers. One farmer who’s been teaching me about several very important topics including Brix mentioned while I was picking up fresh chickens from him that he believed the abundance of gluten intolerance was due to a toxic mold in the wheat supply today. That really is a very interesting take on it, but he didn’t share any more so I can’t either. He’s still learning, so I’ll have to pick his brain some more when I go back to visit.

For some it’s as simple as reducing Phytic Acid in the grain before preparation by soaking and sprouting. Amanda Rose, Ph.D. offers her findings in a white paper titled Phytic Acid. The Food Science Chart that she provides shows the dramatic drop in phytates by soaking wheat. Many people find relief from gut pain and cramps by simply soaking and sprouting wheat.

BUT for many the issue of gluten intolerance goes much deeper….very deep into the gut. And the cause takes much more than simply soaking grains to fix the problem.

For these folks research at Rice University attributes 70% of all people as having an infection of Candida albicans. source

Candida is a genus of yeast; or better described as a fungal infection as manifested in thrush and/or vaginal yeast infections. Many find that when Candida has run amuck it causes leaky gut and the Candida can then become systemic in the blood stream. It’s at that point that one probably begins to experience symptoms that are similar in nature to many other disease including auto-immune illnesses and Lyme Disease  (which is NOT an auto-immune disease). Many in the general medical profession do not believe in Candida as an “illness”, but prefer to treat the symptoms rather than the cause. I speak from nearly 40 years of personal experience when I say this. I had one doctor literally threaten to throw me out if I insisted on using the word Candida! Needless to say, I fired him!

It was in the year 2000 that one very well intentioned doctor dismissed the idea that I had Lyme Disease, and insisted that it was merely Candida. I was a million times relieved. Who wouldn’t want Candida over Lyme! Me for one.

So my journey to wellness started there. Amazingly I discovered that I improved almost 100% until I fell off the wagon. The diet was very strict and as a SAD (standard american diet) eater for most of my adult life, I wasn’t use to such standards to achieve wellness. I discovered as I yo-yoed back and forth with my health, that diet was the key. Although it took me almost another 6 years to find the right diet to begin healing, the diet to treat Candida was a very good place to start.

You can find many diets for Candida on line and in books. Most will involve a cleansing period which begins the elimination of sweets, grains and processed foods and begins the introduction of fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt, brined sauerkraut and sour foods, veggies and proteins on a clean slate; your gut.

When I began this diet in 2000, I noticed a great improvement in just 1 week. My headaches were gone and the joint pains were improving. But of course for me, since my core issue was Lyme Disease and 3 Co-infections, I had further to go. BUT it was a very good start!

~~~~~~

Much information you find on line will give you a sure fire answer to the symptoms you are facing as purely Candida, I do not. Lyme Disease is called The Great Imitator just as Syphilis was years ago. I do not believe that everyone who exhibits Candida symptoms has Lyme, but I do believe that everyone with Lyme has Candida. And with over 200,000 people being diagnosed annually in the USA with Lyme & Co-Infection Diseases, it’s hardly something that I should let go unmentioned.

It’s my believe as well as many good alternative doctors that all healing begins in the gut. The father of medicine Hippocrates said it over 2000 years ago and it holds true today.

Here are some of the symptoms for Candida from Body Ecology:

  • Fatigue and chronic fatigue
  • Muscle aches, weakness or paralysis
  • Insomnia
  • Pain and/or swelling in joints
  • Constipation or diarrhea
  • Bloating, belching, intestinal gas and/or abdominal pain
  • Poor memory, foggy thinking or feeling “spacey”
  • Troublesome vaginal itching, burning or discharge
  • Prostatitis
  • Loss of sexual desire or feeling
  • Endometriosis or infertility
  • Impotence
  • Bad breath
  • Frequent mood swings

Donna Gates of Body Ecology was one of my starting points 10 years ago in finding healing to my mystery disease. HOWEVER, I do believe that many people are stopping there. I did. It appears to me that some may believe that Candida is an end all to health issues that might stem deeper.

Let me just give you a list of Lyme Symptoms: source

(I had nearly all of these symptoms and possibly more than are on this list and I am happy to tell you that nearly 100% of them are GONE! This did not happen over night. It took many long years. And my journey continues daily pursuing wellness with food.)

(However, IF I either fall off of my nutrient-dense high vitamin diet (not often) or if life hands out too many stresses (like back to back blizzards), some of these symptoms can begin to exhibit themselves again. BUT with quick reflexes I am able to catch it and get my life back in balance within a day or two thus eliminating the symptoms very quickly. I am very in tune to my body and I listen carefully daily to what it’s saying to me….a headache? a joint pain? a stiff neck? a stomach ache? constipation? I listen and I narrow it down…then I attack! )

I’ll go into how I attack at a later post.

Symptoms of Lyme Disease

  • The Tick Bite (fewer than 50% recall a tick bite or get/see the rash)
  1. Rash at site of bite

  2. Rashes on other parts of your body
  3. Rash basically circular, oval and spreading out (more generalized)
  4. Raised rash, disappearing and recurring
    • Head, Face, Neck
  5. Unexplained hair loss
  6. Headache, mild or severe, Seizures
  7. Pressure in head, white matter lesions in brain (MRI)
  8. Twitching of facial or other muscles
  9. Facial paralysis (Bell’s Palsy, Horner’s syndrome)
  10. Tingling of nose, (tip of) tongue, cheek or facial flushing
  11. Stiff or painful neck
  12. Jaw pain or stiffness
  13. Dental problems (unexplained)
  14. Sore throat, clearing throat a lot, phlegm ( flem ), hoarseness, runny nose
    • Eyes/Vision
  15. Double or blurry vision
  16. Increased floating spots
  17. Pain in eyes, or swelling around eyes
  18. Oversensitivity to light
  19. Flashing lights/Peripheral waves/phantom images in corner of eyes
    • Ears/Hearing
  20. Decreased hearing in one or both ears, plugged ears
  21. Buzzing in ears
  22. Pain in ears, oversensitivity to sounds
  23. Ringing in one or both ears
    • Digestive and Excretory Systems
  24. Diarrhea
  25. Constipation
  26. Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping) or Interstitial cystitis
  27. Upset stomach (nausea or pain) or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
    • Musculoskeletal System
  28. Bone pain, joint pain or swelling, carpal tunnel syndrome
  29. Stiffness of joints, back, neck, tennis elbow
  30. Muscle pain or cramps, (Fibromyalgia)
    • Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
  31. Shortness of breath, can’t get full/satisfying breath, cough
  32. Chest pain or rib soreness
  33. Night sweats or unexplained chills
  34. Heart palpitations or extra beats
  35. Endocarditis, Heart blockage
    • Neurologic System
  36. Tremors or unexplained shaking
  37. Burning or stabbing sensations in the body
  38. Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Weakness, peripheral neuropathy or partial paralysis
  39. Pressure in the head
  40. Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks
  41. Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
  42. Increased motion sickness
  43. Lightheadedness, wooziness
    • Psychological well-being
  44. Mood swings, irritability, bi-polar disorder
  45. Unusual depression
  46. Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)
  47. Feeling as if you are losing your mind
  48. Over-emotional reactions, crying easily
  49. Too much sleep, or insomnia
  50. Difficulty falling or staying asleep
  51. Narcolepsy, sleep apnea
  52. Panic attacks, anxiety
    • Mental Capability
  53. Memory loss (short or long term)
  54. Confusion, difficulty in thinking
  55. Difficulty with concentration or reading
  56. Going to the wrong place
  57. Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
  58. Stammering speech
  59. Forgetting how to perform simple tasks
    • Reproduction and Sexuality
  60. Loss of sex drive
  61. Sexual dysfunction
  62. Unexplained menstral pain, irregularity
  63. Unexplained breast pain, discharge
  64. Testicular or pelvic pain
    • General Well-being
  65. Phantom smells

  66. Unexplained weight gain, loss
  67. Extreme fatigue
  68. Swollen glands/lymph nodes
  69. Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
  70. Continual infections (sinus, kidney, eye, etc.)
  71. Symptoms seem to change, come and go
  72. Pain migrates (moves) to different body parts
  73. Early on, experienced a “flu-like” illness, after which you have not since felt well.
  74. Low body temperature
  75. Allergies/Chemical sensitivities
  76. Increased effect from alcohol and possible worse hangover

Wo, if you’ve made it this far, congratulations! As you can see most of these symptoms fall under so many other maladies, including Candida.

You’re probably asking….so what does all this have to do with Gluten Intolerance? Most Lyme victims are gluten intolerant and suffer from Candida. I personally found that by following a diet to heal the Candida I also healed the leaky gut issues that caused my gluten intolerance.  All healing comes from the inside out. And I’m happy to tell you that from time to time I can enjoy grains prepared by soaking & sprouting or using sourdough as described by Amanda Rose, Ph.D. in the Phytic Paper.

A simple diagnosis of Candida is an easy fix and has restored many to health, including the son of my friend who is Autistic.  Lyme & Co-Infection Diseases (more infections transmitted by the tick), go much DEEPER and take a much longer and a greater intense protocol to heal. They are serious and life threatening and should be dealt with in cooperation work with a good Lyme Literate Doctor (LLMD).

If you’re suffering from what you think may be Candida or Gluten Intolerance or a host of mystery symptoms, please don’t stop searching for an answer. Lyme is now in all 50 states and on all Continents. Most people never find a tick or a bull’s eye. Please, seek out a good Lyme Literate Doctor who can begin assessing you. Most alternative doctors will start with diet and move on to herbal treatments and some even choose drug treatments.

It’s a very personal choice, but when the antibiotics fail, remember to look at your gut….it will have taken another beating from the drugs.

Life and healing begin in the gut!


Posted in: Amanda Rose, Babesia/Malaria, Bartonella, Breads, Depression, Disease, Ferments, Lyme Disease, Raw Foods.
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Rebuild Your Health

Feb 18th, 2010
by simplyrealfoods.
No comments yet

Over 3 years ago when I first began my quest for a “cure” to Chronic Lyme Disease, Erhliciosis, Babesia/Malaria, and Bartonella, I stumbled upon Amanda Rose at Rebuild From Depression.

I remember exactly what I was researching at the time; Kefir.  Not only did I find answers about Kefir, but I found an abundance of researched information about REAL FOOD and a good friend. Amanda has made me laugh, she has made me cry. Her story is not uncommon and it’s shared by many of us, including myself. Post-partum depression….depression in general is a horrible demon that destroys lives and steals lost years. I wish I’d known 21 years ago what I know today. Don’t we all.

Don’t be convinced that because you aren’t suffering from post-partum depression that you can’t learn from Amanda….you can.

As anyone suffering from Lyme & Co-infections will tell you depression is an issue that we all deal with. Not only are you dealing with chronic pain, but you are dealing with an infected brain. It’s believed that most of the modern day psychological disorders are linked to spirochete infection in the brain and/or Bartonella infection. Since the brain is made up of fatty tissue it’s extremely difficult to penetrate and heal. However, I personally found that the foods Amanda recommends for post-partum depression work wonders also for those suffering from Chronic Lyme & Co-infections.

The depression associated with Lyme & Co. has hit close to my home. Not only was I very sick myself, but our son was as well. As we struggled to get our son into a healing regime, suicidal thoughts were close at hand for him; although he told me on one occasion that “it was not an option”.  The pain can be so devastating and debilitating, that thoughts of death seem to be the only way out of this wretched disease.

But it’s not. And that is why I am partnering with Amanda to bring you answers that will help you Rebuild Your Health!

So when Amanda asked me to become an affiliate of Rebuild I said, YES! You may find that some of the links in this post will take you to the Rebuild Market Place and others to her site. I believe in what Amanda does as a researcher and that’s why I am so proud to be associated with her in this way. If you choose to purchase her book Rebuild From Depression or The Phytic Acid Paper, I hope you will do so through my site. I will receive a small commission that enables me to continue the work that I’m doing to bring you vital information to Rebuild Your Health!

More to come on how to Rebuild Your Health! In the mean time, you might want to get a copy of Amanda’s new book Rebuild From Depression. Believe me, it’s not just for those who are suffering or avoiding suffering from post-partum depression, it just might save your life or the life of a loved one suffering from depression. And as Amanda has said, it’s easier to stay out of the pit by eating nutrient dense foods that fight depression than to use them to get out of the pit once you’r in it. So, hop on over to The Rebuild Market Place, you can thank me later!!!

Posted in: Amanda Rose, Babesia/Malaria, Bartonella, Depression, Lyme Disease.
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Sinfully Delicious Doughnuts

Feb 16th, 2010
by simplyrealfoods.
No comments yet

Okay, in full honesty, I made these sinful doughnuts last week while we were homebound from the back to back blizzards in our area.

Since it was my first time making doughnuts I didn’t want to alter the recipe, BUT as we know substituting REAL FOOD for not so real food isn’t hard. The one main ingredient that was a must to alter this time around was to fry in Lard! I gave up Canola oil a long time ago due to the fact that it’s a GM product and that it’s a veggie oil, I chose a natural fat; lard.

You can hop over to my blog and see what I’d change. Of course I don’t recommend eating doughnuts often….but a treat every once in a blue moon is not wrong nor is it bad.

Posted in: Desserts.
Tagged: · ·

Steamed Oysters

Feb 11th, 2010
by simplyrealfoods.
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We have access to fresh local oysters every week through our buying club and well, I’ve totally fallen in love with them. Not only are they packed with nutrients, including Zinc and Iron, they are absolutely delicious!

This week I wanted something a bit faster so I steamed them as you would clams. I put a couple inches of water in the bottom of a sauce pan and placed a bowl bottom up so I could place the oysters on top of it without submerging them in the water. Bring the water to a boil and just as they pop open turn off the heat.

The shells comes off easily and oh my they are wonderful. I really can’t say enough about eating this wonderfully nutrient dense real food!

Serve them with melted fresh butter and you are set.

Posted in: Oysters, Seafood.
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Fried Oysters

Feb 4th, 2010
by simplyrealfoods.
2 comments

We ate fried oysters the other night. I smashed up some toasted sourdough. Dipped the fresh shucked oysters in egg and coated them in bread crumbs. Then I simply fried them in lard.

They were really delicious! I ate them with roasted peppers, tomatoes and eggplant that I’d “put up”.

It was a very nutrient dense meal! This post is part of Fight Back Friday. Hop on over to see what other folks are cooking up!

Oysters NutrientsRaw oysters were once considered to be particularly good for invalids, and with good reason, it turns out. They are high in Omega-3 fatty acid as well as taurin, two of today’s health buzzwords. And in 1956, the British government released a report in which their nutritional value is compared to — and exceeds — that of milk. Oysters contain more proteins and carbohydrates than milk, essential minerals and vitamins, but almost none of the fat for which milk is famous. Gulping down a dozen oysters will set the dieter back fewer than 100 calories, on average.

Source: Cuisine Net Digest

Posted in: Oysters, Seafood.
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Pumpkin Latte Shake

Jan 29th, 2010
by simplyrealfoods.
3 comments

I know that you pay a lot of money to get a latte at…….you know….the local coffee shop.  And don’t they usually, shake it up a bit during the holidays with different flavors? This is not a coffee latte.  Latte just means milk in Italian. It’s just a plain Latte Shake!!! Kinda redundant for us Americans.

I put up several pumpkins this fall and the other day, I thought we had to have another pumpkin pie. But my family really isn’t much for pumpkin pie and it’s always left calling MY name!

I thawed a jar of pumpkin and this morning, I had a hair brain idea, to throw some pumpkin in my raw egg shake.  Every time I spoon out fresh pumpkin, I’m convinced that it’s what they put in baby food “squash” jars. It smells the same and even tastes the same….I use to love stealing a taste of the “squash” baby food! Call me crazy!

I digress…..I threw in 1/2-1 C of pumpkin, a dash of nutmeg, a pinch of cinnamon, a smidgen of cloves and a pinch of salt. Added 2 raw fresh pastured eggs, 1/2 C fresh raw cream, 1 C fresh raw milk and a couple Tbsp of raw honey. Whiz it all up……oh my!!! Yup! Delish!!!!!! Pumpkin Latte is what I’m calling it. A great way to use up the pumpkin without making a pie! It’s funny though because I’m actually consuming almost all the ingredients in one whole pie!!!  All but the cream…..I think it would be less fattening to make the pie! But I know how much these raw egg shakes are good for my health. And now I know how good they are for my teeth.

I’ve recently been reading “Cure Tooth Decay” by Ramiel Nagel and he recommends an egg shake similar to this for tooth strengthening.  Ramiel says, “Combining raw eggs with raw milk ensures the maximum level of assimilation of nutrients from the raw milk. This mixture regenerates intestinal mucosa and heals leaky gut syndrome.” He goes on to say, “Raw eggs can induce intense detoxification symptoms as your body cleanses.” So take these egg shakes slowly.

Take it from me, the pumpkin latte shake is really good!!! And if you love pumpkin pie….you are going to love this!!! It’s totally a health food using mostly raw ingredients. The enzymes are still viable and life giving to the body. It’s an excellent way for you to get the nutrients you need especially if you are recovering your body from sickness or disease. Jerry Brunetti who is famous for curing his stage 4 colon cancer, drank raw egg shakes daily.  I don’t drink them daily anymore, but I do drink my share and I love them. They were a big part in my healing from Chronic Lyme Disease and I wouldn’t be without my raw dairy or my own free range eggs.

You can find your organic spices from Mountain Rose Herbs where I get mine.

*Always know the source of your food when you consume it raw!!!! I do not recommend consuming raw eggs if you buy them at the market.

This post is part of Fight Back Friday.


Posted in: Cream, Disease, Eggs, Fresh Dairy (raw), Honey, Lyme Disease, Raw Foods, Recipes.
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Fried Sea Scallops

Jan 28th, 2010
by simplyrealfoods.
1 comment

I was craving scallops the other night….and instead of wrapping them in bacon, which we’re running low on….I “fried” them in bacon grease. When I crave foods, it’s usually a sign that I need their nutrients and so I eat them!

On my way to the barnyard, I stopped by the garden and cut some fresh beet greens and spinach from under the low tunnels. After cooking the scallops I threw in the greens just to braise them with a touch of Balsamic Vinegar. Mmmmm so good! And so simple!

I buy my wild caught sea scallops at Trader Joe’s. They are jumbo size and each serving is only 3-4, which in turn makes them pretty affordable for us. It’s rare that I allow a recipe that doesn’t stretch foods out more. But these were just for me….no one else was around for dinner.

Lucky me!

Posted in: Bacon, Greens, One Pot Meals, Seafood.
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Boston Baked Beans

Jan 25th, 2010
by simplyrealfoods.
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I’ve been craving homemade Boston Baked Beans for long time. We stopped eating canned beans, probably 10 years ago. And since my husband can’t eat molasses due to migraine reactions, I just don’t fuss with a lot of things sometimes.

Last summer I started making a Gyuvech in my pottery class. A Gyuvech (which has different spellings) is a clay pot used for cooking in the Mediterranean region of the world. They are pretty pricey so I thought I’d try making my own. It’s finally finished.

In celebration of my new pot, I bought Clay Pot Cooking by Paula Wolfert. There are many recipes that I’m planning to try in my new Gyuvech. Paula makes the claim that foods cooked in clay pots just taste better! I tend to agree with her, although as she states, there is no scientific evidence to support it! If you’re in the market for some clay cooking pots/skillets you can find some at Clay Coyote. I warn you, they are very expensive.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

1 lb dried beans (I used Cannellini, you can use Navy or any kind of white bean)

Soak beans overnight covered with water. Add 1 ice cube of whey. (I freeze my whey in ice cube trays to make it easy to use in recipes) Whey will help break down the phytic acid in the beans and make them more digestible and help you assimilate the nutrients better.

Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Rinse. Add beans to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and skim off bubbles.  Drain but reserve the water.

1-2 Cup unsulfured Molasses (we like ours on the more side)

1 Cup Organic Ketchup (more or less depending on your taste)

2 Tbsp Rapadura (unrefined sugar)

1 Onion sliced (I used Red, that’s what I had on hand)

1 Tbsp Dry Mustard

1-2 Tsp Sea Salt (more to taste)

1/2-1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/2-1 lb of Pastured Pork Fat Back , Bacon, or salted pork Chopped in bite size pieces.

Layer the beans, pork and onions. Mix the liquids, adding enough reserved bean liquid to cover beans.

You can adjust the recipe as needed; using or omitting ketchup, mustard, vinegar, sugar, more onion.

Bake covered for 4-6 hours at 300* or more until done.

Check a couple times throughout cooking to make sure the beans are covered with liquid.

The aroma will drive you crazy!!!!!!!!!!

They tasted as good as they smelled! Oh YUM!

They are even better the next day reheated with all the molasses goodness soaked in!!!!

Posted in: Bean Dishes, Clay Pot Cookery, Main Dishes.
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