Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Improve your Digestion Tonic made with Whey

Cabbage is an amazing food. I plan to feature different foods on this blog periodically, and begin with the mighty Cabbage.

Cabbage is an unusually rich source of vital nutrients, particularly vitamin C and carotenoids. Vitamin C is required by the body for the integrity of blood vessels, connective tissue, bones and every essential biochemical activity including the immune system function.

Cabbage juice is highly valued as a folk remedy. Its healing powers may be related to its high sulphur and chlorine content, which in combination is said to exert a powerful cleansing action upon the mucous membranes of the intestinal tract. Cabbage juice has been used in the treatment of arthritis, gastrointestinal ulceration, skin disorders and obesity. "Cabbage water for the complexion" is a truism among the Irish.

Even better than plain cabbage juice is the juice of fermented cabbage, with its content of lactic acid and enzymes. German folk wisdom values both cabbage juice and cucumber pickle juice for digestive disorders, infectious illnesses and many other complaints.
- Nourishing Traditions Cookbook, by Sally Fallon , p. 614.

Cabbage Juice Tonic
makes 2 quarts
1/4 organic green cabbage
1 T sea salt
1/4 Cup whey
filtered water

This should be taken in small amounts throughout the day to improve intestinal flora.

Shred the cabbage finely with a stainless steel knife and pound briefly with a meat hammer or a wooden pounder. Place in a 2-quart jug with salt, whey, and enough water to fill the container. Cover tightly and leave at room temp for 2 days before transferring to refrigerator.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to 4 ounces cabbage juice tonic for a gargle and sore throat remedy.

These crazy new things really do help! Rolaids, Tums, cough meds, etc. are toxic for your liver, don't truly get you better, and make it easier for the problem to surface again. Cabbage juice actually has healing properties!

Try using God's ingredients and be amazed!

Monday, October 27, 2008

What do do with the Whey leftover after making your own cheese!


Whey is amazing. It has a lot of minerals (especially coming from raw milk). One Tablespoon of whey in a little water will help digestion. It is a remedy that will keep your muscles young. It will keep your joints movable and ligaments elastic. With stomach ailments, take 1 T whey three times daily to feed the stomach glands and help them to work well again.
- From Hanna Kroeger Ageless Remedies from Mother's Kitchen

Using Cheese Whey as a beverage in human nutrition, especially for therapeutic purposes, can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. Hippocrates, in 460 B.C., prescribed whey for an assortment of human ailments. In the Middle Ages, whey was recommended by many doctors for varied diseases; and by the mid 19th century, whey cures reached a high point with the establishment of over 400 whey houses in Western Europe. As late as the 1040's, in spas in Central Europe, dyspepsia, uremia, arthritis, gout, liver diseases, anemia and even tuberculosis were treated with the ingestion of up to 1500 grams of whey per day.
- V.H. Holsinger Whey Beverages: A Review

Whey Drink Recipe
1/2 C whey
1/2 C filtered water
juice of 1 lemon

Mix all ingredients and drink together.

Coming in 2 days: a special tonic recipe using whey for arthritis, gastrointestinal ulceration, skin disorders, and obesity. High in Vitamin C and carotenoids too.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Make your own Ricotta or cream cheese

The more I keep learning to do as the years go by, the less dependence we have on stores. I just love this! In fact, I haven't been to a grocery store as of this post, for over 10 days. That's impressive when I used to some times end up at the local grocer 3 times in a day!

I am getting better at planning out a month's meals at a time, which definitely helps this. But, perishables like milk, eggs, cheese, and produce all require 2 trips per week to keep stocked up on these things.

The last of the garden's fresh produce that kept us completely stocked sits in the fridge. From now on, if it's garden fresh, it's going to have to be things I put up for the winter by canning or freezing. As well, there will be more trips to the grocery store.

With our little farm around the corner where we get our raw goat milk, the need to go to the store for milk is now gone (and invariably "milk runs" to a store result in at least $40 of other items). And now, we don't need cheese!!

Making things from scratch is not just a fun hobby, in these times, it's becoming an economic necessity. Canning and freezing foods is not just a fun past time, like it was for me 10 years ago, it's truly now a budget saving reality. As well, when you know the source of your food it
  • reduces the amount of gas/petroleum needed to get that food item to your plate (the typical food item traveled 1500 miles to get to each of our dinner tables!)
  • reduces or eliminates the toxic residues/pesticides/herbicides that are in the food
  • eliminates the preservatives (carcinogenic)
  • Increases the flavor (is a garden tomato truly the same thing as those pale mealy "tomato" like balls they sell at the store? )
So, go grab a gallon of raw milk, if you can, and in less then 15 minutes, you will have soft, spreadable, delicious ricotta/cream cheese. If not raw, try regular whole milk. (Check out the whole truth about the benefits of raw milk and the health dangers of pasteurizing and homogenizing your milk here: http://rawmilkcontroversy.weebly.com/ )

Goat Milk is much easier to tolerate. The sprouts and I are "lactose intelorant" but seem to tolerate goat milk. It's actually got a pH that's basic not acidic and it's protein molecule size to calcium molecule size is such that it's easier to digest and easier to assimilate calcium from. The goat milk we get is from a variety of goat called Holstein. Like Cow's milk, it's sweet and creamy. Some Goat milk (store bought), is definitely less tasty to me.

Whole Goat Milk (or Cow's Milk) ricotta or Cream cheese
Makes about 2 pounds of cheese per gallon of milk

1 gallon whole milk
1/4 Cup vinegar (I use Organic Braggs apple cider vinegar)
3 T melted butter
1/2 t baking soda

Warm the gallon of whole goat's milk to 206 F. (I do this on a double boiler to avoid burning the milk). It doesn't ever get to 206 before it boils over the pot. When it's bubbling up and attempting to boil over, I consider it ready to acidify.

Take it off the burner and immediately pour in the vinegar. The milk will rapidly coagulate. It's so cool! The Whey (yellow liquid) quickly separates from the curds (your cheese!).

Draining:

Drain the crud into a cheesecloth-lined colander. (Again, I don't have cheesecloth. I just line a colander with a kitchen towel and it drains the whey into the pot below and leaves the yummy cheese in the towel).

Place the curds in a bowl. Mix 3 T melted butter and 1/2 t baking soda into the curd. Mix thoroughly. I add about 1/4 to 1/2 t of salt.

This cheese is excellent in cooked foods.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Consider joining this Army of Women to help researchers find a cure for breast cancer

I have posted several things regarding breast cancer this month as it is breast cancer awareness month. In case there is confusion regarding my thoughts on getting screened for breast cancer, I personally plan to do exactly what the recommendation is - mammography or I might check out this thermography option. I have had some emails about this that seemed to question if they should even get screened. THis is a personal decision, of course, and I am going to chose what seems to be the most proactive approach - routine screens, mamograms or thermography.

Consider joining us in this movement that will take us beyond a cure by creating new opportunities to study what causes breast cancer—and how to prevent it.

The Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Avon Foundation, a global leader in breast cancer research, joined forces to launch the Love/Avon Army of Women.

Their revolutionary initiative has two key goals:

  1. To recruit one million healthy women of every age and ethnicity, including breast cancer survivors and women at high-risk for the disease, to partner with breast cancer researchers and directly participate in the research that will eradicate breast cancer once and for all.

  2. To challenge the scientific community to expand its current focus to include breast cancer prevention research conducted on healthy women.

Click here to check it out and see if this is for you:

http://www.armyofwomen.org/getinvolved

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

How to Sprout

Overview on How to Sprout
by Thomas E. Billings

Copyright (c) 1995 by Thomas E. Billings. This document may be distributed freely for non-commercial purposes provided 1) this copyright notice is included, 2) the document is distributed free of charge, with the sole exception that a photocopy charge, not to exceed ten cents (U.S.) per printed page may be charged by those distributing this paper. All commercial rights reserved; contact author for details (contact address given at end).Note from Chet: Click here for excellent infomation on commercial sprouting at http://www.sproutnet.com/

Basics of Sprouting
Obtain seed for sprouting. Store in bug-proof containers, away from extreme heat/cold. Seed should be viable, and, to extent possible, free of chemicals.

Basic steps in sprouting are:
measure out appropriate amount of seed, visually inspect and remove stones, sticks, weed seed, broken seeds, etc. rinse seed (if seed is small and clean, can usually skip this rinse)
soak seed in water for appropriate time rinse soaked seed, put in sprouting environment for appropriate time service seeds (rinse) in sprouting environment as needed
when ready, rinse seeds. Store in refrigerator, in sprouting environment or in other suitable container until ready to use. If not used within 12 hours, seeds should be serviced (rinsed) every 24 hours in refrigerator. Best to eat as soon as possible, as freshness is what makes sprouts special!

Two Suggested Sprouting Methods
1. Jars: use wide-mouth, glass canning jars, available at many hardware stores. You will need screen lids - cut pieces of different (plastic) mesh screens, or buy some of the special plastic screen lids designed for sprouting.

Sprouting in jars is quite easy: simply put seed in jar, add soak water, put lid on. When soak is over, invert jar and drain water, then rinse again. Then prop jar up at 45 degree angle for water to drain. Keep out of direct sunlight. Rinse seed in jar 2-3 times per day until ready, always keeping it angled for drainage.

2. Cloth: soak seed in flat-bottom containers, in shallow water. When soak done, empty seed into strainer and rinse. Then take flat-bottom bowl or saucer, line bottom with wet 100% cotton washcloth, spread seed on wet cloth. Then take 2nd wet cloth and put on top of seed, or, if bottom washcloth is big enough, fold over wet seeds. Can add additional water to washcloths 12 hours later by a) sprinkling on top, or b) if very dry, remove seed from cloth, rinse, re-wet cloth, put seed back between wet cloths. Cloths used should be 100% cotton (terrycloth) or linen, used exclusively for sprouting, and of light colors. Cheap cotton washcloths (and cheap plastic bowls) work well and will last a long time.

Comparison:
Jar vs. Cloth Methods

Jar method is more versatile; can grow greens in the jar (e.g., 6-8 day old alfalfa greens), and the jar is less likely to mold than cloth for sprouts that require more than 2 days. However, the jar method needs a convenient drainage system (otherwise mold can develop). The cloth method can withstand some direct sunlight (direct sunlight in early stages of sprouting can cook the seed in jars), and needs no drainage system. The methods require roughly the same time, though 2nd service of cloth is very fast. Almonds, buckwheat give better results in cloth.

Other Methods of Sprouting:
1. Plastic tube - variation on jar method; opens at both ends - easier to remove long sprouts like greens from tube than from jar.
2. Sprouting bags - cotton or linen; also plastic mesh. Soak seed in bag in water, then hang up in side plastic bag (forms a little greenhouse).
3. Trays: very good for growing greens. Might need drainage system.
4. Clay saucer: used for mucilaginous seeds like flax, psyllium, etc.
5. Commercial sprouters: wide variety available. Often fairly expensive; most don't work as well as cloth/jar methods!

What is the best time/length to eat sprouts? Ultimately you will answer this question by experimenting - growing sprouts and eating them at different ages/lengths. My preference is to eat sprouts (except almonds, pumpkin seeds) when the growing root is, on average, the length of the soaked seed. Almonds and pumpkin seeds are discussed below.

A note on times: the sprouting times given below are based on cloth and/or jar method, and reflect an average time. The soaking times can be increased or decreased somewhat (except for buckwheat), with little or limited impact on the results. If you are using a different method, especially one of the commercial sprouting units, the times here will not apply and you will have to monitor your sprouts to decide when they are ready.

Grains and Similar Seeds

Amaranth: Soak 2-4 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth. Very tiny seeds, likely to flow through screen in jar method; line strainer with sprouting cloth to retain seeds. Sprout can be very bitter. Might be able to grow as greens, if you can get appropriate variety of amaranth.


Barley: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.25-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Use only unhulled barley; "whole" hulled barley and pearled barley won't sprout. Chewy, somewhat bland sprout. Hulls are tough; people with stomach or intestinal ulcers might find hulls irritating. Can be used for grass also.


Buckwheat: Soak 15-20 minutes only; sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth. Use hulled, *raw* buckwheat groats. Kasha is usually toasted, won't sprout. Raw buckwheat is white/green to light brown; toasted buckwheat is medium brown. Unhulled buckwheat (black hulls) are for greens, not general sprouting. Don't soak longer than 20 minutes as it spoils readily. Monitor moistness, rinse or change cloths every 12 hours to avoid spoilage. Good sprout, mild flavor. Sprouts much faster in warm/hot weather.


Corn group:
Field corn: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 2.0+ days. Method: jar or cloth.
Popcorn: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.5+ days. Method: jar or cloth. Blue mold can be a problem, esp. with field corn. Sweet corn seeds (if you can find them) will sprout also. Field corn sprouts, if long enough, are tender but bland/starchy tasting. Popcorn sprouts are very sweet, but the hull doesn't soften much in sprouting - very hard to eat. Not worth the trouble; suggest eating raw sweet corn (including raw corn silk, which is delicious) instead.


Millet: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Hulled millet - most seeds will sprout, but some ferment, producing very sharp taste. Unhulled millet best sprouter, but hull is very crunchy and sprout is rather bland. Best used in recipes.


Oats: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.25-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Must use unhulled oats; so-called "whole oats" or oat groats won't sprout. Good sprout, mild flavor similar to milk. Thick hull makes it difficult to eat; best used in recipes (see sprout milk recipe). Can grow as grass also.


Quinoa: Soak 2-4 hours, sprout 12 hours. Method: cloth or jar. Very fast sprouter. Must rinse seeds multiple times to get off soapy tasting saponin in seed coat. Very fast sprouter; can grow as greens. Strong flavor that many find unpleasant. Small seed, line strainer with cloth. White and black quinoa are available.


Rice: Soak 12-18 hours, sprout 1.0+ days. Method: cloth or jar. Only brown, unprocessed rice will sprout. White rice, wild rice are dead and won't sprout. Standard long grain rice doesn't sprout. Short, medium grain brown rice, also brown basmati (but not Texmati) rice will sprout. Before root appears, rice can be eaten but difficult: bland, chewy, *very* filling. Once root appears, rice sprout is very bitter. The only rice I suggest sprouting is: Lundberg Farms "Wehani" rice, a specialty rice (sprout 1.5 days). It is least bitter - less bitter than fenugreek - of possible use in recipes.


Wheat/rye group:
Rye: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Nice sprout - good flavor. Rye harvested immature or handled improperly can have strong, unpleasant flavored. If it molds, discard (ergot mold possible).


Triticale is a cross between rye and wheat; used to be available from Arrowhead Mills, but haven't seen it in market for some years.


Wheat, including Kamut and Spelt: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Hard Winter wheat better than soft Spring wheat. Wheat can get excessively sweet at 2+ days of sprouting. Spelt has nice texture, but spelt and kamut are more expensive than ordinary wheat. Wheat, rye, kamut, spelt, triticale can be used for grass also.


Other Seeds
Almonds: Soak 10-14 hours, sprout 1.0 day. Method: cloth Use only unblanched almonds. Sprout+storage time should not exceed 2 days or sprouts may turn rancid. Best to peel sprouts before eating (peeled have incredible flavor). Peeling is tedious, reduced by blanching in warm water (15-30 seconds in hot water from faucet). One of the very best sprouts!


Cabbage, Kale: Soak 6-14 hours, sprout 1+ days. Method: cloth or jar. Very strong flavor, best used as flavoring in mixtures. Can also be grown into greens. Seeds relatively expensive.


Fenugreek: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 18 hrs or more. Method: cloth or jar. Slightly bitter, best used as flavoring additive in mixtures. Hindi name: methi. According to "The Yoga of Herbs" by

Lad/Frawley, fenugreek sprouts are good digestive aid and good for the liver. Hard seeds are common in fenugreek.


Mucilaginous seeds: flax, psyllium, chia These can be sprouted as flavoring additive in mixtures (alfalfa, clover, or mustard); to sprout alone requires special clay saucer method. Sprouts are not so good tasting, not worth the trouble for most people.


Mustard: Soak 6-14 hours, sprout 1.0+ days. Method: cloth, jar, or tray. Good flavoring additive for other sprouts. Available in 3 forms: black, brown, yellow. Brown seeds are smaller and harder to handle in mixtures; yellow or black recommended for mixtures. Can grow as greens also.


Pumpkin: Soak 8-14 hours; sprout (if you must) 1.0 day. True sprouting by pumpkin seeds (developing root) is quite rare. Bacterial spoilage and rancidity are problems when you try to sprout them. Best to simply soak them, then eat. Pumpkin seeds as sold in the market are not hulled - the variety grown has no hulls on its seeds.


Radish: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0+ days. Method: cloth, jar or tray. Very hot flavor! Use sparingly in mixtures as flavoring agent. Can be used for (hot!) greens also.


Sesame: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Must use unhulled sesame seeds for sprouting; hulled seeds can be soaked to improve flavor and digestibility. A black sesame seed (considered superior to white seed in Ayurveda) is available; haven't found it in unhulled form. Sprout+storage time should not exceed 1.5 days; sprouts continue to grow in refrigerator and start to get bitter at 2.0 day mark, and can be very bitter by 2.5 days. A small bowl of sesame sprouts, with a bit of raw honey on them, is very nice.


Sunflower: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 18 hours. Method: cloth or jar. Use hulled sunflower; unhulled are for sunflower greens only. Need to skim off seed skins at end of soak period, when rinsing. If you leave them in, they will spoil and your sprouts will spoil quickly. Has a nice, earthy flavor; very popular.


Legumes
Alfalfa, Clover: For greens: soak 4-6 hours, sprout 6-8 days. Method: tray or jar.For use when short: soak 4-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Method: jar or cloth.Alfalfa and clover are most commonly grown as greens. A good non-traditional use for them is as flavoring additive in mixtures, for ex: lentil, alfalfa, radish is nice (alfalfa counteracts "heat" of radish). Alkaloid levels can be very high in alfalfa. Need alfalfa seed with very high germination rate (over 90%) to successfully grow greens in jar - else unsprouted seeds will decay and spoil greens.


Garbanzo group:
Garbanzos, standard: Soak 12-18 hours, sprout 1.5+ days. Method: cloth or jar.


Kala channa: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar.


Green channa: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0 day. Method: cloth or jar. Garbanzos, also know as chick peas or ceci, are common in commercial mixtures. They sprout easily but they also spoil easily (bacteria or mold). Kala channa is a miniature garbanzo, sold in (East) Indian food stores, that sprouts reliably - try sprouting it instead of standard garbanzos. Green channa is similar, naturally green, and sprouts very quickly. Green channa has stronger flavor; best to eat with turmeric or ginger.


Large beans: Anasazi, Black, Fava, Kidney, Lima, Navy, Pinto, Soy, etc. Except for soy, these are irrelevant to the sprouter - raw flavor is truly horrible. Also, serious toxicity/allergy/digestibility issues with these raw beans. Except for soy (edible raw if grown long enough), these beans must be cooked to be digestible, hence are not of interest to the raw-fooder.


Lentils, brown/green and red. Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0 day. Method: cloth or jar. The brown/green lentils come in a variety of sizes; the smallest sizes generally sprout faster than the larger. Red lentils are usually sold in split "dahl" form; for sprouting you must buy whole red lentils. Red lentils are red inside and brown outside; their Hindi name is masoor (brown masoor). Lentil sprouts have a spicy flavor and are very popular. Might find hard seeds in lentils from India.


Mung bean group:
Mung beans: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 18 hrs - 1 day. Method: cloth or jar.


Urid/urad: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 18 hrs - 1 day. Method: cloth or jar.


Adzuki beans: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0 day. Method: cloth or jar.


Moth beans: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 12 -18 hrs. Method: cloth or jar. Urid (also spelled urad) is a black shelled mung bean, available in Indian stores. Stronger flavor than regular mung. Hard seeds common in mung and urid. Moth is a brownish bean, similar to mung, available in Indian stores. Very fast, reliable sprouter, with mild flavor - similar to mung. Discard "floaters" when sprouting moth. P.S. there is a mung bean that is yellow inside, in Indian stores, but so far have only found split (dahl) form.


Peanuts: Soak 12-14 hours, sprout 1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Must use unblanched peanuts; recommend removing skins to improve digestibility. Spanish variety peanuts have loose skin, can remove most before soaking. Other peanuts - soak 1-2 hours then peel off skins, return to soaking in new, clean water. With peanut peeled you will probably observe high incidence of (bright) yellow mold - possible aflatoxin.


Peas, Blackeye: Soak 12-14 hours, sprout 1 day. Method: cloth or jar. Flavor is too strong to be eaten alone. Makes good flavoring additive for mixtures, if used sparingly.


Peas, (Field): Soak 12-14 hours, sprout 1.5 days. Method: cloth or jar. Be sure to buy whole peas, not split peas (split won't sprout). Yellow peas are slower to sprout, and have stronger flavor than green peas. Flavor too strong when raw for many people. Insect problems common with peas in storage (beetle infestation); store in bug-proof containers. Can be grown as greens also.


Note: if purchasing kala channa, green channa, urid/urad, red lentils, etc. from Indian store, be sure to obtain the whole seeds, and not the split (dahl) or oiled form of the seeds.


Some Sprouting Seed Mixtures of Interest:
mung/adzuki, fenugreek
mung/adzuki, urid, dill seed
lentils, blackeye peas, alfalfa, radish
sunflower seed, moth, fenugreek
alfalfa/clover, radish/mustard (for greens)


Experiment and develop your own favorite mixtures!

Soak Instead of Sprouting:
Herb seeds: fennel, celery, caraway, cardamom, poppy, etc.
Filberts: soak 12 hours; makes crisper, improves flavor.
Pecans: soak 8 hours; long soaks can make mushy.
Walnuts: soak 12 hours; flavor changes - you might like or dislike.
High fat nuts (brazil nuts, macadamias) may benefit some from soaking, but difference (soaked vs. unsoaked) is small.


Staple Foods for Sprouting:
(first tier) wheat, almonds, sunflower, sesame, mung/adzuki, rye
(2nd tier, obstacles) oats, barley, buckwheat, rice, lentils*, other legumes*
(flavoring) fenugreek, mustard, radish, kale, cabbage * see question on legumes below


Easy for Beginners:
wheat, sunflower, almonds, lentil, mung

Indoor Gardening (grown indoors, in soil):
Grasses: wheat, barley, oats, rye, kamut, spelt, triticale, and others.
Vegetables: amaranth, mustard/mizuna, fennel, kale, cabbage, etc.
Legumes: peas, snow peas

Other greens: buckwheat, sunflower

What are hard seeds?Seeds that are hard, like rocks, and they stay that way during soaking and sprouting. Hard seeds are a sort of natural insurance in the sense that if planted in soil they will eventually sprout - late in the season or next season. Hard seeds may be a threat to certain types of dental work, esp. porcelain crowns (porcelain on gold crowns are stronger and hard seeds are less risk; metal crowns are stronger than natural enamel). To minimize hard seeds, suggest you soak seeds as in the cloth method: in shallow water, in a large container with a flat bottom. Then at the end of the soak stage, you can visually inspect the soaked seeds and remove those that are still hard. This technique is not 100% foolproof, but if done carefully, will substantially reduce the number of hard seeds. The method will work with any seed, but fenugreek seeds are so small that picking out the hard ones is quite difficult.


Anything wrong with sprouted legumes?If you can digest them without the production of a lot of gas (flatulence), there's nothing wrong with them. Legumes are very high in protein, hard to digest, and cause gas for many people. Gabriel Cousens (Conscious Eating, pgs. 70, 372, 490) recommends that consumption of sprouted legumes (except alfalfa, next question) be minimized. Ann Wigmore (Rebuild Your Health, pg. 73) tells us that flatulence gas is toxic and harms your entire system. From an Ayurvedic viewpoint, legumes aggravate the vata dosha; individuals with vata body type or a vata disorder should minimize legumes. Ayurveda suggests eating turmeric or ginger with proteins (legume sprouts) as a digestive aid. A number of other herbs/spices can serve as digestive aids and/or counteract the vata effect of legumes. Among legumes, mung and adzuki beans are considered easiest to digest.


What about toxins in alfalfa sprouts?Alfalfa sprouts contain saponins, a class of alkaloids (7.93% on dry weight basis, sprouts from commercial sources) and L-canavanine sulfate, an amino acid analog. Saponin levels are at their maximum when sprouts are 6-8 days old (most common time for eating); L-canavanine sulfate is present in the seed and decreases as the sprout grows. The issue of whether these factors are significant is subject to debate.


Livingston et al. (Nutritional and Toxicological Aspects of Food Safety, pgs. 253-268), citing research by Malinow, report negative health effects in animals and humans from consumption of alfalfa sprouts. They believe that consuming large amounts of alfalfa sprouts is risky.
Cousens (Conscious Eating, pg. 372) , citing relevant client cases, reports no harmful effects from consumption of moderate amounts of raw alfalfa sprouts.


Readers are encouraged to check the above references and decide for themselves on this issue. An alternate, experimental approach is to hold your diet constant for a few days, then add alfalfa sprouts to your diet, and observe the effects (if any) of the alfalfa - that is, listen to your body.

Don't Sprout: Sorghum (potentially toxic levels of cyanide in seed coat)

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Health benefits of sprouts

Health Benefits of Sprouts
by Steve Meyerowitz


Sprouts have long been famous as "health food" but recent research shows that in addition to being a superb source of nutrients, they also have important curative ability. Sprouts like alfalfa, radish, broccoli, clover and soybean contain concentrated amounts of phytochemicals (plant compounds) that can protect us against disease.


Studies on canavanine, an amino acid analog in alfalfa, has demonstrated benefit for pancreatic, colon and leukemia cancers. Plant estrogens are also abundant in sprouts. They increase bone formation and density and prevent bone breakdown or osteoporosis. They are also helpful in controlling hot flashes, menopause, PMS and fibrocystic breasts tumors.


Alfalfa sprouts are one of our finest food sources of another compound, saponins. Saponins lower the bad cholesterol and fat but not the good HDL fats. Animal studies prove their benefit in arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Saponins also stimulate the immune system by increasing the activity of natural killer cells such as T- lymphocytes and interferon. The saponin content of alfalfa sprouts multiplies 450% over that of the unsprouted seed.


Sprouts also contain an abundance of highly active antioxidants that prevent DNA destruction and protect us from the ongoing effects of aging. It wouldn't be inconceivable to find a fountain of youth here, after all, sprouts represent the miracle of birth.

Friday, October 17, 2008

How I stocked up for winter

Lately I have felt a bit like a squirrel gathering up what feels like a mountain of food for the winter. But at the end of the day, stocking up like this saves money, allows us to eat healthier conveniently, and keeps us organic for cheap.

- we have piles of red tomatoes from our summer garden in the garage, on the counters, boiling on the stove to be turned into pasta and pizza sauce to be canned

- I have washed and chopped about 100 pounds of organic pears, peaches and nectarines. Some are in the freezer ready to provide the fresh taste of a yummy soft fruit, mid-winter (for a fraction of the cost).

-I have a couple of 20 pound boxes of organic fuji apples waiting to be turned into applesauce, dehydrated for apple chips, or just eaten!

- our dehydrator is constantly whirring with herbs from the garden, pears, peaches, nectarines, fruit leathers, and tomatoes slowly dehydrating for easy winter storage

- 25 pound bags of organic brown rice and rolled oats are quietly waiting in 5 gallon buckets in the garage (http://www.azurestandard.com/)

- basil, turned into pesto, is conveniently frozen in quart size Ziplock bags and stacked neatly like books on a bookshelf in the freezer

-our 1/4 of an organic, free-range, grain fed cow should be ready any day to provide the bulk of our meat for the winter

-10 pounds each of organic lentils, green peas, white navy beans adorn the pantry along with 25 pounds of organic pinto beans (we love our refried beans!) await future winter stews

-5 pounds each of organic quinoa, bulger wheat, barley, long grain brown rice, and millet as well as 25 pounds of rice pasta sit next to the beans waiting to be matched up with their bean partner for a complete protein meal

- all winter I will still be able to get our raw goat milk to make our ricotta cheese and for drinking (I will post my recipe for making your own cheese in a future post coming soon!) as well as free range chicken eggs from a local farm

-5 pounds of sunflower seeds and 5 pounds of wheat germ

- I plan to start up my sprouting rotation for fresh and organic, enzyme rich green sprouts for the winter (I have broccoli seed, alfalfa seed, mung bean, chia seed, flax, and lentils stocked up to sprout).

Storing up saves money and allows us to remain organic. I didn't spend $2.99/pound on organic peaches and nectarines but stocked up when I could get them for $15 per 20 pound box. We grew about 150 pounds of tomatoes to stock the pantry with organic pasta and pizza sauces, stewed tomatoes, and ketchup. Basil is bursting with life from the sun of August in late summer, so we harvested it all up and turned it into pesto for future dinners.

You get the idea. Eating organic is not an option for us. It turned my husband's inherited disease of psoriasis from debilitating to non existent as eating organic has cleaned up his liver and allowed his body to take care of the psoriasis. It turned around the virus I caught that debilitated me for 2 years (Epstein Barr which can lead into Chronic Fatigue syndrom or mono). It has allowed us to rarely catch a cold - our systems our clean and getting cleaner as I learn more and do more - and able to combat the virus and bacteria mayhem outside our doors.

Eating whole foods that are organic are one of the key ways we have gone from sick and tired to vibrant and healthy. We now play outside instead of wait for our names to be called for our next doctor visit.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Economic crisis meets the Ocean

As I ran along the shores of the ocean this morning, I marveled, as always, at the splendor and majesty of the rhythmic crashing of the surf. It was such a striking contrast to the gloom of the national headlines.

God's creation points us all to His eternal power and divine nature and sure enough, the power of the ocean during this particular run pointed me right back to it's creator for my profound moment of the day (as usual, my aha! moment, happened during a run!)

"...His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)



It was on this most glorious, blue sky, ocean side beach run that I noted to myself, with a smile as I ran, that apparently the ocean had not gotten the memo that the world economy was crumbling. I looked up to the mountains and saw them, like they always did, standing in a posture of praise, looking to the heavens. They too have obviously not read in the Wall Street Journal about the world food shortage crisis. The seagulls of the air and the fawn of the forest were still about their business. No late nights with CNN for these creatures fretting over the energy crisis.

Even the rocks will cry out if we don’t praise Him. They aren't waiting for us to stop praising Him to lift their praises. They seem to inherently know who their Maker is. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalms 19:1). We could learn something from this.

No grumbling. No panic. No concern about anything more than what their Creator set them here to do. And they do it, and do it every day to their best ability pointing to His full glory.

It’s why nature has such a way of settling peace on my soul like nothing else can – because it’s here that God’s order is simply: being.

I left this run realizing that come what may, I know who my God is. His Order is what is in charge. The world will remain in color and not revert to a black and white version of itself. The rivers will still run. The Ocean will still rage. The mountains will still boldly look to the heavens.

This “perfect storm” world crisis is going to be OK.

No, it’s going to be glorious...look whose in charge.

America, come what may, remember this:

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever…"Heb. 1:9

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Please Vote no on Measure 60

I had no desire to be political on this blog, but I have to urgently interrupt this blog for this measure.

I highly dislike our state's measure voting system. It's not like this in other states - that people that know little about a certain subject (like environment or education) are asked to put their vote on that issue in. That we are given the responsibility to micro-manage these various issues that the experts in that area should be doing is causing much damage as ridiculous measures get passed.

Take for instance the measure that stopped hunters from using dogs to hunt cougars and bears that passed about 14 years ago. My dad, a wildlife and fisheries biologist, was so mad that Oregonians who were not trained in managing wildlife were asked to decide something that should have been left up to the state biologists/game wardens/forestry departments to decide on. Instead, strong lobbyist groups put together their sob stories about hurting these defenseless creatures and wala, it passed. 14 years later, Portlanders are now dealing with cougar sitings in backyards, parks, and playgrounds - and people all over the state are too. It was a bad idea.

Let's let the experts in each of these fields decide policy.

So, that takes me to measure 60 - another ridiculous measure by Bill Sizemore - a measure that has been voted against once in 2000 is now up for vote again. It's trying to tie teacher's performance with their pay and unlike the last time it was on the ballot, the poles show that it's passing this time by 60%. Bill Sizemore has a long and troubling history of abusing the initiative system for his own personal financial gain, and using fraud, forgery, and racketeering to attack working Oregonians, like teachers, firefighters, and nurses.

Could there be anything more crazy?

  • Do Dentists get paid a salary based on how many cavities their patients do or do not get?
  • Do athletes signed to a contract get renegotiated mid-season to get paid according to if they win or not?
  • Do doctors get paid based on how healthy or not their patients are?

Of Course not! Tons of variables go into whether or not a patient is healthy (how do they eat, do they exercise, what are they genetically disposed to?) or if they don't get cavities (do they floss? do they eat a lot of sugar? do the brush their teeth correctly and often enough?!).

And tons of factors go into whether or not a student is successful:

  • what's their home life like? Are they just trying to survive the turmoil at home or is it a nurturing environment?
  • Is that subject a natural aptitude or a natural challenge for that student?
  • Are they trying?
  • Do they care?
  • Are they too busy?
  • And on and on....

Teachers are required to have a MASTER's Degree to teach. There is no tenure in Oregon. They can get fired at any point in their career if they truly are not doing their job well. But let's leave that to the administration to decide. Why don't we trust that dedicated professionals (principals) are doing their job right to evaluate teachers?

With the Masters degrees my husband and I have, we could do a ton of other jobs and get paid a ton more money. I left a successful career in marketing and my husband left a successful career as a civil engineer to pursue our Masters degrees in education and to teach kids. With the extreme challenges that teachers face by working with such a diverse population in their classrooms, any teacher that sticks out the LONG hours, hard work, and emotional roller coaster of teaching is doing it because they are dedicated and love kids.

As well, the burocratic nightmare it would take to enforce this measure is hard to fathom. This measure provides no procedure to determine how to even make this happen. Districts would have to hire staff with the sole job of going around and evaluating every teacher. And how do you compare (and determine a salary) for a teacher of math vs a fun elective course or gym class?

Please join me in voting no on measure 60. If this passes, my husband has sadly informed me that we would leave this state that does not support teachers to go to one that does. In November, I get to find out if I get to stay in the state that I love with the people that I love.

More info at http://www.noon58and60.com/

Here's what the Oregon Education Association says about this measure:

Why Should Oregonians Oppose Ballot Measure 60?

  • Measure 60 would take away local control from the principals, school districts, and teachers who know our schools best, and places it in the hands of government bureaucrats.

  • Measure 60 is vague, poorly worded, and full of unintended consequences. It does not define how teachers’ performance will be measured, even though their jobs and pay depend on it. It does not define who is judging teachers or how they are being judged, which could leave critical decisions about our local schools in the hands of Salem bureaucrats.

  • Measure 60 is unfair to students and teachers.
  • Measure 60 will unfairly punish teachers who take on the most challenging assignments. Teachers who work in low-income areas or have a lot of special education students will be paid less because their students may not do as well on standardized tests.
  • Measure 60 will result in more testing. Just like Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, this measure relies on more standardized testing. It will impose a heavy burden on teachers, principals and students with little impact on student success. Measure 60 will force teachers to spend time preparing students for more standardized tests rather than necessary classroom instruction.
  • Measure 60 is being pushed by Bill Sizemore. A jury found that Bill Sizemore engaged in racketeering, forgery, and fraud in the signature gathering process (click here to read more). Sizemore continues to abuse the initiative process and mislead Oregon voters. Sizemore has no background in education, but continues to promote unsuccessful initiatives that try to take away money and control from our local schools.
  • Measure 60 shortchanges our students. Instead of teaching kids to think, solve problems, and develop the skills they need to succeed, teachers will focus on preparing students to do better on standardized tests since their pay will be based on test scores. It does not define student performance, so we have no way of assessing teachers’ impact on their students.
  • Measure 60 takes money away from where our schools need it most – in the classroom.
  • Measure 60 may cost millions of dollars a year to implement. This is money better spent reinvesting in smaller class sizes, adding back lost programs, hiring more teachers, fixing leaky roofs or buying new textbooks.
  • Measure 60 has been rejected by Oregon voters once before. In 2000, a similar ballot measure was rejected by Oregonians by an overwhelming majority of more than 60%. We’ve said no to this bad idea already.

Stock up for the winter!

We really don't think about doing this much in America - you just go to the store, grab and go. However, studhusband and I have been keenly aware of global issues for awhile and have been stockpiling some food since about March. It's simply wise to have some extra food around in case, A. panic causes a run on the stores, emptying shelves of food, B. economic issues cause prices to go too high for awhile, C. Food shortages, D. natural disasters....

It was done in the Bible - wise men stocked up for dry times. It's not done out of panic, as we know our God is in control - it's done out of a spirit of being prepared.

As well, the way to eat as local as we can, reducing oil use to get food from far away to our plates, is to think about stocking up when that particular food is abundant. (Peaches in August, Apples in October, Corn in July, Pesto in August, etc.)...

A great way to eat fresh, organic greens that are rich in LIVE enzymes is to sprout seeds. It takes 3 to 4 days to get a crop. I will be posting about how to do this and why live sprouts are so great for you next week. I have about 3 pounds of various seeds (broccoli and alfalfa) on hand to sprout and ordered 1 pound of Chia seeds, 5 pounds of flax seeds, 5 pounds of lentils, and 1 pound of radish seeds today.

Here's a shopping list from the Rawkin Family in Ashland as they stock up for the winter:

Last week my family created a list of groceries for this winter, considering possible economic challenges. I intend to continue to buy fresh produce. Our main criterion was, on as little money as possible, to make sure that during the next several months we would have plenty of greens on hand at any time, as well as nutrient-dense, protein- and essential fatty acid- rich seeds, along with mineral-rich seaweed. If prices happen to go up, our full pantry will enable us to purchase less during the winter.

Here is our list:
Chia Seeds – 3 lbs
Broccoli Sprouting Seeds – 1 lb
Radish Sprouting Seeds – 2 lbs
Alfalfa Sprouting Seeds – 2 lbs
Fenugreek Sprouting Seeds – 2 lbs
Lentils – 5 lbs (although not labeled for sprouting, we sprout them)
Unhulled Sesame Seeds – 3 lbs
Hemp Seed – 3 lbs
Sunflower Seeds – 10 lbs
Flax Seed – 10 lbs
Almonds – raw, directly from the farmers – 10 lbs
Dulse (Seaweed Flakes) – 5 lbs (I shared this order with another family, as it comes in 10 lb bags.)
Dates – 3 cases. My friend, a Tibetan Monk, told me that monks can live for many days on six dates per person per day when they meditate all day long. When they hike all day, then they live on 5 dates per day! You figure out on your own how many dates your family needs. I brought my list to my Co-op and asked for their top wholesale distributors. The food buyers at the Co-op graciously shared their wholesale distributors’ contact information with me. Here they are:

Frontier Natural Foods. 1-800-669-3275. They have just about everything available and are located in the Midwest.

Star West. 1-800-800-4372.

UNFI – United Natural Foods, Inc. 1-800-679-6733. Their outlets are located all across the continental U.S. and Hawaii.

Maine Sea Coast. 1-207-565-2907. You may order any variety of seaweed from them. They are located on the East Coast.

Azure standard - Anything you could want to eat, they have...and it's all from the Mt Hood area.

I always buy dates from the Date People, who live in California. You may contact them at 760-359-3211. You may call any of these distributors to order the best quality foods at wholesale prices. Based on our hiking experience, I calculated that my family of four could live on this food alone for several months, and have plenty of greens due to daily sprouting. I invite you to use my grocery list as an idea for your family. Keep in mind that if you combine your order with other families, it will bring the cost down even further.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Crockpot Applesauce

Cool Crockpot blog: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

CROCKPOT APPLESAUCE
Ingredients:
As many apples as you can fit in your Crockpot, quartered (the best sauce is made of 2-3 different kinds of apples, varying in sweetness)
1/4 cup water
Dash of cinnamon to taste

  1. Directions:
    Wash and quarter apples, place in Crockpot.
  2. Add water and cinnamon. Cover and let cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
    Towards the end I lift the lid and mash up a bit with a potato masher, that way I can see if it’s ready or not. It’s ready when the apples are very soft and mash easily with the masher, if there are still big chunks you need to cook the apples longer.
  3. When the apples are ready, ladle the cooked apples into a food mill and sauce the apples, leaving behind the apple peels and seeds. If you don’t have a food mill you can peel and core the apples and mash with a potato masher for a little chunkier sauce, but very pretty. Be creative with this, if you like more seasoning you can add some allspice or nutmeg, some people like to add sugar and lemon juice, I prefer less sugar.
  4. I always freeze my applesauce, it’s so easy. I just ladle the applesauce into quart freezer Ziplock bags and label, that’s it! You can thaw in the refrigerator or in warm water if you need it to thaw more quickly, then place the sauce in a jar (or freeze it right in the jar, leaving a 1/2 inch of room at the top for expansion.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Thermography Centers for Breast Cancer screening

Check below to find a center in your state that does thermography breast screening.

Thermographic breast screening is brilliantly simple. It measures the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translates this information into anatomical images. Your normal blood circulation is under the control of your autonomic nervous system, which governs your body functions.

Thermography uses no mechanical pressure or ionizing radiation, and can detect signs of breast cancer years earlier than either mammography or a physical exam.

Mammography cannot detect a tumor until after it has been growing for years and reaches a certain size. Thermography is able to detect the possibility of breast cancer much earlier, because it can image the early stages of angiogenesis (the formation of a direct supply of blood to cancer cells, which is a necessary step before they can grow into tumors of size).

What is breast thermography? A safe alternative to mammograms. http://www.breastthermography.com/breast_thermography_mf.htm

Association for the Advancement of Diagnostic Thermal Imaging: http://www.iact-org.org/links.html


Please note that only Board Certified or Provisionally Certified Clinical Thermologists and Technicians are listed on this page.

This page is not an official endorsement of any of the labs listed or of any additional services or treatments that they may offer and is provided solely for your reference in contacting a thermographic breast center nearest you. While every effort has been made to insure that only well-trained certified clinical thermologists and technicians are provided, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information you might receive. In order to avoid the problems found in unqualified centers, please select a lab from the list below.

Key for abreviations
DABCT - Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Thermography
DIACT(B) - Diplomate of the International Academy of Clinical Thermology (the “B” denotes additional training in breast interpretation
FIACT - Fellow of the International Academy of Clinical Thermology
CTT - Certification as a clinical thermographic technician
Provisional Certification as a Clinical Thermographic Technician (Provisional CTT) denotes an individual who is currently involved in his or her thermographic residency program and has demonstrated competency in capturing thermographic images under the supervision of an IACT instructor. IACT provides offsite supervision for such centers and the public should feel quite confident in their quality of service. Images taken at a center which does not have a qualified interpreter (Thermologist) on staff will be read by an outside specialist who has met IACT standards and guidelines for interpretation of infrared images. If you have any questions concerning breast thermography, please contact us at info@iact-org.org.

Alaska
Raven Infrared - Medical Thermal ImagingJudith Reese, CTTP.O. Box 1178Sterling, AK. 99672907.262.6547
Arizona

Thermal Imaging of Arizona1921 S. Alma School RoadSuite 316Mesa, AZ 85210
Daniel Perry, CTTBonnie Stout, CTTTel: (480) 768-1100http://www.thermalimagingofaz.com/

California (Northern California and San Francisco Bay Area)
CCI - Infrared Imaging Center8465 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 140Windsor, CA 95492
Anand Chaudhry, DC, CTTTel: (707) 838-2146http://www.breast-thermography.com/

PCRC- Infrared Imaging Laboratory621 Middlefield Rd.Redwood City, CA 94063
William Amalu, DC, DABCT, DIACT, FIACTCarol Laughlin, Thermographic TechnicianTel: (650) 361-8908Breast Cancer and Early DetectionFull Body Scan

Pleasanton Infrared Imaging 5737 Valley Ave, Ste. D Pleasanton, CA 94566
James Sievers, DC, Provisional CTT Beth Y. Gordon, Provisional CTTTel: (925) 462-2633

Health Medicine Institute 3799 Mount Diablo Blvd.Lafayette, CA 94549

William J Kneebone, DC, DIACT, DCCT Tel: (925) 962-3799 http://www.healthmedicineinstitute.com/


Intrahealth21020 Homestead Rd, Ste 2Cupertino, CA 95014
Petra Eggert, DC, PT, Provisional. CTTTel: (408) 530-0005
Thermography Center of Sonoma County1020 Gravenstein Highway South, Suite 100Sebastopol, CA 95472
Also with locations in Napa and Ukiah

Jenna Montgomery, CTTRenee RussoTel: (707) 829-1599 For all locationsEmail: thermography-sc@sbcglobal.net
California (Southern California)
Clinical Thermography AssociatesSan Diego Area Facility298 Shasta St.Chula Vista, CA 91910
George Chapman, DC, DABCT, DIACT, FIACTTel: (619) 422-3339http://www.clinicalthermography.com/

Dr. John Tolmosoff , CTT
Call for our San Diego LocationsTel: (619) 575-8887
Pro Active Health Imaging Inc.3400 Loma Vista, Suite 14Ventura, California 93003

Victoria Rice, RN, CTTTel: (805) 653-1393
http://www.proactivehealthimaging.com/

William Cockburn, DC, DIACT(B), FIACT, FABFE11695 National Blvd (at Barrington)Los Angeles, CA 9006410642 Downey Ave, Suite 200Downey, CA 90241
William Cockburn, DC, DIACT, FIACT, FABFETel: (562) 699-7921 Central Schedulinghttp://www.breastthermography.org/
CANADA
North York Medical Thermography Centre3910 Bathurst StreetSuite 202Toronto, Ontario M3H 3N8
Alex Mostovoy, CTTTel: (416-636-2916)http://www.drmostovoy.com/


John Keyserlingk, MD, FACS1538 rue Sherbrooke ouest, Suite 1001Montreal, QC H3G 1I5CANADA
John Keyserlingk, MD, FACSTel: (514) 933-9635http://www.villemariemed.com/
Colorado
The Thermogram Center315 S. Boulder Road, Suite 110Louisville, CO 80027
Tirza Derflinger, CTTToll Free: 866.492.2174Tel: (303) 664-1139Fax: (303) 664-1146http://www.thermogramcenter.com/
FRANCE
Biomedical Thermology LaboratoryLouis Pasteur University School of Medicine11, rue Humann67085 Strabourg CedexFRANCE
Michel Gautherie, PhD.
Hawaii
Thermal Imaging Hawaii4821 Kaimoku WayHonolulu, Hawaii 96821
Linda Fickes, DC, CTTTel: (808) 377-1811
Illinois
Beth Ann Connell, DC, DABCTN. Mill St.Utica, IL 61373
Infrared Thermal ImagingRockford, Illinois
Beth Ann Connell, DC, DABCTTel: (815) 667-4819
Jan Crawford, RN Tel: (815) 378-9975
Indiana
Priority 1 MedicalCharles Solano, DC, DABCT 4082 Pendleton WayIndianapolis, IN 46226
Charles Solano, DC, DABCTTel: (317) 546-1915
Kentucky
Larry Payne, DC, DABCT7349 Burlington PikeFlorence, KY 41042
Larry Payne, DC, DABCTTel: (859) 525-7443
Louisiana
Elliot-Hailey-Head Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Center 1750 Medical Center Drive, 4th Floor Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Robert Elliot, MD Tel: (225)755-3070
Michigan
Michigan Institute of Thermography120 State St.Howell, MI 48843
William Dudley, DC, DABCT, FABCT1181 South Main StreetPlymouth, MI 48170
Maher Barsoum, DC, CABCT,Tel: (517) 546-3967http://www.breastcheckup.com/

William Dudley, DC, DABCT, FABCTTel: (734)-455-2145
Nebraska
Body Scan 13923 Gold Circle - Suite 103Omaha, NE 68144
Chris Driscoll, DC, CTT Tel: (402) 334-5533 http://www.wescanu.com/

Mark Osborn, DC, DABCT6001 S. 58th St. - Ste. FLincoln, NE 68516
Mark Osborn, DC, DABCTTel: (402) 423-8226

West Holt Memorial Hospital406 West Neely St.Atkinson, NE 68713
Tel: (402) 925-2811
New Jersey
Complete Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging
Essex County/Bergen County
2 Lincoln Terrace Caldwell, NJ 07006
Cedar Hill Medical Arts Building541 Cedar Hill Avenue, First FloorWycoff, NJ 07481
Linda Perry, CPM, CM, CTTTel: (973) 226-2563http://www.thermographycenter.info/
Thermographic Diagnostic Imaging100 Brick Road, Suite 206Marlton, NJ 08053

Phillip Getson, DO Tel: (856) 596-5834
New York
Complete Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging
Manhatten/Queens
448 West 57th StreetNew York, NY 10019
110-20 71st AvenueForest Hills, NY 11374
Linda Perry, CPM, CM, CTTTel: (646) 536-3726http://www.thermographycenter.info/
Ohio
Blatman Pain Clinic10653 Techwoods Circle – Suite 101Cincinnati, OH 45242

Hal Blatman, MD, DAAPMTel: (513) 956-3200

Oregon
Therapeutic Laser and Thermal Imaging CenterMary Anne Crandall, DNH, CTT115 Stewart Ave. - Suite 201Medford, OR. 97501541.772.7007

Infrared Breast Health, LLCIngrid Edstrom, FNP, M.ED, CTT1102 Hodson LaneEugene, OR. 97404541.302.2977Infrared Breast Health Web Site
Texas
Optimal Natural Health Center116611 Preston Road - Suite 140Dallas, TX 75230

Leilani Tajeda, CTTTel: (214) 346-9292
Wisconsin
Milwaukee Area Facility5510 Medical CircleMadison, WI 53719
William Hobbins, MD, FACS, FABCTTel: (608) 273-4274

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Breast Cancer better screening - Thermomagraphy

This might be controversial - but it really made me want to look into this more. This thermographic techonology for screening breast cancer would have found the Inflammatory Breast Cancer that took the life of a dear friend that regular mammograms cannot detect. Plus, radiation danger is gone wth this technology. Read on!

It's from Dr. Mercola out of Schaumburg, IL.

Here's the actual link if you want to go to it so you can click on some of the links: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/08/07/major-confusion-on-how-to-do-breast-checks.aspx?source=nl

Breast self-exams have long been recommended as a simple way for women to keep track of anything unusual in their breasts. Now, after studies have found that such exams do not reduce breast cancer death rates, and actually increase the rate of unnecessary biopsies, many experts are recommending a more relaxed approach known as "breast awareness."Breast awareness is really self-explanatory. It means women should regularly check their breasts for changes, but can do so in a way that feels natural for them. In other words, you don't have to do it on the same day each month, or using any particular pattern. Simply be aware of what's normal for you so you can recognize anything out of the ordinary. What should you keep an eye out for?

  • A new lump or hard knot found in your breast or armpit
  • Dimpling, puckering or indention in your breast or nipple
  • Change in the size, shape or symmetry of your breast
  • Swelling or thickening of the breast
  • Redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin
  • Nipple discharge, especially any that is bloody, clear and sticky, dark or occurs without squeezing your nipple
  • Changes in your nipple such as tenderness, pain, turning or drawing inward, or pointing in a new direction
  • Any suspicious changes in your breasts

Are Mammograms a Good Idea?
Aside from breast self-exams, the other mainstay in the U.S. medical system is the mammogram. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women get a mammogram every year or two after age 40.

But I strongly disagree.

The benefits of mammograms are highly controversial, while the risks are well established. Back in 2001, around the time that U.S. health officials widened the use of mammograms to included women over 40 (previously it was only women over 50), a Danish study published in The Lancet revealed some startling data.

The study concluded that previous research showing a benefit was flawed and that widespread mammogram screening is unjustified.

Specifically, the Danish researchers argued that earlier studies in Europe and North America were improperly randomized and that they used a faulty definition of breast cancer survival.
Meanwhile, the technology carries a first-time false positive rate of up to 6 percent. False positives can lead to expensive repeat screenings and can sometimes result in unnecessary invasive procedures including biopsies and surgeries.

Just thinking you may have breast cancer, when you really do not, focuses your mind on fear and disease, and is actually enough to trigger an illness in your body. So a false positive on a mammogram, or an unnecessary biopsy, can really be damaging.

Not to mention that women have unnecessarily undergone mastectomies, radiation and chemotherapy after receiving false positives on a mammogram.

An Amazing Deception
That mammograms are still recommended at all speaks volumes about the state of modern medicine.


Decades ago in 1974, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) was warned by professor Malcolm C. Pike at the University of Southern California School of Medicine that a number of specialists had concluded "giving a women under age 50 a mammogram on a routine basis is close to unethical."

Why?
Well for starters mammograms expose your body to radiation that can be 1,000 times greater than that from a chest x-ray, which poses risks of cancer. Mammography also compresses your breasts tightly, and often painfully, which could lead to a lethal spread of cancerous cells, should they exist.

"The premenopausal breast is highly sensitive to radiation, each 1 rad exposure
increasing breast cancer risk by about 1 percent, with a cumulative 10 percent
increased risk for each breast over a decade's screening," points out Dr. Samuel
Epstein, one of the top cancer experts.
Dr. Epstein, M.D., professor
emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of
Illinois School of Public Health, and chairman of the Cancer Prevention
Coalition, has been speaking out about the risks of mammography since at least
1992

. As for how these misguided mammography guidelines came about, Epstein says:

"They were conscious, chosen, politically expedient acts by a small group of
people for the sake of their own power, prestige and financial gain, resulting
in suffering and death for millions of women. They fit the classification of
"crimes against humanity.""

Not surprisingly, as often happens when anyone dares speak out against those in power, both the American Cancer Society and NCI called Dr. Epstein's findings "unethical and invalid."

But this didn't stop others from speaking out as well.

  • In July 1995, The Lancet again wrote about mammograms, saying "The benefit is marginal, the harm caused is substantial, and the costs incurred are enormous ..."
  • Dr. Charles B. Simone, a former clinical associate in immunology and pharmacology at the National Cancer Institute, said, "Mammograms increase the risk for developing breast cancer and raise the risk of spreading or metastasizing an existing growth.""The high sensitivity of the breast, especially in young women, to radiation-induced cancer was known by 1970.
  • Nevertheless, the establishment then screened some 300,000 women with Xray dosages so high as to increase breast cancer risk by up to 20 percent in women aged 40 to 50 who were mammogramed annually," wrote Dr. Epstein.Safe Screening Methods do Exist: The

Benefits of Thermography

But you're not likely to hear about them from your general practitioner.
" … The establishment ignores safe and effective alternatives to mammography, particularly trans illumination with infrared scanning," Dr. Epstein points out.
Most physicians continue to recommend mammograms for fear of being sued by a woman who develops breast cancer after which he did not advise her to get one. But I encourage you to think for yourself and consider safer, more effective alternatives to mammograms.

The option for breast screening that I most highly recommend is called thermography.
Thermographic breast screening is brilliantly simple. It measures the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translates this information into anatomical images. Your normal blood circulation is under the control of your autonomic nervous system, which governs your body functions.

Thermography uses no mechanical pressure or ionizing radiation, and can detect signs of breast cancer years earlier than either mammography or a physical exam.

Mammography cannot detect a tumor until after it has been growing for years and reaches a certain size. Thermography is able to detect the possibility of breast cancer much earlier, because it can image the early stages of angiogenesis (the formation of a direct supply of blood to cancer cells, which is a necessary step before they can grow into tumors of size).

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Who Needs stuff!!?...


...when you have each other?


Here's some more ideas from blogging friends:

Amanda P from A Thousand Words said...
I have some fresh ideas;Mud pies. Don't tell me you've forgotten the fabulous feeling of squishing mud through your fingers!Games. Games for sibs to play together, even better, games that I play with my boys to teach (counting, number and letter recognition, the meaning of symbols, rules, order, shapes, colors, etc.)We keep 99% of the toys in a closet, and each boy gets to choose a "new" toy each week, after they've cleaned up their room well enough to be vacuumed.Books, when 'advertised' around the house will be read!Craft stuff- as Julie says. My experience is that if you make it available (kids 4 and up) will use is correctly, and only correctly. Scissors, yes!Nature hikes, love 'em.Lincoln logs and plain old blocks mixed with cars or small animals.Train tracks are made to be built.Legos, doctor sets (do include notepads and pencils) old costumes/dress up clothes.I agree wholeheartedly with Julie that all this stuff doesn't provide much more than lust for more stuff. I see too that we must me intentional about setting up our stuff (ie: Julie's garage foosball table, or "letting" the kids make a huge mud pit in the backyard) Say yes to mess!
September 29, 2008 8:42 PM

Jennifer in OR from http://www.diaryof1.com/ said...
Hey Julie, great list! We love our homemade playdough, as you know. This would fall in the craft category, I suppose. Lots of regular cookie cutters of all designs to go with it.Leftover building materials are also fabulous. Since we just finished building, we have lots. For example, the bits of leftover tile - the kids are using this for their own "garden paths," and are also making mosaics out of it.
October 2, 2008 8:18 PM

BeccaB said...
When I was little my brother and I made lots of sock puppets. You take a piece of cardboard and cut out a circle, fold it down the middle and stuff it to the end of the sock. Mom can put a little stitch in the middle of the "mouth" to make it stay. Add yarn, google eyes and felt pieces and you've got characters for all kinds of stories. We even have some elaborate ones with sock arms and legs, noses, beards and clothes!When I was in high school and babysat I even brought materials for those kids to make some puppets to keep them from watching TV all summer. I saw them the other day (now in high school and college) and they started talking about those puppets! Good times!
September 29, 2008 5:51 PM

Mandy from http://creatinggoodsoil.blogspot.com/ said...
Here's a couple more thoughts for your list:

1. http://www.freecycle.com/

2. school supply recycling: At the end of the year, tons of still good supplies get dumped. Gather 'em up and reuse 'em. We don't need the shiny new scissors, your old ones will still work. Kids get this stuff...they'll be thrilled to help their earth.
October 3, 2008 11:29 AMsaid...

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Anti Cancer Green Smoothie

While you ponder ideas that can reduce our need for more stuff and simplify our lives (see yesterday's post!), I am collecting all the great ideas that are coming in. Ok - I have gotten about 4 emails is all, but if you'd like your blog link as well as your ideas to be included in the idea generated post on Friday, get those ideas to me as soon as you can! You are all much more creative then I...I need your help! I just know I don't want it to include too many shopping trips!



Anti Cancer Green Smoothie
1 pint broccoli sprouts (Takes about 3 to 4 days for broccoli seeds to sprout - pictured here)
1 pint ripe organic blackberries
1 cup water
Blend all ingredients well. - Enjoy

Nutritional facts: In 1992, scientists found that broccoli sprouts are rich in a compound that provides significant protection against breast cancer and colon cancer. The compound is called sulforaphane glucosinalate. Black raspberries (blackberries) have been shown to reduce the risk of oral, esophageal and colon cancer in animal models, according to the researchers.

Sources: http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.aspx?docID=610680
The Raw Family is a great resource for nutritional tips on eating raw. They live in Ashland, OR. www.rawfamily.com