Recipe for Kombaccu Probiotic Tea

Ingredients:

1. 1 gallon of purified water brought to boil.
2. 1 cup organic sugar (not Turbanado)
3. 5 organic black tea bags
4. 1 gallon sized glass jar
5. 1 yd unbleached muslin cloth
6. 1 yd twine
7. 1 Kombaccu mushroom http://www.kombachaamerica.com/

• Let tea bags steep in hot water for 5 minutes.
• Remove tea bags and stir in the sugar.
• When luke warm pour over the mushroom in a clean glass gallon jar.
• Cover with muslin and tie off with twine.
• Let the tea ferment in a dark closet shelf for one month.
• Pour into glass bottle and store in the refridgerator
• Use top (new) mushroom to start another batch
• Dispose of old  mushroom or use as plant fertilizer.

Kombachu Tea tastes like sparkling apple cider.  It contains beneficial strains of yeast and bacteria.  It can be helpful in replenishing thee digestive tract with healthy yeast and bacterial flora.

How to Make your Own Broth

Home made broths are among the most nutritious foods you can eat.  They are full of healing minerals and vitamins and free of gluten and MSG.  Anyone with digestive problems can benefit from eating home made broth.  Because the broth is liquid it is easy on the digestive system, allowing it to heal.  Making my own broth also saves money!  Here is how I make broth:

Supplies/Ingredients:

Crock Pot
1 Whole Organic chicken
3 cloves garlic
1 organic onion
10 baby carrots
2 stalks celery
organic poultry herb blend, fresh herbs are even better
sea salt
filtered water

1. Combine the ingredients in the crock pot.
2. Cook on LOW for 6 hours
3. Serve chicken for dinner
4. Pull meat off carcass and store remainder in glass container
5. Return Carcass to the Crock pot
6. Fill with water
7. add last 6 ingredients again
8. Turn Crock Pot onto LOW for 9 hours
9. Enjoy you broth!

If you enjoy this recipe, you may also enjoy Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon!  This cookbook is a wonderful resource for people interested in cooking to maximize their health and combat fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue!

For the Love of Healthy Chocolate!

I absolutely adore chocolate and was thrilled to learn that some kinds of chocolate are actually healthy!  If you remove the artificial ingredients added to many store bought chocolates, you actually have a powerful anti-oxidant!  Even better, if the chocolate is prepared from organic cocao that has not been heated, you have even more anti-oxidants and minerals.  The vitamins C and E help to fight inflammation.  Chocolate may actually have benefits for anyone with arthritis or fibromyalgia.  The cocoa butter also provides Omega -3 Fatty Acids that promote heart health and emotional well-being.  Chocolate also contains Magnesium that helps relax muscles and ease stress.


Some people report that eating raw organic chocolate helps them lose weight.  I wish I were one of those people.  I enjoy chocolate so much that it tends to increase my appetite.  Unfortunately, I gain weight when I eat too much chocolate.  Nonetheless, I enjoy the benefits of chocolate in moderation.  One of my favorite brands is Gnosis Chocolate.  It is absolutely delicious and very addictive and very expensive.  I also enjoy the chocolate from Nature's Sunshine   This is a good alternative if you are on a tight budget.  It is sweetened with xylitol.  To make sure you get a discount, enter my sponsor number 2617576-2, Anna H. Rawls when you check out.


If you want to get your superfood while you eat chocolate, Gnosis offers Gnosis
SuperChoc Raw This bar is packed with powerful herbs.  I have friends and clients who adore it and feel great after eating it.  I personally found it over-stimulating.  I prefer the Simplicity Bar 




At least you can rest assured that you can enjoy healthy chocolate guilt-free!

Ten Worst Things for your Immune System

This list is adapted from Gut and Psychology Syndrome  I strongly recommend this book to anyone dealing with chronic health issues like fibromyalgia, depression, autism, ADD, or ADHD.



Ten Worst Things for your Immune System

1. Sugar: candy, soda, cakes, cookies, etc
2. Processed carbohydrates: corn chips, potato chips, cereal, bread, pasta, etc
3. Chemically altered and artificial fats: margarine, fake butter, vegetable oils, etc
4. Lack of protein: from meats, fish, eggs,and dairy.
5. Exposure to Man-made chemicals: cleaning detergent, paint, pesticide, petrochemicals, make-up
6. Drugs:  antibiotics, steroids, antidepressants, painkillers, anti-cancer meds, anti-viral drugs, etc
7. Exposure to man-made radiation: TV and computer screens, cell phones, power lines, etc
8. Lack of fresh air and physical activity
9. Lack of exposure to sunlight
10. Lack of exposure to common microbes in the environment:  The immune system needs constant stimulation from thee microbes in the environment.  Living an a totally sterilized environment can actually compromise your immunity.

Gut and Psychology Syndrome

My Breakfast Shake

I manage my weight and energy by avoiding carbohydrates before lunch time.  I find that if I start out eating protien, I feel satisfied and do not crave carbs all day.  When I used to eat breakfast cereals, I gained weight because I was always munching on carbohydrate snacks.  I mentioned my shake in previous posts like "Bikini Belly: The Fringe Benefit of Healthy Digestion" and "Fibromyalgia Fourty, Younger than Thirty."  I use ProtoClear Protein Shake because it, not only provides protien, but also vitamins and minerals.  This shake is really good for people with Fibromyalgia because it also contains supplements that help to clean the liver and the digestive system.  I serve it to my husband and daughter as well.  They actually like the way it tastes!  Here is my recipe:

MY BREAKFAST SHAKE

Ingredients:

1 cup Plain Yogurt (organic or homemade)
1/2 cup frozen berries
1/2 tsp flaxseed oil
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 scoop
ProtoClear
3/4 cup
Almond Milk
Vitamix Blender or
Cuisinart Food Processor

Combine ingredients in the blender or food processor.
Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Healing Food List: What to Eat When You Feel Tired and Bloated

If you are like me, you may often suffer from bloating and exhaustion.  This is particularly true for when I eat pasta and bread.  In my search for holistic solutions, I have been inspired by a couple of books that I am studying:  Gut and Psychology Syndrome and Signs and Symptoms Analysis.  Both books contain lists of foods that are helpful to anyone suffering from digestive disorders.  How do you know that you have digestive problems?  One sign is that you may feel bloated and tired immediately after eating a food that contributes to the inflammation of your digestive tract.  Here is a list of Harmful and Helpful Foods.  I keep it on my refridgerator to help me stay on track:

HARMFUL and HELPFUL FOODS for HEALTHY DIGESTION

Harmful Fats:
Vegetable oils
Corn oil
Canola oil
Margarine

Helpful Fats:
Olive oil (not for cooking)
Coconut oil (good for cooking)
Ghee (made from organic butter)
Organic Butter
Flaxseed Oil
krill oil or www.mynsp.com/desinou


Harmful Sweeteners
Corn Syrup
Sugar
Fructose
Sucrose
Maple Syrup
Agave Nectar
Molasses

Helpful Sweeteners
Raw Honey
Stevia
Dates
Cinnamon

Harmful Protein
Canned Fish, preserved, salted, smoked, or canned
Meats, processed, smoked, or preserved
Sausages (unless prepared without sulfites/nitrates)
Bologna

Helpful Protein (stewed or baked)
Salmon (Wild Alaskan)
Mahi Mahi
Talapia
Beef
Lamb
Pork
Chicken

Protoclear Protien Shake
Eggs (soft scrambled, soft boiled)


Harmful Carbs
Wheat
Oats
White rice
Pasta
Rye bread
Spelt
Corn
Corn starch
Wheat germ
Cereals
Tortilla Chips
Potato chips
Pretzels



Helpful Carbs
Brown Rice
all kinds of friut
all berries
Celery
Bok choy
Broccolli
Asparagus
Beets
Apricots
Cabbage
Brussel Sprouts
Carrots
Cauliflower
Collard greens
Cucumber
Kale
Lettuce
Lima beans
Onions
Peas
Peppers
Tomatoes
Parsley
Squash
Spinach
Zucchini

Harmful Cheeses
Processed or cheese spreads
Chevre
Cottage
Cream cheese
Gjetost
Gruyere
Mozarella
Neufchatel
Primost
Ricotta

Helpful Cheeses
Asiago
Blue
Brick
Brie
Camembert
Cheddar
Colby
Raw Cheddar
Colby
Edam
Gorgonzola
Gouda
Havarti
Limburger
Monterey Jack
Muenster
parmesean
Port du Salut
Roquefort
Swiss
Romano
Dry curd cottage cheese
Homemade Plain Yogurt (see recipe in my blog post from April 2010)

You can SAVE MONEY by using my Nature's Sunshine account to order supplements.  All you do is order at least $40 worth and you get a free membership to order at wholesale prices for a year! www.mynsp.com/desinou


Gut and Psychology Syndrome

Make Your Own Organic Yogurt!

Making your own yogurt is not only good for your digestive system, but it is also great for your budget. I was spending $40-$60 a month on premium organic yogurt. With the current economy, I realized that I had to find a better way. Now that I make my own yogurt, I have cut my cost in half!

As I mentioned earlier in "Bikini Belly: The Fringe Benefit of Healthy Digestion," nurturing the digestive system is key to achieving optimal health. The live cultures and enzymes in yogurt help to protect the digestive system by fighting off "bad Bacteria" and creating an environment that allows you to absorb the nutrients in your food.

A healthy digestive tract fosters physical and emotional well-being. Healing the digestive tract is one strategy used to treat depression, ADD, Anxiety, Autism, and Fibromyalgia.

Recipe for Home-Made Yogurt:

8 cups organic whole or 2% milk
1 packet of yogurt starter culture (or 2 TBS yogurt)
Yogurt Maker

Pour 8 cups of organic milk into a stainless steel pot.
Turn the heat to medium high.
Use a metal spoon to stir constantly.
Bring the milk to the boiling point (it will start to rise up the sides of the pot).
Let it boil for one minute and remove from heat.
Let the milk cool to very warm temp (a little hotter than baby bottle temp).
Pour mixture into glass jars and place in the yogurt maker for seven hours.
Refrigerate one hour before eating.

Fibromyalgia Fourty: Younger Now Than at Thirty

How can it be that I look and feel younger in my early forties than I did in my thirties? When ever I mention that I have a daughter in college, people usually seem surprised. Even my high school friends on Facebook usually remark that I don't seem to have aged much.



I usually explain that I am younger now than I was five years ago. In my thirties, I was almost debilitated with arthritis, muscle pain, and chronic fatigue. I had to manage my work with only two hours of energy. Sometimes just getting showered and dressed took so much strength that I had to lie down again before I could leave the house. If that was not bad enough, I was constantly plagued with infections: pneumonia, bronchitis, strep throat, sinus infection, kidney infection. The people at the Walk-In Clinic knew me as soon as I walked in the door. The doctor or nurse practitioner would prescribe anti-biotics every time I returned to the office. It had become a revolving door.



After many months of chronic infections and anti-biotic treatments, my immune system got so weak that I developed a re-lapse of Mono (I had first contracted it when I was 15 years old). The doctors told me that I would recover from the Mono in a few weeks. They told me to rest and that nothing could be done for me. After six weeks passed, my symptoms of Mono had not improved. Doctors did blood tests that revealed that I had an arthritic auto-immune disease. They referred me to a rheumatologist.



It took two months to get an appointment with the rheumatologist. I was losing hope and was very worried that I would not be able to care for my three children. I prayed for God to step in and help me carry this burden. By His Grace, I was led to answers that helped me heal. I was in a bookstore and a title caught my eye: "Adrenal Fatigue" by Wilson. The book was like reading my own diary! It made perfect sense. I learned that my body had become over-loaded with burdens caused by stress and environmental and dietary toxins. I learned that a powerful solution was to eliminate sugar, wheat, and corn based foods.

The same week, I saw a new dentist who happened to have Celiac disease. My new dentist cared me as a whole person. He said that I looked like a "tired Mom," and he challenged me to eliminate sugar, wheat, and corn for one week. When I returned to his office two weeks later, he almost did not recognize me. My gray-toned skin had turned pink! I had more energy and I felt much better. The rapid improvement in the way I looked and felt convinced me to stay on course.



Five years later, I still avoid sugar, gluten, and corn. I continue to improve and have become very passionate about holistic health. God has brought several healers to walk with me through this journey; including nutritionists, chiropractors, herbalists, and even intergrated medical doctors! I pray that this Blog will offer hope to other people suffering from Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Depression, and a host of other auto-immune diseases. I will continue to share what I learn on my journey. Please visit my website for more information and valuable resources: http://www.desinou.com/