New Site Up and Running

Please come visit me at the new site

www.informedhealthlink.com

for more of the same great health information!

Cheers,

Christina

last entry

Hi Everyone,

I realize that I have not been a good steward in updating this blog. Being an organizer by nature, I could not figure out how to encompass all the information I wanted in an organized, easy to access format within this blog. SO...I have been spending a great deal of time developing my new website dedicated to helping people discover the truth about health. Even though the new site is not totally finished, I wanted to give you the new web address. My goal is to be finished with the initial information and links by this Sunday 23 November 2008. I pray this site will be a blessing to you, and I welcome any constructive input. Thank you for your patience over the last year as I tried to organize all my information.

Have a wonderful day, and see you at the new site!

www.informedhealthlink.com

Blessings,

Christina

Processed Meat Up Close and Personal

I just ran across these photos of magnified processed meats and their ingredients. I guess if people actually took the time to LOOK at what they were feeding their body, they might think twice before inserting :o). My next blog will cover the sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate that are key preservatives in foods just like these....DANGEROUS and CANCER CAUSING....scientific studies proved this, but the FDA still allows it to be used for consumption by a trusting public.

Mystery Meat Macrophotography

Viewer discretion is advised :o)....these do get "graphic," and it might upset your stomach! All kidding aside, these pictures were a great reminder of why our family has chosen to no longer eat these processed mystery meats.

To your health,

Christina

Raw Key Lime Pie

This is a frozen dessert that did not last but a few minutes in our house. I saw this recipe in Purely Delicious magazine, spring 2007 and had the ingredients on hand so I whipped it together on Saturday night, and we all enjoyed it today after church...well the majority of it that is :o). Yesterday I had some of the filling left over and the children ended up begging for, "just one more bite."


Crust:
3 C. finely ground almonds
4-5 fresh medjool dates
2 Tlbs coconut oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt


Filling:
2 small ripe avocados
1 ripe banana
1 C. juice from key limes
1/2 C. mango chunks
1/2 C. agave nectar
1/3 C. coconut cream concentrate (buy from Tropical Traditions)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla


To make crust, place all ingredients in a good processor and blend until it balls up. Firmly press mixture into pie plate and set aside.

To make the filling, process all filling ingredients in a high powered blender, such as a Vitamix until smooth and fluid. Pour into pie shell and freeze about 6-8 hours or longer. Serve and enjoy.

This makes a 9 inch pie and serves up to 10 people.

Speaking from experience, I would take it out of the freezer about 5 to 10 minutes before you cut it or you will find it becomes a workout getting the (even hot) knife through the frozen pie. After fighting this creation for about 7 minutes I was able to get the slices out with relative ease :o). The filling from this pie would also make GREAT pop cycles in the summer and pudding if not frozen. So versatile and YUMMY!

Enjoy :o)

C.

Operation Organization

A new year and an organized frig! A few years ago I got frustrated by the amount of plastic bags floating around the refrigerator, so I bought these bins from Tupperware. They keep the veggies fresh so much longer than the produce bags and now everything is in its place. I love that I can ask the children to help me out with dinner and get things from the frig because they can find what I need easily :o). We rarely eat meat or processed foods anymore so my veggies are all on the shelves, and I use the bins on the bottom for my almonds (right) and assorted nuts (left); the cold cuts drawer now houses my herbs, ripe lemons and limes, ginger and any other small misc. items. Something about an organized frig. makes preparing meals a lot more fun :o). I hope everyone is getting off to a wonderful 2008.

Hugs,

C.

Even Little Ones Love Live Foods

It never ceases to amaze me that our little one year old ATTACKS most dishes that I prepare which are raw/living food. She LOVES the salsa I have shared earlier and will eat it by the spoon fulls with avocado cubes mixed in. She also begs for my homemade hummus with bell peppers. Sometimes she can't even wait until the recipes are finished! I was making honey cinnamon flax crackers the other day and she demanded that I give her some of the "batter" to eat immediately. The next day when they were done dehydrating, she was excited to partake in the finished product. It is so much fun to allow the children to eat the raw foods I am putting together at any stage of preparation because the nutrients do not change and there is no dangerous bacteria to worry about :o).

To health,

C.

Beef & Veggie Soup

One more recipe for 2007 :o). Since the weather has been so cold here, I made this beef and veggie soup before Christmas Eve service. It was warm and ready to go when we got home. This is a very fast recipe...only about 25 minute from start to table.


1 lb ground beef
2 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
1 C. diced carrots
1 C. diced potatoes
4 C. water
4 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Beef base (or more to taste)
1-14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 C. green beans sliced
1 C. corn
4 C. cooked barley or pasta (about 2 C. uncooked of either)


Choose barley or pasta.

If barley, start boiling the water and rinse the pearled barley thoroughly. When the water boils add the barley and test often as pearled barley cooks fast. You want the barley to have a "pop" when you bite into it so it does not get soggy in the soup. Rinse the barley in cold water and set aside.

If pasta, boil water, add pasta and cook until it still has a bit of a crunch to it. Rinse in cold water and set aside.

As the barley or pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef and season with pepper if desired (no salt as the bouillon is salty enough). Drain and set aside.

As the beef is browning, dice the carrots, potatoes and green beans. I love keeping the skins on the potatoes for a wonderful looking soup :o), but you may prefer to peel the carrots and potatoes.

In a large pot heat the oil and saute the carrots and potatoes until they start to get soft. If you cook them fully they will be mush in your soup.

Add the water, beef base and diced tomatoes (with the juice). Stir until well mixed.

Add the ground beef.

Add the green beans and corn.

Stir thoroughly and taste. Add more beef base if needed.

Add the barley or pasta.

Cover, reduce the heat to simmer and serve when ready.

Just a note...taste again right before serving as the barley and pasta will reduce the flavor of the beef base as they soak in the broth, so you may have to add a bit more beef base for just the right flavor.

I threw this recipe together one night as I was desperate to get dinner on the table. The best recipes come out of necessity :o). We love eating this with wheat rolls and a green salad. YUM!

Enjoy and stay warm out there.

C.

The Acid/Alkaline Balance in the Body

After having poured over many online sites and documents, I have come to the realization that our bodies really do need a tremendous amount of living foods in order to remain healthy, strong and youthful. Take a look at this clip...





I loved the information on the clip, but I have not looked into the AlkalizeMe's products. I am sure you caught the foods that were acidic (basically everything cooked or processed), but I wanted to remind you that many foods are alkalizing BEFORE you heat them above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. How wonderful to have the power that will enable your body to heal itself just by eating raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds.

I am amazed that our western culture feels safer taking toxic drugs and going under the knife to "fix" a health issue rather than eating healthy foods. As I said before, I have been researching living foods in depth and have come across people several times that describe eating 100% living foods as "extreme." I beg to differ...pumping our bodies with toxins (aka prescription medication) and undergoing surgery to make our discomfort go away after filling our cells with nutrient deficient and toxic foods in my book is extreme. The more you know about nutrition and the role it plays in your overall health, the longer you will live an energetic, healthy, youthful life. Who doesn't want that? :o)

If you would like to know what foods are acid or alkaline forming please visit Bluegrass' website. Again, I have not looking into their products, but these charts are very helpful in understanding what foods to eat and which ones to avoid. By no means should you eat only alkaline foods; eat about 80% alkaline and 20% acid forming foods for the best balance. If you heat any of the alkaline foods above 115 degrees Fahrenheit you will kill the enzymes and flip it to acid forming. In other words, if you can place your finger in the food as it is cooking and not feel discomfort/pain the food probably is still retaining its enzymes.

To a wonderful new year full of possibilities.

Cheers!

C.

Wonderful Raw Website!

I just stumbled across an awesome website devoted to eating raw/living foods. Wonderful recipes and forum to answer lots of questions. Tons of fun. Enjoy!

GONE RAW


I will also put this link on the left side of this blog for easier access later :o).

Raw Tomato Salsa

This has to be the top hit in our family especially during the summer months when the tomatoes are the tastiest. If you want to stay away from tortilla chips, use sliced veggies such as cucumber, white radish, zucchini, yellow squash, or raw corn crackers. The last time I made this, our one year old daughter ate almost 1/2 cup with her fingers because she did not have the patience to use her spoon or dipping veggies :o). Enjoy!


5 medium tomatoes
1 small red onion
2-4 cloves garlic (to taste)
hand full of fresh cilantro
raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lime
celtic sea salt
black pepper (optional)
jalapenos (optional)


The way this salsa tastes best is if you chop everything by hand. You can use a food processor and pulse chop, but the tomatoes get mushy and the salsa loses a great deal of it's flair.

Dice the tomatoes as big or small as you fancy them and place them in a medium sized bowl. Then dice the onions as fine as you like and add them to the tomatoes. Press only two cloves of fresh garlic into the tomatoes (you can add more later if needed). De-stem and chop the cilantro and add to bowl. Pour enough apple cider vinegar so that the liquid is level with the amount of tomatoes. Juice one lime and add to salsa. Mix thoroughly. Taste and add salt, pepper and more garlic or jalapenos if desired.

The apple cider vinegar amplifies the kick of the onions and garlic. The finer you dice the onions and the more garlic you add, the hotter the salsa becomes without jalapenos. I fixed this salsa with my mom once, and she was convinced that we needed jalapenos; I told her to try a little first. After trying a few bites, we both started to tear and sweat because she had diced the onions so fine. I've never tried this with the jalapenos, but beware it could get pretty spicy!

MSG Hidden Truth

We have all heard about MSG, but do we really understand the negative effects that this toxin has on our bodies? It is in almost all processed food on the market, hidden behind alternate names, but with the same startling effects on the body.












To your health,

C.

The Truth About Fluoride and Tap Water

After a shocking moment two years ago, our family began using fluoride free toothpaste and filtering the water with which we drink and cook. Once again we were all taught that fluoride is beneficial, but in all actuality it is a poison that is hurting us all.









I encourage you to research the different water filters on the market; our family has chosen to use the Wellness Filter. Since our bodies are 60%-70% water, a contaminated source of water has the potential to bring serious health concerns from ADHD and lowered IQ to cancer and hip fractures.

More to think about.

C.

Why Almond Milk?

I am so deeply saddened that we think we are doing the best for our families, but in reality the information we learn about nutrition early on is never challenged or questioned. Please watch this video on cow's milk, and then you will understand why our family opts to drink almond milk instead.





This is a wonderful demonstration on how to make almond milk. It may take a little while for your family's taste buds to change because the almond milk lacks the heavy fat of cow's milk. You can ease the transition by first using it in cereals, smoothies, etc. before offering the almond milk as a beverage. We rarely drink it straight because we want our children to have enough plain water each day to help hydrate and cleanse their systems.





Something to think about :o).

C.

Potato Leek Soup

Seeing that the weather is getting rather chilly, I thought I would post a very fast, easy, low cost and yummy soup that only has a few ingredients. Potato leek soup has the potential to be spicy if the leeks are strong, so if you have children and spicy leeks...use more potatoes and less leeks :o).

3 Tbsp. butter or oil
3 large leeks (or 5 smaller ones)
2 1/2 or 3 cups potatoes of your choice
4 cups veggie broth
salt to taste
nutmeg all to taste
cayenne pepper (optional)


Wash the leeks out thoroughly, by trimming off the ends and slicing the leek lengthwise only half way through. This will allow you to rinse the layers of the leek without it falling apart. Once you have all the leeks clean, slice them into 1/4 inch "disks."

In a large pot, saute the leeks in the butter or oil until limp. This is a lot of leeks, don't worry they will cook down. While to leeks are cooking, wash and chop the potatoes into smallish cubes; if you want a soup that does not have brown "flecks" in it, peel the potatoes before chopping. After the leeks are limp, add the potatoes and vegetable broth. Increase the heat and cook until the potatoes can be mashed against the side of the pot with a little bit of effort.

Let it cool for a little bit, and then puree it in the blender until smooth. I prefer to have a few chunks of potatoes still intact for texture. The volume of soup will take several blenders full, so either have a big bowl ready or another pot in which to pour the pureed soup into.

Once the soup is pureed, turn the heat to low and add salt and nutmeg to taste. If you add too much nutmeg your soup will turn bitter...so add slowly. If you and your family like to spice things up add cayenne to give it a bit more "zip."

This soup is wonderful with rolls to dip in the soup along with a salad or a sandwich on the side. From start to finish this soup takes me about 25 minutes to prepare, and while the soup is simmering I finish the side items for a complete meal.

This will make about 6-8 adult servings.

Enjoy and stay warm out there :o)

C.

A Birthday Cake

Since it was my husband's birthday yesterday, the children and I decided to make him a raw strawberry cake :o). It was so sweet and filling without the sugar or guilt :o). We had the rest this morning for breakfast along with our favorite raw shakes.




The recipe below originated from the book, Eating without Heating by Sergei & Valya Boutenko. Wonderful resource.




STRAWBERRY CAKE


Topping (or frosting)

1 C. fresh or frozen strawberries (if frozen use no sugar added fruit)
1 C. cashews
1 C. olive oil
5 Tbsp. honey
juice from one medium lemon
1 tsp. vanilla

Put the nuts in the blender and whiz until they are broken up into little pieces. Next add the rest of the frosting ingredients and blend until smooth. Add small amounts of water if it is too thick for your motor. (remember pulse is your best friend :o). When finished place in the freezer until needed to solidify the nuts and oil for a frosting consistency.


Crust

2 C. ground almonds (place in a blender and whiz until ground)
1 C. shredded coconut
3 Tbsp. olive oil (extra virgin cold pressed)
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cinamon
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all the crust ingredients and mix well (your hands work best). Then separate "dough" into three balls and form the first layer of the cake on a plate. Take the "frosting" out of the freezer and spread a thin layer on the top of the cake layer. Form the next cake layer off to the side and then gently place it on the cake. Repeat until the cake has all of its layers; then frost like a regular cake.

If the frosting gets too runny, just put it back in the freezer until it gets more solid.

Refrigerate the cake immediately until you are ready to serve. Makes an 8 inch cake that yielded 12 slices.

Enjoy :o).

Favorite Raw Morning Shake

This is by far our family's favorite shake. No matter what time of day everyone enjoys this. It reminds me of a virgin strawberry daiquiri...tart and sweet, wonderful.


5 medium size oranges
1 Tbsp. tahini (Arrowhead Mills brand has the highest nutrient content that I have found)
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
3 cups or so frozen organic strawberries (or frozen strawberries without the sugar, corn syrup, etc.)

Juice the oranges and put liquid into blender. Add tahini and agave nectar. Put just enough strawberries so that they reach the bottom of the blender and stick out above the juice. Blend until smooth. So delicious and filling.

Serves 2-4 (depending on how tall the glass :o).

C.

Banana Muffins

This recipe also comes out of UPRISINGS baking book, but this is the revised 1990 edition. It is still the same in content, meaning whole foods in origin and no refined sugars or processed food ingredients. Some of the bakeries in this edition are different with new recipes and some are duplicated from the previous edition. I love owning both editions of UPRISINGS well worth the investment.


2 1/2 ripe bananas
1 egg
2 Tbsp. honey
1/3 cup oil (I prefer coconut)
1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
handful or more walnuts broken into small pieces (optional)

Mash the bananas. Add beaten egg, honey, oil, and vanilla and mix well.

In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves.

Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour in the liquids. Stir just enough to combine everything. If you stir too much the will not rise.

Spoon into oiled muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

My modifications include:

1. changing the original recipe from 1/4 tsp. nutmeg to 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp cloves.
   
2. adding walnuts...yum!
   

Egg Substitute

This egg substitute will work in lieu of any quantity of eggs in flour based cookies, quick bread recipes, pancakes. waffles, etc. It will not work in items such as pumpkin pie or custards. I use this for all my baking as flax seeds are full of omega fatty acids, have no cholesterol, will clean out the colon, and are much more cost effective than eggs especially if you bake muffins daily as we do.

1/3 cup flax seeds (golden or brown)
1 cup water

Place flax seeds in blender and whiz until the seeds are broken up a bit. Next pour in the water and blend until the mixture has the consistency of a beaten egg.

BLEND THIS JUST BEFORE YOU ADD IT TO THE BATTER. If left standing too long, it will stiffen up too much.

1/4 cup of this mixture equals one egg.

ENJOY!

C.

Blueberry Coconut Muffins

Here is a recipe taken from one of my all time favorite baking books: UPRISINGS (1986 edition). Unfortunately it is no longer in print, but I have found several copies on ebay and Amazon used book sales. This baking book is a co-operative effort from many whole food bakeries across America who shared their recipes. There are no refined sugars or processed food ingredients in this book, only wholesome baked treats to enjoy :o).


3/4 cup safflower (or coconut) oil
3/4 cup honey
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp lemon rind
3 tsp. vanilla

4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/8 cups shredded coconut
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or defrosted

Blend wet ingredients together with a whisk or beat well with a wooden spoon.

Mix together the flour, coconut and baking powder. Blend into wet ingredients. Lightly stir in the blueberries.

The batter will be thick (like cookie dough)-this makes a delicious muffin. You can add milk or water, however, if you desire a runnier batter.

Spoon batter into greased muffin pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 18 muffins.

If you are using coconut oil make sure your berries are defrosted because the coconut oil will solidify when the berries cool the batter down. This will result in a very dense muffin (speaking from experience here).


I hope you enjoy these gems as much as we do :o) , C.

Whole Foods for the Family

After grocery shopping the other day, I glanced over to the pile of fruit on our counter, and it looked so pretty that I had to take a picture. If you can believe it, we will eat that whole pile and more in only 4 days :o). Our family sticks mainly to eating whole foods (meals made from scratch with foods closest to their natural state, minimally processed). It seems that with times as they are and lifestyles going so fast and busy, people have gravitated to convenience and lost the desire to prepare wholesome food for their families. So in the next few days I will be posting several of our family's favorite recipes for baked goods that have no refined sugar or dairy in them. We love to bake muffins in the morning for breakfast and then snack on the "left overs" all day long :o)...fast, convenient, wholesome snack for the children. Post soon :o) C.