Roasted pumpkin seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds

 October 9th, 2012 

Spicy pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are loaded with vitamins and minerals, but also with polyunsaturated omega-6 fats. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc, protein, iron, manganese, and muscle relaxing magnesium also sleep promoting tryptophan,   Helps promote joint health and reduce inflammation.

Those fats are very fragile and can go rancid quite quickly so seeds prepared this way should be kept in a air-tight container in the refrigerator and eaten in less than a week. This is also a nice snack kids will like and is very quick to prepare. It’s a great way to use the seeds you get when carving the Halloween pumpkins.  Simply rinse and dry the seeds before using them.

Ingredients

3 cups raw pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp butter or olive oil
1  tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp sea salt;
1 tsp cayenne pepper;

Preheat your oven to 350 F.
In a bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds with the melted oil, chili powder, sea salt and cayenne pepper;
Spread on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes.
Let cool and serve or store in the refrigerator in a air-tight container.

What is Royal Jelly?

Royal Jelly

 October 15th, 2012

The beginning of a queen bees life she is just a normal bee. After they choose her to be the queen she begins to eat Royal Jelly and grow 40 percent larger than the regular bees and will lay over 3 million eggs!
Royal Jelly is high in B Complex vitamins. Many diseases respond well to B vitamins because they are needed for healthy metabolism. It also contains amino acids.

Foods that promote healthy hair and nails

Foods that promote healthy hair and nails

 October 16th, 2012  Kim  No Comments »  Edit

swiss chard
almonds
walnuts
cooked eggs
all have Biotin and a biotin deficiency is associated with brittle nails , hair loss, and seborrheic dermatitis.

Protein makes ups hair primarily. So an adequate amount of protein is needed daily.

Fish like salmon, tuna, sardines and cod
flaxseed and walnuts
all are high in Omega 3. Low omega 3’3 cause brittle hair

Spinach, kale, and other leafy greens are rich in beta-carotene, which converts vitamin A

Palmetto a dietary supplement can also help reduce  hair loss.

Great reasons to eat pumpkin

Pumpkin

 October 17th, 2012  Kim

Pumpkin is a heavyweight when it comes to potassium (564 mg ) and only 49 calories per cup. That is 33 percent more than a banana.
Potassium maintains the the water balance in the body. More potassium increases the sodium excreted from the body and lower blood pressure.
Potassium is linked to decreasing the risk of stroke. Athletes need to replenish potassium after exercising. Low potassium can cause the muscles to cramp.

Pumpkin is also high in beta-carotene, it reduces the risk of lung and colon cancers. It can also reduce rheumatoid arthritis by 41 percent.
Pumpkin is also a champion for your eyes. It has carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. All of these nutrients are protect your vision for healthy eyes.
And if that was not enough pumpkin also has Vitamin A plus calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus .
Carotenoids are need for fat absorption, so add a little butter and brown sugar and it is a great substitute for potatoes.

Surprisingly, a simple can of pumpkin puree is a safe and natural home remedy for treating both constipation and diarrhea in cats and dogs. Pumpkin is a wonderful source of fiber and has high water content. If your pet is constipated, the fiber in the pumpkin will soften the stools. If your pet is experiencing diarrhea, the fiber in the pumpkin will absorb the water in your pet’s digestive system which will help make the stools firmer.

Pumpkin is mainly eaten at Halloween and Thanksgiving, but we should eat it more often than that.  I like adding it to my smoothies and my family loves it when I make pumpkin pancakes.
Pumpkin  Pancakes

2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick® mix ( I use gluten free) 1/2 cup canned pumpkin 1 1/4 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 2 eggs Maple Pecan Syrup 1 cup maple syrup 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 cup pecans Melt butter add pecans and maple syrup. Keep warm. Stir pancake ingredients until well blended. Pour batter onto hot greased griddle. Turn; cook until golden brown. Serve with syrup If I can find it in the store, I like to put in 1/2 package of Jello pumkin spice instant pudding it gives more flavor. If you add the jello don’t add the sugar and pumpkin spice. Perfect shake  for Autumn …makes your favorite Fall dessert a high-protein shake!  Pumpkin Protein Shake 1 cup of your favorite type of milk (I use unsweetened almond vanilla breeze) 1 serving of vanilla protein powder 1/2 cup pure pumpkin 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon each ginger and cloves) 1 cup of ice cubes optional: sweetener of choice (agave, stevia, honey, etc) Combine  all ingredients into a blender. Process until smooth and thick.  Puor into a large glass, add cool whip to top  if desired and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Makes one serving. Pumpkin, butternut squash Soup 1 cup chopped onion 2 cloves of garlic 2 stalks celery chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 (14.5 ounce) cans vegetable broth 2 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree 2 (12 oz) bags of butternut squash 2 small apples cored and sliced 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cup heavy whipping cream or unsweetened coconut milk Pinch of cayenne optional 1/4 cup of maple syrup optional to sweeten 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish Saute onion, garlic and celery with oil in a medium saucepan until tender. Add 1 can vegetable broth; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add remaining can of broth, pumpkin,apples, butternut squash,  spices; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Will need to do in batches. Return mixture to sauce pan and add milk, and maple if desired. Pour into bowl and garnish with pumpkin seed and Greek yogurt optional Tastes better the next day as a reheat.

Hyperthyroid

Foods to eat for hyperthyroid

 October 12th, 2012 

Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, occurs when the thyroid gland makes excessive amounts of the thyroid hormones. Increased iodine intake, Graves disease, thyroiditis or tumors in the gland can lead to hyperthyroidism. Fatigue, heat intolerance, increased appetite, lack of concentration and anxiety are some of the symptoms associated with this condition. Your doctor may prescribe antithyroid medications or surgery, depending on the severity of the condition. Roughly 1 percent of Americans have hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism is more common.

Great food to eat to

Raw is better or slightly cooked

broccoli                    brazil nuts ( 3 a day)

brussel sprouts               cauliflower

kale                            mustard                               turnips                          millet                   peaches

radishes ( these are the best and will help you the most eat daily if you can)

spinach                   mint                                    rosemary                         seafood

sea vegetables like kelp and seaweed.
Bugleweed is good but don’t take if you are breastfeeding.

Caffeine; alcohol; and added sugars, such as cane sugar, brown sugar, brown rice syrup, honey and corn syrup, may also worsen the condition. Use  stevia for a great  sugar substitute.

Taurine is an amino acid that is essential for the functioning of the nervous system and for maintaining fluid and salt levels in the blood. It also is a powerful antioxidant that protects the cells and tissues from the harmful effects of free radicals formed as a result of various metabolic processes in the body. The unstable free radicals, otherwise, react with the DNA and protein of healthy cells and damage them. Taurine can be obtained from foods such as meat and dairy products. Taurine supplements are available as tablets, capsules and powders. They often are used to boost energy levels and to increase athletic performance.

Sources

Livestrong and Conquering any disease

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How to freeze extra herbs

 September 26th, 2012 

The garden is full of fresh herbs and no one wants to let it all go to waste!  So I have a great tip for you.

Freeze them!!
You can easily chop up your leftover fresh herbs and freeze them!

How you ask?  Easy
Freeze them in water for short term storage or freeze them in oil for storing over a few weeks.

I use an ice cube tray which makes it very easy to place about 1 Tablespoon of fresh herb into each of the 12 sections of the tray.
Once they are frozen solid, pop them out of the tray and place into a sealed and labeled ziploc bag and store in the freezer.

This makes it so convenient to add to a recipe or to add to a drink to add some extra flavor.

Freeze your mint and add it to your tea for ice tea or add it to your water and now you have a a home made flavored water.

Freezing them in a 1 Tablespoon serving makes it easy to add to a recipe since it is already measured out for you.

So stop throwing out fresh herbs that you did not use and freeze them.

Gin-Soaked Raisins May Alleviate Pain

 September 28th, 2012 

A reader just  shared with me  her  Grandmother’s old remedy for  relieving  arthritis pain.  Some old time remedies do really work and others don’t.  The claim is that Gin-soaked raisins may alleviate arthritis  pain, so I decided to do some investigation work to find out why it would work.  Was Grandma just drinking the gin and her excuse was that it helped her arthritis ? Is there any merit behind it?

The remedy is as follows. Place a box full of golden raisins (must be golden) in a glass vessel, like a canning jar. Pour in gin specifically made with Juniper berries, until the raisins are completely covered. Let the raisins sit for a week at room temperature and soak up the gin. After that, eat 10 raisins per day. Theoretically, if you have arthritis pain, this will help.

OK, what a strange remedy. Let’s do a little digging, and see what we can figure. Golden raisins are sultana grapes, to which sulfur dioxide has been added to keep them golden. Sultana grapes are from Turkey, Greece, Iran or South Africa. In the U.S., they are cultivated under the name Thompson seedless grapes. These grapes are rich in the compounds resveratrol, catechins, potassium and vitamin C. Both resveratrol and catechins are antioxidant compounds, which also demonstrate anti-inflammatory activity. Arthritis pain involves inflammation of the joints. So possibly, these compounds are implicated in the efficacy of the gin-soaked raisin arthritis remedy.
Then there is the gin, made specifically from Juniper berries. As it turns out, juniper berries are laden with anti-inflammatory compounds, including catechin, alpha-pinene, alpha-terpineol, beta-pinene, betulin, caryophyllene, delta-3-carene, epicatechin, limonene, menthol and rutin. They are packed with anti-arthritic activity!
On top of that, the sulfur dioxide used to keep golden raisins golden also possesses anti-inflammatory properties.
When you soak the golden raisins in the juniper berry gin, the gin extracts many of the compounds in the raisins, making them more readily absorbed when you consume the raisins.

So maybe it will work.  These raisins are packed with anti inflammatory power. If you don’t mind the taste of the gin then this could be a great way to start or end the day.  The alcohol level that is in the raisin is not enough to make you drunk.

I’d like to hear from anyone that may have tried this remedy. Did it work for you ?

Source

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/04/11/gin-soaked-raisins-alleviate-pain/