Natural Antibiotics

Just in time for the cold season, here is a blog on keeping your body well naturally.

Plant Antibiotics exist in nature. There are many forms. I am a nursing and working mother and as it happens, I had a bout of Mastitis; Mastitis is the inflammation of the milk ducts in the breast and women are typically prescribed pharmaceutical antibiotics for it. Most stay on these drugs for a handful of days to over a week.

I will now tell you what my Herbalist family member "prescribed" for me that knocked it out in less than 24 hours!

First she asked me if I had any Fresh, Organic Thyme or Rosemary. I happened to actually have it, funny enough. As she looked through my batch of fresh herbs she noted that I also had some Sage in there as well. She said, they all have the same antibiotic properties and will all act similarly.

She took a bunch in her hand and tossed it into a pot of boiling water. She was making a tea of these herbs which I was to then drink. I could've drank it straight but I put a dab of raw honey in it to make it a tad more palatable.

Then, I sipped on it for about 45 minutes....

2 hours later, the cramping began! It felt as if my bowels wanted to release absolutely everything in my intestines within 30 seconds! She saw me bent over on the living room floor, my husband laughing at me, and said, "Oh yeah, you do get a little gripey after taking it; I forgot to mention that!" Through my gritted smile and painful belly, I actually managed to chuckle.

The cramping was over in about 30 minutes; I fell asleep soon afterwards.

By morning, ALL SYMPTOMS OF MASTITIS WERE GONE! No pain! No soreness! No headache! No fever! No shivers! NOTHING! I was dumbfounded. 'Is it really this simple?!"

Well, in my case at least, it was.

So for those uninsured Mommies out there who are apprehensive to go to the doctor for every ailment, this worked for me.

It could work for you,

~ Turmeric

Organic Must-Haves

I am a very "organic" eater, at least when it comes to grocery shopping and what I supply in my home. The vast majority of the food items I purchase are labeled 'organic' but some items are not as important to me to be organic, in example: Bananas, mangoes, avocados, oranges and grapefruit.

However, some items will never cross the threshold into my home without being organic. Here is a list, and here is why:

Berries: (Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries)

These items have an extremely thin skin and absorb a lot of pesticides/herbicides/chemicals. These fruit cannot simply be washed and have some residue removed. Additionally, berries are an insect FAVORITE and are easily enjoyed by them, thus prompting a deadly amount of toxins to be used to kill the insects; berries simply are bathed in more pesticides than your average apple or orange.

Stone fruit: (Plums, Peaches, Nectarines)

Similar to berries, in 'conventional' farming these fruits are sprayed with poisons abundantly more than your average apple or orange. Especially because we typically eat the skins of these fruits as well, it is a no-go for consuming if not organic.

Soy: (Soy milk, tofu, many fake meats)

95% of American soybean crops are not just heavily sprayed with toxic chemicals, but also contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs for short) . GMOs are very new to our market Less than 15 years ago these genetically manipulated foods slipped quietly into the front door of our supermarkets without a peep. In the conventional market, more than 65% of ANYTHING you can buy has Genetically Modified ingredients. GMOs are scientists playing with the DNA of plants and animals and mixing genes together to create foods with certain qualities. Because this is so new, we do not know the long term affects of GMOs on our bodies or the environment. (GMOs are not yet allowed in Japan's food market or many European Union countries; they are observing us first to see how deleterious it could be).

That being said, according to the USDA, for an item to be certified "Organic" there cannot be any GMOs. Since GMOs are not labelled in any way in the United States, the only way I can know I am not consuming genetically modified Soy is if I purchase it organic.

Caveat: Silk brand items is famous for NEVER using genetically modified soybeans in their products, even their non-organic products.

Dairy (Cheese, Sour Cream, Yogurt, Butter)

First of all, I am not a big dairy consumer. However, every now and again, I want some cheese! Some really good cheese. I will only buy Organic and hopefully Raw cheese. As described in a much earlier post, conventional dairy cows are so sickly and ill, they produce a disgusting product that is laced with rBST/rBGH and antibiotics (not to mention the environmental havoc it wreaks on our soil and water systems). It is so detrimental to our health as human beings, in my opinion, it should be permanently banned.

I hope this has been informative for you. It is important to me to pass along what I have researched.

~ Turmeric

Combinations for Nutrient Absorption

Here's something you may not know: just because you consume certain nutrients does not mean that your body has absorbed them. Some need a transporter, a carrier of sorts.

Vitamin C and Iron:

Iron can not be absorbed unless Vitamin C is present. These 2 nutrients need near simultaneous consumption. Vegetarian foods heavy in iron include spinach, arugula, Kale, and other dark leafy greens. One suggestion for getting your iron is to squeeze lemon or lime over a salad of dark leafy greens. But Iron is not so critical since we do not pass it out through urine or sweat. The only way to loose iron once absorbed is by bleeding. This is why in American culture, many men have iron overdose issues due to over-consumption of animal flesh, while women have periods that naturally release some iron. Iron overdose can show itself in abdominal cramping, nausea, and/or vomiting after eating a meal which is due to the irritation and ulceration of the stomach lining. The Kidneys, liver, heart, Lungs, blood vessels and Brain also suffer from Iron overdose.

Vitamin D and Calcium:

Calcium can only be absorbed in the presence of Vitamin D. This is why the Dairy companies manufacture milk (that naturally has calcium) and "enrich" it with Vitamin D. The problem is that this Vitamin D is synthetic and is not absorbed properly or fully by our bodies. Additionally, processing milk in our bodies require certain minerals, including calcium, and if calcium is not found, our body will release it from our teeth and bones; this is why the countries with the highest dairy consumption also have the highest osteoporosis rates.

Foods high in calcium include almost anything dark green; Broccoli has more calcium by weight than milk. The BEST way by far to attain Vitamin D is through the Sun. This is also why the highest 'risk factors' for contracting osteoporosis is being of Asian and/or Caucasian/European descent: those with fairer skin tend to stay indoors more and use sunblock more readily which impedes the Suns Vitamin D absorption. If we all bask in the sun's blissful energy for 20 minutes at a time everyday we will have enough Vitamin D for all our Body's needs.

Fun Fact: Cholesterol is absorbed in the body through the presence of Saturated fat; ergo !!! if you are diagnosed with high cholesterol, but LOOOVEE shellfish...YOU CAN HAVE IT! just without butter :P

Overall, if you reduce your saturated fat intake, your cholesterol will fall naturally.

Be well, Eat well,

~ Turmeric

I'm not a Vegetarian...I just Play one on TV

Good Greetings to you all. Today I'm talking to about "boxes". Yes, not boxes, but "boxes".

Depending on where you are from, depending on how you were raised, depending on your experiences of life we all live in some variant degree in "boxes". We can wear labels that say 'Middle-class', 'Buddhist', 'Rhodes Scholar', 'Short', 'Smart' etc. And each label has a societal set of adjectives that are tact on to it; this my friends is the titular "Box".

I'm here to remind myself and all of us that no matter what titles we call ourselves, we do not need to adhere to rules and stipulations that are the societal definitions of said title.

To be specific, I have had this experience multiple times:

Person A: So are you a vegetarian?
Me: I don't eat meat or buy or cook it, but I'm not a vegetarian.
Person A: But if you don't eat meat, then you are a vegetarian.
Me: I'm not a vegetarian because if someone cooks a vegetarian-kept, free-range, no anti-biotic chicken, I may to eat it.
Person A: So then what are you?

It seems that people are not satisfied until they can tag you with a label, a word, that then has definition, four walls, a ceiling and a floor.

I'm here to tell you, none of us need a "box"! You may call yourself a hippie, a fashionista, a hipster, an earthy-type, but these labels are not you in its ENTIRETY and there are no set of rules you have to fall into because of said labels. You like things, you dislike things, but 1 word can never completely define a human life. So, for my alternative eaters out there who deal with a slew of dense individuals on a regular basis, remind them: I eat what I eat, I eat what I want, and sometimes that includes 'x' and sometimes it doesn't.

Let them agonize over not having a "box" to put you in.

Oh How I've Missed You!

Today marks my return.

There have been many changes during my absence: I gave birth; I got married; I moved, twice! Amongst all of this I wondered if under the pressure of having a child, would I still adhere to my particular ways of eating in which I have placed much importance. I can happily conclude that I've done better!

Recently, I mentioned to my father-in-law (a homeopathic doctor) how my hair has dried out considerably and acne has broken out on my face ever since I gave birth. He said that my thyroid is probably weakened and its a normal thing that happens to women after giving birth...

"...ok cool...

...but this is NOT cool. What should I eat?" He told me seaweed; but I also decided at that moment to be more digestibly responsible and steer clear of 2 main ingredients that could be stressing my systems and worsening the symptoms of dry hair and blemished skin:

Sugar and Dairy.

Its been about a month since my personal pledge and I must say I've been VERY diligent. The 2 main pieces of sugar I consume regularly now are fruit (mostly organic) and juices. I am weening myself of juice. I want it! But I dilute my glass with as much as half water and I don't allow more than 16 oz. worth in a day.

I had started to notice success in the skin department around 5 days out. That motivated me to continue and stick to it and do better! I stopped buying bread that lists 'sugar' as an ingredient. ( My bread of choice for the moment is Healthy Delights). I stopped using ketchup and stopped picking at white breads and white flour crackers at gatherings.

Its been about 4 weeks now and my pimples have all receded, most are completely gone and the quality of my skin now has a mild 'glow' rather than a dull yellow-tinted appearance.

Dairy intake has been low but not gone. About 1/2 the week I am dairy free and when it is consumed it has been in the form of waffle batter, Caesar dressing, or some other small or mild version of it. Interestingly, I do not believe that it has much of an effect on my skin. I say this because if I eat, lets say, pasta with an alla vodka sauce (which has cream) I may get more phlegm-y, but my skin doesn't have a reaction. In my case, it looks as if sugar does much of the damage and small amounts of dairy (at least on a low sugar diet) does not effect my acne.

My face is not perfect yet, but I will keep you updated.

p.s. One Time For The Sun
I would also like to add that about 2 weeks in, I spent a few hours at the beach under the sun and within 24 hours there was a vast improvement in the appearance of my pimples, so 1 TIME FOR THE SUN AND ITS ABUNDANCE OF VITAMIN D! I SEE YOU SUN!

Changing Supermarkets

After a year, I found that I was unsatisfied with the selection I was given at my local supermarket. I passed a Fresh Market on my way home from work and decided to check it out. I FELT AS IF I WAS IN A NINTH DIMENSION OF LUXURIOUS PEOPLE WHO SIP FAIR TRADE COFFEE AND NIBBLE ON FRENCH CHEESES WHILE SHOPPING FOR GROCERIES. I was impressed!
So I decided to pick up something, anything.
I was like a kid in a candy store. There were so many things I had never seen or even heard of before, it was so cool.

So I get home to my roommates and gush about the lavish experience I had just had. Luckily, we were all somewhat interested in health (on different levels) so we decided to head out there together for choice items.

Long story short, we began to do our grocery shopping solely at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Fresh Market. Before long, our kitchen was absolutely over 75% Organic.

This was the next step to a healthier me: changing to a whole food grocer.

Try it,

~Turmeric

Going Organic

After about 2 years of being conscious that I had been an unhealthy person, I had controlled my fast-food addiction and soda consumption. I had read some information on foods in the supermarkets and the chemicals used to raise them. I read the effects said chemicals had over time on the health of humans, animals, plant life, and soil. I have always been environmentally conscious. In my decision to begin buying some produce and food organic, it was more for Mother Earth than for me.

I deduced that the most important products to buy organic was Dairy and Meat; and so this is how I began my Organic journey. I told myself that I would never buy non-organic meat or dairy from a supermarket every again...and I never went back on that. There are many many many reasons why I decided this is where my organic path should start. Some of those reasons I have spoken of in earlier blogs.

The second group of foods that I decided to only buy organic at all costs were berries: Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. The reason: 1- Berries are extremely important to health, so I eat a lot of them, therefore I need them to be good for me which leads me to 2 - Their thin skin. Berries have extremely thin and pourous skin that allows the pesticides to permeate the fruit. When tested for chemical residue, berries are amongst the highest in concentration. Thicker skinned fruit like oranges and bananas score lower.

If you are following my story, this is 2 years into actively becoming a more healthy human being that I began to buy all my Meat, Dairy, and Berries organic.

~Turmeric