Nutrition

Turmeric — Nature’s Powerhouse Spice

May 11, 2015 by Jackie Ritz 6 Comments

Eating natural, organic, non-processed foods is one of the best ways to ensure that we are doing all we can to get and keep our bodies healthy. But as we all know, a good meal is more than a piece of meat, a baked sweet potato, and a salad of organic romaine lettuce, cucumber and tomato. There’s something we can do that will greatly improve the taste of our food while it provides our bodies with healthy, powerful quantities of antioxidants and nutrients to support our body’s systems. What is it? It’s the amazing herbs and spices that we can use that are very low in calories but dense in vitamins and minerals; like turmeric!

I want to talk about one of these powerhouse spices in this blog post. It’s turmeric, often called the “Queen of Spices,” a member of the ginger family and a main ingredient in curry. Turmeric has been used as a healthy spice for thousands of years. As far back as AD 1280, Marco Polo discovered it while he was in China, saying: “There is also a vegetable which has all the properties of true saffron, as well as the smell and the color, and yet it is not really saffron.”¹

One of main ingredients in turmeric is curcumin, which gives turmeric its yellow color.

There are so many good benefits to this powerhouse spice that we cannot cover them all in this short post. But I would like to answer these three questions:

What kind of turmeric should I purchase?
How should I use turmeric?
What are 7 benefits I can get from turmeric.

What kind of turmeric should I purchase?

You can find turmeric in the spice aisle of your local grocery store, but you cannot guarantee the quality you may find. It’s very difficult to verify the purity and potency of grocery store spices. You should search for a high-quality, 100 percent organic-based turmeric supplement. Male sure your herbal supplement comes from a certified organic producer committed to quality processes.

Use this checklist to find the best:

Contains only 100 percent certified organic ingredients
Comes in supplement form
Avoids fillers, additives, and other ingredients

Be careful to research thoroughly to find the best turmeric. There are two forms of turmeric you will want. As a supplement you take daily to reduce inflammation in your heart, joints, liver, and for cellular health, I recommend this one in liquid capsule formulation.

How should I use turmeric?

There are many uses for turmeric, including those I mentioned earlier. Let’s talk about just a few specific things I would recommend you try.

It can be used in lotions, rubs and salves to sooth skin and reduce inflammation. It often can be found in preparations for eczema or psoriasis. If you are experiencing skin breakouts or dry, scaly skin I would recommend that you add 1 teaspoon of powdered turmeric spice to my Whipped Sleepytime Rub. You should get relief from some of the skin problems within a few days.
Whenever you feel a cold coming on, or are experiencing the symptoms of flu and bronchitis, get your crock pot out and make some of my Soothing Elixir for Colds and Flu. Be sure to add about 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder to the recipe.
When you or one of your family members is having a hard time sleeping through the night, or is suffering from an illness that keeps you awake at night, try a cup of soothing Turmeric Tea. This is one of the most helpful uses for this powerhouse spice. You can find a great recipe for this healthy tea here.
Did you know that research has proven that chocolate is good not only for the soul, but for your mind and body as well? Dark chocolate, along with turmeric, are great inflammation fighters, and help to reduce the inflammatory processes underlying chronic, degenerative diseases. Try adding a half teaspoon of turmeric powder to this delicious Two-Minute Mug Brownie. The spicy, warm flavor of the turmeric will blend well with the smooth texture of the brownie and provide you with some great healthy benefits.
Turmeric is a wonderful spice to add to soups and stews, and will give them a rich, warm flavor and a beautiful color. The next time you make Homemade Bone Broth, add a couple teaspoons of Turmeric.

What are 7 benefits I can get from turmeric?

There are many benefits to this “Queen of Spices” Turmeric, so do your own research to discover the specific ways this spice could bring better health to your family’s needs. I want to list 7 benefits that I think are worth considering as motivation to add this spice to your own recipes and homemade products.

The powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities of turmeric can help to build a wall of defense against colds, viruses, and other seasonal illnesses. Most studies indicate that to get the most benefits from turmeric, you need a dosage of at least 1 gram per day. Use this excellent extra strength product I recommended earlier.
The curcumin in turmeric has been suggested as a better option for people dealing with blood clotting issues than several of the OTC products available.
To support your liver as it works to unload the toxins that are built up over time, which cause weight gain, fatigue, headaches, irritability, anxiety, constipation, heartburn, PMS, infertility and insomnia, I recommend this three-week liver-cleansing program, which includes the addition of organic turmeric.
Turmeric has proven to be very beneficial to people who are suffering from the painful joints and inflammation of arthritis. A study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 2009 compared the active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, with ibuprofen for pain relief in 107 people with knee osteoarthritis. The curcumin eased pain and improved function about as well as the ibuprofen.³ To increase absorption and get the therapeutic dose necessary for maximum benefit, add 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder to a quart of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes and drink the turmeric water within six hours.
Cancer is one of the most thoroughly researched studies related to curcumin and its ability to reverse disease. Studies have shown that curcumin has anticancer effects and is able to kill cancer cells and prevent more from growing. The American Cancer Society has stated: “Laboratory studies have also shown that curcumin interferes with cancer development, growth, and spread. Recently, curcumin has received a great deal of focus because of it’s ability to reduce tumor size and kill cancer cells.”²
There may be no better natural treatment for lowering blood sugar and reversing insulin resistance than adding 500 to 2,000 mg of tumeric to your diet daily. In addition to correcting the causes of diabetes, curcumin has also been proven to help reverse many of the issues related to insulin resistance and hyperglycemia.
Studies have shown curcumin to be equally as effective as other medications in the treatment of high cholesterol. You can add turmeric spice to curries, use it to flavor lentil soups, spice up sautéed onions and/or cauliflower or add it to homemade salad dressing and dips. Try this delicious Turmeric Cinnamon Roasted Cauliflower.

This powerhouse “Queen of Spices”—Turmeric—is one of nature’s healthiest foods. It can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions. Do your research and begin adding turmeric to your daily diet.

Resources

Fancy Bacon Peas

January 13, 2015 by Jackie Ritz 5 Comments

Have you ever ate something that made you angry? Like it was so good that it made you make a face that said, “Holy moly…how did you make this?“. Yea, that is the kind of reaction I get to my Fancy Bacon Peas. This simple, side-dish is sure to impress your family and friends…and it has bacon in it, so you can’t go wrong!

Fancy Bacon Peas:

INGREDIENTS:

16oz package of frozen peas, thawed out
4 slices of thick-sliced bacon
1 shallot or 1/4th of a sweet onion
1/4 cup of Mayonnaise (make it yourself)
2 teaspoons of Lemon Juice
1/4 teaspoon of Pepper
1/4 teaspoon of Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the bacon in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Remove bacon when crisp but leave the heavenly bacon grease.
Saute the onions for 3-5 minutes until soft and tender.
Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes until soft and cooked. Remove from heat and put in a serving bowl.
Toss the mayo, pepper, salt and lemon juice till combined and smooth.
Add bacon to the serving bowl with the peas.
Pour the dressing over the peas, bacon and onions and toss.
Serve warm!

Matcha Mate Almond Latte

January 5, 2015 by Jackie Ritz Leave a Comment

By Angela, contributing writer

As someone with a sensitive digestive system, coffee has always been a nutritional gray area for me. It also exacerbates my teeth grinding and stresses my adrenals, so I’m trying to stop. In an attempt to wean myself off black tea and coffee, I’ve been playing with some fun alternatives. It’s hard to give up something you love without replacing it with something else. I look forward to my morning ritual of sipping something warm and creamy to ease myself awake. So I created this energizing and yummy drink Matcha Mate Almond Latte to distract myself from my coffee cravings.

Let me break down the ingredients…

Mate

Mate, like coffee, is well known for it’s energy enhancing properties, but for different reasons.

Yerba Mate is very high in anti oxidants. It also boasts 24 vitamins and minerals and 15 amino acids, and theobromine, an active ingredient in chocolate.

Mate is as popular in South America (particularly Argentina) as coffee is in North America. It has a milder taste than green tea and needs to be brewed for 10 minutes for maximum effectiveness.

Matcha

Match green tea powder is a super food of its own right. It’s touted to boost detoxification, immunity, energy levels, weight loss, memory, concentration and calm. You only need a tiny bit to get the benefits and it gives this almond milk latte such an amazing flavor.

Unsweetened almond milk

You can buy unsweetened, organic almond milk in most stores or learn how to make your own almond milk here. It’s pretty easy.

Sweetener

You can drink this latte without sweetener, but adding a touch of honey and maple syrup balances the mild bitterness of the matcha.

You can even add a banana for more sweetness and a thicker texture.

Flavoring

I sprinkled a bit of cardamom in my latte, but you can flavor yours with pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla or almond extract. Or leave out the spices all together. It doesn’t need it.

Ingredients

2 cups of unsweetened almond milk
2 cups of brewed mate tea (buy it here)
1 teaspoon of matcha green tea powder (buy it here)
1 teaspoon of maple syrup or honey (buy it here)
Optional: A sprinkle of cardamom (buy it here)

How to

Steep 2 tea bags of mate tea in 2 cups of boiled water for 10 minutes.
Mix with 2 cups of almond milk, sweetener and matcha powder in a blender for a minute.
If you would like the latte to be hotter, heat the almond milk on the stove until it just starts to bubble.
Enjoy your satisfying and health promoting coffee and black tea substitute.

About the Author:

Angela Privin stumbled on the Paleo diet while trying to cure her symptoms from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). After a year on a strict Paleo diet she was completely healed and her food allergies were reversed. She’ll always be grateful to her health challenges for making her learn to cook years ago. These days she’s Paleo because she loves the creative challenge of cooking delicious grain-free, real food. She spends much of her spare time experimenting in her Paleo Kitchen Lab and eating the experiments. You can check out her recipes here.

Oil Pulling With Essential Oils

August 6, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 14 Comments

Oil Pulling is an ancient detoxification practice that involves swishing oil around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes. The benefit of doing this is to reduce the amount of harmful bacteria, reduce dental plaque, remineralize your teeth, help with gum issues, and strengthen your gums. You can give your teeth an extra boost by oil pulling with essential oils.

When you swish oil around in your mouth, plaque get stuck to the oil and dissolve in the liquid oil. So you are removing a lot of bacteria, which is found in plague and leads to all kinds of oral health problems, every time you oil pull.

I added oil pulling to my life when I found out I had 6 cavities! I was able to heal these cavities naturally by eating a traditional diet with the proper nutrients and supplements added. You can click here to read more about how I healed my tooth decay.

What Oil to Use:

Traditionally, sesame seed or sunflower oil was used among the early oil-pullers, however, my personal favorite is coconut oil because it has so many health benefits. You can use any oil that you like, just stay away from canola or vegetable oil.

Adding Essential Oils to Your Oil Pulling Regime:

Adding in therapeutic-grade, 100% pure, essential oils into your oil pulling regime is a great way to give your health a supercharge! I buy my essential oils at wholesale price and I encourage you to do the same! You can CLICK HERE and learn how to get your essential oils from me at wholesale cost!

Here’s a few suggestions to help with oral issues:

Peppermint essential oil.
Clove essential oil.
Basil essential oil.
Melaleuca essential oil.
Myrrh essential oil.
OnGuard essential oil (my favorite choice).

How to Oil Pull:

First thing in the morning, put 1 teaspoon-1 tablespoon of coconut/or sesame oil in your mouth. Use 1 teaspoon if you are just starting out or if you have a gag reflex. Swish it around till it melts.
Open your mouth and add 2 drops of your favorite essential oil.
Swish the oil around in your mouth (like you would with mouthwash) for 15-20 minutes. I like to push it through my teeth and around the sides of my mouth. Don’t swish hard or your cheeks will start to hurt! I do this while I’m doing my morning chores and milking the goat! But you can also do it while your getting ready in the morning!
Spit the oil out in your trash can! Do not swallow it…it is now loaded with bacteria and toxins.
Brush your teeth with a safe toothpaste! I use my homemade toothpaste, but THIS ONE is great if you can’t make your own!
Happy Oil-Pulling!

CLICK here to Start Using Essential Oils!

7 Supplements to Subdue Hypothyroidism

May 5, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 5 Comments

I’ve been listening to this really great online FREE Thyroid Summit the past few days and I am just blown away at the wealth of information that I am getting FOR FREE!

Did you know that 30 million Americans — and 200 million people worldwide — have a thyroid disorder?

Unfortunately, only half have been properly diagnosed. And even less are receiving proper treatment.

Despite showing up to the doctor’s office with obvious symptoms of thyroid dysfunction —- weight gain, fatigue, cold hands and feet, hair loss, brain fog, depression, constipation, and more — millions of people are being sent away with “normal” thyroid lab scores and with no real answers.

Once again, Western medicine has fallen behind the latest research. And patients are paying the price in unnecessary suffering and medical bills.

This has to stop.

That’s why my friend Sean Croxton of Underground Wellness put together a FREE online event called The Thyroid Sessions, with 23 expert interviews and cooking classes on all things thyroid — so you can get the answers you’ve been looking for.

Yesterday, Dr. Izabella Wentz, talked about Hypothyroidism and shared her personal testimony of how she has utilized 7 supplements and her hypothyroidism has gone into remission! This was such an informative session that I listened to and I wanted to share my notes with all of you.

This interview is STILL LIVE today to listen to but after today, Dr. Wentz’s interview will become part of the download package. The interviews are only live for 48 hours and then Sean Croxton moves onto the next session. If you can’t watch these interviews when they are posted, I highly recommend you purchase the download package. Otherwise, make sure you get up to watch them for free!

The advice in this Thyroid Summit is invaluable and you would pay LOTS OF MONEY for this! Hurry and sign up for the free summit and listen to Dr. Izabella NOW!

Click here to order the download package of the Thyroid Summit.

Click here to sign up and watch the videos for FREE!

7 Supplements that Subdue Hypothyroidism:

(Cliffnotes I took from Dr. Izabella Wentz Thyroid Session)

1. Low Dose Naltrexone – this actually isn’t a supplement. It is a low-dose medication that treats the autoimmune attack on the thyroid. She recommended you get this from a compound pharmacy.

2. Probiotics – to establish good bacteria in the gut

3. Selenium – selenium deficiency is known as the trigger to hashimoto’s. Listen to Dr. Izabella on the correct dosage.

4. Betaine with Pepsin – this is to help with low stomach acid.

5. Systemic Enzymes – these break down the immune complexes against the thyroid.

6. Moducare – this supplement helps to balance and strengthen the immune system.

7. Anatabine – this supplement calms the thyroid antibodies.

Dr. Izabella’s interview is LIVE right now for you to listen to! I HIGHLY recommend you listen to it to hear more information on these supplements and the correct dosage! After May 5th, the interview will not be live and you will need to order the download package to listen to her! Still an awesome deal!

Click here to order the download package of the Thyroid Summit.

Click here to sign up and watch the videos for FREE!

14 Benefits of Maca Powder and 14 Maca Recipes

April 8, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 13 Comments

“Maca is a plant that grows in central Peru in the high plateaus of the Andes mountains. It has been cultivated as a vegetable crop in Peru for at least 3000 years. Maca is a relative of the radish and has an odor similar to butterscotch. Its root is used to make medicine.” (1) The benefits of Maca have long been valued and has gained more and more popularity in recent years. Culture is awakening to the fact that Maca carries a long list of nourishment to the body. The amazing thing about Maca is that it is an adaptogen, meaning it adapts to the needs of your body.

14 Benefits of Maca Powder:

Increases Energy – Maca has a reputation for boosting energy levels without stressing the adrenals (like coffee can)
Increases Libido and Sexual Function – Maca is a known aphrodisiac among native Peruvian culture. It has been known to increase the libido among men and women!
Improves Fertility – Black Maca has been known to increase sperm count and volume in men and Red Maca has been known to balance female hormones and ovulation cycles.
Regulates Hormone Balance – Maca has a vast variety of amino acids, which are known as the building blocks of hormones.
Reduces Depression – When you take Maca regularly, Maca can work to increase positive emotional moods. Maca has a very unique nutrient called macamides, which aid in decreasing depression and anxiety.
Reduces Anxiety – Maca has a positive effect on your individual mood and can help to reduce any self-perceived anxiety.
Helps with Menopause – Many Maca uses report a significant decrease in hot flashes after using Maca powder.
Enhances Mental Clarity – Black Maca has been shown to have a beneficial effect on learning and memory. Maca is safe for both children and adults!
Improves Blood Circulation – a very interesting property of Maca, is that it has been seen to improve blood circulation.
Improves Acne – When acne is related to hormone imbalance, taking Maca can be very productive for improving hormonal acne.
Improves Muscle Gain – More and more athletes and bodybuilders are using Maca powder to increase their athletic performance.
Improves Thyroid Function – Due to the hormone balancing properties in Maca, it has been known to stimulate thyroid function.
Improves Strong Teeth and Bones – Black Maca is great for increasing bone density and strength.
Improves Skin Tone – Maca has a strong nutrient content and hormone balancing effect on our skin.
Improves Hair Growth – Maca has been traditionally used to stimulate hair growth, as well as prevent hair loss.

Which Maca is Right for You?

There are several different types of Maca and choosing which one you should use can sometimes be overwhelming. Raw Maca has never been heated and all the enzymes and nutrients are left in tact at peak levels. This is the one that I prefer to use.

Gelantized Maca is heated to remove all the start content within the root. This makes it more concentrated, however, the high heat destroys some of the enzymes and alters the nutrients. If you have a sensitive stomach, gelantized maca would be the one for you.

Click here to see a great article on choosing which Maca you should take.

Where to Buy Quality Maca Powder:

After figuring out which Maca powder is right for you and your body’s needs, I, personally, use and recommend THIS brand of Maca. I find that The Maca Team carries very high quality Maca powder and they are willing to work with you to figure out which Maca you need. My husband takes the Black Maca and I take the Red Maca. I prefer to take 2 teaspoons daily in my morning smoothie! I don’t mind the taste of Maca, but if you do, The Maca Team sells capsules. Click here to check out The Maca Team products!