Quinoa

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Cassidy

quinoaLet’s talk about Quinoa–a rice replacement that’s creeping out of health food stores and onto the shelves of every grocery store in the nation. No longer is quinoa a term used by hippies and granolas, but is now being used by health-conscious people everywhere. I was first introduced to quinoa by a room mate, have loved it ever since, and have made a list of why quinoa is a fantastic alternative to rice:

1. Quinoa cooks faster than rice does (takes only about 15 minutes)
2. Quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids that rice does not
3. Quinoa is a complete protein (great for athletes and fitness buffs)
4. Qunioa is a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals
5. Quinoa is GLUTEN FREE!

Where it Began

Quinoa is grown in the Andes Mountains in South America and has been used as a staple food (beat only by the potato) by pre-Colombian cultures who don’t always have access to the essential amino acids their body’s need to function (unless of course, they ate quinoa). Biologists have been traveling down to the Andes Mountains for the last decade to conduct research on quinoa, calling it one of the world’s “most whole foods.” Biologists are actually the ones that brought quinoa back to the U.S. in hopes that the grain would be accepted and noted for its outstanding nutritional value.

Ways to Cook Quinoa

At first, quinoa appears a bit like cous cous or any small, round grain. It is recommended that before cooking you rinse quinoa in a fine collander so you can separate the grain from the tiny shells it comes in (don’t worry, if you eat a shell, you won’t die). I recommend cooking quinoa plain and then adding spices, veggies, nuts, etc. to your quinoa concoction as a side to go with any dish you would normally serve rice with. Quinoa is actually so filling that it could be eaten as an entire meal on its own. And even better, you can incorporate quinoa into soups and chilis as a replacement for beans!

Recipes

Some of my favorite quinoa recipes include:

TABOULI
Tabouli, a mid-eastern salad, try it with quinoa for a delightful new taste.

2 cups quinoa, cooked 1/2 tsp basil
1 cup chopped parsley 1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped scallions 1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBL fresh mint or 1 TBL dried mint salt and pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, pressed lettuce leaves, whole
1/4 cup olives, sliced

Place all ingredients except lettuce and olives in a mixing bowl and toss together lightly. Chill for 1 hour or more to allow flavors to blend. Wash and dry lettuce leaves and use them to line a salad bowl. Add tabooli and garnish with olives. Serves 4

QUINOA VEGETABLE SOUP

4 cups water 2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup quinoa 1 Tbs safflower oil
½ cup carrots, diced ½ cup tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup celery, diced ½ cup cabbage, chopped
2 Tbs onions, chopped 1 tsp salt
¼ cup green pepper, diced parsley, chopped

Sauté quinoa, carrots, celery, onions, green pepper and garlic in oil until golden brown. Add water, tomatoes and cabbage and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Season to taste and garnish with parsley. Serves 4-6. This is a very basic recipe for quinoa vegetable soup. For variations try adding some of your other favorite vegetables, chopped and sautéed. Quinoa can be a welcome addition to just about any type of soup.

It Gets Better

Quinoa doesn’t only have to be used as a dinner food, it can be used as breakfast cereal, or can even be combined with fruit, agave nectar, and almond milk for a late night treat.

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Bountiful Baskets Food Co-Op

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Cassidy

bountiful basketsIf you’re tired of trying to eat healthy and paying an arm and a leg for fresh produce, we’ve discovered a treasure for you! Typical grocery store trips for 2 can often add up to a minimum of $50.00 for produce alone. Yikes. We’ve all done it, you see the sign that says “Fresh Peaches .87 cents per pound” and you think “glory, hallelujah” and put ten in your cart then get to the register and discover you’ve just spent 8 dollars on peaches that you may not even finish before they rot in the fruit basket on your counter.

A friend of ours recently introduced us to a fabulous food co-op called Bountiful Baskets. The neat thing about this organization is that they service several different states and have pick-up times at different locations in each city, all throughout the weekend.

Bountiful Baskets offers fresh fruits and vegetables, grown by local farmers, at prices much lower than the grocery store.

Some of their current offerings include:

Conventional Basket
50% Fruit, 50% Vegetables and 100% healthy, delicious & fun

In the conventional basket we focus our buying as follows: High Quality, Low Cost and As Local as Possible… So, how hard do we try? Pretty hard! Most bananas are from Central America or the Carribean and are grown by a couple gargantuan conglomerate growers. We get all of our bananas from small farmers in central Mexico. This saves the co-op between $4 and $7 a box, keeps money with small farmers, and helps keep the carbon footprint small.

100% Certified Organic Basket – Together We are Changing the World One Dinner Table at a Time

Valencia Oranges – Approximately 113 Count and 36 pounds box from Mexico. Can’t wait to enjoy these. They are beautiful and the last of the crop for the year. Don’t let that fool you though the quality is fantastic with very high sugar content!

Fuji Apples – Approximately 100 Count and 36 pound box from Washington State. Perfect for pie, eating, or sauce. Fuji apples are versatile and one of the best eats out there!

Tropical Pack – hoping for 2 vanilla beans, pineapple, plantains, mango, papaya, lime, fresh mint – A fun way to try a couple fruits you ordinarily wouldn’t have the opportunity to try without breaking the bank. Plus those vanilla beans just are so sensational!

Bountiful Baskets Granola – two pounds. Love this over granola and ice cream, as breakfast cold or cooked, or as a snack called broken cookie!

Ingredients: Oats, Honey, canola oil, roasted & salted cashews, dates, diced pineapple, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, sliced almonds, and almond & vanilla flavor.

9 Grain Sandwich Bread – five loaves. Our delicious standby of 9 Grain bread. This is the best toasted!

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Organic Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Water, Honey, Rye Flakes, Barley, Oats, Vital wheat gluten, cracked wheat, corn, rye, millet, flax seed, sea salt, yeast. Contains: Wheat.

Calories 50
Calories from fat 0
Total Fat: .5g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 75mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 10g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 2g
Protien 5g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 1%
Iron 1%

Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread – five loaves! Delicious whole wheat bread with a sweet honey finish. Perfect for peanut butter and jelly!

Ingredients: 100% Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Water, Honey, Cultured Wheat Flour, Vinegar, Salt, Yeast, Natural Enzymes. Contains: Wheat

Servings per container – 17-18
Calories 52
Calories from fat 0
Total Fat 0g 0%
Sat. Fat 0 0
Trans Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 90mg 3%
Total Carb 10g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 2g
Protein 3g

Click here to visit the Bountiful Basket homepage and see if they have a drop off location in your state!

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Fast Healthy Recipes

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Cassidy

Eating HealthyI’m sure most of you will find, as I have, that trying to eat healthy takes time and preparation. The things I used to grab on my way out the door like granola bars, toaster pastries, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have been put on my “off-limits” list.

I battled at first with finding satisfying foods I could take on the run. Due to this diet distress (and being sick of eating almonds and dates because they’re the easiest things to grab from my pantry) I began collecting recipes and quick meal ideas that would save me prep time during the super short periods I have between school, work, homework, and taking care of a husband and house.

Overnight Oats

This is a recent find and a heaven-sent. I (and I hope I’m not the only one) am most pressed for time in the mornings when I’m getting ready to leave the house for the entire day. This recipe for overnight oats is the best because it takes literally 2 minutes of prep the night before then I just throw some extra ingredients into the concoction in the morning and run out the door with it in a mug.

Mix:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup Brown Cow Low-Fat Yogurt (actually prefer Greek yogurt)
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup skim milk ( I also like to throw in some cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to liven it up a bit)

Mix this well in a bowl or mug and let it sit in your fridge over night (at least 8 hours), the oats will soak up the liquid and be ready to go in the morning. If you don’t like the chill you can throw it in the microwave for a minute.

The following are some mix-ins I like to throw in in the morning:
Half a med. banana
A handful (about 1/2 a cup) sliced strawberries
2/3 a serving of Trader Joe’s Antioxidant Trail Mix (or dried fruit and nuts of your choice)
Ground flax
Pumpkin (and the list goes on and on)

Black Bean Salsa

This salsa is seriously the best because you can make it super fast and it keeps pretty well in the fridge for a few days. I love it because you can eat it with black tortilla chips, throw it over chicken breasts, or wrap it up in a brown rice tortilla with some turkey for the best southwest burrito of your life.

Throw (literally if you want) the following into a medium size mixing bowl:

1 can black banes
1 can yellow corn
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 whole avocado (or 2 if you’re a guac fan like I am)
1 chopped bell pepper (red, green, or yellow)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tbs worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

This takes about 5 minutes to open cans and chop veggies and the longer it sits in the fridge, the better it tastes.

Spinach and Orzo Salad

eating healthyOk, now the prep time for this is a little lengthy ( a total of 15 MINUTES) but this one’s well worth it, makes a ton, and is perfect for leftovers.

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked orzo pasta
1 (10 ounce) package baby spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 pound crumbled feta cheese
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup pine nuts (optional–I usually “opt out”)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in spinach, feta, onion, pine nuts, basil and white pepper. Toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Refrigerate and serve cold.

This is one of my all-time favorites and I usually have the ingredients handy in my fridge.

Eat Healthy in a Hurry

Now that I’ve shared some of my favorite quick and easy, ultra-healthy recipes with you, I’d love to hear your favorites too!

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Vitamin C Benefits

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Cassidy


Our attention has recently been drawn to Vitamin C and the different benefits it can have on your health and well-being. After doing some research on the different uses this vitamin has come to take on, we no longer look at it as a candy-like vitamin that we take every day because our mother’s told us it would prevent colds. Let’s talk about a few of the uses that have recently crept up in the health and wellness world.

Vitamin C for Weight Maintenance

Recent studies conducted at Arizona State University have revealed that individuals with higher blood concentrations of vitamin C tend to have smaller waistlines and lower BMIs than those with low concentrations of vitamin C in their blood streams. This finding doesn’t necessarily mean that those who supplement with vitamin C will magically become thin and healthy, but rather it means that those who consume a diet high in foods containing vitamin C tend to be healthier.

However, an interesting discovery made in this study is the fact that those with higher vitamin C blood concentrations are able to burn fat faster than those with low concentrations. Therefore, vitamin C is now being incorporated into many weight loss supplements on the current market.

Vitamin C for Skin Care

This unique vitamin seems to play a vital role in may different areas of health including skincare. Those who supplement regularly with at least 1000mg of vitamin C or use a skin care product containing vitamin C can expect the following skin care benefits:

1. A boost in collagen production
2. Antioxidants to fight free radicals
3. Protection from rapid skin aging
4. Protection from sun damage

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient because it allows many processes in the body to function. Collagen production requires vitamin C to replenish collagen stores, vitamin C has powerful antioxidant properties and works to fight skin damaging free radicals, vitamin c also helps counter balance the damage done by UV B radiation, and finally, because vitamin C protects, detoxes, and strengthens the skin, it is able to slow the aging of your skin.

Illness Prevention

Whether its an old-wives tale or not, taking vitamin C regularly is going to decrease your chances of developing sickness like colds, flus, infections, and viruses. Despite the myths, it’s actually true that vitamin C is able to strengthen your immune system so that it is better able to fight off infection and disease before it starts. Taking an overload of vitamin C during sickness might make your symptoms disappear sooner but we recommend a prevention method rather than treatment with vitamin C.

Foods Containing Vitamin C

You can easily supplement with vitamin C using a tablet or powder form but by incorporating some of the following foods into your diet every day, you can naturally increase your levels of vitamin C while enjoying snacks and meals. The following is a list of some of the most common sources of vitamin C:
vitamin C
Wild Potato
Chili pepper
guava
Kiwi
Broccoli
Strawberry
Kale
Orange
Raspberry
Apricot
Avocado

And the list goes on and on and on. Surprisingly, many vegetables rank higher on this list than fruits do.

Vitamin C is Accessible

The reason why we love vitamin C so much is because it’s relatively inexpensive and can be purchases at a grocery store, local health food store, or any supplement shop. Vitamin C should definitely be part of everyone’s daily routine who would like to experience the above mentioned health benefits. If you know of any additional vitamin C remedies or health benefits, we’d love to hear about them!

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The Raw Diet

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Cassidy

raw diet

The “raw diet” is a term we’ve heard thrown around quite a bit but have been skeptical of because of the extreme dietary lifestyle is suggests. Those who participate whole-heartedly in raw living only consume uncooked, unprocessed, and often purely organic foods.

This poses a big of a problem in this day in age when literally everything you can “grab and go” to create a substantial meal and fill you has seen the inside of a factory, been sprayed with pesticides, or needs to be cooked in some way. So then, what do raw diet followers eat?

Foods Commonly Consumed by Raw Dieters

Your food consumption while on the raw diet depends on what avenue of raw eating you’d like to take. There are those who are strict vegans, and then there are those who believe it’s okay to consume raw animal products like unprocessed milk, eggs, and cheese. Typically, those who choose to follow a raw lifestyle will consume 70% or more raw foods. The following is a list of commonly eaten raw foods, some may appear obvious while others might surprise you:

Fruit and Vegetable Juices
Whole fruits and vegetables
almond milk
flax, fruit, and oat cereal (uncooked, unprocessed, but blended)
Smoothies
Coconut Water
Uncooked pancakes (it’s possible we’ve seen it)
Granola
Unprocessed Yogurt
Lettuce wraps
Almond Butter
Raw Fish

Of course this is only a fraction of the foods that raw dieters can consume, but we thought these would be the most relatable. When it comes to foods that require “cooking” raw dieters leave their food in direct sunlight and it seems to do the trick. For hundreds of excellent raw food recipes, click here.

Benefits to Living Raw

There seems to be three main reasons why people adopt a raw lifestyle:

1. Detox
2. Weight Loss
3. Holistic living and healing

The philosophy of the raw dieter has to do with the fact that cooking food is believed to denature enzymes that are naturally present in food. Similarly, raw dieters believe that cooking food can diminish its nutritional value. Finally, it is believed that cooking promotes potentially harmful compounds (toxins) to develop in your food and the result is a slew of health problems that you never would believe came from a “cooked and processed” lifestyle.

Keep in Mind

Although the raw diet comes with many positive health benefits, you must be careful to make sure you’re consuming the proper nutrients every day that your body needs to function. Eating raw and maintaining health, energy, and strength takes a lot more preparation than any other diet we’ve come across so those considering this diet be forewarned how much work needs to go into it.

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Tea Tree Oil Skin Care

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Cassidy

tea tree oilIf you suffer from acne, red blemishes, or would simply like to even out your complexion, tea tree oil is a fantastic alternative to harsher blemish treatments like benzoyl peroxide.

Tea tree oil is pressed from the leaves of the native Australian tea tree and has been used for centuries for its antiseptic, anti-bacterial, and has been known for its healing capabilities. Because of these properties, tea tree oil is now being incorporated into many skin care products, acne treatments, and facial cleansers.

How Does Tea Tree Oil Work?

Tea tree oil works as a blemish fighter because it kills the bacteria on the skin that causes acne in the first place. When your pores become filled with dead skin cells and oil (that your skin produces to keep it moisturized and water resistant), bacteria finds the mixture perfect for breeding and as your white cells come to fight the infection, the raging battle causes your skin to become red, irritated, inflammed, and often filled with a pus-like white substance. By removing the cause for the irritation in a safe and effective way, tea tree oil is the perfect blemish treatment.

Important: How To Use Tea Tree Oil

It is extremely important that you keep in mind the fact that tea tree oil is an extremely potent substance and has to be diluted before you apply it to your face. To do this:

1. Purchase your tea tree oil at a health food store (it’s inexpensive, typically $8.00 per bottle)
2. If you have oily or normal skin, mix 1 part tea tree oil with 9 parts aloe vera gel or a mild oil like olive or grapeseed. If you have more dry skin, mix 1/2 a teaspoon of tea tree oil with 9 teaspoons aloe vera gel (or mild oil). As your skin becomes accustomed to the formula you can gradually increase your dosage.
tea tree oil3. Test your solution, if you use put it on your skin and leave it over night, you shouldn’t wake up with dry or red skin. If you do, you need to further dilute your mixture.

To use your solution properly:

–Wash your face with a gentle cleanser
–Dab dry
–Soak a cotton ball in the solution you’ve created (make sure it’s mixed well)
–Apply a thin layer to your skin
–After it dries, you can apply a light moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated
–If your skin doesn’t show any irritation, you can repeat morning and night

Why We Love Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is inexpensive, 100% natural, and works as well as over the counter blemish treatments without causing the side effects usually associated with harsher products. We’d love to hear your experiences with tea tree oil, leave your comments with us below!

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Natural Metabolism Boosters

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Cassidy

If you’re the type of person who avoids diets like the plague because you can’t stand feeling hungry and grumpy, then this list is for you. Did you know that you can eat to lose weight? It’s true. There are certain foods–available at the grocery store–that you can incorporate into your diet to help you lose weight. The following is a list of these foods and some simple suggestions for incorporating them into your diet.

1. Green Tea

Natural Metabolism BoostersSkip your morning coffee and opt for Green Tea instead. Green Tea still contains caffeine so you won’t feel like you’re missing your morning “wake up,” but it contains other health benefiting ingredients as well. Green Tea contains a substance called EGCG that stimulates your metabolism and keeps you feeling energized throughout the day.

Remember:You have to drink at least 3 cups of Green Tea daily in order for it to effect your metabolism. However, if the correct amount is consumed, Green Tea can increase your calorie burn for 24 hours!

2.Oatmeal

Forget sugary cereals and even those disguising themselves as “whole grain.” All breakfast cereals are are bowls of carbohydrates that is either stored as fat or used up quickly as energy. Either way, breakfast cereals won’t leave you feeling full like Oatmeal can. Oatmeal is a high source of dietary fiber, takes longer to digest, and therefore requires more calories to process. Simply by eating oatmeal for breakfast, you can jump-start your metabolism for the entire day!

Try mixing steel-cut oatmeal with almonds and blueberries for the ultimate fulfilling breakfast.

3. Lean Meat

Vegetarians can just focus on protein (whether from beans, nuts or plants) for this one, but protein found in lean meat like turkey, salmon, and chicken is great for speeding up your metabolism. These lean sources of protein take a long time to digest and therefore leave you feeling fuller for longer after consumption. Similarly, because protein takes so long to digest, it requires extra calories to process. Lean protein also contributes to the building of muscle mass which requires more calories to function and be maintained than fat stores do.

If you’re not a meat lover, try protein shakes. They’re a concentrated source of protein, easy to make, and easy to take on the road!

4. Cayenne Pepper

Not just Cayenne, but most spicy foods like red chilies and habaneros contain a substance called Capsaicin. This ingredient is what makes food “hot” or “spicy” and is also what suppresses your appetite and boosts your metabolism after a meal.

Try cooking with Cayenne, tumeric, or coriander. All of these spices have a similar effect and will make your food taste fantastic as well!

The Point

You don’t have to starve yourself in order to lose weight. Dieting can be fun as you try new recipes, flavors, and textures. What we’d recommend is looking for places where “off-limits” foods can be substituted with some of the ones we’ve mentioned above.

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Green Smoothies

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Cassidy

Green Smoothies
Whether you’re trying to improve your digestive health, lose weight, have more energy, clear your skin, or treat an array of sluggish bodily symptoms, green smoothies are the quickest and most efficient answer for you. In the mornings or as a snack, just throw the ingredients in the blender and you’ll have created an instant concoction of natural remedies to improve your health and well being.

Although their appearance might not be too appetizing, we’ve compiled a list of the best ingredients and our favorite recipe to help you on your way to better health and wellness.

Ingredients

1. Dandelion Root- This ingredient can be found in any health food store (and some specialty grocery stores) and comes with a wide array of benefits. Originally used as a fold remedy in North America, Mexico, and China, Dandelion Root has been used to treat infections, liver problems, treat cancer, and act as a diuretic. Dandelion has intense cleansing capabilities and will work hard to remove harmful toxins from your system.

2. Kale- Contrary to popular belief, kale is much more than a buffet decoration. Kale aids in digestion, is a powerful antioxidant, acts as an anti-inflammatory and detoxifies your entire body. Getting rid of toxic build up (due to environmental, dietary, and lifestyle factors) is the first essential step in improving your health.

Kale also is a prime source for many vitamins. Kale contains vitamins: K, A, and C and therefore aids in bone protection, nervous system health, immunity boosting, and skin health.

3. Spinach- This ingredient is a dark green leafy vegetable that is one of the most nutrient dense foods. Kale has proven to boost the metabolism, be a good source of dietary fiber, contain omega-3 fatty acids, and act as an antioxidant by protecting the body from harmful free radicals.

4. Parsley- Along the lines of the previously mentioned ingredients, parsley acts as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory agent, promotes a healthy immune system, protects your cardiovascular health, and is a good source of Vitamin K and Vitamin C. Vitamin K prevents calcium buildup in your bones and tissues, and Vitamin C improves the clarity and quality of your skin, as well as accelerates the body’s ability to repair wounds by increasing collagen production.

5. Green Apples- Green Apples have less sugar in them than red ones do and are a great source of fiber. Consuming fiber during meals (or in smoothies) keeps you feeling fuller for longer after the meal and therefore works to inhibit food cravings. Also because of its fibrous qualities, green apple promotes digestive health, lowers cholesterol, and reduces the onset of skin problems or diseases.

Green Smoothie Recipe

One of our favorite, nutrient dense green smoothie recipes that delivers many health benefits but tastes great too is as follows:

4 leaves kale, stems removed
4 leaves chard, stems removed
½ bunch fresh parsley
1 leaf aloe vera
½ bunch dandelion greens
3 pears
1 banana
3 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

This recipe yields quite a bit and would be used for an entire family or breakfast party, you can make substitutions and play with ingredient amounts as you get used to tastes, textures, and amounts. Personally, we like to begin the day with a green smoothie because it provides ample energy, leaves you feeling clean and motivated, and keeps your immune system healthy.

What are your favorite green smoothie recipes? We’d love you to share!

Posted in Food, Herbal Remedies, Prevention | 1 Comment

Tea Tree & Thyme Healing Tonic

Posted on July 14, 2011 by admin

This is a recipe I pulled from Organic Body Care Recipes, by Stephanie Tourles. It’s an awesome tonic that can work to prevent breakouts, kill infections, bacteria, etc.

This recipe makes a very strong infusion of thyme. Combined with tea tree, the resultant formula has antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties and makes a great preventive skin tonic to use when living or working around people who have a cold or the flu. Pour it into a small, plastic spritzer bottle and keep it with you at all times so that you can spray it periodically on your hands and face, the telephone, and directly into the air to help purify the surrounding environment.

Recommended for all skin types, especially those with weeping acne, abrasions, burns, infections, inflamed eczema, or psoriasis.
Use daily or as needed.
Follow with moisturizer.
Prep time: Approximately 35 minutes, plus 5 minutes to strain and bottle.
Store in plastic or glass bottle or spritzer.
Yield: Approximately 1 cup.

Ingredients:

1 cup distilled water
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
10 drops tea tree essential oil

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, add the herb, cover, and steep for 30 minutes. Strain and pour the liquid into a storage container. Add the essential oil. Shake vigorously to blend.

Due to tea tree essential oil’s potent properties, this tonic will keep unrefrigerated for approximately 1 week. Please make afresh batch every weekend so you’re prepared to naturally combat the upcoming week’s exposure to germs!

Application Tips: Using a cotton cleansing pad, apply approximately 1 teaspoon to the face or more as necessary for other parts of the body. Avoid eye area.

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The Importance of D

Posted on June 13, 2011 by admin

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to numerous medical conditions, including Rickets, Osteomalacia, and a slew of other medical and neurological conditions. The information below is a collection of sources scanning the globe for the latest studies on Vitamin D research.

Health Effects

Bone health
One of the most important roles of vitamin D is to “maintain skeletal calcium balance by promoting calcium absorption in the intestines, promoting bone resorption by increasing osteoclast number, maintaining calcium and phosphate levels for bone formation, and allowing proper functioning of parathyroid hormone to maintain serum calcium levels. Vitamin D deficiency can result in lower bone mineral density and an increased risk of bone loss (osteoporosis) or bone fracture because a lack of vitamin D alters mineral metabolism in the body.[99] Vitamin D has been studied as a potential treatment for osteoporosis, but since treatment of vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increase of mineralization of osteoid, it remains unclear whether vitamin D has any effect on osteoporotic bone.[99] In cross-sectional studies there was a positive relationship between vitamin D and bone mineral density in the hip.[100] Lips (2001) reported that bone mineral deficit in osteomalacia was larger than that in milder degrees of vitamin D deficiency.[100]

There is also a relationship between low bone mineral density and sedentary life style. This is evident in frail, elderly subjects because they are often vitamin D deficient and lead an inactive lifestyle. Lips (2001) also reported that mild vitamin D deficiency was not associated with an increased risk for hip fracture. A study done in Norway consisted of 246 patients with hip fractures who were studied for risk factors.[100] Results showed that a vitamin D intake lower than 100 IU/day was associated with an increased risk for hip fracture.[100] Vitamin D supplements may also increase bone mineral density in other parts of the skeleton.[100] A study showed that a supplement of 800 IU per day of vitamin D increased the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine in postmenopausal women in comparison with the control group.[100] Persons over the age of 50 years need higher levels of vitamin D. In a study discussed in LoPiccolo et al. (2010), adults who consumed a daily supplementation with 482–770 IU of vitamin D had reduced fracture rates of 20% for non-vertebral fractures.[101] However, there was no reported reduction in fracture risk for persons who had 400 IU or less of vitamin D daily.[101]

Immune system

Vitamin D receptor ligands have been shown to increase the activity of natural killer cells, and enhance the phagocytic activity of macrophages.[25] Active vitamin D hormone also increases the production of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide that is produced in macrophages triggered by bacteria, viruses, and fungi.[102][103][104] Suggestions of a link between vitamin D deficiency and the onset of multiple sclerosis posited that this is due to the immune-response suppression properties of Vitamin D[105] and that vitamin D is required to activate a histocompatibility gene (HLA-DRB1*1501) necessary for differentiating between self and foreign proteins in a subgroup of individuals genetically predisposed to MS.[106] Whether vitamin D supplements during pregnancy can lessen the likelihood of the child developing MS later in life is not known;[107][108] however, vitamin D fortification has been suggested to have caused a pandemic of allergic disease[109] and an association between vitamin D supplementation in infancy and an increased risk of atopy and allergic rhinitis later in life has been found.[110] Veteran vitamin D researcher Hector DeLuca has cast doubt on whether vitamin D affects MS.[111]

Tuberculosis and HIV

Historically, vitamin D3 was used to treat tuberculosis patients, but has not been adequately investigated in controlled clinical trials.[112] The hormonally active form of vitamin D3, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D), has been shown to have antimycobacterial activity in vitro, but the applicability of this effect to clinical situations has not been shown.[113][114] Vitamin D3 supplementations has not shown any improvement in treating tuberculosis except in a small subset of patients with the tt genotype of the TaqI vitamin D receptor polymorphism.[112] Several studies have shown an association between low serum levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D) and increased risk for both active tuberculosis disease progression and susceptibility. More prospective studies will be required to ascertain the potential role of vitamin D supplementation in treating patients with tuberculosis.[115]

Vitamin D3 has also shown some anti-HIV-1 effects in vitro, including the induction of autophagy.[116] The potential effect in humans has not been investigated. Lower levels of 1,25(OH)2D in HIV infected patients are correlated with significantly lower CD4+ T cell counts and higher tumor necrosis factor levels,[117] which normally decrease in number with progression to AIDS, although no causative association has been shown. In an epidemiological study of HIV positive women in Tanzania, there appeared to be a correlation between reduced levels of Vitamin D and speed of HIV disease progression. These results will need to be confirmed in a blinded clinical trial before dietary recommendations can be made.[118]

Influenza

Lack of vitamin D synthesis is a possible explanation for high rates of influenza infection during winter;[119] however, see flu season for the factors apart from vitamin D that are also hypothesized to influence rates of infection during winter.[120] For viral infections, other implicated factors include low relative humidities produced by indoor heating and cold temperatures that favor virus spread during winter.[121]

Cancer

The molecular basis for thinking that vitamin D has the potential to prevent cancer lies in its role in a wide range of cellular mechanisms central to the development of cancer.[122] These effects may be mediated through vitamin D receptors expressed in cancer cells.[25] Polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene have been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.[123] Women with mutations in the VDR gene had an increased risk of breast cancer.[124]

A 2006 study using data on over 4 million cancer patients from 13 different countries showed a marked increase in some cancer risks in countries with less sun and another metastudy found correlations between vitamin D levels and cancer. The authors suggested that intake of an additional 1,000 international units (IU) (or 25 micrograms) of vitamin D daily reduced an individual’s colon cancer risk by 50%, and breast and ovarian cancer risks by 30%.[125][126][127][128] Low levels of vitamin D in serum have been correlated with breast cancer disease progression and bone metastases.[123] However, the vitamin D levels of a population do not depend on the solar irradiance to which they are exposed.[129][130][131][132] Moreover, there are genetic factors involved with cancer incidence and mortality which are more common in northern latitudes.[133][134]

A 2006 study found that taking the U.S. RDA of vitamin D (400 IU per day) cut the risk of pancreatic cancer by 43% in a sample of more than 120,000 people from two long-term health surveys.[135][136] However, in male smokers a 3-fold increased risk for pancreatic cancer in the highest compared to lowest quintile of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration has been found.[137]

A randomized intervention study involving 1,200 women, published in June 2007, reports that vitamin D supplementation (1,100 international units (IU)/day) resulted in a 60% reduction in cancer incidence, during a four-year clinical trial, rising to a 77% reduction for cancers diagnosed after the first year (and therefore excluding those cancers more likely to have originated prior to the vitamin D intervention).[138][139] The study was criticized on several grounds[140] including lack of reported data, use of statistical techniques and comparison with a self-selected (i.e. non-randomized) observational study that found long term convergence of breast cancer incidence (i.e. the cancer occurrence had merely been delayed) [141] The author’s response provided the requested data, explained their statistical usage and commented that even if the vitamin D merely delayed the appearance of cancer (which they did not believe, based on other studies), that this was still a considerable benefit.[140]

In 2007, the Canadian Cancer Society recommended that adults living in Canada should consider taking vitamin D supplementation of 1,000 international units (IU) a day during the fall and winter.[142][143] A US National Cancer Institute study analyzed data from the third national Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine the relationship between levels of circulating vitamin D in the blood and cancer mortality in a group of 16,818 participants aged 17 and older. It found no support for an association between 25(OH)D and total cancer mortality. However, the study did find that “[c]olorectal cancer mortality was inversely related to serum 25(OH)D level, with levels 80 nmol/L or higher associated with a 72% risk reduction (95% confidence interval = 32% to 89%) compared with lower than 50 nmol/L, Ptrend = .02.”[84] Unlike other studies, this one was carried out prospectively — meaning that participants were followed looking forward — and the researchers used actual blood tests to measure the amount of vitamin D in blood, rather than trying to infer vitamin D levels from potentially inaccurate predictive models.[132][144]

A meta-study published in the International Journal of Cancer in May 2010 analyzed 35 independent studies of vitamin D and cancer. The researchers determined that a 10 nanogram/milliliter increase in serum vitamin D is associated with a 15% lower risk of colon cancer. The analysis also found an 11% lower risk for breast cancer, although the authors report that due to case study methodology that this finding is ultimately insignificant. [145]

A 2011 study done at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that low vitamin D levels among women with breast cancer correlate with more aggressive tumors and poorer prognosis. The study associated sub-optimal vitamin D levels with poor scores on every major biological marker that helps physicians predict a patient’s breast cancer outcome. The lead researcher stated, “Based on these results, doctors should strongly consider monitoring vitamin D levels among breast cancer patients and correcting them as needed.”[146]

Cardiovascular disease

A report from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) involving nearly 5,000 participants found that low levels of vitamin D were associated with an increased risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD). The incidence of PAD was 80% higher in participants with the lowest vitamin D levels (<17.8 ng/mL).[63] Cholesterol levels were found to be reduced in gardeners in the UK during the summer months.[147] Low levels of vitamin D are associated with an increase in high blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. Numerous observational studies show this link, but of two systemic reviews one found only weak evidence of benefit from supplements and the other found no evidence of a beneficial effect whatsoever.[65][75][148]

There is a certain amount of evidence to suggest that dietary vitamin D may be carried by lipoprotein particles[97] into cells of the artery wall and atherosclerotic plaque, where it may be converted to active form by monocyte-macrophages.[98] These findings raise questions regarding the effects of vitamin D intake on atherosclerotic calcification and cardiovascular risk. Calcifediol (25-hydroxy-vitamin D) is implicated in the etiology of atherosclerosis, especially in non-Caucasians.[90][92][149][150] Freedman et al. (2010) found that serum vitamin D correlates with calcified atheroscleratic plaque (CP) in African Americans, but not in Euro-Americans, “Higher levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D seem to be positively associated with aorta and carotid CP in African Americans but not with coronary CP. These results contradict what is observed in individuals of European descent.”[150] One study found an elevated risk of ischaemic heart disease in Southern India in individuals whose vitamin D levels were above 89 ng/mL.[149] A review of vitamin D status in India concluded that studies uniformly point to low 25(OH)D levels in Indians despite abundant sunshine, and suggested a public health need to fortify Indian foods with vitamin D might exist.[93] The levels found in India are consistent with many other studies of tropical populations which have found that even an extreme amount of sun exposure, such as incurred by rural Indians,[151] does not raise 25(OH)D levels to the levels typically found in Europeans.[129][94][38]


References

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