Raw Honey is a near perfect food.  Are you someone that enjoys it?  Many do.  And many are aware of its centuries-old healing benefits, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

However these properties are only attributed to raw, unpasteurized honey.  When it has been heated, pasteurized or processed, it has lost much or all of its health benefits.  And some of these benefits are tremendous.

So What is Raw Honey?

When it is removed from the comb, it contains many impurities.  Bits of the comb, bee wings, small bits of other debris is part of the removed honey.  It is primarly how these are removed and how the product is bottled that determines whether or not it remains raw.

Initially it goes through a process called straining to remove the larger pieces of debris. While some debate this, the product remains raw after this process.  One company called Living Honey does not even use a strainer, but uses a process of containers and gravity to remove the debris.  We have had this brand numerous times and it is delicious.  The owner of Living Honey has provided the images used in this article.  We will add our video interview with him to the site in the upcoming months.

The next step is filtering.  There are many sizes of filters and those that use course filter often still retain the raw properties.

To use a fine filter, it must be heated so it will flow through the filters.  This is where it loses it raw state.  When honey is heated above 105 degrees, it begins losing its nutrient value.  Many times it is heated at 110 – 130 degrees and this honey is then pasteurized and no longer raw by any definition.

The real division is when it has been slightly heated.  When it is heated up to 95-105 degrees, some still consider it raw and others believe it is no longer is.  Within these temperatures, the product still have much nutritional benefit.  Ideally, the honey should never be heated even at these temperatures.

Most times when it is still raw, it is in a solid state although it can be liquid during its first few months in the bottle.  Occasionally some honey even in its raw state will stay as a liquid for a year or two.

Raw is generally defined as not being heated above 118 degrees.  It will be milky white to cream to dark brown colored and most often in a solid creamed state.

Raw and Organic

This is the best kind.  Raw and Organic.  But getting Organic is difficult as the bees fly great distances.  The one brand mentioned earlier, Living Honey has a few of its hives high in the mountains of Utah in remote clearings several miles from any cultivated fields.  This is indeed organic and raw.  However they also wake their bees up in the spring with conventional sugar water meaning it is not completely non-GMO.  So often the best choice is to do the best you can sourcing from organic and raw or raw and labeled as Non-GMO.

Urban Bee Farms

A recent trend to avoid the croplands with their GMOs, or genetically modified plants and crops, is that of urban bee farms.  Some of these apiaries are placed on the  top of buildings in urban areas where the bees never fly out of the urban setting.  While this prevents contact with the GM crops, it also introduces non-organic flowers and plants and other chemical such as household pesticides.  Still it is great to see this trend develop.

Even more backyard apiaries are springing up both to provide homegrown honey and to help address the bee colony die offs and loss of bee populations.

The Benefits of Raw Honey

Sweetener -One benefit of using it is simply that it is a pure sweetener, providing energy that can be substituted for other sweeteners like sugar.

A Natural Antibacterial – A primary benefit is that it contains some powerful antibacterial and anti viral components.  Propolis, a side product of the pollen collection process of the bees, contains many anti bacterial and antifungal properties.  Propolis and pollen are usually a part of raw honey.  When raw, it stays unspoiled for years and also remains intact when eaten, maintaining its ability to fight bacteria.

Wound Healing – Specific honeys can even heal wounds.  Manuka honey which bees collect  from Manuka shrubs in New Zealand contains enough antibacterial qualities that it is used in many countries to treat wounds.  It is graded 10+, 12+. 20+ etc describing the strength of this healing ability.  In some cases, hospitals have used bandages saturated with this Manuka variety to treat wounds, infections and burns that will not heal with conventional medicines.

Maunka honey contains a compound known as methylglyoxal, or MG. The amount of MG is what is used in rating Manuka.  It is then given a rating of UMF or Unique Manuka Factor.  To be considered effective at healing the UMF must be at a level of 10 or higher.  Below that , it is labeled as simply Maunka.  Above and it is labeled as Active Manuka.

If it is used as a last resort to treat the worst cases, perhaps it should be considered more as a first treatment with no side effects as are seen with medicines.  Some of this comes from the presence of hydrogen peroxide found in the raw product.  What hospitals use is medical grade clean honey.  Certainly no benefit will be experienced form using store bought, pasteurized type that is often combined with high fructose corn syrup.  That type is dead and has no benefit.

Phytonutrients – Another benefit is the phytonutrient content.  Along with the vitamins and active enzymes, honey contains phytonutrients as the bees collect it form plants that also contain these.

Cold Relief – Got a cold?  Have a sore throat?  Try some raw.  Again the store bought pasteurized versions will provide no benefit.  Try it right from the jar or in some warm tea or lemon water.  Its antibiotic properties often help in these situations.

In fact studies have shown that it can often be more effective than conventional cough medicine at reducing a cough.

Skin Irritations – Honey can also be used in minor cases of acne, skin rashes or minor scrapes.

We don’t know all the reasons Raw Honey can heal the body and improve overall health. We have learned about many of its properties and the reasons for its benefits.  Even if we do not discover all of the reasons, we know it has hidden properties that benefits us in ways we do not yet understand.

Alkaline– Honey is also alkaline forming whereas the processed type in the little plastic bear containers is acid forming.  having the body in an alkaline state is always recommended by knowledgeable health professionals.

You like honey?  Try consuming more.  Haven’t tried it raw?  Find some local or even national brand of raw liquid gold and add it to your lifestyle.  One brand that is perhaps the best organic non-GMO raw honey is Wedderspoon.  This brand has some non-Manuka varieties that are so potent that they have some of the same healing properties as Manuka.  You will be better for it.  Here are some additional best foods to include in your diet.

The Beneficial Nature of Nuts

Nuts are packed full of benefits which includes heart health due to their Omega 3 fatty acids.  Walnuts, which are shaped liked the human brain actually help with brain health. Walnuts and almonds are one of the healthiest foods you can add to your diet.  Studies have also shown that those who consume these on a regular basis have better weight control, are thinner and had reduced LDL cholesterol levels.

Nuts can also lower inflammation which is one of the deadliest conditions of the body as it leads to all types of diseases.  These foods also can lower the risks of certain types of cancers.

While Decades ago the thought was that the fats in these foods were detrimental to one’s health but it is now known they have tremendous health benefits.

They are called raw when they have been harvested and then dried and will store for a good period of time. These have been kept cool and not subjected to roasting or high temperatures.

Sprouting Nuts

So what is sprouting?  Sprouting is the process of soaking the nuts for 8 or more hours to allow them to begin sprouting. But why do this?  If they are so beneficial in their raw state, why sprout?

When they are raw, they contain enzyme inhibitors.  These inhibitors prevent the seed from rotting or sprouting and keep them alive and viable in the wild until they are ready to germinate in the spring.  When the nuts are subjected to the rains of spring, these inhibitors lose their grip and they are allowed to germinate and release their nutrients.

When seeds are raw in the store, these inhibitors are still intact in the nut, meaning much of the nutrient value is still locked in place by the enzyme inhibitors. The entire digestive process, however is also inhibited.  Raw nuts can actually destroy enzymes and are very hard for most people to digest.

So the pancreas is forced to release large amounts of enzymes to digest them.  In fact large amounts of raw nuts put a very heavy load on the pancreas.  The pancreas can actually suffer damage from eating too many in their raw state.  So as an option to only eating small amounts of these very beneficial foods, they can be soaked and sprouted.

Sprouting then  releases the vitamins, fatty acids, minerals and importantly, the enzymes greatly benefiting our health.  The replication of the natural germination process also release the hidden strong taste.  If you have ever considered raw nuts bland, try sprouting them.  You will be very amazed at the difference in taste.  Another addition is that the toxins are released  into the soak water along with the breakdown of the inhibitors.

The Sprouting Process

The process begins with soaking the nuts for 8-24 hours in clean water with a little bit of sea salt added.  The water can be changed halfway through the soak although this is not necessary.

Drain and thoroughly rinse.  All that brown colored water contains all of what you don’t want to consume and all the nutrients are now unlocked.

The next step is critical.  The nuts need to be either soon after the soaking, or thoroughly dried in a low temperature dehydrator.  95 degree circulated air for 2 1/2 days is a normal drying time in a dehydrator.  They should not be heated above 110 degrees or they lose much of their fatty acid and nutrient benefit.  Heating them at high heat is similar to the process of roasting, which destroys oils and turns them rancid.

Sound like a lot of work?  It really isn’t once you have done it once and especially if you have a good soaking container like the Easy Sprout Sprouter.  This sprouter was mainly designed for sprouting seeds like broccoli or alfalfa seeds.  But it makes the soaking and draining process a breeze. We have two of these at our home and use them regularly.

However if you prefer not to sprout them yourself, there is a tremendous source of already sprouted nuts online.

Living Nutz – The Company

We wanted to share with you information on a tremendous little indie nut company called Living Nutz.  The company offers nuts and related products that are on the high end but some of the cleanest and best specialty nuts you can find anywhere.  We have purchased from the company since 2009 and have just ordered some specialty varieties for the Holidays.

This is the type of company that many still are unaware of but should be known by anyone serious about great tasting or truly unpasteurized nuts.  We also had the opportunity to catch up with Davey, the owner, for a recent video interview included in this article.

Living Nutz is one of a very few sources of truly unpasteurized, raw almonds, sourced from outside the united states.  All almonds from California are now pasteurized or at least fast steam cleaned, which destroys the alive nature of the nuts.  Try to grow an almond that has been pasteurized and it will not grow.  It is dead.

Here is a picture of a customer’s almond tree grown at home from a nut from Living Nutz – a living raw almond.

But Living Nutz also supplies the almonds and other nuts already sprouted.  This is a 5 day process with hand processing in smaller batches.  These are the cleanest and most health beneficial nuts we have found anywhere.

A bonus with this company is their specialty flavored nuts.  These are a bit pricey and high end but are a tremendous treat.  We enjoy the Bodacious Banana Bread Walnuts and the Celestial Cinna Pecans around the Holidays especially.

The Galactic Onion Pistachios are my favorite flavored nut.  Be prepared if you order these, that the word Galactic is an accurate description.  These are strong flavored and spicy.  While at times I can eat a bag in one day, it is also easy to enjoy one small bag over the course of days as they pack such a strong flavor.  You owe it to yourself to try them at least once.

Living Nutz is the type of company that we greatly respect.  They prepare their foods in the proper manner and in a way that preserves all the benefits for us, the consumers.  They ethically stick with their mission of proving only the best quality nuts anywhere.

Try some sprouted nuts from Living Nutz or sprout some at home yourself from nuts that are genuinely raw.  You may find you enjoy them more than ever before.

The Powerful Spice called Turmeric

You may have likely heard of some of the amazing benefits of this spice called Turmeric.  But what really is it?

Turmeric is a spice that comes from the Curcuma plant. The rhizome or root has a brown peel; however it is bright orange to yellow inside. Belonging to the ginger family, turmeric has been used in India and the Middle East for thousands of years. One of the most highly-prized spices in the world, it has a peppery flavor and adds unique taste to foods.

The name “turmeric” is derived from the Persian word for “saffron,” the neon yellow-orange hue used to make curry and yellow mustard. A domesticated plant rather than wild, India remains one of the most prominent producers, along with Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Jamaica, and Haiti. Traditionally called “Indian saffron” because of its deep yellow color, turmeric has been used throughout history as a condiment, textile dye, and health remedy with a revered place in the Ayurvedic pharmacopeia, a comprehensive holistic health care list that dates back to 500 B.C.

What are the Nutritional Benefits of Turmeric?

Using the fresh root provides the maximum health benefits. Using it fresh, it can be cut up, grated, juiced, or crushed through a garlic press. Dried turmeric is an orangey powder. When using the fresh root in recipes, one tablespoon is equivalent to one teaspoon of the dried for taste.

Caution should be used as this can stain counter tops and clothing.

This is one of the basic ingredients in curry and is a much used spice in Indian and Asian cooking. It is can be added to salad dressings or sprinkled on salads. It also adds flavor and color to vegetables, sauces, and dips used with raw vegetables, any kind of chips, or sauces.

Be sure to choose the full, organic turmeric spice rather than a curry blend, which has a very little amount of anything healthful.

When using it in recipes that require cooking, you can add some before the cooking process, and then grate some of the fresh on top of the meal before eating.
Research has shown that combining onions and turmeric (that is, combining quercitin and curcumin) is beneficial in reducing precancerous lesions in the intestinal tract.

As well, the combination of turmeric and a phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, packs a powerful healthful punch.

Combine to Greatly Increase its Absorption

Unfortunately this tremendous spice is not absorbed very well on its own.  To dramatically increase its benefit to you, it needs to be thoughtfully combined with other foods.

This spice is fat soluble so mixing it with fat greatly aids in the body’s absorption. Mix it with olive oil or organic virgin coconut oil. For the biggest absorption boost, adding black pepper increases curcumin’s potency by many times; some claims are by 1000 times.  Or sprinkle some on an avocado or blend it into coconut and avocado for delicious smoothies.

Basic nutritional aspects of turmeric include a daily value in manganese and in iron. It’s also an excellent source of fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, and healthy amounts of vitamin C and magnesium.

Although one tablespoon does provide excellent nutrients, the fact is that it is effective even in much smaller quantities.

What are the Health Benefits of Turmeric?

The claimed health benefits include an improved ability to digest fats, to reduce gas and bloating, to decrease congestion, and to improve skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne.

Turmeric has been used as a powerful anti-inflammatory in Chinese and Indian medicine for thousands of years. Ancient medicinal uses  began when it was noted as an anti-inflammatory agent and then to treat a wide variety of conditions, such as jaundice, menstrual problems, blood in the urine, hemorrhaging, toothaches, bruises, chest pain, stomach or intestinal gas, and colic.

The active ingredient of turmeric is curcumin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with numerous medicinal uses. It contributes to the general health of our body in many ways. There are also many claims that it can treat or prevent some more serious health issues, including possibly inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, cystic fibrosis, and diabetes.

Curcumin, the primary agent in this spice, contains proven effects in this area that are comparable to over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents as well as some prescription medications. But curcumin doesn’t produce the toxic effect that synthetic drugs sometimes do, such as ulcer formation, internal bleeding, and even a lowered white blood cell count.

More reported health benefits include relief from joint pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, reduced joint swelling, and greater range of motion when used regularly. It’s another case of the spice making the list of Power Foods which acts like a prescription medication, but with fewer symptomatic downsides.

Research also suggests that turmeric may be on the list of possible benefits in treating inflammatory bowel diseases, lowering cholesterol counts, protecting the heart, relieving indigestion, improving liver function, and even preventing Alzheimer’s disease.

Extracts of turmeric were found to improve skin hydration that had been damaged by ultraviolet rays, along with possibilities that it could be used for skin protection. Used as an ointment could possibly produce some pain relief in patients with external lesions.

So What Should I Remember about Turmeric?

Remember the advice of Hippocrates from the 4^th century B.C. who believed that we should think of our food as medicine and eat with that in mind. This bright yellow spice, traditionally used as food and medicine, contains potent antioxidants and benefits that studies have shown can support many health issues.

Final Thoughts

To get the most benefit from turmeric, use it to enhance many of those “ho-hum” dishes on your table, such as fish dishes or any meat for that matter. It can add a delicious and interesting taste to mashed dishes like potatoes or cauliflower, sautés with onions, broccoli, carrots, or bell peppers. It can be used as a base for creamy vegetable dips, sauces, and egg salad.

This tremendous spice should be a top consideration for anyone truly interested in improving the level of their health and moving towards optimal health.  It also adds a level of protection against many possible health issues.

This spice is one of our top choices to add to any diet and is one of the best foods you can consume.

Coconut Oil – Our #1 Rated Best Food

Coconut oil is truly amazing.  So much so that we have ranked it number one on our top 10 foods to consume.  It is extensively used in tropical countries, especially India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the Philippines.  The oil was also popular in the United States and Canada, but in the 1970’s there was a strong propaganda campaign by the corn oil and soy oil industry against it. It was purported to be harmful for the human body due to its high saturated fat content. It was not until 15 years ago that people began to question the claims of the propaganda.

Now we know that the health benefits of coconut oil are numerous, including hair and skin care, stress relief, cholesterol level maintenance, weight loss, boosted immune system, proper digestion and regulated metabolism. It can also give relief in high blood pressure, diabetes, and help to improve dental quality and bone strength. These benefits of the oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and their properties, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and soothing qualities.

Perhaps most important, is the lauric acid which our bodies convert into monolaurin, which is helpful in dealing with viruses and bacteria that cause diseases. Almost everyone can benefit from this oil.  An interesting note is that this oil is also the most beneficial fat for those that have had their gallbladder removed as it is processed the most easily by the liver.

Oral Uses of Coconut Oil

This tremendous food has  numerous uses including oral care.  Many are now using it early mornings in a fashion called Coconut Oil Pulling.  This is basically swishing the oil around in the mouth for up to 20 minutes while it absorbs or destroys many harmful bacteria, viruses and other invaders.  Do not swallow the oil after this procedure. Remember to spit it out and rinse your moth thoroughly to remove all the oil.

We like to add some Cinnamon to the Oil during the 10-20 Oil Pulling procedure as this covers up the strong flavor of the oil  Try adding this or another spice if the taste of the oil stops you from this morning ritual.

Skin care

Coconut oil is an excellent massage oil because it acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skin. It is comparable to mineral oil in benefit to the skin but has no chance of having any of the adverse side effects of mineral oil. It can prevent dryness and flaking of the skin. It delays the appearance of wrinkles and sagging of skin which normally accompany aging. It also helps in treating skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema, and other skin infections. Because of this, it is the base ingredient of the better body care products like soaps, lotions, and creams.

Hair care

Interestingly enough, coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrients for your hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair and gives your hair a shiny quality.  Remember what countries it is extensively used in–Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and the Philippines–some of the most beautiful skin and hair are found on people in these countries. It is customary for many people in these countries to apply this oil on their hair every day after bathing or showering. It is an excellent conditioner and provides essential proteins required for nourishing and healing damaged hair.

By regularly massaging your head with coconut oil, you can be free of dandruff, which is often caused by shampoos with harsh ingredients. And it is beneficial to know that it also helps in keeping your hair and scalp free from lice and lice eggs.

Cooking

Coconut oil helps to improve the digestive system and therefore prevents various stomach and digestion-related problems, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome. The saturated fats present in the oil have antimicrobial properties that help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, and parasites that can cause indigestion. It also helps the body to absorb vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

You can use this oil for cooking by simply replacing it for butter or vegetable oils in the recipes. Don’t switch completely to coconut oil because you will then lose other benefits from some of the other saturated fats such as grass fed butter.

Remember, shredded coconut is also a commonly used ingredient in salads and desserts. Or you can crack open a nut, use the milk in recipes, and scrape off the flesh and eat it raw.

Get Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

The most common varieties you will find on the market are pure oil, refined oil, organic oil, and virgin coconut oil.

The most well-known is pure coconut oil. It comes from the dried kernels. It is unrefined and without any additives. It can be used in cooking, as a massaging oil, for improving the health of your hair, with cosmetics, and is also beneficial for medicinal use.

Top Brands such as Nutiva should be used as they are pure organic extra virgin oil extracted without harmful chemcials.

Medicinal Benefits

Coconut oil is said to be beneficial for the heart because it contains 50% lauric acid. The saturated fats in coconut oil are not harmful as those commonly found in vegetable oils.

It is considered very useful for weight loss because it increases the body’s metabolic rate by removing stress on the pancreas, thereby burning more energy.

It is also good for the immune system by strengthening it because of the antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid, and caprylic acid, which all have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by your body so it helps in developing strong teeth and can also stop or slow down tooth decay.

Coconut oil is often used by athletes, body builders, and dieters.  This is because the oil contains fewer calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy, and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries.  And it helps boost energy and endurance, which is vital to athletes.

It has even been shown to prevent and provide relief from the inflammation caused by Candida, which is the disease arising from excessive and uncontrolled growth of yeast in the body. Candida is often prevalent in the United States and European countries where we rely on foods like bread, other baked items, cheese, and wine and other alcoholic drinks. The fatty acids found in the coconut oil are beneficial in counteracting the effect of these eating habits and can be used to treat Candida.

So, bread, baked items, cheese, and wine partakers, know that using this oil will greatly help in your digestion.

This is a Solid Oil

Coconut oil has a high melting point so it is often solid at room temperature and melts when the temperature rises. So if you buy a bottle of coconut oil and it appears solid, and you are used to seeing oils that are liquid at cold temperatures, be aware that there is nothing wrong with this oil being solid.  There is no need to keep this oil in the refrigerator.

If you are going to use it for hair care or other topical purposes, just melt the oil (if it is a solid) by keeping the bottle near a warmer part of the kitchen or warm some up with warm water. Do not use a microwave for melting the oil as this is not only not needed, but can destroy many of the benefits of raw organic oil.

However you choose to incorporate this amazing Oil into your life, it will invigorate your life and health.  Find a way and begin!

Top Pick of Powerful Green Powders

In part 1 of our three part comparison of top green powders we examined Ormus Greens by Sunwarrior.  Today we take an in-depth look at Boku Superfood.  The best price we have seen can be found here, which sells the Superfood for 20% less than at Boku’s website with no monthly auto ship.  This is a high end super green powder that incorporates some typical ingredients along with medical mushrooms and other powerhouse ingredients.

For those times when we can’t get some needed nutrition or any day, this is a highly recommended and proven product.  Boku superfood was originally formulated in 2007 and has undergone a couple reformulations.  When added to water for a green drink or added to any juice or smoothie, this will add a tremendous nutrient profile to anything.

It is a combination of land vegetables, sea vegetables, mushrooms, superfoods, enzymes and probiotics.  And while a high end product, it has a slightly better price point than some similar high end products.

This is the number one powder we use at our home.

The Boku Company

Boku also has other products including the top rated Boku Super Food Bar.  It is in a class of its own, packed full of nutrition.  It also tastes like a fudge brownie.

The company also has their famous Super Protein based on the proteins of organic whole grain brown rice, organic cranberry protein and organic Red Dulse.  It is one of the top protein powders anywhere.

Boku Superfood Ingredients

Barley Juice powder.

Barley, like most grasses, is best when first juiced then dried instead of just eaten as it is hard for us to digest.  This juicing tears down the cell’s walls opening up the nutrients for our bodies to assimilate. IT also contains DOS ((super oxide dismutase) which is a powerful antioxidant.  This is loaded with calcium and minerals

Organic Nettle Leaf

Helps respiratory, blood and kidneys.  It has significant amounts of calcium and helps balance out a lot of the body’s functions.

Organic Nopal Cactus

This is a great source of soluble fiber, helping to balance blood sugars and cholesterol.  Nopal cactus is on the more expansive side of ingredients and including it shows a commitment to a potent product.

Broccoli, Spinach, Kale and Cabbage

So much has been written on these veggies. These are powerful in cleansing the body, providing significant amounts of vitamins and broccoli, Kale and cabbage, members of the cruciferous family of veggies help in the fight against cancer and similar diseases.

Organic parsely

Parsley contains a lot of its own vitamins and minerals, but one of its main actions is providing healthy dose of Vitamin K, promoting bone health.  Parsley also helps to detoxify the liver.  We enjoy adding parsley to our green smoothies at our home.

Spirulina

Now Boku Superfood’s ingredients get very interesting.  Spirulina is a blue green algae that contains the most protein per gram – more than any other known food.  Powerful non-animal based protein. It helps support the immune system with its good amount of GLA (gamma- linolenic acid).  It also supplies large amounts of Vitamin B-12 and beta-carotene.

Spirulina is on my list of top 25 foods to consume for True Optimal Health

Organic Cracked Cell Chlorella

Organic Chlorella is loaded with chlorophyll, contains 50% protein and copious amounts of flavanoids, carotenoids, lutein, vitamins and other nutrients.  It is also a great chelator, helping to remove heavy metals, especially mercury, from the body.

Chlorella is also in my top 25 foods list.

Organic Kelp

Kelp, more than any other sea vegetable is loaded with Iodine which is lacking in almost any foods consumed in North America.

Kelp (or sea veggies as a whole) are part of my top 25 foods as well.  You are probably getting a good idea why Boku Superfood is a prized food at our home – and we haven’t gotten to my favorite ingredients yet).

Maca

Maca helps the body adapt to stress and increases enducrance and stamina.  It is known as a super adaptor.  Amino acids, sterols, viatmins and minerals including selenium are some of the many nutirents provided by Maca.

Organic Boku Super Take Mushroom Blend

Now we get to my favorite ingredients – the medical mushrooms.

This mushroom blend is one of the additions to Boku when it was reformulated a few years ago, and this is a fantastic addition. This includes 14 mushrooms that have been used for centuries in Chinese medicine.  These help in various ways including helping the body to adapt to stress and provide a type of energizing fuel to charge the white blood cells and immune system. Loaded with prebiotics and antioxidants medical mushrooms have strong ORAC oxygen radical absorbance capacity)

The mushrooms included are Reishi (wow), Cordyceps, Maikake, Chaga (one of the more recently discovered powerhouse mushrooms), Mesima, Lion’s Mane (brain support), Shitkae, Turkey Tail, Blazei, True Tinder Polypore, Poria, Agarikon and Suehirotake.

Agarikon is rarely found in mushroom formulations being more expensive than most but it is powerful.

It is this addition of mushrooms that moved the Boku Superfood to the top of my green powders.

Super Sprouts

The formula includes lot of sprouts of many plants including cauliflower, kale, cabbage, pumpkin and broccoli. Sprouts contain up to 50x as much nutrients per gram as the mature plants. They are loaded with chlorophyll and digestive helping enzymes.

Organic Mesquite

Mesquite for its taste and minerals and the amino acid lysine that promotes immunity.

Organic Vanilla Bean

Organic Vanilla Bean for its B Vitamins and body balancing properties.

Lucuma Fruit

Lucuma, called the Gold of the Incas, provides low glycemic carbohydrates, flavor and minerals.
The next group of ingredients are fruits.

Goji Berry

Gojis are one of the top superfoods, packed full of nutrition.  Longevity, blood pressure and cholesterol stabilization and other benefits are attributed to the goji.

I can attest to one thing- fresh gojis do not taste at all like the fried that you can purchase at stores.  Dried taste so much better.  We grow a couple goji bushes at our home indoors.  They do not produce as many gojis as if they were outside but we enjoy them in the house.  When they flower, the flowers range from pink to purple to very light, almost white.

Hawthorn Berry

Know as heart tonic, these berries help the body utilize oxygen.

Pomegrante

loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and nutrients to help maintain good levels of cholesterol

Blueberries, Cherries and Cranberries

Three of the best berries, providing anthocyanins and other powerful antioxidants.  Also full of vitamins and nutrients to help with sleep and relive joint pain.

Organic Red Raspberry

With its abundant ellagic acid, raspberries help defend against cell damage.  But they also possess other flavanoids including quercetin, kaempferl and anthocyanins.  Raspberries are powerful members of the berry group of fruits.

Maple syrup is added as a flavoring but also due to its mineral content and the newly identified Quebecol, an interesting health promoting compound.

The ingredient list is rounded out with lactobacillus probiotics, sea salt  and Digestive Enzymes.

Perhaps the power of Boku Sueprfood is summarized best by the Hippocrates Health Institute whose opinion of it was that you obtain more nutrition in one tablespoon of this powder than the normal person obtains in a week from their diet.

It is hopefully very obvious what this high end green superfood powder is included in our list of the top superfoods green powders.  It is my personal favorite and is consumed in my home.

Why Consider any Green Powders?

We can’t always get the full amount of greens, vitamins and minerals we know we need, even if we are focused on our health and see it as important.  And even with a diet that includes a heavy amount of organic vegetables we may not be fueling our bodies to function at optimal capacity.

That is often where green powders can fit in and fill in some gaps.  after all, how often do we eat oat grass, nettle leaf or medicinal mushrooms?

There are three powerful green powders that are truly tremendous and anyone can benefit by using any of them.  But each has its own strength and focus of benefits.  These three are high end and rarely found in health food stores due to the very high price each would need to carry with the store’s markup. These are truly exceptional powders and are well known within the serious health conscious community

So let’s examine the first of them in this article.

Sunwarrior Ormus Greens

This is a concentrated green powder that is very different from most of the others on the market.  It contains much fewer ingredients and obviously then a higher concentration of each. It lacks mushrooms, nettle leaf and many other ingredients incorporated into the other greens.

Trace Minerals

Instead it focuses on the potency of each included ingredient.  It does this in a few ways.  Each ingredient is grown in the company’s own pristine, fertile, mineral rich volcanic valley soils.  Compared to almost any other soil in the United States which has been stripped of its minerals, these soils provide the grown ingredients with powerful nutrients including trace minerals.

The second step towards potency is the process of cold drying which protects all the of heat sensitive nutrients keep them bioactive.  This creates a superfood powder that is basically alive and raw with oils and enzymes intact.

When you try Ormus Greens for the first time, try this.  put a spoon or anything into the powder , pull it out and look closely.  There is green powder stuck all around the spoon including underneath, almost like static electricity.  This is powerfully potent nutrition.

The product is naturally probiotic with no added probiotics.  All grown and processed in the US.  It contains no GMOs, no radiation or contaminants of any kind.

What are the ingredients in Ormus?

Alfalfa

Alfalfa, which has an extensive root system able to reach deep to draw up nutrients.  This is most beneficial, of course, when grown in the fertile volcanic type soil that Sunwarrior grows the alfalfa in. Alfalfa really benefits the body in cleaning the liver and removing toxins from the blood.  IT is also very alkalizing.

Barley Grass and Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is the sweeter of the two and most often used in formulations.  Many consider clean wheatgrass without molds, to be one of the healthiest, most nutrient packed substances in the world.  Its nutrients are absorbed readily and helps alkalize and clean the blood.

Barley grass is similar, with concentrations of chlorophyll, antioxidants and vitamins, making it a superfood powerhouse as well.  It contains SOD super oxide dismutase, a strong antioxidant that protects against free re3daicl damage.  Filled with organic electrolytes.

Oat Grass

This is another cereal grass like wheat and barley, rich in nutrients.  It also adds an additional source of SOD mentioned earlier.  Easily digested and very high in chlorophyll

Moringa

This is where Ormus gets interesting.  Moringa is one of the more recently discovered superfoods and in fact is used in some regions of the world to prevent serious malnutrition.  Moringa is also known as the “tree of life” as it is so rich in all manner of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It stores very well and benefits the body at deep cellular levels going beyond just protecting the cells from free radicals, but also nourishing them.

Some people also notice an increase in energy levels after eating moringa.

Spinach Powder

One of the healthiest and most often eaten greens, spinach is loaded with B Vitamins and other nutrients.   It also protects the eyes, skin and bones.  While spinach is easily obtained in anay store, the spinach in Ormus is very rich in its phytonutrients and benefits.

Ginger Root

Ginger has long been used for its ability to calm the stomach and reverse sea and motion sickness, but it is also a potent anti inflammatory and also reduces pain.   Due to its ability to reduce the inflammation and attack fungi and bacteria, it is also being studied as a prevention of serious diseases.

Probitiocs

Probiotics are known by many for the protection of the immune system that is wired into the digestive system.  With Ormus Greens, the porbitoics are not added as an afterthought, but are cultured with the greens themselves making them much more bioavaible.

Peppermint is added to one version of Ormus Greens adding natural flavor but also for its benefits of aiding digestion and alertness.  Peppermint is also just simply refreshing to the mouth and body.

Stevia is included but Ormus can also be purchased without stevia.  This all natural sweetener is derived form the leaves of the stevia plant, does not negatively affect blood sugar and can often aid digestion.  Some people prefer not to have stevia and Ormus is available without this sweetener.

As mentioned, Ormus comes with fewer different ingredients than almost all powders but it is extremely potent in what it provides.

As we feel that mushrooms are such an incredible addition to anyone’s supplements or diet, if mushrooms were added to this formula it would stand out perhaps above all others due to the super charged potency the other ingredients already have.  But it is also simple enough to take this product along with a powerful mushroom formula, which is what we often do at our house.

My other wish  for this regards the packaging.  The powder comes sealed in a plastic bag inside a box.  An amber glass jar with a metal lid would make this, in my opinion, an even better product.

However, this is as pure a green powder as can be found anywhere.  It is highly recommended.

10 Foods You Should Eat Regularly for Optimal Health

If your focus is optimal deep health, diet is a factor that will play a critical role.   Not only restaurants but also pre packaged processed foods are convenient and at times necessary but if true health is your goal, them home cooking using fresh ingredients and organic vegetables as part of them is necessary.

Superfoods is a term that has become popular in recent years, with good reason, but it has also been misused many times.  Processed fods contained these superfoods often destroy much of the nutrient value of those superfoods in the processing.

Best is to think of what foods people ate 50 years ago before calling it organic food.  They simply called it “food.”

At thebestfoodstv we like to focus on eating the best foods and on natural ways to control appetite.  With that in mind, here are 10 top foods that offer a wide array of nutrients and can be easily incorporated into anyone’s diet.  These should be either organic or wild crafted, meaning wild naturally occurring food.

Organic Coconut Oil

This is one of the most important foods for the typical person to add to their diet.  Almost half of the beneficial fat content in Coconut Oil is Lauric Acid.  Lauric Acid is found in very few foods and is truly an incredible ingredient due to its body systems supporting properties.

When ingested, the body converts Lauric Acid into monolaurin which is an amazing anti-bacterial, anti viral and anti fungal compound.

The saturated fat (which has endured a bad and inaccurate rap the past few decades) in coconut oil has some excellent benefits includes supporting heart health, the immune system and a healthy metabolism and weight loss. It is also a good    source of energy. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut go immediately to your liver to be used for fuel, much better for your body than simple carbs.

By helping the thyroid, coconut oil also aids in the ability of the body to begin weight loss. Dr. Mary Newport in her research has shown that Coconut Oil also have great potential to fight off brain issues such as Alzheimer’s as well as other issues such as type 2 diabetes and Multiple Sclerosis.

For cooking, this oil is also the ideal choice as it the most stable oil with the highest boil point. Much better than even olive oil.

Best plan for your health? Eat 1-2 tablespoon of coconut oil several times per week.  If you love chips, then consider Jackson’s Honest Chips made with coconut oil.

A Second top food is Kale.

Along with this remarkable green, broccoli, chard and arugula are top contenders for green leafy vegetables. Kale is so powerful that we have an article entirely dedicated to this veggie.  It is loaded with Vitamins A, B and C.  It helps many body systems including the digestive and immune system. Indole-3-carbinol can be obtained by eating Kale and may play a part in protecting against colon cancer. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are present which help against macular degeneration.

Get Kale anyway that you can.  Have baby kale in salads or put handfuls of Lacinato kale into a smoothie or juice recipe.

Avocado

A third item to make our best foods list is the wonderful Avocado.  Similar to Coconut oil, one of the avocados main benefits is that of being a tremendous source of healthy fats.  This is rare in a fruit to have this level of fats.

As well, the avocado provides fiber, Vitamin E, twice as much Potassium as a banana and loads of B Vitamins.  Avocados also help your body absorb and utilize other nutrients such as beta carotene and lutein.

The creamy texture of the avocado also make it great to blend with other ingredients including some cocoa and chia seeds, then freezing for a short time to make a dessert with the texture of ice cream.

Fresh Green Vegetable Juice

Green Vegetable Juice needs to be on this list as well.  This really needs to be made fresh at home and not a purchased pasteurized juice, even from a health store. Juicing vegetables has many benefits over simply eating the veggies. For many people, trying to eat more than a small salad takes more time and mental effort they would like but have no problem spending time juicing. If this describes you, then juicing can provide up to 5x-10x the amounts of veggies in one day than you normally eat. This alone makes juicing a great practice.

But as well, juicing concentrates the nutrients and releases them from the fibers, thereby rushing the nutrients into your body in a much shortened amount of time.  You will absorb 90% of the nutrients in the juice in 15 minutes as opposed to 15% of the nutrients spread out over 30 minutes as it would be if you simply eating the greens.

Our favorite Juices include one made with Curly or Lacinato Kale, baby spinach, Celery carrots and then another green such as Romaine lettuce.  We normally do not sweeten our green juice with any fruits although you could add a granny smith apple or Asian pear to help with this.  Carrots also help sweeten the juice but we like to keep the amounts of sweet carb type veggies such as carrots as a more minor ingredient.

Organic Grass Fed Butter

Our fifth food on this list is sometimes a controversial one and that is organic grass fed butter. Butter from grass fed cows can actually be very healthy.  It is full of many vitamins and trace minerals and healthy fats including short and medium chain fats which support the immune system.  It also has a great balance of omega-3 and omega6 fats which is normally far out of balance in conventional dairy and beef products.

A fascinating read is the story of Jackson, who inspired his mother to begin the copnay Jackson’s Honest Chips, which are made with coconut oil  The story how Jackson’s health made a dramatic upturn based on massive amounts of healthy fats which included organic grass fed butter is worth the time reading or watching the video of the company’s history.

Remember there are also foods that are really anti-nutrient.  These can harm the body as you eat them.  Some of these are included in our article on the 7 worst foods to avoid.

Part II of our top 10 best foods will focus more on the protein side of nutrients.

Kale – Why You Should Eat this Incredible Veggie

Kale is a nutritional powerhouse, low calorie and incredibly nutrient dense.

It is a member of the brassica family of vegetables which are known for their body repairing and disease fighting abilities.  It is actually more closely related to wild cabbage than it is to any domesticated vegetable, likely partly responsible for its powerful health supporting attributes.

The problem with Bad Food

Currently American consume an average of 152 pounds of sugar, including High Fructose Corn syrup and refined table sugar, per year.  Two out of every three Americans are overweight or obese and that number is rising.

And this is not confined to America.  type 2 diabetes is the fastest growing medical condition worldwide, affecting 10% of the worlds population.. This is expectecd to increase to 2 out of 3 by the year 2020.   http://www.altfutures.org/pubs/diabetes2025/US_Diabetes2025_Overall_BriefingPaper_2011.pdf

Why Kale?  What are Kales Nutritional Properties?

Healthier food choices and specifically eating foods classified as super foods can help reverse this. As mentioned, Kale is a nutritional Powerhouse and has been shown to have healing properties as well.  broccoli and some of the other cruciferous vegetables are often more well known and more researched, but none surpass Kale in terms of its health supporting power.

One cup of raw Kale contains:

only 33 calories

204% of recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A

134% of daily Vitamin C

a whopping 684% of daily needed Vitamin K

anti-inflammatory and antioxidants

Calcium, Vitamin B6 and iron.

Kale’s Fight against Cancer

Kale has been studied in relation to cancer more than in any other way and this makes sense.  It’s antioxidant, Glucosinolate  and anti inflammatory properties are where it excels.  We have seen that Kale has an amazing nutritional profile but it also contains healing compounds in its cell structures and color pigments.  In fact it contains over 45 different flavonoids which are compounds that could potentially prevent or defend against cancer. In addition, it contains many different anti-inflammatories which help prevent many other types of diseases as well.

It main weapon, however, are its glucosinolates which are the sulphur compounds that give it the bitter taste it is known for. Its glucosinolates have been shown to suppress cancer in numerous animal trials.

According to George Mateljan, author of the book The Worlds Healthiest Foods, it has abilities to lower the risk of five types of cancers, bladder, breast, colon, prostate and ovary.

Glucosinolate research

Much research has shown that Glucosinolates provide cancer preventative benefits.  Once Kale is eaten, the digestive processes convert the Glucosinolates into the powerful cancer fighting compounds.

Kale’s four main glucosinolates, which are responsible for its detoxifying properties are:

glucobrassicin – which is broken down into indole-3-carbinol (known as I3C)

glucoraphanin – which breaks down into sulforaphane (SFN) perhaps the most well known Derived Isothiocyanate, found also in cruciferous vegetables such as brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower.  The young sprouts of broccoli are especially high in this compound.

gluconasturtiian – which converts itself into phenethyl-isothiocyanate (PEITC)

glucopaeolin – which is then converted to the well known benzyl-isothiocyanate (BITC)

Antioxidant benefits

without sufficient amounts of antioxidants, our bodies can undergo oxidative stress which is a problem with metabolizing oxygen.  Studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables and specifically kale not only fight against the disease but also can provide treatments benefits.

The two main types of antioxidants studies here are the flavonoids and carotenoids. Two powerful carotenoids, lutein and beta-carotene are contained in concentrated amounts in kale. The studies have gone further to actually show an increase of the carotenoids nutrients in the bloodstream after digesting kale.  part of the risk of cancer is when the cells are under oxidative stress and become cancerous.  The findings of consumption of kale being a weapon against this occurring is a reason for anyone to begin consuming more of this incredible vegetable.

Quercitin is a very well known flavonoids, is abundant in Kale and is one of the 45 documented flavanoids the vegetable possesses. These are very likely key to its cancer fighting abilities.

The bottom line: Eat more Kale.

Anti-Inflammatory Benefits.

Although less research has been done on the anti inflammatory aspects, Kale contains tremendous amounts of Vitamin K and significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, both of which work in combination to be exceptional anti-inflammatories.  Think of the “K” in Kale to be Vitamin K.  It is that significant.

Diabetes and Obesity

A potential way for the green veggie to help with this fast growing health problem is in its fiber content and protein.  The fiber in this and other greens are a key to blood sugar balancing.  The 3 grams of plant protein  in a cup of Kale also helps with the amount of blood sugar as well.

One of its antioxidants, anthocyanins, has been shown to help stop fat cells from expanding and help in weight loss.  One study showed mice had a sigficant drop in weight gain by consuming anthocyanins.  Kale is also very filling and low in calories as most greens are as well.

How to eat Kale

whenever possible- always get Organic Kale.  it is on the famous list of “the dirty dozen,” foods shown to contain the most residual pesticides.  Organic kale is close to conventional kale in price and is even fairly easy to grow organically in a garden. It is an extremely hardy plant and most varieties can survive well into the winter cold.

For most people, it is easier to consume if slightly cooked.  Most of its nutrients are retained if the cooking is brief and is much better steamed than boiled or cooked at high temperatures.

An ideal way to consume is in a smoothie which breaks up the fibers and reduces the bitter taste when combined with baby salad greens, romaine, baby spinach or similar.  Adding broccoli sprouts is another powerful way to compound its health benefits.  Juicing with celery and other greens is another fantastic way to get a massive influx of its nutrients into your body.

This vegetable is so understood as having profound positive impacts on health that a group of people have even petitioned for a National Kale Day being the first Wednesday of every October.  This National Kale Day has been celebrated for e years now starting in October of 2013.