Acerola: The Barbados Cherry

Eaten like grapes in the Caribbean by many who grow it at home, Acerola is a potent immune system booster that isn't as easy to obtain in the US as it is in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and the West Indies. With the prevention of heart disease as one of its benefits, Acerola is also reputed to be a powerful protection against cancer. This powerhouse fruit contains 32 times the amount of Vitamin C in orange juice (which is over 3000% as much), and the green fruits have twice as much the amount of Vitamin C as mature fruits.

One Acerola berry alone has more than 100 percent of the required daily amount of Vitamin C. Naturally, this has made Acerola a popular health supplement as well as cosmetic ingredient, due to its antioxidant activity. In addition to this, it keeps for months, though one should be wary when heating the berries for jams and other recipes, as the Vitamin C content is reduced through the heating process. The benefits of the seeds have not yet been studied.


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Survival 101

As economic collapse looms, we must begin to think of how we will sustain ourselves.
Some of Jack Needles suggestions include:

1. Plant a Garden

2. Plant Fruit trees( high fat fruits such as avocados and acorns are key)

3. Storable foods such as nuts (- incl. acorns), seeds, dried powders, and even canned foods (Grass can be digested by humans when juiced, but not as a solid)

4. Fishing Rods( for fishing)

5. Look into buying a goat, a hen, or cow for milk and/or eggs

5. Look into buying a wheatgrass juicer

6. PLENTY of multi vitamin/multi mineral supplements

7. Look into www.EFoodsDirect.com for storable foods also





You can enjoy more of Jack Needles informational videos on Youtube.
Keep your head up. A vital creative attitude is more important than ever now.

One essential item not mentioned is a dehydrator. Dehydrators offer a year or more of shelf life depending upon how they are packaged. Canned they are said to last twenty plus years.

Vegan Coconut Cake

Enjoy this treat with an easy tutorial that shows you what to do.

Breath Check

When our breath isn't as fresh as it could be, the problem can have its roots in a few different issues including digestive issues, but there are very easy remedies for this, which will improve your confidence when speaking in closed quarters *_^


Brush your tongue and gums with powdered cloves or myrrh

Swish water around in your mouth after eating

Take in the proper enzymes for digestion. Digestive enzyme tablets are available
through retail.

Detox your bowels. There are colon cleansers available that are all natural and assist
in necessary cleansing to rid you of buildup known as plaque in the bowels. Constipation can be a source of bad breath.

Eat PLENTY of fiber.

Be sure you have enough vitamin b6 in your diet.

Take a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar with each meal.

Alfalfa tablets may also eliminate bad breath.


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The Definition of Vitality

Merriam Webster defines Vitality this way:

vitality

Main Entry:

vi·tal·i·ty

Pronunciation:

\vī-ˈta-lə-tē\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural vi·tal·i·ties

Date:

1592

1 a: the peculiarity distinguishing the living from the nonliving b: capacity to live and develop ; also : physical or mental vigor especially when highly developed2 a: power of enduring b: lively and animated character


Think about this definition today. Are you utilizing your capacity to develop? Do you act with vigor? Are you lively and animated? If not you could benefit from the Feel Good challenges revealed so far. Your life has purpose. Your lifeforce is important.

Why you need more Fiber in your life.

Fiber's health benefits are essential to balanced functioning in elimination systems, which ultimately means better skin, vital energy flow, and a less toxic physical system as direct benefits of making sure we're receiving enough of it in our lives.

The direct benefits are the relief of constipation, disease prevention, and balanced body weight.
When we're eliminating materials are body considers to be toxic or useless to our body, we feel lighter, and digest our nutrients more easily. Many people don't digest the amount of nutrients that come from their food that they should, because their colons are compromised and cannot perform efficiently due to backed up toxins and intestinal plague buildup.

Fiber absorbs water in large amounts making waste easier to pass, to the extent that adding fiber to one's diet can eliminate constipation in as early as a few hours up to a few days.

You can find insoluble fiber ( doesn't dissolve in water) in nuts, bran , vegetables, wheat and whole grains. Soluble fiber which dissolves in water, is found in citrus fruits, apples, oats, beans, and barley. Soluble fiber is said to reduce cholesterol. It can eliminate health concerns like Heart disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Diverticular disease, as well as Gallstones and Kidney Stones.

The recommended amount of fiber intake, in general is 25g for women and 38g for men under 50, while it is 21 grams for women and 30 grams for men over 50. You can accomplish some of that intake by including oatmeal, Bran muffins, Fruits, Fruits, and Breads.


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Feel Good Challenge #3

Now that you've identified your unique qualities, and have begun or completed a wish collage identifying your needs and wants you can begin to work on wording your needs and wants in the present tense to form something very useful to programming a healthy feel good perspective: affirmations.

To receive good you have to resonate with good. You must feel it and vibrate good energy to receive like energy. Our moods are an indicator of our thought process (both conscious and unconscious). The thought forms that are more deeply embedded are called belief systems. They act as a foundation and reference point for the experiences we take in. Because they are formed in early in life, our youth-based perspectives may be hung up on old pains and misunderstood reactions from others that we interpreted as reason to view ourselves poorly and expect others to as well.

Changing our thoughtforms becomes essential to healthy self-image if we have developed a poor self image up to this point. Reprogramming our thoughtforms is effectively done on a visual and intellectual level. With this exercise you will focus on the word-based method of thoughtform reprogramming by making phrases in the present tense that state to your unconscious self that you already have all that you need and want. The present tense is important because the unconscious mind does not understand negative statements like 'I don't', or 'It is not'. The unconscious mind takes things quite literally, so stating 'I want...' will affirm that you intend to stay in a state of want. Stating 'I have...', 'I am...', or even 'I am manifesting my goal of...' opens the door to your unconscious mind, a magnet, creating the vibration you need to step into your desired reality.

You'll need:

A list of goals
Pen&Paper or other writing mediums

Action:

Take your list of goals and begin to change them to positive statements formed in the present tense.
ie. Let's say you wrote this down on your list of goals: I want to have a really reliable electric car that will last a long time for me. That statement would become : I have a really reliable car that lasts a very long time for me and is extremely reliable.

Make the list of affirmations in the present tense including all of the goals in affirmation form.
It is a good idea to make this attractive so you will want to revisit it. Maybe include a few images glued onto the paper you use for your affirmation list, that you love.

Next, read the affirmations ten times each to kick start a 21 day process of reading them at least once every day for 21 days or more. It takes 21 days to create a habit. Getting into the habit of telling yourself positive things, and seeing yourself achieving your goals is a priceless habit to acquire.

Please share you experiences in the comments with other challenge participants.

Considering Ethical Eating?

Considering Ethical eating but worried you won't be able to enjoy anything that has solid flavor?
Worry not. Veganism now has every convenience food available either though home recipe or through online sites like veganstore.com or CosmosVeganshoppe.com

It is fully possible to enjoy meat-like sandwiches, cheese that tastes and melts like cheese, vegan mayonnaise that's actually better than Hellman's (vegenaise), marshmallows, whipped cream, vegan butter identical to dairy butter in taste, cream cheese, and sour cream.

Dixie Diner, Tofutti, and Turtle farms (Vegenaise and Follow your Heart Cheese)
are just a few of the brands making it possible to eat ethically without missing anything, and vegan baking can be done effectively replacing a tsp of cornstarch for each egg a recipe requires, and using oil in place of butter. Vegan milk (soy milk, rice milk nut milk) can also be made at home, and recipes for pastries, empanadas, tarts, pies, and etc all come off without a hitch with no sacrifice whatsoever to flavor. Non-Ethical eaters won't know the difference but they will be healthier for at least that meal, in mind, body, and soul.

Take a peek at some of the food recipes you won't be missing out on:


Vegan Cheesecake

Vegan Mayonaisse recipe (Like Vegenaise)

Vegan Cheese Sauce (add garlic and salt to taste with onion powder to make it pop)

Vegan Cream Cheese/Sour Cream (Use without sweetener to make sour cream---incl. lemon/onion to taste)

Vegan Milk (almond)

Vegan Cookies/Cake (convert into a cake recipe by adding more oil and wet ingredients- Baking soda and a bit of salt can always stand in for baking powder)

Veggie Burger (Black Bean)



Try something easy if you're very new to Ethical eating:

Make some Chocolate Chip Cookies

Feel Good Challenge #2

Now that you're partway through the process of establishing why you're special beautiful and unique, it's time to get in touch with your wants and needs. Knowing these clearly can make all the difference in the world to how you feel about yourself, hence:

The Wish Collage

The Wish collage can be a series of words, images or a combination of both.
You can utilize images you print from the internet, cut from magazines, and the same with text.
The wish collage will become your constant reminder of one important truth:

You can only be driven when you have a goal to rev up for. Your motivation is tied into your ability to identify what you want, while allowing yourself to get close enough to ascertain it in a healthy way.


You will need:
A paper large enough to use as a sign when the collage is complete
Old magazine, printed images, and sketches of your own (if you desire)
Glue (You can find cruelty-free glue here: Wellbond Glue

Action:

Over the course of a week to a month (or longer if you wish), collect images that resonate with your sense of aesthetics. Compile images that make you feel good and represent your goals. Beautiful food. Happy Loving people. Green ecologically efficient and attractive vehicles. Add the images little by little to the paper. You can cut out buzz words that you have an immediate positive reaction to, and include them on the poster board. Overtime the collage will begin to take shape. When you are ready, hang it on the well, and continue to fill it in little by little.
Subliminally this sends the message that as you add your wants and needs to the collage, you are completing your current experience.

When the collage is finished you can preserve it with glaze.
Look upon it daily. It will speak to your subconscious mind in deep ways you are not aware of.

Please feel free to share your experience with this challenge.

Indoor Gardening Anyone?

Have you been introduced to Garden Girl, yet?
Though Indoor Gardening can be done more simply, it's helpful to watch Miss Moreno set up her indoor garden to get a general idea of how much work might be required for a full scale operation. As we enter a season that makes Indoor Gardening a must in the Northern parts of the country if you're interested in growing your own food, this 5 part tutorial can help you prepare your mind for the tasks ahead.

Indoor Gardening, Part 1


Indoor Gardening, Part Two



Indoor Gardening- Part Three


Indoor Gardening, Part Four


Indoor Gardening, Part Five

3 Fruit Facials You Can Create Right Now

Strawberry Drying Mask
1/2 c Very ripe Strawberries
1/4 c Cornstarch

Blend or hand mix the ingredients to a paste consistency and apply to your face. Place leaving room around the eyes. Leave on for up to 30 minutes before rinsing with cool water. Leftover mask solution will keep for at least 4 days in the refrigerator.



Citrus Blend
2 cups hot water (boiled)
1 vitamin C tablet (preservative)
Lemon peel (2 lemons grated/zested)

Mix lemon zest, and water that vitamin c tablet or drops have dissolved into. Allow the mixture to sit overnight before placing it in a water bottle for quick spraying.



Tomato Blemish Buster
1 chopped rip Tomato
1 tsp Lemon juice
1 T Oatmeal

Blend all ingredients until you they reach your preferred consistency (more oatmeal can be added to thicken-more lemon juice to thin). Apply to skin focusing on blemished areas. Leave on for at least 10 minutes and rinse off, using a washcloth to gently remove, if necessary.


All that we need, nature already provides.
Feel Good!

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Should I Add Ginger To My Juiced Drinks?

Ginger can certainly add some benefits to your juiced drinks, most especially if you're seeking to reduce headaches, menstrual symptoms, and nauseau of various types. It is a 'hot' spice, and therefore holds the 'yang' qualities some seek to balance their systems. It promotes healthy detoxifying sweating and can boost the immune system, and is a good source of copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6. It stores well in fresh form for at least three weeks and can be used in dried form for at least a year.

Ginger's other benefits range from easing effects on pregnancy related sickness, after surgery nausea, motion sickness, and chemotherapy. It has been proven over placebo effects in double-blind studies to reduce symptoms connected to motion sickness. It can be used for heart disease, cancer, and is also useful in easing symptoms associated with inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

The active components of Ginger that are most significant are volatile oils and strong phenol compounds like anti-inflammatory gingerols (also known to counteract and inhibit growth in colo-rectal cancer cells) and shogaols, which has caused it to be used widely in powder form, and fresh form alike. Healthcare professionals often recommend it for mild stomach upset like vomiting and nausea. It is considered safer than medications that reduce nausea, and has fewer, if any side effects causing it to be the most often reached for solution. It reduces the severity and duration of nausea, but does not necessarily effect vomiting in the same way during chemotherapy.



It should not be used by children under two years of age, but can be used by children over two years of age for digestive cramping, headaches, and nausea. Be sure the dose is appropriate to the size of the child. A child of 50 lbs would benefit from a dose that is 1/3 of an adult dose of the average weight (150 lbs). The standard dose is 75- 2,000 mg in divided doses added to food or 2-4 grams of fresh ginger root per day. 1 gram of powdered ginger (a 1/2 tsp) can be taken every four hours as needed to relieve nausea, arthritis pain (can also be applied topically), cold and/or flu symptoms as well as sore throat, menstrual cramping, and headache (shredded ginger 2-3 times daily in hot water or 2 or 3 drops of ginger oil in hot water).

Side effects are not common with Ginger, but in the rare instances where they do arise they often manifest as heartburn , belching, and ironically mild stomach upset. These usually take place when too much Ginger has been ingested, so be sure to keep the 4 grams or less restriction of ginger per day. If you have gallstones, do not ingest ginger without speaking to a naturopath/homeopath or other medically trained professional. Be sure you let physicians know if you are taking ginger and will also be using anesthesia. Speak to a naturopath before taking ginger if you are on blood-thinning medications as well.

Herbs are well known for strengthening the body but it's important to research them to be sure they don't have negative interactions with any other foods or drugs you may be ingesting. Many resources are available on the web that can aid your search, including FruttiKrem (we intend to continue to add herbs, and food benefits along with warnings through our blog). It is also advisable to contact a naturopath/homeopath for advice if you plan to mix herbs or add them to your diet for prolonged use.