Just Released New Edition, "The Wisdom of Menopause"

Women’s health expert Dr. Christiane Northrup,  just released the latest edition of her bestselling book, The Wisdom of Menopause. This soup-to-nuts guide includes the very latest options to help ensure that your midlife years are simply wonderful! Here's an excerpt, enjoy!

The Wisdom of Menopause - Free Excerpt

www.drnorthrup.com

Why You Should Eat Cranberries

Cranberries - a traditional holiday side dish in North America - are more than just a tart and tasty meal accompaniment. A rich source of vitamin C and dietary fiber, cranberries are packed with healthy antioxidants and are used traditionally to help prevent urinary tract infections.  Cranberries are only in season from October through December, therefore when purchasing fresh cranberries, look for those that are a deep red color and firm to the touch. They can be used in a variety of ways, including in breads and muffins or as a cold or warm relish.

 Here is a recipe for Maple Cranberries.  It was so tasty, I just about ate it all in one sitting.  

Maple Cranberries
 This is as easy as it looks, and so good that it will forevermore free you from the tin chains of canned cranberry sauce.  The tart cranberries offset the round, roasty, caramel maple flavors beautifully, and color is memorable.  I make this on the tart side, but you can add more maple syrup to taste.

1 (12 oz) package of fresh cranberries
1 cup maple syrup (preferably Dark Amber or Grade B)
Peel of 1 orange, in strips (optional; not native American, but tasty)

1.  Rinse the cranberries and pick out any debris.

2.  Combine the cranberries and maple syrup and orange peel (if using) in a medium pot and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the cranberries pop and the juice and syrup combine into a sauce---about 10 minutes.  The berries should be soft with pleasantly chewy skins.  Turn off heat.  Remove the orange peel.  Let cool slightly before serving. 

Serves 4

This recipe is from American Terroir, Savoring the Flavors of Our Woods, Waters and Fields by Rowan Jacobsen.   Terroir is pronounced “tare-wahr” and means taste of place. 

Holiday Favorite Smoothie

I just can't seem to get enough of these great tasting drinks.  Pomegranates are only around for about 2 months in the North American market, so take advantage of this nutritious fruit that is a good source of Vitamin C and K.

Read more about pomegranates from Victoria Boutenko and the Raw Family.  She has learned that pomegranates are more vital than V'i'a'g'r'a!

I also love to use Coconut Milk.  Not too much though, just a couple of tablespoons because of the high fat content.  However, Coconut milk is very low in cholesterol and sodium and a good source of manganese.

Then I add in:
Banana
Greens ( handful of spinach or kale)
Cucumber (about 3 inches)
Apple (half)
Water (8 oz)

Enjoy! 

Extend Your Life with Green Tea Extracts

When was the last time you sat down and enjoyed a cup of tea with a friend? Tea has always been associated with relaxing for a minute or two.  The English have done it for years, so have the Chinese and Japanese.  Americans seem to have a tougher time of relaxing with the frantic pace of life that has been created over the years.



Relaxing is so important in order for the body to heal and therefore help you be more productive.  Mother Nature has given us all the tools we need to extend our life and feel better.  It is just a matter of taking the time to savor the moment. 


The Keys to Longevity
If you want more quality of life and who doesn’t?  I recommend incorporating Green Tea extracts into your daily routine.  Green tea extract is the condensed or concentrated form of green tea just in different portions.  Extraction of the Camellia Sinensis leaf, originally from China, is placed in a solvent like water, alcohol, or even steam.  This process draws out the catechins, or antioxidants, which are then condensed before drying. What’s left is a powder that can be made into an extract. Either drinking as a tea or taking as a capsule has many benefits that improves your chances of living healthier and longer.

A few of the many benefits of the green tea extract is controlling blood sugar levels and preventing liver disease which in turn slows down the aging process.


Drinking Antioxidants Rich Teas Fights Free Radicals
Furthermore, green tea extract has 20 times more antioxidants than Vitamin C. These antioxidants are also called polyphenols which fight the negative free radicals that causes diseases.  Polyphenol-rich beverages such as green tea are concentrated and easily absorbed.  Therefore, I recommend choosing caffeinated tea as the decaffeination process may remove the polyphenols along with the caffeine.

Subsequently, different polyphenols will act differently in the body even though they are essentially all antioxidants. When polyphenols are consumed regularly over extended periods of time disease can be prevented. Ultimately maintaining high levels of polyphenols in your body and bloodstream throughout the day by drinking a green tea every few hours is optimal. Blood levels of polyphenols peak soon after they are consumed, then decrease as they are metabolized or excreted from the body. Some polyphenols will not be absorbed into the bloodstream, but will merely pass through the digestive tract.  Polyphenols are still being researched and many have not been discovered and are not fully understood yet.

We have come to know, however that polyphenols can be neutralized or destroyed by eating unhealthy free radicals such as fried foods, meats or refined foods.  I would suggest buying only organically raised plants which are much higher in polyphenols and will protect you better against diseases creeping in!

Educate Yourself About Your Disease
It is in your best interest to learn the most you can about any disease if you have been diagnosed or labeled because most diseases can be tamed or conquered.  Adding green tea extracts into your daily diet has proven to strengthen your immune system in lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, natural weight loss as well as fight free radicals associated with cancer, infections and tooth decay. 


There is no question that when you are under stress, your body will use up antioxidants polyphenols faster.  However, when every part of your body is working correctly, it is easier to live in harmony with each other and live a more mindful and productive life. Therefore, the next time you are feeling frazzled or uptight, perhaps it’s time to brew some green tea and relax to some inspirational music to bring you back into balance.

Listen With Your Heart

Easy Baking Soda Exfoliant For Your Face

Here is a low cost and easy skin exfoliant.

I have been using this method for about a week now and am impressed with the results.  This mixture doesn’t even sting your face, just leaves it feeling refreshed and clean.

* Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with about 1 teaspoon of warm water
* Smear onto your face and leave on for about a minute. 

The mixture will dry similar to a face mask, but isn’t as hard to get off.  Just rinse with warm water and pat your face with a dry towel.

Review of Sugar Blues- Is sugar killing you sweetly?

by William Dufty, New York, NY, Chilton Book Company, 1975, 256 pages

Sugar Blues

by William Dufty

Dufty opens with describing how lucrative the sugar industry has been over the centuries.  This commodity has ruled many empires.  Nations has survived and thrived within this market.  Whole sugar cane by itself is very nutritious but once it is stripped of its real nature and processed into the granule sugar we use today, essential vitamins and minerals are lost forever. 

Even though this book was written in 1975, 36 years ago, nothing much seems to have has changed on how scientists and medical doctors look at sugar, even though all the evidence is out there. 

Like opium, morphine, and heroin, sugar is an addictive, destructive drug, yet Americans consume it daily in everything from cigarettes to bread.  If you are overweight, or suffer from migraine, hypoglycemia or acne, the plague of the Sugar Blues has hit you.  In fact, by accepted diagnostic standards, our entire society is prediabetic.

Once a year, medical specialists still get together in May for Digestive Disease week to discuss all sorts of health issues that consume humans.  I watched one of their videos and to me, it just seems like a big networking party!  These so called specialists seem to gloss over the fact that sugar is a big hindrance in the human system.  It just might put them out of work.    

The author was once a sugar addict.  Under Gloria Swanson’s influence, he kicked the habit.  His struggle to quit this food was not easy, especially when he learned that sugar seems to be in just about everything. This addiction of his took about 15 years to quit.  However, the proof is in his pictures.  On the back of his book are before and after pictures of Dufty.  In the before picture, he looks like a stodgy old man. In the second picture, he looks very dashing. Dufty offers eye-opening research on how this insidious poison invade our lives.

If you have noticed mood swings or your energy all over the place, in yourself or a family member, you just might be consuming too much sugar!  This is a must read book for anyone who wants to improve their health and live happier.  You can probably find it used through or at your local library.