Oil Pulling

So I recently was introduced to oil pulling, I actually can't even remember where I first heard it but since then I have come across it a couple more times so I decided to pay attention. Basically all you do is rinse your mouth out with vegetable oil, much like you would with a mouthwash except you do it for 20 min. It has a very powerful cleansing and healing affect not only on the mouth and sinuses, but the entire body. 


"Oil pulling traces it roots to oil gargling practiced in Ayurvedic medicine. Oil pulling as we know it today, was introduced in 1992 by Dr. F. Karach, MD. Dr. Karach claimed that oil pulling could cure a variety of illnesses ranging from heart disease and digestive troubles to hormonal disorders. He said it cured him of a chronic blood disorder of 15 years duration and within three days it cured his arthritis, which at times was so painful he was bed ridden. He used the method in his medical practice with great success...The oil acts like a cleanser. When you put it in your mouth and work it around your teeth and gums it “pulls” out bacteria and other debris. It acts much like the oil you put in your car engine. The oil picks up dirt and grime. When you drain the oil, it pulls out the dirt and grime with it, leaving the engine relatively clean. Consequently, the engine runs smoother and lasts longer. Likewise, when we expel harmful substances from our bodies our health is improved and we run smoother and last longer."- coconutresearchcenter.org


So today I ordered the book Oil Pulling Therapy by Dr. Bruce Fife and am looking forward to learning more about it! 


Here is a link to more info on oil pulling as well as a radio interview done with Dr. Bruce Fife at the end of the page.

Top 10 Nutrient Dense Foods

MyVega.com posted an article on the Top 10 Nutrient Dense Foods, here's the list:

1. Chlorella: Dubbed the ultimate green superfood, chlorella is a microscopic green algae, power-packed with nutrition. 68% complete protein, chlorella contains rich stores of vitamins, minerals, and Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF—a compound unique to chlorella). Boasting the highest concentration of chlorophyll of any known plant, chlorella is an antioxidant powerhouse that’s also abundant in eye-health-promoting beta-carotene and lutein.
2. Kale: Delicious, versatile, and easy to prepare, kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods readily available in an average grocery store, boasting vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids, and inflammation reducing antioxidants.
3. Broccoli: Your mom was right for telling you to eat your broccoli! Especially for broccoli’s antioxidant properties, digestion-promoting fiber, as well as a whole army of vitamins and minerals.
4. Spirulina: While not something you crunch into like the other greens, spiruliana adds superhero strength to your smoothies or your meal, providing all the essential amino acids, trace minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants in very (very) few calories.
5. Spinach: Bundled in hearty leaves of green deliciousness, spinach is loaded with antioxidants, fiber, iron, protein, and calcium.
6. Chia: A superior source of plant-based omega-3, as well as protein, chia is an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, making it a true friend of your digestive system.
7. Berries: Lower in calories than most fruits, berries average much higher in free-radical scavenging antioxidant power. And did we mention they’re delicious?
8. Cacao: Be still our chocolate-loving hearts! Did we hear nutrient-dense and chocolate in the same sentence? Before you go reaching for a candy bar, understand that the nutrient density of chocolate comes from the source—the cacao bean itself—so enjoy your chocolate fix as close to the whole bean as possible, in the form of cacao nibs or powder, which are rich in magnesium, potent antioxidants, amino acids, and bliss-boosting powers.
9. Hemp Seeds: A dream combo of fiber, protein, amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, all neatly packaged in a highly digestible, versatile, and delicious seed.
   
10. Collard Greens: Right up there with kale in the wealth of antioxidants fiber, collard greens also provide digestive support and are loaded with important vitamins and minerals.

Chia Seeds

When I told my husband to sprinkle some Chia seeds on his salad he said, "Chia seeds? Like Chia Pet seeds?" Yup! That would be them! There has been quite the buzz behind these little seeds over the last year or so and for a good reason. Chia seeds have been called the world's healthiest whole food because it contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and also contains significant amounts of protein, fiber and antioxidants. They also help control appetite and boost your energy.

1 tablespoon of Chia
- 2.1 g ALA (alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-based form of omega-3 fats)
- 4 g Fiber
- 2 g Protein
- 58 Calories

Unlike flax seeds, chia seeds are easily digested and don't need to be ground up to receive the benefits. You can eat the whole seeds as a snack, sprinkle them on your salads or other food, add them into your nut butter, mix them in your smoothie, or use them to replace eggs in your baking!
2 tbsp chia + 6 tbsp water = 1 egg

Eczema- My Journey Update

It has been a few months since my last post on my daughters eczema and I am happy to report that her eczema is now gone! She still has food sensitivities but her body is healing. Lots has happened since my last post so I wanted to share the last few months with you.
I discovered that there were A LOT of things that I needed to avoid. Here is a list:
-Gluten
-Dairy
-Eggs
-Night Shades
-Fruit except for apples and blueberries
-Sugar
-Processed and refined foods

My diet has been EXTREMELY limited but it has all been worth it.

Cosette Feb 28, 2012

So the first thing I did was avoid foods that caused a reaction. I was also giving Cosette probiotics, Udo's oil and vitamin D. Now to anybody else this didn't seem to be making a difference but to me I could see slight improvements but nothing that made it worth it.

So I contacted a Naturopath (Dr.DeBavelaere) in Calgary that my family has been going to for years and that helped me with a patch of eczema that Kayla had on her stomach when she was 2. He said that the location of the eczema suggested food sensitivities. He told me what to do in Cosette's case and after one month of doing that there wasn't much improvement so I did it for another couple months and am actually still giving her some of the remedies today.

Then I went to another chiropractor (Dr.Neilson) that did muscle testing that my sister in law Charity recommended because I wasn't convinced that I still wasn't eating foods that Cosette was reacting to. At this point I was avoiding gluten, dairy, fruit and sugar. But this muscle testing was much more accurate and this is where I discovered that she reacted to processed foods such as crackers or rice cakes, and that she reacted to night shades and eggs. Finally I felt like I had the diet portion of her treatment down and could focus on other treatments. This chiropractor also suggested I take probiotics and borage oil. I knew that imbalanced intestinal flora was a major reason why Cosette was having issues so I was giving her the probiotics but never thought about taking them myself.

I was seeing improvements which was encouraging. One day my cousin Heidi called me and told me that she had been to a fermentation class and couldn't stop thinking about me so she gave me a call to tell me about the success she had with probiotics and her psoriasis and her babys eczema. I was ecstatic after I got off the phone with her and after that focused more on probiotics and fermented foods. This was what accelerated her healing, within a couple weeks she had made considerable improvement! Today you would never know she suffered from such a severe case of eczema. Her skin is baby soft again and I am grateful for all of the guidance I received to figure this out.

I don't feel like there was just one specific thing I did that cured her eczema, it was all of them. Without the change of diet her body wouldn't have been able to begin the healing process. For Cosette I believe that for whatever reason she had an imbalance of good flora in her gut when she was born and because of that her intestines were irritated which led to food sensitivities. This is essentially what IBS is. In order for the intestines to heal you need to remove the offending foods. Figuring out those foods was the toughest part for me, but I think for a lot of people it is usually just dairy or gluten. I did notice in my studies that children with eczema often have trouble with a combination of gluten, dairy, eggs, and "extended" citrus (oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons, strawberries and pineapple). These items are what I will continue to avoid and will not give to Cosette until she is much older. I also believe that the homeopathic remedies made a big difference to her as well, they worked wonders for Kayla's patch on her abdomen as well.

There may be other contributing factors to eczema such as stress or skin sensitivity as well and that is what makes eczema such a complicated issue. I wanted to share what worked for Cosette and I and hope that I am able to help others in the process.

Cosette Today!

Buckwheat Groat Salad

I wanted to switch up my salad so I decided to cook up some buckwheat groats and put those in my salad instead of my usual brown rice or quinoa. Buckwheat is very nutritious, it is good for your blood and heart because of it's rich supply of flavonoids and magnesium. 

Buckwheat Groat Salad

1 cup of Buckwheat Groats

2 cups of water

cucumber

tomato

lettuce

avocado

shredded carrots

alfalfa sprouts

bell peppers

Dressing of your choice, preferably home made

Cook Buckwheat groats according to the package directions, I bought mine bulk so I just took 1 cup of the groats to 2 cups water and cooked for about 15 minutes. Then just add whatever veggies you have in your fridge!