This statue is at the Carmel of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in NE
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Freedom to Homeschool
excerpts from "The Freedom to Homeschool"
from: www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2012/08/the-freedom-to-homeschool
(I added the bold)
“It’s a free country” may not continue to
resonate with Americans for much longer either. As Obamacare’s
individual mandate was predicated on the notion that costs incurred by
an individual but borne by society necessitate government intervention,
politicians in this country could easily be convinced—by, say, teachers
unions—that homeschoolers are no different than the uninsured in the
costs they impose on the rest of us. Doesn’t society suffer if kids
aren’t being properly socialized? Don’t institutions suffer if children
aren’t being properly educated into citizenship?
In fact, the argument is already being made. In a 2010 paper in the journal Philosophy and Public Policy Quarterly, Georgetown Law School professor Robin L. West characterized homeschooling families as a political “army,” whose objective “is to undermine, limit, or destroy state functions. . . Also sacrificed is their exposure to diverse ideas, cultures, and ways of being.” Others see homeschooling as a potential threat to public health; a 2008 USA Today article claimed that some families homeschool in order to avoid mandatory vaccinations.
Stanford University political scientist Rob Reich has argued that homeschooling should be strictly regulated both to ensure that children become good citizens and to prevent them from becoming “ethically servile,” or victims of their parents’ blinkered worldviews. His idea is founded on what he perversely calls the “freedom argument.” Of his proposed regulations requiring parents to check in with the state he writes, “The minimal standard will include academic benchmarks as well as an assurance that children are exposed to and engaged with ideas, values, and beliefs that are different from those of the parents.”
Reich and West would like to see parental rights subordinated to those of the child. They see unregulated education in the home—especially in the homes of religious believers—as insufficiently committed to diversity, secular progressivism’s cardinal virtue.
Earlier this year in a Slate article subtitled “Why teaching children at home violates progressive values,” journalist Dana Goldstein asked “Does homeschooling serve the interests not just of those who are doing it, but of society as a whole?” Like Reich and West, Goldstein cannot imagine homeschooling that doesn’t resemble involuntary confinement to a Wahhabi madrasah. But most homeschooling families I know make ample use of their scheduling freedom to pursue enriching and, yes, diverse opportunities: field trips to city halls and statehouses; substantive volunteer opportunities in hospitals, homeless shelters, and nursing homes, athletic contests, etc.
The progressive critics of homeschooling are less interested in promoting tolerance than they are in promoting compliance. It’s the freedom that bothers them, not what kids learn or how well they learn it. It’s about who decides. In other words—here as in Spain—it’s about politics. And it won’t be long before some enterprising American politician proposes a set of rules that would effectively deprive my family of its right to homeschool. This will come not as an outright ban on the practice but as an array of guidelines and edicts couched in the most unobjectionable terms—ensuring diversity, promoting responsible citizenship, safeguarding public health.
If the state appoints itself to guard against indoctrination by parents, who is to protect children from indoctrination by the state? Critics of homeschooling rarely grapple with this question for the likely reason that they are committed to a value system that is as uniform and intolerant in its own way as they imagine the value systems of American homeschoolers to be.
In fact, the argument is already being made. In a 2010 paper in the journal Philosophy and Public Policy Quarterly, Georgetown Law School professor Robin L. West characterized homeschooling families as a political “army,” whose objective “is to undermine, limit, or destroy state functions. . . Also sacrificed is their exposure to diverse ideas, cultures, and ways of being.” Others see homeschooling as a potential threat to public health; a 2008 USA Today article claimed that some families homeschool in order to avoid mandatory vaccinations.
Stanford University political scientist Rob Reich has argued that homeschooling should be strictly regulated both to ensure that children become good citizens and to prevent them from becoming “ethically servile,” or victims of their parents’ blinkered worldviews. His idea is founded on what he perversely calls the “freedom argument.” Of his proposed regulations requiring parents to check in with the state he writes, “The minimal standard will include academic benchmarks as well as an assurance that children are exposed to and engaged with ideas, values, and beliefs that are different from those of the parents.”
Reich and West would like to see parental rights subordinated to those of the child. They see unregulated education in the home—especially in the homes of religious believers—as insufficiently committed to diversity, secular progressivism’s cardinal virtue.
Earlier this year in a Slate article subtitled “Why teaching children at home violates progressive values,” journalist Dana Goldstein asked “Does homeschooling serve the interests not just of those who are doing it, but of society as a whole?” Like Reich and West, Goldstein cannot imagine homeschooling that doesn’t resemble involuntary confinement to a Wahhabi madrasah. But most homeschooling families I know make ample use of their scheduling freedom to pursue enriching and, yes, diverse opportunities: field trips to city halls and statehouses; substantive volunteer opportunities in hospitals, homeless shelters, and nursing homes, athletic contests, etc.
The progressive critics of homeschooling are less interested in promoting tolerance than they are in promoting compliance. It’s the freedom that bothers them, not what kids learn or how well they learn it. It’s about who decides. In other words—here as in Spain—it’s about politics. And it won’t be long before some enterprising American politician proposes a set of rules that would effectively deprive my family of its right to homeschool. This will come not as an outright ban on the practice but as an array of guidelines and edicts couched in the most unobjectionable terms—ensuring diversity, promoting responsible citizenship, safeguarding public health.
If the state appoints itself to guard against indoctrination by parents, who is to protect children from indoctrination by the state? Critics of homeschooling rarely grapple with this question for the likely reason that they are committed to a value system that is as uniform and intolerant in its own way as they imagine the value systems of American homeschoolers to be.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Why drink Kombucha Tea?
From: http://www.anahatabalance.com/
Drinking Kombucha promotes good health and helps millions of
people with its excellent detoxifying and immune-enhancing qualities.
There are no known negative reactions from drinking
kombu tea, except for improper brewing methods.
-Kombucha culture has a wide range of organic acids, vitamins and
enzymes that give it its extraordinary value. It contains the range of
B vitamins, particularly B1, B2, B6 and B12, that provide the body with
energy, help to process fats and proteins, and which are vital for the
normal functioning of the nervous system.
-There is also vitamin C which is a potent detoxifier, immune booster and enhancer of vitality.
Probiotic Organic Acids
-There are two organic acids produced by Kombucha culture which
encourage the activity of the resident bifidobacteria, thus restoring
a healthy balance with the bacteroides:
-Lactic acid which is essential for healthy digestive action (through
its derivative lactobacilli) and for energy production by the liver, and is not found in the tissues of people with cancer.
-Acetic acid which is an antiseptic and inhibitor of pathogenic bacteria.
Kombucha’s Vital Organic Acids
Other valuable organic acids produced by the Kombucha culture, some of
which have a more direct effect on other organs include:
-Glucuronic acid, normally produced by a healthy liver, is a powerful
detoxifier and can readily be converted into glucosamines,
the foundations of our skeletal system.
-Usnic acid has selective antibiotic qualities which can partly deactivate viruses.
-Citric acid is an antiascorbic.
-Oxalic acid encourages the intercellular production of energy, and is a preservative.
-Malic acid also helps the liver to detoxify.
-Gluconic acid is a sugar product which can break down to caprylic acid
to work symbiotically with —
-Butyric acid (produced by the yeast) protects human cellular
membranes, and combined with Gluconic acid which is produced by
the bacteria,strengthens the walls of the gut in order to combat yeast
infections such as Candida.
-Nucleic acids, like RNA and DNA, transmit information to the cells on
how to perform correctly and regenerate.
Drinking Kombucha promotes good health and helps millions of
people with its excellent detoxifying and immune-enhancing qualities.
There are no known negative reactions from drinking
kombu tea, except for improper brewing methods.
-Kombucha culture has a wide range of organic acids, vitamins and
enzymes that give it its extraordinary value. It contains the range of
B vitamins, particularly B1, B2, B6 and B12, that provide the body with
energy, help to process fats and proteins, and which are vital for the
normal functioning of the nervous system.
-There is also vitamin C which is a potent detoxifier, immune booster and enhancer of vitality.
Probiotic Organic Acids
-There are two organic acids produced by Kombucha culture which
encourage the activity of the resident bifidobacteria, thus restoring
a healthy balance with the bacteroides:
-Lactic acid which is essential for healthy digestive action (through
its derivative lactobacilli) and for energy production by the liver, and is not found in the tissues of people with cancer.
-Acetic acid which is an antiseptic and inhibitor of pathogenic bacteria.
Kombucha’s Vital Organic Acids
Other valuable organic acids produced by the Kombucha culture, some of
which have a more direct effect on other organs include:
-Glucuronic acid, normally produced by a healthy liver, is a powerful
detoxifier and can readily be converted into glucosamines,
the foundations of our skeletal system.
-Usnic acid has selective antibiotic qualities which can partly deactivate viruses.
-Citric acid is an antiascorbic.
-Oxalic acid encourages the intercellular production of energy, and is a preservative.
-Malic acid also helps the liver to detoxify.
-Gluconic acid is a sugar product which can break down to caprylic acid
to work symbiotically with —
-Butyric acid (produced by the yeast) protects human cellular
membranes, and combined with Gluconic acid which is produced by
the bacteria,strengthens the walls of the gut in order to combat yeast
infections such as Candida.
-Nucleic acids, like RNA and DNA, transmit information to the cells on
how to perform correctly and regenerate.
Saturday, April 07, 2012
See Where We Are Going
For an interesting article read "Obama Pits America’s Makers Against Its Takers" at this link:
from: http://news.investors.com/
from: http://news.investors.com/
Friday, March 30, 2012
Are You Magnesium Deficient?
from:
http://blog.
http://blog.
...when you are deficient in magnesium, over 300 enzymes in your body are unable to function properly...Magnesium is required for the body to produce and store energy. Without magnesium there is no energy, no movement, no life. What you don't know about magnesium is probably adversely affecting your health already!
Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, believes that magnesium deficiency is a significant factor in many severe illnesses including heart attacks and other forms of heart disease, asthma, anxiety and panic attacks, depression, fatigue, diabetes, migraines and other headaches, osteoporosis, insomnia, and most cases of muscular problems. Sadly, two thirds of us (more than 200 million people in America) are magnesium deficient. A lack of this critical nutrient is a major factor in many common health problems. Many chronic diseases respond positively to magnesium replenishment.
...Topical absorption is the most efficient method restoring magnesium at the cellular level, as magnesium is easily and rapidly absorbed into the skin and underlying tissues.
...[orally] Only one-third to one-half of dietary magnesium is absorbed into the body at best... When you [orally] take the amount necessary to combat a deficiency of magnesium, many of us experience loose stools. This again reduces absorption because the magnesium moves through the system too quickly. Exposing your skin to magnesium chloride topically allows you to completely bypass your digestive tract so you can avoid these problems!
Benefits of Transdermal Magnesium Chloride
Here are just a few of the positive results that have been reported from the utilization of transdermal magnesium chloride:
- Aids in hypertension
- Massaged into arthritic joints will frequently render almost instant reprieve from pain
- Magnesium flakes in a hot bath will impart a very relaxing soak while delivering a vast amount of magnesium to your cells. Great for restless legs!
- Assists in the prevention of strokes and aids in recovery
- Improvement in insomnia
- Cardiac health
- Overall energy production (ATP)
- Helps maintain memory function
- Magnesium is crucial for the removal of toxins and heavy metals
- Helps build bones and make proteins
- Sprayed on wrinkled skin will, in due course begin to smooth them out
- Calming effect on the nervous system
- Assists diabetes by enhancing insulin secretion, facilitating sugar metabolism. Without magnesium, insulin is not able to transfer glucose into cells
- Improvement in autistic individuals
- Asthma (both histamine production and bronchial spasms increase with magnesium deficiency)
- Cystitis – Bladder spasms are exacerbated by magnesium deficiency
- Prevents Premenstrual Syndrome and cramping pain during menses
- Tooth Decay - Magnesium deficiency perpetrates an unhealthy balance of phosphorus and calcium in saliva, which damages teeth
- Magnesium assists in the relaxation of spastic blood vessels that cause pain and numbness of the fingers and extremities
- Musculoskeletal conditions such as muscle spasms and pains, eye twitches, muscle pains and fibromyalgia
- Anxiety and panic attacks are helped by keeping adrenal stress hormones under control
- Increases DHEA levels, which is the bio-marker for aging. DHEA has been referred to as the, “Master Hormone”, and when produced at sufficient levels, will induce the production of all of the other hormones whose depletion can be associated with many symptoms of aging. Only when magnesium is applied topically onto the skin, where it passes through the fatty tissue, are DHEA levels raised. Neither oral nor intravenous administration will do this!
How Much?
One teaspoon of Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil contains approximately 560 mg of elemental magnesium. 8 sprays of Ancient Minerals magnesium oil delivers approximately 100mg of elemental magnesium on the skin. Your body will absorb only what it needs. According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD, a highly respected medical authority on the subject, research over the past 20 years has shown us that even under ideal conditions approximately 300mg of magnesium is required merely to replace daily losses.
However, as a general rule of thumb, an appropriate daily intake of magnesium should be approximately 3-4 mg per pound of bodyweight. For a 200lb male, this would equate to 600mg to 800mg per day. Chronic health complications, emotional and physical stress, physical injury, athletic exertion, and poor lifestyle/dietary choices, all increase your daily magnesium requirements. Women who are pregnant or lactating also have elevated magnesium requirements.
However, as a general rule of thumb, an appropriate daily intake of magnesium should be approximately 3-4 mg per pound of bodyweight. For a 200lb male, this would equate to 600mg to 800mg per day. Chronic health complications, emotional and physical stress, physical injury, athletic exertion, and poor lifestyle/dietary choices, all increase your daily magnesium requirements. Women who are pregnant or lactating also have elevated magnesium requirements.
(This oil is meant to be applied to your skin for the most efficient absorption of magnesium. Avoid contact with eyes and other sensitive areas. You may rinse or wipe off after 20 minutes. It is normal to experience a tingling sensation on the skin. Posted @ Friday, March 02, 2012 5:06 PM by Kathy LeMoine)
[ I would add that a few friends and myself have tried the topical magnesium and didn't really care for it. It feels sticky. I didn't know to wash it off after 20 minutes. After reading this I am going to give it another try. But just about everyone says the epsom salt baths are beneficial. A good magnesium supplement helps also]-etr
[I do not get anything for recommending this]Thursday, March 29, 2012
What Is Sloth?
One of the more misunderstood of the Cardinal Sins is sloth. This is because most see it merely as laziness. But there is more to sloth than that. Lets take a moment and consider some aspects of the Cardinal sin we call in English, Sloth.
The Greek word we translate as sloth is ἀκηδία akedia (a = absence + kedos = care), meaning indifference or negligence. St Thomas speaks of sloth as sloth is sorrow for spiritual good. By it we it shun spiritual good, as toilsome (cf ST II-II 35,2).
Some modern commentators speak of sloth as a don’t-care feeling, some even as a kind of falling out of love with God and the things of God (cf Rev 2:4). On account of sloth, the idea of right living, and the gift of a transformed humanity inspires, not joy, but aversion or even disgust, because it is seen as laborious, or as involving the setting aside currently enjoyed or sinful pleasures. By sloth many experience sorrow, not joy or zeal, in following God and receiving a transformed human life. Rather they are distressed at the prospect of what might have to occur should they embrace the faith more deeply.
Sloth also tends to dismiss the power of grace since it focuses on the “trouble” or effort attached to walking in the Christian way, rather than to understand it as a work of God.
As said above, many people today equate sloth with laziness. But sloth is not merely laziness, it is more properly understood as sorrow or indifference. While it is true, sloth may sometimes look like boredom and and a casual laziness toward attaining spiritual good, it is also true that sloth can also be manifested by a frantic busyness about worldly things, so as to avoid spiritual questions or live a reflective life.
Consider, for example a man who is a workaholic. Now suppose too that this man has a wife and children. A man in this position has some very significant gifts and duties beyond his career. He is a husband, a father, and the spiritual leader of his home. He is also a disciple, whom the Lord has summoned to new life, to the great discovery of God, and the deepest meanings and realities of his life. He also has the awesome dignity to announce these truths to his wife and children.
But all of the duties and glories of his vocation overwhelm and even scare him. It all seems so irksome and the task too open-ended. Frankly, he doesn’t want to reflect too much, because it might summon him to ponder things he would like to avoid considering, such as moral questions, or priorities, or whether he is really spending enough time with his wife and children, or whether his life is really focused on things that matter most. No, its all just too irksome, too ridden with uncertainty to enter more deeply into the spiritual life. Work is easier, and at work they call him “sir” and do what he says.
So, he buries himself in his work. And this helps him to avoid prayer, and reflection. Of course there is “no time” for mass or for praying with his wife and children. There is no time for scripture, retreats and the like.
This man is not lazy, but he is slothful. In the end his workaholism is sloth, for it is sorrow and aversion at the gift that the Lord offers him to come out into the deeper waters and lower his net for a catch. His sorrow for spiritual goods, in this case, is manifest by a kind of avoidance rooted in fear. By sloth he is not joyful at the invitation of the Lord or the Church. Instead he is sorrowful and averse to what he sees as toilsome, and possibly as raising uncomfortable things he would rather not look at. He does not hate God or the faith, but it is all just too much.
That said, sloth does often manifest as a kind of lethargy, and kind of boredom that can’t muster any interest, energy, joy or enthusiasm for spiritual gifts. Such people may be enthusiastic about any number of things, but God and the faith are not among them.
To a great extent boredom is elevated in modern times and this fuels sloth. In effect we are hyper-stimulated in the modern world. Our frantic pace, endless interruptions, and the rich abundance of entertainment, fast-paced movies, video games, all are a feast for the eyes but they hyper-stimulate. From the time we awaken to our return to sleep there is almost never a moment of silence, or a time when we are not being bombarded by images, often flickering and quickly changing.
This hyper-stimulation means that when we come upon things like quiet prayer or adoration, or are asked to listen for an extended period, or when the imagery is not fast changing we are easily bored.
And boredom feeds right into sloth. The “still, small voice of God,” the quiet of prayer, the simple reading of Scripture and pondering its message, the unfolding of spiritual meaning through reflection, the slower joys of normal human conversation in communal prayer and fellowship…none of this appeals to many who are hyper-stimulated, and used to a breakneck pace. Sunday, once the highlight of the week for many (due to the music, the beauty of the liturgy, the hearing of the sermon, the joy of fellowship and the quiet of Holy Communion), is now considered by many as boring and about as appealing as getting a flu shot; a necessary evil at best. Thus, sloth is fueled by the boredom our culture feels at anything not going 90 miles and hour.
Peter Kreeft says that
Sloth is a cold sin, not a hot one. But that makes it even deadlier. [For] rebellion against God is closer to him than indifference….God can more easily cool our wrath than fire our frozenness, though he can do both. Sloth is a sin of omission not commission. That too makes it deadlier, for a similar reason. To commit evil is at least to be playing the game… Sloth simply does not play God’s game, either with him or against him….It sits on the sidelines bored….Better to be hot or cold than lukewarm [Back to Virtue, P. 154].
Sloth of course gives rise to many sins whereby we do not pray, attend mass, go to confession, or read Scripture, we do not grow in our spiritual life and whereby we fail to become the man or woman God has made us to be. In some sense every sin contains an element of sloth for when we sin we indicate a kind of aversion to the perfecting graces God offers us. Rather than see the moral law of God as a great summons to freedom, we sorrowfully reject that call as too much trouble.
Socially too there are many manifestations of sloth. But just to mention two that are common in the modern world.
1. Secularism - By secularism, here is meant not the more recent hostility to religious faith, but more the older meaning of the word wherein one’s preoccupation is essentially a worldly one. It is amazing how passionate and interested we can get about worldly things. Perhaps it is a football game, or it is politics, or some new electronic device that has just come out. Perhaps it is our careers or our, or the stock market, or something in the news. Yes, we are passionate people and even the most reserved have strong interests that occupy their mind and vividly capture their interest.
And yet, many of those who rejoiced at the basketball game that ended so thrillingly, or were passionately engaged at the political rally, or excited about the latest twist on their favorite television shoe, many of these same passionate, joyful people can muster no interest in prayer, Mass, or Bible study. And if they do get to Mass they look in agony until it is over.
This is secularism and a form of sloth. We have time and passion for everything else, but not for God. It is a very deep drive. We are mesmerized by many things of the world, but bored, sorrowful and thus slothful over the things of the spiritual life. Where is the joy? Where is the zeal? Where is the hunger for completion in God?
This is sloth. It is not merely depression or boredom, it is sloth, it is a sorrow toward the spiritual gifts of God. It is a deep drive of the flesh, and it has to go. But only God and our openness to his grace can ultimately save us and bring us more alive from this death directed drive.
2. Relativism – Many today indulge a notion that there is no absolute or unchanging truth to which we are summoned and must ultimately conform. This is relativism. And many who practice it actually congratulate themselves for their “tolerance” and open-mindedness. They think of their relativism as a virtue. But, more often than not, relativism is simply sloth masquerading as tolerance. The fact is, if there is a truth, (and there is), then I should joyfully seek it, and base my life on its demands and promises.
But many indulge the notion of relativism, for it is an easy way out. If there is no truth then I am not obliged to seek it, and base my life on it. Frankly many are averse to and sorrowful toward the truth for they find its demands irksome. This is sloth, for their sorrow is directed toward a very precious spiritual gift of God, the gift of truth. Instead of joyfully seeking the truth, the relativist is sorrowful and avoidant of the gift though they couch their sloth in other words such as “broad-mindedness” and “tolerance.”
To be sure there is a place for tolerance. But the true virtue of tolerance is usually misunderstoodtoday and equated with approval. The proper understanding of tolerance is the conditional acceptance of or non-interference with beliefs, actions or practices that one considers to be wrong but still “tolerable,” such that they should not be prohibited or unreasonably constrained. The key point that is often lost today is that the tolerated beliefs or practices are considered to be objectionable, wrong or bad. If this objection component is missing, we are not speaking any longer of “toleration” but of “indifference” or “affirmation.”
Hence, relativists who slothfully dismiss that there is truth to be found cannot rightly call their position “tolerance.” It is, in fact mere indifference, and a form of sloth.
For all of our modern claims to be tolerant and open-minded, the more usual fact is that we are just plain lazy and slothful when it comes to seeking the truth. We (collectively speaking) do not love the truth but shun it, sorrowfully regarding its possible claims on us. Jesus said rightly, This is the judgement: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God (Jn 3:19-21).
A few reflections then, on Sloth.
Coming to recognize sloth for what it is, calling it by name and learning its moves is the first step on the road to healing. Sloth is, of course, one of those drives that is so deep that we must ultimately fall to our knees and beg deliverance form the Lord who alone can heal us.
The gift that the Lord offers us is promised in the beatitude: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt 5:6).
We must also ask for and seek the fruits of the Holy Spirit, especially love, joy, and peace. These gifts enkindle a fire of love in our hearts for God and for the gifts he offers.
Since sloth is a very deep drive, we must cast ourselves on the care of God with great humility, recognizing our poverty and seeking his miraculous grace to give us grateful, loving and passionate hearts.
Finally, since sloth can also be generated by the feeling of being overwhelmed at the perfection of our call, we do well to consider two points:
- We ought to meditate carefully on what our specific call is. Since we cannot do and be everything we need to come to an understanding of our own gifts and how God expects us to reasonably use them. Having done this we do well to stay in our lane.
- It is also true that we must understand that spiritual progress grows in stages and by many steps, not by one giant leap. Hence we not not be so sorrowful or adverse to the good things God offers, for, as a loving Father he leads us and forms us most often in gentle ways as one spiritual victory leads to others.
Pray for zeal, joy, hope, confidence and a hunger for holy things. The Christian journey is meant to be a thrilling one as we experience how God is utterly transforming us.
Making Beeswax Candles [part 2]
Go to: http://backtothebest.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/homemade-beeswax-candles-part-ii/
to see the post.
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Why Pastured Chicken's Eggs Are So Good for You
From Weston A Price Foundation: http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/eat-eggs-and-have-chicken-too
(go there to see the whole article)
Reason #1 To Raise Backyard Chickens: Stellar Nutrition
(go there to see the whole article)
Reason #1 To Raise Backyard Chickens: Stellar Nutrition
Without a doubt, fresh, pastured eggs are superior in taste and nutrition to conventionally raised commercially available varieties. Eggs have been a highly valued foods since the beginning of time—eggs from chickens, ducks, geese, turtles and fish. Egg yolks are the richest source of two superstar carotenoids—lutein and zeaxanthin. 1. Not only are bright yellow yolks loaded with these fat-soluble antioxidant nutrients, they are more bioavailable than those found in vegetables, corn and most supplements.2,3 While these nutrients have a reputation of combating macular degeneration4,5 and cataracts6 and supporting overall healthy vision, they have a long list of other benefits, including protecting the skin from sun damage7 and even reducing one’s risk of colon8 and breast cancer.9
Besides providing all eight essential proteinbuilding amino acids, a large whole, fresh egg offers about six to seven grams of protein and five grams of fat (with about 1.5 grams of it saturated), which comes in handy to help in the absorption of all the egg’s fat-soluble vitamins. One egg also serves up around 200 milligrams of brain-loving cholesterol and contains the valuable vitamins A, K, E, D, B-complex and minerals iron, phosphorus, potassium and calcium.10 Choline, another egg-nutrient, is a fatty substance found in every living cell and is a major component of our brain. Additionally, choline helps break up cholesterol deposits by preventing fat and cholesterol from sticking to the arteries.10,14 So the bottom line is, don’t be chicken about eating eggs, especially the cholesterol-rich yolks!
Compared to the generic supermarket variety, eggs from pastured poultry are a vivid yellow-orange—proof of a richer store of healthenhancing carotenes (more specifically xanthophylls, a natural yellow-orange pigment in green plants and yellow corn).11,12 The more carotenes, the darker, deeper orange color the yolk—and the higher the levels of fat-soluble vitamins as well. Expect to find the richest orange colors in the spring, when grass is fresh and bugs are plentiful. Color also fades as the egg ages. Bear in mind, variations will be seen in these differences due to the breed and age of chickens, their diet (grass, insects, and feed) and the season.
When left to their own scavenger instincts, being the omnivores they are, chickens eat bugs, worms (and even snakes if given the opportunity), grasses and nutritious herbs such as plantain leaves and wilted nettle—both of which boost egg production and yolk hue. While these feathered friends will eat the grain and pellets left in the feed trough, it certainly isn’t their ideal food. Remember, chickens are omnivores, not vegetarians as many people assume, meaning they are designed to consume foods from both animal and plant sources. Subjecting chickens to a strictly vegetarian diet prevents them from achieving their ideal health by denying them the nutrients found through scavenging around the farm, barnyard and pasture.
Compared to eggs from conventionallyraised, caged hens, eggs produced by free-roaming and pasture-pecking chickens have more omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and vitamin A,12 along with notably higher amounts of folic acid and vitamin B12.13 Direct sunlight also acts as a nutrient and naturally boosts egg production.14 So get your girls out of doors as much as possible!
Friday, March 02, 2012
Raw Veggies?
From:http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/think-raw-veggies-are-best-think-again/
Think Raw Veggies are Best? Think Again
827
542
share1395
Not everything should be eaten raw, especially vegetables!
Some vegetables must be cooked else you are actually harming yourself. Below is a rundown of what veggies should not be eaten raw either in whole or juiced form.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but cruciferous vegetables should be cooked
before eating as they contain chemicals that BLOCK the production of
thyroid hormone in your body! Considering that 2 out of every 3
Westerners are either overweight or obese and this is projected to jump to 75% by 2020, this is of particular importance as folks struggling with weight usually suffer from borderline to full blown hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland does not make
enough thyroid hormone, so someone suffering from this condition surely
does not want to be eating foods that will block what little thyroid
hormone is being produced in the first place!Symptoms of hypothyroidism include cold hands and feet, thinning hair, fatigue, reduced or nonexistent libido, coarse dry hair, constipation, difficulty losing weight, and depression among many others.
Cooking crucifers reduces the goitrogenic substances by about 2/3. Fermentation does not reduce goitrogens in these veggies, but since fermented crucifers such as sauerkraut are typically eaten as a condiment and, hence, in small amounts, consumption is fine if the diet is rich in iodine.
Here is the list of common cruciferous vegetables that you do not want to be eating raw if you want to protect your thyroid gland!
Arugula, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, collard greens, bok choy, brussels sprouts, radish, rutabaga, and watercress.
Notice that many of these vegetables are commonly included in fresh veggie juice blends or in salads. While an occasional arugula salad or cup of coleslaw is not going to do harm to most folks, it would be wise not to make a habit of eating/drinking any of these vegetables in raw form.
Veggie Greens
The good news is that oxalic acid is reduced by a light steaming or cooking – just be sure to discard the cooking water.
Veggies containing oxalic acid include spinach, chard, parsley, chives, purslane and beet greens.
Hmmmm. Spinach is known for being high in iron, yet eating it raw will not necessarily give you the iron you want because of the oxalic acid?
Yep, that’s right. Cook that spinach first if you are seeking an iron boost without the indigestion and don’t get hooked on the raw spinach salads!
Don’t stress about munching the parsley garnish on your next gourmet dinner, though. A little bit here and there is not going to cause a problem. Eat a big spinach salad everyday and it is virtually certain you will eventually succumb to kidney stones, according to Dr. William Shaw, Director of The Great Plains Laboratory for Health, Nutrition and Metabolism.
Other Raw Veggie Cautions
Other vegetables that are best to avoid eating raw include:
Raw potatoes contain hemagglutinins that disrupt red blood cell function.
Raw sweet potatoes will give you gas.
Raw, edible mushrooms such as the common white mushroom contain toxic substances such as agaritine, a suspected carcinogen. These substances are heat sensitive and are neutralized by cooking.
Alfalfa sprouts are mildly toxic and inhibit the immune system. Eating them on a frequent basis can even contribute to inflammatory arthritis and lupus!
Dr. Weston A. Price’s Take On Vegetables
A good rule of thumb when considering the best way to consume your veggies is to remember the letter that Dr. Weston A. Price wrote to his nieces and nephews in 1934. In this letter, he strongly urged them to eat their vegetables cooked in butter. His research found that the bulkiness (fiber) of raw vegetables interfered with the human body’s ability to extract minerals from them via the digestive process.
So, should you drink your veggies raw? Of course. Fresh juice from veggies that are safe to consume raw is a wonderful way to get a fast infusion of easy to digest, colloidal minerals. It is also highly alkalizing to the body and a proven way to gently detox the gut.
The great thing about veggie juice is that the fiber is removed, which is the “bulkiness” that Dr. Price found interfered with the mineral absorption.
However, if you are going to eat the fibrous portion of the vegetable, it is best to cook them in butter as advised by Dr. Price to enhance the availability of the minerals. The fat in the butter permits greater absorption of the minerals, and besides, buttered veggies taste fantastic!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
Sources: Nourishing Traditions
The Role of Oxalates in Chronic Disease, William Shaw PhD (Director of The Great Plains Laboratory for Health, Nutrition and Metabolism)
Picture1 Credit
Picture2 Credit
Master Tonic
from: http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/master-tonic-101
Also check out Whole Food Probiotics 101!
Master Tonic looks like it cures everything and is easy to make and have on hand.
WEAR GLOVES!!
[I did not peel my garlic this time --- much easier!!]
Master Tonic Ingredients
1 part fresh chopped garlic cloves (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitical)1 part fresh chopped white onions, or the hottest onions available (similar properties to garlic)
1 part fresh grated ginger root (increases circulation to the extremities)
1 part fresh grated horseradish root (increases blood flow to the head)
1 part fresh chopped Cayenne peppers, Jalapenos, Serranos, Habeneros, African bird peppers....any combination of the hottest peppers available
Preparation
· Fill a glass jar 3/4 of the way full with equal parts of the above fresh chopped and grated herbs. Then fill to the top with raw unfiltered, unbleached, nondistilled apple cider vinegar.
· Close and shake vigorously and then top off the vinegar if necessary. (approximately 14 days). Filter the mixture through a clean piece of cotton, bottle and label. Keep out of light.
Usage:
Strain liquids from solids through muslin cloth or strainer into a 8oz. Glass. Note: the solid ingredients retain almost the same potency as the liquid ingredients; therefore, these solids can be puréed to use with other ingredients like honey and lemon to make a salad dressing or to marinate meats of all sorts. For example mixing to taste with Peanut oil makes a great sauce to roast chicken. This formula will not spoil unless mixed with new ingredients.
Dosage:
1/2 to 1 ounce, two or more times daily, gargle and swallow. I hear it is not only the cure for the common cold but every other disease of mankind. lol
Friday, February 24, 2012
Fasting and Abstinence
“Then Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry.”
St. Matthew
1. Tradition and Canon Law
Christians have always set aside Wednesdays and Fridays as penitential days. Wednesday was the day Our Lord was betrayed and Friday was the day Our Lord was crucified. In most Eastern Catholic churches and Orthodox churches Wednesdays and Fridays are still days of penance. In the Latin Church, only Fridays remain as weekly penitential days on which abstinence from meat and other forms of penance are performed.1983 Code of Canon Law:
Can. 1250 The days and times of penance for the universal Church are each Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.
Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
2. Abstinence
In the Latin Church, abstinence means refraining from eating the meat from mammals or fowl, and soup or gravy made with them. Fish is allowed; traditionally, the laws of abstinence apply to all aged seven and over, but the new Code of Canon Law applies it to all who are fourteen and over. Partial abstinence consists of meat and soup or gravy made from meat may be eaten, but only once a day and at the principle meal.3. Fasting
Fasting is the taking of only one full meal (may include meat) and two smaller meals (meatless) that must be smaller to the lager meal. No snacking between meals is allowed, but water, milk, tea, coffee, and juices are fine. Meat is allowed at one meal, only.We are to abstain and fast on Ash Wednesday. During the Lenten embertide traditional Catholics abstain and fast- the Lenten Embertide is nonexistent in the Mass of Paul VI. All days of Lent but Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and First Class feast; traditional Catholic partially abstain and fast, Catholic who attend the Mass of Paul VI need not do anything for it is not required anymore. Fridays and Saturdays of Lent traditional Catholics abstain and fast; 1983 Code requires those who attend the Mass of Paul VI to abstain on Fridays (not Saturdays). On Good Friday, both traditionalists and other Roman Rite Catholic abstain and fast. On Holy Saturday, traditionalists abstain and fast until after the Vigil Mass; again, for those who attend the Mass of Paul VI, this is not required.
4. The Holy Law of Fasting
Pope Clement XIII, Appetente Sacro, 1759 decribes the reason for fasting:
Pope Clement XIII
“You will begin most appropriately, and with hope of the greatest profit, to recall men to the observance of the holy law of fasting, if you teach the people this: penance for the Christian man is not satisfied by withdrawing from sin, by detesting a past life badly lived, or by the sacramental confession of these same sins. Rather, penance also demands that we satisfy divine justice with fasting, almsgiving, prayer, and other works of the spiritual life. Every wrongdoing — be it large or small — is fittingly punished, either by the penitent or by a vengeful God. Therefore we cannot avoid God’s punishment in any other way than by punishing ourselves.”
“If this teaching is constantly implanted in the minds of the faithful, and if they drink deeply of it, there will be very little cause to fear that those who have discarded their degraded habits and washed their sins clean through sacramental confession would not want to expiate the same sins through fasting, to eliminate the concupiscence of the flesh. Besides, consider the man who is convinced that he repents of his sins more firmly when he does not allow himself to go unpunished. That man, already consumed with the love of penance, will rejoice during the season of Lent and on certain other days, when the Church declares that the faithful should fast and gives them the opportunity to bring forth worthy fruits of penance.”
5. The “Golden Mouth” on Fasting
St. John Chrysostom sums up the attitude we should have when fasting:
7.
…We have this fast too as an ally, and as an assistant in this good
intercession. Therefore, as when the winter is over and the summer is
appearing, the sailor draws his vessel to the deep; and the soldier
burnishes his arms, and makes ready his steed for the battle; and the
husbandman sharpens his sickle; and the traveller boldly undertakes a
long journey, and the wrestler strips and bares himself for the contest.
So too, when the fast makes its appearance, like a kind of spiritual
summer, let us as soldiers burnish our weapons; and as husbandmen let us
sharpen our sickle; and as sailors let us order our thoughts against
the waves of extravagant desires; and as travellers let us set out on
the journey towards heaven; and as wrestlers let us strip for the
contest. For the believer is at once a husbandman, and a sailor, and a
soldier, a wrestler, and a traveller. Hence St. Paul saith, “We wrestle
not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers.
Put on therefore the whole armour of God.” Hast thou observed the
wrestler? Hast thou observed the soldier? If thou art a wrestler, it is
necessary for thee to engage in the conflict naked. If a soldier, it
behoves thee to stand in the battle line armed at all points. How then
are both these things possible, to be naked, and yet not naked; to be
clothed, and yet not clothed! How? I will tell thee. Divest thyself of
worldly business, and thou hast become a wrestler.
Put on the
spiritual armour, and thou hast become a soldier. Strip thyself of
worldly cares, for the season is one of wrestling. Clothe thyself with
the spiritual armour, for we have a heavy warfare to wage with demons.
Therefore also it is needful we should be naked, so as to offer nothing
that the devil may take hold of, while he is wrestling with us; and to
be fully armed at all points, so as on no side to receive a deadly blow.
Cultivate thy soul. Cut away the thorns. Sow the word of godliness.
Propagate and nurse with much care the fair plants of divine wisdom, and
thou hast become a husbandman. And Paul will say to thee, “The
husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. He too
himself practised this art. Therefore writing to the Corinthians, he
said, “I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”
Sharpen thy sickle, which thou hast blunted through gluttony–sharpen it
by fasting. Lay hold of the pathway which leads towards heaven; rugged
and narrow as it is, lay hold of it, and journey on. And how mayest thou
be able to do these things? By subduing thy body, and bringing it into
subjection. For when the way grows narrow, the corpulence that comes of
gluttony is a great hindrance. Keep down the waves of inordinate
desires. Repel the tempest of evil thoughts. Preserve the bark; display
much skill, and thou hast become a pilot. But we shall have the fast for
a groundwork and instructor in all these things.
Portrait
of Saint John Chrysostom of Antioch (Hagios Ioannis Chrysostomos). An
early Byzantine mosaic from the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia in
Constantinople (modern Istanbul).
8.
I speak not, indeed, of such a fast as most persons keep, but of real
fasting; not merely an abstinence from meats; but from sins too. For the
nature of a fast is such, that it does not suffice to deliver those who
practice it, unless it be done according to a suitable law. “For the
wrestler,” it is said, “is not crowned unless he strive lawfully.” To
the end then, that when we have gone through the labour of fasting, we
forfeit not the crown of fasting, we should understand how, and after
what manner, it is necessary to conduct this business; since that
Pharisee also fasted, but afterwards when down empty, and destitute of
the fruit of fasting. The Publican fasted not; and yet he was accepted
in preference to him who had fasted; in order that thou mayest learn
that fasting is unprofitable, except all other duties follow with it.
The Ninevites fasted, and won the favour of God. The Jews fasted too,
and profited nothing, nay they departed with blame. Since then the
danger in fasting is so great to those who do not know how they ought to
fast, we should learn the laws of this exercise, in order that we may
not “run uncertainly,” nor “beat the air,” nor while we are fighting
contend with a shadow. Fasting is a medicine; but a medicine, though it
be never so profitable, becomes frequently useless owing to the
unskillfulness of him who employs it. For it is necessary to know,
moreover, the time when it should be applied, and the requisite quantity
of it; and the temperament of body that admits it; and the nature of
the country, and the season of the year; and the corresponding diet; as
well as various other particulars; any of which, if one overlooks, he
will mar all the rest that have been named. Now if, when the body needs
healing, such exactness is required on our part, much more ought we,
when our care is about the soul, and we seek to heal the distempers of
the mind, to look, and to search into every particular with the utmost
accuracy.
11.
I have said these things, not that we may disparage fasting, but that
we may honour fasting; for the honour of fasting consists not in
abstinence from food, but in withdrawing from sinful practices; since he
who limits his fasting only to an abstinence from meats, is one who
especially disparages it. Dost thou fast? Give me proof of it by thy
works! Is it said by what kind of works? If thou seest a poor man, take
pity on him! If thou seest an enemy, be reconciled to him! If thou seest
a friend gaining honour, envy him not! If thou seest a handsome woman,
pass her by! For let not the mouth only fast, but also the eye, and ear,
and the feet, and the hands, and all the members of our bodies. Let the
hands fast, by being pure from rapine and avarice. Let the feet fast,
but ceasing from running to the unlawful spectacles. Let the eyes fast,
being taught never to fix themselves rudely upon handsome countenances,
or to busy themselves with strange beauties. For looking is the food of
the eyes, but if this be such as is unlawful or forbidden, it mars the
fast; and upsets the whole safety of the soul; but if it be lawful and
safe, it adorns fasting. For it would be among things the most absurd to
abstain from lawful food because of the fast, but with the eyes to
touch even what is forbidden. Dost thou not eat flesh? Feed not upon
lasciviousness by means of the eyes. Let the ear fast also. The fasting
of the ear consists in refusing to receive evil speakings and calumnies.
“Thou shalt not receive a false report,” it says.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
How to make powder laundry detergent
from" http://themarathonmom.com/how-to-make-laundry-detergent-powder.htm
Ingredients:
- 1 bar Fels-Naptha
- 1 cup Borax
- 1 cup Allens Naturally Laundry Powder***
- 2 cups Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
- Cut into fourths, then grate Fels Naptha soap using cheese grater or food processor.
- Once grated, change to blade in food processor. Swirl this around in food processor til it is as fine as you can get it. (I tried skipping step one, and had to go back and start over, because the pieces were just too big. Grating first is a must!)
- Add the Borax and pulse til mixed.
- Add the Allen’s laundry powder, and then the washing soda, pulsing several times after each cup is added.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Store in an airtight jar with lid. (Be sure to label so that your kids don’t think it’s lemonade mix!)
- Use one to two tablespoons per load (depending on grit and grime, of course!) I threw in an old scoop from one of the boxes of powder I had.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
How to make your own liquid laundry detergent
From: http://themarathonmom.com/how-to-make-laundry-detergent.htm
the “recipe”:
1. Boil 4 cups water on stove and add the grated soap, slowly, stirring until melted.
2. Fill a five gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.
3. Add melted soap, laundry soda, and borax. Stir.
4. Fill to the top with more hot tap water and stir again.
5. Allow to sit overnight.
6. Fill a large laundry detergent dispenser 1/3 to 1/2 full of water, and fill the rest of way with detergent mix. Shake container before each use.
7. Use as much or little for each individual load as you prefer. I used 1/4 cup at first, then tried 1/2 cup and even 3/4 cup and had no problems. Depends on size of load.
the “recipe”:
- 1 bar Fels-Naptha soap, grated
- 1 cup Arm & Hammer All Natural Super Washing Soda
- 1/2 cup Borax
- water
1. Boil 4 cups water on stove and add the grated soap, slowly, stirring until melted.
2. Fill a five gallon bucket half full of hot tap water.
3. Add melted soap, laundry soda, and borax. Stir.
4. Fill to the top with more hot tap water and stir again.
5. Allow to sit overnight.
6. Fill a large laundry detergent dispenser 1/3 to 1/2 full of water, and fill the rest of way with detergent mix. Shake container before each use.
7. Use as much or little for each individual load as you prefer. I used 1/4 cup at first, then tried 1/2 cup and even 3/4 cup and had no problems. Depends on size of load.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Homemade Ketchup
link to original post, It is from The Nourished Kitchen blog
(I have not tried this, but will as soon as I can.):
Deeply robust with the rich-sweet flavor of concentrated tomato, this ketchup differs from the cloying sweet varieties you find in the grocery store. Allspice and cloves, traditional inclusions often omitted in most store-bought varieties, bring a level of depth that would be otherwise absent. Not a particularly quick food, this homemade ketchup is slowly ripened and aged over a period of three to five days as beneficial bacteria metabolize the food’s natural sugars, creating a condiment that is potently rich in food enzymes and probiotics. It’s a traditional process, lactofermentation, that increases the nutritional value of the foods we eat and love. This recipe and over 100 others are included in the latest of Nourished Kitchen’s online cooking class: Get Cultured! How to Ferment Anything.
homemade ketchup: ingredients
- 2 cups tomato paste, preferably homemade
- 1/4 cup raw honey, maple syrup or whole unrefined cane sugar (see sources)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh whey*, divided
- 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar, plus extra for thinning the ketchup, if desired
- 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
homemade ketchup: method
- Spoon tomato paste into a large mixing bowl and fold in raw honey or other natural sweetener of choice.
- Whisk in one-quarter cup fresh whey or vegetable starter culture into the sweetened tomato paste along with apple cider vinegar, sea salt, allspice and cloves. Continue whisking these ingredients together until the paste is smooth and uniform.
- Spoon the homemade ketchup into a mason jar, top with remaining two tablespoons fresh whey or vegetable starter culture, cover loosely with a cloth or lid and allow the ketchup to sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for three to five days.
- After three to five days, uncover the homemade ketchup and give it a thorough stir before transferring to the refrigerator. Naturally fermented homemade ketchup will keep for several months in the refrigerator.
TIME: 5 minutes (active), 3 to 5 days (fermentation)
YIELD: about 1 pint.
DAIRY-FREE? Omit fresh whey and substitute one packet vegetable starter culture (seesources) dissolved in one-quarter cup plus two tablespoons filtered water.
YIELD: about 1 pint.
DAIRY-FREE? Omit fresh whey and substitute one packet vegetable starter culture (seesources) dissolved in one-quarter cup plus two tablespoons filtered water.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)