Magical Maca

Discover the Magic of Maca!!

 

 

Watch this video to get a thorough introduction to this super-food!! A complete nutritional profile follows, along with a fantastic source for purchasing all the maca varieties!!





 Maca is rich in amino acids, phytonutrients, fatty acids, vitamin and minerals. According to nutritional research published on NutritionData.com Maca contains:

• 59% carbohydrates – Maca is rich in quality carbs, which, combined with its alkaloids and other nutrients make it a great choice for sustained energy
• 10.2% protein – Maca is loaded with bio-available plant protein that is easy for the body to assimilate
• 8.5% fiber – Maca contains relatively high levels of cellulose and lignan, both of which stimulate intestinal function. Fiber is a key component to a healthy digestive and elimination system.
• Essential Amino Acids: Maca contains nearly all of them. These drive many cellular functions in the body including sexual and fertility functions.
• Aspartic Acid – 97 mg/1 g protein
• Glutamic acid – 156 mg/1 g protein
• Serine – 50 mg/1 g protein
• Histidine – 22 mg/1 g protein
• Glycine – 68 mg/1 g protein
• Threonine – 33 mg/1 g protein
• Alanine – 63 mg/1 g protein
• Tyrosine – 31 mg/1 g protein
• Phenylalanine – 55 mg/1 g protein
• Valine – 79 mg/1 g protein
• Methionine- 28 mg/1 g protein
• Isoleucine – 47 mg/1 g protein
• Leucine – 91 mg/1 g protein
• Lysine – 55 mg/1 g protein
• HO- Proline- 26 mg/1 g protein
• Proline – .5mg/1 g protein
• Sarcosine – .7mg/1 g protein
• Free Fatty Acids: 20 have been found in Maca. These also work to support cellular function. Saturated acids account for 40% and non-saturated about 55%. The most abundant fatty acids adding to Maca’s nutritional value are linolenic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid and steric acid.
• C12-0 -lauric – 0.8%
• C13-1-7 trideconoic – 0.3%
• C13-0 tridecoanoic – 0.1%
• C14-0 myrstic – 1.4%
• C15-1-7 pentadecanoic – 0.5%
• C16-1-9 palmtoleic – 2.7%
• C16-0 palmitic – 23.8%
• C17-1-9 heptadecenoic – 1.5%
• C17-0 heptadecanoic – 1.8%
• C18-2-9-12 linoleic – 32.6%
• C18-1-9 oleic – 11.1%
• C18-0 steric – 6.7%
• C19-1-11 nonadecenoic – 1.3%
• C19-0 – nonadecanoic – 0.4%
• C20-1-15 eisosenoic – 2.3%
• C22-0 behanic 2.0
• C24-1-15 nervonic – 0.4%
• C-24-0 lignocenic – 0.4%
• Vitamins: 
• Thamin (B1) – 1mg/100g – helps the body convert carbohydrates into energy. Essential for good heart, muscle and nervous system function
• Riboflavin (B2) - .76mg/100g – important for body growth and red blood cell production
• Ascorbic Acid (C) - – 3mg/100g – supports anit-oxidant activity
• Niacin 35mg/100g – supports healthy circulation
• Major Minerals
• Calcium – 450mg/100g – Maca contains a higher level of calcium than does milk. Calcium is crucial in bone development as well as for nerve and circulatory system health.
• Phosphorus - 220mg/100g – Phosphorus is important for the hemostasis of calcium as well as for transmitting electrical stimuli for brain and muscle action.
• Magnesium – 104mg/100g – Magnesium is essential for the synthesis of protein and for muscle and nerve activity. Crucial for heart health.
• Potassium – 1500mg/100g – Potassium works within the cells to help maintain healthy osmosis.
• Sodium 25mg/100g – Along with potassium can support positive circulation
• Minor Minerals
• Copper – 5mg/100g – Supports enzyme health.
• Zinc – 12mg/100g – Helps in clarity of thought and mental function
• Manganese – 8mg/100g – Supports healthy growth
• Iron – 25mg/100g – Vital component of hemoglobin. Supports health muscle growth.
• Selenium – 20mg/100g – Protects cells against free radicals.
• Boron – 5mg/100g – Supports proper metabolism.
• Sterols - With regular use sterols may have a positive impact on lowering blood cholesterol. One recent study showed that consuming 1.8 to 2.8 grams of plant sterols and plant stanols per day over a period of 4 weeks to 3 months significantly lowered total cholesterol in participants by 7%-11%
• Brassicasterol – 9.1%
• Ergosterol – 13.6%
• Campesterol – 27.3%
• Ergostadienol – 4.5%
• Sitoserol – 46.5%
• Glucosinolates: Aromatic glucosinolates including: benzyl glucosinolate, p-methoxybenzyl glucosinolate, fructose, glucose, benzyl isothiocyanate. In food-bearing plants, glucosinolates act as natural pesticides and are stored in the plant’s cells, ready to be released upon tissue damage. Similarly, when consumed by humans, the action of chewing releases the glucosinolates into the body, where they are transformed into bioactive compounds believed to have anticancer properties.
• Macaenes and macamides: (Macaina 1, 2, 3, 4) These are polyunsaturated acids and their amides which are absolutely unique to Maca

  Find out even more about maca here : The Maca Team

Potty Posture---And Why It Matters!!!

Turns out we could all use a bit of remedial potty training! Or an anatomy lesson, at least!

Read on to find out why your toilet should look like this one!

After Jimmy Carter came down with a severe and much-publicized case of hemorrhoids in 1978, Time magazine interviewed colorectal surgeon Michael Freilich to explain the President's condition: "We were not made to sit on toilets," the frustrated doctor fumed. "We were made to squat in the field!"

While I personally choose to elevate myself above the animal kingdom in terms of location, I believe Dr. Freilich was spot on about the squatting! In fact, if you search all of recorded human history, you'll find the idea of sitting above the ground to eliminate is fairly recent. 

The overwhelmingly common setup has always been a hole. Somewhere. Away. 

If you were poor it was just a hole. Middle class? A hole with a cover--wood maybe. Wealthy? A hole inside your castle with (luxury of luxuries) a stone cover!!

Interesting fact: 

In Medieval castles the toilet was called a garderobe and it was simply a vertical shaft with a stone seat at the top. The shaft opened directly out and down the exterior wall of the castle, which is why that room did not usually face the front of the residence!! (Some garderobes emptied into the moat.) People hung their robes in the garderobe because they believed the smell would ward off moths and fleas. Over time the word garderobe changed to . . . wardrobe!

For the most part, until the mid-1700's the toilet remained a simple idea of a hole in the ground, sometimes inside the main residence but mostly a distance from the home. A chamber pot or "bedpan" was used at night or in inclement weather and emptied into the ourdoor "plumbing" as soon as possible.  Some pedestal toilets began appearing in the 1500's but were never mass produced or popular enough for widespread use. The first valve-type flush toilet was introduced in 1738 and although the design was "improved" many times after, the idea of sitting "chair-style" to evacuate the bowel became more accepted and popular. 

It's easy for us today to look back at the evolution of the toilet and marvel that we are blessed to have been born in such "enlightened" or "civilized" times. Hovering our bodies over a hole in the ground sounds downright primitive or animalistic to our refined sensibilities. However, it's important to realize the modern-day toilet has been designed largely for asthetic---to please the eye---by architects not physicians or anatomists who might have understood the importance of posture for healthy elimination.

So here we are today, desperately needing to face the fact that our modern-day toilet is a horrible design, wrecking havoc on our bodies and contributing to untold amounts of discomfort and even disease!  It's time to understand and accept the fact there is only one right and best position to assume for defecation: SQUATTING!!

We instinctively know this. Watch a toddler who hasn't yet earned the refined distinction of being "Potty Trained." He will go behind the sofa and squat! He does what helps get the job done in the most expedient fashion.We should take our cues from him instead of the other way around!!! Actually, we do! Even adults innately squat when there is no access to a bathroom facility!

Squatting during elimination is beneficial for the body in four ways:

• Increases intraabdominal pressure facilitating more complete elimination
• Protects the appendix and small intestine
• Releases the bend in the sigmoid colon
• Straightens the final pathway to the anus

Notice in the illustration above that the transverse colon dips medially. The added intraabdominal pressure produced by squatting lifts that dip, facilitating movement along toward the descending colon. 

More importantly, notice that curve in the sigmoid colon? Guess what happens when you squat? It almost completely straightens! 

Notice the puborectalis muscle in the above illustration. See how, when in a sitting (or standing) posture it "ropes" the lower anal sphincter, supporting and aiding continence of the rectum by maintaining the anorectal angle. Squatting allows the puborectalis to relax, resulting in an easier and more complete bowel movement. 

There's more! Notice that little protrusion in the first illustration---the one right above the appendix? That's the ileocecal valve. It seperates the ileum (last portion of your small intestine) and the cecum (first portion of your large intestine). Its function is to allow digested food materials to pass from the small intestine into your large intestine. It is intended to be a one-way valve, only opening up to allow digested foods to pass through into the large intestine, while blocking waste materials from flowing back into your small intestine. 

Modern toilet-sitting puts unnatural pressure on the ileocecal valve, leading to possible backflow of poisonous wastes into the small intestine. Squatting allows tension in the right thigh to produce the most complete sealing of the ileocecal valve and also applies needed upward pressure toward the ascending colon. Basically, squatting moves everything along the path in the right direction!!

Why is all this so important? Constipation is a horrible problem in our society---and a serious condition that can lead to very dangerous disease in the body. Yet many people would be surprised to learn they are constipated! I've heard some people say their doctors were okay with the fact they only have 1-2 bowel movements per week!!! Preposterous!! 

You should be having 2-3 healthy bowel movements a day. If you eat 3 full meals a day and only eliminate once a day, once every other day, or twice a week, what happens to all the un-eliminated waste matter? Where are all the other meals hiding? All of that un-expelled toxic waste is sitting in your body affecting every cell and tissue. These toxic poisons rob your body of good health and energy, making you feel old, tired and sick. Much of this constipation can be greatly alleviated by making improvements in the diet, but using the squatting position to evacuate waste is also a natural constipation cure most doctors don't discuss with their patients.

We know all this and yet, guess what!?! Toilet design is not getting better. It's getting worse!  As we get taller, fatter, less fit/flexible, and older, bathroom appliance designers are responding with higher and higher toilet bowls! Since President Carter's hemorrhoid experience 37 years ago, "standard" toilets (14" from floor to rim) have almost disappeared, having been largely replaced with "comfort height" models averaging 18 or more inches off the floor!

Let's educate ourselves about our own anatomy and return to a more beneficial "potty posture!" 

Oh! And just so you don't think I'm advocating a "step-backwards," it's important to realize there are plenty of sophisticated, industrialized nations who never left the squat toilet--although they have, thankfully, dressed it up a bit:)

 

Public restroom in Japan

A new model by London designer, Peter Codling

But since most of us are not about to dig up our bathroom floor or buy a $2000.00 "back-to-basics' designer model, what can we do? The answer is simple. And inexpensive!!!

Introducing Squatty Potty!!

  I bought a three pack and put one in each bathroom!! And far from being shy about this new appliance, I love answering curious questions if a visitor works up the courage to ask:))!!

Click here to order yours and you'll quickly be a believer!

Pizza For Breakfast

No not this kind:

I mean homemade and with real breakfast foods as toppings: bacon, eggs, etc. And, of course, with the best, most healthy versions of those ingredients possible. Here's a short video of how I do it:

Coincidentally, leftovers are great for dinner, too:)))

Do These Five Things On The Weekend And Eat All Week!

After raising five children I learned a few things (some a little late:)). And one of the most important was how much easier a little weekend prep can make the following five days of meal planning. Here are my top five tips making it easier to J.E.R.F. (just eat real food) instead of succumbing to the drive-thru line (again).


1. Roast a chicken.

That's mine, done on Sunday, for the week's use.

Find the best chicken you can. I drive an hour to get local, pasture-raised birds, but if the local grocer is your only choice, at least shop smart.  Don't forget to check out the "specialty" sections of your grocer. When I can't get my favorite free-range fowl, I head to the seafood section of my big-box grocery store. For some reason, there amongst the shrimp are bison, buffalo, and the chickens I consider "second-best." For whatever reason they are not with all the other chicken brands . . . Do some detective work around your favorite grocery.

Add whatever will fit in your roasting pan (I LUV my old-faithful covered cast iron skillet:)) Potatoes. Carrots. Onions. Celery. Peppers. Mushrooms. Herbs. White-wine. Get fancy if you can, but don't let plain and simple discourage you. Onion, salt, and pepper will do just fine.

After the chicken is done, debone and set the meat aside. (Don't disturb the meat juices in the pan.) Put the bones back in a stock pot with celery, onion, peppers, carrots, plenty of salt and pepper, etc. etc. and simmer for some hours. While the stock simmers let's get back to that roasting pan. Watch this short video to see how I utilize every bit of that bird---the intermediate stage doesn't look too appetizing but the finished product/ YUM:))

2. Saute a pound or two of ground beef with onions and peppers. This will become the base of pasta sauce for spaghetti, filling for tacos, or a protein-upping, toss in after pan stewing onions, potatoes and cabbage for a hearty Hungarian Goulash. In the summertime I will often toss a 1/2 cup of this cooked ground beef on top of a green salad, add some thousand island dressing and croutons (both homemade, of course:)) Here's a fancy version just to make you feel good about this shortcut, but simple is equally YUMMY!!

3. Cook some brown rice and/or quinoa. Enough for your family two or three times over. Cook it in that awesome chicken broth"by-product" from #2 above. I don't have to tell you all the ways you can combine these yummy sides with the meat bases above to create some spectacular meals . . . do I?

4. Make sure you have three good fresh vegetable choices on hand that are not-so-perishable. In most parts of the country carrots, broccoli, kale, cabbage, and cauliflower are always available and keep well for close to a week.

5. Always keep onions, peppers, garlic and celery. ALWAYS!!! Even if you (gasp!) have to occasionally throw a wilted casualty out, it's worth it to have these staples handy when you need them. 

Never Wash Your Face Again!!!

This is pretty much my facial cleansing and moisturizing trio. I never clean with soap of any kind.  When we use soap on our skin, it raises the pH and disrupts the skin's natural environment. An acidic environment is necessary to ward off harmful bacteria (which thrive under alkaline conditions). Our skin then has to work overtime to re-establish an acidic pH. It does this by pumping out extra oil/sebum...which is exactly what we DON'T WANT!

Coconut oil is a wonderful antibacterial that dissolves make-up and grime away and gently cleanses the skin. How can oil cleanse? It's really simple chemistry. Oil dissolves oil. By using the right oils, you can cleanse your pores of dirt and bacteria naturally.

Castor oil and frankincense are an incredible age-defying combo.

Castor oil, when applied to the skin, penetrates deep and stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, which in turn helps soften and hydrate the skin. It delays the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, making the skin smoother, softer and younger.

Because frankincense is an astringent, it strengthens, tones, and lifts the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and combating the loss of firmness in aging skin (that would be mine!). Also, frankincense is a cytophylactic, which means it has the ability to stimulate cellular regeneration, thereby promoting regeneration of healthy cells and keeping existing cells and tissues healthy.
 
Here's my simple routine:

Cleanse---massage a liberal amount of coconut oil onto the face and neck. Use tissue or a soft cloth to wipe off the oil--always in an "up" and "out' direction.

Moisturize--- Into a four ounce bottle of castor oil I mix 8-10 drops of frankincense oil. The entire face has been softened from the coconut cleanse, so usually I only apply this "overnight cream" to the eye and mouth area, although once a week or so I'll smear it all over and let it sit for an hour or so before bed for a deep-moisture treatment.

Exfoliate---Twice a week I exfoliate using one of two homemade products. If I'm in a hurry (usually:)) I just combine castor oil with organic sugar. Otherwise I froth an egg white with raw honey and add to brown rice (ground to a coarse sand-like texture in my coffee mill---don't clean out the coffee grounds first--they're great for the skin as well!!)

Exfoliation is SOOOOO important for older skin!! When we're babies, our skin turns over about every 14 days. By our teens that rate has slowed to once every 21 to 28 days. And by the time we turn 50, we're lucky to have a turn-over rate of 1 1/2 to 3 months!!!

Experiment with frequency and intensity to see what your skin needs for best results. Like I said, twice a week works for me. And I scrub pretty hard, especially around the lips, chin, jawline, and forehead. Of course I'm a little more gentle around the eyes and careful to move "up and out." 

Once a week I extend the exfoliation to all over, head-to-toe. Just be careful with how much goes down the drain---all that oil is pretty rough on the plumbing!!


Another Plus: This routine is a whole lot cheaper than regular visits to the drug store or department store for chemical-laden, processed beauty products!!  

If you can't eat it, don't put it on your skin!! 

Ditch the soap and discover a healthier-kind of clean!!

The Most Important Video You Will Watch This Year

Breast Cancer Cell

Reliable scientific research continues to support and strengthen the evidence that cancer's "on switch" gets flipped in the mitochondria (the "engine" inside every cell in our bodies) and, more importantly, these wayward, mutated cells need much more glucose to survive and multiply than do healthy, non-cancerous cells.

At any given time thousands of our cells are incurring irreversible damage or "mistakes." But a healthy body with a strong immune system is almost always able to detect the damaged cell and destroy it (usually this occurs inside the cell itself resulting in the cell committing  cellular  suicide---aka  apoptosis).

This video provides invaluable information about the primary fuel source of cancer and how we can control with food the metabolic pathways within in order to prevent or, for individuals who have already been diagnosed, manage the disease with no (or less damaging intensities of) currently popular treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation.

This video is not THE video. You'll be tempted to write-off THE video as "too long." This video is the trailer, the teaser. I hope it will pique your curiosity---no, I hope it will SPARK YOUR PASSION!!! Please watch it with the intent to move to the second. OR simply skip it and move to the second one immediately, which explains the "what" and "why" more thoroughly.  Or put another way: If you've never had cancer or had anyone close to you have cancer, the first one will probably be enough . . .  for now . . . If you have had, have, or love someone with cancer, you'll want the details of the second video!

THE video is 76 minutes long and contains tons of important facts. Here are some suggestions I found helpful you may want to consider before beginning the video:

• Turn the video up loud and just listen. Don't watch. Dr. Seyfried and Dr. Mercola are speaking via Skype or something similar and there is an annoying second or two time delay between Dr. Seyfried's audio and video.
• Multi-task while you listen, but make it something physcial such as ironing, cooking, etc. (I cleaned out a cabinet:)) Don't do any task requiring mental attention. The material is too important and technical to be able to comprehend if your brain is not completely focused. 
• Record the audio in an MP3 format, download to your phone and listen in the car on your next long-ish drive. Click HERE for instructions on how to record the audio from You Tube videos. 
• Bookmark the video so that you can listen in segments, refer back to later, or share with friends and loved ones (as you listen you're going to think of many who need to hear this information!!)
• Listen ASAP!!! It's fascinating and really important information.

Cabbage Slaw with Spicy Pineapple Vinaigrette

This is so last minute. I didn't plan on posting about my slaw. I didn't even plan on making slaw! But as you can see the young cabbages looked so pretty. Even the cell-phone photo can't dim the beauty of those tender lavender-edged leaves.


I picked a few, added in some young broccoli leaves and headed inside trying to figure out what I had in the pantry and frig that would come together as a good vinaigrette. I only had a couple hours before we were due at my brother's house for a New Year's Day lunch.  My sister-in-law had confirmed the menu (even though here in the South and on the first day of the year who would ever need to confirm the reverent tradition of black-eyed peas, turnips, and corn bread? A cabbage slaw would be the perfect raw food addition to all that yummy Southern comfort food!!

I nixed the idea of a creamy/mayo base and decided to go with tart instead. The olive oil, apple cider vinegar and lemon needed some sweet relief and the coconut nectar worked great. But, unfortunately, as you can see in the picture, the bottle of nectar was nigh empty. Actually, the shortage was a fortunate fate that led to the entire theme of the slaw---pineapple!!

So in with the pictured dressing ingredients went a generous splash of fresh juice that had collected in the bottom of the container---you know the plastic one I always mean to transfer the enzyme-plastic-eating-pineapple out of when I get home from the grocery, but never do:((

It was then I decided to cut the rest of the pineapple into tidbits and include them in the salad too.
(No pictures of the star ingredient---Sorry, I was in a hurry to get the whole thing marinating!)

Besides the cabbage, I also included white onion, red bell pepper and carrots--all thinly sliced---and, as always, plenty of coarse black pepper and Celtic sea salt. Even with the bad lighting you can see it made a festive-looking dish and tasted great!

Oh!!! Almost forgot to tell you what made it spicy!! My one "cheat"--- Wickles.

 

I call this spicy relish a "cheat" on an otherwise exemplary health-rated lineup because it contains white vinegar and a few other"unmentionables," but it was left at my house after a cookout earlier this summer . . . Why does it have to be so darn tasty . . . ? And I only used maybe a tablespoon in the whole recipe . . .