Dr. Fuhrman on PBS…

Check your local listings!

Starting Tomorrow, Saturday, August 11 PBS stations will begin airing Dr. Fuhrman’s new special,
“Immunity Solution.”

Here, in Los Angeles, it is showing on KOCE, channel 50.

It will probably be showing over the next couple weeks, if you missed it. Be sure to catch it; and tell everyone you know!

 

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Must See DG!

Yes, who needs “Must See Tv” when we’ve got Must See Dr. G.? :D
Fantastic presentation by the very personable doctor, Michael Greger, of Nutrition Facts.org. How often do you find a doctor with a funny bone, who is approachable and, guess what? knows his stuff!

It’s an hour, but let’s face it: you’re reading a post on a blog called BeStrixed. You can spare the time! :P So turn up the volume while you prepare your meal or whatever you’ gotta do. This is Must See DG!!!

uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death

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And now, for all you plant lovers…

I’ve been looking for an organic one of these for ages, but have been unsuccessful :’( . I decided to just get the regular and live with it (hopefully!)

So…time to play…

What Is It?

Okay, it’s a plant…

But what plant?

Okay, I know it looks like it could be a few different things…

Could it be?….

No? Am I being too tough on you?

Little closer, then…

Okay,

Here…

You got it now, right?

Okay, so maybe some of you gardeners out there can give it a shot…

Hmm….

Okay, here’s a hint:

I made this with it…

:P Now that’s a dead giveaway, Y’All. C’mon, now!

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tnim etalocohc ;) – Yep. Tastes like and bonus,SMELLS like! Awesomest herb ever. Try some!

Just A Reminder…

Wow, 2003! Remember this? Still stands up, doesn’t it? In fact moreso now, which is pathetic.

Want something a bit more…say, scientific? Discover the nutritional FACTS with Dr. Greger

Poxacuatl

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Eat Your WHITE Foods! Yes, I said that…

WHITE. The dreaded “white foods,” right? WRONG!  White foods are some of the most powerful on the planet. I for one, am tired of the white foods bashing and am taking a stand! Take a looksee…

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Of course there are more like parsnips, durian, and jicama…

Some have white varieties such as white radishes; white pumpkins; white peaches; white  nectarines; white corn, etc.

Many seeds, nuts, and beans are white…

Some I’m not sure about such as guavas. Or, for example, kohlrabi (green or purple) which, if not young or of certain variety, can have inedible colored skin and only white parts to eat — like the black radishes I mentioned in my black foods post.

Of course we must avoid processed junkola, but that isn’t real food, is it?  I mean flour is an isolated processed part of a whole. Very few whole foods are the dreaded “white foods.” I’ll give you white potatoes and popcorn, but even those are sorta okay once in awhile.

But let’s set ‘em straight, shall we? Next time someone says to “avoid the ‘white foods,’” rattle off some of the above power foods. Educate them about the many delicious, healthful, anti-aging white foods that the Nutrient-Dense-Eaters among us eat to live  ;^)

  1. Quince
  2. Garlic
  3. Galangal
  4. Jerusalem Artichoke
  5. White Lima Beans
  6. Pignolis
  7. White Chias
  8. Rutabaga
  9. Banana
  10. Cashews
  11. Sunflower Seeds
  12. Cauliflower
  13. Cherimoya
  14. Chestnuts
  15. Coconut
  16. Turnips
  17. White Figs
  18. Onions
  19. Ginger
  20. White Grapes
  21.  Mushrooms
  22. Pears
  23. Plantains

Can you think of some other white foods?

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Greens on the Go…

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Purslane Perfection

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I eat my greens fresh, and every day; but, on occasion, I’ve had to go without because of a particular situation — travel/away from essentials, etc. Now, going without my greens for a day or two — well, I guess that’s not the end of the world, but if I don’t have to then why? ;^)

I do know many people are out all day long and don’t have access to a blender or space to make their smoothies, so they give up on them.

~*~

Well, here are a few tips to get those essential daily greens:

Manual juicer — excellent! Absolutely indispensable for travel. Good for hotels or if staying with relatives or friends. Makes no noise, is small and can be used almost anywhere — all that’s  needed is a table or steady surface to attach it. Compared to electric juicers a real bargain, too. In fact, if one can’t afford a fancy juicer, a good-quality (stainless steel) manual is perfectly fine; and, in fact better than some of the expensive juicers, and should last decades.

Just crank and juice!

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You can also take a small blender, if you’re going to be somewhere with access to an oulet, but don’t want to lug your big blender and juicer. Low-noise and work well if not stuffed with too much at once, it’s best to add, blend, add, blend, etc.

Tribest Personal Blender

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Use Powdered greens

All over the internet; even in stores, there are all kinds of ground greens available now. There are also blends so you can buy just one item and have a bunch of greens in one scoop.

You can buy individual, too, such as spinach, watercress, etc.

Whole fruit/juice — even a stop at a mini-mart on the road will have some kind of fruit or juice

.

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Dried fruit/ fruit powders — internet and stores too.

You can always dry your own when you have an excess ;^)

Dried/powdered vegetables for savory versions, or blended soups.

pea microgreens

A portable blender sounds pretty good — it’s no Blend-tec, of course ;) –  but  may work on soft leaves like mache, microgreens, and baby spinach — would work for powdered, anyway. Good for camping ;)

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If you add  nuts and seeds to yours, those are great traveling foods

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Spirulina


I haven’t tried any of the blends, and I like simple so I usually do, spirulina* or chlorella, some spinach and a scoop of Matcha. I like the green algaes in my GJGS’s, but don’t use them daily/as often as I used to. They are great traveling greens, though :^)

I like Glaser Farms Spirulina; its flavor is very fresh and clean. Comes in a nice glass jar, .*

Good quality from MRH’s Chlorella (and spirulina); and, I also recommend  HP’s chlorella

Algaes are very potent, so only small amounts are used.

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Algaes make your smoothies a deep rich dark green :D

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But you do not need an appliance — blender, juicer or other gadget:

You can take bottled juice, shake in some dried green powders and have a delicious GS on the go or when staying in a hotel or as someone’s guest, perhaps.

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Another option I’ve read that some folks employ for short trips for the day — freeze a pre-made smoothie and take it with (I would freeze it in a solid block for slower melting); it would be melted but still icy cold to drink by feeding time.

~***~

baby bok choi, flowering


Eating your greens whole, or slurping them blended and juiced is ideal; and you don’t want to rely on powdered greens, of course. But, occasionally, we need alternative ways to get them. And, heck, if availability of leafy greens is scarce in your neck of the woods, dried or powdered is your ticket!

There is such a variety, too, that there are greens for everyone. The packaging for freshness is so good now, too; plus the freeze-drying method, sun drying or low-temp drying, etc. make them almost, if not as nutrient rich as their fresh form.

No excuses, Y’All ;^)

Beloved Broccoli forever stay - into my salad every day :D

So small yet so powerful, the broccoli sprout!

*Remember this:

Greens are the *KEY* to destroying cravings.

Greens are what demolished my cravings. I have zero cravings. Really? Yep. Really.

They nourish you so well, that your body becomes what it was meant to be –

Cue “6 Million Dollar Man” theme  OR… ;)    

– a perfect self-healing, self-sufficient, most-awesome-living-thing-on-this-planet- M_A_C_H_I_N_E — going after what it needs to survive — nutrients — destroying deadly cancers and other evildoers in its path like a Green-inator, leaving in its wake, vital organs and nutrient-rich cells *intact* and thriving.  YOU, too, can be rebuilt –

better

stronger

faster! :D

/cut music/  ;)

AND your body won’t signal what you perceive as cravings “false hunger”). Why?  Because it does NOT want junk.

Greens are the oils that lubricate your gears! They’re the premium fuel that runs your engine, clean. They are the spinach to your inner Popeye.

Don’t have greens once in a while.

Don’t have a “handful” of greens in your smoothies

Don’t have greens as a phase –

Greens are a food you should  – no, have to –  eat daily for the rest of your life.

They are the ULTIMATE HEALING FOOD. Make no mistake. Get ENOUGH.

~ *** ~

Buckwheat Lettuce/Microgreens

Eat ‘em raw, blended, juiced and stewed,

They aren’t sides or condiments, leafy greens are FOOD!

Slice ‘em, dice ‘em –  heck, chiffonade

Any way you can get ‘em;  Don’t be a clod. :p

Simmered, creamed, chopped and steamed — they satisfy more than you ever dreamed.

Fill up with greens, and  get yourself lean.

Good for your body and the ol’ bean ;)

Flax Microgreens


Saturate your cells with nutrients galore

and strong mind and body will be yours evermore :D

Let the healing begin!

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Poxacuatl

*Note the caution at the bottom MRH’s spirulina page. As always, do your research.

Who’s Your MAQ Daddy? :^)

If Kale is King of the Greens, Maquis are King of the Berries…at least for now. :D   These beauties  are black as seen in this photo I took in the sunshine. I’m not sure if they are technically a black — could be a purple, I imagine.

The reigning “superfruit” du jour –  I won’t bother going into its super-awesomeness: simply Bing it for all the panacean detail you can handle. These are availble dry because like acai, mangosteen or any other superfruit, it will not survive traveling thousands of miles fresh.

Maqui is making appearances in beverages and snacks at break-neck speed, of course; but I think it would be most healthful to get them freeze-dried as fresh as possible. I rely on Mountain Rose Herbs for superior quality of whatever I can get there, and these Maquis are no  exception. They are available on some sites — mostly raw stores — and a few healthy-type food stores( like Whole Foods), may have the powdered Navitas brand in the raw-food sections.

Back to black  for a sec — Black, like purple and blue foods are available but not as abundant as reds, for example. Although “black foods” were all the rage, circa 2007, they are still gaining in newsworthiness for their high-nutrient, anti-cancer compounds. Remember black garlic? Simply fermented garlic which rendered it more nutritious (like a lot of fermented foods [such as my cultured veggies :) ] ) The black foods are higher in nutrients amongst even their cousins, such as black sesames are more nutritious than the brown.

I recently had some black radishes…

and Ooh, I did not like them. Very bitter. And…

…the black was only on the outside, and the skin was very tough and, for me, inedible — at least the ones I got. I don’tknow if a different kind may have thinner/edible skin. My guess is that, the powerful “black” nutrients are contained in the skin. Of course,  the radish, itself, is a powerful cruciferous on its own.

I guess I eat my fair share of black foods — black sesame, black mushrooms, olives, berries, Nori…black beans are okay, but I haven’t eaten those in years…black vinegar, pepper… Hm, what else?

I wonder if chia seeds are considered a black food? *Love* me, my chias! :D

Backy to the Maquis ;)

I tasted one and, hm, not really impressed. These are dry — and I mean, dry. They are not like raisins or the dethroned gojis; they are gritty and sand-like. Not too pleasant.

And, oddly, not much flavor. Part of the reason for this, I think is…

These are teeny tiny! I would say the size of juniper berries or allspice berries, or even whole black peppercorns! So to get an idea of the flavor you would have to pop a few more :) .

I was also shocked that a “serving” is 1 teaspoon!

But that’s quite a few in one teaspoon.

Now, what I found really fascinating, is that, when I put it in my GJGS, the flavor was delicious!

The berries’ flavor absolutely came through. It’s definitely a distinct flavor, but sort of blueberry-blackberry-ish + concord grapes, if I had to liken it to something — nothing too foreign.

By the way, that is the only fruit (aside from lemon) I put in my GJGS in order to judge the flavor, and I still was able to taste it. Interesting! I would have to say it’s most likely the lemon I put in my GJGS’s since citrus makes flavors pop and brings out the sweetness, too. Lemon or lime goes into all my GJGS’s.

Verdict: I’m keeping these in my berries rotation :D

Definitely a keeper!

What other black foods can you think of?

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Strix

Vitamin D-3 — VEGAN! and What Is It?

 

Nature’s Plus Vitamin D3, a new, vegan, whole-food source of D3. The first of its kind! I’m sure, like the DHA, there will be more jumping on the bandwagon — such as the soon to be made available, plant-based, vegan D-3, “Vitashine” — looks good.

I hope so, and I hope it gets less expensive.

However, looking at the label shows there are 5000IU in two capsules…

…so, not needing that much, the one-month, 30 servings is actually 2 month’s worth – yay! for that :D

I don’t expect the cost to go too low, however; the mushrooms (apparently) needed for this product have always been expensive, and it’s an organic product, to boot! I wonder if just taking the mushroom supplements, which have been available for a long time now, are just as good(?). I recall Dr Weil has been recommending the “exotic” mushrooms, like those in this formula for ages; but they’ve been used in Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. (more from Weil here, and here)

Maybe one of the many reasons mushrooms have been so helpful to people is that they were providing D3 without it being known. In that case, it may turn out to be less expensive to simply take the mushroom supps…not sure; maybe there is a special extraction from the ‘shrooms needed. From what I understand, though, mushrooms — even regular ol’ mushies — simply need to be exposed to sunshine, while they are growing, to get their Vit D, just like us. There are some fresh mushrooms being sold now with labels claiming they’ve been sun-exposed. D3 is better absorbed (from an outside source) than synthetic Vitamin D2 in most people, from what I understand. Most D3 products are animal-derived which makes it un-usable by vegans and other people who may have environmental or other issues with animal sourcing.

There is a “quality assurance” insert that comes with the supplement:

the fine print on the lower left corner reads:

Here’s the back… (click on pic for a larger, if not perfectly, clearer view)

Best test would be to get my D levels checked before I start on these to see what happens; not sure if I’ll do that* But, I’m going to keep abreast of this product to see what transpires; I am very interested in the results! It will be fantastic if it is just as effective — or even outperforms — animal-derived D3. Fingers crossed :)

I had a local shop order it for me; it’s such a brand-spankin’-new product that it’s not even in stores! I contacted VeganEssentials, however, and they said they will order it if they can get a contract with Nature’s Plus; so I expect it will be there soon, if they do. They are fantastic for all stuff vegan, and *very* meticulous about dubious ingredients. They are like Sherlock Holmes when questioning/investigating companies’ products. I have trusted them for years. They may be carrying one called,  Activz brand, however, this coming week.

There’s a new all-EPA supplement now available from Futurebiotics and it’s also vegan.

Awesomeness. I love that these products are now available so that all can benefit without harm to others. How often  do we engage it that?! :D   These have no flavor, by the way. (I always crack open and taste these things :) )

Here’s a looksee at the label:

I do have to admit I’m… intrigued by the source, which they say is from  “yeast.” Whatever that is – makes me a bit suspicious ;)

There are so many vegan DHA’s now too. I’ve tried a lot of them already. Of course, who knows, without lots of testing which is superior for any individual, but they all seem to be basically the same nowadays.I can at least mention the best tasting :) Actually the ones with little to almost no flavor would be

V-Pure

which I’ve mentioned before. (Sorry for the bad pic; it’s an oldie :) )

  Pure One.

Dr. Fuhrman’s, DHA Purity, which I trust more than any other, has a mild lemon-balm flavor. And Dr. Fuhrman offers the  New Harvest EPA too. There are many more good DHA’s now and it’s great to have the choices.

But these are just a few mentions :)

Tons more to babble on about — seriously, I’ve got loads of product reviews, “favorite things,” yada-yada; not to mention my knitting and sewing stuff…) but I’m short on attention today — at least for sitting at today’s boob tube :D But I’ll leave you with this…

What Is It?

;) Been a while since I’ve posted one those. I’ll be back to reveal the secret :D

Hint: It’s good stuff  :P

Poxacuatl

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Edited to add July, 2012 – Pangea, Vegan Store is now offering the above-mentioned vegan Vitamin D3! They have it in spray and capsules.

* If anyone has their current levels of Vit D available and starts taking this new Vegan D-3 and gets checked again,  it would be great for you to write up a review here at BeStrixed. Also, if you have taken the New Harvest EPA and experienced changes, I’d be interested in that too.

Just contact me and I’d love to post your experience and opinions. :)

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