Coconut Oil a Cure for Alzheimer's Disease?

Below is a link to a very interesting video clip for anyone who wants to remain healthy their entire lives.  Coconut oil has gotten a bad name because of the refined coconut oil product produced at very high temperatures that you hear about in fried foods, and also because it contains a large amount of saturated fat.  But coconut oil in its raw and uncooked state is very nutritious for you.  The naturally formed saturated fat in this oil is very healthy and the high lauric acid content has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.  Coconut oil can stand higher temperatures than most other unrefined oils and coconut milk is an excellent milk substitute for those sensitive to dairy. 

If you want to try coconut oil but don't like the strong coconut smell (like me), you can still get good quality pure coconut oil but just don't buy virgin or extra-virgin (although the virgin oil is considered the best for you).  It is great for cooking, baking, and adding to foods (like in the video).  So check this out!   


Coconut oil watch to the end - A Real Eye Opener!

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/LJO190v1_WS

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

Over the weekend I made Pumpkin Pasta Sauce, a recipe in my cookbook The Bee Well Cookbook, and it was delicious.  I had forgotten about this recipe and am so glad I remembered it!  I avoid normal pasta sauce because the tomatoes give me a rash on my face.  This recipe has some tomatoes but I seem to do okay with it because they’re mixed with the pumpkin.  Pumpkin is great for you, and many people with chronic illness or low energy should be avoiding the nightshade vegetables (tomato, potato, bell pepper, eggplant) as much as possible.  They seem to strain the energy system.  So dare to try it!  For more recipes in The Bee Well Cookbook, go to amazon.com or lulu.com. 

I’m also working on a gluten-free pumpkin walnut bread (possibly without eggs) but that’s a work in progressss……….

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

Prepare Ahead:  Cook pumpkin for pumpkin puree or use canned pumpkin

Prep:                     15 min.  

Cook:                   50 min.

Total Time:         1 hr. 5 min.

Yield:                   5 cups 

Ingredients:

·         2 tbsp. olive oil

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 medium onion, chopped

·         1 medium sized zucchini squash, diced

·         1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree or 1 – 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

·         2 cups water

·         1 – 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

·         1/8  tsp. cayenne

·         1 tsp. oregano

·         1 tsp. basil

·         ½ tsp. sea salt

Preparation:

·         In a large skillet, sauté garlic and onions over medium heat in olive oil for 10 minutes or until soft.

·         Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

·         Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes (you might need a splatter screen), stirring occasionally.

·         Serve over Zucchini Pasta or gluten-free pasta.

The Highly Sensitive Person

I am a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).  This trait was first researched and written about by clinical psychologist Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. in The Highly Sensitive Person – How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You, 1996.  Elaine Aron states that 15-20 percent of the population has the HSP trait, which is about fifty million people in the United States.  The HSP has a nervous system that is much more sensitive than other people’s nervous systems.  This means that the HSP will be much more aware of subtleties in their surroundings and can become more easily overwhelmed by a highly stimulating environment or experience.  In our culture this trait is not considered ideal and HSP’s are often labeled as shy, oversensitive, or having some defect.  Often the HSP is not understood and isn’t taught how to manage such a sensitive nervous system, and they can become physically unwell and live with low self-esteem.  Many HSP’s need to learn the advantages to their trait and how to appreciate themselves and live healthy and well with a sensitive constitution.  Dr. Aron’s book is a good place to start and many other books and resources on this topic can be utilized as well.

The Bee Well Cookbook

The Bee Well Cookbook: Nourishing Foods for Sensitive People by Katie Whitmarsh (2008) contains simple and easy recipes for those seeking health and wellness in their lives.  It was born out of the author’s love of healthy food and nutrition, and her many years of experimentation with a variety of diets and alternative foods, to discover solutions to her own health problems.  In her fifteen year struggle with fibromyalgia, hypoglycemia, chronic food allergies and candida, she was forced to return to basic, whole foods.  She feels that our bodies metabolize basic and simple whole foods much more easily and this way of eating will keep us healthy throughout our lives.

This cookbook will teach you how to prepare food so that your body will obtain the most nutrients from it.  The recipes work well for those with sensitive constitutions and digestive systems because they are gluten-free, sugar-free (with stevia) and are low in dairy, cereal grains, soy, fermented foods, nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant) and citrus.  They were also created for optimal digestibility by incorporating food preparation techniques developed by our ancestors, such as soaked grains, beans, nuts and seeds and slow-cooked bone broths.  She states that since our immunity and ability to be healthy depends largely on efficient digestion, preparing food in this way is very important for long-term health and wellness.

This cookbook contains nutrition information and meal planning ideas, resources, and the author’s story, as well as 150 recipes.  The recipe sections include Breakfast, Baked Goods & Snacks; Sauces and Dressings; Soups, Stews and Slow-Cooked Meals; Main Dishes and Vegetables; and Desserts.  Several signature recipes are Spicy Chai Smoothie, Amaranth Apple Waffles, Walnut-Flax Breakfast Wafers, Vinegar and Citrus-Free Salad Dressing, Pumpkin Pasta Sauce, Slow-Cooked Chicken or Turkey Stock, Roasted Cornish Hens with Apples and Sage, Cajun Beef Salad, Frozen Mint Chip Balls, and Mocha Cream Pie with Coconut Crust. 

The Bee Well Cookbook is available on-line at amazon.com and lulu.com as well as directly from the author at evolvingwellness@yahoo.com.  It can also be purchased at the Mendocino Book Company, Mendocino Bounty, and Mulligan Books in Ukiah, California.

Katie Whitmarsh, MA, Natural Health Consultant

What does a Natural Health Consultant do?  Consulting is a lot like coaching.  I have been trained to work with people in a variety of ways and I serve as a guide.  My education was based in naturopathy, which means that you have to look at the whole person, and that all our systems are connected – body, mind, and spirit.  Each person is unique and I approach them in that way.  To adequately address health and wellness the following influences must be looked at: genetics, diet and nutrition, residuals from prior trauma, effects from environmental toxins, infection, stress effects, behavioral imbalances and maladaptive habits, moods and emotions, and past and current effects of the social/cultural environment.  Symptoms may show up in the body, emotions, mind, behavior, and spirit.  And many of the answers come from the clients themselves, as we are all powerful and indomitable spirits, who just need some help at times to get back on our pathway of balance.  I hear the client’s story, educate the client with information specific to them, and serve as a source of support and validation, and as a guide to a higher and more fulfilling way of living.

Health and Wellness

Health and wellness are unique to you: your body, mind, and spirit.  Health and wellness evolve and change throughout our lives as our body, mind and spirit changes.  Wellness is a lifelong path of discovering who you are.  Become educated about health and intuitive about your own personal constitution, and enjoy wellness for a lifetime.  Overcome longstanding conditions and chronic problems.  With guidance, you can become an expert on YOUR body.