Pulled Chicken and Sauteed Kale

Yummy! Serves about 4.

Pulled Chicken:

about 2-3 lbs organic free range chicken drumsticks

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup organic ketchup

1 cup organic bbq sauce

Place all ingredients in your crock pot. Cook on low for about 4 hours (my crock pot CRANKS so maybe you'll need more?) Once done, remove meat from bones using a fork. Mix in a bowl with additional sauce left in crock, and any extra bbq sauce to your taste. Serve on yummy whole grain rolls or bread, or just alone if you choose.

Sauteed Kale:

(Bobby Flay- with a few changes)

2 bunches organic kale, stemmed and cut into pieces and washed well

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup organic free range chicken broth

sea salt and pepper

Heat oil on medium heat and saute the garlic. Add chicken broth and kale and toss to combine. Cook covered for about 5 minutes, stirring until all the liquid is absorbed. Season with the salt and pepper and enjoy! Warning: you may get addicted!

This also works well with mustard greens, and I am assuming collard greens would be amazing as well!

High Fructose Corn Syrup

My friend Lauren has this article on her blog from naturalnews.com on high fructose corn syrup. I think it is worth reading. Absolutely worth reading!

http://caramelaurenj.blogspot.com/2010/02/hfcs-high-fructose-corn-syrup-no-no.html

Blueberry Muffins Revised

Check out some changes I have made to my blueberry muffin recipe. Even more healthy and delicious! MMMMMM....

http://cleanoutyourpantry.blogspot.com/2009/07/blueberry-muffins.html

Come to think of it, I've revised a lot of my recipes and I have added several sweeter options to the recipes, that way you can choose which one you like best :) I personally like the raw honey and sucanat currently. Have fun experimenting!

Popcorn For Dummies

Like my title? Well that was me a year ago. If you had asked me to make you homemade popcorn I would have replied, "Isn't that what microwaves are for?". A healthy living journey is all about the little changes, so homemade popcorn was it. My husband graciously showed me how easy and simple it was. :) So I am now blogging about this 'duh' kind of recipe, because I am sure there are others out there like me who didn't even think to give it a try. ;)

Cover the bottom of your pot with grapeseed oil (he likes coconut oil, but I think it then tastes like coconut. Coconut popcorn? One coconut item I don't prefer!)
Heat on high with one kernel in pot.
When the kernel pops, cover the bottom with more kernels, reduce heat to med-low and cover. Shake the pot to keep it mixed up.
When the popping slows down or stops, remove from heat and mix in organic butter and sea salt to your taste. Now enjoy. The only thing that makes microwave popcorn better is not having to wash the dish! But hey, if washing an extra dish means a healthier life, I think I can handle the extra dish. ;)

Arrowroot Cookies

My daughter and husband loved these. Scarlotte had fun rolling out the dough with me. :)

1/4 cup softened organic butter

1/4 cup raw honey

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour ( soft or hard white if milling your own)

1/2 arrowroot

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets with grapeseed oil spray. Cream butter and honey in mixing bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix well. Flour your countertop and roll dough to 1/8 inch thick or so. Cut into 2 1/2 inch rounds or squares and carefully place on baking sheet. Poke a few times with a fork. Bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes. Should make about 3 1/2 dozen mini cookies. I doubled the recipe and froze half of them for later.

Just A Journey....

I always say that healthy living is a journey. It is just so true. You learn as you go, making necessary changes to meet the current needs of your family. Every day is another step! Recently, I have been learning about sweeteners- as you know. Sucanat has come up several times in the last few weeks and today I finally sat down to research it online. It looks like a great alternative to brown sugar, which for us is great because my Hubby is not a huge fan of brown sugar. Enter- sucanat! So here is just one more journey in our life of healthy living. Trying it out. Stay tuned.

Enchiladas Spicy Spicy (as my daughter would say)!

All I have to say is...YUM.

2 cups raw pinto beans, soaked overnight then cooked

2 cups cooked brown rice

6-8 whole grain tortillas (Ezekiel brand is good)

1-2 cups shredded white cheddar or monterrey jack cheese

organic sour cream

Enchilada Sauce:

www.cooking-mexican-recipes.com/enchilada-sauce-recipe.html

super easy and good. of course I used whole wheat flour, sea salt and organic free range chicken broth.

Place cooked beans and rice into a mixing bowl and add 1/4-1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, mix well. Spread some of the sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Take each tortilla, and spread the bean/rice mixture inside (about a 1/2 cup in each?), then roll up and place in dish seam side down. Poor remaining sauce over all of the rolled tortillas and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Serve with your favorite veggie! You could also add cooked chicken to the enchiladas. Drop a dallop of the sour cream on top and enjoy!

Split Pea Soup

Want to know the easiest meal in the world? Split pea soup!

Take one bag of organic split peas, sorted and rinsed, and pour into crock pot.

Cover with organic free range

chicken broth (or vegetable).

Cook for 4-6 hours. Done! And very delicious.

Make it a stew:

Just add everything but the kitchen

sink. No, really. Anything you have, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, scallions, whatever! Here's a couple photos of some I made recently- when it is done, of course it looks more like mush, so these pics are prettier. :) It's really healthy, easy, and delicious. Great with a crusty whole grain bread.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Kale is in season! Zuppa Toscana is it! We love this soup and pile in the kale... yum! My friend Ashley inspired me to make my own version of this well loved soup from the Olive Garden.

Enjoy!





1 package antibiotic free turkey or chicken sausage (mild, med or hot)
2 onions
5 garlic cloves minced or use garlic powder
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt (you can always add more later)
4-5 organic white potatoes with skins, chopped
6 cups free range chicken broth (learn to make your own here)
3 cups raw milk
1/2-1 bunch kale (organic if you can find it- kale is one of the 'dirty dozen')

In your stock pot cook onions, garlic and sausage in grapeseed oil (squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing). Add spices. Add broth and potatoes, cook until potatoes are tender. Add kale and cover, cooking for a few minutes until kale is soft. Mix in milk and serve hot.

From Scratch Brownies

6 months pregnant = LOTS of cravings. All the time. Anything and everything. Tonight, I wanted brownies, reeeeal bad. I knew I couldn't shake the craving! So I made some....and so far I have eaten four. Don't judge me, you know you could do it too! :) So these are more cake-like, but really yummy! Perfect when you need an occasional sweet treat like pregnant me.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sea salt

1 cup organic cane sugar (the recipe called for 2 cups but 1 was plenty! I'd even cut it down to 3/4 cup next time!) or Xylitol

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup grapeseed or coconut oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract or peppermint extract for minty brownies

4 free range eggs

Mix dry ingredients together. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Best when on the chewy side.

(Almost) From Scratch Chili!

Friday I ventured to make chili completely from scratch. I almost met my goal, except for that one small stinky can of organic tomato paste I had to put in to thicken it. Oh well. Almost there!
I also had to season this as I went, tasting it to decide what it needed. Here is a recollection of what (I think) I did after it was done. The result was good so I will do it again!

3/4 cup each: (raw) garbanzo beans, black beans, red kidney beans and pinto beans, rinsed and soaked 24 hours in advance.
4-5 large organic tomatoes, diced
2-4 organic bell peppers of any color, diced
1-2 medium onions, white or red, diced
3 stalks celery chopped small
10 cloves fresh garlic, pressed
1 small can of organic tomato paste
About 4-6 cups of water
3 tbsps raw honey and organic cane sugar
3 tbsps sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black and red pepper*
2 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder*
1 tsp turmeric, coriander and paprika
*If you do not like spicy chili, use less ground red pepper and chili powder. I will next time until this pregnancy is over! :)

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for eight hours. If done on stove, cook on medium-high for eight hours? Stir and taste occasionally to test! (Remember I said "I think" this is what I did!!) I'll proof it again soon just to be sure. Serve with whole wheat corn muffins (blog under muffins)! Enjoy!

Easy Tuna Melts

Need a quick meal? Try this. My Hubby would say it's not so healthy if you use mayo, considering the hydrogenated oils, but I say at least it's not McDonald's! As healthy as you can get on those kind of nights....I save it for the weekend or nights when I am just exhausted!

Organic wild caught tuna in water (in a pouch if you can find it, to avoid the BPA in cans) you'll need 2

Mayo- learn to make homemade mayo here
or Grapeseed oil Veganaise (they sell this is Green Bay but I never found it in Atlanta or in NY but I do think you can buy it online)

Dill

Pepper and sea salt

Shredded white cheddar cheese

Whole grain english muffins (I recommend Ezekiel brand)

Make tuna to your liking with the mayo/veganaise, dill, salt, and pepper.

Toast english muffins. Spread tuna on muffins and cover with cheese.

Broil for about 5 minutes. Works great with a nice salad or even just some plain ol' frozen peas!

Homemade Tomato Soup (from scratch!)

I made this homemade soup last weekend and it was scrumptious! Serve it with grilled cheese on a hearty whole grain bread (we used Ezekiel Bread) and oh so amazing. Was such fun to watch our daughter dip her sandwich in her soup for the first time! We all loved it!



4 cups tomatoes, diced or pureed in the blender (approximately 8 small tomatoes) – I used part of my canned tomatoes and it worked great!
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced or a combination of cloves and garlic powder
1 cup organic chicken broth
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp dry basil (or fresh if you have it!)
dash of pepper
2-3 tsp xylitol
Saute onion and garlic in a little coconut oil till tender and translucent. Add tomatoes and chicken broth and cook over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before transferring carefully to a blender. Puree until smooth. Return to pot and add the remaining ingredients to your taste. Delightful with a dalop of sour cream on the top!

Change Can Be Sweet....

Ok, so I have gone through my recipe collection and made necessary changes in hopes to mostly discontinue the use of agave nectar. Not 100%, but mostly. So I am now experimenting with raw honey, sucanat and stevia, and of course there is the easy way out- cane sugar! So, I obviously have not made all of these recipes in the last 2 weeks, just figured out the conversion. So I am asking that if you try anything using the new stevia, honey or cane sugar suggestions, please comment and let us all know how it worked for you! I have had much success with honey- however, for some reason, not with my banana muffin recipe! And I tried a new recipe today trying to come up with an accurate conversion for honey into stevia.....did not turn out sweet enough....I will continue experimenting and keep all of you posted on good and bad results. I appreciate your patience, as the Boheens can only eat so many muffins! My freezer is stocked! :) I am also learning that Sucanat is a good subsitute for brown sugar.

I am very excited for this push to try out stevia. I had wanted to a long time ago, knowing it was one of the best natural sweeteners there was! Agave was just easier....so here's to the push! And may all our muffins be delish.
:)

Thai Chicken Wraps

Light and healthy. Easy to make. Gluten free. Love it.

I got this recipe from elanaspantry.com and we really liked it. I will make it again. I may try an alternative to the peanut sauce, as it was not my favorite. Maybe a sweeter asian sauce. Either way, it still is super yummy and just different from what we usually have for dinner. It was fun.

Try it out:

www.elanaspantry.com/thai-chicken-wraps/

Learning About Stevia...

Found this conversion chart so now I can start my experimenting!

Sugar Amount........................................1 cup/1 Tbsp/1 Tsp

Equivilent Stevia powdered extract..1 Tsp/1/4 Tsp/a pinch to 1/16 Tsp

Equivilent Stevia liquid concentrate..1 Tsp/6-9 drops/2-4 drops


Honey works great too, just cut it down a bit (about 1/2 cup to every cup sugar). Also learning about Sucanat... seems like a good substitution for brown sugar (use the same amount).

Agave Nectar Highly Processed???

So recently we have been doing some deeper research on agave nectar. What we found is not what we were hoping for. This product has seemed to represent itself in a deceiving way, seeing that it is raw agave right? Wrong. The process in making this sweet syrup is very involved, making it not very raw at all! It is so processed and hydrolyzed, it becomes high in fructose, which is one of the worst ways you can get sugar! Ugh!

So where to go from here... well, we will be experiementing with Stevia and also using plain ol' good raw honey for sweetening. As far as agave goes, I am going to try to discontinue using it. I will say, however, that if you are diabetic, I would probably still recommend agave over Splenda or Nutrasweet. And if this news makes you want to go back to white refined sugar- don't! Use raw cane sugar instead.

More details to come. Bear with me as I make this transition!

Quinoa Crusted Cod and Collard Greens- Just Scrumptious!

This collard greens recipe is from my friend Lauren, and it is so delicious I can't believe it took me so long to try it!!! I mean, seriously delicious. Who would have thought? Collard greens? Oh yes. Amazing. Check it out here:

http://caramelaurenj.blogspot.com/2009/08/collard-greens-what.html

Honey Balsamic Collard Greens!

1 bunch of collard greens
Pinch of salt ( I use sea salt-has more nutrients than table salt-make the switch today)
Olive oil
Red onion
garlic cloves
garlic scapes (optional)
Sweet Peppers (green, red, orange and or yellow)

Fill Sink with cool water. Separate leaves from stalks and immerse in water. Rub dirt off and dry ( I shake the water off and cut them, then throw them in a salad spinner to get the water off)
Roll several leaves together and slice the roll in 1-inch strips ( I believe this is called chiffonade-style)
Put leaves into a large pot, add enough water to cover the leaves. Add a pinch of sea salt and minced or chopped garlic cloves. Bring water to a boil and cook leaves until bright green. Reduce heat to med.low heat. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, until tender. (taste to see if you like the texture-Don't cook too long, you do not want mushy greens!)
When greens are cooked to your liking, drain them and return to the pot and put on the lid.
Saute 1/2 cup chopped red onion, chopped garlic scape and peppers in olive oil. add to leaves. Drizzle honey and balsamic vinegar over mixture and toss leaves.

I only used grapeseed oil in place of olive oil and added maybe a little more than a drizzle of the balsamic vinegar and especially the honey. :)

Quinoa Crusted Cod

This one was just an idea I got one day from something else, and decided to create it and give it a try! The results were better than I expected!

Wild Cod or any fish filet really, just be sure you buy wild fish and not farm raised fish and try to stay away from high mercury fish such as tilapia (I know- a mild favorite of mine too..)
Organic quinoa (pronounced keen-wa, it's a grain)
Spices ( I used) Black pepper, sea salt, paprika, garlic powder, dill and parsley.
Egg
Grapeseed oil

Fill your pan with about 1/2 an inch of grapeseed oil and heat to medium high.
Beat the egg (s) in a small bowl and set aside.
On a plate, mix together quinoa and spices.
When oil is ready (sizzles when you drip the egg in it), dunk your fish into the egg and roll into the quinoa mixture until fully covered. Fry in grapeseed oil about 5 minutes on each side (more or less depending on how think your filet is). Place on a plate covered in paper towel immediately when done to remove extra oil, and serve right away.

I served both these dishes together along with brown rice.
Enjoy! (We did!)

Choco Berry Bars

The aroma these bars put in the air when baking is almost as good as eating them...

Choco Berry Bars

5 cups organic old fashioned oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup organic sucanat
1/2 cup raw honey
2 Tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup whole flaxseed
1/2 cup dried cranberries*
1/2 cup dried cherries*
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oats, nuts, oil and salt together (may need to use your hands if your coconut oil is solid) and spread in 9 by 13 pan and bake for 18 minutes stirring occasionally.

2)Combine brown sugar, honey and agave in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar is melted. Add vanilla extract. Keep stirring.

3) Remove oat mixture from oven and transfer back to mixing bowl Turn oven down to 300. Stir in flaxseed, berries and chocolate, then pour in sugar mixture and mix well. Spread back into pan and bake for another 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

***Note: when choosing dried fruits, be very careful to check ingredients. Organic or not, many of them contain added sugars and hydrogenated oils, such as canola, sunflower or safflower. Do your best and be picky when choosing any dried fruit with as little of the 'extras' as possible!

Hummus With a Kick!

Found this recipe online- has a kick to it for sure! I love the cumin in it, may not use the red pepper next time...

Hummus With Tahini

2 1/2 cups cooked chick peas (I highly recommend cooking them yourself to avoid those from a can! It's so easy!)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ceyenne pepper
pinch of black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup water

Put all ingredients in your blender/food processor and mix until smooth. Refridgerate for one hour so flavors soak in and enjoy! Great with pita bread, raw carrots, whole wheat bread, etc.

Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew

My best friend Danielle doesn't cook a ton, but man is her beef stew good! I only made it organic and added a few extra fresh veggies :)
I wish I had a picture but it was too yummy I was too busy eating it.
You'll need:

About one pound organic free range grass fed stew beef
organic carrots chopped
organic potatoes chopped
organic celery chopped
an onion chopped
2 cups organic frozen corn
whole wheat flour
water
sea salt and pepper
fresh crushed garlic

She says:

My recipe is simple...I put the stew beef in the crock pot and mix in some flour until all the meat is covered, add veggies (corn, celery, baby carrots), skin a couple potatoes, cut em up and put them in. Fill up the pot with water so that it's not quite covering everything. In a separate bowl, mix half cup flour and water until you get like a thick milky mix and dump that in the pot...add seasonings, salt, pepper, onion salt....mix...cook in the crock pot for like 8 hours...yum....! :) You can always add more flour if you think it's too runny.

So there you have it. Decide what you want in it, put it in the pot and turn it on. Pair it up with home made wheat bread and yummmmmo!

*** You can also use 2 cups beef broth for variety and a tapioca starch/water mixture to make it gluten free!***

Spicy Red Lentil Chili

A Wegmans recipe modified to suit my taste.... You can add a tablespoon of hot sauce to make it spicier... I just made this and some home made wheat bread today on a cold snowy day for my family who are all under the weather! I added lots of extra garlic! :)
1-2 cups Red Lentils
2-3 cups water
2 Grapeseed oil
1/2 an onion, peeled, 1/4-inch dice
4 stalks celery, 1/4-inch dice
3-4 carrots, chopped
2 Tbsp Fresh Garlic, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, 1/2-inch dice
2-3 cups Organic Vegetable or Chicken broth
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup finely diced sweet green pepper- optional
1 tbsp MSG-free tobasco sauce- optional
link
Melt oil in stockpot on MEDIUM-LOW. Add onions; cook, stirring, about 2 min, until soft but not browned. Add celery, carrots and garlic; cook, stirring, 5 min, until soft but not browned. Add tomato; cook 5 min.
Add 2 cups broth, 2 cups water, turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, sea salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Bring to simmer.
Add lentils. Cook about 30 min, until lentils are tender, or simmer all day :)
Add more broth or water as needed.
I serve it as is, but the original recipe has you blend it in a food processor or blender. You can do either- both are good, I just prefer chunkier soups and I am just plain lazy when it comes to washing extra dishes!
Calories: 140

Nutrition Info: Each serving (1 cup) contains 140 calories, 22 g carbohydrate, (5 g fiber), 7 g protein, 4 g fat, (3 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, and 410 mg sodium.

Home Made Whole Wheat Bread

Home Made Wheat Bread from my good friend Julie! This is a picture of a yummy tuna sandwich I made at home on this delicious bread! Great for sandwiches, toast, or just to eat plain! It truly is so yummy. We ate it with stew last night.

1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons raw honey
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons dry active yeast (or more for fluffier bread! yum!)

Put all ingredients in order in a bowl and mix until blended. Knead for about 5 minutes, until dough is nice and springy. Let rise for at least 30 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
You can also put everything in your bread machine, push a button and be done. :)

Whole Wheat Flax and Apple Muffins

Whole Wheat Flax'N Apple Muffins

From Hodgson Mill

1/2 c Milled Flax Seed

3 c whole wheat flour

1/2 cup raw honey OR 3/4 cup organic cane sugar or xylitol

4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
3 c finely chopped organic apples, skins attached or removed- your preference
6 Tbsp. Unrefined coconut oil
1 c milk
1 c chopped nuts- optional

Blend dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl; combine egg, your choice of sweetener, oil and milk. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and stir until just blended. Fold in apples and nuts. Batter will be thick. Fill well-greased (grapeseed or coconut oil spray) muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 18-20 minutes or until top springs back when touched.

Vitamin D Recommendations

We 100% believe that Vitamin D plays a huge role in staying healthy- especially during the winter months with all those bugs and flus going around. You can easily find gel caps to take or you can also find vitamin D drops. We take the capsules, and give our daughter drops in her milk. Something so simple.... we believe makes all the difference! Vitamin D Dose Recommendations
Age	Dosage
Below 5	35 units per pound per day
Age 5 - 10	2500 units
Age 18 - 30	5000 units
Pregnant Women	5000 units
WARNING: There is no way to know if the above recommendations are correct. The ONLY way to know is to test your blood. You might need 4-5 times the amount recommended above. Ideally your blood level of 25 OH D should be 60ng/ml.

Want To Know Why I Use Whole Wheat, Non-Enriched Flour?

Great article on Mercola.com. Need to start slow? Mix white with wheat until you are using all wheat. That's how I started 6 years ago. It takes a little experimenting with certain recipes as it does bake slightly different. Now I grind my own flour in my Vita Mix from organic wheat. It is SOOO delicious and fresh.

I urge you to try whole wheat!

The Little-Known Secrets about Bleached Flour...

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
March 26 2009 | 68,991 views

by Dr. Mercola

Nearly everyone knows that white flour is not healthy for you, but most people don’t know that when white flour is bleached, it can actually be FAR worse for you.

It’s generally understood that refining food destroys nutrients. With the most nutritious part of the grain removed, white flour essentially becomes a form of sugar. Consider what gets lost in the refining process:

• Half of the beneficial unsaturated fatty acids
• Virtually all of the vitamin E
• Fifty percent of the calcium
• Seventy percent of the phosphorus
• Eighty percent of the iron
• Ninety eight percent of the magnesium
• Fifty to 80 percent of the B vitamins

And many more nutrients are destroyed -- simply too many to list.

The Journey of the Wheat Berry

Have you ever wondered how white flour is made?

The website Healthy Eating Politics has an interesting article about the process.

Most commercial wheat production is, unfortunately, a “study in pesticide application,” beginning with the seeds being treated with fungicide. Once they become wheat, they are sprayed with hormones and pesticides. Even the bins in which the harvested wheat is stored have been coated with insecticides. If bugs appear on the wheat in storage, they fumigate the grain.

A whole grain of wheat, sometimes called a wheat berry, is composed of three layers:

• The bran
• The germ
• The endosperm

The bran is the layer where you’ll find most of the fiber, and it’s the hard outer shell of the kernel. The germ is the nutrient-rich embryo that will sprout into a new wheat plant. The endosperm is the largest part of the grain (83 percent), making up most of the kernel, and it’s mostly starch.

White flour is made from the endosperm only, whereas whole-wheat flour combines all three parts of the wheat berry.

Old time mills ground flour slowly, but today’s mills are designed for mass-production, using high-temperature, high-speed steel rollers. The resulting white flour is nearly all starch, and even much of today’s commercially processed whole wheat flour has lost a fair amount of nutritional value due to these aggressive processing methods.

White flour contains a small fraction of the nutrients of the original grain, with the heat of the steel rollers having destroyed what little nutrients remain. But then it is hit with another chemical insult--a chlorine gas bath (chlorine oxide). This serves as a whitener, as well as an “aging” agent.

Flour used to be aged with time, improving the gluten and thus improving the baking quality. Now, it is treated with chlorine to instantly produce similar qualities in the flour (with a disturbing lack of concern about adding another dose of chemicals to your food).

According to Jim Bair, Vice President of the North American Millers Association:

“Today, the US milling industry produces about 140 million pounds of flour each day, so there is no way to store the flour to allow it to age naturally. Plus, there is a shelf life issue.”

It has not been determined how many mills are bleaching flour with chorine oxide, but we do know the use of chlorides for bleaching flour is considered an industry standard.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines chlorine gas as a flour-bleaching, aging and oxidizing agent that is a powerful irritant, dangerous to inhale, and lethal. Other agents also used include oxides of nitrogen, nitrosyl, and benzoyl peroxide mixed with various chemical salts.

The chlorine gas undergoes an oxidizing chemical reaction with some of the proteins in the flour, producing alloxan as an unintended byproduct. Bair and other milling industry leaders claim that bleaching and oxidizing agents don’t leave behind harmful residues in flour, although they can cite no studies or published data to confirm this.

Why Bleaching Makes White Flour Even Worse

It has been shown that alloxan is a byproduct of the flour bleaching process, the process they use to make flour look so “clean” and -- well, white. No, they are technically not adding alloxan to the flour -- although you will read this bit of misinformation on the Internet. But, they are doing chemical treatments to the grain that result in the formation of alloxan in the flour.

With so little food value already in a piece of white bread, now there is potentially a chemical poison lurking in there as well.

So what is so bad about alloxan?

Alloxan, or C₄ H₂O₄N_2, is a product of the decomposition of uric acid. It is a poison that is used to produce diabetes in healthy experimental animals (primarily rats and mice), so that researchers can then study diabetes “treatments” in the lab. Alloxan causes diabetes because it spins up enormous amounts of free radicals in pancreatic beta cells, thus destroying them.

Beta cells are the primary cell type in areas of your pancreas called islets of Langerhans, and they produce insulin; so if those are destroyed, you get diabetes.

There is no other commercial application for alloxan -- it is used exclusively in the medical research industry because it is so highly toxic.

Given the raging epidemic of diabetes and other chronic diseases in this country, can you afford to be complacent about a toxin such as this in your bread, even if it is present in small amounts?

Just How Much is Too Much?

Similar to disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in water, alloxan is formed when the chlorine reacts with certain proteins remaining in the white flour after the bran and germ have been removed. Protein makes up between 5 percent and 15 percent of white flour, depending on whether it’s cake flour, or high-gluten flour, such as what’s used for pizza crust or bagels.

So, this would suggest that perhaps 5 to 15 grams of protein per 100 grams of flour could be contaminated.

However, according to Professor Joe Schwarcz, Director of the McGill University Office of Science and Society, alloxan is the byproduct of xantophyll oxidation only. Xantophylls are yellow compounds in wheat that react with oxygen, causing flour to turn white.

According to Mr. Schwarcz:

“One of the possible minor side products of xantophyll oxidation is alloxan. It may therefore be found in small amounts in flour. There is no available research that shows trace amounts are a problem or that alloxan builds up in the body. The amounts, if present at all, must be small because xantophylls themselves only occur to the extent of 1 microgram per gram of flour.”

Alloxan has not been studied in terms of human exposure, particularly long-term. There is just so much we don’t know, and you know what assumptions will get you.

Alloxan in Rats vs Alloxan in Humans

Scientists have long known that alloxan produces selective destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas, causing hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis in laboratory animals. Alloxan is structurally similar to glucose, which might explain why the pancreatic beta cells selectively take it up.

According to Dr. Hari Sharma’s Freedom from Disease, alloxan causes free radical damage to DNA in the beta cells of the pancreas, causing them to malfunction and die. When they fail to function normally, they no longer produce enough insulin.

Even though the toxic effect of alloxan is common scientific knowledge in the research community, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still allows companies to use chemical processes in which the end result is toxic food. Until they unequivocally prove something is toxic by way of human deaths, severe side effects, or when the public screams loudly enough, the FDA is not likely to protect you.

Until then, it is you who must protect yourself.

If you have diabetes, or cancer, have a compromised immune system, or if you are in some other high-risk category as tens of millions of North Americans are, you need to know what foods contain hazardous ingredients so you can avoid them. But in the case of alloxan, there is no way to know, either by reading the ingredient list or by any other means, that it might be in your food!

History of Bleaching Flour -- Pillsbury and the FDA

An interesting sideline to this whole flour story lies in the origins of the FDA.

Bleaching and oxidizing agents weren’t developed to produce quick aging of wheat flour (within 48 hours) until the early 1900s. Prior to that, it required several months for oxygen to condition flour naturally.

When bleaching was introduced, it was vehemently opposed.

The first major consumer advocate was Harvey W. Wiley, MD, who eventually became known as the “Father of the Pure Food and Drugs Act” of 1906. Mr. Wiley was head of the Bureau of Chemistry, which was the precursor to the FDA. Wiley crusaded against benzoic acid, sulfites, saccharin, and bleached flour, among other food additives and adulterants.

Dr. Wiley felt so strongly about preventing the bleaching of flour that he took it all the way to the Supreme Court. They ruled that flour could not be bleached or “adulterated” in any way. However, it was never enforced.

Wiley believed that foods posed a greater risk to the public than adulterated or misbranded drugs. He constantly butted heads with Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson and President Roosevelt over food regulation.

Soon, Wiley’s personal administrative authority was undercut when Wilson created the Board of Food and Drug Inspection in 1907 and the Referee Board of Consulting Scientific Experts in 1908, one of which was reportedly headed by someone who had been working at Pillsbury, although I have not been able to verify this addendum.

Finally, in 1912, Dr. Wiley quit as director out of frustration, although he continued as a vocal consumer advocate for many years.

The government replaced Dr. Wiley with Dr. Elmer Nelson. Dr. Nelson was the polar opposite to Wiley , and was quoted as saying:

”It is wholly unscientific to state that a well-fed body is more able to resist disease than a poorly fed body. My overall opinion is that there hasn’t been enough experimentation to prove that dietary deficiencies make one susceptible to disease.”

Therein lies the foundation of the FDA. Since Dr. Wiley resigned, the FDA has continued to shift its focus on drugs, since Wiley was never able to convince the government of the dangers from chemicals in our foods. He was truly a pioneer and a century ahead of his time!

Food For Thought

The important point to take away is, beware of any processed food because chemicals are always used. And we simply don’t know what the long-term effects will be of ingesting chemicals, on top of chemicals, on top of more chemicals.

Strive to stick to whole unprocessed foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. If you’re going to eat grains, make sure they are at the least unbleached, whole, and organic, and eat them in the proportion that is best for your nutritional type

Great Organic Deals

Ok, so I was thinking today how I have several friends who live around the US and eat whole organic foods or gluten free, etc. Why not share the deals we find? We currently live in Atlanta, but are visiting Rochester, NY for Christmas. Things are much different here, I am finding that not only am I needing to spend more on good organic foods, they are much harder to find. So let's share where we find the best deals on staple items! If you email me or comment, I'll add what you share to this post. Might as well share resources right?

Atlanta:

Unrefined coconut oil at the Dekalb County Farmer's Market- $10.99/ 1/2 gallon
Grapeseed oil- Costco
Organic free range chicken drumsticks from Trader Joe's- $1.29 lb
Raw Milk from Carlton Farms- $7/gallon

Rochester:

Raw Milk- Steve Galens Homestead Acres $3/gallon- Galens@fltg.net
Organic Farm- Smoke Ridge Organics

Recommended Reading/Viewing

Just a list of books DVDs my husband I totally recommend (more to be added) :

Eat Fat Look Thin by Bruce Fife
Whether you want to lose weight or not, this book is full of necessary information for healthy eating!

Taking Charge of Your Fertility
A great book to learn about your body and get off that icky birth control!

Dvd: Food, Inc.
And absolute MUST SEE.

Dvd: Healing Cancer From The Inside Out
Also a must see!

Dvd: Vaccine Nation

Bread Stuffing

I have always wanted to make my own stuffing- I love love love it and won't buy the prepared box stuff! So finally I tried, and it was so easy I had no idea. I saved bread until I had enough- any whole grain bread that was going stale, including the ends of our Ezekiel bread that no one wants to eat...

3/4 cup organic butter
4 stalks organic celery, chopped
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup organic chicken broth
9 cups bread broken into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter over medium heat. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Add additional ingredients and mix well. Cook until warm or stuff in your turkey. If you think it's too dry just add a little more butter and a splash more of broth (I had to).

Home Made Sauce & Meatballs

My Note: New Years Resolution 2010: to learn to make home made sauce using only fresh tomatoes and nothing from a CAN!

This is my Grandma's recipe and I changed it just a bit. The meatballs are just how she makes them and so yummy! And it's kind of not really a recipe just a do it as you go... Hopefully we don't get too much BPA from the cans! Eek!

Sauce:

2 large cans of organic crushed tomatoes
2 large cans of organic tomato sauce
2 small cans of organic diced tomatoes
2 small cans of organic tomato paste
a least 10 freshly crushed garlic cloves (or more!)
season with:
about 1/4 cup Italian seasonings
about 2 tablespoons basil and oregano
about 1 tablespoon sea salt and garlic salt
about 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Just put everything in your pot and cook on med-low for several hours. Just taste as you go to add more spices. You can also add sugar or honey or agave nectar to sweeten it. My sister in law Cheryl made it once with chopped zucchini and green peppers and that was good too.

Meatballs:

1/2 of a medium onion chopped very small
1 lb organic free range ground beef or ground turkey (both work great)
1 cup breadcrumbs or oats for gluten free
3 garlic cloves crushed fresh
3 tablespoons parmesan or romano cheese
1 1/2 handfulls of dried mint, crushed in your hands
3 free range eggs
season with about 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon garlic salt and one tablespoon italian seasonings. Harder to guess on the meatball spices because you can't taste it until it's done! :/
Just mix it up with a spoon or your hands and roll them into balls- throw them in the sauce so they are fully covered and let them cook with the sauce for several hours.
Or you can put everything in the crockpot.

I freeze extras. A few cups separate if I want it for raviolis, or 1 cup separate to use for pizza....

If you try it, defnitely let me know what you think! We like it a lot. I also do a meat sauce occasionally just for variety- that recipe is really good as well and it's on my blog too...

This Gluten Free Eggplant Parm Was a Hit!

Matt surprised me one day saying, "I'm making dinner tomorrow!" ...This never happens! And I never thought it would be as delicious as this meal was! Yummo! He can cook any time he wants to now! :) It was so good I forgot to take a picture, I was too busy stuffing my face!

Original Recipe from Elana's Pantry Cookbook, substitutions as noted

1 eggplant
1 1/2 cups almond flour (can substitute for coconut flour)- we used coconut flour
Teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons olive oil (sub for all coconut)
3 cups tomato sauce - we used home made
2 cups mozzarella cheese (cheddar)- we used raw mozz cheese
1/4 cup parmesan
oven to 350
cut into slices (1/4 inches)
almond flour and salt on plate
bowl with eggs and water dip eggplant into bowl and then into flour
saute in pan of grapeseed oil (medium heat until golden brown)
9 x 13 dish layer of sauce and then layer eggplant add another cup of sauce and cup cheese do 2 layers sprinkle parm on top
cook 15 minutes

Grape Seed Oil Facts

From lowering cholesterol to reducing fine lines and wrinkles, it turns out that the oil inside those tiny seeds in grapes has a whole "bunch" of benefits! Top chefs are now cooking with grapeseed oil because of its amazing effect on enhancing the natural flavours of food. The late Master Chef, Jean Louis Palladin, noticed that his customers always felt good after a meal cooked in grapeseed oil. It's one of the few foods known that not only reduces LDL (the bad cholesterol), but raises HDL (the good cholesterol). This helps to keep arteries clear, which may contribute to another benefit of grapeseed oil - its potential to guard against impotence. Grapeseed oil contains a high level of antioxidants, including vitamin E, which makes it not only healthy, but very stable- which means it doesn't change when heated at a high temperature like a lot of other oils.

Be sure to read the next post on Coconut oil!

Why Coconut Oil?

During World War II, the Japanese military occupied the Philippines and other South Pacific islands, where bloody battles were being fought.

The once-plentiful supply of coconut oil was effectively cut off from the United States.

Although coconut oil had been popular both as a cooking oil and ingredient in numerous food products, the occupation continued to interrupt the supply for several long years as the war slowly dragged on.

Enter good old American ingenuity (in this case, not so good for your health).

Manufacturers began to develop alternative sources of cooking oils, and the polyunsaturated oils phase was born. By the time the war was over, there was a lot of money at stake in the promotion of these polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

By the end of the 1950's, public opinion had turned totally against saturated fats like butter (and coconut oil). Saturated fats were blamed for raising cholesterol, and cholesterol was now viewed as the evil enemy, the culprit responsible for the steep rise in heart disease.

Butter, eggs and coconut oil were out.

The new vegetable oils were in... and erroneously touted as "heart-healthy."

Coconut oil continued to be demonized by the vegetable oil industry throughout the ensuing decades. Adding insult to injury, the soybean industry began to condemn the use of tropical oils, particularly coconut oil.

And I'm sure you realize the reason why -- competition... and millions and millions of dollars.

Unfortunately, the tropical oil industry, centered in poorer nations like the Philippines and Indonesia, could not afford to counter the negative propaganda spread by rich American industrial conglomerates.

Science and good health took a back seat to profits, as they have on more than one occasion...

The Hidden Truth About Coconut Oil

The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in traditional tropical cultures, where coconut has been a nutritious diet staple for thousands of years.

Back in the 1930's, a dentist named Dr. Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet.

Similarly, in 1981, researchers studied populations of two Polynesian atolls. Coconut was the chief source of caloric energy in both groups. The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, demonstrated that both populations exhibited positive vascular health. There was no evidence that the high saturated fat intake had a harmful effect in these populations.

Coconut Oil -- Your Smart Alternative to Those Other Oils

Those living in tropical populations who follow traditional diets high in coconut oil and coconut products enjoy overall good health.

So, now that you have heard the history behind coconut oil's unfortunate "fall from grace", you should also know today's good news: coconut oil is finally beginning to get the respect it deserves as a smart alternative to other oils.

The many benefits of coconut oil are finally reaching the mainstream.

Benefits like:

• Promoting your heart health
• Promoting weight loss when and if you need it
• Supporting your immune system health
• Supporting a healthy metabolism
• Providing you with an immediate energy source
• Helping to keep your skin healthy and youthful looking
• Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland

Plus, our recent Mercola.com survey discovered that users of Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil:

• Gained peace of mind knowing they were making the smartest oil choice
• Loved the taste and the enhanced flavor added to their food
• Embraced the improvement made to their skin when used as a lotion

With all of these fantastic perks from pure coconut oil, it probably won't surprise you to...

Peek Inside My Pantry to See the Only Oil I Cook With

I must confess...

"Coconut oil is transforming my health! Not only am I losing weight, but my skin, hair (damaged with spit ends), and nails (soft and brittle) are healthier. And it didn't take that long. I just put the coconut oil in fruit smoothies in the morning. Imagine what health improvements my body would have if I (and I will) increase my coconut oil intake to cooking with it! "Also, my biggest health success with coconut oil has been the support it gives to my immune system. I feel less fatigued, I'm sleeping less, and feeling great! Thank you, Dr. Mercola! Bravo!" -- J Newman from Monterey, CA

If you could peek inside my pantry, you would find two oils that I use in food preparation.

The first, extra-virgin olive oil, is a better monounsaturated fat. It works great as a salad dressing.

However, it is not the best oil to cook with. Due to its chemical structure, cooking makes it susceptible to oxidative damage.

And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to use in cooking. These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of all the double bonds they have.

I strongly urge you to throw out those omega-6 vegetable oils in your cabinets. Why?

Reason #1: Most people believe that frying creates trans fats. That is not the major problem, in my opinion. Although some are created, they are relatively minor. There are FAR more toxic chemicals produced by frying omega-6 oils than trans fats.

Frying destroys the antioxidants in oils and as such oxidizes the oils. This causes cross-linking, cyclization, double-bond shifts, fragmentation and polymerization of oils that cause far more damage than trans fats.

Reason #2: They contribute to the overabundance of omega-6 fats in your diet, and the imbalance of the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. As you know from my extensive writing on this subject, I believe that excessive consumption of omega-6 fats contributes to many health concerns.

There is only one oil that is stable enough to resist heat-induced damage, while it also helps you promote heart health, maintain normal cholesterol levels and even supports weight loss -- coconut oil.

So, whenever you need an oil to cook with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes. Even though I don't fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil -- it's your smartest choice.

Curiously, coconut oil contains the most saturated fat of all edible oils. We continue to be inundated by media portrayals of saturated fats as dangerous, but now you know better. And now you should have more peace of mind, knowing that you're making the right choice by using great-tasting Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.

Coconut Oil Is Not Just For Cooking & Eating -- Your Skin Likes It, Too!

The benefits of Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil don't stop in your kitchen. For decades, professional massage therapists have used pure coconut oil to knead away tight stressed muscles.

Several months ago I took Dr. Mercola's advice and started using coconut oil on my skin. It has done wonders for me! A few weeks ago my husband and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary, and drove to my friend's place of business to have her re-bless our marriage (she married us 7 years ago). When we walked into her business, she immediately recognized my husband, but didn't recognize me! In fact, she told me later that she wondered who the younger woman was with my husband!!!! -- that's so funny, considering my friend and I have known each other since 1980! Just thought I would share. -- Annie Flanders, Snohomish WA

However, you don't have to be a professional massage therapist to gain the skin and tissue support benefits of coconut oil. Feel free to use this high-quality coconut oil as you would any lotion.

Coconut oil is ideal for skin care. It helps protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals, and can help improve the appearance of skin with its anti-aging benefits.

In fact, physiologist and biochemist Ray Peat, Ph.D. considers coconut oil to be an antioxidant, due to its stability and resistance to oxidation and free radical formation. Plus, he feels it reduces our need for the antioxidant protection of vitamin E.

Like Dr. Peat, many experts believe coconut oil may help restore more youthful-looking skin. When coconut oil is absorbed into the skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep connective tissues strong and supple.

Coconut oil will not only bring temporary benefits to the skin, but it will aid in restoring your skin's youthful appearance. The coconut oil will aid in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. It also penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin to strengthen the underlying tissues.

Responders to the Mercola.com survey provided remarkable feedback on how Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil supported healthy skin, including:

• Smoothing and moisturizing effects
• Promoted skin elasticity
• Convenient eye make-up remover
• Use in shaving applications

Surprise! Coconut Oil Is Also Good For Your Heart...

FACT: Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the U.S. And heart disease is often a silent killer. The first sign of cardiovascular disease is commonly a heart attack, and sadly, over one third of heart attacks are fatal.

And despite the propaganda, the truth is this: it is UNSATURATED fats that are primarily involved in heart disease, not the saturated fats, as you have been led to believe. As you saw earlier, countries that subsist on a coconut-based diet appear to enjoy good heart health.

The U.S. Department of Health and the FDA estimate that artificially hydrogenated trans-fats -- the type found in fast food, processed foods and your favorite pastries -- are ultimately responsible for a huge number of fatal heart attacks every year. These dangerous unsaturated fats are the ones you should ban from your diet, not naturally pure coconut oil, which is a better alternative because it contains very few fats with highly perishable double bonds -- and also has NO TRANS-FATS.

Plus, those commonly-used polyunsaturated fats encourage the formation of blood clots by increasing platelet stickiness. Coconut oil helps to promote normal platelet function.

A Fat Is A Fat... Or Is It?

Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is 100% organic, made from fresh-picked coconuts, and contains no chemical additives or trans-fats.

All fats are not equal.

And just so we're clear, the terms "fats" and "oils" are often used interchangeably, but fat is more correctly considered solid at room temperature, while oils are liquid. But what's really important is the structure.

The unique health benefits of coconut oil are directly related to its chemical structure, or more precisely, the length of its fatty acid chains.

Coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs.

Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs.

By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.

There are several reasons to explain why these long-chain fatty acids are not as healthy for you as the MCFAs in coconut oil:

• LCFAs are difficult for the body to break down -- they must be packaged with lipoproteins or carrier proteins and require special enzymes for digestion.
• LCFAs put more strain on the pancreas, the liver and the entire digestive system.
• LCFAs are predominantly stored in the body as fat. (That's why most people buy into the myth that fats are automatically "fattening".)
• LCFAs can be deposited within arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol.

On the other hand, however, the MCFAs in coconut oil are more health-promoting, because:

• MCFAs are smaller. They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require lipoproteins or special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body.
• MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system. This is especially important for those of you with digestive or metabolic concerns.
• MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
• MCFAs in coconut oil can actually help stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.

Coconut Oil Is the Dieter's Best Friend

If you live in the United States, you have a 55% chance of being overweight.

And, by now, I'm sure you're aware that obesity affects your quality of life and is linked to many health concerns.

One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism.

Back in the 1940s, farmers found out about this effect by accident when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock.

Outside of mother's milk, pure coconut oil is nature's most plentiful source of lauric acid.

It didn't work!

Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.

Now, I'm certainly not comparing you to a farm animal...

However, many animal and human research studies have demonstrated that replacing LCFAs with MCFAs results in both decreased body weight and reduced fat deposition.

So, by changing the fats in your diet from the unsaturated long-chain fatty acids found in vegetable or seed oils to the MCFAs in coconut oil, along with following an exercise plan, you may find yourself gradually losing those unnecessary pounds.
The reasons are simple:

1. The long-chain fats nearly always go to fat storage, while the MCFAs are burned for energy
2. Since coconut oil helps to stimulate your metabolism, you may burn more calories each day, helping to accelerate weight loss (and probably your activity and energy level, too)

Mercola.com survey respondents provided many examples of how coconut oil got them started optimizing their weight. Here are a few excerpts:

• "I lost about 24 pounds in 6-8 weeks"
• "I wasn't really overweight to begin with but I have lost some of my excess belly fat"
• "In conjunction with exercise and eliminating most starches from my diet, I have lost 45 pounds over the past 5 months"
• "I have been losing weight and body fat"
• "Besides the good taste, my weight seems to have stabilized"

Coconut oil has often been compared to carbohydrates in its ability to be "burned" for energy. However, since insulin is not involved in the process of digesting the MCFAs in coconut oil, you won't get those carb-related spikes in your blood sugar level. This is especially good news for those of you concerned about maintaining normal blood sugar levels.

In fact, the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, to help stimulate the metabolism and be turned into energy has entered the sports arena. Several studies have now shown that MCFAs enhance physical or athletic performance.

Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil increases the activity of the thyroid. And you've probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.

Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. Your healing process accelerates. Cell regeneration increases to replace old cells, and your immune system functions better overall.

Coconut Oil's Natural "Miracle" Ingredient: Lauric Acid

Yes, it's true.

Nature still has a few miracles up her sleeve.

You've probably heard that breast milk is jam-packed with nutrients and disease-fighting ingredients that help keep babies healthy.

Well, incredibly, coconut oil contains one of the same compounds -- lauric acid -- found in mother's milk! And lauric acid is the predominant type of MCFA found in coconut oil.

Fortunately for our health, lauric acid in both breast milk and coconut oil transforms when consumed into a substance called monolaurin, the actual compound responsible for helping to strengthen the immune system.

Skeptical? So were a lot of scientists, who've proceeded to test the heck out of this substance.

In fact, a great volume of research has been done establishing the ability of lauric acid to enhance immunity.

What researchers found was that this medium-chain fatty acid derivative actually disrupts the lipid (or fatty) membranes of the offending organisms.

The lauric acid in coconut oil is one effortless way to help strengthen your immune system.

And, unlike the usual lauric acid content of 42-49% in many coconut oil brands, Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil contains a whopping 57% of lauric acid.

If all this wasn't enough, coconut oil has even more tricks up its sleeve.

Why You Must Be Choosy About Your Brand of Coconut Oil

As you may know, there is a very wide variety in coconut oil due to factors such as the manufacturing process used to make the oil, the age and type of coconuts, and other issues that impact the quality, effectiveness and healthiness of your coconut oil.

Meeting such high standards is no small feat, but you should not settle for anything less if you want to experience all the health benefits of coconut oil. (If you are currently using or considering another brand, please make sure it meets the requirements below.)

The only reason Mercola.com is now offering Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is that we made sure that it meets all these requirements of a better coconut oil, including:

Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Certified organic by USDA standards No refining No chemicals added (including hexane) No bleaching No deodorization No hydrogenation Made from traditional coconut palms only, no hybrid or genetically modified (GMO) varieties Made from fresh coconuts, not the dried "copra" used in cheap oils Made without heat processing

Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is made from fresh coconuts -- opened less than 48 hours after they are picked from the trees. These coconuts are grown and processed organically, without potentially harmful fertilizers, additives or chemical solvents.

Adding Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to your pet's diet is one of the smartest things you can do to enhance your pet's life.

In contrast, most commercial coconut oils are made from copra, the dried up meat from coconuts. Using the cheaper copra-grade coconut means that the oil extracted may not be sanitary, and, in my opinion, it is not suitable for human consumption.

It must not be refined or purified. In fact, this type of inferior coconut oil is called RBD -- refined, bleached and deodorized.

Mass-producing coconut oil in this manner typically uses nutrient-removing heat, chemical solvents, bleaching agents and sometimes even hydrogenating processes, which can create trans fats.

Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is made without heat processing. The fresh coconuts are first cold pressed to make a coconut emulsion. After being chilled to help pull out the oils, the milk goes through a centrifuge, where the pure oil spins away from the water layer. This results in a pure and natural, organic, unrefined and highly stable coconut oil.

Additionally, blindfolded taste tests confirm this coconut oil to have a fresh and mild, light coconut flavor -- and to consistently beat out other brands in taste. And of course, laboratory analysis continues to confirm the high quality of this extra virgin coconut oil.

Even More Reasons to Replace Those Other Oils With Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

The use of coconut oil is one of the smartest dietary measures I recommend.

The medium-chain fats in coconut oil are considered so nutritious that they have been used in baby formulas, and in hospitals to feed the critically ill, those on tube feeding, and those with digestive problems.

Coconut oil is exceptionally helpful for pregnant women, nursing moms, the elderly, those concerned about digestive health, athletes (even weekend warriors), and those of you who just want to enhance your overall health.

No guilt. No cholesterol. No trans-fats. No downside. Only your peace of mind.

The light, non-greasy taste of Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is so delicious, you'll want to use it nearly every time you cook. Just to get you started, here are a few things you can do with your coconut oil:

• Whenever you fry, stir-fry or sauté veggies, eggs, poultry, fish or whatever, use coconut oil for a health-conscious light flavor
• Toss some coconut oil into your smoothies or juiced drinks for a burst of lauric acid
• Make your own mayonnaise with coconut oil
• Use it on your salads for a tropical flair
• Try it on popcorn instead of butter

Due to its exceptional stability, this coconut oil has a long shelf life of two or more years (the longest of any oil), and does not have to be refrigerated. Coconut oil should be stored out of direct sunlight, however

Double Tree Inn Cookies...healthified!

Really good cookies...so I made them guilt free. Yum. Apparently the word is, when you stay at these hotels you are welcomed with these delicious warm cookies (I've never stayed there). They are reeeeallllly good.

Double Tree Cookies

1/2 cup rolled oats
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (soft or hard white if milling your own)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unrefined coconut oil or 2 sticks softened organic butter
1/2 cup organic sucanat
3/4 cup Global Sweet Xylitol or 1/4 cup raw honey
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 organic free range eggs
3 cups 60 % cocoa dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Grind oats in a food processor until fine. Mix all dry ingredients together. Mix sucanat, your choice of sweetener, coconut oil, vanilla and lemon juice in a separate bowl. Add eggs. Stir in dry mixture. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. If made with coconut oil, Freeze dough, covered, for about 15-20 minutes so it is not melty.
Drop about 2 inch balls onto greased (grapeseed oil spray) cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about 8-12 minutes. Watch them carefully... :)
They may look darker in color because of the wheat flour, but are not burned!