How much do you know about what you drink? How much do you know about tea? Black? Green? Oolong? Red? What's it all mean?!
"Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far above rubies." ~Proverbs 31:10
Showing posts with label Food Facts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food Facts. Show all posts
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Cures for the Common cough & cold (Part 2)
Black Elderberry Syrup Easily Made at Home
Elderberry Extract Proven to be Effective Herbal Flu Remedy
Sep 29, 2009 by Darlene Norris
Black elderberry is one of many natural healing herbs that has been used for centuries. Black elderberry syrup is an effective flu remedy, and is easy to make at home.
Elderberry Extract Proven to be Effective Herbal Flu Remedy
Sep 29, 2009 by Darlene Norris
Friday, January 14, 2011
Cures for the common cold & cough
Did you know that there are things you can take that don't come in a fancy labeled box put out by big money-making companies when it comes to the common & complicated cold?! There is a bigger producer of all-natural products that is very accessible to LOTS of people. The best part is that there is no risk of over-dose & you can know EXACTLY what you are taking!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Honey--Beauty Secrets from the Hive
Beauty Secrets from the hive
by Jamie Otto
(taken from Sunflower Market's magazine August 2010)
Honey's appeal is well earned. Delectable and versatile, it's also amazingly safe: No other unprocessed food can sit on a pantry self for decades and still be eaten. So it's no surprise that this luscious and inherently antimicrobial food has been tapped for its healthful properties for centuries. Legend holds that Cleopatra bathed in milk & honey to augment her youthful allure, and Queen Anne of England layered her locks with honey and oil to keep then lustrous and thick. Today, many beauty products use honey, as well as hive-produced royal jelly and beeswax, with lovely results. Discover how nature's perfect ingredients can work wonders for you.
Honey for healing and hydration
Sweet honey is a versatile healing agent. "Honey has antimicrobial properties and helps your skin retain moisture, making it appealing for many skin types," says Christopher Watt, a licensed aesthetician and owner of Christopher Watt Esthetics in West Hollywood, California. For this reason, Watt recommended washing acne-prone skin with a honey based cleanser twice weekly. Honey is particularly effective on dry skin and hair, says Frederique Keller, LAc, MH, president of the American Apitherapy Society, a New York-based organization that promotes using bee products for natural healing. "Honey is hydrophilic, meaning it's a natural humectant that attracts and holds skin's moisture," says Keller. Plus, it's a natural preservative. "It doesn't spoil or require synthetic preservatives, which are skin irritants at best, carcinogens at worst," he says.
Where can you find it?:
1. Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion
2. Kiss My Face Olive & Honey Bar Soap.
Royal Jelly for Rejuvenation
Worker bees create fatty acid-rich royal jelly as a food for larvae. The jelly is creamier and more like a serum than rich honey, according to Keller. In addition to lending products a decadent texture, royal jelly promotes cellular rejuvenation, making skin brighter and firmer. A study published in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology found that royal jelly contains soothing pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), a nutrient vital to adrenal gland function, which promotes clear, healthy skin.
Like honey, royal jelly also fights inflammation and aging with its antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, making it a great remedy for redness from hives, psoriasis, and eczema. Stella Metsovas, CN, a nutritionist in Laguna Beach, California, recommends using royal jelly to maintain skin's youthful look. "It's a nutrient powerhouse," she says. Metsovas, who has studied foods' chemical properties for 15yrears, says royal jelly can also reduce or eliminate breakouts.
Where can you find it?:
1. Burt's Bees Radiance Day Creme Moisturizer
2. Kiss My Face Lip Balms
3. Burt's Bees Royal Jelly Eye Creme
Beeswax as a Barrier
Bees use wax to safeguard and seal honey in the honeycomb. "Beeswax has the same health properties as honey and royal jelly, but to a lesser degree," says Keller. In beauty products, beeswax hold ingredients together and thickens the final products, beeswax holds ingredients together and thickens the final product. As an emulsifier, it is a stellar nontoxic stand-in for petrolatum, a potentially harmful and nonrenewable petroleum-based chemical used in cosmetics.
"Beeswax is the most sustainable of the hive products because bees constantly produce it," says Keller. The Mayo Clinic ranks beeswax among the most effective ingredients in lip protection because it forms a protective barrier between your skin and the environment. It's also a key ingredient in natural waterproof sunblock because of its ability to repel water.
Where can you find it?:
1. Burt's Bees Sun Protecting Lip Balm SPF8
2. Alba Un-Petroleum Multi-Purpose Jelly
by Jamie Otto
(taken from Sunflower Market's magazine August 2010)
Honey's appeal is well earned. Delectable and versatile, it's also amazingly safe: No other unprocessed food can sit on a pantry self for decades and still be eaten. So it's no surprise that this luscious and inherently antimicrobial food has been tapped for its healthful properties for centuries. Legend holds that Cleopatra bathed in milk & honey to augment her youthful allure, and Queen Anne of England layered her locks with honey and oil to keep then lustrous and thick. Today, many beauty products use honey, as well as hive-produced royal jelly and beeswax, with lovely results. Discover how nature's perfect ingredients can work wonders for you.
Honey for healing and hydration
Sweet honey is a versatile healing agent. "Honey has antimicrobial properties and helps your skin retain moisture, making it appealing for many skin types," says Christopher Watt, a licensed aesthetician and owner of Christopher Watt Esthetics in West Hollywood, California. For this reason, Watt recommended washing acne-prone skin with a honey based cleanser twice weekly. Honey is particularly effective on dry skin and hair, says Frederique Keller, LAc, MH, president of the American Apitherapy Society, a New York-based organization that promotes using bee products for natural healing. "Honey is hydrophilic, meaning it's a natural humectant that attracts and holds skin's moisture," says Keller. Plus, it's a natural preservative. "It doesn't spoil or require synthetic preservatives, which are skin irritants at best, carcinogens at worst," he says.
Where can you find it?:
1. Burt's Bees Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion
2. Kiss My Face Olive & Honey Bar Soap.
Royal Jelly for Rejuvenation
Worker bees create fatty acid-rich royal jelly as a food for larvae. The jelly is creamier and more like a serum than rich honey, according to Keller. In addition to lending products a decadent texture, royal jelly promotes cellular rejuvenation, making skin brighter and firmer. A study published in the Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology found that royal jelly contains soothing pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), a nutrient vital to adrenal gland function, which promotes clear, healthy skin.
Like honey, royal jelly also fights inflammation and aging with its antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, making it a great remedy for redness from hives, psoriasis, and eczema. Stella Metsovas, CN, a nutritionist in Laguna Beach, California, recommends using royal jelly to maintain skin's youthful look. "It's a nutrient powerhouse," she says. Metsovas, who has studied foods' chemical properties for 15yrears, says royal jelly can also reduce or eliminate breakouts.
Where can you find it?:
1. Burt's Bees Radiance Day Creme Moisturizer
2. Kiss My Face Lip Balms
3. Burt's Bees Royal Jelly Eye Creme
Beeswax as a Barrier
Bees use wax to safeguard and seal honey in the honeycomb. "Beeswax has the same health properties as honey and royal jelly, but to a lesser degree," says Keller. In beauty products, beeswax hold ingredients together and thickens the final products, beeswax holds ingredients together and thickens the final product. As an emulsifier, it is a stellar nontoxic stand-in for petrolatum, a potentially harmful and nonrenewable petroleum-based chemical used in cosmetics.
"Beeswax is the most sustainable of the hive products because bees constantly produce it," says Keller. The Mayo Clinic ranks beeswax among the most effective ingredients in lip protection because it forms a protective barrier between your skin and the environment. It's also a key ingredient in natural waterproof sunblock because of its ability to repel water.
Where can you find it?:
1. Burt's Bees Sun Protecting Lip Balm SPF8
2. Alba Un-Petroleum Multi-Purpose Jelly
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Dimethicone
What is "dime-what-a-cone"?!?!
Well, according to Wiki-pedia, it is also known as/called "Polydimethylsiloxane". Big word, I know. If that is not difficult enough to pronounce, try reading about it. I will try to simplify the article as best I can and put it into words that someone other than a scientist can understand; hence "normal" people.
Dimethicone is considered, for the most part, to be non-toxic and non-flammable. It varies from a thin pourable liquid to a rubbery semi-solid. It has an unusually high level of viscoelasticity; meaning sometimes dimethicone can flow like honey and other times it acts more like rubber. It can even be rolled up into a ball and bounced like a rubber ball.
This product has so many uses because of its ability to be liquid-like that is similar to honey or more solid like a rubber ball. Because of that, its uses are numerous. It found in consumeable and non-consumeable products.
This product is known for it's unusual flow properties and is, therefore, used in shampoos, lotions, contact lenses, lubricating oils, cosmetics, and heat-resistant tiles. Polydimethylsiloxane is an important ingredient in Silly Putty.
Dimethicone is also used in caulks, adhesives, and aquarium sealants. It can be found in defoaming agents, mold release agents, damping fluids, heat transfer fluids, polishes, cosmetics, hair conditioners and other applications. Kind of an interesting use for dimethicone is filler fluid in breast implants, although this practice has decreased somewhat, due to safety concerns, despite some evidence that it may be protective against breast cancer. It is in over-the-counter drugs to help with anit-gas and used as an anti-foaming agent. I assume the anti-foaming agent is for use when making and producing the over-the-counter drugs or preventing foam from forming in your system when you take the drug.
Dimethicone is used as a food additive for anti-foaming and anti-caking (no lumps) of ingredients (such as in McDonald's chicken nuggets). It is found in many processed foods. Read the back of the box next time you buy a pre-packaged food item. Dimethicone is also found in Rain-X (keeps rain from sitting on your car windshield when driving; it runs right off the window and makes driving in the rain much easier).
Did you know that this item is also used as an herbicide (weedkiller)? On one hand this item is found in McDonald's Chicken Nuggets and then on the other hand it is found in week killers. Wow, talk about being multi-functional!
It is good to know what is in your food so that you can decide whether to consume it or not. Is this a healthy product to consume? My answer to that would not be a "yes" or "no", but simply that the further we get away from purely-natural ingredients (meaning that it is coming from the earth & untampered with, which some might call "raw") we risk it being hazzardous to our health.
HERE is another article about Dimethicone in relation to skin and hair use.
Well, according to Wiki-pedia, it is also known as/called "Polydimethylsiloxane". Big word, I know. If that is not difficult enough to pronounce, try reading about it. I will try to simplify the article as best I can and put it into words that someone other than a scientist can understand; hence "normal" people.
Dimethicone is considered, for the most part, to be non-toxic and non-flammable. It varies from a thin pourable liquid to a rubbery semi-solid. It has an unusually high level of viscoelasticity; meaning sometimes dimethicone can flow like honey and other times it acts more like rubber. It can even be rolled up into a ball and bounced like a rubber ball.
This product has so many uses because of its ability to be liquid-like that is similar to honey or more solid like a rubber ball. Because of that, its uses are numerous. It found in consumeable and non-consumeable products.
This product is known for it's unusual flow properties and is, therefore, used in shampoos, lotions, contact lenses, lubricating oils, cosmetics, and heat-resistant tiles. Polydimethylsiloxane is an important ingredient in Silly Putty.
Dimethicone is also used in caulks, adhesives, and aquarium sealants. It can be found in defoaming agents, mold release agents, damping fluids, heat transfer fluids, polishes, cosmetics, hair conditioners and other applications. Kind of an interesting use for dimethicone is filler fluid in breast implants, although this practice has decreased somewhat, due to safety concerns, despite some evidence that it may be protective against breast cancer. It is in over-the-counter drugs to help with anit-gas and used as an anti-foaming agent. I assume the anti-foaming agent is for use when making and producing the over-the-counter drugs or preventing foam from forming in your system when you take the drug.
Dimethicone is used as a food additive for anti-foaming and anti-caking (no lumps) of ingredients (such as in McDonald's chicken nuggets). It is found in many processed foods. Read the back of the box next time you buy a pre-packaged food item. Dimethicone is also found in Rain-X (keeps rain from sitting on your car windshield when driving; it runs right off the window and makes driving in the rain much easier).
Did you know that this item is also used as an herbicide (weedkiller)? On one hand this item is found in McDonald's Chicken Nuggets and then on the other hand it is found in week killers. Wow, talk about being multi-functional!
It is good to know what is in your food so that you can decide whether to consume it or not. Is this a healthy product to consume? My answer to that would not be a "yes" or "no", but simply that the further we get away from purely-natural ingredients (meaning that it is coming from the earth & untampered with, which some might call "raw") we risk it being hazzardous to our health.
HERE is another article about Dimethicone in relation to skin and hair use.
Monday, June 21, 2010
True Lemon & Lime Sample
Recently I was sent a sample of True Lemon, True Lime, and True Orange through filling out a survey at Quality Health. You can also get a free sample by going HERE. They also sell Lemonade and Raspberry Lemonade. I enjoyed the samples and found that they do taste just like what they are! If you cannot or do not want to buy an entire lemon, lime, or orange, than this product is great for you. There's no wasting of the real fruit, rather you can take a long the powder packets and use one a day, one per week, or as many as you want. I would recommend it.
20 ways to use True Citrus products:
1. Drink more water (without changing your water into something sweetened)! Add a packet to a full glass or bottle (10 to 20 ounces) of cold water. (Like a stronger taste? Add two packets.)
2. Carry them with you so you always have fresh citrus taste on hand.
3. Use in place of lemon, lime or orange juice in recipes. (1 packet = 1 tablespoon of juice or, for a stronger taste, 2 packets = 1 tablespoon of juice)
4. Mix it up , combine True Lemon with True Lime; True Orange with True Lemon or find your favorite combo!
5. Make True Lemon-ade, True Lime-ade and True Orange-ade by combining with your favorite sweetener in a glass or pitcher.
6. Make food pop! Use True Lemon or True Lime as a salt-substitute to add flavor to food without adding salt.
7. Add to iced or hot teas.
8. Add to sparkling water or your favorite seltzer or soda* (10 to 20 ounces).
9. Replace fresh citrus in your favorite drink or cocktail.
10. Sprinkle True Lemon on broccoli, green beans, peas or other vegetables instead of salt.
11. Use as a rub or seasoning on seafood, meat or chicken.
12. Make lemon or lime butter by adding to butter or a butter substitute.
13. Sprinkle True Lime on popcorn or tortilla chips.
14. Add True Lemon to tuna fish.
15. Sprinkle True Lemon on fresh fruits , strawberries, watermelon, raspberries, etc.
16. Make flavored ice-cubes. Add True Lemon, True Lime or True Orange to water and then pour into ice cube trays for flavorful ice!
17. Straight Up! Pour a packet directly in your mouth for a citrus kick!
18. Add some extra packets of True Lemon to a pre-made lemon cake or lemon bar mix to give it an extra lemon punch!
19. Sprinkle True Orange on vanilla ice cream or ice cream substitute.
20. Sprinkle True Lemon on apples, avocados or any fruit to stop browning.
* To reduce fizzing and avoid overflow, pour carbonated beverages into a glass before adding "True" products.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Food Facts: The Health Dangers of Diet Soda
The Health Dangers of Diet Soda
By Susan McQuillan
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board
I cut the article down to get out some of the main points, but you can read the entire article HERE.
Diet sodas have long been encouraged as a "free food" on many weight loss plans and are a staple for many people with diabetes. Now researchers are saying this sweet treat may be hurting some of the same people it's supposed to help.
Since 1976, more than 200,000 female nurses have volunteered to participate in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) at Brigham and Women's University in Massachusetts.
A look at the diet soda habits of more than 3,000 older women...revealed a link between artificially sweetened sodas and a weakening of kidney function over the course of a decade [about 10yrs]. These findings...revealed that women who drank two or more glasses, cans or bottles of diet soda every day were twice as likely to experience a significant decline.
Kidney function--how well the kidneys perform their job of filtering blood, excreting waste and maintaining the body's fluid balance-normally declines slightly with age.
Interestingly, a study present earlier in 2009...suggested that diet soda might be good for kidneys because they...helps dissolve and prevent the formation of calcium kidney stones. Since kidney stones result...from dehydration, however, the recommendation for people who form stones is to drink more water, not more diet soda.
Nor is the answer to turn back to sugar-sweetened sodas. In addition to an excess of "empty" calories (calories with no accompanying nutrients) from sugar, previous studies have linked regular sodas with increased protein in the urine, which can be an early indicator of kidney disease.
While health experts have never said "never" when it comes to drinking either sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened sodas, most agree that both types [either sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened sodas] are consumed in excess. And that, they say, is the real problem.
But since diet sodas are known to be higher in sodium than sodas made with sugar, and excess sodium has long been associated with kidney disease, sodium is certainly suspect, along with artificial sweeteners.
Consider these findings a jumping off point for further research to reveal what, specifically, we need to know about the effects of drinking too much diet soda.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sources:
Science Daily: Diets High in Sodium and Artificially Sweetened Soda Linked to Kidney Function Decline:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091101132543.htm
Science Daily: Drinking Diet Soda May Reduce Risk of Forming Kidney Stones:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090426075452.htm
Brigham and Women's Hospital: Nurses' Health Study
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/publicaffairs/NursesHealthStudy.aspx
Updated: March 3, 2010
Copyright © 2010 QualityHealth.com. All rights reserved.
By Susan McQuillan
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board
I cut the article down to get out some of the main points, but you can read the entire article HERE.
Diet sodas have long been encouraged as a "free food" on many weight loss plans and are a staple for many people with diabetes. Now researchers are saying this sweet treat may be hurting some of the same people it's supposed to help.
Since 1976, more than 200,000 female nurses have volunteered to participate in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) at Brigham and Women's University in Massachusetts.
A look at the diet soda habits of more than 3,000 older women...revealed a link between artificially sweetened sodas and a weakening of kidney function over the course of a decade [about 10yrs]. These findings...revealed that women who drank two or more glasses, cans or bottles of diet soda every day were twice as likely to experience a significant decline.
Kidney function--how well the kidneys perform their job of filtering blood, excreting waste and maintaining the body's fluid balance-normally declines slightly with age.
Interestingly, a study present earlier in 2009...suggested that diet soda might be good for kidneys because they...helps dissolve and prevent the formation of calcium kidney stones. Since kidney stones result...from dehydration, however, the recommendation for people who form stones is to drink more water, not more diet soda.
Nor is the answer to turn back to sugar-sweetened sodas. In addition to an excess of "empty" calories (calories with no accompanying nutrients) from sugar, previous studies have linked regular sodas with increased protein in the urine, which can be an early indicator of kidney disease.
While health experts have never said "never" when it comes to drinking either sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened sodas, most agree that both types [either sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened sodas] are consumed in excess. And that, they say, is the real problem.
But since diet sodas are known to be higher in sodium than sodas made with sugar, and excess sodium has long been associated with kidney disease, sodium is certainly suspect, along with artificial sweeteners.
Consider these findings a jumping off point for further research to reveal what, specifically, we need to know about the effects of drinking too much diet soda.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sources:
Science Daily: Diets High in Sodium and Artificially Sweetened Soda Linked to Kidney Function Decline:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091101132543.htm
Science Daily: Drinking Diet Soda May Reduce Risk of Forming Kidney Stones:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090426075452.htm
Brigham and Women's Hospital: Nurses' Health Study
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/publicaffairs/NursesHealthStudy.aspx
Updated: March 3, 2010
Copyright © 2010 QualityHealth.com. All rights reserved.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Gelatin
Gelatin is...
Wikipedia--is a translucent, colorless, brittle (when dry), nearly tasteless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. It is found in some "gummy" candies as well as other products such as marshmallows, gelatin dessert, and some low-fat yogurt. Some dietary or religious customs forbid the use of gelatin from certain animal sources, and medical issues may limit or prevent its consumption by certain people. It is extracted from the boiled bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, pigs, and horses. Gelatin melts to a liquid when heated and solidifies when cooled again.
Uses--a gelling agent in cooking, in a wide range of food and non-food products: Common examples are gelatin desserts, trifles, aspic, marshmallows, and confectioneries (such as Peeps, gummy bears and jelly babies). Gelatin may be used...in foods such as jams, yoghurt, cream cheese, and margarine; it is used, as well, in fat-reduced foods to simulate the mouthfeel of fat and to create volume without adding calories.
Gelatin is used for the clarification of juices, such as apple juice, and of vinegar. Isinglass, from the swim bladders of fish, is still used as a fining agent for wine and beer. Beside hartshorn jelly, from deer antlers (hence the name "hartshorn"), isinglass was one of the oldest sources of gelatin. Gelatine was used for hardening paper in Colonial times.
I hope this has educated you well. If there's a food you want to know more about, just ask!
Wikipedia--is a translucent, colorless, brittle (when dry), nearly tasteless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. It is found in some "gummy" candies as well as other products such as marshmallows, gelatin dessert, and some low-fat yogurt. Some dietary or religious customs forbid the use of gelatin from certain animal sources, and medical issues may limit or prevent its consumption by certain people. It is extracted from the boiled bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, pigs, and horses. Gelatin melts to a liquid when heated and solidifies when cooled again.
Uses--a gelling agent in cooking, in a wide range of food and non-food products: Common examples are gelatin desserts, trifles, aspic, marshmallows, and confectioneries (such as Peeps, gummy bears and jelly babies). Gelatin may be used...in foods such as jams, yoghurt, cream cheese, and margarine; it is used, as well, in fat-reduced foods to simulate the mouthfeel of fat and to create volume without adding calories.
Gelatin is used for the clarification of juices, such as apple juice, and of vinegar. Isinglass, from the swim bladders of fish, is still used as a fining agent for wine and beer. Beside hartshorn jelly, from deer antlers (hence the name "hartshorn"), isinglass was one of the oldest sources of gelatin. Gelatine was used for hardening paper in Colonial times.
I hope this has educated you well. If there's a food you want to know more about, just ask!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Food Facts--Dipotassium Phosphate
Because our bodies are composed of and made of the things we put into (including onto it), we all need to know some FOOD FACTS!! My goal is to post at least one fun or serious food fact per week.
WIRED has an article about the indredients in Non-Dairy Creamer that is simple and easy to understand. Here's an ingredient to watch out for in your creamer and other food products:
*Side note: Maybe that's why Coca-Cola can be used to strip a floor of its wax-coating?? Just a wonder...
If you know a fun or serious food fact and want to share it, please email me @ rocks4rubies@hotmail.com
WIRED has an article about the indredients in Non-Dairy Creamer that is simple and easy to understand. Here's an ingredient to watch out for in your creamer and other food products:
- Dipotassium phosphate: Also called phosphoric acid, dipotassium phosphate provides the tang in Coca-Cola. It helps us digest sugars, fats, and proteins, which happen to be nondairy creamer’s top three ingredients. Oh, it’s also a pesticide and a major ingredient in fertilizer.
*Side note: Maybe that's why Coca-Cola can be used to strip a floor of its wax-coating?? Just a wonder...
If you know a fun or serious food fact and want to share it, please email me @ rocks4rubies@hotmail.com
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