TO SUPPLEMENT OR NOT TO SUPPLEMENT THAT IS THE QUESTION

Most vitamin and mineral supplements are derived from chemicals. These chemicals are not easily absorbed and can be quite toxic to the body. Food source vitamins and mineral supplements are much more easily absorbed, yet are still fractionated nutrition. Food is a complex mix of not just vitamins and minerals but also enzymes and other factors that assist in the absorption of nutrients. Only whole food itself has all the co-factors that the body needs to utilize the vitamins and minerals present within them. All the discovered and yet to be discovered nutrients, in perfect balance, is found within that particular food. You can only obtain that in the food itself preferably in it's most natural state. For this reason, it is wise to focus on eating high quality fresh foods, organic if possible. If you have a specific need for some particular vitamin or mineral, make sure to add whole foods rich in that particular nutrient. If that does not correct the problem, then you can find a truly natural whole food source supplement. Our first priority should always be in providing ourselves and our family with the best diet we can afford. Fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, locally grown when possible, contain living enzymes, not available in a dead product no matter how convincing the advertisement might seem to be. When I get tempted to fall for the latest “super food”, I have to ask myself if this advertisement is actually true or just hype and seek the facts through research. I find that most of the time, it is just hype. Even if the super food matches up to its claim, I have to check out the company that sells it, what are their standards? Of what kind of quality is their product and has it been damaged or altered in some way at some point on its way to me? Is it high in heavy metals? Has it been irradiated somewhere along the line? Has it undergone x ray treatment on its way to me via the post office? Lastly, do those I ask even know the truth about their product for many do not.  Some of these questions we might not find an answer to. In the long run, purchasing local  food seems to be the best route to take. Even though most super foods are wonderful in their natural, raw state, by the time they are dried and shipped they only contain a fraction of the nutrients they once had. Why make companies rich when organic nutrient charged food is available locally? Not only that but you will enjoy it more and that alone is an important factor in helping to promote health. Enjoying a juicy peach or some other tasty, sun bathed fruit creates positive feelings and brings positive energy into our bodies.

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MAKE YOUR OWN RAW GREENS POWDER

I have been making my own greens powder for quite a long time. It is really easy. All you do is wash your greens, shake off the water, remove the stems from the leaves and dehydrate them. You can pick one of your favorite greens or use a combination of greens. I like to use a mixture of chard, kale, spinach, beet greens and collards. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can put the leaves on a cookie sheet and place them in the oven with the light on but no oven heat. The light bulb will be enough heat to dehydrate them especially in the summer. A food is still considered to be raw if it has not been heated over 115 degrees. When I dehydrate my greens in the dehydrator, I keep the temperature down to 110 degrees. When the leaves are thoroughly dehydrated, I grind them into a powder in my Vitamix.  I do this by placing the greens in the Vitamix container, put the variable speed on number one, turn on the machine and increase the speed to #10, then let it run for about 20 seconds. If you do not have a Vitamix blender or the equivalent, you can use a coffee grinder. If you use a coffee grinder, it will take longer and you will have to keep adding dried green leaves and emptying the container when the contents turns into a fine green powder. 

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The Content in Soaring-Chi Blogs are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or dental advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or dental condition. Never disregard professional medical and dental advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read on Soaring-Chi. If you think that you have a medical or dental emergency, call your doctor, dentist or 911 immediately. Soaring-Chi does not recommend or endorse any specific procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on Soaring-Chi. Reliance on any information provided by Soaring-Chi, Soaring-Chi Blog or Soaring-Chi employees or guests is solely at your own risk. The Soaring- Chi Content is provided on an “as is” basis.
The instructions, information and advice contained on the Soaring-Chi Blogs are strictly for informational purposes only. Soaring-Chi, Brian Stracner, Ginger Miller and the contents of these blogs cannot be relied upon as a cure, preventative, or treatment for any dental or medical condition. It is recommended that you consult with a licensed medical and or dental professional before acting upon any recommendation or advice offered in any of the Soaring-Chi blogs. Use the information in Soaring-Chi at your own risk.
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PAPAYA SEEDS

I have been eating papaya seeds for many years. Small amounts of papaya seeds are edible and can be beneficial, but you don't want to overdo it. I have read that papaya seeds contain enzymes which may be useful in helping digest food and killing intestinal parasites.

So next time you eat a fresh papaya, consider saving the seeds .If you don't plant them, perhaps you might like to try making a seasoning out of them.  I scoop the seeds out of the papaya, put them in a little strainer, rinse them well, then dehydrate them. When they are dehydrated, I grind them in a coffee grinder to put in a spice container, with a top with holes in it to shake out the contents.. I  think they taste somewhat like black pepper and use them as a seasoning. Just a sprinkle on your food will do.

If you are allergic to papaya it is advisable to avoid eating papaya seeds. You should also avoid eating papaya seeds if you are on blood thinners, are pregnant, nursing or have an ulcer. As always consult with your physician before adding any new food or supplement to your diet.

COCONUT COOKIES

I made coconut milk from the unsweetened grated coconut I purchased at the health food store. I saved the leftover coconut to make these cookies. I dried the coconut leftovers to make a sort of coconut fiber flour.  If you dry your coconut in the dehydrator, the fan will blow it all over the place and make a mess. You can spread out the coconut on a teflex or parchment lined dehydrator tray and leave it in the dehydrator overnight without the dehydrator on or put the coconut on a clean, plastic cutting mat and sit it on your counter overnight or you can place it on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven with the heat off.  Next time I make these, I think I'll try it with the still moist leftover coconut after making coconut milk.  

If you keep your coconut oil in the refrigerator like I do, you will need to return it to a liquid state. Put the solid coconut oil in a little glass bowl.  A Pyrex custard cup or ramekin works really well for this purpose.   In the summer all that is required is that you sit a little bowl of solid coconut oil on the kitchen window sill until melted or on a kitchen counter overnight. In the winter, you may need to sit it over a bowl of warm water.  What works for me is to fill a small bowl with hot tap water, then place a cake rack over the bowl, put the small bowl of coconut oil on the rack and place a lid or towel over the whole thing to hold in the steam in order to melt the oil. Now for the recipe.

Coconut Cookies

Put about 5 medjool dates in a food processor and process to a paste. You need to add enough dates so that your dough  can be formed into balls.  The amount of dates depends on the dryness of the coconut and other factors. Add the coconut leftovers, and approximately 3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil, a good pinch of high mineral salt and from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract depending on the need for moisture. Process.  If the mixture does not form into a dough that you can form, stop the machine and add any additional dates you might need and then process. Take the dough out of the food processor and form into tiny bite size balls. Serve will sun tea or iced chocolate solar coffee.

These tend to be dry, but they are good.   

RAW PECAN-WALNUT MILK

Put ½ cup of pecans and ½ cup walnuts in a blender with 3 cups of pure water and let sit a few minutes. Then turn on your blender and blend well. Strain through a nut bag that has been placed over a jar or quart measuring cup. Squeeze out as much liquid and oil as possible. Return the liquid to the blender and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla, a pinch or two of high mineral salt, a heaping tablespoon of raw honey, two dashes of cinnamon and one dash of nutmeg. Blend and refrigerate.

Nuts, in general, are said to boost the immune system. Walnuts are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, may benefit the bones, help manage weight, fight breast cancer and help improve blood flow in adults with type 2 diabetes. Some research indicates that walnuts may be useful in improving cognitive ability. This is interesting since the walnut resembles the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

Pecans are rich in oleic acid, the same fat as in olive oil, which may also help fight breast cancer. Regular consumption can lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol). Pecans contain minerals like calcium, iron and selenium and vitamins such as vitamins E and B complex.   

CASHEW MILK

If you soak cashews add a teaspoon of sea salt and only soak whole cashews 3-4 hours. If you soak them longer, they will become bitter.  I used cashew pieces and didn't soak them at all. All you do is put 1 cup of cashew pieces in a blender with 3 cups pure water and turn it on for a minute or two.  Place a nut bag over a measuring cup or wide mouth jar and pour the cashew liquid into it squeezing the bag tightly to get out all the liquid and oil  that you can.  Pour the cashew milk into a blender and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract, a dash of salt and one tablespoon of raw honey. Blend well and pour into a jar to store in your refrigerator.

You can  refrigerate or freeze the cashew pulp to use later.

CASHEW PULP CHEEZE

Since I don't like to waste anything, I came up with this.

1 ¼ c. cashew pulp

2 tablespoons high quality nutritional yeast

½ teaspoon sea salt

a pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons of premium organic extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of plain kefir

Just mix it up and pack into a little container. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours before eating. This is optional, of course, but I put some leftover hemp pulp on the top and mashed it in. I wanted to use up the hemp pulp and it makes it look a bit moldy like cheese. Okay, I admit it's not anything like actual cheese, but at least it is tasty and it is a healthy fermented food. How do you eat this, you might ask... well, it is good wrapped in a crunchy lettuce leaves for one thing, you could add a few tablespoons to salads and you can fold in finely chopped vegetables like raw carrots, celery, minced onion and whole garden peas.

You want a good nutritional yeast that contains lots of vitamin B. Some of this grocery store bin stuff is anemic compared to a good one from the health food store.

Be aware that some of the “olive oils” on the market today are adulterated (mixed with cheaper oils), some do not even contain any real olive oil at all.   Be sure to get an organic one that you can trust as being what it claims to be. Local farmers markets are good places to get the real deal. If you can't get to a farmers market, look for dark glass bottles with a harvest date.

By the way, olive oil is not the only product being adulterated. The pollen is often removed from honey and corn syrup and sugar syrup added. Orange juice and apple juice is sometimes mixed with sugars and water. Even coffee is being adulterated these days. Better to pay a little more and get real food than to pay good money for artificiality.

CHOCOLATE SOLAR COFFEE

I made a simple syrup to put in my solar coffee today.
CHOCOLATE  SYRUP
1 cup water
1 c. rapadura sugar
2/3 c. cacao powder
Mix together in a saucepan cacao powder, water and sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer until it thickens and is glossy.  Cool and strain.  Use this to sweeten your solar coffee.

SOLAR COFFEE

Why not harness the sun to make your next brew?

Grind 1 tablespoon of organic coffee beans in a coffee grinder. Wash a glass quart jar and rinse well.  Fill the jar with 3 cups of pure water. Put the ground coffee in the middle of a coffee filter. You can place a couple of fresh mint leaves on top of the ground coffee if you like mint. Gather together the ends of the coffee filter and tie a string around the top or wrap a rubber band around the top to secure. You now have a little bag of coffee. Drop this bag into the water. Put a lid on it and put it in the direct sun. You can put it on the sidewalk, on a sunny window sill, on the top of your car or any place that will get full sun. It should be ready in about 3 hours. Take it out of the sun, remove the little coffee bag and discard it. Add a couple tablespoons of piloncillo (cane sugar). Piloncillo is pure, unrefined sugar that tastes delicious in beverages especially coffee. You can grate a piloncillo cone with an old-fashioned grater. Or you can sweeten it with  chocolate syrup.

QUICK AND EASY FRUIT COBBLER

RAW BRAZIL NUT COBBLER

I dehydrated the Brazil nut leftovers from making Brazil nut milk. Put some chopped dates in a food processor. The amount depends on the kind of dates used. If you use the Medjool dates you won't need as many as if you use Deglet Noor type. All I had were the later so it took about 8 dates. You will need to sweeten to taste.  It may take more dates. Place your dehydrated Brazil nut leftovers in the food processor. Add a pinch of salt and about a teaspoon of cinnamon.  I like cinnamon so I added more. Pulse, chop and then grind.  

You can use any fruit in season or a mixture of fruit such as peaches and blueberries. Peel and slice sweet peaches or some other fruit that is in season.  Put the fruit slices or and berries in a small shallow glass bowl or casserole dish. Sprinkle the Brazil nut mixture on top. You can serve as is or with homemade sorbet.   

BRAZIL NUT MILK

Brazil nuts are a gold mine of nutrition. They are high in fiber, healthy fats and vitamins. They are also rich in minerals such as copper, selenium an antioxidant that boosts the immune system and manganese a co-factor for antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. They are an excellent source of protein containing all of the essential amino acids. It is important to soak nuts in order to reduce the phytic acid contained in them. Phytic acid binds to calcium, magnesium and other minerals which can prevent minerals from being absorbed by the intestines. Soaking nuts in salted water overnight will remove most of the phytic acid.  

Brazil Nut Milk

1 cup Brazil nuts soaked overnight in water with a pinch of quality salt added to the soaking water. In the morning, pour off the water and throw away.  Put the nuts in a blender with 3 cups pure water and blend well. Pour liquid in a quart measuring cup in which you have placed a nut bag, then squeeze out the liquid. Return the liquid to the blender and add a tablespoon of honey and blend a couple seconds. Pour into a clean quart jar and refrigerate. Save the leftover pulp to use in a raw recipe.  You can freeze it or dehydrate it.

SKIN CARE

Most skin care products on the market are loaded with harmful chemicals which actually age the skin and are carcinogenic. You can easily make your own cosmetics from simple ingredients found in your kitchen. You will be nourishing and promoting the health of your skin.

Honey is a natural anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and humectant which protects, moisturizes and rejuvenates the skin. It is a very effective facial cleanser. All you do is rinse your face in plain water then take a dab of honey and mix it in the palm of your hand with the water still on your hand and apply it to your face as you would any cleanser. Rinse well and your skin will feel smooth and silky. 

Here is a honey scrub recipe that you can use 2 to 3 times per week to remove old skin cells and renew your skin.

HONEY SCRUB

1 teaspoon of honey

1 teaspoon of baking soda

Mix well.

Rinse face well.  Put the exfoliation honey scrub in the palm of your hand. Apply it to your face with your  fingertips moving around in small circles all over your face. This is a gentle scrub that will leave your skin glowing.

SESAME SEEDS AND DATES

SESAME-DATE MILK

Sesame seeds are a treasure trove of minerals.

It is always best to soak nuts and seeds before consuming them, but this time I just didn't have time. Soaking raw nuts and seeds initiates germination which increases their vitamin power.

Dates are delicious with sesame seeds. Sesame seeds have plenty of calcium and dates are loaded with vitamin B Complex which may help promote sleep. Nuts and seeds contain ample quantities of tryptophan which is said to be a sleep aid. When I make a smoothie out of this milk and add a banana, I am getting even more tryptophan to help me sleep at night.

Put one cup of sesame seeds in 3 cups of pure water and about 8 Deglet Noor dates in blender and blend well. Put a nut bag in a glass quart measuring cup and pour liquid into the bag. Squeeze to release all liquid and oils into the measuring cup. Add a pinch of salt, pour into a glass jar and refrigerate.

RAW TAHINI AND DATES

I also made some raw fresh sesame seed butter by putting about 1 c. sesame seeds in a blender with enough cold-pressed sesame seed oil to begin the blending process. I start on low and work up to high. It takes a few minutes in my blender to produce a creamy sesame butter. Turn off the blender now and then to push down the seeds from off the sides of the blender container with a spoon. A chop stick can double as a kitchen tool to dislodge sesame seeds from underneath the blades so that they can become incorporated into the sesame butter.  Dates filled with sesame seed butter are a real treat.  All you do is cut dates in half, remove the pits and fill each half with a bit of tahini.