When we start to trust it it’s easy to see that nature provides beautifully for us according to the way it most likely was meant to.
For instance, apple cider vinegar’s versatility appears to be endless. I purchased Dr. Earl Mindell’s book, AMAZING APPLIE CIDER VINEGAR, a few years ago, and am always surprised at the ease in using vinegar for all sorts of, shall we say, things. Dandruff? This from Earl Mindell: “Simply pour full-strength vinegar on your head and work it into the roots of the hair, then wrap your head with a towel; let the treatment work for a full hour before washing your hair. Repeat the procedure as many times as necessary to do away with dandruff and itchy scalp for good.” Warts, calluses? Apply apple cider vinegar on a cloth and adhere to skin, or apply on a band aid mornings and evenings until the area is wart or callus free. Have patience; it works. Now people in the know who write about acv say taking 1 tablespoon in a glass of water 30 minutes before meals, among other things, aids in digestion.
In past years when a recipe called for fresh ginger and I was new to buying it, I couldn’t think how else to use the rest of it. Now I know that when it’s grated it can be added to just about anything. For tea slice a 1-inch piece and steep it for 10-15 minutes – drink hot or cold. Good to know because ginger’s benefits are powerful. I once took a cooking course in Manhattan taught by Virginia Lee. She said that ginger stays fresh when kept in a jar of sherry. She and Craig Claiborne wrote a cookbook worth having.
Turmeric has finally found its place in the American spotlight, and recently I read on aol’s news page, (from David Servan-Schreiber’s book as reviewed in Prevention Magazine), that turmeric is “the most powerful anti-inflammatory today.” Good to know. Not used to this spice? Well, it takes a bit of time sometimes for one’s taste buds to savor the new; continue to use and eventually you’ll think, hmm, this dish needs more turmeric.
On that same site I read that “the active compounds in garlic are released when you crush the clove, and they’re much more easily absorbed when they’re combined with a small amount of oil.”
Henry is someone I met in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. He had been a merchant marine for many years, and in his 50s decided to study Chinese medicine and acupuncture in Hawaii. He was very popular in Vilcabamba. There were evenings when a group of us sat outside the cafe facing the plaza listening to Henry, and gathering information. I remember he said that to know whether you have parasites spit into a glass of water – if spit sinks you have them. Parasites? There are many helpful books on detoxifying. Something we all should do – every year it gets easier and easier to rid toxins from our bodies. Yes, it does.
Peroxide tries to compete with apple cider vinegar; its uses are many. It’s an excellent mouth wash, toothbrushes can be soaked in a cup of peroxide to kill germs, it can rid kitchen counters and wooden cutting boards of bacteria. Adding a little in water when watering plants keeps them healthy. Add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in washing machine, spray on mirrors to clean them. I bought a spray cap for the peroxide bottle and spray just about everything in sight. So watch out when visiting my place. Just kidding.
Soon I’m going to bake chocolate chip cookies. And this time I’ll replace the white and brown sugar with Stevia. www.stevia.com Stevia has been used in Japan for 50 years. And in “Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and China it’s been used to sweeten food and tea for centuries. Stevia is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, with virtually no calories, and 1 teaspoon of the liquid is equal to 1 cup of sugar.” August 2008 www.prevention.com
Should you want a list of natural physicians in your area, the website is: www.acam.org, the American College for Advancement in Medicine, or call 800 532 3688. And for allergy screening and treatment the website is: www.aaem.com the American Academy for Environmental Medicine, or call 316 684 5500.
And let’s not ever forget the tremendous power of our thinking in helping to keep us healthy.
“If I had to leave my children just one piece of advice, it would be to live in the moment.” – Nicholas Evans, Writer