Add to a drawer to freshen it up, or to your vehicle to give it a new scent, or stitch up the opening and toss into the dryer to add a touch of scent to your laundry, no matter what you use them for they are sure to freshen any area.
Make up a couple of them at a time and give as a gift to someone special.
Traditionally horchata is still made with rice in Mexico and chufa in Spain, although you can find the alternate chufa version in Mexico as well.
Ingredients:
Directions:
In a large saucepan, combine rice, water, and Thieves. Set aside for 3 hours. After 3 hours, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool. Puree rice mixture in blender until smooth. Strain through a cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Flavor with vanilla and agave to taste. Chill and and serve over ice.
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For more recipes and ideas for in the kitchen, you can click on “In The Kitchen” to the right of you, under categories.
So are you excited for spring yet? Are you ready for gardening? After the posts on Garden Teas and a healthy harvest it’s really peaked my excitement to begin working the ground and planting seeds. Unfortunately here in OH, it’s going to be a little while more before that takes place, but a girl can dream right
Eating foods rich in fiber improves digestion, notes the Mayo Clinic. The clinic says beans are a prime source of dietary fiber. In every 1/2 cup of string beans you’ll get 1.6 g of dietary fiber, according to the University of Illinois Extension.
Le Cordon Bleu, the international culinary institute, advises that eating beans because they have a “significant impact” on strengthening your immune system. This is due in part to the legume’s high anti-oxidant content. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s national nutrient database, string beans come with lots of vitamin C and various B vitamins.
Your body uses protein to strengthen, repair and build tissue. The Harvard School of Public Health
recommends all kinds of beans as rich sources of lean protein. A half cup of string beans offers up approximately a gram of protein, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A half cup of string beans has just 15 calories, reports the University of Illinois Extension. This makes beans a low-calorie food. The fiber can also keep you feeling full, thereby helping you stay on a diet.
If you avoid dairy, you can get calcium in string beans. Your body needs calcium to keep bones strong and teeth sturdy. A half cup of string beans yields 31.5 mg of this important mineral, according to the University of Illinois Extension.
An apple won’t replace your toothbrush, but biting and chewing an apple stimulates the production of saliva in your mouth, reducing tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria.
A new study performed on mice shows that drinking apple juice could keep Alzheimer’s away and fight the effects of aging on the brain. Mice in the study that were fed an apple-enhanced diet showed higher levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and did better in maze tests than those on a regular diet.
Research has shown that people who eat fruits and other high-fiber foods gain a certain amount of protection against Parkinson’s, a disease characterized by a breakdown of the brain’s dopamine-producing nerve cells. Scientists have linked this to the free radical-fighting power of the antioxidants contained therein.
Scientists from the American Association for Cancer Research, among others, agree that the consumption of flavonol-rich apples could help reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by up to 23 per cent. Researchers at Cornell University have identified several compounds—triterpenoids—in apple peel that have potent anti-growth activities against cancer cells in the liver, colon and breast. Their earlier research found that extracts from whole apples can reduce the number and size of mammary tumours in rats. Meanwhile, the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. has recommended a high fiber intake to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
Women who eat at least one apple a day are 28 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who don’t eat apples. Apples are loaded with soluble fibre, the key to blunting blood sugar swings.
The soluble fibre found in apples binds with fats in the intestine, which translates into lower cholesterol levels and a healthier you.
An extensive body of research has linked high soluble fiber intake with a slower buildup of cholesterol-rich plaque in your arteries. The phenolic compound found in apple skins also prevents the cholesterol that gets into your system from solidifying on your artery walls. When plaque builds inside your arteries, it reduces blood flow to your heart, leading to coronary artery disease.
Gallstones form when there’s too much cholesterol in your bile for it to remain as a liquid, so it solidifies. They are particularly prevalent in the obese. To prevent gallstones, doctors recommend a diet high in fiber to help you control your weight and cholesterol levels.
Whether you can’t go to the bathroom or you just can’t stop, fiber found in apples can help. Fiber can either pull water out of your colon to keep things moving along when you’re backed up, or absorb excess water from your stool to slow your bowels down.
Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain and bloating. To control these symptoms doctors recommend staying away from dairy and fatty foods while including a high intake of fiber in your diet.
Hemorrhoids are a swollen vein in the anal canal and while not life threatening, these veins can be very painful. They are caused by too much pressure in the pelvic and rectal areas. Part and parcel with controlling constipation, fiber can prevent you from straining too much when going to the bathroom and thereby help alleviate hemorrhoids.
Many health problems are associated with being overweight, among them heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. To manage your weight and improve your overall health, doctors recommend a diet rich in fiber. Foods high in fiber will fill you up without costing you too many calories.
We’re constantly consuming toxins, whether it is from drinks or food, and your liver is responsible for clearing these toxins out of your body. Many doctors are skeptical of fad detox diets, saying they have the potential to do more harm than good. Luckily, one of the best—and easiest—things you can eat to help detoxify your liver is fruits—like apples.
Red apples contain an antioxidant called quercetin. Recent studies have found that quercetin can help boost and fortify your immune system, especially when you’re stressed out.
Though past studies have been divided on the issue, recent long-term studies suggest that people who have a diet rich in fruits that contain antioxidants—like apples—are 10 to 15 per cent less likely to develop cataracts.
Thank you to Best Health Magazine for the above information.
Did you know that you could use garden teas to help with even your apple trees? Yes, you can and lavender essential oil is the perfect complement for your growing season. Essential oils are like preventative medicine for your plants. It helps them grow strong and they are able to fight off bacteria, viruses, mold and mildew.
Using essential oils in the form of a garden tea will help increase the yield and make the fragrance and flavor of the flower/fruit more pungent.
I wish you many blessings and success with your garden…happy gardening!
Peaches, with their soft skin and sweet flesh, are a summertime staple. One of the largest fruit crops grown in the United States, peaches provide a great deal of nutrients with few calories and no fat. Peaches are a healthy way to fit in one of your daily servings of fruit.
One large peach, about 2 3/4 inches in diameter, contains just 68 calories and no fat. Eating peaches instead of more fattening, processed snacks, such as chips, baked goods, cereal bars and cookies, can help you manage your weight. Peaches are naturally sweet and can replace some of the added sugars in your diet. Use them to top unsweetened whole-grain cereal, plain yogurt or plain low-fat cottage cheese, instead of choosing versions of these foods sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup or cane sugar.
Peaches contain 10 different vitamins. A large peach provides 570 international units of vitamin A, important to healthy vision, and 11.6 mg of vitamin C, an antioxidant and tissue-builder. Peaches provide lower levels of vitamins E and K, with about 6 percent of the daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Vitamin E is another antioxidant, while vitamin K is essential to your body’s blood clotting capabilities. Peaches are also a source of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, niacin, folate and pantothenic acid.
A large peach provides 333 mg of potassium. Potassium can help you maintain healthy blood pressure as well as prevent kidney stones and bone loss. You need about 2,000 mg of potassium daily. Peaches provide some magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, iron and calcium as well. These minerals work to support red blood cell, bone and nervous system health.
In the “Journal of Medicinal Food,” a study published in October 2009 reported that significant antioxidants are present in the flesh and skin of peaches. One of the major antioxidants in peaches, chlorogenic acid, helps scavenge free radicals — compounds that your body acquires through exposure to pollutants, food and the environment — to reduce the effects of aging and deter chronic diseases. This antioxidant may also help ward off cancer and reduce body inflammation.
A large peach provides 17 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of which come from fiber. Fiber is essential to smooth and healthy digestion, preventing constipation and ensuring colon health. Fiber may also play a role in regulating your cholesterol levels, helping to reduce your risk of developing heart disease. An adult woman should try to consume 25 g of fiber daily, and an adult man 38 g daily.
(Information above, courtesy of Live Strong)
Garden teas can help with preventative maintenance and act as medicine for your plants without the effects of pesticides. When using the correct essential oil for the plant, it can help fight bacteria, viruses, mold and mildew. It also helps increase the yield of the crop and allow for a more pungent flavor of its fruit.
For peach trees, melaleuca is the oil of choice, it also goes by the name of Tea Tree. I came across a conversation that included the chairmen of CRFG (California Rare Fruit Growers) who used Tea Tree effectively in eliminating leaf curl of his peach tree using this method. It excites me to see others taking a more natural approach to gardening.
Follow the recipe in the above photo and give it a try with your peach tree this year.
~Happy Gardening and Blessings to you this Harvest Season~
I was advised by our naturopath to eat plenty of beets, that they were an excellent blood cleanser and fantastic for the cardiovascular system. No problem because I love beets and have added them to my garden every year. Check out what other benefits can be afforded you by eating beets, thanks to Real Food For Life for this wonderful information:
Marjoram or celery essential oil are great in a garden tea for your beet plants. Follow the recipe above to make up your garden tea and store in an airtight container. When you are ready to use, add 2 Tbsp. of the mixture to 1 gallon of water in a watering can and water by the base of the plant.
Essential oils act as preventative medicine for your garden and help to keep your plants healthy and strong, late to provide with an increased yield and a more pungent flavor.
Enjoy and happy gardening!
Broccoli, one of the vegetables I just knew I would have trouble getting my boys to eat. I was wrong, they actually enjoy broccoli. Why grow broccoli in the garden? Take a look at some of the health benefits below:
9 Health Benefits
1. Cancer Prevention
Broccoli contains glucoraphanin, which with the body processes into the anti-cancer compound sulforaphane. This compound rids the body H. pylori, a bacterium found to highly increase the risk of gastric cancer. Furthermore, broccoli contains indole-3-carbinol, a powerful antioxidant compound and anti-carcinogen found to not only hinder the growth of breast, cervical and prostate cancer, but also boosts liver function.
2. Reducing Cholesterol
Like many whole foods, broccoli is packed with soluble fiber that draws cholesterol out of your body.
3. Reducing Allergy Reaction and Inflammation
Broccoli is a particularly rich source of kaempferol and isothiocyanates, both anti-inflammatory phyto nutrients. Research has shown the ability of kaempferol to lessen the impact of allergy-related substances on our body. Broccoli even has significant amount of omega 3 fatty acids which is well know as an anti-inflammatory.
4. Powerful Antioxidant:
Of all the cruciferous vegetables, broccoli stands out as the most concentrated source of a premiere antioxidant nutrient—vitamin C plus the flavonoids that allow the Vitamin C to recycle effectively. . Also concentrated in broccoli are the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, other powerful anti-oxidants.
5. Bone Health
Broccoli contains high levels of both calcium and vitamin K, both of which are important for bone health and prevention of osteoporosis.
6. Heart Health
The anti-inflammatory properties of sulforaphane, one of the isothiocyanates (ITCs) in broccoli may be able to prevent (or even reverse) some of the damage to blood vessel linings that can be cause by inflammation caused by chronic blood sugar problems.
7. Detoxification:
Glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian, and glucobrassicin are special phytonutrients that support all steps in the body’s detox process, including activation, neutralization, and elimination of unwanted contaminants. These three are in the perfect combination in broccoli. Broccoli also contains isothiocyanates (which you read about in inflammation) which help control the detox process at a genetic level.
8. Diet Aid
Broccoli is smart carb, high in fibre, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar, and curbs overeating. Furthermore, a cup of broccoli has as much protein as a cup of rice or corn with half the calories.
9. Alkalizes Your Body
Like many vegetables, broccoli helps keep your whole body less acidic, which has a host of health benefits.
Thank you to Real Food For Life for this information. If you would like to read more, please visit them at http://www.realfoodforlife.com
Basil and Thyme essential oils are a fantastic choice to complement this plant in the use of a Garden Tea. If you are not familiar with garden teas, it is simply a must when it comes to gardening.
Think of essential oils as preventative medicine for your garden. They help build strong plants that are able to fight off bacteria, viruses, mold and mildew. Using essential oils in the form of a garden tea will help increase the yield and make the fragrance and flavor more pungent.
Give it a try and experience the difference for yourself. I cannot wait to get started with gardening.
Happy Spring!
