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Superfoods for Seasonal Allergy Symptoms! May 20, 2011 |
Superfood Evolution Ezine -- Issue #017
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Hello friends, Welcome again to Superfood Evolution! A big thank you to all my Superfoods-for-Superhealth site visitors for your attention and support! Here we go with my monthly newsletter #17. Many of you expressed great interest in learning more about superfoods, superhealth and achieving optimal states of aliveness! So, here it is by popular demand! It is my intent to uplift and empower your true health potential to create the best life ever for you and your family. "You are what you eat" is the first rule of thumb here, the rest just falls into place!
Superfoods for Seasonal Allergy Symptoms!
"Allergy season" is upon us here in Northern California. This is the time of year when many plants and trees release their male pollen spores, a fine pollen powder. This means there is LOTS of pollen floating around the air we breath, causing an array of allergic reactions in many people, often called hay fever. There are certain superfoods that you can take during allergy season that will boost your immune system and help to cleanse and clear mucus conditions that are often associated with allergy symptoms. For those with intense allergies, the first place to start is with cleansing the liver. When this organ is backed up it makes it difficult for other systems of the body and immune system to function properly, which can cause extreme allergic reactions to these environmental pollens.
Superfoods for Pollen Allergies 1) Liver Cleansing Herbs - This might include making a quart or two of cleansing herbal tea and drinking it throughout the day. (See our page on cleansing herbs) I like to include red clover blossoms and dandelion root in all my detoxifying tea formulas. Milk thistle seed is also a great liver detoxifier and can be ground into a fine powder and infused. Milk thistle has a nutty flavor and tastes great sprinkled on salads. (See our cleansing tea recipe below.) 2) Camu Camu berry - One of the highest vitamin C sources of any plant known, this berry powder, taken 2-3 times a day in water will help provide necessary antioxidants, activating immune functions in powerful way and alleviating or preventing potential allergy flare ups. 3) Bee Pollen - Yes, eating pollen can help relieve the effects of pollen spores, and in some cases, can rid symptoms altogether. The idea being, that when you eat or take the allergen, the more resistant you will become to it. Look for local bee pollen sources that contain the pollen from the area where you live. (Also see the pine pollen product below.) 4) Zeolite - This clay like substance helps to rid the body of toxic substances, plastics and heavy metals, taking any unnecessary burden off of the liver. 5) Vitamineral Green - This green powder supplement contains a valuable mix of minerals and nutrients that are a good idea to super dose on before allergy season hits. It also nutritionally supports the detoxification process, the immune system, liver and kidneys. 6) Digestive enzymes - help to break down your food, so that you can use the nutrients from it. Enzymes also inhibit the deposits of mucus that can line the colon and sinuses. This mucus and congestion can make you more susceptible to pollen allergies. Adding fermented foods to the diet can also help to provide more enzymes, breaking down the foods you eat in a more efficient manner.
FOODS TO AVOID: When my husband was a child, he had severe asthma with intense, almost life threatening, reactions to pollens of all kinds. Now, in his adult years, he has virtually no symptoms what so ever. He attributes the complete relief of his asthma to eliminating the use of dairy products from his diet, especially during these times of year. Other foods to avoid include anything that causes a mucus reaction in the sinus membranes and tissues. It is best to avoid nuts and seeds in large amounts, in addition to gluten, eggs and excessive amounts of fats. OTHER SUPERFOODS TO EAT: It is good to eat foods that help to clear mucus conditions from the body, like onion, garlic, ginger and cayenne. Olives and figs are two foods that are especially perfect for clearing mucus from the body, as well as citrus fruits. Onion sprouts are a great sprout to eat because of their subtle clearing nature. Any wild greens are a great food to harvest and super juice because they contain wild nutrition that may help build up your resistance to "wild" pollen spores. It is good to keep things light by juice feasting or eating mostly fruits and vegetables. You might enjoy smoothies, raw soups or warm miso soups with tempeh and seaweed. Turmeric is also a great spice to use that helps the immune system and clears the lungs. Only you know your body best, so listen to it and eat what herbs, spices and foods sound especially good to YOU. TOP Tips for Super Sprouting with Kids!
Most children I know LOVE to sprout seeds! There is definitely something fascinating about watching them grow from a tiny tablespoon of seed to a whole jar full of sprouts. Even though many kids love the process of sprouting, they may be opposed to eating the sprouts once they have matured. The goal with kids, in my opinion, is to get them to learn the process, so later, when they are ready to enjoy a wider assortment of raw superfoods, they will know how to grow and prepare them. Some children, however, love to eat sprouts at a young age, but if not, you (the parent) get to enjoy the benefits of their sprouting experiments, so teach them well.
Here are my TOP tips for sprouting seeds at home with your family. Ideas for Super Sprouting FUN: 1) Read books together on the basic steps to sprouting seeds, like soaking, rinsing, draining, air circulation, greening, cleanliness, de-hulling, and sprout storage. Also, discuss nutritional value of super sprouts and why they are good for us! 2) Providing materials for your sprouting fun is usually the duty of the parent, but you can get kids involved if you make it a game. Search the house and gather the necessary supplies that you may have in your kitchen, like jars or sprouting trays. Together, you can write out a list of items you may need. I recommend starting with mason jars and sprouting lids. You can use empty plastic salad mix containers for holding your sprout jars, they work perfect. 3) Making a colorful, homemade journal is a great way for some children to right down and draw pictures of the sprouting process in the next week to 10 days. 4) Offer a variety of seeds of different shapes and sizes. Let kids mix up their own blends and create their own personalized seed mixes. It is important, if they are eating them, to make sure they are mild in taste and not too spicy. If they are for the parent, then spice is great.
5) Labeling jars or your jar holder is an easy and effective way to ensure your sprouts don't get mixed up with your brothers! 6) Make a decorative sprout chart on a piece of paper and hang it on your refrigerator. This would include dates from beginning to end with a check box for the daily tasks of rinsing and later de-hulling that are involved. 7) Here are some sprouting products that can make it fun: 8) Explaining the process - I like to explain the process to young children in a way they can understand. Like this: The dry seeds you hold in your hand are asleep. To wake them up all you need to do is give them water... kind of like sleeping beauty, with water being the "kiss."
ASK A Question Section!
I get many emails from my Superfoods-for-Superhealth readers asking questions about various superfood subjects, so I decided to add this section to my ezine where you get to ask your very own personalized questions?
So, if you have a question about superfoods, super nutrition, diet or superfood recipes.... ask it here and in next issue of Superfood Evolution Ezine I will, to the best of my ability, write about general topics of interest or answer questions directly. This will give me a better idea of topics you might want me to cover in this monthly ezine. Simply write the words "ask a question" at the top of the comments box in the form provided.
Products of the Month
Pine Pollen - Surthrival A unique pollen powder develop by Daniel Vitalis and his company, Surthrival. The pollen is especially excellent for the immune system and noted for its ability to prevent or minimize allergic reactions to pollens in the air.
Mycelium Biomass, Raw Reishi and Chaga - Foods for Longevity A recently new invention by the company, Foods for Longevity, this medicinal mushroom product is the mushroom biomass rather than the mushroom extract. The biomass is the mycelii mass before it fruits. It is freeze dried at its most potent state and has never been heat treated.
Black Maca - MacaPro Xpresso Here's a new maca product that is great for coffee addictions because it gives you a natural high without the caffeine. Especially great when combine with this natural coffee flavored extract.
3 Immortals Super Powder - Shaman Shack Another coffee like drink that is easy to make, just add hot water and stir for a delicious black cup of superfood java. The three ingredients are reishi mushroom extract, shilajit powder and ormus.
100% PURE Organic Crystallized Coconut Sap - Divine Organics
I haven't tried this new product yet, but it is on its way to my mail box. I hear its very delicious and many raw restaurants, like Cafe Gratitude and Pure Food and Wine are using it by the gallon.
Latest Superhealth UpdatesCoconut Oil - Discover Coconut As Superfood Oil!
Learn about the amazing properties of this tropical oil that provide a wonderful, rich texture and flavor to raw food recipes, in addition to cooked meals. Find out why coconut is unlike any other oil, helping to reduce weight and lower cholesterol levels. If your going to use oil when cooking your food, learn why coconut oil is our #1 choice for heating at high temps.
Carob Coconut Cream Pie - Learn How To Make Your Own Raw Cream Pie!
The only thing about making this carob-coconut cream pie recipe, is that once you take your first bite, its hard to stop eating it. Its so smooth and creamy delicious, it can be somewhat addicting. But, the good news is that it is made with some of the most nutritious superfood ingredients around, so you really can't go wrong. We use fresh raw coconut meat, of course, to make this recipe WAY better than most standard coconut cream pie recipes. Onion Sprouts - Sprouting Onion Seeds For Your Super Sprout Salads!
Onion sprouts are a unique addition to a salad or sprout mix. Learn how to grow this mini green onion in your very own kitchen. Small quantities add LOTS of great flavor to savory raw dishes and fermented foods. Discover what makes onion sprouts different from other sprout varieties.
Recipe of the Month:Cleansing Herbal Tea
A version of this recipe can also be found on our herbal tea recipes page. Here I add a bit more of those detoxifying roots to make a thick, dark, but minty drink that will help prepare you for potential pollen allergies. It is helpful to drink this brew on a consistent basis a few weeks before allergy season hits. One of my favorite herbs to pick in the wild is red clover blossoms. It is often growing in your nearby hills this time of year. (depending on where you live) Try harvesting your own red clover for Free in nature's super market. It usually grows in abundance in meadows and fields with partial to full sun in the spring and, sometimes, fall season.
Decoct (gently simmer) oregon grape root, dandelion, burdock and pao de'arco for 20 minutes.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
BOOKS of the Month:Sprouting Books
Sprouts The Miracle Food, by Steve Meyerowitz
Let the Sproutman show you the joys of indoor organic gardening. Learn how to grow delicious baby greens and mini-vegetables in just one week from seed to salad. This guide can make anyone a self sufficient gardener of sprouts that are bursting with concentrated nutrition. Includes the most comprehensive nutrition charts on sprouts in print, plus common questions and answers, seed resources section, illustrations, photo's and charts. Sprouts The Miracle Food: The Complete Guide to Sprouting
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Sprout Garden, by Mark Braunstein This popular "how to sprout" book is also a recommended favorite sprout book by the SproutPeople, a company that has been in the sprouting business for over 15 years. Sprout Garden covers all the latest information on sprouting: how to grow sprouts at home, the best growing technique for each type of sprout, the latest findings on alfalfa sprouts and broccoli sprouts, sources for sprouting equipment and seeds, and a great collection of delicious recipes. 128 pages. Sprout Garden - Revised Edition ----------------------
Sprouts, by Kathleen O'Bannon This book is only 64 pages, but they are packed with info. Learn how to buy sprouting seeds, grow delicious sprouts of many varieties, and prepare meals with healthful, life-giving sprouts. Includes recipes illustrated with full-color photos. Sprouts, The Savory Source for Health and Vitality
Thanks for joining me on my seventeenth edition of Superfood Evolution. If you would like to subscribe or tell a friend click here.
Until next month... Here's to your Superhealth! Much love, Shira
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The 10th Annual International Herbal Symposium - June 24-26, 2011 Norton, MA
