Superfood Evolution Ezine -- Issue #002

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Table of Contents:

1. Jar Sprouting In The Winter Months!
2. 7 Diet Tips For Winter Health
3. Getting To Know Your Chinese Herbs!
4. Book Review: Chinese Tonic Herbs
5. Recipe of the Month
6. Announcements
7. Film of the Month

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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 #2. 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!

Jar Sprouting In The Winter Months!!

Many people consider sprouting sprouts a warm weather activity and food. I have found that sprouts are a particularly fun indoor garden project to get going in the colder months when sunshine is minimal. They satisfy a green thumb and are nice to watch growing and "greening" in your window.

Sprouting seeds in jars can be a fun, creative activity for the whole family to participate in when there is more time spent indoors. They require very little effort, are immediately gratifying and are a power packed food source.

Sprouts can germinate in warm living environments, but are hardy enough to endure colder temp's when the heat goes down at night. They are actually more affected by really hot conditions (in which case they tend to mold easily) than cold ones. Of course freezing temperatures would not work, but most people keep their houses above 60 degrees or so, which is fine and actually preferred.

In addition to the fulfillment of learning how to grow you own sprouts, they are a super nutritious way to get in a bit of living plant energy in your blood when fresh garden veggies are more sparse.

There are also spicy varieties that will help to warm up the body and circulation to get things moving when you are moving less. Also enjoy them with spicy dressings or gingered sauerkraut as we mention below. See our page on growing sprouts and mixing your own seeds blends!

7 Diet Tips For Winter Health:

So here are a few winter diet tips to help you get through the colder seasons and maintain a healthy diet plan using superfoods that will help you to build your health as you hibernate!

1) Spice your food - We still love to eat lots of raw foods, sauerkrauts and food ferments in the winter. One of the tricks we use is to add some heat with hot spices like: ginger, pepper, garlic and cayenne. Make a spicy kimchee sauerkraut, a Thai spiced tempeh or a peppery raw hemp chowder. I love to add lots of spice to my salad dressings to balance the cold nature of raw greens or veggies. These raw foods are wonderful to eat in the winter because they are stores of sunlight energy, but sometimes it is helpful to spice them up a bit to unlock nutrients as well as promote digestive juices. Winter is also a nice time to make healthy cooked foods using whole grains and legumes, making soups and stews. Balance these foods with lot's of living foods and superfoods that are spicy good!

2) Make fun, yet, healthy desserts - winter can be a great time to try out some raw dessert recipes. Experiment with making raw alternatives to cheesecake, puddings, cookies, and pies. Make them fun and colorful and invite your family and friends over for tea and raw desserts that give you energy yet satisfy potential "unhealthy" cravings. Add all the top 10 superfoods to your desserts, like maca root, bee pollen, goji berries, blue green algae and hemp seed. If your going to have dessert make it a superfood sweet treat that will feed your body many essentials for winter health!

3) Get out in the winter sun - Use the sunlight as a superfood that will give you some vitamins and "light" that we all crave in the darker seasons. Go for walks in the sun or lay outside for maximum skin exposure. The power of the sun can not be underestimated, it is so helpful for elevating mood and depression when we have been indoors for too long.

4) Do a short 1 day juice feast - This is a great way to take a break from the heavier foods that winter promotes, sometimes there is a tendency to overindulge. But even if this is not the case, a one day juice fast can be extremely beneficial to give digestion a rest and feed the cells a blood transfusion of sun energy. Feed your body a rainbow of colors and flavors throughout the day. I like to spice up my juice with ginger, an effective way to carry nutrients quickly into the tissues and provide heat at the same time.

5) MSM supplementation - Just a Tablespoon of this white powder mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of Camu Camu berry can be an effective way to lessen any joint stiffness or fatigue that sometimes plagues one in the cold weather. In addition to stretching and exercise, MSM can work wonders for arthritis type symptoms that are often associated with calcium build up. MSM works to dissolve these sources of joint pain and inflexibility.

6) Animal foods - As you know, we are not opposed to the eating of animal foods in moderation, especially when you feel you may need them. Winter is the time that I am more likely to eat some animal protein or raw dairy. I let my body be my guide as to what and how much. Sometimes just some raw goat milk or raw eggs in a shake is enough. Many are finding that supplementing with cholosterum is helpful. It is a decision that you must make according to your own situation. We promote minimal consumption and feel we are way beyond the old paradigm of animal based protein 3 meals a day.

7) Cacao or raw chocolate - There is nothing like a bit of raw chocolate to uplift the spirits on a harsh stormy day. It is a natural mood elevator that can be combined with other superfoods to provide the perfect snack or drink. See our Hot Cacao Elixir Recipe below.

Getting to Know Your Chinese Herbs!

It is so nice to smell a pot of decocting tonic herbs brewing on the fireplace or stove top in the winter months. The deep fragrant smell of their medicine wafting through the house and steaming up the windows on a cold day...there is nothing more soothing. I feel supported and nourished just by the deep, rooty, sweet aromas.

If you have ever seen an acupuncturist mostly likely you are familiar with brewing your own tonic herbal brews. Many who practice Traditional Chinese Medicine still use tonics in whole root form and send their patients off with a bag of roots and berries to brew daily.

Although Chinese herbs can be taken any time of year, because of their building nature they are synonymous with the hibernation energy of the cold season. Learning how to make your own personal jar of Chinese tonic herbs can be another fun project to undertake on a rainy day.

Making Your Own Tonic Herb Formula!

Getting to know your Chinese herbs takes a little time. A great assignment is to take each of the major tonics and get to know them on an individual basis. Make a cup of tea out of each herb on it's own first to understand it's nature and effects. This is an excellent way to get to know the herbs that are right for you specifically!

I like to use both logic and intuition. Reading books and websites, in addition to following your own senses:

• Seeing the herb in it's whole form, shape, color and texture. What does it show or tell you?
• Tasting it, do you like the flavor?
• How do you like the smell or aroma of the herbs steaming up from your cup of tea?
• Feel the initial effects of the herb, root or berry over a 12 hour period?

The idea is to keep it simple, using the TOP Chinese herbs that speak to you.

Use your own inner guidance to find the right tonic roots for you in combination with reading a variety of different herbal references. All this together will create a formula you can begin and adjust to your liking over time.

Anyone can get to know these powerful herbs. Some of the Chinese herbs are common ones and are used in many formulas, like Fo-ti, Astragalus, or Schizandra. See our Chinese herbs page for more top tonics. Blend in some Ayurvedic herbs if they call to you. Understanding the foundations of herbal tea formulation is helpful, but not absolutely necessary.

Here are a few tips:

1) Choose two main tonic herbs.

2) Add one "harmonizing" agent like licorice, jujubee, or goji berry.

3) Include a warming spice and flavor like: ginger, cinnamon, long pepper or orange peel.

Have fun making your own personal formula of tonic herbs. Make a big batch, grind them down and store in a glass jar ready for use everyday!

BOOK REVIEW:

Chinese Tonic Herbs

Chinese Tonic Herbs is one of the first books that I was assigned to read in my first Integrative Herbology Appreticeship Program. The author, Ron Teeguarden, offers a unique, in depth approach with his years and practice as a leading expert on the subject of Chinese Herbalism. He writes from a great personal understanding of each of the herbs, discussing the 2 main classes of Major Tonics and Minor Tonics.

His descriptions are wonderfully poetic blending both science and spiritual connections from years of work with these Chinese herbal medicines. He also discusses the basic elements to Traditional Chinese Medicine and focal points involved in choosing and making tonic herb formulations.

First published in the mid 80's, it is still one of the top Chinese Tonic Herbals out there!

Recipe of the Month:

Hot Cacao Herbal Elixir

This is an amazing combination using what the Chinese refer to as the "three kings" of defense.

A hot chocolaty drink that will satisfy the soul and guard the spirit. This herbal formulation works to tonify all three treasures: Chi, Jing and Spirit. It provides antioxidants and adaptogens that help to protect:

• the liver from toxins
• the lungs from pollutants
• the kidneys from adrenal stress

Traditionally an elixir is defined as a sweetened liquid containing medicinal ingredients. Here we also blend in the wonderful flavors of raw chocolate that will not only taste great but help to deliver these tonics into the body systems in a more efficient way.

Herbal Tea - Protection Formula

This recipe is for a 1 quart mason jar of herbal brew.

• 2T Reishi (ground fresh)
• 6 pieces Astragalus Root or 2T powder
• 6 caps Cordyceps powder
• 7 Jujubee date or 1T Goji berry
• 4 Cinnamon pieces
• 4 1/4 cup spring water

• Simmering everything but the cordyceps in a covered pot for 20 minutes.
• Add Cordyceps powder.

Blend in the following:

• 3T cacao powder
• 2T yacon root syrup (or other sugar substitute)
• 1/4t stevia
• 1t cacao butter
• 1/2t coconut oil
• dash of cayenne
• sprinkle of cinnamon

Serve Hot! Add nut milk if you desire or drink it straight. Share your super Cacao drink with a friend.