Organic Psyllium Husks Natural Dietary Fiber

Psyllium husks, or plantago ovata in Latin, come from the skin or husks of the blond psyllium seed. A plant rich in soluble fibers, Psylliums are part of group of plants containing soluble fibers, also known as mucilage; fibers which retain water and resemble a thick, jelly-like substance when wet.

Psyllium husks can be used as a thickening substance in salad dressings, sauces, and creams. These fibers differ from non-soluble ones such as wheat bran, which do not dissolve in water. Other plants containing water-soluble fibers include oat bran, apple pectum and guar gum.

Health benefits of Organic Psyllium Husk include reducing blood cholesterol levels, thereby reducing risks of cardiovascular diseases, and are very beneficial to the digestive system. Mucilage digestive fibers maintain bowl regularity and help prevent conditions such as chronic constipation and diarrhea. Their greatest benefits are their ‘colon cleansing benefits’ in the prevention of colon cancers, especially in people over age 50. The advantages of ingesting soluble fiber, such as Psyllium, are that they can be included in the preparation of a number of foods, without the tell-tale fiber residues found in wheat brand and other non-soluble products. The risks of colon cancer increase dramatically once people reach their 60’s and 70’s. It is advisable to have a colonoscopy performed once every 4-5 years; and those who have had polyps removed from their colon, every 3 years. A healthy diet with a sufficient amount of dietary fiber, both soluble and non-soluble, will greatly reduce the risk of colon cancer, as well as avoidance of red meat and dairy products high in saturated fat.

Sources: healingdaily.com & OrganicIndia.com

Our Daily Poisons and the Earth Friendly Option

Organic FoodsThey’re around you every day; and in fact you and your family use and consume products that in the long run can be just as deadly as weapons that kill and maim people in the millions. We are not referring to guns, knives, and poisons such as arsenic, cyanide or other kinds of poisons used to eradicate rodents and other kinds of pests. The products referred to here range from detergents and cleaning compounds to deodorants and cosmetics to even seemingly harmless food and beverage items.

Every time people wash their clothing in their washing machine, or their dishes in their dishwasher, they are using chemical compounds which, if used in large enough amounts can cause not only burning and severe skin irritation, but eventual cancers like melanoma. Even though some detergents may claim to be “non-toxic” or “environmentally safe” they still contain such ingredients as sodium or calcium hypocrite, or sodium tri-polyphosphate, which can become very dangerous chemical compounds if used excessively.

Cosmetic items such as lipstick, hand cream, deodorants and anti-perspirants, all contain such chemicals as aluminum chlorhydrate, propylene glycol, or BHA and coal tar dyes (both lipstick preservatives and color enhancers that are said to contain carcinogens or cancer causing compounds). Even that liquid ’soap less soap’ that most people keep in their bathrooms is so full of chemical compounds (ammonium chloride, sodium laurel sulfate, plus a number of color-dyes, fragrances, etc.) that it may be better to use old fashioned home-made hand soap, even if it contains lye and other caustic compounds.

You don’t have to go through the list of cleaning compounds or cosmetic items to find these poisons; but many food products have similar chemical compounds as well. Even that soft tub of margarine has what is called ‘trans-fat’ and is extremely bad for your heart if consumed in large quantities (many nutrition advisors claim it’s better to use pure butter than these so called “safe” cooking and spreading products.

Yes there are alternatives; and by acquiring knowledge of safer, environmental ‘earth-friendly’ products, you can protect yourselves and your families from the long term effects of these ‘lethal weapons’.

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Healing Properties of The Dead Sea

Healing Properties of The Dead SeaThe Dead Sea, located between Israel and Jordan, is an extremely saline inland sea, originally formed millions of years ago as a part of the great Syro-African Rift; which stretches from Israel’s northern border all the way to Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. With an annual evaporation rate of more than 5 million gallons, the lake has an accumulation of salt and other minerals so dense that its salinity percentage averages between 25 and 35% – more than any other body of water in the world.

The immense healing properties of this dense, mineral mixture, combined with a rich oxygen atmospheric level, has made the sea very well known for its medicinal healing properties since ancient times. King Solomon, the Greek philosopher Aristotle, Herod the Great, and even the Queen of Sheba, were familiar with the healing qualities of the waters of the Dead Sea. In the Bible, the Hebrew Prophet, Elisha, prescribed to a famous general to dip himself several times in the waters of the Jordan (at the entrance to the Dead Sea), to be rid of leprosy. That ‘leprosy’ of General Sisra has now been assumed to be one of many forms of skin conditions including psoriasis, seborrhea, and others.

To this day, thousands of people visit the several hotels and spas on the shores of the Sea to bathe in its waters and gain relief from a variety of medical ailments, including the ones already mentioned. The minerals found in the mud of the Dead Sea are also very popular, and many people completely cover themselves with this mixture to obtain relief.

Hundreds of cosmetic products, made from these minerals, as well as the salt and mud itself, are sold all over the world, enabling people to enjoy the medicinal qualities of the Dead Sea in their own homes. The manufacture of these Dead Sea mineral products has grown into a multimillion dollar industry; perhaps even surpassing the revenues that both Israel and Jordan already receive from the sale of potash, nitrates, and other minerals mined from the shores of the Dead Sea. It is also said by many that just sitting or lying in the Sea’s extremely buoyant waters gives them an extreme calming effect, not found anywhere else.

Figs the Natural Viagra

Looking for a natural food product that is not only immensely healthy but even helps perk up your ’sexual appetite’? Then try figs. That’s right; these delicate and delicious fruits were first reputed to have been cultivated by both the ancient Egyptians, as well as the Minoans of classical Crete and Greece. They later spread throughout the Middle East, as well as the Mediterranean countries. They are mentioned in the Bible as one of the ‘Seven Species’ of ancient Israel, and were considered by the Romans as the “sacred fruit of the gods”. Figs are rich in dietary fiber and potassium, as well as several vitamins and other minerals.

Though they are eaten year round, especially in their dried varieties (still one of Turkey’s major agricultural exports), their true divineness is when eaten fresh in late summer. Being very fragile, the fig’s ’store season’ is very short (similar to apricots), and only last a day or two if kept at room temperature. Figs can be kept in refrigeration, however, for up to a week. They loose their special taste quickly, and it is recommended they be eaten almost immediately. Containing both carbohydrates and natural sugars, they are nourishing as well, and can be combined with other fruits, as well as with a variety of cheeses – particularly sheep and goat feta-type cheese. Stuffed figs, especially with cheese, has been a delightful light meal or dessert menu for literally thousands of years.

The attributes of these ‘fruits of the gods’ are well known to natural foods consultants as well as believers in holistic and natural solutions to a variety of conditions, including sexual incompetence. The Turks have long sworn by a special stuffed fig product containing a mixture of crushed walnuts and other “special ingredients”. “We call this ‘Turkish Viagra’, and it’s been in use here ever since ancient times” a Turkish dried fruit and spice vender was reported to have said to friends of mine in Istanbul.

Whether this preparation actually works for this special use, is probably a matter of ‘personal experience’. But the idea is fine, as various other natural food dishes are also alleged to increase one’s sexual desire. Figs also are terrific for assisting in another bodily function: bowel regularity. In fact, a number of natural laxative products contain figs as part of their ingredients.

One of the best ways to prepare fresh figs, besides just eating them raw that is, is to slightly boil them in light syrup containing brown sugar, water and anise or fennel seeds. After simmering for 7 to 8 minutes, remove them and allow them to cool at room temperature before adding a bit of fresh lemon juice. Them chill them for at lest 2-3 hours in your refrigerator. The result is a delightful desert or snack dish. After eating them in this manner, with some fruit sherbet if desired, you will understand why figs have been considered as ‘holy fruit’ by so many.

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Feng Shui – Ancient Chinese Science of Life

Feng Shui, or Fung Schawy as the Chinese refer to it, is a science that dates back thousands of years. Classical Chinese texts such as I Ching, The Book of Changes, are derived from studies of Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese science dedicated to helping Mankind live in peace with the environment. Feng Shui incorporates the art of manipulating or arranging one’s surroundings to attract and preserve live energy, and rid one’s Chi or positive energy resources from all negative energies.

The purpose of this science is to enable your life forces to flow smoothly; and rid of unblock the body of all negative obstructions. The central theory of Feng Shui is that all people are affected by their surroundings – for better or for worse. The literal translation of Feng Shui is forces of wind and water. The science dates back even before the life of Confucius, considered as one of ancient China’s most revered philosophers and sages.

One of the most important Feng Shui symbols is the Bagua or Pakua, an octagonal shaped diagram, on which each side or direction is considered to have a significant meaning in regards to a person’s life forces. The Qi, or life force, is considered the distinct force that determines the destiny of an organism. This force is instrumental in a person’s ultimate destiny, including death itself.

The feng shui diagram is the classical octagonal shaped Bagua, in which all sections or forces of a person’s life are placed, each in its own ’side’ or section. There is virtually no part of a person’s existence, from cradle to grave, that is not influenced for the Feng Shui forces as noted on the Bagua. Though often confused with metaphysics and other spiritual or supernatural phenomena, Feng Shui’s main difference is that it is based on pure natural phenomena and how these natural forces influence the ‘force’ of life itself.