This article comes from Sheila Ray of Bizzy Lizzy Bakery.  Sheila’s business offers some great products for those of you that are looking for yummy goodies that also fit your health goals.  Follow the link at the bottom of the article to visit her site and look around.  :)  Yum! 

~Erica 

There are articles, news reports and comedians that put there “two cents” in on what should be this years New Year’s Resolution.  So I decided to join them and suggest to the world to eliminate white flour.  There are many supporting facts on why we should do this but we are a Wonder Bread Society and habits are hard to break. 

White flour came onto the scene around the time of the Industrial Revolution.  We started milling wheat and removing the beneficial germ to increase the bread self life.  Naturalist would say that they removed the life of the grain which is what makes it so beneficial to the body.  I think this is a valid point but the thing that scares me the most is the use of chemicals in the process.  The most common used in the production of white flour is called alloxan.  This chemical is used to make white flour look so beautifully clean and this same chemical has the power to destroy the beta cells of the pancreas.  What does that mean to our bodies in the long term, the risk of diabetes?  Scientists have known the risk for years and even use it to induce diabetes in lab animals by injecting alloxan directly into the animals.  How does alloxan cause diabetes?  The alloxan makes beta cells fail to operate normally and they eventually do not produce insulin which causes one variety of adult-onset type 2 diabetes.  The white flour industry argues if alloxan was the primary cause of diabetes more Americans would be diabetic.  Even though that is a valid point we also know that not just one thing usually causes a single health issue.

If you are diabetic or have a family history of diabetics one of the first steps in prevention is the elimination of white flour. 

The baker’s at Bizzy Lizzy Bakery have come up with a wonderful solution.  They have created a  breakfast “Hearty” cookie that is packed with fiber and protein.  These soft and delicious cookies have 4 grams of fiber and NO FLOUR.  Most high fiber products have wheat flours, which many are trying to avoid. 

Sheila Rae

http://www.bizzylizzybakery.com

I found this interesting article today and wanted to pass it along to you gals. If you are looking for an alternative to coffee, why not check out Teeccino Herbal Coffee? It comes in many different flavors, including Vanilla Nut, Almond Amaretto, Hazelnut, Java, and even an organic version. It brews in your coffee pot and smells heavenly. Zero caffeine! You can check it out here.

 This article is from Sheila Ray of Bizzy Lizzy Bakery.  I thought it was worth passing along to you.  She has a really neat business, so you should go check it out!

~Erica 

I have several friends that have severe food allergies and they feel like burden to their friends.  If they are invited to a party they are often limited to what they can eat and they fear they may end up with something that may cause them problems.  The host or hostess on the other hand are afraid that them may make them sick.

 First of all mark all foods that contain peanuts, shell fish and flour.  These are the most common food allergies in the U.S.

Secondly do not panic if you have friends that have these allergies.  It is an easy fix.  For the gluten just make a replacement.  There is a flour product in stores that have a wonderful mix of flours including rice, garbanzo bean, tapioca and more that can replace flour in any recipe.  It works in quick breads, cakes, pies and cookies.

Shell-fish is a easy fix because you can replace it with other fish products or another meat in most cases.  I recommended doing a test run.

Peanut Butter is another easy fix because those who have allergies to peanuts generally do not have allergies to almonds.  Buy almond butter and replace it. 

I have friends overall the time with food allergies and I make a huge effort to make things they can eat and the rest of the guests are non the wiser.  The food tastes great and the fellowships and stories of the evening make the party a huge success.

 

I write a lot about food allergies and health issues.  I am a Home Economist, teacher and mom and I am very concerned about the health of our children and families. 

Sheila Rae

http://www.bizzylizzybakery.com

This morning I was awakened by a phone call from a friend who was concerned that her daughter had head lice.  After I got up and dressed I went over to her house to investigate.  Sure enough, cooties!  So we spent an hour using the Robi Comb and egg comb, finding probably at least 20 live lice and umpteen eggs.

This friend is what I would consider to be an extremely conscientious mother.  Her children are always very clean, well-dressed, and watched over.  Although she knew about my head lice repellant spray, I think maybe she thought that head lice would never venture into her little girl’s sweet, clean head.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  Head lice are no respector of persons!  :)  No matter how clean and neat you are, or what kind of school your children go to, head lice can show up to anyone’s party.

In contrast, once I got to my book group today I told the gals there about my morning of cootie catching with my other friend.  One woman in the group bought my spray for her granddaughters, who  had always gotten head lice at least 3 times per school year.  She said that since starting to use my spray they hadn’t had any head lice.

It’s easier to keep it away than get it away, folks! 

I thought this article was interesting.  It’s not every day that we see a study recommending a natural substance as superior to pharmaceuticals.  :)  Have you ever tried honey as a cough medicine?  How did it work for you?

I had never heard of IBC until today when my mom sent me this link. Later today, we found out that my grandmother very likely has it. Tests will be in next week.

Until then, please take a few minutes to watch and learn. Afterwards you can learn more at this site.

Erica,

just curious. How can I convince my husband ,who questions every source of any article that states that coffee is detrimental to health, that he needs to do his own research? He has found articles that prove that wrong. He has HBP and had a heart attack last year. I’ll drink a cup with him on the weekend but even then I wonder how much damage it did to my system. I read that it is very acidic. Is that true? I enjoy a good cup of coffee with an asiago bagel for a once in a while treat. But he drinks 2 cups every am. I know that it is loaded but I know so much about health stuff that he won’t listen to me. He gave up coffee for 5 months while we were overseas and drank green tea. Back in the US, back to coffee. Please, help. I can forward your link to him but I know he’s just gonna say :well look at their alternatives-they just want you to buy something else that they can make money off. I am sorry I am venting it. I didn’t mean to. I guess I dropped the coffee issue after he survived the HA and now it is bothering me again I guess. Your post stirred up a string. He want to loose 10lb or so and I was hoping the weight loss will trigger something inside to quit again. ANy ideas? How much are the tapes? I know he won’t like the alternatives. I know I didn’t when I tried something similar. It was awful. I at least found a sugar sub for coffee that doesn’t have a bitter aftertaste. He loads his in a big Starbucks cup! Hey, I am not complaining here, I am just desperate. I guess I better go pray and not unload here. Sorry, any ideas are welcome,
Thanks so much,
A Concerned Wife

Good to hear from you! Sounds like you are very concerned about your husband. From what you describe I am not sure there is anything anyone can say to him to convince him to make a change. People have to want healthy changes for themselves. Changing how we eat is very hard, so if we don’t want it bad enough, usually the changes don’t stick. Know what I mean?

When making a switch to a healthier alternative to coffee, it helps to identify what attracts someone to coffee in the first place. For some people it’s the energy they get from the caffeine. For others it’s the taste. Some people enjoy the ritual of brewing, serving, smelling, serving, tasting. The Teeccino brews in a coffee pot and smells wonderful, so is good for people that like that part of it. The Gano Cafe is instant so it’s quick and easy and has a very coffee-ish taste.

If you aren’t sure if you’ll like our coffee alternatives or want to give a couple different kinds a try, you can order a sample pack for just $4!

If you want one of these packs, just send $4 to supermomshealth@hotmail.com via paypal.com. Be sure to let me know which items you want in your package!

Burns happen so easily around the house. Whether you’re cooking or baking, or have something hot spilled on you or a child, I want to share with you the very best solution to burns that I have ever used.

ALOE is a wonderful plant for burns. You can get one at Walmart or anyplace that sells basic house plants. Just set it on a windowsill and know it’s handy for when you need it.

When a burn happens, immediately go cut a piece off of one of the leaves (which are like spiny spikes). You will notice that inside the leaf is aloe gel. Just apply it generously to the burn area. It doesn’t smell very good, but it works GREAT! Reapply as needed.

Often when I have had a burn that I thought would be very painful, later on (within a couple hours) I can’t even tell where the burn was!

I have never seen any cream or ointment for sale that can rival the work that straight, pure aloe can do. Try it!

I’m an on-again, off-again raw foods person. I have no doubt about the value of raw foods, but life has a way of keeping me fluctuating on how well I do at keeping up on eating that way.

Almost a year ago I set up a blog called Raw Foods for Real People. There are several articles here that explain my healthy eating philosophy, give some good advice and recipes for incorporating raw foods into your life, resource recommendations, and more. Enjoy!