Superfood Stew

Ingredients (makes 6-8 bowls):

• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 5-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 cups vegetable broth (I used low-sodium)
• 3 cups fresh button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach, packed
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans 
• 1 (15 oz) can white beans
• 2 cups tomato sauce (I use my favorite low-sodium brand)
• 1/4 cup raw tahini butter
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp. ground chia seeds
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. garlic powder (I like to use a few fresh cloves of garlic)
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to garnish

Directions:

Chop 2 large yellow onions and mince the garlic. Saute the onions and garlic in a soup pot with all of the vegetable broth over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and add all of the sliced mushrooms to the skilled and let them cook for 5 minutes.

Add spinach, beans and basil leaves and stir well. Cook for another 2 minutes as the baby spinach wilts.

In a large bowl, mix tomato sauce, tahini, nutritional yeast, chia seeds and all spices. Stir well and pour into the pot.

Bring dish to a boil. Cover the pan and stir every few minutes or so. Reduce heat if you feel that sticking is occurring on the bottom of the pan.

After a few minutes cooking at high-heat, reduce heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes. Voilà! Your meal is done and ready for eating. Sprinkle with black pepper, if desired.

BY TALIA FUHRMAN

Discover the Secrets of Super Foods

Discover the Secrets of superfoods

 superfoods available here

A list of the top 6 superfoods may seem unbelievable, but there are foods that possess such strong health benefits, that they are referred to as "superfoods".

This healthy raw food list consists of foods that have more nutrients per calorie than most other foods. They've been shown to contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that prevent disease: from cancer to heart disease to arthritis, and many more. These super foods are ideal for quick and easy raw food recipes. We should include these super foods as part of an all raw food diet on a regular basis. These are truly holistic health supplements.

A great way to eat these raw health foods - whether you just begin a raw food diet or whether you're 100% raw already - is to add them to your daily smoothie. You can also add some raw honey and roll them into a raw health food bar.

If you're looking for improvement of health on a raw food diet these are the superb raw uncooked foods to eat!

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Top 6 Super Foods

Amazing wheatgrass Juice

Wheatgrass contains most of the vitamins and minerals needed for human health. It's a whole meal and complete protein with about 30 enzymes. It has up to 70% chlorophyll (which builds the blood). It's an excellent source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Wheatgrass cleanses the body (natural raw detoxer) and it eliminates body and breath odors. The natural value of wheatgrass juice is so high that many people don't feel the "cravings" that lead to overeating. It's great for the skin and first and second decree burns.

Did you know that all grasses are edible and that there are over 400 varieties. 

Magic goji Berries

Tibetan goji berries are extremely rich in anti-oxidants which help protect the cells in our bodies from diseases like cancer. They're also an excellent source of Vitamin C and soluble fiber. They have more amino acids than bee pollen, more beta carotene than carrots, more iron than spinach and 21 trace minerals. Goji Berries contain of 13% protein! It's been used to treat eye problems, skin rashes, allergies, insomnia, liver disease, diabetes, cervical cancer, to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. It's a powerful anti-fungal and anti-bacterial food.

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Sexy maca

Maca is a radish like fruit that grows in Peru. It's one of the top 5 super foods enjoyed by raw foodists. It's extraordinary rich in nutrients: 10% protein, 60% carbohydrate and full of fatty acids, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals trace.

Maca is famous for its amazing health benefits and used to boost, energy, strength, libido, sexual function and fertility in both men and women. It's a natural viagra with no side effects and it's said to relieve symptoms of menopause within days.

The Peruvian root works gradually, not instantly. You need to eat maca continually to receive the full benefits. For the best results look for organic raw maca powder.

Maca balances the body's systems: it'll raise low blood pressure and lower high blood pressure as needed. Maca boosts immunity and harmonizes the body's overall vitality.

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Discover Bee pollen 

Bee pollen contain more than 96 different nutrients, including every single nutrient that you need to live. It's made up of 40% protein. It's a natural energizer, slows down the aging process, and lowers cholesterol levels.

This super food reliefs discomfort from PMS, prevents prostate problems, improves sperm count, boosts the immune system, and detoxifies your body. It alleviates allergies, improves endurance, strength and mental clarity. It promotes weight loss: the rate at which your body burns fat and it reduces cravings. It regulates your mood and helps control stress in your life.

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Hemp Seed Secrets

Hemp is one of the purest, most complete plants on earth. It has the perfect balance of Omega 3 and 6 for sustainable human health. This makes raw hemp seeds incredibly powerful against cancer. It might be the single best food to prevent it. It's a high quality, complete raw food protein and has a massive trace mineral content.

It's the only seed that doesn't need to be germinated before eating: it has no enzyme exhibitors. Therefore it's easy to absorb.   hemp plus (Henneppro) has 15 extra antioxidants.

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Heavenly raw-bio-cacao

Although controversial, many find raw chocolate a super food. It's rich in anti oxidants and magnesium. And as long as you're healthy and use is sensibly it's a super, tasty and healthy addition to your recipes.

Listen to David Wolfe. In this video he discloses the secrets of RAW chocolate and why he beliefs it's good to eat a lot of it.

The benefits of raw chocolate?

It's a major source of magnesium. Therefore a great laxative, it releases PMS symptoms, it's good for the brain and heart.

It's the number 1 anti-oxidant source. 30X as much as green tea and 10X that of blueberries.

It does not contain caffeine.

However, it does contain theobromine (a sister molecule of caffeine). This makes raw chocolate the best medicine against asthma.

It contains serotonin and triple defense. Together they protect us from the damage of stress.

Chocolate is the number one weight loss food. It's so nutrient dense. If you eat a few beans you feel fantastic and satisfied. You won't feel hungry and you can go for hours without food.

So, start eating more RAW chocolate! Here you find a raw chocolate recipes.

 resource  http://www.thebestofrawfood.com

Grain - free almond cinnamon balls

2.5 + 1/2 cups almond flour, separated

1.5 cups tapioca or arrowroot starch

2 tsp gluten-free, aluminum-free baking powder

3/4 cup coconut sugar

2 TBSP cinnamon

3 eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

coconut oil to grease pan

Gooey Topping:

1/2 cup butter or ghee, melted

1 cup coconut sugar

1.5 tsp cinnamon

Cinnamon Topping:

1 TBSP coconut sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt cake pan with coconut oil. In a saucepan, heat together the “gooey topping” ingredients over medium heat, cooking until well incorporated. Pour into bundt cake pan. 

Mix together dry ingredients for the monkey bread in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut oil, then stir in the apple cider vinegar. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. If the dough is still really sticky, sprinkle in some of the extra almond flour until the dough can be rolled into balls. It will still be a little bit sticky, but should be able to be rolled into balls. 

As you roll the balls, stick them in the bundt cake pan, filling it up until you have used up all the dough:

Sprinkle with the cinnamon topping (coconut sugar and cinnamon) and then place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately turn over onto a serving platter. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Note: If you don’t have a bundt cake pan, and want to make these as muffins, you can just follow the same procedure, but put 3 balls in each muffin tin, and bake for about 15 minutes. The first time I made these, I just drizzled the gooey topping on top afterwards: 

Sulforaphane

Sulforaphane is a compound that has been found to have several health benefits, including powerful anti-cancer properties. All of the foods that contain sulforaphane are cruciferous vegetables, members of the Brassicaceae family, which means that they are goitrogenic. This means that they may worsen hypothyroidism symptoms in people prone to that disorder. If your thyroid is healthy you should not be concerned about consuming cruciferous vegetables as long as you are not eating massive amounts.

Here are 10 foods that contain sulforaphane.

Broccoli Sprouts
Broccoli sprouts, the immature seedlings of the broccoli plant, contain more sulforaphane than any other vegetables, inluding full grown broccoli. Research has found that they contain anywhere from 10 to 100 times more of the compound than broccoli. Cooking vegetables containing sulforaphane reduces the amount of sulforaphane they contain, which is another reason why broccoli sprouts are a great way to get it - they are usually eaten raw, while many of the other foods on this list are eaten cooked and often boiled, which is the worst way to cook vegetables if you want to preserve nutrients.

Broccoli
Broccoli isn't as high in sulforaphane as its sprouts, but it's still one of the top on the list. Eat it raw or lightly steamed for maximum benefit. Boiling it negates most of the nutrition.

Cauliflower
Cauliflower is often thought of as broccoli's bland, white brother. However, it is high in nutrients, including sulforaphane, and it doesn't have to be boring if you are creative. It is also a versatile vegetable that is often used by raw foodists and low carbers as a food subsitute. It makes a good faux rice that is delicious raw or cooked.

Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a great source of sulforaphane. However, most people eat them cooked and, as mentioned above, this reduces the level of sulforaphane they contain. Instead of boiling them as many people do, lightly steam them or saute them in order to retain the most benefits.

Savoy Cabbage
Savoy cabbage contains high levels of sulforaphane. As with everything else on this list, the less you cook it, the better. Unlike other types of cabbage, Savoy doesn't have the sulfur smell that so many people find unpleasant about cooked cabbage.

Red Cabbage
Red cabbage contains lower levels of sulphoraphane than Savoy cabbage, but has almost as much. Red cabbage is great raw in salads and coleslaw, but can also be lightly cooked in stir fries and other recipes.

Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi, another type of cabbage, is also a great source. It tastes great raw and is a great addition to raw vegetable platters with dips.

Kale
Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat, and one reason is its sulforaphane content. Try adding raw kale to green smoothies, lightly saute it, or steam it.

Collard Greens
Collards are also a good source of sulforaphane. Add raw collards to a green smoothie along with a banana and some kale or use a raw collard leaf as a sandwich or burrito wrap.

Horseradish
Many people don't realize that horseradish is a Brassicaceae like the vegetables listed above and contains sulforaphane just like they do. Add a bit of horseradish to your recipes and you'll get a taste boost along with a health boost.

Johns Hopkins introduces the anti-cancer benefits of sprouts

It was the Johns Hopkins research team who first explored this vegetable's fighting compounds. And the team was able to zero in on the phytochemical sulforaphane content of broccoli that makes it effective against cancer. With continuous study, the team also found out that the sprouts possess more amounts of antioxidants and provide greater protection against cancer. This has encouraged sprout growers everywhere.

University of Illinois study says broccoli combo is a double threat against cancer

A recent study from the University of Illinois proves; however, that eating broccoli or the sprouts alone may give much nutrition. But in an effort to boost the anti-cancer effects of the vegetable, both the mature broccoli and the spouts have to be consumed. One of the researchers and professor of nutrition at University of Illinois, Elizabeth Jeffrey explains, to be able to maximize the benefits of broccoli's anti-cancer component, sulforaphane, the enzyme myrosinase is required. This is because the enzyme obtained from the sprouts increase the absorption of sulforaphane in the body. Hence, as the study concludes, eating broccoli in both forms can double the cancer preventive effects of this green.

The University of Illinois team studied the blood levels of the male participants in the study. The participants were divided into three groups. The first group were fed with meals containing broccoli alone. The second group consumed broccoli sprouts only. And the third group was served both. Out of the three groups, it was the third group of male participants who proved to have nearly 50 percent more sulforaphane in their system based on their blood tests.

This is certainly good news. It serves as another reminder to pay attention to eating your share of greens.

More cancer prevention recommendations

Aside from eating broccoli powder with sprouts, there are other food items that can possibly boost the cancer fighting properties of the vegetable. For example, wasabi, radish, mustard and arugula. The University of Illinois research team also suggests steaming instead of microwaving broccoli for around two to four minutes to get the most of the enzyme and maximize the cancer preventive properties of the green vegetable.

www.naturalnews.com

http://www.healthdiaries.com

Bone Broth- How and Why

 

Making Beef Bone Broth

about 2-3kg of bones (beef marrow, knuckle bones, meaty rib, neck bones – whatever the butcher will give you)
about 3-4 litres of cold water
1/2 cup vinegar
2-3 onions, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
several sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together
1 teaspoon dried green peppercorns, crushed or a tsp black peppercorns

Place the bonier bones (ie not much meat) in a very large pot with vinegar and cover with water. Let stand for one hour.

Meanwhile, place the meaty bones in a roasting pan and brown at 350 degrees in the oven. When well browned, add to the pot along with the vegetables.

Add additional water, if necessary, to cover the bones; but the liquid should come no higher than within one inch of the rim of the pot, as the volume expands slightly during cooking.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the thyme and crushed peppercorns.

Simmer 12-72 hours.

As Sally says: You will now have a pot of rather repulsive-looking brown liquid containing globs of gelatinous and fatty material. It doesn’t even smell particularly good.

Strain the lot (you’ll need to use tongs our your hands to pull out the bones) into a large bowl. Let cool in the fridge and then…

Operation Remove Fat Layer.

This is a little grose, but somehow satisfying. The congealed fat on top is usually a good 1-2cm thick and you can literally pick it up in chunks (like ice over a pond) and turf it.

Divide into containers and freeze/eat.

some things to know:

• You brown the meatier of the bones in the oven first to 200 degrees C for 45-90 minutes. Lamb/beef bones give better broth if roasted in the oven first.
• Acid is necessary in order to extract the minerals from the bone. Add some vinegar  to aid in leaching these minerals – in particular calcium -and other nutrients from the bones.
• The water should be cold, because slow heating helps bring out flavors.
• Stock will keep several days in the fridge…I mostly freeze it though.
• Boiled down it concentrates and becomes a jellylike fumée or demi-glaze that can be reconstituted into a sauce by adding water.

some things to do with bone broth:

* Drink it like a soup

* Make this amazing Wild Mushroom stew.

* Braise vegetables with it. I use a tablespoon or two instead of oil when doing stirfries.

* Gravy!!!

The first time I made beef stock, it wasn’t very good and didn’t become brown enough, but was an insipid beige color. The second time I made it, it didn’t gell, but it tasted good. It’s amazing that I tried again, but I guess it made success all the more sweet. Here are some tips to increase your success.

• Try to use several types of bones. These can be bought from your butcher pretty cheaply. Grass-fed beef is better, but don’t stress too much about it, better to get the basics down first.
• always brown your meaty bones really well on both sides before putting them into the pot. This step is the most important.
• throw any leftover meat in the pot, or save to cut up and put in soup. If you cook it into the stock, you won’t be able to eat it in the soup, because all of the flavor will be simmered out of it. I guess some recipes could work using the meat, say in something highly spiced.
• Save bits of meat in a bag in the freezer to add to the stockpot. Label your bag though so you know what it is for!
• My husband hates this one, but don’t give your dogs your beef bones until you’re done making broth out of them. Only give the dogs the bones that are still hard when they come out of the broth, none of the really soft ones.
• Do NOT skip the vinegar step, it draws the minerals out of the bones
• Freeze your carrot, garlic, onion and celery trimmings in a bag, and add to the pot
• Let the pot sit for longer than you think is possible, it will be fine over 2 or even 3 days. Turn the stove off at night if you want and then turn it back on in the morning. If you don’t lift the lid, it will still be at a good temperature in the morning unless your house gets really cold at night (under 60 degrees).
• If you don’t like the flavor of your broth, don’t worry, just simmer it longer, maybe leaving the lid off if it’s too pale. Once it reduces, you can see what the flavor is really like and then add some celtic sea salt to bring out the flavors.

Top 5 Reasons Why Bone Broth is The Bomb. Here we go!

Reason #1: Bone Broth Makes Your Joints Feel as Smooth as Eggs.

Yes, that was a Dave Chappelle reference. If you don’t get it, don’t worry about it.

Anyway…

In her ridiculously awesome book Deep Nutrition, Dr. Cate Shanahan writes…

“The health of your joints depends upon the health of the collagen in your ligaments, tendons, and on the ends of your bones. Collagens are a large family of biomolecules, which include the glycosaminoglycans, very special molecules that help keep our joints healthy.”

Bone broth is loaded with glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). In fact, I’m absolutely certain that you’ve heard of one of them — glucosamine. Yep, those supplements that seemingly everyone is taking for joint health contain one of the GAGs we get from consuming bone broth.

You know me, I’m a food-first kind of guy. Here’s just one of the reasons why I prefer Real Food over supplementation…

Notice I said that glucosamine is just one of the GAGs contained in bone broth. When you consume broth you also get chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, and likely a bunch of other equally important GAGs that have yet to be discovered.

What’s more, the GAGs we get from bone broth are resistant to digestion and are absorbed in their intact form. According to Dr. Cate, these intact GAGs like hormones, stimulating cells calledfibroblasts which lay down collagen in the joints, tendons, ligaments, and even the arteries.

I can personally attest to the joint-healing benefits of bone broth. Before I began drinking it regularly, I had been dealing with a lingering dull pain in my left shoulder. After about a week and a half of daily consumption, the pain completely vanished. My knees feel much better when running stairs as well.

It’s truly powerful stuff!

Reason #2: Bone Broth Makes Your Hair, Skin, and Nails Look Dead Sexy.

I know people who, in a quest to recapture a youthful appearance, will pay top dollar for products that boost collagen — also the main constituent of hair, skin, and nails.

As we age, production of collagen declines and we start to see the outward signs of aging.

Out here in San Diego (Land of The Beautiful), botox — a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium clostridium botulinum — is all the craze for the reduction of lines and wrinkles.

That’s kinda weird, in my opinion. And expensive.

Personally, I’d much rather prepare and consume bone broth to keep my skin, hair (if I had any), and nails looking fabulous than have a toxin injected into my face.

But that’s just me.

(By the way, broth is super cheap to make on your own.)

Reason #3: Bone Broth Heals Your Gut!

Let’s keep it real. Most people reading this blog right now are experiencing some kind of gastrointestinal challenge — constipation, diarrhea, food sensitivities, leaky gut, or even autoimmune disease.

One of the most vital nutrients for healing the gut is gelatin. Yep, the stuff that makes the Jell-O jiggle.

There was a time when gelatin was the most studied nutrient under the sun for all of its healing virtues. Times have certainly changed.

To make a long story short, the intestinal lining is supposed to be permeable in order for nutrients to pass through. However, this lining can become too permeable due to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, stress, long-term contraceptive use, as well as bacterial and fungal overgrowths. Just think of poking huge holes in your window screens at home. Yes, the good air will pass through, but the flies, gnats, and mosquitoes will too.

This is how leaky gut — or gut hyperpermeability — works. Undigested food particles can slip through the gut lining and pass directly into the bloodstream. No bueno! When this happens, the immune system freaks out and starts attacking the very foods you eat — we call these food sensitivities.

Over time, this can turn into an autoimmune issue by which your immune system thinks your thyroid — or any other tissue, for that matter — looks like the piece of steak molecule it’s been fighting off for the past few years. In other words, your body starts to attack itself.

According to our good friend Dr. Thomas O’Bryan, autoimmunity will soon be the number one cause of death in this country. Gut hyperpermeability is a big reason why.

What does bone broth have to do with any of this? Well, the gelatin in bone broth spackles the excess holes in the gut lining, so to speak. It’s quite the handyman, and should be part of any gut-healing protocol.

Reason #4: Bone Broth Reduces Your Need for Meat and Protein.

This is pretty darn interesting. In her fantastic Real Food Summit (RFS) presentation, Sarah Pope revealed that studies conducted in the 1800s demonstrated that when there is plenty of gelatin in the diet, the body’s need for protein from meat sources can be reduced by as much as fifty-percent!

We all know that purchasing quality meats can be hard on the wallet. The good news is that you can make bone broth for dirt cheap and thus save money on meat.

Not a bad deal.

Reason #5: Bone Broth Helps Get the Toxins Out.

Here’s another golden nugget from Mrs. Pope. The liver is the master organ of detoxification. Unfortunately, it was never intended to withstand the very toxic, chemical nature of today’s world.

The liver is certainly under assault on a daily basis, and its capacity to detoxify is limited by the availability of the amino acid glycine.

Guess where you can get tons of glycine from? Bone broth, baby!

For now, forget about all the fancy detox programs you’ve heard about. Do your liver a favor by giving it what it needs to do its job most effectively.

Gosh, I can go on and on with this blog. The benefits of consuming bone broth are endless. That’s why it’s the bomb.

http://undergroundwellness.com

http://thenourishingcook.com

http://www.sarahwilson.com.au

Hot Chocolate Chili Drink

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Heavy Whipping Cream (optional)  then just double the nut or raw milk used
• ½ cup of Whole milk  (or nut milk or raw goat milk)
• 1 – 2 tbsp of B grade maple syrup
• 1 tbsp of cocoa
• ¼ tsp of cinnamon
• ¼ tsp of cardamom
• ¼ tsp of cayenne

Instructions

1. In a medium pot over low heat, add in all the ingredients. Bring to a low boil, turn to low and whisk for 2 minutes to combine all the spices.
2. Enjoy

http://www.agirlworthsaving.net

Gluten Free Protein Bar Recipe

Gluten Free Protein Bar Recipe 

Yield: Makes about 12 bars.



 Super nutritious and very flavorful.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups raw cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc. (any high fat nut)
14 organic medjool dates
1/2 cup raw almonds
3 Tablespoons flaxseed
2 Tablespoons agave syrup
2 Tablespoons raw organic spirulina powder (blue-green algae) (optional)
1/2 cup raw nut of your choosing (optional)

Instructions:
Add nuts, dates, flaxseed, and, if using, spirulina powder, to a food processor or high-powered blender. Blend continuously for 1 minute on high.
While machine is still running pour agave syrup into container until the mixture adheres to itself, almost formed into a single ball.
Place nut mixture into an 8x8" pan and compress the mixture and refrigerate until firm. Cut into small pieces and store in snack size zipper storage bags. Refrigerate if not used within about 2 days.

Tips

Optional: If you like larger pieces of nuts, remove nut mixture, and set aside. Add walnuts or whichever nut you originally used (or even another nut) to the food processor and pulsate to create larger pieces than the ground nuts in the ball. Add ball back in and pulsate until blended.

These are not on the high sweet side, therefore, feel free to add additional dates or a tiny bit more agave syrup.

And whatever you do, don't keep them in the car or your purse. They tend to soften quickly!

Suggestion:

To make the texture creamier, roast the nuts in a baking sheet and bake at 350° for about 10 minutes. It will release the oils and provide a richer flavor. However, when you roast walnuts the flavor is depreciated.

http://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-protein-bar-recipe/

Under Our Skin - the documentary, The Untold Story of Lyme Disease

Under Our Skin: The Untold Story of Lyme Disease is a 2008 documentary film about Lyme disease, focusing on the controversy surrounding "chronic" Lyme disease. Wikipedia


Unrelenting pain. Headaches, muscle aches, swollen joints, rashes. Loss of coordination and muscle spasms. Intermittent paralysis. Cycles of disabling symptoms that persist for years, causing ceaseless suffering and frustration for patients and their families.
This is the picture of chronic Lyme disease. And yet, many physicians tell their patients there is "no such thing," referring them to psychiatrists, misdiagnosing them, or even accusing them of fabricating an illness or simply seeking attention.
"Under Our Skin," a critically acclaimed documentary and Oscar semi-finalist exposes the hidden story of Lyme disease, one of the most serious and controversial epidemics of our time. Slant Magazine calls it "head-spinning...riveting...a rigorously researched and highly thorough piece of investigative reporting."
Each year, thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, often told their symptoms are all in their heads. "Under Our Skin" brings into focus a troubling picture of a health care system that is far too willing to put profits ahead of patients. The Chicago Daily Herald calls it "a ripping indictment of the medical establishment's failure to uphold its oath."
The History and Discovery of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease rates are escalating at breakneck speed, among humans as well as animals. Today, Lyme disease is the most common vector borne disease in the U.S., far more common and dangerous to the average American than West Nile virus. In fact, there were almost 40,000 reported cases of Lyme in 2009,1which by all accounts is a gross underestimate.
The CDC estimates the real number of cases may be up to 12 times higher, suggesting as high as 480,000, making Lyme far more prevalent than AIDS. The number of Lyme cases reported annually has increased nearly 25-fold since national surveillance began in 1982.2
Lyme disease was named after the East Coast town of Lyme, Connecticut, where the disease was first identified in 1975.3 The disease was first referred to as "Lyme arthritis" due to the presentation of atypical arthritic symptoms. By 1977, the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis, also known as the deer tick) was linked to transmission of the disease.
Then in 1982, Willy Burgdorfer, PhD, discovered the bacterium responsible for the infection: Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria are released into your blood from the infected tick, while the tick is drinking your blood.
We now know there are five subspecies of Borrelia burgdorferi, more than 100 strains in the U.S. and 300 worldwide, many of which have developed resistance to our various antibiotics. Although many still attribute transmission exclusively to ticks, according to Dr. Deitrich Klinghardt, one of the leading authorities on Lyme disease, the bacteria can also be spread by other insects, including mosquitoes, spiders, fleas, and mites. This may be the reason so few Lyme sufferers recall being bitten by a tick. There is also increasing evidence that Lyme disease may be transmitted sexually and congenitally.
Borrelia burgdorferi is a spirochete,4 a cousin to the spirochete bacterium that causes syphilis. In fact, they look almost identical under a microscope. B. burgdorferi's corkscrew-shaped form allows it to burrow into and hide in a variety of your body's tissues, which is why it causes such wide-ranging multisystem involvement.
The Invisible Illness
Many Lyme patients who battle this disease on a daily basis appear healthy, which is why Lyme disease has been called "the invisible illness." They often "look good," and their blood work appears normal, but their internal experience is a far different story. Patients struggling with Lyme disease usually become adept at hiding their pain from others as a way to cope and restore some degree of normalcy to their lives.
Part of the problem with diagnosing and treating Lyme disease is that it is so easy to misdiagnose.
Lyme disease is called "the great imitator,"5 mimicking other disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, ALS, ADHD and Alzheimer's disease. In some cases, Lyme patients can even develop paralysis or slip into a coma. The only distinctive hallmark unique to Lyme disease is the "bulls eye" rash, but this is absent innearly half of those infected. Laboratory tests are notoriously unreliable.
Fewer than half of Lyme patients recall a tick bite. In some studies, this number is as low as 15 percent. So, if you don't recall seeing a tick on your body, that doesn't rule out the possibility of Lyme disease. According to TBDA3:
"Although the bulls eye red rash is considered the classic sign to look for, it is not even the most common dermatologic manifestation of early Lyme infection. Atypical forms of this rash are seen far more commonly. It is important to know that the Erythema Migrans rash is a clear, unequivocal sign of Lyme disease..."
Besides the rash, some of the first symptoms of Lyme disease may include a flu-like condition with fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, achiness and fatigue. For a complete list of symptoms, refer to the Tick-Borne Disease Alliance6 (TBDA), but some of the more frequent symptoms include the following2:
• Muscle and joint pain
• Neurological problems
• Heart involvement
• Vision and hearing problems
• Migraines
The "Lyme Paradox"
Dr. Klinghardt believes one of the factors that has led to increased Borrelia virulence is the dramatic increase in electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and microwave radiation from cell phones and towers, wireless Internet, power lines, household electrical wiring, etc. Reduction of exposure to these fields is a key part of his Lyme treatment protocol, which I'll be discussing shortly.
One of the reasons blood tests are so unreliable as indicators of Lyme infection is that the spirochete has found a way to infect your white blood cells. Lab tests rely on the normal function of these cells to produce the antibodies they measure.
If your white cells are infected, they don't respond to an infection appropriately. And the worse your Borrelia infection is, the less likely it will show up on a blood test. In order for Lyme tests to be useful, you have to be treated first. Once your immune system begins to respond normally, only then will the antibodies show up. This is called the "Lyme Paradox" – treatmentbefore diagnosis.
Dr. MacDonald's Syphilis Model
The behavior of Borrelia may be more similar to its cousin Treponemapallidum, the spirochete responsible for syphilis. Both take different forms in your body (cystic forms, granular forms, and cell wall deficient forms), depending on what conditions they need to accommodate. This clever maneuvering helps them to hide and survive.
Perhaps the most compelling evidence for Borrelia as a far greater player than previously thought comes from the work of Alan MacDonald, MD, who's been studying parallels between Lyme disease and syphilis for the past 30 years. MacDonald found the DNA of Borrelia in seven out of ten brain specimens from people who died of Alzheimer's disease.7
Astonishingly, the DNA was "fused" with human DNA, into one molecule! Syphilis is well known for causing symptoms across multiple body systems, including neurosyphilis, the psychiatric form of the illness.
Syphilis remains relatively easy to treat, as long as it's diagnosed early. But its cousin Borrelia seems to be upping the ante. Dr. Klinghardt stated in one of our interviews that he's never had a single patient with Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis who tested negative for Borrelia. Those are all diseases with no known cause. Could Lyme disease be the missing link? And if it is, why hasn't there been a stampede of researchers in pursuit of the truth?
Attorney General Finds IDSA Lyme Guidelines Flawed and Panel Corrupted
A handful of people are the gatekeepers for information about Lyme disease. Most of those occupy positions within the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), which publishes guidelines for a number of infectious diseases, one of which is Lyme.
In the IDSA's most recent clinical practice guidelines for Lyme disease8 the authors claim Lyme is easily cured with, typically, two weeks of antibiotics, requiring 28 days in rare cases. They also claim there is no scientific evidence for chronic Borreliainfection. However, the studies they reference clearly reflect their bias. Of the 400 references cited, half are based on articles written by guidelines authors themselves.
Their literature review in no way represents the total body of science related to the study of Lyme disease.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal has long been a strong advocate for people with Lyme disease.9 While he was Connecticut, Attorney General Blumenthal conducted an investigation into the IDSA's panel members and 2006 Lyme disease guidelines.
These guidelines have sweeping impacts on Lyme disease medical care. They are commonly applied by insurance companies to restrict coverage for long-term treatment and strongly influence physicians' treatment decisions. Insurance companies have denied coverage for long-term treatment, citing these guidelines as justification that chronic Lyme disease is a myth. Blumenthal's investigation found conflicts of interest were rampant in the IDSA, with numerous undisclosed financial interests among its most powerful panelists.
The IDSA agreed to create a new panel to review the ethics of the 2006 IDSA panel, overseen by Blumenthal's office. But this ended up being nothing more than a pacifier. The end result was a Final Report published on the IDSA site10 finding the original guidelines "based on the highest-quality medical/scientific evidence available," stating the authors "did not fail to consider or cite any relevant data." Senator Blumenthal continues to fight the establishment, however, and has taken his battle to the U.S. Senate8.
Dr. Klinghardt's Treatment Protocol for Lyme Disease
Conventional treatment of chronic Lyme, by the physicians who believe in it, hinges on long-term use of antibiotics. While this treatment can indeed be effective, there are many reasons to opt for alternatives such as those detailed by Dr. Klinghardt, as antibiotics will disrupt your gut flora, thereby exposing you to a whole host of other pathologies.
Total Video Length: 1:35:03 Download Interview Transcript
Dr. Klinghardt's basic treatment strategies are summarized below. His full treatment protocol is too complex to include here, but if you want details, I recommend reading our 2009 article that focuses on those specific Lyme treatment strategies. You can also visit Dr. Klinghardt's website, where he posts his treatment protocols and recipes. There are five basic steps:
1. Evaluation of all external factors. External factors include electrosmog, EMF, microwave radiation from wireless technologies, and molds. (For more information on mold, go to Ritchie Shoemaker's website11).
2. Remediation and mitigation of external factors. Once external factors have been assessed, they're remediated and mitigated. (Please refer to our previous article on mold remediation.) To mitigate microwave radiation, Dr. Klinghardt recommends shielding the outside of your home with a graphite paint called Y Shield. Inside, he uses a special silver-coated cloth for your curtains. Patients are instructed to remove all cordless telephones and turn off all the fuses at night, until they have recovered from Lyme disease.
3. Addressing emotional issues. Emotional components of the disease are addressed using Energy Psychology tools, including psychokinesiology (PK), which is similar to the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), but more refined and advanced.
4. Addressing parasitic, bacterial and viral infections. Dr. Klinghardt addresses the parasites first, followed by the bacteria and the viruses. The "Klinghardt antimicrobial cocktail," which includes wormwood (artemisinin), phospholipids, vitamin C, and various herbs, is an integral part of this treatment. He addresses viral infections with Viressence (by BioPure), which is a tincture of Native American herbs.
5. Addressing other lifestyle factors. Nutritional considerations and supplements are addressed.
Other Resources
In Dr. Klinghardt's experience, the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) is by far the best and most responsible group.The following are some other resources you might find helpful:
• "Under Our Skin" website
• Tick-Borne Disease Alliance (TBDA)
• Lymedisease.org (formerly CALDA)
Leading Lyme disease expert Joseph J. Burrascano, MD, wrote what is essentially a manual for managing Lyme disease, entitled "Advanced Topics in Lyme Disease," which is worth adding to your resource files. Realize that his treatment focus is long-term antibiotics, which I believe should not be your first choice. Nevertheless, there is some good information in this publication.
http://articles.mercola.com 

Hemp Seed Pesto

Almond or Hemp Seed Pesto

1 tbsp chopped garlic
3/4 tsp salt
3 bunches basil (leaves only)
3/4 c olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 c raw almond butter
or
1 c bio-hemp-seeds seeds

Place all ingredients except for the almond butter or hemp seeds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Pulse and scrape down sides of bowl until all the ingredients have reached a pretty smooth texture. While running, add the almond butter or hemp seeds. (Some people like their pesto chunky. Use your own judgment as to when to add the butter or seeds.)

Your pesto is now ready to use. This stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Makes 1 1/2-2 cups.

http://cafegratitude.com