Natural Health Solutions

Butternut Squash: Go Beyond Flavor With Nutrition For A Healthier You!

Butternut squash has a sweet, nutty flavor, that is why many people enjoy adding it to their favorite dishes.This versatile veggie is packed with more than just taste possibilities; it’s also loaded with vitamin A — 1 cup of cooked squash has almost 150% of the recommended daily allowance — and is a good source of fiber, potassium, and magnesium. And like most vegetables, it’s fat-, cholesterol-, and sodium-free.

Besides, butternut squash is a great source of beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant. This vitamin and powerful antioxidant can prevent lung cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, help alleviate or prevent inflammatory diseases such as arthritis,lower cholesterol levels, and much more.Folate is another important nutrient which can help prevent birth defects. It also has 32% of DV of Vitamin C, omega 3 fatty acids, several vitamin B’s and copper.

I have to confess that butternut squash is my favorite vegetable next to tomatoes. I eat it almost every day, not just because of its high nutrient profile but for its gorgeous orange color, creamy, dense texture, and sweet yet versatile taste. When butternut squash is served in soup the potassium present in it can be particularly beneficial.

That’s because the sodium level in soup, even homemade soup, can end up on the high side as we season for taste. Excess sodium, unfortunately, has the potential to negatively impact the natural ability of your blood vessels to relax and expand. Fortunately, potassium encourages the body to excrete sodium and counteract the harmful effects of the excess. That’s one of many reasons why Butternut Squash Soup can be such a healthy choice.

You get a good dose of potassium to counter the sodium in the soup. For more potassium serve the soup with a side salad of dark leafy greens.

The Butternut Squash Soup recipe I’m sharing calls for roasting small cubes of squash at 400 degrees F before preparing the soup. The roasting gives the squash a deep caramelized flavor. continue reading »

Exercising More, Aging Less & Enjoying Life More!

Regular exercising, even initiated late in life, can help slow down the aging process. Inside all of our cells are fragments of DNA called telomeres – which basically help cells stay healthy. New research has demonstrated that aerobic exercise can help lengthen the life of those important pieces of DNA.

Telomeres are strands of DNA at the ends of your chromosomes that protect them from damage. The progressive and gradual erosion of telomeres leads to aging on a cellular level — think of them as a kind of biological clock. In fact it may be the most accurate biological clock we have. Once your telomeres drop below a certain level you simply die of “natural” causes.

As telomeres shorten more, cell death occurs. These cell deaths are associated with serious disease and premature aging. The leading anti-aging research is on how to prevent telomere shortening and develop therapies to lengthen telomeres, as many experts believe that lengthening telomeres could actually turn the biological clock backward.

However, exercise has been associated with preventing telomere shortening, so it is clearly a very powerful anti-aging strategy. A recent study in “Circulation” (a journal published by the American Heart Association) observed the makeup of telomeres in four groups of people:

• Healthy young non-exercising participants (average age 20)
• Middle aged non-active individuals (average age 50 years)
• Young professional athletes (average 45 miles running per week)
• Middle-aged athletes who had been active since adolescence (average 50 miles running per week).

Data that was obtained from 100 subjects showed that the group of older individuals who had exercised regularly since childhood had less erosion of their telomeres compared to non-active individuals of the same age. continue reading »

Why Cinnamon Oil As Mosquito Repellent? Three Great Reasons: 1. It's Natural 2. It's Environmentally Friendly. 3. It Kills Mosquitoes Better Than DEET

Cinnamon oil shows promise as a great-smelling, environmentally friendly pesticide, with the ability to kill mosquito larvae, according to a new study published in the July 14 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

A Few Fascinating Mosquito Facts

*   Mosquitoes are attracted by carbon dioxide, lactic acid and other body chemicals, as well as your body heat, and can sense these from 25-35 meters.

*   Women, and people drinking beer, have been shown to be more attractive to mosquitoes. So if you’re a woman drinking a beer, watch out.

*   Blonds seem to be more attractive to mosquitoes than brunettes.

DEET products are too toxic and should never be used, especially around children and on their skin.

By adding a few drops of cinnamon oil to your favorite lotion or sunscreen, you can make your own natural and safe mosquito repellent.

Here’s the deal: we humans love the smell of cinnamon; insects (particularly mosquitoes) don’t. So here are a few of the simplest and easiest tips to use cinnamon oil as an insect repellent:

Things You’ll Need:

• Cinnamon oil
• Sunscreen
• Lotion
• Spray bottle
• Water continue reading »

Coconut Water: Fights Fat & Boosts Your Immunity

For more than 4,000 years, coconut water has been considered as a natural source of nutrition, wellness, beauty and hydration.It is unique, full of minerals and nutrition and has been used for the very ill.

“It’s a natural isotonic beverage with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It’s the fluid of life, so to speak,” says Mr. Morton Satin, Chief of FAO’s Agricultural Industries and Post Harvest Management Service.1

“It’s the only natural substance that can be safely injected into the human blood stream. Now modern science has validated its effectiveness.”

Coconut water is a tasty and delightful treat after a hot and sweaty workout and it is popping up everywhere.  Gyms, yoga studios, and natural food stores are all realizing its great benefits . So what in the world is so good about coconut water and why is it so healthy for you?

Basically, coconut water is like natural Gatorade. Like Gatorade, it contains water, simple carbohydrates (or, sugar), and electrolytes (or, minerals).Compared to a sports drink made with refined sugars, artificial flavoring, and blue food coloring, I’d say coconut water represents a solid upgrade.

It contains no fat and is very low in calories, about 50 calories for one cup, most of them from natural sugars. In addition to water and sugar, coconut water also contains some minerals such as potassium and magnesium.  In fact, as the websites will all tell you, coconut water has more potassium than a banana! continue reading »

Marigold's Treasures (Antiseptic, Antioxidant, Anti-Fungal, Anti-Bacterial) To Your Health

Marigold is treasured for its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, antioxidant and antiseptic properties. Calendula officinalis (marigold) has now been placed in the books of cancer and anti-cancer cures.

The marigold is also able to help in the treatment of wounds. It is excellent in healing burns, stings and impetigo (a contagious skin infection.) It is wonderful in the treatment of warts, corns and calluses. The flowers are also used in the treatment of many skin conditions from eczema to varicose ulcers.

As a healing herb, marigold is unsurpassed for treating minor burns, stings, wounds, rashes and other skin problems.A marigold wash and poultice are very simple to make. Just steep a few flower heads in hot water until it cools, and then strain. You can dip gauze into the tea to wash the wound, or soak a gauze bandage in it .

Calendula is a beautiful plant with many uses and an interesting history. It is bright and cheery in the garden, adds zest, flavor and interest to many culinary dishes, can treat damaged skin and stimulate and rejuvenate healthy skin. How can any serious gardener not love, grow and use this beautiful and useful herb?

The flowers help heal internal ulcers and are a good stimulant for the digestive system. Both the leaves and flower petals have been used in salads. The flowers have a pungent, spicy flavor and have been used to flavor fish and meat soups, to add flavor and interest to cakes, breads, puddings, egg dishes and salads and in rice as a substitute for saffron. Only the flowers petals should be eaten as the center is quite bitter.

I often use fresh calendula flowers to reduce the pain and swelling of a wasp or bee sting, and I use diluted calendula tincture for broken skin, bleeding, and wounds; calendula lotion for various kinds of sprains.

You can use marigold petals steeped in vinegar for knee sprains; or you can make a lotion with milk. Simmer a dozen heads or so of marigolds in 2 cups of milk, steep, strain, and apply. continue reading »