Goddess of the Garden » Raw Healing

Dandelions – Not Just a Weed

admin — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:00:55 +0000

Dandelions usually aren’t a favorite if you ask around. They are an annoyance to many that like to keep pristine lawns but did you know that you can eat them? Yep, you can. You can even make wine with them…my husband’s family does this every year. I actually think they are quite pretty to.

Dandelions are more than just a weed. Studies have shown that dandelions act as a tonic to purify the blood, improve gastrointestinal health, and its juice can be used to treat colds and congestion, as well. They are a rich source of Beta-carotene and vitamin A, fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, thiamine, riboflavin, and protein.

Dandelions may aid in weight loss, cleanse the skin, improve bowel function, prevent anemia, control diabete, lowers cholesterol, reduces acid indigestion, and can prevent certain forms of cancer.

In addition, there are studies which indicate that the dandelion has cured certain types of melanoma. In fact, one patient who had a malignant melanoma reportedly ate dandelion salad every day and after a dozen years or so there has been no recurring melanoma.

One of the most beneficial uses for dandelion is in the treatment of high blood pressure. Moreover, dandelion acts as a diuretic and its potassium aids in maintaining a healthy heart. Used for cramps and muscle spasms, dandelions have been used for centuries. In fact, the root of the dandelion is said to cleanse the liver.

If you need a mild laxative, the dandelion will prove beneficial in this regard. It will also improve your appetite, relieve constipation, and aid in indigestion.

The next time you tend to your garden, save those dandelions that are growing wildly and use them to make a healthy juice, or for use in any of the treatments described herein. Mother Nature has a way of providing us with plants and flowers used for oils and teas. Consider, then, that dandelions are more than just a weed. They are beneficial to our health in more ways than we can imagine.

What is Juicing and Juice Feasting?

admin — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:44:09 +0000

Simply put juicing is process of separating the liquid from the fiber, consuming only the liquid from the fruit or vegetable. What this does is allow the body to absorb the nutrients faster as opposed to waiting an hour to reap the benefits. Juicing is a great way to have pick-me-up drink that is actually beneficial to your body as it provide the body with a vast array of living, vital nutrients in a form that it can easily absorb.

According to Dr Mercola juicing is important “because most of us have impaired digestion as a result of making less-than-optimal food choices over many years. This limits your body’s ability to absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. Juicing will help to “pre-digest” them for you, so you will receive most of the nutrition rather than having it go down the toilet.”

With juicing you are also able to add a larger variety of vegetables to your diet. Many people eat the same vegetables or salads everyday. This does not make for a balanced diet and violates the principle of food rotation thus bringing forth the possibility of developing and allergy to certain foods. With juicing you can redeem yourself by adding vegetables like beets, garlic, cucumbers, watercress, and others that you may not normally consume.

There is a movement going on called Juice Feasting that is a good way to add the value of balanced juicing to your daily diet. Juice Feasting involves consuming just fresh raw vegetable and fruit juices for up to 92 days, to cleanse the body of old toxins.

It is called “feasting” as opposed to “fasting” because one gets all the calories one would normally get in a day for consuming 1 gallon of fresh juice daily. With fasting people tend to take in small amounts of liquid/calories and what happens is that their metabolism slows, their energy slumps, and they may feel a bit out of sorts. However, with Juice Feasting there is a difference because the feaster finds that they are functional in daily life while meeting all calorie needs and experiencing massive cleansing on a cellular level.

With Juice Feasting there are many benefits achieved to help one get in the best health possible for. A few of them are:

Ending the addition of toxic/foreign/depleted foods into our bodies.
Physiological Rest
Removing Uneliminated Waste in Small Intestine and Colon
Hydration
Alkalinization
Rejuvenation of Metabolism and Digestive System

While Juice Feasting is not a part of the program there are many people who also lose weight as a result of the removal of toxic and inappropriate matter from the system.

Juicing is a very advantageous way to get rid of what the body does not need and provide it with supportive elements necessary for a well balanced life. With programs like Juice Feasting available it makes the journey all the more valuable. Your body will become the best body it can be and have a much better chance to combat the disease that tries to creep in.

The Healing Powers of Raw Food

admin — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:10:20 +0000

It is said that sickness starts in the colon. If the colon is not well fed it will bring disease and illness to the body. A diet high in raw food consumption helps the colon to heal thus the body gets well also. My journey to raw foods began after illness set in. At only 28 years old I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer and one of my first steps to healing was to start eating 100% organic and include as much raw, unprocessed food as I could.

The fact that the vitamins, nutrients, minerals and enzymes necessary for healthy body all reside in food that is whole and live is proof enough that a diet that is high in raw foods is best for the body. People who eat a greater percentage of living, organic foods are generally free of most illnesses, have greater mental clarity and higher levels of energy. I know I have never felt better and only a couple years ago my number was almost up.

The body is amazing in its healing power but without the proper nutrition it can not function in the way it was created. To make the body a dumping ground for dead, cooked, and processed foods is ignoring the laws of nature where the body is concerned. Raw foods help the body do its work and provide healing power to any diseased parts it may have. Raw foods are not necessarily miracle foods that heal you…they are just the ultimate in nutrition for your body. Raw foods heal because the more you consume raw and unprocessed the less you are eating the processed foods that can and do harm you.

When food is cooked beyond a specific temperature the necessary nutrients are then depleted the body’s immune system weakens at an alarming rate, causing colds, flu, diabetes, heart disease, allergies, and other illnesses and conditions to enter your body. Raw foods build the immune system to it optimum defense level giving it the fighting power if needs to keep disease where they belong – outside of your body.

There is evidence that many fruits and vegetables have nutrients that not only build the immune system but also kill cancer cells and/or stops the spread of the often debilitating disease. Fruits and vegetables have phytonutrients that include antioxidants. These nutrients help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer.

Think about a slice of cooked pizza. After you eat it, what does your body do with it? Much of it gets absorbed into the body and it is then used as raw materials to build new cells. Will those cells function properly? Or will they be a reflection of the poor nutrients they were built with? Wouldn’t you rather your body build cells with a stronger nutritional foundation, perhaps from leafy greens and fresh fruits? I know which option sounds better to me. It is painfully obvious.

If you are one who suffers from forgetfulness or declining thinking skills, a diet high in raw foods will help you be more alert, think shaper and more logically. On a raw food diet you may experience the elimination of body odor and halitosis.

There has also been much focus on alkaline/acid food consumption. Scientists have discovered that healthy people have systems that are more alkaline and less acidic. An alkaline body is more conducive to health and well-being in contrast to an acidic one. If the body is more inclined towards acidity the pH balance is undesirable and it increases the risk for infections from bacteria, yeast, parasites, and viruses. Cancer thrives on acidic conditions. A healthy person’s body fluid pH level should be between 7.1 and 7.5. Most raw foods are alkaline forming thus we have one more reason why raw food has healing powers.

A diet high in raw food consumption helps the body to work at a level conducive to healing. When the body is properly furnished with the nutrients it needs to thrive then a longer healthier life is a definite possibility. If you are sick in some way…raw foods may be just what you are looking for.

I recommend reading The Cure: Heal Your Body, Save Your Life by Timothy Brantley. According to Dr. Brantley, most health problems are not caused by genetics or germs but by the standard American diet. Drawing on Brantley’s groundbreaking research and his years of working with nutritional healing, The Cure contains a revolutionary step-by-step program that can flush toxins out of the body, restore balance, promote natural healing, and increase vitality.