Die Heilkraft der Hühnersuppe

Schon seit Großmutters Zeiten ist Hühnersuppe ein bewährtes Hausmittel, wenn sich ein Infekt anbahnt. Ein amerikanischer Wissenschaftler von der Universität Nebraska entschlüsselte das Geheimnis der Suppe und stellte fest, dass durch die Hühnersuppe die Blutzellenzellenproduktion günstig beeinflusst wird. Die Folge sei, dass die Nasenschleimhäute abschwellen und die Symptome eines Erkältungsinfekts gemildert werden. Hühnerbrühe nach Gesundheitskoch Andreas Goßler Zutaten für 2,5 l 1 Stange Lauch 1 Petersilienwurzel ¼ Sellerieknolle 1 Möhre 1 Zweig Rosmarin und Thymian 1 Stängel Petersilie und Liebstöckel 1 Lorbeerblatt 2 Zwiebeln 1 Suppenhuhn 1 TL schwarze Pfefferkörner 3 Pimentkörner 1 Gewürznelke 50 g Salz Zubereitung Den Lauch putzen und waschen. Den Sellerie waschen, schälen und mit dem Lauch in Stücke schneiden. Die Möhre schälen und klein schneiden. Die Kräuter waschen und trocken schütteln, mit dem Lorbeerblatt mit Küchengarn zu einem Sträußchen binden. Die Zwiebeln ungeschält halbieren und die Schnittflächen in einer mit Alufolie ausgelegten Pfanne dunkel bräunen. Das Suppenhuhn unter fließendem kaltem Wasser innen und außen gründlich waschen. Etwa 3 l kaltes Wasser hinzufügen, sodass das Huhn gut bedeckt ist. Das Huhn langsam aufkochen lassen und den aufsteigenden Schaum abschöpfen. Das Kräutersträußchen und das vorbereitete Gemüse dazu geben. Die ganzen Gewürze und das Salz hinein geben. Die Brühe bei schwacher Hitze 2 bis 3 Stunden, offen köcheln lassen. Das Huhn aus dem Topf nehmen und die Brühe durch ein Sieb gießen. Die Brühe auskühlen lassen und entfetten. Thailändische Hühnersuppe mit Garnelen und Zitronengras Zutaten für sechs Portionen 350 g Hähnchenbrustfilet 12 Garnelen 1 TL Pflanzenöl 3 Schalotten 2 Galgant, geschält oder Ingwerknolle 2 Knoblauchzehen; feingehackt 3 Zitronengras, flach geklopft 200 g Austernpilze, in Streifen 4 Lauchzwiebeln, in Streifen 1 Bund Koriander 2 rote Chilischoten 650 ml Kokosmilch 2 EL Fischsauce 60 ml Limettensaft Zubereitung Die Hähnchenbrust sauber parieren und in mundgerechte Stücke schneiden. Den Galgant und die Schalotten in Scheiben schneiden, dann mit dem Knoblauch, Garnelenschalen und Zitronengras leicht in Öl anschwitzen, mit der Fischsauce und etwas Kokosmilch ablöschen und kurz einkochen. Die restliche Kokosmilch hinzugeben und weiter köcheln lassen. Dann wird die Suppe passiert. Das Ganze zum Kochen bringen, die Austernpilze, Lauchzwiebeln und das Hähnchenfleisch hinzufügen und langsam gar ziehen. Den Limettensaft und Chilis zum Schluss dazugeben und nur in der Suppe ziehen lassen - nicht mehr kochen. Mit Koriander garnieren.

Heilsame Gewürze

In der Antike zählten Gewürze zur medizinischen Grundausstattung. So wurden beispielsweise gewürzte Weine zur Schmerzstillung eingesetzt. Heute werden Gewürze fast ausschließlich zur Aromatisierung in der Küche verwendet. Schade eigentlich - denn viele Gewürze sind auch ein Heilmittel. So regt Anis beispielsweise die Verdauung an, Fenchel hilft gegen Blähungen, Muskatnuss wirkt stimmungsaufhellend, Ingwer heizt in der kalten Jahreszeit ordentlich ein. Kräftige Gewürze wie Chili, Paprika oder Pfeffer wärmen ebenfalls, zusätzlich kurbeln sie das Immunsystem an. Gewürznelken lindern Zahnschmerzen, bei Schmerzen einfach ein bis zwei Gewürznelken im Mund zerkauen. Eine Mischung aus Ingwer, Chili und Tulsikraut befreit die Atemwege bei einer Erkältung. Einfach heißes Wasser auf die frisch gemahlenen Gewürze gießen und trinken. Rezept für Gewürzschnaps Marzipan, Stollen, Klöße und Festtagsbraten machen zu Weihnachten Magen und Darm die Arbeit schwer. Wer nach einer üppigen Mahlzeit Verdauungsprobleme bekommt, dem empfiehlt Apotheker Friedemann Schmidt einen Gewürzschnaps. Der Alkohol und die Gewürze regen die Magenbewegung an. Doch Vorsicht! Große Mengen bewirken das Gegenteil, sie hemmen die Magenentleerung. Gewürze Weihnachtliche Gewürze geben dem Schnaps eine eigene Note. Zutaten: 1 TL Anis 1 TL Chinarinde 1 TL Angelikawurzel 1 TL Pomeranzenschalen 1 TL Enzianwurzel 5 Nelken 2 TL getrocknete Heidelbeeren 60 g Zucker 700 ml Doppelkorn (38% vol.) Gewürze in ein großes, verschließbares Gefäß geben und mit etwas Doppelkorn übergießen. Wer sich den Geschmack individueller abmischen möchte, kann die Gewürze einzeln ansetzen. Die Gläser ab und zu schütteln, nach sechs bis acht Wochen filtern (am besten mit einem Kaffeefilter). Zucker mit etwas Wasser aufkochen, Zuckersirup, restlichen Doppelkorn und Gewürzmischung mixen, schütteln - fertig! Hinweis: Die Geschmäcker sind bekanntlich verschieden. Die optimale Dosierung für Zucker und Gewürze unterliegt also der eigenen Experimentierfreude. Gewürzküchlein Hildegard von Bingen gilt als eine der herausragenden Frauengestalten des deutschen Mittelalters. Sie schrieb unter anderem Bücher über pflanzliche Medizin. Dr. Anke Görgner, Ärztin für Naturheilverfahren, hat ein Originalrezept von Hildegard von Bingen wiederentdeckt und an heutige Gepflogenheiten angepasst. Die Gewürzküchlein regen die Verdauung und den Stoffwechsel an. Zutaten: 60 g Ingwer (gemahlen) 30 g Süßholz (gemahlen) 20 g Heilkraut Zitwer (gemahlen) 110 g Puderzucker oder gemahlener Rohrzucker 150 g Semmelmehl 5 g Zimt 50 g Kokosmilch Gewürze, Zucker, Mehl mischen, so viel Kokosmilch hinzufügen, dass ein geschmeidiger Teig entsteht. Alles zu einem Teig verarbeiten, ausrollen, Küchlein schneiden, im Backofen bei 40 Grad ca. 15 Minuten trocknen lassen.

Stutenmilch - Kostbarkeit fürs Immunsystem

Stutenmilch gilt als natürliches Antibiotikum, das von den Menschen besonders gut vertragen wird.Die in der Milch enthaltenen Immunglobuline (Antikörper) sind mit denen des Menschen identisch und zudem hoch konzentriert. Unterstützt wird das Immunsystem außerdem durch einen außergewöhnlich hohen Gehalt an Glykoproteinen und Vitamin C. Darüber hinaus wirkt die fettarme Milch verdauungsfördernd und wird bei Neurodermitis, Schuppenflechte und sogar in der Krebsnachsorge mit Erfolg eingesetzt. Afgrund ihrer kleineren Fettkügelchen ist Ziegenmilch ebenfalls leichter verdaulich als Kuhmilch. Darüber hinaus zeigt sie besonders positive Effekte bei Magen und Darmproblemen, aber auch bei Leber- und Nierenleiden oder bei Problemen mit Haut und Haar. Mit Stutenmilch gemischt (im Verhältnis zwei zu eins) ergeben die beiden Milchsorten zusammen vielfältige Gesundheitseffekte.

Soforthilfe bei Allergien

When die Nase fließt, die Augen tränen oder sich auf der Haut juckende Ausschläge zeigen, dann bringen Aloe Vera und Schwarzer Sesam - innerlich und äußerlich angewendet - schnelle Linderung. Mangel an Glyko-Nährstoffen Glyko-Nährstoffe sind spezielle Zuckerverbindungen, die in acht Ausprägungen vorkommen. In der heutigen Nahrung sind jedoch überwiegend nur noch zwei dieser Zuckerverbindungen enthalten, nämlich Glykose aus Industriezucker und Galaktose aus Milchprodukten - die allerdings im Überfluss. Der Mangel an essenziellen Glyko-Nährstoffen hat fatale Folgen für die Funktionsfähigkeit der Zellen: Denn die Zellmembranen verfügen über "Antennen", die mit den wichtigen Glykonährstoffen überzogen sind. Sind nicht alle Glykonährstoffen überzogen sind. Sind nicht alle Glykonährstoffe in ausreichender Menge vorhanden, dann bricht die Kommunikation der Zellen untereinander zusammen. "Ein Mangel an Glyko-Nährstoffen führt längfristig unweigerlich zu Allergie", lautet das Fazit von Margot Esser. Aloe Vera - als Frischpflanze, Saft oder Kosmetik

Avoid Sugar to Help Slow Aging

February 22, 2012 | 312,453 views | By Dr. Mercola Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are a complex group of compounds formed when sugar reacts with amino acids. This can occur both in the food you eat, and inside your body. It's is a fitting acronym because – along with oxidation – it's one of the major molecular mechanisms whereby damage accrues in your body, which leads to disease, aging, and eventually, death. For example, there is mounting evidence that AGEs may be implicated in the development of the chronic degenerative diseases associated with aging, including but not limited to: Cardiovascular disease Alzheimer's disease, and Diabetes Several studies have shown that restricting the consumption of AGEs can lead to an increased lifespan in animal models. According to a paper that summarizes recent research on AGEsi: "... [T]he data are supportive that endogenous AGEs are associated with declining organ functioning. It appears that dietary AGEs may also be related. ... As of today, restriction of dietary intake of AGEs and exercise has been shown to safely reduce circulating AGEs, with further reduction in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers." Why Limiting Sugar is Key for Longevity Limiting sugar in your diet is a well-known key to longevity, because of all the molecules capable of inflicting damage in your body, sugar molecules are probably the most damaging of all. Fructose in particular is an extremely potent pro-inflammatory agent that creates AGEs and speeds up the aging process. It also promotes the kind of dangerous growth of fat cells around your vital organs that are the hallmark of diabetes and heart disease. In one study on fructose, 16 volunteers on a controlled diet including high levels of fructose produced new fat cells around their heart, liver and other digestive organs in just 10 weeks! Sugar/fructose also increases your insulin and leptin levels and decreases receptor sensitivity for both of these vital hormones, and this is another major factor of premature aging and age-related chronic degenerative diseases such as heart disease. Keep in mind that while it's perfectly normal for your blood sugar levels to rise slightly after every meal, it is not natural or healthy when your blood sugar levels become excessively elevated and stay that way. Unfortunately, that's exactly what will happen if you're eating like the stereotypical American, who consumes a staggering 2.5 pounds of sugar a week on average! And when you add in other low-quality carb foods such as white bread, sugar, pasta, pastries, cookies, and candy, which also break down to sugar in your body, it's not so difficult to see why so many Americans are in such poor health. This type of high-sugar (high-carb) diet is also what's driving the obesity epidemic—not diets high in fat. An infographic created by Column Five for Massive Health, based on Why We Get Fat by science writer Gary Taubes, explains why. In short, carbs, like fructose and other sugars, destroy your insulin and leptin sensitivity, which in turn causes your cells to accumulate more fat, and makes it more difficult to get rid of the extra weight as well. So, the bottom line is this: If you want to look and feel younger longer, avoid all forms of sugar (including grains) as much as possible! Glycation 101 Fructose adversely affects your body in a number of ways, but one of the mechanisms that causes significant damage is glycation. As already mentioned, glycation is the process in which sugar bonds with protein to form advanced glycation end products, or AGEs. This process creates inflammation, which can activate your immune system. Macrophages are scavenger cells that are part of your immune defense system, and as such they have special receptors for AGEs, aptly called RAGEs (think: raging inflammation). These RAGEs bind to the AGEs in your body and get rid of them. Unfortunately, this defensive process can also cause its fair share of damage. Inside your arteries, for example, the scar tissue created from this process is called plaque. You really want to limit the AGEs in your body as much as possible, so your immune system won't have to work so hard to defend against them. As a standard recommendation to limit glycation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. However, most people would be wise to limit their fructose to 15 grams or less, particularly if you have elevated uric acid levels, which can be used as a predictor for fructose toxicity. (For more information on this, please see this previous article.) This includes keeping track of your fructose intake from whole fruits. For additional information about the fructose content of common fruits, please see this helpful fructose chart. I recommend this lower level simply because if you consume processed foods or sweet beverages at all, you're virtually guaranteed to consume "hidden" sources of fructose. Fructose Metabolism Basics Anyone who still insists that "sugar is sugar" is way behind the times... There are in fact major differences in how your body processes different sugars, and it's important to understand that when you consume fructose, your body packs on pounds at a much higher rate than it does when you consume glucose. The following summary details the main metabolic differences between fructose and glucose to help you understand how fructose can wreak such havoc with your health, and why it's considerably worse for you than glucose: After eating fructose, nearly all of the metabolic burden rests on your liver. But with glucose, your liver has to break down only 20 percent. Every cell in your body, including your brain, utilizes glucose. Therefore, much of it is "burned up" immediately after you consume it. By contrast, fructose is primarily converted into free fatty acids (FFAs), VLDL (the damaging form of cholesterol), and triglycerides, which get stored as fat. The fatty acids created during fructose metabolism accumulate as fat droplets in your liver and skeletal muscle tissues, causing insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Insulin resistance progresses to metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes. Fructose is the most lipophilic carbohydrate. In other words, fructose converts to activated glycerol (g-3-p), which is directly used to turn FFAs into triglycerides. The more g-3-p you have, the more fat you store. Glucose does not do this. When you eat 120 calories of glucose, less than one calorie is stored as fat. 120 calories of fructose results in 40 calories being stored as fat. Fructose is essentially largely converted into fat! The metabolism of fructose by your liver creates a long list of waste products and toxins, including a large amount of uric acid, which triggers your "fat switch," causing you to gain more weight. Glucose does not do this, as it suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates leptin, which suppresses your appetite. Fructose has no effect on ghrelin and interferes with your brain's communication with leptin, resulting in overeating. How to Tame Your Sugar Cravings As mentioned earlier, I recommend that you avoid as much sugar as possible. Do your best to keep your fructose consumption below 15-25 grams a day. This is especially important if you are overweight or have diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. Sugar is highly addictive, so cutting down can be a real challenge for some, especially if you're consuming very high amounts. If you're struggling with sugar addiction, I highly recommend trying an energy psychology technique called Turbo Tapping, which has helped many "soda addicts" kick their sweet habit. If you still want to use a sweetener occasionally, here's what I recommend in lieu of sugar: Use the sweet herb stevia. Use organic cane sugar in moderation. Use organic raw honey in moderation. Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners, which can damage your health even more quickly than fructose. Avoid agave syrup since it is a highly processed sap that is almost all fructose. Your blood sugar will spike just as it would if you were consuming regular sugar or HFCS. Agave's meteoric rise in popularity is due to a great marketing campaign, but any health benefits present in the original agave plant are processed out. The Anti-Aging Lifestyle Of all the healthy lifestyle strategies I know of that can have a significant impact on your longevity, normalizing your insulin and leptin levels is probably the most important. Cutting out sugar and grains and increasing exercise are two effective ways to accomplish that. But to truly optimize your longevity and slow down the clock, your entire lifestyle needs to be taken into account. So, here are the rest of my top "anti-aging" recommendations. Incorporating these healthy lifestyle guidelines will help set you squarely on the path to optimal health and give you the best shot at living a much longer life: Learn how to effectively cope with stress – Stress has a direct impact on inflammation, which in turn underlies many of the chronic diseases that kill people prematurely every day, so developing effective coping mechanisms is a major longevity-promoting factor. Meditation, prayer, physical activity and exercise are all viable options that can help you maintain emotional and mental equilibrium. I also strongly believe in using energy psychology tools such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to address deeper, oftentimes hidden emotional problems. Eat a healthy diet focused on whole, ideally organic, foods – My nutrition plan, based on natural whole foods, is your first step toward increasing your chances of living a longer, healthier life. Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels. This is another very powerful and inexpensive intervention that can have profound benefits on your health. In the summer you can do this for free by careful and safe sun exposure. In the winter a therapeutic level of oral vitamin D can be achieved with an oral supplement (around 8,000 units of vitamin D3 a day for most adults) Animal based omega-3 fats – Correcting the ratio of omega-3 to healthful omega-6 fats is a strong factor in helping you live longer. This typically means increasing your intake of animal based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil, while decreasing your intake of damaged omega-6 fats (think trans fats). I do not, however, recommend the new prescription strength fish oil medication, sold under the name Lovaza. Don't be fooled by their "all-natural" PR campaign. This is actually a drug to treat very high triglyceride levels. However, as with most other drugs, Lovaza comes with potentially dangerous side effects that you would not experience with a natural fish oil or krill oil supplement. Side effects include flu-like symptoms, infections, back pain, skin rashes, upset stomach, taste changes, digestive issues, chest pain, migraines and respiratory problems! Additionally, new research strongly suggests that 500 mg of krill oil is more potent and far less expensive. Get your antioxidants from foods –Good sources include blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, beans, and artichokes. Use coconut oil – Another excellent anti-aging food is coconut oil, known to reduce your risk of heart disease and lower your cholesterol, among other things. In fact, it's doubly beneficial because it can be both eaten and applied directly to your skin. Coconut oil can be used in place of other oils, margarine, butter, or shortening, and can be used for all your cooking needs. Get your resveratrol naturally – Resveratrol is one of the forerunners in the anti-aging pill race, but more than likely, by the time they've manipulated it into a synthetic pill (like the fish oil discussed above), it won't be healthy for you. Although resveratrol is the antioxidant found in red wine, I can't recommend drinking wine in the hopes of extending your life because alcohol is a neurotoxin that can poison your brain and harm your body's delicate hormonal balance. Instead, get your resveratrol from natural sources, such as whole grape skins and seeds, raspberries, mulberries, and peanuts. Exercise regularly and smartly -- Studies repeatedly show that regular, moderate-to-vigorous exercise can help prevent or delay your onset of hypertension, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, and the falls that lead to hip fracture. Although a lifetime of regular exercise is ideal, it's never too late to start. It's been shown that even individuals in their 70's can substantially increase both strength and endurance with exercise. High-intensity, interval training can also increase longevity as this specific style of training promotes human growth hormone production – yet another aspect of the longevity puzzle. Avoid as many chemicals, toxins, and pollutants as possible – This includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, and insecticides, just to name a few, and replacing them with non-toxic alternatives. Avoid pharmaceutical drugs – Pharmaceutical drugs kill thousands of people prematurely every year – as an expected side effect of the action of the drug. And, if you adhere to a healthy lifestyle, you most likely will never need any of them in the first place. Reference: i Dietary Advanced Glycation End Products and Aging,Nutrients. 2010 December; 2(12): 1247–1265

Avoid glycation, extend life

by robralph on 08/01/2013 Glycation is a process by which proteins, certain fats, and glucose tangle together. It affects all body tissues, and tends to make them stiff and inflexible. Glycation causes most problems for organs where flexibility is most important, such as the heart, kidneys, skin and eyes. Once it has become glycated, the tissues start to produce ‘glycotoxins’, such as Advanced Glycation End-products - or AGEs, which are damaging to our cells. AGEs do this in two ways, both of which promote aging: they produce free radicals, and increase inflammation. Glycation, and the glycotoxins caused by it, are a major cause of the horrible side-effects of being diabetic – higher levels of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease and eye problems. Happily, though not widely known, these conditions can be partly or fully controlled, as discussed below. Glycation is particularly relevant to diabetics as it is more likely because of the raised blood sugar which is a feature of diabetes. Treatment of glycation Treatment of glycation is through 3 routes: Avoiding certain foods Keep blood sugar levels low Supplementation 1. It is the preparation of food which is important when seeking to avoid glycation. Specifically, high temperature cooking must be avoided. Frying, grilling and roasting all produce glycation and ‘glycotoxins’. Much manufactured food will have been prepared using high temperature processes. Junk food can be a nightmare of glycation! Food should be chosen which is which is raw, steamed, stewed or poached. A slow cooker is very useful to prepare meat, fish or vegetarian meals easily, conveniently – safely. glycation helped by poaching food 2. A healthy blood sugar range is below 100mg/dL. Above this level, glycation occurs much more readily. This level can be checked with a ‘fasting blood test’; ie you don’t eat for a length of time, then blood is taken for analysis. If blood sugar is higher than 100mg/dL, action can be taken to reduce blood sugar. This can quickly be achieved by dramatically reducing starchy food in the diet, and replacing it with extra vegetables, salads and protein. Key points High temp. cooking leads to glycation Glycation reduce tissue flexibility Damages heart, kidneys, eyes, brain Poaching, stewing, slow cooking are best Take supplements if necessary The starchy foods to cut out or reduce dramatically, are; sugar itself, potatoes, and grains and grain products including bread, pastries and pasta. Fruit juice and cooked fruit should be reduced or cut out because its sugar quickly passes into the blood; but moderate amounts of whole fruit are fine as they contain abundant nutrients and their sugar is absorbed more slowly thanks to the fibre content of the fruit. 3. The primary supplements to help avoid glycation are benfotiamine and carnosine. Benfotiamine is a form of vitamin B1 which has been shown strongly to protect against the damage to nerves and blood vessels caused by glycation. It does this by acting on the triosephosphates caused by glycation, which can damage both blood and nerve cells. Studies have shown that benfotiamine reduces the formation of triosephosphates as well as reducing its effects once it has formed. Benfotiamine has not reported side-effects. For all these reasons, Benfotiamine is of particular benefit to diabetics. Carnosine is a combination of two amino acids which shields proteins from being attacked by glycotoxins – such as AGEs. A maintenance dose of carnosine is recommended for everyone; for diabetics, a larger dose is highly protective, and has no known side-effects. Slow Cooking reduces damaging glycation. Sticking to food prepared with low temperatures is an easy way to reduce aging. Barbequeued, grilled and roasted food are just loaded with glycotoxins. If you want to help yourself avoid eye, circulation, kidney and brain problems, stick to poaching, braising, and slow cooking. If you need extra help to reduce glycation – and especially if you are diabetic – benfotiamine and carnosine have a proven track record, and are safe. Resources Read the book: “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Diabetes” (An Innovative Program to Prevent, Treat, and Beat this Controllable Disease. This book amplifies the information given in this article, and fills in more details. Recommended. It is by Steven Joyhal a medical doctor.

5 of the Healthiest and Most Affordeable Foods

#1: Homemade Bone Broth Homemade bone broth is a true staple that can go a long way toward improving your diet and health. It’s excellent for speeding healing and recuperation from illness, and it contains many valuable vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that support your immune function. These includes calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, trace minerals, and compounds like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, which are sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain. Other health benefits of good-old-fashioned bone broth include: Helps heal and seal your gut, and promotes healthy digestion: The gelatin found in bone broth is a hydrophilic colloid. It attracts and holds liquids, including digestive juices, thereby supporting proper digestion Inhibits infection caused by cold and flu viruses, etc.: A study published over a decade ago found that chicken soup indeed has medicinal qualities, significantly mitigating infection Reduces joint pain and inflammation, courtesy of chondroitin sulphates, glucosamine, and other compounds extracted from the boiled down cartilage Fights inflammation: Amino acids such as glycine, proline, and arginine all have anti-inflammatory effects. Arginine, for example, has been found to be particularly beneficial for the treatment of sepsis (whole-body inflammation). Glycine also has calming effects, which may help you sleep better Promotes strong, healthy bones: As mentioned above, bone broth contains high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients that play an important role in healthy bone formation Promotes healthy hair and nail growth, thanks to the gelatin in the broth Making your own bone broth is extremely cost effective, as you can make use of leftover carcass bones that would otherwise be thrown away. And while the thought of making your own broth may seem intimidating at first, it's actually quite easy. For instructions and a sample bone broth recipe, please see this previous article. #2: Homegrown Vegetables and Sprouts Growing your own food is a great way to lower your food costs, improve your health, and help build a more sustainable food system. Homegrown vegetables are fresher, taste better, and are oftentimes more nutritious than store-bought food that has traveled thousands of miles—and you certainly cannot beat the price! Whole, organically grown plants are a rich source of natural medicine. Even our DNA contains much of the same material found in the plant world, which gives new meaning to the idea of healing plants. Even if you only have access to a patio, you can still grow some of your own veggies using containers. Tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, lettuce, and peppers are examples of plants that thrive in containers. You can also use hanging baskets to utilize your lateral space. To learn more, please see my previous article on creating edible gardens in small spaces. I’ve also written about how you can garden during the winter. This clearly requires a bit more dedication and planning, but it can be done if you have the will. If, for whatever reason, you are unable to garden or prefer not to, then you can still access healthy vegetables grown locally by supporting local farmer's markets. One of the easiest plants to grow at home, even if you’re new to gardening and have limited space is sprouts. It’s also an excellent choice during winter months, when outdoor gardening is limited or ruled out. A concentrated source of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and other phytochemicals, sprouted seeds are a true superfood that many overlook. In fact, the protein, vitamin, and mineral content of many sprouted seeds far surpass that of organic homegrown vegetables! An added boon is that they grow really quickly. You can have homegrown sprouts ready to harvest in a matter of days, which you can then add to salads, soups, or fresh vegetable juice. Some of my favorites include watercress, broccoli, and sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds can provide you with 30 times the nutrient content of organic vegetables, and sprouts in general also contain up to 100 times more enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables. These enzymes are important as they allow your body to absorb and use the nutrients of other foods you eat as well. Broccoli sprouts, specifically, have been shown to help detoxify a number of environmental pollutants, including carcinogens like benzene and acroleine. They’re also an excellent alternative if you don't like the taste or smell of broccoli, which has well-established anti-cancer properties. Studies suggest that watercress may have cancer-suppressing activity resembling that of broccoli sprouts, and its overall nutritional profile surpasses most other sprouted seeds, including sunflower seeds. I started sprouting seeds in Ball jars about 20 years ago. Now I grow them in them in trays using soil instead, as it’s far easier and produces more nutritious and abundant food. For directions, see my previous article, “How to Grow Your Own Food in Small Spaces.” #3: Fermented Vegetables Once you’re growing your own vegetables, fermenting them will allow you to eliminate waste and provide you with healthy food during the non-growing season. Fermented vegetables are teeming with essential enzymes and beneficial bacteria needed for optimal gut health and digestion, and they are easier to digest than raw or cooked vegetables. When your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is not working well, a wide range of health problems can appear, including allergies and autoimmune diseases. If fermented with a special starter culture, they can also provide high levels of vitamin K2. If you suffer from any major illness, it is important to “heal and seal" your gut in order to fully recuperate. Fermented foods are a cornerstone for maintaining a healthy gut. Just one quarter to one half cup of fermented food, eaten with one to three meals per day, can have a dramatically beneficial impact on your health. Fermented vegetables and other cultured foods also offer a multitude of medicinal rewards by: Strengthening immunity with increased antibodies that fight off infectious disease Helping pregnant and nursing mothers transfer beneficial bacteria to their infants Beneficially impacting the behavior of children with autism, ADD, and ADHD Regulating weight and appetite by reducing cravings for sugar, soft drinks, bread, and pasta -- all foods I strongly advise against Helping your body detoxify a variety of environmental toxins, including pesticides and heavy metals Ideally, you'll want to include a variety of cultured and fermented foods in your diet, as each provides different beneficial bacteria. Besides fermented vegetables, other cultured foods include kefir and yogurt, ideally made from raw organic milk. To make it yourself, all you need is one-half packet of kefir starter granules in a quart of raw milk, which you leave at room temperature overnight. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days. #4: Canned Wild Alaskan Salmon So far, we’ve talked mainly about home-grown foods. Avoiding processed and pre-packaged foods is key for optimal health, but there are a few exceptions. One canned food I do recommend is canned wild-caught Alaskan salmon. It’s inexpensive, selling for around a dollar or two in many places, and, in my view, the high amounts of healthy fats and lower contamination levels found in wild-caught salmon outweighs the risks of it being sold in a can. Some brands also offer BPA-free cans, which is well worth looking for. Rising pollution levels have contaminated most fish to the point of being potentially hazardous, especially for children and pregnant women, if eaten too frequently, or in too high amounts. The key to eating fish these days is to choose fish that are high in healthy omega-3 fats, and low in hazardous contaminants. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon (NOT farmed salmon such as Atlantic salmon) fits this description, and is one of the few types of fish I still recommend eating. Fresh or frozen Alaskan salmon tend to be pricier, so canned salmon can be a thrifty alternative. Just make sure it's labeled "Alaskan Salmon," as it is not allowed to be farmed. Sockeye salmon is another healthy option that cannot be farmed. Sockeye salmon has the added advantage of having one of the highest concentrations of astaxanthin of any food. Other canned fish that are in the safer category (having lower contamination risk and higher nutritional value) are sardines, anchovies, and pickled herring—all of which also contain higher amounts of healthy fats such as omega-3. #5: Organic, Free-Range or Pastured Eggs Organically raised fee-range or "pastured" eggs are another excellent source of high-quality nutrients, especially high-quality protein and fat. Proteins are essential to the building, maintenance, and repair of your body tissues. Proteins are also major components of your immune system and hormones. While found in many types of food, only foods from animal sources, such as meat and eggs, contain "complete proteins," meaning they contain all of the essential amino acids. Eggs also contain lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health, choline for your brain, nervous and cardiovascular systems, and naturally occurring B12. The key to healthy eggs is making sure they come from chickens that have been allowed to range free on pasture. The nutritional differences between true free-ranging chicken eggs and commercially farmed eggs are a result of the different diets eaten by the two groups of chickens. You can tell the eggs are free range or pastured by the color of the egg yolk. Foraged hens produce eggs with bright orange yolks. Dull, pale yellow yolks are a sure sign you're getting eggs from caged hens that are not allowed to forage for their natural diet. Your best source for fresh eggs is a local farmer that allows his hens to forage freely outdoors. The following organizations can also help you locate not only farm-fresh eggs but also other organic and locally produced foods, including many of those discussed above.