Blood pH & Current Reads

Coming from the weekend I am feeling kind of lazy.  It's grey outside, but not only that. I had some dark chocolate over the weekend and it had more sugar than I should have had. I did almost finish the entire chocolate bar!  I feel disappointed just because I now feel a bit lethargic, as if I need more sugar as I had been eating really healthy! But, one must not worry about the chocolate itself or anything for that matter, because worry and stress can turn your blood pH level to even more acidic.

Blood is what nourishes everything in your body, as it collects all the nutrients and minerals from the food you eat, that is needed to circulate throughout your tissues and cells.  Not only that, but your mood is affected by what you eat and do, and thus affects your blood stream and so can contribute to good or bad health.  Even when you are overworked you have now turned your blood an acidic pH, and your body starts breaking down.

Many people dispute information about pH levels and what it has to do with health.  Many people have a firm stance about the mainstream medical knowledge.  They have acquired this in conventional colleges and universities, and for the most part can be inflexible to learn anything new.

The easiest thing to remember and a good thing, is you can eat different foods and do different things, there is not one way to live.  I recommend to keep a balance in your diet, lifestyle and what works for you.  I would say this is best for healthy living!  That being said, one should always implement positive knowledge into your lifestyle.  So for example, if you learn that sugar is bad for you then perhaps try eliminating that from your everyday diet, and you can do this by replacing it with a healthier sweetener such as honey or maple syrup.  When we learn, it's time to use that knowledge.

Also, I would like you to know that when you microwave your food, you basically change the structure of the food and it is said that it turns your food to acidic pH. It's best to heat up leftovers in a pan or pot instead of microwaving anything.

You can turn to things like exercise and meditation to help regulate your mood and energy which alkalizes and affects your bloodstream.  You can also be more mindful of what you are doing, when you are eating and breathing.  Just as I say that, one can put that information to anything you are doing while you are living.

In my opinion, it's also important to drink plenty of high alkaline ionized water, and you can use things to make your water alkaline such as an "Alkalizing Bio delivery System" or I had recently seen that people use a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drink that before bedtime.  Again, some people will not agree, but there is scientific and medical data that confirms this is helpful to your health.  It doesn't hurt to read more about this and look it up!

There is a link to a PDF Alkaline vs Acidic chart below.  I cannot find the exact one I have, but I did print mine so I can refer to what I am eating.  Remember, it takes 20 parts of Alkalinity to neutralize 1 part Acidity in the body, so you can help your blood pH level to neutralize along.  We need all types of foods in order for the electricity to activate in our body, so again a balance and choose less of the acid based foods and beverages.
http://www.wellnesspathways.com/handouts/acidalkalinefoodchart.pdf


BOOK CORNER: Current Reads:

If you are staying tuned into this blog, and even though we all get so busy, I thought we could form a:
IAJLGOM'S BOOK CLUB??  Let me know if you are interested by commenting below.

*No time needed or anything, if you are currently reading something that is good or have a comment to share you can post below!  You can also subscribe to the right -->>> just at the top below "Extras"..... if you don't mind by convenient e-mail.  You will get an email when I share a new post and the mobile format of this blog is great to look at if you ask me!

Also find me on twitter @illaqueen  and on Google + Illa Queen.

So to kick it off, this is my current book list:

-Manual For Living -REALITY by Seth David Chernoff
-Get Up, Stand Up by Bruce E.Levine
-Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas
-Transformation and Healing by Thich Nhat Hanh
-The Gentle Art of Blessing by Pierre Pradervand
-The Mammoth Book of Lost Symbols by Nadia Julien

I have to get reading now.  Have a blessed week!

Butter Me a Biscuit and Quick Pizza

Did you know there is a woman who says 'biscuit' 900 times per hour, totalling up to 16,000 times per day?  I am not that crazy about biscuits but this little recipe will fire you up about them a little more. 

Talk about a delicious different biscuit though!  It's a little spicy, but only complimentary and it goes well with an egg; fried or hard-boiled alike.  You can prepare these in advance as I did, on Saturday night for Sunday breakfast and have yourself a great brunch addition!
So, let's get to the biscuit today and have yourself a great week!

                  Savoury & Spicy Onion Serrano Pepper Tea Biscuits

YIELD: 15 biscuits

• 2 cups of sifted all-purpose flour (use organic whole wheat for a healthier version)
• 4 teaspoon baking powder (try to find aluminium free)
• 1 teaspoon salt (sea salt is best)
• 1/2 cup shortening, butter or margarine (I had margarine on hand)
• 3/4 cup milk (low- fat)
• 4 washed- well, un-seeded, and chopped Serrano Peppers (Retail $2.49 for a pack of 12-16- couldn't find organic)
• 1/4 of finely chopped white onion
• Food handling gloves if sensitive to spicy peppers; some peppers will tend to "burn" and heat skin especially if you improvised
• Optional: If you use Habanero peppers instead use only 1 pepper- VERY hot but these peppers have been linked to shrinking cancerous growth.

Preheat oven to 400* F (205* ). Grease baking sheet, or line with parchment paper ( what I like to do),but this time I ran out of parchment and used aluminium foil to line the pan...... I will be using less aluminium foil for future reference! 

Combine all dry ingredients and stir well.  Cut in shortening with a fork, until it is a fine crumb mixture.  Stir in milk with a fork, stir and add the chopped Serrano and white onions.  Make a soft dough using all flour in the bowl, and then knead 8-10 times on a clean, lightly floured board.
You may have a few pieces of onions or peppers pop out, and just add them into the dough again. 

Roll out the dough into a 1/2" thick and cut round biscuits; either with a round cookie cutter or glass to make perfect sizes, and lightly flour the cutter of choice to help keep dough from sticking at all.  Bake on pan for 12-15 minutes, if you use this dough for a pizza, them bake about 20 minutes!

Yes, there is an option of making about 10 biscuits and a small mini pizza, or you could make a few mini pizzas.  I used some dough, and rolled it out in a small round pizza size. Smooth pizza sauce on top, and add what ingredients you like!  I made my version vegetarian with some roasted eggplant, garlic and feta cheese, topped with some mozzarella.

Take the pan out and remove biscuits at the recommended time, top your pizza with the mozzarella and put the pizza back into the oven for another 5- 7 minutes equal to the 20 minutes of the recommended time for baking the pizza.  Just keep and eye on it.  I like the sides a little brown but not too much and then I turn the oven off and take it out!  Perfecto!

 Enjoy, and I hope it spices up your week!

New Post Friday on Illaqueen's Corner!

Hi Everyone~!  I just wanted to share my other blog with new posts going up on it weekly.
Cheers~!
Illaqueen's Corner Blog

Radical Raw Salad!

I wanted to share a great salad recipe and we can all obtain more produce from our gardens or on our travels to the store, all year round to fight off disease!

To make this salad, was not hard, I mean a salad is a salad right?  Not really, some are more nutritious and "raw" food eating is different, this is why I chose to make-up a dinner raw- style salad.  I also cooked wild rice and herbs for a small dish, but that is not raw.  It might be Vegetarian though.  Basically, no meat in this dinner and you may remember Bart and Homer, from The Simpson's, chiming "You can't make friends with salad!"  Well, I beg to differ! ;)
 
                                                           Radical Raw Salad

Salad:
3 organic carrots
1 Ambrose apple
1/2 a bundle of spinach
1vine ripened hot house tomato
1/8 cup of chopped, water soaked almonds (24 hours in the fridge)

Dressing:
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small piece of peeled ginger, small amount finely grated
1/2 tsp of ground cumin
1/3 cup of regular yellow mustard
1 tablespoon unpasteurized honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar to mix
clean jar with lid to shake all dressing ingredients

Those are the ingredients; not everything was organic, some was local or very close to it.  The tomato and apple was not.  I tried to make using my garnishing secrets book and tools.  Nothing worked for me, like trying spirals, but I will attempt another time again.

So, all produce gets washed really well with water; carrots got peeled, washed and grated into my bowl, the spinach must be strained well. Then I chopped into smaller pieces and added it in the bowl, cut the tomato and added that into the bowl. 

I had  the almonds already soaked, 24 hours previously, so this is a step you will want to to do beforehand or skip it altogether and eat then normal and crunchy. It makes them easier to digest when they are soaked and it breaks down the phytic acids.  Then I cut them into slivers.  Make the dressing and cut the apple last so it doesn't brown so much; this is because my apple did brown but it was delicious anyways.

More on why soaking nuts is necessary: Soak Your Nuts

The dressing is everything on the list, put into the jar and shake very well.  Taste test!  I added more pepper, and I grate fresh pepper on top of my salad.  I will be showing you more ways to make recipes that are easy and raw..... or even organic on a budget! Enjoy!

Purity Products Review

The month isn't over yet and while I am not finished


I wanted to touch base about a free radio offer I tried out and so I have reviewed the free Purity Product I called in for when I heard about it listening to the AM country stations,...... yes, well while studying.  Purity Products Blueberry Detox- Daily Fibre Formula was offered for a free 15 Day Trial, and the catch was if you don't call to cancel prior to that 15 days,  you would be put on the Super Saver Auto shipment Program.  You know, a new shipment whether you need it or not, as you are subscribed to it and will be charged monthly on your credit card.

It was called "Blueberry Detox Advanced Daily Fibre Formula", Purity Products is said to provide superior quality "Evidence Based Nutritional Supplements". The doctor was on the radio program was on, being one of the doctor's from Purity Products panel, spoke about the benefits that are being revealed by science on the good health berries provide.

It turns out, especially blueberries, while this formula does contain other berries like Blackberry concentrate, Raspberries, and Goji Berries.  This formula they boasted would cleanse & detoxify, curb your appetite, give healthy regularity, healthy cholesterol, weight management and energy and vitality.  I thought it might be good to detox a bit after the winter and with my new health regime.  I had not been getting enough fibre, and thought this way may be convenient. Mix and drink.

It was also hassle free to enroll and get the radio show offer provided,  they only ask you pay shipping charges of $4.95.  Although, here was their chance to offer you  more (upsales) and hope you stay on each automatic shipment program for each product.  The Customer Service Representative recommended a 'Free 15 Day Ultimate H.A. Formula Pills', to go along with the Blueberry Detox.  It was supposed to support healthy, flexible joints and mobility, supports normal shock-absorbing capacity of joints, and promotes healthy youthful skin.  This would be an additional $2.95 making the total charge to my credit card $6.95.  I thought it might not be bad to try the Ultimate H.A. pills as recommended, because of the healthy youthful skin benefit.

I received everything within 5-7 days as promised, as well as a drink bottle that was provided to mix the powder and water. I tried the Blueberry Detox right away.  You measure a tablespoon of the blueberry looking powder (purple actually- due to berries combined color), and then you add 10 ounces of water.  The measurement lines are on the drink bottle they provided.  It comes with a separator screen for the fibrous powder (clogs up)  that the powder makes once you add water.  It almost drinks like a meal in that it's got a psyllium texture. 

To tell you the truth, I started to get the feeling I wasn't able to use the washroom, after using the Blueberry Detox it for a few days..... and my stomach hurt and cramped.  If anything I just felt like there was gas building in my stomach and nothing was leaving.  Maybe that is TMI and sorry, but it's the truth! I might have kept using it and something positive could have happened, or something that I might have been embarrassed about could have also happened.  I thought this was not the effect I should be getting, but I kept having the recommended helping for at least another day or two, to give it a chance but then I stopped completely as the tummy problems continued for me.  It could have been anything else I was eating too, but had no previous stomach objections to the food I eat. I had made no other changes to my body either.

I tried the Ultimate H.A. pills, it says adults should take 3 capsules with a meal but I decided to start and I would eat a meal and take only 1 capsule, because I wanted to take it easy the first time.  It's a good thing, as my stomach was very acid-like after, I actually got sick and needed tums to settle the acid in my stomach.  It was more in the morning that I was ill, and I had not eaten anything exotic so that it was not caused from a foreign food.  This just wasn't good for me.

So, nonetheless, it could have been just my reaction to it all, I called Purity Products and cancelled my "Super-Saver Program Membership".  That is one other thing, it seems quite expensive for the Blueberry Detox if you stay on the program.  You do save 30% off the retail price but they ship you 3 bottles of Blueberry Detox at $36.65 each bottle, every 3 months.  Also, the Ultimate H.A. ships out (if you don't cancel) 3 bottle at $22.00 each, every 3 months (+ shipping at $4.95).  I might have stayed trying the Blueberry Detox a bit longer, and it was offered to me by the C.S.R. to try it on a longer trial period of a month as recommended by their floor manager.  It still seemed so iffy to me since it had not done what I thought in a matter of 4-5 days, and prior my "system" was regular. 
The Customer Care was absolutely pleasant, and they do seem qualified as every time, first and last call they handle it all fairly efficiently and fast.  I would like to mention they do have a 60 day 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, but you will have to provide the shipping fee back to the company for the bottles to be returned.  This is for items you purchase, not the free bottle offer.
Purity has also teamed up with "The Vitamin Angel Alliance".  Learn more at www.VitaminAngels.org as they are helping to to stop child blindness related to Vitamin A deficiency in under developed nations.
Well, not a bad company, although the products I have tried so far didn't sit well.  I am sure they do have people that cancel the "free radio offer" promotion, all the time but in this case, I just wasn't satisfied with how I felt after starting to try the products.  If there is anything else you may want to know, you can check out the website at www.purityproducts.com .
 Sorry, the quality of the pictures are not great, but here's the products. I mixed some Blueberry Detox power up too.
 Well, that's all for now~!  See you  next time with some healthy but tasty recipes to start off spring!