The Make It Healthy Project MAGAZINE: Issue #5 - NEW Graphics & Categories! (Lots more to digest!)
- About -
- My Journal -
- This Week's Top Tips from Nature -
- Recipe of the Week -
- Food Facts -
- Good for the Soul -
- Steemit Voices -
- Posts from the Steemit Community -
- Image of the Week -
- Good Health Initiatives/Projects/Contests I Support -
- How YOU Can Get Involved -
- Previous Issues -
I'm a wife and mother (and cat mama), qualified Learning Disabilities Nurse, vegetarian, former host of the Steemit Culinary Challenge, and have been blogging about health on Steemit since Aug 2016. I care deeply about the health of my family and indeed the health of everyone! The thing I realised quite profoundly several years ago was: health is life... literally. If you don't have your health, what good is anything else?
The purpose of the Make It Healthy Project is to share truth, knowledge and good-health-inspiration with the Steemit community. The project takes a natural, balanced, and consistent approach to health and healing - avoiding toxic, artificial, processed, or refined ingredients in food, drink, cosmetics, and medication.
The project vies to inform and aid others how to achieve good health, through a collaborative effort involving all Steemians who wish to share their knowledge and expertise. Follow this link to find out how you can get involved.
Last week we enjoyed a visit from my parents, and had a lovely time out in the forest, down at the beach, out in the garden, or generally hanging out and catching up! Whilst they minded my little boy I took the opportunity to work on this MAGAZINE, creating all kinds of new graphics and categories to make it pretty and interesting (... so I do hope you enjoy it!)
I've also been doing my 'thing' in the kitchen to create some healthy recipes to inspire you (and to feed me of course). For my latest recipes, please click on the links below:
- Healthy Homemade CHOCOLATE - Only THREE Ingredients! (vegan, sugar free, gluten free, dairy free)
- Rich & Creamy Veggie Casserole - Sunday Comfort Food to Warm Your Belly
- Rustic Potato, Leek & Tomato Salad, with Garlic Coleslaw & Roast Butternut Squash
"The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth: and he that is wise will not abhor them" ~ Ecclesiastes 38:4-5
"As a general guide, take roots in the fall (folklore claims that roots taken in their growing season will shrink to nothing), bark in the late winter or early spring, leaves and herb stems when the plant is just short of bloom, flowers when they first open, and seeds when they first ripe. Dry the plant parts slowly in the shade and make sure they're thoroughly dry so they won't mold" ~ extract from Martha White 'Home Remedies'.
Feed a cold, starve a fever.
For bee stings mix a thick paste of baking soda + water.
For wasp stings apply vinegar.
For ant bites rub a slice of cucumber.
To relieve the sting of nettles, apply the juice from the stems of the same plant. Alternatively, spit on a dock leaf (usually found growing nearby) and rub it on the sting.
Lower blood pressure with daily garlic consumption.
For nasal congestion try putting a few drops of eucalyptus oil onto your pillow, or onto a handkerchief that you can sniff as needed.
Use aloe vera (directly from the leaves of the plant, or buy organic aloe vera gel) for sunburn, sore skin, itching and general external inflammations.
To remove unpleasant odour from a room, cut an onion in half and leave it in the room overnight.
Apply castor oil at night to encourage hair growth (eyebrows, eyelashes)
COMING SOON...
Make It Healthy "Open Dish" Contest!
- - - The winning recipe will be featured in this section - - -
but until the contest is launched, I will choose my favourite healthy recipe from the #makeithealthy category. Three cheers for this week's Recipe of the Week, not only does it speak to my belly but with its sentiment it speaks to my soul too...
by @paolapaopoly
Full recipe & directions here:
Peace & Love, Blackberry Cake (vegan, gluten free, sugar free)
SUGAR
The phrase "a little bit won't hurt" does NOT apply to processed sugar. Sugar is highly toxic and highly addictive. It depresses the immune system, causes and feeds diseases, affects behaviour, concentration and memory, encourages weight gain, causes energy highs and crashes, and many other adverse effects (source). "It creates a hormone cascade when consumed that starts a positive feedback loop in the body to encourage more consumption" (source). Naturally occurring sugars are different because they're balanced by the other properties of the plant, which slows digestion of the sugars. For a list of alternative natural sweetners, click here.
ORGANIC vs NON-ORGANIC
Buy ORGANIC wherever possible; conventional farming uses toxic chemicals that remain on the plants, and simply washing them before eating does not remove the residues! Beware of the main 'dirty dozen' fruits and vegetables to avoid, but try to buy everything organic if possible. Also be aware that other non-organic products such as flour, grains, baked goods, etc will contain chemical residues.
ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURINGS
Artificial flavour enhancers are found in MOST processed foods (commonly known as 'MSGs'). These are the chemicals added to make the 'food' item tasty and also addictive, so that you will buy the product again. They are very harmful for health, particularly in children whose bodies and immune systems are developing. For a list of these food additives to avoid, please click here. If you want to know how to remove all harmful ingredients from your diet, see my advice here.
Understand, I am always trying to figure out
what the soul is,
and where hidden,
and what shape...
I believe I will never quite know.
Though I play at the edges of knowing,
truly I know
our part is not knowing,
but looking, and touching, and loving,
which is the way I walked on,
softly,
through the pale-pink morning light.
~ Mary Oliver
Article - The Effects from Walking Barefoot 5 Minutes Every Day
"If a man is not in some way affected by the moon, he is the only thing on Earth that isn't" ~ Robert Millikan
Article - How to Befriend a Tree
"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one" ~ Mother Teresa
Photos for a laugh - 19 Times The Irish Didn't Give A Single Feck
"Your beliefs don't make you a better person... Your behaviour does" ~ unknown
Rasta music - Peter Tosh - Come Together
"The wound is the place where the light enters you" ~ Rumi
Article - Carol Black: "On the Wildness of Children"
"Whatever's good for your soul... do that" ~ unknown
Steemit Voices is a new interview series I'm starting, seeking to extract valuable knowledge and expertise from our fellow Steemians to share with the community. A whole range of health-related topics will be discussed. I for one am very excited! The first interview will feature next week... watch this space.
If you have something to say about health that can benefit others, please contact me to arrange an interview, either in the comments thread below or privately on Steemit.Chat.
--- All posts appropriately tagged with #makeithealthy will feature here. If posting recipes, please remember not to use any processed, refined or artificial ingredients, as I only promote food good for our bodies. ---
Buddha Bowl with Garden Fresh Dressing by @plantstoplanks
Chocolate gem banana bread cake by @celestialcow
Vegan Minestrone Soup by @byebyehamburgers
Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes by @maruharraca
WORKING OUT In The PARK With @JOORDANZZZ by @joalvarez
The Watermelon “La Patilla” by @paos
Five Books About Running That Changed My Life by @run.vince.run
Rice with Vegetables in Soy sauce by @gersson
Perk Yourself Up With Just Half A Paprika by @englishtchrivy
Eating vegan! My second and third day! How have I felt? by @paolapaopoly
Roasted Champignons with Pine Nut Crust by @street.yoga
Short in Iron? Take Some Winter Weed! by @englishtchrivy
10 Lies to Unlearn: #1 Meat Eating by @kinganima
THE ANEMIA AS A DESCELLANT FACTOR IN OUR BODY by @dannymorales
Peanut Butter & Fig Overnight Oats by @plantstoplanks
Lentils ~ Vegan Brunch Varieties by @pusteblume
Hot soup for a rainy spring day - A my way kind of Borscht by @pusteblume
RAMEN BUDDHA BOWL by @lenasveganliving
Stay healthy! Daily ice cream challenge: Self-made healthy mango banana fruit ice cream by @smallstepschange
Crispy Ribboned Carrots with Cranberries and Roasted Nuts Salad! by @cooknbake
Peace & Love, Blackberry Cake. Vegan / Gluten Free / Sugar Free by @paolapaopoly
Inventive Salad- Spring salad by @blackberryskunk
Stay healthy! Daily ice cream challenge. Today I was in banana land by @smallstepschange
Fast Facts On The Boston Marathon by @run.vince.run
Fresh, Organic Kohlrabi by @erikah
Broccoli stinging nettle spinach with fried potatoes by @proanima
Sunday Meal Prep Action by @plantstoplanks
Stay healthy! Daily ice cream challenge: One apple a day by @smallstepschange
(source)
"Fruits & Veggies Monday Competition" hosted by @lenasveganliving
"Vegan Wednesday Challenge" hosted by @heart-to-heart
"The Healing Foods Challenge" hosted by @celestialcow
Various Vegan Contests (new themes posted regularly) hosted by @deliciousplants
"The Steem Running Project" by @runningproject
MSP Waves Radio - The Alternative Lifestyle Show by @pennsif
* If you're interested in featuring on the show, you have an invitation from @pennsif! Either leave a comment below or contact @pennsif via his Steemit blog or Discord
To find out how you can get involved in the project, please see this post for full details. All good-quality, informative and original posts tagged with #makeithealthy will feature in this MAGAZINE.
Thank you sooo much for mentioning two (two, zwei, 2!!!) of my entries! That's amazing! I feel very honored! Thank you again!
You're very welcome! All healthy posts appropriately tagged with #makeithealthy will feature in the magazine, so if you keep them coming, I'll keep putting them in! :-)
If that is so, I'll keep doing it then ... 😉
You just planted 1.23 tree(s)!
Thanks to @pusteblume
We have planted already 4801.63 trees
out of 1,000,000
Let's save and restore Abongphen Highland Forest
in Cameroonian village Kedjom-Keku!
Plant trees with @treeplanter and get paid for it!
My Steem Power = 18683.61
Thanks a lot!
@martin.mikes coordinator of @kedjom-keku
Thanks so much, that's wonderful! :-)
I can't believe I was mentioned in your magazine again. Thank you so much
I love, love your magazine, since there are so many good articles and so much information about healthy eating, exercising and all these healthy recipes, and food information.
You are doing an amazing job, and I really appreciate your idea of this magainze and sharing all these amazing posts made by other steemains.
You're very kind, thank you @joalvarez :-) I really enjoy your posts and as long as you keep posting and tagging them, I'll keep putting them in the magazine! I'm delighted to hear such enthusiasm for it... It seems to have become a bit of a passion project! :-)
It is a pleasure for me to be at Make It Healthy Project MAGAZINE for the second time. An honor for me! thank you very much! Eat green, eat healthy!
Thanks so much for another wonderful issue of the Make it Healthy Project Magazine!!
Also thank you so much for featuring my post, I really appreciate it! :)
This magazine is great, Thanks for choosing me again, it's an honor! I'm happy about that. I had the eucalyptus remedy and the castor oil remedy, I do it at night, I also put a little in my hair. By the way do you have any remedy for hair loss?
I have read that rubbing coconut oil into your hair and leaving it on overnight before washing helps hair growth. Also avoiding using commercial shampoos & conditioners as the chemicals in them damage the hair folicles. If I come across any hair loss remedies other than castor oil and coconut oil I will mention them in the magazine! I'm really happy you enjoyed it, and am happy to promote your blog! :-)
Wow! Thank you very much for taking me into account, I really feel very grateful and honored to be here. The magazine is amazing. I am so happy ... again, thank you very much, I hope to continue doing things well to continue being taken into account.
You're welcome @paos, I'm thrilled to hear you happy! You do great posts and if you keep tagging healthy posts with #makeithealthy I will keep putting them in the magazine!
Wow, that became meanwhile a pretty good ezine, you should get a publish button instead of a post button :) Thank you for summarizing all the initiatives, contests and projects.
I wouldn't flatter processed food and chemicals by calling them MSG's though.
It's true, MSG is a flavor enhancer, in particular for the umami or savory taste. But so is salt, sugar, and vinegar, it's a condiment and as good or bad as the others.
MSG is a naturaly occurring non-essential amino acid found for example in tomatoes and as food additive it is produced through natural fermentation of starches. So at least it is a substance that the own body produces, there are by far worse additives.
Cooking enhances the flavor too, so strictly speaking only the consumption of one kind of raw fresh and always equally ripe fruit or vegetable does not create addictive flavor enhancement :)
Sadly I can't find the article anymore, but in an interview the Yogi Dharma Mittra said once that for half a year he ate only sprouted peeled almonds, so someone went that route already:)
Thank you for the clarification @steet.yoga :-) I refer to the synthetic MSG added to processed foods today, and use it as many people do as an umbrella term for artificial flavour enhancers (not strictly correct but it seems to be how most people understand it). Foods that contain naturally ocurring MSG are ok because it's part of the whole food, but the MSG we find in processed foods is sythetically derived and composed of nearly all glutamate, and our bodies don't react in the same way to it as the naturally occurring compound. The same is true for other synthetic glutamates, which come under a whole range of names.
I can't imagine eating sprouted peeled almonds for 6 months... or even 6 days! But it would be interesting to hear his interview and how his body reacted to this diet :-)
As I wrote, as good or as bad as salt or processed sugar. The list you posted also excludes all fermented products, so no wine, vinegars, pickles, tempeh, miso, natto, kimchi, sauerkraut, soy sauce, tibicos, kombucha...
His body had no problems, he said almonds have all the body needs. There was also this guy in Australia, after reading McDougall's Starch Solution were it is written that potatoes have all the essential nutrients, he ate only potatoes for one year, he lost 117 pounds, his blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar dropped
at regular health checks.
With fermented products yes sugar is used, but the sugar is pretty much 'fermented out' as it feeds on the bacteria. Also because the sugar is broken down in the fermenting process, it doesn't affect blood sugar in the same way, and doesn't put stress on your body trying to break it down. But it's also possible to make many of the products you mentioned using natural alternatives and avoiding processed sugar entirely.
I'm not trying to tell people what to do or pretend to be the expert of all these things... just trying to raise awareness of the differences between natural foods and processed foods, and how they affect the body in different ways. I try to research very thoroughly before offering advice :-)
You know your share and care :) Neither am I an expert, but I like to discuss topics to crossreference, firm and actualize my knowledge :)
The fermented products are excluded in the food additive list, how nice it would be to ferment everything at home, but that is a lot of products :)
On the other side Dr. Cousens writes in his book Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine that people predisposed to fungal infections like mycosis or candidia should avoid fermented food altogether.
It is a thin line between a healthy lifestyle and orthorexia, and there is no food or peparation process which is considered exclusively healthy, that is the dualistic nature of humans :)
You're absolutely right @street.yoga! Even people who seemingly eat all the 'right' things can still end up with disease, and then they find out that such-and-such-a-thing within certain natural foods they're eating is having adverse affects... It seems to be dependent on so many factors that what's a perfect diet for one is not so good for another! I guess that's why listening to our bodies is so important... which a lot of people aren't confident to do in this age of relying on doctors and so-called 'experts' :-)
You're right too - it's a lot of work to make everything homemade, and when it's not possible then some compromises sometimes have to be made. I guess it's a case of whether we feel able to compromise and permit ourselves a bit of sugar or other 'bad' ingredient, or whether we can just live without our favourite products. I make as much homemade as I can, and usually if I can't make it myself or find a healthy product, then I just do without! But admittedly this has been a gradual process rather than cold turkey with everything all at once.
It's good to discuss things! Thank you for the conversation... I enjoy it!
Another fantastic compilation! And I love seeing the project evolve as you continue to put so much of your heart and hard work into it! :)
Thank you Katie, I appreciate that :-) All those years spent enduring mind-numbingly tedious jobs and wishing I could do something creative... well now I can say I enjoy my work, hooray! :-)
It really does make such a difference being able to enjoy your work! I've definitely done my time in the tedious trenches, as well. Never again I hope. :)
Thank you so much!