Prevent and heal disease with chilies

by: Sheryl Walters

Spicy foods add an incredible amount of flavour to food. As ethnic foods become abundant, chili and spicy food are increasingly popular. The good news is that adding spice to our food has a range of benefits for our health and wellbeing.

Reduced Cancer Death Rate

Scientists have proven that capsaicin, which is responsible for the burning sensation when we eat chilies, can kill cancer cells, indicating that people could at least prevent the onset of cancer by eating spicy food. This is because it is a natural antioxidant, meaning that it defends against disease causing toxins.

According to the World Health Organization, countries where diets are traditionally high in capsaicin have significantly lower cancer death rates for men and women than in countries where little spicy food is consumed.

Prevents Dangerous Blood Clots

As well as preventing cancer, researchers have also noticed that people who consume large amounts of chili peppers experienced a lower incidence of thromboembolism, or potentially dangerous blood clots.
Scientists have studied the medical records of countries where spicy foods are regularly consumed, and found that people who eat a diet high in chilies experience a much lower incidence of blood clotting diseases. It has now been scientifically proven that capsicum is able to break down blood clots.

Other Benefits of Hot Super Foods Include:

* Chilies are anti-inflammatory, so they prevent and relieve arthritis.

* Lowers Blood Pressure Naturally – Going hot increases the circulatory system and maintains strong cell walls.

* Chilies are a fantastic remedy for Cluster Headaches and Migraines, and can be put on the temples to sooth the pain. Some researchers are even investigating the effects of snorting it up the nose!

* A mood lifter, depression fighter, and powerful stress reliever. Capsicum increases endorphins and other mood elevating, “feel good” substances.

* Chilies can help protect us from common winter conditions. It may reduce flu symptoms, sinusitis, and respiratory problems. It opens everything up, makes you sweat, and boosts the immune system.

* A powerful remedy for Herpes Simplex flare–ups. You can rub a hot chili straight on the skin to watch it disappear! Now available in the form of a prescription drug, capsicum ointment is applied to the skin to aid in controlling the pain associated with herpes zoster, also known as shingles.

* A natural muscle relaxant and pain reliever. We all know that putting something hot and spicy on muscular pain offers relief. Again, a hot chili pepper straight on the skin will do the trick. There are also a number of creams that have capsicum in them to sooth and heal painful muscles.

* Chilies have been shown to have a positive effect on an overactive bladder and on people who have incontinence. It can block contractions that cause unpredictable loss of urine.

* Spicy foods can heal psoriasis and other skin conditions. Topical capsaicin creams have been prescribed to dry up psoriasis patches.

* Studies have shown that ulcers respond well to chilies. Hot peppers inhibit the growth of H. Pylori, the bacteria that causes certain kinds of ulcers.

* Capsicum is good for the skin because it is anti-inflammatory and improves circulation.

* Spicy foods improve libido and sex drive.

So if you can handle your food hot, turn up the notch and enjoy the amazing healing benefits and added taste of spicy foods.

Wheat-free bread

The Rise of Yeast-Free, Wheat-Free Bread

by: Neil McLaughlin

Although bread has been a staple food of humanity since just after the Stone Age, it wasn’t until the mid 19th century that bakers started adding yeast to their bread. Originally, bread was left to rise naturally.

How does bread rise without added yeast? Small amounts of yeast are naturally present in the grain and the environment. Over time, the yeast will proliferate if kept in a dark, moist environment. Once a batch of “cultured” dough is obtained, a small piece from the previous batch can be used as a “starter” to accelerate the rising process of the next batch. Allowing bread to rise naturally is a time-consuming process requiring 2-3 days and thus more shelf space. However, we are now learning that the slower curing process offers many health benefits, primarily because naturally leavened bread has an alkalizing versus acidic effect on the digestive system.

The Discovery of Yeast

Louis Pasteur first isolated yeast in 1856 and soon after many forms of yeast became available. The one that became the most popular was Fleischmann’s Yeast, released in 1869. While most people believe adding yeast is required to get dough to rise, it is only required to get dough to rise quickly. Bakers learned that by using yeast they could make fresh bread every 8 hours instead of every 24 hours. Nearly 100% of them started using yeast. However, one problem is that yeasted bread rises so quickly that the grain it contains is not quite ready to eat. Another is that many people must follow a yeast-free diet due to stomach conditions such as Candida, which is an overgrowth of fungus in the digestive tract that can result from oral antibiotic use.

Sourdough

When Lactobacillis (or whey) is added as a culture, the dough is soured by the bacteria and becomes easier to digest. Whey can be obtained by using the broth often found at the top of yogurt. Since you will be breeding the culture, it is recommended that you choose organic or even biodynamic yogurt.

Gluten

Over the years, wheat has been cross-bred into hybrid forms to intentionally increase the amount of gluten that is naturally present. This was to give wheat a more pastry-like quality. After a century of cross breeding, even organic whole wheat today bears little resemblance to the wheat our ancestors harvested. Many individuals have developed a severe allergy to wheat called Celiac Disease, which actually causes scar tissue to form in the gut. Thus many have been seeking alternative grains that can still produce delicious bread. Two other options are spelt and millet, which we will explore next.

Millet

Those with a strong sensitivity to gluten should be pleasantly surprised to discover millet. A staple grain in ancient China, millet was re-popularized by a bakery in Deland, FL that produces gluten-free millet bread with no added yeast. Most health food stores sell out so quickly they have a waiting list. To date, no other bread company has featured yeast-free, gluten-free bread that does not resemble cardboard.

Spelt

Spelt is an ancient cousin of wheat that has a hard protective hull so it requires mechanical processing. In the late 19th century, farmers had a choice between mass producing wheat or spelt. While spelt was generally considered a superior grain, farmers decided to plant wheat because it was easier to process. Spelt was largely forgotten until the late 1980’s when it was rediscovered in its original state. Unlike corn and soy that are likely to be genetically modified, spelt is nearly always organic. Unlike wheat, in which most of the nutrients are found in the bran, the nutrients in spelt are mostly found in the (white) kernel portion. Thus, while it is still preferable to consume the whole grain, white spelt does not compromise nutrition the way white wheat does. Also, spelt tends to be more easily absorbed by the body due to its high water solubility. Thought it contains less gluten, spelt does contain some, so those who are Celiac must also avoid spelt. For more information on spelt, read about St. Hildegard at: ((http://www.berlinnaturalbakery.com/wond…) .

Recipe for Yeast-free Spelt Bread

While many commercial bread companies have to use microscopic font in order to fit all of the ingredients on the label, consider that homemade bread requires only a handful of ingredients. Remember: flour does not need to be Enriched, Bleached, Bromated, Emulsified, Genetically Modified, Irradiated, or Preserved! However, since you are creating the ideal conditions for mold growth, clean the containers and utensils with vinegar prior to use. While not particularly dangerous, dough that develops mold should be discarded.

Ingredients

• 7 cups spelt flour
• 2 cups warm filtered water
• 2 Tbsp cane sugar
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Optional: 1 Tbsp whey

Instructions

* In large bowl, add water, oil and whey.

* To bowl, add sugar, salt and baking powder – mixture should fizz a good deal.

* Quickly stir in 1/3 of the flour, taking advantage of the fizzing action for easier mixing.

* Add 1/2 of remaining flour – mix about 40 more beats by hand. It starts getting thick.

* Mix in remaining flour and knead lightly until a gummy consistency is achieved.

* Transfer to clean container. Cover with towel and store at room temperature 2-3 days.

* After dough rises to roughly double in size, store dough in refrigerator until ready to use.

* Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 2 loaves.

Earth day