Garden Plot

Spring is here and the growing season has begun:)  

My garden is mostly all prepped and ready for cool weather veggie planting.  

All I have left to do is put up the fence...mix in the Azomite (rock dust) when it arrives, and a last layer of biodynamic compost and I'm ready to plant!

I have my little seedlings off to a start indoors waiting until the last day of expected frost to be transplanted into the garden (around mid May). 

Look for tomorrows post for recent pix of my seedlings, under 2 weeks old.

 4/5/2012 I got my 20'x20' garden plot at our community garden:)

 Thankfully the previous owner laid plastic covers over rows to minimize the weeding I had to do this spring.

4/9/2012 - The administrator so kindly let me have several 4'x4' boxes that I planned on extending into larger garden bed. I weeded out as much as I could in this pic, apart from where I laid the boxes

 4/12/2012 - Several days later I came back to finish weeding, and a wonderful fellow community gardener offered to till my garden while I was in the middle of weeding...so after he tilled it I removed a huge chive plant that was in the corner near my red bag, then finished picking out all the weeds I could find, and smoothed out the garden plot. 

4/14/2012 - I then picked up some 16' wood planks from Lowe's and with the help of my brother-on-law put together my 4 boxes. 

 4/14/2012 - When the boxes were constructed I then loosened up the soil again with a garden fork, smoothed it with a rake, then laid compost...5 wheelbarrows full! Got my workout this day for sure. Spent 5 1/2 hrs in the morning...

 4/14/2012 - I then came back later in the day for another 1 1/2 to lay on the aged fertilizer (both provided by our community garden!)

 4/17/2012 - Put wood chips around my paths, and the main path in front of my garden plot. My plot ends where the edge of my beds end.

  4/17/2012 -This is my garden currently...I loosened up the soil one last time here, mixing in the fertilizer some more (after we had a few days or rain prior). I also put stakes around my garden, as I need to put up my fence. I have 2 sizes 4 feet and 2 feet, so i will have to decide how to divide that up.

Next on the agenda, this coming week, is to add Azomite rock dust (when it arrives in the mail), then a layer of Biodynamic compost on top of that, and mix it really well, hopefully with a small tiller...we'll see how it goes!

Heirloom Seeds

Jeremiah "Jere" Gettle has always been passionate about saving seeds. He is the founder of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and speaks to CHOW at his seed bank in Petaluma, California.

I saved this video before I decided to start a garden, and looking back at it realized it's where I got some of my seeds from:) Great source!

What Are Heirloom Seeds?

 Heirloom seeds, heirloom vegetables and heirloom gardening are becoming increasingly popular today. Many people are turning or returning to home gardening for a variety of reasons, and heirloom seeds figure prominently. Some of these include an interest in fresh, local and healthy foods; others need to stretch the family food budget; some need additional exercise, preferably outdoors; and still others are searching for the lost flavors of the family garden when they were growing up.

All of this interest has created some confusion as to what an heirloom seed truly is. Some think that the term “heirloom” is the same as “organic”. Other folks think that anything that is not organic or heirloom means that it is GMO. To make matters worse, some larger seed companies sell both heirloom and hybrid seeds that are certified organic, further confusing the matter.

Let’s take a look at a few definitions so we can better understand what an heirloom seed is compared to a hybrid or genetically modified seed.

An heirloom is anything of value (though not necessarily economic) to a person, family or group passed down from one generation to other. Examples are furniture, China, silver or seeds. An heirloom is generally considered something worth passing down. An heirloom seed, therefore, is seed from a plant that has been passed from one generation to another, carefully grown and saved because it is considered valuable. The value could lie in its flavor, productivity, hardiness or adaptability. Many heirlooms have been grown, saved and passed down for more than 100 years. Some have history reaching back 300 years or more. To have been saved and preserved for so long, these seed varieties have shown their value to many people and families for an extremely long time.

Most heirlooms have been saved and selected because they have the best flavor and production in home and small market gardens. We get the benefit of this long development cycle, as only the best producing, most flavorful, most memorable and most dependable varieties have made the selection throughout the years. Delicate, weak or fickle varieties are no longer with us.

Open-pollinated is another term sometimes used interchangeably with heirloom. They do not mean the same thing, as an open pollinated seed is simply a variety where the seed can be harvested from the plant, saved, replanted, and the same variety will re grow year after year. This is how we have the heirloom varieties that we have today is because they are open-pollinated. All heirloom seeds are open pollinated, but not all open pollinated seeds are heirloom, as there are new open pollinated varieties being introduced that are obviously not old enough to be considered heirlooms. An example of this is the Oregon Spring tomato developed by Dr. Baggett, Oregon State University through traditional plant breeding for early germination and productivity in the cool Oregon spring.

Organic certification is the process of certifying a crop grown to a strict uniform set of standards. The certification process includes inspections of farm fields and processing facilities, detailed record keeping and periodic testing of soil and water to ensure that growers and handlers are meeting the standards which have been set. The USDA sets the standards, and the criteria for meeting those standards. The certifying agency such as Oregon Tilth, CCOF, QAI and OCAI verifies that the grower is meeting the standards set by the USDA. In short, “organic” means only that a crop was grown to a specific set of standards.

A hybrid seed is produced by artificially cross pollinating two genetically different plants of the same species, such as two different tomatoes or two varieties of corn. The cross pollination is done by hand, and a seed that is saved will not grow true to either parent. Thus the farmer or gardener has no choice but to purchase new seed each year. Hybrids are typically bred for commercial use and profit to change the characteristic of the resulting plants, such as higher yield, greater uniformity, more even ripening, improved color and disease resistance. Flavor has only recently begun to be addressed when selecting characteristics for new hybrids.

Hybrids originated in the 1920s and 1930s for small local commercial growers who shipped their produce less than 50 miles to market, and needed more consistent production for a steady supply of fresh produce to the markets. Taste and freshness were still important than, as many people living in the city were recent transplants from the country, and still remembered what fresh produce tasted like. This is completely different from the hybrids of today with the selected characteristics that have resulted in the iconic colorful yet flavorless supermarket tomato that looks and tastes the same year round.

Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO seed have been altered using DNA from completely different species and organisms to give different traits such as resistance to herbicides and acceptance of chemical fertilizers. Some GMO corn, for instance, manufactures its own herbicide in its root structure. Some DNA donors have come from fish, frogs and bacteria. The major crops that are genetically modified are corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat. Sugar beets and alfalfa have recently been deregulated, and potatoes are being studied. Most common garden vegetables are not yet genetically modified simply because the financial return in the market is not present yet.

Two of the better known benefits of heirloom seed include adaptability and flavor. Some varieties of heirloom tomato have been known to adapt to a specific location within as little as 2 to 3 growing seasons, showing better vigor, better production, better flavor and increase disease resistance. This is a result of saving the seed and replanting it year to year. Many people come to heirlooms in search of flavors that they experienced as a child. One of the leading characteristics of heirloom varieties is defined by the depth of flavor that they produce. This single characteristic has been one of the major reasons for the preservation of specific varieties over great spans of time. This is probably one of the biggest reasons for the resurgence of heirlooms in home gardens in the past 10 years, as once people experience the amazing range and depths of flavors that heirlooms offer, they are hooked. Taste is once again becoming a viable characteristic in variety selection for the home garden instead of only production quantity, uniformity, and disease resistance.

People are celebrating the fact that taste trumps volume. It’s the classic quantity vs. quality conundrum, with quality making a comeback.

Detox Plants

The air quality in an airtight home or office is usually worse than outdoor air. Since a good deal of time is spent inside one's home and/or office space, then measures to improve that air quality are in order. Especially living in cold climates and keep the windows sealed shut all winter.

Detox your Indoor Air

It's important to be aware of mold, what it looks like, and the hazards it presents to your health. If black mold is spotted, get rid of it right away. Homes in moist or high humidity areas are prone to mold issues. Leaky roofs, windows, plumbing, and cellars contribute toward creating toxic mold (http://www.naturalnews.com/033341_mold_indoor_air.html).

Toxic shellacs and thinners should be restricted to outdoor sheds if possible. They shouldn't be in your home. Use your flyswatter and ditch the insect spray poisons. Those are extremely toxic and shouldn't be in your home or even garage (http://www.naturalnews.com).

Keeping the house clean inside is important. But what you use for cleaning the house can be worse than collecting dust and dirt. Commercially produced household cleaning items pollute indoor air with their toxins. Get rid of them and use non-toxic soaps (http://www.naturalnews.com/028846_laundry_detergents_dioxane.html).

Chemical air freshening fragrances should be discarded. There are air treatment machines that you could research carefully to determine which one is suitable for you (http://www.naturalnews.com/033143_indoor_air_purification.html). Try to choose a machine that involves more than one method of purification.

Use high quality air filters for your central AC/forced hot air system, and change it seasonally. Indoor plants can do wonders to oxygenate your indoor air, making it fresher and healthier as well as creating a naturally aesthetic setting.

NASA's chosen plants for purifying indoor air

The National Aeronautic and Space Agency (NASA) researched plants' abilities to eliminate air pollutants, presumably to determine how to decorate a space station and help the air stay oxygenated and fresh.

NASA recommends placing 15 to 18 of your choices from their researched plants in an 1800 square foot or 167 square meter dwelling or office. Obviously, less are required for smaller spaces. Just make sure the plants are as large as possible for their types.

These plants can help reduce all sorts of serious air pollutants, even benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene, as well as microbial pathogens. Living in low pollution areas still leaves you with chemicals released from particle boards and fiber glass insulation materials. The plants reduce air toxins and carbon dioxide while increasing oxygen levels and humidity.

You won't need all the different types of indoor plants, of course. The options are yours from which to choose for monetary and aesthetic reasons. NASA's choices are:

* English ivy (Hedera helix)
* Spider plant (Chlorphytum comosum)
* Golden pothos (Epipemnum aureum)
* Peace lily (Spathiphyllum Mauna Loa)
* Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
* Bamboo or reed palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)
* Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
* Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron scandens oxycardium)
* Selloum philodendron (Philodendrum selloum)
* Elephant ear philodendron (Philodendrum domesticum)
* Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena marginata)
* Cornstalk dracaena (Dracaena fragrans Massangeana)
* Janet Craig dracaena (Dracaena deremensis Janet Craig
* Warneck dracaena (Dreacaena dermenisis Waneckii)
* Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)

Aloe Vera plants received honorable mention as air cleaners. You could use the gooey jell from inside a leaf to treat minor burns.

A couple of these plants are poisonous if eaten. So consider that if you have pets or toddlers. Most of them are low maintenance, but a couple of them have their quirks. In addition to basic maintenance, being nice to plants and playing classical or quality new age music does increase their life force.

For more information on these plants, with pictures to help you identify them, go here (http://www.toptipspot.com/tips/health/howto/air-cleaning-plants.php).

Wheat Flour Alternatives

Four Delicious Wheat Flour Alternatives

Although wheat has enjoyed a long-term reputation as a health food, the number of people who report an adverse reaction to eating wheat is on the rise. Several factors may contribute to a growing intolerance of wheat including overuse and genetic modification.

I personally cut wheat and gluten from my diet when I began my raw food diet back in the summer of 2011.  Since then I have discovered several alternatives, that I have really enjoyed experimenting with.  I used several of the flours below in many baking items over the winter when I wasn't 100% raw.

Wheat Refinement and Enrichment? Wheat has been refined and changed genetically many times since humans began using it over 10,000 years ago. These changes may make it harder for the human body to synthesize modern wheat. So many people have a gluten intolerance that they are unaware of as well, so try cut gluten, which include wheat products altogether (including spelt) for a time frame and see how it changes the way you feel. If you find wheat does not support the level of health you'd like to enjoy, here are four healthy and delicious wheat flour alternatives.

Spelt Flour
Spelt is a grain that is closely related to wheat. Spelt has been prized by humans for a very long time as evidence of its use as early as the fifth millennium has been found in the region north of the Black Sea. Although spelt flour is not gluten-free, it is a nutritious alternative to wheat. Spelt is 17% protein, more than 9% fiber, and contains numerous minerals and vitamins. When using spelt flour as a wheat substitute in a recipe, use it cup for cup in place of wheat flour.

Coconut Flour Coconut flour is a delicious wheat flour alternative that is both gluten-free and grain free. The fact that coconut flour is grain free is a big plus for individuals who are intolerant of grains in general. Coconut flour is naturally sweet, and when it's baked into muffins, cupcakes, breads, etc. they inherit its distinctive, sweet flavor and require less sweetener. Coconut flour is extremely high in fiber, even higher than flaxseeds. Because of its high fiber content, coconut flour can be quite heavy, so when baking with coconut flour consider blending it with another flour. This is a personal favorite of mine...all things coconut actually:) coconut oil, water, sugar, aminos...you name it, the coconut is the most versatile plant for consumption, and super healthy!

Amaranth Flour Amaranth flour is a gluten-free wheat alternative made from small amaranth seeds. Amaranth is said to have enjoyed its peak during the Aztec civilization in Mexico. Amaranth is abundant in protein; in fact, 100 grams of amaranth provide 100% of an adult's recommended daily intake. Amaranth is also high in fiber and contains lysine, an essential amino acid. When using amaranth flour alone, it is best to use it in non-rising bread like pizza dough or biscuits. If you're baking a bread that needs to rise, combine amaranth with another flour or use xanthan gum. Cooking amaranth as a rice alternative or popping it like popcorn is also another favorite thing I like to do with amaranth.

Quinoa Flour Nutty flavored quinoa flour is made by grinding the seeds of the ancient quinoa plant. Quinoa flour is more coarse than wheat flour and has a much more distinctive taste. Quinoa is very nutrient rich, it contains protein, calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, vitamin B, potassium, and phosphorus. Because quinoa flour is quite different from wheat flour, when using it as a wheat replacement, experiment with the amount of flour used, the measurement of other ingredients, and baking time. Quinoa flour is delicious in combination with other healthy flours like almond, and chickpea.  Like amaranth, quinoa makes an awesome rice alternative, and is my favorite alternative. I purchase the tri-color quinoa.

Experiment with these and other wheat alternatives, and diversify the flours you use. Along with many others, spelt flour, coconut flour, amaranth flour, and quinoa flour are tasty and nutritious substitutes. Shop for nutritious wheat flour alternatives at health food stores, in the health food section of your local supermarket, and online. Whether you are intolerant of wheat or simply like to explore different foods, you can benefit from a wide range of flours and the nutrition they provide.

Wheat Belly: Whole grain, organic, ciabatta, or Twinkie...it's all the same

Prevent clogged Arteries

5 Foods to Prevent Your Arteries from Clogging

Like any plumbing system, your arteries can get clogged up. When you have high blood pressure, inflammation causes cholesterol to stick to the walls of your blood vessels, forming a plaque. The following foods are powerful enough to prevent this dangerous clogging.

Kiwi and Cantaloupe
These antioxidant-rich foods work by reducing toxic LDL cholesterol, which is formed by a rusting process in your arteries. They can help stop the “rust” in its tracks and even prevent it from spreading. Eat 1 cup of cantaloupe or 1 kiwi a day to unclog your arteries.

Shrimp
Despite being a source of cholesterol, shrimp can be helpful for your heart. They contain taurine, an amino acid, which acts like plastic wrap so fats can’t cross the intestinal wall and get into your arteries. Try having 5 medium-sized steamed or grilled shrimp twice a week. Be sure to avoid the cocktail sauces.

Red-Skinned Grapes and Cranberry Juice
These foods strain the fat out your arteries. Instead of having fat build up in your blood vessels, these foods improve your cells' ability to absorb the fat and use it for energy production. Drink a glass of cranberry juice three times a week or eat 1 cup of grapes per day to unclog your arteries.

Detox foods

Foods That Help Detox Your Body of Heavy Metals

As mentioned in yesterday's blog, I take chlorella to detox my body from healthy  metals, but there are several foods that also aid your body in this task. 

Because of the toxicity of our environment, heavy metal buildup is unavoidable. From pollutants flying around in the air we breathe to the chemicals used in personal care products, our bodies are assaulted daily with mercury, lead, nickle, cadmium, aluminum, copper, arsenic, platinum, and a host of other heavy metals.

Nutrients play a key role in helping the body reduce the amount of these heavy metals. Here are a few that get the Oscar for detoxing heavy metals:

1. Calcium: Displaces mercury and lead in the body. Found in kale, parsley, watercress, beet greens, broccoli, spinach, romaine lettuce, string beans, oranges, carrots, celery, almonds, sesame seeds, and beans.

2. Magnesium: When consumed with calcium, magnesium helps displace mercury and lead. Good sources include beets, spinach, parsley, chard, carrots, cauliflower, blackberries, broccoli, and carrots.

3. Vitamin C: This powerpack vitamin displaces lead and mercury. You will find it in citrus fruit, broccoli, kale, parsley, Brussells sprouts, watercress, cauliflower, cabbage, strawberries, spinach, turnips, mangoes, cantaloupes, asparagus, and papaya.

4. Chlorophyll: Found in abundance in dark leafy green veggies, chlorophyll binds to heavy metals. Spinach, broccoli, chard, kale and lettuce have an abundance of chlorophyll. As does Chrlorella which is the richest source of chlorophyll there is!

5. Lipoic Acid: A potent antioxidant that is essential for healthy metabolism, lipoic acid is a fatty acid that binds to heavy metals in the body and helps clear mercury and lead from the system. Found in red meat, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, yams, carrots, beets, and Brewer’s yeast.

6. Soluble Fiber: Large amounts found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans, soluble fiber helps the body draw out lead. About 20-30 percent of your diet should include soluble fiber.

7. Sulphur: Lead, mercury, and cadmium rob the body of sulfur, which is essential for building cartilage and connective tissue. To avoid deficiencies caused by heavy metals consume foods high in sulfur: egg yolks, kelp, kale, turnips, raspberries, onions, cabbage and mustard.

8. Zinc: Zinc is essential for healthy metabolism and for fighting free radicals, which attack cells and cause disease, impaired immunity, and premature aging. In addition, zinc deficiencies can lead to fatigue and contribute to neuropsychiatric  disorders such as ADHD, depression, and dyslexia. Pumpkin seeds, gingerroot, carrots, garlic, parsley, spinach, cabbage, lettuce and cucumbers are good sources of zinc.

I personally add almost all the foods above to my diet, it's not very hard to do so. If you rather have the benefits  quickly instead of sitting down to a huge salad every day, try juicing the veggies above. Lately I have been able to include a very large amount of the nutrients offered from there foods through a large glass of green juice daily, which I guarantee is more yummy than you imagine. 

Healthy Gut & cancer

Why maintaining a healthy gut is crucial to preventing cancer

Do you eat foods rich in probiotics, or take a probiotic supplement?  As soon as I started to learn about the importance of gut health i weighed all my options and made sure it was part of my daily intake. 

It is said that roughly 80 percent of human health and immunity originates in the gut, which includes, of course, the body's ability to ward off cancer. And a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation has found that poor gut health is directly responsible for causing cancers, that would otherwise be blocked intestinally, to enter the body and proliferate.

Dr. Scott Waldman, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Thomas Jefferson University, and his colleagues discovered that guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C), an intestinal hormone receptor, plays a key role in suppressing tumor growth. This enzyme helps maintain a healthy intestinal wall, which effectively keeps cancer cells at bay by blocking them from entering the body.

But when GC-C is at suboptimal levels in the gut, the intestinal walls become more prone to protrusion, which causes inflammation of the intestinal lining and the eventual leakage of cancer cells and other harmful materials directly into the body. If left unchecked, this enzymatic abnormality ends up resulting in damaged DNA and the development of tumors in various places in the body, including in the liver, lungs, and lymph nodes.

"If the intestinal barrier breaks down, it becomes a portal for stuff in the outside world to leak into the inside world," said Dr. Waldman. "When these worlds collide, it can cause many diseases, like inflammation and cancer."

The entire intestinal environment, in other words, has been specifically designed to protect the body from foreign invaders, whether it be toxins, harmful organisms, or malignant cell growths. But when this system is disrupted by a lack of proper nutrients, for instance, or from damage caused by antibiotics and genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), the intestinal lining gradually loses its ability to protect the body against harm.

Irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease -- these and many other intestinal problems are the direct result of a gut that has been compromised by things like bad diet, vaccines, GMOs, antibiotics, and a lack of probiotic foods. But they are also conditions that can be effectively mitigated and even reversed through improved diet and supplementation with probiotic foods and nutrients.

Numerous studies have already found that probiotics are effective at preventing cancer. And perhaps their ability to not only maintain but also improve the integrity of the intestinal lining is one specific way in which they effectively accomplish this task.

Some probiotic foods include Natto, Kimchi, Miso, Temphe, Sauerkrout, Kefir...basically fermented nutritious food, that I have to admit i don't personally enjoy, so I personally find a good probiotic pill to take daily (very easy to add to my daily regimen!). 

Another thing I do add to my day is Microalgae, this refers to super-food ocean-based plants such as spirulina, chorella, and blue-green algae. These probiotic foods have been shown to increase the amount of both Lactobacillus and bifidobacteria in the digestive tract. They also offer the most amount of energetic return, per ounce, for the human system.  I take a spirulina/chlorella mix in small tablets, or sometimes just chlorella tablets or spirullina powder in my smoothies. It's also great from expelling heavy metals from your body, which was what first attracted me to them.