Reaction to Electric Space Heater

This morning—thankfully it’s the weekend—had some difficulty waking up. Just felt really tired. When I finally got up and looked into the mirror, wow, surprise! My eyes, especially my right eye was very swollen. I knew immediately what happened as this had happened a couple of years before I got systemic candida.

 

swollen eyelid again ... a space heater reaction

At that time, I didn’t have floor heat in my one-room so used a space heater. Then one day when I woke up, both of my eyes had almost swollen shut. I was so ashamed to go anywhere, but did go to the store immediately and bought a long duck-billed baseball cap and wore it low for three days as I waited for the swelling to go down. I also went immediately to the hospital to consult with docs about what the hey was happening. Allergy testing was recommended because I had cats and the docs all thought it was them. Nope, I would have reacted long ago or at least had some hint, but I did test for cats, mold and a couple other things. Nothing! I was referred to some kind of skin specialist and that doctor (arrogant as could be) wanted all my perfumes, shampoos, conditioners, hair sprays, make-up because he was going to do (very expensive) testing to find the one that was causing my problem. I told him I didn't use perfume (one cat was very senstive), only used two shampoos, never used conditioner (makes my hair feel heavy), hair spray was only one brand and in very tiny amounts, and for make-up only used mascara, and none of these things had ever given me any indication of being injurious to me. He basically called me a liar because all females are cosmetic-freaks. [What arrogance, and mostly because his communication was top-down because (1) he spoke English fluently, a high value here and (2) he had the "doctor is god" attitude! Errrgh!] He only listened enough to ask what chemicals I had been around … Ah, there was a good thought! … but I couldn’t think of a single one. He demanded then that I bring all my cosmetics because that was where the problem was. That just didn’t make sense to me and he was so arrogantly insistent that I just left.

A couple days later my eyes were getting better. BTW, I had to sleep for two nights in my neighbor’s one-room because every time I went into mine, my eyes would begin to swell again. Well, after a couple of days I was back home and my cats were happy and I was happy to be with them as I read, sitting in front of my space heater. And then I could feel my eyes swelling again. I turned off the space heater and stayed in a very cold room that day, and then the next day turned on the space heater again. Yep! Sure enough. It was the space heater causing my reaction. So I went online to find out what could possibly be causing that reaction and what I found is rather disturbing—the coils have asbestos and other toxic materials in them. I read in several places online that over time these materials break down with use. Yikes is just putting it mildly! Here are the toxic/chemical materials listed in the coil heating elements—nichrome, iron-chrome, nickel-chrome, nickel-iron, nickel, stainless steel, molybdenum, tungsten, and MoSi2 conductor wire, and the insulation materials are the ones to really question—mica, asbestos, ceramics, fiberglass, and synthetic liquids (and just what are they??? some evil known-to-be toxins that are a trade secret so they don't need to be listed???).

Well, over the past several years I have rarely used the space heater because of my previous reaction, but yesterday I didn’t care to heat my whole apartment as I was just going to be working in front of my computer. So for four hours the space heater was pointed my way, about a yard away, heating me up and putting toxins in my body. BTW, my face was turned away from the heater so wow, it really fed some toxins into the environment, into probably my whole body, and the outcome appeared this a.m. Not good, not healthy, not going to use the space heater again!!

BTW, here's a very detailed account of Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. I am a bit sensitive to paints and air conditioning filters (they're very moldy and should be cleaned often) and some others, but for the most part if I can just get to better ventilation away from those known toxins I'm fine. I wouldn't say that I have multiple chemical sensitivities, but if I don't practive prevention, then I think I could develop some awful sensitivities.

Leftover Lentil Soup

In my house there just is no adherence to the food culture of "breakfast foods" in the a.m., cultural breakfast foods like milk and cereal, eggs and toast with orange juice and coffee, pop tarts (actually, why is that even a "food"???), biscuits or muffins spread with jams or jelly, sausage or bacon. Not one of these foods with the exception of gluten-free biscuits or muffins could safely be put between the teeth of a person with candida. Candida requires lots of green chlorophyll, low acid, hormone-free and bacteria-free, sugar- and gluten-free and of course low-carb ... and with that combination the expected outcome is nixed breakfast fruits (ah, the sugar!), breakfast breads and toasts (oh, the carbs!), breakfast drinks (yikes, no orange juice and double yikes, no coffee or most teas!), meats especially pork (yow, the bacteria, hormones or even food additives in the processed meats).

When people hear what I don't eat, they're shocked and of course I get the inevitable question, "Then what DO you eat?!" Well, I eat lots and lots of vegies ... even for breakfast. But that doesn't mean that my meals are green, green and various shades and hues of green. I need calories too, especially in the a.m. when I start the day. My gall bladder also needs to clean itself out after resting 10+ hours from not eating, so I need to have some fat in the morning to get the gall bladder to 'squirt' its toxins out. Just an aside, people who skip breakfast or eat low-fat in the a.m. - for example, have a slice of toast and a cup of coffee - are setting themselves up for gall bladder problems in the future. The gall bladder must evacuate its toxins regularly every morning so that toxins do not build up and eventually form stones.

People with candida already have liver problems from the accumulation of bacteria, parasites and virus toxins in the blood, and because the gall bladder and liver work closely together, caring for the gall bladder is especially necessary for preventing further destruction among the already compromised organs. For this reason, I have a little oil every morning.

Actually, every a.m. the first thing I do when I get up is drink a very tall glass of water and then sip a tablespoon of flax oil, particularly trying to get the oil to coat my upper esophagus where I know there is bacteria buildup [foamy cottage cheesy buildup seen through on-going views of a laryngoscope, and if I eat "wrong" I can even feel tight in the area]. I've used coconut oil too. Both flax oil and coconut oil have anti-bacterial qualities and actually can fight against bacteria, and this oil-sipping every a.m. has helped keep the bacteria in check in the last few months when I had to stop the more aggressive anti-bacterial treatments because they were interfering with my vitamin A.

Anyway, even in my a.m. breakfast food I try to include a little more oil just to get my gall bladder to gush. From my liver cleansing in the past, I was surprised to see gall stones appear, and so I seriously must take care of my gall bladder. So my "breakfast foods" eaten at least 15 minutes later, often have another tablespoon of oil, e.g. coconut oil (sweet) or olive oil (savory), whichever is most complimentary to the food.

Today's "breakfast food" is a great big energy-giving bowl of soup. Prep time: 10 minutes. And then I rushed out the door but knowing I had fed my body well.

Leftover Lentil Soup

3/4 cup leftover lentils
2-3 stalks celery with leaves
6 baby yellow tomatoes, diced
several leaves of fresh mustard greens*
1 avocado, chunked or mashed
2-3 tablespoons premade lemon-olive oil dressing
1 - 1/2 cups water

Heat the leftover lentils and water. While heating the soup base, chop the celery and add to the soup. Chop the tomatoes and mustard leaves and add when you turn off the heat. Stir them in to slightly soften but not cook them. Add the avocado and it's complimentary lemon-olive oil dressing last.

By the way, the leftover lentils with this recipe can have been seasoned in any way. Sometimes I make Italian-seasoned lentils but most frequently I use North African spices. For ideas, see North Africa Millet Stew. As for lemon-olive oil dressing, I always keep a small bottle in the fridge. I keep the dressing in a single beverage sized glass bottle (to prevent oil and plastic interactions). To make a bottle:

Lemon Olive Oil Dressing (1 small bottle)

2-3 lemons fresh squeezed (approx 2 ~ 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice per lemon)
equal amount of olive oil
1 large garlic clove per lemon, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Fresh squeezed is wonderful, but flavors marinate delightfully if left a couple of hours.

*My holistic chiropractor told me this past summer that a person shouldn't eat mustard greens as they are used to make mustard gas and the greens themselves have an effect on the nerves. I made this recipe before hearing that (just didn't print it) and have no plans to eat those yummy things again until I do some research on this. IF they really do have that neurological effect, then I don't want them in my body. Wow, hard to believe that something that perks a salad up so well might not have such a great perky effect on the body as a whole.

The Value of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (not just any apple cider vinegar but the raw organic that still has the "mother", the beneficial sediment) is said to be a natural remedy for many ailments and a powerful cleansing agent and legendary weight reduction catalyst.

Traces of apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been discovered in Egyptian urns as far back as 3000 B.C. Babylonians used it as a condiment and preservative, while Julius Caesar's army used an apple cider vinegar tonic to stay healthy and fight off disease. The Greeks and Romans kept vinegar vessels for healing and flavoring. In Babylonians times apple cider vinegar was used an as antiseptic and a healing agent, and it is mentioned in the Bible. In 400 B.C. Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine) knew about apple cider vinegar's antibiotic properties and recommended it to his patients for its healing properties. In Paris in the Middle Ages it was sold from barrels by street vendors as a body deodorant, healing tonic and delicious vinegar drink to keep the body healthy and ageless. Even Christopher Columbus on his voyage to discover America in 1492 had vinegar bottles for prevention of scurvy as did Captain James Cook on his ships to the South Seas. During the Civil War it was used to disinfect and heal the US soldiers' wounds. For centuries in Japan, the feared Samurai warriors drank it for power. The Chinese call vinegar a "friend" because they have used it for centuries to process herbal medicines. For thousands of years, apple cider vinegar has been used not only for health reasons, but as a cleansing agent to remove bacteria, germs, mold, odors, even stains and spots.

Apple cider vinegar has known anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Among the ailments it is said to cure are allergies, acne, high cholesterol, joint pain, weight loss, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, dandruff, chronic fatigue, candida, sore throat, gum infection, sinus infection, flu, acid reflux, leg cramps and ear infections. It is also used to help dissolve kidney stones, lower high blood pressure, and has been shown to help with type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity.

Even though vinegar is acidic, ACV has an alkaline effect on our bodies when taken internally and this alkalinizing of our blood pH could play a large part in its reputed curative powers. Our bodies need a slightly alkaline pH balance to be healthy; however, the typical western diet creates an acidic pH in our bodies, which results in many health problems. Therefore, taking a tonic containing apple cider vinegar can help restore alkalinity, and therefore assist the body in getting rid of some of the health problems listed above.

ACV also reacts to some toxins in our bodies, converting them to less toxic substances. Much of the evidence to support the healing powers of ACV is lacking scientific corroboration and is just anecdotal - Internet sources, testimonies in Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System by Bragg and Bragg. With such widespread testimony, even with the lack of scientific evidence, there seems to be something of value here worth looking into!

ACV contains acetic acid, great for controlling insulin and helping to control blood sugar. It also contains malic acid which positively affects metabolism and energy production. Being made from apples, ACV is also rich in pectin, rich in soluable fiber for lowering cholesterol, as well as potassium, which promotes cell and tissue growth. ACV also has almost all of the minerals, vitamins and trace elements that our bodies need, which raises the question why ACV can't be proven scientifically to be beneficial for fighting diseases, etc.

Benefits of raw apple cider vinegar with "mother"

Beneficial ingredients in raw apple cider vinegar give it its power to make us feel better, look better and feel energized. Just look at some of the beneficial ingredients in raw apple cider vinegar:

• Potassium – helps to prevent brittle teeth, hair loss and runny noses as well as cell and tissue growth
• Pectin – rich in soluable fiber, helps to regulate blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol
• Malic Acid – gives ACV the properties of being anti-viral, anti-bacterial & anti-fungal; positively affects metabolism and energy production
• Calcium – helps create strong bones and teeth
• Ash – gives ACV its alkaline property which aids the body in maintaining proper pH levels for a healthy alkaline state
• Acetic Acid – slows the digestion of starch which can lower the rise in glucose which commonly occurs after meals

Other benefits

• 1 tablespoon of raw ACV mixed in 4 ounces of purified water after a meal has been used as a natural remedy for heartburn and as a replacement for toxic heartburn medications (although it is usually not a good idea to dilute gastric juices after eating with liquids as digesting is greatly disturbed)
• may help improve bowel irregularity, thereby removing toxins from the body at a faster rate
• helps clear up skin conditions and blemishes giving a smoother texture and complexion
• may also help with joint pain and stiffness.
• helps to break down fats so the body can use them rather than store them - for this reason, ACV is included in many diets
• helps reduce levels of glucose, as published by Arizona State University in a preliminary study in the Diabetes Care journal

Click on the picture to enlarge

More on the benefits of raw apple cider vinegar with "mother"

1. Diabetes
In 2007 a study, published in Diabetes Care, found that Type II diabetes patients who consumed two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar at bedtime showed favorable changes in blood sugar levels the following morning.

The biologically active constituent of vinegar is acetic acid, also the source of the liquid’s lip-puckering pungency. Nobumasa Ogawa, Ph.D., of Tokyo University in Tokyo, discovered that the acetic acid inhibits the activity of several carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, including amylase, sucrase, maltase, and lactase. As a result, when vinegar is present in the intestines, some sugars and starches temporarily pass through without being digested, so they have less of an impact on blood sugar.

[This is very insightful as to WHY the apple cider vinegar helps lower blood sugar levels. For me, according to blood tests I have very low amylase production, that is the ability to digest carbohydrate starches, and so I wonder about the value of ACV for me because the outcome might be that I have even lower digestion rate increasing my malabsorption problem as shown by many lines on my fingernails.]

2. Weight Loss
A study published in 2009 found that obese people who consumed acetic acid (found in apple cider vinegar) daily for 12 weeks experienced significant decreases in body weight, abdominal fat, waist circumference, and triglycerides.

Most apple cider vinegar weight loss home remedies, like the one investigated in Vermont by Dr D. C. Jarvis, M.D., call for the taking of one or two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water before each meal. Patricia Bragg recommends adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of raw honey to this mixture.

Whichever way you take it, don’t expect a rapid weight loss, the weight will be lost gradually, as it should be to allow the body’s fat cells to adjust to their new size.

3. Blood Pressure & Cholesterol
High blood pressure can lead to major health problems including heart attack, stroke, aneurysms, congestive heart failure and kidney damage. A normal blood pressure reading is considered to be 120/80. If yours is higher, consider apple cider vinegar as a normalizing agent.

Studies conducted on rats found that acetic acid may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

4. Alkaline-Acid Balance

The theory behind the alkaline diet is that our blood is slightly alkaline (with a normal pH level of between 7.35 and 7.45) and that our diet should reflect this pH level. Proponents of the alkaline-acid theory believe that a diet high in acid-producing foods leads to lack of energy, excessive mucous production, infections, anxiety, irritability, headache, sore throat, nasal and sinus congestion, allergic reactions, and increased risk of conditions such as arthritis and gout.

Despite being an acidic solution, it is believed that apple cider vinegar has an alkalinizing effect on the body. One to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in water as a daily is recommended.

Take only raw unfiltered ACV with the "mother"

The health benefits of apple cider vinegar will vary depending on the ingredients and process used in making it. Commercial production can use wood shavings, and other vinegars as the base (speeding fermentation), but changing the makeup of the end product. Therefore, the apple cider vinegar with its natural acetic acid, malic acid, pectin and potassium and which is made from organic apples, fermented using traditional methods (raw/unpasteurized and unfiltered) is supportive and balancing to the human body.

Clear vinegar has none of the benefits of raw organic apple cider vinegar. Through its processing and distilling, it’s been stripped of everything beneficial and can be detrimental to one's health due to the fact that it is dead instead of alive. Only raw organic apple cider vinegar has the “mother of vinegar” that makes the vinegar so beneficial. The “mother” is made up living nutrients and bacteria. You can actually see it settled in the bottom of the bottle like sediment.

http://www.fitlife.tv/featured/4-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

http://thehealthyeatingsite.com/benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/the-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System by Bragg and Bragg

 

 

COMMENTS: I am still very unsure that this raw organic apple cider vinegar is benefiting me. Some sites say 'no vinegar' if a person has a bacteria and many, many other sites say that raw apple cider vinegar (only that vinegar) can help battle against candida. Well, I've tried it daily for 2 months now and am still not sure. It doesn't affect me negatively like other fermented things do, but then there have been subtle changes and tiny crampings in my left hand and left foot again ... but I can't honestly link them to the vinegar, so I'm still stymied. Anyway, I'm not supporting raw organic apple cider vinegar for fighting against candida yet. I'm still trying to make my very informed decision. 






In March and April, for three weeks, I went for a  serious raw food and therapy detox at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. Day 1 I learned DO NOT TAKE ANY VINEGAR, NOT EVEN THE RAW ORGANIC APPLE CIDER VINEGAR!!! IT HAS BEEN FERMENTED AND WILL FEED CANDIDA!!! And so I have my answer, the one I suspected all along.








 

Zucchini in the Pizza Crust

My blog has several versions of pizza crust, some with oats (a gluten) and some without. Initially, I could eat oats but not other glutens, but one day after I ate it my ears had "airplane pressure" for days afterwards. Well, I quickly linked that to the oats after eating oatmeal a couple more times in the a.m. Now I'm completely gluten-free.

 

This pizza crust is gluten-free and made principally from quinoa, millet and zucchini. Over the past several months I've been experimenting with vegetables mixed with flours to soften the flour and aid with digestion and also to displace some of that heavy flour as my digestive (because of the candida) is so stressed. I've found that vegetables like liquified zucchini or riced cauliflower make excellent crusts for vegie pies and casserole crusts. I'm still in the early stages of experimenting with alternative gluten-free crusts, but here are three others I've made:

Pizza/Pie Crust (for rolling - has oats, a gluten)

Pizza Crust with Zucchini (for rolling - has oats, a gluten)

Quinoa-Millet Pizza Crust (quinoa, millet, flax, cauliflower, cabbage)

The pizza crust is a variation of the Pizza Crust with Zucchini but this one is gluten-free. Quinoa, millet, and some flaxseeds were ground to a flour in the BlendTec. It's an all-time favorite in our house and is sure a lot cheaper than the gluten-free crusts which have the "bonus" of guar gum, tapioca starch, potato starch, and the list goes on, of things that people with candida shouldn't even consider putting in their mouths.

Pizza Crust (for rolling)

1+ cup quinoa
1+ cup millet
3-4 tablespoon flaxseeds
2+ cups zucchini whizzed to a liquid
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons rosemary
2 teaspoons thyme
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
water if needed

Blend the quinoa, millet and flaxseeds to a flour in the BlendTec and pour the dry mixture into a large mixing bowl. In the food processor, whizz a zucchini to a liquid and add it to the flours. Then add in the remaining ingredients to complete the pizza dough. The mixture should roll out easily if wax paper is used, or I find that I can easily press it out with my hands. Using the hands is, in fact, faster and the "dough" is very pliable and not that sticky. If it is, I just oil my hands a bit with olive oil or add a little more flour to the "dough" before trying to press it out again.

 

For toppings, first spread on a layer of pesto and closely together lay zucchini slices on top. Add a thick layer of spinach, large tomato slices, onion slices, and others like olives or peppers if so desired. Liberally shake on basil, parsley and thyme with more sea salt. Drizzle olive oil over the top and bake for 40+ minutes at 350F.

 

Served with a smile and a green smoothie - To our health!

 

Cinnamon-Ginseng Cooler

Cinnamon is an anti-fungal and supposedly helps with the elimination of candida. Ginseng boosts the immune system, but in the Asian culture, ginseng is used for some people and not for others, reflecting its yin-yang characteristics. Supposedly I am a yang, which doesn't say that I am masculine, but references my strong active characteristics and internal system. People with yang shouldn't be further stimulated, but we'll see if ginseng helps in any way with candida. Maybe it has neutral effect for that, at least that's my guess. Anyway, I wanted a cool drink this past summer so brewed me a batch of tea to refrigerate. It turned out nicely! This one could go either way, as a refreshing summer cooler or as a warmer for the winter. Asian medicine would only refer to this as a warmer because it stimulates the blood.

Cinnamon-Ginseng Cooler

1 12" stick of cinnamon

1 medium ginseng root

2-3 star anise

12 cloves

1 1/2 liters water

Let slow cook in the crockpot for 8-10 hours. Then bottle up the tea and refrigerate. Sip on hot days. It's a great substitute for lemonade, but a caution about drinking too much of this. Cinnamon is hard on the stomach lining, so moderation is needed and certainly not every day. I'll make a crockpot of this stuff about once a month and serve it hot or cold, depending on the weather.

Onion-Vegie Quiche

Quiche Crust
 

When making the Cauliflower-Walnut "Meatballs", converting some of the recipe into a quiche crust felt doable. (A pizza crust with a seed paste and sliced tomatoes would be awesome too I think.) Anyway, I greased a pie dish with coconut oil and dusted it with garbanzo bean flour in hopes that the pie wouldn't stick. And then I pressed a wad of "dough" into the pan to form a uniform basin.

Quiche Filling

4 eggs, beat well
1 large onion, sliced small
5-10 cherry tomatoes sliced small and/or tiny bits of dried tomatoes
10 sesame leaves, scissored finely
1 stalk celery, finely sliced in moons
1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt

Bake at 350F for 35 minutes. This was a shallow dish quiche so I didn't want to overcook the eggs but wanted the crust done. With this in mind, I baked the crust first for 10 minutes and then added the egg and vegie mixture and baked everything together the remaining 25 minutes.

Black Bean Chili - vegan style

Black Bean Chili - vegan style

3 cups black beans, cooked
black bean broth to liberally cover the cooked beans
1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tomato, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large chunk ginger, diced
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 - 1 avocado, diced (optional)
 

Bring the black beans to a light boil, then add the diced onion, garlic cloves and ginger along with the coconut oil. Let cook 5 minutes, then add the diced celery, spices and seasonings. Cook another 3-4 minutes, then turn off the heat. Add in the diced tomatoes and chopped parsley. Stir together and serve while the colors are brilliant and the fresh taste, and the vitamins are at their height. If desired, serve with diced avocado.

After turning off the heat, the vegies were added to the seasoned black beans
to keep their nutrients and flavors alive.

And the following picture is from my first black bean chili creation. It tasted even better than the one above because this following recipe also included brown rice, which I slow-cooked together with the black beans the last 3-4 hours that the beans were cooking. Because I was hastily experiementing that night (and on a friend too), I didn't bother to write down what I was throwing in the pot. Too bad because we both loved it!

A very spontaneous meal ... lemoned red-cabbage slaw, Onion Crackers,
and leftover black beans whipped up into a chili.

Bits of my home sun-dried tomatoes were included in this one, and that's
where a lot of the yummy flavor was coming from!

And yet another variation of a black bean soup supper : gingered zucchini, some stir-fried vegies, and the black beans and broth topped off with raw vegies.

Lightly sauteed gingery zucchini

vegies stir-fried in coconut oil with turmeric

black beans with a little cumin, thyme and sea salt, and then with raw vegies added

black bean soup simplified ... and delicious!

Basil Pesto

Basil pesto on pizza! On socca! Or just a small spoonful! Wow, better than tomato sauce which at times is still a bit inflammatory for me as tomatoes are a nightshade and excite inflammation, particularly for people with rheumatoid problems. I seem to fall in that category so by using basil or other pesto on pizza, I get a power flavor fix :) but then everyone in my family loves it! And it's great as a vegie topper!

Basil Pesto

2 cups parsley, packed

8 cups basil, packed

3/4 cup olive oil

3/8 cup lemon juice

7 cloves garlic

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cup almond meal

To make, blend all ingredients in a BlendTec except almond oil. When ingredients become smooth and creamy, add almond meal and blend in. Surplus freezes well, and we stock our freezer for the winter with many cups of our prized pesto.



Basil pesto on socca - also pictured is a cabbage stir-fry

Potassium, Vital for Cell Development

In our fast food and convenient instant food world today, millions are suffering the consequences of the commercialized, processed foods that by their denaturing are potassium deficient. In result, skin and muscle tone become bad, the flesh does not cling firmly to the body's bony framework, lines and wrinkles fill the face and skin. One common ailment visible in many today is the prolapsing eyelids, that is, flabby excess skin starts to hang over the eye and making thousands turn to eyelid surgery every year. Droopy eyelids, wrinkled skin and loss of skin and muscle tone are the signs of potassium deficiency, not specifically related to the aging process.

Too bad potatoes are too starchy for me ... but there
so many other vegies that I CAN eat (see below!)

Potassium helps prevent hair loss, brittle teeth and nails, sinusitis, runny nose, toxic waste in the body, plus stunted growth. Potassium is vital for cell production and cell growth as well as the maintenance of the body. "Potassium deficiency is a proven contributing cause of many illnesses including: arthritis, kidney stones, atrial fibrillation, adrenal insufficiency, celiac disease, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, ulcerative colitis, hypothyroidism, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Crohn's disease, lupus, atherosclerosis, diabetes and stroke." Linda Page, ND, PhD Healthy Healing (www.healthyhealing.com). Parkinson's patients, people with systemic candida, IBS and cancer patients all need the revitalizing of potassium-rich foods to combat the evil happening within their bodies due to disease onset.

The human body can be likened to a flower or vegetable garden. Potassium is necessary for the health production of the substances that lend rigidity to plant stems and increase their resistance to the myriad of attacking diseases. Likewise, potassium is the element that changes seeds into plants and fuels the blooming of flowers. Without sufficient potassium, plants become stunted, and if the insufficiency continues, plants wither, turn yellow and die. In the same way, humans (and animals) also suffer from slow degeneration leading to cell death from potassium deficiency.

The healthy human body, balanced with vital potassium and other vitamins and minerals, can better withstand the attack of diseases and the aging process. People create their toxins by their eating and living habits. The properly nourished, healthy body gets a new bloodstream, a river of life continually circulating nutrients throughout the body, every 90 days. Every 11 months a set of billions of miraculous blood cells are replaced, and every 2 years the body rebuilds an entire new set of bones and hard tissues. The two great enemies of this recreation of the body are the toxic poisons from foods, air, water and soil that we ingest and the nutritional deficiencies created by an unhealthy diet. The truth of "we are what we eat" is exemplified by our dietary choices.

Potassium could be called the great detergent of arteries. It slows down hardening and clogging processes that cause harm to the whole cardiovascular system, and makes the flesh healthier and tenderer. There is little doubt, in animal or man, that the main function of potassium is to keep the tissues healthy, soft and pliable, as well as work to head off heart attacks and strokes. It can be said that potassium is to the soft tissues what calcium is to the hard structures. Potassium keeps the body young and supple, calcium keeps our frame strong and erect.

Body signs of potassium deficiency

• bone and muscle aches and pains, especially lower back
• the body feels heavy, tired and moving is an effort
• dizziness and/or shooting pains when straightening up after leaning over
• morning dull headaches upon arising and when stressed
• dull, faded-looking hair that lacks sheen and luster
• scalp itchiness and dryness; dandruff; premature hair thinning or balding
• hair is unmanageable, mats, often looks straw-like, is sometimes dry and sometimes oily
• eyes itch, feel sore and uncomfortable and appear bloodshot and watery
• eyelids may be granulated with white matter
• eyes tire easily and will not focus as they should
• physical and mental tiredness with the slightest effort
• loss of mental alertness and onset of confusion, making decisions difficult
• memory failure, even familiar names and places are easily forgotten
• easily impatient and irritable with family, friends, and people in general
• nervousness, depression, in a mental fog, difficulty accomplishing things due to mental fatigue, even the slightest effort leaves exhaustion, upset and trembling
• at times, hands and feet are chilled, even in warm weather, a clear sign of potassium deficiency

Much of this information comes from the insightful book Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System by Bragg and Bragg.

Gluten-free Cream Puff Pastries

adapted from Chocolate Profiteroles in Desserts: Mouthwatering Recipes for Delectable Dishes (1997)

Cream Puff Pastry

1/2 cup quinoa flour

1/4 cup white rice flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

pinch of cardamom

6 tablespoons coconut oil

3 eggs

3/4 cup water

1. preheat over to 350F
2. Sift dry ingredients together
3. In medium saucepan, bring coconut oil and water to a boil. Remove from heat and add in dry ingredients. Beat for 1 minutes until mixture starts to pull away from the pan. Put over low heat and cook mixture together for 2 minutes, beating constantly. Remove from heat.

4. Beat one egg in a small bowl and set aside. Add remaining eggs, one at a time, to the mixture. Mix well then add beaten egg gradually. Dough should be smooth and shiny and fall by spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet.

5. Drop by tablespoons (x12) on a sprayed cookie sheet, well spaced. Bake 25-30 minutes until pastry has risen and browned.

6. Turn off oven and let puff. Cool with door cracked. [Oops! I opened the door wide and they cooled too fast ... and collapsed - boo]

To serve, slice open and fill with fruit, fruit sauces, pudding, cream, ice cream ... whatever suits your diet.

COMMENT: The original recipe called for nutmeg and I used it. Yikes! My throat got a bit tight - that's where I have a nice patch of candida fungus and it LOVED the nutmeg. I had no idea candida would like it so much as I just have avoided it since I learned it causes liver cancer. Anyway, this was more or less an experiment. My brother challenged me to make him some gluten-free cream puffs ... so after flubbing the first batch, this one turned out VERY MUCH LIKE CREAM PUFF PASTRIES. My bro was impressed!!! The future doesn't see me making many of these for me because of the white rice flour which I am avoiding till I nix this candida stuff, but otherwise, they're very candida friendly :)

Here's how my bro ate them .... other than snatching them up and just snarfing them down. These were topped with a chocolate sauce and a cream sauce, which he was pretty happy about too. Here are those recipes.