The Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

Despite their small size, chia seeds are full of important nutrients. They are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, and they provide fiber, iron, and calcium. Omega-3 fatty acids help raise HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol that protects against heart attack and stroke.

I use Chia seeds by soaking them in water or juice. Here’s what I am doing lately: I take 3 heaping tablespoons of chia seeds, and add them to a clean Kombucha bottle (16 oz). Then I add about 8 oz of water. I let this sit for a while and wait for the chia seeds to expand. When they do, I add about 6 oz of juice, leaving enough room in the bottle for shaking it up.

I’ve been drinking this 16 oz bottle of “expanded” Chia seeds lately. It’s a bit “much” to drink it all at once. So I spread it out over a day – works great! I love the fiber it provides – helps with any constipation I may have.

Here’s from one of my containers of organic Chia Seeds: “Chia” was the Ancient Mayan word for strength. Chia Seeds help make you stronger by providing vital building blocks of nutrition. Add chia to salads, yogurt, smoothies and baked goods, or use as a thickener to give a nutrition boost to any recipe.

Making Your Own Ginger-Horseradish Switchel

I had never heard of a nutritious drink called Switchel until 3 years ago. At our local farmer’s market, I got to know a vendor named John, and he turned me on to Switchel. I bought a bottle of Switchel from him, and I was “hooked!” I decided to see how I could make my own, and add additional ingredients.

So here is one of my Switchel recipes. I have many others, but they all are very similar with vinegar, lemon juice and maple syrup. This is called Ginger-Horseradish Switchel.

Ingredients

2/3 Cup Ginger – chopped
1/4 Cup Horseradish
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
2/3 Cup Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Vinegar – With the “mother”

Directions:

  1. Fill a 2-quart saucepan 2/3 with water and add ginger & horseradish
  2. Bring water to a boil and allow ginger & horseradish to boil for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and let ginger & horseradish steep for 20 minutes.
  4. In a 2-quart glass mason jar, add maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice.
  5. Strain the ginger & horseradish, and pour liquid into mason jar.
  6. Stir and mix all the ingredients well.
  7. You can serve this Switchel warm or on ice.
  8. I usually add just enough water to fill up the 2-quart mason jar.

Ginger has some amazing health benefits. It’s a natural antimicrobial and it boosts your immune system. Ginger can help with chills, colds and fever.

Horseradish is naturally anti-parasitic and antibacterial, and it helps stimulate your immune system. It’s a potent herb for your sinuses and lungs, as it acts as an expectorant. Horseradish helps open up your sinus passages and increases your circulation, and really helps prevent you from getting the common cold and influenza.

I add other things, like herbal tea bags – sage, rosemary and echinacea. It’s fun to add different herbs just to make it better – at least different!

When the Switchel is done, I usually pour it in 16 oz Kombucha bottles and store them in the refrigerator. Sometimes I just leave them out, and they do fine.

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Drinking Vinegar Daily is Actually Very Healthy for Seniors

One thing I’ve been concentrating on lately is drinking more water and a few other “drinks” each day. I’ve been putting organic vinegar (with the “mother”) in my water for at least 3 years. I use about 2-3 ounces of vinegar in my 20 ounce water bottle. You may have to get used to the taste. If so start off with a smaller amount of vinegar, like a few teaspoons. I caution you about drinking too much vinegar right away – some evidence shows it can cause harmful side effects. So for starters you may want to “ease-into” it by making a vinegar salad dressing.

So what’s the health benefits of organic vinegar? I think you’ll be amazed how something so simple can have such a “dramatic” effect. Here we go – 6 Health Benefits of Apple-Cider Vinegar!

1) Hi in acetic acid with potent biological effects. Apple cider vinegar is made by fermenting the sugar from apples. This turns them into acetic acid, which is the active ingredient in vinegar.

2) Can kill many types of harmful bacteria. The main substance in vinegar, acetic acid, can kill harmful bacteria or prevent them from multiplying. It has a history of use as a disinfectant and natural preservative.

3) Lowers blood sugar levels and fights diabetes. Apple cider vinegar has shown great promise in improving insulin sensitivity and helping lower blood sugar responses after meals.

4) Helps you lose weight and reduces belly fat. Studies suggest that vinegar can increase feelings of fullness and help people eat fewer calories, which leads to weight loss.

5) Lowers cholesterol and improves heart health. Several animal studies have shown that vinegar can reduce blood triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure. This could lead to a reduced risk of developing heart disease.

6) May have protective effects against cancer. Some studies in test tubes and rats have shown that vinegar can slow the growth of cancer cells and shrink tumors.

It always amazes me that something so simple as vinegar can have such a positive health effect for us. What other “simple” organic things are all around us? Simple things like spices and herbs that we may use for cooking could also be very good in their “medicinal” value.

I appreciate the author of 6 Health Benefits of Apple-Cider Vinegar, Kris Gunnars, BSc for writing such a great article. (click on the blue link above to go to his website for MUCH MORE information.) I was aware that vinegar was healthy, but Kris Gunnars’ good article really opened my eyes to the wonder of organic vinegar.


Last day of 2018! I’ll be 70 in February. Here’s what I’m doing to stay healthy.

I’ve decided to contribute more to this website. After all, I created it a number of years ago. As I grow older, it becomes even more important for me to stay focused on what I’m eating, what I’m drinking, the sleep I’m getting, how much exercise I’m doing – both cardio and flexibility and keeping my brain sharp.

I’ll be talking about these issues and more in the coming weeks and months. I am making some of my own healthy drinks. Most of these I’ve discovered from a wonderful man, John, who I’ve met at the local Holland (MI) Farmer’s Market. These drinks include the Master Tonic, Switchel, and Beet Kvas.

The Master Tonic is a powerful (including taste!) drink that can really help many different problems that we may be having. You can search online for Master Tonic and find out what it is and what benefits it may have.

For my sleep I’m exploring Lucid Dreaming. What is Lucid Dreaming? It is a unique way of you “knowing” that you’re dreaming, while you’re dreaming. There are many benefits to Lucid Dreaming, including health of our bodies and minds. Plus it can be fun. I have been doing my best to get around 8 hours of sleep each night. In this 8 hours, the experts say we experience 5 different dreams – each about 1.5 hours long.

For exercising, I go to our local gym (MVP) about once a week. My goal is to go more often, but I’m working on it! While there, I ride a stationary bike, and do a high-intensity workout. That means 30 seconds as fast and hard as I can. Then 90 seconds resting (and stretching). I do about 5 – 7 cycles of this. So it doesn’t take very long, and the benefits are BIG!

The other way of exercising is using kettle bells. This isn’t for everyone, but it is a unique and very rewarding method of exercising almost every muscle in your body. I’m no expert at all — yet! But I’m excited to delve into the training more. There’s quite a lot of KB videos on YouTube.

Well, I’ll be sharing a lot more about each of these things — and other ways to stay healthy and active.

Goal