Ayurvedic Insight - Raisins

Raisins are dried grapes.

One of the star fruits in Indian cuisine, ripe brown raisins are found dotted about in rich milk puddings, ensconced inside sweet syrupy cheese balls called Gulabjamuns, and stirred into fragrant rice.

Ayurvedic Physicians say there is a reason why raisins are used so generously in Indian cooking from times immemorial. The ancient sages and rishis of India taught the people to weave the use of raisins and other healing foods into their everyday lives. This enabled them to eat healthy food without thinking of it as "medicinal." Just like education is very effective when combined with entertainment, healing foods also work best when you also enjoy their taste. Just so with raisins.

In Ayurveda, raisins are considered a highly beneficial food. Ayurveda scriptures say they have great medicinal value. Some aspects of the psycho-physiology where raisins work best:

• The lungs: Raisins lubricate the body's channels-particularly the lungs. Therefore, people with less than robust respiratory systems find them very healing.
• The brain: Raisins have a medhya effect, which supports the brain and nurtures it.
• The mind: Taken in quantities and combinations recommended by a qualified ayurvedic practitioner, raisins can uplift and balance the emotions.
• The throat: Raisins with milk or water can relieve thirst.
• The bowel: Raisins soaked overnight and taken in the morning support bowel movements.
• The womb: Women who want to get pregnant have been known to benefit by including raisins in their diet-raisins are considered bringhana foods, supportive of natural fertility.

For more info on Rasins: mapi.com

Chocolate = Health Food

The "prototype" of chocolate milk was a foamy mess of cacao dregs with chili peppers that Indians in the Americas traditionally drank to stimulate energy, digestion and sexuality. This concoction worked because cacao is rich in phenol, an antioxidant that is also found in red wine. The U.S. Magazine Natural Health notes that phenol lowers blood pressure, make our vascular system ore elestic, and reduces the risk of blood clots. Note that milk chcoclate contains 2 to 3 times less phenol, so if you're enjoying chocolate for your health, choose the dark variety.

Ode Magazine voted Green & Black's chocolate one of their Top 20 Organic selections of the best natural products and sutainable companies.

Go to Green & Black's to find out where you can buy it in your area.

Protein Tips for Vegetarians

A vegetarian diet is associated with better health - lower cholesterol levels, increased anti-oxidants and greater intake of essential fatty acids. But vegetarianism can also lead to certain nutritional deficiencies, according the Australia's Nature&Health Magazine. Animal proteins contain a more full spectrum of essential fatty acids, while most vegetable proteins are less "complete". This is why variety is important. Those eating a vegetarian diet should understand the importance of classic protein combinations, such as re-fried beans on whole wheat bread, whole grain muesli and milk, chili beans with brown rice and vegetables stir-fried with tofu and cashew nuts. For fat, lean more towards seeds, nuts and healthy oils like linseed and olive oil. Also remember that calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin B12 are more difficult to absorb from vegetables sources. There is calcium in figs (usually in muesli or granola) and tahini (use in a salad dressing, substitute of peanut butter, or blend with chickpeas for a yummy dip). It's important to get enough vitamin C to absorb adequate iron. Zinc can be found in sunflower seeds, tahini, seaweed, and almonds, just to name a few. There are no vegetable sources of B12; a supplement is therefore recommended.

For the recipe of the rice and beans pictured go to: C & F Foods Inc.

Smart. Proud. Hungry.

Hey Smarty-pants, brown-bag your lunches in style and feel proud that each day you are helping cut down on the 25 million tons of placstic that end up in landfills each year. Storage is a snap: Just wrap the plate, bowl, and cup in the place mat and secure it with the stainless utensils.

Find this and other great eco finds at vesselstore.com

How to Recycle Thermometers

When a thermometer breaks, the amount of liquid mercury it contains is roughly enough to contaminate all the fish in a 20-acre lake - and enough to cause neurological damage in people, especially children. Several states have now banned the sale of mercury thermometers and are urging consumers to use such alternatives as digital electronic thermometers.

But don't throw your old mercury thermometer or old home thermostats in the trash - it will end up in a landfill or an incinerator, where it will vaporize into the air or find its way into the food supply through fish. Instead, check epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/mercury/collction.htm for mercury-recycling programs in your area. If you can't find one, contact your local hazardous waste hauler.

Natural Remedies for Depression

1. B vitamins—richly supplied in brown rice and beans; also in brewer’s yeast
2. Vinegar—ideally unpasteurized
3. Apple, especially green organic (avoid "Delicious" variety non-organic apples)
4. Cabbage, especially in the form of unpasteurized sauerkraut
5. Blue green algae (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae)
6. Exercise—very effective if practiced daily
7. Meditation—very effective once skill is gained
8. Avoid peanuts, pork, margarine, bad fats, deep fried foods, refined foods, overeating, late-night eating and too much saturated fat
9. Essential oils: Peppermint, spearmint, lavender, ylang ylang, grapefruit, clary sage, melissa; take in 1 drop doses daily in water or 1 teasp olive oil
10. Herbs in teas, pills, capsules, and extracts:

• mints of all kinds
• chamomile
• St. Johnswort
• citrus peel
• licorice root
• lemon balm leaf (sour, spicy, cool)
• saffron (spicy, sweet, bitter, neutral)

For more information on how you can combat depression naturally, you can contact Holistic Health Counselor, Charita Singh for a free 1 hour health consultation. See how one conversation can change your life.

The Healthiest "Paint" you can Buy

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Anna Sova Luxury Organics, paint that's made from up to 99 percent food-grade ingredients and none of the harmful compounds (solvents, mercury, formaldehyde, benzene) found in ordinary latex. Safe for children and pregnant women, they're pretty, to boot: Colors range from soft pastels to deep browns.

Add a $9 bottle of Anna Sova Organic Aromatherapy and your room will smell like fresh lemons, vanilla, orange and cloves, or sandalwood and spices — rather than headache-inducing chemicals.

Available online at annasova.com.

Preserved Produce

Get your recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables with these delicate decorative parchment bowls, constructed from slices of fresh produce. Designer Margaret Dorfman presses the materials until they are dehydrated, then crafts the one-of-a-kind bowls from overlapping strips of parchment. Perfect for potpourri and lovely when illuminated by a glass votive candle. Use decoratively, not for food. Like any other botanical, wreath or dry flower, color lightens with exposure to light. Many flavors to choose from, with blood orange the newest and sturdiest. Made in USA each bowl is $28

Available at uncommongoods.com

Ayurvedic Insight - Headaches

When you pop a painkiller to relieve a headache you are actually trying to quieten your body's distress signals instead of discovering and addressing the underlying imbalance.

The culprit is usually an imbalanced Vata-the most dominant and restless of the three doshas.

How Vata Headaches Happen

There are several factors that can cause Vata to go out of balance. Some of them are:
- Not sleeping well
- Not eating foods that nurture the brain
- Eating very dry or cold foods
- Eating leftovers or junk foods
- Keeping an irregular routine of meals and sleep
- Overexposure to cool, dry air
- Excessive reading, television watching or stressing at work
- Excessive air travel
- Not enough water

Before popping a painkiller, try drinking 2 glasses of water and wait 20 minutes, that usually does the trick.

More info on Ayurvedic Headache Cures are available at mapi.com

What's In Season - June

Local seasonal foods are tastier, fresher and more nutritious.
Why? It’s because the produce has been harvested in the last fews days and has only travelled a short distance to market. This means less packaging, processing and refrigeration. All good for the environment (no flying in food from all corners of the planet)and your health.

Here is a list of fruits and veggies that are in season for June:

• Apricots
• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Basil
• Beans
• Beets
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Chives
• Dandelion greens
• Fennel
• Lettuce (leaf)
• Mangoes
• Melons
• Okra
• Papayas
• Peaches
• Peas
• Peppers
• Plums
• Rhubarb
• Raspberries
• Sorrel
• Strawberries
• Summer squash
• Watermelon

Great all year:

• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Kiwifruit
• Lemons
• Limes
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Pineapple
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Scallions
• Snow Peas
• Spinach
• Sprouts

Note: If you live in and area with favorable growing conditions, many of these vegetables are available to you throughout the seasons.