Roasted Buckwheat With Peppers And Carrots Salad

Ingredients:

3 large carrots, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

½ cup diced red peppers

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 cup chopped cauliflower

½ cup chopped onion

1 tbsp diced garlic (optional)

Salt, pepper to taste

2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cups of roasted buckwheat

 

Directions: Place in a stainless steel pot 2 cups of buckwheat and stir for 20 minutes on low to medium heat. Wash and chop all veggies. Combine in a serving bowl the veggies, buckwheat and the seasoning. Drizzle the oil and lemon juice. Serve either as a side dish or as a main course.  

Note: You could add fresh parsley, dill, cilantro or mint as desired. It would be great if all the ingredients are organic.

Antihistamine Herbs

With so many of us suffering from allergies- it is important to keep in mind this list of ingredients when preparing meals or snacks or teas:

Basil (Ocimum sanctum) – One of the best antihistamine herbs (and not only), basil has a history in helping prevent stomach cramps, gas as well as constipation. A poultice of Basil leaves can work as an antihistamine to draw out insect, bee wasp, or snake venom. It helps alleviate acne, heal abrasions and speeds healing when used on cuts.

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) – is rich in antihistamine properties and is one of the most effective antihistamine herbs. The flowers can be crushed and used as a poultice for inflammatory swelling. Make a tea and drink 2-3 times a day. Chamomile can cause histaminic allergic reactions in some very sensitive people. If this occurs, simply discontinue.
Jewelweed (Impatiens aurea) – contains a compound called “Lawsone” that treats uticaria. Jewelweed is used as a natural remedy for poison ivy, poison oak, okra spines, stinging nettle and acne treatment. Jewelweed is also used for heat rash, ringworm and many other skin disorders, as well as bug bites and razor burn.
Papaya (Carica papaya)  -Some may be surprised that papaya is counted among natural antihistamine herbs, but papaya does indeed inhibit the secretion of histamine. Papaya juice can be taken internally as well as applied topically to diffuse a histamine attack.
Parsley  (Petroselinum crispum) – Testing shows Parsley’s antihistamine action which may be helpful for those with hay fever or hives
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) – The very same plant that will produce hives if its hairs inject their histamine into you can also work as one of the best antihistamine herbs to heal the problem. Freeze-dried nettle leaf extract taken in capsule form will treat hives and allergies.
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) – Echinacea is a widely used herbal remedy for treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. This purple coneflower has shown to have antihistamine properties and is counted among some of the more popular antihistamine herbs.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) – In my Chinese herbal practice, fennel is used for indigestion, spasms in the digestive tract, as well as expelling phlegm from the lungs. Fennel is rich with the antioxidant flavonoid “Quercetin”. Quercetin is a strong natural antihistamine shown to be very helpful for allergies and histamine-related inflammation. Make as a tea and drink 2-3 times per day.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) – another classic herb in the Chinese Materia Medica, ginger works well on allergic reactions such as hives and wheals. Slice up a ginger root, boil it in eight cups of water for 30 minutes. Allow the herbs to steep for another 30 after you have boiled it. Drink 2 to 3 cups a day. You may add the tea to a hot bath and soak for 20 minutes. Dip a wash cloth in the tea once it is at room temperature and use as a compress.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) – is a natural antihistamine, as well as having antiseptic properties to help purge infections. The essential oil has been shown to have antimicrobial activity against a host of different bacteria and fungi.
Vitamin C is believed to be a natural antihistamine agent if used at high doses, around 3,000mg to 5,000mg a day.
Wild Oregano (Origanum vulgare) – aka Wild Marjoram, is one of the very best antihistamine herbs as it has at least seven different antihistaminic chemicals, therefore fights allergies as well as fungus and infection.

Essential Oils with Antihistamine Properties

Essential oils should be used in a base oil (to avoid irritation) and massaged on the skin. Never use essential oils internally.

Caraway Seed Oil – has antihistamine and antimicrobial properties and is very effective in treating mild allergic reactions.
Clove Oil – has antihistamine properties. This essential oil is helpful in the treatment of dermatitis due to allergic reactions.
Lemon balm (also known as melissa) – has antihistamine action and is useful to treat eczema and headaches. This essential oil has antihistamine properties and helps with allergies.

(Natural Holistic Health Blog)

Orthodox Christmas Tree

I really like to see this posted on the internet about the real history behind the famous Christmas Tree:

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2014/12/the-orthodox-origins-of-christmas-tree.html?m=1

Happy NEW Year!

Let us get ready for the last church service of this 2014 year and welcome properly in church the NEW YEAR 2015 with prayers, psalms and incense!

“…And the smoke of the incense…ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” (Rev 8:4)

 

On January 1^st The Orthodox Church celebrates St Basil and in his honor we prepare a wonderful sweet bread, called Vasilopita!

 The Story of Vasilopita

One of the more beautiful and inspirational traditions of the Greek Orthodox Church is the annual family celebration of the Vasilopita. This original event which happened in Cappadocia of Caesarea in the last half of the fourth century, is very much alive in our Orthodox homes each year.

http://vasilopita.com/story.html

  Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

2 ½ cups sugar

7 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

1 cup almonds, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 bag of whole blanched almonds

Directions:

• Cream butter and sugar for 10 minutes, add egg yolks and flavorings.
• Add remaining ingredients, except egg whites.
• Beat egg whites until stiff in a separate bowl.
• Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Blend well.
• Grease baking pan (round 14” pan).
• Pour in batter and tuck coin (thinly wrapped in Aluminum Foil) into batter, then hand lay whole blanched almonds around perimeter of surface.
  (You can also spell out the current year in the middle of cake)
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Note: For a smaller cake, prepare half of recipe, and bake in a 10” round greased baking
pan for about 30 minutes.

For a gluten-free recipe: replace wheat flour with 2 cups of quinoa flour + 1 cup of corn flour.

Gluten-free Vasilopita 

PerioBiotic Probiotic Toothpaste

 

PerioBiotic™ Toothpaste is a mild, non-irritating and fluoride-free toothpaste. Like probotics in the human intestinal tract, beneficial flora in the mouth are critical to maintaining an oral environment conducive to healthy teeth and gums.

PerioBiotic™ contains Dental-Lac™, a patent pending and clinically tested functional Lactobacillus dental hygiene probiotic not found in any other toothpaste.

Results of a randomized placebo-controlled clinical study involving 40 volunteers with periodontitis showed that Dental-Lac (Lactobacillus paracasei ADP-1 strain) significantly inhibited the growth of periodontal pathogens, decreased total bacterial count and improved probing pocket depth. Furthermore, a specific Lactobacillus paracasei strain, demonstrates its ability to kill off harmful strains of oral bacteria including streptococcus mutans, a significant contributor to dental caries, tooth decay and periodontal disease.

In addition, PerioBiotic™ contains two active ingredients that have been shown in research to promote dental and oral health via their cavity-fighting abilities: xylitol and calcium glycerophosphate.

Product Contains: Water, calcium glycerophosphate, xylitol, glycerin, calcium carbonate, carageenan, spearmint oil (Mentha viridis), maltodextrin, Lactobacillus paracasei (Dental-Lac), citric acid, potassium sorbate, Yucca filamentosa powder, stevia leaf extract (Eupatorium rebaudianum bertoni) .

Recommended Use: Apply PerioBiotic toothpaste on to a soft bristle toothbrush. Brush thoroughly after meals for at least 1 minute. Spit out the excess solution, and for maximum benefits do not rinse to allow longer contact of the natural ingredients to the teeth and gums. Brush 2 to 3 times per day or as directed by your health care professional.

Can Parents Change Their School's Food?

This is a debatable question for sure; one that I used to think was a no-brainer. Yes, if parents are loud enough and demanding enough then eventually it  will happen, but that is not the most efficient or pleasant process for either side. The problem is that changing a school food program is no easy feat. In particular, it requires understanding and consideration of many nuances that parents aren’t always aware of up front.

http://edibleschoolyard.org/advocacy/2014/11/07/can-parents-change-their-school%E2%80%99s-food

and:  http://edibleschoolyard.org/node/78/

Celeriac Fries with DAO-Boosting Olive Oil

 

This recipe is from www.wellbeingjournal.com

Ingredients:

1 celery root, cleaned and washed, cut

Lemon juice

Salt, 2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp coriander

¼ tsp thyme

Cut  celeriac root into fries, toss them in antihistamine, mast cell-stabilizing, pain-killing coriander; osteoporosis-preventing, diamine oxidase- boosting olive oil, (DAO is a histamine-degrading enzyme in gut); antihistamine and antibacterial garlic; antihistamine and anti-inflammatory superstar thyme; a squeeze of lemon juice and a touch of sea salt or Himalaya salt. Place in oven at 350F for 40 minutes or longer if you like them very crunchy.

 

I hope this will help when having problems with allergies especially for those people with MTHFR mutations.