Versatile Coconuts

The coconut has long since been part of the stable diet of many cultures, and for good reason. The milk and the flesh of the kernel not only taste great on their own but can be a used to make delicious beverages and even used as an added appealing ingredient in meals. Thai curries are a good example of this since the main ingredient is the milk.

Coconuts enjoy a popularity world wide because of their diversity of useages. However what of their health benefits? Well so far to say that the active ingredient within coconut oil is a saturated fat called lauric acid, and although saturates have been given a bad name lately it is the variety derived from animals that makes this so.

Coconuts are unique within the plant kingdom because of this and also due to it's medium chain triglyceride structure meaning that it is non storable by the body but is in fact used as energy instead. In a nutshell lauric acid once it is `cold pressed' from the coconut flesh, makes it one of the healthiest oils you can consume, with far reaching benefits as stated in the article `Coconut Oil' by Cathy Wong.

It's benefits to our health is a good enough reason to keep it as part of our diet as stated by Dr. Bruce Fife in his article `Coconut Oil is the Healthiest Oil on Earth!' which is taken from his book `The Coconut Oil Miracle'.

Straight from the source?

Unlike many parts of the world tap water in Australia employs very stringent methods in respect to the regulatory contents and purity in maintaining the integrity of the supply that Australians enjoy. However though the addition of Fluoride is very debatable wherein some countries which include Germany and Denmark have banned it's use. Fortunately here in Queensland we do not have it in our supply but for how long will this last. Anyhow thats another story. Anyhow an interesting article published in Essential Baby entitled `What's wrong with a drink from the tap?' raises the issue of the bottled water craze which is sweeping the Western World.

A good point made I thought. Personal need or just marketing hype. Has any studies been carried out to suggest that bottled water is indeed of superior quality than tap water? Or is it a con?

There is nothing new in this idea naturally as the following article `When did people first start drinking bottled water rather than tap water?' clearly shows us, explaining the the history of this habit very well including links to graphs to show the upward marketing trend of `health orientated bottled water drinkers, and again shown here in the first of a three part essay entitled `Bottled Water, Bottled Hype Part 1' shows the ramifications of this escalating habit on our environment and it's subsequent cost to us all. So what indeed is the cost we pay for our bottled water hit? The whole picture is not quite as healthy as one may at first hand imagine.

Take heart

Nutritionist and dietition Rena Shukla has always provided us with solid practical advice for health and wellness maintenance, and her latest article `Get the pulse' is no exception. Whilst it is brief it does instill the importance of getting into the habit of keeping a watchful vigilance on our own heart rates. This essential organ can tell us many things about out status in the wellness stakes and should not be overlooked. This is of particular significance should we be taking up an exercise routine after a period of inactivity. So take heart and be considerate to yourself.

A silent killer

There is no denying that stress can be a killer. It's ramifications on our overall health is detrimental to put it mildly since at some point the overwhelming negative emotions involved begin to manifest themselves into physical illnesses. However the good news is that armed with some sound advice one can alleviate and indeed in some cases even eliminate the need for a stressful lifestyle. Tracee Cornforth has produced a very thoughtful article tackling this modern psychological menace of city living entitled `Stress Busters'.

Mining plant resource information

Plants have been part of humanities culture even long before we developed agriculture. Plants are as diverse in chemical properties as they are their differing species. There importance in every culture across the globe has aided in defining, impacting and shaping every culture on the planet through the ages. The subject of plants and indeed herbs and the encompassing science of biology, and of their uses is so monumental I seriously doubt any one website could tackle it as a whole.

Whilst considering this issue I searched for particular sites which were informative and diverse in their approach and came up with the following which serve well. The below mentioned sites clearly come at this topic from uniquely varying angles of expertise and cover a host of useful idea's from their application in beauty, home remedies, culinary usage to preparation and the cultivation of plus much more.

Ayerhelp
Anita's Garden - Holistic Health and Beauty
Bodychannel
My Mysterious Garden
Pioneer Thinking

Exercise your way to better sex

With over 14 years of experience as a personal trainer and bodybuilder Raphael Calzadilla (pictured left) should know a thing or two about exercise and bodybuilding techniques. Geared towards the female libido he has formulated a series of exercises that will effectively increase fitness levels whilst spicing up your sex life in the process. There is no denying that physical fitness can vastly improve performance as Mr Calzadilla's report entitled `Exercises That Make You Feel Sexy' clearly shows. From belly dancing, cardio strip tease to belly fusion (which is a contemporary fusion of traditional and modern dance movements). All of which it seems are aimed at the adventurous and passionate at heart.

Reverse osmosis

In order to clarify a point in respect to water passed through a reverse osmosis filtration system I called upon the expertise of Heith Hodges of Aquasana. Here was his reply:

"That is correct. It removes all the natural trace minerals turning the water supply slightly acidic and aggressive. This will cause the water to begin to strip minerals from your body making your body acidic as well".

Thanks for that advice Heith. So in conclusion therein R.O. is not a good choice for home purification systems.

R.O. systems are very beneficial in as much as they will remove all organic/inorganic material from the water supply, however water treated this way ends up totally `sterile', which is fine though for industry where water purity is omnipotent plus it is the main process through which seawater is `desalinated'.

The #1 rated home water filter in America...
Voted "Best Buy" by Consumers Digest magazine 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007!

Water Revitalization with Quartz Crystals

Here is some good advice to revitalize your drinking water from my friend Angie in Sydney, it will make it taste much better and is healthy for you too. Thanks Ang

Dear David,

Want to know a little secret???????

Well what I do, is place some crystals, ie. rose quartz, clear quartz, and smokey quartz at the bottom on my glass jug.. then I fill it with spring water and let it sit overnight in the fridge... the crystals change the structure of the H2O to bring it closer to its original state.. you try it, it tastes so so so sweet!!!!!!! Then I just keep refilling the jug overnight (it requires at least 10 hours to change the structure) ... Alternatively just get your hands on some bottled FIJI WATER, its hard to get, mostly at organic supply shops, it contains natural silica and minerals straight from the earths springs.

With regards to the crystals.... you can buy them at any 'hippie/gypsy shops' or most natural therapy shops, the markets, most alternative practices use their energies, not sure in your area but try searching the net, ebay sells them.. but be careful and make sure to soak them in sea salt or wash them in the ocean prior to using them to recharge their energies :)

Now here is the quote, straight from one of my favourite books WATER AND SALT, THE ESSENCE OF LIFE by DR. MED. BARBARA HENDEL AND PETER FERREIRA you can use;

"A natural, very effective and inexpensive method to revitalize your drinking water is to use quartz crystals. Simply place a handful of quartz crystals, such as clear quartz, smoky quartz, rose quartz or amethyst in a glass decanter or jar. Fill the container in the evening with filtered or purified tap water or artesian spring water that you purchased in a bottle. Fill with only as much as you intend to drink the following day and let it sit for at least eight hours. Measurements have shown that the surface tension of crystal soaked water reaches values similar to those as from re energizing devices. The hexagonal structure of the quartz crystals can nearly rearrange the flexible structure of water to its original makeup. Oftentimes, simple quartz sand is used in the pricey energizing devices. Also crystals cannot remove the toxins from the water, they will only help the water to restore its crystalline structure."

David, when you taste the water the next day, you immediately notice the sweetness of it, I am addicted lol I have never been able to drink tap water as I can smell the chlorine and taste the toxins (that metallic like taste) and there is no sweetness whatsoever !

Little foods that mean so much

Some foods do certainly pack a punch as far as nutrition is concerned. Here are some real gems to incorporate into your diet that your body will love you for .

Peppers galore
Peppers are hugely beneficial; and the best ones for you are? Yes you guessed it, the tongue tingling hot ones known as chilli peppers. Whilst all peppers contain capsaicinoids chilli peppers in particular have very high levels of capsaicinoids (which are long chain hydrocarbons) which is mostly concentrated in the ribs and the seeds of the chillies. Chillies are also very rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, carotene and vitamin C. So they are not only good for you but they are also a great way to spice up any dish.

Allicin in the family
To get those healthy juices flowing why not include some illium in your diet. What? Well illium is the family of vegetables that includes onions, garlic, leeks and chives. These are powerpacked with heaps of phytochemicals which gives them their pungent aroma. Eat as raw as possible as cooking reduces the potency of its active ingredient allicin substantially. However their addition to cold and warm salads is highly favoured. If like me, eating raw onions doesn't come easy. You can always try chopping them up and use as a side dish and eat then with your meal,
believe me their great: )

Little legumes
All the varieties of beans are natures little helpers! Beans are not only low in calories and sodium but very high in protein, fibre and folic acid. All are tasty however many folk eat in moderation and sometimes avoid altogether due to gassy discomfort. This is a real disservice to our health because their benefit is huge. So...the solution? here is a little tip, add a little baking soda (about a teaspoon) into the pot whilst cooking will release a lot of the gas before hand. That way it saves you from being unpopular afterwards.:0

Acai break
(pronounced "ah-sigh-ee")
Still not widely known about apart from the real health conscious folks, this ones a real winner. its loaded with antioxidants, oleic acid, amino acids, fibre and phytonutrients, just about everything thats good for you barring a Hollywood celebrity workout video! Acai is harvested from various palms trees that thrive in the tropical Amazon rain forests and its taste can best be described `chocolate like' and very yummy! Sometimes it may be hard to get from local supermarkets however your best bet is from healthfood stores and or web merchants who specialise in health foods.