Foods that have an incredible array of health benefits that go well beyond just their nutrient value are considered superfoods.  These foods are typically loaded with a combination of critical fatty acids, anti-oxidant phytonutrients, and essential amino acids. Goji berries contain an extraordinary amount of unique nutrients and anti-oxidants , which give them amazing power as a superfood in our diets.

Goji berries are classically grown from an evergreen shrub found in China, Mongolia, and in the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet.  Goji berries are also called wolfberries in many of these countries.  These berries are a member of the Solanaceae family of plants that is also called nightshade veggies.  The relatives include tomato, potato, peppers, eggplant, tomatillo, and tobacco.

Goji Berries are Loaded with Nutrition

Goji berries contain all 18 amino acids as well as mega doses of vitamin A (beta carotene), B1, B2, B6, and vitamin E.  Goji berries also contain more vitamin C by weight than any other food on Earth.  They also contain more iron than spinach as well as 21 other key trace minerals.  Goji’s are extremely rich in the unique phytonutrient anti-oxidants lutein and zeaxanthin ,which are some of the most important nutrients for healthy eyes and a healthy nervous system.

Goji berries are also rich in unique compounds known as Lycium barbarum polysaccharides.  These nutrients have been shown to enhance immunity and have a similar chemical structure to immune stimulating compounds within maitake mushrooms and Echinacea.   These polysaccharides provide immune cells with special sugars that enable them to communicate more effectively.

Key Polysaccarides Enhance Immunity

These polysaccharides are also one of the preferred fuel sources of good intestinal bacteria, bacteria which also helps to orchestrate a healthy immune response . By supporting the immune cells and probiotic cells with their preferred fuel, these polysaccharides present in goji berries modulate immunity and reduce inflammation.   Famous author and pharmacist Earl Mindell believes that these polysaccharides are master molecules because of their influence on many of the body’s biochemical defense systems.

These polysaccharides are very effective at enhancing detoxification within the body.  They aid in the removal of metabolic waste products such as lactic acid that accumulates in muscles during exertion.  They also support the liver and protect it from damage that may occur during intense periods of exercise.

In Asia, goji berries have been used as a cultural medicinal for inflammatory based disorders such as asthma, allergies, chronic pain, and cancer.  The polysaccharides also show promise in blunting auto-immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Crohn’s disease.

Goji Berries Stimulate HGH

Goji berries are also a rich source of sesquiterpenoids which help to stimulate human growth hormone secretion by the pituitary gland.  This is the only known food source that is known to stimulate HGH.  Additionally, goji berries contain L-arginine and L-glutamine along with potassium.  These nutrients further promote growth hormone production.

These key nutrients synergize to have a very powerful effect on the key endocrine glands such as the adrenals, thymus, thyroid, and pituitary.  Goji berries can be classified as an adaptogenic aid in that they enhance the body’s ability to successfully adapt to stress.  This unique array of supernutrients make goji berries one of the world’s premier foods for optimal performance and longevity.

Sources for this article include:

• http://www.naturalnews.com/035473_blueberry_superfood_brain_function.html
• http://www.marksdailyapple.com/goji-berries/#axzz1w1FSecAf
• http://www.naturalnews.com/028098_goji_berries_antioxidants.html#ixzz1w1KR1BXN
• http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/goji-berry4.htm

1. Cayenne Pepper – Most cats have an aversion to cayenne pepper. Sprinkling a small amount around your planter can help keep the kitties away from the plant itself.

2. Aquarium Gravel – Unlike other surfaces, gravel is much too grainy for cats to really get comfortable on. It not only makes an uncomfortable bed, they  do not like the feel of the rocks on the pads of their feet. A thin layer on your top soil can be enough to keep them out of the planter.

3. Mesh Screening – Window screen is actually cheap if you purchase it in a roll. By using a few pieces of wood, you can create a mesh box around your plants. TA mesh box will allow sunlight and water in, while keeping kitties out. .

4. Citrus Peels – Citrus peels are a potent way to keep cats at bay. Place peels around your planters or gardens to provide a layer of protection for your plants. Once they dry, these peels double as compost filling in your garden.

5. Tin Foil – Tin foil is another texture that cats find unappealing. Some people have had a degree of success deterring cats by placing sheets of it on or around the area.

6. Coffee Grounds – Kitties don’t like the smell of coffee grounds. Sprinkle them around your garden and most cats will move on to another space.

7. Spray Bottle – And then there is always behavior modification. Arm yourself with a spray bottle and squirt every cat that comes near your garden. They will soon learn that your garden is off limits.

It is in a cat’s nature to use prefer soft soil for a litter box or a bed.  By making the area as uncomfortable or unappealing as possible, you greatly reduce the chance of your planters being used as bathrooms or beds. While not all of the above suggestions will work for every cat, each has been used with varying degrees of success. If any other methods have worked for you, please comment, and let us know.

Walking barefoot on the earth has been a staple part of human and animal life since the beginning of time.  In the past couple of generations, humans have made shoes, sandals, and boots that insulate us from the natural energies of the Earth. Although these shoes protect our feet, modern shoes also deprive us of the free electrons present in the ground.  Grounding our bodies with barefoot exposure has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect that is a genetic requirement for optimal health.

Our world has more medical technology than ever before.  Much of this is good; however, there is no substitute for the healing forces found naturally on Earth.  Nature itself is a powerful healing source.  The sun produces vitamin D3, the plants and vegetation give us anti-oxidants, trace minerals and chlorophyll among other things.   The Earth itself provides a powerful form of free electrons that are available to everyone by merely exposing our bodies to these natural energies present on the ground.

Our bodies are a living matrix of energetically charged biochemical circuits that are charged and coordinated through the activity of the central nervous system.  The Earth itself is regulated by subtle but dynamic electrical circuits. The electrical crosstalk between the Earth and our central nervous system helps to program trillions of biochemical reactions.

Earth’s Electrical Rhythms

The Earth’s electrical rhythms play a significant role in the natural circadian rhythms that govern our sleep/wake cycle, hormones, mood, and energy production.  Studies taken on people fully disconnected from this natural electrical rhythm have shown abnormal circulating cortisol levels indicating abnormal stress responses.  Additionally, disconnected people often struggle with issues such as insomnia, hormone disruption, chronic pain, headaches, and fatigue among other things.

Humans have always connected with the Earth’s electrical energy through their feet.  This is evidenced by the 1300 nerve endings per square inch on the sole of the foot.  Compared to other parts of the body, that is an incredibly high density of nerve enrichment.  This is not only necessary for balance, stability, and coordination of the foot, it is also necessary to absorb the electrical energy present on the Earth.

Modern Shoe Soles Block Our Connection with the Earth

Modern shoe soles have separated humans from the electrical energy of the ground with insulating covers.  Most people go weeks to months without ever having direct skin to ground contact with the Earth for longer than a minute.  These people live completely disconnected from the planet which leads to a disrhythmic function within the mind and body.

The human body has a very similar makeup to the Earth; they are both a combination of water and minerals.  This combination is what conducts electrical currents.  Our bodies were made to be connected with the Earth and this subtle electrical energy has extremely powerful effects on our health and well-being.

Earthing Basics

Avoid wearing shoes whenever possible

Sit outside barefoot with your feet on grass or soil.

Walk or run barefoot outside on grass, sand, or soil.  Moist ground or grass is the perfect electrical conductor.

Expose any part of the body to the Earth, ground or any natural waters like lakes, streams, or oceans.  Walking in salt water is one of the best grounding techniques due to the combination of earth, water, and electrolytes.

Sit or lean on the trunk or limb of a tree to share some of its natural electricity.

The benefits of earthing include reduced inflammation and better internal stress management.  This results in better sleep, enhanced immunity, less pain, and a better state of mind and quality of mind.  Many individuals report significantly better memory, creativity, innovativeness and spiritual direction after spending time connecting with the Earth.

Sources for This Article Include:

• http://www.naturalnews.com/028916_barefoot_running.html
• http://news.yourolivebranch.org/2011/05/18/why-does-walking-barefoot-on-the-earth-make-you-feel-better/
• Ober C, Sinatra S, Zucker M.  Earthing:  The most important health discovery ever?  Basic Health Publications, Inc.  2010.

There are a variety of things people do to food. Some of the most common practices are baking, grilling, frying, deep frying, and microwaving. However, if you are a true health nut, you cut back on the heat and destruction of food and focus on processes that leave it raw or lightly cooked so real healing can begin in the body. Here are the top 5 things health nuts do with their food.

Blending

One of the first things you will see in a health nut’s home is a high quality blender. It’s not uncommon to see a lot of affection towards it, including winks, smiles, and gentle rubbing.

Seriously though, a blender gets a serious work out in a health nut’s home for 3 main reasons: smoothies, soups, and dips.

A common staple in any health nut’s diet is a smoothie. Nothing wakes up a thirsty, hungry, and acidic body first thing in the morning more than a delicious, alkaline, and satisfying superfood smoothie. Not only that, but you can pack more nutrition in a single smoothie than most people can pack in for an entire day, which results in incredible healing benefits. It makes getting in your daily fruits, vegetables, super foods, fiber, protein, and healthy fats, incredibly easy.

Get some ideas with these fun smoothie recipes.

Another great use for a blender is making cold and hot soups. Blending your ingredients and making a smooth textured soup greatly assists in the digestion and assimilation of nutrients so that you are absorbing as many of the beneficial vitamins, minerals, and enzymes as possible.

Finally, another major use for blenders is making fresh and savoury dips.  Whether it’s an award winning almond hummus or a healthy mayonnaise, blenders make it incredibly easy to whip these dips up in a fraction of the time and with flavourful results.

In terms of staying fresh in the refrigerator, smoothies will typically last only 1-3 hours before they go “bad” (if no preserving agent is added), and soup and dip will last up to a week.

Juicing

Another important component to preparing healthy food is juicing. Health nuts will spend more time preparing a fresh juice in the morning than most people spend preparing dinner. True story.

Juice is a great idea because it allows you to maximize your intake of fruits and vegetables (you can often get 3-4 pieces of fruit into a 12 to 16 oz glass of juice), create superior and maximum absorption of nutrients and enzymes, and put little to no stress on the digestive system in the process. This is where some real healing can begin when done properly.

Not only that, juicing can create drinks that are simply amazing. The freshness combined with your creativity can result in an unlimited amount of recipes, and you can feel good about it knowing that the nutrients and enzymes are still largely in place, with no extra ingredients required!

In terms of staying fresh, juice should be consumed immediately after it has been rendered to enjoy the nutrients and enzymes at their highest value. However, it can last a couple days, depending on your juicing method and ability to store it in airtight jars.

Fermenting

Another popular thing health nuts do with their food is fermentation. Although not as prevalent as some of the other methods, it is perhaps the most important of all.

Fermentation is the art of taking a food medium, adding a probiotic culture, and placing it in airtight containers to allow the bacteria to replicate to create an end product teeming with probiotics, vitamins, enzymes, and other beneficial nutrients.

It’s very important to note that since we have 10 times more bacteria than cells in our body and  80% of our immune system lies within our digestive system, fermented foods are one of the most important things you can do for your health. True healing does not begin until you get these foods into your diet. And fermenting foods is a very cheap method of preservation. Done correctly, fermented foods can last as long or longer than that jar of pickles in the cold room, with way more health benefits.

To learn more about the benefits of fermented foods, check out this article.

Dehydrating

Many health nuts prepare their foods in a way that results in a lot less heat, leaving them much more “‘raw”, keeping delicate enzymes and nutrients intact for consumption.

A dehydrator essentially allows you to create food that would traditionally be baked at much higher temperatures, such as breads, crackers, granola, and crusts, and allows you to gently heat them at levels that keep the delicate nutrients intact. It also allows you to create dried fruit, “chips” (kale chips are outstanding) and other treats that can last much longer than their fresh counterparts.

Dehydrating can preserve food for an indefinite amount of time and is a great choice for hiking or long trips. I can assure you, carrying a dozen apples in your backpack is much bulkier and heavier than carrying 12 dehydrated apples. Dehydrating definitely has its benefits.

Soaking/Sprouting

A sure sign you are in a health nut’s house is various bowls on the counter (right beside the jars of fermented and dehydrated foods) with standing water, filled with nuts, seeds, and grains. There is a method behind their madness.

Nature has set it up so that the nut, grain, and seed may survive until proper growing conditions are present. Nature’s defense mechanism includes nutritional inhibitors and toxic substances that can be removed naturally when there is enough precipitation to sustain a new plant after the nut, grain, or seed germinates. When it rains the nut, grain or seed gets wet and can then germinate to produce a plant. So we are mimicking nature when we soak our nuts, grains, and seeds.

Nutritional inhibitors and toxic substances found in nuts, grains, and seeds can be minimized or eliminated by soaking. These inhibitors and toxic substances are enzyme inhibitors, phytates (phytic acid), polyphenols (tannins), and goitrogens.

Since nuts and seeds provide a wide array of healthy fats, protein, trace minerals, and nutrients it is a good idea to include them in your diet. Just make sure you soak them to ensure they provide the most benefits, with minimal side effects.

So if you are not a full blown health nut yet, and haven’t used a lot of these methods, what’s holding you back?

There are so many supplements to choose from, so many supplements with so many claims. I have tried hundreds. One of the reasons I do what I do is that I have always been very in tune with my body. I can tell what feels good, what feels amazing, and what feels like nothing, or worse. Most of the supplements people take don’t do anything. Or worse, these mainstream supplements often toxify the body.

Don’t get me wrong, I do a lot of research. I’m researching almost every day for hours and hours. But my body knows best. And in my experience, the two supplements everyone should have are a nutrition powder and a very good all purpose detoxification tincture.

The Best Nutritional Supplement

I don’t take a nutritional supplement every day. I am fortunate to have access to a wide variety of nutritionally dense vegetables and I eat large salads with a wide variety of produce virtually every single day. This is by far the very best way to get your vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and all of the nutrients you need for vitality.

But every now and then I do need extra nutrition. And sometimes I can’t or don’t have one of my salads. When I am traveling for instance, it can be tough to find healthy produce. I like to have a complete whole food sourced multivitamin/mineral nutrition powder with me for times like this. And if you don’t eat fresh raw produce regularly and/or if you eat refined processed foods, you would benefit from a high quality nutrition powder.

For mass produced supplements I like Green Vibrance. It’s a good company that makes good products. For the money and the availability (you see Green Vibrance everywhere these days!) it’s a great product.

But for getting the most nutrition possible, insuring that all of the nutrition is completely bio available, I like Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula. It’s not as easy to find. In fact, there are only a very few places you can get it. But it’s the best nutrition supplement on the market that I know.

It doesn’t have the most ingredients, but what it does have gives your body the right building blocks for health and wellness. When there are too many ingredients in a formula, it can’t do that. Shillington’s Total Nutrition Formula has the highest quality ingredients and you will actually feel the difference. It’s amazing.

Is is expensive. In fact, any good nutrition powder is going to be pricey (Total Nutrition Powder and Green Vibrance are about he same price). Sure, health is priceless, but getting your nutrition out of a bottle costs a lot when it’s quality.

Want to save some money? Eat salads like the ones I make (click here). Still need a good supplement? Most people do. I recommend you make your own (click here).

But of course, you can always purchase from us. Total Nutrition is available at our store, Green Lifestyle Market.

The Best Herb

I have to give you two here. Garlic and Cayenne are a tie. I could not include one without the other.

The Amazing Benefits of Garlic

Garlic. If you are coming down with a cold, chew on a clove. Breath in and out of your mouth and keep chewing as long as you can (it likely won’t be long at first, but you’ll get better and better). I put raw garlic in my salads and when I cook I put in garlic at the last minute so it doesn’t cook and lose it’s effectiveness (sometimes I put some in early and then some in later). I feed garlic to my dog in her homemade dog food. It keeps fleas and other parasites away.

My family of four goes through a lot of garlic. I suspect anyone who knows a tenth of what garlic can do would eat a lot of it.

All that garlic can do for us is astounding! Its nutrition includes magnesium, calcium, B1, B6, C, phosphorus, copper, potassium, selenium, and tryptophan.  Garlic can help with a wide range of ailments including, but certainly not limited to, hair loss, acne, colds and flus, bacterial infections, fungus (yeast, Candida, athletes foot, etc.), psoriasis, weight control, cold sores, detoxification, cardiovascular health, and inflammation reduction. It even wards off mosquitoes!

The Amazing Benefits of Cayenne

Capsaicin is incredible. What Capsaicin can do is just mind boggling to me. I always try to keep a bottle of liquid cayenne extract with me because it can actually save someone’s life. If you see someone suffering from a heart attack, they need Capsaicin and lots of it! It can make the difference between life and death, and it can also make the difference between major damage and an easy recovery.

Capsaicin increases blood flow, helps to sooth muscle tension and pain, wakes you up, and helps with focus. Capsaicin is also used to treat bursitis, diabetes, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, shingles (herpes zoster), postherpetic neuralgia. stomachaches, digestive problems including stomach aches, indigestion,  cramping pains, gas, treatment of the circulatory system, and hemorrhaging.

The Best Herbal Supplement

The best herbal supplement has garlic and cayenne. Ingredients also include Red clover, chaparral, poke root, periwinkle lower, mullein, burdock seed and root, yellow dock root, goldenseal root, Oregon grape root, and bloodroot. This is not for the faint of heart! This tincture will kick you in the mouth! But it’s truly amazing stuff.

Shillington’s Blood Detox

I was really sick recently. I haven’t been sick in such a long time, but I was bedridden, feeling like I was 90 years old on my deathbed.

I have little restraint. And I loved getting high. I had just moved to California and got a prescription for marijuana. I told them I needed the prescription for anxiety, which was due to using marijuana illegally. I thought it was funny, but the prescriber made me come up with another reason to get the prescription. I think we said insomnia.

I got high a lot. And my tolerance shot way up very quickly. I was over a gram a day in less than a week. I was wasting a lot of money and my health was deteriorating. I am not one of those people who have convinced myself that smoking marijuana is good for you. THC has its benefits, but smoking anything, as much fun as it can be, is not healthy. And that’s not to mention the likelihood of smoking pesticides and other chemicals.

Within a couple of months my thyroid was shot, my adrenals were barely functioning, and I was peeing dark brown, almost red urine, And I still had a bunch of weed left!

One day I woke up and I couldn’t move. My body wouldn’t stand. I felt nauseous and dizzy and as sick as I’ve ever been. The next day I was worse. I won’t bore you with the long list of symptoms, but the point is that I made myself very sick (for the first time in so many years!) with a combination of way too much smoking and (probably) some weed that got sprayed very heavily with pesticides. And yes, it was medical grade.

I called my warehouse and told them to send me some Blood detox.  For 3 days I was having trouble simply making it to the restroom (and urination took forever!). When I got the Blood Detox, I was up and walking normally within an hour. It was amazing.

It was a great experience, too–one that I am yet to completely recover from– but I’m back to about 97% (I need to take the time to do a radical full body detox). I learned a lot. And I suppose you could say I grew up, since my desire to get high is next to nothing now. But mostly, it solidified my belief that blood detox is the most amazing herbal supplement I’ve ever come across.

For absolutely any health condition, I recommend blood detox. By itself, in many instances, it can make a huge difference. In combination with other target herbal remedies and nutrition it can work miracles.

If you can only afford one herbal tincture, Shillington’s Blood Detox is what I recommend you have and keep with you at all times. At the first sign of a cold, like a sore throat or congestion, take a dropper full. For any and all ailments, from cancer to diabetes to fibromyalgia, this is the first tincture I recommend, second only to a healthy diet. After a night of drinking and/or using recreational drugs (not that I condone getting high) I do recommend Blood Detox afterwards.

Healthy blood means a healthy body. There is nothing more important for your health than getting enough nutrition and having clean, relatively toxin free blood.

If you need a total body detox or are suffering from any serious ailment, I recommend using the Blood Detox Tincture in conjunction with the Blood Detox Tea.

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask underneath within the comments or contact me via Facebook or Twitter.

I often hear things like, “I’m on a tight budget. I live off of Top Ramen!”

I regularly get clients who want to change their diet though they live on a very limited budget. The common misconception is that eating healthy costs more. It can, but it doesn’t have to.

What I tell people is that you need to spend your money on nutrition, not calories. And this video explains the difference beautifully.

The more active you are, the more calories you need. I recommend people with active lifestyles bulk up on beans, brown rice, amaranth, oats, and quinoa. If you shop around, you can get these products for $2 a pound or less. And they provide nutrient dense calories.

Even if you’re at a gas station, usually, you still have decent choices. You know that little fruit basket that’s right by the register? A banana will usually cost you less than the Snickers bar, and instead of robbing your body of nutrition to balance out the acidity and undo the other damage refined foods cause, you’re feeding your body.

“But Snickers really satisfies!” one client said to me, quoting the old marketing line. And it may be true.  If you’re used to eating junk food, it is what your body wants. And lots of that junk food tends to sort of stick with you for a while. While the sugars get digested very quickly, much of the other ingredients in refined crap food don’t digest well at all. This leaves people with a full feeling for a longer period of time than when they eat fruit and vegetables. The trick is to learn to not need that full feeling. Or to always have those above mentioned bulk foods ready and waiting to consume.

I always eat lots of produce. On days that I am active, I also eat  more beans, brown rice, amaranth, oats, and quinoa. But most importantly, I’ve learned not to want that full feeling. I feel lighter and cleaner. And I pay careful attention to how my body feels due to what I eat. But most importantly, nutrition, to me, is the most valuable thing in the world, next to air and water. And that’s how I chose to spend my money and feed my body.

And be sure to check out local farmers markets for higher quality, more densely nutritious produce. Since farmers markets are trendy these days, you’ll probably have to shop around quit a bit for the deals. If you’re lucky enough to live by a u-pick farm, you cannot get any better than that! When I stayed in Arizona. I got most of my vegetables for $2 a pound  at Schnepf Farms. Organic, and as fresh as it can be, you can’t beat those prices! And getting a little dirty while really seeing where your food comes from is good for the whole family.

But because I myself am often on a very tight budget, this is the most important rule I live by when shopping for produce:

In order of most to least desirable produce:

1. Fresh, truly organic (I am not talking about the certification), heirloom, and local
2. Fresh and local heirloom
3. Fresh and local
4. Fresh and organic
5. Fresh conventional (sans GMO and some of the worst offenders for being laden with pesticides like the dirty dozen here)

I almost never buy frozen and never buy canned produce.

It takes practice. Changing your diet the right way means changing your lifestyle. It means preparing your own food. It means shopping with a totally different mindset. Learning new recipes and learning how to cook quick, healthy, delicious meals takes time. But the reward can be a life without aches, pains, and disease. Vitality is not only priceless, but in the long run, it’s much less expensive. And if done right, it’s even cheaper in the short run.

The Dervaes family grows more than 6,000 pounds of food a year, on 1/10 acre located just 15 minutes from downtown Los Angeles.

With over 400 species of plants, 4,300 pounds of vegetable food, 900 chicken and 1,000 duck eggs, 25 lbs of honey, plus seasonal fruits throughout the year, they are able to produce  over 90% food they eat, and they sell food on their front porch making about $20,000 a year.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/NCmTJkZy0rM

Follow the Dervaes and their Urban Homesteading activites at http://urbanhomestead.org