Stepping out of your Box

Get Creative –

Assume square chickens make square eggs

As told by a Couple of Clucks…

William and Gayle

A few years ago, I had a kitchen device for shaping boiled eggs into a square. It was a great conversation piece at buffet dinners. Some guests considered me naïve so I played along. I simply said I assumed square chickens produced square eggs.

Unfortunately, this statement did not always go over. Many of my friends and neighbours were traditionalists, did not see this as fun 'toy' and rejected this as silly.

In response to this, I promptly decided to create a paper maché "square" chicken. At the next social event, I placed it on the buffet table, surrounding it with my square eggs. It was there for everyone to see, and enjoy.

The comments were quite revealing and a LOT of fun. They ranged from people laughing at themselves, getting a new outlook on life or disgust that I wasn’t acting my age. I still giggle as I think about it. They say that laughter is the best medicine. Well, this square chicken certainly has kept me healthy!

The point I am making with this story is that we get so wrapped up in the accepted norms and routines of society that we forget to question our routines and play. There is nothing wrong with assuming square chickens.

Some of society's rules are safety rules but others are simply to keep another from being inconvenienced. I recommend each reader taking the time each day to find something that can be changed, share a giggle or plan one for the future. The focus of our articles is health and this is one way that we can stay healthy.

Have great big cluck, and remember even the best comedians lay an egg once in a while.

Enjoy life

Cardiovascular Disease and high Cholesterol

Cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol seem to go hand-in-hand. While there are many medical approaches to cardiovascular disease, one of the key ways is lowering your high cholesterol. When you choose your diet and antioxidants, look for products that lower serum cholesterol by reducing the absorption and production of dietary cholesterol.

You need to find something that

1. Helps to block re-absorption of cholesterol in the intestinal tract.

2. Helps to block absorption of cholesterol which comes directly from food after digestion.

3. Reduces the cholesterol produced by the liver.

4. Enhances enzymatic breakdown and removal of bad cholesterol.

Both cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol are often called “Silent Killers”. When our body’s cardiovascular system is in trouble, we need to help. Recently we discovered a solution that is natural, safe and clinically proven. It is already FDA approved. The scientists presented three results

1. It reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) by up to 35% in only eight weeks.

2. It improves good cholesterol levels (HDL) by an average 29% in the same eight weeks.

3. It also reduces triglyceride levels an average of 40%.

I am reticent about citing percentages but these results are consistent. Cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol are insidious partners in our western society. Again, I want to stress that we do not intend to promote commercial products through these articles but when we find something that is effective, we want to share it. For more information, go to one of our website: http://www.folkherbwisdom.com or http://nutroinix.com/helpingyou .

Alkaline Diet

Over the past few years there has been quite a bit of information available through books, on-line and speakers about the importance of ingesting alkaline foods as a balance for the acid food. Our grandparents knew this, just by a different name. Whether you suffer from heart-burn, kidney stones or sleepless nights, we should all pay attention to consuming alkaline products, water and food. For more information visit our website Folk Herb Wisdom

Principles of Alkalinity

Our blood is slightly alkaline, with a normal pH level of between 7.35 and 7.45. The theory behind the alkaline diet is that our diet should reflect this pH level (as it did in the past) and be slightly alkaline. An alkaline diet is a diet that emphasizes, to a varying degree, fresh fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes. Almost all foods that we eat, after being digested, absorbed, and metabolized, release either an acid or an alkaline base (bicarbonate) into blood.

Tips for alkalinizing your Diet
1. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Most are alkalinizing.
2. Drink the juice of half a lemon or lime in water as a beverage.
3. Eat 1 cup of alkalinizing greens daily (dale, collards, mustard greens or rapini) Rapini, is also known as Broccoli Rabe, part of the turnip family.
4. Eat millet and quinoa as an option to the acid forming grains (wheat, brown rice)
5. Learn to make a miso broth (1 tsp of miso dissolved in one cup of hot, not bo8iling, water.
6. Make blender drinks using alkaline juices, green powdered supplements and fruits.
7. Choose fish and lamp over beef and chicken for less acid forming animal protein.
8. Use olive oil as it is less acid forming than other vegetable oils.
9. Use buffered Vitamin C to alkalinze the system.