Chemical Free Home : Harvesting Fennel Flowers For Easy Natural Home Fragrance

It's the end of summer and the fennel plants have grown abundantly into a roaring and unruly bush competing in height with me. As soon as the flowers appear and the wispy, herby leaves are no more, to stop further seeding I cut back the plants. This provides the opportunity to bring natural scent into the home.

The flowers are at the top part of the plant where the stems are thinner, I cut these into bunches and arrange in vases, the scent is subtle but noticeable.

This year's harvest amounted to three large vases erupting with delicate sprays of green - hallway, sitting room and kitchen covered!

The rest of the plant's stem is much thicker and the fragrance much more intense. I cut the stems into 1.5 ft rods, they look like lucky bamboo and put into pots with water, positioning where a stronger scent works best, perfect in our ground floor cloakroom and utility room.

This was just a small part of my wall of fennel a couple of months ago, lush with tasty fragrant leaves.

UK Raw Health HQ is chemical free zone. 100% natural home fragrance is in the minority to buy in stores in a ready to use format. I certainly never see such things in a supermarket.

My favourite ways to fragrance the home naturally include:

1. Fresh air - open windows throughout the home to let fresh air blow through. Even better if a helper is outside mowing the lawn for a fresh cut grass smell.
2. Fresh cut herbs, rosemary, fennel, lavender and sage cut in huge bunches dotted around the home in vases or hung up to air dry.
3. All natural wax (eg. 100% soya wax), naturally scented candles. These do even have to be lit. Just position in a room and keep the door closed.
4. Incense sticks (occasionally), again must be natural.

Information on UK Raw Health is the opinion of the writer and/or other individuals mentioned. Information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or provide education. Statements have not been evaluated or approved by any regulatory bodies. Before making any changes to diet, regime and/or lifestyle consult your doctor.

What I Eat : My Daily Juices: Dr Norman Walkers No. 26 & No. 61 Juice Recipes

A few years ago I read "Fresh Vegetable & Fruit Juices " by Dr Norman Walker. It completely changed the way I ate beyond just juicing. His research is not "faddy" it just makes sense to me.

I drink one or two freshly made juices a day, depending on my schedule. Not only are they highly nutritious, but they also taste so delicious and refreshing. I always use organic produce, usually from Waitrose or Sainsbury's. Carrot juice makes up the majority of each mix, an economical vegetable to buy organic.

Juice 1. Dr Norman Walker's No. 26.
Raw Carrot and Raw Beet (Beetroot) using the root and tops of the beets.
The amount per glass is a total of 1 pint (16 fl. oz.).
Carrot juice 13 oz. & Beet Juice 3 oz.

Juice 2. Dr Norman Walker's No. 61.

Raw Carrot and Raw Spinach.

The amount per glass is a total of 1 pint (16 fl. oz.). 

Carrot juice 10 oz. & Spinach Juice 6 oz.

I substitute the spinach for chard or romaine lettuce on alternate days based on Dr. Max Gerson's research.

The best way to get the amounts/proportions correct is to start be juicing directly into a glass measuring cup, first juicing the carrots and the the spinach leaves, so that you can reach the correct level with one vegetable before beginning the other. Or juice each vegetable into different glass receptacles and then mix into a 1 pint measuring glass.

Information on UK Raw Health is the opinion of the writer and/or other individuals mentioned. Information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or provide education. Statements have not been evaluated or approved by any regulatory bodies. Before making any changes to diet, regime and/or lifestyle consult your doctor.

Storing Natural Food : Bananas

Getting the most out of natural foods, especially fresh produce, is partly down to storage. Bananas are an easy one but you have to keep an eye on them! I never eat under ripe bananas, I wait until they have about one third of the their skin surface covered in brown spots.

To get a great price on organic bananas I often buy in bulk. If the weather is cold (quite usual in the UK!) bananas last for weeks in a cool spot in a bowl on their own away from other fruits. When the whether is super sunny bananas can ripen too fast for consumption even for the big fruit eaters at UK Raw Health HQ.

When you have too many ripe bananas it is time to freeze some ready for smoothies, all natural banana "ice cream" and for an indulgent treat eating with peanut butter and dark chocolate. Or make "Todd's Two Ingredient Cookies".

We have experienced a heat wave in the UK over the past few months, great for growing fruits, not so good for storing bananas! So I have frozen a whole bunch.

To freeze I slice the bananas, place carefully into containers and then freeze.

Slicing makes it easy to utilise the frozen fruit for many different purposes, they are easier to blend at this smaller size if you do not have a high powered blender, but instead are using a food processor.

If you only use your frozen bananas for banana "ice cream" or smoothies and you have a high powered blender or a Yonanas, freezing works just as well with one banana cut into three before freezing.

Also pictured in the freezer drawer... Waitrose Duchy Originals Organic Frozen British Raspberries.

Information on UK Raw Health is the opinion of the writer and/or other individuals mentioned. Information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or provide education. Statements have not been evaluated or approved by any regulatory bodies. Before making any changes to diet, regime and/or lifestyle consult your doctor.

What I Eat : Berries For Brunch

One of the benefits of "Growing Your Own" is that you have real abundance of seasonal fruits once your plants have become established (usually takes two years). An established, healthy plant yields so much fruit that you have to plan how to use/store the surplus.

I planted five raspberry plants three years ago, these have spread, occupying about three times the original growing space, grown bushy and each year have produced more and more berries to pick.

Each morning I start my day with a juice (sometimes a smoothie) quite early, so by about 10.30am I am ready to indulge in some freshly picked berries. I have been harvesting a bowl like this everyday throughout May, June and July. Sometimes do not even put them in a bowl, instead eating them directly from the plant whilst I potter around in the garden basking in Vitamin D, just the way humans are meant to eat plants.

Image above: I have even frozen some of the surplus that I could not consume. Ready for smoothies in the next few weeks. I do this by washing the berries with filtered water, then gently drying with kitchen paper and finally separating into small containers suitable for a single use before placing into the freezer.

I choose to grow raspberries because:
1. They are one of my favourite fruits and I like to eat them everyday if possible
2. They are nutrient rich
3. Eating straight after picking means I am consuming living foods (living enzymes)
4. It is difficult to find organic raspberries that look fresh in stores (UK)
5. Store bought raspberries perish quickly
6. Once planted raspberry bushes require very little maintenance
7. Raspberries are an "heirloom" fruit, they are a close resemblance to the original wild raspberry

8. Growing my own is a very cheap was to consume organic raspberries every day.

9. I can pick the berries when they are ready to eat and not over ripe.

Organic raspberries, each fruit ripens at a different time making it easy to harvest each day.

Information on UK Raw Health is the opinion of the writer and/or other individuals mentioned. Information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or provide education. Statements have not been evaluated or approved by any regulatory bodies. Before making any changes to diet, regime and/or lifestyle consult your doctor.

What I Eat : All Fruit Mango Smoothie

There's nothing more refreshing and nourishing to the soul than to start the day with a mango smoothie. The smooth texture and comforting taste of a mango is more agreeable to my system that a citrus first thing. The mellow taste is just right when the sun is peeping up over the trees and you have that new morning glow on everything around.

I wanted the smoothie to taste of mango, so I only used one banana for extra bulk and nutrients and the rest of the puree came from one very large fibre-less mango. With a bit of fresh almond milk added to thin.

I cut up the pieces of fruit quite small before placing in a food processor. This is because I do not wish to blend for too long to avoid mixing in too much oxygen into the fruit. I used organic fruit, it is reasonably priced in the UK right now as usual in the summer time.

I sipped my smoothie out in the garden early in the morning walking barefoot on the grass (earthing).

Smoothies are one the easiest ways to enjoy fruit in the morning because they are so quick to make. If you need to thin down the mixture, do not add water, instead add fruit juice, coconut water or nut milk. This smoothie is all natural, dairy free and vegan.

Information on UK Raw Health is the opinion of the writer and/or other individuals mentioned. Information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or provide education. Statements have not been evaluated or approved by any regulatory bodies. Before making any changes to diet, regime and/or lifestyle consult your doctor.

Health News : Hormone-disrupting activity of fracking chemicals worse than initially found

Many chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can disrupt not only the human body’s reproductive hormones but also the glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone receptors, which are necessary to maintain good health, a new study finds.

"Among the chemicals that the fracking industry has reported using most often, all 24 that we have tested block the activity of one or more important hormone receptors," said the study's presenting author, Christopher Kassotis, a PhD student at the University of Missouri, Columbia. "The high levels of hormone disruption by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that we measured, have been associated with many poor health outcomes, such as infertility, cancer and birth defects."

Read the full ScienceDaily article : click here

Source: Date:  June 23, 2014   Source:  Endocrine Society/Sciencedaily.com 

Fracking chemicals disrupt hormone function

A controversial oil and natural gas drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, uses many chemicals that can disrupt the body’s hormones, according to new research. “More than 700 chemicals are used in the fracking process, and many of them disturb hormone function,” said one of the study’s authors, Susan C. Nagel, PhD, of the University of Missouri School of Medicine. “With fracking on the rise, populations may face greater health risks from increased endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure.” The study examined 12 suspected or known endocrine-disrupting chemicals...

Read the full ScienceDaily article : click here

Source: Date:  December 16, 2013   Source:  Endocrine Society/Sciencedaily.com 

Information on UK Raw Health is the opinion of the writer and/or other individuals mentioned. Information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or provide education. Statements have not been evaluated or approved by any regulatory bodies. Before making any changes to diet, regime and/or lifestyle consult your doctor.

Weight Loss : Things I Can Do Now #3 : Half Your Portion Size & Your Bite Size

Welcome to Things I Can Do Now. This is a series of easy changes you'll hardly notice for those who wish to improve their diet and lifestyle without the effort!

Things I Can Do Now #3 : Half Your Portion Size & Your Bite Size.

If you are eating big meals for lunch and/or evening dinner, it's most likely your food is on a dinner sized plate (26cm dia. approx.). Start your journey to wellness and weight loss by only filling half your plate with your regular meals, so the other half remains empty. This may mean cutting something in half such as a burger in a bun and discarding the surplus half (or giving it to a friend!).

When eating foods such as pasta dishes and take away meals it is easy to consume a whole plate of food even though these are too many calories for one meal and the physical size of the portion is too big for comfort. Therefore it is too difficult to leave half of what is on your plate, instead only fill half the plate.

When ordering take out food, order half the amount you normally get. If you are cooking food, only prepare half the amount you usually would. With the "Half" strategy filtering through to the very start of the meal there will not be any leftovers to tempt you later. You will benefit even more if you say no to any large sodas (even diet versions), instead opting for water, Coconut Water or a freshly squeezed small orange juice.

Now is also the time to take smaller bites/ mouthfuls, filling up about about one third of a spoon or fork each time. This action will ensure that your food is chewed up properly (part one of digestion) and will also make your meal last longer (to ensure meal messages are reaching the brain).

At UK Raw Health HQ we do not promote eating take away fast food in any meals as we cannot be sure of the quality of the ingredients or know fully if there are any chemicals used for texture, flavour or preserving. The "Half the portion" strategy is a good start if you cannot bring yourself to make changes to the ingredients in your diet with immediate effect, but you do wish to do "something" to head in the right direction.

Information on UK Raw Health is the opinion of the writer and/or other individuals mentioned. Information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or provide education. Statements have not been evaluated or approved by any regulatory bodies. Before making any changes to diet, regime and/or lifestyle consult your doctor.