The Road to Health

I wrote this article some time back, when I applied for a job writing articles for a local magazine. I didn't get the job, although I was told I was second choice !

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The discovery of glyconutrients in 1996 was hailed as the 'Discovery of the Century' by the American Naturopathic Medical Association. Glyconutrients are the 'essential sugars' found in foods. There are 8 of these sugars and only two are easily obtained from food. The other six are found only in organically grown food, fully ripened on the plant/tree and then picked and eaten within approximately 24 hours. Four of the remaining six can be manufactured by the body fairly easily, but the remaining two are more difficult to manufacture and it's an energy and time consuming process fraught with the possibility of error. Many informed scientists believe that lack of these essential sugars is the reason for ill health, particularly immune system illnesses.

Fortunately it is fairly easy to provide your own glyconutrients as only tiny amounts are needed. One way is to grow potted herbs, such as chives, parsley or basil that can be eaten uncooked, in organic soil. Depending on the weather these can be in grown in pots outside, or on a sunny windowsill. The soil should be kept healthy with the addition of organic supplements, including kelp.

Another way is to grow sprouted seeds. You can use either a glass jar or a special sprouting container. Both seeds and containers are available at most farm markets and nurseries, or they can be bought on the internet. Alfalfa are my favorite, but there are many other seeds that can be sprouted. Keep unused seeds in a tightly covered jar in the fridge. Growing sprouts in a clean kitchen avoids any chance of contamination with salmonella, as has occasionally been the case with commercially purchased sprouts.

Other benefits of sprouting your own seeds are several: complete cleanliness, availability, freshness and variety. In addition, freshly sprouted seeds contain enzymes which are necessary to your overall health, since they enable your body to process the foods you eat and keep your digestive system working at par. This is especially important if you have allergies. All raw food contains enzymes but sprouted seeds increase their enzyme content as much as 43 times. The enzymes aid in digesting fats, protein and starch, when eaten during the same meal, as they interact with saliva and the upper part of the stomach. Without enzymes from food the body must produce its own copious amount, but as people age their ability to produce concentrated digestive enzymes is lost, leaving the body unable to utilize vitamins, minerals and other nutrients effectively.

If you use a jar for your sprouts, find a large glass jam jar or canning jar (quart size). You will also need a piece of tulle or cheesecloth 8 inches square for the mouth of the jar. Tulle will last much longer and is available at fabric stores. Then choose the seeds you like. A large packet of alfalfa is fairly expensive but since you only sprout 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, the packet will last for weeks. Other seeds that make great sprouts are mung beans, radish seeds, lentils and, rye. You can also sprout wheat but so many people are allergic to wheat without even realizing it so might be best to avoid it.

If using beans measure about half a cup, depending on family size. You can also experiment with other seeds to find the ones you prefer. I recently bought some cranberry beans to try and liked those.

Place the seeds in the jar and cover with water. Leave the jar upright, cover with the cheesecloth and allow to soak for 24 hours. Then drain the water by tipping the jar on its side with the cheesecloth held tightly in place by a rubber band. Pour several ounces of fresh water into the jar and put the jar in a medium size bowl, tilted slightly so it will drain slowly, with the cheesecloth over the neck and rubber band replaced. At this point you may notice that the seeds are already sprouting, especially in the case of alfalfa. Twice each day repeat that step, until the seeds are the desired length. Alfalfa will be about one inch long and takes approximately 4 to 5 days, depending on room temperature. Don't let alfalfa get longer than 2 inches. Mung beans take 2 or 3 days to reach their best length and can be used when they are between one quarter and a half inch long. Never put the jar in the sun - the heat might kill the unprotected seedlings. I personally use tap water that has been filtered, just to be extra careful.

To preserve the enzymes, do not cook the sprouts. Use them on sandwiches, in salads or stirred into cooked food just as you are about to serve, only long enough to warm them. They should never exceed 145 degrees Fahrenheit if they are to retain their enzymes. Keep the sprouts in a covered container in the refrigerator, where they will remain fresh and delicious for one week. If you choose to sprout beans rather than seeds, eat only small quantities at first, while your system gets used to them. They contain large amounts of roughage and can cause an 'upset stomach' in people who have sensitive intestines ! Make sure the sprouting container is well scrubbed and dried prior to reuse.

Sprouts are fun to grow and if there are children in the family they will be particularly interested to watch the process. It might even help them eat - and enjoy - their vegetables !!
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The supplement industries have jumped on the bandwagon now, with glyconutrient supplements, but speaking as a relatively uninformed 'layman' I should think that obtaining glyconutrients from food is much more sensible and natural. Nowadays if you google in 'glyconutrients' most of the links will be to the supplements and it takes more of a search to discover the real facts.

For more information this link will take you to a more detailed explanation of glyconutrients:
http://www.nutrientsforhealth.com/glyconutrients/glyconutrients/41/glyconutrients-what-they-do/

Thoughts on Friday Night

I live on a long street, but the top part, which is a cul de sac, is separated from the rest by a busy cross street, so we seem isolated from the rest of the residents. There are seven houses in the cul de sac, and on the weekends I am often the only person at home. All the other homes are dark and deserted, except for an occasional low lamp left on for a late return. It is rather depressing and tonight I even considered going to a local pub, however I am a little too shy to do so. Instead I have put on the television for company and have the weather channel in the background as I write this. There is a program about tropical storm Fay, back in the 1920's which caused heavy rain for 5 months. I had not heard about it before.

My handyman called today to see if I had any work, so I asked him to come over to repair the side gate which has some termite damage. Unfortunately it occupied him for more than 7
hours !! If I had known that beforehand I would have had him build a completely new one. That is the problem with not being very savvy about repairs. I also had to listen to a lecture about cleaning up my garage, since he wanted to do it. However, that is my next major project and I need to figure out what to keep and what to throw away, without any outside advice !! The painters never came back to do the things they missed, so I have begun to do it myself.

None of my neighbors are married, except for the ones at the top of the cul de sac, and I am not too sure about their relationship as she got pregnant when they first met. After the baby was born he brought her over to see me and commented "She was a mistake", which is not something you usually say after the baby is born, in my opinion. That side of the street has 3 other houses: the 2nd house from the top is a rental, with a young couple who are rarely home and keep very strange hours. When they do come in, they drive straight into the garage with their clicker, so are rarely seen. The next house has 3 middle aged men, all single. There is a lot of laughter in the evenings when they are there, encouraged by alcohol consumption, but even so I am a little envious of the camaraderie. The corner house is owned by a woman who has had a succession of abusive boyfriends. She meets them in bars and the last 3 have ended up in jail for being violent to her !!

On my side of the street, there is a duplex rented to two couples in their late 30's or early 40's. (I have written previously about the tenant in the back), but the ones in the front have a large balcony which looks very attractive, with lots of plants and patio furniture, barbecue etc. When they first moved in they used to have parties on the balcony, and it was rather fun since I could lie in bed and listen to them play the guitar and sing. Even though it often kept me awake I enjoyed it. However, the man has lost his job and the parties have come to an end. In addition the building is in foreclosure and they are not sure what is going to happen when the bank takes it over.

The only other house, besides mine, is another rental which contains a young single man in the lower studio unit and a lesbian couple in the upper unit. I will write about them another time.

I talk to all the neighbors, not regularly, but if we happen to be outside and not in a hurry. I enjoy talking to people and find them interesting.

I have become rather addicted to playing Word Whomp on pogo.com but have discovered that if I play it too much my brain won't stop. Last night I played till about 8.30, but that was apparently too late, since I woke up about midnight with words churning about in my brain and had a terrible time going back to sleep. Tonight I am being very circumspect and going to read before bed.

Classes I Am Taking

The Aftermath of Painting

The painters, who had promised to finish everything by Wednesday (I was expecting Thursday), did not finish until very late on Friday. That meant that all week, except for breakfast, I had to eat out. I do like going to restaurants, but find that having dinner out often causes me to sleep badly, as I have food allergies. Lunch is fine, since everything is digested by bedtime, but dinner, with all the additives that are in some restaurant food, disagrees with me. I went to Marie Callender's for one dinner and ended up with a very bad cough for a short while afterwards. That is one of the several symptoms I get from eating certain foods. I also am allergic to wheat - a whole other article.

Getting my things unpacked has taken longer than I expected since I had to repaper all the shelves. I did not use Contac paper this time, but decided to get the more expensive plastic liner. Cutting it to the right size and putting it in every cupboard and drawer took ages, but at least everything is now beautifully clean and tidy. Now that I am trying to be more organized I am having difficulty finding room for everything, even though I have hauled several boxes of various items down to the garage. (Getting the garage organized is another matter since the boxes are heavy and piled on shelving.)

Unfortunately the painters missed several areas and also there are places that need touch up, nail holes not filled and some spray paint on the beamed wood ceiling. The foreman promised to come last Sunday, but hasn't appeared yet. This coming weekend is the next date, but I think I may just do most of the touch up myself to save a lot more mess.

I have also become rather addicted to word games on pogo.com. Probably good for my brain but not for any other area of my life. I particularly cannot play late in the evening, or my brain continues them for hours afterwards !!

Back to my unpacking, still about 8 boxes to go. The house does look very nice, amazing what a new coat of paint does. The walls are cream throughout, and they were textured. The kitchen cabinets are a light brown with a little pink in it and in the bathroom the small cupboards are a deep dark -almost burgundy color. It is rather a drab dark little room and the color really brightens it up. In fact I like it best of all the colors I chose. Next major project is to have my floor tile put in and remove this terrible old carpet and tile which has long since passed it's prime !!

Spring Cleaning

I have a crew coming on Monday to paint the inside of my downstairs cupboards, so I am in the process of removing everything from them. That has meant several trips to get boxes and 3 days so far working most of the day packing. This house was built in 1956 and by the look of it inside the cupboards has never been painted before. I have been in this house for 5 years and since it is relatively old - by U.S. standards anyway - there is a lot to be done. I am working on it little by little. It's amazing how dirty things get. At this minute I am taking a break from cleaning out the broom closet and shortly will be vacuuming up the miniscule particles all over the floor.

Years ago it was the custom to 'spring clean' every year. It was also necessary to defrost the refrigerator periodically to deice it and that meant taking everything out and cleaning it at the same time. Now many people rarely clean their fridges, including some of the younger members of my family, and the result can be pretty appalling. Many older customs are sensible and although I make a point of cleaning my fridge every so often, after looking into my empty cupboards I think it would be sensible to revive spring cleaning too. I even found a deceased mouse in one cupboard, hidden in the back under some old paper bags (Wondered where that smell was coming from last year !!)

Whenever I am painting I have difficulty deciding on colors. Last year when I was painting a rental, I decided part way through that the kitchen color was wrong and had to redo it. Home Depot used to have a rather clever tool available where you could try different colors out on a computer, and I should probably invest in a program like that for my computer.

Whenever I am cleaning up I make solemn promises to myself that I will be much more organized in future. I moved into this house from a much larger one, which meant downsizing, and the garage is still crammed with things that I have to organize and decide which to keep and which to get rid of. Things have been complicated by the fact that several of my children and offspring have moved in and out in the interim. Each time that has meant rearranging and moving things about, and each time they leave I am left with unwanted items that I have to cope with. Then I had to put my elderly mother into a board and care home and that meant keeping many of her personal items, including a lot of very intersting books, and adding them to the ever increasing pile.

The worst thing about not being organized is being unable to find an item that you need. Often there isn't either the time or energy to look for it, which means buying another. In this present cleaning endeavor I have just discovered several items that I had to duplicate. What a waste of money and more clutter !!

Back to packing before it gets too hot. We seem to be heading into a rather humid day.