Pumpkins Seeds: Soak, Ferment, Salt and Dry

I am revisiting this great snack food for blood type Os that I blogged about a couple years ago.  It's been a long time since I prepared these and I did recently and found them so satisfying!  Pumpkin seeds are listed as a beneficial food for Os.  That means, these seeds help heal the intestinal tract of Os....goes beyond just being a  neutral food.

The process goes like this;   soak 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds in pure water a quart jar full , for 3-4 days with a paper or cloth on the top held by elastic band.  By the 4th day these seeds will stink, I mean STINK!   Not to worry.  It is because the lacto-bacillus on the surface of the seeds are being activated and are growing and consuming some of the sugars in the seeds and on the surface (this is the fermenting process). The soaking also neutralizes the phytic acid on all seeds, nuts and grains which is a good thing too.

 At the end of 4th day, drain the seeds....do not rinse them.  They will be sticky, stinky and slimy but this is good!
Now, lay them out on a plate...a smooth surface and while sticky, sprinkle with Real Salt or other high mineral, sea salt. Let them dry for a day or two.  Or place in an oven just on warm until dry.

When completely dry, store in a covered container and eat.   For a blood type O, the taste is very satisfying.

In my former blog, I went a step further and processed the wet, stinky seeds and made a paste of them and salted the paste and added butter or ghee.   I stopped making this because it was just too much work.  Letting seeds dry with salt on them is much easier and the great taste is still there.   I guess, after drying you could drizzle some liquid coconut oil or ghee on them too.

Kefir and Fermenting Class in Layton

Thank you, Belinda  for hosting this event in your kitchen last night.  It gave me another chance to do what I love to do;  teach other women how to get more nutrition out of food through fermenting and culturing.   It was a wonderful place and event. The guests were all younger than me which I am grateful for because they are the mothers of young  children and it means that these children have a greater chance of growing up strong and healthy.

 Thank you, women and mothers who came last night!  It was wonderful getting to know you and sharing my crazy obsession with you.  Those who bought starters from me, remember,  Call or email me whenever, even if it is several months from now if you think your kefirs, kombucha "scoby"  or natural yeasts are dead.
Call me and I can replace them or suggest ways to" bring them back". Call or email me if you want to talk about the blood type diet or any other health crisis.   The Lord has blessed mankind recently with all kinds of  discoveries and healing products and procedures that are a little on the "fringe" but have amazing powers.  It is worth a conversation to explore some of these things.
 
 It was a fun evening for me and I was happy and awake on the drive back to Orem.

 We live in extraordinary times!

Importance of "Gut Culture"; Keeping our Friendly Bacteria Healthy and Intact

   I think doctors are getting smarter....well, some of them are.  It used to be that doctors didn't much care or even know that giving patients antibiotics meant killing off the patient's "gut culture" as well as the pathogens that were making people sick.  If the pathogen infection was serious enough, then killing them took precedence over saving the friendly microbes that need to be there.  But after the pathogens were killed off, it took a long time for a patient to fully recover and get back to health because it takes a while for the natural, good microbes to get reestablished especially if most if not all have been wiped out.  Often patients with little or no intestinal flora would get sick again and again because their immune systems are compromised.

      "Gut culture" and the immune system are connected, in fact, some of the most important cells of the complex immune system are manufactured by "friendly bacteria"; you damage them, you damage your immune response.    Patients for a long time had to discover this on their own.  They had to learn the hard way that in order to completely recover, they had to....repopulate their own intestinal flora.  I just heard about a most ingenious recovery method to repopulate intestinal microbes from a client who was here to buy kefir grains.  Four months ago she was so sick due to a series of events that started with a pathogen and then antibiotic treatment then birth of a baby, then more illness and finally she had no immunity and no intestinal bacteria left and was on death's door.  Her doctor (sorry I do not have his name or my client's)  suggested a very new and radical treatment called " fecal matter transplant".   She and her family agreed and found a donner; her sister.  She said that she and her sister were a "match" and I do not know if  blood type was part of  that matching process, but the "fecal matter transplant" from her sister worked.  There were enough friendly bacteria in her sister's fecal matter (poo) to restart or repopulate the cleaned out gut of her sister.  She said it worked so fast, within hours she started to feel like herself again.  She was seeking kefir grains from me so she could start making raw milk kefir for herself to keep her "gut culture" well and happy. She said she is not going back to her old, eating habits but is now cooking for herself and family and is very aware that she must eat for her gut culture too.   Her adventure and this amazing procedure impressed upon my mind the importance of keeping the flora or microbes in our gut well.  It sounds like this procedure saved her life, she thinks so but it sounds like a desperate or last resort option.

   There are lots of  pro-biotic supplements and foods on the market...it  has grown into a huge industry.  Commercial/industrial  food companies have come up with a myriad of dairy products that promote pro-biotic cultures and some doctors now recognize the need to repopulate a patient's post antibiotic treatment with pro-biotic supplements.  All of this is good and going in the right direction, but if we ate right to begin with  would we need need all this supplementation?

     The more I learn about fermenting and culturing of foods and the more I am getting to understand just how important our "gut culture" is to our digestion, our physical and mental health and our thinking. Some are calling this bio mass in our intestines our "second brain". I wonder, is it called our  "second brain" because it is an important part of our immune systems, or is it that friendly microbes produce other compounds that affect our thinking and feeling?  Both have been suggested in the material I have read.    I am not listing websites or research studies on this topic, I don't want to take the time,   I'm just discussing this topic because it fascinates me  and of course it validates what I do.  I sell starters for kefir, kombucha, natural yeast breads and yogurts; foods that promote the growth of  and re-population of healthy gut microbes.

      I  know that  cheap, industrialized food so prevalent  in our culture have helped upset the balance of our "gut cultures"  and have made us fat, addicted to the very foods we crave and upset the balance of positive and negative (candida)  microbes in our intestines.  The worst foods are those made with wheat, pasteurized
milk, corn, vegetable oils, refined sugars and anything that is synthetic or artificial and of course all the additives and chemicals that don't even sound like food.   I know that getting away from convenience foods made by the industry is a must and a start, and doing our own food prep and cooking using real food, is essential to regaining health. Those bad, cheap and tasty foods create an acidic condition in our gut that promote pathogen culture, not life saving and healthy gut cultures.

      I  know of some products that will kill pathogens without killing the friendly guys.

Essential Oils;  I use and promote essential oils whether it is Young Living or D'Oterra or Butterfly Express, whatever.  If you have some oils, learn which ones can be taken internally to kill pathogens. They are selective, they will not harm the friendly ones or human tissue and cells.  Oils are expensive. Ask around and shop around.  The first two companies are mlm companies.

 MMS; Miracle Mineral Solution is another pathogen killer that I have used successfully.  It is a mixture of two chemicals that create a gas in water that kills pathogens only. Chlorine dioxide Ion (CLO2)is a gas that is made when a few drops of citric acid or vinegar is mixed with drops sodium chlorite solution.  It is a negatively charged gas suspended in water that is safe for human consumption and kills pathogens on contact.  It does not kill the friendly microbes or human tissue or cells. It tastes nasty and must be started with very tiny doses but it is very effective.  Also can be used to purify large containers of water.

 Bentonite Clay;  There are many brands and deposits of this clay all over the world but the one I am familiar with is the one that goes by the label of Redmond Clay.  The same company that mines and markets Redmond Salt.  This clay deposit is also on their property in Redmond, Utah.   I believe it is a healer.  The company cannot say this, but I am suggesting that it is a healer for intestinal trouble. I've read testimonials of sick people who used this clay mixed with plain water to treat  heartburn, diverticulitis, colitis, roto-virus,
 h-pylori bacteria, celiac and acid reflux.  It is inexpensive and easy to use and it is alkaline.  Pathogens do not survive in an alkaline environment.  We haven't been really sick to try it out but I have used it on wounds with great success.

Virgin Coconut Oil; Dr Bruce Fife claims that virgin coconut oil is a germ killer.  It is one of the reasons we started using it.  His book, "virgin Coconut Oil; Nature's Miracle Medicine" explains why short and medium chain fatty acids kills germs/pathogens without harming human tissue and cells.

Herbs and Tinctures of Herbs: This is a huge topic and I cannot speak of it with any authority or experience but there are many who are knowledgeable of herbs and their many uses.

      In the near future I think it very important for every person and certainly every mother to have one or two tested and trusted ways to treat infections of all kinds especially the infections that threaten the health of the "gut culture".  I know there are many websites out there with far more information and knowledge about these topics than I have and searches are so easy with internet.  Being mindful of "gut culture" health is basic to keeping your health....it's easy;... give up eating the bad stuff and eat the good stuff and when you get a gastrointestinal infection, treat with alternative methods not antibiotics when at all possible.

 Healthy "GUT CULTURE"  is nurturing friendly bacteria which results in a Strong Immune System.                                                     

Lacto-Bacillus Bacteria

     Another idea; Could it be that the idea of another pandemic is something that the enemies of freedom are working on not so much to create "one super bug"( or a concoction of bugs), that could wipe out millions of people world wide ( a goal of theirs through Agenda 21)  but that by "using the bug" to scare people into getting a newly created" vaccine" and that the work of the "new vaccine" would be the real "killer" by compromising the vaccinated's  immune systems in wiping out their "gut cultures" so that whatever bug  could kill them?

    Far fetched, I know, but I am remembering the sickest I have ever been in my life was when I got a "flu" shot a few years ago as offered for free from our school district.  My immune system was shot for months after that.  It has taken me years to rebuild my "gut culture" and thus my immune system.  I will never do that again.  Vaccines, antibiotics and our own poor food choices are the enemies to the health of our "gut culture".
    

Kefir Salad Dressing

      I just discovered another great way to use home made raw milk kefir.  It makes a great salad dressing.
I start with 1/2 cup raw milk kefir and add 2 TBS. mayonnaise   Add to that some generous Real Salt, some garlic powder and any other seasoning that suits your tastes.  I sometimes add  about 1 TBS olive oil and some fresh lime juice but the basic kefir and mayonnaise is very satisfying.   It's also good on cooked or steamed vegetables.

Coconut Oil; Eat and Wear It....10 Crazy Ideas!

     It's been a couple years since we introduced virgin coconut oil into our diets and I must say, we are sick less than we used to be.  Cause and effect?  Could be, I'm sold on the stuff and we have lots in our food storage.
We  (husband) and I are convinced that coconut oil is helping our immune systems keep the pathogens at bay and providing good nourishment in the form of medium and short chain fatty acids and beneficial diatary cholesterol.  We wear it too.  It's a great sunscreen that won't let you burn in the sun but you will tan.  I've been wearing it all summer and I've noticed some irritating skin problems have disappeared ( can't be more specific because I didn't take note at the time)  and my face loves it.

     We saw a video a while ago about a woman doctor whose husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer  who started to get back some of his cognitive abilities when she fed him big spoonfuls of coconut oil,  about 3 a day over many weeks.( Sorry, don't have the link for this)  She just reasoned that an Alzheimer's brain is like a diabetic brain....it isn't taking in glucose, no fuel.  She thought she might try coconut oil because the key-tones that are made from coconut oil can be used by brain cells as fuel also. In the video she showed a test he took that over 3 months improved drastically.  That video was one reason we stared using coconut oil another was a small book by Dr. Bruce Fife, " Virgin Coconut Oil; Natures's Miracle Medicine".

     Crazy thing is,  all the other parts of coconut not good for me.  I've tried a few times to cook with and eat coconut meat, coconut milk and water, coconut sugar and coconut flour.  My body says  NO to all of those but the oil is super good for me.  The Blood Type Diet food lists also said coconut not good for Os and so I stayed away, but the oil is good for me.  Same with Olives.  Can't eat the black or green olives, but the oil is good for me.  go figure!

Idea 1;   Almond butter;   Can't eat peanut butter so use almond butter but so boring without some kind of flavoring.  I get fresh ground almond butter from HF store.  To 1 cup at a time, I mix 2 TBS  virgin coconut oil, some Real Salt and about 2 tsps. molasses.   So Good!   eat that with some sliced apples, carrots or celery.  Great car traveling food.

Idea 2;    Morning eggs cooked in coconut oil.   Most mornings I have some chopped vegetables fried up with 1 or 2 eggs cooked in coconut oil, the refined kind with no coconut flavor.   I must have high protein breakfast so no carbs for me.

Idea 3;   Yams with coconut oil, the unrefined kind that tastes and smells like coconut.  Several ways I do this cause we don't eat white potatoes any more.....to hard to digest all that starch for Os and Bs.  We discovered that yams, the orange sweet potato was much easier to digest.  

Idea 4;   Drizzle melted coconut oil on dried kale.  That's right, Kale.  I air dry a bunch of kale and then stack the dried leaves on a plate and drizzle melted coconut oil over the leaves and then lightly salt them.  If hot day, I put plate in the fridge and let them harden and then ut in a zip lock bag.  Surprisingly, kale is the most chewable and delicious of all the leafy greens to do this with.  Great snack!

Idea 5;  Melted coconut butter on hot morning oatmeal.  My husband eats hot cooked oatmeal every day and his choice of fat is coconut oil.  I soak his oatmeal overnight with plain water which he doesn't need to drain off in the morning.   I sometimes put in some flaxseed meal or chia seeds with the oatmeal to soak also.
After he cooks it, he flavors it with some sea salt, honey, coconut oil and some raw milk with the cream.  Raisins and walnuts are good with this breakfast too.

 Idea 6;  One of our favorite snacks is a mixture of nuts and dried fruit with coconut oil and sea salt.  My usual mix goes like this:  some toasted, broken almond pieces (buy in bulk section of HFS), some soaked and dried walnut pieces, a few toasted macadamia nuts, some pecan pieces and for dried fruit I add some raisins, crasins, my own dried black cherries, dried apple peices and dried blueberries (from Costco).  My husband likes an even mixture of nuts and fruit....if too many nuts he won't eat.  Mix all  in a large bowl  with 1/4 -1/3 cup coconut oil and sprinkled with Real Salt.   It's very satisfying and energy producing.  I mix up large batches of it and store in smaller plastic containers in the basement.  That way they are "grab'n go".

Idea 7;  Another in-between meal pic-me-up is a slice of my own natural yeast whole spelt bread with some honey spread first....like that creamed honey  then top off with thick layer of coconut oil.  So good!   follow with a cold glass of raw milk kefir or just raw milk!

Idea 8;  Whole grain muffins with coconut oil as the fat.
             Wet Stuff                                                      Dry  Stuff
             2 eggs                                                           1/3 cup flaxseed meal
             1/3 cup or 5 TBS  coconut oil, melted            2/3 cup spelt flour
             1/2 cup kefir or yogurt or whey or milk          1/3 cup  oat flour
             1/2 cup honey or agave nectar                       1/3  cup millet flour
             1/2 cup natural yeast starter                           1/3 cup brn rice flour
                                                                                  3/4 tsp.  sea salt
                                                                                  1/2  tsp.  baking soda
                                                  optional;  hand full raisins and walnuts
              Mix everything except the baking soda together the night before you bake these.  The grain flours must soak for 8 hours or more to neutralize the phytic acid on them and the natural yeast need to work on the starches and the gluten in the spelt flour. Right before baking at 350, add the baking powder...it will make everything puff up a bit, then fill your muffin paper cups and bake  15-20 minutes.  When you take them out of the oven, spread more coconut oil on the hot tops.


 

Idea 9;  Coconut oil in morning Smoothie.   Coconut oil will go hard below 76 degrees and everything I take out of fridge is cold, so the blender just reduces it to tiny globules which adds a certain texture to your smoothie.   We use homemade kefir to start, say 2 cups in the blender, then 1 cup pineapple juice and about a cup of fresh pineapple then a hand full of spinach.  and a TBS of coconut oil. Other healthy things can go in there also; like ocatea essential oil, some Sun Warrior Supergreens powder, some BLM Powder ( bones, ligaments and muscle)  from Young Living and other fruits...like banana really ripe, fresh peach maybe some blueberries and if not sweet enough for hubby, a shake of stevia.


Idea 10;   Chocolate Treat;   I mix equal parts of soft virgin coconut oil and cocoa powder then add sweetening.  I have used stevia and it is very good but other sweeteners work too.  I sometimes put in some nuts or dried fruit.  I mix this in little containers and eat it with a little spoon.  Wow! it's good.