Cure Gum Disease Naturally

Cure Gum Disease Naturally: Heal and Prevent Periodontal Disease and Gingivitis with Whole Foods

By Ramiel Nagel

The food we consume strongly influences the quality of our lives. If we eat the processed and devitalized foods of modern commerce our physical, emotional, and spiritual health will suffer. Eating whole unprocessed foods grown on fertile soil, without pesticides…and prepared in a traditional manner, will aid us in obtaining optimum health and a sense of wellbeing.

The condition of our teeth and gums is a good indicator of how healthy or unhealthy the rest of our bodies are. Ramiel Nagel, the author of Cure Tooth Decay and this book, Cure Gum Disease Naturally: Heal and Prevent Periodontal Disease and Gingivitis with Whole Foods has this to say on page 31. “ In general tooth decay and gum disease are the most visible signs of nutrient depletion. By ignoring how nutrition affects our bodies and by blaming bacteria for dental health problems, the field of dentistry does us a great disservice by diverting us from the truth of how a poor diet causes gum disease and tooth decay.”

In Cure Gum Disease Naturally, Ramiel shares with the reader the underlying causes of tooth decay and gum disease and how to cure these conditions, which are merely a reflection of the general health of the body. As we have already established, diet plays an enormous role in establishing the health of the teeth and gums. Rami thoroughly explains why it is not bacteria, in and of itself, that causes tooth decay and gum problems, but that the condition and strength of the teeth and gums themselves determines how vulnerable they are to the normal oral bacteria found in the mouth. He educates us as to what foods to avoid and what foods to eat in order to create strong, firm teeth and gums that are resistant to bacteria. The mainstream dental model merely tries to fix the symptoms of poor nutrition rather than educating the patient on how to balance his body chemistry through proper nutrition.

The author explains, “gum disease is a whole body imbalance and not just an isolated oral problem. Dr. Page observed that out-of-balance calcium and phosphorous ratios (which he believed to be the cause of tooth and gum disease) could be brought into balance by correcting the functioning of the glandular system.”  “ Dr. Page found that our autonomic (automatic) nervous system and our endocrine (glandular/hormonal) system are directly affected by the food we eat.” On page 44 the author lists ways to help improve the health of specific glands.

Rami advises us to strictly reduce sugar since this toxic refined substance throws the calcium phosphorous ratio and our glandular system out of balance. He warns us that anything which unbalances the hormonal system can cause tooth decay and gum recession. So…preventing tooth decay and gum disease does not just depend on how much we brush and floss but on how resistant our teeth and gums are to bacteria. The density or hardness of our teeth and quality of our gum tissue depends not only on the foods we consume but also on how well we digest our food and how well we absorb the nutrients from this food. In this book Rami includes everything one needs to know in order to increase the health or resistance of the teeth and gums to bacteria.

The author shares information on the role of vitamins D and A and calcium in obtaining or maintaining the health of teeth and gums. He includes charts, which list the foods high in the desired nutrients. Rami talks about how to obtain the minerals we need from bones and dairy products. Healthy fats are also very important to include in the diet as they aid the body in utilizing the calcium and other minerals properly. Using refined fat free products such as skim milk, low fat cheeses, or partial foods, such as egg whites (while excluding the yolks) is extremely counterproductive.

There is also important information concerning grains…whole grains versus refined grains…. and how to prepare them in order to obtain maximum nutrition and the least amount of plant toxins. Ways to increase your digestive potency are listed and explained. Methods of cleansing are also included. The author speaks about alkalizing the body, why it is a good idea, and several recipes to help the process are also shared.

Near the end of the book are chapters on gum disease treatment and natural gum care at home. I found the book Cure Gum Disease Naturally to be very comprehensive, containing much valuable and helpful information, which actually gets to the root issue of why teeth and gums are unhealthy. When people understand the root cause of a problem they can then treat the cause and actually heal instead of just treating the symptoms while the unhealthy situation keeps progressing under the surface. The health of our teeth and gums is very important. Researchers are suspecting that gum disease, gum surgery, and other types of dental work may provide a direct route to the brain for oral spirochetes and other bacteria and possibly contribute to Alzheimer's disease.

The author has a sincere desire to share this crucial information, which, if heeded, will greatly reduce world suffering. I highly recommend this book.

Visit The Author's Website  http://www.curetoothdecay.com/

Edie Clark At Mary's Farm

I met Edie Clark when she was writing a story for Yankee Magazine about Lyme Disease. This led me to explore her other writings, which I have become very fond of.  Edie Clark has worked at Yankee Magazine since 1978. She is most well known for her column "The View From Mary's Farm". She has also written 6 books. Her most recent one that just hit the scene is called "As Simple As That". This book is a collection of her essays from Yankee Magazine. I haven't been fortunate enough to read the book yet so I would like to share what others have said about it.

"Delivered in an elegant style, these essays are lessons on how to live in small-town New England: kite flying on a frozen lake, ways to cook green tomatoes, keeping an old house, searching for a dog caught in a tornado, wood heat, coping with spring mud. Taken as a whole, they are a philosophical inquiry into what some people call mindfulness. Clark teaches us how to pay attention to the moments that make up our lives. This is a beautiful book about love, grief, and the natural world. It reads like a how-to manual but feels like a lyric poem. I was deeply moved by it." Ernest Herbert, author of Howard Elman's Farewell.

"Edie Clark's Yankee Column is a national treasure. This book glows with a life closely and kindly observed, days well-lived and well-loved. Reading this book will make you feel like you are sitting in her warm, sunny kitchen, listening to her tell you heart warming, spell binding stories." Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul Of An Octopus.

You can purchase As Simple As That and her other books at http://www.edieclark.com   Scroll down to view Mary's Farm.

Edie is a masterful storyteller and knows how to win her reader's hearts. Recently someone likened her to a painter of words. In my opinion, Edie Clark is the Norman Rockwell of essay writers.

Edie has given me permission to share with you the views from and of Mary's Farm. As you tour her farm and the views it will be simple for you to understand where Edie finds her inspiration. Take some time also to watch the 4 minute Yankee video below featuring Edie Clark.

http://www.yankeemagazine.com/video/marys-farm-septoct-2015

Mount Monadnock from Mary's farm

Edie's beloved dog, Mayday, who was the subject of several of Edie's essays.

Visit Edie's website and learn more about the history of Mary's Farm and why it is called Mary's Farm. Here you will also find her other books and CD  www.edieclark.com  Let's take time out from our hectic lifestyle to appreciate all that is around us. Edie is a master at teaching us how.

The Art Of Gluten Free Sourdough Baking

By Sharon A Kane
Review By Marjorie Tietjen

Being able to properly digest our food is one of the main factors which determines the state of our health. Some foods are easier to digest than others  and how we prepare our food can make a huge difference in the availability and assimilation of the nutrients from our food. Proper preparation can also destroy toxins which are naturally present in many vegetables and grains. Traditionally our ancestors soaked, sprouted and/or fermented their fruits, beans, grains and vegetables...and sometimes even meat.

Sharon Kane, the author of  The Art Of Gluten Free Sourdough Baking, discovered through food sensitivity testing that she was intolerant to many foods, including gluten. Sharon loved baking sourdough breads but the gluten in the grains and some of the other ingredients in the breads were stressing her system and making her ill. She was advised to avoid these substances. This news of course was very disappointing. However, the author was not discouraged for long. She was determined to create sourdough breads free of many allergens, including eggs, gluten, and dairy so she could again enjoy the taste, comfort and health benefits of properly prepared grains. Sharon experimented for a year with different flours and starters...with many failures...before she finally created a bread that she thought had the properties she desired. The results of her fortitude and persistence has been greater health, several books on traditional food preparation, online instructional videos, and the Gluten Free Sourdough Company that sells the delicious gluten, egg, dairy, soy free products that she has created.

I first bought the Kindle version of The Art Of Gluten Free Sourdough Baking but then decided it would be easier for me to have an actual hard copy to read and refer to....so it is the hard copy that I will be referring to in this review. First of all, to get people aware of the health properties and other positive qualities of the ancient process of sourdough baking...I will include the 6 benefits the author lists on the back of her book.

1. High Digestibility

2. Excellent Taste

3. Nutrient Density

4. Long Shelf life

5. Economical

6. Allergen Friendly

I would also like to include a paragraph from page 21 of the book which describes why soaking and/or the fermenting of grains is so important.

"Soaking foods mimics the early stages of a seed's germination cycle. A fully mature grain plant has plump grain seeds after a long and bounteous season. The grain seeds are essentially little packages of nutrients protected in a hard shell called a seed coat. The seed's mission in life is to reproduce and needs certain conditions to germinate. A grain seed left on the stalk of a spent plant, or on the ground, withstands extremes of temperature and moisture to allow its seed coat to soften and absorb water which facilitates germination. This process allows nutrients to become available to feed the newly germinated sprout until it has its first pair of true leaves and can make food through photosynthesis. When we soak grains before cooking or eating we mimic this process. The nutrients that would have fed the young sprout now become available to us after soaking."

The flours which are included in her recipes are teff, quinoa, corn, buckwheat, brown rice, and coconut. Sharon lists all the ingredients and equipment that you will need to succeed in gluten free sourdough baking. The author's instructions are very clear and detailed and she also includes photos which demonstrate the different steps and what the starters, batters and breads should look like. Sharon uses minimal sweeteners in her recipes and includes a conversion chart so a person can use the sweetener that best suits their needs. In the photo to the right you are shown what a bubbling starter looks like, what the bread looks like when it is rising and what the finished loaf should look like. This is very helpful in being able to gauge one's progress.

Gluten free sourdough baking uses "starters" to help the bread to rise. The book carefully explains the different properties of the various starters and batters so that the baker knows what to look for. The author includes a section on grinding your own flour. On page 43 there is an important chart which shows the amounts of grain, the amounts of flour it will convert to when ground, and then how much starter that amount of flour will create.

In the process of creating the gluten free starters the author noticed that her starters were going "bad" or becoming moldy. Through further research she learned that you can boost these starters with fermented beverages. Sharon tried using water kefir as a starter and that is when things began to turn around providing her with more successes. She refers to the water kefir starters  as "boosted starters." Kombucha tea can also be used as a booster for starters or if you are not dairy sensitive you can use milk kefir or yogurt.

Everyone has different food sensitivities. Sharon has been asked by others to create certain breads for people with specific allergies and as a result she has divided the recipes into sections. Two of these sections are rice based recipes and rice free recipes.

Some of the delicious recipes included in the book are Pancakes, Banana Walnut Muffins, Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins, Cranberry Nut Muffins, Buckwheat Buns, Herb Sourdough Bread, Scallion Pepper Bread, Mock Rye Bread, Chia Onion Bread, Multigrain Carob Bread, Teff Carob Coconut Bread, Corn Bread, Dessert Breads, Quinoa 100 Bread ...and much more.

Sourdough gluten free breads are denser with a different "old world" texture and taste to them. I find this to be a positive difference. Sharon's breads are more hearty, nutrient dense, filling, and delicious than typical commercial fluff breads. On  Sharon's website she has many baked items for sale, along with equipment, starter boosters, books and more. I have tried her English muffins, muffin tops, dessert breads and I actually tried one of her mixes as a first step in learning sourdough baking. I found the pumpernickel bread mix to be absolutely delicious! I put off making the bread from this mix because I thought I would fail. However, the whole process went very smoothly and the bread was a success! I was pretty impressed with the organization and directions of the mix itself but I was also pretty proud of myself because I actually succeeded in making sourdough bread! The next step for me will be trying one of the recipes in this book with my water kefir made from my new water kefir grains which I bought from Sharon. The author does not use baking powder, baking soda, or yeast in her recipes, preferring the most natural leavening method possible. Sharon advises people to toast the sourdough breads to get the best flavor and texture. When in a hurry I have eaten her breads untoasted but toasting does seem to improve texture and taste.

The book includes sections on definitions, differences between the various flour starters, refrigerated starters versus starters grown on the counter, feeding your starter, different stages of a starter, a large recipe section with photos, how to make chia gel and what it is used for, how to make pizza dough, conversions, troubleshooting, and where to get ingredients and equipment. Sharon shares her experiences and how she has learned from her failures. I am finding the book to be very thorough, easy to read, and written in an enjoyable manner. Everything she does seems to be very organized and well thought out. I admire this quality because I am definitely not an organized person.

Sharon has written this book to empower others to create healthy food in an economical manner. Too many people are experiencing sensitivities to gluten and other foods , which were once considered to be healthy. We desperately need to figure out the main causes of this predicament but in the meantime we must learn to prepare the foods that we can eat in a manner that releases the most nutrition possible. Our ancestors somehow knew that soaking, sprouting and fermenting not only preserved their foods but made them much more nutritious and digestible. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like more control over their own health which offers less dependence on our failing medical system. To purchase Sharon's book and other products, check out her website . Through her persistent experimentation, she has come up with unique products that will help to improve our lives.

Humorous Dog Cat Video

This video is a compilation of clips featuring dogs being afraid to walk past cats and then what happens when they do.

Loughlin: One Man's Journey To Redemption Through Art

Brendan Louglin was my art teacher for several years in Guilford, CT. Brendan's artwork and philosophy of life has touched many lives and his main message is that if he can overcome adversity...then anyone can. His paintings express vibrancy of joy. Sharing this joy with others is his main focus. Yankee Magazine wrote an article about him and Jo Montgomery, an author who lives in nearby Madison, wrote a book about Brendan's life story.  The title is "Loughlin: One Man's Journey To Redemption Through Art. This is the blurb from the back cover...
" A remarkable true story that exposes, then celebrates, the extraordinary human ability to rise above abandonment, abuse, tragedy, and poverty. Proving that inner joy, like trick birthday candles, will smoke, spark and light itself back up again no matter how many times it is extinguished. In the heart of the postcard - perfect New England town of Guilford, Connecticut is a small, outdated apartment that displays no signs of life. There are no curtains on the windows and no furniture, just piles of painter canvases and buckets of brushes. It doesn't appear that anyone lives there, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. An artist by the name of Brendan Loughlin lives in that apartment, and so does his extraordinary story. Take a look into Brendan's private life and be inspired, amused and possibly changed by the journey of the man Yankee Magazine called "Connecticut's modern day Van Gogh."
The book can be found on Amazon but there are none available at this point. However, you may want to read some of the reviews. If interested in reading this remarkable story, you may be able to order the book from the local bookstore at the link below. Scroll down through this post and enjoy the paintings I photographed from Brendan's gallery.
http://www.rjjulia.com/event/ct-writers-night-3
He actually encouraged me to spread the joy of his artwork and the uplifting message brought out in his life story by photographing his paintings and even  profiting from them by selling products with his photographed artwork featured on them.

Brendan is known for his paintings on Guilford fences, doors and sides of buildings. Everyone knows and loves Brendan. Brendan was interviewed by Yankee Magazine. You can find the inspiring article here.... http://www.yankeemagazine.com/article/features/stilllifes

Brendan has invented his own art technique called PASTAC which involves using Bin primer, painter's tints and chalks. He is a self taught artist. A few years back when he was homeless he would visit the Guilford Library and study books on the great artists for inspiration. Van Gogh was one artist he was particularly interested in.

Brendan picking one of his joyful sunflowers

 

Brendan would often hold art classes outdoors . He would lug tables and other equipment to a shady area where students would spread out their artist brushes and paints. Everyone walking by would stop and speak with Brendan and observe what the students were painting. Brendan always told his students..."anyone can paint if they so desire" and he also tried to encourage those who felt they had no natural talent...by telling them that any mistake can be corrected with his method ...and to be fearless. He also believes that painting is excellent therapy for people.

The photograph below shows another example of how Brendan's artwork graced local businesses.

For fun and useful products featuring Brendan's photography check out this link

http://www.zazzle.com/photosnap/gifts?cg=196043447296666996&sr=250975774989732162&ch=photosnap

If interested in buying a painting from Brendan or if you just want to meet him and hear more of his story and view some of his paintings...head to the Guilford Green in Guilford, Connecticut, ask almost anyone in one of the stores...especially Breakwater Books right on the Guilford Green... and they will tell you how to find Brendan. The town of Guilford....on the Connecticut shoreline... is also a nice place to visit...very "New England"

THE VIDEO BELOW SHOWS BRENDAN AND JO MONTGOMERY ON THE NEWS

Fabulous Ferments!

It's the time of year again where people begin to think more about their immunity and wonder whether or not their immune systems are "up to par". This is also the time of year when vaccine manufacturers take advantage of this legitimate issue. People often do tend to get sicker during the winter with influenza and colds ....but.....vaccines are not the answer to a healthy immune system. The proper nourishment and sunlight or vitamin D, and reduction in stress, are the main key elements in resisting disease. The numerous chemicals and other potentially unknown elements in vaccines only add to the body burden of toxins while they unnaturally upregulate our immune systems. Some people believe that many autoimmune diseases are caused by this artificial stimulation of the immune system.

The recipe above features beets, cabbage and apple. This combination has many health benefits. Beets are great for cleansing the liver, cabbage is great for healing the stomach, and the apple adds  some sweetness and texture... in addition to the sweet taste from the beets. This sweetness tends to offset the tartness of the finished ferment and is a good ferment to begin with if you are not accustomed to  eating live fermented foods. This beet, apple, cabbage recipe contains a bountiful amount of beneficial bacteria which is the foundation for our immune systems. Simply stated....the  good or beneficial bacteria keep the harmful microbes in balance so we have much less of a chance of becoming ill. This beneficial bacteria also produces certain needed vitamins while resident in our digestive systems.

Our grandparents and great grandparents used the process of fermentation to preserve their food in an age of minimal refrigeration. I often wonder if they realized that these fermented foods were a powerhouse of nutrition and immune factors.Our ancestors seemed to instinctively know what was needed for human health...without the benefit of chemistry labs and pharmaceutical companies. Sauerkraut ...in the above photo, is a ferment that most people are familiar with and one that many of our ancestors always had a good supply of. Most foods today that come from the grocery store may have once been fermented but for storage sake they are pasteurized and hence denuded from the  powerful immune supporting activity of beneficial bacteria or probiotics (pro-life). Pasterization also disables beneficial enzymes.

Fermenting  food is really a very easy process to learn. Once you make several jars of a fermented product, they stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 6 months or more and become one of the most nutirtious fast food health foods there are. This life giving food is much healthier and cheaper than storebought supplements. The recipe for the beet/cabbage/apple ferment in the photo at the top was adapted from the Internal Bliss Cookbook which is a companion to the excellent Gut and Psychology Syndrome book by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBrid. The latter book instructs us on how to heal the gut which in turn heals the body.

Beet Cabbage and Apple Ferment

2 1/2 lbs of raw beets shredded (easy in food processor)

1/2 lb of raw cabbage finely chopped

3 oz. chopped apple 

3 oz chopped onion

1 TBSP plus 1 tsp Sea Salt

I also used several TBSPs of whey but that is not necessary. If whey is not used , do not cut down on the salt as that is what helps to preserve the vegetables and fruit.

Place beets, cabbage and salt into a large pan or bowl and with clean hands begin to mix the veggie mixture , squeezing it all as you go. Pretty soon the juices from the veggies and fruit will begin to flow. Add the apple and onion and mix well.

Pack mixture into quart jars, leaving 1 and one half to two inches of room from the top of the jar. Push down well so juice covers the mixture and no air pockets are left. Place jars on a cookie sheet in a corner for about 3 or four days. Do not screw lids down tight. Juice will probably run over onto the cookie sheet and that is ok. You may taste the ferment at this time to see whether it is tart enough for your liking. When you feel it is ready place the mixture in the fridge for two to four weeks before eating. During this time the mixture continues to ferment but at a slower rate. Flavors meld.

 If you uncap a ferment at any time and it appears brownish on top....this won't hurt you but all you have to do is scrape off the brown and you are set to go.

I think if you are successful...which you probably will be....you will want to begin experimenting with the many different types of ferments and the many ways you can incorporate these life-giving foods into your daily life. This knowledge is a priceless gift to pass on to your children and grandchildren.
The link below is to a reliable company that sells everything you will need for fermenting different types of food. But for the recipe above, wide-mouth canning jars are really the only thing you will need...besides the food ingredients....and you can find them anywhere. 
Helpful Books on Fermentation