The Healthy Journal

Last Christmas our son gave us a package of Madagascar Vanilla Beans he got at Costco. Since I used the last drop of homemade vanilla extract a friend gave us, I thought I'd better make more with the beans our son got us. This was the easiest thing I've made. We had everything on hand to make the extract: Re-used bottle from vanilla a friend gave us Vanilla beans from our son Vodka from friends who moved out of the country—they gifted us all their liquor Vodka is the liquor of choice because it has no flavor. But some like to use bourbon, brandy or rum, feeling that it enhances the flavor of the brewing vanilla. Vanilla Extract ingredients/supplies 8 oz glass bottle with stopper 7 vanilla beans (package contains about 30) 1 C Vodka, 70 proof/35% alcohol (bourbon, brandy or rum can also be used) directions 1. Slice the beans lenght-wise and drop into the bottle. 2. Pour the cup of vodka (or liquor of choice) into the bottle making sure the beans are fully submerged. 3. Secure t

Tip: Here's a Wisdom Wednesday nugget that should be shared everywhere. How This Family Doctor Lost 75 Pounds Easily Without Portion Control. This story is very powerful. Not so much because Dr. Lawenda has done a total lifestyle change to get healthy and then dropped 75 pounds in the process. The power comes in the fact that he is a doctor. A doctor practicing conventional medicine until he had his eyes opened through his own life experience. He went from using medicines, procedures and surgeries to recommending his patients adopt a plant-based lifestyle. "Never once did I imagine that something as simple as changing what I ate, instead of how much I ate, could change my life in such profound ways." Steve Lawenda, MD Read his story and then share it with your doctor. We are living in a time when we just might begin to make a difference in disease.

The interview with Kevin last month brought questions about what supplements he included in his protocol to address the prostate cancer. Needing to compose the list for himself to take to his doctors, he happily obliged. But first, "What's going on in the photo?" you ask. During the Integrated Health Conference—Cure to Cancer Summit , Kevin, like myself, was interviewed by Ty Bollinger (shown in the photo with Kevin) for the next edition of the Quest for the Cures... Continues . Ty wanted Kevin to tell his amazing story how he healed his prostate cancer with diet, supplements and lifestyle changes in just three months! Here is the extensive list of Kevin's supplements, which he continues to take. Please note this is not a recommendation for what to take. Every person should do their own research as Kevin has done. The list is for educational use only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Acetyl-L-carnitine: 50

Here's another wonderful seeker of optimum health I had the pleasure of meeting at the Integrated Health Conference—Cure to Cancer Summit this past March. Like many, Anna dealt with cancer using diet and alternative treatments. Anna's story began before her own as she came along side her sister who had breast cancer and took the conventional treatment route. When Anna found herself with the same diagnosis, she chose differently. I met Anna in a workshop. She sat next to me typing notes on her laptop. Like most at the conference, we were taking in as much as we could. But it was a bit like drinking from a fire hose—lots of information to digest. Anna told me she was a chemical engineer, which explained her ferocious note-taking. But she really wanted to do what I do—coach people through the process of healing their cancer with good nutrition and targeted therapies. She really endeared herself to me when she whipped out her reworked schedule (not a small task to accomplish) showi

Seems I'm on a quinoa kick lately. But then it's versatile, delicious and so good for you. My latest quinoa recipe is inspired by one I saw at the 1/2 Marathon my husband ran last month in Nashville. Of course I had to go with him and we did a lot of fun things. We have friends who joined the exodus from California and moved to Nashville (Franklin actually) three years ago. They've had an open invitation to come stay, with a promise to show us around. We started out in Memphis with a visit to Graceland. Then on to Nashville for the 1/2 marathon, the Franklin countryside, the honky tonks of Broadway and the Ryman Auditorium. And let's not forget tea at the Frothy Monkey, touring Dave Ramsey 's headquarters, seeing Brad Paisley up close and personal backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and a road trip to Lexington to see horse farms and historical bourbon distilleries. We had a blast! Back to the chili. This is a simple recipe that you can pull together in a pinch. I did n

Tip: Onion skins are the most nutritious part of the onion. Yup! That's right! Add them to soup stocks to enrich the broth with flavors and nutrients. Strain the skins from the broth with the other ingredients you make the broth from. You can also put the skins in cheese cloth, netted bag or tea ball to enhance a soup. Now I'm saving the onion skins to boost my soups rather than throw them away. Source: Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson