Why Butter is Better for Your Health

Butter has gotten a bad reputation in the last hundred years as being bad for your health.  But is that really the case?  As it turns out, the truth about butter is emerging:  Butter benefits your health in many ways while margarine, long touted as a healthier option, is the real health menace!

Margarines are made of vegetable oils which have been heated to extremely high temperatures, causing them to become rancid.  Nickel (which is known to be harmful to human health) and hydrogen atoms are added to the oils in order to solidify them, along with deodorants and colorants to mask the unappetizing smell and gray color of the product.  The final solidification process creates carcinogenic trans-fatty acids.  Margarine contains many more harmful ingredients such as sterols that cause endocrine system problems and the preservative BHT, linked to abdominal pain, dizziness, nausea and liver problems. 

Butter, on the other hand...
- is rich in the most easily absorbable form of Vitamin A necessary for thyroid and adrenal health.
- contains lauric acid, important in treating fungal infections and candida.
- Contains lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism.
-  contains anti-oxidants that protect against free radical damage.
- as anti-oxidants that protect
against weakening arteries.
- is a great source of Vitamins E and K.
- is a very rich source of the vital mineral selenium.
- contains special saturated fats that have strong anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties.
- contains conjugated linoleic acid, which is a potent anti-cancer agent, muscle builder, and immunity booster
- is a good source of Vitamin D, essential to absorption of calcium.
- protects against tooth decay.
- is your only source of an anti-stiffness factor, which protects against calcification of the joints.  (This is found in butter made from raw, unpasteurized cream only.  The anti-stiffness factor in butter also prevents hardening of the arteries, cataracts, and calcification of the pineal or "master" gland in your brain.)
- is a source of Activator X, a substance which helps your body absorb minerals.
- is a source of iodine in highly absorbable form.
- may promote fertility in women.
- is a source of quick energy, and is not stored in our bodies adipose tissue.
- contains cholesterol, which is essential to children's brain and nervous system development as well as adults' intestinal and brain health
- contains Arachidonic Acid (AA) which plays a role in brain function and is a vital component of cell membranes.
- protects against gastrointestinal infections in the very young or the elderly.

What about the cholesterol in butter?  The Cholesterol Myths Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD and many other publications to date have shed light on the important role cholesterol plays in good health.  Cholesterol is actually a powerful anti-oxidant, used by our bodies to repair tissues, including damaged arterial tissue in the heart.  Though it is 'on the scene' when a person has heart disease, it is not the cause of the heart disease but part of our natural internal healing mechanism.

At the turn of our century, heart disease in America was rare. By 1960, it was our number one killer. Yet during the same time period, butter consumption had decreased - from eighteen pounds per person per year, to four.  Margarine consumption as well as refined sugar and flour consumption skyrocketed during that same period.  Coincidence?  Probably not!

Sources:
"The 20 Health Benefits of Real Butter," by Donna Gates, available from www.bodyecology.com.
"Myths and Truths about Cholesterol," The Weston Price Foundation, www.westonaprice.org.
"Why Organic Raw Butter will Benefit Your Health," by Shona Rotes, www.naturalnews.com.

Butter Buying Tips:

Choose organic, cultured butter, preferably from Grassfed (pastured) cows:















If you can find it, RAW butter (made from unpasteurized cream) is even better:  Go to www.realmilk.com for more information on local farmers who may offer it in your area. 

Two good books that reference the healing power of traditional foods, including butter, are The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin and Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  On-line, go to www.westonaprice.org for more information and articles. 

Whipped Strawberry Smoothie with Ginseng

Ingredients:

Meat of about a half of one young coconut
3/4 c. Spring Water
1 c. Fresh or Frozen Organic Strawberries
1 Scoop Cold-Processed Strawberry or Vanilla Flavored Organic Whey Powder from Grass-fed Cows
1 T. Raw Honey
1/2 tsp. American Ginseng

Blend till smooth and enjoy.  This has a 'whipped' texture thanks to the cold-processed whey powder.
Note:  If you don't have a young coconut, use a base of organic coconut milk instead (available at most health food stores).  I try to use young coconut meat whenever possible as I aim to eat as much fresh, 'alive' food as possible, but always use the best ingredients you have available to you at the time and you'll get GREAT results- I promise!  Intention is everything! 

ABOUT WHEY:
Whey has been used as medicine for ages;  In fact, Hippocrates, known as the 'father of medicine', recommended whey for its health-boosting properties.  In Ayurvedic medicine, whey is said to purify the nadis, or energy channels throughout the body.

The amino acid content of cold-processed whey powder makes it one of the best foods ever studied for muscle recovery/muscle-building, making this a great post or pre-workout shake.  It also makes a great breakfast because it keeps your blood sugar levels steady throughout the day (preventing sugar, caffeine, or junk food cravings and promoting body repair).

According to one of the largest, most respected natural health resources on the web, www.mercola.com,
Cold-processed Whey Powder
(NOT the whey isolate powder that you'll find in grocery stores or GNC!)...

• is extremely high in antioxidants
• supports balanced blood sugar levels
• enhances muscle endurance
• aids in liver detoxification
• supports immune function

Pro-optimal whey is sweetened with xylitol, a healthy, low-glycemic sweetener that feeds the friendly bacteria in your GI system and helps curb tooth decay- 














ABOUT GINSENG:

Ginseng boosts energy and endurance.  It also enhances your body's use of oxygen, providing support for aerobic activities, casual exercise, performance training, and sexual vigor.  It also helps to raise dopamine utilizations (improving mood!) and foster the growth and repair of tissues.
Source:  Power Juices Super Drinks: Quick, Delicious Recipes to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Steve Meyerowitz


 











Interested in making more POWER JUICES AND SUPER DRINKS???
Check out Steve Meyerowitz's new book- complete with a foreword by Gabriel Cousens, M.D.  Steve Meyerowitz is a veteran natural health promoter and Bestselling author of Juice Fasting and Detoxification.
 

Clary Sage Essential Oil Calms, while also Boosting Women's Health

Clary Sage

Clary sage essential oil has a calming, nurturing aroma and is especially beneficial for women.  It is simple to apply, allowing you to benefit from its properties almost effortlessly!


Clary Sage...

•  is a tonic, meaning it boosts overall well-being regardless of the challenges being experienced
•  contributes to the health of the female reproductive system, having a hormone-balancing effect for many that assists with cramps, menstrual pain, and perimenopausal hot flashes
• can be helpful in cases of low sex drive in women or impotence in men - partly due to its hormone balancing effects, and partly because of its ability to alleviate stress and fear, which can contribute to these challenges as well
• is an excellent relaxant, with aphrodisiacal and antidepressant characteristics 
• helps induce sleep for people experiencing insomnia
• alleviates feelings of paranoia, panic, or hysteria
• helps relieve post-natal depression
• assists with labor and alleviating labor pains for women giving birth
• assists general recovery and healing from illnesses and injuries of any type
• is a general tonic for the stomach and digestive system, relieving problems created by tension in this area (such as indigestion)
• helps keep the skin healthy when applied topically because it can regulate secretions of the skin
• on an emotional level, is known to increase feelings of confidence and courage, while decreasing feelings of nervousness, irritability and anxiety
• relieves stress
• can be beneficial for nervous disorders accompanied by weakness and debility
  
  
  Application Suggestions-
  
  1. Apply Clary Sage essential oil topically,
  2. Benefit from Clary Sage through inhalation by diffusing it into the air with one of Young Living's diffusers. 
  3. Apply to your wrists and temples.
  4. Use it as a perfume.
  5. Put a few drops on the bottom of your feet and it will enter your pores and circulate throughout your entire body.
  6. Add a few drops to a warm bath.apply at the wrists as a perfume or at the wrists, temples, or bottoms of feet for relaxation. 
  7. Put a few drops on your pillow at night for its dream-enhancing or relaxation properties.
  
  
  Sources:
  Advanced Aromatherapy, Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt
  Aromatherapy Scent and Psyche, Peter and Kate Damian
  
  Safety Information: Test a small amount of essential oil on the inside of your arm to check for allergy/sensitivity before applying to your body.  Always use oils in the recommended amounts (do not overuse them):  Your body will tell you when you've had enough in general, but it is important to note that using too much of any substance, natural or otherwise (even water!), will give you adverse effects.
  
  
  Where do I find Clary Sage oil?  
  
  
  The benefits above only apply to properly distilled, therapeutic grade essential oils.  The quality of oils in the general marketplace varies.  Many oils are distilled in a way that retains their scent, but not the therapeutic chemical constituents that give them their effectiveness.  Still other oils are cut with other ingredients or chemicals that reduce their potency and may have adverse effects.  At this time, these 'extra' ingredients are not required to be labeled.  Therapeutic grade essential oils are pure (meaning free of fillers) and are distilled using a process that was developed over many years and determined to optimize the measurable levels of therapeutic constituents of the oils.
  
  Therapeutic grade, pure essential oils that are regularly tested and researched for their potency are available from:  
  
  Bridget's Young Living Essential Oils Affiliate Webstore