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Kira and Bill Van Ittersum are talking in this podcast about healthy snack foods for the entire family. They are all too aware of how important it is to have nutritious snacks on hand, because, not only are they attempting to keep waist expansion to a minimum, but they also often care for their grandchildren, and want them to develop healthy eating habits. That’s why they have healthy foods on hand that are easy to prepare and great tasting too. Kira says, “We don’t buy cookies, cakes, or other sugar-laden, highly-refined and processed foods. You won’t find potato chips, Cheetos, or sugary cereals in our cupboards either. We don’t keep any of those foods around because they aren’t healthy for anybody—young or old. WNor will you find sugary fruit juices or pop. We drink water and green tea, or, with the kids help, we’ll blend up one of their all time favorites, a fruit and veggie smoothie.”

 So, on the whole, what does the Van Ittersum family snack on these days? “We eat whole foods, like vegetables, fruits, whole grain products, some cheeses and plain yogurt, eggs, nuts, nut butters and hummus. We don’t eat out at fast food places much at all these days. Our diet consists mostly of basic home cooking, baked or stir fried dishes, and also home baked, gluten-free breads. The kids love to help out in the kitchen, and they learn about what is best to eat, and how to make many of their favorite foods from scratch. Thankfully, the schools they attend are really onboard with the healthier snack foods, too. Not only is the school lunchroom a healthier place, their teachers won’t allow any junk food or sugary snacks in their classrooms either.”

 Kira says, “We use a lot of good quality coconut oil for cooking and baking, and we use olive oil for salads, so we even dodge a lot of processed oils and dressings. I even blend coconut oil half-and-half with butter to use as a spread on toast or cooked vegetables. We don’t eat white or red potatoes much anymore, either. We tend to use sweet potatoes, which our grandkids absolutely love! My cholesterol is down 45 points since I started doing coconut oil, and I also eat eggs practically every day. I’m not on any meds, don’t have high blood pressure, and I feel great. Since I’ve learned to eat healthier in the last few years, I’ve also dropped some of my excess weight. That’s an ongoing process, and I’m okay with it, because I feel good these days and I’m making progress. I used to be headachy and cranky practically every day when I ate sugar, drank pop, used refined and processed ingredients, and bad oils. I think I ate too much, because my body was starving for nutrients. Despite all of the food I ate, I was really malnourished. Limiting my diet to mostly wholesome food has made a huge difference. I can notice right away when the kids have sugar, like the rare hot chocolate, or even too many homemade cookies, also a rare occurrence. We’ve learned to really limit those kinds of treats in our home.”

Links:
Seinfeld, Jessica Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food William Morrow; Spiral Edition (October 14, 2008)

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In this podcast, Kira and Bill Van Ittersum are introducing you to the joy of easy and scrumptious gluten-free baking!

Kira knows firsthand that reactions to wheat gluten may not always be obvious. She has suffered with headaches and lethargy throughout her life. Even allergy tests did not disclose the problem. Kira believes that eating “gluten-free” is keeping her headache-free. She now feels far more energetic, thinks more clearly, and her joints don’t keep her awake at night. Even weight-loss has become more achievable. “I’m doing a lot of things in tandem, like not eating much sugar, taking supplements, and exercising, so, at first I wasn’t sure how much doing away with gluten, in particular, was helping me. However, now I know. These days, if I eat a slice of regular wheat bread for dinner, I’ll wake up headachy and have post-nasal drip the very next morning. It’s almost an instant result of consuming gluten.”

So, this is Kira’s story of how she provides freshly baked bread and other baked goods for her family after finding and learning to cook with gluten-free ingredients. Her husband, Bill, the bread lover, is very pleased with the results of Kira’s endeavors, and, now, even Kira, herself, is enjoying limited quantities of her tasty treats.

Links:

1. Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking Nov 13, 2007 by Jeff Hertzberg MD and Zoe Francois

2. Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Baking Revolution Continues with 90 New, Delicious and Easy Recipes Made with Gluten-Free Flours October 21, 2014 by Jeff Hertzberg MD and Zoe Francois

3. Find Namaste Foods and their delicious recipes here: http://www.namastefoods.com/products/cgi-bin/products.cgi?Function=show&Id=13

4. Kira’s Change-Up of Namaste’s Best Banana Bread

2 cups Namaste Foods Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt (changed from 1/8 tsp salt)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil (changed from 1/2 cup canola oil)
1 cup raw sugar (changed from 3/4 cup sugar & 1/4 cup brown sugar)
2 large organic eggs (changed from 2 large eggs)
4 medium bananas, mashed (changed from 3 bananas, mashed)
1/2 tsp. gluten free vanilla (changed to 1 tsp. vanilla)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (changed from 1/2 cup)

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly coat a 9×5 loaf pan with coconut oil.

In a medium size bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the coconut oil and sugars. Add the eggs, mashed bananas and the vanilla. (Please Note: Kira always sets the eggs in a dish filled with warm water for several minutes before breaking them out of their shells because coconut oil tends to congeal and harden when exposed to cold temperatures.) Stir all of the wet ingredients together. Then fold in the dry ingredients along with the walnuts (if using them).

Pour the batter into the 9×5 loaf pan and bake for approximately 65 -75 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. In my oven, 65 minutes is the perfect amount of time. Transfer the loaf to a wire heating rack and cool before serving.

5. Kira’s Change-Up of Namaste’s Granny’s Gluten Free Oven Baked Bread

3 1/2 cups Namaste Perfect Flour Blend
1 1/2 cups coconut milk (changed from milk or rice milk)
1 tbsp. Bragg’s apple cider vinegar (changed from regular apple cider vinegar)
2 tbsp. melted coconut oil (changed from oil)
2 tbsp. raw organic honey (changed from honey or agave nectar)
1/2 cup arrowroot (changed from cornstarch, arrowroot or tapioca starch)
1 tsp. sea salt (changed from table salt)
3 organic eggs (changed from eggs)
1 tbsp. yeast
1/4 cup warm water

Mix yeast in a 1/4 cup of warm water and set aside for 5 minutes. (Please Note: Kira always sets the eggs in a dish filled with warm water for several minutes before breaking them out of their shells because coconut oil tends to congeal and harden when exposed to cold temperatures.) Warm the milk. Add oil, honey, and cider vinegar. Beat room temperature eggs and add to milk mixture. Add yeast mixture to milk mixture and blend.

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and blend on medium speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Pour into a well-greased loaf pan. Cover loosely with sprayed waxed paper (or plastic wrap) and a dish towel and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cover loosely with a foil tent to prevent oven browning and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely.

6. Kira’s Change-Up of Namaste’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups Namaste Perfect Flour Blend
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt (changed from salt)
1 cup unsalted butter (changed from butter)
1-1/2 cup raw sugar (replaces 3/4 cup sugar & 3/4 cup packed brown sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 organic eggs (changed from eggs)
2 cups gluten-free chocolate chips (12 oz. pkg.)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional) (Kira likes walnuts)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using). Drop by small rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes. Then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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We’re pretty sure that most people would agree that problems arise when you don’t get enough sleep. However, depending on your age, we’re not quite so sure that even most people would agree that good sleep is absolutely necessary for your good health. Sleep deprivation can affect the overall performance of your body and your mind—sometimes with tragic results—if you get behind the wheel sleepy.

Listen in as Kira and Bill Van Ittersum discuss the problems of being sleep-deprived and the danger to your health that this causes. All along the way, they offer tips and suggestions for reversing this trend and getting a good night’s sleep.

Podcast Notes
http://www.end-your-sleep-deprivation.com/effects-of-sleep-deprivation.html
End Your Sleep Deprivation Website — Because Drowsiness Is Red Alert!
Brought to you by the students of Stanford Sleep & Dreams Course

They go on to say: “Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement’s Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

“We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.
“In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/11/kevin-roper-tracy-morgan_n_5485946.html
http://pagesix.com/2014/11/18/tracy-morgan-still-recovering-from-june-car-crash/
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/truck-driver-charged-causing-crash-injured-tracy-morgan/story?id=24039407

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In 2006, the National Research Council published the following statement: “It is apparent that fluorides have the ability to interfere with the functions of the brain.” They went on to say, “In a review of the literature commissioned by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fluoride has been listed among 100 chemicals for which there is ‘substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity.’”

Animal experiments show that fluoride accumulates in their brains and alters mental behavior in a manner consistent with a neurotoxic agent. There have now been over 100 animal experiments showing that fluoride can damage the brain and impact learning and behavior. One animal experiment found effects at remarkably low doses. In this study, rats fed for one year with 1 ppm of either sodium fluoride or aluminum fluoride in their water (the same level used in fluoridation programs), had morphological changes to their kidneys and brains, an increased uptake of aluminum in the brain, and the formation of beta-amyloid deposits which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Thirty-three studies from China, Iran, India and Mexico have reported an association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ. One of these studies indicates that even just moderate levels of fluoride exposure (0.9 ppm in the water) can exacerbate the neurological defects of iodine deficiency.

Do you really want this poison in your kid’s water? In your water? Listen to this podcast as Kira and Bill Van Ittersum discuss The Dangers of Fluoride in Your Water.

Podcast Notes:

1. Cathy and Wayne Justus’ Story: [http://www.slweb.org/ftrcpersonalstories_cathy.html] and [http://fluorideinformationaustralia.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/cathy-justus-from-pagosa-springs-colorado-quarter-horses-chronic-fluoride-poisoning.pdf ]
2. The Fluoride Deception
   by Christopher Bryson and Theo Colborn
3. The Case Against Fluoride
   by Dr. Paul Connett and James Beck
4. The Fluoride Action Network is actively working to end water fluoridation in the USA and Canada.  Do your own homework on this topic and, if you feel as we do, you can contact them and support their efforts at www.fluorideactionnetwork.com.
5. “Professional Perspectives on Water Fluoridation”   28-minute video from the Fluoride Action Network expressing some of the opinion’s of over 4,000 scientists and professionals who oppose adding fluoride to the municipal water supply. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88pfVo3bZLY] www.fluorideactionnetwork.com
6. Another informative website is: http://fluoridealert.org.
7. Here is another great video from YouTube:
   

   The Great Culling: Our Water Official Full Movie

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So, what is heavy metal toxicity? It’s when molecular particles of metals find their way into your body and concentrate in large enough doses to disrupt cellular activity, cell replication, and nerve function. Five heavy metals are the most common polluters of your body and can be harmful to your health in large amounts. They are: aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Arsenic, a ground-water pollutant;  lead, from old paint; and mercury, an industrial-waste pollutant found in our streams, rivers, and lakes (i.e., our main water supplies), account for the majority of cases of heavy metal poisonings of people.

Once heavy metals enter your body, they don’t like to come out again. The removal process is long and arduous, and often expensive. But, that’s balanced against the poisoning itself which is painful, debilitating, destructive of your mind, and in some cases, even deadly. Listen to this podcast as Kira and Bill Van Ittersum give 5 ways to avoid exposure to heavy metals and then 5 ways to help remove them from your body.

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There are many pollutants and micro-organisms in our environment that find their way into our bodies. They are present in our air, our water, our food, our homes, workplaces, schools, and even our cars. They don’t affect us “all at once” nor devastate our bodies like heavy metal toxicity. It’s more like they “drag us down” and weaken our system over time. Most of the pollutants that make their way into your blood are removed by your liver and kidneys. The remainder get “walled off” into your fat cells. So, when you lose weight, the fat cells give up the pollutants along with the fat, releasing them back into the bloodstream.

It has been our experience that a whole body detox cleanse has helped us flush pollutants out of our bodies. The question really is: How do you feel—physically, mentally, and spiritually—after a cleanse? Do you feel better, worse, or about the same? We feel better after our cleanses, or we wouldn’t do them. Listen is as we discuss the 5 Top Reasons to Detox Your Body and 5 steps to a successful cleanse.

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Not all honey at the supermarket is created equal. Are you buying fake honey by mistake? Fake honey is pasteurized, processed (heated and heavily-filtered), and even adulterated with glucose syrup. Some unscrupulous manufacturers even use the dreaded HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) to sweeten their fake honey before they cut it with plain water. Now, what the hey would HFCS be doing in one of Mother Nature’s superfoods? Not on my table, it won’t! And not on yours either, after you listen to this podcast!

Listen in as Kira and Bill Van Ittersum explain the virtues of raw honey for your good health and the difference between Mother Nature’s natural goodness and the fake stuff. Raw honey is one of the most nourishing, natural foods. It’s loaded with protein and amino acids that are easily digested by your body. Also, if you eat raw honey that was harvested from your local area, the bee-collected pollen in the raw honey can help your body build immunities to your local pollen allergies. The fake stuff doesn’t have any of this.

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Blackstrap molasses is the highest and most nutritious grade of molasses. It contains all the minerals and nutrients absorbed by the sugar cane, so it is a delicious way to provide many of the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need every day—in a most natural form.

Because blackstrap molasses has a low glycemic level, it is a good sugar substitute for diabetics and other people who want to avoid sharp rises in their blood sugar levels. Also, blackstrap contains no fat and only 32 calories per teaspoon, so it’s a ideal sweetener for someone on a weight loss diet.

Listen as Kira and Bill Van Ittersum relate the many health benefits of blackstrap molasses and their personal experience using it daily.

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The foods that you are recommended to eat on an alkaline diet are good for you—lots of fruits and leafy, green vegetables, and lots of water. Avoiding refined sugar, alcohol, and processed foods is also healthy weight-loss advice, too.

There is also evidence that a diet low in acid-forming foods—like animal protein (meat and dairy) and bread—and high in fruits and veggies helps prevent kidney stones, keeps bones and muscles strong, improves heart health and brain function, reduces low back pain, and lowers your risk for colon cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Listen in as Kira and Bill Van Ittersum discuss the “How” and “Why” of an “Acid-Rich” diet verses an “Alkaline-Rich” diet. They give you helpful tips along with their personal experiences of an alkaline diet plan and explain “How an acid-rich diet really does destroy your good health!”

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For centuries, apple cider vinegar has been used for various household and cooking purposes. It is also an ancient folk remedy, claimed to help with all sorts of health problems.

The most popular vinegar in the natural health community is Apple Cider Vinegar. It is claimed to offer all sorts of beneficial effects—some of which are supported by science. These include weight loss, lowering blood sugar levels, and improving the symptoms of diabetes.

Listen in as Kira and Bill Van Ittersum discuss 7 healthy benefits of apple cider vinegar. In addition to their research, they give personal examples of how apple cider vinegar has worked for them. Listen and be amazed at this nature’s storehouse in a bottle!