Dr. Oz has an expert from the EPA on his show today talking about the safety and the health risks of plain drinking water from municipal sources.

Meeting the current standards is far different than protecting your long-term health…

Even when the EPA allows so many parts per million of any heavy metal like lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, nickel, or other contaminants; that is no assurance that your health is fully protected nor is it acceptable to those of us who see people with toxic levels of chemicals and pollutants from drinking water causing all kinds of health problems.

Whether it’s in your water, the air, or the soil; you are at risk when you consume these substances – even in very minute quantities. Just look at all of the deformities and abnormalities that have appeared over the years… It’s up to you to err on the side of caution, instead of just accepting a regulatory agency’s policies that are part politics and part science.

Not only are adults facing degenerative medical problems due to arsenic and mercury among others; but children will have to deal with these substances lingering in their bodies for a longer period of time which can lead to health complications that doctors and scientists and politicians have not even imagined thus far.

Dr. Oz and How Healthy Is Your Drinking Water?

Guess what? The EPA standards just are not good enough for those of us who choose genuine Wellness!

No, we have water filtering systems and we drink distilled water as well as cooking with distilled water. I don’t consume any water that comes from a tap…period!

So it all depends upon how much YOU value your health. If you don’t really care, then you can rely upon the EPA to keep you from immediate complications or ‘adverse’ effects to your health. If you truly cherish your health and well-being; then you won’t trust the regulatory agencies to do enough and you’ll take measures into your own hands to produce purified water.

Emerging threats to the municipal water supply became another topic for Dr. Oz and his guest expert. They ‘monitor’ it now, but it still goes on and on and on. Medications, birth control pills, drugs both legal and illegal, and many toxins get into the water supply that affect the human body in ways that scientists barely understand, let alone are equipped to regulate or manage.

It’s a major health issue that every human being must grapple with now and in the future. Water is as precious as gold, perhaps more so. You owe it to yourselves to be absolutely vigilant in your acquisition and consumption of pure water.

The Chew continues to provide some solid and current nutritional tips for foods that will give you a healthy Holiday table this year.

On today’s episode of The Chew, Daphne Oz explained how you can use Nut Butter for snacks and in a variety of dishes for a healthy Christmas alternative to salted nuts that have been laden with oil.

The Chew and Daphne Oz on Nut Butter

You know those Planter’s Peanuts that are so oily that you could lube your car’s engine after you get done eating a handful… When those commercial companies roast their nuts and add oils, they ruin them.

While Daphne makes her own Nut Butter with almonds and cashews and flaxseed oil, that requires a food processor. My favorite piece of equipment for the job of making designer Nut Butter is my Champion Juicer with attachments. If the flaxseed oil is not fresh, then use a different healthy oil like sunflower or sesame. Grapeseed oil is also a great choice. A dash of sea salt never hurt either… If you want to make it sweet, then blend in some natural sweetener for good measure, especially if you are going to slather your fresh fruit with your Nut Butter.

Look for either fresh organic Nuts or Nut Butter for your healthy Christmas table to give you the EFAs and protein that pack a powerful punch to help you through all of the stress and the party times. You have to refuse to use those nuts that have been on the grocery store shelves for months as they are rancid and won’t taste good.

You can nibble on vegetables that are dipped in Nut Butters. Celery stalks are the common ‘go-to’ for a snack or appetizer with a Nut Butter that replace peanut butter. You can make a Nut Butter sweet or savory with the addition of honey or other natural sweeteners or sea salt and spices to bring variety to your nibbling excursions.

We like to roll chopped nuts in a Nut butter and add organic chocolate chips to the ball, then roll it in raw cacao powder like a truffle. We also frequently spread our Cashew Butter on a slice of gluten-free toast and place some raisins or chopped dates on top of the spread for texture and sweetness. We adore our organic Chocolate Hazelnut Butter spread on anything at anytime of the day or night! We also add Nut Butter to our soups to thicken and flavor them. The Nut Butters also work well in Smoothies to make them ultra-silky and smooth.

Braga Organic Farms Inc

For any whole nut that you want to eat alone or chop or turn into your own Nut Butter, we recommend that you buy some organic nuts from Braga!

For your best Nut Butters, I would suggest that you visit Love Street Living Foods and get some of the Nut Butters that they carry. I have sampled these myself and talked to the owners of the business when they had a booth at the Green Festival in Seattle. They are serious about the quality of their Nut Butters and it shows in the taste and texture and freshness of their products.

Daphne Oz staged an Intervention for Santa Claus on Friday’s episode of The Chew. She had some healthy Lifestyle suggestions for old Saint Nick…

First of all, he is not supposed to pull an ‘all-nighter’. Of, course, circling the globe in a sleigh is most certainly a challenge unless you know how to defy the laws of physics and time travel on one night of the year to visit all of the children and leave them presents or coal in their stockings.

Santa needs to get a good night’s sleep, so he and she need helpers and good time management leading up to the climax of that Christmas Eve when so much comes together all at once! Parents make good helpers, they always have… Those little elves are a little busy pulling up their tights and caring for the reindeer to do it all by themselves. It takes a village to keep all of the children and adults healthy!

Then Daphne scolded Santa for eating too many cookies and drinking too much high fat milk at one time. She admonished him for his wide girth and warned him about the health risks that come with being overweight with excess belly fat.

The most humorous part of her Intervention was about the chimney… Black Lung!

It’s OK to use the door or just have the USS Enterprise beam you in and out of all of these homes. Roofs are not what they used to be… Park the reindeer and the sleigh on the ground away from on-coming traffic or aerial helicopters or aircraft that could interfere with Santa’s planned route.

After Daphne finished with Santa, she gave everyone on the crew of The Chew the chance to make fun of her tofurkey again when she shared her recipe for a ‘Daphne Duck Glaze’ to coat the tofurkey or other vegetables just like Peking Duck. Daphne knew that Peking was the English version of Beijing for quite some time… She also gave the audience some excellent alternatives to duck and tofurkey to adhere this delicious glaze to instead.

The Chew and Daphne Duck Glaze for Tofurkey or Peking Duck

Many Whole Foods Markets delis and vegan restaurants make tofurkey, if you are looking for a place to purchase it. Of, course, you can make it yourself. You don’t even need to make tofu into a loaf. You can simply shape the tofu cuts any size you with to use in the glaze. The smaller the pieces of tofu or other alternatives, the more glaze flavor you will be tasting in this dish. That’s the point, to make something that’s relatively plain like white turkey meat or tofu and turn it into a delectable tasty morsel of deliciousness!

On Friday, the crew on The Chew featured a few recipes that you might really fall in love with for your Holiday entertaining and family meals that make memories and mouths water…

One of the segments provided people with four different types of Christmas Trees to consider when selecting one for their Holiday Home. We always trekked out into the mountains and chopped down a Douglas Fir, but many of the vendors in cities will carry a couple of types of trees.

The Chew: Christmas Trees and Recipes for Your Holiday Home

Christmahanakwanzaa was coined along with chocolate Gelt that Clinton makes using molds for fun. Clinton made a big deal out of Daphne’s Freudian Slip a few days ago when Mario and Daphne were making a recipe and she said ‘nipples’ instead of nibbles… She persisted in defending the nibbles pronunciation while Clinton doctored the audio tape to make it sound like ‘nipples’… Mario thought she said nipples and so did I when watching it as it happened!

One of the best recipes for your Holiday Home regardless of which one you celebrate is Carla’s Groundnut Stew. It began in Africa, but evolved into a more delicious meal made with peanut butter, vegetables, and spices in this country. I used to make Ginger Garlic Peanut Soup as we called it in my Natural Foods Restaurant in the 1980s all the time and it was one of the favorite soups on our menu.

Michael Symon’s Potato Pancakes or Latkes are great for the holidays or for any feast. The trick was to wring out the excess water in the potatoes before proceeding to prepare the mixture for the perfect consistency and texture when you saute the pancakes. I liked the idea of using sweet potatoes, zucchini, and other vegetables in place of the potato that enticed me to keep this recipe. It’s simple enough to remember after you make it once or twice.

Family recipes that become hallmarks of the holidays that are eagerly anticipated are truly the stuff of legends for our ethnic roots and descendants who want to keep traditions and special food alive for generations…

My relatives came from Italy, the British Isles, and I have some of my favorites from my mother and her family that are more like keepsakes than mere recipes. Mario knows a lot about the way Italians feel about family recipes as does Michael. Carla, Daphne, and Clinton are still new to me, but they also seem to appreciate passing on great recipes and traditions through the years for the holiday home.

What are your family favorites and specialties? Keep them close in writing and prepare them every year…

If you can, get a living tree which you can replant after the holidays are over. It’s the ‘sustainable’ thing to do every year! Then you can show your great grandchildren the trees that you replanted on your property every year to remind them of the importance of ‘continuity’ in our remembrance of our traditions which include the past, the present, and the future.

Dr. Oz brought Suzanne Somers to the show today to describe the process she went through when she learned she had a tumor in one of her breasts eleven years ago.

She had done a lot of research and she refused to undergo chemotherapy. Her doctor refused her care. She ended up having the tumor removed with radiation therapy and kept her hormone treatments that she felt justified in using to replace hormones naturally, not from horse urine.

Dr. Oz and Suzanne Somers: Stem Cells Used to Replenish Her Breast Tissue

Suzanne also used mistletoe extract and ate whole foods to live well for every day of these eleven years since her diagnosis and treatment began. She is the proud owner of two full breasts after reconstruction by injecting Stem Cells from her own belly fat in a foreign country to replenish her breast tissue.

Dr. Oz stated that this procedure held enormous potential for medicine in the future. Suzanne thinks that women have another chance at having whole breasts with this protocol. She was candid and colorful as she described her journey through the ordeal.

Dr. Oz prepared a little graphic story about how this works and even showed a short segment of the actual injection of Stem Cells into Suzanne’s breast to make it an honest and true representation of what she chose to do despite her doctors telling her to go the conventional route. But she now shows off her two full breasts while other women who have had conventional chemotherapy and surgery are disfigured and less than full-breasted…

It’s a lesson in perseverance and determination for a woman who decided she had a mind of her own to assess the science and the treatment options that were available to her. She chose wisely…

Dr. Oz talked to an expert who shared the Breaking News that there’s a new strain of the Bird Flu that combines both human and avian material that could prove to lay the groundwork for a pandemic.

This is not great News…it should make you shake in your boots.

We already blogged about the Dutch lab which was able to create a designer virus that transmits Bird Flu among humans. That sets the stage for a new round of biological warfare should that virus get into the wrong hands.

Mutations happen in Nature, too; but rarely will they cross species. This is exactly why it is important for you to realize that the HIV virus that infects humans did not come from a simian host. It was also manufactured in a lab.

Oh, the pathological intentions of men…

Gone are the days when you can blindly trust a governmental institution or lab to secure a dangerous virus like this one. They are the stuff of conspiracies and weaponization by numerous countries who would do harm to others. It’s a disgusting aspect of human nature…

We try so diligently to save lives and keep people whole and healthy. The suggestions that Dr. Oz provided on the show today is an example of making an effort to give you resources to avoid the Flu.

Panax or North American Ginseng was offered as were several other methods of helping the body deal with the stress of being attacked by pathogens.

Personally, none of the ideas that Dr. Oz gave are nearly as effective as the use of Essential Oils that address fungi, viral agents, and bacteria. We’ve identified these before in previous posts for your benefit.

The use of GSE when mixed with purified water will also serve the same function, especially when you are certain that you’ve been exposed to a pathogen.

Children in daycare, daycare providers and teachers, health care workers and professionals, and individuals who come into contact with sick people would be wise to use GSE to deal with any infectious agent.

Dr. Oz and Ways to Strengthen Your Body

It’s the same old story…take the vaccine. Read that and weep when the adjutants cause additional problems for your body… It’s an assault on the body that I can live without!

Yes, wash hands and clean surfaces. Reducing the risk of exposure is half of the solution.

But your body needs to be strong with balanced Wei Chi to hold any pathogen at bay. That’s where TCM reigns supreme and Western medicine often fails the individual.

You can read more about today’s show on the Dr. Oz website. He also recommended flax seed oil, cranberry juice, and stevia. He had an expert give three examples of nutritional supplements, too. I would not suggest that you take Jujube alone, but rather as a part of a comprehensive herbal formula.

These are not drugs, people, they are herbs!

When will these doctors ever learn?

Go to a professional in TCM and Chinese Herbology to get complete formulations of herbs to strengthen your Immune System, instead of piece-mealing it like these physicians who don’t know any better…

The Olive Leaf Extract was a useful and accurate suggestion. The quality varies widely, so be careful which brand you choose. The olive is a fabulous food in so many ways. It’s a welcome addition to your healthy dietary Lifestyle in all of it’s forms from whole olives to olive oil that’s cold-pressed to tapenade.

Today was one of the best episodes of TheDoctorsTV show in a long, long, long time. The physicians talked about different healthy ideas for common complaints from around the world.

The various countries that were featured rely upon folk medicine, whole foods, natural products, or ancient practices for the most part, since they are less likely to have a comprehensive medical care system in place.

TheDoctorsTV and Health Secrets From Around the World

Dr. Lisa thinks that you should take Maca Root pills for increasing one’s Libido, but the Maca Root Powder is perhaps easier to use and more effective. Typically the Maca Root is thought to increase testosterone in men and I had not heard that it was suitable for women, but if they are seriously deficient in testosterone when a lab test is taken, then this root will help to balance the hormone production gradually.

You can find Maca Root at its freshest at Love Street Living Foods which does an incredible job of carrying raw and whole foods and products from around the world that are potent and powerful.

Another source for Raw Foods is Raw Food World where the prices are excellent and the selection covers items from global suppliers. They also carry items like Maca Root and Chia Seeds along with exotic ingredients that are considered to be true Superfoods.

Raw Food World and Healthy Products from Around the World

I had a good laugh when Dr. Lisa implored the audience to use the ancient Hindu practice of dripping oil on one’s forehead to ‘open the Third Eye’ as if she really knows what they means. No one ever opened that Seal with oil drops… It’s much more complicated than that!

See…that’s the problem with Western Medical doctors trying to tell you how to utilize Eastern methods for health. They don’t have the training nor the comprehension to actually understand these ancient practices and look like fools to those of us who do.

It’s comparable to a physician going to a weekend course in Acupuncture and thinking that they now know enough to insert needles into patients with the proper technique and point selection. I would never recommend that you go to a Western doctor for an Eastern health treatment. Seek out true professionals…

The question about the health benefits of seaweed is another good example of doctors knowing too little to be of much help to the average individual inquiring about sea vegetables. They showed the doctors nibbling on dried seaweed which might have been nori. But the preparation of sea vegetables is much more sophisticated and extensive than what the doctors indicated. They mentioned sushi, but that’s more of a ‘fish’ food than a seaweed food application with nori wrapping the rice or making hand rolls.

Where is the doctor who will instruct you on the use of kombu or wakame? Where is the doctor that has actually prepared hiziki salad or rolled a nori roll themselves? Not on this panel on this show! I am willing to bet that the only knowledge and experience that any of them have of nori and sea vegetables is through eating sushi at a restaurant…

Dr. Jim did seem to know something about the toilet training habits in China and the books that describe the method employed in countries who don’t rely upon Huggies for two years. But I don’t know that many parents who are going to create the environment in their homes or daycare settings for having their toddlers walking around naked to gain enhanced body awareness of bodily functions.

I don’t really see those ants from China growing popular here unless food shortages were rampant. Not even a coating of chocolate is enough for most squeamish eaters in this country who are even repelled by the shells and heads of shrimp and lobster.

The segment of the use of turmeric was worthy of your attention. Turmeric is one of the most therapeutic and healthful of all spices and many cultures use this spice extensively in their food preparation. I found it interesting in the external use for stretch marks which I had not previously been aware of before today.

I wouldn’t exactly call Chia Seed Pudding a ‘weight loss’ food, but the doctors think that they have to sell it to American women that way. We’ve talked about the many health benefits of Chia Seeds. Dr. Travis is inexperienced with his suggestions, so if you want to sprinkle some Chia Seed Powder on your yogurt or add some to your Smoothies, then use the powder, instead of the seed. The seed either needs to be chewed thoroughly or ground or hydrated in foods like that pudding.

There were several other countries with foods like herring a peanut stew that were discussed today that you can read about on the doctor’s website.

Food around the world is often more oriented toward being eaten for health, rather than haute cuisine in many cultures. It’s the cornerstone of the every day lives of billions of people who never see a doctor or a clinic or a hospital.

Dr. Oz welcomed Jane Fonda to appear on his show today to talk about her idea of a Life Review and being fit at age 74.

Jane has made exercise videos before, but now that she is in her seventies, she wants people to know that they can still do what it takes to enjoy fitness in their golden years of Life.

Jane was tearful as she watched the outtake from “On Golden Pond” where she and her father, Henry Fonda, shared a touching moment between father and daughter as much in ‘real life’ as in the script for the movie. She misses him and understands him better now that she has made a point of learning as much as she can about her parents to truly know herself better.

Dr. Oz and Jane Fonda on a Life Review

Her body has been through a lot over the years, but she feels more like a “Whole Being” now than ever before after doing her process of a Life Review. Dr. Oz and Jane went through the basic questions that a person asks themselves to fully understand the Inner Self and the context of their lives with parents, friends, and other significant people who shaped them as individuals.

Most people never take stock of their lives and end up performing a “Life Review” or Light Review when they die as their Bands unwind and they take their experiences into the Book of Life to be recorded in the Soul. This usually occurs after breaking the Silver Cord, going through the tunnel, into the Light, and watching one’s entire Life being replayed to glean the wisdom from what was experienced and encountered in this incarnation before going on to the next.

Ramtha is fond of having a Wine Ceremony and providing a short “Life Review” for a couple of people at an Event at RSE. Some individuals are absent from the lessons of Life and in denial while others gain the knowledge of a Life lived that was purposeful and evolving. It’s a sacred moment to witness this process before death of the physical body…

I actually appreciated the way Jane Fonda embraced the events of her Life to review it and intentionally design and fully participate in the last thirty years of her existence. She is more present now than she was as an actress, a political activist, or a member of a famous family. She knows herself and to her own self is true… That is a healthy Lifestyle behavior that you can model and find useful in your own lives!

Later in the show, Dr. Oz discussed Adrenal Fatigue with audience members. He recommended Vitamin C and Siberian Ginseng as options for improving energy levels. He hinted at dancing, yoga, and meaningful relationships for a brief moment, but didn’t give much more than that to his audience today.

He did manage to get an audience member to taste red lentils and amaranth. I question the presence of mind of Dr. Oz when he presents these foods that are less common for Americans in the most bland and uninteresting manner. He makes them plain, instead of cooking them with spices and herbs the way we make them to turn them into delicious dishes that we love and adore!

He mentioned that onions and garlic can be added to lentils, but he failed to describe the full compliment of recipes from India and Italy and other countries who have thousands of fantastic recipes for lentils or Dal. We would never think of serving plain lentils…

At my Natural Foods restaurant, one of the most popular items on the menu was the Lentil Loaf which resembled meatloaf only better. We served Dal Soup three or four days a week and varied the recipe frequently. We often made a lentil dish to pair with a rice dish to make a complete meal of protein for vegetarians. The lowly lentil is inexpensive, yet will astound you if you allow it.

The amaranth met with a better reception by the women who had never heard of it. She compared the flavor with popcorn. You can season amaranth with herbs and spices and vegetables just as you would any other whole grain or pasta. Amaranth is a light, yet nutritious choice for a healthy diet.

Between healthy food choices, nutritional supplements, herbs like Siberian Ginseng, and exercise; Dr. Oz gave his audience a number of ways to feel more energy and to live longer today. When you add these aspects to your healthy Lifestyle, your Life Review will get you closer to being that “Whole Being” that Jane Fonda talks about!

Dr. Oz invited Rachael Ray to join him on today’s show and share methods that are fool-proof for doctors and people who rarely find themselves in a kitchen.

Dr. Oz and Rachael Ray’s Dinner for the Holidays

Rachael was not kind to the audience members who showed off their disasters and requested help for the Holidays. She couldn’t believe that Dr. Oz would even taste the latkes… That roasted chunk of meat resembled a stone in a river! The woman who makes soggy vegetables has never heard of a collander or straining food to extract the excess liquid it is cooked in for those with common sense in the kitchen.

This situation really does underscore the deplorable lack of food preparation skills that several generations of Americans must change in order to live a healthy Lifestyle. People have lost their knowledge and ability to cook food! They are strangers to their own kitchens and too friendly with restaurants or fast food joints.

If Americans are going to regain their health, they need to get back into their kitchens and learn a few food preparation techniques to make healthy food to put on their tables. Rachael and the others at the Food Network can help you with that! Rachael kept Dr. Oz on track and scolded him about portion control.

Rachael included the lonely parsnip into her potato pancakes with grated onion and her other dishes. She helped one woman learn how to take her overly-cooked vegetables and turn them into soup using a roux with cheddar cheese. You can find some fairly easy recipes on the Food Network from Rachael or watch her prepare food on TV on both of their channels. She is a pasta person…

I have to commend Dr. Oz for bringing some cooks and chefs to the show these days. This will ultimately do more for Americans to become healthy again than any other single thing doctors can pull out of their black bag! If people don’t know about their family’s health history and how to balance their bodies with whole foods, then they are going to be stuck in that cycle of sickness and disease. Doctors need to help people become proficient in their kitchens.

Some people have been searching for ways to soften hard nuts.

Almonds are some of the hardest nuts on the market, especially when they have been sitting on the store shelves. Other nuts like pistachios, walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, and filberts can also be softened for those who have difficulty chewing hard nuts.

Typically, the best way to soften nuts is to soak them in pure water overnight. They won’t get mushy, but they will be a lot softer after eight hours of soaking. This makes them easy to chew as well as easy to incorporate into recipes that require a smoother consistency.

Many people who make Raw Food dishes will soak their nuts overnight and use them in a variety of recipes that would amaze the average person.

Another method for softening nuts is to add them to a snack bar that has a grain like oatmeal and dried fruit along with some liquid sweetener like honey or agave syrup. The nuts will soften when they are blended with the rest of the ingredients and pressed into bars. Chopping them increases the chances for them to soften in a snack bar or dessert.

There are chewy caramels like Wha Guru Chews that use cashews which become soft and pliable. You can find them at most health food stores and co-ops. You can easily make them in your own kitchen. There are many Indian dessert recipes that use nuts which result in a texture like fudge. If you watch the Food Network, look for an episode of Spice Goddess or search for a recipe on their website.

You can also toast or roast nuts and if you add some liquid before putting them in the oven, the nuts will soften as they heat up. Traditionally, spices and maple syrup are used during the holidays to make some tasty nut blends to nibble on before feasting with family and friends.

If you want to use your stove top to toast some nuts, then you can add a liquid sweetener or even a fruit juice like orange juice to serve as a light glaze. Just don’t keep them on high heat too long to prevent them from getting too hard and solidified from the natural sugars in the liquids.

Some people love to grind their hard nuts into nut butter. Peanuts, almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts are ideal for making nut butters. The texture then becomes soft and creamy, especially when you add a little healthy oil while grinding your nuts into butter. Some people put nuts in their ice cream which will soften them and add a little crunch to the smooth texture of dessert.

The way you store your nuts will also determine whether they harden or stay viable. Some people will put a slice of dried apple into a paper bag for a few days to soften their nuts as long as the dried fruit is not bone dry. If you freeze your nuts, don’t leave them in the freezer for long, because they will lose moisture over time. Nuts are best stored in the pantry in an air-tight container, so they don’t go rancid. Buy only enough at any one time to last for a few days to a week, then replenish your supply.

If you want a great source for fresh organic nuts that are soft and delicious, then you can visit the Braga Nut Company for a number of varieties of nuts you’ll love. They won’t last long when they are fresh and organic. The texture, flavor, and taste is so much better, you’ll be amazed!

Braga Organic Farms Inc