Honeydew Blueberry Soup

How about an extra soup recipe for this issue's Soup Stuff? Thanks to J. Carlson for this one.

Honeydew Blueberry Soup

A cold soup of honeydew and blueberries. Top with whipped topping, if desired.

1 honeydew melon
1 pint blueberries
6 oatmeal cookies

Cut the melon from the rind and into chunks. Puree until smooth in a food processor or blender. Pour into a large bowl and stir blueberries into pureed melon. Chill until quite cold. To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and crumble an oatmeal cookie over each serving.

Sounds great, eh?

Chet Day
Editor, Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Easy Food Tips

How about four easy food tips this Friday morning?

Wrap celery in plastic wrap when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks. The less air, the longer the celery lasts.

For a variation, take a head of Romaine lettuce, dry it after rinsing, and then put in a plastic bag. Here comes the cool part. Grab a straw and stick it in the bag and twirl the top of the bag. Suck out all the air, quickly pull out the straw, and then twist the bag tight before sealing with a twisty tie.

You'll be amazed at how long celery and Romaine lettuce will remain fresh using the above technique.

Here's another food tip: brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

And one more... Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

Let's finish with a food tip, shall we? :)

When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.

Finally, if you have a food tip you'd like to share, click on the comment button below and start typing!

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Chicken Soup

I have two more soup facts (and two healthy chicken soup recipes) to share with you this morning.

I bet you'll find the first soup fact pretty fascinating:

The ladies of the French court of Louis XI subsisted mainly on soup because they believed that chewing would cause them to develop facial wrinkles.

The Mayo Clinic Health Letter, in assessing chicken soup's role in relieving cold symptoms said, "Chicken soup is nutritious, tasty, inexpensive and has no known side effects."

I disagree with the Health Letter conclusion that chicken soup has no positive side effects.

Actually, there's plenty of evidence that chicken soup helps with colds and flus in an article on my website, but then, hey, a super expensive medical clinic devoted to the drug, cut, and burn model isn't going to pitch chicken soup, is it?

By the way, the article includes a medical doctor's favorite chicken soup recipe, as well as supermarket soups that effectively slow the progress of colds and flus.

Speaking of chicken soup, here are two chicken soup recipes that are so tasty they'll curl your toes.

Chicken Soup with Avocado

1 small onion, chopped coarsely
2 garlic cloves or 2 tsp chopped garlic from jar
1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped and seeded or 1 small can chopped jalapeno
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
Leftover chicken, cubed (equal to about 1 1/2 cups)
6 cups chicken broth
4 corn tortillas or 1 cup of tortilla chips
2 firm avocados or 1/2 cup prepared guacamole dip
2 Tbs fresh lime juice

Pour a tablespoon of oil in the bottom of a large sauce pan. Sauté the onion and fresh garlic and fresh jalapeno for about 3-4 minutes. If using chopped garlic from jar add it about 30 seconds before you add the liquid. Add broth and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

If using corn tortillas, halve tortillas and cut into 1/8 inch strips. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a frying pan. Divide strips into 3 batches and fry until golden. As they cook, remove with tongs and drain on paper towel. If using fresh avocados, pit and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Add chicken to broth, add remaining cilantro, avocado, lime juice and salt to taste. Add canned jalapenos.

Note: If using ready-made guacamole, put a dollop in each soup plate and then ladle the soup over it. Garnish with tortilla strips or tortilla chips. 4 to 6 servings

Carrot Vichyssoise

5 cups chicken broth
6 Tbs butter
2 cups green onion, without tops, sliced
4 Tbs flour
4 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

Heat chicken broth; set aside and keep warm. Melt butter, add onions and saute 5 minutes; stir in flour. Gradually add hot broth and bring to a boil. Add carrots, salt, and pepper; simmer 30 minutes. Puree in blender and stir in sour cream. Serve hot or cold; garnish with sour cream and chives.

This recipe is really easy to make and excellent served hot or cold. Make sure your blender can tolerate hot stuff or use one of those "one prongers" made by Braun or other manufacturers.

That's it for today's pitch for health chicken soups.

Chet "I Don't Pluck 'Em" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Soup Facts

Here are three interesting facts about healthy soup that you may or may not have had floating around in your brain:

There is an old Yiddish saying, "Troubles are easier to take with soup than without."

An old Spanish proverb says: "Of soup and love, the first is best."

The first archaeological evidence of someone stirring up soup for dinner dates back to 6000 BC. The main ingredient of this first-known soup? Hippopotamus Bones!

I want you to know that I searched all over the Internet for a good Hippopotamus Bone Soup but was unable to find anything that looked even remotely tasty or healthy.

For a healthy soup recipe today, however, I'll share something a lot less exotic...

Lemon Soup with Garbanzo Beans

6 cups chicken broth
1 15-16 oz can garbanzo beans -- rinsed and drained
6 garlic cloves -- chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 Tbs chopped fresh mint

Combine broth, beans, garlic, turmeric and cumin in large saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Whisk eggs and lemon juice until well-blended.

Gradually whisk two cups soup at a time into egg mixture. Return to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until heated through, about five minutes. (Do not boil.) Add cayenne. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with mint.

Oh, one last thing. If you like soup, you'll want to subscribe to my Amazing Soups newsletter. If you click that link right now, I'll even give you a free one-year subscription. Whoa, what a deal!

Chet "Soup Slurping" Day
Editor, Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Sweet Potato Recipes

I love sweet potatoes, I surely do, and in today's blog entry I'm sharing two sweet potato recipes that should do everything to your sweet tooth but extract it.

These are great recipes, and you're going to get repeat requests for them if you serve them at family dinners, believe me.

Stuffed Honeyed Sweet Potatoes

5 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup soft butter
1/4 cup light cream
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs dark rum
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbs walnuts -- chopped

Wash sweet potatoes; drain excess water. Place damp potatoes in slow-cooking pot. Cover and cook on Low 5 to 6 hours or until done. (If desired, potatoes may be refrigerated at this point, then scooped out and filled just before serving. Add about 5 or 10 minutes to baking time if potatoes are cold.)

Cut off the top third of each potato lengthwise and scoop out, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Mash potato pulp with butter, cream, honey, rum, cardamom, and salt. Return mixture to shell. Top with walnuts.

Arrange in shallow baking sheet. Bake in 425 F oven for 15 minutes.

Whoa, that sounds pretty good, eh?

Well, our second healthy sweet potato recipe for the day is just as good, if not better:

Sweet Sweet Potatoes

2 pounds sweet potatoes -- peeled, grated
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup butter -- melted
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup broken pecans -- toasted
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/4 tsp vanilla

In a crockpot, combine potatoes, honey, butter, coconut, pecans, and cinnamon. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in coconut and vanilla extracts.

If you like healthy, tasty, and easy-to-prepare recipes, you'll want to sign up for at least one of our free recipe newsletters. Over 100,000 subscribers enjoy our healthy recipes every week. You should be one of them!

Chet "Sweet Tater" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. If you have a sweet potato recipe you'd like to share, use the comment link below to make it part of the Internet for all eternity!

Healthy Soup Recipe

Today I'd like to share a very healthy soup recipe. It has the added benefit of being really easy to prepare. And, yes, of course, it tastes great.

Vegetable Sweet Potato Chowder

3 cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup sweet potato, diced
1/2 cup tomato, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 quart water
2 1/2 Tbs soy sauce, low sodium
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
3 bay leaf
1/4 cup arrowroot
1/4 cup water
1 cup spinach -- chopped

Place the vegetables and stock or water in a large soup pot. Add the soy sauce and other seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Mix the arrowroot with the cold water and add to the soup, stirring. Add the spinach, stir, and cook another 5 minutes.

If you have a healthy soup recipe, you'd like to share, use the comment link below. :)

Oh, one more thing. If you like healthy soups as much as I do, you'll want to click here for a free subscription to my Amazing Soups newsletter. Join more than 10,000 other subscribers and receive a health soup recipe once a week!

Chet "Soup Man" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Salsa Recipe

Break out the corn chips because today I want to share a healthy salsa recipe that'll disappear faster than Beep Beep's Roadrunner on steroids! Thanks for Priss Lindsey for sharing this tasty and healthy concoction.

New Mexico Ceremonial Salsa

Chet, after 40 years of perfecting salsa, this is the best!

6-8 tomatillos, husked and cut into large chunks
1 basket cherry tomatoes, washed and stemmed
1 bunch cilantro, washed and cut up
4 cloves chopped garlic or 1 tbs minced garlic
Juice of one lime
2-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced
1 giant Spanish onion, peeled and cut into large chunks

Put ingredients in blender and blend throughly. It may help to do the cherry tomatoes and tomatillas first to get a liquid consistency and then add in the other ingredients. Salt to taste. This gets better in the fridge and will keep for 4-7 days. It's great with white corn chips or inside burritos or on tostados or just in a bowl of beans.

Oh man, does that sound good or what?

If you have a healthy salsa recipe you'd like to share, please use the comment link below to do just that.

Happy dipping!

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Carrot Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Here's my favorite recipe for healthy carrot raisin oatmeal cookies that I learned many years ago from a fellow named Gerald Pedersen. Because this is an extremely healthy oatmeal cookie recipe, sugar addicts and sweet cookie connoiseurs will probably not go as hog wild over these treats as I do.

But, hey, that's tough toenails, right?

Anyway, I love this recipe, and I cook up a batch every month or two.

Gerald's Carrot Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

4 oz prunes
3 Tbs water
3/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
2/3 cup raisins
2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 cup oats
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Pecan halves

Puree prunes with the water in a food processor until smooth. Place in a mixing bowl. Stir in honey, carrots, and raisins. Add remaining ingredients except pecan halves. Mix well. Drop spoonfuls of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Press a pecan half in the center of each cookie. Bake at 275F degrees for 15 minutes or until set and just starting to brown. Remove to cooling racks. Makes three dozen.

If you have a healthy cookie recipe you'd like to share, use the comment link below, please.

And if you want to subscribe to my free cookie recipe newsletter (which features a healthy cookie recipe as well as a traditional cookie recipe each week), click here and join the fun.

Chet "Cookie Man" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Cabbage Salad

Today I'd like to share a healthy cabbage salad recipe that's been a big hit at CasaDay for several years. It's easy to prepare and tastes great.

Indian Cabbage Salad

2 cups thinly shredded cabbage
2 cups shredded carrot
1/2 cup crushed roasted peanuts (or substitute favorite raw nuts)
1/4 cup coconut oil (salad oil is an OK substitute)
1 hot green chili chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp honey
Lemon juice and salt to taste

Mix everything except salt and lemon - add them only when ready to eat.

If you have a healthy cabbage recipe you'd like to share, use the comment link below.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Easy Vegetable Soup

Fall is in the air here in rural North Carolina, and it's about that time of the year to start seriously thinking about healthy soup recipes.

Well, today I want to share a recipe that everyone will like because it's easy to make and tasty to boot.

Really Easy Vegetable Soup

1 large can V-8 vegetable juice
1 large can Campbell's tomato juice
2 large packages of frozen mixed vegetables
1 large package of frozen green beans
1 small package of frozen lima beans
3 cans small whole potatoes, diced
1 cube beef or chicken bouillon base
1 tsp hot sauce
Seasonings to taste
Water as desired

Place all ingredients in large stock pot and simmer on low heat 3 to 4 hours. Taste occasionally and add water and seasoning as needed.

And, yes, this would work well in your crockpot too.

If you have a healthy soup recipe you'd like to share, please use the comment link below to do just that.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Sandwiches

Today I'd like to share some recipes for healthy sandwiches. Let's start with...

Susan's Peanut Butter and Tomato Delight

Chet, my Dad taught us to love tomatoes and peanut butter sandwiches when I was a girl and never in my life have I heard of anybody else eating it. I have tried to get people to try it and they do give you that look like you have to be nuts to put tomatoes and peanut butter together, but it really is an odd combination that tastes wonderful.

I tried Susan's suggestion, and she's right. It's a great sandwich.

Speaking of tasty healthy sandwiches, here are a few more...

Laura's Veggie Sandwich

Hey, Chet, I have a favorite veggie sandwich that makes a good lunch:

Mash 1/2-1 avocado (sometimes I squeeze in a little garlic with my garlic press and add a little celtic sea salt) and spread on two slices of bread, preferably whole grain, homemade is best.

Top with sliced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, grated carrot, sliced cucumber, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, and whatever other crunchy veggies I can find.

Put sandwich together and cut in half diagonally. Yum... and healthy!

Two Quickies From Barbara

Regarding peanut butter and banana sandwiches, my kids had two favorites:

Cut a "v" in a large banana and fill it with peanut butter for a healthy and delicious banana boat.

For another healthy "boat" we would...

Make tuna salad and put it in a leaf of Chinese cabbage, Boc Choy, or even a rolled Romaine lettuce leaf. This is an excellent protein sandwich with fewer carbs.

You can also fill a scooped out tomato with the tuna for a colorful, filling, and healthy lunch option.

If you have recipes for healthy sandwiches you'd like to share, please do so by clicking on the "comment" link below.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Weight Gain Tips

Today I'd like to share three helpful tips on how to gain weight that I learned from a bodybuilder friend named Anthony Ellis...

• To gain weight you must eat more calories than your body burns off, so EAT MORE! The most important thing that I cannot stress too much is that you need to eat to gain weight. You need to eat like you've never eaten before. (But not junk food like donuts and chips or candy.) In other words, you need a weight gain diet.
  
  
• Start eating six meals per day (space them out to about once every three hours). This is a weight gain diet used by those who know what they're doing.
  
  
• Increase your protein intake and reduce your simple carbohydrate intake. Without protein your body cannot build new muscle.

Anthony has a lot more to reveal about how to gain weight in an excellent article on my website. Click here to read that article right now.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Oily Skin Tip

Got oily skin?

Well, let's start this week with a natural skin care tip that'll help you sop up your excess oil.

This is so easy, you're hardly going to believe it...

Rub a crisp lettuce leaf directly on your skin to help combat the greasies. You can also use fresh lettuce juice on your face or pour some into your bath.

Lettuce juice also works well to sooth irritated and sunburned skin.

If you'd prefer to use natural skin care products for oily skin problems, I recommend the L'Bri line. Click here for details.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. If you have a natural skin care tip you'd like to share, click on the comments link below and tell us all the details.

Apple Breakfast Bars

Let's finish off this week with a healthy recipe for...

Apple Breakfast Bars

1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups raw apples, shredded

Combine all ingredients. Let stand 10 minutes. Press mixture into 8" x 8" baking dish. Bake at 375F degrees until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Loosen with spatula, and cut into bars while warm. Serve hot for breakfast.

If you have a healthy breakfast bar recipe you'd like to share, just click on the comments link below and start typing.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

How to Be Happy

Today I'd like to share a wonderful motivational piece on how to be happy that was emailed to me several years ago. I don't know the name of the author, unfortunately, so I can't credit it properly.

A Donkey Shows Us How to Live

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally the farmer decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway.

It just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

So he invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.

With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up! As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

And now you know how to be happy... or, if nothing else, how to be happier!

Click here for another great motivational story on my website.

And if you have a motivational story you'd like to share, click on the comment link below and start typing!

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Improving Eyesight

There are a number of ways to improve eyesight.

Today I'd like to share a letter from Ed, who has good information on how to improve your eyesight naturally...

Weston A. Price and Rosalind Wulzen discovered two different unknown factors in raw-milk butter that enable our bodies to use the oil soluble vitamins (A, D, and E) more effectively.

Since these vitamins, especially A and D improve our eyes, among other health effects, we all need to know about these activator factors in butter.

Price recommended taking both cod liver oil and butter to give our bodies the fat-soluble vitamins we need.

Nourishing Traditions, a wonderful book by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, has lots more info on traditional foods we should be eating for superior health.

Oh, one more thing.

I have an excellent article on my website entitled "Why Butter is Better." If one of the vegan gurus has you believing that butter is a non-healthy food, you need to click here for a different (and in my opinion, much more correct) point of view.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Lemon Juice Tips

Toay I want to babble on a bit about a healthy fruit that doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should... the lowly lemon, which is wonderfully rich in nature's purest vitamin C.

Did you know that lemon juice is an antioxidant?

It's true. German studies reported that lemon peel exhibits remarkable antioxidant activity, activity unrelated to vitamin C.

As you no doubt know, antioxidants work beneficially on human cells, especially in terms of providing protection against cancer and aging.

Oh, here's a little lemon juice tip for you pregnant ladies... fresh lemon juice squeezed into pure water reduces or gets rid of morning sickness.

If dandruff problems are giving you fits, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to your shampoo, and enjoy the results. Be sure to rinse well with plenty of water. Warning: lemon juice can lighten the color of your hair, so keep that in mind.

Canker or other mouth sores? Try gargling with lemon juice and pure water.

If you're spending a lot of money on soft drinks, try squeezing fresh lemon juice into tonic or carbonated water. Whoa, good!

So the next time you're at the supermarket, get a bag of fresh lemons and put them to use in your diet.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. Oh, one more thing. If you like lemonade, click here to learn about my popular collection of 33 classic recipes.

No Mayo Potato Salad

Let's start what promises to be one of the hottest July Mondays on record with a healthy potato salad recipe, shall we?

No Mayo Potato Salad

6 large potatoes
3-4 scallions
3-4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Scrub the potatoes, or peel them if you don't like skins. Cut into 1-inch cubes and cook in boiling water until almost starting to fall apart.

While the potatoes are cooking, slice the scallions very finely, including the green part.

Drain the potatoes and tip into a bowl. While they're still hot, pour in the olive oil and mix well. They should start to disintegrate a bit - this is the secret of this salad!

Add the scallions, vinegar, salt and black pepper. Taste as you go along and add the amounts you think you like. Leave to cool; chill if you wish, and serve. Serves somewhere between 5 and 10.

Try this healthy potato salad recipe because it's a good one.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. If you have a healthy potato salad recipe you'd like to share, use the comment link below to add it to the blog.

Hair Loss Remedy

You can spend weeks trying to find a hair loss remedy on the Internet. That's especially true about finding one that actually works.

Well, still being the proud owner of a full head of healthy (but grey) hair, I can't vouch for the hair loss remedy I'm about to share, but, hey, it's worth a try.

According to Helen Lee in her book The Tao of Beauty, you can eat your way to great hair.

Her Black Sesame Seed Soup can be eaten as a snack or even for dessert and supposedly provides skin and hair benefits.

Helen Lee says the ingredients should be purchased fresh from your nearest Chinese grocer.

Hair Growing Soup

1 cup of uncooked long-grain white rice
1 cup of black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of sugar, or to your own tastes

Wash and drain the rice and the sesame seeds in separate containers. Stir-fry the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over low heat for approximately 5 minutes or until the heat releases their fragrance. Be careful to not let them burn.

Grind the rice and toasted seeds with 1/4 cup of water in a blender or food processor.

Pour the mixture plus an additional 1 3/4 cups of water into a medium-sized saucepan. Cook over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning. Add sugar as desired to taste.

Hair Growing Soups notwithstanding, if you're having hair loss problems and also drinking distilled water, there may be a connection between the two. Click here to read an article on that topic.

If you give this hair loss remedy a try, I'd like to hear about the results. Just use the comment link below.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Sauerkraut Salad

Let's start the week off right with a healthy sauerkraut salad recipe, shall we?

Lima Bean and Sauerkraut Salad

2 cups of naturally fermented sauerkraut
2 cups of cooked lima beans (if pressed for time, you may use canned or cooked frozen lima beans)
1 head of Romaine, Boston, or Red lettuce, chopped
Mayonnaise dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

This is an easy salad to prepare and, since it contains sauerkraut, is a good way to begin a meal as the tangy taste helps stimulate digestive juice flow.

Drain the sauerkraut and pull apart with a fork. Combine well with the beans. Stir in enough mayonnaise to just wet the salad. Spread over a bed of lettuce and serve. Serves 4-6.

For the mayonnaise, you can either make your own or you may use a store-bought brand that is made without soy or canola oils. In the USA, Hain's Safflower Mayonnaise is acceptable and widely sold at supermarkets.

Click here if you'd like to learn how to make sauerkraut.

That's it for this Monday. See you later.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Raw Cookie Recipe

Let's end the week with a healthy raw cookie recipe, courtesy of Sheryl.

Apricot Pecan Cookies

2 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots
4 cups muesli
2 cups coarsely chopped raw pecans
3/4 cup honey
1 Tbs vanilla
1 3/4 cup raw organic almond butter
1/2 cup chopped dates
Dash of salt (I don't use the salt)

Stir all ingredients together. Shape into flat round cookies about 1/2 inch think. Makes 4 dozen cookies. Refrigerate or freeze these cookies immediately. You can vary the dried fruit to change flavor.

Hint: rinse hands often and keep them moist while forming the cookies. The dough won't stick as much.

This is a terrific raw cookie recipe, and I know you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. If you have a healthy raw cookie recipe you'd like to share, click on the comment link below and start typing.

Soak Water Tip

Here's a great little tip from Regina on what to do with the soak water you use for sprouting:

Chet, I love to sprout all sorts of beans. Did you know that the soak water (for sprouts and beans that you cook) is great for your plants?

The carbohydrates left in the soak water that are difficult for us to digest are wonderful nutrients for all house plants and vegetables. So instead of pouring that water down the drain, pour it on your plants for a free natural fertilizer.

I love these practical and easy tips.

If you have one you'd like to share, click on the comment link below and write about it right now.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Bath Tips

Today I'd like to share four healthy bath tips you can use to save money.

Why spend an arm and a leg on expensive bath products when you can whip up wonderful bath ingredients from your own kitchen?

Ginger Bath

Peel and coarsely chop an inch of whole ginger. Put in an old stocking, tying one or both ends to keep the ginger inside. Place in a tub with very warm running water. A ginger bath will help to detox your body and soothe your skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar Bath

Add half a cup of vinegar to your bath to help combat fatigue and invigorate the body.

Baking Soda Bath

To relieve itching and various skin irritations, add a half of a box of bicarbonate of soda to your bath. A soothing baking soda bath is also great for sunburn.

Milk Bath

Add 1 cup of instant milk powder to your bath to make your skin silky soft. You can also add a few drops of lavender essential oil to relax you before bed.

I learned these healthy bath tips from my friend Victoria, the creator of Tooth Soap.

That's all for today.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Banana

Today I'd like to share some information emailed to me many years ago by a correspondent long forgotten about one of nature's great health foods -- the lowly banana.

If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels there's no better snack than a banana.

Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose - combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proved that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

Besides being a quick fix for flagging energy levels during the day, bananas may also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making them a wise addition to your daily diet.

Here are just a few of the conditions that bananas are said to help...

Anemia

High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect food for helping to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power

Two hundred students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Depression

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain trypotophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

Hangovers

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

So take advantage of one of the best buys in your supermarket and keep a good supply of healthy bananas in your home... all the time!

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Vegan Banana Bread

Let's start this week with a healthy vegan banana bread recipe, shall we?

Vegan Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups flour -- whole wheat
1/2 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 bananas -- mashed
1 apple -- finely chopped

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350F for 60-75 minutes in a greased and floured loaf pan, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on its side.

That was easy enough, eh?

If you have a healthy banana bread recipe you'd like to share, just use the comment link below and start typing.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Pineapple Bars

Let's wrap up the week with a terrific little recipe for...

Healthy Pineapple Bars

20 oz crushed pineapple
2 cups chopped dates
3 cup oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup coconut oil

Combine pineapple and dates in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until thickened. Stir frequently. In a large bowl, mix oats, wheat germ, coconut, and walnuts. Stir in juice and oil. Press half of the oat mixture in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Spread the pineapple mixture on top, then sprinkle on the rest of the oat mixture. Press down lightly. Bake at 350F degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into squares. Makes 32.

These healthy pineapple bars will taste better than any granola bar you've ever bought in any store or restaurant in your life!

So give them a try this weekend.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. If you have a healthy snack bar recipe you'd like to share, click on the comments link below and start typing.

Deep Relaxation

I don't know about you, but I really enjoy states of deep relaxation.

I mean, seriously, what could be better than letting your body melt into a quiet, peaceful pool of utter calm?

Well, yes, that is better, but we're not discussing bedroom matters this morning.

Today I want to give you a natural technique you can use to attain really nice states of deep relaxation.

Ready?

Here we go with a technique shared by the late Declan Twohig...

Sitting comfortably, with eyes open or closed, list (to yourself) three things which you can see, then three things which you can hear, then three things which you can feel.

For example, "I see the color of the wall, I see the person opposite me, I see the color of her hair, I hear the sounds outside the room, I hear people moving about, I hear my own breathing, I feel the cushion underneath me, I feel the air on my skin, I feel my hands on my lap."

Then narrow it down to a list of two things in each sensory mode, and then one thing in each mode.

Tell yourself, "As I count from ten down to one, I can go into a deep, comfortable state of relaxation."

Then count breaths backwards from ten to one and enjoy the relaxation that you are drifting into.

This works most powerfully when the verbal listing within your head is timed in a rhythm with your breathing.

Yes, the technique sounds a little complicated, but give it a try anyway. It only takes a few minutes and it will put you into a state of deep relaxation.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. If you want a recording that'll drop you into deep relaxation without you having to do anything other than to put on your headphones, click here to learn about my popular Cat's Purr CD. I promote it as a natural sleep aid, but it's also one of the best deep relaxation CDs on the market.

Vegetable Soup Recipe

Today I'd like to share a healthy and easy vegetable soup recipe that I predict you'll add to your soup files.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 leek, sliced thinly
1 head of celery, diced
2 cups of carrots, diced
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup of green beans (fresh)
1 1/2 cup of diced potatoes
3 quarts of low sodium vegetable stock or water
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs dry basil
1 tsp dry parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion, celery, leeks and carrots in olive oil over a medium flame for 2 minutes, add the garlic, basil and parsley and continue to cook for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add the vegetable stock or water, diced tomatoes, diced potatoes and green beans simmer for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary. Serves between 6 and 8.

Whoa, that's an easy and healthy vegetable soup recipe, eh?

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Sitz Bath

I spent the first 52-years of my life thinking a sitz bath was a bath where you sat in the tub with the water up to your waist.

What a surprise to learn back in 2000 when I was reading The Natural Remedy Bible that I had spent my entire life with the wrong conception of a sitz bath.

On the off chance you're as ignorant as I am, and that is an off chance believe me because I can sure be bone-headed sometimes, I'd like to share with you today what I learned about the sitz bath from The Natural Remedy Bible:

"The sitz bath affects mainly the circulation in the lower abdominal and pelvic region. It does so without influencing the circulation in the lower limbs because the legs are not immersed. It serves mainly to disperse congestion in the abdominal and pelvic organs, a common problem for sedentary workers.

"Sitz baths are not to be taken more than three times a week. Convenient plastic tubs that facilitate the use of this application are available, but you can also use an ordinary bathtub.

"Fill the tub about one-third full so that the water covers the upper portion of the thighs, the seat, and the abdomen up to the navel. It is most comfortable to sit crosswise in the bathtub with the feel resting on a small stool set on the floor.

"In this positin, the circulation in the back of the knees will not be restricted. With practice, you will be able to take a sitz bath without having to undress compeltely. To avoid a chill, the upper torso should be clothed, or a light blanket or sheet should be draped over the shoulders and chest."

And now you know everything I know about how to take a sitz bath.

Happy sitzing!

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Natural Asthma Remedy

Asthma is a horrible problem for many people. Unfortunately, many of the medications used for asthma relief have side effects almost as bad as an asthma attack itself.

You may find useful one or all of the following natural tips for asthma relief...

• Drink a solution of 1/4 cup onion juice, 1 Tbs of honey, and 1/8 tsp of black pepper.
  
  
• Mix 1 tsp honey with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and take it at night before going to bed.
  
  
• Express the juice from a garlic clove. Mix 10-15 drops in warm water and drink.

People have also reported relief from asthma by using an energy technique called EFT. Click here to download a free manual that will show you exactly how to do EFT.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Natural Milk Bath

Everybody likes soft skin, except maybe for Godzilla and some of his amphibian kin, so I thought today I'd share with you a home-made recipe for a natural milk bath concoction that sounded pretty cool.

I found this recipe in an old health magazine we had laying around here at CasaDay.

Casey Kellar, author of Natural Beauty and Bath Book (Lark Books, 1997), says the milk in this recipe moisturizes rough skin.

1 cup full-fat powdered milk
2 Tbs almond meal
2 Tbs barley or oat flour
A few drops of rose (Rosa centifolia) essential oil

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then add two tablespoons to a tub of water. Soak for 15 minutes. Store the remaining bath mix in a glass jar at room temperature. It should keep for two months.

And if you like natural, home-made approaches to healthy skin, click here and sign up for my free series of natural skincare tips.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Tortilla Soup Recipe

I'll get to today's healthy tortilla soup recipe in just a minute.

But, first, a little fun...

Although I'm hardly what most people would call an elegant or sophisticated man, I do have moments (rare, I admit) when I like to put on some airs and dine like royalty.

Judging from the comments I receive, I know many readers of this blog are far more sophisticated than I, so, for them, I have this soup serving tip today, one that was sent in by an aristocrat in the United Kingdom, if I recall correctly:

A liner plate placed under each bowl allows you to serve bowls filled with hot or cold liquid gracefully. Use a salad plate beneath rimless bowls, and a ten-inch dinner plate beneath rimmed bowls.

The plate also gives your guests a place to put the spoon when they have finished eating, and helps to protect the table.

Since I often wash the dishes here at CasaDay after meals, you can imagine how many times a decade I serve soup with an extra plate.

Yes, you're right.

Maybe once. Twice at the most.

But the next time the Prince of Wales drops by for a bowl of soup, I'll be sure to put the above tip into action.

Speaking of action, let's make some soup, shall we?

Healthy Tortilla Soup Recipe

1 cup homemade vegetable broth plus 4 cups water - or -
1 can vegetable broth and 1 can water
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped fine
1 green, yellow, or red pepper, diced
1 ripe tomato, chopped
1 can black, pinto, or mixed chili beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup brown rice
2 Tbs lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Tortilla chips
Optional: 2 Tbs tequila

Simmer the onion, pepper, garlic, rice, corn, and half of the cilantro in the broth and water for about 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Add the tomatoes and beans.

When the tomatoes are just cooked, remove from the heat and add the rest of the cilantro, lime juice, and tequila. The tequila should be allowed to evaporate for five minutes or so before serving. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over crumbled tortilla chips.

Notes: Try sprinkling a little shredded CoJack cheese on top. You can season with sea salt. It adds a rich flavor to the clear broth.

Now, that's a healthy and tasty tortilla soup recipe.

If you have a healthy soup recipe you'd like to share, use the comment link below and type it in.

And if you'd like to subscribe to my free Amazing Soups newsletter, click here.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Snack Ideas

Let's start the new week with four quick, easy, and healthy snack ideas, shall we?

The next time you feel like you can't go another five minutes without eating, instead of chomping your molars into some nasty, high-sugar, health-compromising junk food snack, have...

• A healthy dip or nut butter and some raw crunchy vegetables.
  
  
• An avocado in a whole wheat or corn tortilla with a dash of sea salt.
  
  
• Slices of organic raw cheese and some sour fruit.
  
  
• A fresh glass of fruit or vegetable juice.

Seriously, if you followed the above four suggestions over the course of a year, you would not only satisfy your snack cravings, but you would also lose at least ten pounds... and probably more than that.

Whoa, that's great, eh?

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Fruit Nut Cereal

Today I'd like to share another in the series of natural and healthy cereal recipes that I've been posting here in the Natural Health Circus.

So, without further chatter, let's get down to brass tacks with...

Nancy's Natural Fruit Nut Cereal

1/3 cup cashews
1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Grind the above ingredients on low in your blender, VitaMix, or food processor and then dump into a bowl and set aside.

Make almond milk:

1-1/2 cup raw almonds - grind on low speed
4 cups water
3 cups ice
1/4 cup maple syrup or to taste

Add water to ground nuts and blend on high for a few minutes. Add syrup and ice and blend a few more minutes.

Place fruits from 1 or 2 below into a cereal bowl. Top with ground nuts and then almond milk.

1. Sliced bananas, chopped sweet apple, chopped dates.
   
   
2. Sliced bananas, chopped peaches and/or nectarines, blueberries, srawberries.

That's the basic recipe, and thanks to Nancy for sharing it.

Now, get creative and come up with your own variations. If you hit on a really good one, come back to the blog and share it with readers by clicking on the comment link below.

Folks, that's a healthy cereal recipe!

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Butter

Today, I'd like to share an excellent recipe for a healthy and different butter...

Karyn's Better Butter

Chet, we try to eat good, but we really enjoy butter, so I'd like to share a recipe for healthy butter that I created.

I found that if I mix one pound of good butter with half a cup of cold-pressed oil (I prefer olive oil, but it's too strong for my kid's tastes) and a half a cup of good yogurt (I use Mountain High, plain), then the mixture is more like margarine, without all the junk that's in margarine.

I let this healthy butter mixture soften and then throw it all in my Bosche food processor and whip it up good.

I usually do at least three pounds of butter at a time and add 1 1/2 cups of the oil and yogurt, and freeze part of it until we need it.

This mixture is not as fattening as pure butter but still tastes very good.

Thanks to Karyn for sharing this recipe for a healthy butter.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Natural Insect Bite Treatments

There are almost as many natural insect bite treatments as there are seeds in a pomegranate.

Here are a few of the more interesting home remedies for insect stings that I've run into over the years.

1. Soak the affected area with vinegar.
   
   
2. Put a cotton ball dipped in ammonia on the bite to draw out the stinger and reduce the pain and itch.
   
   
3. Smash up a clove of garlic and place the poultice on the affected area.
   
   
4. Spread some honey onto a clean cloth. Place an ice cube on top of the honey. Wrap up the cloth and place on affected area, honey side next to the bite.
   
   
5. Kill a rattlesnake and then eat some of the meat every day for the next week. (I don't recommend this one since monkeying with rattlesnakes is dangerous, but I included it anyway because it's the oddest insect bite treatment I've ever heard of.)

My personal favorite is No. 4.

Amazingly enough, the honey insect bite treatment worked wonders for me last summer when a wasp decided to kick my ass for disturbing its territory while I was mowing the lawn.

I've never tried treatment No. 5 and have no intentions of doing so in the future.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. If you have a natural insect bite treatment you'd like to share, click on the comment link below and start typing.

Banana Recipes

One of my favorite health writers is a guy by the name of John Tobe, who, unfortunately, isn't with us any longer.

Well, that's not exactly true. He'll always be with us in the terrific books he wrote on natural health topics.

Today I'd like to share one of John's banana recipes that I enjoy very much, and I think you'll like it too.

Tope Banana Whip

2 bananas
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs. honey
1 oz. almonds

Combine ingredients in the blender and beat up into a whip. Drink and smack your lips and say, "Ahh!"

Speaking of bananas, here's a banana cookie recipe courtesy of Marilyn Schultz that you'll also like...

Date a Banana Cookies

3 ripe bananas
1 cup dates (I sometimes use raisins also)
2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

In large bowl, mash the bananas, stir in oats, dates, oil and vanilla. Mix well and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on your oven).

Whoa, now you have two healthy banana recipes for your files.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Natural Hiccup Cure

I've been collecting natural hiccup cures for years, and today I'll like to share a few of the more interesting ones with you.

When I was still teaching high school, if a student got the hiccups, I'd slowly meander my way over to where she was sitting. I'd then move behind her desk, reading a poem or leading a discussion or something, and would then bend down and yell, "Boo!" Believe me, the hiccups went away in a hurry.

A similar technique that works best with an adult male with the hiccups is to walk up to him and look him straight in the eye and then say, "I heard about you and my wife, and I don't like it one bit."

If it's a female friend or acquaintance of co-worker with the hiccups, approach them in the same serious manner and say, "I can't believe the boss fired you this morning."

Both of these techniques will stop hiccups faster than you can say, "I'll eat a bicycle seat."

Here's one I learned from Cecil, a reader of one of my free newsletters...

Reach back with your right hand and press your middle finger into your spine between the vertebra as far down as you can reach and hold for about a minute. The trick with all these remedies is to change the tension on the diaphragm muscle. So whether you are being scared or shocked or standing on your head or drinking water upside down or whatever, that is what makes it work.

Finally, I learned this one from the Internet: Go up to someone with the hiccups and say, "I'll give you ten dollars if you can hiccup again."

If you have a hiccup cure you'd like to share, use the comment link below and start typing.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Workout Recovery Drink

I don't know about you, but after I finish jogging or lifting weights, I can usually go for a refreshing workout recovery drink.

And of course having a nutrient-rich drink is a smart thing to do since you've just stressed your body and broken down millions of cells. At this point, you need something nutritious to help your ole bod create healthy, new cells.

My favorite post work-out cell replacer is an 8-ounce glass of freshly extracted vegetable juice composed of about two ounces of carrot juice mixed with six ounces of a combination of celery, kale, Romaine lettuce, tomato, apple, and anything else that looks good in the veggie bin.

Swirling the first mouthful of this concoction through the choppers and up and over the tongue is a taste treat that can't be beat.

Adding a little dab of hot sauce or juicing a tiny jalapeno without the other veggies (juice it first so the next user of the juice machine isn't in for a hot surprise) makes a memorable drink that will leave you smacking your lips in happiness.

So sweat up a storm with your daily exercise and then feed the cells with a fresh glass of veggie juice. What a great way to end an afternoon with a delicious workout recovery drink.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

An Apple a Day

Modern science has reported on the health benefits of eating apples and reported that apple eating inhibits the growth of bowel and liver cancer cells in the laboratory.

Rui Hai Liu, lead scientist at Cornell's Department of Food Science, wrote in the journal Nature: "Our results indicate that natural antioxidants from fresh fruit could be more effective than a dietary supplement."

How amazing.

Research scientists continue to confirm that foods made by Nature are actually better for the human body than processed foods and supplements.

So stop at the store today and purchase a bag of apples.

Even better, visit your health food store and purchase a bag of organically-grown apples that haven't been dipped in wax.

And then eat two or three every day.

Click here to read a wonderful article that fully details the health value of apples.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Artichoke Facial Mask

Let's start this week with some easy directions for a healthy facial mask you can make at home.

Your skin's going to love this concoction!

To make this natural and healthy facial mask...

Mash two well-cooked artichoke hearts or two canned artichoke hearts (in water not oil) in a bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar.

Mix well until you have a smooth paste.

Apply the mask to your face, neck and upper chest. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse off with tepid water. Pat dry with a soft fluffy towel.

Whoa, talk about young and happy skin!

Oh, one more thing. If you're not into making your own natural health skin care solutions, click here to learn about my favorite facial mask product.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Foot Fungus Cure

Did you know that urine can be an effective foot fungus cure?

Anyone who reads my health writings knows I have an overly-developed sense of humor, so let me preface today's natural health tip by saying that I'm not joking with what you're about to read.

With that said, I've been researching some natural foot fungus cures lately.

Well, the other day, a new suggestion came in from a friend of mine, a licensed pharmacist whose avocation lies with helping his clients by referring them whenever possible to natural solutions rather than to strong drugs.

He doesn't make as much money this way, of course, but he helps more people and makes a lot of friends, and that's what it's all about anyway, near as I can tell.

Okay, here's what my buddy told me in his letter regarding a natural cure for foot fungus:

Hey, Chet, between you, me, and the printer cable, the fastest and cheapest and most effective way to go after good ole foot fungus... your own urine. I know peeing on your feet in the shower sounds whacked, but I have used it effectively and passed it out dozens of times from behind the Prozac counter. And with a host of positive feedback.

Well, I was glad to get this fascinating suggestion from my friend because I've always been interested in urine. I mean, seriously, with so much of it coming out of us every day, how can we not be?

Although I don't have space to write an epistle on this, I do want to say that, contrary to the bad press it gets, human urine is sterile and not something filthy that we should cringe about when we mention its name.

I mean, seriously, my pharmacist friend and I aren't recommending that you drink the stuff, though people in India have been doing just that for thousands of years for apparently good reasons.

But that's another story.

Anyway, if you have a nasty case of foot fungus and want to try the easiest and least expensive home cure I'm presently aware of, pour or pee some of your own urine on the problem in the shower, let it set for a minute or two, and then wash it off. Repeat as necessary whenever you shower until the problem heals.

By the way, after reading this tip, Linda S wrote, "There is another less offensive remedy. For real. Soak a cup of corn meal in warm to very warm water for about an hour, then soak the affected area in the 'meal water.' This can be done while watching you favorite tv show in the evening. Repeat as necessary. Supposedly, two to three times in a week should do the trick."

There, now you have two natural foot fungus cures for the price of one!

And if you have a natural foot fungus cure, click on the comment link below and share it with the thousands of health seekers who read this blog at least once a day.

Chet "Pisser" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Leg Veins

As a male, I, of course, don't really care what my legs look like, though I've been told on a few occasions when I jogged or played tennis that I had handsome wheels.

On the other hand, I do very much appreciate the legs that hold up female bodies, so I thought it would be helpful today to share some tips for maintaining healthy legs:

Experts recommend the following self-care treatments for healthier leg veins:

• Don't cross your legs when you sit.
  
  
• Take warm, not hot, baths, and end by splashing cold water on the legs.
  
  
• Avoid high heels. Low-heeled shoes work calf muscles more, which is better for veins. Don't wear tight clothes around your calves or groin that can restrict circulation.
  
  
• Take three or four 10- to 15-minute breaks daily to elevate your legs above the level of your heart (for example, by lying down with your legs resting on three or four pillows).
  
  
• Avoiding long periods of sitting or standing. Make a point of changing your position, shifting from one leg to the other or walk gently back and forth, frequently to encourage blood flow.
  
  
• Weight control - Shedding excess pounds takes unnecessary pressure off your veins.
  
  
• Exercise. Get your legs moving. Walking is a great way to encourage blood circulation in your legs.

If you have a healthy leg vein tip you'd like to share, click on the comment link below and start typing right now!

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Memory Improvement Tips

I'd like to share five easy-to-do natural tips for improving your memory.

1. Increase your pure water consumption.
   
   
2. Stop drinking any other liquids. No more soft drinks, coffee, etc.
   
   
3. Increase high fiber foods.
   
   
4. Get some sun 20-30 minutes per day with as much skin exposed as is safe. Do not use sun screens. Start with shorter times if you live in a hot sun area. Don't sun bathe during the hottest parts of the day.
   
   
5. Get mild exercise. Start with 10 minutes of walking and build additional minutes each day until you can walk briskly for 60 minutes.

After as little as 15 days you should experience improvement.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Eyestrain Symptom Tip

The next time you're experiencing an eyestrain symptom, try the “Distant Night Exercise.”

Here’s how it works:

1. Sit down in a chair and place your elbows on your knees or a table.
   
   
2. Face your palms toward your face and slightly cup the lower portion of your hands while keeping your fingers straight.
   
   
3. Place your eyes in the cups of your hands, which should gently rest above and below the bone surrounding your eye and cheek. No portion of your hand should touch your eyeball, but it is alright if your eyelashes brush against your palm. The fingers of both hands should slightly overlap resting near the center top of your forehead. With your eyes open, be sure there is no light entering into your eyes.
   
   
4. While maintaining this position, relax and close your eyes while you imagine you’re looking into the distant night. Remember, your eyes are relaxed as they look out at a distance – the purpose of this exercise.
   
   
5. As you focus into the distance you should feel a reduction in eyestrain caused by the near point activity.

Click here to learn all about a natural vision correction system with a 94% success rate.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Apple Honey Tea

Today I'd like to share an easy and healthy recipe for a comforting and healing drink.

Apple Honey Tea

3 or 4 apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced
6 cups cold water (filtered or spring is best)
1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbs honey

Put the apples and the cold water in a covered saucepan and simmer for two hours.

Remove from heat and strain. Add the lemon juice and honey and drink hot. You can make this tea in advance and store it in the refrigerator and heat up a cup at a time.

Note: If you want to use your slow cooker instead of the stove, put the apples and water in the crockpot, cover, turn the temperature to high and let simmer for a couple hours. Then add the other ingredients and start sipping.

Apples are thought to have cooling properties that help reduce a fever, in addition to the other proven health benefits of the fruit.

The sweet flavor of this tea is soothing to adults and children alike.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Bilberry for Eye Health

My wife's been an insulin-dependent diabetic for more than 40 years, and in the late 1980's she developed diabetic retinopathy, a common problem in long-term diabetics.

She had laser surgery at that time to seal the leaking blood vessels in both eyes.

Not wanting to go through that sort of thing again, she started researching natural solutions to eye problems. She liked what she read about bilberry more than anything else, so she started taking 500-mg bilberry capsules twice a day.

In addition to the bilberry, her health routine consisted of eating a healthy diet and drinking at least one 8-ounce serving each day of freshly extracted vegetable juice -- celery, carrot, Romaine lettuce, etc.

At her next check-up, the doctor said, "This is unusual. The retinopathy is no longer progressing."

Than, at the next six-month check-up, the doctor said, "I've never seen this. Your retinopathy is reversing."

After two years, the retinopathy was totally gone, and all she had was scar tissue from the laser surgery.

I checked out bilberry at onhealth.com and learned:

Possible mechanisms of action for its effects on ophthalmic conditions include its ability to protect against the breakdown of rhodopsin (retinal purple), a light sensitive pigment located in the rods of the retina, and its ability to regenerate rhodopsin. It may also provide vasoprotection by decreasing capillary fragility and permeability (Bone and Morgan, 1997; Regtop, 1998)

With all that said, of course, the single most important thing for eyes and diabetics is to keep the blood sugar well-regulated, which my wife did then and continues to do now by testing her blood sugar level multiple times each day and correcting accordingly with injected insulin.

It's April of 2006 as I write this entry, and my wife has had no additional problems with retinopathy, which continues to astonish the specialist who monitors her eyes twice a year.

For those interested, she currently takes one or two 500-mg bilberry capsules every day, as well as one or two 20-mg lutein capsules, which she added to her routine a few years ago.

Chet "Bilberry for Eye Health" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Walnuts Lower Cholesterol

Walnuts aren't just weapons anymore.

In fact, they may well play a significant part in lowering cholesterol.

You see, Spanish researchers in 2004 fed people with high cholesterol a heart-healthy diet (vegetables, fish, very little red meat or eggs, and olive oil as the only cooking fat) for 12 weeks.

The small study, conducted at the Lipid Clinic in Barcelona, substituted walnuts for about one-third of the calories from olives, olive oil, and other monounsaturated fats in a Mediterranean diet.

Walnuts were found to increase the elasticity of arteries by 64 per cent, and to reduce cell adhesion molecules associated with hardening of the arteries by 20 per cent.

Though LDL cholesterol levels dropped during both halves of the 12 weeks, they dropped significantly more during the walnut weeks.

"These results came from only eight to 11 walnuts a day," says Joan Sabate, M.D., Dr.P.H., the study author, from Loma Linda University in California.

It's possible that a combo of monounsaturated fats (olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats (walnuts) whacks cholesterol.

Consequently, if you haven't already, you may soon see claims on walnuts stating: "Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 oz of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. See nutrition information for fat [and calorie] content."

So add some walnuts to your diet, for Pete's sake.

Chet "Walnuts Lower Cholesterol" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Cold Sore Treatment

Today I'd like to share a cold sore treatment that many people swear by.

You see, I've suffered from cold sores and mouth ulcers since I was neck high to a fire plug, so my life took a turn for the better when at age 51 I found a cold sore treatment that actually helped my body deactivate within a day or two the herpes simplex virus that allegedly causes cold sore outbreaks.

And, no, this cold sore remedy I learned about is not some expensive doctor-prescribed pharmaceutical that costs a kneecap and a sternum bone to purchase.

Instead it's an amino acid called lysine, and you can purchase it at any drug store, health food store, or probably even grocery store these days.

Lysine comes in 500 mg and 1000 mg tablets and capsules. The capsules cost more but are a lot easier to swallow. I buy the tablets because I'm cheap, but I can't swallow them whole because they're about as big around as a Cadillac steering wheel.

So I chew them first and then swish 'em down with a big glass of water. Yes, the tablets taste bad, but, hey, that's the price we cheap guys pay for saving a couple bucks.

Whenever I feel a cold sore coming on, I take at least 1500 mg of lysine twice a day.

Before I close, I'm happy to update the above by pointing out that my cold sore problem ended just about completely in September of 2003 when I started brushing my teeth with Tooth Soap. Once I started using this product, I no longer had to rely on lysine, and I've only had a few minor outbreaks since then.

Chet "Cold Sore Treatment" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

P.S. If you have a favorite cold sore treatment, click on the comments link below and share it with us.

Sunflower Seed Nutrition

If you're like me, you can stop and gaze for many minutes at a beautiful field or stand of sunflowers, but I bet you didn't know that the nutrition in the lowly sunflower seed packs a healthy wallop.

And if you're like me, you probably used to buy little plastic bags of sunflowers when you were a kid.

You know the kind -- the sunflower seeds were really salty and you'd crack the seed between your front teeth and then chomp down on the delicious kernel while spitting out the husk.

And then your mom would yell at you for spitting and acting common.

I loved those seeds when I was a kid, but, honestly, commercial sunflower seeds in the cellophane bags don't cut the mayonnaise compared to the nutrition in raw and sprouted sunflower seeds.

Talk about good protein, whoa.

The protein in sunflower seeds can't be beat. And sunflower seeds won't clog up your innards like beef steaks and pork chops coagulated in their own grease.

Load a handful of sunflower seeds into a blender the next time you're making a smoothie and you'll see what I mean. Delicious.

And, yes, you can sprinkle them on salads, dribble them onto sandwiches, and plant them on celery and peanut butter sticks.

Raw sunflower seeds make for a tasty mid-afternoon snack too, and they're a lot better for you than a Snickers bar or a Dr. Pepper.

One hint for smoother digestion of these little health powerhouses... Be sure to chew them until they're a liquid because doing so will allow you to better savor the subtle tastes produced by the saliva and sunflower seed combination.

Sprouted sunflower seeds? Whoa, you haven't lived until you've planted a handful of sprouted sunflower seeds on top of a baked potato that you've split down the middle. Better than sour cream and a huge dab of butter.

Well, maybe not quite that good, but close enough and a lot better for your heart and health than commercial dairy from cows violated with growth hormones and all those antibiotics.

Ready to add some real sunflower seeds to your diet?

I hope so.

Click here to read an excellent article with a lot more information about sunflower sprouts and greens.

If you have a recipe or favorite anecdote about sunflower seeds, be sure to use the comment link below to share with fellow readers.

Chet "Sunflower Seed Nutrition" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Weight Lifting Workout

I want to put in a few good words for a basic weight lifting workout, which is one of the best exercise choices for just about everyone.

I added a weightlifting workout to my exercise routine several years ago, and I usually push the iron around two or three days a week.

When I started, I spent about $28 on a basic set of 100 lbs worth of weights at K-Mart. Great price... even came with the bar. So you can get your own weight lifting workout started for minimal dinero.

I set up a corner of my garage as my spa and have been pumping iron ever since. I've added some good muscle to my body and enjoy the redistribution of tissue that seems to come naturally with weightlifting.

No, I don't have power buns. But I do look less and less like a pear back there.

I won't describe actual exercises since you can check out FAQs on the net or buy a magazine at the supermarket or a book. Weight lifting workout routines are easy to find, and I think it's best if each of us discovers for ourselves the exercises we need.

Regarding my optimal exercise program as a whole, I lift three days a week for about 30-40 minutes. On days when I don't lift, I walk and jog for at least 30 minutes. I take Sundays off (and write email health tips and other fun stuff).

Every day, I warm-up with a few minutes of stretching and rebounding.

If you don't have 30-60 minutes a day set aside for some kind of exercise (even if it's just walking in the fresh air instead of a weight lifting workout), then you need to start doing it right now.

I consider exercise one of the three cardinal parts of my health routine!

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Wild Rice Crockpot Recipe

Today I'd like to share a healthy crockpot recipe...

Wild Rice with Cherries, Apricots, and Pecans

1 cup converted white rice
1 cup wild rice -- rinsed and drained
29 ounces canned vegetable broth
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 cup dry sherry (optional)
1 medium onion -- chopped
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tso garlic pepper
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted if desired
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In your slow cooker, mix together the white rice, wild rice, broth, water, sherry, onion, garlic powder, and garlic pepper.

Cover and cook on the low heat setting about five hours, or until the rices are tender but not mushy. Stir in the apricots, cherries, pecans, and parsley. Serve immediately. Makes about 8 to 10 servings.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Soft Drinks Goodbye

At one time, I used to slop down three or four cans of Dr. Pepper every day of my life.

And that was after having three or four cups of coffee every morning.

Not anymore.

These days I only drink pure water or freshly extracted vegetable juices, and I feel a lot better for doing so. My wallet does too.

If you stop drinking all soft drinks today, I guarantee you'll feel significantly better in one week.

Most likely, with life sans soft drinks, your energy levels will increase, your depression will lift, and your kidneys will last longer.

And you'll save all kinds of money.

I mean, seriously, take a second and jot down how many soft drinks you drink each day. Now multiply that number by the cost of each soda. Now multiply that by seven. Then multiply that total by four. And then multiply that number by twelve.

Remarkably, that's how much money you're wasting every year on drinks that do nothing but flood empty calories and addictive caffeine into your body.

Give yourself a break today... drink pure water instead of soft drinks.

And for a healthy treat and smart alternative, have at least one 8-ounce glass of freshly extracted vegetable juice every day.

By the way, if you have a soft drink anecdote to share, just click on the comments link below and start writing.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Healthy Snacks

I'm going to publish an article about healthy snacks in this coming Wednesday's Health & Beyond Weekly, so I thought I'd also provide a good recipe here on the blog.

I learned about this healthy snack from Gerald Pedersen several years ago when he emailed me his recipe for...

Pineapple Bars

20 oz crushed pineapple
2 cups chopped dates
3 cups oats
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup favorite oil

Combine pineapple and dates in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until thickened. Stir frequently. In a large bowl, mix oats, wheat germ, coconut, walnuts, and salt. Stir in juice and oil.

Press half of the oat mixture in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Spread the pineapple mixture on top, then sprinkle on the rest of the oat mixture. Press down lightly.

Bake at 350F degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into squares. Makes 32 healthy snacks.

I hope you'll take a few minutes to share your favorite healthy snack recipe with others. To do so, just click on the comment link below.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Chewy Cookie Tips

It's Friday again, so how about something fun?

Like several of my favorite chewy cookie tips?

Hold onto your socks because here they come...

For chewy cookies, try any of these tips:

• Remove the cookies a few minutes before they are done, while their centers are still soft and not quite cooked through. The edges should be slightly golden but the middle will still look slightly raw.
  
  
• Substitute 1 to 3 tablespoons of liquid sweetener (such as honey, corn syrup or molasses) for an equal measure of sugar. Too much, however, will alter the liquid balance in the recipe.
  
  
• Use egg yolks instead of whole eggs, this will add some extra moistness to the cookies thus helping to be a bit more on the chewy side.
  
  
• Reduce the baking soda or baking powder slightly. Leaveners give cookies a more cakey texture.
  
  
• Reduce the leavening for a lower, flatter cookie that's chewier.

The weekend's almost here. Why not put aside a little time to bake some healthy, chewy cookies?

Oh, you need a recipe for something healthy and chewy.

Okay, no problemo.

Keep reading...

Chewy Carrot Bars Recipe

3 lg eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup pureed carrots
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts

Place eggs, honey, oil, carrots and vanilla in a mixer bowl and mix at medium speed until creamy. Stir flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, raisins and nuts together to blend well, and add to creamy mixture. Mix at medium speed until creamy again. Spread batter evenly in an 11" by 15" jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with pan spray or greased with butter. Bake at 350 F degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until bars are firm in the center. Remove to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut four by seven.

There, now you have no excuse not to make some delicious, healthy, chewy cookies.

Oh, if you have a chewy cookie recipe you'd like to share, click on the comment link below and post away.

Finally, click here if you want 101 of my favorite cookie recipes.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Calorie Restriction

Today I want to tell you why you should go hungry for a change.

Most Americans eat three meals a day and guzzle soft drinks and snack on junk food during many of the rest of their waking hours.

That's why we, as a culture, weigh more than any society in the history of the earth.

And most Americans feel tired and blue a lot of the time.

If you're not happy and energetic and feeling on top of your game before you sit down for your next meal, try calorie restriction by skipping that meal.

It's amazing how much better you'll feel.

This simple solution of calorie restriction to defeat the blahs sounds weird, I know, but it works in most cases, and it's a lot cheaper than pigging out on two big Macs, a coke, and an order of nasty fries cremated in sickening hydrogenated oils.

Luigi Cornaro figured this out back in 14th century Italy, for Pete's sake. Click here to read what he had to say in one of his four famous discourses on how to lead a healthy life.

So practice calorie restriction several times a week to give your stomach and digestive system a break. Even they need a rest from a meal once in a while.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Everybody loves healthy cookies, right?

Well, today I have an excellent recipe for you for...

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp heaping baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 medium egg
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour (or spelt)
1/3 cup white grape juice concentrate
1/3 cup favorite oil
1/2 cup grated carrot
3/4 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, sunflower seeds, filberts, almonds)

Combine all wet ingredients, stir well.

Sift together all dry ingredients except nuts, and then add to wet ingredients, again stirring well.

Add chopped nuts last and stir to mix in. Let sit for about fifteen minutes. Then drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375F degrees for 12 minutes.

You can freeze these soft, cake-like cookies or you can store them in a tight container in the refrigerator. Either way, they're so good, they'll go in a hurry!

If you have a healthy cookie recipe you'd like to share, use the comment link below and have at it.

And if you'd like to subscribe to my popular Amazing Cookies newsletter, click here.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Sugar Addiction

How to Overcome Sugar Addiction:
Say No for One Week and Feel Great

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, per capita consumption of added sugars has risen by 28% since 1983. The average American consumes at least 64 pounds of sugar per year, and the average teenage boy at least 109 pounds.

Consuming the typical amount of white sugar makes most people moody or hyper or cranky or nasty or just plain sick.

Scientific studies funded by the sugar industry "prove" that white sugar won't hurt us one lick and is supposedly good for us.

Baloney.

Be your own scientific study and try this simple experiment...

Remove all white sugar from your diet for seven days and amaze yourself at how much better you'll feel at the end of that period. Be sure to check with your doctor before trying this if you are diabetic or have any kind of health problems related to sugar intake.

More disturbing sugar facts from the CSPI:

• The typical American gets 16% of his or her calories from added sugars.
  
  
• Children aged 6 to 11 get 18% of their calories from added sugars.
  
  
• Teenagers (12 to 19) get 20% of their calories from added sugars.
  
  
• USDA projects that if consumption trends continue, added-sugars intake will increase almost 20% between 1996 and 2005.
  
  
• People who consume diets high in added sugars consume lower levels of fiber; vitamins A, C, E, and folate; magnesium; calcium; and other nutrients. By displacing protective nutrients and foods in the diet, added sugars may increase the risk of osteoporosis, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease and other health problems.
  
  
• Calorie-dense foods, which are typically high in sugar and/or fat, contribute to obesity. Between 1976-80 and 1988-94, overweight rates in teenage boys rose from 5% to 12%, in teenage girls from 7% to 11%, and in adults from 25% to 35%. If you think the obesity trend hasn't continued, stop and look at the people around you when you're outside today.

I repeat the point of today's blog entry...

Remove all refined sugar (read the labels on everything you eat and purchase) out of your diet for one week and see how much better you feel and act without the stuff in your body.

Interestingly enough, some doctors were onto the dangers of refined sugar almost a hundred years ago. Click here to read what these old boys said many, many years ago about sugar addiction.

If you try the No Sugar for a Week challenge, come back when you finish and post your results below by clicking on the comment link.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Mango Salsa Recipe

Don't you think Friday is a perfect day for a healthy mango salsa recipe?

Well, I do, and here it is...

Healthy Mango Salsa

2 large mangos, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 Tbs red onion, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
1-2 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp jalapeno pepper, chopped, or a pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste)

Mix and serve with your favorite corn chips.

If you have a favorite healthy salsa recipe you'd like to share, please click on the comment link below and post it right now.

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com

Avocado Nutrition

Today I'd like to share a few words about one of my favorite health foods -- the simple avocado, a natural source of excellent nutrition.

The avocado is a mainstay in vegan and vegetarian health programs and rightfully so because, according to the California Avocado Commission...

• Avocados provide more than 25 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid.
  
  
• One-fifth of a medium avocado or about one ounce is 55 calories, but contributes beneficial nutrients such as fiber, potassium, Vitamin E and lutein to the diet.
  
  
• One-fifth of a medium avocado provides beneficial phytochemicals such as glutathione, beta-sitosterol, and lutein. Phytonutrients are thought to help prevent many chronic diseases.
  
  
• Avocados act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

Avocados digest easily when mixed with cooked or raw vegetables and also digest well with starches (like chips or whole grain bread).

I especially like to blend avocado with fruits like apple, mango, banana, and others for terrific smoothies.

And, hey, most of us misplace an avocado on occasion, so, the next time you have a rotten avocado, don't throw it out.

Instead, mash it up and put it in your dry hair. Cover with a plastic bag and wrap your head with a towel for a deep conditioning treatment. Leave on for 30 minutes or more, then shampoo.

Now that's using your head to get your money's worth out of avocado nutrition, eh?

Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com