Pork Tenderloin

Not exactly kosher or particularly healthy, but this recipe sure tastes good.

If you enjoyed Josh's last video, you're sure to like this one.



Chet

Crockpot Video Recipe

Hey, good news today.

My son Josh uploaded his first crockpot recipe video to YouTube.

To save you a little surfing time, I've embedded the video below.



Now, that's fun, eh?

Chet "Crockpot Recipes" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

P.S. Be sure to bookmark Josh's CrockPot Recipe blog. He adds a favorite recipe at least once a week.

Two Diet Tips

Well, this beautiful Monday morning here in North Carolina I'd like to share two diet tips with you:

1. Never eat standing up. One of the easiest ways to sabotage your diet is to 'eat without thinking'. Treat eating with the respect that it deserves. Fix yourself a plate. Sit down and eat properly. You'll be less likely to just pop food into your mouth without paying attention.
   
   
2. Spread your meals out. When you eat three meals a day, your body tends to store whatever it doesn't need right that moment. By adopting a 'grazing' habit, you'll keep your metabolism working throughout the day. Have a small breakfast, a piece of fruit with crackers or toast at mid-morning, a light lunch and an 'after school snack' mid-afternoon. Just remember that you're breaking up the same amount of food into smaller meals, not ADDING more food into your daily diet.

Pretty easy, huh?

I took these two diet tips from an article on our new website, DietFatLossTips.com -- check it out!

Chet "Diet Tips" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Self Improvement 101

Hey, I'm happy to report today that our latest website and free newsletter is now online at

http://selfimprovement101.com

On SelfImprovement101.com, you'll find dozens of thought-provoking articles and products you can use to build a happy, peaceful, and productive life.

While you're at the site's home page, be sure to sign up for a free subscription to our NewSelf Growth Tips newsletter.

As a subscriber, during the first four weeks, you'll learn the following self-growth techniques that will make your life happier and more productive:

• How to Refocus Negative Thoughts
  
• How to Rapidly Relax
• How to Let Go of Anger Instantly
• How to Go Quickly to Sleep

Mosey on over to SelfImprovement101.com and check it out now, eh? :)

Chet "Self-Growth" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

How to Refocus Your Thoughts

Today I'd like to share an excellent technique you can use to refocus your thoughts any time you want to.

In these crazy days of economic bailouts for the rich and powerful while the rest of us struggle to keep our heads above water, being able to change negative thoughts to positive thoughts is an important skill to have.

Well, in today's blog entry, I'm going to show you precisely how to develop that important survival skill by sharing a few paragraphs from one of my favorite self-help books...

HOW TO REFOCUS YOUR THOUGHTS

By Patrick J. Ryan
Excerpted from Five Steps to Personal Power

For the next three weeks, try the following.

Whenever you have a choice in a personal situation (and you always do have a choice), consciously assume that the situation is in your control rather than control being located in an external source; take a proactive, solution-centered posture rather than a reactive, problem-centered one.

This can be accomplished by turning your normal thought patterns on their head.

Whenever you catch yourself thinking "she (he, it, they) did this to me," consciously change the statement to "I did this to me."

Instead of moaning helplessly, "Why won't they give me a raise?" ask, "What needs accomplishing around here, and how can I contribute?"

Rather than the unproductively negative question, "What is wrong with this relationship?" substitute the more positive, generous response, "What can I give to this relationship?"

Try to be vigilant and catch every instance of disempowering thinking, and change each one into a more empowering thought focused on your assuming total responsibility for the particular situation.

Even if you are unconvinced that this can work for you, try it: you have nothing to lose but your powerlessness.

Three weeks is enough to convince most people that taking responsibility works.

I choose to take responsibility.

This above statement is the first, and most important, principle of empowerment. Without it, empowerment simply can't happen.

Note from Chet
Professor Patrick J. Ryan is the author of Five Steps to Personal Power.

You can use the simple and effective techniques in Professor Ryan's book to take charge of your life.

If you're bored with your life, unhappy, not earning enough money, and ready to either hang it up or make empowering changes, Patrick Ryan will teach you effective techniques that work.

That's it for today.

Chet "I Know How to Refocus My Thoughts" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Tom Venuto's New Hardcover Book: The Body Fat Solution

Review by Josh Day

Reading Tom Venuto's book caused me to come to a self-realization.

In high school I lettered in three varsity sports one year. I ran cross country every year in the fall and we'd often run three to five miles a day with the occasional sprint training and running over rugged terrain. We had a meet at least once a week at various schools, parks, or trails.

My freshman year of college my BMI -- body mass index -- came out at five percent. I was in the best shape of my life but I felt like a strong wind could knock me over because I believed, no matter what I tried, I could not gain weight or bulk up.

Ten years later, here I am, ten pounds over my once desired weight. I'm still unsatisfied, but I'm at the other end of the spectrum: I want to shed those ten pounds instead of gaining them.

Tom's new book, The Body Fat Solution, made me look at both my past and present self. One of the most important facets of maintaining a healthy weight is your belief system.

Tom writes:

Beliefs are not only involved directly in the mind-body connection, they're also unconscious programs that control your behavior. Empowering beliefs can be a force that drives you to success beyond your wildest dreams. Limited beliefs, however, can put a cap on your level of achievement, stop you from taking action, or sabotage the best plans.

I knew the mental factor of weight loss and exercise was important, but I never appreciated how critical it actually is until The Body Fat Solution laid it all out in common sense, practical terms.

Speaking of common sense...

In The Body Fat Solution, you'll learn:

• How to stop being fooled by crap and hype: lose x amount of pounds in x amount of days, burn fat with pills, lose weight while sitting on the couch, etc. If it sounds too good to be true, it most certainly is. Tom explains how it's scientifically impossible for some of these claims to be real while he outlines a realistic, empowering, and FLEXIBLE program that's tailored to the individual.
• The importance of setting realistic goals which lead to a workout schedule that works for you. If you hate going to the gym as much as I do, this is the book and program for you.
• A nutrition program that doesn't sound like it's coming out of the Third Reich. You needn't worry about embarking on a radical diet.
• All things in moderation. No rigid calorie counting, extreme food restrictions, or strict workouts here. Tom presents a handful of simple guidelines that can be incorporated into any lifestyle.
• The many myths and outright lies of the weight loss and exercise industry. This chapter alone will open many people's eyes to the frauds, sweeping statements, and outright lies depicted as truth. For example, "Dietary fat makes you gain body fat," and "carbs make you fat" are thoroughly debunked.
• The potential for success and danger for sabotage within your social network. The people you live with, work with, and count as friends may be one of the best tools for success or the greatest danger. Tom identifies these destructive archetypes (like "the hedonist," the guy who's always encouraging you to go out for a late night drink and preaches "live hard, die young, leave a good-looking corpse") and advises you how to immunize yourself from their negativity.
• Exercises ranging from clearly described and depicted warm-ups, dumbbell workouts, and body weight exercises. As stated before, no need for a gym membership.

What spoke to me the most about The Body Fat Solution is the flexibility of the program. It's not all or nothing, or losing two pounds every week, or sticking to a hardcore workout schedule that makes you hate exercise.

In fact my wife, who has little background in athletics, was so impressed by the book and openness of Tom's approach that she plans on formulating her own program for her own needs. She had a baby in February 2007 and would like to tone her stomach. This was the first time she's ever been interested in a weight training and nutrition program.

And, you know, if I had to recommend this book to only one of the genders, I'd recommend it to women -- simply because women could benefit so much with Tom's program.

So many women -- like Leah, my wife -- believe things about exercise that are just untrue, or they're put off by weight training due to the whole musclehead/Gold's Gym image. Tom examines each of these beliefs and misconceptions and reveals how his program will not turn a woman into a professional wrestler.

In The Body Fat Solution, the exercise tool of choice is the humble dumbbell, which is about as intimidating as a yoga ball.

Speaking of yoga, if you practice yoga regularly and enjoy it, you'll be surprised to see many of the depicted exercises are duplicates or very similar to your familiar poses!

The Body Fat Solution strips away years of bad advice and false beliefs while empowering you with realistic goals and an understanding of how your body works, how muscles and fat work, and why diets and exercise programs in the past may not have netted you the results you desired.

Click here to read more about The Body Fat Solution and to order.

Compassion Meditation

Today I'd like to share a compassion meditation from my EarthRain meditation newsletter:

We start with a wonderful insight from Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, who observes...

When you are guided by compassion and loving kindness, you are able to look deeply into the heart of reality and see the truth.

We'll work with this insight in today's compassion meditation.

Step by step, here's what to do...

Sit in a comfortable chair or on your meditation cushion, and then take several long, slow, deep breaths.

Repeat the long, slow, deep breaths until you feel your mind and body shifting into a much lower gear. You'll recognize this when it happens because everything will suddenly seem much more clear to you.

Once you've calmed and centered yourself with the deep breathing, visualize the sorriest, most pathetic, appalling human being you've ever seen.

In your mind's eye, focus in on as many details of this person as you can.

When you're practically shuddering with disgust at the mental image, stop.

Now, shift... and send toward this mental image every iota of love and compassion in your body and soul.

If you're doing this technique correctly, a dramatic wave of peace and bliss will wash through you.

It may be intense enough to give you goose bumps or to even send a shudder of joy through your body.

That's the power of compassion and loving kindness.

It works.

And it's available to you every second of your life.

Every second.

All you have to do is breathe in, stop, open the valve to your limitless compassion and loving kindness and let it wash through you.

Then share it by breathing it out into the world.

Pure joy and bliss.

It's that simple.

Until next time, wash the world with love and please share this compassion meditation with others.

Chet Day
Editor, EarthRain Meditations
Editor, The Natural Health Circus

Greedy Bastards

My God, the Thanksgiving and Christmas craziness in this country is cranking up again.

I don't know about you, but during this time of the year I often wish I lived alone in a cave in the mountains of Siberia or something.

Does Siberia have mountains?

Hell, I don't know.

But that doesn't matter anyway.

What does matter is the new stuff we have for you on our website.

We have two articles this week that I consider "must reading."

The first one is on the topic of sleeping positions, and I know you'll find it as interesting a read as I did.

We can thank Josh Day for writing that one.

We can also thank Josh for the second article, which deals with the most recent cynical attempt by the greedy bastards in the pharmaceutical and medical establishments to get even healthy people on prescription drugs for life.

Prescription drugs, I might add, that have dangerous side effects.

And if you don't believe me on that one, ask your doctor why you have to have your liver tested regularly when you're on their statins.

Duh.

You have to have your liver tested because statins are so toxic!

And if you still don't believe me, check out the excellent article devoted to statins side effects at The Weston A. Price Foundation website.

Anyway, I'm starting to rant, so I'll put a plug in it and instead let you scroll down to the links and descriptions of the new articles on our website this week.

How Sleep Positions Affect Your Slumber
Lack of sleep, as well as troubled or shallow sleep, can lead to health problems and fatigue during the day. Even if you don't have insomnia, you may not be getting adequate sleep due to your sleeping position.

Healthy People Should Take Statins, Media Says
So says a recent study, funded by the statin drug makers themselves. That's right, healthy people with "normal" cholesterol levels will benefit by taking their drug. Remember Vioxx, anyone?

Five Foods for a Healthy Digestive System
If you have G.I. problems, you may benefit from including one or more of the following five foods in your diet - all of which are rich in nutrients that are particularly important to the health of your digestive system.

Tim Russert: Would Fish Oils Have Saved His Life?
Dr. Jay Cohen writes, Russert had some signs of heart disease and was receiving standard medical treatment. Treatment included medications for reducing elevated blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. These therapies are not particularly useful in preventing sudden cardiac death.

That's it for now.

Chet "Sleep Positions" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Talk to Yourself

This beautiful Monday morning I want to share an extract from a comprehensive self-improvement book that I've found useful in my life.

In this extract, you'll learn how to talk to yourself to improve your health.

Whoa!

The book's title is Five Steps to Personal Power and was written by a psychologist named Patrick Ryan.

Here's what Dr. Ryan has to say about self talk...

Even though there are twenty-four hours in a day, I don't believe that all time is created equal. I am convinced that what happens to us during both the first and last ten minutes of each day is inordinately important.

An athlete would not dream of starting a physical activity without first stretching and warming up. Similarly, we need to psychologically stretch and warm up each morning before starting our day. Following is the psychological warm-up that I use every morning.

Wake-Up Stretch

Set your alarm clock for five minutes before you actually need to get out of bed. Or, better, eliminate the need for alarm clocks by learning to auto-suggest a wake-up time when you go to bed at night. In any case, it is important to wake up gently, without feeling rushed. Before you get out of bed, ask (and answer) these three questions:

What do I have to be thankful for?

What do I have to look forward to today?

What can I do today to move me closer to my goals?

If you wake up in the morning and ask a question like "Oh God, another day: why me, Lord?" the super-computer will spend the rest of the day validating those questions. But the opposite is also possible. If you ask questions like, "What do I have to look forward to today?" the super-computer will make every attempt to validate that question. So the choice is really yours: you can either program your super-computer with garbage, or program it with empowering thoughts and questions.

Morning Pep Talk/Mirror Talk

This technique is simple, yet so very powerful, if you try it for even one week, I bet you will see results. Within the first fifteen minutes each morning, put yourself in front of a mirror. Your morning Pep-Talk should be very brief (10-15 seconds), should have some humor in it, and should be positive. You should also make certain that you establish unbroken eye contact with yourself in the mirror.

A sample morning Pep-Talk might go something like this: "Good morning, you good-looking devil. This is going to be a fabulous day, and I'm going to make the most of it. I am really looking forward to working on that project today. I'll be unbeatable."

Another idea is to use a water-soluble pen to write an inspirational or motivational word, sentence, or short quote on your mirror. This kind of "mirror talk" is a surprisingly powerful method to program your super-computer in a positive way.

Note from Chet: I use many of the simple but highly effective self-improvement techniques found in Dr. Ryan's Five Steps to Personal Power and I bet you'd find them helpful too.

Oh, if you have a self-improvement tip you'd like to share, scroll down a bit to the "Comments" link and give it a click and then type away to your heart's content.

Chet "I Talk to Myself Constantly" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Right to Die

With my 61st birthday not too far around the corner, I find that lately I've been giving some thought to doing what I can to make sure I clock out of this life the way I want to clock out and not how somebody in a white coat thinks I should go.

I know I'm in a minority, but I've believed since I was like six years old that each of us has the natural right to choose how and when we die.

I've never written about the right to die in America before though I thought about doing so several years ago when my parents passed away.

I miss my mother and father and think of them often, but I feel lucky because both of them died without having to undergo the pain, expense, and indignities associated with protracted illnesses and hospital horrors and nightmares.

You see, I believe that each of us should have 100% control over when and how we die.

Sadly, most of us don't have that control here in America.

Even if we have living wills, audio taped directions, and loud, aggressive relatives who know what we want, the chances are if we end up in a hospital to die, the doctors and hospital lawyers are going to make the decisions about how we check out.

Well, today I want to tell you about an empowering book written by a lawyer named William H. Colby.

Entitled Unplugged: Reclaiming Our Right to Die in America, this book is the most sane and thorough presentation I've ever seen on the topic of death in America.

If you were as appalled as I was by the manipulation, political exploitation, and general insanity surrounding the Terri Schiavo case, you'll have a much better understanding of exactly what happened to her (and to others like her) by reading Unplugged.

The most frightening fact of the matter is that exactly the same thing that happened to Terri Schiavo could happen to most of us because we haven't made the proper "just in case" preparations.

You see, contrary to common belief, living wills are ignored all too often by the men and women in the white coats running the hospitals and making decisions for their patients.

Happily, the author of Unplugged provides in the appendix of his book a powerful supplement and/or alternative to living wills. Colby, you see, includes for your use a blank copy of his personal Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions, a legal document designed by a lawyer who has been involved in some of the major right to die cases of our times.

Colby represented the family of Nancy Cruzan in the first right-to-die case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. He has appeared on Larry King Live, Hardball, Frontline, Today, CBS This Morning, and many national news network programs.

David Milch, creator of Deadwood and NYPD Blue, writes,

"Unplugged's story-telling captures one's attention while its scope and clarity command thoughtful concern. As we seek to exercise control in some aspects of circumstances in which control is often hard-won or illusory, this book's ultimate message is both insightful and reassuring. It should be read by everyone at the risk for dying."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Click here to visit the publisher's website, where you can read a bit more about Unplugged and/or order a copy for your health library.

As far as I'm concerned, if you're interested in having some control when it's time for you to pass on, this is a must read.

If you have something you'd like to say on this topic, you can comment below.

Chet "I'll Check Out on My Terms" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Simple Snack Cookies

It's Saturday, two days before the official start of Fall.

I'm running out of writing steam at the moment, so I'll keep today's blog recipe short and sweet.

Chet's Simple Snack Cookies

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins (soak overnight)
1 cup chopped raw cashews (or other nuts)
Raw organic honey

Combine the first three ingredients and then add honey until you have a consistency that you like.

You can either bake these babies at 325F until slightly brown or you can pop them into the frig and eat them uncooked.

These cookies are great tasting and good for you, too.

The recipe is easily modified, so tinker and play around and create variations to amuse and delight your family and friends!

By the way, here at CasaDay, when we make these simple, healthy snack cookies, we use organic raw honey and delicious raw cashews that we order from Dr. Ben Kim.

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

Raw Honey Cashew Treat

It's Saturday afternoon as I write these words, and my fingers are sticking to the keyboard because I just finished eating a deliriously good and healthy snack, what I call...

Chet's Raw Honey Cashew Treat

1 handful of raw cashews
1 jar of raw honey

Open jar of of honey. Take one large raw cashew in hand and dip into honey. Let excess honey drain into jar. Insert honey-dipped nut in mouth and chew slowly and thoroughly.

Whoa, talk about a little taste of heaven right here on earth!

I mean, seriously, I've been traveling in the natural health circus since 1993, and this little concoction ranks right up there with the top five healthy snacks I've stumbled upon or created during all those years.

You can make this snack with cashews and honey you have on hand, but if you want to enjoy it in its delirious glory, I recommend ordering both cashews and honey from Dr. Ben Kim's website.

That's where I ordered mine, and if I continue to gobble cashews dipped in honey the way I've been doing it this past week, I'm going to have to make a new order soon.

Here are links to the cashews and honey my family and I eat...

Dr. Ben Kim's 100% Organic Honey

Dr. Kim's product is the sweetest and richest-tasting honey that's ever been in my 60-year old mouth.

I've been ordering and trying various raw honey brands for over 15 years now.

Sadly, I've been disappointed in almost all instances. In fact, the majority of the honey brands I've tried during that time weren't a whole lot better tasting than what I could buy at local farmer's markets.

With one notable exception -- several two gallon containers of a fabulous creamed raw honey I ordered from a family in Montana just before Y2K.

Well, I have to say that Dr. Kim's 100% organic honey is better tasting and far less expensive than the Y2K stash of raw honey that we'd consumed by 2003.

I also have to say that Dr. Kim's offering for sale the best organic cashews I've ever eaten.

Dr. Ben Kim's Raw Organic Cashews

I ordered four bags of these when I learned that Dr. Kim had added them to his catalog because cashews are my favorite nut.

The first bag of cashews I bought from Dr. Kim's site disappeared -- with the help of my wife -- in three days.

And at the rate I'm going now that I tried dipping these huge, delicious cashews in Dr. Kim's honey, the second bag will be gone in two days.

Anyway, try dipping cashews in honey.

After you've done so, you may well want share your thoughts on the Raw Honey Cashew Treat by using the "Comments" link below.

And share a healthy snack tip, too, if you have one.

Chet "Cashew Nutjob" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Easy Headache Relief

Today I want to share three easy headache relief methods I've learned over the years:

Let's start with this headache relief technique from Leslie N, who writes...

Whenever I get a headache, the first thing I do is wonder if I have been getting enough water. I'm terrible about that, and find if I get a little dehydrated it causes headaches, so my simple natural remedy is to drink water!

[Chet's Note: My experience with this approach is that it takes at least two eight-ounce glasses of water in a row to help a nagging headache.]

The second headache relief remedy comes from RFMom, who tells us...

If I get a headache my husband presses very hard on the acupuncture pressure point in between my thumb and first finger joint.

That point is about an inch back from the V where thumb and first finger join.

This WORKS instantly, like an on/off switch.

For some reason I can't do it for myself, though.

And Tom DeR provides us with his approach for headache relief...

I found Peppermint tea and Rosemary tea are excellent for headaches. You can read more about it in Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss.

Well, instead of three, why not four headache remedies?

Personally, on those occasions when I get a headache from working too long at the computer, I lay down and put on a pair of headphones and listen to my popular Cat's Purr CD with a cold pack on my forehead. Ah, relief!

If you have a favorite home remedy for headaches, I hope you'll take a few minutes and share it with Natural Health Circus blog readers. Just click on the "Comments" link below and start typing.

Chet "Headache Relief" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Healthy Raw Muesli

First, a little history lesson for those of you who've never heard of Muesli, which is pronounced properly as 'mju:zli.

Oh, that was a big help, wasn't it?

Anyway, natural health physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner created Muesli for patients in his Swiss healing clinic around 1900.

A major part of Bircher-Benner's therapy involved the use of a diet featuring plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. His healing diet was inspired by something he'd been served while hiking in the Alps, a food he called a "strange dish.

If you're old enough, you may remember when the cereal giants discovered Muesli in the 1960's and first started advertising their highly processed knock-off versions of the real thing.

Well, serious performers in the natural health circus make their own Muesli, and now I'm going to tell you exactly how to do it...

Healthy Raw Muesli

You're allowed to experiment with different ingredients for variety. Below you'll find a good basic recipe to work with.

1 cup organic rolled oats
1/2 cup organic rolled spelt
1/2 cup organic rolled triticale
1/2 cup organic rolled kamut or barley
1/4 cup chopped organic dates
1/4 cup organic raisins, currants, cherries, goji berries, or cranberries
1 dried organic apricot or pear, chopped (roll in oat flour to prevent stickiness)
1/4 cup raw, whole, organic unblanched almonds
1/4 cup raw organic cashews
8-10 organic raw filberts
4 organic raw pecans

In a blender or spice/nut grinder, grind filberts and pecans into coarse crumbs or powder, depending on preference. Combine all ingredients in an airtight container. For each serving, place a heaping 1/3 cup in a bowl and top with your favorite healthy liquid (nut milk, raw milk, juice, etc.)

You're not going to find a muesli or breakfast cereal at the supermarket that could touch this recipe with a thirty-foot pole, believe me.

In fact, you could sell this stuff at flea markets and probably earn a nice little supplemental income.

And that's all I have to say about that.

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

Watermelon Tip

If you're anything like me, you love cold watermelon, especially after mowing the lawn or jogging for a half hour.

Unfortunately, watermelon is most nutritious at room temperature.

No kidding.

You see, watermelon ripens and continues to build up healthy antioxidants after it's picked.

And cold temperatures put an end to that process.

So keep your watermelon on the kitchen counter until you're ready for that first great big serving. At that point, slice that melon open and dig in with both hands.

Or use a spoon if you're dining with the Queen or descendants of the Vanderbilts.

After everyone in the family has had their fill, if there's any left, store your newly cut watermelon in the refrigerator.

Whoa, I want some right now. How about you? :)

Chet "Watermelon Lover" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Apricot Pecan Cookies

Today I'd like to share a recipe from Sheryl, one of my newsletter subscribers, who learned it from a friend.

This excellent recipe for a healthy raw cookie was first published in February of 2005 in my Amazing Cookies newsletter, so it's a classic:

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 (optional)

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 from Sheryl

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

Comment from Chet

Yes, you'll have to get your hands messy to make this recipe, but, believe me, the results are worth it. You're not going to find a healthy cookie like this at your local supermarket!

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

Celery is a Superfood

Hurray, science is gradually catching up with what Natural Health Circus readers have known for a long time -- that the lowly celery is in actuality a superfood.

Researchers, you see, are learning in on-going studies that celery generates luteolin and diosmin, two important compounds that help fight degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's.

Luteolin and diosmin appear to block inflammation that causes brains to start shrinking and dying. In experiments on mice with Alzheimer's, luteolin and diosmin reduced the levels of amyloid beta, which forms the sticky deposits that build up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We know a healthy balanced diet can reduce dementia risk. This work reinforces the need to eat a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.”

Well, I don't know about you, but I eat celery every day of my life and usually consume four or five big stalks with some hummus as a mid-afternoon snack.

During the spring and summer, I like nothing better than to drink 16 or so ounces of freshly extracted celery juice after mowing the lawn.

I know of no better mineral replacement drink than fresh celery juice.

And, happily, unlike so many veggies these days, celery is still a pretty good buy.

If you don't have celery in your diet, today is a good time to change that, isn't it? :)

Chet "Celery Lover" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

5 Happiness Tips

The following tips on how to be happy are so simple-minded, you may be tempted to not try them.

That would be a major mistake because these techniques were scientifically documented and verified by a British "happiness team" that included psychologist Dr Richard Stevens, psychotherapist Brett Kahr, work place specialists Jessica Pryce-Jones and Philippa Chapman, social entrepreneur Andrew Mawson OBE and Richard Reeves, whose expertise spans philosophy, public policy and economics.

Here are five steps to happiness that the team identified:

1) Plant something and nurture it.

2) Count your blessings -- at least five -- at the end of each day.

3) Take time to talk and have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week.

4) Phone a friend whom you have not spoken to for a while and arrange to meet up.

5) Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it.

I don't care how busy you are, you can find a couple minutes in your day to try these five happiness tips.

So do it, by golly!

And if you have a tip on how to be happy, please use the "Comments" link below to share it with readers of The Natural Health Circus. :)

Chet "Mr. Happy" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Cabbage for Health

Cabbage isn't exactly the most glamorous or romantic of vegetables, but it is one of the healthier, and you should be eating the stuff on a regular basis.

If you want a healthy crockpot recipe with cabbage, try this one...

Pritiken's Potato Stuffed Cabbage

1 head cabbage
5 lb potatoes -- peeled
2 onions
1/2 cup rice, raw
1 tsp dill, dried
1/4 tsp black pepper -- ground
2 egg whites
1 can tomatoes (28 oz)
1 apple -- peeled and sliced
1/4 tsp ginger, dried -- ground

Parboil cabbage and separate the leaves. Slice off part of the heavy stalk of each leaf by slicing parallel to the leaf (do not cut into the leaf).

Grate potatoes, small inner leaves of cabbage, and one of the onions. Mix together. Add rice, dill, and black pepper. Beat egg whites until frothy and add to potato mixture.

Set aside two or three of the largest leaves. Fill each remaining cabbage leaf with approximately 2 Tbs. of the potato mixture. Fold up bottom of leaf, then fold in the sides, and roll up. Secure with toothpick if necessary.

Slice the reserved leaves and line the bottom of crockpot with them. Slice second onion and layer on top of cabbage. Add tomatoes, apple, and ginger. Place rolled stuffed cabbages into pot.

Cook at low heat for 4 to 5 hours.

The Cabbage Soup Diet

One more quick suggestion that's cabbage related...

The 7-day Cabbage Soup Diet works -- in the short term, anyway.

And there's a purity to it, especially in summer when it's wonderfully refreshing served ice cold. Ingredient proportions can be varied according to your likes and dislikes.

If you're interested in the popular The Cabbage Soup fad diet, yes, we have it on our website. Just click here to read all about it.

Chet "Cabbage Eater" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog

Olive Oil and Your Colon

Most health authorities agree that consuming a high-fiber diet helps keep the colon free from disease.

The reason for that is obvious -- like a broom, fiber cleans the intestines while helping to prevent constipation.

Well, in addition to fiber, I bet you didn't know that having a little olive oil each day may also help keep your colon healthy by lowering your risk of colon cancer.

Olive oil contains a high concentration of squalene, which, according to studies, gives olive oil its cancer-fighting powers.

So keep your colon healthy and happyl by adding a tablespoon of olive oil to your salad everyday.

What's that you say?

You'd like to have a tasty salad dressing recipe using olive oil?

Done!

Healthy Moroccan Salad Dressing

2 Tbs lemon juice or wine vinegar
8 Tbs olive oil
4 small garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp sweet red pepper or Hungarian paprika
1/8 tsp hot red pepper (cayenne)
Salt and black pepper
4 Tbs Italian parsley, chopped
4 Tbs cilantro, chopped

Mix together all the ingredients and let sit for a while to allow the flavors to marry. Then use.

Yes, you're right. The above recipe came from our popular collection, 101 Healthy Salad Dressings!

Chet "Clean Colon" Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com/blog