Health Benefits of Fennel

I know this is really random, every once in a while I will find an article that I really like, and would like to keep for future reference. I am glad to learn all this, I cook with fennel daily. This is borrowed from the diet promise blog

Fennel's small yellow umbel's seem to dance in the breeze off the coast of the Mediterranean. The plant is only native in that part of the world but now grows in most places as a naturalized herb. In early Greek history fennel was widely used as a weight control product. British herbalist Culpeper wrote fennel plant "are much used in drink or broth to make people lean that are too fat". Before you run out to the store to buy fennel seed it has not been studied to see if it actually has any appetite suppressant qualities to it.

All parts of the fennel plant are considered safe for human consumption and it is widely used in culinary dishes for a nutty flavoring. Fennel tea has a soothing effect on the stomach, making it widely used for a multitude of digestion issues. In fact, many herbalist will recommend that fennel be used along with flax seed as part of a daily regime to a healthy body. Due to the nutty flavoring it suits itself well to be sprinkled on salads and soups for an easy way to add fennel to your diet.

The only known side effect of fennel being ingested is with nursing mothers. It is believed it will help increase the flow of milk when nursing. It has been used in this way since the days of Hippocrates and Dioscorides. They recommended that nursing mothers chew on the seeds as you would celery to keep the flow of milk progressing as the baby required more milk. It was also believed during the medieval time that fennel would help break up kidney stones, cure the hiccups, prevent gout and nausea, clear the liver and lungs of mucus, and was an antidote to poisonous mushrooms.

Fennel tea water was used to help the digestive systems of infants, especially colicky ones. It was brewed and steeped for 20 minutes then strained and allowed to cool to a room temperature. Mothers of infants with colic may wish to try the fennel water in a bottle during periods of extreme gas and digestive problems.

The tea is also thought to expel worms. The tea is suggested to drink one cup every four hours to expel the parasite. It is also used as a gargle to freshen breath and as an eye wash to clear up many forms of eye irritants.

Avoiding simulated foods

I am sucker for anything that's labeled healthy, organic, or contained vegetable or fruits. I Was so proud of myself when my toddler started eating veggie stick chips. Little did I know this product only has a sprinkle of vegetable powder. Here is a list of foods that pretend to be healthy. Note to self avoid smart and simulated foods, best way to do this is educate yourself and stick to natural foods that grow from the ground well... it turns out that our food is no longer natural. Just watch a movie that was filmed in the 80's everyone was so slim, and healthy looking, small 25 inch waist line, athletic. All you have to do now is go to the store, everyone is overweight, clearly there is something wrong with what we are eating.

Green life

Week 1

My green smoothie journey is going great, My energy level is up, my mind is clearer. Haven't seen any significant weight loss, it's only week 1. My grocery list is healthier and great for my wallet veggies are not as expensive as some processed foods. Experimenting with different veggie/fruit recipes. Oh plus I cut carbs, cookies, cakes off my diet, basically all the crap that pretends to be food. This is December 2017 I am hoping I should see significant change in 2 months, Feb. 2018. Will stay on this wagon, I cannot fail, I have to do this, I owe it to myself.

A pic is worth a thousand words be inspired.

Smoothie formulas from the experts

Thought this chart gives a breakdown of what works and the benefits. The idea however is to try all kinds of different formulas so long as it tastes good. Hello Glow

Live a healthier life

I have been meaning to loose those extra pounds after the babies. They say your muscles have memory, been wondering why mine don't remember being 115 pounds. Tried all kinds of diets, any diets that suggest any kind of fruit or veggie limitations turn me off. I love fruits and veggies I can't live without them. I watched this documentary about juicing fruits and veggies for 60 days. No I am not taking that route. I am thinking, something more sustainable. Juicing daily, cutting off starch and processed sugars. I believe introducing more fruits and veggies into my diet will help my body detox. I am doing this for 21 days. Will keep posting on how my body changes thru the process. And hopefully this can be a long term life changing experience.

Day 1.

I love cooked kale I have always wanted to try a kale smoothie, but never really found the right mix and ended up with a very disgusting drink. Today I blended some Kale, mixed berries, a banana and pineapples. It was delish! the ingredient that made it so good was the pineapple and ginger. It smelt good too. Day one went smoothly, I also had a small bowl of mixed veggies, I felt that I needed something to chew on, so I don't starve.

Must also exercise daily. I do intense Zumba on Fridays and Saturday evenings. The rest of the week I try to go swimming, hiking or walking. I am learning tahiti hura, Kizomba and Hula (love it so graceful).