Do you know that when carrots are consumed raw, they release only 3% of beta carotene? On the other hand, cooked carrots which are pulped (like for creamy soup) release 39% of beta carotene. A powerful antioxidant known to fight cancer, beta carotene is metabolised in the body as Vitamin A in the presence of human bile salts. Besides antioxidants, carrots are a good source of minerals and fibre. All these help to build the immune system. Carrots are also a dietary source of phytoestrogens, weak estrogen mimics which can help to fill estrogen receptor sites which would otherwise be occupied by dangerous forms of estrogen which feed cancers such as breast cancer.

This recipe for carrot, celery, orange and coriander soup is a good way to get these carrot benefits into your body. Celery and coriander are also sources of apigenin, a natural aromatase inhibitor, while oranges are a source of naringenin, a natural aromatase inhibitor as well. In addition, oranges are a traditional source of Vitamin C, an antioxidant. If you’re dealing with an estrogen-driven health condition like breast cancer or endometriosis, this is one dish you should try out. Not only does it taste delicious, it can also be eaten chilled and it can even be frozen. How convenient is that?

For added antioxidant and cancer-fighting benefits, try adding turmeric.

Carrot, Celery, Orange & Coriander Soup
(4-6 servings)

Ingredients
1 kg carrots, washed, peeled and cut in chunks
2 stalks / ribs celery, washed and cut in chunks
3 shallots, peeled
1-2 garlic cloves
20 grams coriander, washed; reserve leaves for garnish
Juice and zest of 1 orange (reserve zest for garnish)
1 tsp white or black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 litre water

Method
1. Wash, peel (where needed) and cut all vegetables.
2. Put all vegetables in a large stockpot with the water. Bring to boil then simmer till tender.
3. Add orange juice and stir.
4. Blend soup to your desired consistency. Add more water if needed. Season to taste.
5. Serve warm or chilled, garnished with coriander leavers and orange zest.

Posted: March 26th, 2010 under Antioxidants, Cancer, Diet, Hormone Health, Recipes.
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Whenever I need to clean a wound, open sores or ulcers, I start with home-made saline solution. It’s a gentle, natural solution which is useful for debridement, or removing dirt, debris, fluids, blood, pus and so on from damaged skin. Here’s a a really easy recipe for making your own saline solution (NOT to be used for eye or contact lens cleaning):

Ingredients:
1 cup boiled water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method:
1. Sterilise a glass jar and lid in boiling water. The jar should be large enough to hold one cup of water.
2. Pour one cup of freshly-boiled water into the glass jar. Add in one teaspoon of sea salt plus half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. Stir throughly with a very clean metal spoon until the salt and soda are dissolved.
3. Cover the saline solution loosely with the jar lid and leave to cool.
4. Once cool, cap the jar securely and store in the fridge.
5. When the solution is required, pour a little into a separate, clean receptacle, like a bowl. NEVER dip your cotton directly into the main glass jar containing the saline solution.
6. Once the wound cleaning has been completed, pour away any saline solution remaining in the bowl. NEVER pour any residual solution back into the original glass jar.
7. Finish off the wound cleaning by using a clean piece of cotton to dab on a safe, gentle, non-toxic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-microbial solution like Eliminator. Eliminator’s alcohol-free formula will help to protect the wound as well as deodorize it, reducing offensive odors.
8. Cover the wound with a suitable clean dressing. I like to use a healing salve made of aloe vera, seaweed powder and essential oils spread on clean gauze.

Posted: January 17th, 2010 under Alternative Remedies, Recipes, Wound Healing.
Comments: none

My dear hubby just made a batch of delicious home-brewed ginger ale. It’s the best I’ve ever had and beats all the commercial ginger ales hands-down. It’s really easy to make. Just chop up lots of fresh ginger root, bring it to the boil with some water, and simmer for a while. Let it cool sufficiently before straining. Add a sweetener like honey or sugar to the strained ginger juice to make a concentrated ginger cordial. Keep the cordial in the fridge until required.

You can dilute the ginger cordial with either cold or hot water to make a refreshing drink. To make fizzy ginger ale, dilute the ginger cordial with chilled club soda or soda water. Finish the drink soon after adding the soda, or the ale will go flat.

The fizzy ginger ale came in really handy during the recent festive season when I was feeling nauseous and bloated. At one stage, I even felt like throwing up.  Just a few sips, and I felt much better. I could eat dinner shortly after. It struck me then that people experiencing nausea from chemotherapy for cancer might find relief in ginger ale. After all, studies have shown that ginger alleviates nausea, and is particularly helpful for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Ginger ale goes a step further in quickly relieving discomfort in the tummy.

Home-made ginger ale is best, but if you can’t make it yourself for some reason, make sure the ginger ale you buy contains the best ingredients possible, including real ginger. It makes a difference. When undergoing chemotherapy, always keep real ginger cordial and club soda or soda water handy in the fridge. It could save you some suffering.

Posted: January 12th, 2010 under Alternative Remedies, Cancer, Recipes.
Comments: none