Guest post by: Jennifer McGregor

The human body is comprised of a collection of systems that all work together to help us to look and feel our very best. If one system isn’t functioning optimally, one or more of our other body systems may struggle to perform as well. However, there are several strategies we can incorporate into our everyday lives to support each one of our body systems, which will, in turn, lead to better neural, integumentary, circulatory, respiratory, and muscular health. To explore these easy, effective health strategies in greater detail, read on!

Better Eye and Oral Health

According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), certain things like eating empty calorie foods and living an inactive lifestyle can increase our risk of developing certain medical conditions that may negatively affect our ability to see, including high blood pressure and diabetes. However, taking a quality fish oil supplement or consuming plenty of omega-3 fatty acids keeps our eyes healthy and reduces our risk of developing dry eye, macular degeneration, and cataracts. Certain foods like tuna, herring, and salmon are also high in omega-3 fatty acids, but vegetarians can reap the same benefits by consuming flax and chia seeds, algal oil or other plant oils, and fortified soy beverages.

There is a clear link between depression and poor oral health, which makes it especially important that you care for your teeth and gums. You can improve your oral health by brushing twice a day, flossing, and going in for regular checkups at the dentist. Your diet also plays a major role in tooth and gum health, so avoid sugary foods and drinks.

Clear, Radiant Skin

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), acne affects approximately 50 million Americans each year, making it the most problematic skin condition in the US. However, there are several things you can do each day to prevent acne from appearing on your face, back, or anywhere else on your body. These include:

• Washing your face twice daily.
• Applying a retinol treatment to your facial area each night.
• Exfoliating several times each week with a quality cleanser that contains a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) like salicylic acid and an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) such as glycolic acid.
• Consuming plenty of anti-inflammatory foods such as dark, leafy greens, wild rice, soybeans, and fish products like salmon and mackerel.

Besides worrying about acne, you should also be extra careful about which types of hand products you use so you can prevent dryness and irritation. Use moisturizing lotion whenever you can and clean your hands with soap and hand sanitizer that won’t irritate your skin.

Easier Breathing

Like all parts of the human body, our lungs age with time. As such, we may struggle to breathe as well as the years go on, and we may find ourselves feeling winded and fatigued after performing basic daily activities like climbing a flight of stairs or going on a walk. However, certain exercises like upper-body weight training, yoga, and aerobic activity can all help to improve the functioning of our lungs when we engage in them regularly. Some of the best yoga poses for healthier lungs include Cow’s Face, Triangle, Cobra, Boat, and Fish Pose.

Strong Muscles and a Healthier Brain

Leg exercises are important for a variety of reasons, as they strengthen different muscle groups throughout the body, work our core, and help us to lose weight over time. According to ScienceDaily, however, leg exercise is also imperative to the functioning of our brain and nervous system. As such, regularly moving, exercising, and strengthening our legs is crucial to keeping our neural cells healthy and functioning properly. If you’re a senior, exercises like leg squats and step exercises can safely strengthen your legs.

If you can’t ride a bike or get to the gym on a regular basis, you can still exercise your leg muscles and reap the benefits of good neurological health by purchasing an under-desk elliptical machine. These portable devices allow you to move and exercise your legs as you sit behind a desk, helping you to tone your leg muscles, burn fat, and increase your daily activity levels. Plus, many models can also be used while standing.

However, make sure to keep your workout space decluttered if you plan to exercise at home. Having too much stuff around can lead to spikes in your stress and anxiety levels, so try to keep this area as neat as possible. Doing so can help keep you calm and prevent any negative vibes from becoming trapped inside your home.

By incorporating these simple strategies into your everyday life, you’ll soon find that you feel stronger and healthier from your head all the way down to your toes. The overall functioning of each body system depends on the health of the others, and these simple tips will help each one of your body systems to operate at its fullest potential.

Connect with Nina Rebstock to develop a big-picture health plan to meet your specific needs! To schedule a consultation, call 512-560-6925 or email ninabeucler@gmail.com.

Strengthen and Protect Your Immune System

“Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food” Hippocrates”

The human body is a very robust, complicated system. In the United States, the average life span is about 80 years, which is an astounding feat when we consider that the body is exposed to thousands of organisms that could subvert our bodies’ normal functions and ruin this complicated system.

We have our immune systems to thank for keeping us running. While these systems protect us on a daily basis, most of us lack a working knowledge of what the immune system does and how it works. It’s not important to be a scientific expert, but a brief working knowledge helps one understand how to prevent inflections, the flu, colds, etc. The information in this class will help explain some of the basics regarding immune system function and is also of great value when attempting to understand a doctor’s comments when and if needed.

The immune system is even more complicated than the heart, which uses electrical signals to cause roughly one billion heart beats over the course of one’s life. It’s also more complicated than the kidneys, which filter blood. It is more complicated than almost every other part of the body. The immune system is complex because it is a coordinated whole-body system.

The immune system is built to recognize the difference between self and non-self. The self is anything that is naturally in the body, while non-self is a particle or cell that is not naturally present in the body. A properly functioning immune system doesn’t attack other parts of the body, but does attack anything foreign to the body. Alternatively, it has been suggested that the immune system determines when the body is in danger, for instance when there are cancerous cells or a viral infection. In either case, the immune system’s primary job is to protect our bodies from anything that can cause them harm.

This whole-body system affecting all of our organs includes:

• The skin, which is a physical barrier against foreign particles.
• The lymph nodes, which circulate immune cells and provides areas in the gut where immune cells can communicate with each other.
• The thymus, located in the upper part of the chest, where some types of immune cells mature.
• The Bone marrow, where other types of immune cells are produced and mature.
• The Tonsils
• The Mucous membranes in nose and throat, bladder and genitals
• The Bowel
• The Spleen

The immune system has many parts, many of which circulate throughout the body. There are a number of different types of cells that work in this coordinated effort. Some of these may sound familiar to those who have recently had a complete blood count (CBC) per the doctor’s recommendation. These cells provide medical professionals with information on how the immune system is functioning and include:

• Granulocytes, which include neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and mast cells. These cells have many different properties, including clearing the body of debris, killing parasites, and producing inflammatory responses.
• Lymphocytes, which are a number of different cell types that work around the body with many different functions. For example, B cells produce antibodies and T cells can kill infected cells or they can help other immune cell function.
• Monocytes, include macrophages and dendritic cells. These cells are called antigen-presenting cells, and can stimulate lymphocytes to produce an immune response. Macrophages also help clear foreign particles from our bodies.

For these components to coordinate, they must communicate through either direct or indirect contact. In direct communication the cells touch one another to convey information. This produces signals to both cells, prompting one to perform a function or change its action. There is also indirect communication, in which a cell releases molecules as a way to send information to other cells. These molecules are called cytokines or chemokines and they can travel long distances in the body like messengers, causing other cells to react.

Ways to Strengthen the Immune System

1. Decrease or eliminate sugar from your diet

• Sugar significantly reduces the immune protecting benefits that white blood cells have. 100 grams reduces blood cell effect by 40%
• Sugar competes with Vit C to destroy bacteria in the body
• Get natural sugar from dark fruits and dark/leafy vegetables – and root vegetable, which helps with cravings
• Use Lakanto (from the monk fruit)

2. Make and consume bone broth regularly

• Rich in minerals and 19 amino acids
• Contains collage, gelatin, arginine, glutamine glycine and proline
• Glycine in broth detoxifies cells from chemicals and improves brain function
• Protects joints, good for gut, skin and immune function
• Builds and repairs muscle tissue, support bone mineral density and helps slow down aging process

3. Get enough Vit D3+K- Best way is sunshine, but…

• Found in egg yolk, raw milk, salmon sardines and tuna
• Is actually a hormone that influences 3000 genes in the body
• Many chronic diseases are related to Vit D deficiency such as: Cancer, Crohns, Dementia, Diabetes and MS—and many more

4. Support a Healthy Gut-has 10 X’s more bacteria than all cells in body

• Eat Probiotic/Fermented Foods
• Go gluten free-it contains gliadin which contributes to leaky gut and can lead to auto immune conditions and poor aging
• Avoid antibiotics, steroids and a poor diet (and meds if can)
• Take potato starch-(Bob’s Red Mill) – it is a resistant starch which is digested by bacteria in your gut. It is a prebiotic (think of it as compost for healthy gut bacteria)
• Other forms of prebiotics are:

Inulin from chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, psyllium or high amylose plants such a green bananas. Use ghee, it is rich in butyric acid, a short chain fatty acid. Beneficial intestinal bacteria convert fiber into butyric acid and then use that for energy and intestinal wall support. A healthy body therefore makes its own form of ‘ghee’ but you can aid that greatly by consuming it.

5. Get Good Sleep-Deprivation suppresses immune system

• Lack of sleep causes T cell production to decrease and cytokine (inflammation to increase)
• Lack also raises CRP (C-Reactive Protein)- inflammatory marker

Support sleep w CBD Oil, magnesium (Ancient Minerals) Ashwagandha (an adaptogenic herb) Adaptogens boost immunity by supporting and balancing the endocrine (glandular) system. They also support adrenal functions, and help cells to use oxygen more efficiently and increase cellular respiration.

6. Use a good quality Green Food Daily

• Green foods are alkalizing–most diets are too acidic
• As we age, assimilation of nutrients decreases–this is a good way to give our bodies much needed nutrients
• Vital Nutrition Plus, Green Magma, Garden of Life Raw Food

7. Exercise, Hydration and Negative Ions

• Both support the lymphatic system
• Water oxygenates and alkalizes the body (filtered, not bottled)
• Movement helps all systems, is a stress buster and mood enhancer
• Spend time in the sun, mountains, by water and in the forest to boost your negative ions and strengthen your immune system

In closing:

An attitude of gratitude goes a LONG WAY! Scientific studies show that there is a 23% lower risk of death by cardio vascular disease and a whopping 55% lower risk with a positive outlook. And that is just study on one condition!

Suggested Reading:

Sally Fallon-Nourishing Traditions

Linus Pauling-How to Live Longer and Feel Better

Martin Seligman PhD.-Learned Optimism

Dr. Joel Fuhrman-Super Immunity

Recipes to Support the Immune System

Basic Bone Broth (I use a crock pot)

Ingredients

2 pounds (or more) of bones from a healthy source

• 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (Braggs’s)
• Optional: 1 bunch of parsley, 1 tablespoon or more of sea salt, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, additional herbs or spices to taste.You’ll also need a large stockpot to cook the broth in and a strainer to remove the pieces when it is done.

Instructions

1. If you are using raw bones, especially beef bones, it improves flavor to roast them in the oven first. I place them in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes at 350. (you can skip this step if want)
2. Then, place the bones in a large stockpot. Pour (filtered, not bottled) water over the bones and add the vinegar. Let sit for 20-30 minutes in the cool water. The acid helps make the nutrients in the bones more available.
3. Rough chop and add the vegetables (except the parsley and garlic, if using) to the pot. Add any salt, pepper, spices, or herbs, if using.
4. Bring the broth to a boil. Once it has reached a vigorous boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until done.
5. During the first few hours of simmering, you’ll need to remove the impurities that float to the surface. A frothy/foamy layer will form and it can be easily scooped off with a big spoon. Throw this part away. I typically check it a few times for the first 2 hours to remove this. Grass-fed and healthy animals will produce much less of this than conventional animals.
6. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Strain using a fine metal strainer to remove all the bits of bone and vegetable. When cool enough, store in a mason glass jars in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for later use.

Braised Kale and Squash with Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

2 bunches kale, tough stems and center ribs removed, leaves chopped

1 medium butternut squash or small pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed

2 medium red onions, coarsely chopped

6 cloves garlic, sliced

2 Tab no-salt seasoning

2/3 cup water

3 Tab balsamic vinegar

1 cup raw pumpkin seed or sunflower seeds, lightly toasted

Instruction

Place kale, squash, onion, garlic and seasoning in a large pot with water. Cover and steam over low heat for 20 minutes, or until kale and squash are tender. Add vinegar and toss. Season and serve sprinkled with pumpkin or sunflower seeds or sprouts.

Green beans with garlic and lemon and herbs (use any herbs you like) Organic

Ingredients

1 or 2 bags/bunches green beans

I small yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

Lemon Zest from 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Blanch green beans for 2-3 minutes and set aside

Saute onion and garlic until lightly browned

Add to green beans. Add lemon zest.

Season to taste. Use a smidge of balsamic vinegar if you want.eep

Enjoy!

Nina Rebstock

ninabeucler@gmail.com

This blog is about my daughter and her husband, in rural Wisconsin.  They are Organic Farmers and are working to change the way farming is managed in America!!  Enjoy the read.  Oh yeah, that’s our darling grandson, Henry, taking the nap.

By Halee Wepking, Meadowlark Organics and Bickford Organics 

Hello! Halee Wepking here, trying to do what I can to help out my husband, John, who is currently turning over windrows of hay that was rained on yesterday in hopes that the predicted storm will miss us tonight and they can bale dry hay tomorrow. As they say, make hay when the sun shines, and get to work when your toddler’s napping!

I don’t spend much time on a tractor these days, but I have been spending most of our son’s naps working on our packaging copy, marketing plan, and coordinating a few wholesale orders for a local grocery store, catering company, and independent bakers who use our flour. Though we’re just a few years into growing small grains, we have made many valuable connections with bakers, larger retail stores, distilleries, and grain buyers.

We have met several artisan bakers who are very enthusiastic about baking with local grains. The head baker at Madison Sourdough has been milling our Sungold Spelt berries to make a honey brioche for the bakery. We recently took another baker who is just getting started on a tour of our fields of wheat, and it is always exciting to think about the potential our grain has to become nourishing food.

We have also connected with a company in Viroqua called Plovgh that works directly with farmers and processors to supply organic and specialty grains to buyers. It has been encouraging talking to them about the demand they see for what we are growing. This year we have Red Fife, Emmer, Boles, Warthog, Expedition, and Sungold Spelt in our fields and they are interested in all of it. We’ve received more encouragement from our friend Anders Gurda, who heads up OGRAIN (the Organic Grain Resource and Information Network) at the University of Wisconsin. Whether they see small grains as a valuable conservation effort or an artisan food product, people who are excited about small grains are really excited about them. We are beyond lucky to have so many resources and people who are passionate about small grains in our community.

The vision for our farm business has evolved greatly over the last couple of years and will continue to do so, I’m sure. When we started working for Paul, he already had an established market selling feed to small, organic livestock producers and Amish communities where hand-milking a small herd of dairy cows is common practice. Paul still spends most of the winter trucking loads of hay, baleage, and grain up to Amish country. His commitment to the smaller customers is admirable, and also a smart business move, though it means he isn’t spending his winters relaxing in Arizona.

Following his example, we are establishing another aspect of the farm’s business by selling our food-grade small grains in a similar way. This year we received a Value Added Producer Grant from the USDA to direct market our flour and grain. We have partnered with Lonesome Stone Milling, who does our toll milling, but we maintain ownership of the grain from field to flour. It’s another piece of the farm-to-table movement, connecting consumers with the farmers who grow the grain for their flour and cornmeal. It is certainly more work than selling semi-loads to large grain buyers, but selling to bakers, co-ops, and local distilleries solidifies our relationship with our local food economy.

For us it is important to have several different markets for our small grains. We don’t have the ability right now to direct market all of our grain as flour, so our connections with Plovgh, larger grain processors, and flour mills are key to making sure our product moves off our farm and we get paid. We have found, though, that with all of the small mills, bakeries, and distilleries that are popping up, and with the growing demand for organic food-grade small grains in general, there is a hole in the supply chain. Those buyers, both small and large, want and need impeccably clean grain, and many farmers who might be interested in growing small grains don’t have the proper on-farm cleaning and, most importantly, on-farm storage to make it a realistic addition to their rotation.

Having heard this barrier from both sides, farmers and buyers, we have seen an opportunity to help our local grain economy by taking on the (enormous) task of building a granary. Our farm is positioned well on a major highway, with a good deal of existing infrastructure, and with a boss who is not afraid of debt when the numbers are promising. Our goal is to be able to do custom cleaning and provide storage for other organic grain farmers in the area. There is room to expand into our own flour mill as well (get in touch with us if milling is your passion—we can’t do it all ourselves!). We are optimistic that this granary will help us and others access markets that are just out of reach and encourage other organic farmers in the area to add small grains into their rotation.

Ideally we will be strengthening the already existing network of researchers, farmers, buyers, and processors in our region, and boosting our local economy through this endeavor. Stay tuned for updates on the granary as we progress—even though there is wheat to harvest and hay to make, we’re committed to getting this project going this year.

***

About this series: The National Young Farmers Coalition and King Arthur Flour present Heart and Grain,  new blog and film series profiling three pioneering young grain farmers. While all farmers face challenges, the high start-up costs associated with grain farming can make it an especially difficult field to enter for new and young farmers. Learn more about the series here.

About our series sponsor: Farmers are at the heart of baking. That’s why King Arthur Flour proudly supports the National Young Farmers Coalition and its mission of empowering the next generation of grain growers. As America’s appetite for sustainable food increases, King Arthur Flour is dedicated to helping farms grow with demand and strengthening people’s connection to real food.