Carob Recipe for Chocolate Lovers

I don't know about you, but personally I could eat both cheap and expensive chocolate until doomsday itself arrived.

I mean, seriously, just sitting here typing the word chocolate brings up all kinds of pleasant associations. In fact, if I hadn't kicked my chocolate addiction a long time ago, I'd probably have to stop pounding the keyboard while I took a break to munch down a Mars bar or gobble a handful of Hershey's Kisses.

Well, today I'd like to share a recipe that satisfies the chocolate lover's sweet tooth that is a bit healthier than what you'll find in stores or speciality shops...

Carob Bark for Chocolate Lovers
4-5 cups carob chips (naturally sweetened with malt barley)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup sliced almonds

Melt the carob chips slightly in a double boiler. Stir in peanut butter and continue to melt on stove. Stir in almond slices until all are coated.

Immediately pour onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Let cool. Your carob bark will harden quicker in the refrigerator. Cut into approximately 1" square pieces with a sharp knife or good pizza roller. Store pieces in an airtight container.

Thanks to Cheryl Cárdenas for sharing today's carob recipe for chocolate lovers.

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

How To Live

I enjoy reading motivational stories because they help me stay balanced and positive. I don't know the name of the author of the one I'm about to share with you, but it makes the email rounds every six months or so.

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 he 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.

Click here for another great motivational story, Downwind from Flowers.

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

Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe

How about a Saturday blog entry containing the directions for...

Wayne's Fabulous Vegetable Beef Soup

1/4 head of cabbage, diced into bite size
2 large potatoes, diced into bite size
2 large turnips, diced into bite size
1 1/2 cups diced celery
1 16-ounce bag of mini carrots cut into bite size
1 zucchini sguash diced into bite size
1 yellow squash diced into bite size
1 large yellow or white onion cut into bite size
1 whole garlic bulb, peeled and cut into bite size
1 15-ounce can mixed vegetables, drained
1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 14.5-ounce can of "hot" diced tomatoes (if you like it hot)
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 large cans of water
3 bay leaves
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs steak sauce
1 Tbs hot sauce
3 beef bouillon cubes

Put all ingredients into pressure cooker and cook 30 minutes after control jiggles (or cook in large pot on top of stove). This soup is very rich in flavor. You may add any kind of meat if you wish, but it is very good without it. Enjoy with biscuits or cornbread.

Thanks to Wayne for sharing this family recipe of his for vegetable beef soup that's pleased thousands of palates over the years.

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

Smoothie Headache Cure

The following smoothie recipe and variation (courtesy of Lynden) are said to be not only healthy in a general sort of way but also as a cure for migraine headaches. I don't know whether that's the case or not, but I'm sharing the information because the smoothie tastes great (if you like spinach and pineapple, that is).

Alta Craig's Pineapple Spinach Smoothie

Here's a smoothie I frequently use when I don't have time to eat. Take a chilled 6 oz. can of pineapple juice, put into blender. Add a handful of washed, chilled spinach, and blend until smooth. Tastes delicious and is loaded with calcium, protein, and lots of other goodies.

Chet, the recipe I'm sharing is like Alta's: take a can of chilled pineapple chunks and add spinach in a blender until thick. Add juice of pineapple to a consistency that you can drink. Drink a large glassful and lay down. The migraine should go away or at least lessen. That is an old remedy and I don't know if anyone has ever heard of it or not.

Thanks to Lynden and Alta for sharing this. I'd sure give this smoothie a try myself if I suffered from migraine headaches.

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

Drinking Water

I get a lot of questions about the best drinking water, so today I'd like to point you to several excellent articles on my website that discuss the important points of how to stay healthfully hydrated.

Spring Water, Drinking Water, and Distilled Water
Beginning our two part discussion on drinking water, Josh Day explains the differences in water you find at the grocery store.

From Tap to Reverse Osmosis
The second part of our series talks about the filtration processes of drinking water, ranging from activated carbon to reverse osmosis.

Why I Now Say No to Distilled Water Only
Believing the health gurus and their injunctions about distilled water, I drank it as my only source of water for many years, but I kept hearing from too many people who were having problems with it. Read this article to learn about these problems.

Do You Really Need Eight Glasses of Water a Day?
Most natural health authorities tell you to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of pure water every day. According to this article, that may not be such a good thing to do after all. This is an assumption-busting article that asks questions that deserve serious answers.

After reading these articles, you should have more than enough information to make wise choices about the best drinking water to put in your body every day.

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

Hair Care Soup

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 care benefits.

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

Black Sesame Seed Soup

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 cup black sesame seeds
1 Tbs sugar or to your own taste

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 five 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 care soups notwithstanding, if you're having hair loss problems and also drinking distilled water, there may be a connection between the two. Click here for a detailed article on how distilled water drinking may lead to hair care problems.

That's enough for today.

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

French Toast Recipe

Although I personally prefer my French toast made with eggs, I have many vegan friends who prefer the following eggless version...

Eggless French Toast Recipe

3 ripe bananas
1 cup almond milk or other milk substitute
2 Tbs molasses or maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
7 slices whole wheat bread

Mash bananas in a bowl. Add almond milk, molasses or maple syrup, and cinnamon. Stir well. Soak bread in above mixture. Fry in butter on both sides over medium heat.

Pretty good eating!

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

Hot Fruit Dessert

Here's a dessert recipe for your crockpot.

Hot Fruit Dessert

3 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange sections, well-drained
1 can (16 oz) fruit cocktail, well-drained
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, well-drained
1 can (16 oz) sliced peaches, well-drained
3 bananas, sliced
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

Place all ingredients in your crockpot. Toss gently. Cover and cook on low about 4 hours. Makes about 2 quarts.

Josh Day
Editor, Crockpot Crazy
http://crockpotrecipes101.com

Acid Reflux Disease Diet

Acid Reflux is a big problem for more and more people these days, so I want to share some tips that'll help you develop your own acid reflux disease diet that'll make the problem better or alleviate it altogether.

First, here are some foods that have little potential to aggravate acid reflux disease...

Friendly Fruits

Apple, fresh
Apple, dried
Apple juice
Banana

Friendly Vegetables

Vegetables Baked potato
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Green beans
Peas

Friendly Animal Foods

Ground beef, extra-lean
Steak, London Broil
Chicken breast, skinless
Egg whites
Egg substitute
Fish, no added fat

Friendly Dairy Foods

Dairy Cheese, feta or goat
Cream cheese, fat-free
Sour cream, fat-free

Friendly Grain-based Foods

Bread, mult-grain
Cereal, bran or oatmeal
Corn bread
Graham crackers
Pretzels
Rice, brown or white
Rice cakes

Friendly Drinks

Filtered pure water

Now, here are foods you should avoid for your acid reflux disease diet, foods that are almost guaranteed to cause heartburn problems...

Unfriendly Fruits

All citrus fruits and juices
Lemonade
Grapefruit juice
Cranberry juice
Tomatoes

Unfriendly Vegetables

Mashed potatoes
French fries
Raw onions

Unfriendly Meats

Ground beef, chuck
Marbled sirloin
Chicken nuggets
Buffalo wings

Unfriendly Dairy

Sour cream
Milk shakes
Ice cream
Cottage cheese, regular

Unfriendly Grains

Macaroni and cheese
Spaghetti with sauce

Unfriendly Beverages

All alcoholic beverages, including wine and hard liquor
Coffee, decaffeinated or regular
Tea, decaffeinated or regular

Other Foods to Avoid

Fatty or fried foods
Peppermint and spearmint
Whole milk
Oils
Chocolate
Creamed foods or soups
Most fast foods

And here are some miscellaneous techniques to try if you suffer from acid reflux disease...

• Since nicotine weakens the lower esophageal muscle, you should stop using tobacco in all forms.
  
  
• Avoid chewing gum and hard candy, which increase the amount of swallowed air, which, in turn, leads to belching and reflux.
  
  
• Do not lie down immediately after eating.
  
  
• Avoid late evening snacks.
  
  
• Avoid tight clothing and bending over after eating.
  
  
• Eat small, frequent portions of food and snack if needed.
  
  
• Lose weight if overweight. Obesity leads to increased reflux.
  
  
• Elevate the head of the bed six to eight inches to prevent reflux when sleeping. Extra pillows, by themselves, are not very helpful.

Remember, the healthiest diets are those that are composed whole foods from both plant and animal kingdoms. If you want a great diet that will build health, stay away from processed and packaged foods as much as possible.

You'll be pleasantly surprised at the improvements you'll experience when you practice the acid reflux disease diet that you developed.

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

Insomnia Tip for Sweet Dreams

It seems like most people get less and less sleep these days and work longer and longer hours for fewer and fewer greenbacks. Such is life in 21st century America.

Well, Christine has this interesting little insomnia tip for sweet dreams, which, I think, comes originally via Paul Bragg's paperback on the wonders of apple cider vinegar.

But let me turn things over to Christine...

I have/had this little book on apple cider vinegar that I placed somewhere (or misplaced), but it has a wonderful suggestion for insomnia.

You mix apple cider vinegar and honey (to taste). If you have trouble sleeping, you're supposed to take a teaspoon. If you're not asleep 1/2 hour later, you're supposed to take another teaspoon. I've had to do this a few times and never had to take more than two teaspoons before I was asleep.

Sounds weird, I know - but it works.

I was tossing and turning the other night due to stressing out over a class I'm taking in college. I kept trying hard to fall asleep because I had to be up by 5 a.m. to get ready for work. I was getting cranky and decided to get up and clean the whole house!

My son was still up (11:30) and suggested that I take the vinegar/honey mixture. I'd forgotten all about it (I keep a honey bear container filled with the mixture). Well, I took the stuff and, sure enough, fell asleep.

I also mix vinegar and honey and put it in a cup of hot water... it's delicious, relaxing, and good for you.

When I read the apple cider vinegar recipe book I thought, "These people are nuts!" But it turns out that people have been drinking this "tea" for years.

Tell me this simple home remedy doesn't beat the tar out of some expensive prescription or over-the-counter drug whose side effects would probably make you feel worse than if you'd pulled an all-nighter.

Oh, if you don't like vinegar and would prefer an audio solution, try soft classical music... something from DeBussy's Nocturnes, for example. And be sure to click here to take a look at my NightTrain Sleep System CD, which many people swear by as a great, non-drug solution for insomnia.

Sleep tight!

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

Energy Food

John writes, "Chet, a great energy food is a 7-oz. bag of organic arugula. It's not only energizing, but electrifying... I feel fantastic after I eat it, balanced and happy. I wonder if anyone else has had this experience?"

I hadn't heard of arugula being such a good energy food, John, but I'm sure going to give it a try. For those who have never heard of arugula, here's a little more information that I found on a University of Illinois, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences web page:

Arugula, also known as salad rocket, roquette, r ocket salad, salad roquette, roquette salad and tira, is a leafy green, grown as an annual. Leaves are compound and have a spicy, peppery flavor.

Arugula is a cool season vegetable best grown during the spring and fall. Plants mature within two to three months from seeds. Warm temperatures cause plants to bolt.

Grow arugula as you would leaf lettuce.

By the way, I have heard that organic baby spinach eaten right out of the bag is also a terrific little energy boost.

Both of these energy food choices are certainly better than a soft drink or a candy bar when the blahs hit.

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

Healthy Snacks for Kids

Most kids these days eat so much junk food we now have an obesity crisis in this country with teens and pre-teens.

One way to help this national problems is to provide healthy snacks for kids. In that regard, here are two excellent recipes...

Healthy Fruit Snacks for Kids

3 cups rice puffs ground up
2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup almond meal
2 cups mixed dried fruit
1/2 cup sesame seeds
3/4 cup honey
Coconut for rolling in

Mix all ingredients in your food processor. Either roll into small balls or press into slab tin and cut into bite-size pieces. Then roll in coconut.

Healthy Fruit and Nut Snacks for Kids

1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cups almonds
1 1/2 cups sultanas or dates or raisins
1/2 cup ground linseeds
1 Tbs tahini paste
Carob powder or coconut

Put all ingredients into a food processor until really well minced up. Form into either patties or roll into balls. Then roll in either carob powder or coconut and store in an airtight container.

And, by the way, you don't have to be a kid to enjoy these healthy snacks. They're great for adults too.

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

Almond Milk Recipe

Since the milk from cows causes a lot of problems for a lot of people and since soy has been getting a lot of bad press lately, many health seekers are pretty much at a loss as to what to put on the cereal they eat.

Here at CasaDay, I use apple juice or grape juice, but I have to admit no one else in my family can work up any enthusiasm for either of those options.

They do, however, like fresh almond milk, so today I thought I'd share a quick recipe for it that's easy to make and tastes great...

In a coffee grinder, finely grind 1/4 cup almonds. Place ground almonds in a blender with one cup water and puree for two minutes. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve. Use the almond milk in desserts and on cereal.

Try this easy recipe for almond milk. I guarantee you'll love it!

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