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Face Reading with Before & After Photos
When bone broth is made only from bones, you’ve got a medicinal tonic. To further kick up this recipe’s value, add vegetables and potent Chinese medicinal herbs. Of the 13,000 herbs listed in the Chinese pharmacopoeia, here are the top eleven used for bone stock plus a broth recipe. Their invaluable healing properties both sweeten and… Continue Reading
Medicine from Scratch To enhance turmeric’s medicinal wallop, ferment it. In five minutes of your time (plus two days to ferment), you can create a base for a month’s supply of tasty and healing fermented turmeric tea. Best known for its characteristic bright orange-yellow color and as a signature ingredient in curry, turmeric is the… Continue Reading
Better Than Chips I used to indulge in potato chips and am delighted to report that this is past tense. I now opt for a savory and phenomenally healthful treat that’s equally crunchy. Thanks to toasted seaweed (which happens to be among our most nutrient-dense plants), I don’t miss packaged chips. Toasted sea palm has… Continue Reading
Sun Tea–A Double Shot of Sunshine Likened to liquid sunshine, saffron tea is luminous, golden and uplifting. It’s smooth with a subtle floral flavor and the delicate lift that it gives makes me reach for it often. It’s the anticipation of that lift that has me setting a shot glass filled with water and a… Continue Reading
The top of a dandelion’s taproot, its heart or crown, is a tasty nibble that, while money can’t buy, is free for the taking. In texture, color, and taste dandelion hearts are reminiscent of the base or heart of a head of celery, only with a light bitter-sweet dandelion essence. Adorning the crown are pearl-sized nascent buds,… Continue Reading
Science now explains why going GFDF is so hard. We’ll look at that, and then the encouraging news: If you tried going without but backslid, you still have made inroads in realizing your GFDF goals. But first take a few seconds and imagine feeling utterly content. You’ve nary a suggestion of pain or suffering. You’re… Continue Reading
As Fukushima radiation nears our west coast shoreline, here’s one obvious and practical precaution to take daily: Eat foods that will protect you. Conversely, avoid the foods that increase your absorption of radiation. Unquestionably, the best food is seaweed; you’ll find other top foods listed below. And what about the seaweed itself, you might ask.… Continue Reading
If you’re new to seaweed, this simple recipe is a tasty way to start a good habit. As with all seaweed, dulse helps prevent your body from absorbing radioactivity. Dulse has an almost bacon-like aroma and flavor, and when crisped is pleasantly chewy, rather like potato chips. As a stand alone, add a squeeze of… Continue Reading
Here’s an easy recipe for chicken broth that’s high in minerals, collagen and glycine. To read about its astounding health benefits see: Bone Stock. Enjoy it straight as an energy tonic or add it to soups, stews and sauces. The longer you cook the bones, the more minerals are extracted; however, excessive cooking and/or high heat… Continue Reading
Your own stock outshines any commercial stock in terms of the energy it imparts and the pleasure it delivers. Why’s that? Really ponder the indignities that one carrot would encounter going thru a commercial size factory to be spewed out as product with a shelf-life of more than 18 months. As commercially prepared foods are… Continue Reading
See The small, dry and intensely tart cranberry is second only to its cousin the blueberry in disease-fighting antioxidants. The remarkable anti-inflammatory properties of cranberries make them an excellent kitchen remedy for arthritic pain and infection. They quell damp conditions and so can help resolve overweight, organ prolapse, food sensitivities, varicose veins, edema, candida-type yeast… Continue Reading
See Fermented Cranberry Relish The small, dry and intensely tart cranberry is second only to its cousin the blueberry in disease-fighting antioxidants. The remarkable anti-inflammatory properties of cranberries make them an excellent kitchen remedy for arthritic pain and infection. They quell damp conditions and so can help resolve candida, edema, cysts, lumps and tumors. How do… Continue Reading
This powerful soup is a nutrient-dense energy tonic, a delicious prescription. What is the difference between another chicken soup and this medicinal recipe? The secret is using a whole chicken to make the soup stock rather than opening up a box of prepared stock and throwing in some chicken parts, a shortcut you’ll find in… Continue Reading
It’s cherry season, and because these rubies are not great shippers or keepers, now’s the time to indulge. Here’s an easy recipe that transforms the essence of cherries into a tasty liqueur that is also a medicinal tonic. Historians note that in September 1784 George Washington packed a canteen of cherry bounce for a trip… Continue Reading
An Aquired Chin Crease Indicates Compromised Energy according to Chinese Face Reading If your chin sports a horizontal wrinkle, then it’s time to conserve your energy and reduce unnecessary activity. Historically such lines were observed on the elderly or people who had squandered their root vitality, and so it’s aptly termed a “retirement line.” (Unless, that… Continue Reading
At the very first sign of a flu or cold here’s a recipe for beating it. Note it’s important to drink this tea within the first 24 hours of onset, for, as my acupuncturist Leslie Shanai, Lic.Ac. writes, “Once the disease has gotten a good foothold ginger tea will no longer be effective. It may… Continue Reading
Sure, steaming is a healthy, quick and easy cooking method. But if you bought the line that “steamed veggies are most healthful” I’ve got some lovely news for you: To heighten dining pleasure as well as the medicinal and energetic properties of foods, using diverse cooking techniques is best. Here are two reasons why. Vive… Continue Reading
If you’re eating blueberries regularly because you’ve been told they’re a superfood, then you may have been duped. Yes, blueberries have a great nutritional profile. Yes, they may play a role in disease prevention. But let’s use our critical intelligence. A frequent serving of blueberries is nothing to write home about and certainly not worth… Continue Reading
Three Steps to Identify Food Allergies If you have cut gluten from your diet but still have health complaints, then I have important news for you. Here are three likely reasons that you are still suffering from the various symptoms that eating gluten-containing foods can trigger. 1. For 100% results you must give up gluten 100%. The… Continue Reading
Be savvy about harmful and healthful sweeteners. Here’s a list of the three kinds of sweeteners to avoid along with their various brand names. You’ll find details for those to favor at Quality Sweetener Guidelines. Armed with the information below about the “bad” sugars, you can now ignore various marketing claims for “natural” cane sugars and all sugar… Continue Reading
First, the good news: Quality sugar is part of a healthy diet! So your opportunity is to discern the good sweeteners from the bad ones and then to enjoy natural sweeteners occasionally rather than daily. For details about why to avoid agave, fructose, noncaloric sweeteners and many “natural” cane products like muscavado, see Sweeteners to Avoid. Here’s… Continue Reading
Today many people do not easily assimilate dairy and or beans. If this is your situation, then until you regain your digestive prowess, perhaps it’s time for some chicken soup. Simply put, if you’re not feeling your best then the protein in a bite of fish, poultry or meat is easier to digest than is… Continue Reading
Cooling and lush this sorbet is easy to make and couldn’t be more healthful. If you’ve got children around, enlist their help. Makes 3 cups. 2 ripe mangos, about 1 ½ pounds 2 tablespoons honey or to taste ¼ cup apple or other fruit juice or water 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice Fresh mint sprigs… Continue Reading
I’ve been offering Diet Consultations for decades, meeting up with all kinds of people to examine the clues in their health history and diet log; to diagnostically read their face; and to deduce the causes of their health challenges. In this eminently fascinating and satisfying work, I think of myself as something of a dietary… Continue Reading
The historic Russian beverage kvass is traditionally made by fermenting rye bread, and often fruit, into an invigorating and effervescent drink. It’s currently marketed in Russia as a patriotic—and more healthful—soft drink alternative. My version is an ambrosial grain-free nectar that’s oh-so-easy to make. What does it taste like? A tangy blend of sweet and… Continue Reading
Serves 3 Here’s a delicious dessert or breakfast dish. Simply plump dried figs and then simmer until tender. This dish needs no adder sweetener, but you may dress it up with a dollop of crème fraiche or a grating of nutmeg 6 ounces (1 cup) dried figs, woody stems removed 1 cup apple or orange… Continue Reading
If you are interested in the connection between health and diet, here’s some important news. Sandor Katz’s new book, The Art of Fermentation is the first definitive guide on fermented foods with recipes taken from around the world. Today its rare for a cookbook to become adorned with the splatters and smudges that accumulate on real… Continue Reading
Inflamed tissues signal trouble and are a marker for pain and illness. Below is a listing of the top anti-inflammatory foods, along with common sense help to avoid chronic inflammation. But first, to better understand why some foods increase inflammation, let’s examine the nature of inflammation. Recall having a little scratch that became pink and… Continue Reading
It’s hay fever season and how many times have you moaned (and sneezed) about that darn pollen! So why is it that your swollen eyelids and other allergic responses get worse every year but the amount of pollen remains constant? While pollen may be the trigger, it’s taking the bum rap for the underlying issue… Continue Reading
The good news for people with hypoglycemia, or a pre-diabetic condition, is that specific foods—plus a healthy diet—help stabilize blood sugar. Here’s the tasty way to prevent diabetes. Let’s look at diet first because it’s foundational. To have a couple of “good” foods in an otherwise sloppy diet probably won’t help your condition. But an… Continue Reading
Miso is undeniably the most medicinal soy food. Current scientific research now supports its historical health claims. This delicious food is an effective therapeutic aid in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, certain cancers, radiation sickness and hypertension. Miso soup consumption is linked with up to a 50% reduced risk of breast cancer according… Continue Reading
Dandelion greens are the most nutritious leafy vegetable that you can buy (see chart below). Foraged greens are the first spring vegetable, they come on even earlier than asparagus, and they make a great spring tonic. But do enjoy them year round as a kitchen remedy and tasty green. Reflect on how their resilience hints… Continue Reading
Iron deficiency is a common problem and one that you can correct naturally. Here’s how to favor iron-rich foods and avoid those foods that deplete your iron. Health professionals agree that iron deficiency is a common problem and that there are two obvious ways to remedy the situation. However, their recommendations vary. Alternative health professionals… Continue Reading
When you find really fresh green beans, buy them on the spot and put the water on to boil. Refrigerated beans quickly lose their flavor and oomph. If the beans are less than fresh, you may wish to sauté them with an onion or use them in a soup or casserole where other veggies will shore up their… Continue Reading
Velvety smooth, well-cooked beans are both delicious and digestible. Hard beans are neither. Here are my secrets—plus a recipe—for cooking up a satisfying pot of soft beans. With these basics there’s bowls of pleasure ahead. If beans are relatively new to your diet or if you have trouble digesting them, start by eating small amounts… Continue Reading
It’s fascinating and informing how some foods warm you up and others cool you down. In a heat-wave, it’s watermelon you want and not a hearty lamb stew. Here’s how to adjust your food choices and cooking styles to assure your thermal ease. This isn’t new information. In early Persian, Indian and Chinese literature, foods were… Continue Reading
Perhaps you’ve noticed how a little fresh garnish in a soup enlivens the whole bowl, as does the cilantro in this Tai Style Turkey Meatball Soup with Noodles. As we know from experience, both cooked and raw vegetables have their own benefits. Let’s examine them that we might make informed choices. Water-soluble B and C… Continue Reading
Here are five great daikon kitchen remedies for asthma, bronchitis, cold relief, indigestion and weight loss. The medicinal properties of daikon are impressive. And as you’ll see below, subtle preparation differences create different results. For example, when using daikon juice for asthma add ginger and don’t boil it. But for chronic bronchitis, bring the juice just… Continue Reading
The healthful seaweed agar is used as a gelatin to enhance the flavors of other foods; it has remarkable medicinal properties. If taken as a supplement, it aids weight-reduction as agar’s indigestible fiber absorbs and retains water resulting in a feeling of fullness. This remarkable fiber also soothes the digestive tract and so is medicinal… Continue Reading
Here’s a naturally gelled desert that takes 3 minutes to cook and it sets in 30 minutes! As agar enhances other flavors, your dessert tastes more delicious than the fruit juice and fruits themselves. You’ll find this unpretentious dessert satisfying for all and it is one that especially delights children. Agar, or kanten, is a… Continue Reading
For the sheer fun of it, please join me for a toast. Let’s pull out the pot liquor (or pot likker), chink-chink our glasses and aspire that all beings might be well nourished. Even teetotalers can freely and joyfully imbibe this liquor. It’s the sweet and nutrient dense liquid that remains in the pot after… Continue Reading
Information on www.RebeccaWood.com is intended for educational purposes only and should not be substituted for medical advice from a doctor or healthcare provider. Rebecca Wood is neither a medical doctor nor a dietician. Use of this presentation does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. Note: no single facial indicator (such as wrinkles, discoloration or irregular skin texture) makes a particular diagnosis.
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