The Nopal cactus contains a group of anti-oxidants called betalains. The Nopal cactus, as I mentioned earlier, is part of a small group of special plants that contain betalains. In fact, it leads the group by containing the highest amounts. Betalains have been proven to reduce the risk of blood clots, to reduce bad cholesterol, protect the liver, boost the immune system, and aids in detoxification.

The brand that I drink is called Nopalea. I drink about 1 to 3 ounces a day. This stuff tastes really good. It is sweetened with a little agave (low glycemic sweetener). You can throw it into a smoothie if you want. I just drink mine straight because it tastes good. I have been drinking it for about 6 months now. I did sign up with the company because it is just easier (I get a monthly auto-ship). If you would like to learn more and to order you can go to www.givingwellness.com You can get a free bottle if you want to try it first. If you decide to order I would appreciate if you did so through the link above. It helps to fund my research and all the great data you get for free!

I found a tea called Jiaogulan. It appears within ancient Chinese manuscripts as early as the 13th century. In the later half of the 20th century a study of sorts was done to try and discover why inhabitants of a certain mountainous region in China lived to be over a 100. The common denominator is that they all consumed this tea.

Jiaogulan tea contains anti-oxidants* It is also considered an adaptogen. Adaptogens help increase resistance to stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue. They produce a nonspecific physiologic response in the body (huh, what does that mean?). That means that they do not work on a particular system or organ rather they have a normalizing influence on the entire body. For instance, if a person was feeling stressed and sort of keyed up or a bit hyper, so to speak, an adaptogen would help to normalize them and chill them out. On the other hand, if a person was feeling lethargic or tired an adaptogen would make them feel less tired and more alert. I think it is a great tasting tea.

It should be brewed at about 140-160 degrees. Unless you are a real tea enthusiast and use a thermometer to monitor the water I would suggest heating some water with a thermometer one time to about 150 degrees and then get a feel for how hot that is and how long it took to reach that temperature, for future reference. You can order the tea through www.AumTea.com they are loose leaves. So get your self a little glass teapot with a basket. I actually make a small pot in the morning and if I want to make some more in the afternoon I just reuse the same leaves.

Another really great herbal tea I found is called Tulsi Tea and you can order if from www.organicindia.com and look for what is called The Original Tulsi Tea without any other flavorings. Tulsi is also called Holy Basil. There are several varieties of Tulsi and this one has three of them. This tea tastes as good as "regular" tea and does not taste like an herbal tea in my opinion. Studies have shown that Tulsi helps to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood glucose levels. It also shows promise in treating problems associated with radiation poisoning and cataracts. Tulsi is also an adaptogen and is full of anti-oxidants. I did not find any special brewing directions so you can boil the heck out of your water and enjoy!

A word of caution, although these are herbal teas I found that they still stained my teeth. They did not stain near as bad as green tea or regular tea but I was surprised since they are herbal teas. However, I do drink them everyday.

*Anti-oxidants fight free radicals within the body. Free radicals are basically very unstable atoms that cause injury and damage to cells. Keeping it very simple; all atoms have particles that move around them called electrons. Free radicals are short one electron, therefore they are very unstable and will steal an electron from neighboring atoms (thieves!). This in turn sets up a chain reaction that can cause injury to cells. Anti-oxidants are really nice little guys because they have an extra electron that they give to these bad free radicals so they settle down and don't go around stealing electrons that don't belong to them!

Here is my smoothie recipe that I have for breakfast every morning. It is packed with anti-oxidants and is very filling. I use a blender from Breville; it has a wide base, is quiet and has a smoothie function on it. I have the recipe by itself at the end without all the added data.

1 and ½ cups of unsweetened vanilla hemp milk or 1 cup hemp milk and ½ cup coconut water (it has some sugar but it is naturally occurring, this will add a little more sweetness and has a lot of potassium). You can use coconut milk if you want to add a little more creaminess and a little more fat. Even though the fat from coconut is considered saturated, it is a fat which is used for energy and not stored so I do not freak out from the saturated fat content of coconut milk or coconut in general. The coconut water has no fat however. Do not get the condensed coconut milk found in a can because it is usually loaded with sugar. The brand of coconut milk I like is called So Delicious and it comes in half gallon carton ( I get the unsweetened). I like the Living Harvest brand hemp milk. Some hemp milk can be very strong tasting. This brand is mild and tasty. For those worried about THC (the psycho-active component in Marijuana); hemp milk and oil are made from the seeds which do not contain any THC. Hemp milk contains naturally occurring Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s. Living Harvest is grown without pesticides and herbicides)

½ cup frozen organic blueberries or any frozen fruit of your choice. ½ banana (if your bananas get too ripe then cut them in half, take off the peel and wrap each half in a piece of saran wrap and put in the freezer and then just throw a frozen half in your smoothie)

3 cups fresh organic baby spinach (okay, I know what you are thinking but you will not even know it is in there once it is all blended)

½ to 1 scoop good quality protein powder (I like vanilla “Whey Cool” by a company called Designs for Health. You can order it from www.nutraexpress.com This protein is not denatured (broken down). Most whey proteins are processed with high heat and this breaks down the protein (denatures it) which destroys all of the bio-active elements. Some of these elements are Glutathione which is an anti-oxidant, Colostrum which has antimicrobial properties, and immunoglobins which are used by your immune system to search and destroy viruses, bacteria and the like. Denatured protein is basically dead and about 98% of the protein out there is denatured. Dr. Mercola also has a very good non-denatured protein and it comes in a lot flavors. I have not tried it yet but it certainly seems to be a high quality product and when I run out of the "Whey Cool", I will order his. Go to www.mercola.com and click on products at the top left and then scroll down until you see Miracle Whey, click on more info and you can look at the benefits and place an order. You can also call toll-free 847-252-4355. Note: blend everything else and then put the protein powder in last and just mix it (mixer setting on blender) for about 5 seconds or so. Apparently, too much churning and blenderizing (my own word) the protein can break it down.

The next 4 items (Aronia, Acai, Maca, Bilberry) can be purchased at www.superorganicfoods.com These are not extracts; they are the whole food dried and ground into powders. They use a proprietary process that preserves all the nutrients. I like them as they are actually a food and not just something extracted from the root or berry. There is not anything else added to the powder. They are reasonably priced for the quality that you are getting.

2 teaspoons of Aronia powder-Aronia is a berry and is a powerful anti-oxidant. It has a deep purple color.

2 teaspoons of Acai berry powder-Acai contains Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s). EFA’s cannot be manufactured by your body. These include the Omega 3’s and 6’s which you find in fish. EFA’s support the nervous system and nerve tissue. Acai also has something called anthcyanins which is found in red wine and it is a powerful anti-oxidant. It also has something called Photosterols which promote cardiovascular health.

2 teaspoons Maca powder-this is a root that is grown in Peru. It is full of trace minerals and helps to support your endocrine system. The endocrine system is all your glands that secrete things like hormones.

2 teaspoons Bilberry powder-Bilberries have powerful anti-oxidants that help protect blood vessels and promote eye health. It also helps with stabilizing blood sugar.

1 tablespoon sprouted ground flax seeds-sprouted flax is assimilated better and flax seeds must be ground in order to release their nutrients. I buy this at the health food store already ground and sprouted.

Variations:

A handful of raw kale-for those who are hard core!

A small handful of organic sprouts-for the hard core gals also! I Iike sunflower sprouts.

½ small container of unflavored nonfat Greek yogurt- Greek yogurt is very creamy and thick (even the nonfat) and it contains about 17 grams of protein for a small carton.

Here is the recipe without the added data:

1 and ½ cups of unsweetened vanilla hemp milk or 1 cup unsweetened vanilla hemp milk and ½ cup coconut water or coconut milk.*

½ cup frozen organic blueberries or ½ banana

3 cups fresh organic baby spinach

½ to 1 scoop protein powder (non-denatured)

2 tsp Aronia powder

2 tsp. Acai berry powder

2 tsp. Maca powder 2 tsp. bilberry powder

1 Tbsp sprouted flax powder

Additions if desired:

Handful raw kale

Small handful organic sprouts (I like sunflower sprouts)

½ small container plain Greek yogurt

*you can add a little more liquid if you do not like it thick. If it is too thick I just add a little water.

I am not a big coffee drinker although I do like coffee I just do not handle the caffeine very well. My husband has one cup of coffee in the morning so I was looking for some healthy coffee for him. I came across a coffee that has a mushroom extract called Ganoderma. It has been studied in Japan for over 30 years and has been shown to be safe. It is supposed to help with high blood pressure, improve circulation, help the immune system and increase energy according to the literature. The coffee comes in little packets that you just add water to. It is the only brand that actually lists the milligrams of the Ganoderma (it is on the website) so you know how much you are getting. I would drink this myself if it came in decaf but it does not. I have a website for this coffee it is www.ganobrand.com/june Only after using the coffee for about a year did I decide to this. If you decide to purchase please do so through my site. The coffee is not very expensive. I have not tried any of the other products yet.

Kombucha (pronounced kom-BOO-cha)

This is a handmade Chinese teas that is delicately cultured for 3o days. During this time, essential nutrients form like: Active enzymes, Probiotics, Amino Acids (building blocks of protein) and Antioxidants. I love, love, love this stuff! The brand I like best is Synergy. It is an organic and raw food. They have a lot of different flavors but my two favorite are Gingerberry and Guava. It comes in a 16 oz bottle and the Gingerberry only has 70 calories for the entire bottle. The ingredients are organic raw kombucha, blueberry juice and fresh pressed ginger juice and 100% pure love according to the bottle. I can detect the love but it is probably my own because I really love this stuff! The bottle also states kombucha supports: Digestion, Metabolism, appetite control, weight control and body alkalinity. Since it is fermented it is very “fizzy.” It has an alcohol content of less than 0.5% due to the fermentation. Be very careful when taking the lid off because of the fermentation (think uncorking champagne). Never shake the bottle! My husband and I joke it is like handling nitroglycerin so don’t jostle the bottles around too much when you bring them home from the store. You will probably have to get this at your local health food store.

Hibiscus Mint Tea

This is a great tea that you get loose or in tea bags. It is caffeine free. It is an independent company based in Austin, Texas. A percentage of the profits are donated to the people of Az-Zawart which is a village in northern Sudan. Projects for clean water, health and education improvement is what the money is used for. This is the best tea. You can serve it hot or cold. I like it cold with lemon or lime. It is very refreshing and has the most beautiful color so it is very nice to serve to guests. The website to order the tea is www.nilevalleyherbs.com It is the best tea I have found as far as a non-caffeinated variety. For healthy chocolate drinks, see my post on Chocolate!

I love hot chocolate especially on a chilly afternoon or evening and I have two that I like. The first one comes in individual packets by a company called Eco-Bella. They primarily do skin care and have developed a healthy hot chocolate called Instant Bliss Beauty Drink. It is all organic and has as much fiber as an apple plus other ingredients that help support healthy skin. I mix it with a cup of unsweetened vanilla hemp milk (I like Living Harvest brand. It is mild and tastes better than other brands). I heat up the hemp milk and then add the packet. It can be ordered in a 24 count box at  www.MyVitanet.com I have not personally ordered from this company yet.

There is also a powder that is a mix of raw cacao and maca (root vegetable from Peru that is chock full of minerals and also helps to promote a healthy endocrine system, think hormones) It can be ordered from  www.healthywiseorganics.com and is called Toucan Cacao Maca. It has no sweetener so you have to add your own. Here is my recipe:

1 heaping teaspoon of Toucan Cacao Maca (you can add a little more or less depending on how chocolaty you like it)
1 cup unsweetened vanilla hemp milk (Living Harvest brand)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. Volcanic Nectar blue agave nectar*
2-3 tsp. of Trehalose**

*agave looks like honey but it is made from a cactus and is low on the glycemic load scale. The glycemic load measures how quickly and how high a food raises blood sugar. Foods that raise blood sugar quickly make the body produce high levels of insulin which over time can lead to problems such as diabetes and obesity. Apparently, all agave nectars are not created equal. This brand has the seal that it is safe for diabetics. You can order it from www.volcanicnectar.com

**this is a sweetener found naturally in honey, mushrooms, lobster, shrimp and foods produced using baker’s and brewer’s yeast. It looks just like table sugar and is about half as sweet. It is also low glycemic. Trehalose strengthens cell membranes in plants and animals. It is associated with desert life forms that can be fully dehydrated yet be brought back to life even after intervals of as much as 2500 years. It is also being used to treat some diseases now. It can be ordered through www.endowmentmed.org

Xocai Squares

This is a small square of high quality dark chocolate that is processed so that all the anti-oxidants are preserved. I usually eat about 2 of these a day. The recommended dose is 3 squares a day. I get anti-oxidants from other things in my diet so I normally just eat 1 or 2 pieces of this a day. 3 pieces (3.5 oz) of the Xobiotic squares have an ORAC* value of 46,400. The same amount of blueberries has an ORAC value of 6,552. The Xobiotic squares have probiotics in them. There are several different types of chocolate from this company and they are all very good and have a high ORAC value. I actually just like the chocolate itself but it has the added benefit of being healthy. I am signed up with the company because I am on a monthly auto-ship. If you want to order or sign up I would appreciate if you would do it through my site which is www.mxi.myoffice.com/kimberlycamacho It will help fund my research and testing of all products.

Another treat that I really love are the hemp nut brownies with walnuts from a company called UliMana. They are not really brownies per say but more like fudge. There are about 6 pieces to the container. They are all organic and are sweetened with Agave nectar (a low glycemic sweetner). They are dark chocolate decadence although they are not super sweet in my opinion. You can order them from www.ulimana.com They have other chocolates but this is my favorite.

*ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. It is a measure of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants fight free radicals (basically free radicals are unstable atoms in the body). The theory is that organisms age because they accumulate free radical damage.