How to Make Jerky – Step-by-Step Instructions
January 27, 2012 | 
Author Before the invention of refrigeration and preservatives, the only way to preserve meat for long periods of time was to dry it into jerky. Drying meat into jerky is possibly the oldest way of preserving meat and jerky dates back to the earliest civilizations.
Traditionally, jerky was made from long, thin strips of meat that was salted and dried in the sun or over a small smokey fire. Although jerky can still be made in this way, techniques have become more sophisticated in our day. Jerky is still an extremely popular food and millions of people still enjoy jerky as a delicious, convenient, and healthy source of protein. Jerky is perfect for hikers, campers, or just an easy, non-messy snack.
Today, jerky is most commonly made from beef, but jerky can also be made from poultry, fish, and wild game such as deer (venison), elk, buffalo, bison, moose, caribou, antelope, and other game. Many varieties of seasonings can be used to make different flavors of jerky. Salt is traditionally used as the main preservative for jerky, but acids such as vinegar and citrus juice in marinades can also help to kill bacteria. Jerky can be made without salt, but its shelf life will be drastically reduced.
Store-bought jerky comes in many flavors with any number of chemicals, additives, and preservatives and can be surprisingly expensive. However, you can make your own jerky at home very easily. Most people are surprised at just how easy it is to make delicious jerky that is much cheaper and healthier than mass-produced jerky available in stores. So by making your own jerky, you not only control the ingredients, you also save money.
Jerky Making: Step-by-Step Instructions
Select a cut of meat. Choosing a lean cut will save time later. For beef jerky, cuts like like sirloin, top round, eye of round, etc. are good choices. You can also use venison or virtually any other type of meat to make jerky.
Trim all of the noticeable fat from your cut of meat because any fat will cause the jerky to spoil much faster.
Slice your meat into very thin strips from 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick. Cutting the meat into thin slices dramatically shortens drying time. You can cut jerky with just a knife and cutting board, but there are some convenient tools you can use for slicing meat, such as a Jerky Slicing Tray, a Hand-Crank Manual Jerky Slicer, or an electric meat slicer. Tip: Slicing meat is easier if you freeze the meat for about 30 to 60 minutes before slicing. You can cut with or against the grain, but some find that strips cut against the grain are easier to chew.
Marinate the meat in a marinade or solution of your choice. You can follow a recipe to make your own marinade or purchase any number of ready-made marinades. Marinating is optional because the additional moisture can make dehydration take longer, and the resulting jerky might be stickier. Soaking in soy sauce or teriyaki sauce is a favorite. Place in the refrigerator for 4 – 24 hours to allow the meat absorb the flavor.
Season the meat with the dry seasonings of your choice. You can follow a jerky recipe or choose from a wide variety of available dry jerky seasoning mixes. A mixture of salt, pepper, oregano, marjoram, basil and thyme is tasty. You will find that many seasonings work well and it is a personal preference. I personally enjoy jerky with a lot of pepper. You will need to experiment to find your favorites. Just sprinkle and rub the dry seasonings onto both sides of the sliced meat.
Dehydrate the meat. Meat is dehydrated by applying heat and continuous air flow. The control of both the temperature and the airflow is very important. If the humidity is too high and the temperature is too low, the jerky will dry too slowly and it could spoil. If the temperature is too high, the jerky will cook too fast, harden on the outside but still be too moist on the inside, and once again, it could spoil.
There are two common methods for drying jerky; in a conventional oven or in a food dehydrator. Whichever method you use, be sure to leave enough room between pieces to allow air to flow around the meat. Avoid letting the meat touch if possible.
Making Jerky in a Conventional Oven
Preheat your oven to 140 degrees. Remember you are not cooking the meat; you are simply removing the moisture. Spray all the racks you will use with a non stick cooking spray. Without this non-stick spray, you will be left with jerky that cannot be removed from the racks and that will essentially be inedible. Spread the meat evenly on wire racks in the oven. You can also use metal racks other than the oven racks with a drip pan underneath to make cleanup much faster.
Leave the oven door open slightly to permit moisture to escape. Since temperatures, humidity levels, and slice thickness will vary, there can be no set time for the process to complete. Usually jerky takes from 6 to 12 hours. Check the consistency of the jerky regularly after 6 hours until it meets your satisfaction. You might have to cut into the jerky to ensure that it is not raw inside. You want the jerky to be a deep brown or burgundy color and still be flexible. As jerky cools, it will get more stiff and brittle so you don’t want to over dry.
Making Jerky in a Food Dehydrator
Food Dehydrators are excellent for making jerky. Dehydrators are inexpensive to buy and are safer and cheaper to use than the kitchen oven. Additionally dehydrators make less of a mess and are easier to clean up.
Spray the dehydrator trays with a non-stick cooking spray before placing on the strips of meat. This keeps the meat from sticking and helps in the clean up of the trays. Season the jerky strips just as above and drain them well before placing them on the dehydrator trays.
A full dehydrator can usually process a large batch of jerky in 6 to 12 hours. Just like with drying in a conventional oven, temperatures, humidity levels, and slice thickness will vary, so the drying time will vary. You will want to check the jerky regularly after 6 hours to see if its done. You want the jerky to be a deep brown or burgundy color and still be flexible. As jerky cools, it will get more stiff and brittle so you don’t want to over dry. The thicker cuts will take more time, so as the thin pieces are done, just remove them. Tip: A rule of thumb is that 4 pounds of raw meat makes about one pound of jerky.
Store the finished jerky in plastic bags and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat. To be safe, it’s best to enjoy the fresh homemade jerky within one week of its preparation. If you make it right, it’s delicious!Tip: If you wish to store your jerky for longer, use a vacuum sealer to store the jerky in vacuum bags. Other storage methods allow exposure to oxygen and moisture, which encourages the growth of bacteria. In vacuum sealed bags, jerky can be kept for months. Vacuum sealed jerky stored in a freezer can last even longer.
Alternative: Jerky Snack Strips & Sticks
Instead of making jerky from sliced meat, a popular form of jerky is the jerky snack stick or snack strip, which is made from seasoned ground meat formed into strips or round sticks. To make this jerky snack, you first need to purchase extra lean ground meat or grind lean cuts of meat with a meat grinder. The next step is to mix the seasonings into the ground meat by hand or with a meat mixer. The seasoned ground meat can then be extruded into the snack sticks or strips using a Jerky Gun or Jerky Cannon. Finally, these jerky snacks are dehydrated on trays in a conventional oven or food dehydrator as described above.
Who knew it was so easy to make your own jerky? Enjoy!
Wheat Grinders – Types, Prices, Usage, Recommendations
If you are anything like me, the idea of buying, let alone actually USING a wheat grinder can be pretty intimidating. I am determined to accumulate a healthy-sized food storage and wheat is going to play a big role in that. I am also a fan of the mantra “store what you eat and eat what you store”. Thus it quickly became apparent to me that I needed to do some heavy duty research in order to uncover all the mysteries surrounding “wheat grinders” or “grain mills” as they are officially called. With the help of internet research, some hands on research at several neighbors’ houses, and multiple failed attempts in the kitchen, I have come up with a pretty good summary of what you need to know.
Types of Wheat Grinders
Manual Wheat Grinders
Pros
Inexpensive
Can be used with no power source
Small to store
Cons
SLOW to grind (mine took 6 minutes to grind one cup of flour)
Except for the very high-end models, you cannot grind a fine flour
Inconvenient (messy and hard to fit a large bowl underneath)
KitchenAid Attachments
Pros
Less expensive than an electric grinder
Small to store
Convenient to use and then mix bread in the same machine
Cons
I have heard from multiple sources that these units will BREAK your KitchenAid mixer
Not as fast at grinding as electric grinders
Electric Wheat Grinders
Pros
Grinds very fast
Useful for many types of grains, beans, nuts, etc.
Easy to select how coarse or fine to grind, and has a large range
Cons
Fairly expensive, even for the lower-end models
Must have a generator or battery pack to use with no electricity (unless you buy a high end model that comes with a manual crank)
A large appliance to store in your kitchen
Prices of Wheat Grinders
Manual Wheat Grinders
Low: $20-30 models will not grind flour, only coarse corn meal, etc. Not very useful.
Medium: $75-$175 is a good price range. Back to Basics Grain Mill is $75. It can grind fine enough for bread flour but not for very fine cake flour. Wonder Junior is higher-priced at $169 but it can grind into cake flour.
High: Up to $400 for the Country Living Grain Mill. It is quicker than other manual grinders and is able to grind a fine cake flour.
KitchenAid Attachments
$100-120, some may be used on any stand mixer.
Electric Wheat Grinders
Low: Under $200 for grinders such as the Blendtec Grain Mill. Its drawbacks are it is very noisy and cannot do very coarse grinds.
Medium: $200-$300 can get you a great grinder. The two most popular electric grinders are the WonderMill and the NutriMill. In my tests I found the WonderMill to be faster, quieter, cleaner, and easier to store. And priced at $239 it is even cheaper than the NutriMill which is $269.
High: Over $300 is an unnecessary amount to spend in my opinion. There are heavy duty models out there but you can get the job done with the mid-range models.
How To Use Wheat Grinders
Manual Wheat Grinders
Attach wheat grinder to your counter top
Place a bowl underneath
Pour the wheat in the funnel
Turn the crank (for a LONG time)
Wheat will filter into the bowl below
Electric Wheat Grinders
Select how fine or coarse you want to grind
Turn on the machine
Pour the wheat in the top
Wait for it to grind into flour (super fast)
Turn off the machine and pull out your canister of wheat
How To Use Fresh Ground Whole Wheat
Whole wheat bread can be delicious! I have gone through a lot of recipes trying to find the perfect balance of flavor, nutrition, texture, etc. for my wheat bread. Experiment with different recipes and types of wheat until you find what your family prefers. We liked using hard white wheat in a recipe that included gluten and oatmeal.
Pancakes even your kids will love! I took an IHOP corn cakes recipe and simply swapped all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour and it was amazing. My kids ate 3 each at one meal. They are delicious drizzled with honey over top.
Whole wheat oatmeal cookies you can’t resist. I haven’t tried any of these recipes yet but several of my friends said they prefer whole wheat cookies to regular cookies. Who wouldn’t want an excuse to make cookies, hey it’s rotating your food storage.
Much much more. I grind up a large Tupperware full of hard white wheat flour and store it in my freezer (it retains the nutrients that way). Whenever I do any baking I replace half or all of the flour called for with my whole wheat flour. If it is as good or better I add that recipe to my food storage recipe binder. It’s a great way to experiment until you find what works for you.
My Recommendations
Emergency-Only Usage
If you are planning to use your food storage and wheat grinder only if an emergency situation arises, it is not worth the expense and hassle of buying and storing an electric grinder. At a minimum you should get the Back to Basics Grain Mill but I would highly recommend splurging for the Wonder Junior.
Every-Day Usage
If you plan to “store what you eat and eat what you store” I highly recommend the WonderMill Grain Mill electric grinder. If you are not planning to find an alternative power source for an emergency situation, then eventually pick up a Back to Basics Grain Mill as well. The price of these two combined are still cheaper than high-end electric grinders that have a manual crank option, and the functionality of the WonderMill is better for frequent usage.
The Best Venison Seasonings
What is the best venison seasoning to use for your venison meat? That depends on several factors: how well the meat was processed, what cut of meat you’re preparing, and how you’re planning on cooking it.
Many people think they need to heavily season venison to hide the gamey flavor. I’ll tell you right now, that doesn’t work. If you have gamey meat, you’re better off grinding it for burgers, chili, or stew rather than trying to make a delicious steak with it. However, if the meat has been harvested (field dressed, quartered, and butchered) properly, then the meat really doesn’t require a ton of seasoning to taste good.
That said, the right combination of seasoning can make a good meal great. I do a lot of different things with my venison meat, and am always trying new flavors. There are a few seasonings, though, that I seem to use often:
Steak rubs. There are many varieties on the market, and they are generally a combination of different types of pepper along with salt. These are great. If I’m grilling a tri-tip (which is super tender and flavorful) or just simple fillet to use on a salad, I put about a teaspoon of steak rub in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and baste the meat with it. It’s light enough not to over power, but flavorful enough to add a little oomph.
Cumin: I use cumin in virtually every chili recipe I make, as well as other stews. It adds a little heat, but isn’t as spicy as cayenne pepper. It’s a nice, subtle flavor.
Worcestershire Sauce: We use this in our basic burgers. About one teaspoon per pound adds a nice flavor to the meat. This is especially good since we tend to use the less choice pieces of meat for grinding.
In general, I’ve learned to go lighter with the seasoning than heavy with it. Venison has such a nice, sweet flavor that it’s easy to ruin a great steak by over seasoning it. You can always add more flavor at the table.
Cat Repellent or How to Keep Cats Out of Your Garden
Do cat repellents work? How to stop a cat from using garden as litterbox? Tell me how to keep cats out of my garden. These are common questions of concern to all gardeners but is there a real answer?
The first line of defence is to ensure that your yard boundaries are secure. Any gaps in your fence should be blocked to deny low level access. But cats can jump so fix a taut wire or string some six inches above the top of your fence to deter this approach.
Once inside your garden many people say that the best cat repellent is a dog who will soon see off any feline invader. If you are not a dog lover then you will have to resort to more passive methods. Since cats like to lie on freshly dug soil you should lay mulch on your borders so that no bare soil is left exposed. Seed beds should be covered with wire netting or twigs arranged as a barrier.
Young trees should have plastic guards fitted around their trunks to protect them against use as a scratching pole.
Your garden pond should be covered with netting to keep your fish safe.
Cats are generally known to dislike water so a well aimed bucketful or a squirt with the hose will certainly make an intruder run. After one or two dousings it may learn the lesson and stay away.
To protect plants and borders both mothballs and citrus are said to be effective deterrents. Place the mothballs, orange peel or lemon rind in the borders. Alternatively spray cloths with orange scented air freshener and place the cloths around the plants you wish to protect. Other known cat repellents are cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil and mustard oil.
Certain herbs are said to deter cats. In particular rue but not catmint which has the opposite effect. Coleus canina is another plant which is marketed by one merchant as a cat repellent.
The broadcaster Jerry Baker has suggested treating your yard with a tonic made from chewing tobacco, urine, birth control pills, mouthwash, molasses, detergent and beer. A smallholder has reported success using dried rabbit blood but you may feel that the ingredients listed in the previous paragraph should be tried first.
If you visit your local garden center or hardware store you will find several cat repellent products on sale. These range from electric water sprinklers and ultrasonic devices to sprays and granules.
Motion activated sprinklers act in the same way as a burglar alarm using an infra red detector. When the cat enters the area covered by the detector the sprinkler shoots out a jet of water to scare the animal away. It is claimed that, after one or two encounters with the jet, the cat will learn to avoid the area.
Ultrasonic devices emit a high frequency sound which is annoying to cats (and dogs) but is not audible to humans. There are various different models some of which operate continuously and others which have an infra red detector and only emit a pulse of sound when the cat triggers the device. To be successful you need to ensure that the model is powerful enough to cover the area you wish to protect. In addition make sure that the sound frequency is designed for larger animals since some models are intended to deter insects and so would be no use for cats.
There are also commercial scent cat repellents. Those that use chemicals should be kept away from any food crops but the essential oil based granule varieties act in the same way as orange and lemon peel mentioned above. Another way to keep a cat out if the garden is a repellent evaporator which consists of a container holding puffed rice which has been impregnated with essential oils. These are effective for three to four weeks and can then be refilled for a further period. Another natural product which many people claim really keeps a cat out of the garden is lion’s dung. You may need to visit your local zoo to obtain this although some stores do stock zoo poo.
In Ontario, Canada the local township provides a cat trap service. Once the animal enters the cage it cannot escape but is completely unharmed. The owner has to pay to recover his pet and so should be encouraged not to let the cat stray in future. Apparently few owners bother to reclaim their cats but just obtain another kitten. However this sounds like a good way of dealing with a cat that cannot be deterred by any other method. If there is no such scheme in your area, just buy your own trap.
So, to recap, the first priority is to secure your boundary fences. Then you have the whole selection of suggested cat repellents ranging from homemade recipes to expensive commercial gadgets. I would suggest that you try the orange peel and prickly twigs for a start. If you are around when the intruder appears, try the bucket of water or hose. Even if you miss, the shock may be a sufficient deterrent. If these do not do the trick, then you may have to consider the commercial alternatives.
History of Baking
Baking has been many cultures’ favorite technique for creating snacks, desserts, and accompaniments to meals for many years. Now, it is very well-known as the method for creating sweets and all sorts of wondrous mouthwatering pastries. In ancient history, the first evidence of baking occurred when humans took wild grass grains, soaked it in water, and mixed everything together, mashing it into a kind of broth-like paste. Then, the paste was cooked by pouring it onto a flat, hot rock, resulting in a bread-like substance. Later, this paste was roasted on hot embers, which made bread-making easier, as it could now be made anytime fire was created. Around 2500 B.C., records show that the Egyptians already had bread, and may have actually learned the process from the Babylonians. The Greek Aristophanes, around 400 B.C., also recorded information that showed that tortes with patterns and honey flans existed in Greek cuisine. Dispyrus was also created by the Greeks around that time and widely popular; was a donut-like bread made from flour and honey and shaped in a ring; soaked in wine, it was eaten when hot.
In the Roman Empire, baking flourished widely. In about 300 B.C., the pastry cook became an occupation for Romans (known as the pastillarium). This became a very highly respected profession because pastries were considered decadent, and Romans loved festivity and celebration. Thus, pastries were often cooked especially for large banquets, and any pastry cook who could invent new types of tasty treats, unseen at any other banquet, was highly prized. Around 1 A.D., there were more than three hundred pastry chefs in Rome alone, and Cato wrote about how they created all sorts of diverse foods, and flourished because of those foods. Cato speaks of an enormous amount of breads; included amongst these are the libum (sacrificial cakes made with flour), placenta (groats and cress), spira (our modern day flour pretzels), scibilata (tortes), savaillum (sweet cake), and globus apherica (fritters). A great selection of these, with many different variations, different ingredients, and varied patterns, were often found at banquets and dining halls. To bake bread, the Romans used an oven with its own chimney and had grain mills to grind grain into flour.
Eventually, because of Rome, the art of baking became widely known throughout Europe, and eventually spread to the eastern parts of Asia. Bakers often baked goods at home and then sold them in the streets-children loved their goods. In fact, this scene was so common that Rembrandt illustrated a work that depicted a pastry chef selling pancakes in the streets of Germany, and young children surrounding him, clamoring to get a sample. In London, pastry chef sold their goods in handcarts, which were very convenient shops on wheels. This way, they developed a system of “delivery” baked goods to people’s households, and the demand for baked goods increased greatly as a result. Finally, in Paris, the first open-air café of baked goods was developed, and baking became an established art throughout the entire world.
Authentic Mexican Tamales Recipes – Authentic Mexican Beef Tamales
There is nothing more delicious than a fresh, hot tamale. If you take your time and make these tamales with loving care, you will receive lots of compliments.
4 pounds boneless chuck roast
4 cloves garlic
3 (8 oz.) pkgs. dried corn husks
4 dried ancho chiles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon white vinegar
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon salt
9 cups masa harina
Directions
Place the beef and garlic in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Let simmer for 3-1/2 hours, until the beef is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
After the beef is done, remove from pot, reserving 5 cups of cooking liquid. Discard the garlic. Allow meat to cool slilghtly. Shred into small pieces with 2 forks.
Meanwhile, place corn husks in a large container and cover with warm water. Allow husks to soak for 3 hours, until soft and pliable. You may need to weight them down with an inverted plate or heavy can.
Toast ancho chiles in a cast iron skillet, making sure not to burn them. Allow to cool and then remove the stems and seeds. Crumble and grind the chilies in a clean coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
In a large skillet, heat up the oil. Mix in the flour and allow it to brown slightly. Pour in 1 cup beef broth and stir until smooth.
Mix in the ground chilies, cumin seeds, ground cumin, minced garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, vinegar and salt. Stir in the shredded beef and cover. Let simmer for 45 minutes.
Place the lard and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whip with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add in the masa harina and beat at low speed until well mixed. Pour in the reserved cooking liquid, a little at a time, until the mixture is the consistency of soft cookie dough.
Drain the water from the corn husks.
Flatten out each corn husk, one at a time, with the narrow end facing you. Spread 2 tablespoons of the masa harina mixture onto the top 2/3 of the husk.
Spread 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture down the middle of the masa harina.
Roll up the corn husk, starting at one of the long sides. Fold the narrow end of the husk down onto the rolled tamale and tie with a piece of butchers’ twine.
Place wrapped tamales into a steamer basket. Steam over boiling water for one hour, until the masa is firm and holds its shape. Make sure the steamer doesn’t run out of water.
Serve immediately, allowing each person to unwrap their own tamales.
Keep leftovers inside their husks and store them uncovered in the refrigerator.
=> Authentic Mexican Tamales Recipes: Mexican Tamale Relish
Delicious over your hot tamales or other meats like beef, pork and chicken. Try adding plums for an additional flavor boost.
8 large medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped into 3/4-inch chunks
2 cups firm apples, chopped
1-1/2 cups fresh peaches, chopped
1-1/2 cups fresh pears, peeled and chopped
1-1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
3 tablespoons whole pickling spices
2-1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons pickling salt
1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
Directions
Place the tomatoes, apples, peaches, pears, onion and celery into a heavy pot. Stir in the pickling spices, brown sugar, pickling salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil, while stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is thick; stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook about 45 minutes.
Pour the fruit relish into hot jars, leaving 1/-inch head space. Adjust caps. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Cool jars. Store relish in a cool, dry place.
Natural Cure for Diabetes
Food Therapy should be followed under the supervision from your doctor. Check your sugar level frequently so that sugar levels do not go beyond the recommended level
Foods to avoid
It is always advisable to avoid some foods if you are diabetic such as refined sugar, sweets, syrups, glucose, jam, molasses, fruit sugar, ice-cream, cakes, pastries, sweet biscuits, chocolates, soft drinks, condensed milk, cream and fried foods. Fats like butter, ghee and hydrogenated vegetable oil should also be avoided. White sugar and white flour should be reduced drastically. Avoid all processed foods, junk food, pastries, cookies, canned and preserved foods. They contain harmful preservatives and lot of salt. Avoid soft drinks since these have a lot of sugar. Try to avoid fried foods from your diet.
Smoking results in the using up of oxygen in the body. It will result in less of oxygen needed by the body to metabolize glucose. So smoking should be avoided.
Foods to be limited
Salt consumption should be reduced to a minimum. You will get enough salt form the vegetables and fruits you eat. Reduce animal foods especially red meats. Reduce poultry and egg. Reduce caffeine and alcohol. Do not drink tea and coffee more than 2 cups a day. Try to replace it with green tea or herbal teas like Parsley tea, Blueberry leaf, Tea made of tender walnut tree leaves, Water in which kidney bean pods have been cooked is good diabetes.
Do not consume alcohol in empty stomach. Alcohol on an empty stomach can cause low blood glucose or hypoglycemia.Foods that should be consumed in moderation are honey and other natural sugars like palm sugar, dates which can be used instead of white sugar. Remember these should be consumed in very little quantity only.Pasta, coconut, other nuts, unsweetened juices, eggs should be limited. You can replace it with whole grain, unpolished rice and Soya products. Try to eat whole grain bread instead of white flour. Fats like olive oil and peanut oil are more advisable that hydrogenated fats. Low fat food like skimmed milk and low fat home made cottage cheese can be taken in moderation. You can also substitute it with yoghurt. Sea food and fish also can be taken in moderation.
Foods to be taken
Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
An alkaline diet with natural food is recommended. Wholegrain, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and dairy products form a good diet for the diabetic. Raw vegetables can be taken in high quantities. It has been found that cooked foods raise blood glucose higher than raw, unpeeled foods. Cooking destroys many of the enzymes and some vitamins and minerals.
Eat at least five fruits every day. Fruits like grape fruit, pomegranate juice, Indian blackberry, banana, granny smith apples, fig, cranberries, black berry, kiwi fruits, and citrus fruits are highly recommended. It can be taken as a snack. Cucumber, Lettuce, onion, garlic string beans cucumber radish, tomato, carrot, leaves; spinach turnip, cabbage and Jerusalem artichoke are good for diabetes. Colorful vegetables are good for the functioning of pancreas. Drink Fruit juices without sugar. Brewer’s yeast and sprouted alfalfa and mung beans are good for the body. Unripe banana also can be cooked and eaten.
The most important of all is eating high fiber diet which lowers need for insulin. It releases energy into the body slowly. It has also been found that diabetes decreases and may even disappear in people eating a high fiber or whole food diet. High fiber diet has more chromium and chromium is very good for people with diabetes.
Eat lot of potassium rich foods like raw peanuts, tomato, bananas, melons, dried peas, potatoes, apple cider vinegar, skimmed milk powder, wheat but do not take potassium supplements.
Include soluble fiber in your meals like barley, oatmeal, almond meal, dried beans, kidney beans, cooked black beans, peas, cereals, chickpeas, Bengal gram which has low glycemic index, , Black gram, lentils and corn or garbanzo beans to helps considerably in reducing blood sugar levels. Soy products like tofu, tempeh, soymilk, soya powder, soy bean sprouts, nuggets etc are also very good in containing neurological complications in diabetes. You can make bread out of any of the whole grains. Get a lot of soluble fiber into your diet. When you eat lots of bread, cereal and starchy vegetables you will get enough of starches which is very helpful for diabetes. Insoluble fibers, found in bran (oat bran, wheat bran), whole grain breads, whole grains and nuts, act as intestinal scrubbers by cleaning out the lower gastrointestinal tract. Fiber cleans your intestinal tract by moving out the food so that it wouldn’t stay there and putrefy. Butter milk and yoghurt diet are very beneficial.
Helpful herbs and vegetables
1. Bitter Gourd (Karela): Bitter gourd Momordica-charantia or bitter melon juice contains plant insulin and should be taken 2 ounce 2 times daily on an empty stomach. It is found to be very effective for diabetes.
Or
It can be cooked as any vegetable and eaten.
Or
The bitter melon powder can be made by drying. Take bitter gourd powder I teaspoon daily in empty stomach.
2. Taking half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day may help prevent the onset of diabetes. Even soaking a cinnamon sticks in your tea, could also benefit non-diabetics who have blood sugar problem but are unaware of it.
3. 30 gram fenugreek seeds can be soaked in a glass of water at night and after 12 hours take it and grind it into a paste with the soaked water and drink it on a empty stomach.
Or
2 teaspoon if powdered seeds can be taken with water or milk.
Or
You can add fenugreek into anything you cook.
4. Eating upto 3 grapefruits a day has also been helpful.
5. 1 tablespoon of amla (Emblica officinalis) after removing the seeds extract the juice and mix with a cup of bitter gourd juice and take daily for 2months in a empty stomach.
6. Gymnema Sylvestre a traditional ayurvedic herb the leaf of which is to be taken up to 4 grams per day.
7. Indian blackberry seeds or Jamun seed powder (scientific name of Jamun is Eugenia jambolana or Syzygium cumini L and) is very good for diabetes. Take 1/4th teaspoon with 1 teasoon honey for 50 days.
8. Eating freshly crushed raw garlic 3-4 grams a day lowers blood sugar. You can wash it down with a glass of water.
9. Neem seeds daily 2 times a pinch. Taking a gram of neem leaf daily helps in diabetes.
10. Bael (Aegle marmelos) : The leave of the bael tree when chewed are very useful in diabetes. Pulp of this fruit could be dried and taken in doses of 5 to 10 gms a day.
11. A pinch of pure turmeric powders mixed in amla juice (Indian goose berry) and eat daily in empty stomach.
12. Use of turmeric and gooseberry in equal quantities in powder form taken with warm water is very useful in this behalf. These activate the pancreatic cells and more insulin is produced.
13. Wild jeerakam cumin seeds black colored 60 gm in 1 liter and boil a reduce it ti 1/4th liter and take half divide it into two equal parts and drink one part in the morning and one in the evening 2 times daily.
14. Grind (Bacopa monnieri )Bhrahmi and add a teaspoon of it to milk and drink.
Vitamins that help
Supplements in natural forms are more conducive to the body.
Magnesium supplementation has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity.
Vitamin C: 500 mg is recommended. Vitamin E: This vitamin is very valuable for diabetes. A daily dose of 200 i.u. of Vitamin E is recommended for a fortnight at a time.
Chromium: Whole grains, seeds, mushrooms, corn oil and brewer’s yeast are relatively good sources of biologically valuable chromium.
Vitamin A:. Take A dose of 15,000i.u. on alternate days.
Vitamin B: Avoid large dosage of vitamin B because this vitamin interferes with the absorption of insulin by cells.
Things to do
Controlling your Weight is the best way to treat diabetes. Exercise improves the body’s response to insulin. An exercise program should be started only with the advice of a doctor to avoid unnecessary complications. Walking, light games, jogging and swimming are also good.
Yoga can help a lot. To relieve stress do meditation once a day for 10 to 40 minutes. Yogic asanas like Siddhasana, Vajrasana, Talasana, Yastikasana,, like Yogamudra, Hastapadasana, Paschimottanasana, Chakrasana, Ustrasana, Bhujangasana, Sarvangasana and Viparitakarani, as halasana, shalabhasana, dhanurasana, Pratipaksabhavana and shavasana will also be beneficial.
Healthy Desserts
Healthy and dessert are two words that are not usually linked together. Maybe that’s because we consider dessert to be a combination of sugar and fat, loaded with calories and other bad stuff. The reality of a healthy dessert can be yours though if you are willing to try something different. Oh yeah, fruit is already a dessert in some countries, but in the USA we consider it a treat only when it’s baked inside some kind of crust and loaded with sugar.
Granted, if you have a serious sweet tooth, this alternative healthy stuff is probably not going to satisfy you but if you are also trying to be healthier and weigh less, it will help a lot. The easiest way to give yourself a healthy treat is to go for a really good yogurt-like Bulgarian yogurt, or Greek yogurt-which can be found in your local health food store. Then wander down the aisle where they keep the cacao products and grab yourself a package of cacao nibs. To that you can add some Goji berries or golden currants but stay away from the Incan golden-berries unless you are a great fan of TART and sour tastes (those little things may be packed with great antioxidant power but boy, are they tart). Throw in some chopped nuts, add a little stevia for sweetness, mix it all up, and you have a great healthy dessert. Another healthy treat is to put the same things in some ricotta cheese. That’s a little heavier but just as tasty and usually doesn’t require any sweetener.
Okay now let’s get real and talk about chocolate, which is what you are really reading this for right? Yes, you can have your chocolate and still be eating something healthy. The cacao bean is chock full of antioxidant power; it’s the sugar that gets added that is the problem. You can get the cacao bean and grind it up with some coconut oil or organic cream and get yourself a creamy treat but you’ll still have to add some sweetness to it. You can get the sweetness either from stevia (a natural-source sweetener called Honey Leaf) or just add honey, fruit juice or sugar. To be healthiest though, use stevia. If you just make the creamy cacao mixture you can spread it on something healthy like apple slices or make some almond bark. Keep in mind that this is supposed to be a healthy dessert, right?
Another healthy alternative is to put some nut butter on fruit; that works best on apple or pear slices but you can always thin the butter out a bit with some coconut oil or cacao and dip strawberries, cherries and the like…and then roll them in nuts. Whipped cream is also an easy addition to make some fresh fruit special and if you fry some bananas in butter or coconut oil, dip them in cacao cream and then throw some chopped nuts on them, with a dollop of whipped cream…well…Elvis would have gone for that, I’m sure.
©2010 Dr.Valerie Olmsted All Rights Reserved
Pain On Top Of The Foot
The purpose of this article is to give you information seekers an easier way to diagnose your pain on the top of the foot. I have noticed that many people use “top of foot pain” as their “search” term.
I have listed the more common problems that we foot specialists see on a regular basis, but this list is not all inclusive. Pain can occur with or without a history of trauma. Sometimes repetitive action (or microtrauma as I like to call it) can create pain on top of the foot.
Hopefully this will help you in your search for answers.
TENDONITIS- Diffuse pain on top of the foot which may also include swelling and even redness. There may or may not be a history of trauma.
GANGLION CYST- A spongy to firm lump on top of the foot that may or may not be freely moveable. The lump itself may not be painful on pressure, but pressing on it may cause pain beneath it.
MIDTARSAL FAULT- In people whose feet have a tendency to collapse (fallen arches), there ends up being a jamming of the bones on top of your foot that will lead to pain, with or without shoes. Generally, there will be no history of trauma.
NERVE ENTRAPMENT- There are small nerves running from the ankle down to the toes that are located right under the skin. These are sensory nerves (which give us feeling on the top of the foot). It is not uncommon for these nerves to become traumatized from the pressure of a shoe (mainly tied too tight) putting pressure on the nerve which is then “jammed” into a bony projection underneath it. This nerve is then entrapped and it becomes inflamed and thus painful or in some cases there will be numbness on part of the top of the foot.
STRESS FRACTURE- Without any history of trauma, a person can develop severe pain on the top of the foot usually in the metatarsal area. It will be a localized pain, possibly with some swelling and perhaps redness.
BONE SPUR- A bone spur in the foot is usually a result of arthritic changes in the foot, bone will overgrow and produce abnormal protrusions on top of the foot. Either damage to the specific joint or pressure from your shoe on the overgrowth of bone (bone spur) will cause pain.
SUPERFICIAL PHLEBITIS- Many of the veins on the top of the foot are directly underneath the skin. Since the foot is subject to trauma every step you take, at times the nerves will become inflamed and develop a superficial phlebitis. This is not as dangerous as a deep vein phlebitis seen in the leg, but medical care is warranted.
More detailed information on this subject matter can be found at my web site.
What Is Cacao And Why Is Natural Chocolate Healthy?
Understanding Super Foods: Cacao and Real Chocolate
For some reason I can’t get the vision of John Matuszak out of my head. John Matuszak — you know — Sloth, from The Goonies! Choc-o-late…Ruth…Ba-by…Ruth. Yes, none of that cinematic magic would have been possible without cacao. Could you imagine? Cacao is responsible for that delicious, sometimes decadent food group we commonly know as chocolate, but it’s oh, so much more. In fact, in its purest form, it has health benefits that might even cause you to furrow or lift your brow. But first — what exactly is cacao?
What Is Cacao?
Cacao is an evergreen tree that generally grows from 10 – 30 feet in height and is native to the tropical regions of the American continents. It is found naturally in the Amazon River Basin as well as the Orinoco River Basin, and can also be found bearing its “fruit” at the base of the Andes Mountain range in foothill elevations of 600 – 1300 ft. above sea level. It is widely accepted by many cacao experts, that the tree was native to Mexico, and brought wild to be cultivated in South America.
It is now farmed in many tropical nations, and the largest commercial producer is actually the western African nation of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Ghana, Indonesia and the Philippines also cultivate a prominent amount of cacao, and the Americas round out the majority of the commercial farming.
The fruit of the cacao, known as the cacao pod, ripens to a hearty yellow or orange, and weighs about a pound. Within it, you’ll find a load of seeds, which are generally referred to as cacao beans. Each seed is made up of about 40 percent fat, which is often extracted and known as cocoa butter.
The Cacao Nib Craze
Is it true that Cacao Nibs, the peeled, crushed cacao seeds/beans, are full of antioxidants? Antioxidants that rival super foods like blueberries, and many antioxidant rich teas? Yes, it’s all true. As a matter of fact, the cacao nib is also rich in good fat and minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron and potassium. All that good energy stuff you’d get from drinking a Gatorade without the multiple grams of refined sugar. You’ll also find a natural byproduct that is very much like caffeine. It even seems that the natural MAO inhibitors found in these tasty morsels can suppress an overactive appetite.
The Taste of Cacao
What do cacao nibs taste like? Chocolately and nutty. You can pick at it like granola, eat it by the spoonful like granola, grind it into your coffee… not like granola… sprinkle it on ice-cream, put it in a smoothie or a personal favorite — dip a banana into them.
If you’re intrigued, make sure you snag an organic variety of the cacao nibs. Criollo cacao is the rarest of the organically produced cacao, and what you’d probably enjoy the most in your first sampling. You can generally find the goods for $10-15 a pound, depending on where you shop. Cacao: Along with Goji Berries [http://www.greeneggsandplanet.com/blog/dieting/goji-berries-what-are-goji-berries], just another example of nature’s candies.