Cranberry-Walnut Powerballs

These Cranberry-Walnut Powerballs remind me of a no-bake cookie recipe that used to be popular when I was a kid, but are even better.  I still remember going to see The Jungle Book with my best friend, Emma, and her mom, smuggling in no bake cookies in our coat pockets.  We liked to live on the wild side. 

It sure is nice to have a quick and easy snack on hand that’s packed with “the good stuff” like coconut oil, walnuts and flaxseed.  Hearty rolled oats help fill you up while honey adds natural sweetness.  If you’re in a hurry, you can skip rolling out balls and press the mix into a 9″x9″ glass pan, chill and slice into bite sized pieces.

Cranberry-Walnut Powerballs

Ingredients

·         3 cups old fashioned oats

·         1/4 cup ground flax seed

·         2 tablespoons cocoa powder

·         1/2 cup dried cranberries (or another dried fruit like raisins, cherries or goji berries)

·         1/2 cup  chopped walnuts (or other nuts or seeds)

·         1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs (I prefer Enjoy Life)

·         1 cup peanut butter or nut butter

·         1/2-3/4 cup of raw honey

·         1/4-1/2 cup of high quality coconut oil (my favorite is Nutiva, which tastes like fresh coconut)

·         coconut flakes, unsweetened, to coat the balls

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients except coconut flakes.  Mix well.

Add honey, coconut oil and peanut butter.  Mix thoroughly.

As I mentioned above, you can use the “quickie” option.  Sprinkle enough coconut into a 9″x9″ glass pan to cover the bottom of the pan so the bars lift out easily.  Press the mixture into the pan, refrigerate for a few hours, then slice into squares.

If you have a bit more time, roll the mix  into balls roughly 1 inch in diameter, and then roll the balls in the coconut flakes to coat.  This will make them less sticky.  Place in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a few hours to firm up.  Store in the refrigerator. Makes around 35-40 1-inch balls/squares.

These will easily keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge, if they last that long.  Thanks to the online friend who provided this recipe.  I can’t remember who it was because I’ve had it for a while now, but I think it was someone the the Foodie Families Facebook group.  If you use gluten free oatmeal, these can be gluten free (oats don’t have gluten, but they can be cross contaminated, so look for those that are labeled “gluten free”), and the coconut oil and peanut butter help them fill you up.

Source: CommonSenseHome

8 Best Foods to Eat For Healthy Teeth

by John Summerly

Image: wellnessmama.com

There are far more than eight foods for healthy teeth, but I've found these to work especially well to prevent and even reverse tooth decay and gum disease in the long-term.

1. Butter Oil
Butter Oil, is a key ingredient to re-enameling teeth because it contains certain fats and activating substances that help bond the nutrients in the body to the bones. The butter must be organic from cows or goats eating rapidly growing green grasses.

2. Raisins
Naturally sweet, raisins don’t contain sucrose, or table sugar. Sugar helps bacteria stick to the tooth surface, letting them produce plaque. Raisins are also a source of phytochemicals, which may kill cavity-causing plaque bacteria. Some compounds in raisins also affect the growth of bacteria associated with gum disease.

3. High Vitamin Cod Liver Oil
This marvelous golden oil contains large amounts of elongated omega-3 fatty acids, preformed vitamin A and the sunlight vitamin D, essential nutrients that are hard to obtain in sufficient amounts in the modern diet. Samples may also naturally contain small amounts of the important bone- and blood-maintainer vitamin K. In numerous studies, the elongated omega-3 fats found in cod liver oil have been shown to improve brain function, memory, stress response, immune response, allergies, asthma, learning and behavioral disorders, including bipolar syndrome and manic-depression.

4. Tea
Compounds called polyphenols, found in black and green teas, slow the growth of bacteria associated with cavities and gum disease. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found that people who rinsed their mouths with black tea for one minute, 10 times a day, had less plaque buildup on their teeth than people who rinsed their mouths with water. What’s more, the size and stickness of their plaque was reduced. Tea undermines the ability of some bacteria to clump together with other bacteria, the researchers said.

5. Coconut Oil
The human body converts the lauric acid found in coconut oil into an amazing monoglyceride called monolaurin which is only found in abundance in one other liquid–breast milk. It has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties. Lauric acid is a powerful virus and gram-negative bacteria destroyer, and coconut oil contains the most lauric acid of any substance on earth. It is able to attack the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

6. Crunchy Veggies
It takes serious chewing to break down foods such as carrots, apples and cucumbers. But all that crunching isn’t in vain. Chewing disturbs dental plaque, and serve as a cleansing mechanism. So instead of remaining in your mouth and settling on teeth, bacteria get cleared away.

7. Vitamin-rich Foods
Foods containing calcium such raw (unpasteurized) organic hard cheese, almonds and leafy greens — and foods high in phosphorous — such as eggs and wild fish — can help keep tooth enamel strong and healthy, according to the American Dental Association. Acidic foods and beverages may cause tiny lesions on tooth enamel and calcium or phosphate help redeposit minerals back into those lesions.

8. Cranberries
Cranberries contain polyphenols (just as tea does), which may keep plaque from sticking to teeth, thus lowering the risk of cavities, according to a study published in the journal Caries Research. A caveat: Because the fruit is so tart, many cranberry products have added sugar, which may affect any potential benefits for teeth, so make eat raw unsweetened cranberries or even blend frozen unsweetened cranberries into a smoothie.

John Summerly is nutritionist, herbologist, and homeopathic practitioner. He is a leader in the natural health community and consults athletes, executives and most of all parents of children on the benefits of complementary therapies for health and prevention.

Source: realfarmacy.com via Prevent Disease

6 heavy hitting antioxidant foods!

We saved the 6 strongest antioxidant foods for last!

Cranberries

Red kidney beans

Farmed blueberries

Pinto beans

Red beans

#1. Wild blueberries

<====See previous 7

Read more about antioxidant foods http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/20-common-foods-most-antioxidants