Lisa Batson, Author at NaturallySavvy.com

Kombucha Health Benefits

Lisa Batson — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 14:43:21 +0000

Kombucha has sprung up on the shelves of every big and small health food store. Don’t get me wrong, I love it; it always calms my nerves a little bit and I know it’s good for my digestion. But at $4 a bottle at most retailers it’s an expensive daily habit. And like goji berries and noni juice and tons of other overnight heath food sensations, I’m often left wondering if it really is all that good for me? I did some research, and this is what I found about kombucha health benefits.

Kombucha is a ‘living’ health drink made by fermenting tea and sugar with the kombucha culture. It is thought to have originated from China and has been used for thousands of years, and was referred to as the ‘tea of immortality.’ It seems that this super-tea has been around and healing since the Tsin Dynasty in 221 BC.

Very impressive history – but what health benefits can Kombucha actually offer? The Kombucha culture is a mushroom, often called a ‘scoby’ that stands for ‘symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts’. The culture is placed in black or green tea and turns the sweet tea into a delicious and bubbly beverage packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and health-promoting organic acids.

As the Kombucha culture digests the sugar it produces a range of organic acids including glucuronic acid and lactic acid. It also produces vitamins, particularly B vitamins and vitamin C; as well as amino acids and enzymes. And the scoby itself is filled with a plethora of health-supporting probiotic microorganisms to support body systems.

In terms of health benefits of kombucha, although research has not been extensively done to support its positive effects, thousands of years of experiential use support a wide range of health benefits for all body systems. Kombucha is well known for its detoxifying effect, which is caused by the all-mighty glucuronic acid produced in the fermentation process. This is the body’s most important detoxifier and helps the kidneys flush all the nasty things we put into our bodies. Kombucha is known to have antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral properties which help our immune systems fight off foreign invaders.

Some of the most commonly acknowledged benefits include increased energy levels, decreased digestive problems & candidiasis, and improvement of hypertension, allergies, cancer, chronic fatigue, and especially arthritis.

Lastly, and most exciting to me, is that I can make kombucha for myself at home in approximately two weeks of beautiful fermenting! So, I do plan to continue drinking kombucha as often as possible – but to spare myself the sticker shock, I am definitely going to start brewing at home.

[Editor's Note: Our partner, Bigelow Tea offers both Green and Black teas that can be used for making kombucha at home.]

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Blue-Green Algae: Superfood or Pond Scum?

Lisa Batson — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 08:39:00 +0000

Blue-green algae are some of the most highly nutritious food sources on our whole big blue-green earth. And if you didn’t have a clue what it was before today, then you’ll be glad you fell upon this. Blue-green algae are bacteria that grow in shallow, warm, slow moving bodies of water such as fresh water lakes, ponds or wetlands. They get their color from chlorophyll and an organic blue-pigment. Although their scientific name is cyanobacteria, you may be momentarily unimpressed to know that they are more commonly known as ‘pond scum’. This may seem shocking, as the thought of chowing down on the scum at the bottom of your nearest lake might sound the furthest from appetizing, but you’ll definitely want to hear what health benefits blue-green algae is credited with having before you jump to any conclusions.

Blue-green algae is a powerful superfood. It is organic, and packed full of important antioxidants to battle cell damage and degenerative disease. It is extremely rich in minerals, and is about 70% vegetable protein, containing all amino acids and several times the protein in red meat, and is also substantially easier for the human body to digest.

One of its most powerful plant components is chlorophyll, which acts as a super-detoxifier in the body, cleansing and flushing our bodies of harmful toxins and foreign invaders. It is a rich source of calcium, vitamins & especially B12, which is crucial for proper nervous system function. It also contains magnesium and more beta-carotene than the most nutritious dark leafy greens.

Types of Supplements

In supplement form, there are two types of blue-green algae: Chlorella & Spirulina. These sources have similar nutritional composition and share many overall health benefits. Both chlorella & spirulina strengthen digestion and assimilation of nutrients in the body, they combat fatigue & anemia, support healthy weight loss and increase the body’s immune function.

Chlorella

Chlorella has a number of impressive health benefits. It is an amazing source of chlorophyll (higher than Spirulina) which makes it a strong detoxifier, and especially useful for people with liver disorders or excessive toxic exposure of any kind. Chlorella is helpful for those who suffer from chronic constipation. Chlorella contains the Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF) that helps to rebuild muscle and nerve tissue, and is an excellent treatment for those suffering from degenerative disorders of the brain and nervous system. The CGF also boosts the immune system, and is believed to play a significant role in reversing cancer.

Spirulina

Considering all of this, you wouldn’t think that its cousin Spirulina would be able to keep up, but think again. Spirulina is a source of super digestible plant protein, containing several times the protein of beef, and is several times more digestible. Spirulina is a fantastic source of GLA (gamma-linoleic acid), one of the ‘good’ fats crucial for proper brain function, heart function and the efficient functioning of many other body systems. Spirulina also contains phycocyanin, a powerful anti-cancer phytochemical that gives it that characteristic blue color.

Between the two of these health promoting powerhouses, you can prevent aging, boost energy, sleep better, stress less, increase immunity, have better digestion, better mental focus and receive the anti-aging benefits that we’re all looking for while getting a trimmer waste-line. When you put it that way, who wouldn’t be interested in pond scum?

Image via PWRDF

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The Benefits of Coconuts For Health And Beauty

Lisa Batson — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 08:31:05 +0000

Mother nature is a genius! There is no other explanation for why there exists such a perfect food as a coconut, (or as the French and I like to call it so beautifully: Noix de Coco). This tropical food source is not only a staple food for about a third of the world’s population, but offers us countless health and nutritional benefits. In fact the coconut palm is so highly valued in some cultures that it is known as the ‘Tree of Life’ – talk about a great advertisement! In Asian and Pacific cultures, coconut is believed to have great healing powers to sustain good health and fight disease. But how can it be beneficial in your life, you ask?

For Energy

Well, in our Fat-Fearing world, I have observed many poor unknowing souls avoiding coconut sources (like coconut oil, milk & flesh) because it is a saturated fat source. So let’s clear something up right now! It’s true that coconut is a source of saturated fat, but its structure of medium chain fatty acids make it easy for the body to digest and utilize. Therefore, these fats are actually a quick source of energy for your brain and body! These amazing fatty acids present in coconut also make coconut a rejuvenating, skin-glowing totally natural moisturizer. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself. Your skin will be naturally radiant – and what’s more, it will likely also have a positive effect on any other skin-related problems. Whether your eating it or slathering it on your skin, you’ll reap the benefits coconut oil has on improving and maintain your glowing skin.

For Immunity

The medium chain-fatty acids lauric acid, capric acid, caprylic acid and myristic acid found in coconut oil kill bacteria, viruses and fungi, and these magic powers can strengthen your immune function and help you fight off anything from the flu to infections to candida.

For Healthy Cooking

Coconut oil is my go-to oil for most cooking and baking. It has an extremely high boiling point, so it does not chemically alter into nasty trans fats at high heat like other sources of oil. It is perfect for stir-frying, sautéing, roasting, baking – you name it! Throw a tbsp into your smoothie, and voila! And coconut oil helps normalize blood sugar levels, so it is great for people with hypoglycemic tendencies or even diabetes.

After all this, you’re probably wondering about some other ways to take advantage of this great food source. Well, coconut water is another source of coconut that is easy to enjoy, and has some extra health benefits of it’s own. Coconut water is extremely high in electrolytes, which makes it great for a hot day, or after a workout to help you replenish the fluid and sodium your body loses through sweating, exercise and physical exertion. In fact, these days it’s getting a reputation as being Mother Nature’s Gatorade – trendy but true!

Cooking with coconut milk and baking with coconut flesh are also options. However, the only coconut caution is to make sure that if you’re using shredded coconut in baking that there is no added sugar. Commercial coconut has lots of sugar added, so make sure to buy unsweetened when using for baking or otherwise.

Image: John Revo Puno

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The Amazing Health Benefits Of Coconuts

Lisa Batson — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 08:27:11 +0000

Mother nature is a genius! There is no other explanation as to why there exists such a perfect health food as coconuts! This tropical food source is not only a staple for about a third of the world’s population, but it also offers us countless health and nutritional benefits. In fact the benefits of coconuts are so highly valued in some cultures that the coconut palm is known as the "Tree of Life." Talk about a great advertisement! In Asian and Pacific cultures coconuts are believed to have great healing powers and can sustain good health and fight disease. Here are some other great health benefits of coconuts.

Energy

In our fat-fearing world, I have watched many poor and unknowing souls avoid coconut sources because it's a saturated fat source. Let’s clear something up: While it's true that coconuts are sources of saturated fat, its structure of medium chain fatty acids make it easy for the body to digest and utilize. Therefore, these fats are actually a quick source of energy for your brain and body. These amazing fatty acids present in coconuts also make them a rejuvenating, skin-glowing totally natural moisturizer. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself. Your skin will be naturally radiant, and what’s more, it will likely also have a positive effect on any other skin-related problems that you're having. Whether you're eating it or slathering it on your skin, you’ll reap the benefits coconut oil has on improving and maintaining your glowing skin.

Immunity

Coconuts also kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. They can also strengthen your immune function and help you fight off anything from the flu to candida infections.

Healthy Cooking

Coconut oil is my go-to oil for most cooking and baking. It has an extremely high heat tolerance so it does not chemically alter into nasty trans fats at high heat like other sources of oil. It's perfect for stir-frying, sautées, roasting, and baking. You can also throw a tablespoon into your smoothie, and voila! Coconut oil also helps normalize blood sugar levels so it's great for people with hypoglycemic tendencies or even diabetes.

Read more about diabetes

After all this you’re probably wondering about some other ways to take advantage of this great food source. Well, coconut water is another great way to reap some of these benefits. Coconut water is extremely high in electrolytes which makes it great for a hot summer day, or after a workout to help you replenish the fluid and sodium that your body loses through sweating, exercise and physical exertion. In fact, these days it’s getting a reputation as being Mother Nature’s Gatorade – trendy but true!

Cooking with coconut milk and baking with coconut flesh are also options. However, just be sure that if you’re using shredded coconut in baking that there is no added sugar. Commercial coconut has lots of sugar added, so make sure to buy it unsweetened when using it for baking or otherwise.

And lastly, like any other food source, don’t go overboard as it is still a saturated fat source. Remember the golden rule – everything in moderation.

Image: TigerPuppala

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