by Mark Diève

Halloween is on our doorstep and sales of the iconic holiday pumpkin are at their peak. . There is no holiday that connects us more directly to nature.  Americans  are encouraged and excited to go to a real farm, roll up their sleeves, and harvest the best pumpkin in the field to claim for their own. Added to this season are the changing colors of the leaves, the smell of autumn in the air, and  relishing the last warm days before the days become long and dark and the winter puts the landscape into hibernation. 

So many of us have great memories of returning home to a cozy warm house and chasing away the chills with warm cider or hot chocolate. At Halloween time, the kitchen table gets covered in pumpkin seeds ready to roast and guts ready to puree for pies and other goodies.  However, pumpkins should be seen as more than a seasonal treat for only one time of the year. Salvage those pumpkin bits on the table or go to the bulk bin at the market to make your own healthy dietary alternatives and save some money at the same time. A great alternative not often reported is DIY pumpkin milk. It looks just like milk, feels just like it, and has the added fun of the pumpkin taste in addition to the milk one. 

Why should pumpkin milk replace other milks? Many parents are seeking milk alternatives to bovine milk because of children’s allergies that have increased in the era of highly processed and hormonized milk-products. The most popular milk alternatives found at the store  are soy and rice milk-products. These remain concerns because of what is found in the ingredient block on the packaging. These milk-products are full of sugars, petrochemical coloring, vegetable oils, and genetically modified resources. 

What are the benefits of pumpkin milk? From an Herbology perspective (Western, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine), pumpkin seeds are warming and nourishing. Their properties include: aiding digestion, cleansing the system, anti-inflammatory, stimulating energy and promoting fertility. Organs associated in these herbal systems are: heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Conditions reported helped by pumpkin seeds include: Arthritis-Rheumatism, Asthma, Brain function, Coughs-Dampness, Diabetes, Qi Stagnation, Gastritis, Headache, Hiccoughs, Menses, Urinary infections, Uterine Warming Tonic to help with PMS. Sounds great! How to make it?

The recipe:
I took other recipes and altered them to fit my own experience. These measurements below are flexible and forgiving, and will depend upon your own preferences. Two quarts seems a little thick for my taste. Also, I like to double this recipe sometimes so that I have a stock of pumpkin milk on hand for a little bit longer. I have also tried the pumpkin milk in baking and was happy with the results. It brings something different to taste as well as the exhilaration of the nutrients it imparts. 

Equipment needed:
•Strainer
•Blender
•Jelly bag
•Pitcher

Start out with:
•1 cup     Raw pumpkin seeds
•2 cups       Filtered water
•2 drops      Vanilla
•Optional Stevia to-taste
It helps to soak the seeds about eight to twelve hours to sprout. Then strain, rinse, and pour the seeds into the blender. Add 2 cups of filtered water. Blend on high until the seeds are completely broken down. You'll be impressed how the seeds already look like milk at this point. Pour the mixture into your jelly bag over a bowl; the pumpkin pulp forms a thick paste. No worries, just add more water into the bag to help push the milk through. Here you will want to test the taste and thickness of the milk found in the bowl. Add more water to thin your pumpkin milk if desired. Then I found two drops of vanilla extract was the maximum needed to add to the mix. I added the smallest amount of Stevia as well, then poured my fresh milk into a pitcher and stored in the refrigerator. The results are very pleasantly surprising. To see the demonstration, refer to the source in my references at the bottom of this article. 

If you too decide to give this recipe a try or if this conversation sparks any further ideas, we'd love to hear all about it. Perhaps you will see remarkable results as a milk substitute in your digestion and allergies? Please be sure to share your experience by contacting us. Happy Halloween!



Sources:

• FoodPowers.com. Pumpkin Seed Milk Alternative Recipe for People with Food Allergies Just in Time for Halloween . 27 9 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzeG_nCirNc>.
• Tierra, Michael and Lesley Tierra. EastWest Herb Course. Ben Lomond: East West School of Planetary Herbology, 1999.
• Cantin, Candis. "Evergreen School of Integrative Herbology - Lecture Schedulefor Candis Cantin." EverGreen Herb Gardens and School of Integrative Herbology. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2010. <http://www.evergreenherbgarden.org/lectures.html>.
• Gladstar, Rosemary. Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. Pownal, Vt.; Godalming: Storey ; Melia [distributor], 2009. Print.
  

© 2010-2012 RootedHealth™. All rights reserved.  

by Stacy Diève

In my house growing up, Thanksgiving centered on football and a huge family meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, pumpkin pie, and of course, the cranberry sauce that retained the shape of the can.  It’s easy to forget that historically, Thanksgiving began as a tradition of celebrating the harvest of the year.  It’s a time to recognize the contributions and sacrifices the Native Americans made in in feeding the Pilgrims through the winter and teaching them how to grow their food.

As busy moms, it’s tempting these days to rely on the convenience of canned food to help us with preparing our Thanksgiving meal.  However, the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) is in a variety of food packaging, including the epoxy resin lining in 92% of the canned food on the store shelves.   BPA is an endocrine disruptor, a class of synthetic chemicals that mimic or disturb hormones, including testosterone and thyroid hormones.  BPA is linked to cancer, early puberty, reproductive problems and a number of other serious diseases and health problems.  

Last year, our friends at the Breast Cancer Fund conducted a study of BPA in popular Thanksgiving canned foods and found that for half of the products tested, a single 120-gram serving of the food contained enough BPA to show adverse health impacts in lab studies.  The BPA in cans leaches onto the food contained inside.  Therefore, when we use canned pumpkin, green beans, corn and other canned foods in our Thanksgiving recipes, there is a strong chance we are serving BPA with our meal too.  

As an alternative, choose fresh or frozen produce first, and buy processed food in brick cartons, pouches or glass.  This goes for beverages too- glass bottles are the ideal alternative for soda, beer and other canned drinks when available.   The Silent Spring Institute and the Breast Cancer Fund found in a 2011 study that families eating a fresh food diet for three days reduced their BPA levels by an average of 60%, and the number went up to 75% for those with the greatest exposure levels.  We too can drastically reduce our BPA exposure by avoiding BPA-laden food packaging.  Check out this great recipe guide for a No-Can Thanksgiving.  Please share your favorite BPA-free recipes with us in the comments.

Have a happy and BPA-free Thanksgiving!




© 2010-2012 RootedHealth™. All rights reserved.  

by Mark Diève, Certified Herbalist

By popular demand, I am ready to share two fantastic herbal recipes for hair products after an extended period of testing: hair spray and hair gel. These recipes are so simple to make and each performed better than my expectations. 

Clients have shared various reasons with me why they are interested in switching from popular brands. For many, making their own provides comfort for themselves, to ensure the ingredients are as organic and toxin free as possible. Not only do our bodies consume the food we ingest but also the products we apply externally. For some, it’s a conscientious decision around chemical sensitivies or even ethical issues such as with vegans. For me, my hair tends to turn into a frizzy looking cotton ball, like some of the characters in a Dr. Suess book, and taming my hair for the public seems like the humanitarian thing to do. Often homemade hair products cost less than their store bought counterparts. Making these recipes in your home could also just be good old-fashioned fun where you get to control the outcome or a neat project to do with children to make gifts. 

Remember to test all products on a small area before applying widespread. Although these contain mainly edible products, I would not suggest ingesting these. And keep in mind that it is a good idea to run through each recipe once but these recipes are very flexible to allow you to adjust them to meet our desired results. Have lots of fun and play around with some of the suggestions or create your own.

Recipes:

Hair Spray
•1-2 citrus fruits: lemon, orange, tangerine  (depending on size)
•2 cups water 
•1 T witch hazel
•5-10 drops of essential oil of your choice (optional)
•Reuse a thoroughly cleaned spray container. 
To prepare: Choose any citrus you prefer. Scrape the peels for the zest into a stove pot. Boil in the water and reduce by half. You can also do the tea steeping method and use half the amount of water but I prefer to really cook this down. After cooking and things have cooled down a bit, add the witch hazel and essential oil. I prefer scents like cedar and pine. Others might prefer the more floral scents. You can look up essential oils in an aromatherapy book for additional benefits. For the spray container, I reuse a great glass bottle from a spray deodorant put out by a well-known German manufacturer sold in most stores. Also I have used more than the recommended amount of fruit zest, which worked fantastically but the extra strength ended up clogging the spray nozzle rendering that bottle useless until recently. That bottle apparently broke down enough to re-continue use!

Hair Gel
•½ - 1 tsp plain gelatin OR ¼ - 1 tsp Agar Agar
•1 cup warm water
•1 T Witch Hazel
•5-10 drops essential oil of your choice (optional) 
•Reuse a thoroughly cleaned container. 
To prepare: Simply bring the water to a low simmer, and add the gelatin or Agar Agar and let cook for about 15 minutes in order to thoroughly dissolve and mix properly. Add Witch Hazel and essential oil if desired (see comments above in hair spray.) For people with ethical concerns, the Agar Agar might be a better option and the one I used. Gelatin presents concerns for vegans especially. In either case, start with the lower end of the measurements in your first round, then you can increase based on your results and your preferences. Results will very depending on brands used, water types, and elevation. Once the gel has finished cooking on the stove it will look like a shiny silky water. Don’t be disappointed, as it will definitely turn into the “gel” consistency after a couple hours of cooling. I got a little concerned in my first test and added too much. Much later I found that I had created a gel brick that was beyond applicable hair gel properties. 

Results for both: I had expected each product to spoil quickly, however the Witch Hazel and essential oil act very well as a preservative and they show no deterioration after about three. I have had each product in and out of the refrigerator, which is not recommended. Recommended is keeping these in the fridge for longer storage. Ultimately you can decide what you are comfortable with. Typically I don’t believe these small amounts should last so long for daily use. I’d like to reiterate the essential oils are purely optional, as many people prefer products that are scent-free. 

I was quite surprised by the results. Each behaves much less like the stiff and drying products on store shelves and are more like a leave in conditioner that actually treats and feeds the hair. The hold was absolutely what I asked for, kept every hair in place, and pretty much held that way until the next day. And because it is a nourishing product, it was surprising to feel the hair felt silky soft and clean. No more complaints from partners who get creeped out by running their fingers through a head full of product. 

Bonus options:
Because water is involved, I always like to take advantage of converting this into a tea if possible, to add to the beneficial affects. Add kelp to re-mineralize and rejuvenate the hair and scalp. Certain herbs are made into a tea to enhance hair color as well.

Enhance with colors
•Dark hair – Rosemary, Thyme, Black Tea
•Light hair – Chamomile 
•Red hair – Calendula 

Simmer these in tea prior to making the gel and spray because straining out the herbs could become and issue and change the results. 

These are definitely products I have had success with that I will continue to make going forward. I hope you have great results as well and are able to adjust the recipes as you see fit to the results you prefer. Please sharewith us your experience and any helpful tips you discover along the way. Bons cheveux!



© 2010-2013 RootedHealth™. All rights reserved.