Health Articles

Posted by Rebecca Schirber on August 3, 2013

On this page you will find articles related to life style practices that will lead to greater health and vitality. Scroll down to read the whole articles or click on the link for a word.doc of each article.

• Cleanse

• Omega 3, 6, and 9 Story

• Berry Sweet

• Reconnecting with the Deepest Part of Yourself

• Get and Stay Hydrated

• Juicing Basics

• Old Fashion Broth

Cleanse

Sometimes we just have to cleanse our pallets. The cleansing I’m talking about today is not what our friend Jeremy would call “sucking on a lemon”. Today I’m going to talk about why one would want to do an elimination diet. I’m going to tell you about

Our American diet style can be addicting. The foods that tend to be addicting are those that are least healthy for us, they are nutrient-deficient, high-calorie foods, often called empty-calorie or junk-foods. By this I mean food that is nutrient and fiber deficient. We can over come our excess consumption to these prevalent foods only if we give our bodies a chance by taking a break from them for a time.

Spring is a great time to give ourselves this chance by doing a full body cleanse.

Purifying the body helps it rid itself of fat and heavy foods left over from the winter. Accumulations in the body lead to inflammation, fat and toxicity which disrupt the body’s natural abilities to heal itself.

More and more we are all constantly exposed to toxins. We are exposed to toxins from two main sources: the environment and the workings or non-working of our own bodies both which create imbalances. When we have an imbalance in our digestive systems the by-products of our metabolism can overload our bodies own detox mechanisms.

For more on this you can refer to Dr Hyman’s book The UltraSimple Diet, he explains beautifully the connection between fat, toxins and inflammation.

Dr Hyman’s UltraSimple Diet is medically designed to remove foods that are not beneficial and to add in foods and protocols that are beneficial to detoxification.

In his book Dr. Hyman carefully coaches us through what it takes to be able to follow this protocol for seven full days. He has a whole chapter on what we need to have in place to successfully maintain this eating plan complete with prep lists and time lines.

Dr Hyman outlines how and what foods to remove. For this one week you will remove all the toxic and inflammatory foods, especially sugar and the foods that commonly cause allergies. At the same time you provide your body with foods and activities that help you detoxify and cool inflammation.

What makes this plan so exquisite is that it is both simple and complete. Dr Hyman lays out a plan in which you can have absolute confidence. As one of my patient said, “There is nothing in this plan that is not wholesome.” He tells you exactly what to do and how to eat on an hour by hour basis throughout the seven days.

Now you might say “I don’t want to be told what to do and how to eat”. Nobody does. But my experience shows that by committing to following this plan you give yourself a chance to short circuit the eating behaviors that usually keep us from succeeding. Dr. Hyman’s plan does all the thinking for us. Isn’t it the thinking that often gives us the excuses we need to fall of the wagon?

As I speak about Dr Hyman’s “diet” I want you to keep in mind that while I might be using the word diet, as Dr Hyman says – “what I’m really talking about is a way of living.” The attractiveness of “the UltraSimple Diet is that it gives you the tools in just one week to experience the power you have to harm or heal your body.” In just one week you will develop a totally new perspective on food. With this new perspective you can make the connection between what you put in your mouth, and how you feel everyday.

With Dr Hyman’s medically designed eating program, which works with the natural forces of your body, instead of against them; most people see huge benefits fairly quickly.

I had a patient who needed to loose 26 pounds in six weeks so that when she applied for health insurance she would not be denied for being obese. She also had shoulder pain for which she was considering surgery. By following Dr Hyman’s diet as outlined in his book she was able to loose her weight in the allotted time and as an added benefit her shoulder pain completely cleared up.

In my own case, I thought of my diet as better than most peoples. After all I’m a chef – I cook on a daily basis for 40 vegans and vegetarians. When I started Dr Hyman’s plan I had recently started running which was quite arduous, basically I was dragging myself around the block. I was only able to do a mile and a half run and that took about 35 minutes. On the second day of following Dr Hyman’s plan I doubled my run and within a week I was running a total of five miles a day at a 12 minute mile.

Oh yeah, I also had all kinds of aches and pains that I had just put up with, a hip pain that I had had for over 15 years, and a shoulder pain that I attributed to my cooking job. All of these aches and pains resolved themselves very quickly after I started this diet. They do return when I eat cheese, but now there is no mystery, I know what foods make my life thrive and what foods hold me back.

Give yourself the gift of Spring; regeneration. Commit to and carry out Dr Hyman’s diet for seven day. It’s simple, you’ll have more energy, your aches and pains may disappear, you’re bound to loose weight and best of all you will know what foods make your life thrive and what foods hold you back.

Plan for success, call Rebecca at 410-868-5178 and start acupuncture treatments this week–they will help you change habits, cleanse from old habits and support yourself to get on a new track, fast.

Omega 3,6, and 9 Story

Sit tight I am about to reveal to you a secret that will enhance you brain and heart-health. Okay, so maybe it’s not a secret but it might as well be – since the information that is out there on this topic is complicated.

What I’m talking about is the story of Omega 3’s 6’s and 9’s or fatty acids. Let’s face it the numbers can be confusing but this article will  provide you with a base to begin to understand this complicated subject and ways to drastically change or tweak the way you eat – depending on your current eating patterns.

Do you know the differences between Omega 3, 6 and 9?

In a nutshell the difference between one fatty acid and other comes down to tiny molecules. Fatty acid names and numbers correspond to where the double bond in the molecule is located, the 3, 6, 9, positions.  Slight differences in molecular configurations allow each of these fatty acids to work wonders in their own unique way, which is why it’s best not to think about one being better than another – instead a good balance of all three is optimum for health.

Michael Crowford a researcher at the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition in London believes that eating fatty fish which a very good source of Omega 3 is responsible for the dramatic increase in the size of the brains of humanity. In support of this, he says to think of the differences in the sizes of brains in zebras and dolphins. Zebras and dolphins are about the same size yet the dolphin brain is about 3 times the size of the zebra brain due to its eating more omega 3 in the form of fish.  Archeologists found that six million years ago apes came out of the trees, arrived at the coast and found a ready supply of omega 3 in fish and this is when apes’ brain size dramatically increased. It is said that getting omega 3 into their diet was the important step in evolution.

Nature developed over time the optimal proportion of only 2 omega 6’s to each omega 3.  But in today’s world of fast food, frozen entrees, and high calorie snacks, it is not uncommon for most people to actually be getting about 10-30 omega 6’s for each omega 3.

From studies, a dietary shift happened between 1909 and the early 21^st century when we increased our consumption of omega 6’s, in the form of vegetable oils, margarine and changes in cooking and food processing.  The trend I’m talking about is the inclination for us to eat proportionally and more omega 6’s and 9’s than we did in the past.  Researchers believe this reduced intake of omega 3 is leading to depression, suicide, obesity and its companion diseases.

What are the benefits which distinguish the fatty acids?

Omega-6 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids because although they are necessary for human health, the body can not make them.  We must get omega-6 through the food we eat. Omega-6 along with omega-3 fatty acids plays a crucial role in brain function, normal growth and development as well as the reproductive system.

Omega 9 fatty acids on the other hand, are not essential which means our bodies can make omega 9 itself.  Our bodies need omega 9 fats, for healthy immune functioning.

Omega 3 fatty acids are probably the MOST important of the three. One major reason for this because they tend to suppress inflammation, which is the cause of so many of the degenerative diseases. Researchers indicate that omega 3’s encourage the production of body chemicals that help control inflammation in the joints, blood stream and tissue.

It’s not so much that one omega is inherently bad and another good; we just need them in the proportions Mother Nature spent so much time — 40,000 years or so! —meticulously fine-tuning.  Omega 6, 3 and 9 fatty acids compete for enzymes so the amounts of the three need to be properly balanced

The issue is that when we adhere to the typical American diet we take in stacks of omega-6’s and 9’s, (if not balanced by 3’s), fuel the inflammatory fires. And we know that inflammation can lead to heart problems as well as a litany of other health issues. The ratio of omega-6’s to 3’s should be about four omega 6s to one omega 3.  But instead, most of us are getting about 20 omega 6s to one omega 3.

The simple way to address this is to become aware of what foods contain which fatty acids. We want to balance the amounts and the ratios of each fatty acid so that they are at the optimal levels of each.

It is suggested that one get all omega fatty acids from fresh whole foods. Foods which contain high portions of omega 3’s besides fatty fish are chia seeds, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, pumpkin seeds.  The best sources of omega 6 fatty acids are nuts and grains and green leafy vegetables like lettuce, broccoli, and kale, and certain raw vegetable oils. Borage oil contains both omega 3 and 9, oils. (Care should be taken to use raw cold pressed vegetable oils because cooking destroys the benefits of the fatty acids.)

One simple yet powerful food preparation technique that will help one take in less omega 6’s and 9’s is to learn to use water instead of oil when you sauté your food.  Start sautéing with a small amount of oil when food is browned; add water, cover and steam to complete the cooking process.

To reverse the trend of  overloading ourselves in omega 6 and 9, many find it beneficial to keep a list of the more common foods that contain omega 3’s, 6’s and 9’s. Armed with list and information about fatty acids it is no longer a secret how one can easily balance eating patterns to bring about healthy brains, healthy hearts and healthy families.

If you need more help figuring out how to reduce the unhealthy fats in your diet and including more of the healthy fats call Rebecca at 410-868-5178 and schedule a consult today.

Berry Sweet

Never do I feel more like the Universe Provides than when I’m berry picking!

There was a very difficult time in my mid thirties when berry picking provide the solutes and resolution I needed to stay in the world and keep fighting. It was at this time that I, distinctly remember standing in a berry patch and being hit by the fact that “the universe provides”.

I, like my grand father, had a huge berry patch in my front yard. I brought 14 “berry” sticks to my yard hoping they would mature into a huge patch. Which of course did – but not without one little problem, not all the sticks I brought were berries. Six of the sticks were stinging nettles. No need to worry once I selected those out I still had enough berry sticks to do war with the day lilies and ventured under the side walk and give the wild roses a run for their money. Those eight berry sticks gave me 20 minutes of picking three times a day for 6 weeks and since they were ever bearing I had berries in my yard spring and fall.

Picking berries in your very own yard can not hold a candle to picking berries in the forest. Once you find a berry patch in the woods you’ll return to it each year to reap the harvest of the universe. I remember my mother filling the station wagon with the essentials – pickers, lunches and berry buckets. We’d leave the yard in the wee hours of the morning, almost sneaking out of the neighborhood. This is the only time in my life I remember my mother looking back over her shoulder. She had a source for berries and she did not want to share it with anyone. “Never mind the bears and snakes just get picking”. We were lucky to stop for lunch.

As I’ve gotten older I had my own experience with children and berry picking. There are all the times my sister and I have been riding on the bike trail, a toddler safe on the back of the bike. Then someone spots BERRIES and we come to a screeching halt. One time in particular, Tyler in the terrible two’s was on the back of my bike. I balanced the bike to pick the berries and then stretched back to share them with him. He was very particular; he picked only the best berries and ate them, refusing anything that was too young or starting to get mushy. How did he do that?

Another time, on a family vacation on the lake my sister and I went out in the boat to find berries on some distant lake shore. We just happened to take 4 year old Bethany with us, what ended up happening is we’d pull up to the shore and Bethany would jump out and run around; through the bushes; on the rocks; and scope out the situation. If there were no berries she’d jump back and we’d head to the next logical spot. It took us longer to find the berries in this new local but when we did it was great. In fact we just weren’t prepared for the volume, we ended up taking off our hats and head scarves – stuffing them and our pockets with berries.

In fact that’s all we did that vacation was berry pick – to some of our companion’s chagrin. Bethany took no time to enjoy the beach, my niece screeched at me when one more walk turned into berry picking, “ the bugs don’t bite you, the berries don’t scratch you – you’re soooo SPECIAL”.

So one does want to be balanced when it comes to taking in the universe’s bounty. The following is a piece by Andrew Cohen, spiritual teacher I believe he captures beautifully what I’m trying to say. Here is his piece “The Mind Is a Berry Patch” from his book Enlightenment is a Secret.

The Mind Is a Berry Patch

“Imagine that the mind is a berry patch and that individual thoughts are like the berries in the patch. Imagine you are standing in front of the berry patch. As you stand in front of the berry patch you notice the different kinds of berries in the patch. You easily notice that some of the berries are sweet, that some are sour and that some are completely rotten. The sweet ones you eat freely and the sour and rotten ones you don’t touch. And when your stomach is full you don’t even touch the sweet ones.

The existence of the berry patch in no way disturbs or inhibits the perfect integrity of the universe. The existence of the berry patch in no way demonstrates the existence of any problem or conflict. A problem only arises when due to our own blind ignorance we stuff every berry that our eye comes into contact with in our own mouth; rotten, sweet or sour. Then we wonder why our stomachs are upset all the time!

Stop the habit of compulsively eating every berry that comes into your sight. Take the time to make the effort to see whether the berry you happen to be staring at is sweet, rotten or sour. Never under any circumstances allow yourself to eat a sour or rotten berry. Eat only the sweet ones, and have the sense to eat them only when you are hungry.”

Acupuncture contributes to the sweetness of life.  It has helped many become better berry pickers of life’s abundances.  Acupuncture can help with choosing which berry to leave on the vine and which to pop into your mouth.

The Universe has so much to offer, call Rebecca (410-868-5178) today to avail yourself to more of Chinese Medicine’s wisdom.

Reconnecting with the deepest part of your self.

The deepest part of you – isn’t that what spirit is? And what takes us away from that deepest part of ourselves? How is it when we’ve chosen to disconnect and experience the challenges and hardships of being human instead of recognizing ourselves as spirit? In Chinese Medicine we know that the ancients understood that all illness (and disconnect) is a result of habits. When we act in a conditioned way, doing the same thing over and over patterns and momentum are created. This can take one away from oneself. Included in this are lifestyle issues as well as mental conditioning and social expectations.

The beauty of acupuncture is that its’ diagnostics and treatments are a way of looking at human nature. As a practitioner we can see (and not necessarily in a judgmental way) what the habits and conditionings of an individual are; as they are manifest in their physical, mental, and emotional form. The diagnostics of Chinese Medicine can point to where a person needs to go and gives guidance to see what the consequences of lifestyle and habits really are. This is helpful to the acupuncture patient so they are able to make some choices about what they need to do with their lives. Interestingly enough recipients of acupuncture often become better at self observation and better with follow through. When an individual begins hearing inner guidance and distinguishing that guidance from mental conditioning and social expectations, as well as learning to trust that connection enough to follow through on new thoughts and behaviors they will connect more deeply with themselves and therefore connect with spirit.

If you are ready to reconnect with the deepest part of yourself, call Rebecca at 410-868-5178 and make an appointment today. The deepest aspect of you is ready and waiting!

Get and Stay Hydrated

Do you feel tired, groggy, forgetful? Do you always feel that way? Well you’re not alone; such complaints are common and among the first things most Americans complain about. All these complaints are directly related to dehydration.

Today I am going to provide some clarity about how much water is needed by the human body on a daily basis.

While preparing for this speech on the importance of staying hydrated I went online to see how many people in America were considered – dehydrated. The immediate answer was 75%.

How could so many of us American’s; the luckiest people in the world; sophisticated and with the best access to clean water – still be dehydrated?

This must be a complex and confusing matter. Why is this so confusing?

To start, let us examine some of the very basic roles water plays in the body.

Water is very important to all bodily functions. Every function of the body depends upon proper hydration. Water is the most abundant nutrient in the body, comprising two-thirds of the body’s mass.

The body’s energy, blood, and body fluids form the only media of communication between the major organs and their related tissues.

We also know that the body is unable to store water for any length of time and needs fresh supplies everyday due to losses from lungs, and skin, from urine and feces.

Almost all the people you see and meet on a daily basis are dehydrated. How many folks complain of a lack of energy? It’s the number one complaint in America. Insufficient energy is the first sign that the blood, tissues, and organs are not getting enough water, and your liver and brain are the least tolerant of a lack of water.

This has even led some medical researchers to conclude that Alzheimer’s disease is simply the result of long-term dehydration of the brain.

Other Symptoms of dehydration
Headaches,
Lethargy
Mood changes
Slow responses
Dry nasal passages
Dry cracked lips
Dark colored urine
Tiredness

So now that we’ve examined what happens if the body does not have enough water, let’s turn to the controversial part of this whole equation how much water does an individual need on a daily basis.

This is where the confusion comes in because individual needs differ. The amount or water we need depends on our metabolism, the weather, and the food we eat and our activity levels. The water we loose through these activities needs to be replaced through food and beverages.

We require more water with

Physical activity
Consumption of more meat, eggs or salty foods
Fever
Dry, hot or windy climates

We require less water with

Sedentary lifestyle
Consumption of fruit, vegetables and sprouted foods
Cold or deficient conditions
Cold or damp climates

The controversy about exactly how much water an individual needs is definitely real.
In light of this – I am going to do with you today what I do with my acupuncture patients.

What I recommended in the past was that you get ½ your body’s weight of water in ounces every day. So if you are 150 pounds, I recommend that you get 75 ounces of water a day.

But I am not stopping here. I am also going to stipulate that you don’t’ take what I say for granted. I want you to prove it to yourself. I am going to encourage you to figure out for yourself just how much water you need on a daily basis. I am going to encourage you to make yourself a science experiment.

A good indicator of whether one is hydrated or not is one’s first urination in the morning. The color of the urine will indicate whether you are hydrated or dehydrated. Light urine indicates a state of hydration. Darker or more yellow urine indicates dehydration.

With out changing anything else, continue to eat and exercise as usual and then for one week, consume water equal to ½ your body’s weight, in ounces.

During this time watch the color of your first urine in the morning and for other symptoms of dehydration.

What is your energy level like? Has it changed?
What is the quality of your thinking? Clear, groggy or forgetful?
What is the quality of our skin, lips, and nasal passages?

From this experiment you can then adjust the amount of water you take in on a daily basis; up or down depending on what you’ve noticed; taking in more water if you feel some of these symptoms of dehydration.

I have found that once one has done this experiment for one week they are clearer about their individual water needs. Most often people find that they feel better if they increase their water intake.

When you do this experiment and prove to yourself how much water you really need it tends to be a motivator for you to continue to get the proper amount of water for you, on a daily basis. This one simple change will have huge benefits to your short and long term health and well being, get and stay hydrated. Once excellent way to keep track of if you are hydrated or not is to check the color of your first urine in the morning; if it is apple cider color you are dehydrated, pale yellow you are hydrated, colorless you may be drinking too much water or have something else going on which may be causing excessive urination.

Whether you are someone who has mastered the trick of getting and staying hydrated or not you can benefit from Chinese Medicine. If you’re in the Berkshire area call Rebecca today, at 410-868-5178, to set up an initial visit and start getting treated with acupuncture for overall improvement of your health.

Juicing Basics

Why Juice

• Easy assimilation – juicing liberates vitamins, minerals, enzymes and chlorophyll from the indigestible fiber so it is more easily digested by the body – 15 minutes versus the 1-11/2 it normally takes juices to be assimilated from drinks with pulp intact.
• Vitamins and minerals –
• Enzymes- Raw foods contain live enzymes. Enzymes are the catalysis for every human function; aids digestion and biochemical processes. The American fare uses up enzymes in digestion without replacing them-over time we become enzyme impoverished. Enzymes are destroyed at 118 degrees.
• Chlorophyll- builds blood which enhances delivery of oxygen to the cells.

• Water supply- water is essential to the workings of our body. We should consume one half of our body weight in ounces (someone who weights 140 pounds/70 oz.) of water each day.  Raw juices supply the water needed to replenish lost fluid. Juices provide a cleansing action which other fluids do not; while promoting alkalinity in body fluid.

• Reversing disease process – juicing saturates the tissue with wonderful vitamins, and mineral, which enables the tissue to throw off encumbrances in good time.

Types of Juicers

Juicers separate organic liquids from foods. Most fruits, vegetables, soaked nuts and sprouts can be juiced. There are four ways to juice, four types of juicers:

• Centrifugal- these juicers have a spinning metal blade that shreds the fruits and veggies and juice spins off. Generally speaking these juicers extract 60% of the juice and the juice tends to oxidize fairly quickly.
• Homogenizing – these juicers grind and press the fruits and veggies. Generally speaking these juicers extract 80% of available juices; the juice tends to oxidize slower.
• Juice press – there are four types automatic, citric, hand and juice bags; presses are the most efficient way to juice, the juice produced barely oxidizes, tastes best, and has the longest shelf life
• Triturating – these juicers grind and press for homogenizing, the actual process is slower, juice oxidizes very slow and it is 90% efficient.

How to Juice

• Follow the manufactures directions for best results
• Do not assemble juicer while it is plugged in
• Juice all fruits and vegetables raw. Don’t juice certain veggies – Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, for these quickly steam and drench with cold water before juicing.
• When possible use organic, if using inorganic produce scrub vegetables under running water and scrub with vegetable brush, or peel. Juicing process will concentrate any pesticides or chemical.
• Most skins can be left on; fruits which need to be peeled are pineapple, kiwi, papaya, oranges, and grapefruit.
• Use a vegetable brush to clean stainless steel part of the juicer.

Further considerations

• Because juice is cold both physically and energetically it is best to add a small bit of something “hot” such as radishes, ginger, garlic, or jalapeño to each juice you make.

• We need fiber, along with juicing eat food in natural and whole state. Eat other foods such as grains, and legumes to get carbohydrates and essential fatty acids.
• Juice fasts for longer periods of time can be dangerous, consult a physician before starting long term juicing (loner than a few days). Some people should be supervised by a physician while doing juicing.
• Give consideration to food combinations when juicing. Fruits and vegetables should be juiced in separate batches; one exception is that lettuce and celery can be juiced with fruit.
• Drink juices away from meals; juices are digested faster. If taken with meals fermentation can be formed in the digestive track which can disrupt digestion. Consume juices slowly by sipping it throughout the day between meals.

Today juice combination:

3 sticks of Celery, 1 Cucumber, 4 leaves of Romaine Lettuce, ½ – 1 clove Garlic, 1 thumb nail piece of Jalopena, ¼ bunch of Parsley, ½ Green Apple, 2 coins of ginger,  ½ Lemon- slice off ends where white skin is, makes about 2 cups.

Call Rebecca (410-868-5178) for guidance on how to use juicing to improve and support you health

 

Old Fashioned Broth

I recently demoed at Guido’s, premier purveyor of quality produce in Berkshire County. I was demonstrating how to make a basic vegetable broth from scratch. One would think “what’s so exciting about that?” In fact many people who stopped at my table said things like “I do this all the time.”  Then when they tasted my broth you could visually see the shift in their body which matched what they articulated – “that is really good.”

What I want to highlight here are the responses I got from children. One young guy about eight years old took my recipe and walked off only to return minutes later obviously jazzed by what he saw, he asked “did you make this recipe up?” Apparently his father is chef so he is no stranger in the kitchen and we enjoyed a conversation about how one develops recipes. I’ve had this conversation with my adult colleagues and sharing it with a youngster was a rare treat.

A dad with his three children 6 to 14 stopped by my table, I had to encourage them to try the broth, telling them that kids love my food. When they tried it, the father was sure that I heard the resounding “awesome “from his 14 year old. Then he said, “That’s pretty good, I’ll take the recipe.” At least half of the children (plus one adult) who tried my broth stole back and shyly asked can “I have some more?”

What is it about broth that caught these children attention? Is it a food that we could serve on a regular basis to help children meet their nutritional needs? Broth is a filling food which can provide many healing nutrients and help one to alkalize one’s system. One could make this broth on a regular basis from things that might otherwise be thrown out (note frugal tip) and store it in the refrigerator or freezer to be used on a regular basis in an assortment of recipes.

For example, here’s one way to use it. Warm a cup of this broth, toss in a small amount of leftover whole grain pasta and a few pieces veggies that you know your child will eat, and watch them clean the bowl. A recipe like this is healthy and sure to be eaten. Say you make such a soup and all that gets eaten is the broth, even in this case you can rest assured that your children are getting the nutrients they need for their growing bodies.

GOOD, OLD-FASHIONED HOME-MADE BROTH

Serves: Makes one gallon

Ingredients
Mixed vegetables to equal approximately 5 1/2 cups – 7 cups

(Use vegetables such as onions, leeks, garlic, carrots, celery, fennel and parsnips.  Do not use vegetables from the cabbage/broccoli family.)

1/2 T salt or Vege-sal
2/3 gal. cold water

Instructions
The week prior to preparing the broth, collect all good, clean bits and ends of vegetables.  Keep the vegetables, uncooked, in a plastic bag or container in the refrigerator.

When the time is at hand to make the broth, rinse and chop the saved vegetable bits and ends, along with other uncooked vegetables, to equal 5 1/2 cups or more.

Place the chopped, clean vegetables in a soup pot and cover with 2/3 gallon of COLD water.  Add the salt or Vege-sal.

Cover and bring broth to a boil.  Lower heat and let simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours and up to 4 hours.  (The longer, the better.)

Pour broth through strainer, pressing on solids to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard (or compost) cooked vegetables.

Use broth in soups, stews and gravy.  Store leftover broth in covered container in the refrigerator, where it will keep for about a week.  The broth also freezes well for up to two months.

Contact Rebecca (410-868-5178) today to learn more about how whole foods can improve your health.

 

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