Here’s what you’ll receive:

• Action Guide VOLUME 1: The Bottom Line, Straight to the Point Guide to Nourishing Traditional Foods
  Sherrin provides you with a solid understanding of traditional nutrition and then takes you through the
  basic components of traditional nutrition.

• Action Guide VOLUME 2: The Most Powerful Meal Planning System Available to Eat Right and Have Nourishing Meals Everyday
  Sherrin provides step-by-step instructions and the meal planning templates that she and her clients use to think through their nutritional needs and plan out the contents and preparation of meals.

• Audio #1: The Bottom Line, Straight to the Point Guide to Nourishing Traditional Foods
  This is the audio version of Action Guide Volume #1. This is for those who are more likely to get started in this process if they can listen to the information while driving or doing some other activity.

• Audio #2: The 8 Guiding Principles for Merging Traditional Nutrition Wisdome Into Your Modern Lifestyle.
  Sherrin provides powerful strategies for incorporating the traditional nutrtion basics into your busy lifestyle.

• Audio #3: The 10 Meal Planning Steps for Having Nourishing Meals EVERYDAY!
  Sherrin provides a step-by-step process for planning your nourishing meals.

AND… AS A SPECIAL BONUS, you’ll get LIFETIME membership to the Traditional Nutrition Wisdom web site. With membership, you’ll have access to future updates of the “Mastering the Basics…” system AND you’ll get access to tip sheets, special reports, templates and other information Sherrin makes available on this site AT NO ADDITIONAL COST!

The Value to Your Health: $PRICELESS$

Your Actual Investment:

Only $97.00

Coconut kefir is made by soaking kefir grains in water and then pouring it all in a coconut until it ferments.

Coconut kefir is not to be confused with the more commonly known coconut milk. Coconut milk is made from the fleshly part of the coconut. The liquid found inside a coconut is referred to as coconut water.

Coconut has many health benefits to it, which makes it much different and much more preferable to plain sugar water. Coconut water also has a refreshing and distinctive flavor.

Coconut is highly prized for its wonderful healing properties and has been for many centuries. Fermented drinks are renowned for their health benefits as well, so by adding coconut to a kefir drink, it will not only make it taste much better but also enhances the health-giving benefits to both substances.

The human body utilizes an electric current to send messages from different body parts to the brain and back in order to function properly. These electrical signals are carried through the nerves and sent around the body. Electrolytes help carry the signals throughout the body.

Coconut water is a bountiful source of electrolytes found right in nature. It is extremely efficient at keeping the body refreshed and hydrated, the mind clear and active and the reflexes sharp and responsive.

Many athletes have replaced the common isotonic drink with coconut water in order to improve their stamina and endurance.Store bought sport drinks are high in high fructose corn syrup and other unnatural ingredients that can be a detriment to an athlete’s needs. Coconut water is a much better source of electrolytes that the body can assimilate and use instantly.

Unripe coconuts have the highest sugar content, and are the best to use when making kefir. Young coconuts that have not yet riped are relatively easy to identify as they are quite difference in appearance to mature coconuts.

Unripened coconuts are green and heavy compared to the brown, smaller and lighter ripened coconut. Young and ripened coconuts can be found in most produce sections of supermarkets or grocery stores.

Water from mature coconuts can be used but sugar would needed to be added due to its reduced sugar content as it ages. Sugar is needed in order for kefir grains to ferment.

The taste of kefir can by greatly improved by adding it to other delicious beverages. Pineapple juice pairs delightfully well with the taste of coconut. If a sweeter taste is preferable, a mixture of vanilla essence, cream and sugar could be a tasty option. All these ingredients can be combined with shredded flesh of the coconut to make a delicious milkshake or frozen concoction.

Coconut Kefir is a healthy drink, offering many more benefits than kefir alone. It is highly beneficial for many different illnesses and health challenges and will help facilitate healing within the body.

Image via Wikipedia

Author: Hannah Crum

These days, we all want to improve energy efficiency. Our homes, cars, appliances and workplaces are optimized for savings. Quick quiz: What one activity does your body devote the greatest amount of energy to every day? The answer: Digestion!

Surprised? Energy diverted to break down food in your gut takes a toll all day long. If your belly is bloated, how are you supposed to focus on anything else? Consider making your engine run more smoothly by utilizing the perfect nexus of wise traditions, fermented foods and probiotics: delicious (and inexpensive) homebrewed Kombucha.

What is Kombucha?

Kombucha, also called Living Tea, is an ancient health beverage brewed from sweet tea and a starter culture of bacteria and yeast. First time drinkers often experience an immediate craving for more. For others it is an acquired taste with a slight apple cider vinegar flavor. Kombucha pairs well with a wide variety of mixers, from water to fresh fruit juice to wine and more.

Kombucha Benefits

The active enzymes present in fermented items such as yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut and Kombucha have co-evolved with our intestinal systems to help us digest for maximum nutrition and benefits. Without fermented foods, the body’s ability to digest is impacted significantly.

Kombucha is the easiest and most versatile way to get all the benefits of fermented foods. Plus it works with your liver and gut to detoxify your entire body. Over time, Kombucha also alkalizes the blood (restores pH to 7.0-7.5), helping to protect against degenerative diseases and cancer.

However, Kombucha is not a miracle or a panacea. It helps the body digest more efficiently, which frees up energy to accomplish other important things the body needs to do, like heal itself. Some of the most commonly attributed kombucha benefits include a clearer mind, better digestion and a feeling of wellbeing.

Kombucha is Sustainable

Kombucha can be a gateway to other sustainable and green choices, especially in the kitchen. Integrating more homemade foods into your diet reduces waste and trash while saving money. Fermenting foods is one way to take back traditional dietary wisdom and apply it to your life.

Kombucha is always making more of itself, as the cultures replicate with each batch. You can pass them on to friends or use them for home beauty products. Over fermented Kombucha has a myriad of household uses including cleaning, pest control and wound care. There are even more uses for extra SCOBYs, even ways to use them as beauty products to save more money.

Author: Becki Andrus

Sprouted grains are rich in natural vitamins and enzymes, and more and more people are starting to eat sprouted grains in an effort to incorporate beneficial food into their daily meals. Sprouted grains are different from whole grain in that:

1. Sprouting your grains will neutralize phytic acid and other anti-nutrients which prevent you from fully absorbing the minerals in the food you eat.

2. The vitamin content is increased when you sprout your grain and the act of sprouting will activate the food enzymes found in grains.

A sprouted grain contains double the amount of foliate and vitamin B6 than an unsprouted grain and has four times the amount of niacin with a lower glycemic index.

These grains can be eaten as is, cooked or ground into flour to be used in baking.

The germination of grains changes their nutritional content and in their raw form they will keep their plant enzymes and nutrients. The enzymes and nutrients found in raw sprouted grains aids in the digestion of nuts and seeds and also keeps the colon clean by encouraging the growth of bacteria. They are also high in antioxidants and a great source of protein and fiber while being high in minerals and vitamins.

Although hard to believe, cooked wheat can cause constipation and mucus congestion but sprouted wheat can be eaten by people with wheat allergies because the starch is converted into simple sugars during the process of sprouting.

The phosphorous found in most seeds is important for healthy bones and teeth as well as for mental abilities and alertness. Different sprouted grains have different nutritional benefits and it is therefore important to add a variety of grains to your diet. Because these grains are already in a predigested form, they are a lot easier for your body to digest than whole grains.

To ensure you get all the nutrients and minerals from sprouted grains it is important that you eat the entire sprout with leaves and roots. Probably the best way of eating sprouted grains in its raw form is to include them in salads, soups and sandwiches.

Bread made out of this grain flour are considered to be low GI which means that your body will digest them slower making you feel full for longer. These breads are also much higher in enzymes, vitamins and protein and the starches found in this grains bread are all converted into natural sugars by your digestive system.

The benefits of eating sprouted grains far outweighs the extra time it will take to sprout or buy them. It is recommended that you sprout your own grains in the comfort of your home to make them readily available to you and your family. This type of grain is a relatively easy thing to do and you can store your harvested grains in the fridge for several days keeping them fresh by rinsing them with fresh water at least once a day.

Having such an excellent source of nutrients within your reach the only question left to ask is: Why have you not started making your own sprouted grains ages ago?

Author: Sharon Nixon

Everyone knows the importance of eating more healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. But the way they are processed can significantly affect their nutritional value. Often making small changes in how we cook our foods can make a big difference in the health benefits they deliver. The higher the temperature and the longer the cooking time utilized in food preparation, no matter the method, zaps the vitamins and minerals from even the most healthy of ingredients. Turning the heat way up when cooking or baking foods for a long time inactivates the vitamins and minerals packed in food because heat changes their very nature, making them not as easily absorbed by the body.

Baking and grilling are two dry heat methods that significantly deplete food’s nutrition due to long cooking times and high heat exposure. These methods are especially destructive to heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C, some B vitamins, and trace elements. While still employing high heat, even broiling may be a better option because of the shorter cooking time. So, what is a health conscious cook to do? Obviously, the best way to preserve nutrients is the eat fruits and vegetables raw and fill up on salads. Unfortunately, this is not either practical or palatable to a lot of people. Luckily, making a few relatively simple changes to your cooking methods can significantly impact the nutritional punch you deliver to your table. Here are a few suggestions:

Avoid Crispy and Overcooked Foods

Many people find crunchy or browned foods to be more pleasing to the eyes and palate. However, to achieve that texture often requires long cooking times or heat intensive grilling or frying which makes the food less nutritious. Meat cooked in this way is literally transformed when it’s seared and browned, effectively burning it, so its protein cannot be as easily absorbed by the body.

Choose Gentler Cooking Methods

Steaming

Wet cooking methods can be just as destructive to vitamins and minerals as baking and grilling. Water becomes just another source of loss for all the water-soluble nutrients. However, steaming foods in just a little water or above the water, prevents that nutrient leakage from occurring. Re purposing the liquid used can even further increase your nutritional intake. As long as you keep the cooking time short and don’t douse your veggies with fat-laden sauces, this is a great healthy alternative to raw foods. Keep the lid on the pot and steam just until tender to maximize the health benefits.

Poaching

Poaching is a quick, gentle, low-fat cooking method that is great for people who don’t think they have time to cook. You can produce healthy, elegant selections in no time by starting with high-quality, fresh ingredients and reducing the liquid to make an intensely flavored sauce. Both meats and vegetables can be briefly simmered in a small amount of liquid of you choice (water, broth, fruit or vegetable juice) until just cooked. Season the leftover liquid and continue to cook it until it’s reduced by half, then pour it over your food for a light sauce. This method works especially well for delicate fish and fragile fruits.

Sitr Frys

One of the fastest ways to put a healthy meal on the table is with a heart-friendly stir fry composed of your favorite meats and/or vegetables with little or no added fat. With stir frying, the idea is to quickly cook your food at high heat so the vitamins and minerals are retained. It also helps keep the food intact so it doesn’t become limp and unappealing. A large wok or saute pan can be used to cook any number of colorful, nutritious combinations in minutes. The key is in the prep work. Cut all ingredients into similar sizes and start with the longer-cooking items first. Cook just until vegetables take on just lose their crispness and take on an intense color to achieve the most nutritious results. Adding a few tablespoons of water, wine, broth or fruit juice can help round out the flavors in this low-fat and fast cooking method.

The Bottom Line

Anytime food is cooked, no matter by what means, nutrition is lost. So the vitamin C you thought you were getting from that broccoli you cooked last night might not pack the nutritional punch you thought you were getting. When choosing cooking methods, some are more destructive than others. Generally, the less time and lower heat you cook foods with, the more nutrition they retain. Try these easy, quick recommendation for food preparation to ensure you are giving your family the most nutrition