Over the past few years many new products have emerged touting antibacterial and antimicrobial  properties – liquid hand soaps, bar soaps, disposable wipes, laundry detergents, even floor cleaners!

In light of the recent concerns about H1N1 flu and other flus and viruses of the season, more and more people (including myself) have become almost fanatical about hand washing. This is not a bad thing, but  I am skeptical and concerned about commercial antibacterial soaps created with chemicals that have been proven to be harmful to our health.  Is killing the bacteria helping anybody?  The reality is that bacteria is necessary for proper health. I feed my body every day with probiotics – good bacteria to help my digestive system stay healthy. So, is eliminating bacteria necessary or even possible? And what are they doing to our water supply! The fact is that we could be even more susceptible to illness by using these soaps.

For myself and my family I choose to use hand soaps that contain ingredients with  natural antiseptic properties – like Tea Tree oil or Thyme.  My favorite at the moment is from Jason called Tea Tree Melaleuca. Others that I plan to try try this season include sanitizers from CleanWell, which utilizes the antiseptic properties of the herb Thyme and staSAFE Hand Sanitizer which uses a unique silver-zinc complex to coat the hands providing ongoing protection.  These are other examples of all-natural, biodegradable, non-alcohol and non-toxic (do not contain benzalkonium chloride or Triclosan) soaps that kill germs and do not harm you or the environment.  Check them out! — In peace and good health – Green Diva Jen

In addition to being a nut job, I am a nut lover. I really haven’t tasted a nut I didn’t like – even the peanut, which is technically a legume. I feel dreadfully sorry for those who have the dangerous nut allergy. My fiance has an allergy to chocolate, which I’m actually jealous of, but that’s for another post . . .

Some history about our hard-shelled friends
There is evidence that nuts have been around feeding us and our ancient ancestors since prehistoric times. The oldest evidence are some walnut remains which were found in Iraq and are thought to be over 50,000 years old!  

The almond dates back to 3100-1100 BC in the region around Turkey, Cyprus and Greece. By the way, did you know that almonds are related to peaches?

Pine nuts have been providing powerful nutrition to those living in the ‘Great Basin’ region of the US for many thousands of years. According to PineNut.com,

“Understand that the pine nut was to the people of the Great Basin what the buffalo was to the plains people.”

Another popular nut (other than me with some of my friends) is the pistachio. These also have been getting cracked open and savored for thousands of years, dating back to 7000 years or so to the Middle East. Long used along with almonds by travelers because of the compact, but potent nutritional value, this nut inspired some interesting legends, including the one that says the Queen of Sheba declared it an exclusively ‘royal’ food forbidding commoners to grow and eat it.

1.  Nutritional Power Food- High in protein, fiber, antioxidants and monosaturated fat (good fat) – good for the heart, lowering blood pressure AND reducing risk for type 2 diabetes.
2.  Weight Control – According to an article found in Johns Hopkins Health Alert, people who eat nuts are more likely to weigh less than those that don’t. (just remember moderation is key here)
3. Easy, Awesome Snack Food – I like to roast my own favorites and mix them up with dried fruits to make a custom trail mix.
4. Vegan and Raw Foodie Approved – If you are eating vegan or raw for reasons of health, ethics or to reduce your carbon stamp on the earth, nuts are essential. (but, I really don’t know about ‘locally’ grown in some regions – I think those of us in the north east would suffer a bit on this one) See my cashew yogurt recipe.
5. Excellent Party Food- Tis the season, so get creative or keep it simple! (Just make sure to let your guests know in case someone has an allergy)

Some nutty links:

Detailed Nutritional Chart for Various Nuts
More Details on Various Nuts + Recipes
My Favorite Nut Loaf Recipe (based on Crank’s cookbook)

This picture reminds me of a little cherry convention. I’ve been asked to review a new cherry drink, but I thought I would indulge in a little cherry 101 first.

Did you know . . .

• Cherries are related to apricots
• Cultivation of cherries dates back to 300 b.c.
• Prunus avium, the common cherry tree is related to the rose bush!
• The name originates from Greek (of course) and in Latin means ‘of or for the birds’
• While America produces 90% of cherries today, the varieties we know and love were originally brought here by our European settlers
• The popular Bing cherry was named after the farm foreman, who happened to be Manchurian, of the farm in Oregon that developed it

The Little Healer
These little buggers offer a potent dose of antioxidants, but beyond that it is a type of antioxidant not found in most other fruit. Research shows that cherries contain anthocyanins, which protect against heart disease, cancer, and inhibit enzymes that cause inflammation. Health food store shelves are lining up with various ‘cherry’ products that tout the amazing benefits, primarily for pain relief, speedy recovery from exercise, improved sleep and even as the new anti-hangover cure.

John Davey, CEO of CherryPharm discovered the benefits after eating cherries and realizing an old tennis injury. Being inspired, he created this yummy drink that packs 50 cherries in every 8oz. bottle! It is extremely tasty. I drank it for a week and am convinced it helped with my aches and pains. Look for it in your local natural food store or go to their website, where they have specials for direct ordering!

I’ve never really cooked with cherries, but I buy bags of them in the summer for Wayne and the kids.

Please share your favorite cherry recipes!

eat. blog. be merry!
GD Meg

There are a few ‘nutritious’ chocolate bars and candies appearing on the health food store shelves touting the benefits of calcium and various vitamins and minerals combined with lovely dark chocolate. I’ve tried a few of them with mixed results.

When GD Jen brought me a goody bag for my birthday, among the treats which included a box of my favorite organic earl grey tea, I immediately gravitated to the large candy bar with the words, ‘Nutritious Chocolate’ on it. It was all VERY well timed. Let’s face it, for women, there are times of the month when chocolate saves lives – keeping raging hormones at a dull roar and the homicidal outbursts to a minimum.

Having tried some ‘nutritious’ chocolate, I didn’t expect much, but I tucked it into my work bag and figured it would make a sweet treat after lunch.

I’m not sure how he does it, but Gary Null has done it beautifully with this amazing chocolate! The list of ingredients in this slice of heaven are downright unbelievable. Among the first few listed (other than cocoa, soy protein, vanilla, sugar cane) are the following: Green Algae Powder, Wheat Grass Powder, Green Barley Powder, Alfalfa Leaf, Oat Grass, Broccoli, Parsley, Kale, Aloe Vera, Cranberries, Strawberries, Apples, Cherries, Red Raspberries, Peaches, Pears, Papayas, Mangoes, Watermelons, Red Currants, Nectarines, Pink Grapefruits, Blood Oranges, Pomegranate, Pineapples, Lemons, Limes, Tangerines, Apricots.

While these bars are promoted as Vegan, Kosher, High Protein, No Trans Fat and are made with ‘natural’ ingredients, they are not organic and there is no mention of fair trade, which with chocolate is something I do generally look for. However, I will put aside my concern for cocoa farmers in this one instance in favor of this relatively healthy selfish indulgence. I promise to write my old friend Gary and push him to create a fair trade, organic version. Of course, the price might be high, but perhaps some of us are willing to pay it for an occasional treat.

You can purchase the Gary Null Nutritious Chocolate bar online, but GD Jen found mine in one of our local health food stores.

eat. blog. be merry!
GD Meg