Michelle Schoffro Cook's Blog, page 3
May 24, 2023
Follow Your Passion
At the end of a meandering trail through forest and scrub, I can’t help but smile when Passion comes into view, especially when this apple tree is blossoming. My breath deepens and slows. I didn’t even realize I was barely breathing until now. Instantly, I feel transported to another time with a pace of living that is more harmonious with my soul. Only several years ago, I bought this neglected house and property sight unseen and guided only by my soul’s knowing. I kept feeling that I would walk these woods and feel swept away by their magical nature. I had always dreamed of owning an apple orchard but worried it was out of reach. Today, I can’t help but feel the reward for trusting in my dream and instincts when all external signs seemed hopeless, when life had become so heavy with adversity as if to feel almost unbearable. As I approach Passion, my heart feels overflowing with gratitude that I trusted in the burning desire of my soul.
If you like what you see and read here, please consider using the links on my page (there are no costs to use them), purchasing my books and ebooks, or . Discover how apples and apple cider vinegar may help with weight loss, heart disease, and more in my ebook FOOD FIX: The Most Powerful Healing Foods and How to Use Them to Overcome Disease.
May 4, 2023
I Discovered a New Apple Tree--Help Me Name It!
This mass of trees may look similar to an apple tree but it is actually a combination of an older buckthorn tree and many invasive prickly ash trees. In the middle of this mass, I discovered a thin tree that looked quite similar at the base to the buckthorn and at a higher level to the ash trees; however, I visually traced one of the tree’s higher limbs and noticed apple leaves on it. Somehow, this miraculous apple tree continued to grow strangled by the other trees. Today, I discovered this little apple tree buried in the entanglement as some of the neighbouring invasive trees were removed around a different apple tree known as Happiness. This much younger tree that still needs to be rescued is clearly a survivor. I have decided to name it either Resilience or Hope as it is a testament to the will to live even under the harshest of conditions as well as to the importance of holding onto hope even when things seem their bleakest. After the tree has been rescued, I will post an “after” photo. Help me to name this tree. I’m taking votes: Resilience or Hope? What do you think? Cast your vote in the comments.
May 2, 2023
My New Book Launches Today!
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The missing nutritional link that could save lives;
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April 21, 2023
April 19, 2023
Top 10 Spring Superfoods
Spring is finally here and along with it starts the cascade of vibrant superfoods. Obviously, some take a little longer than others to rear their heads in our gardens or farmer’s markets, but here are my picks for the top 10 spring superfoods:
Artichokes—A medium-sized artichoke is loaded with fiber (about 10 grams) and vitamin C. It also contains plentiful amounts of the heart- and muscle-health minerals magnesium and potassium. It’s also high on the ORAC list of foods that have high antioxidant values. High amounts of antioxidants translate into reduced free radicals linked to aging and disease.
Asparagus—An excellent source of nutrients like vitamin K which is necessary for bone health and folate, asparagus also contains good amounts of vitamins C, A, B1, B2, niacin, B6, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and selenium. Its high folate content makes it especially good for pregnant women who have higher folate needs than most people.
Chives—Potent in antibacterial, anti-yeast and antifungal compounds, chives has many similar properties to its relatives garlic and onion. Chives also help boost glutathione levels in the body. Glutathione is a powerful detoxifier and anti-cancer compound.
Collards—Research shows that collards are among the best foods for lowering cholesterol levels due to its superior ability to bind to bile acids in the intestines. Collard also shows excellent anti-cancer properties thanks to its naturally-occurring components, including: glucoraphanin, sinigrin, gluconasturtiian, and glucotropaeolin.
Kale—Proven to lower the risk of bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate cancer, kale is among the best superfoods available. Great for building healthy bones largely due to its high calcium content, kale also improves the body’s detoxification systems by increasing isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from the vegetable’s glucosinolates. Researchers have identified over 45 phytonutrients in kale, including kaempferol and quercetin, giving it impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Rhubarb—High in fiber, vitamins C and K, rhubarb stalks (not the leaves which are poisonous), rhubarb is an excellent spring food but most people don’t know what to do with it. Sorry, dumping cups of sugar into it for jams and pies wrecks any superfood qualities this food might otherwise have. I enjoy it stewed or added to chutneys.
Spinach—Not just for Popeye anymore, spinach is high in iron, calcium, beta carotene (which turns into vitamin A in your body), and vitamin K, which is important for bone and blood health. The chlorophyll gives spinach their green color and is a powerful blood cleanser. High in neoxanthin, which is proven to aid prostate health, spinach also contains the phytonutrients lutein and zeaxanthin which strengthen the eyes and help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.
Spring greens—Spring greens contain high amounts of calcium and magnesium needed for strong bones, muscles, and a relaxed nervous system. Like spinach, they also contain the blood cleansing phytonutrient chlorophyll. Spring greens can include: edible wild greens like lamb’s quarter’s or clover (make sure you have correctly identified wild greens and selected them from non-sprayed areas); lettuces like Romaine, Boston, bibb; or microgreens like broccoli, kale, or radish; or baby greens like pea shoots.
Strawberries—Just eight strawberries pack more vitamin C than one orange. Whether you want to evade heart disease, arthritis, memory loss, or cancer, these berries have proven their ability to help.
Watercress—If ever there was a vegetable made for smokers, watercress is it. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that eating raw watercress daily increased the ability of cells to resist free radical damage to DNA, which reduces the risk of cell changes linked to cancer. Their research showed that this protective benefit was pronounced in smokers. But, anyone can benefit from this spring nutritional powerhouse. It is also high in beta carotene (essential for skin and eye health), B-complex vitamins (important for nerves, energy, and mood balance), and vitamin E (critical for skin and immune system health).
Enjoyed this blog? There’s lots more great information about using foods as medicine in my e-book Food Fix: The Most Powerful Healing Foods and How to Use Them to Overcome Disease and the companion e-book Food Fix Recipes. If you found it helpful, consider buying me a coffee.
April 12, 2023
March 14, 2023
My New Book Super-Powered Immunity...Order Now!
I'm thrilled to share my new book, Super-Powered Immunity: Natural Remedies for 21st Century Viruses and Superbugs. It is packed with information about research-proven foods, herbs, oils, mushrooms, probiotics, nutrients, fermented foods, and more to help you live your best and healthiest life.
March 13, 2023
Research Shows Compound in Turmeric May Boost Brain Stem Cells
Photo: The Essential Oils Healing Deck by Michelle Schoffro Cook. Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook. All rights reserved.
Don't let health challenges prevent you from living the homesteading life of your dreams. After a car accident left me with a severe spinal cord injury (I still remember the emergency room doctor holding his forefinger and thumb together and telling me "you were this close to being quadriplegic"), I thought most of my dreams were over. While I was fortunate not to lose all function of my body, I still suffered partial paralysis, a breathing impairment, severe pain, among other issues as a result of my spinal cord being partially severed. Needless to say, I went in search of remedies that might help me deal with the pain as well as to help with the healing. I haven't fully recovered but I have been able to manage my health, write 25 books and over 2000 articles, and do many tasks around my homestead. (Check out my favorite pain remedy--Copaiba). My research led me to the power of turmerones and their potential ability to boost stem cells.
That's great news, but not just for me: brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are rapidly rising. According to some estimates, 35.8% of people 85 or older have some form of moderate to severe memory impairment. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to protect your brain and memory, from exercising and mental exercises, to a healthy diet rich in brain foods like blueberries, walnuts, pomegranates, and more.
But, there is another way to boost your brain health—by increasing your brain's stem cells--those cells that can create more stem cells or become many other types of cells in the body. Research shows that compounds known as turmerones, found in turmeric, can help boost brain stem cells. Most of turmeric’s rave reviews go to its compound curcumin, while turmerones are barely known at all.
According to research in the medical journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy, one of the active compounds in turmeric, known as turmerones, can cause brain stem cells to start proliferating. Neural stem cells, as they are known, become activated after an injury or damage to the brain as a means to help regenerate the brain and nervous system and give the cells an opportunity to recover and return to normal function.
Other research published in the same journal found that turmerones caused an increase in the number of neurons (brain or nervous system cells) generated. The researchers anticipate that their study will offer hope to sufferers of Parkinson’s and stroke.
Turmerones are primarily found in the oily part of turmeric so you won’t find it in your curcumin supplements. Turmeric essential oil is one of the best sources of this natural healing compound. However, not all oils are suitable for ingestion. You should only use oils that clearly indicate their suitability for internal use. This is easily identifiable on the label, which would indicate “dose” or “dosage.”
I am particularly fond of a Dual Chamber Turmeric Supplement that includes both the oil (which contains turmerones) and curcumin for their many health benefits. You can also diffuse the Turmeric Essential Oil on a regular basis to reap the healing benefits of turmerones.
If you like what you see and read here, please consider using the links on my page (there are no costs to use them), purchasing my books and ebooks, or . Discover how apples and apple cider vinegar may help with weight loss, heart disease, and more in my ebook FOOD FIX: The Most Powerful Healing Foods and How to Use Them to Overcome Disease.
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March 8, 2023
A Celebration of You
Choose to be authentically you. You do not need to ask permission of the world, or anyone in it, to be the most genuine version of you, or to express all of the greatness within you. Indeed, deferring to others’ opinions of your kindness, creativity, intelligence, attractiveness, or some other attribute, or of you as a person, will only dull your shine. You do not need external validation for all that is already great within you. There is nothing you must do, change, or achieve to be worthy of respect, acceptance, or love.
In the same way, do not allow yourself to be defined by metrics. You are not an IQ, a weight, a height, an age, or an attractiveness number on an arbitrary gradation. You are not simply a collection of body parts, measurements, or mere physical features. Do not allow society’s reductionist views or the limiting eyes of those who pass through your life or momentarily catch your vision on a screen, in an ad, or as part of some equally meaningless encounter, to define your value or restrain the expansiveness that is you. After all, you would not determine the merit of a gift by its wrapping.
You are neither less nor more than another. Subjugating yourself to, or dominating another are unnecessary affronts to your unique spirit. There is only one you, making you the world’s rarest treasure, an exclusive and inimitable creation undeserving of judgement by comparison to another of the world’s distinctive treasures.
Additionally, your views, perspectives, thoughts, and feelings are worthy of respect, including your own, regardless how anyone else perceives them. No matter your physical, intellectual, emotional, or spiritual proportions, stand proudly in them. You were not born to fit in. You were not created to be one more in a vast collection of sameness. Do not play small or reduce yourself to suit anyone. You were fashioned from the same elements that form the stars and contain an equally brilliant luminescence worthy of expression. Let the intense light that is you shine its radiance into the cosmos.
If you like what you see and read here, please consider using the links on my page (there are no costs to use them), purchasing my books and ebooks, or . Discover how apples and apple cider vinegar may help with weight loss, heart disease, and more in my ebook FOOD FIX: The Most Powerful Healing Foods and How to Use Them to Overcome Disease.
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