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Sweet potato black bean chili.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne, adjust to taste
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 to 3 cups vegetable broth

instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato, onion and bell pepper and saute until onion softens, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne, and saute for 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
3. Add diced tomatoes, black beans, and broth and stir until combined. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender.                  

Desmond Tutu Blasts ANC South African Gov't as Worse Than Apartheid

by PAUL FASSA

Cayenne (Capsicum annuum or frutescens, or red pepper) has been in continuous use by Native Americans as a food and medicine for roughly 9,000 years.

Chilies belong to the nightshade family, same as tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant. They originated from the Americas.  In the wake of  Christopher Columbus, many cultivars of chili pepper are found around the world and they are still being used as food and as medicine.

 Cayenne Pepper is derived from grinding the dried red skins of several types of hot chili peppers.

 SOME LIKE IT HOT

The hot, pungent sometimes burning taste of cayenne pepper is derived from its most active compound known as capsaicin, (/kæpˈseɪ.ɨsɪn/; chemical name 8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) Capsaicin is the most active ingredient in cayenne; it’s the main capsaicinoid in chili peppers. The hotter the chili pepper the more capsaicin it contains.

Myth Buster: The heat of a chili is NOT primarily in the seeds. Yes, the seeds do have some heat, but by far most of the capsaicin is located in the ribs that hold the seeds.

Factoid: “Capsaicinoids are derived from the compound vanillin, which gives vanilla its delicious taste and smell. Surprisingly, their “hotness” or “spiciness” is not a taste but rather a sensation. There are no taste buds associated with capsaicinoids.”

CHILI PEPPER EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Cayenne pepper is the one herb that should be in everyone’s medicine cabinet as part of their emergency first aid kit. Cayenne is the ‘go to herb’ when you need to quickly stop severe bleeding within seconds. A modicum of research reveals that cayenne pepper has many other exceptional health benefits and medicinal uses as well, including stopping a heart attack cold within minutes of ingestion. However, this article is focused on how to use cayenne to stop both external and internal bleeding in emergency situations.

 “In 35 years of practice, and working with the people and teaching, I have never on house calls lost one heart attack patient and the reason is, whenever I go in–if they are still breathing–I pour down them a cup of cayenne tea: a teaspoon of cayenne in a cup of hot water, and within minutes they are up and around.” Dr. Christopher

 John Raymond Christopher (1909–1983) was an American herbalist, often called “Dr. Christopher” while not holding any doctorate. He is known for his numerous publications on herbs and natural healing, including School of Natural Healing.

 With minimal research and some curiosity you’ll soon discover what a remarkable herb cayenne is and why it absolutely must be part of your herbal apothecary. For more information and actual case studies about this remarkable herb peruse Dr. Christopher’s site.

 HOW TO USE CAYENNE FOR EXTERNAL WOUNDS

According to the late Dr. Christopher, “By the time you count to ten, the heavy bleeding should stop completely after administering cayenne pepper.”

 First relax, take a deep breath and get centered. It’s a very simple protocol.

Next take some cayenne pepper powder or tincture and simply apply it liberally and directly into the bleeding cut or laceration. The bleeding should stop within 10-15 seconds. If you use a cayenne tincture use the dropper to directly flood the wound with tincture, or if you just have a jar of homemade tincture you can pour some  into a small bowl and then soak a clean, cotton ball in the bowl of cayenne tincture. Now squeeze the tincture into the wound via the saturated cotton ball.

 Cayenne tincture should be reserved for small cuts and scrapes. If you’re dealing with a large wound that’s bleeding profusely, call 911 as you pack the wound with lots of cayenne pepper powder and additionally take at-least a teaspoon or so  of cayenne powder in a glass of warm water and drink it down fast.

 Cayenne is a powerful styptic (a substance capable of stopping bleeding when applied to a wound.) It does this by quickly equalizing blood pressure and triggering coagulation or blood clotting, which happens faster thanks to cayenne. Not only does it stop bleeding quickly, it also disinfects the cut so there’s no need to worry about an infection setting in.

 Surprisingly, many people report that Cayenne powder doesn’t sting when it’s applied directly to an open wound!

Here’s a quote from the late Herbalist Dr. John Christopher’s book, School of Natural Healing, “…take a teaspoonful of cayenne in a glass of extra-warm water, drink it down, and by the count of ten, the bleeding will stop. Instead of all the pressure being centralized, it is equalized, and the clotting becomes more rapid. Whether the bleeding is internal or external, a teaspoon of cayenne taken orally in a glass of hot water will stop the bleeding quickly.”

 NUMBER ONE FIRST AID HERB

Dr. Schulze roundly proclaims that cayenne pepper is the number one first aid herb — bar none! It should be used whenever there’s a problem with blood – loss of blood, disease, clots, or even stoppage.

 NOTE: Dr. Richard Schulze, N.D., M.H. is one of the FOREMOST Authorities on Natural Healing and Herbal Therapy in the World. He apprenticed with the late Dr Christopher.

 Zoe from Cure Zone:

“There is no herb that stops bleeding faster than cayenne – from cuts to internal hemorrhaging. For deep lacerations, I flush out the wound with what I call an anti-infection tincture which has cayenne in it (the formula is in the chapter on slippery elm).

It not only begins to stop the bleeding, but it cleans, disinfects, and even seals the wound. Then, just pack cayenne powder into the wound. It doesn’t burn. On open fresh wounds, there is so much trauma already, you don’t feel a thing. Cayenne stops the bleeding immediately and the high amount of vitamin A and vitamin C in cayenne also clean and disinfect. Plus with any injury, remember to take cayenne internally.”

WHAT KIND OF CAYENNE PEPPER SHOULD I BUY?

“Today, a lot of cayenne sold has been overheated by processing machines, and the healing ability has been cooked right out of it.””- Dr. Schultz

 In fact, you should avoid buying cayenne from the spice department of your grocery store. Most herbs and spices are irradiated which makes them ineffective medicinally. Most cayenne pepper powder in the spice section of your favorite grocery probably only has a heat index of 30,000-50,000 or  (SHUs) Scoville Heat Units or HU (heat units) It is recommended by Herbalists to use a powder of 90,000 SHU’s or greater for emergency health issues. The more heat the better! NOTE: “Capsicum or Cayenne Pepper is one of the few herbs that can be measured by its BTU or thermal units. In other words, it is a hot and stimulating pepper plant that can generate heat.”

 Dr. Schultz maintains that  your best option is to buy organic cayenne powder from a reputable company that guarantees it has not been irradiated.

 Schultz states: “There is more to cayenne than just heat. There are flavonoids in cayenne that will heal heart cells and protect your heart. There are vitamins in cayenne pepper that will destroy bacteria and increase your immune system.” Schultz continues. “The lower quality the cayenne, the less healing occurs. A lot of the cayenne I’ve seen has a smoky smell and a dark color to it. It’s been heated very high during the powdering process, so a lot of the other nutrients that were in there, enzymes and so on, are gone.”

 Cayenne also contains vitamins A and C, and carotenoids, the pigments that give red, yellow, and orange plants their vibrant color and contain an abundance of antioxidants.

 SCOVILLE HEAT SCALE

The Scoville heat index for spices was created by American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in 1912.

2,000,000- 2,200,000 Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
855,000–1,463,700 Bhut Jolokia (ghost pepper), Bedfordshire Super Naga, Infinity Chilli, Naga Viper pepper, Trinidad Scorpion Butch T pepper
350,000–580,000 Red Savina habanero
100,000–350,000 Datil pepper, Fatalii, Habanero chili, Jamaican hot pepper, Madame Jeanette, Peruvian White Habanero, Rocoto, Scotch bonnet pepper
50,000–100,000 Bird’s eye chili, Byadgi chilli, Malagueta pepper, Pequin pepper, Piri piri, Siling Labuyo
30,000–50,000 Ají pepper, Capsicum Chinese, Cayenne pepper, Chiltepin pepper, Guntur chilli, Tabasco pepper
10,000–23,000 Aleppo pepper, Chile de árbol, Peter pepper, Serrano pepper
3,500–10,000 Chipotle, Espelette pepper, Fresno pepper, Guajillo pepper, Jalapeño, wax pepper

 INTERNAL APPLICATION

Legendary herbalist Dr. Christopher Cayenne advised his patients to take cayenne pepper orally for a number of health conditions, which includes, lowering blood pressure and preventing or stopping heart attacks. Again it’s simple. Take a teaspoon of cayenne powder and mix it into a cup of warm water and quickly drink it down.

 And yes, your mouth will be on fire – but as the oft repeated cliché says: “no pain, no gain. Some have found an effective way to take the edge off  cayenne’s heat is to dissolve a teaspoon of cayenne into warm water and then add the juice of half a lemon and a dash of maple syrup and chug it down. However, for life threatening conditions like heart attacks, it’s necessary to ingest straight cayenne and warm water or cayenne tincture ASAP! For gunshot wounds (who knows?) and other severe lacerations, which can cause internal bleeding as well as external bleeding apply the cayenne powder directly to the wound and also take it internally:

According to Shirley’s Wellness Cafe: “If a hemorrhage occurs in the lungs, stomach, uterus or nose, it is suggested that a teaspoon of extract (or a teaspoon of cayenne powder in a cup of hot water) be given every 15 minutes until the crisis has passed. The bleeding should stop in 10-30 seconds. The reason for this is that rather than the blood pressure being centralized, it is equalized by the Cayenne, and the clotting action of the blood becomes more rapid. For external bleeding, take cayenne internally and pour cayenne directly on the wound.”

 REAL LIFE EXAMPLE

Jerem form Herbal Learning Explained:

“As I mentioned in my previous two posts about nearly cutting my thumb off, the first thing I did was to put a lot of cayenne pepper directly into the cuts. In addition to the external application of cayenne I also mixed the powder with a glass of water and drank it internally. I don’t know exactly how much I took internally. It was a lot though. Probably way more than I needed, but my wife just dumped a bunch of it into the glass and I started drinking. The bleeding slowed down dramatically within seconds and stopped completely within just a couple of minutes.”

http://www.realfarmacy.com/

Are We Dying to Look Good: Natural Hair Coloring Ideas

A man with a grey locks is considered distinguished and wise but when a woman goes grey she is accused of letting herself go. In the 1950’s less than 10% of the woman dyed their hair. Today, the number is a staggering 75% or more. This popular beauty habit can cost consumers $75-$200 every 6-8 weeks when having it done professionally. Your first grey hair will typically appear by the age of 34 and by age 50 up to 50% of all Caucasians will have a full head of grey hair. Smoking, poor diet, stress and genetics can all contribute to premature greying.

Dying can be Deadly: Some chemicals used in hair dye products are known to be carcinogenic.

A 6-year study at Yale University has found that women who have spent years coloring their hair do indeed run a greater risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph system that claims about half of all its victims.

Another study analyzing hairdressers showed a very marked increase in the incident of upper digestive tract, lung and skin cancer among this group that was continuously exposed to the chemicals in the hair dyes.

We don’t want to leave the guys out of this issue as the number of men dying their hair is on the rise. A study by Xavier University found that the gradual hair dyes like Grecian Formula contained so much lead acetate that the researchers couldn’t wash it off their hands! Lead is a cumulative chemical and even low-level exposure can ultimately result in cancer, brain damage, muscle weakness and depression.

Here’s a specific list of ingredients to watch for in your hair products: 4-MMPD, 4-chloro-m-phenylenediamine, 2,4-toluenediamine, 2-nitro-p-phenylenediamine and 4-amino-2-nitrophenol. Also, some coal tar colors used in permanent dark hair coloring contain heavy metal impurities, including lead and arsenic, both of which can cause cancer and disrupt hormones.

All Natural Alternatives

There are hair coloring products out there that are truly all natural, safe and non-toxic. However, be very careful not to be fooled by clever labeling. Just because Garnier adds in some avocado oil for a healthy shine, doesn’t change the fact that all the same toxic chemicals found in other products are right there on the label.

Fragrance(s)/perfume(s), Silica dimethyl silylate, Trideceth-2 carboxamide MEA, Glycerin, Propylene glycol, Citric acid, Thiolactic acid, 2-Aminophenol, Methylparaben, p-Phenylenediamine, Resorcinol, Cetrimonium chloride, p-Aminophenol, Pentasodium pentetate, Monoethanolamine (MEA), Lauric acid, 3-Aminophenol, 2-Methylresorcinol, Glycol distearate, Ammonium hydroxide, t-Butyl hydroquinone, Laureth-12, Chlorhexidine dihydrochloride, Hydrogen peroxide, Tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP), and Avocado extract/oil. (This is only half the list of ingredients! )

Use real herbs and plant extracts

Good old mother nature provides some great alternatives for hair coloring enthusiasts. A great way to test how a natural made concoction will look is to save some snips of hair from your next haircut and make up a small batch of whatever dye recipe you want to try. Apply the mixture to the hair sample and let it dry naturally (preferably in the sunlight) and see what the results are before applying all over and then having to live with it for six weeks.

Blonde Hair

List of Herbs: Chamomile, calendula, mullein, saffron, turmeric

Make a weekly rinse with any of these as a tea and it will brighten, highlight or add vibrant tones to those with blonde hair washed out hair.

• Steep 1/4 – 1/2 cup of any of these herbs in 2 cups of boiled water for 30 minutes
• Strain out the flowers/herbs and let it cool
• Shampoo your hair and towel dry your hair
• Then rinse with this cooled tea while catching the rinse so it can be reused
• Pour the rinse through your hair about 10 times
• Squeeze out excess moisture and then leave in your hair for another 20 minutes or longer before completely rinsing it out with clean water
• Allow hair to dry in direct sunlight if possible
• Citrus fruits such as lemon can also act as lighteners and brighteners (but don’t forget to test results first).

Light Brown Hair

Rhubarb root is said to attract honey gold tones to light brown hair.

• Pour three cups of hot water over four tablespoons of chopped rhubarb root
• Simmer for 15-20 minutes
• Strain it and pour it through your freshly shampooed hair 10 or more times
• Rinse in clear water and dry in direct sunlight if possible

Brown/Black Hair

Some turn to henna products for covering up those grey hairs. Just don’t use it on color-treated hair as you may be unpleasantly surprised with the results. Like any semi-permanent dye, henna coats the hair and lasts about six weeks. You can buy henna powder from herbal suppliers and health food stores. It’s known as a safe, healthful dye, and will make your hair feel thicker. A word of caution, henna tends to produce a brassy orange-red shade when used alone, so you may want to mix it with a “lighter” herb like chamomile. Henna should not be used by people with white, gray or very light blond hair.

• Put 2 Tbsp – 4 Tbsp henna into a nonmetal bowl (more for long hair)
• Add enough boiling water to make a thick paste
• Stir in a tablespoon of vinegar (which will help release the plants’ colors)
• Let the blend cool for a few minutes
• When the paste is lukewarm, put on a pair of rubber gloves (henna can stain your hands) and massage it into your clean, wet hair
• Comb it through with a wide-toothed comb to insure even distribution of the dye
• Pile up your hair, fit a plastic bag over it and wrap a old towel around your head to hold in the heat
• You’ll need to leave the dye and towel in place from 30 minutes to 2 hours
• When the time is up rinse your hair until the water comes clean, then allow to air-dry
• Use lemon juice to remove any dye from hands or your hairline

Note: The darker your natural hair is the longer you’ll have to wait for the natural dye to take effect

Sage leaves can be used as a rinse to deepen any brunet and brown shades. It is also said to effectively cover gray or dark hair. A sage rinse can be made by steeping a handful of the dried herb in a quart of boiling water for 30 minutes (longer, if you want it darker). Cool and strain it and rinse it through freshly shampooed hair 10 or more times. Then wait 10 minutes before washing the liquid out with clear water. A sage rinse is considered a progressive dye so you should apply it weekly until you get the shade you want and then repeat monthly.

Tag alder bark is another popular hair darkening remedy but it produces a lighter tone than sage, so it works to darken blond hair or to cover gray in hair colors that are light to medium brown. To make a tag alder rinse, simmer one ounce of bark chips in a quart of water for about 30 minutes, then cool and use it as the rinse described above.

You will want to experiment with these different possibilities and come up with the one that is just right for you. You will feel healthier knowing what you are putting on your hair and scalp and keep more of your hard earned money to top it off.

Recommended Reading: Going Gray: How to Embrace Your Authentic Self with Grace and Style

Best All Natural Ready to Use Hair Products

Healthy Living Store

Resources

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12672039

http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productandingredientsafety/productinformation/ucm143066.htm)

Mielke H, et al. “Lead-based hair products: too hazardous for household use.” Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association. 1997;85-89.

http://www.advancednaturalmedicine.com

http://blogs.naturalnews.com/are-we-dying-to-look-good-natural-hair-coloring-ideas/

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/

Life will always throw you curves.......

When you make a decision and a commitment to do something good for yourself, it is like dropping a pebble in a pond. It has a rippling effect. The firmer the decision, the stronger the frequency and wider the range of things that will be reached.

If you want peace, be peace. If you want wealth, be wealth. Think it. Talk it. Prepare yourself to have it. Have faith enough to seek guidance and authority from within.

If you take the focus off having money and getting things, if you surrender anger to understanding, fear to acceptance, and hate to love, the universe will respond by bringing you more of what you focus on. When you shift from the intellect to the spirit, you are bound to find a new way of life. This will be a life dedicated to peace, joy, and compassion.

Be daring! Be bold! Call the things you desire into being so that your life will come into alignment with your greatest expectations. Focus on and affirm the experiences you desire.

Iyanla Vanzant