August 19, 2009

Miatake, Sheep's Head or Dancing Mushroom

The Miatake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) grows in clusters at the base of trees, particularly oaks. The mushroom is commonly known among English speakers as Sheep’s Head, Ram’s Head and Hen of the Woods.

This mushroom is native to the northeastern part of Japan and North America. It is prized in traditional Chinese and Japanese as a medicinal mushroom and as an aid to balance out an altered body system. The word Maitake is literally translated from Japanese as "dancing mushroom," so named because in ancient times people who found Maitake could exchange it for its weight in silver, leading to their dancing in celebration. In Japan, the Maitake can grow to more than 50 pounds and has earned this giant mushroom the title, "King of Mushrooms".

All mushrooms have a cleansing property. They are rich in a substance known as, Germanium. This important nutrient that actually helps increase oxygen efficiency in the body. It also helps balance the exposure to environmental pollutants and build resistance to various diseases. Germanium can also help the body neutralize toxic residues.

Patients with the AIDS virus have benefited from eating maitake mushrooms and diabetics can improve their blood sugar levels by ingesting maitake mushrooms. Additionally, maitake mushrooms can help reduce high blood pressure, shrink brain tumors, and fight prostate cancer.


Maitake mushrooms can also help to manage emotional and physical stress levels. Cancer patients can benefit from eating maitake mushrooms because they contain a compound that strengthens the body while it fights cancer. Additionally, it is thought that maitake mushrooms can make some chemotherapy drugs more effective and thereby may reduce necessary dosages.

Other diseases that may benefit from the use of Miatake Mushrooms are;

* Reduces the recurrence of bladder surgery
* Protects the liver and has been shown to aid with chronic hepatitis B
*
Provides nutritional support by enhancing the colons ability to absorb nutrients
* Lowers blood pressure
* Lowers cholesterol
* Manages emotional and physical stress levels
* Reduces Inflammation
* Prevention or reduction of blood clots

How much should you take?

The standard dosage is 3 to 7 grams of Maitake per day; however, strengths of different forms will vary. It is important to read and follow product label directions for use.

Maitake Mushroom Safety & Interaction Information
There are no known side effects or interactions associated with Maitake.

Click to read part one on; Reishi Mushroom

Maitake Tea (other recipes)

Use 2-4 grams daily prepared as a tea. The daily amount, taken as tea, should be split between morning and evening.

The dried mushroom can easily be ground to a powder in a coffee grinder.

Bring the tea to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. For maximum benefit you can simmer the tea from 2-4 hours, although a fairly strong tea can be made in 20-30 minutes. The grounds can be re-heated with benefit, discard the grounds when they no longer produce color in the tea.

Filter the tea through a coffee filter before drinking. As mentioned the grounds can be re-used as long as they produce color in the tea. Any un-used portion of the Maitake tea can be refrigerated and used up to two days later. Shake the stored tea before using it.

Sources:
http://www.healthynewage.com/Shitak...
MountainRoseHerbs.com
HealthCastle.com
NaturalNes.com



Change The World Wednesday --Thank You's


Change the World Wednesday

This week I want to Thank all those that so diligently keep us informed with new (and old) ideas about Going Green and making this world a better place.

Last week (I have a habit for being behind) was cleaning recipes and everybody had great ideas. A lot of them I use myself and there were a few that I will be making up very soon. The oven cleaner below sounds great.

At the bottom of this post you will find some FYI on Swiffer Sweepers. They use to be my favorite cleaner for the floors. That was until I was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis and started to take a hard look at what I was doing to my life.

But like I said there are some great recipes listed on the sites below and we can all make a difference, One step at a time.

*Small Footprints at http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/2009/08/change-world-wednesday_19.html

*Waylandcook at http://waylandcook.blogspot.com/2009/08/homemade-green-cleaners.html

All Purpose Cleaner

All-Purpose Cleaner
• 2 tablespoons borax•
¼ cup lemon juice•
2 cups hot water•
20 drops tea tree essential oil
1. Combine the borax and lemon juice with the water in a spray bottle. Cap and shake well to dissolve the mineral.2. Add the tea tree oil and shake again to disperse the oil.

*TC at http://livesmartbook.blogspot.com/2009/08/change-world-wednesdays.html

*Elizabeth Barrette at http://gaiatribe.geekuniversalis.com/2009/08/13/green-cleaners/

1 tablespoon of sea salt plus a pinch of asafoetida powder, thrown into the washing machine just before a wash cycle, will banish gremlins.

Diagnosing an infestation of gremlins...

*Sinclair at http://naturewithme.blogspot.com/2009/08/change-world-wednesday_12.html

*Connie Mishali at http://seewhykinsman.blogspot.com/2009/08/change-world_13.html

Oven Cleaner;
2 tsp. Dawn
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. vinegar
2 tsp. Borax
2 quarts warm water

*Eemilla at http://eemilla.wordpress.com/

*Kathryn Magendie at http://tendergraces.blogspot.com/

*Sober White Women at http://thoughtsofasoberwhitewomen.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-friday.html

*Kate at http://holdfastseeker.blogspot.com/2009/04/kate-reveals-her-all-natural-cleaning.html

*Kelly at http://kellysideas.blogspot.com/

*Ann at http://ann-mythoughtsandphotos.blogspot.com/2009/08/grow-your-own-food-mushrooms.html

*Rewinn at http://rewinn.blogspot.com/2009/08/afterlife-of-teabag.html

*Nicole S. at http://sotorrifictwins.blogspot.com/

FYI on Swiffer:
There are 4 ingredients listed: Water, Propylene Glycol n-Butyl Ether, and the mysterious “minor ingredients” and “preservatives”. Three out of four of these are automatically not up for further research. We all know what water is and the vagueness of the last 2 ingredients makes it impossible to figure out what’s going on there. Which leaves us with Propylene Glycol n-Butyl Ether. (MSDS is one issued by Proctor and Gamble)

Product Safety Assessment by DOW "Repeated inhalation exposure may cause adaptive liver and kidney effects..."

More info Here

At any rate I now stay away from Swiffers, in fact I can't even stand to go down the isles where they are sold d/t to overpowering SMELL of cleaners.

Thanks again everyone, and keep up the good work !!


August 18, 2009

FREE Guide -- PVC-Free Back To School Guide

Ever notice those PVC-free labels on products and think... I should know what that's about, but I haven't got the time to find out? Me too. Turns out that PVC is a major source of phthalates, yes, the same dangerous plastic softeners we successfully banned from children's toys last year!
Phthalates have been banned in children's toys, but they're still legal in PVC school supplies our children come in contact with on a daily basis. Phthalates harm children's health and development by interfering with natural hormone functioning and have been linked to birth defects in baby boys, testicular cancer, liver problems and early onset of puberty in girls-a risk factor for later-life breast cancer.

We'd like to make your life a little easier by helping you send your kids off to school with supplies that are free of PVC, the poison plastic.

Our friends at The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) have just released a Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies to help you make healthy shopping choices that are safer for your kids, your community and the environment. 1

The guide lists the most common back-to-school supplies made out of toxic PVC plastic and suggests safer PVC-free alternatives. It will even tell you what brands and specific products are safe, and which ones to avoid.

You can get your free copy of the guide right now.

Here's some school supply shopping tips you can start using today:

* PVC Labeling: PVC products are often labeled with the words "vinyl" on the packaging, such as vinyl 3-ring binders. PVC can also be identified by looking for the number "3" inside, or the letters "V" or "PVC" underneath, the universal recycling symbol. Just remember, bad news comes in #3's, so don't buy PVC!
* Backpacks: Avoid backpacks with shiny plastic designs as they often contain PVC and may contain lead.
* Art Supplies: Modeling clays are often loaded with phthalates. Look for clays made without PVC and phthalates like Crayola Air-Dry clay.
* Notebooks: Avoid notebooks containing metal spirals encased in colored plastic. The colored plastic coating on the metal spirals usually contains PVC. Select notebooks with uncovered metal spirals to avoid PVC.
* Paper Clips: Stick to the plain metal paperclips. Colored paper clips are coated with PVC.
* Shoes: Crocs are PVC free, however many similar shoes (or 'knockoffs"), like the Kamid Doodle, are made with PVC. Many of the charms for Crocs are also made with PVC. All Nike, Puma, and L.L. Bean shoes are PVC free.

Information provided by:
MomsRising.org
The Center for Health, Environment, and Justice