Contrary to popular belief, nuts are good food. Yet we tend to shun almonds, cashew and walnuts, invoking the worried cry “They’re high in fat!”

Scientists tell us we actually need good fats like those found in nuts. A recent study of 26,473 Americans found obesity to be less common among people who consume nuts, which contain essential fatty acids that stimulate the body’s burning of fat and dissolve hard, saturated fat. In addition, nuts are nutrient-dense, containing protein, vitamins, iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Whole brown or black sesame seeds (the kind we sell in the store) contain more calcium than milk in a form that is easily absorbed and assimilated by the body. A half-cup of sesame seeds contains 1,125 milligrams of calcium, compared with 590 milligrams per pint of milk.

Whole brown sesame seeds contain magnesium too. Magnesium relaxes the muscles and is good for the heart (and, as they say, much, much more). Did you know that calcium won’t work without magnesium? Two tablespoons of whole sesame seeds give you a third your daily requirement of magnesium.

What do I mean by “whole” sesame seeds? Whole sesame seeds have the hull, and it’s the hull that protects the seed from rancidity and which contains most of the minerals. Use whole sesame seeds in your kitchen, and you won’t notice any difference in flavor or taste.

You will notice the nutrient difference if you compare sesame tahini or sesame butter made from white, hulled sesame seeds with the whole tahini or sesame butter. The tahini made from white, hulled seeds lists no magnesium on the nutrition facts label. Two tablespoons of this lesser stuff contain only 2% of the daily calcium requirement. On the other hand, two tablespoons of whole tahini, made from the brown, unhulled or black seeds, contain between a quarter and a third of your daily calcium requirement. It gives you a third of your daily magnesium requirement. Isn’t that a stunning difference?

Other cultures revere nuts and seeds for their health-giving properties: sunflower seeds were worshipped by the Incas. Today this “survival food” is a staple in Russia, where scientists believe the seeds have the ability to draw excess radiation out of the body.

The walnut, a native of the Middle East, was carried to Europe by the Romans. A recent study found walnuts reduce serum cholesterol levels in the blood.

One fifth an almond’s weight is protein and cosmetologists tout the almond’s ability to keep hair shiny and skin silky. An Australian study found men with normal cholesterol who ate three ounces of almonds a day for three weeks cut total cholesterol by 7% and bad/LDL cholesterol by 10%.

My mother always gave my father his handful of pumpkin seeds each day because pumpkin seeds are loaded with the mineral zinc, which reputedly helps prevent prostate problems. Zinc also helps boost our immune system and heal wounds. An old-fashioned remedy to expel worms says to eat a handful of pumpkin seeds every four hours. And, yes, pumpkin seeds also, just like sesame seeds and many other nuts and seeds, contain magnesium which we know processes and utilizes calcium. I find it interesting that researchers say magnesium deficiency is a growing problem in this country because we Americans consume too much sugar and drink too many carbonated drinks, which causes magnesium depletion.

Brazil nuts are another favorite nut because they are rich in selenium, a nutrient that helps “cure” the moody blues. It’s said that eating about just two to four Brazil nuts a day increases the blood selenium levels by about 64%. (Similar results were found when people were given a 100 microgram selenium supplement.) So if you’re a little sad, craving sunshine, try a couple of Brazil nuts each day and see if it doesn’t help.

Another reason all nuts and seeds are so important is that they contain essential fatty acids, those so-called good fats which the body cannot synthesize or manufacture. We have to get our essential fatty acids from food or supplements because they are needed by every cell in the body. Over time, a deficiency of essential fatty acids may manifest itself as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, abnormal hormonal activity, wounds that don’t heal properly, cardiovascular disease and loss of mental capacity.

The last nut or seed I’ll mention today is another one of my favorites: pistachios. Yep, they’re high in fat, 72% fat, which is why when I eat a pound of them, I gain weight. But when I restrain myself and just throw a handful on as a delicious salad garnish, I gain mucho benefit because they have lots of protein, fiber and B vitamins (the nerve and stress vitamins). Two ounces of pistachios give us more potassium than a banana. And as all nuts and seeds, they help lower cholesterol.

Like with all things good, balance and moderation are key. Two to five tablespoons of nuts and seeds a day seems about right to help lower the risk for diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer. So throw a handful of walnuts into a garlicky tossed salad. Garnish a fresh fruit salad of strawberries and raspberries with slivered almonds. Toast sunflower seeds and eat with a handful of raisins. Bake squash and drizzle with maple syrup and top with toasted nuts. Add flax seeds to cooked oatmeal or knead them into homemade bread. Drizzle sesame tahini over a ripe banana as breakfast.

Originally published in the Concord Journal June 2018.

CBD, aka cannabidiol, found in agricultural hemp, is controversial. There are misperceptions.  The legal and regulatory status is in question.  The FDA says one thing.  Existing precedent says another.

Meanwhile, an FDA advisory panel unanimously recommended approval of Epidiolex as a drug for epilepsy… Epidiolex is, you guessed it, CBD.

According to The New York Times in April, “…Epidiolex…. [whose] active ingredient, cannabidiol, also called CBD (italics added), is one of the chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant but does not contain properties that make people high.”

Can a substance be a supplement and a drug?

Meanwhile, our friendly store, Debra’s Natural Gourmet in West Concord, is stepping into the fray.  Are we afraid of the controversy?  We were – two years ago – we delayed putting CBD products on our shelves.  Today we embrace the science, history and hemp products (see our window).

Customer feedback indicates that scientists will legitimize CBD’s help for pain, stress, insomnia, seizures and depression.  The economics and politics of this story will be a nail-biter.

• 2 C baking soda
• 5 or more drops essential oil, such as tea tree, rosemary of lavender
• ½ C liquid castile soap
• 4 tsp vegetable glycerin

Mix everything together and store in a sealed glass jar. Women’s Voices says that for exceptionally tough jobs, spray with vinegar first, full-strength or diluted. Let sit and follow with scrub.

Of course you can find liquid castile soap and vegetable glycerin along with all your favorite essential oils right in our health and beauty department!

Time for gardening at last!

Some organic, all natural ideas.

Companion planting is the most fun. Here are some easy ideas for your 2018 garden.  Combine rows of beans and carrots.  Beans will be harvested fairly early.  Cut the bean plants at ground level when they’re done. Pull so as not to disturb the carrots.  Mix coffee grounds into the carrot row to repel root maggots.  Carrots are slow to germinate, so mix carrot and radish seeds together – when you pull the radishes, you thin the carrots at the same time. Then the carrots can grow into the holes left by the radishes.  Radishes act as a ‘trap” plant for insects who love the radish tops and roots.   Plant radish seeds around cucumbers and squash.  Combine squash and onion.

Plant quick-maturing crops like lettuce, radishes and spinach between slow-maturing crops like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Interplant lettuce with the broccoli plants because the greens will love the partial shade under the broccoli. Some plants do not make good companions.  Broccoli does not do well near tomatoes, beans or strawberries, but will do O.K. near onions and potatoes. Beans and peas do not like to be near onions.  Clumps of chives will improve the flavor of carrots and parsley.

Terrific Tomatoes

Planting basil near tomatoes will help their growth. When I set in my tomato plants, basil seeds go between, or around each tomato.  Marigold flowers, planted next to a tomato, will repel insects.   Another great tip for wonderful tomatoes is to work in lots of compost, wood ash and potassium for strong stems.  I also throw into the hole a banana skin and two Tums tablets.  The banana skins are rich in silica, potassium, phosphorus & potash and the tums provide calcium which helps prevent blossom end-rot.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of epsom salts around each tomato plant to correct magnesium deficiency.   Wait to fertilize again until fruits reach about an inch in diameter. Mulch to help retain moisture.  Provide at least 2 gallons of water per week. This would also help around peppers and eggplants.  Getting back to compost for a minute, save those kitchen vegetable scraps, create a compost pile in your yard, and recycle back to the earth.

Confronting the Bugs and Wild Life

A major problem with organic gardening is the battle with insects and animals. There are several things I have tried over the years. Some work better than others but I will share them all with you. Hopefully you will have some luck with these suggestions. Planting nasturtiums seems to repel white fly, squash bugs, and cucumber beetle. Also, marigold plants repel insects. And garlic planted around lettuce and other greens helps to repel aphids.

Speaking of aphids, this is fun: a shallow, very bright yellow plastic dish pan, 3/4 full of water, makes an effective “trap” for aphids. They are attracted to the bright yellow color, land on the water, can’t get out, and in a day or two sink to the bottom.Plant horseradish in bottomless buckets among your potatoes to repel blister beetles.   Mix 2 tablespoons of red pepper powder and 6 drops of liquid soap in one gallon of water. Let the mixture sit overnight, stir thoroughly, then pour into a spray bottle. This mixture will help protect all members of the cabbage family.

A rhubarb tea is sometimes effective against aphids and red spider mites.Wood ash contains potassium & phosphorous and is useful as an insect repellent around zucchini, cabbage, beets, turnips, onions, carrots, beans, peas, and lettuce. Note, however, that ash around germinating seeds should be avoided.Cayenne pepper on the foliage of beans, corn and tomatoes will repel rabbits, squirrels, woodchucks and birds.

Garlic will repel insects and woodchucks. Spray with 1 part garlic and 20 parts water. Apply mineral oil to the silks at the top of the ear of corn as soon as the silk begins to dry and turn brown. Do not apply oil before this or pollination will be insufficient. Helps to prevent black beetles and corn ear worms. Vinegar is 5% acidity.  Mix with a few drops of liquid soap and spray.

Red pepper powder repels cucumber beetles, spittlebugs, leaf hoppers, and cabbage lopers.

Are slugs a problem? Try putting out a shallow pan of stale beer, or 1 teaspoon dried yeast in 3 ounces of water.

Cutworms can destroy a tomato or pepper seedling overnight. Stop them with a 3 inch cardboard collar, set around the plant, about 1 inch into the ground. Strips of aluminum foil on the ground beside rows of bean plants will befuddle aphids and provide more reflective light.  A final solution is when I use fabric row covers.  A lightweight blanket made of spun bonded polypropylene which is sunlight, rain, and air permeable.  Avoid planting the same crop in the same location year after year. Mix up your plantings, plant partial rows at different locations. This will confuse the bugs.

Woodchucks, Deer and Moles!

The damage that woodchucks and deer can cause in the home garden can be heartbreaking. Fencing will not keep woodchucks out of your garden. They are great climbers.

Try a foot-wide strip of black plastic around the garden perimeter. It has been reported that woodchucks will not cross over plastic. The deer situation is more difficult. A friend of mine who farms in New Hampshire has had good results with Irish Spring Soap. Stick a bar of soap on a nail which is on a 4 foot pole. The smell is very strong.

I’ve also had good results with hair: human hair from a barber shop (lower chemicals than from a salon). Put the hair in mesh bags and hang them around the garden. I also stick a clump of hair into the soil around the plants or just scatter some about.  For a mole, soak a rag with peanut oil or olive oil and push the rag into the hole. Because the oil becomes rancid very quickly, the critters should move out.

For areas that receive only 4 to 6 hours of sun per day, the following could produce a decent harvest: arugula * chard * collards * cress * kale * lettuce * spinach * mustard greens

Our growing season is short. Our frost-free dates are May 20th until September 20th.  The following are some suggested planting dates for our area:

Are you, like many Americans, a honey lover? If so, you may want to brace yourself, because we have some bad news…

Turns out, most of the honey that you’ll find on grocery store shelves is not actually real honey. It’s a product of an unethical yet widespread practice called “honey laundering.”

What Is “Honey Laundering?

Honey laundering can mean many different things, explains Frances Largeman-Roth, NYC-based registered dietitian nutritionist and author of Eating in Color, but in broad terms, it describes honey that has been altered to contain less of the real product in lieu of cheap fillers like water, synthetic sweeteners, and potentially harmful chemicals—without being clearly labeled as such.

How Does “Honey Laundering” Happen?

Natural honey can be expensive and difficult to harvest, says Ginger Hultin, Seattle-based registered dietitian and Arivale coach. As a result, certain major honey producers, including several in China, rely on unsavory practices to create cheaper, more shelf-stable knockoffs.

“It’s well-documented that China has been flooding the U.S. market for years with honey that has had its beneficial pollen removed through ‘ultrafiltration,’” says Largeman-Roth.

Ultra-filtration is a process that does two things: it gives honey a longer shelf-life and also makes it impossible to trace the country of origin, she explains. [An important note on filtration: all honey, including the real stuff, goes through a regular filtration process to remove

debris and bee parts, explains Largeman-Roth. But the added step of ultra-filtration is what separates legit honey from imposters.]

In certain cases, ultra-filtration isn’t the only modification made to honey.

“Some samples of Chinese honey have tested positive for illegal antibiotics and have also been watered down with high fructose corn syrup,” Largeman-Roth adds. “Honey imposters may also be made from cane, corn or beet sugar, rice syrup, or other cheaper sweeteners.”

To stop the surge of this pollen-free, chemical-ridden honey, the U.S. established high tariffs in 2008 on honey imported from China. But companies have found workarounds by sending altered honey to “middle men” countries where it is then repackaged and shipped to our shores.

In 2013, one of the nation’s largest honey packers, Michigan-based Groeb Farms, confessed to purchasing millions of dollars of laundered honey.  Some U.S. states, including Florida, California and North Carolina, have imposed a standard of identity for honey, but as there is no current federal standard, honey laundering continues.

Why Should You Care?

“The murkiness of honey laundering causes consumers to unknowingly use a product they may not want to purchase or put in their bodies,” explains Hultin.

“The chief concern: imported honey may contain chemicals banned in the U.S., like chloramphenicol, a broad-spectrum antibiotic that has been linked to cancer as well as possible development of aplastic anemia, a rare but serious blood disorder,” Hultin says.

“Ultra-filtered honey may also be mixed with things like water or high fructose corn syrup, which further diminishes the natural benefits of honey,” explains Largeman-Roth.

“Pure honey has a natural antibiotic property thanks to special enzymes that the bees produce. Its pollen also contains good-for-you antioxidants and is purported to help with the effects of seasonal allergies,” says Largeman-Roth.

Laundered honey will contain none of these health benefits.

What to Know When Shopping for Honey

“Because there are few regulations and several loopholes surrounding honey production and labeling, it can be difficult to know if the sweet stuff you see on your grocery store shelf is actually authentic,” explains Hultin.

That said, there are certain keywords that can help steer you in the right direction.

For starters, avoid the term “ultrafiltrated” because that means the original source of the honey isn’t traceable.

Also, don’t be fooled by the nomer “pure honey.” It’s not a meaningful description,” explains Hultin, and doesn’t prevent against a contaminated product.  On commercial brands,

look for the label “True Source Certified,” which indicates that the honey was voluntarily traced using a third party auditing system.  Price can also be a tip-off.  “Producing real honey is a time and resource-intensive process and the costs will reflect that,” says Largeman-Roth. “You shouldn’t expect to pay just a few dollars for a jar of honey.”

Perhaps your best—and safest—bet is to purchase honey from a local farmer or a store you trust.

Eat Well Be Happy is here at at www.DebrasNaturalGourmet.com, on the websites of other independent health food stores across the country, and on public access from coast to coast.  But we need sponsorship in order to film new shows.  If you know of a company who is looking for a partner to do good work, have them get in touch!  We’d like to start that 81^st show…. Yep, we have 80 shows for your viewing pleasure.

I loved this when I read it in the Natural Foods Merchandiser back in 2003! “Chimpanzees can tell the difference between organic and conventional fruits.” Zookeepers at the Copenhagen Zoo, Denmark, began putting both types of bananas in the animals’ cages last year as part of the program to earn a “green label” as an environmental zoo. Zookeepers said chimps consistently chose organic bananas first. What’s more the chimps ate the organic bananas, skin and all, but peeled the non-organic ones before eating!

Flower growers have used blackstrap molasses (yes, we do sell this old-time remedy for iron poor blood!) to get stronger, longer lasting blossoms for ages. Molasses supplies trace minerals along with bio-available sugars that feed plants. Milk, too, is a soil and plant food. The organization Slow Food says that, in addition, milk is an effective fungicide and soft-bodied insecticide; critters like grasshoppers don’t have a pancreas to process the sugars, so they are driven off when milk is applied to leaves. Slow Food says to mix two cups of milk (whole) into eight cups of water and stir in ¼ cup of blackstrap molasses for the first feeding (spray on leaves or pour a cup of the mixture around the stem of each plant).  Do this once every week or two to nurture healthy communities of microbes, fungi and beneficials in compost or garden soil.

Have an unusual-looking vegetable or fruit from your garden? Bring it in and show us!

And here’s to a wonderful start to everyone’s summer. For ice cream, remember we have two wonderful companies who use no gums or stabilizers in their recipes. These old-fashioned ice creams are the real deal – from Stow, MA, Ken and Gina’s; and Tea-rrific, whose flavors each feature a different tea.

This is foundational in my personal repertoire.

What is royal jelly?  It’s the food the nurse bees manufacture for the sole purpose of sustaining the queen bee.  It’s the superfood that keeps her healthy and allows her to live longer and be stronger.

In “Royal Jelly in Dermatological Cosmetics,” Hans Weitgasser, M.D., a German dermatologist, wrote: “Through local application as an ingredient in face masks, cream and lotions, royal jelly has tremendous effects at the cellular level.  In regular use, the skin becomes soft and wrinkles disappear.” (more…)