Co ops That Are In My Area That Might Be Of Interest To You

Co ops

I am involved in several food/supplement/farmer's market co ops. If anyone is interested in joining these co ops, please send me a message at awestruck@bellsouth.net. You need to live in the Orlando/East Orlando section of Florida because that is where the pick ups are. I don't make any money on these co ops, but we work together to make them work. They are all perfectly legal too.

1. Frontier Wholesale club - Buy Frontier products in bulk, as well as other natural and organic brands. Sells herbs, spices, teas, seasonings, cleaning products, etc.

2. Grass-fed milk that has not been pasteurized. This is grown on a local farm. The cows are A-2 Jersey cows, which are the best for milk drinking (note: legally, we have to have a label indicating that the milk is 'for pet consumption only'). With the purchasing of milk, free range eggs can also be ordered. Also, most of the time, goat's milk will be available too. I am avoiding using the 'r' word because I don't want it to come up in any searches that would be hunting down this type of milk.

3. Fresh For Less - Organic vegetable and Fruit co op. Meets in Tuskawilla every other week. Order a whole share of vegetables and fruits for $50, or split the order with someone for half the price. There are others who also host this co op in their area in Central Florida. Let me know if interested, and I can find out where the other places are located.

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Non-co op ideas

I also do essential oils and Juice Plus+. If anyone is interested in the essential oils, there is a class on Thursday evenings to learn about them. There is tons of information on the Internet concerning the benefits and uses of essential oils. Please let me know if there is an interest in this. This is not a co op opportunity like the ones above. If interested in Juice Plus+ also send me an email. Both are excellent ways to bring good health and to help remove toxins from our bodies and to help enable us to heal ourselves.

awestruck@bellsouth.net

All the opportunities listed here (with the exception of the oils and Juice Plus+) are specific to the Central Florida area, mainly Longwood, Sanford, Winter Springs, Winter Park, Altamonte, Oviedo, Geneva, Chuluota, East Orlando, South Orlando, and Maitland. The essential oils class meets in Winter Springs on Thursday evenings. If you live further away, but would still like to be part of the co ops or classes, that is fine as long as you don't mind the drive!

More Information On A-1 Cows and A-2 Cows and Why It Matters So Much

We already hit on the subject of why milk is bad for you and at the same time, milk is an excellent food. There are many factors for this dilemma, some of which have to do with the way the cow is treated, what it is fed, and whether it is given antibiotics or growth hormones or not. But there is another factor involved. It has to do with whether the cow is an A-1 cow, or an A-2 cow.

   A-2 cows win the contest when it comes to producing nourishing milk. I am not a scientific type of person, so I probably would not serve my readers by trying to explain the dynamics behind all of this. All I understand is that something in the chemical makeup of the protein that is made by the cows, is different for A-2 and A-1 cows, and this difference can affect whether people can tolerate or digest the milk properly.

Most cows in America are A-1 cows, and that fact accounts for the reasons why many people claim milk is bad for you. It has something to do with the casein that is part of the protein. Many people cannot handle the casein produced from A-1 cows, but many are able to digest, without difficulty, the casein from A-2 cows.

So, instead of my trying to go any deeper into this, I would like to recommend a book on this subject. As I was studying this a couple of days ago, this book kept popping up. It is used by others who are also researching milk and how it affects our bodies.

"Devil In The Milk" by
Keith Woodford

There is a good amount of information on the Amazon page concerning this subject. One other consideration we have to take is that there are dairy lobbyists out there who are promoting dairy products to support dairy agriculture. They are not lobbying necessarily because they have your best interests in mind. 

On the other end of the spectrum, I have seen people completely give up all dairy products because of the bad rap that milk has gotten. While it is true that milk from the grocery store is probably not very nourishing, there is a milk available from farms that give their cows tender loving care, and the farmers do sell the milk that their cows produce. It takes some research to find where these places are. 

When Is Milk Bad For You?

We hear a lot about milk today, and some of it is very accurate, while other parts are not good, concerning milk drinking.

There are a lot of articles on the Internet as well as books written by health experts who are telling us that milk is bad for us to ingest. I also know of people who have watched documentaries and have completely turned to vegan and will no longer drink any milk. There are circles of people in the health field who tout almond or rice milk, and shy away from consuming regular milk. Why?

   If you know anything about the way we get our conventional milk, you might understand what the uproar is all about. The process used, from start to finish, is not good, to say the least.

   Cattle that is used to produce the milk we buy in the stores (or through vending machines) live on farms owned by larger companies. First of all, the cows are not allowed to roam, and for good reason; there is little roaming room on this farms. These agricultural farms are owned by large corporations and have to produce a lot of milk. The companies own several of these farms and they are all, pretty much operated the same way. The cattle are not kept clean and the milk has to be mass produced in order to make enough money to continue the process.

   The next problem, is that the cow is fed products that they were not made to eat. Corn and grains are easy to produce and much of that has been genetically modified in order to be able to produce a lot of corn. Tons of corn is used to feed farm animals because it is cheap. But because the cow cannot digest corn or grains properly, the cow does not stay healthy and has digestive problems. Cows living on these agricultural farms do not live as long as cows which live on smaller, local farms where they can have more tender loving care.

 All of this leads to another problem that has to be resolved. Cattle living on agricultural farms owned by corporations do not have as good resistance to sickness and disease, so, in order to keep them from getting sick, they are given antibiotics. So, when we drink milk that comes from these cows, we, in turn, get some antibiotics in us. The other problem is, cattle are also given growth hormones. The growth hormones can get into our bodies when we drink milk. There is a thought that perhaps this is the reason why girls begin to develop into women much earlier than they used to.

  Last of all, the milk produced on these farms is pasteurized and homogenized. This is necessary because the milk will travel to many places and it would be easy for bad bacteria to form in it. If someone were to get sick from drinking this milk, they could sue the corporation responsible for producing the milk. This would take a big chunk out of their budget that they cannot afford. Because the living conditions of the cattle on these farms is unsanitary, it would enable bad bacteria to grow easily if the milk is not pasteurized. The farmers have to take every precaution available to protect themselves from losing their businesses.

   Some of the health experts seem to think that our bodies cannot handle casein, which is the main protein presented in milk and cheese. There also are different breeds of cattle. Some produce what is known as A-2 Beta Casein, which is the protein that cows originally had but more recently, there had been a mutation in the cows which resulted in A-1 Beta Casein, which is not good for us. Most of the milk we drink comes from A-1 cows.

  Now, for the other side of the coin. There are farms throughout our country that allow their cows to roam. They are not penned to one place. Many of these farms do not feed their cows the generic corn products or grain that are served on the large, corporate owned farms. They do not give their cows antibiotics, nor do they inject growth hormones. There is no need for this on small farms, where the cows can be managed and cared for individually.

   The cows which live on these farms live on grass. As long as the grass is not treated with pesticides, the milk will be safe to drink. The grass is the correct nourishment for these cows and they thrive well on it. Also, the grass provides nourishment for us that does not come from the milk that the cows on the industrialized farms can give.

   Where do you get this milk that is safe and nourishing to drink? There are places here and there that produce this milk and sell it. What makes this situation hard, is that the FDA does not want people to drink raw, grass-fed milk, so, because of their authority and supposed concern for safety, they are cracking down on farms and farmers who sell raw milk. Laws have been produced to prevent or scare people away from buying raw, grass-fed milk. Articles pop up here or there with false or little information on why raw milk would be harmful to drink. Regardless of all this, raw milk can still be obtained in most places. Farmers markets carry this milk, many times. There are groups which manage the orders for obtaining this milk from the farms. Some states still do not allow raw milk to be sold.

  I think if raw milk is in demand, laws could change. Grass-fed milk will be more easily obtainable. If we sit back and do nothing, nothing will happen. We will be stuck with having to buy conventionally sold milk from our stores, and the large, corporate owned agricultural farms will continue to bring in the big bucks and their business will continue to thrive, and ultimately, will overshadow the farms the sell raw milk.

   Did I mention, that pus has been found in conventionally produced milk?

* http://www.foodrenegade.com/healthy-milk-what-to-buy/
* http://www.snowvillecreamery.com/a1-and-a2-beta-casein-in-cow-milk.html

Read 'Devil In The Milk'

* http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/03/a1-milk-a2-milk-america

There is an area in Central Florida where A-2, grass-fed, raw milk can be obtained. If interested, please send me an email at awestruck@bellsouth.net

There are also places around here that sell raw milk (not sure that the cows are A-2). Let me know if you are interested. 

If you live in a place where you are not sure, check out the farmer's markets in your area. Join health groups in your social media. Sometimes, they are hard to find, but you can usually find them after looking for a long time.

One more word of caution: Many states do allow the sale of raw milk, but there are laws for some states that prohibit the transferring of the milk from one state to another. It is best to look for the milk in the area in which you live, before trying to obtain it from another state. 

Also, if you do find raw milk in your area, make sure the standards for cleanliness are met. If a farm is not kept absolutely clean, animals can carry disease that ends up in the milk and the recipient can also get sick. Most local farmers are smart enough to keep their milking areas sanitized, but it is good to check first to make double sure.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water! You can have your milk and drink it too, that is, if it is raw, grass-fed milk. 

Homemade Almond Milk

I really did not believe that one could take almonds and make milk out of them but here it is. You have to soak the almonds in water and place in the refrigerator for eight hours or more. Then you drain the almonds and put them in a blender and add a couple of cups of water. Blend them and strain. You can find the full recipe in the recent issue of Mother Earth Living. 

My Kitchen Is A Lab, And I Am The Guinea Pig

My husband commented one time about my kitchen being a lab. I thought about it for 2 seconds and realized he was right.

On any given day, I may have a concoction going, or there may be several things brewing around the house.

Today, I am fermenting cabbage that will hopefully turn into sauerkraut in a couple of days. I had sourdough starter sitting on the counter to make bread with today. Pasta was made this morning and is cooking in the slow cooker with a cheese sauce over it. There are a few other things going on as well.

Got out my big dehydrator and am drying peppers and fruit to put into my cereal. (The peppers will probably be for my bird.)

So much fun. So time consuming though. But it will be worth it.

Oh, I also have my oil box in the kitchen, and regularly reach for my oils for whatever the need is, whether cooking or for some other reason.

Last week, I made yogurt and kefir. What to make next week? Maybe ricotta cheese?

A word of caution though, for those of you who are like me in this area. Cultures like yogurt and kefir must be in separate places while they are culturing. The strains of the cultures do go through the air and can land in the containers of the different things that are growing on your counters.

I used to grow a ginger bug. I kept it in my den, so that it wouldn't become weak because of something else I am growing. I did have kombucha growing and kept it in the same room as the cream cheese I was making. Not sure if any cross contamination went on.

Bulgarian Yogurt

Homemade cheese being brushed
with brine

Red Cabbage in Perfect Pickler jar

Homemade Kefir

Lemon Soap

Did you know that you can make soap in a slow cooker? It is called 'Hot Processed' soap, and I have yet to make it. It requires grain alcohol, which is kind of expensive. I now have the slow cooker to make it in and will have to try it sometime. Will have to see if I can find a good deal on quality grain alcohol sometime soon.

The Perfect Pickler - A Way To Make Fermented Food Without The Canning Process

I just opened up my kit for the Perfect Pickler. It comes with a little booklet with recipes, a wide-mouth cap and gasket, brine overflow cup, and fermentation lock.

I think that making sauerkraut is a little more work than the other recipes though, because you have to cut out a piece of the cabbage that is about the same size as the lid.

The web site for the Perfect Pickler is www.perfectpickler.com. They also have some videos and instructions. You can also find some Perfect Pickler videos on Youtube.

Here is an amazon link to the Perfect Pickler. It is my amazon affiliate link. There are other associated items as well as reviews on the product.



You might be asking, why should we even eat fermented foods? What are the benefits?
Fermented foods, like pickles and sauerkraut, contain probably trillions of beneficial bacteria that we need to have. In our modern Western diet, we are lacking many nutrients. We have a lot of diseases that we didn't have years ago, and we wonder why.

Hippocrates believed that all health begins in the gut. He is probably at least partially, if not completely correct.

Here is an excerpt from www.eatingwell.com, written by Lisa D'Agrosa M.S. R.D.

The trillions of tiny creatures living in our bodies have been making headlines lately—and for good reasons. These good bacteria—particularly those in our gut—may improve digestion, boost immunity and—according to some preliminary studies—they may even help us get leaner. Research is still emerging on just how important these mighty microbes might be for our health, but the early results are promising. There’s plenty you can do now to encourage their growth. The most effective way is by eating foods packed with probiotics—good bacteria that live in your gut and show up in fermented foods. Add these seven fermented foods to your diet for a healthy dose of probiotics.

This helps us understand the importance of eating fermented food. I remember hearing a story told by my mom, of a lady who was a friend of the family, who was found to have terminal cancer. The woman chose to make cabbage soup every night. She never died of cancer. 

I don't think that the cabbage soup was necessarily fermented, but it does show the power of the cancer inhibiting properties of cabbage. Combine a vegetable like cabbage with the process of fermentation, and see what a powerful food it turns out to be!

So, the choice is up to us. We can spend some quality time in the kitchen, making things that will benefit our health, or, we can just go to the grocery store and pick up almost any kind of food item that is already made. We know that making pickles and sauerkraut involves work, but what rewarding work it is! It can benefit us immensely if we just follow the rules, work hard, and don't live our lives for convenience.

Almost finished. Now it has to
sit for 4 days. Had to add an apple
to it in order to make the level
higher.

The Warning About Eastern Medicine

Maybe you haven't noticed yet, but Eastern medicine is way better than Western medicine. The philosophy behind Eastern medicine is basically that your body heals itself if given the proper elements. But, there is a problem.

I have been researching health and healing for the past several years now. Most of my research is done by professionals who upload their articles and share their wisdom on the Internet. I must say, I have learned quite a bit. But, there is a warning, and I will explain.

Many of the practitioners of Eastern medicine also incorporate their spiritual ideas based on their tradition. Much of their medical practice is tied in with their religious beliefs.

For example, many will put an emphasis on things like finding or sending good vibes. They incorporate ideas like meditation and using mantras. On the outset, it might not look dangerous, but if you listen to their suggestions of words to use when chanting or things to meditate on, you will find things that encourage you to tell yourself how great you are, or that you 'can' do it. A lot of what they teach sounds similar to the prosperity Gospel or something from the Therapeutic Movement.

I actually saw a post today telling us why we should trust the Universe. One person commented saying that he or she trusts in the One who made the universe. Someone else replied to that saying that we are the universe. Another instructor teaching a class informed us that we are the Creator. I guess this confirms the world's idea of man being the measure of all things.

While I love all the medical aspects of what I am learning, and I have a lot of respect for those who are teaching Eastern medicine, I am very concerned that we could end up doing the same thing they are doing. Can we separate the spiritual aspect from the reality and benefits of the medical knowledge? Or will we be the ones telling our patients and those we care for to chant certain words or send good vibes somewhere?

This teaching or thinking seems to be everywhere. If we are not careful, and unless we are well grounded in the Word, I am afraid that we will get sucked up into these activities that are opposed to God.

All I can say is, please be careful and discerning. In almost every area of alternative medicine, this kind of thing is continually popping up. From chiropractors to aromatherapists, these ideas are being incorporated. Please take the good out and throw out the bad.