Stock Your Kitchen
Develop An Open Mind
My parents were from Alabama but my brother, sister and I grew up in New Jersey. We always had apple cider vinegar and baking soda among the items stocked in the kitchen. My friends also knew that if they wanted a good home cooked meal and a big pot of greens, our house was the place to be. We should encourage each other to create a healthy kitchen that is a place of good health and fellowship. You may not be familiar with some of the following items, but I highly recommend that you do a little research to understand their benefits. If we understand how to stock our kitchen, food can be used as “medicine”. I welcome your comments regarding these suggested items for your kitchen. This list will be updated from time to time.
Sea Salt: There are several varieties - sea salt still has minerals intact unlike regular table salt.
Olive, Macadamia, Safflower and Sesame Oils: These oils are better for the heart and they assist with lowering high cholesterol.
Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (or other unfiltered vinegar): Can be used as a salad dressing, throat gargle, or tonic to maintain the bodies' PH Balance. If you have are sore and need a good rest, take a 20 minute bath and add one cup of apple cider vinegar and one cup of Epsom salt to your bath water. Refer to my book list: Apple Cider Vinegar by Patricia and Paul Bragg
Braggs Amino Acid Spray: This is a delicious spray that provides a salty taste without being high in sodium. All you need is one or two strays for seasoning.
Ginger Root and Powder Ginger: Promotes circulation and is good for your digestion. It is also great for menstrual problems and congestion.
Kukicha Twig Tea: Relieves fatigue and helps alkalize the body. You can enjoy this tea in the morning instead of coffee. It has a small amount of caffeine, but it is pleasant tasting and gives a little lift.
Red or Brown Miso Paste: This is great for making vegetable soups. Miso has a lot of healing properties. If you have high blood pressure, make sure that you are aware of the sodium content. I made this soup for my daughter whenever she had a fever or was a little under the weather. It really helps to settle the stomach and contains a lot of nutrients. This product is very good for the intestines.
Umeboshi Plum: This helps detoxify the liver (if you are congested you may want to drink this in a tea).This has also been helpful for people with ulcers.
Brown Rice: Eat this instead of white rice. Brown rice has the mineral and fiber still intact. If you are a diabetic this is much better to eat because it is a complex carbohydrate which means it slowly breaks down in the digestive system. There are long and short grain varieties to choose from.
Turbinado: Raw sugar, Pure Maple and Barley Syrup for sweeteners (each of these sweeteners are much better than white sugar).
Whole Grain Flours: wheat, spelt, oat and other varieties
Steel Cut Oats: This has a chewy texture and maintains higher fiber content. We prefer to eat this type of oatmeal instead of rolled oats.
Pure Vanilla Extract: This is a great flavor for puddings and other desserts, you can also use for fruit smoothies.
Kuzu: This is made from a starchy root used to thicken sauces, stews and pudding. It renews energy, relieves upset stomach and helps diarrhea.
Beans: Aduki are easy to digest, helps energy and great for the skin, Navy or White Beans, has nutrients and lots of fiber Black-eyed Peas has many nutrients and helps the body make amino acids, Lentils come in several varieties and have many nutrients and are easy to digest. They have been said to combat heart disease and cancer.
Other: Always keep onions, garlic and lemons in your refrigerator. These items not only provide great flavor, but they also provide antioxidants and have bacteria fighting properties. Onions are a great vegetable to use for flavoring soups, stews and other vegetables. Some of these items can be found in your local grocery store. Any well stocked health food store will carry these other products. Depending on your condition, gradually buy the products that may best meet your needs.
Olive, Macadamia, Safflower and Sesame Oils: These oils are better for the heart and they assist with lowering high cholesterol.
Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (or other unfiltered vinegar): Can be used as a salad dressing, throat gargle, or tonic to maintain the bodies' PH Balance. If you have are sore and need a good rest, take a 20 minute bath and add one cup of apple cider vinegar and one cup of Epsom salt to your bath water. Refer to my book list: Apple Cider Vinegar by Patricia and Paul Bragg
Braggs Amino Acid Spray: This is a delicious spray that provides a salty taste without being high in sodium. All you need is one or two strays for seasoning.
Ginger Root and Powder Ginger: Promotes circulation and is good for your digestion. It is also great for menstrual problems and congestion.
Kukicha Twig Tea: Relieves fatigue and helps alkalize the body. You can enjoy this tea in the morning instead of coffee. It has a small amount of caffeine, but it is pleasant tasting and gives a little lift.
Red or Brown Miso Paste: This is great for making vegetable soups. Miso has a lot of healing properties. If you have high blood pressure, make sure that you are aware of the sodium content. I made this soup for my daughter whenever she had a fever or was a little under the weather. It really helps to settle the stomach and contains a lot of nutrients. This product is very good for the intestines.
Umeboshi Plum: This helps detoxify the liver (if you are congested you may want to drink this in a tea).This has also been helpful for people with ulcers.
Brown Rice: Eat this instead of white rice. Brown rice has the mineral and fiber still intact. If you are a diabetic this is much better to eat because it is a complex carbohydrate which means it slowly breaks down in the digestive system. There are long and short grain varieties to choose from.
Turbinado: Raw sugar, Pure Maple and Barley Syrup for sweeteners (each of these sweeteners are much better than white sugar).
Whole Grain Flours: wheat, spelt, oat and other varieties
Steel Cut Oats: This has a chewy texture and maintains higher fiber content. We prefer to eat this type of oatmeal instead of rolled oats.
Pure Vanilla Extract: This is a great flavor for puddings and other desserts, you can also use for fruit smoothies.
Kuzu: This is made from a starchy root used to thicken sauces, stews and pudding. It renews energy, relieves upset stomach and helps diarrhea.
Beans: Aduki are easy to digest, helps energy and great for the skin, Navy or White Beans, has nutrients and lots of fiber Black-eyed Peas has many nutrients and helps the body make amino acids, Lentils come in several varieties and have many nutrients and are easy to digest. They have been said to combat heart disease and cancer.
Other: Always keep onions, garlic and lemons in your refrigerator. These items not only provide great flavor, but they also provide antioxidants and have bacteria fighting properties. Onions are a great vegetable to use for flavoring soups, stews and other vegetables. Some of these items can be found in your local grocery store. Any well stocked health food store will carry these other products. Depending on your condition, gradually buy the products that may best meet your needs.
