Serves about 8

Combine the following 5 spices:
2 inches of fresh ginger
10 black pepper corns
6 whole cardamom pods
10 whole cloves
1.5 sticks of cinnamon

Put spices in pot over medium heat for 10 minutes stirring constantly and smashing to break them up.

Add 6+ cups of water and bring to a soft boil, reduce heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and add 5 Tb decaf china black tea (rooibos or any tea of your choice!).

Add 2 cups of milk (so far her favorite is almond milk) and 1/2 of the seeds from a freshvanilla bean.

Then return to medium heat and warm up.

Remove from the heat

RIGHT before it comes back to a boil, stirring constantly.

Add up to 1/2 cup of the sweetener of your choice, or, since many of these herbs are sweet by nature, this beverage can be enjoyed without!

2 Tb extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling
1 onion thinly sliced (rings)
4 medium tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium yellow summer squash sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium potatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick
Fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano leaves, chopped small
3-4 Tb freshly grated parmesan, asiago or crumbled feta

Heat oven to 375F. Heat oil over medium heat and cook onion until tender and slightly golden (about 8 minutes).

Arrange onion on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Overlap tomato, squash and potato on top of the onion like scales on a fish (use what will fit).

Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with herbs and cheese and drizzle more oil over the top.

Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden – up to 30 minutes more.

Use as a side-dish for brunch or dinner.

Bring water to a boil, add the schizandra berries and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the sweetener and hibiscus and allow it to cool slightly –  until you can put your finger in the water.

Pour it into a 2 quart mason jar.

Add the whey and put the lid on. Let it sit for 2-4 days on the counter.

Soda isdone when it is fizzy and barely sweet. Warmer weather and longer counter time will make it more fizzy and less sweet.

Strain, refrigerate and enjoy!

Water must be non-chlorinated. Chlorinated water can be set out in a bowl overnight and the chlorine will evaporate.

To make yogurt whey place one cup yogurt in a non chlorinated coffee filter and leave overnight.  The liquid that drips to the bottom is whey and the thicker yogurt is cheese.

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup coconut, grated
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup butter
1 whole egg
1/2 cup sugar or sucanat
1/2 cup peanut butter or other nut butter
1 cup extras – raisins, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, nuts,
chocolate or carob chips

Combine oats, coconut, oat bran and nuts or seeds and toast at 325 for 25 minutes.

Combine butter and sugar in a saucepan and heat to melt thenturn the heat off and add the nut butter.

Mix all ingredients together and mix well.

Press everything into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan using the back of a spatula.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Remove pan and cool completely before cutting.

Keep in a refrigerated sealed container for 1 week or freeze for longer.

I like to make a double batch, wrap themindividually in wax paper then freeze them for later.

Blend together buttermilk, sugar and egg and then sift in the flour with the baking soda – do not over mix.

Slowly drizzle the melted butter into the mixture, fold in.

Add berries and zest, mixing just enough to distribute.

Add up to 1/2 cup more flour as necessary to roll out 1/4 – 3/8 inch thick.

Cut into wedges and dust with flour. Bake at 350F until golden brown.

More info at labelgmos.org

Regular exercise that stabilizes weight in the normal range, and eating a diet high in fiber (fruits, veggies, legumes, seeds, whole grains) and low in saturated animal fat is recommended. Fish and olive oil in the diet are also beneficial. Studies have shown that the risk of diabetes can be reduced 58% with increased levels of vitamin C, 35% with legumes 3x a week, and 8-18% with 3 fruit and 4 veggie servings daily. High vitamin K (kale, spinach, collard greens, broccoli) or 100 mcg supplemental DIM helps insulin resistance. Chromium deficiency in animal studies is associated with elevated blood glucose. However, supplementation in humans has given mixed results on blood sugar levels, due to varying research models. Chromium has been shown to assist in cases of low blood sugar, or high insulin response, which is an indicator that pancreatic function is imbalanced. Another supplement reported in Nutrition Research May 2008 shows pycnogenol (50-100 mg typically from pine bark), lowers blood sugar levels after meals and overall FBS. Herbal research shows green tea helps to lower FBS by  stimulating insulin production and release.

Inflammation appears to be a precursor to the development of diabetes. Supplements that lower inflammation include Vitamin D (1000 IU daily) and Omega 3 (l000 mg daily) from fish oil. This level of Omega 3 appears to improve insulin resistance, as well. Green grasses, usually in the form of freeze-dried powders (oat grass, wheat grass, barley grass, buckwheat grass, etc), plus blue and black berries serve to reduce inflammation as do the addition of herbs like turmeric and ginger to food.

Corners places a high priority on stocking healthy foods, fresh and packaged, to make your shopping easy, and to contribute to your health, and the health of our community. We also provide free nutritional consulting by trained staff. We welcome your input anytime for ways to improve our service to you.

In an interview with Dory, she explained that there are no other bars on the market sweetened with 100% organic fair-trade coconut nectar and coconut sugar. Most bars, whether candy, raw-food or power bars, are all sweetened with either agave, honey, sugar or sugar alcohol, but none of those sweeteners tests as low on the glycemic index as coconut nectar which is considered safe for diabetics. These bars, which have been picked up by Whole Foods, have taken years and hours in Dory’s home-kitchen to perfect. “Coconut nectar is very temperature sensitive,” Dory said. “It’s taken many trials to come up with the perfect bar, but it’s great to be working for a company with such high integrity which isn’t willing to compromise good flavor. Not only are all ingredients carefully sourced, but if they can’t find the quality they are looking for, they get the ingredient custom made. For example, the vanilla and the peppermint flavoring is their own.”

People are now recognizing that most agave syrup is very “processed,” and therefore lacking in the majority of naturally occurring nutrients and enzymes needed to properly digest and utilize it nutritionally. The processing of agave nectar makes it sweeter but the end product can contain nearly 90% fructose.

Coconut sugar is made by collecting the “sap” from coconut tree blossoms. There are specific species of coconut trees that can be “tapped” (much like maple trees are tapped in the maple syrup making process). Bamboo containers are used to collect the sap of the coconut trees right at the blossoms. When the coconut trees are tapped, they produce a continuously flowing “inflorescence” (juice or sap) that exudes from the coconut blossoms. This naturally sweet sap is low in sugars, is raw and therefore enzymatically alive, with an abundant source of 17 amino acids, minerals, vitamin C, broad-spectrum B vitamins, and has a nearly neutral pH. When it is minimally
evaporated at low temperatures (only to remove excess moisture), the end result is a syrup-like product known as coconut “toddy,” which is then further evaporated into crystal form to produce the coconut sugar. The flower nectar is also naturally antifungal and antibacterial.

How can these coconut bars be safe for diabetics? The glycemic index measures how fast available carbohydrates in food raise blood sugar levels. Coconut fiber slows down the release of glucose, therefore requiring less insulin to utilize the glucose and transport it into the cell where it is converted into energy. Coconut also assists in relieving stress on the pancreas and enzyme systems of the body, in turn, reducing the risks associated with diabetes. Coconut nectar and crystals have a very low GI of only 35 (compared to honey with a GI of 55-83, and sugar with a GI of 65-100). Additionally, coconut improves digestion and many inflammatory conditions associated with digestive and bowel disorders, by supporting absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

The Coconut Secret bars contain a large amount of coconut oil, which is made up of medium-chained fatty acids that are used entirely for energy instead of being stored as fat. Being so filling and slow burning, even half a bar satisfies (for awhile that is!). The bars are close to straddling the raw food market except for the chocolate coating (made with coconut sugar), which uses the superior flavor of roasted cocoa beans. The bars are sold in 4 flavors: classic, macaroon, mint-cocoa nibs and almond. Try them all, but
keep them cool or hide them from others in the fridge.

For more information, go to coconutsecret.com