Raines Realm

We all think of a festive kiss when we think of mistletoe. We hang it up and let it work it's magic. And, that's about the extent of our concern with it. But what if it could do something really cool, like cure cancer? American mistletoe is toxic and should never be ingested. European mistletoe on the other hand, is used routinely to help cancer patients. Its estimated that around 70 percent of individuals fighting cancer are using mistletoe to help them win the fight. Medicinal applications of this healing herb originated in ancient Greece. It's history of use include treating convulsive disorders, menopause, hypertension, headaches, arthritis, and even infertility. In the 1920s, studies were conducted on its effect on cancer. It became widely used in Europe shortly after. Then, in 2005, a study concluded that European mistletoe can cause complete remission of pancreatic cancer. The results of study after study conclude the same. Mistletoe has a debilitating effec...

Welcome to the third part in my functional food series. If you missed the first two, you can find Tumeric here  and Apple Cider Vinegar here . The use of honey by humans has a history that spans back at least 10,000 years. Originally, it was gathered from wild hives that were sought out through definite peril. The earliest recorded "apiaries" can be credited to the ancient Egyptians. During that time hives were made out of old tree trunks and logs to imitate wild hives. Since that time, honey has been studied through extensive methods by a variety of scientists and health professionals to substantiate the claims of benefits associated with it. The list of benefits include preventing heart disease and cancers, blood sugar regulation, reducing ulcers, reducing and eliminating throat irritations, probiotic, antibacterial, antifungal, and it aids in healing burns and wounds. That is a very comprehensive list of abilities! So, if you want to incorporate the benefits ...

This so-called drug has Americans consuming 32 billion strips annually. It was first introduced to the world by China in 1500 B.C. and...it's bacon. This high-fat delight has taken some heat in the past couple of years with scientic reports stating that it is a level 1 carcinogen. Oh, and it's just as addictive as cocaine. But even with this alarming scientific evidence, the bacon industry only saw a 16.5 percent decline after the WHO report. What makes bacon so addictive? Umami is a word used to describe the 5th flavor of taste. (The other four being bitter, salty, sweet, and sour.) Umami is described as delicious, salty-sweet, pleasantly savory, meaty, long-lasting, mouth-watering, full and mouth-coating, balances taste, and rounds out flavor. I think we can all agree that umami describes bacon. The particular taste of umami causes a chemical reaction in the brain that leads to consistently craving the taste. We constantly want more and there's no shortage of wa...