Our Good for You - Naturally! Resources & Recommendations has been completely re-vamped. But you all know that doesn’t mean it is done. I’m always adding resources we love and think you will too.

Take a look at our:

New Links - make ordering even easier! More shopping cart buttons to be added.

New Pictures - a picture paints a thousand words, or at least gives you a visual idea of what you’ll be getting.

Expanded & Updated Descriptions - making your choices more informed and easier to make

Announcing even more Good for You - Naturally! Resources and Recommendations ordering links for your convenience.

We are now partnering with Amazon.com to make ordering our Resources and Recommendation even easier.

We haven’t changed our recommendations to meet what they carry. (Just like we’ve never recommended a product before, just because we could sell it to you.) We’ve just added direct order links to a source that consistently provides good prices for the things we already recommend.

I am working at adding direct links for the products we already have listed, as well as working at getting our never-complete-list of recommendations posted.

As well as deciding what I want to try next in my own kitchen.

Check our Resource and Recommendations pages or enter a product in the search boxes here or on those pages.

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Before I even start, let me tell you - you don’t have to have a yogurt maker to make yogurt! Yogurt is VERY easy to make. No long list of ingredients or steps to follow. 2-3 ingredients and heat, stir, pour, incubate. That’s it.

I haven’t done it in a while - since we went off real milk. (I haven’t tried it with the alternative milks yet. Soy milk* is said to work well.) I had an individual yogurt maker in the past and for several years used the yogurt making kit that goes with my dehydrator. (It’s time to pull it out and try our own soy yogurt.)

If you don’t have a yogurt maker and want to make yogurt, here are some other sources you can use to hold the right temp. I’ve used them all in the past when I didn’t have a maker.

You need:

Milk (raw, store bought, powdered milk mixed to proper proportions, or soy) about 4 cups (but you can make as much or little as you want.) Heat, in a heavy saucepan over low heat, to a boil. (Be careful not to scorch it!) Then cool to 115°. I don’t know if a candy thermometer goes low enough. I’ve used a fish aquarium floating themometer for this and my sourdoughs.

Optional, for “thickening power”. Homemade yogurt is usually a little thinner than store bought, more like European yogurt. -

Powdered Milk. You can add extra powdered milk for a firmer yogurt - either regular powdered milk, or soy. I’ve heard that with the “other” starter, linked below, you don’t need to add this. If you do add it, add 1/2 - 1 c. per 1 qt. of milk before heating milk.

Or agar agar powder - dissolve 1 tsp in 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil (watch closely) add to milk.

Live Yogurt Cultures. Stir into the milk AFTER it has cooled to 115° or you’ll kill them! -

From either a Yogurt Starter - I’ve used Yogourmet, I’ve heard of another one that is good for a thicker yogurt. Use the amount listed on the package.

Or from Plain Yogurt with live, active cultures. Use 2-4 Tbl. plain yogurt for 1 qt. of milk.

Pour yogurt mixture into perfectly clean containers. (Pour boiling water into washed and rinsed containers, then empty them.) Small glass jelly jars make a good individual size, or pint or quart jars are fine. My yogurt maker came with small plastic containers with lids.

Incubate - You want a steady temp of 95-115°. Use your themometer to check that it maintains this temp.

It will take anywhere from 3-9 or so hours for your yogurt to set up. Test it by tilting the jar a bit. Refrigerate as soon as it is set.

Here are some ways you can incubate your yogurt without a yogurt maker:

Pour milk/culture mixture that’s at 115° (or just slightly lower) into an insulated thermos and wrap with a thick towel.

Or place a folded towel on top of a heating pad turned onto low and place yogurt containers on top of it and cover with another towel. Or put containers in a covered box on top of the heating pad.

Or place containers in a water bath in an electric skillet or slow cooker on low.

Or in a box (or styrofoam cooler) with a small light bulb in it. ( I built one of these - cooler with light bulb - for my sourdoughs.)

Or in a gas oven (turned off) with a pilot light.

Or in a ceramic crock, wrapped in a blanket, or placed in an insulated cooler.

Or any other place you can keep a steady proper temp.

What can you do with your yogurt? (Stir in any additions after the yogurt has incubated.)

You can eat it plain.

You can sweeten or flavor it - with fresh fruit, or fruit only spreads, or honey or vanilla or maple syrup, etc.

You can make awesome smoothies with it and fresh or frozen fruit.

You can make “ice cream” (frozen yogurt) with it.

You can use it in place of buttermilk in recipes. Just stir it to thin it a bit.

You can use it in place of sour cream or even creme cheese. Put it in cheesecloth and pull up the corners of the cloth and hang over a bowl or the sink to drain/drip overnight. This will make a thicker yogurt, perfect as a substitute for either of these, depending on how thick you get it. Use this on baked potatoes, in dips and dressings, and other recipes.

*Note: Homemade soy milk will need a “sugar” of some type added to it for the culture to feed off of in order to set up. Honey and maple syrup won’t work. (Since I haven’t made this yet, I’m not sure yet what I will use.)

(See update on Making Soy Yogurt)

For Me and My House ~ At Jesus’ feet,
Lisa @ Me and My House ~ Discipleship for Life!
Order Christian & Home Ed Resources here

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This wasn’t the first time I’ve heard people say they or their children are always hungry when following a raw/ Good for You - Naturally!™ lifestyle of eating. I heard this comment again recently, so perhaps you too are wondering. How can you keep from being hungry all the time when eating this way?

1) Eat when you’re hungry! When eating G.O.D. (God’s Original Diet)™ foods, remember He said, "You may freely eat." These foods digest easier and you may feel hungry sooner than when eating "other" (non-) foods. Also remember 3 meals a day is a cultural thing. Our bodies do better on 5-6 smaller meals per day. So, if you’re eating Good for You - Naturally!™ foods, eat when you’re hungry.

2) Drink more water. Are you drinking what your body needs? That’s drinking, every day, 1/2 oz. pure water for every pound you weigh. Many times we think we’re hungry when really we are just thirsty. Try drinking a glass of pure water and waiting a bit before eating, if you’re "continually" hungry. Those "hunger pangs" may have just been from thirst.

3) Eat more fiber rich foods. Fresh juices and fruits won’t stay with you as long as most fresh vegetables, (as well as the more concentrated foods below.)

4) Eat more higher concentrated foods. Nuts and whole grains are more concentrated, and will fill you up even longer. Increase your amount of nuts and seeds, (and even whole grains and starchy vegetables,  if you tolerate them well and don’t have health problems.) Avocado is higher in good fats than most plant foods and more filling also. Other good oils you can use are virgin, raw coconut oil and olive oil.

There are 4 easy ways to keep from being hungry. Eat more vegetables, and eat more concentrated foods if you need to. But most of all, eat when you are truly hungry. Let your children eat when they are truly hungry. Teach them how to recognize the difference between true  hunger, thirst, and just plain boredom, (the reason most people eat.)

Day 4 of  30 Days to Wellness is on dietary fiber. You know, that "roughage" found in whole plant foods that helps sweep and mop your digestive system, ridding it of toxins and carcinogens.

You can subscribe to the Free 30 Days To Wellness Educational Program by clicking that link, and scrolling down the page there and clicking on the "Subscribe Now" link.  Each of the 30 days, you will receive a short email providing you with helpful health information. Each article contains a one-click unsubscribe link and your privacy is guaranteed.

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Short comment on 30 Days to Wellness, a series of 30 short informational emails. See info below to subscribe to them from Wholefood Farmacy.

I’m at Day 3. It tells of new research on whole grains, and why they are so important. So far, so good.

Subscribe to the Free 30 Days To Wellness Educational Program - scroll down the page there and click on the “Subscribe Now” link. Each article contains a one-click unsubscribe link and your privacy is guaranteed.

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Short comment on 30 Days to Wellness.

Day 2 is about Free Radicals - good, easy to understand explanation.

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Is it proper to begin a post with a disclaimer? Here’s mine. My readers - of anything I write or speak on - know that I rarely promote or even mention anything that I have not thoroughly checked out myself - or at least skimmed through it and also gotten a very high recommendation from some one I thoroughly trust who has completed used the information themselves.

If you’ve read this blog for even a short while you know that it is only recently that I have come across Whole Food Farmacy, because they are now producing a food product that we have used for years and love. Well, so far I’ve loved and agreed with what I have seen from them. But I don’t know ALL of their nutritional and health philosophy.

They are coming out with a new program, 30 Days to Wellness. It is a Free email educational program. You will receive a short (about 1 minute) email daily for 30 days, with health and wellness information. I don’t know what all will be included, and if my reading and research will concur with all of it. But here are some topics they plan to cover:

• How to reduce your risk of heart attack by over 50% using plain water
• How a woman can reduce her risk of heart attack by up to 92%
• Which spices can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease
• Which spices can lower your blood sugar and cholesterol levels
• Which foods fight cancer
• About a simple activity that can boost your immune system every day
• …… and much, much more!

So, don’t hold me liable if anything flakey comes through. If I strongly disagree with something, I will no doubt make a comment on it here.

I can comment on the first one - Yes, drinking more plain (I’d add pure!) water is extremely Good for You - Naturally!

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I’ve probably been on the scale more times in the last 24 hours than in any one year of my life. I’m not a scale watcher. Never have been. I’ve never had a weight problem, and have always taken off my post baby weight, after all of my 11 full-term pregnancies, within the first year - except this last one.

After this last pregnancy, my "right-arm" in the kitchen, (our 4th daughter,) got married, leaving us 6 pre-teen children at home. I had become highly dependent on this daughter who loved to cook, shop, and plan our meals. Things slipped. Things were allowed in the house and into our bodies that had been gone for many years. But more so, I lost the care when ordering when we were out to eat.

Once more I was hooked on sugar, drinking an occasional pop, and eating meat when we went out to eat. And that last 7-10 pounds, and tummy roll, hung on tight. I knew as soon as it disgusted me bad enough I’d do what I needed to about it. I wasn’t too motivated, as everyone else still thought I "looked great for having had 13 children", and trim compared to everyone else.

But that isn’t the standard I’m to live by. I knew I wasn’t stewarding my body well, and that as I get older all those "little foxes" were going to "spoil the vineyard". I needed to get back to eating Good for You - Naturally! to preserve my health. I have many more years of child training and teaching to go, and I want to feel good and be in health to do it. God is in control, but I must also do what I know is right.

So about 3 weeks ago I decided. No more. I considered starting with a fast, but for whatever reason did not. I just cut out the junk and upped my amounts of rawGood for You - Naturally! foods.

I’m to the point where I am feeling better. The temptations are not very tempting. I passed by the birthday cake for our 16 yo dd with no regrets. I ordered water with lemon at the restaurant with no second thoughts. I took my own snack and a water bottle to the ladies’ cooking party. I know how addicting especially the sugar can be to me. I don’t want to go back.

So, yesterday as I was picking up the bathroom, I pulled out the scale. I wondered if there was any difference yet. I stepped on. I read. I got off, back on, and read. I got off again, readjusted the dial to make sure it was on 0 and read again. I moved it to another room, readjusted the dial, and read again. I have not only lost the 7 pounds I’d hoped for, but a full 10, putting me a few pounds below my target weight. And I haven’t even gone on the cleansing fast yet!

This morning I got up and thought, "I’ve got to check again. Surely the scale was off." But no, it is true. Just by cutting all junk and meat, and increasing my raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, I have lost every bit of that remaining post baby weight.

An added bonus to feeling good and cheerful - which are the most positive bonuses. This isn’t a weight loss "diet". It is a Freedom & Simplicity™ Lifestyle of Eating. A way of life for health.

All praise to Him who gives grace to do what is right - even for our bodies. As I told a friend a few weeks ago, for me to not eat the junk, is all grace. I (like probably most of you) have no will-power.  I need God’s grace to enable and sustain me. So Thank You God and may Your grace continue mightily in me day by day, as I steward this body You’ve given me, for Your Glory.

Stay tuned for a special announcement that may be of help to you - tomorrow. Perhaps you want to subscribe to this blog so it will come to your email box, in case you forget to check here.

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You may have never thought of it in this way, but we fast everyday  - from the time we go to sleep each night until the time we wake up each morning. Some may fast longer, by not eating a "mid-night snack" or perhaps skipping break-fast. But everyone of us fasts for at least a few hours each day.

Our bodies use this time to "clean house". They expend the energy, that we aren’t having to devote to other activities, to clean as much junk and waste out as possible. While you are sleeping, your body is busy sweeping and de-junking the "house" you live in. In the morning it’ll be ready for all that "trash" to be taken out.

The best way you can do that is with pure water. If we don’t get the pure water in to flush the "trash" out, and we shift gears using our energies to go about our daily business, all that trash will just get scattered about the house again - I mean reabsorbed into our body’s cells. 

In this month’s Me and My House musings newsletter I expanded on this need for drinking plenty of pure water further, but here I want to talk about what we can do to break our fast, to help our body continue this process.

The best way we can continue to transport the "old piled up junk" out of our bodies, (after we’ve drank at least one big glass of water, preferably with fresh lemon juice in it,) while still providing nourishment and energy that we need for the day, is to eat (or drink!) fresh fruit. Fresh fruits are very cleansing, and will help that process of cleaning our bodies.

In Good for You - Naturally! we recommend fresh fruit all morning, and possibly even into lunch - nothing but fresh fruit. Your first fresh fruit of the day can ideally come in the form of fresh, raw fruit juice, that is juice that you have extracted from fresh, whole, raw fruits. This will provide many nutrients that your body needs in a concentrated form, and help your body continue to "clean house", as well as provide energy to get you going for the day, and not start using your energy for the day in digesting food.

This is the best break-fast you can have.

Try it! Your body will LOVE it!

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