Both WebMD and Mayo clinic asserted that vitamin D deficiency contribute to chronic pain.

http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-researchers-link-vitamin-d-and-chronic-pain-relief

Above is an excerpt from Mayo clinic: "Mayo Clinic research:
This study found that patients who required narcotic pain medication, and who also had inadequate levels of vitamin D, were taking much higher doses of pain medication — nearly twice as much — as those who had adequate levels.

In addition, a correlation was noted between increasing body mass index (a measure of obesity) and decreasing levels of vitamin D. Study results were published in a recent edition of Pain Medicine.

“This is an important finding as we continue to investigate the causes of chronic pain,” says Michael Turner, M.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at Mayo Clinic and lead author of the study. “Vitamin D is known to promote both bone and muscle strength. Conversely, deficiency is an under-recognized source of diffuse pain and impaired neuromuscular functioning. "

*** From Straw: folks don't realize that we need magnesium to retain vitamin D. Four years ago I was tested VERY LOW IN vitamin D .. had bad back pain, then I took magnesium daily, plus getting 15 min. of sunshine & eat 2 eggs daily, and my D level is normal now .. I rarely take vitamin D, but I eat eggs & sardines & salmon, plus take magnesium oxide powder. I don't recommend cod-liver-oil ... that gave me awful stomachache when I tried it, plus stinky burp-up.

From the official vitamin-council link:

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/vitamin-d-and-other-vitamins-and-minerals/

To get the most benefit from vitamin D, you must have other cofactors in your body. Vitamin D has a number of cofactors; the ones listed below are the most important.

• Magnesium
• Vitamin K
• Zinc
• Boron
• Vitamin A

The below is for Jess, food source of Vitamin B12 (beef, egg yolk, fish) is better than pills, folks report bad headache with B12 pills.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11558625

Vitamin B12 in low back pain: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVES:

The objective of this double-blind randomised, placebo-controlled study was to examine the efficacy and safety intramuscular vitamin B12 (Tricortin 1000) in the treatment of low back pain in patients with mechanical or irritative lumbago.

METHODS:

60 patients aged between 18 and 65 years with lumbago or sciatic neuritis of mechanical origin without need for surgical procedures were enrolled.

CONCLUSIONS:

The efficacy and safety of parenteral Vitamin B12 in alleviating low back pain and related disability and in decreasing the consumption of paracetamol was confirmed in patients with no signs of nutritional deficiency.

Above bouquet was in June 14, showing the difference between Golden Celebration petals (curving down), and Crown Princess Magareta (firmer & pointing upward petals) .. it's the lowest left bloom, next to pink Sonia Rykiel.

Picture below shows RMV (rose mosaic virus) pattern on my Gruss an Teplitz ... it's more disease-prone than other roses, still love its wonderful scent:

Curcumin (tumeric) is another pain-fighter, best taken with black pepper. See excerpt from link below:

"Curcumin and boswellia

High-bioavailability curcumin extract may be the remedy of choice for pain. Curcumin protects joint cartilage by reducing inflammation, inhibiting inflammatory cell growth, and inhibiting cartilage-destroying enzymes.

Curcumin has also been explored for other inflammatory diseases. It dropped inflammatory cytokines by 62 percent in colon cancer victims, and reduced obesity-associated inflammation. A soy isoflavones:curcumin combination significantly reduced prostate specific antigen (PSA) and inflammation in men.

Boswellia also exhibits significant anti-inflammatory properties and treats pain without side-effects. In one study, boswellia reduced the pain index by 90 percent, with a dramatic increase in function. Asthmatics showed improvement in symptoms and lung function, and reduced allergic blood cells. Nearly 70 percent of ulcerative colitis patients went into remission with boswellia, compared to only 40 percent on standard meds. Osteoarthritis patients showed superior benefits from a combination of curcumin and boswellia compared to CelebrexR.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037376_curcumin_boswellia_chronic_pain.html#ixzz44J0YQQtC

Dr. Andrew Weil recommends curcumin, both for pain and to lower Alzheimer's risk:

" I frequently recommend turmeric supplements, and I believe whole turmeric is more effective than isolated curcumin for inflammatory disorders, including arthritis, tendonitis, and autoimmune conditions. Take 400 to 600 milligrams of turmeric extracts (available in tablets or capsules) three times per day or as directed on the product label. Look for products standardized for 95% curcuminoids. Neither curcumin nor turmeric taken orally is well absorbed unless taken with black pepper or piperine, a constituent of black pepper responsible for its pungency. When shopping for supplements, make sure that the one you choose contains black pepper extract or piperine. (If you're cooking with turmeric, be sure to add some black pepper to the food.). Be patient when taking turmeric supplements: the full benefits may not be apparent for eight weeks. Dr. Andrew Weil."

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400915/Curcumin-or-Turmeric.html

Below is a good link which compares different curcumin supplement on Amazon. Like Dr. Weil, I prefer using the WHOLE fresh turmeric at grocery store over curcumin-extract:

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/7-best-turmeric-supplements.html

This Amazon reviewer said it best as to why WHOLE turmeric is better than curcumin extract, see below:

" A. C. Liu says: Nutrigold's product is a pure curcumin product, but Vitamin World/Puritan Pride's product is 90% turmeric root and 10% curcumin. Even though curcumin is the main active ingredient in Turmeric to treat inflammation, the other ingredients in the whole plant can provide synergistic effect instead of the isolated chemical.. " A.C. Liu

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1VWKMHTO042Q/ref=cm_cr_dp_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0055713UO&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=3760901&store=hpc#wasThisHelpful

Here's from WebMD as to what turmeric is used for, see pic. of fresh turmeric root below, I see it often in grocery store, next to larger ginger:

" Possibly Effective for:

• High cholesterol. Research suggests that taking turmeric extract by mouth twice daily for 3 months reduces total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol, and triglycerides in overweight people with high cholesterol.
• Osteoarthritis. Some research shows that taking turmeric extracts, alone or in combination with other herbal ingredients, can reduce pain and improve function in people with osteoarthritis. In some research, turmeric worked about as well as ibuprofen for reducing osteoarthritis pain. However, it does not seem to work as well as diclofenac for improving pain and function in people with osteoarthritis.
• Itching (pruritus). Research suggests that taking turmeric by mouth three times daily for 8 weeks reduces itching in people with long-term kidney disease. Also, early research suggests that taking a specific combination product (C3 Complex, Sami Labs LTD) containing curcumin plus black pepper or long pepper daily for 4 weeks reduces itching severity and improves quality of life in people with chronic itching caused by mustard gas.
• ADULTS BY MOUTH:
  • For high cholesterol: 1.4 grams of turmeric extract in two divided doses daily for 3 months has been used.
  • For itching (pruritus): 1500 mg of turmeric in three divided doses daily for 8 weeks has been used. Also, a specific product containing turmeric extract (C3 Complex, Sami Labs LTD) plus black pepper or long pepper has been used daily for 4 weeks.
  • For osteoarthritis: 500 mg of a non-commercial turmeric product four times daily for 4-6 weeks has been used. 500 mg of a specific turmeric extract (Turmacin, Natural Remedies Pvt. Ltd.) has been used twice daily.

Didn't know that turmeric is good for dogs, until I see this Amazon review:

"K Thompson says: Turmeric is very beneficial to dogs! It is more effective in the form of Golden Paste, which is a combination of turmeric, water, coconut oil, and ground black pepper. Plain powdered turmeric loses some of it's effectiveness as it isn't fully absorbed into the body without a fat source (coconut oil) and the peperine in freshly ground black pepper. Google the recipe for Golden Paste!

http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Organic-Certified-2-38-Ounce-Container/dp/B000WR4LMY/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1459267530&sr=8-1&keywords=dried+tumeric+root

Buy this for your dog!!! By Jayson L. on December 17, 2014

I was fairly certain my pup was either suffering from kennel cough or bad allergies. Either way, I knew it was going to be a $45 vet visit + meds to address either. I've already put $1000+ into this dog in the last month since adopting from a rescue....I needed some financial relief.

I started doing some google searching and came across a home remedy for both kennel cough and allergies, and a great many suggested adding 1/4 teaspoon into my dogs dry food. After the 2nd day, her issue is gone! Coincidence? I have no idea. Did I just start putting this into her food and her subsequent cough stop? Yes! Jayson L.

When I had coughing fits from flu-shot reaction, sucking on a piece of ginger helped. Tumeric is in the ginger family, is clinically proven to act like anti-histamine, a recipe for cough is below. Tumeric powder is cheap, $3 per large bottle. Make sure to buy ORGANIC turmeric so it's not fumigated with chemicals.

Lyria Gomez says:

October 1, 2014 at 5:54 am

works best for me too. I have 4 and 2 years old children both were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis which will eventually become a chronic cough and then asthma, taking too much antibiotics and antihistamines, which could only last for 2 weeks and the runny nose is back once again , over and over again for like over a year, until I’ve decided to have an alternative herbal option. I made this concoction at home 1 tsp pure turmeric powder, 8 pcs calamansi as we are living in the philippines and we don’t grow lemons here, 8 tsp of wild pure honey and 2 tsp of virgin coconut oil. I’d take it every time I have this runny nose every morning and it really works for me and the family." Lyria Gomez.

http://www.turmericforhealth.com/turmeric-benefits/using-turmeric-for-cough

Below link has many natural ways to fight allergies. I took stinging nettle (freeze-dried) last year, it worked better than $$$ medicine.

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Natural-Antihistamines-to-Treat-Pollen-Allergies

The cheap turmeric powder, $3 per bottle is more effective than the $$$ curcumin pills. Folks reported the turmeric powder does wonder to their dogs' mouth & throat cancer, plus joint pains.

Here's a great tip to make your own cheap turmeric pills: "Really good stuff By Bren on June 10, 2014 "I have used a turmeric supplement for reducing inflamation in my joints and it works pretty good, definately notice a difference when I don't take it, and I had read you can mix turmeric with extra virgin coconut oil and make a paste and put it in capsules or put it on a piece of bread and swallow it. (they did say do not keep it in your mouth long or your teeth will turn yellow). So I decided to refrigerate my paste, and when it was solid, chunk it up into small pieces I can just swallow. Works great !!" Bren

http://www.amazon.com/Flavor-Of-The-Earth-Turmeric/dp/B00GF5WILI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Below is science-article on how turmeric powder suppress cancer growth:

"A 2005 investigation by Wang and her team first revealed that curcumin restrained the growth of head and neck cancer, first in cells and after in mouse models. In the tests on the mice, curcumin was applied in paste form directly onto the tumors. In an investigation in 2010, also done in cells and mouse models, the team discovered that curcumin suppressed head and neck cancer growth by regulating cell cycling, explained Eri Srivatsan, and adjunct professor of surgery, author and a Jonsson Cancer Center investigator who for seven years, together with Wang, has been investigating curcumin and its anti-cancer properties. "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/234470.php

Thank you so much Straw.... this research and info will make a huge difference.

I will definitely start eating 2 eggs daily, and get hold of Turmeric, however I don't think it is sold here fresh in any shop....I will prepare the powdered Turmeric with coconut oil, pepper... it actually sounds delicious....

You are a blessing Straw....and I wish for you many blessings...

I absolutely love your Versigny rose... please post a cutting for me? :-))))

Glad to hear from you, Jess. My all time favorite food was chicken curry (plenty of turmeric) with coconut milk & pepper. Jess: please let me know how the "home-made turmeric cubes" turn out.

Coconut oil is a liquid when heated up .... heat that with turmeric & pepper ... then refrigerate to become solid, then cut it into cubes, and swallow it. Dry turmeric is very nasty & dusty in taste, best swallowed with a binder like coconut oil.

Home-made cubes using coconut oil as a binder is much better than magnesium stearate (in pills as binder) .. that chemical gave me awful rash for 3 years.

Below link used a blender to puree FRESH turmeric with oil & black pepper into a paste, poured than into an ice-cube-tray, freeze it ... that's a clever way to use FRESH turmeric. I freeze my ginger as whole and it's easier to grate frozen ginger for recipes. The fresh turmeric has better flavor.

2-inch piece of fresh turmeric root = 1 tablespoon of freshly grated turmeric
= 1 teaspoon of dried turmeric

http://wholefoodsexplorer.com/2015/03/06/turmeric-juice-cubes/

I keep a food diary and the quality of my sleep, and it's always high fiber = great sleep. We had VN-beef-noodle soup last night (lots of beef & saturated fat & low-fiber), and both I and my kid slept lousy. Fiber stabilizes my blood sugar so it doesn't dip, so I sleep deeper. Anyone noticed the same?? A study confirmed that:

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/eat-better-sleep

" The quality of sleep matters just as much, and according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, your diet could be helping (or hurting!).

Researchers at Columbia University observed 26 people in a sleep lab for one day to see how fiber, sugar, and saturated fat affected their sleep quality. Results showed that eating less fiber, and more sugar and saturated fat throughout the day made for a poor night's sleep.

Typically, there's a balance of light, easily disrupted sleep, and deeper "slow-wave sleep" each night.

The study concluded that the more energy you get from saturated fat and sugar, the less slow-wave sleep you clock, and the more likely you are to wake up in the middle of the night. "Sugar and fat may interfere with the brain’s production of serotonin, which you need for sleep," says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., lead author on the study.

However, diets that are generally higher in fiber predicted a greater amount of deep sleep throughout the night. The researchers aren't sure exactly how fiber works its magic, but it may be linked to the glycemic index, according to St-Onge."

http://theconsciouslife.com/top-probiotic-foods.htm

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/the-crucial-difference-between-pickled-and-fermented/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/grace-suh-coscia-lac-diplom/fermented-foods_b_1220756.html

I've been reading up on pickles and I'm getting the jars and ingredients when I next go shopping, thanks so much Straw...this is exciting. I will try and make the recipe with only salt, as well as others with soy sauce & apple cider vinegar. I already had my two eggs for the day...so far the pain isn't bad at all... I also managed to do some work, without experiencing pain sitting down.

I will also adjust my bed a bit, and pack pillows underneath my hips, maybe that'll also help...

Jess: agree with you on proper sleep position. One can't twist a nerve on Memory foam (support ALL your body since it molds) .. but one can twist a nerve on a coil-spring mattress. I just bought a firm-coil-mattress, twisted a nerve in the wrong sleeping position, and can't sit down much.

I tried the high-fiber approach before bed: 2 apples, plus bran cereal .. slept wonderful !! High-fiber food has magnesium, B-vitamins. Will buy sunflower seeds (high in melatonin & magnesium). I used to eat 1/2 cup of sunflower seed per day .. that's when I was slim. I made the 3rd batch of pickled red-cabbage, took only 15 min, just 1 teaspoon of salt per 1 cup of water, pour in jar (pre-stuffed with cabbage and shredded ginger).

Below is a pic. from the internet, my jar looks like that, except with a plastic cap. Plastic cap is best. Besides a plastic-bag filled with water to push veggies under, one can use a big-whole leaf cabbage to submerge everything under water, before putting the cap on. Pickled veggies is high-fiber & zero fat, plus lots probiotics (beneficial bacteria) to keep oneself full.

I also put a plastic bowl under to catch the dripping water (escaped due to fermentation).

This is the best recipe of all... thanks Straw, this will be done..it looks so delicious!

why is a plastic cap best Straw? sorry for asking a dumb question I'm really new to this...

I also realized I have never seen red cabbage in the shops here! strange isn't it? maybe I should order some Heirloom red cabbage seeds - pronto - now is the time to plant cabbages/kale/garlic/onions in SA....

ps - what water do you use for this recipe Straw? can it be tap water?

one more question - how long to wait before eating it....? :-)

I am so excited... Just ordered my Heirloom red cabbage seeds from Organicseeds.co.za

Jess: lovely red-cabbage pic. Yummy. If you don't have red-cabbage, then red-beets, or red-radish and red-onion would be great with green-cabbage.

A plastic cap doesn't corrode with acid .. but a metal-cap can corrode. If you use a canning jar, the metal-cap is lined with white-plastic, so it doesn't corrode. Since you have warm weather, about 3 days it's ready to be eaten. With cool weather, about 6 days, or 1 week then it's sour. It's ready to eat when you open the cap, and it smells like sauerkraut.

I use 1 cup of tap-water per 1 teaspoon of sea-salt. The best flavor is with sea-salt, rather than commercial salt (has aluminum). A diet high in aluminum and low in magnesium is known to increase pain. Baking powder has aluminum, but the new type came out this year doesn't have it.

Looks like the pic uses some red-pepper with red-cabbage. Any combo of veggies can be pickled: cauliflower, basil, mint, tomato, red-radish, bell pepper, kohlrabi. My favorite soup is pickled-mustard-green. Mustard green is VERY NUTRITIOUS, but strong-smell when fresh, but when pickled, it's really good in soup with pork & tomato & onion .. way better than pickled-green-cabbage (sauerkraut). Mustard green grows like weed, it's worth getting seeds for, since it re-sows itself.

My Mom eats pickled-mustard-green soup with tomato & pork & onions practically daily for the past 2 decades. Any greens have vitamin K & magnesium, needed to retain vitamin D. I always save the "fresh" pickled-juice (with bacteria) to add to the cooked soup.

thanks for this info Straw... I am going to do this asap... the corrosion with metal caps makes sense thank you. I can't wait to do this, I will do it with ginger like you advised, but will also try some with beetroot/radish/red onion...if I can find the jars.... I only have one used jar that I can use hopefully there are some for sale somewhere around here...

Jess: Plastic jars can be used too .. My Mom used to pickled them in TALL plastic jars (so it doesn't occupy space when she refrigerates).

Greens like spinach gets mushy & rotten fast, so greens is best grown fresh. I sowed some mustard-green seeds that my Mom gave, not sure if they grow in my alkaline clay .. but mustard-green was easy-to-grow in Mom's acidic clay in MI.

Now she has loamy soil, and mustard green grow like weeds. I can eat that soup of mustard green, tomato, pork and onion everyday and never get sick of that. I like that soup better than the famous "pho" or Vietnamese beef-noodle.

thank you Straw that will help a lot.

How is your back? I was so preoccupied with my own pain that I never asked you about yours....

Jess: My twin-bed-foundation is NOT leveled (the floor is slanted toward the wall), I raise one side with wood-pieces, but it's still not 100% flat. So that affects my FIRM-new mattress. When I have back-pain from the FIRM mattress, it takes only 15 min. of walking, and the twisted nerve/muscle is back in place, and I'm 100% fine.

I see morning-soreness is a plus, since it FORCES me to walk off the soreness 1st thing in the morning. With memory foam-mattress, I was NEVER sore when I get up, which made me too lazy for walking.

Saw this on Google News how beans help to lose weight:

http://nhv.us/content/16035271-include-dietary-pulses-regular-diet-stay-shape-study

"While earlier studies showed that pulses (beans) can bring down "bad cholesterol," some new research from St. Michael's Hospital says that it can also help dieters to lose weight.

The new study undertook 21 clinical trials with 940 participants. It showed that just 130 grams (0.2 lb) of pulses (beans) a day can pave the way for a loss of 0.34 (0.75 lb.) kilograms in 6 weeks.

This new study fits well with our previous work, which found that pulses increased the feeling of fullness by 31 per cent, which may indeed result in less food intake”, said Souza. These foods also appear to help lower blood of bad LDL cholesterol."

http://nhv.us/content/16035271-include-dietary-pulses-regular-diet-stay-shape-study

From Straw: To lose 1 pound in 2 months, one would need to eat 3/4 cup of bean per day. FIBER is the secret of weight loss, the only times which I went under 100 lbs. (45 kg) were when I stuffed myself with fiber: beans, bran cereal, apple, RAW veggies & brown rice.

My 8 older sisters are skinner than me since they don't have my bad-juice-habit. They eat 6 fruits a day, wich has lots of fiber compared to my guzzling 6-cups of juice (all sugar, no fiber)."

From livestrong.com: Anti-Obesity Potential of Turmeric

http://www.livestrong.com/article/247386-turmeric-weight-loss/

"Preliminary findings in studies involving rats also suggests that turmeric may have the ability to reduce weight gain. A 2009 study performed at Tufts University found that curcumin actually suppresses fat tissue growth in mice. When you gain weight, fat tissue expands when new blood vessels form. Mice fed curcumin were unable to form these blood vessels and thus had less fat gain that those who did not consume the antioxidant, despite both groups' high-fat diets."

**** From Straw: Agree with the above. Yesterday I went shopping, and got FRESH turmeric bulbs. I minced fresh garlic plus grated FRESH turmeric, and it smelled really good, like candied-carrot mingled with ripe-red-pepper. I stir-fry chicken-thighs in that, sprinkled garam masala powder, chicken bouillon, plus 2 chopped tomatoes & a bit of honey. The dish was so fragrant !! I felt full fast & didn't eat much although it was really good & didn't need to snack much before bedtime.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is an American neurosurgeon and media reporter for CNN. Below recipe is from Dr. Oz' website:

Sanjay Gupta’s Creamy turmeric Tea Recipe

Turmeric tea recipe is a perfect way to relax. Turmeric is used all throughout Asia and many believe that turmeric is the reason that this area of the world has lower rates of dementia.

Turmeric Tea Ingredients :

• 1 Cup of almond milk

• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon of ginger

Directions : to make the creamy turmeric tea you simply warm the almond milk and add the remaining ingredients that are listed above. This tea will help you live longer while improving your memory at the same time!

thanks so much for this inspiration Straw.... I am going to start walking again tomorrow. weather is much cooler now, no more excuses....I will invest in the right foods as well from now on...beans, sardines & tuna, I have it all on my shopping list....

I've been going through some very old threads with all your magnificent roses, I was meaning to ask - did the deer do terrible damage to your roses? I really hope to see many photo's from your beautiful garden...

Jess: Thank you, deer have nothing to eat but kitchen scraps from my compost ... roses & trees still bare from the winter. We had snow last Thursday, and heavy rain last night, my roses finally sprout their 1st green leaves on bare branches. Lots of black & dead canes from a dry winter .. so I pruned down to below my knees. It would take a while before they grow back all the leaves.

I did it! I'm adding the recipe I used for the Golden Spread. Now I'm going to cut it in blocks and freeze it as you suggested, and it actually is delicious :-)

The pickled cabbage is my first try and maybe I didn't add enough ginger, but hopefully soon I'll have more jars, and I'll play with the ingredients (beetroot/onions/more ginger etc)

next time I go to the shops I'll get more Turmeric for the Turmeric tea as well....

thanks Straw!

http://deeprootsathome.com/how-to-make-use-turmeric-golden-paste/

I am happy to hear your roses started sprouting, this is such an exciting moment...to see them come alive, and I can just imagine how it must feel for you and everyone else where snow covered them and they had no leaves...what a joyful moment...I am happy with and for you :-)))

Jess: THANK YOU for that pic. of how you blend turmeric & pepper & coconut oil with a whisk .. that's a great idea to freeze into tiny chunks (easier to swallow). I'm going to do the same today, husband swallows these fiber-pills to lower his cholesterol, after statin-drug gave him muscle-pain (he quit that). GREAT pic. of pickled cabbage, very pretty bottle !!

My first batch I left next to the window, I saw the sun shined on it, so I immediately put into a dark spot. Sunshine kills bacteria, that's why pickled-recipe said to put inside a pantry.

World Health Org. recommend third world-countries to put water in clear-plastic bottle, expose to full-sun for many hours to kill all germs, if they can't boil their water. My microbiology class tested UV light in killing germs, and it was very effective.

Once the jar has that "sauerkraut" smell, it's time to eat. I also refrigerate it immediately, otherwise it becomes too sour. My 1st batch I ate all within 4 days. My 2nd batch was too-low salt, so I left in refrigerator for many weeks, and it was still crunchy & fresh.

Jess: thanks to your pic, I got the courage to make my turmeric-pills, took less than 5 min. I put in freezer already. Cinnamon is known to lower triglycerides (Triglycerides are the main constituents of natural fats and oils, and high concentrations in the blood indicate an elevated risk of stroke.)

Decade ago I made peach-cobbler, the recipe called for one stick of butter at the bottom of the dish, then pour batter & peaches on top. I sprinkled cinnamon & refrigerated. In the morning the butter clump up where there's no cinnamon, but where there's cinnamon, the butter was dispersed & could not clump up. Since I put too much turmeric (less than $1 for that Tone's bottle) .. I need to freeze to ensure it's a solid ... to cut into pieces to swallow.

Here's heavy snow Last Thursday (before Good Friday) ... it came down so fast & chunky snow that it looks like long threads in the pic.

My blood triglycerides is slightly elevated, the best tips are found in the below link on how to lower triglycerides (thus lower the risk of stroke):

http://www.umassmed.edu/behavmed/nutrition/

1. Decrease or eliminate sweets. 2. Decrease or eliminate alcohol

3. Decrease refined carbohydrate-containing foods like

White rice and bread and pasta made from white flour.

4. Choose foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids, the "good" fats!

Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids ... eat 2 servings of fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna, trout) weekly. Other sources of omega-3 fats include: ground flax seed, flaxseed oil, soy products, legumes, walnuts, and dark leafy green vegetables.

5) Maintain a healthy weight: A modest weight loss (10-15 lbs.) can greatly reduce your triglycerides and cholesterol.

6) Adopt an eating plan low in saturated fats and fried foods

Use olive oil, canola oil, rice bran, walnut oil, and flaxseed oil instead of more saturated fats like butter. Avoid high fat meats, skin on poultry

7) Avoid trans fatty acids and hidden fats

8) Choose high fiber foods

Foods high in fiber will help to control your triglycerides and LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

9) Eat more plant foods! Replace red meat with lower fat sources of protein

10) Exercise regularly Exercise will increase HDL cholesterol and burn off excess triglycerides, the body's storage of energy.

Fish oil is known to reduce triglycerides. Here's Mayo Clinic on natural ways to reduce cholesterol, listing barley, psyllium husk (Metamucil), flax seed, green tea extract, oat bran, plant stanols, plant sterols, soy protein.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/cholesterol-lowering-supplements/art-20050980

Here's a testimony on how prescribed fish-oil lowered triglycerides .. but she spent $180 for 3-month of prescribed fish-oil .. eating sardines is still cheaper, I pay $1 for one-can of sardine, which makes a great lunch !!

http://forum.lowcarber.org/archive/index.php/t-369693.html

Camaromom: "Triglycerides are still 154 even though I'm eating LC and working out and taking meds and supplements. My doctor, family medicine, suggested I take prescription strength fish oil. Try it for 3 months and see what happens. I took 3 months of the fish oil, Lovaza and got my HDL up to 43 and triglycerides down to 90." Camaromom.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/archive/index.php/t-369693.html

Above pic. is how I used a cleaver to chop frozen-turmeric-paste into small chunks, easy to swallow. Cost: only $2 for 30+ chunks. Worked great in suppressing hunger .. will get my cholesterol tested in a few months to see if it works in lowering cholesterol & triglycerides.

One needs healthy fat (coconut oil) to stop hunger. I had a banana & bowl of bran-cereal for breakfast .. was still hungry, until I swallowed one-turmeric-chunk (about 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric) ... went for a long walk with my kid & still not hungry at 1:51 pm.

I love the snow photo Straw...and the photo's of how you did the Golden Spread. I eat lots of mine, it is so delicious and all my pain is just gone...100%

I am feeling 100 years younger already! :-)

I will get sardines, I forgot about that when I went to the shops...lovely taste...and so healthy, thanks so much fr this wonderful info and your INSPIRATION

I took 3 of those "turmeric pills" that I made. Turmeric is known to improve memory & decrease Alzheimer's ... last night I had the most vivid dreams: remember what people said, what they looked like! !! The dreams were organized, like watching a movie. I had tuna-melt for dinner & lots of green salad ... both tuna a greens are high in magnesium & Omega-3.

Turmeric pills and fish are worth it for good sleep. Here's my pickled red cabbage, I cut into larger chunks .. plus a plastic container to catch the oozing water. The last time I used a ceramic bowl to catch the water, and the jar broke the ceramic bowl !! Lesson learned: never carry that heavy jar, using a bowl as a support. Now I carry the jar by itself, without the bowl.

Ah.... I have to read this whole thread tonight...

Some research on how Turmeric enhances brain:

http://www.nicabm.com/turmeric-for-a-healthy-brain-part-ii/

"Researchers led by Z. Zhao out of the Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Shanghai, China looked at performance and brain growth in rats after 6 and 12 weeks on a curcumin-fortified diet.

The result?

Curcumin enhanced memory (both spatial and non-spatial), as well as hippocampal cell growth compared to rats in the control group.

But in addition to brain health, curcumin has been linked to:

• The slowing of prostate tumor growth (S. A. Shah et al. Cancer Research, 2012)

• Prevention and treatment of tendinitis (C. Buhrmann et al. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2011)

• Increasing the effectiveness of drugs used to fight colon, neck and head cancers (I. Aroch et al. Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology, 2010 and W. M. Abuzeid et al. Archives of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, 2011)"

http://www.nicabm.com/turmeric-for-a-healthy-brain-part-ii/

Some comments from above link: " Susan Matthews says:

Drinking tumeric tea along with reducing sugar and white flour brought my triglyceride levels down from 250 to 132 in three months without meds."

Rosemary says:

I fill capsules with organic turmeric and take with meals. Years of tendinitis cleared up. Hadn’t heard of the necessity of cooking the spice."

Diane Fowler says:

To add to your information, curcumin has been shown to ameliorate autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, MS and psoriasis, among others (Bright, JJ, Curcumin and autoimmune disease, Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;595:425-51 and others). Certainly worked for me, taking a daily low dose; ten years after a diagnosis of connective tissue disease I have completely pain-free joints. However curcurmin, like most herbs with anti-inflammatory effects, has a small effect on clotting time. People taking it along with aspirin or Coumadin should be aware of this and, if concerned, have their clotting time tested. It may be possible to reduce the aspirin dosage slightly.

"Turmeric and cinnamon taken before a high fat meal combine to lower the triglyceride response by as much as 30%. To conduct the study, researchers added 14 grams of a combined turmeric-cinnamon spice blend to a 1200 calorie high-fat meal, and compared the results to a control group not receiving the spice mixture. Researchers found that blood levels of insulin were reduced by 21% and triglycerides dropped 31% in response to the turmeric-cinnamon mix.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/033468_turmeric_triglycerides.html#ixzz44gpJGjDT

*** From Straw: Really love my home-made turmeric pills ... noted that it zapped my appetite. Skinny hubby noticed the same. Below link is worth clicking on, it listed benefits of other herbs & spices besides turmeric .. any one have experience with Boswellia ?? Thanks.

http://www.herbsbenefits.com/content/turmeric+for+weight+loss/18676

"Researchers proved that Curcumin, the active constituent of Curcuma longa, reduces the amyloidal protein plaques associated with Alzheimer's. Extensive research is being conducted with the help of National Institute of Health (NIH.Gov) to document benefits of Turmeric for Alzheimer’s.

Turmeric‘s Cardiovascular benefits are also being extensively studied. It lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels, decreases susceptibility of low density lipoprotein (LDL), to lipid peroxidation thus inhibiting platelet aggregation.

Turmeric Curcumin supplements that have pure Curcumin extract should be beneficial to most people, for cardiovascular health and weight loss. When combined with Ashwagandha and Boswellia, the product becomes extremely potent. "

magic words: "for cardiovascular health and weight loss"

thanks so much for this great info Straw. I am enjoying my Golden Spead so much....

How would you use the Boswellia/Francincense Straw?

Jess: Remember the puzzle over what cause our cravings for sweets ?? I still take Brewer's yeast (high in chromium, B vitamins, selenium) for my sweets-craving. I consumed Brewer's yeast for my immune when I was sick with flu-shot reaction, it took away my craving for sugar (despite drinking just lemons, no sugar).

Now I cut down to 1/4 dose (only twice a week), just to supply chromium to stabilize my blood sugar. It does help with craving for sweets, see below excerpt:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/101523-herbs-lose-weight/

"Chromium: This trace mineral helps metabolize carbohydrates. Some diabetics take it to help stabilize their blood sugar. It also can be used to curb cravings for sweets. Susan Brown, a certified clinical nutritionist in East Syracuse, New York. She recommended 200 micrograms of chromium four times per day to a woman who craved sweets. The woman was amazed at how quickly her cravings were tamed."

*** From Straw: Months ago, I reported that eating eggs daily helped with my craving for sweets ... found that eggs are good sources of chromium:

Foods High in Natural Chromium

• Beef
• Brewer’s Yeast
• Dark Chocolate
• Chicken
• Eggs
• Oysters
• Potatoes with the skin on
• Whole Grains
• Apples

Read more: http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/sugar-cravings-how-to-control/#ixzz44hqTBlAK

WebMD also reported that chromium helps with craving for sweets, see below: "

June 3, 2004 -- A popular nutritional supplement may reduce serious carb cravings in people with depression. The supplement is chromium picolinate.

John P. Docherty, MD, president of Comprehensive Neuroscience Inc., White Plains, N.Y., and adjunct professor of psychiatry at Cornell University, penned the report.

Docherty's study enrolled 113 people with atypical depression. Two-thirds took chromium picolinate supplements for eight weeks, and one-third got a placebo.

Researchers found that atypical depression patients who also had carb cravings improved with chromium compared to placebo. "In that group with high carb craving -- a third of the patients -- we had a very significant benefit from chromium picolinate," Docherty says. "Compared with placebo, it had a 2-to-1 advantage in reducing depression overall."

http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20040603/chromium-may-cut-carb-craving-in-depression?page=2

**** From Straw: I used to buy chromium supplement but threw that away, after studies linked that to liver-damage. Brewer's yeast is much better, since it has all B vitamins, along with chromium and selenium. Will have to find the amount of chromium and selenium in the dosage.

Jess: I don't know much about Boswellia/Francincense .. hopefully Khalid can answer that. I found the amount of B-vitamins and chromium in Brewer's Yeast, very impressive, no wonder Brewer's yeast gave me so much energy when I was sick.

Cannot find the amount of selenium, perhaps it's too high, so they don't want to list the amount, see below for the % of different vitamins in Brewer's Yeast, with 50% chromium per tablespoon, 16% protein (8g), and 93% thiamine, 41% riboflavin, 27% Niacin (to lower cholesterol), 60% folic acid, 33% vitamin B12, 8% magnesium, and 25% copper.

http://www.vitacost.com/Twinlab-Brewers-Yeast/

Finally found it's 90% selenium, 50% copper, 10% zinc, 50% niacin, and high values of other B-vitamins in 2 Tablespoon of Lewis' Brewer's Yeast ... this brand is de-bittered, which took away the chromium !!

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/1323569/2

From WebMD: Selenium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth in doses less than 400 mcg daily, short-term. Selenium is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth in high doses or for long-term. Taking doses above 400 mcg can increase the risk of developing selenium toxicity (garlic breath, white streaks on nails, hair loss, fragile nails, teeth, and bones, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tiredness, irritability and skin rash.. ).

400 to 500 mcg is the same as 1/10 of a teaspoon.

Check on Brewer's yeast and Selenium, and found that selenium is what prevent folks from catching cold and flu, from Wikipedia:

"Cancer. Although selenium is promoted for its claimed anti-cancer effect, there is no good evidence of it being helpful in treating or preventing cancer .[7][8]Viral infection. Certain viral diseases have been shown to mutate more rapidly in selenium-deficient hosts producing more virulent influenza virus.[14]

Drugs.com is a good site to check on the side-effect of anything, including Brewer's yeast .. It's safe, except for adverse reaction in those allergic to yeast, or with Crohn's disease. An excerpt from below link on Brewer's yeast:

" Clinical data

A series of double-blind, randomized clinical trials evaluated the effect of S. cerevisiae 500 mg over 12 weeks on symptoms of colds in healthy adults. Among immunized participants, a decrease in the incidence and duration of symptoms was demonstrated 14 , 15 The same researchers evaluated the effect of the same commercial product in allergic rhinitis and demonstrated a decrease in nasal congestion and rhinnorhea and an increase in salivary IgA during high pollen-count days. No effect on ocular discharges was demonstrated. 9

Other uses

Improved depression scores have been demonstrated after 2 weeks among healthy volunteers using 200 and 500 mg doses of yeast hydrolysate as a gum. Brain mapping after 3 days showed a profile of a stable psychological state. 3 In animals, brewer's yeast extract decreased the spleen weight and interferon and interleukin activity in mice with induced chronic fatigue syndrome. 5

Upper respiratory tract infections

S. cerevisiae 500 mg daily (as commercially available capsules) has been used in clinical trials over 12 weeks to treat respiratory infections and allergic rhinitis. 9 , 15

Laxative

6 to 50 g of fresh baker's yeast over 3 days was used in a study for the treatment of cancer-related constipation. 7

http://www.drugs.com/npp/brewer-s-yeast.html

**** From Straw: The dosage is VERY TINY to prevent cold: 500 mg is half of a gram, or one-tenth of a teaspoon !! One teaspoon is 4 gram, see below:

Straw I was so sure my post went through and just saw now it didn't. Must have been network problems...

thanks so much for this amazing info. I am still enjoying my Golden Spread daily, at leat 3 times per day. And my fermented cabbage is also delicious and gives me loads of energy and I eat less.

I can see that I've been using far too much Brewer's Yeast, and will continue with only a tenth of a tspn..... thanks for all this research, it helps all of us to be healthy, organically, just like our roses :-))))

Just found this thread. Very interesting. I love curry, but have a difficult time finding tumric raw... i have not looked into brewers yeasr. Quite informative, thank you. straw- I don't remember the fragrance of lady of shallot. Maybe peachy? However, she is a decent grower, even for me... very beautiful variations in color.

Thank you, Kelly for info. about Lady of Shallott, I'm receiving that this week from Roses Unlimited. I planted 24 tomatoe yesterday, plus 3 bare-root roses. Still have lots of perennials flowers to plant.

Products that I like: Really enjoy Fiber-One cereal, it fills me up & helps with weight loss. In the summer when it's too hot, I just have cereal & soy milk lose weight easily.

One of supplement I like is Spirulina .. taking the tip from actress Maggie Q .. she takes the Hawaiian Spirulina for energy. It works well in place of caffeine, and doesn't mess up my sleep like coffee or tea.

What are your life-tips, products, recipes, or roses that you like?

Phytomulti vitamin with iron by metagenics. I feel a difference when I take this one. Now if I can just give up the espresso (and equal part heavy cream)...

Hi Kelly: While checking on what increase winter-hardiness, one study on canola-crop found that the addition of potassium chloride helps with winter survival. That stuff is Espoma Potash or Muriate of Potash (salt index of 112.6) .. which is used to de-ice our icy sidewalk in winter. I tested potassium chloride before, yes, it induced blooms, but too much caused petals to turn brown. Some good tips on winterizing:

I agree with the below site on putting soil down 1st, and leaves on top to winterize. Leaves are too acidic, and the soil buffers the acidity.

http://www.calgaryrosesociety.ca/GrowRoseSpring.htm

"Do NOT fertilize newly planted roses until after their first bloom. If the rose is grafted, make sure that the graft union (the large bulge above the root mass) is at least 5 cm or 2 inch. below the ground - if not, you might get growth from the root stock rather than the rose you wanted. "

http://www.hgtvgardens.com/winter-gardening/winterizing-rose-bushes

"Winterize roses after a killing freeze but before the ground freezes. Some gardeners suggest waiting until three consecutive nights in the 20° F range. You want to be sure roses are dormant before starting the winterizing process.

Bury the rose’s crown by heaping soil in a mound around the base of the plant. Aim for a mound roughly 12 inches wide and deep. -If you want to use a material like wood chips to winterize roses, that’s fine. Just increase the depth to 12 to 18 inches. -You can layer additional insulating materials, like evergreen boughs, shredded bark or chopped leaves, onto the mound after it freezes."

Some of my favorite roses below: Bright yellow is Arthur Bell. Left pink is Evelyn. Middle pink is Francis Blaise. Dark red is W.S. 2000 ... blooms were small with alfalfa meal .. but later when I used potassium-fertilizer, blooms got larger.