Greetings!

February first is the Celtic feast of Imbolc. Imbolc means "first milk," because it was the time that lambs were born and sheep began producing milk. It was considered the first day of spring and a time to celebrate!

Even though it may still be cold where you live, as it was in most Celtic lands, the promise of spring is manifest in the leaping of the lambs and the swelling buds on every tree. There is hope in the air as we remember that the long winter will soon be over. We have had unusually cold weather here in California (I know it's nothing like what some of you go through), so we have all the more reason to celebrate. So Happy Imbolc to all!

This month I learned something new about the wonders of Black Cumin Seeds. I think you will find them worth trying. They have an interesting flavor and are traditionally mixed with honey. Next there's a video on the longest running women's health study, showing that plant fiber is a key to longevity. For those of you who like to grow your own (or if you are worried about economic collapse and survival skills) we have a great little article on how to raise your own egg-laying chickens. Last but not least, more data is coming in about the dangers of GMOs. If we keep putting out the information, eventually we will prevail in educating the public and protecting ourselves from the experiments of biotech companies.

To Your Health!
Bernadette Wulf

According to this Yahoo! Voices article, black cumin seeds (AKA black seeds) can cure just about anything. Here is a short list of their benefits:
- Anti-hypertensive
- Anti-Tumor
- Anti-bacteria
- Anti-histamine
- Strengthens the immune system
- Anti-inflammatory
- Promotes lactation
- Anti-parasitic

Black Cumin Seed Oil has even been successfully used in treating pancreatic cancer!

I had never heard of black cumin seeds until a friend posted an article about them on facebook. Apparently, these seeds have been revered in India and the Middle East for thousands of years. It is always wonderful to learn something new!

The best way to use black cumin is to toast the seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder. "Traditionally ground black seeds are placed in honey. The proper way to do this is to fill the jar 1/4 way with honey and add 1/4 jar of ground black seeds. Keep adding equal amounts of honey and black seeds until the jar is almost filled. The suggested dosage amount is 1 teaspoon daily."

Here's an interesting short video by Dr. Michael Greger M.D. on the Harvard Nurse’s Health Study, showing the biggest long-term risk factors in women's health. With heart disease as the number one cause of death, the study found that plant fiber, and particularly nuts, was one of the most important factors in longevity. Cholesterol from animal products appears to be one of the biggest risk factors.

What could be more relaxing than sitting outside on a sunny day watching healthy hens scratching and clucking contentedly in your yard?

Raising chickens can be easy and fun. Keep a few hens and you will always have the freshest, best-quality eggs right from your own backyard. Even if you are vegan, hens can be pleasant and helpful companions. I wouldn't recommend keeping roosters unless you like to wake up really early. I once had roosters that started crowing at 4 a.m. on summer mornings! Some people love roosters, though, and they do help protect the hens from predators.

A few hens will supply you with a constant source of high-quality protein in their eggs. According to this NaturalNews.com article, "Chickens largely take care of themselves. They're friendly, curious and smart enough to come running when you call them. They'll devour scorpions, ticks, crickets, and even the occasional small lizard, removing all sorts of insect pests from your property."

The article goes on to talk about using oregano oil to prevent disease, chicken housing, and the best breeds to work with. What it doesn't discuss much is diet. Chickens do best on lots of leafy greens, seeds, and bugs. If they have a large outdoor area, they will be able to find most of the food they need, but they will still need a good organic laying formula, oyster shells for minerals to build strong egg shells, and a whole-grain organic scratch or cracked corn in the evening to help keep them warm at night. If they don't have access to lots of green grass and weeds, you can often get organic vegetable trimmings from your local natural food store.

Personally, I believe chickens should be allowed to live out their lives in peace, even after they stop laying eggs. One aspect of balanced human health is compassion, which includes treating animals with respect, rather than exploiting them while they provide us with what we want and then disposing of them when they can no longer serve us. And I don't agree with the NaturalNews article on the subject of guns. If you have problems with predators, a large fenced run with a cozy coop (that you close at night) will keep your chickens safe. You can let them out of the run when you are around to keep an eye on them.

Still wondering about how Genetically Modified Organisms affect our health and environment? NaturalNews.com offers a great resource that you can show to skeptics, or those who are still on the fence about it. This is a BIG issue and it's not going to go away without continued public education and action. Get informed and educate others so we can all work together to get these products out of our food supply.

Each of these 7 effects is explained in detail in the article, but I will list them here to give you an idea of how much damage these "Frankenfoods" can cause.

1) GMOs disrupt digestion. 

2) GMOs cause cancer.

3) GMOs increase herbicide use. 

4) GMOs damage native species.

5) GMOs pollute the environment. 

6) GMOs deplete soil minerals, destroy beneficial bacteria. 

7) GMOs spawn crop-destroying 'superweeds,' 'superbugs.'