BLUEBERRIES - A GIFT FROM THE NATURE

Traditionally in Macedonia, every year we have a blueberry picking season which begins on August 5th and lasts till 20th September. Blueberries are picked on the higher parts of the mountains and since 2013, one needs a special permission to pick blueberries (it costs about 10$). I myself have picked blueberries once in 2007 (I think) and I picked 15 kg  myself :) It was an amazing experience. Every year, only from the part of Pelister (above Bitola), are being picked about 200 tones of natural blueberries.
Blueberries are natural, healthy and strong medicine. This natural gift should be consumed regularly, because it is a natural aspirin that relieves pain, dilutes the blood and prevents inflammation.
Blueberries are the secret elixir of youth and health.
Blueberries contain blue or purple pigments, which increase the level of vitamin C in the body, reduce the fragility of the capillaries, neutralize free radicals, prevent collagen destruction and protect the water and fat parts of the brain from damage. Scientists believe blueberries may slow down the process of memory loss over the years, and repair motor skills. They contain vitamin C, E, B2 and B3. Vitamin B3 promotes the function of the digestive system, contributes to the health of the skin, nerve cells, blood vessels and reduces harmful cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides, and increases good cholesterol (HDL).

They also contain enzyme which activates the gene for burning fat. Bluberries also have high concentrations of magnesium, manganese and potassium.

Tea from blueberries treats diabetes
This tea is great for diabetics. It is made from dried peaks of young branches and blueberry flowers while there is still a resin on them. The branches are dried in a ventilated and dark place, and the process lasts for 15 days.
The fruits of dried blueberries retain all characteristics of fresh fruit if the drying process is properly performed, which means a constant temperature of 40 C degrees. Frozen blueberries are also good, and in order to preserve their properties, they mustn't be deep frozen. When so stored, they are healthy for consumption even in cakes and pies.

OREOVKA - WALNUT RAKIJA

Oreovka or so-called walnut rakija is an old folk remedy for thyroid problems, problems with digestion, but also for a good mood. Our grandmothers made it, our moms too and now we're making it.
So, first you need to take a walk somewhere in nature and pick at least 40 green small nuts.

The method of making is - for one bottle or a jar of 1 to 1.5 kg, you need:

• 40 green nuts, 
• 1 liter of homemade rakija and 
• 300-500 g of sugar (maybe brown sugar or honey, although honey will change the taste, but make it much healthier). 

 
Preparation:

1. The walnuts should be washed, dried and cut in several places (if they are larger, they can be cut in half). 
2. Put them in a bottle with a wide opening or in a large jar, add sugar or honey and fill with rakija.
3. Keep it closed and left for 40 days in the sun. 
4. Then you need to drain the brandy in another bottle and it's good to have a cup every morning. You can also drink it after lunch if you have a problem with digestion.

MADZUN - HEALTHY GRAPE SYRUP

Madzun, a concentrated grape juice, is a natural energy source which is rich in vitamins and minerals. It is obtained by thickening of squeezed grape juice. It contains natural sugar-glucose, which is immediately absorbed into the blood and then quickly in the body.

Grapes are a natural source of energy, a good laxative, thus, they’re toning the stomach and intestines and ease chronic cases of constipation. Grape juice is refreshing juice in patients with fever. It is also great for improving the immune system of children.

Grapes are rich in bioflavonoids, antioxidants that neutralize free radicals. They help the body fight cancer and heart disease. Therefore, it is recommended for the treatment of hepatitis, cirrhosis, depression, heart failure, anemia, strengthening immunity - the organism becomes resistant to diseases. Sufficient quantity of 30-50 ml of madzun is enough to maintenance immunity, and an amount of 100 ml for recovery and restoration of the organism.


Ingredients:

• 6 kg of black grapes (you’ll get about 1 kilogram of madzun)

 
Preparation:

1. Crush and strain the grapes through several layers of gauze in a big pot.
2. Boil the resulting juice on a medium heat until it obtains consistency of honey. Constantly collect the fluff from the surface of the juice using tea strainer. Be careful not to burn the juice.
3. Once it’s well cooled, pour it into sterilized jars or bottles.

In the past, our grandparents did not have sugar in abundance as today. The poor suffered for a grain of sugar, they hid it from the children, locking it in the old cupboards. They gave to the children to try just a bit of sugar and a little more for holidays. Sweets and cakes were prepared with madzun. Modern science has proved this diet extremely healthy. Over the years it thickens and turns into pure grape.

Prepare your vintage madzun in late summer and consume it during the whole year..

SYRUP FROM YOUNG WALNUTS IN HONEY - GRANDMA'S RECIPE FOR HEALTH

Young green walnuts in honey - amazing cure for many health conditions. This is a recipe that is very old and it's been prepared in my family for many years. My grandma used to make it, than my mom and now me. My mom used to give us 1 tbs in the morning every day when we were kids. We all had problems with sore throats and tonsillitis and this helped a lot. It saved me from removing my tonsils when I was a kid.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of honey
• 40 young green walnuts

Preparation:

1. First pick nuts with a length of about 1-1,5 cm. It's the best to find a tree that grows in the clean environment, where air, water and soil are not polluted. Wash and dry walnuts.
2. Put them in a jar and pour with honey. Close well jar and leave it in a light spot, but do not expose it to direct sunlight.
3. Every ten days, open the lid to air out the air which is a product of fermentation and stir the syrup.
4. After 40 days, strain the liquid and remove small nuts which are already dark and dry. Honey will darken and will become more liquid.
5. Take 1 tbs in the morning.

It's worth noting that it's the best to wear gloves during chopping the walnuts, because they emit black tint and then it's hard to wash your hands.
Young walnuts dipped in honey release a large amount of iodine which is easily absorbed in the body.
Young green nuts contain a lot of vitamin C and a whole wealth of vitamins and it's good for patients that suffer from anemia and for sickly children. This syrup also  has a positive effect in purifying the liver, stomach and blood.

It's good with problems in the functioning of the thyroid gland, throat diseases and respiratory tract especially in bronchitis, it's great for increasing immunity, suitable for climacteric complaints, obesity, and chronic respiratory disease, in establishing physical, mental and energy balance, increased hormonal activity, helps restore the cells, neutralizes the action of toxins.

9 FOLK REMEDIES FOR STOMACH ULCERS AND HELICOBACTER PYLORI

Many people, including me, are bothered with stomach problems and helicobacter. I have to say I've tried several of these treatments and they all work, you just need to be patient and persistent.

Treatment with egg white

Mix an egg white with 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. One tablespoon of this mixture should be drunk in the morning on an empty stomach and not eaten anything the next hour and a half.

Treatment with kefir

Drink a glass of kefir where you add a tablespoon of olive oil every evening before bedtime. This mixture is also good for treating stomach ulcers. Treatment lasts 1.5-2 months.

Treatment with flax-seed

Put two tablespoons of flax-seed in a jar. Pour the flax-seed with two cups of boiling water. Close the jar and leave overnight. In the morning strain and drink on an empty stomach half a cup, 30 minutes before meal.

Treatment with sage and plantain (zalfija i tegavec)
One tablespoon of both herbs pour with two cups of boiling water. Leave covered for 2-3 hours and strain. The first 10 days drink half a cup once a day before meal and then drink half cup before meal three times a day.

Treatment with yarrow (ajducka treva)

One tablespoon of yarrow pour with a cup of boiling water. Drink half a cup of hot tea on an empty stomach in the morning during 4-5 weeks.

Treatment with linden honey (lipov med)
Dissolve one tablespoon of linden honey in a glass of lukewarm water. Drink it half an hour before meals, 3-4 times a day.

Treatment with aloe

Chew aloe leaves with a length of 4-5 cm on an empty stomach twice a day, 20 minutes before meals. Clean leaves, wash and chew until only fibers are  left in your mouth. The treatment lasts for 3 months after you make a pause of one month, so if the disease is not cured, repeat procedure again.

Treatment with vegetable juices

Drink freshly squeezed juice of carrot, cabbage and potatoes in the morning before breakfast every dat. The treatment lasts one week, followed by a pause of a week.

Treatment with potato water
 
Boil potatoes in shell without adding salt. Drink one cup from the liquid three times a day. This water cleans body and can be drunk longer.

ST.JOHN'S WORT OIL

In folk medicine, St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) is used for treating many diseases for centuries. This venerable and favorite herb grows in pastures, meadows and rocky cliffs. Blooms from May to August, and has flowers in strong yellow color and is also recognized by bitterness and specific smell.

St. John's wort is rich in iron, essential oils, resins, carotene, choline and vitamin C. The most important ingredient is hypericin, which relieves inflammation, because it prevents the development of bacteria and viruses. It is excellent for the treatment of gastritis and ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, and against kidney disease, bladder, liver, spleen, blood pressure and heart disease. It is also used externally against burns, hemorrhoids and for healing wounds. Recent scientific studies have confirmed that it is a good remedy for reducing depression because it contains hyperforin. This compound prevents the breakdown of serotonin (hormone of happiness) and alleviates depression. Compared with antidepressants, St. John's wort acts the same and has less side effects. St. John's wort contains melatonin, which our body secretes during sleep, so this plant is used as an excellent remedy for insomnia.


Preparation:

St.John's wort oil is prepared from fresh herbs. The scale is 100 g of flowers per liter of oil. It is prepared with cold pressed quality oil, commonly recommended olive oil. Leave flowers overnight, then follow the procedure: 
 

1. Put flowers in transparent glass bottle and pour them with oil.
2. Cover the bottle with gauze and fasten it with rubber band.
3. Allow to stand for 40 days in the sun, occasionally checking if all flowers are covered with oil.
4. On the fortieth day, drain well the oil with flowers through gauze and press the flowers to release the absorbed oil.
5. Assemble oil in dark bottles and close them well.
6. Keep outside of refrigerator.

Quality St John's wort oil has a dark red color, sometimes with purple hues. For inside problems, take 2-3 tbs a day before meal.

SPRING BODY CLEANING

pring is ideal period for cleaning the whole organism. This recipe is recommended by one of the best heart surgeons in Europe, dr. Zan Mitrev. It cleans blood vessels, maintains the heart, enhances immunity, cleanses the liver, protects against heart attack and is thought that it also helps in cancer treatment.

Ingredients:

• 15 lemons
• 12 heads of garlic
• 1 kg of honey
• 400 g of wheat germ
• 400 g of walnuts

Preparation:

1. Get raw wheat and put it in a clean glass jar. Fill jar with water and let it stand for 10-12 hours. Cover with gauze, and after the required time passes, strain through gauze and wash the wheat well. One day later, will appear sprouts with size 1-2 mm.
2. Then, in a meat grinding machine grind together garlic, wheat sprouts and walnuts. Add to this 5 ground unpeeled lemons. Drain the remaining 10 lemons and add the juice to the mixture. Finally add honey.
3. Transfer the mixture to glass jars and store in the refrigerator. Leave to stand for 3 days then use. This medicine is useful for the whole organism and protects against many diseases.
4. Consuming:Take 1-2 tablespoons of this mixture 30 minutes before each meal (3 times a day). To treat cancer, take 1 spoon every two hours.

Only Two Servings a Week Of This Food Will Protect You From Breast Cancer

Only Two Servings a Week Of This Food Will Protect You From Breast Cancer

Fish provide us with omega-3 fatty acids that are crucial for brain development and they reduce inflammatory processes in the cardiovascular system and essential systems of the body.

Newest research showed that two servings of fatty fish can protect you from breast cancer. Namely, the chances of breast cancer can be reduced by 14 percent by consuming salmon at least twice a week, according to a new Chinese study published in the British Medical Journal.

Yet, what you need to take care of is to purchase organic whenever possible or at the very least wild salmon, since there are now many forms of GMO and conventionally farmed salmon fed GMO grains.

EPA and DHA — are primarily found in certain fish and one of the most efficient ways to consume Omega 3’s. However, researchers claim that even in wealthy countries, 9 out of 10 children and two thirds of adults never consume oily fish.

The research included 80,000 participants were included and more than 20,000 people affected by breast cancer from 26 studies of Asia, the United States and Europe.

The latest study shows that only 0.1 percent more energy or 0.1 additional grams per day that comes from omega-3 fatty acids leads to a 5 percent lower risk of cancer.

In order to achieve that, every woman should eat 2 servings of oily fish such as salmon, sardines or mackerel weekly. White fish such as cod, can also be consumed wince it is also healthy, but contain less omega-3 fatty acids.

Due to their high consumption of fish, women in Asia have some of the lowest risks of breast cancer. Another omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, is found in plant sources such as nuts and seeds.

Sujatha Rajaram, PhD, associate professor in the Dept of Nutrition at Loma Linda University says that while most of the literature about the cardiovascular benefits of omega-3s is about EPA/DHA, there is some evidence that ALA has heart health benefits beyond its impact via the conversion to EPA and DHA.

5 Good Health Reasons to Eat Garlic Every Day

Often called nature’s best medicine, garlic is an amazing antibiotic that has been widely used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Here are a few good reasons to incorporate garlic in your daily diet:

Check Out These Amazing Benefits Of Garlic

Garlic Makes You Attractive

To all the guys out there who are single and ready to mingle, know garlic might increase your chances of finding your lifetime partner. While this seems counterintuitive, since the strong smell of garlic is not exactly what the ladies prefer, recent studies reject this idea and prove that garlic makes men more attractive.

The trick is to consume no more than 2 cloves of garlic, 12 hours prior to your big date to blow your woman’s mind away. As it turns out, women adore the body scent of a man who has eaten garlic. Obviously, it’s difficult for researchers to explain this phenomenon, but perhaps the antimicrobial properties of garlic, which lighten the smell of sweat, are responsible for this.

Garlic Improves Your Immune System

It is common knowledge that garlic may safeguard your body against viruses and colds, especially during the winter season. However, research confirms that you should consume garlic regularly to prevent winter ailments. This can be traced back to the vitamins, oils, and amino acids, which have a beneficial effect on the overall health. Besides, it contains an organic compound, called allicin, which kills bacteria and fungi.

Remember to use fresh garlic to be able to reap maximum benefits. The mechanical destruction of plant cells as a result of cutting or pressing garlic generates allicin. When a clove is destructed, the compounds merge and shape an antimicrobial compound. Heating strips garlic of all its beneficial components.

Garlic Boosts Your Memory

Due to a chemical oxidation process where we consume food and oxygen and release energy, the human body and brain are thought to age. This reaction wreaks havoc on cells and make the skin loose and saggy. Moreover, it lowers brain abilities, making it less sharp. Antioxidants, present in garlic, can prevent excessive oxidation and boost brain function.

A wide variety of marketing companies sell antioxidant supplements for a huge sum of money. Yet, a simple clove of garlic contains beneficial agents that maintain brain youth at a minimal cost.

In older adults, the regular consumption of garlic can prevent Alzheimer’s disease. In younger adults, it is bound to improve the memory and increase the brain productivity.

Garlic Normalizes Blood Pressure

Adding garlic to your daily diet can regulate high blood pressure among hypertension sufferers. That’s because it dilates blood vessels and lowers pressure. As a result, severe migraine will reduce significantly.

In order to treat hypertension, you should consume at least four cloves of garlic on a daily basis.

On the other hand, garlic lowers your LDL cholesterol, or the so-called “bad cholesterol” in your blood by 10% to 15%. This implies an almost two times lower risk of heart disease or stroke.

Be that as it may, you need to be fully cognizant that you can’t use garlic as the only solution for hypertension. You need to consult your doctor before using any garlic-based vitamins and supplements.

Healthier Hair and Skin

For centuries, garlic has been used in several cosmetic recipes to make the hair longer and thicker, and treat skin problems, including pimples and acne. Plus, it can even appease localized baldness or alopecia. You just have to apply garlic to your scalp to stimulate hair growth. In the presence of odorless garlic products, you have no excuse.

Similarly, fibroblasts- cells responsible for skin regeneration- function well with garlic. That said, the daily consumption of two cloves of garlic promotes the production of natural collagen and elastin. On top of that, garlic protects your skin against photo-aging- that is the degradation of skin cells due to excessive sun exposure. In other words, it prevents sun rays from drying your skin.

How often do you eat garlic?

Cleanse Your Lungs By Eating Garlic at This Specific Time of The Day

Cleanse Your Lungs By Eating Garlic

Garlic is recognized in many places around the world for its various benefits, and due to them, it has been used as a healing food for centuries.

The consumption of garlic on an empty stomach can be viewed from different perspectives, and opinions on the subject differ. You can often hear people say that it is a grandmother’s home recipe that has very little effect.

Undoubtedly, the consumption of garlic on an empty stomach makes it a powerful antibiotic, as shown in many studies. It is more effective when you eat it before breakfast, since bacteria is exposed and cannot defend itself from succumbing to its power.

This article will list the most important benefits of garlic:

1. Garlic is an effective method for many stomach problems: as it stimulates digestion and appetite.
2. Many people who suffer from hypertension have found garlic to be a relief to this disease’s symptoms. Besides being effective for circulation, it also prevents heart problems and aids in proper functioning of the liver and bladder.
3. Some people claim that by consuming garlic on an empty stomach, one can effectively alleviate nerve problems.
4. It is effective for stomach problems, like diarrhea as well.
5. Garlic also plays a role in controlling stress, as it prevents stomach acid that is usually produced when you get nervous.
6. Garlic is considered to be one of the most powerful foods to help detoxify the body in alternative medicine.

• Alternative medicine experts insist that garlic is so powerful that it can eliminate parasites and worms, and prevent diseases like typhus, diabetes, depression, and some types of cancer.
• Garlic also cures hemorrhoids, constipation, and earaches. For earaches, take out a little bit of juice from the garlic clove and put one or two drops in the ear in pain. In the case of constipation and hemorrhoids, boil water with a good amount of garlic and put the infusion in a container that will allow you to breath in its vapors, until the water gets cold.
• Garlic is also extremely useful in cases of respiratory diseases. Namely, it is truly amazing for preventing and curing tuberculosis, pneumonia, catarrhs, bronchitis, chronic bronchial catarrhs, lung congestion, asthma, and whooping cough.

Prepare a garlic extract for chronic bronchitis: put 40 grams of well washed garlic cut into small pieces and 100 grams of 90 proof alcohol into a bottle, let it soak for five or six days and then strain. Drink a cup of this infusion every day.

You can use the same preparation for catarrhs and asthma. In this case, drink 15-30 drops in a little bit of hot water, and you can add only a little bit of mint for better smell.

In case of tuberculosis, eat an entire bulb of garlic a day. Divide it in various portions that can be consumed in any way. It is better for garlic to be raw or lightly browned in the oven. You can also make a sauce with egg yolk and oil. In this case, you have to avoid boiling the liquid because you will lose a lot of its medicinal properties.

If you have any type of bronchial disease, you can make a special infusion and drink three tablespoons of it a day. You will only need 200 grams of garlic, 700 grams of refined sugar, and 1000 grams of water. Boil the water with garlic and then add the sugar.

You can also use garlic for external applications, like a poultice over your abdomen to relieve some colds.

• A small amount of garlic can help fight warts: they will fall off painlessly.
• Some people use it to fight tooth pain by placing a little bit on the tooth that hurts.
• It is also possible to apply it to stings from poisonous animals.
• Nevertheless, the best thing you can do before you start a garlic treatment is to consult your doctor.

Note that individuals who are allergic to garlic should take two very important things into account: they shouldn’t eat it raw, and they should immediately stop consuming it if they get an outbreak on your skin, an increase in temperature, or a headache.

Also, some studies have also shown that garlic can cause side- effects in people that take medicines for HIV/AIDS.

In addition, if the smell of garlic is simply unbearable for you, we recommend that you take natural supplements that are found in pill form, in order to continue enjoying its benefits.

Remember…

There are countless properties of garlic and benefits that it provides to the health of those who eat it frequently and regularly. You can get all of the medicinal properties of this healing food everyday, making your life healthier naturally.