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The ULTIMATE Healthy Protein Shake Recipe

This protein shake has been carefully crafted and refined over several years and is pure perfection! It includes plant based protein and superfoods galore.

Course Breakfast, Drinks, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Protein Shake, Protein Smoothie

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author NaturalDeals

Ingredients

• 16 oz Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 4 tbsp Vega Protein & Greens - Vanilla Flavor
• 1 Banana frozen
• 1 cup Mixed Berries frozen
• 1 tbsp Hemp Seeds
• 1 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
• 1 tbsp Sunflower Seeds
• 2 Brazil Nuts
• 1 tsp Matcha Green Tea Powder
• 1 tsp Mushroom Blend Powder
• 1 tsp Wheatgrass Juice Powder
• 1 tsp Barley Grass Juice Powder
• 1 tsp Aloe Vera Concentrate
• 1 tsp Glutamine Powder

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a powerful blender and blend for 60-90 seconds, alternating between low and high speeds. Blending is complete when you can no longer here the seeds and frozen fruit breaking apart.

Notes

Links to items used in this recipe:

• Vega Protein & Greens
• Hemp Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Brazil Nuts
• Matcha Powder
• Wheatgrass Juice Powder
• Barley Grass Juice Powder
• Aloe Vera Concentrate
• Mushroom Blend Powder
• Glutamine Powder

Helpful Time Saving Tip!

You can save TONS of time by "meal prepping" this protein shake in advance! Combine all of the dry ingredients in a container (Pyrex glass containers in the 2cup size work great! A baggie would work as well).

When it comes time to make the protein shake, simply add the vanilla milk, the frozen banana, the frozen mixed berries, and the aloe vera concentrate to a blender jar. Then add your pre-mixed dry ingredients, and blend. You can make this very powerful smoothie in less than a minute by preparing in advance in this way!

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The truth is, I’ve had a lot to reflect upon lately. The previous fourteen months have been difficult – the most difficult of my life in fact. I watched my brother’s life unravel before my very eyes – and because of my profound love for him – I felt strands from my own heart, mind, and soul being torn away in unison.

I went from hardily patting my brother on his broad shoulders after watching him play competitive beach volleyball on a sunny day in August, to delicately rubbing the protruding vertebrae of his lower back as he sat hunched over in agonizing pain on a hospital bed the following April. It was the last time that I saw him before he slipped away.

In nine months – the same interval of time in which a human life is created – the life of one of the most beautiful humans that I’ve known was utterly destroyed. Destroyed by the “black bile” that is cancer. The same black bile that also claimed the lives of two of my sisters in the rocky past.

To say that I hate cancer is inadequate. I hate mosquitoes. I hate rush hour traffic. To say that I hate cancer is as much of an understatement as calling the ocean wet.

So why was I listening to an audiobook about cancer, while flying to a conference about cancer in Orlando called The Truth About Cancer Live? Because, for lack of a better term, I hate cancer so much that I love it – for I now believe that love is the only way to conquer “the emperor of all maladies” once and for all.

Hate is what cancer thrives on. Hate for oneself. Hate for others. Hate for the truth. In practice, we show hate and hostility to our body’s cells each time we consume toxic food, breath toxic air, think toxic thoughts, or slather toxic chemicals on our skin. What do we often say when we stay up too late and don’t get enough rest? “I’m going to hate myself in the morning.” Sometimes the hate perpetrated against our cells is inflicted by faceless corporations and agencies whose all consuming love for profits leaves no remaining love for their fellow man.

Cancer cells are very much like a Pit Bull that has been beaten and hated on its entire life. That Pit Bull will likely go on to develop an unnatural ferocity and a willingness to do whatever it takes to survive. In fact, it is only concerned with it’s own survival and will cannibalize anything in its path. It no longer hears or obeys its master’s voice. It is lost, hurting, and damaged. It needs love, not additional hate.

Regarding conventional medical oncology, Anna Deavere Smith aptly states that “cancer therapy is like beating the dog with a stick to get rid of his fleas.”

Despite the countless billions of dollars of research that have been thrown at patented, profit-centric methods for treating cancer, the amount of actual progress that we’ve made in the “war on cancer” is highly debatable at best. The proverbial stick has gotten larger, but the fleas are as resilient as ever.

It’s time that we stop beating the dog and hoping his fleas fall off. It’s time that we start loving ourselves and our bodies, rather than blindly hating cancer and waging an endless war on our own misguided cells. In other words, let’s stop doing the things that may lead to the creation of rogue cells, and let’s start showing our immune system the love and support required so that it can go on to decommission the wayward cells that are past the point of no return.

THAT is why I traveled to Orlando, Florida to attend ‘The Truth About Cancer Live’ (TTAC Live) event. I could think of no greater way to honor the lives of my brother and of my sisters than to seek to learn how to better love my body’s trillions of cells, and to go on to teach others how to do likewise. I was not disappointed.

Now bare in mind, I’m a 34 year old red blooded American man who doesn’t loosely toss the word ‘love’ around like it’s some kind of frivolous confetti; and yet I wouldn’t be surprised if it topped my list of most frequently used words during TTAC Live. I found myself embracing near total strangers and telling them that I loved them – not because of what they had done, but because of who they were. Fellow human beings who have been willing to step outside of the box in order to seek answers to questions that not nearly enough people are asking. These are people who have lost loved ones to cancer – or are facing cancer themselves – and are courageous enough to take responsibility for their own health. How can you not love that?

There’s a principle that states that ‘like attracts like’, and I witnessed this principle play out first hand. I was absolutely amazed at the caliber of individuals that Ty & Charlene Bollinger rallied around them for this event – which is not only true for the presenters, but equally true for the attendees. I spoke to incredible individuals from around the world, including countries such as Trinidad and England.

One man from London remarked that he didn’t believe that an event like this would be possible in his country due to the medical and political climate. I quickly responded that I couldn’t believe that this event was taking place here in the United States!

It demonstrates that even though we may be living under the heavy thumb of a government which shares a very large bed with a profit driven medical-industrial complex (be sure to view G. Edward Griffin’s marvelous TTAC Live presentation titled “The Politics of Cancer” for more on this subject), an unbreakable strand of freedom is still very much part of our DNA. Judging by the approximately 1,500 max capacity crowd that attended the event in person, and the millions of individuals that live streamed the event online – it’s clear that the desire to live prosperous, healthy lives using holistic means is more alive and well than ever before. If the world of natural healing had a Bible, this event just might have been the book of Acts.

The lineup of speakers at TTAC Live was eclectic and comprised of individuals from all walks of life, ranging from natural cancer conquerors such as Chris Wark and Liana Warner-Grey, to distinguished medical doctors such as Rashid Buttar and Linda Isaacs, along with brilliant academic minds such as Thomas Seyfried – a professor of biology at Boston College.

There were more than 40 speakers in all, and together they did a fantastic job at addressing just about every aspect of healing imaginable, including mental (Dr. Buttar), spiritual (Dr. Zielinski), and of course, physical health. I particularly appreciated that Dr. Stuart Nunnally, DDS was there to address the importance of dental health – a critically important area that is often overlooked.

Would it alarm you to learn that the speakers didn’t all agree with one another one hundred percent of the time? For example, some were strong proponents for the ketogenic diet, while others felt that a high carbohydrate plant based diet is the optimum way to address cancer.

While this was occasionally a cause for fretting among some attendees, I personally found the existence of divergent viewpoints to be incredibly refreshing and a very real check and balance against one of the greatest threats to progress and innovation – a phenomenon known as “groupthink”.

As a western society raised in the large shadow cast by the conventional medical establishment, we’ve been conditioned to expect black and white instructions from medical professionals who are more or less charged with doing the thinking for us. The problem with this approach is that nearly all of the responsibility is placed in the hands of the doctor, leaving little if any responsibility in our own hands. Without responsibility, we lack power. Without power, we lack the ability to truly heal our bodies and our lives.

If the world of conventional medicine is a fast food restaurant serving up processed meals devoid of nutrients from a limited, clearly defined menu – the world of natural healing is a farmers market with dozens of different booths, serving up hundreds of varieties of fruits and vegetables.

Can this result in a certain degree of overwhelm? Sure it can – but we are fortunate enough to live in an age where there are books, websites, coaches, and holistic doctors to help guide us through our healing journeys. We also have our own intuition, coupled with the guidance of God Almighty if we’ll just ask and listen intently. As Chris Wark (of Chris Beat Cancer) wryly stated during the closing speech of TTAC Live, “There’s never been a better time to get cancer.”

Immediately following Chris’ presentation, the closing ceremony for TTAC Live was underway. As you can see from the photo above, it was a packed house until the very end. I’m certainly not alone in saying that it was one of the most powerful and healing events that I’ve ever attended. I simply did not want it to end. The love and energy present throughout the weekend was nearly tangible enough to reach out and grasp, and I’ve never been surrounded by so many like minded individuals. If a cord of three strands is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12), how much stronger is a cord of 1500 strands?

Shortly after the closing ceremony, I spoke to Charlene Bollinger and told her how my previously held belief was that I would likely have to wait until I was on the other side of heaven to find out how any good or purpose (Romans 8:28) could come out of losing my brother and sisters to cancer. Attending TTAC Live changed that perspective.

I could feel the presence of my late siblings there beside me in the rooms and hallways of that conference center. During one particular presentation, I glanced down at my brother’s bracelet which encircled my wrist and I just knew that he was sitting there along side of me. My brother was the type of man that would lay down his life for those that he loved, and I know that if any good could come forth from the suffering he endured, he would receive great joy from that.

I walked away from the Truth About Cancer Live with a renewed faith, knowing that my brother and sisters did not die in vain. I will march forward in this life, sustained by their memories and driven by a desire to help others avoid having to travel down that excruciating path that my siblings walked with such grace and dignity. For that sense of purpose, I am eternally grateful.

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If you missed any of the presentations from The Truth About Cancer Live 2017, there will be a free replay airing this weekend from Friday, October 13th at 8:30am ET until the evening of Sunday, October 15th. You can tune in at https://go.thetruthaboutcancer.com/2017-live-event and I would HIGHLY recommend it! I am not alone in my belief that this year’s event was even better than last year’s, which is really saying something. If you would like to access any of the 40 presentations at any time, The Truth About Cancer is offering digital and/or DVD recordings of the event for a very reasonable price considering the tremendous amount of content and value being provided.

If you enjoyed this article about TTAC Live, might I suggest also reading my article titled “Why Does God Allow Cancer to Exist”? If you’d like to learn more about what an amazing person my brother was, click here to read the tribute that I wrote about him shortly after his passing.

Additional Photos from the TTAC Live 2017:

The post My Experience at The Truth About Cancer Live 2017 – WOW! appeared first on Natural Deals.

Some of you knew Ed as a talented beach volleyball player with a mean spike, others as a charismatic restaurant server who was cherished by regulars and co-workers alike, and still others as a dear friend whose sense of humor and positivity was legendary. He was my big brother.

Born on June 10, 1977, Edmund Ryan Merrill Lunnen was something of an anomaly from the beginning. He had unusually long fingers and toes, which prompted the doctor to remark “you’re going to have a tall son!” Throw dark hair and tan skin into the mix and you have just the right ingredients for a champion beach volleyball player – but I’m getting ahead of myself.

As a young boy, Ed practically owned the block. He was notorious for “rounding up” the bikes and hot-cycles of the local neighborhood kids, which he proudly displayed on our front lawn as a badge of honor. If you were to ask any of the locals who the coolest kid in town was, I’m confident that nearly all of them would blurt out Ed’s name. Do the same some 30 years later, and I still think you’d get the same answer. Sometimes he had to fight for his turf, and that meant having the occasional pot of spaghetti dumped onto his head from over the wooden fence by the local neighbor boys. I can’t be sure, but that may be the precise moment that he became known as Eddie Spaghetti.

Growing up together, I remember taking trips to the local card shop while perched atop the handlebars of Ed’s Huffy bicycle. It was as a young child that he developed his love for collecting sports cards – a love that he held onto into adulthood, even during his final days. I’ll never forget his uncanny ability to rehearse statistics such as batting averages or rookie years for virtually any card that I flashed in front of him.

Ed was a complex character in many ways. He had a maturity and an inherent wisdom about him – particularly after being shaped and chiseled by four years of battling cancer – and yet that maturity and wisdom was wrapped in child like innocence. During his last couple of months while he was staying with my mom, I asked him if I could bring any of his possessions to him and one of the few things that he requested was his wooden chest filled with sports cards.

As a teenager, Ed was as popular as they come. It was an era of oversized basketball shorts, XXL Fila and Adidas t-shirts, and bleached hair tips; and it was an era that Ed ruled well. His chariot was a white 1990 Chevy Lumina, an unwieldy boat of a car which Ed managed to pilot from the passenger seat using his unusually long arms and legs. It was a trick that mystified the occupants of nearby vehicles who probably thought they were witnessing the world’s first “self driving car”. It never failed to bring hearty laughter to all who witnessed it.

It was also as a teenager that Ed cultivated his love for volleyball. In fact, while Ed was staying with my wife and I this past winter, I heard a knock at the door one evening and was surprised to learn that it was Ed’s high school volleyball coach. Even after more than two decades had passed, the impression that Ed had made on this man was still as tangible as it was in 1996. In the coach’s own words: “Out of the thousands of students and players that I worked with, there was none quite like Ed.”

After waiting tables at JB’s restaurant in Salt Lake for a time, Ed embarked on an LDS mission to Argentina, but his time there was cut short after learning that our oldest sister Lisa had been diagnosed with brain cancer and didn’t have much time left. Tragically, less than two years from Lisa’s passing, our sister Doree was also taken by cancer. Not long after that, Ed’s dad passed away.

To say that Ed’s world had been turned upside down would be an understatement; and yet because of the person that he was, he managed to pick up the shattered pieces. He loaded his car with only a handful of possessions and drove west to California in order pursue his dream of playing professional beach volleyball.

While pursuing his dreams of volleyball by day, Ed waited tables at night at a restaurant called BJ’s – which was ironic considering that the restaurant that he had worked at prior to that was called JB’s. BJ’s was a place where he met some of his dearest friends, and legend has it that he met a few girls there as well – but I have a feeling he would jokingly deny all such allegations.

Ed spent a decade chasing, jumping, and diving after his dreams there on the sands of Huntington Beach, and though he never made it to the Olympics, he played alongside and was respected by Olympians. Though he never made a fortune playing volleyball, I’ll never forget the excitement and pride in his voice when he called to tell me about a bit of money that he had won in a tournament. I responded with equal excitement, stating that “whenever something good like this happens to you, I feel like it’s happening to me too!” As brothers, we shared that special bond.

How many of us can say that we spent a decade of our lives relentlessly pursuing our dreams, even if it meant living a humble life of simplicity, interspersed with periods of public transit, shopping at thrift stores, and eating leftovers at work?

How many of us would jump right back into that life, just months after completing a grueling six month course of soul-sucking chemotherapy; all because your drive and hunger to succeed at your life’s passion was THAT strong?

I can’t even begin tell you how much I admired that about my big brother.

Sadly, less than two years after being declared to be in remission, Ed’s cancer returned with a vengeance and this brought him from the sandy beaches of California, back to the mountainous hills of Utah.

In a trip that Ed himself deemed to be “legendary”, Ed and I hopped into a pickup truck and made the trek from Utah to California in order to gather together Ed’s humble collection of belongings. The drive there and back consisted of precious hours of talking, playing our favorite songs for one another (Ed always wanted to be a DJ), and stopping at a handful of gas stations and fast food joints along the way. Oh, and an overnight stay at ‘Whiskey Pete’s’ – a hotel and casino located near the California & Nevada border. What I wouldn’t give to have just one more night at that 2-star hotel with my brother, talking until three in the morning, with the A/C rattling on in the background.

One of the first stops that we made once we hit civilization in California was In-N-Out Burger, which was one of Ed’s all-time favorite places to eat. About two hours later we made it to Ed’s apartment in Huntington Beach, and for the first time in many years, I got to see Ed’s life in California.

I can’t really explain why, but walking into his bedroom for the first time nearly brought tears to my eyes. Somehow it helped paint a more complete picture of my brother, connecting the dots between “California Ed” and “Utah Ed”. As you might expect, virtually all of Ed’s possessions managed to fit inside that small room, and consisted of a TV that our family had given him for Christmas some years ago, an older laptop which was covered in Jack’s Surfboard stickers, an old Xbox 360 which he watched Netflix on, a wooden chest full of sports cards, a water jug partially filled with coins, a dresser filled almost exclusively with board shorts, boxer shorts, and t-shirts – and finally, Ed’s most prized possession of all – a California King bed that he picked up for a hundred bucks at an estate sale. He loved that bed so much that he insisted on strapping it to the pickup truck and hauling it back to Utah.

We spent a few days there in Huntington Beach, and I continued to learn more about “California Ed”. He took me to one of his favorite places – 24 Hour Fitness – which he treated as if it was his own private castle. He walked me through his workout routine (you would never believe that he had Stage 4 cancer based on the way he pushed through those preacher curl sets), then we soaked in the jacuzzi, and finally, we made a dash for the steam room, where Ed emptied out nearly an entire bottle of Eucalyptus Oil into the steam vent – as was his custom.

After the gym, he took me to what he called a real health food store – Whole Foods – and showed me his favorite way to load up a plate at the buffet there. All throughout that trip, I felt as though I was a young student following the master sensei around, soaking up his way of life. I’ve always looked up to my brother and have viewed him as a role model, and even into adulthood that never changed. I would venture to say that a man is nearly as influenced by his older brother as he is by his father, and I pray that Ed lives on through me now that he’s no longer walking this earth.

I rejoice in the fact that he’s no longer bound to a hospital bed, but the realization that Ed is no longer physically here among us is still too raw and painful to wrap my mind around. Part of me refuses to believe that the man who drove countless miles with the gas light on was captured by death’s snare. How did the luck of the man who somehow always managed to be the last one to board an airplane, somehow run out?

Perhaps the reason that I can’t fully accept my brother’s death as being true, is that in some sense it’s not true. Consider this quote from Lord of the Rings, of all places:

“Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What’s happened to the world?” A great Shadow has departed,” said Gandalf, and then he laughed and the sound was like music, or like water in a parched land; and as he listened the thought came to Sam that he had not heard laughter, the pure sound of merriment, for days upon days without count.”

I choose to believe that one day Ed’s death will come untrue, and that I’ll find myself wrapped in his tanned, sand sprinkled arms again someday. Maybe, for the first time in history, he’ll accuse someone else of being late to an event. I believe that Ed is sitting at the feet of Jesus, along with our sisters Lisa and Doree, reminiscing about all the great memories that they had together here on earth; just as myself, my mom, our sister Angie, and Ed had done while huddled together in his hospital room less than two weeks before his passing.

Ed wasn’t an overtly religious man, but he had a very powerful, childlike love for God. More often than not, Ed spoke his faith through his actions and how he lived his life, rather than through words. Not once did I hear him curse God during his battle with cancer, and when I asked Ed if he was upset with God, he promptly responded “Of course not, it’s just part of the deal of being on this earth.” Watching Ed handle cancer with the grace and the nobility that he did was both humbling and inspiring.

Cancer may have cut short Ed’s life here on this earth, but he lived more during his 39 brief years than many people who live for 99 years. He truly lived out his philosophy of being poor on material things, while being rich on life. Ed’s legacy will continue to live on through the hundreds – or dare I say thousands – of us who were blessed to have known him well enough to realize just what a treasure he was. We’ll continue to tell stories about his big heart, his love for his friends and family, his hilarious antics, his hard earned volleyball skills, and his relentless hope and optimism which persevered until the very end.

“I see you player.” And I can’t wait to see you again.

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Quick facts about Ed:
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Favorite Foods and Drinks: Thai Food (especially Tom kha), Sumatra Coffee, In-N-Out Burger, Nielsen’s Frozen Custard, Cafe Rio, Del Taco, Scrambled Eggs and Toast.

Vehicles: Chevy Lumina, Suzuki Sidekick, Volkswagen Jetta, Jeep Wrangler, Honda CRX, Toyota Tundra, Old School Cadillac, Hyundai Genesis, CTA Buses, and a Mountain Bike.

Passions: Beach Volleyball, Hip Hop, Mixtapes, Working Out, Collecting Sports Cards, Sports, ESPN, Car Audio Systems, Epsom Salt Baths.

Quotes: “Okay player”, “I see you player”, “Son!”, “You ain’t ready!”, “I’m on the way, I’ll be there in five minutes” (said from the comfort of a bathtub located 30 minutes away from the destination), “Du-du-du-dude”, “Dudesons”, “Noiiice!”.

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For those of you who wish you could have visited Ed during the final months of his life:
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As Ed’s cancer began to overtake his body during the final months of his life, he became increasingly adamant about not allowing people to come and visit him. I am convinced that this was for three reasons.

First, I believe that Ed found the prospect of saying goodbye to so many that he loved to simply be more than he could bear. One of the things that he told my mom is that “If people don’t already know how I feel about them, then they aren’t going to know by visiting me one last time.” Ed wasn’t a fan of goodbyes. In fact, we never said goodbye to one another. The last words that we spoke were “I love you bro” and “See you in a few days”.

Second, I believe that Ed wanted people to remember him as he was before he was sick.

Finally, I believe that it was Ed’s way of protecting those whom he held so dear from having to witness the suffering that he endured during the final stretch of his life. Is this any surprise, considering the size of Ed’s heart and how he so often placed others ahead of himself?

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Finally, if you find yourself deeply wounded by Ed’s passing (and who isn’t?) and are questioning how a supposedly loving God could allow such a terrible thing as cancer to exist, I would encourage you to read this blog that I wrote, titled “Why Does God Allow Cancer to Exist?”

The post A Tribute to My Brother Ed appeared first on Natural Deals.

These were some of the crushing words that I uttered to the Lord in the midst of eyes overflowing with tears and a soul burdened with grief. Earlier that week, I had learned that my brother’s previously treated cancer had unexpectedly returned with a fiery vengeance. He was now Stage 4 and deemed incurable.

In the past, two of my sisters were diagnosed with equally destructive forms of cancer, robbing both of them of the breath of life while they were still so young and filled with dreams and potential.

How could the Lord be so callous and cruel as to allow lightning to strike our dwindling family not once, not twice, but three terrible times? Why does God allow a disease as dreadful as cancer to ravage those whom he claims to love so dearly?

I’ve spent countless sleepless nights wrestling with this excruciating question – a question which has become intensely personal to me in light of the fact that three out of four of my siblings have been afflicted with the disease dubbed “the emperor of all maladies.”

Have I discovered answers that have provided any degree of relief to my emotional and spiritual turmoil?

Yes, thankfully I have – and while I don’t expect that we’ll be fully comforted or satisfied until we are in God’s presence – my prayer is that you will find some solace in these words,  whether one of your loved ones is facing cancer, or even if you find yourself in the jaws of affliction.

So, what possible reasons could God have for allowing cancer to exist?

First and foremost, because it’s a fallen world.

The most carcinogenic food ever consumed by mankind wasn’t a genetically modified ear of corn, a can of soda, or even a bacon covered donut – it was an organic piece of fruit grown in the richest, most pristine soil the earth has ever known. When Adam and Eve defied God’s command and bit into the forbidden fruit, the very foundations of the earth groaned as hatred, greed, famine, disease, and death itself spilled forth. The world that we find ourselves living in now is not the world that God originally intended for us.

While cancer entered the world through the fall, it didn’t achieve super-villain status until the 20th century, when exposure to pollutants, pesticides, herbicides, radiation, artificial chemicals, refined sugar, and pharmaceutical drugs dramatically increased; as the nutritional content of food simultaneously decreased.

Meanwhile, most of us are sleeping two to three hours less per night than we should, spending more than 90% of our time indoors, and living with more lifestyle and job stress than any generation to precede us. It’s a wonder that our bodies do as well as they do considering the abuse that so many of us endure on a daily basis.

The Biblical concept of reaping what is sowed is as true as ever – whether the seeds have been sown by our own hands, or by the hands of the generations to precede us. The human body is an incredibly complex and finely tuned system and it should come as no surprise that mistreating it will have undesirable consequences.

The good news is that while I believe that cancer is a man made disease, initiated by Adam and Eve’s rebellion and perpetrated by mankind’s recklessness; I also believe that there are God made solutions. Additionally, I believe that we have tremendous potential to influence the way our inherited genes express themselves through the emerging science of epigenetics – but that’s a story for another day.

Getting back to the dilemma at hand – we recognize that this is a fallen world inhabited by souls occupying fallen bodies; so why doesn’t God just fix it all? The good news is that he’s going to, but not until his appointed time.

So why doesn’t God at least fix the more sinister problems in this world such as cancer?

I have no doubt that with the mention of a single word, God could command every rebellious cell in the body of every cancer patient to turn from a path of destruction, toward a path of meaningful service to that body instead.

In fact, there are stories of miraculous healings out there, and I would never dismiss the notion that God does in fact miraculously heal certain individuals for reasons that he alone knows. But back to the question at hand – why doesn’t God heal EVERYONE of cancer?

If God healed the world of cancer, then the next logical step would be to ask him to heal everyone of AIDS, and then heart disease, and then diabetes, and then colitis, and then arthritis, and then heartburn, and then seasonal allergies, and then the common cold, and then.. you get the idea. Why not prevent all war, rape, and famine while he’s at it?

That is what we all long for, more than mere words can begin to express – but rather than gradually patching over the very real problems of a broken and crumbling world; God is going to once and for all cleanse this cursed chunk of rock with fire (1) and create a new and spotless earth instead (2).

Meanwhile, God is acting as the greatest director of all time by using our trials and pains to develop us and those around us; masterfully weaving everything together into a story that won’t fully be understood or appreciated until the final credits have rolled. Just as all the best books and movies feature villains, uncertainty, and challenges to overcome, I suspect that the same will hold true for our own life stories. Sometimes we wish that we were the ones holding the pen – yet who among us can compare to God?

But how can God possibly use something as terrible as cancer to bring about ultimate good?

God can use the pain and suffering of cancer to draw people to himself.

We humans are an incredibly stubborn bunch and more often than not we don’t truly seek God until we find ourselves in the midst of great pain or tragedy. If the fires of life cause us to seek refuge and salvation in Jesus’ scarred hands, those fires are of infinite value, even if they scorch and scar us in this present world.

From the perspective of eternity, a person who has cancer and ends up seeking the Lord because of their disease is infinitely more blessed than a person who lives in perfect health until the age of 100, but never seeks after God because of their contentedness.

God is not timid about using a comparatively brief moment of finite fire in this life in order to steer us away from infinite fire in the life to come.

God can use the pain and suffering of cancer to develop perseverance, character, and ultimately, hope.

Paradoxically, many people who have faced cancer have called it one of life’s greatest blessings because of the way it gave them perspective and shaped their character. We know that intense pressure is capable of transforming mere dust into diamonds. We also know that people who have been “fortunate” enough to have minimal experience with pain, suffering, and difficulty are more likely to be shallow and uninteresting. Very little of what they say tends to bare any weight to those who have been in the trenches.

James 1:2-4 states “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Likewise, Romans 5:3-4 states “..we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

But can cancer still be a blessing if it robs a person of their very life? Absolutely. The hope that Paul is referring to is the hope of eternal life. Cancer may ultimately lead a person to death, but as Randy Alcorn puts it: “For the Christian, death is not the end of adventure but a doorway from a world where dreams and adventures shrink, to a world where dreams and adventures forever expand.”

Those who have experienced cancer are better able to relate to and help those who are suffering.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Paul states “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

No one is as capable of comforting those who have cancer, as those who have had cancer.

Seeing a friend or loved one struggle with cancer can cause those around that person to reevaluate what truly matters in life.

From an emotional and spiritual angle, sometimes the friends and family of a person struggling with cancer are nearly as impacted and shaped by the experience as the person who actually has the cancer. The experience may even cause them to take a step back from day to day life in order reevaluate what truly matters in life.

An hour spent in a hospital waiting room can infuse a person with a more sobering dose of perspective than thousands of hours spent in a classroom, or even a church.

Cancer provides an opportunity for acquaintances, friends, loved ones, and even strangers to commit – or not commit – acts of love and compassion toward the afflicted.

It’s been absolutely humbling to see the love and support that my brother has received from friends, family members, coworkers, and even complete strangers. I truly believe that so many people are hungry for the opportunity to do good for their fellow man – and though global charity work is extremely important – sometimes our hearts aren’t moved to action until tragedy strikes close to home and bares the face of someone that we hold dear.

Being able to embrace a suffering person in a hug while slipping a check into their pocket is a uniquely transformative experience. Handing a warm meal to someone who is hungry, but who is too tired to cook feeds not only the stomach of the one consuming the meal, but the soul of the one who prepared it.

As Jesus states in Matthew 25:40: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

Because of this reality, those who are sick and in need of service, are paradoxically being of tremendous service to those around them, by providing a very real opportunity to serve the Lord.

On the other hand, it also provides an opportunity for the Lord to expose those who know the good that they should do and yet fail to do it – and thereby sin. (3) On a micro level this applies to individuals, and on a macro level this applies to the heads and members of organizations which often hold patents and profits above patients and progress.

It brings tremendous glory to God when a believer endures suffering and hardship, and yet still manages to praise the Lord.

While praising God during the gentle, care-free seasons of life is important; I’m convinced that virtually no other human act causes the demons in hell to cover their ears, and the angels in heaven to lift their arms in celebration than when someone who is enduring a storm offers praise to God in the midst of their suffering.

The unwavering loyalty of one true fan is more precious than the shallow support of a thousand fair weather fans. The perseverance of one man, Job, in the midst of his affliction, utterly humiliated the devil, who had proudly boasted that the only reason Job loved God was because he had received so many blessings, without any real hardship. (4)

In conclusion, life after the fall wasn’t necessarily meant to be easy or painless.

Some of the most kind and humble people that I’ve known have had the most difficult lives, while some of the most unkind and arrogant people that I’ve known have seemingly had it the easiest. Life is a gym, not a spa – a gym where God strengthens and refines those whom he loves. Ultimately, this life is a split second proving ground when compared to the infinite span of the eternity that awaits us. If eternity is an endless line, this present life is merely a dot which God is using to prepare us for the life to come. A life where the broken and humbled will be exalted. (5) A life where sorrows, struggles, and scars will be transformed into crowns.

What if some of the most terrible experiences in this life are the seeds of some of most beautiful experiences in the life to come? How rewarding would it be to hear the Lord say “Well done, good and faithful servant. You kept the faith in the midst of your darkest days. You trusted and loved me even when you couldn’t know or understand my plans for you. You proved that you loved me more than you loved my blessings, and in doing so you brought great glory to my name. The dark backdrop of the world you’ve left behind will allow you to more fully appreciate the brilliant brightness of my kingdom – a kingdom where I’ve been preparing a place for you. Welcome home my precious child, I love you.”

UPDATE: My dear brother passed away shortly after I published this post. I encourage you to read the tribute that I wrote to learn about what an amazing man he was, and what a special life he lived – truly.

The post Why Does God Allow Cancer to Exist? appeared first on Natural Deals.

Now, I know there’s no shortage of natural minded conferences going on across the country, including the massive annual conferences put on by doTERRA and Young Living here in my home state of Utah which draw in tens of thousands of attendees – BUT – there was something about The Truth About Cancer Ultimate Live Symposium that struck a chord.

There was one particular statement about the event made by Ty Bollinger that resonated deeply within me. “I’ve gone on my quest – now it’s time for you to go on yours.” In Ty’s groundbreaking documentary series “The Quest for the Cures” he traveled the globe to interview the leading doctors, experts, and survivors on the subject of alternative cancer care.  Now I would have the opportunity to learn from those same doctors live and in person, and potentially even meet some of them and ask them questions of my own.

Having lost two of my own sisters to cancer, and having a brother who is currently dealing with late stage colon cancer – it’s an understatement to say that I have some “skin in the game”.  My desire to find meaning and purpose in the deaths of my sisters? Fierce. My desire to encourage and support my brother in any way that I can? Fierce. My desire to prevent cancer from striking myself or anyone else in my family? You guessed it.. Fierce. Yes, it was indeed time for me to go on my own quest.

Budgetary constraints and introverted, homebody tendencies be damned! Sometimes you’ve just got to go – and go I did.

From the moment that I stepped foot in the massive Gaylord Texan Hotel & Convention Center – I knew big, Texas-sized things were going to happen within the colossal halls of that structure. After hopping on and off two giant escalators, I found the registration desk and received a goodie bag and a badge.

I then noticed that there was a line of several dozen people waiting to meet Ty and his wife Charlene. Ah hah! This was the perfect opportunity to give them the custom gift that I put together to express my gratitude for all the work that they’ve done to further a cause that is so important to myself, as well as to millions of others. Plus they just seem like genuinely awesome people and I would like nothing more than to be their friend.

I also put together a similar gift for nine of the other presenters that I am most appreciative to for their contributions to the field. I’ve gleaned so much value from these people over the years and wanted to offer something of value in return. Sometimes a simple handshake and a ‘thank you’ just doesn’t seem like enough. Many of these people have suffered ridicule from their peers, or even harsh legal persecution because of their willingness to step outside of the confines of conventional medicine in order to better address the needs of their patients – and for this I consider them to be heroes. Thus a concept was born and I worked with an artist to have each of these individuals drawn in a comic book style; then I attributed superpowers to them based upon their area of specialization.

Here’s how they turned out:

As I approached Ty and Charlene, I excitedly held out the 5×7″ framed comic book portrait of them and asked “Do these people look familiar?” I was delighted when a giant grin and a laugh emerged from both of them – it was a hit! We talked for a moment and exchanged words of gratitude, then took a picture together.

As if the evening couldn’t get any better, my favorite radio show host Robert Scott Bell – who does a two hour program discussing natural healing and liberty – was setting up and preparing to broadcast live. I’ve been listening to his show almost daily for two or three years, so I essentially considered him to be a dear friend that I simply hadn’t met in person yet. I know, I know.. I can hear the “Stalker Alert!” bells sounding in your head – but don’t worry – he was happy to return the giant hug that I gave him and he was gracious enough to let me hang out at his make shift broadcasting booth while he did his live show. In fact, he even let me put on a headset to tell the listeners a quick story about how Ionic Silver helped me beat a stomach bug a week earlier. Nice!

I didn’t intend to, but by hanging out at Robert’s booth for the duration of the two hour show I had inadvertently stayed well past the attendee registration period and the VIP event for presenters only was now underway. Whoops! I felt a bit awkward once I’d realized what had happened, but Ty and Charlene were so gracious about it and came up to me to say thanks again for the gift, snapped another photo with me, and even offered to introduce me to some of the presenters. Those two are a real class act and as genuine as can be! Even in the midst of 1499 other people attending the symposium that weekend, they managed to remember my name after just one introduction and made me feel great about being there.

As the party finally came to a close around 10pm, I helped Robert pack up his booth and then I headed to my hotel room. I heated up some water in the microwave (ahhh! I hate using microwaves, but I was desperate!), mixed up some instant oatmeal and hemp seeds in a paper bowl and plopped down on the sofa to reflect on what an incredible night it was. I know how dorky it must sound to the uninitiated, but for someone as passionate about natural health as I am, hanging out with Ty, Charlene, Robert, and a number of other heroes of mine was akin to a TV fan hanging out with the cast of their favorite show, or a sports fan hanging out with their favorite team.

I was blessed to have the opportunity to talk with more than a dozen of my favorite experts throughout the weekend, and as cliche as it sounds, I began to realize that they are just “regular” people like you and I, trying their best to have a positive impact on the world. It was quite cool to see many of them sitting (or standing, in the case of Dr. Mercola) throughout the crowd with the attendees during the various presentations, taking notes and furthering their educations just like the rest of us.

I was genuinely touched by the fact that almost every single presenter at the symposium could be found standing in the lobby areas and hallways after events, generously offering their expertise and encouragement to the swarms of attendees. I overheard one person say “You’ve been standing in the same spot for more than three hours!” to Chris Wark (ChrisBeatCancer.com) and it’s because he was there pouring his heart out to anyone that wanted to talk with him.

I also feel compelled to give Dr. Nuzem, Dr. Jockers, Dr. Buttar, Dr. Pai, Dr. Wolfson, Mike Adams, and A.j. Lanigan special recognition for the countless hours that I witnessed them ministering to attendees. Notice how I said ministering? That’s a particularly fitting word, because I can’t help but feel that the entire weekend was a profoundly spiritual experience.

I saw doctors embracing attendees and I saw attendees embracing other attendees, praying for one another and exchanging words of encouragement and hope. I would need more than two hands to count the number of presenters that preached (yes preached) on the importance of having a relationship with the Lord. Dr. Eric Z offered an especially poignant message of faith – reading numerous Bible verses on hope and healing in his presentation titled “Beat Cancer God’s Way”. I nearly became teary eyed when Dr. Z and Dr. Jockers had anyone in need of prayer come up to the front of the room so that they could be ministered to.

As a side note, I’m always amazed when I consider the correlation between faith and natural healing. I suppose that this shouldn’t be surprising though, considering that a good measure of faith is required for a relationship with the Lord, as well as for overcoming a disease naturally. While the world bows down to the altar of “science” and all but worships the patented man made chemicals that are continually burned upon that altar; a growing number of people of faith are trusting that God has provided miraculous healing resources through his creation and that he cares for and honors those who seek him while in the throes of their darkest tribulation. Does conventional medicine have it’s place? Absolutely – though I would argue that we would generally be better served if the Emergency Room was the only portion of the hospital that was utilized on a routine basis. In other words, I believe that conventional medicine excels at acute trauma, but largely fails at treating chronic disease through the life-long suppression of symptoms. Am I generalizing? Sure – but I do believe the trends are there.

Did I mention how great it was to be around so many like minded people? There were people from around the world, and yet we all spoke the same language – health-nut-ese. It was possible to walk up to just about anyone and have a passionate and meaningful conversation with them, simply by asking “So what motivated you to attend this event?”

Another bonus? I didn’t have to worry about packing any essential oils around, because there were plenty of people sitting around me who were applying the oils to themselves. A healthy and free whiff of Frankincense? Don’t mind if I do!

Getting back to the presentations themselves, I was blown away by the sheer quantity and quality of information being dished out. The effect of nutritional phytochemicals on the process of angiogenesis? You’ve got it. The role of a Ketogenic Diet in starving out cancerous cells due to their propensity to be obligate glucose metabolizers? Check. The basic easy to grasp essentials needed to live a healthier life? No problem. The impact that emotions have on developing or reversing cancer? You better believe it. Oh, and that mildly controversial topic of vaccines? Dr. Andrew Wakefield himself was there to share his views on the subject.

Being that there were forty different presenters, there was no shortage of information being exchanged and I was extremely happy to learn that us attendees will be receiving a copy of all the presentations. You can purchase a copy of your own by visiting The Truth About Cancer website, and I genuinely believe that you’ll get a tremendous amount of value out of it.

Though I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed every presentation that I attended, these were a few of my absolute favorites. Bare in mind that because there were oftentimes three presentations going on at a time, there are still many presentations that I haven’t seen yet and I may update this list once I’ve had a chance to watch the Symposium in its entirety:

Cancer Killers- Getting to the Cause is the Only “Cure”! – Dr. Charles Majors
Unlock the Power to Heal: Your Gut Mission – Dr. Robert Scott Bell
Nutrition vs. Cancer – Chris Wark
7 Advanced Strategies for Healing Cancer Naturally – Dr. Josh Axe
Healing with Hydrogen ~ Paul Barattiero
Beat Cancer God’s Way ~ Dr Eric Zielinski

Just as quickly as it had all begun, the Ultimate Live Symposium had come to a conclusion. It was remarkable to see how jam packed the 1500 seat auditorium was during the closing ceremony. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that I was enjoying myself so thoroughly that I would have happily attended another three days of presentations.

Once the symposium was over, I sat quietly in my hotel room reflecting on what a life changing experience it had been and how grateful I was to have been part of history. I turned the TV on, but almost immediately turned it off again; not wanting to ruin the love, peace, and gratitude that filled my heart. I instead took to my knees in prayer and thanked the Lord for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a special event. As Robert Scott Bell would say:  “The Vitamin L” (Vitamin Love) was definitely flowing.

The post My Experience at The Truth About Cancer Ultimate Live Symposium appeared first on Natural Deals.

“Prior to the widespread availability of efficacious immunotherapies, cancer was the prevailing cause of mortality during the twenty first century – overtaking heart disease for the first time in the year 2021. Cancer rates began to steadily increase starting around the time of the Second World War, with exponential growth being recorded at the close of the 20th century. By the mid 21st century, average life expectancy had plummeted to pre 19th century levels.

Unlike the bacterial driven diseases of the time, which generally responded to antibiotic based drug therapy (prior to the arrival of drug resistant “superbugs” in the 21st century); the routinely proposed medical treatments for cancer proved to be largely ineffective for most metastatic cancers. Among these routine treatments, “chemotherapy” and “radiation” proved to be most lacking in efficacy, while also exhibiting the widest range of systematic toxicity.

Even in the face of largely condemnatory scientific and epidemiological data, these toxic treatments were increasingly prescribed to vast segments of the population throughout the later half of the 20th century, as well as during the first half of the 21st century.

Together, the five leading drug companies of the era controlled the licensed medical schools, had controlling shares in nearly all of the major media outlets, and employed lobbyists which exerted a tremendous amount of influence on the political leaders of the day. This oligarchical environment allowed for unprecedented levels of financial corruption and medical genocide to occur. In many cases, these multinational drug companies not only increased the occurrence of cancer through carcinogenic pesticides, herbicides, plasticizers and other synthetic chemicals – but also accelerated the cancer process through their proposed medical treatments.

Though the majority of medical oncologists were either knowingly or unknowingly complicit in the administration of toxic therapies; a segment of doctors and patients who were unsatisfied with the conventional “standard of care” began to emerge in sizeable numbers during the early 21st century. “The Truth About Cancer” was one of the foremost movements during this time, disseminating health related information that was largely contrary to the conventional medical view, through a series of interviews recorded on “digital video discs” and through videos and articles on its website (during a time when “the world wide web” was unregulated and open).

Though controversial at the time, adherents to the Truth About Cancer (TTAC) movement generally held views about the causation of cancer that were contrary to the established views of the medical industry – which viewed genetic inheritance and random chance as the primary drivers of the disease. Conversely; TTAC adherents cited “lifestyle factors” such as environmental toxins, poor diet, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, emotional distress, and lack of exercise as being key factors in the oncological process – realizing that these factors influenced gene expression in a phenomenon known as “epigenetics”. Consequently, TTAC posited that the cancer process could be halted, and in some cases even reversed by addressing these lifestyle factors.

Though precise data is unavailable due to a lack of any formal medical registry for these patients; it’s estimated that three to five million individuals managed to successfully address their cancer by targeting the necessarily lifestyle factors. These individuals experienced a disproportionately high survival rate in comparison to those who solely depended upon conventional medical treatments.

On October 14-16 during the year 2016, The Truth About Cancer held its first live symposium in Grapevine, Texas where thought leaders and “alternative” medical doctors lectured and exchanged ideas with approximately 1500 individuals in attendance. Many viewed this as a pivotal moment in the history of what was then called “alternative” medicine.

* This post is purely hypothetical speculation and is not intended to be taken as medical advice.

The post What Will Wikipedia Say About Cancer In 100 Years? appeared first on Natural Deals.

1.5 Cups of Coconut Milk (or Almond Milk)
1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil
1/2 Tablespoon of Turmeric Powder
A Pinch of Black Pepper (or better yet, a pinch of Bioperine)
1.5 Tablespoons of Honey
Optional (but highly recommended): 1 Green Chai Tea Bag
Optional (but highly recommended): 1/2 TSP. of Curcumin Extract Powder

Directions:

Add coconut milk, coconut oil, black pepper (or Bioperine), turmeric powder, (and curcumin powder if you have some) to a sauce pan and keep at a light boil for 5 minutes while intermittently stirring briskly with a fork or whisk (but be careful not to splash or spill – turmeric & curcumin are very staining). Remove from heat, stir in honey, then pour mixture into a large mug. If you’d like to make it a chai tea, steep a teabag in the mug for 4-5 minutes then enjoy your warm soothing drink.

The post Healthy Recipe: Golden Coconut Milk with Turmeric appeared first on Natural Deals.

My friend:*Intensely gazes into the cup in their hand, swirling the liquid around and secretly hoping it will evaporate*

My friend: “So.. uh.. what exactly is this?”

Me: “It’s a combination of green tea, black tea, and sugar that has been fermented for several weeks in that warm kitchen cabinet over there!” *points*

My friend: *Stares at cabinet, then stares at me – eyebrows looking skeptical as ever – as if I’m trying to sell them ocean front property in Nevada*

Me: “Stop smelling it! Just drink it!”

My friend: “OKAY FINE!”

My friend: *Hesitantly brings the cup to their mouth and sips the liquid*

My friend: “You know what! It’s not that bad! It kind of tastes like vinegar but I like it!”

*Twenty minutes and 16 ounces later*

My friend: You got anymore of that cam-bucha?

If you’re like my friend, you’re probably wondering what in the world Kombucha tea is. Kombucha (pronounced com-boo-cha) is a fermented beverage made using tea (traditionally, black tea is used – but I prefer using 50% black tea and 50% green tea – I’ll explain why a bit later), sugar, some already made “starter” Kombucha tea, and a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria & Yeast) – also known as a mother.

A mother you say? Yes, a mother! As creepy and alien-invasion like as that sounds, don’t worry! I mean, it’s not like there’s going to be a gelatinous inch-thick blob of slime dangling its tentacles into your precious tea, tucked away from sight within the dark confines of that kitchen cabinet you rarely use.

Wait – what’s that you say? That’s actually exactly what brewing Kombucha will be like? Son of a!

But you know what? It’s so worth it! That mother fermenter (along with the starter tea) will essentially feed off the tea and sugar for a couple of weeks, churning out powerful health promoting acids and probiotics (healthy bacteria) in the process. Dr. Axe has a great list of some of the benefits that can come from drinking properly prepared Kombucha, including improved digestion, detoxification, and immune support to name a few. Frankly, I think I’d drink it for the (acquired) taste alone, but the benefits certainly don’t hurt.

There are plenty of good articles online which talk about Kombucha and its associated benefits in more detail, but for the purpose of this blog I mainly want to share my Kombucha brewing secrets with you. I’ve been tinkering with Kombucha for nearly a decade and I think I’ve got it down to an art if I may say so myself. You might even call me the “mother whisperer”. Um.. on second thought, scratch that. *awkward silence*

I’m currently in the habit of brewing a whopping 5 gallons of Kombucha at a time, which seems to be just the right amount to keep me, my wife, and our friends thirst for the “‘booch” quenched. If you’re new to brewing your own Kombucha I’d suggest starting out a bit smaller – perhaps making a gallon for your first go around.

First things first, you’ll need a Kombucha mother (SCOBY) which one of your healthy friends might be able to provide to you – every time you brew a batch of Kombucha, the mother essentially replicates into two! If you don’t have any eccentric friends, you can actually purchase one from eBay (I bet you never thought you’d consider paying a stranger to mail you a blob of bacteria!) or from your local health food store. You’ll also need about 13 ounces of unflavored Kombucha tea to use as a starter.

Here are the steps to brew one gallon of tea:

Step 1: Bring just under a gallon of water (115 ounces if you want to get all science-y) to a boil in a large pot.

Step 2: Turn the heat off, remove the pot from the eye and immediately stir in 1 cup of sugar. You must use sugar – honey, stevia, agave, and other sweeteners won’t feed the mother like plain old sugar will.

Step 3: Immediately add 4 bags of black tea and 4 bags of green tea to your hot sugar water. From what I’ve read, you always want to use at least some (preferably 50% or more) black tea when brewing Kombucha – there’s something about it that mothers can’t resist. You can use all black tea if you like, but I find that adding green tea to the mix smooths out the overall taste of the tea and gives it some extra fizz. I also like using green tea because of its numerous health benefits.

Step 4: After the tea bags have steeped in the sugar water for 5-7 minutes, remove them. Let your mixture sit for an hour or so until the temperature has dropped to 110° F or cooler. Any hotter than 110° F and you’ll risk killing the beneficial cultures. I splurged and bought this awesome thermometer which not only sounds an alarm when your tea reaches a peak temperature, but also sounds an alarm once the tea has cooled down to a set temperature. It’s super useful and takes the guess work out of the equation. It works like a champ for making cheese and yogurt as well.

Step 5: Once the mixture has cooled down to 110° F or less, pour the mixture into a large glass container (metal is said to interfere with the brewing process, and plastic might leach chemicals because of the prolonged contact), then pour 13 ounces of already made Kombucha tea (unflavored) into the mixture and stir (using a plastic or wooden spoon – no metal). Finally, place the mother (SCOBY) into the glass container with the tea.

Step 6: Cover the top of the glass container with a paper towel or a clean cloth (it needs to be able to breath) and secure with a rubber band or string. Place the container in a kitchen cabinet or in some place where it won’t be disturbed often, where it’s dark, and where the ambient temperature is at least 70° F or warmer. Our kitchen gets pretty chilly during the winter, so I invested in a Seedling Heat Mat which I place the Kombucha vessels on top of during brewing. I also purchased a Thermostat for the Heat Mat which allows you to set a desired temperature. I’ve found that brewing my tea at around 74° F yields awesome results. Brewing my Kombucha at a constant and elevated temperature is what took my tea to the next level and I highly recommend the Heat Mat and Thermostat for anyone who wants to do likewise.

Before I had the mat and thermostat, our kitchen temperature typically hovered around 66-68° F during the winter months (brrr) and there were times where my Kombucha still wasn’t done brewing after more than three weeks. Part of me thinks that Kombucha must have originated in San Diego, because it’s so particular about living in that constant 70-75° F range.  That, and it’s terrible at driving as well – I kid, I kid! Don’t throw those California grown tomatoes at me!

Step 7: About 12 days later, check up on your Kombucha and give it a taste test. I recommend dipping a plastic spoon into the tea and pouring the spoon into a cup and sampling it that way. Depending on your personal taste and on the temperature of where you’ve been brewing at, your Kombucha may be ready at this point. It should be tangy and almost vinegar like, with a hint of sweetness. If you’re not sure if the tea is ready or not, try sampling it again in two more days. Still not sure? Try waiting two more days. By sampling your first batch of Kombucha at the 12 day, 14 day, and 16 day mark you’ll get a pretty good idea of how long of a fermentation process you prefer for future brews. 14 days at a constant 74 degrees works perfectly for me, every time.

Note: You should never see any mold growing on the mother or in the tea. If you do, throw it all away and start from scratch using a new mother and new tea! I’ve made over a hundred batches of Kombucha and haven’t seen one single spec of mold. In fact, I let a batch ferment for nearly six months once (I was driven by equal parts of laziness and curiosity), and even then there wasn’t a spec of mold. The mother was about 6″ thick though! It’s something to be aware of though.

Step 8: Once the Kombucha has fermented to your liking, remove the mother (using clean hands) and place it on a clean plate. Give the Kombucha tea a few stirs with a plastic spoon, then pour about 10% of the tea into a glass jar so that you can use it as starter tea for the next batch of Kombucha (which you should plan on starting the same day that you’re collecting your now finished batch).

Step 9: If you’re a minimalist, you can now pour the remaining Kombucha into glass jars (with tight fitting lids to preserve some of that naturally occurring carbonation) and store them in your fridge, ready to drink. I find that pint size mason jars work perfectly. Give the large glass container that your Kombucha was brewing in a good washing, and start the process all over again.

OR! If you want to thrill your taste buds and master the art of Kom-Foo, I suggest flavoring your Kombucha with fruit juice for that extra wow factor. It’s quite fun experimenting with different flavors of Kombucha and I don’t think I’ve found one that I haven’t liked yet.

If you’re going to flavor your Kombucha, I recommend pouring it into a gallon pitcher (plastic is fine, since it’ll only be in the pitcher for a minute or two), and then stirring in 1.5 Cups of any of the following juices: Pineapple/Mango Juice, Grape Juice, Pomegranate Juice, Apple Juice, Cranberry Juice, Dark Cherry Juice, and the list goes on – feel free to exercise your creativity here. I prefer the R.W. Knudsen brand of juices which can be found in most any health food store and in plenty of mainstream grocery stores, but any good quality juice should be fine.

Another great option is to order fruit juice concentrates from Vitacost.com. Some of my favorites include the Organic Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate, the Pure Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, the Pure Cranberry Juice Concentrate, and the Black Cherry Concentrate Blend. Since these are concentrates you’ll only need about 1/2 to 3/4 of a Cup to flavor a gallon of Kombucha. This makes the concentrates a bit more economical than the juice – especially if you grab a couple of bottles during one of Vitacost’s buy one get one 50% off sales. You can even add a few drops of liquid Stevia to your Kombucha while flavoring it if you want some extra sweetness.  I find that the Cranberry concentrate tastes best with a bit of Stevia added to the mix.

Step 10: Invite a good friend over and try to convince them to taste your delicious Kombucha tea, while insisting that they not give it a whiff first.

I hope that helps. May your brews ever be delicious! Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or tips of your own.

P.S. Here’s what 5 gallons (two 2.5 gallon containers) of glorious Kombucha looks like:

The post Guide: How to Make Delicious Kombucha at Home appeared first on Natural Deals.