The weather has been kind of stormy here lately which always makes it harder for me to sleep.  Over the past few years I have found that I sleep much better and feel happier overall if I take a dose of magnesium before I go to bed.  I usually alternate between 2 or 3 tablets of Marilyn Farms Mag Calm and 1 scoop of Marilyn Farms Essential Calm in a small glass of water.  Either choice provides about 300 mg of magnesium in a very absorbable form (chelate, glycinate, and citrate are the best – avoid magnesium carbonate and oxide if possible).  This dosage puts me right to sleep and I wake up feeling pretty good (though I would feel better if my early bird husband would sleep a little later so I could enjoy my rest without feeling guilty).

The best way to figure out what dosage of magnesium works for you is to start with a small dose (about 100 mg) and gradually work your way up over the course of a few days.  You’ll know you’ve had enough magnesium when you start to have loose stool.  When that happens, just reduce your dosage back to whatever you were taking the day before you had loose stool (for example, if 400 mg gives you diarrhea, go back to 300 mg) and take that for maintenance.  Needs for magnesium will vary based on stress and activity levels as well as how much you’re getting in your diet. 

For more info on magnesium as well as a list of foods that contain magnesium, see this website:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/magnesium/
NOTE: This blog is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.  If you are being treated for impaired kidney function, you should not use magnesium supplements without the consent of your physician.

I love to make my own butter.  It is very easy to do, and never fails to impress (I love making things that seem difficult and impressive, but are really simple!  Shhhh… don’t tell my secret!)!  I also like doing this, because it allows you to control the quality and freshness of the butter that you and your family eat ( and we love to eat butter!). 

By using organic, fresh, raw (if possible, or lightly pasteurized) cream, you are ensuring a very high quality butter.  It also allows you to be creative while saving money.  Purchasing a high quality “fancy” butter at a store can be expensive, but by making your own you save money, while having the opportunity to “customize” your butter for each meal (ex:  Honey/ sage butter, herb butter, garlic butter, etc.).  Have fun – and enjoy!

Items Needed:  

·         Good quality heavy cream

·         Food processor

·         Any goodies you want to add to butter (ex: salt, herbs, garlic, honey, sage, etc.)

How to Make Butter:

1.      Pour approximately two cups of heavy cream into food processor 

2.      Pulse food processor until the cream separates into butter and buttermilk.  This will take several minutes.  Hold down the pulse button for several seconds each pulse, and continue for 3+ minutes.  The cream will thicken into whipped cream before it separates.  You will know when it is ready when you have visible, yellow curds of butter, and a separate watery substance.  This is your butter and buttermilk! 

3.      Gather the butter in your hands, and squeeze the buttermilk out 

4.      Discard buttermilk, or keep for drinking or baking 

5.      Put butter in a bowl.  Using a large spoon or scraper, press the butter to remove any remaining buttermilk.

6.      Press additional ingredients, if any, into butter.  I made agave nectar & sage butter… yum!

7.      Form into some type of shape, and refrigerate.

8.      Before you use the butter, I would recommend that you take it out of the fridge at least an hour before use.  It can get very hard when cold.

9.      Spread liberally on tasty bread, or anything else – and ENJOY!

For this week’s entry, I thought to share with you a few interesting facts about cholesterol that will be covered in more detail at our webinar this Saturday (to register click here).  Here they are!

 People with higher cholesterol are more likely to live longer, healthier lives than their counterparts with low cholesterol.
 Cholesterol is absolutely necessary for memory and learning, which may be why two common side effects of statin therapy are memory loss and cognitive decline.
 People with low cholesterol are more likely to experience mood disorders such as depression and exhibit violent behavior.  In fact, some researchers attribute the rise in domestic violence and child abuse over the past 30 years to the increased use of cholesterol-lowering medication.
 Exposure to heavy metals is usually followed by a rise in blood cholesterol, possibly because cholesterol acts as a “raft” to get toxins out of the body quickly.
 Every cell in your body makes cholesterol.  In fact, only 15% of cholesterol in your body comes from your food – the rest of it is synthesized by your body because it is that important!
 Fatty plaques in the arteries are actually a sign that there is underlying inflammation in the body.  Cholesterol rises as a response to this inflammation to try to repair damaged portions of blood vessel walls – cholesterol is NOT the root cause of artery plaques, inflammation is!
 If you are stressed about the results of your cholesterol test, it is likely that your results will be higher than they would be if you weren’t stressed.  Stress causes cholesterol levels to rise, and they may not return to normal for 24 hours or more.   
NOTE: Please talk to your physician before making any dietary or supplement changes.  This blog is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified healthcare practitioner.

Here is a great website that was brought to my attention by a fellow researcher:

www.cholesterol-and-health.com

I highly encourage you to look at this website, which gives an accurate view of the benefits of cholesterol.  For more info, please tune into our webinar, “The Truth About Cholesterol,” which will air on Saturday May 16th. 

To register click here.