Rose Cottage

 On the weekend I was able to get Natto at Market of Choice in Bend - I'm excited to try this commercial Natto from Portland! I also got organic dried soybeans in the bulk section.  Mischievous natto I find the taste quite mild, and reserved some to use for starter. I'm trying a new fermenting method - it's in a baking dish on my seed starting mat for 24 hours - then it will ferment another day in the fridge.  Natto fermenting on seed mat I streamed the beans, mixed in a spoonful of natto, then spread them out in the baking dish. I laid an opened compostable sandwich bag on the surface of the beans, having poked holes with a toothpick. The whole dish was placed in a larger bag, and set on a potholder in the tray over the seed warming mat. I'm hopeful they will develop the nattokinase 'halos'! Here's a quick tutorial Natto (L) Steamed soy beans (on Rt) I'm excited to add more of this heart, gut and bone healthy food to my repertoire! Recent studies show t...

 In this recent video , Sachiaki Takamiya talks about different ways we can protect our gut health, which in turn enhances our general health.  Picked garlic, cilantro, Miso, Kim chi, tofu Many of these concepts are familiar and  ones I already incorporate into my life.  Living on the West Coast, I have enjoyed rice, Miso and yes, tofu for decades.  Moderate movement - ideal if it's both enjoyable and not overly strenuous.  Last year i discovered the Japanese morning exercises in comments on another health thread.   Doing movement that exercises arms and legs for 6-10 minutes early in the day 'turns on' our lymph flow - increasing the benefits of movement throughout the day! I also enjoy Qigong, Breema, gardening, walking and dance, and encourage other folks to find movement they enjoy! Sleep and stress - as Sachiaki mentions, getting adequate sleep is so helpful for general health. And keep manageable stress at a minimum - slow down! One tip f...

  Fermented foods come in many forms, and can offer great support for gut health.  Asian countries have many processes for fermenting beans - in Japan, one of these is Natto. I was intrigued to discover rather than purchasing inoculant, you can use a handful of mint stalks! (The first Natto was likely made using rice stalks.) Natto with avocado and fresh herbs On his ikigai diet youtube channel, health enthsiast Sachiaki Takamiya offers videos with  tips and recipes for making this superfood at home, plus info on healthy lifestyle. Protein levels in fermented beans are often double that in the same beans when simple cooked.  I enjoyed this video , highlighting 4 generations of a family (4-88) evoking good health and daily natto, plus the process and health benefits.  In the Shiga prefecture, it is common for elders to eat soybean natto several times a week, along with seaweed, vegetables and other whole and fermented food. As in the Blue Zone Okinawa, many cont...

 In recent years, many of us have become intersted in Blue Zone areas with higher numbers of centenarians, including Okinawa. There are books and PBS Recently hosted a series exploring Blue Zone lifestyles.  Soup and salad Recently, Aki (Samurai Matcha) filmed a session with Christal, who has been living in Okinawa and researching  the practices of these older adults.  They share tips from her research and visits in this video  - 7 Healthy Habits of Okinawa.   Like my previous post sharing tips from Aki's Japanese lifestyle, anyone can incorporate some or all of these into their own lives.  Aki and Christal open with an invitation to spend time with your friends, and not canceling plans unless it's truly necessary! Spending time with others several times weekly (daily when you can!) supports mental health and happier nature.  Healthy eating - and only till 80% full (hara hachibi bun me) - is common in older Okinawas, (and key in all the B...

 I'm excited about the newest additions to the garden bookshelf!  The first is Edible - illustrated by our local artist/ author and farmer Katie Kulla, with writers Kevin Hobbs (England) and Artur Cisar-Erlach (Austria). We're invited to journey into the world's Botanical larder, and hope for a  sustainable future!  Edible - 70 sustainable plants Katie gave a wonderful talk yesterday on the inspiration and creation of this work at our library, co-sponsored by the wonderful Third Street Books. "More than half of most folks' diet is made up of three grains and a bean (wheat, maize (corn), rice and soy)"  - but there are thousands more that we can use to craft a healthier and more sustainable future.'  Edible highlights 70 of these - from all 7 continents (including seaweed from Antarctica) from baobab and carob to sweet potato leaves and Yangmei (Asian bayberry) Katie and her husband Casey offered produce and meat from their CSA for over a decade, and her ...

 For several years, I've enjoyed videos from a Japanese teacher Samurai Matcha (Aki-san). This week's offering on 7 Japanese habits  fits beautifully with my Reiki practice and good sense, and I grew up with many of them, in my rural Oregon home.  Hara Hachibi bun me  Respect and honor our ancestors - this is one of the Reiki principles, honor your parents and elders; Aki-san speaks of receiving the 'baton of Life' from our ancestors, to help us in our own lives! I grew up taking flowers to my grandparents' graves on Memorial Day, and hearing stories of their lives. Clean up public areas - pick up trash, leave things 'cleaner than you found them! In Oregon, private citizens 'adopt' sections of the highways and beaches, and do regular clean ups. Our Edible Landscaping group adopted the 6 block stretch along Alpine street where our raised gardens are located. My folks loved to camp, and again, cleaned up around the site before and after. Cities find that c...