More Bad News About Bottled Drinking Water

According to a 2009 study published by 9 scientists, including 6 from Harvard, it was determined that drinking bottle water is not safe.

The study concluded that after a ONE WEEK exposure to plastic bottles, the participants experienced a two thirds increase in the amount of BPA found in their urine.

The endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) has recently garnered heightened attention because of widespread human exposure and disruption of normal reproductive development in laboratory animals [Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction (CERHR) 2008; Chapin et al. 2008; Goodman et al. 2006; European Union 2003; vom Saal and Hughes 2005]. BPA is thought to disrupt normal cell function by acting as an estrogen agonist (Wozniak et al. 2005) as well as an androgen antagonist (Lee et al. 2003). In animal studies, prenatal and neonatal exposure to BPA has been linked to early onset of sexual maturation (Howdeshell et al. 1999), altered development and tissue organization of the mammary gland (Markey et al. 2001), induction of pre neoplastic mammary gland (Durando et al. 2007) and reproductive tract lesions (Newbold et al. 2007), increased prostate size (Timms et al. 2005), and decreased sperm production (vom Saal et al. 1998) in offspring. Most recently, exposure to BPA has also been associated with chronic disease in humans, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and serum markers of liver disease (Lang et al. 2008).

We can’t help buy wonder… why do so many people feel safe drinking from plastic bottles?

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Companies Selling Organic Brands that Want to Use GMO Products

Many of us purchase organic products believing that we won't have to be subjected to GMOs in our foods. Surprise! The parent companies of a number  of the organic label foods that we regularly buy have been and are presently lobbying to defeat any propositions/bills by the states to require GMO labeling of foods. I hope others will find this as outrageous, hypocritical and unacceptable as I. Included below is a list of products and their parent companies, as well as contact information, that spent millions to defeat Prop 37, the California Right to Know GMO labeling initiative.

I am encouraging you to take time from your busy schedules to either call or post on these companies' Facebook pages. Let them know you'll support their brands as soon as they publicly and financially support your Right to Know, please.

I have the names and phone numbers of all the companies, so you may e-mail me if you are interested in calling or posting on their Facebook pages. I include the url, below, for a complete listing of all the companies and their brands that participated in this defeat. I will say that the largest contributions came from PepsiCo (Naked Juice, Tostito's Organic and Tropicana Organic), Kraft (Boca Burgers), Safeway (O Organics), Coca-Cola (Honest Tea and Odwalla), General Mills (Muir Glen, Larabar and Cascadian Farm), Con-Agra (Orville Redenbacher's Organic, Lightlife, Hunt's Organic & Natural Brands and Alexia) and Kellogg's (Bear Naked, Gardenburger and Kashi).

I was unhappy to see Muir Glen, Cascadian Farms and Kashi listed because we use these brands all the time. I'll be posting on their parent Facebook pages....I hope you will do the same for the products you use. Of course, there are more, such as Hershy's, Dean Foods and Smucker's, as well as others. Look here for the list: http://www.orgcns.org/V13Kvx.

This information is provided by the Organic Consumers Association and the Organic Consumers Fund. They contributed more than $1.4 million to support Prop 37. Unfortunately, the above-mentioned companies and their partners in crime donated over $13 million to defeat it...rather lopsided, wasn't it?

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fixd-Health-Care/123810761130727

Dead Man Walking: Are there Signs That You aren't Really Healthy?

A few days ago a famous actor died at the age of 51 of a massive coronary, aka heart attack. I was struck by some of the comments made by his family members that he looked so “healthy,” and how much of a shock this was to them. There were indeed signs that his body was very much imbalanced, unfortunately for him, these signs were missed by his medical doctors. This is an example of how relying on lab tests, only, can lead to serious consequences or death. Yes, he was over-fat and I don't know what kind of diet he ate, although I did see where he liked to drink, perhaps a bit too much. However, in order to play any role on stage, screen or television, the insurance company that underwrites the show insists that all the actors pass a physical, so, at least at one time, his lab results were acceptable.

I'm not talking about lab results when I refer to the fact that there were visible signs of serious health problems; I'm talking about alternative diagnosis techniques. We looked at a non- airbrushed picture of the actor taken shortly before his death. Anyone who has a rudimentary understanding of acupuncture meridians could see that his face was a font of information. There were major indicators in his gall bladder, large intestine and triple warmer meridians. Those are red flags for major imbalances in the circulatory system, for one. Additionally, there were signs on his face indicating that he did not have a strong constitution. You see, the body is very chatty; one needs only to know how to listen. It's just too bad that no one who knew how to listen was given an opportunity to help. That probably happens more frequently than we known. We find that some patients rather rely on their lab work results rather than on the information that their bodies are supplying. It's my belief that it's our job to inform people of the possibilities because we never want them to ask, “Why didn't somebody tell me?” if or when those problems come to pass.

We have the idea in this country that if you look healthy, you are. My question is: “What does healthy look like?” We also define health as an absence of symptoms. Since the body is capable of functioning while it's deteriorating, I don't believe that not experiencing symptoms is a reliable method of determining one's state of health. The body can experience up to 70% dysfunction of an area or system without symptoms. For example, Type 2 diabetes occurs as the result of a breakdown in multiple metabolic pathways which can take years. Is that person healthy as this is happening? Do they appear/feel healthy because they are experiencing no symptoms? That's the material point. Appearance vs. reality. Perhaps, I should coin a new term...”assumed health,” as opposed to “actual health.”

Here are some of the questions we ask in order to determine a person's state of health:

Do you sleep well and how many hours of uninterrupted sleep do you get each night?

Are there any foods that you cannot eat or react to?

Do you experience flatulence during the day or after eating?

Are your bowels regular? How do they appear?

Do you have heartburn?

Do you have non-specific muscle pain?

Are you anxious, lethargic or sad much of the day?

Do you have bad breath?

Does the smell of your perspiration bother you?

Do you experience an odd or bad taste in your mouth?

What colors, sounds, places, seasons, tastes and smells do you love or hate?

There are, of course, many other questions we use to determine “actual health,” but I doubt that most have been asked very many of these. Many of our questions require subjective answers, something that western medicine holds in low regard, but we have found to be valid indicators for determining the balance and health of the body. There's a saying: “What you don't know won't hurt you.” In my opinion, it should be: “What you don't know just may kill you.”

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fixd-Health-Care/123810761130727

Autism, Obesity, Heart Disease and Pollution...The Connection

It's not a giant step of logic to connect exposure to pollutants with resulting illnesses. Now, Marc Weisskopf and his team of researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found that early-life exposure to pollution, including diesel particulates, mercury and lead, could contribute to a higher risk of autism disorders.

Data analyzed from a nationwide sample of 116,430 nurses participating in the Nurses' Health Study 2, on-going since 1989, showed that of the 325 who had children with autism, most lived in areas with higher levels of pollutants and those who had children not affected by autism.

A current study, published on-line in the journal, Environmental Health Perspectives, included a broader based geographical area in which the scientists surveyed pollution exposure (levels which were measured by the EPA) to women who were pregnant and autism rates across the entire U.S. Expectant mothers who lived in the 20% of locations around the country with the highest pollution levels in the form of diesel particulates or mercury, were two times as likely to have a child with autism compared with those who lived in the 20% of locations with the lowest levels of pollution. Women who lived in the 20% of areas with the highest levels of other pollutants, like lead, manganese, methylene chloride and other metals, were nearly 50% more likely to have a child with autism.

It would seem expedient for obgyns to begin measuring for the presence of these chemicals in the blood of pregnant women or newborns in light of this extraordinary findings. We need to begin unraveling the cause of the explosive increase in the incidence of autism in this country. It would be interesting to see if children in non-industrialized nations show a different incidence of this developmental disorder.

We also know that there is a direct connection between air pollution and weight gain in children of mothers who smoke or live in areas that expose them to car exhaust (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Children born to mothers with the highest PAH levels during their third trimester had a 79% greater risk of becoming obese. By the time the children turned 7, their risk increased to 225%, probably because of growth hormone disruption caused by PAH.

We know that toxic pollutants cause blood vessels to contract and harden prematurely, perhaps in an effort to protect the tissues from excess chemical exposure. This is supported by some studies that have linked exposure to air pollution with hardening of the arteries and an increased risk of heart disease. This may be the etiology of autism; it just isn't known at this time exactly what causes autism but we can see what role pollutants play in this disorder. I just hope the medical community is listening. The quality of life of our children depends upon it.

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Watch out for Those Sports and Vitamin Drinks

My husband came home with a bottled water called, “Aqua Hydrate.” We always test the foods and drinks we consume and this item tested strong. After doing a bit of research, I understand why.

I have to digress just a bit. Chronic illness can be traced back to both inflammatory processes and a pH of our blood that is acidic (0 to 6.9). An acid medium is especially conducive to the overgrowth of mutagenic cells as well as causing changes within the nucleus of cells. Every patient who has come to me with nutritional deficiencies associated with intestinal complaints, adverse reactions to foods (they usually refer to this as allergies), metabolic problems and chronic illnesses have all presented with a blood pH that was acidic. Most of the foods we eat are acidic: proteins, fast foods, sugars, dairy, flour and so on. That is why I recommend we eat a diet that is 75% vegetable (and some fruit) and 25% protein/fat. For the most part, vegetables are alkaline. (Lemons, for example, are an acid food that turn alkaline in the bloodstream.)

You may be surprised to learn that the pH of all sports and vitamin drinks is around 4.5...just for reference, the pH of vinegar is 3.5 and the pH of stomach acid is around 2. I simply cannot stress enough how dangerous it is for us and our children to regularly consume these drinks...no matter how good the marketing people claim they are. The pH of this Aqua Hydrate is 9+, measured on a scale of 7.1 to 14. Please, if you are going to drink bottled beverages for their “health” value, take a look at the pH levels and choose an alkaline drink (over 7 pH).

Just fyi: the pH of coffee is 5+ and milk is 6+. There are reasons that I don't recommend either and the acidic pH is one reason. 

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Parents Need to Teach Their Children How to Fail

I was listening to a discussion concerning the death of a referee at the hands of a child competing at a sporting event.  Evidently, the ref made a call on this child that he didn't like and he flew into a rage, assaulting and killing the man.  A psychologist's comments about this horror is frighteningly interesting.  He said that today's children are rarely told, "no," or held responsible for their actions, parents frequently blaming the authority for their child's wrong doing.  He also said that sporting events are often the first time  children are held accountable for their actions or have their actions corrected.

This is very troubling and incredibly serious.  Somewhere along the line we have decided that every child has to be given a trophy for their participation in any sports in order for them to feel good about themselves.  Once upon a time, we played sports just for the joy of competition.  When did competition become a "four letter word?"  Life is not easy; no one is always successful; we fail much more frequently than we succeed.  To that end, aren't we doing a great disservice to our children if we teach them that no matter what they do, they will succeed or win?

When our children were little, they were taught that failure was an opportunity to learn something a different way or do something a different way.  We need to show our children that failure is an opportunity to be embraced, that way they won't feel bad about themselves or be fearful of failure.  Think back to your schooling...did you learn more from a test going over the answers that you got wrong or right?

This past weekend, the US Open Golf Championship was played in Ardmore, PA.  The players, themselves, say that this major is the most difficult they play all year.  One golfer, Phil Mickelson, has played in 23 of these championships, coming in second five times.  He is 43 and knows that the clock is ticking when it comes to his abilities against much younger and stronger players.  He wanted this win so much he could taste it, as he was either in the lead or near it for the first three rounds.  He was committed, focused and single minded.  In the end, he lost; it was as simple as that.  However, his interview, afterward, was amazing and something I think should be shown to every single sports participant by every single coach in this country.  For those who might not know, players who have lost a tournament in golf seldom even bother to give an interview, let alone one such as Phil gave.

When asked about how he felt, he said, "I'm brokenhearted."  He went on to delineate all the shots on all the holes that he failed to play correctly.  He didn't blame the weather conditions (as the world's number one did) or his caddy (as has been frequently done) or any other factor; he took full responsibility and did it with grace and class seldom seen or heard these days.  Yes, he is an adult; yes, he has lost before; yes, he plays an individual rather than a team sport.  But, he had to learn at a very young age that losing is not defeat, that losing is not a failure of the soul and, that in failure, life goes on and can be embraced for all the wonderful things it has to offer.

I so hope never to hear about a child, or parent, taking out their anger or frustration on another coach or ref, ever again.  I hope that parents can see how important it is to take responsibility for their own actions instead of passing it onto someone else or we will continue to see this proliferation of violence.  We have no one to blame but ourselves...not the movies or video games, ourselves.

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Breastfeeding can Give Your Child a Head Start in Life

A new study done by Brown University researchers has found additional evidence that breastfeeding helps in the development of babies' brains. Sean Deoni, assistant professor of engineering at Brown, and his researchers have completed the very first study that looked at the differences associated with breastfeeding in the brains of very young and healthy children.

The study used quiet MRI machines that image babies' brains while they are sleeping. They are able to image the microstructure of the brain's white matter which is comprised of myelin, a fatty tissue sheath surrounding nerves that facilitates communication. Myelination of the nerves in the brain is fundamental to every part of our intellectual, neurological and physical development in life.

Deoni and his team looked at 133 babies ranging in age from 10 months to four years. The participants were randomized for gestation time and socioeconomic status. The babies were divided into three groups: those who had been exclusively breastfed for at least three months, those fed a combination of breast milk and formula and those fed solely on formula. The researchers also compared older children to the younger ones to establish growth patterns and trajectories in white matter for each group.

The results were quite significant. The group that was exclusively breastfed showed the fastest growth in myelinated tissue of the three groups, while the breastfed/formula fed children showed faster growth in myelin than the formula only fed group, but slower development in myelinated tissue than the breastfed only group.

“We're finding the difference (in white matter growth) is on the order of 20 to 30 percent, comparing the breastfed and the non-breastfed kids. I think it's astounding that you could have that much difference so early,” stated Deoni.

If you'd like to read more about this subject, please go to:

http://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2013/06/breastfeeding

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The Most Powerful Factor For a Happy and Healthy Life

I wonder what most of us would say that factor is: a nutritious diet; eating organically; avoiding chemical additives in foods; drinking filtered water; having a happy family life; maintaining a “healthy” weight; not smoking; doing the work that makes us feel fulfilled; believing in a higher power...all these things contribute to our sense of well being and, thus, happiness, but are not “the factor.”

It is...forgiveness... and it appears to be the single most difficult thing for most of us to do. Simply put, if we forgive, we give up the “right” to punish or take revenge on someone who has caused us pain. It has been my experience that many hang onto un-forgiveness and bitterness because they believe that by forgiving, the offender is somehow absolved of his responsibility. Truly, that isn't what happens. Forgiveness is for us and no one else. When we forgive, we let go of the other person's power that we have allowed them to have over us. We are then free to grow and live our lives in peace.

There is a biochemical reaction that occurs in the presence of violent emotion...whether in deed or thought. These chemicals eventually cause significant imbalances in our bodies, even to the point of illness and pain. I talked about the physiology and neurology of this in a previous blog about “Hypersympathetic Stimulation Syndrome.” Research published in two different psychology journals shows improvements in both physical and emotional well-being following acts of forgiveness. A study done in 2009 shows an inverse correlation between forgiveness and depression. It has been our repeated experience that patients who have come to us for treatment of protracted or unrelenting pain have all shown levels of emotional turmoil that directly related to their levels of pain. Interestingly enough, while actively forgiving, chemicals that cause us to feel happy (endorphins) and peaceful are released. Forgiveness is an action that heals like no other.

Here is an account from Dr. Weil's book about someone who experienced the healing power of forgiveness: 
 

When I was two years old, my mother remarried...This man was abusive, physically and verbally...I was angry for decades. The abuse affected every aspect of my life. I even married a man much like my stepfather...I would spend sleepless nights wishing my stepfather dead and blaming him for everything that had gone wrong in my life.

When I was forty-four, I saw him again, at my mother's home....He didn't even recognize me! I was so incredibly angry at all that he had put me through...and now he didn't even remember....who I was. I contemplated this situation for a couple of hours...then walked up to him, kissed him on the cheek and told him, 'You know, I really loved you once,' and in my heart I forgave him for all the abusive years.

Next day, I woke up free from all the anger, free from the guilt, free from the shame. I haven't had a moment's anguish from that man's actions again. I feel lighter, stronger and more confident. I can't believe that I let so much of my life be lived under a dark cloud when all I had to do was forgive, and the cloud was gone.

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Altruism Can Save Your Life

In his book, Spontaneous Happiness, Dr. Andrew Weil talks about how our helping others can make us happier, relieve depression and even extend our lives. This doesn't have to entail any significant livestyle changes such as joining the Peace Corps or the giving of large sums of money to charity. It can be as simple as putting the needs of others before our own as an effective method to enhance emotional wellness.

Putting others first doesn't mean that we ignore our own needs or that attending to ourselves is selfish. I think that it embraces the concept that consideration for how the other person is feeling as a result of either our own actions or the consequences of outside forces is of utmost importance. Thinking of others, first, reduces social isolation and changes our worldview from the inward, depressive, self rumination to the outward, empathetic, compassionate.

Neuroscientists have demonstrated that helping others activates the same centers of the brain that are involved in our pleasure responses to food and sex. In one study, these same centers lit up when the participants simply thought about giving money to charity. Additionally, Christine L. Carter, PhD, writes that, “...giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease.” I love that. I don't know how many times I've told patients that our Creator didn't forget to give us enough aspirin in order to avoid heart disease....that is our idea. Dr. Carter, continues:

People fifty-five and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have an impressive 44% lower likelihood of dying-- and that's after sifting out every other contributing factor, including physical health, exercise, gender, habits like smoking, marital status and many more. This is a stronger effect than exercising four times a week or going to church; it means that volunteering is nearly as beneficial to our health as quitting smoking!

People who help others are also less likely to be depressed and more likely to be happy or content. In 2000, a survey of almost thirty thousand people in the landmark Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey showed that those who give contributions of time OR money are 42% more likely to be happy than those who give nothing. Let's think about how many times a day we are offered the opportunity to show kindness, courtesy or consideration to others: in our interactions with our spouse/partner, our children, our boss, our co-workers or our fellow drivers.

Remember how we can change our way of looking at others, ourselves and the world? Also, remember how we can become stuck in the emotional when trying to develop new ways of thinking? We talked about that in last week's blog. According to these studies, we really don't need meds for ourselves or our kids if we are seeing signs of sadness or depression. We can change our focus from inward to outward for our whole family and live longer, happier and healthier lives.

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An Oncologist Talks About Radical Breast Surgery

I was reading the blog of Dr. Barry Boyd who has practiced oncology for a number of decades. I thought what he, and others, had to say was practical, informative and timely. Here is some of his response to Angelina Jolie's radical mastectomy choice.

While he agrees that women who carry the BRCA gene mutation limit their risk of mortality from breast cancer by 85-95% when the breast surgery is performed before age forty, he believes the public is woefully under-informed when it comes to identifying the need for such surgery. Dr. Boyd believes that many hold the misconception that the leading risk factor for breast cancer is a gene mutation resulting in a hereditary predisposition to cancer.

“This, in part, reflects confusion about the difference between 'hereditary' and 'genetics,' with regard to cancer risk. Hereditary risk factors are changes in the genes you inherit from one or both parents, which are present in all cells in your body. In families with a very high cancer risk, some family member(s) might inherit that abnormal gene. It is important to note that while virtually all cancers are 'genetic,' most cancers are not inherited but, rather, reflect the genetic changes that occur within the DNA of that cell.”(We actually know that DNA is not static, but can be changed by exogenous or endogenous stress, exposure to chemicals, viruses, bacteria or environmental changes.) “Over a period of years, a mutated cell can give rise to generations of new cells that acquire additional genetic changes, eventually resulting in an actual cancer. Thus, stricktly speaking, all cancer is 'genetic' but not necessarily inherited.”

Only 15% of breast cancer in the US is related to a strong family history, and only 8-10% of breast cancer has a defined inherited genetic predisposition. The problem seems to be that women confuse the high risk in individuals with the BRCA-1 gene mutation ( 85-95% risk of breast cancer until age 70) with the general risk of getting breast cancer. According to Dr. Boyd, the real risk is that women who have no family history or genetic predisposition to breast cancer underestimate their risk for cancer and are not taking adequate preventative measures against this.

The problem I see is that the medical community, in general, doesn't either see or agree upon the importance of environmental factors and diet in breast cancer. We have seen a dramatic growth in the incidence of breast cancer in all women over the past twenty to thirty years. Something has changed. We have seen that change cause an increase in the lifetime breast cancer risk in carriers of an inherited BRCA-1 or 2 gene mutation from only 20% to up to a 85-95% risk. This is similar to the marked increase in non-inherited breast cancer incidence during this same time period. Dr. Boyd says that this is rarely discussed and cannot be caused by an increase in frequency of these genetic mutations...that would take hundreds-to-thousands of years for this magnitude of change to take place. Scary, isn't it?

In her book, Your Life in Your Hands, Dr. Jane Plant discusses many of these issues, and, this book was published over a decade ago! She, herself, had breast cancer a total of five times and was told that the last episode of breast cancer would end her life. She did extensive research on this topic and, “cured” herself. It's a fascinating book and one I have recommended to all women over the years. I highly do so, again, for any and all of you interested in some answers as to why we have seen such a significant increase in breast cancer since the 1980's and what we can do to help protect ourselves.

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More Tips for Baking and Cooking

To continue with yesterdays topic, let's look at a few more tips. I have a few dozen more cooking and baking tips that will be included in my recipe book that should be finished by next year, sometime.

Non-gluten Pie Crusts

After trying to get the perfect mixture consistency, I can tell you that it's best to include a small amount of Xanthan Gum in the dry mix, about 1/2 tsp. This helps to keep the crust from cracking, along with using enough butter and liquid. This crust is very easily burnt, so please either cover the entire pie with aluminum foil or just the fluted edges if you aren't using a pie crust top. I find that only 5-8 minutes, without the aluminum foil, is needed for browning the crust.

Non-gluten Cookies

I will be including some very yummy cookie recipes in my book. If you like to bake cookies and want to switch to non-gluten flour, there are a couple of tricks that might be helpful when trying to convert recipes. First, decrease the amount of shortening in the recipe by about 40%. Otherwise, you'll end up with cookie pancakes. Second, you may have to decrease the oven temperature by as much as 25 degrees F., according to how hot or cool the oven. And, third, try decreasing the cooking time by a few minutes, as the cookies may get brown more quickly than if you were using regular flour.

Thickening Sauces, Gravies and Pie Fillings

The usual method of thickening usually involves flour, instant tapioca or cornstarch. If you'd like to try a different product, may I suggest arrowroot powder. I like the way is dissolves into the liquid without lumping, the way flour or cornstarch may. If boiling the liquid, wait until the end to add the arrowroot powder. Use about the same amount of arrowroot as you would cornstarch or flour.

Mushrooms

Adding caramelized mushrooms to any vegetable dish gives a depth of flavor that you don't get from steamed mushrooms. These vegetables contain a significant amount of water, so, in order to caramelise them, you have to cook them in some oil, without salting them and without any other “wet” vegetables, such as onions. Once they begin to get that wonderful color, add the other vegetables and salt. It'll make a big difference.

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Baking & Cooking Tips and Other Information

I thought I might take a break from all the serious topics of the past few months and write about some fun and interesting information that I've learned along the way. Some of this may be obvious to you, so please bear with those who are just in on the beginning of learning how to cook and bake.

Scallions/ Spring Onions

Many of us may cut off the green tops and simply use the white, “onion,” portion. The green tops are very tasty, contain most of the nutrients and add lovely color to the dish. I first learned about this from an exchange student from Kuwait when I was in high school who was, frankly, astonished that my mother was throwing the tops away.

Celery

Normally, I would never have thought about how the thickness of slicing this vegetable could negatively affect people's opinion as to its use. When making chicken salad, in addition to a number of different herbs, I always add finely chopped celery. One day, I had a guest over to whom I offered my salad. After a bite or two, she stopped and asked if there was celery in it. After answering affirmatively, she told me she really didn't like celery and normally didn't eat it. But, she liked it very much, finely chopped, in the salad. My guess is that her mother always coarsely chopped it as my guest was growing up. I wonder, how many times do we simply follow our mother's lead on how we prepare foods?

Baking Pie Crust

Here's a tip I learned from watching America's Test Kitchen and now wonder why in the world I hadn't figured it out for myself, years ago. How many of us end up with slightly under cooked and/or a trifle soggy bottomed pie crusts when baking with wet ingredients? Flaky pumpkin, berry or apple pie crust doesn't always happen....especially when baking the pie for less than an hour. Pre-heat the oven to 50 degrees hotter than the desired temperature and adjust the cooking rack to the lowest rung. When it's time to put the pie into the oven, turn down the temperature. You'll never again have to deal with soggy pie crusts.

A More 'Chocolatey' Flavor

Whenever you're baking with chocolate, always add a pinch of cinnamon powder and coffee to the batter. You can add the finely ground coffee powder, directly, or mix it with boiling water, then cool.

I'll continue with a few more tips in my next blog. If any of you have tips you'd like to share, I encourage you to post them on my Facebook page. It's always great to learn from others' experiences.

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