Studying the Microbiome & Recipe for Raw Taco Salad

Genes make proteins which carry out the work of the cells.  How many genes does it take to make a human?  Given that a mouse has 23,000 genes, wheat has 26,000 genes, and a worm has 20,500 genes, how many genes would you guess a human would have?  As it turns out, the human genome is not much bigger than that of the worm, coming in at 21,000, less than that of a water flea!

The interesting thing about us humans is that the 21,000 genes are not the only genes that are running our bodies.  We are a community of organisms that live together and cooperate to run the body that sustains us all.  

Our human cells, although larger, are outnumbered ten to one by the cells of the microbes that live on or in us.  There are 100 trillion microbes that make up our microbiota, mostly made up of single cell bacteria, but also viruses and fungi.

The microbes living on the human body contain 4.4 million genes - this is our microbiome.  These genes collaborate in running our bodies alongside our 21,000 human genes.  We are just 10% human.

The raw foods group met at our house last Wednesday, and it was a large gathering of 20 people!  What a blessing to have such loving people in our lives...people who understand the beauty and power of the living foods.

I made a taco salad with walnut meat.  Delicious.  I made frozen Yonana nice cream with bananas, raspberries, and blueberries, served with chocolate vinegar from a local shop in Hot Springs called EVILO.  I also served my goodie ball trail mix, chunky smoothies, and turmeric tea.

Yonana frozen banana nice cream.

Wendy Fargo from Crooked House Herbs was our speaker who talked about the wonders of herbs and left us with her top 5 herb recommendations:  cayenne pepper, garlic, plantain, burdock, and comfrey. To order products or to receive a free consultation from Wendy Fargo please go to her website at Crooked House Herbals.  I bought her Skullcap Tincture and the PhytoSympathy.  Today I ordered The Intense Mouthwash from the website to address a dental problem I am having.

Wendy Fargo of Crooked House Herbals

Recipe for Taco Salad:

Salad:  Romaine lettuce, purple onions, tomatoes, olives, avocado slices and jalapeno.

Taco Meat: 2 cups walnuts, 2 cloves garlic, salt, 1 tsp cumin, paprika, and dash cayenne.  Pulse in food processor until the consistency of taco meat.  Put on top of the salad.

Dressing:  Lime juice

Food prep today:  I made lemon ginger blasts, orange juice, veggie cocktails, and chunky smoothies.

Breakfast:  lemon ginger blast, orange juice

Lunch: chunky smoothie, peanuts

Dinner:  Veggie Cocktail, fruit, dandelion chicory burdock tea

To health and happiness.