Kelley's Passion for Nutrition

Did you make New Years resolutions?

2012-01-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

It is a new year and with that we all have our resolutions. Each may be different from getting more organized, losing weight, or/and enrichment. One thing about New Years resolutions are that they start with good intentions. What happens is we do not get the support we need or lose that drive to change. If you are looking to change some of your eating habits than I am happy to share some links with you. When changing any routines or habits, it is best to make them realistic and gradual.
Nourishing Thoughts is helping to give you gradual steps in changing your family nutrition, this week is Snacks. You can take a pledge to change and they are giving tips, tools, recipes, and more to help you with your goals, see Take Healthy Steps.
Also see Healthy snacks for children to get some snack ideas for you and the kids.

Sometimes when changing habits we naturally think negative towards the change. Something I did for my kids was change the presentation at meals. I picked up some new kids plates so they were excited, and took a little extra step in the assembly of food at meals. Check out Lunch bots on facebook or LunchBots gallery page for cute ideas. You might be thinking I don't have time to cut and make meals like these, but start small and just be creative. You would be surprised how a normal lunch can be improved just by the addition of a few items.

What are your kids eating for Lunch?

2010-08-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe summer is almost over and my little ones are heading off to school again. I want to let you know a few facts about our children and their nutrition. If you were looking to change their health now is the time. The American Dietetics Association reported that half of all children from ages 2 -18 years eat less than one serving of fruit per day.

This summer we had lunch at the kid’s cafeteria to get a felling of the nutrition at the school. The school has to feed many children and has to make it on a budget. We had a few lunches so I could see and taste the difference between the meals. Each meal I calculated to be between 2500-3000+ calories just for lunch. The meals varied between chicken, beef, and pastas. I could taste and see they used white flours and most items where fried. There was heavy sauces and canned foods. Now, I will say it is a great service to have food provided at the school for some individuals. I only wish they would get on board with nutrition today and not use hydrogenated oils, heavily processed foods, white flours, and sugar. Most of all I wish we could get fresh fruit and veggies. Now if they are not getting these nutritional dense foods at school where can they get them? From Mom or Dad.

Of course the best way to make sure they are getting a balanced diet is to pack the lunches yourself. This can be tricky at times, where kids can trade or throw away their food. I am not discouraging you, just preparing for picky eaters. Ask your kids what they are wanting in their lunch and make some healthy substitutes. Have them help you plan the meals so they have involvement and feel it is their lunch. You will have less rebellion when they understand.

So where do you start?
1. At home during dinners start with a few small portions of new items to see how they like it and ask if they would like it in their lunches. When they try something new in a smaller portion it is not overwhelming and gives them a chance to decide in a comfortable environment. Trying something new that does not agree with them will cause rebellion to home lunches.

2. Take your child shopping, let them pick out their fruits and vegetables, along with picking out a NEW item for the week. We are stimulated by the eyes with colors and textures. When they take ownership they tend to like items just because. If they do not like something the first time, do not get upset or quit. Try it in combination with other things, or make it differently, it may be a hit the second time around.

3. Allow your child or teen to help you cook dinner and lunches. When they feel accomplishment in creating something tasteful, they want to try more.

4. We mentioned making a menu together. Remind them it is a 3 or 4 day rotation. This allows for a diversity of nutrients while also reducing the chance of creating allergic reactions of foods. (Peanut butter, Turkey, Roast beef, chicken salad). This keeps things from getting stagnant and boring.

5. It can be very tempting to throw in junk foods every now and then. Try not to, you are making habits for life.

6. Get creative. This is the most important. I use wraps, large lettuce leaves, pitas, and breads. If it is always a sandwich is may not be as appetizing.

7. Be an example! This maybe hard at times but what better way to teach your children eating habits than with your nutritional diet. If your not doing it than they will not either.

Here is a few examples of great meals.

Breakfast: Yogurt, granola, Kashi (high fiber cereal lots of great tasting cereals), fruit, eggs (hard, poaches, omelets, scrambled), oatmeal, veggies omelets, mixed fruit, burros.

Lunches: sandwiches, mixed veggies, burros, chicken strips ( non fried), yogurt, beans and rice, stir fry's, fruits, wraps. Low-fat cheese sticks.

You get the idea. If your children does not like to eat vegetables, give them some dips to get use to the flavors of raw veggies. Ranch, hummus, yogurt and peanut butter dip, and more. Other great items to include are seeds, nuts, dried fruits (limited), crackers, rice cakes and brown rice. This is fun and gets them working towards healthy habits.

Also, remember to look on labels for ingredients. If any of the many names for sugar is listed in the first three ingredients, Move On! Stay away from enriched products of any flour. Even though it may not list enriched on package, look for it in the ingredients. Look for labels that say non-hydrogenated oil, too. This will reduce the chance of heart problems, and yes about 1 in 5 teens are now having cholesterol issues. Your deli meats should list no nitrates. Hormel is one of the companies you can find in most groceries that carry little preservatives. If you can get a organic no - preservatives lean meat that great!

Antioxidants rich foods are those of bright colors like orange, purple, blues, greens, and reds. These super foods reduce inflammation, reduce free radicals that break down tissue, and boast the immune system.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!

Thyroid Dysfunction

2010-06-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

With depression, anxiety, heart problems, and weight being large issues here in the United States, more people are wondering about their thyroid function. Your thyroid can play a large roll in your health.

The thyroid glad is responsible for many functions.
• regulates our metabolic rate
• protein metabolism in cells
• glucose absorption
• absorption of nutrients in the intestinal tract
• controls children's growth rate
• affects adult metabolic repair
• the balance of heat and energy in cells
• increases oxygen consumption
• also affect heart rate, central nervous system, muscle function, quality of sleep, and even respiration.

When these many different areas are slowed or sped up you can have a imbalance causing symptoms of varying degrees.
• digestive disorders, weight problems
• poor thinking and memory loss
• fatigue, non restful mornings, insomnia
• depression and lowered sex drive
• nervousness, anxiety, chest pains, panic attaches
• heart irregularities

While you may be experiencing some of these symptoms it does not mean that your thyroid is dysfunctional. It means its time to talk to a physician and see if it is your thyroid. While testing can be expensive, and often does not show unless the problem is sever, you can test yourself to see if there is a issue.

This technique is the Basal Temperature Study. Reading your temperature upon waking from under the arm, while show you if your temperature is running high, low, or just with normal ranges. Readings from 97.4-98.2 are considered normal values. Temperatures over 98.2 are indication of Hyperthyroidism. Temperatures under 97.4 will concern for hypothyroidism.

How to take the test at home.

Step 1
Before bed, shake down the mercury, basal, thermometer and have laying by a near by chair or table. You want the reading to be at least 96 degrees.

Step 2
Upon waking, and still in bed, place the thermometer under your armpit and hold arm down as to make sure the thermometer will not slip. Be sure there is no cloths touching the thermometer and you are not laying under a blanket as this will increase the temperatures and not a accurate reading.

Step 3
Hold thermometer under armpit for 10 minutes, while still sitting in bed, your not up and moving around as this increases body temperatures. After the 10 minutes record your time on a nearby sheet of paper.

Step 4
You will be recording your waking temperatures for 14 days straight. Note if you have a menstrual cycles and any symptoms of illnesses.

If your temperatures are below 97.4 degrees you may want to talk with your physician about supplements that can balance your thyroid. There are also methods of thyroid support that can be helped through your diet and lifestyles. You can email me for suggestions to help or questions.

Have a Blessed and Healthy day

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Give yourself a little pampering today. I have some of my favorite spa things to do at home. These are simple nourishing things to give yourself or a loved one a little down time on this day of love. If you would like to print these recipes off and post on a pretty piece of card stock it will make for a nice addition to any present. These are ingredients that you'll find in most kitchen or easy to find at the store.

Enjoy and Happy Valentines Day!

Basic Skin Toner ..A gentle cleanser
1 tsp of dried Chamomile
1/3 cup boiling water.

This little toner is so soothing for the skin. All you do is bring your water just to a boil remove from heat, and then place your dried chamomile, preferably in a teabag, in the water. Allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain any loose dried chamomile while pouring liquid into a 4 once glass container. ( you can use a coffee filter if the chamomile was loose) When cooled. you can apply to face with cotton balls, or use a soaked paper towel and cover face and lay back and relax. I like to slightly warm the toner if using a paper towel for a nice warm compress.
Almond Scrub
7-10 almonds
1 tsp olive oil

This is fast and easy. Grind almonds up to a small gritty meal. Mix almonds and olive oil together and then scrub in a circular motion over face, avoiding eyes. This scuffs off dead skin cells and leaves a rich nourished shine to the skin. Rinse with warm soapy water.

Yogurt/ Strawberry Mask

1 handful of ripe strawberries
2 tbsp of yogurt

Mash strawberries to a paste. Add yogurt and mix together. Apply to skin in a thick layer for mask, avoiding the eyes. Lay back for 5-10 minutes enjoying the refreshing, cool, and tingly nourishment to your face. Rinse with warm water.

These are all things you will probably have in the kitchen and you can have all the effects of a day at the Spa. Enjoy everyone, and have a great Valentines Day!

Reading Labels is a lot trickier than you think.

2010-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have always known that the information can be misleading at times. Now I see how true that is.

FDA has regulations that ensures products list what is in the prepared or processed food. Knowing that a lot of ingredients and preservatives are used at times there are "guidelines and general rules" to follow. Here are some interesting Facts.

• Ingredients are listed in order of predominance of weight.
• Value and Percentages are showing how much of the daily recommended value is in that serving. This can be difficult to know if you’re getting too much or not enough from a specific nutrient. Most do not walk around knowing the FDA has said that 1000 RE are recommended for Vitamin A. This serving of Juice has 25% Vitamin A. So that means I just had 250 RE of my daily 1000 RE recommendation for Vitamin A. It also will not list if that is a pure source of Vitamin A or synthetic.
• Sometime they will list an ingredient like Mayonnaise. It will not itemize the oil, eggs, vinegar, and if that oil was vegetable, hydrogenated form, and/or another.

Sodium is even more disturbing. Considering how much sodium, excluding plant based forms, plays a part in most health issues. Look at these facts.

Mini glossary of terms on food labels

• Sodium free: less than 5 mg/serving

• Very low sodium: 35 mg or less per serving

• Low sodium: 140 mg or less per serving

• Reduced sodium: processed to reduce the usual level of sodium by 75%

• Unsalted: processed to without the normally used salt ( may still contain sodium present in the food originally)

When I read Unsalted I would think that there is NO salt. Not that salt was in the food and then they processed to reduce it. And then they have no true value of what the original amounts were and how much is left behind. No wonder people trying to watch their cholesterol get too confused with their blood work when they have been trying so hard to watch the salt. Not to mention, “Low Sodium” can be anything from 140 to 36 mg per serving. Think about it. If a bag of chips has Low Sodium on there, and it has 5 servings in the bag. You could have 700mg to 175 mg. These numbers are too broad for those watching their sodium intake, and be honest most do not take the time to do math and conversions to know how much is really in this handful of chips I am holding.

We should be reading labels. My point here is that even when reading labels things can still be misleading. What can we do? Stick with labels that have whole ingredients, 100% whole wheat. I am looking at a box of Spaghetti Noodles I bought because I wanted to show an example.

In this box of dried noodles it has ingredients whole wheat flour, that is it. Then allergy warning says, may contain traces of eggs, that should have been listed in ingredients correct? Then I look under Nutrition facts. Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Calcium 2%, and Iron 10%. In my mind why would you list it if the Value is 0? If it is not in there do not list it, if it is, then LIST it, but it does say it MAY contain. For those of you that are sensitive to gluten products you know....you want to know whether or not there is gluten. Not....May contain Gluten.

In my mind stay away from foods that are processed. Stick to fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and add the others in as needed. When we take the time to prepare our food we know what is in it.

We are doing the Challenge to Eat in, inspired from auther Cathy Erway. Here is a recipe from Melissa Adams. It is short and easy, ideal for those that want to eat healthy in thirty minutes or less.

"NUTRITION FAN'S RECIPES"

Zucchini Spaghetti
Who doesn't love classic spaghetti? For less carbs, try zucchini instead of pasta. Simply julienne the zucchini and steam with fresh garlic and salt/pepper. I use Gia Russa marinara sauce (publix). You can add ground beef if you choose. And just a touch of Parmesan cheese. Easy, cheap, and quick. :-)

Thank you Melissa for your recipe! I had another recipe come in today that I wanted to share. I love black bean burgers and here is a recipe from Kari Hendrick. You are getting two for one today!

Black Bean Burgers
1 cup cooked or 1 can of black beans (if canned uncooked is fine) if using a can save the liquid:)
Dice up 1 small onion, a few tbsp.
Dice up celery, you could also add peppers instead.
A few tablespoons of flax seed or chia seed.
Bread crumbs, I always toast some bread and chop it up finely- maybe 2 pieces.
Some olive or walnut oil for drizzling.
Season with salt , pepper, I also use some hot sauce.
Add some of the liquid from the canned beans or some broth or even some almond milk, as I sometimes do
Mix and add just until the mixture is very sticky, not to dry and not to wet.
You may need to add a little flour at this point.
Put some oil on your hands and form small patties in your hands.
Place in a hot skillet with oil and cook until hot and a little crunchy. If you like then flip and continue the same. You can top with onions, olives, cheese or whatever you choose. We eat them with some sautéed veggies and some rice or almond pilaf!

Thank you Kari!! We love Black bean burgers, one nice thing you can toss whatever you like in there, even some hot peppers for added Kick!

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!

Let us take a challenge to eat “In” this week

2010-02-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

Let us take a challenge to eat “In” this week. The writer Cathy Erway, wrote a book "The art of eating In". She went on a 2 year journey to stop eating out so much in New York City. Now there are a lot of amazing restaurants out there, and totally support eating out at times. This challenge is to share recipes and a love of food and making it all in your own Kitchen. We can pack our lunch and enjoy some really great nutritious foods that you make your self. I want to post her site for almost 2 years worth of recipes that she has made and to inspire you to "EAT IN!"

Recipes.... http://noteatingoutinny.com/

More information and her book..... http://theartofeatingin.com/

A great Vegetable Meat ball Recipe I just received from a friend of mine. Rachel Ciola.

Vegetarian Italion Meatballs

Sauté 2 onions and 5 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil until soft.
Stir in 2 cups of organic brown rice and add 6 tablespoons cooking sherry slowly until it dissolves. Then add 4 ½ cups of vegetable broth bring to a boil, stir cover and cook on low for about 50 minutes or until rice is done.
While the rice is cooking sauté’ 3 portabella mushrooms in olive oil until brown on each side then mince in a food processor, then mince 4 cloves of fresh garlic.
Add to a bowl along with1 bunch of chopped fresh basil, 1 bunch of fresh cilantro and 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
Stir in cooked rice and add 1 container of shredded parmesan cheese, 1 cup of Italian bread crumbs, 2 eggs. Season with salt pepper and paprika.
Mix all ingredients well and begin to form Meatballs place on a large casserole dish sprayed with oil (you may need a couple dishes).
Refrigerate veggie meatballs for 30 min. then broil on high until browned flip and broil other side. Serve with organic warm marinara over spaghetti or on sub bread as an Italian Meatball Sub.
Top with shredded organic mozzarella.

Thank you Rachel for sharing this. Share your favorite recipes here as well and let us all rediscover a love of nutritious and tasteful food.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day.

Do you have pain and/or Inflammation?

2010-02-05T13:10:00.001-08:00

In many cases, it would seem that chronic inflammation is the base of many illnesses, pains, and conditions. If you want to maintain vitality, anti aging, and illness then controlling inflammation is crucial. When we have pain we think it's from that box I picked up wrong, hiking, the football game, or even sitting in your office in that uncomfortable chair all day. While these things do contribute to creating inflammation and pain, they would not have as much effect if our diet is balanced and we have a healthy routine of exercise. All things play a major role in maintaining health.

Some items that create Chronic Inflammation within the body range from alcohol, Cholesterol, Infections, Obesity, Air pollution, Diabetes, Salty foods, Not enough Sleep, Stress, Stomach acid, Tobacco, and more.

Here is a little information to help you reduce chances or times of Chronic Inflammation.

• Get in 3-4 servings of fruits a day

• Get in 5-6 servings of vegetables a day

• Add 1- 2 tbsp of flax seed to your diet

• have a rotation of other seeds and nuts every day (about a handful)

• Start and end your day with breathing exercises

• Get in a walk or 40 minutes of your favorite fitness everyday

• Get in enough sleep. Breathing exercises help us to ease into sleep

• Cut out Processed foods

• Cut out hydrogenated oil and products that contain them

• Have a four day rotation of the foods you eat. this gets in a verity of nutrients and help keep your body from creating allergic reactions.

• A easy supplement to help with this is MonVie's "Mmun". Take just a shot in the morning and a shot at night, ask me how you can get some for your family.

Have a Blessed and Healthy day

PVC and the dangers to your children

2010-01-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

When it comes to buying toys for our babies there are some things you may want to keep in mind. Babies learn by touching and playing with toys. We also know that children always seam to put everything in their mouths. That is why we always read labels for "No Choking Hazards". Well, it’s time to add one more thing to the labels. Most baby items we give them are soft plastic toys like rubber ducks, bath toys, or soft flexible books. These are items that contain a plastic called POLYVINLY CHORIDE also known as PVC. This plastic helps the toys to be flexible and soft. Ideal we would think for a toy for baby to teeth on and not get hurt. Research has found that this plastic is a hormone disruptor and also contains LEAD. Both of these would be transferable to baby as they handle them or place in their mouths.

How would you know if your product contains this PVC? Just look to the bottom of the item for a number 3 on it. It would be better to not have the baby or toddler handling or mouthing these products for their health and safety.

There are companies that have started to use less and other use no PVC. Some are Brio, Ikea, Little Tikes, Lego, Gerber, Early Start, and there are a few more. I would still always check the bottom to be sure, but these companies are jumping on the safety chain for your baby.

To read more on this topic and see other items containing this PVC see..

Read more here

As always have a Blessed and Healthy Day.

What is a VOC?

2010-01-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

VOC.... What is it? It stands for Volatile Organic Compound. These are gasses that are releases from liquids and/or solids that we use that can have affects on our body. Have you ever been cleaning the bathroom or kitchen and then start coughing so bad you could not breath. The VOC from the cleaning supplies were t...o harsh and the gasses released where causing the lungs to restrict. Here is a safer, less harmful cleaner, that gets the job done without releasing these types of harmful gasses in your families home. To make an all-purpose cleaner fill an empty spray bottle with distilled white Vinegar. I then place a few drops of essential oil of lavender or lemon in. This is for anyone who does not care for the smell of vinegar, but within a few minutes the smell is gone and you have a very clean and disinfected surface. I hope you enjoy today greener tip. Have a blessed and healthy day.

read more

Due to request.....Ear Infections

2010-01-19T18:22:00.000-08:00

Acute middle ear Infection
• earache or irritability
• recent upper repertory infection or allergy
• red, opaque, bulging eardrum
• fever chills

Infection or inflammation of the external ear canal.

• Itchy
• discharge
• burning pain

If your child has had some of these or all of these symptoms you already know how uncomfortable it is for the child. Ear infections are becoming more common than ever before. Acute ear infections affect 2/3rds of American children by the age of 2 and Chronic ear infections also affect 2/3rds American children by the age of 6. This counts for about 50% for Doctors appointments for pediatrics every year.

We do not want our children in pain, and knowing that this illness can cause hearing loss makes us want to do the thing to help them get better and keep them from having this again. The routine in care and healing is antibiotics, which does help to kill bacteria and infection, but in that process the antibiotics kill the good bacteria as well. The bacteria that is actually working to recognize this invader, and kill it, our B and T cells. When our immune system goes to fight these invaders they remember the process and strength used to kill and heal the body. When we use antibiotics, not only are we hindering their immune system, but letting the body think they are killing the invader infection. So next time the immune system goes to fight off this type of infection they do not work as hard, because the antibiotic did all the work, they think they only have to do so much. So it sometimes becomes a viscous cycle of getting sick again, and taking even longer to get better.

Causes of ear infections can range from environmental, chemical, nutritional, prenatal, and allergens. In most cases the illness occurs with a food allergy, whether the type of milk, formula or cows, and/or solid foods. There are chemicals, pesticides, and preservatives if the food is not organically produced. The toxins or allergens are trying to be eliminated by the body. It usually begins with a runny nose and the tubes and canals get irritated and then infected.

What can you do?

First try eating a cleaner diet and reduce the amount of toxins and chemicals found in foods. Also, boost the immune system with beneficial fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C and B are very important. Make sure your children are on a good multivitamin. We use a liquid form (MonaVie).

One thing that is very important is to know that the body is healing itself everyday. It is an amazing peace of work creating new cells, cleaning out old ones, and fighting off disease. If you give the body what it needs to help it heal it self, it will.

A list of things you can do at onset.

• Increase fluids, water and juices. We do fresh juiced fruits and vegetables.

• At first sign of a cold, running nose, you could take homeopathic Aconite. We use this and it will usually allow the body to heal with a short episode of cold symptoms. Once pain is in ears you can use Hepar sulpharis it helps relieve ear canal and diminish the discomforts. For more information and different homeopathic solutions see "Homeopathic Medicine at Home" by Panos and Heimlich.

• For painful earaches. Take a small sauce pan and add about 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and just heat until warm, remove from heat. And 1 clove of chopped or minced garlic to the warm oil and allow to cool enough that it does not burn, but still warm (Test against you wrist). I then place a cotton ball in the oil and saturate it. Then place the oiled ball in the ear. I will make balls and place in a plastic baggy for the kids to take to school. It provides a great deal of comfort and healing power from the garlic oil.

• Getting adequate rest is also extremely important. You want them to rest throughout the day and night as much as possible, allowing the body's energy to heal and cleanup the allergens and toxins that are causing these problems.

My son was the only one to ever have ear infections and when he did have them, they would reoccur. They were so painful for him. You may have to use antibiotics; I am not saying that you should not use them. I want you to see the affects of using them and you make the decision. There are times when they are needed but usually we do not think to try alternative ways of healing. By allowing the body to heal itself, you prepare it for the next fight it has with this illness, and usually do not even see the signs of the illness in the future. Once I started letting the kids bodies heal on their own they did not show signs of ear infections any more. We have not had an ear infection in our house since 2002. Michael was not even a year old and had 3 ear infections in 6 months. He was the only one to have ever taken the antibiotics. Focus on looking at what is in their diet that set this off. It could be that they ate too much, or too frequently, amounts of sugar and processed foods, which lowers the immune system and creates a cold. Try to keep their heads raised on pillows and try to keep mucus from draining into the ears. This is hard at times I know. Also, increasing fluids helps to flush out the allergen that initiated this. The sooner it's flushed out of the body it reduces the time for an infection to set into the ears. Also, getting the body back to an alkaline level, helps increasing the nutrients needed to fight and kill invading organisms. You increase the alkaline level by eating more raw fruits and vegetables.

I hope this information will help you next time you are faced with illness for your child. For any additional information or questions feel free to email me.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day

Roper Lake may be closing

2010-01-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

An article was posted in the EAC courier January 10, 2010. For those that may have missed it, it basically said that they are making budget cuts and if the Lake does not make enough revenue it will be closed. This affects those of us here locally, but others parks may be experiencing similar fates.

If we do not start to use it more we may lose it, and that would hurt everyone. Here are a few ideas that help to possibly keep the park open and help you as well. Now that we have just started this year some of you may be thinking about improving your health and fitness. The park holds many ways you could do just that. The lake and nature trails make a beautiful way to get fresh air along with getting in the sunlight to absorb necessary vitamin D, combats stress, and seasonal affective disorder.

What is seasonal affective disorder also known as SAD?

During these winter months we tend to get stuck inside and we start to have the winter blues like depression, over sleeping, craving carbohydrates, and slowed movements. Natural sunshine exposure appears to be the most beneficial way to keep this disorder at bay. There are beneficial supplements that can be taken, but let's get the additional benefits from getting outside as well. Here are some ways to get out, get fit, and combat the winter blues.

• walking by yourself, kids, spouse....make it a family event
• jogging
• kayaking
• fishing
• picnicking
• feed the ducks
• play games

Get creative and use more resources available to you. You can take a nice family or couples get away with the cabins they have, birthday parties, or a weekend get together. We are going to miss this resource when it is gone, let’s keep it open and get healthy while doing it.

If you would like to comment on additional ways to use and love your local state park please share.

Have a blessed and healthy day.

Electrolytes

2010-01-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

Have you heard that clip on Sirius Radio or seen the clip on You Tube for "Brando"? For those that have not heard or seen it check it out on You Tube and you will understand where I am going with this post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1fKzw05Q5A&feature=related
This is a funny commercial that I get a kick out of every time, cause it shows how marketing can be misleading at times. The body does need electrolytes, but not as much as some are taking in. Let me briefly explain what electrolytes are and why we need them, and then why we tend to over load ourselves with these.

The three dominant electrolytes in the body are Potassium, Sodium, and Chlorine. There are others as well like magnesium, bicarbonate, phosphate, sulfate, and proteins. These electrolytes are used throughout the body for the blood, lymph, tissue fluid, and cellular fluid. The thing about these elements is that they are used on a daily bases and we get most of these in the food we eat. The fluid surrounding cells in bones, tissues, and blood, all need electrolytes to interact with for proper function. The electrolytes allow nutrients to enter the cells and helps waste to leave the cells. Without the electrolytes this process is hindered causing water to enter and leave until the balance is set straight. Balance is obtained when we have the proper amounts of the nutrients needed and the charged energy of the electrolytes. The cells cannot receive the proper nutrients needed for metabolism and the production of new grow and healing in the body.

Imbalances of electrolytes can be severe. People have died from imbalance resulting from dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, and more. When electrolytes are missing to help the body cellular balance stay within limits, we need to make sure the body is balanced with these elements. We get potassium, sodium, and chlorine and more from a steady intake of fruits and vegetables, specifically greens. Your potassium and sodium have to be in balance. A diet of processed and “non foods” set to much sodium over potassium and the balance is disturbed creating disease like high cholesterol and heart disease.

When we work out, the body detoxifies releasing these minerals through are skin and waste system. That is why we see so many athletes drinks rich with electrolytes. These drinks replenish lost electrolytes to keep the athletes from dehydration and illness. It is good for the body to replenish these as a temporary supplement, but we still need correct nutrition to maintain and do the necessary conversions of nutrition.

What I am concerned with is over electrolyte intake. Children especially have had toxic levels of these because they are drinking the sport drinks rich with electrolytes when there bodies did not need it. These drinks were intended to be used for strenuous workouts, or when the body was pushed really hard and they lost potassium and sodium too quickly. Your first beverage of choice should be water and also making sure the intake of nutrients is correctly balance. Meaning not too much processed foods and not enough fresh clean foods (fruits and vegetables). Let your electrolyte balance come from your diet and make sure to drink enough clean water, and use less of the electrolyte quick drinks to keep from over dumping the body with these.

Here are some foods to help you get in these nutrients for electrolyte function. These foods carry all three major electrolytes. Blackberry juice, caraway, chicken broth, currants, dandelion, goats cheese, herring, rye bran muffins, salmon, sauerkraut, tomatoes, veal, whey powder, wild cherry juice.

Bring these foods in along with more greens and your balance will be better without the need of "BRANDO".

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day.

New Year's Resolutions, continued

2010-01-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

We talked last about making a Positive decision with this years resolution. Now lets talk about one of the four legs of strength mentioned there: "Healthy Lifestyle"

Our lifestyle choices have a huge affect on our health. Take into account your job, school, family, activities, and pleasures. All these can have positive affects as well as negative on the body. Your lifestyle can create a stress on the body from inflammation, pain, lowering the immune system, and many more. When a person has a healthy lifestyle it improves their quality and lengthen of life. Two area in our life have a profound impact on its quality.

Exercise and Sleep

Benefits of exercise

• improves cardiovascular function

• improves respiratory function

• helps transport oxygen and nutrients to the cells

• transports carbon dioxide and waste products from body

• increases stamina and energy levels

• body becomes stronger

• body functions more efficiently

Benefits of Sleep

• affects mental and physical function

• helps to combat depression, and chronic fatigue

• affects brain chemicals: serotonin and melatonin

Studies have shown that people that exercise are happier and have longer lives. The studies explained that the earlier you start to exercise results in adding years to your life. That goes to show that there is no time like the present to start getting fit. One of the things I like the most about exercising is how we learn to breath better. When you exert your body during exercise, you take nice deep cleansing breaths that detoxify the body and the lungs. It is good practice to take deep cleansing breaths throughout your day to release the lungs of stored carbon dioxide while breathing in rich oxygen for the blood. Not to mention when you exercise you sleep better. The body rests better after it has been use properly in stretching, breathing, and working the muscles. Sleeping well at night will help to improve our outlook on life as well. When we sleep correctly, getting in the REM and non- REM cycles, we allow ourselves to dream. In our dreams we see ourselves, the world, and people around us as we like or remember. Sigmund Freud stated that "dreams are the window to the souls". He viewed dreams as a subconscious mind with impulses and desires. Dreaming has an affect on the mental physic, causing us to be content and happy or depressed and stressed. If you are unable to remember dreams when waking or overly tired and restless when waking, look to get in a better nights rest. A few things to practice:

1) Do not use drugs or over the counter meds to go into this sleep they usually over tax the mind and body and you are even more tired that to learn to do this on your own.

2) One of the best ways to fall into a good rest is to recap the day's events from most recent to your waking that morning. It relaxes and repairs your mental state for the dreams ahead.

3) Allow the body the ability to dream, this is relaxing and refreshing for the whole body.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day

New Years Resolutions..part 1

2009-12-30T09:46:00.000-08:00

Now that the holidays are over and we are feeling all the effects of too much fun, let’s talk about New Years Resolutions.

First, I want to briefly mention why we need these New Year resolutions. It is because we tend to over indulge in things that are not good for our health. It starts at Halloween and then rolls down hill FAST to Christmas. Even I gave in to things that taste and looked to good to pass up, and what happened? I got sick, and had both a stomach bug and a head cold. Why? Because I had cake, brownies, rolls, and a ton of things that are high in sugar and preservatives, and we know that sugar lowers the immune system. There was so much, I thought I was doing well by just choosing a few, but it’s a few here and there that catch up to us. Was the cold and stomach bug worth the sweets I had? No, not at all! It was horrible. So we have to make a choice between health and taste buds. I am not saying to never have sweets again, but you look at it as a debt you take against the good things you put in your body and think "is it worth it, or do I really need it?" It's not about the fat and the waist line, even though it does affect that too, but it's our wellness and state of health I am talking about. You see why we need to make these New Year Resolutions, let talk about how make a New Year resolution work for you!
First make a Positive mental change in your Life. So often we know we have to get fit, lose weight, and make better eating choices. Knowing it, sometimes we have a negative feeling about it. We grudgingly say, "I have to work out", or "I can't eat that, I'm on a diet". We need to give ourselves positive statements that remind us WHY we are making these beneficial life style changes. Some examples are…

• I want to live longer and happier.

• I want to see my children get married and dance with my daughter at her wedding.

• I want to take a trip to _________.

Get creative and make a mental picture of you being healthy and fit. When we do this we accept that we WANT this and the brain looks at things positively instead of negatively.

You can come up with a ton of positive things to remind yourself why you want better health. Think of your health as a chair. It has four equal legs it stands upon, and if any one of those legs falls short, you fall over. The same thing happens with your health, it can fall short. Your four legs of strength come from:

1. A positive attitude.

2. A healthy diet.

3. Making lifestyle changes in exercise and healthy habits.

4. Supplementary measures.

If you are looking to change this year and want help along the way stay tune for my continuation of my New Year Resolution help guide. This is only part one. Please feel free to email me any question you may have.

As always,
Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!

Get a Boost for your Bones.

2009-12-29T16:14:00.000-08:00

Usually women are more concerned with Osteoporosis, but it is affecting men as well. From childhood on we need to be getting in enough calcium for strong healthy bones. Other benefits of Calcium are proper Heart function and normal blood clotting. If you are pregnant or nursing, your calcium intake is very important for you and the baby. The baby will get the Calcium it needs, but your body will suffer from deletion, so be sure to increase your daily intake. So often people think that we should get our calcium from Milk as a primary source, but this is only one source. Calcium is most easily absorbed when eaten, because it comes perfectly packaged with additional nutrients for proper absorption. Here are a few foods that are beneficial for their Calcium.

• Yogurt. This can be confusing with all the choices on the Market today, but looking for a few things will make this easier. You want a Live Culture Yogurt. If there is no mention of live cultures then the yogurt is dead and so is the nutrient value. Also, you do not want added sugars or other additives. You can get a plain or Vanilla yogurt and add fresh fruit and granola to it for a healthy snack, breakfast, dessert, and more. My personal favorite is Mountain View. It has everything and nothing more than it should.
• Soy Milks. These are fortified with Calcium and Vitamin D. They come in delicious flavors like, vanilla, chocolate, and plain.
• Almonds. These little beauties are wonderful. Just a handful a day gives you a calcium boost. You place a handful in storage bags and have them in you purse or laptop bag for a quick easy snack.
• Dark leafy greens. Such as endive, lettuce, watercress, kale, cabbage, dandelion greens, and Brussels sprouts.
• Other choices. Sesame, oats, walnuts, millet, and sunflower seeds. These can be sprinkled over salads, cereals, breads, and soups.

You can see how adding calcium can be easy and fun for your taste buds. I want to mention that your raw dark leafy greens are where you get the most calcium absorption. So get creative and start getting in your daily serving of calcium, today.

Here is a Tasty Salad to get you started
• 2 large navel oranges
• Belgian endives
• 1 cup watercress
• 1 avocado
• 12 medium cooked shrimp, (about 8 ounces), optional
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• Sunflower seeds to sprinkle

To assemble salads: Alternate avocado slices and orange sections in a fan shape on each of 4 salad plates. Top with endive, watercress and shrimp, if using. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with pomegranate and sunflower seeds and serve.

39 Reasons to Drink MonaVie

2009-12-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

This was an email sent to me from my up line and I thought it was perfect to read about. I love what MonaVie has done for me and my family. The kids love the taste and it gives me peace of mind knowing they are getting a variety of fruits in a daily dose.

Some of the most important reasons to drink patented Monavie products........
Acai, the main ingredient of the Monavie juice is known to have a benefic effect on human health, and bellow are some of the things that this fruit can do and the best 39 reasons to drink acai juice - Monavie - that you will ever need:
Reason No. 1 Acai Helps You Sleep Better!
Because it contains nutrients like vitamin B and others, acai is able to decrease your level of stress and aids in the communication between your brain cells. Acai is able to do this by assisting with the making of neurotransmitters. Some known neurotransmitters are serotonin and dopamine.
This will also help you sleep better
Reason No. 2 Acai Will Increase Your Energy Level!
Monavie can and is used by renowned athletes like Venus Williams, because Acai has a lot of nutrients, and especially a lot of lipids which are responsible for boosting up your energy level. This is why Monavie can be used on a daily basis to improve your energy level, and even before a more “energy demanding” event.
Reason No. 3 Acai Reduces High Cholesterol
Acai has a lot of EFAs which stands for Essential Fatty Acids. These Acids sustain the good cholesterol (which is named HDL cholesterol) and at the same time, it will decrease the level of bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol). These two actions, made by the EFAs will lead to a much better blood circulation in you body.
If you want to know more about how monavie helps reduce high cholesterol you can also read Monavie & Cholesterol Read more here
Reason No. 4 Acai Will Help You Lose Weight!
If you are trying to lose weight, then Monavie is a gold mine for you! Drinking Monavie will help you lose weight because acai will delay hunger and help you control your appetite. This is possible because Acai has a low glycemic index.
Reason No. 5 Acai Helps Lower Your Stress Level!
Acai is a great helper in the battle against stress! This is mainly because acai is able to adjust the stress level in your body and then to repair it.
Reason No. 6 Acai Improves Your Sexual Health!
Acai is known for having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can counteract sterility because of pollution, stress and factors associated with free radicals.
Reason No. 7 Acai Eases Women’s Menstrual Cycle!
Good news for women! Especially women who go through great menstrual pain each and every month! Acai is very rich in calcium and it eases the nasty pain of bloating and cramps.
Reason No. 8 Acai Helps You Fight The Wrinkles!
The Acai Juice has a high volume of phytisterols and anthocyanins which do a great job in protecting the collagen (and other connective tissues) and this way you will be safe from premature wrinkles.
Reason No. 9 Drinking Acai Makes Your Teeth Stronger!
The calcium that Acai has is not only good for easing cramps and bloating, but it also helps you have more powerful teeth, a nice whiter smile and also prevents the appearance of gingivitis or other gum diseases.
Reason No. 10 Acai and Your Vision!
The Acai juice helps improve your vision, reduces complications of macular degeneration in diabetics. This happens because of the vitamin C and the beta carotene that Acai has.
Reason No. 11 Acai Aids Your Skin Tone!
Because Acai has phytosterols, by drinking Monavie you will help decrease the wearing down of your skin’s protective outside layer and so improve your skin tone.
Reason No. 12 Acai Fights Aging!
Monavie may help slow down aging as acai has strong anti-oxidants and regenerative nutrients that aid cells to operate optimally. This is probably, one of the most important reasons to drink acai juice, from all the 39 reasons to drink monavie.
Reason No. 13 Acai Protects Blood Vessels!
By drinking Monavie you will be protecting you will be protecting your arteries, capillaries, veins and blood vessels. This is possible because of the anthocyanins that Acai has.
Reason No. 14 Acai Can Improve Your Resistance To Disease!
Because acai has lots of nutrients, monavie helps the immune system and increases your body’s resistance to all sorts of diseases.
Reason No. 15 Acai Improves Lipid and Glucose Levels.
Acai has a low glycemic index which improves these two levels.
Reason No. 16 Acai Detoxifies And Cleanses Your Body.
Acai is used for a long time now to detoxify human’s bodies.
These are only 16 reasons to drink Monavie (acai juice) every single day and you can already see how powerful the fruit is and how much Monavie can do for people that drink it.
Reason No. 17 Acai Can Even Help In Healing Ulcers!
Due to his antibacterial properties, acai is able to destroy fungy, bacteria and even parasites like the one that causes ulcer.
Reason No. 18 Acai May Reduce The Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease.
According to a study made in 2004, which is found in the Archives of Neurology, people that drink acai are reducing the risk of an Alzheimer disease because of acai’s bigger amounts of vitamins E and C.
Reason No. 19 Acai Is A Great Helper Against Osteoporosis.
Because acai has an increased amount of calcium, the bad osteoporosis tends to stay away from you.
Reason No. 20 Acai Fights Against BPH (prostate enlargement).
Acai is a tough enemy of BPH which stands for benign prostate hyperplasia. You might know BPH as enlarged prostate.
Reason No. 21 Acai Helps Twart Retinopathy.
For people that have diabetes acai is great news, because it helps weak capillaries that otherwise could lead to retinopathy. The bad part about retinopathy is that it can often lead to blindness.
Reason No. 22 Acai Can Even Prevent Causes Of Heart Disease.
The Acai Juice has a powerful heart protection agent which is the antioxidant named polyphenols. The production of nitric oxide in the endothelial cells is improved by anthocyanin. The nitric oxide is responsible for the relaxation and enlargement of the blood vessel walls and this means a lesser amount of stress on your heart. And even more than this, your blood flow will be increased and you will have a decreased risk of any vessel blockage.
Reason No. 23 The Acai Plant Sterols Help Lower Your Blood Pressure.
The sterols are responsible for a lot for good things for your body. Sterols are the components of plant cell membranes. They are used in the treatment things associated with blood pressure.
Reason No. 24 Acai Helps In Relieving The Symptoms Of Asthma.
Acai is able to improve the symptoms from Asthma because it has a lot of vitamin C which is a very powerful antioxidant. The vitamin C has anti-inflammatory properties which help in relieving the Asthma symptoms.
Reason No. 25 Acai Also Helps Relieve The Symptoms Of The Crohn’s Disease.
Because Acai has great anti-inflammatory properties, he is able to stop the malabsorption of nutrients that are vital for the body. This way, acai is preventing any damage on the wall of your small intestines.
Reason No. 26 Acai Helps In Relieving The Pain Caused By Arthritis.
Once more, the anti-inflammatory abilities of the acai berry help in relieving pain caused by arthritis.
Reason No. 27 Acai Helps Prevent Free-Radical Damage Of Your Immune System.
Oxidation (free-radical damage) represents one of the principal causes of the immune weakness (dysfunction). Acai fights this by toughening the immune system.
Reason No. 28 Acai Also Acts Like An Astringent.
An astringent is a substance that shrinks, contracts, tightens the body tissues like our skin. Astringents are utilized to stop bleeding from small cuts and to give to the skin a fresh, tingling sensation.
Reason No. 29 Acai Fights The Deadly Cancer!
Acai prevents and lowers the risk of cancer. Acai fights breast cancer, skin, stomach, lung cancer by neutralizing the free radicals before they can harm cells.
Reason No. 30 Acai Overcomes Acid Reflux!
Because of it’s antioxidants, Acai helps protect and even repair our lower esophagus when damaged by the acid reflux disease (GERD). Acai also reduces the acidity of the stomach contents when the
reflux occurs. This is because, acai has acid-suppression effects.
Having problems with acid reflux?
Reason No. 31 Acai Makes Your Body Stronger!
Because Acai has even more protein then the average egg, he is able to help your body grow stronger.
Reason No. 32 Acai Enhances Muscle Contraction And Regeneration!
Acai has a mix of trace minerals and amino acids which allow him to help muscle contraction and regeneration after a exhausting activity.
Reason No. 33 Acai Improves The Function Of The Immune Cells.
According to a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, acai improves the function of the immune cells by modulating the lymphocytes and preventing the immune suppression. This is all possible thanks to acai’s beta-sitosterol.
Reason No. 34 Acai Acts As An Anti-mutagenic.
Acai helps in the prevention of any damage to our DNA structure and reduces the possible risk posed by mutagens.
Reason No. 35 Acai Fights Against Viruses.
Acai reduces the frequency of infectious diseases like viruses, fungus or bacterial infections.
Reason No. 36 Acai Improves Our Digestion.
Acai dietary fiber helps our colon and the digestive tract.
Reason No. 37 Acai Gives Us A Better Mental Clarity.
Acai helps our alertness and mental function with his omega 3 fats.
Reason No. 38 Acai Promotes Overall Health.
With his powerful antioxidants, Acai helps build and replenish our body.
Reason No. 39 Acai Helps Our Body’s Sinergy.
Acai helps with the protection of the whole body

After reading this who would not want to drink this AMAZING drink? Email if you have any questions or want to get your bottle Today.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!

More about the benefits of Flax Seed

2009-12-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

It has been stated that Flax seed plays a great role in fighting a broad range of cancers and lowering "bad" cholesterol. It is also being studied for the benefits of treating Arthritis, omega 3's, and preventing symptoms of menopause and osteoporosis because of its phytoestrogens.

Since heart disease and cholesterol is such a problem here in America, I wanted to say that just adding a tablespoon of whole flax seed a day can help to lower the bodies bad cholesterol. Not to mention helping with great skin, hair, and any arthritis. You can add this great little seed in everywhere. In shakes, cereals, baked breads, stews, soups, rice, etc. It takes a little imagination and your there. At my local health food store you can buy a large 5 lb bag of organic Flax seed for only $10.49. Wow, to me that is pretty cheap and you add variety in your life.

So pick up a bag of whole flax seed at you local health food store and start reaping the benefits.

Check here for lots of different recipes with Flax Seed.

Have a healthy and Blessed day

Ways to not stress over the Holidays, a Must read.

2009-12-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write about the holidays. I am enjoying mine, but I am also starting to stress. The last minute things start to rack up and I made this note based on how to distress keeping my Immunes strong and staying healthy. So I wanted to share this with all of you as well.

• Taking time with a nice cup of tea with a loved one is very therapeutic. This way you slow down and relax. Some of my favorites are chamomile, green tea, or peppermint.
• You can also try the rescue remedies. Dr. Bach has combinations of homeopathic ways to improve moods and stressful situations. The rescue remedy is a five flower combo that is great for keeping stress and anxiety at bay.
• I am also going to be doing yoga 2 extra times a week. Yoga is a great technique for slowing down the breathing, stretching, and opening the mind. When you take that time to breath RIGHT, you allow oxygen to help the lungs detox from trapped CO2, and get rich oxygenated blood to the outer extremities of the body. So, it is very important to learn to breath right. During this time of year when we tend to stress and put to much on our plate, without knowing it, we shorten our breathing and do not get enough rich oxygen to the body.
• Also relax your mind. Meditation slows the breathing and also lowers the heart rate. You can use imagery to visualize the Holiday that YOU want. For example if you're going to be around more family and friends then you maybe use to, remember to take deep cleansing breaths, positive thoughts and you will make it through a crazy holiday.
• Studies have also shown that depression and anxiety will add inches around the waistline. Which will also increase anxiety. Since belly fat has been linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease, try these simple ways to calm the nerves and blues.
• Also, take some time for some nice sunshine outside. We usually tend to be inside more because of the cold, but having a decreased amount of Vitamin D will also cause anxiety. So for both body and mind, get out side and enjoy sunshine, fresh air, and a nice walk around the neighborhood. You will feel so much better afterwards.

We all love a tasty, refreshing drink for a Holiday party. Hear is one you might really enjoy.

This serves two, so make adjustments for a larger get together.

Clementine Mint

Ice Cubes
12 mint leaves, finely shredded
2 whole leaves for garnish
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 cup fresh Clementine juice
1 bottle sparkling water
slices of Clementine's

Fill pitcher with ice cubes, lemon juice, Clementine juice, sparkling water, shredded mint leaves, and slices of Clementine mix altogether. Then pour in glasses and garnish with whole mint leaves.
Something other than Eggnog, which I still love as well.

Have a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season.

Minerals and gardening

2009-12-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, you saw yesterday's post about minerals and how we should replenish them. Today I wanted to direct you to a site that talks about a little farm in Scotland that uses natural minerals to replenish the soil for their crops. The minerals found in produce get their nutrients from the earth they were grown in. It shows the importance of adding minerals for proper growth and production. There are minerals we lose daily with the lifestyles we have and need to add back to have balance for a healthy life. Check out the pictures of some of these plants and see how they grow better with correct nutrients in the ground and then think about your body. Do you want it to be of less color, growth, and development? Or should we strive for vibrant, healthy, and strong. You want the food you eat to be high in minerals and you want your body to benefit from those nutrients.

Remineralize the earth

This is also a great time to talk about making your own little garden. What better way to know what has been added in and on to your produce than to grow it yourself. If you have children they would enjoy a themed garden. It does not have to be big, just start with a 2x2, or 5x5 area. You could have a herb garden for cooking, a pizza garden, and so much more. There are so many benefits to having a garden. You get to be outside enjoying fresh air, exercise, making food for the table and it is very therapeutic. Even though it is winter, now is the time you can start to prep your area. Things to start working on are: How big of an area? What is going in it? What chores should each member of the house will have? My daughter loved that she had her own garden that she seeded, watered, and harvested. It brings so much joy knowing you grew it and that it is void of chemicals. A great book to have is the "Four Season Harvest". It talks about how to schedule plants to harvest all year long. That way your garden does not just sit through the winter but will producing foods and enjoyment all year long.

Replenish your minerals naturally

2009-12-14T06:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of minerals you need and the BEST natural sources:

• Potassium- Fish, whole grains, apricots, avocados, bananas, brown rice, green leafy vegetables, spinach, parsley, plantains, cabbage, asparagus, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower
• Magnesium- Green leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains, kelp, dulse, apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, dandelion, oat straw, parsley, millet, alfalfa, horsetail, brown rice.
• Calcium- Broccoli, green leafy vegetables, greens, dulse, kelp, oats, dandelion, asparagus, horsetail, straw, and plantains.

You notice that Kelp, Dulse, and green leafy vegetables contain several minerals. These show how important it is to add or increase these beneficial foods. You can get creative and sneak them in a daily diet through the day.

Vitamin E specially if you are active in exercise, at work, or strenuous activity. Your body loses these minerals throughout the day in sweat. Be sure to balance your activities with a follow up of these minerals in foods or shakes. It will keep you balanced, fit, and well.

Alkalizing Raw Soup

This is definitely a highly energizing soup and is a big favorite while on a cleanse or detox. Contains avocado which is high in EFAs and cucumber which is well known for its cleansing properties. The taste of this soup can be dramatically altered by the use of the herbs and spices mentioned or by alternating between lemon and lime.
1 avocado
1/2 red or green pepper
1 cucumber
2 handfuls of spinach
1/2 clove of garlic
2 of green onion
Bragg Liquid Aminos to taste
100ml of light vegetable Bouillon (yeast free)
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
Optional: coriander, parsley, cumin, dulse

Blend the avocado and stock to form a light paste, then add the other ingredients and blend.

Have a Health and Blessed Day

Healthy Babies Need the Sun!

2009-12-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

Children whose mothers receive more Vitamin D during pregnancy are typically taller and have better bone strength. Research from Bristol University shows Vitamin D plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of healthy bones. Deficiency can cause in children deformed bones and brittle bones in adults. The way Vitamin D is synthesized in the body is by the amount of ultraviolet rays received from Sunlight.

An interesting point they made in the study was that children born during the summer where an average of 5 millimeters taller and had better bone density. The ones born late in the winter had less Vitamin D in their system.

So during these winter months it would be a good idea to schedule times out side for yourself and your children. They need to be out during the sunny parts of the day and in 20 minute increments. This will help keep the Vitamin D in good supply with the bones and growth development remaining at optimum levels. So get outside and enjoy the sun!!

Sunshine Vegetable Soup
2 leeks (white and green parts) washed well and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup cubed and peeled acorn squash
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
1 cup chopped spinach, fresh
4 cups boiling water or stock
tamari soy sauce
salt pepper to taste

Sauté leeks and garlic in oil in a large pot until golden. Place all vegetables in boiling water, cover and cook on low until tender. About 30 minutes
Strain out vegetables, reserving water. Puree vegetables in blender or processor, then add the vegetables to water, stirring well and add seasoning and heat through.

Have a Healthy and Blessed Day!

Are you watching your Sugar intake

2009-12-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

If you are watching your sugar intake for Diabetes, Autism, Hypoglycemia, and more, then you will want to increase these foods that are low in sugar. You still need a balance of fruit and vegetables, and variety is the spice of life so mix it up.
These foods are lowest in Sugar...but do not use as absolute

Beans, string Lamb

Beef, lean Lettuces

Beef Broth Lime

bone broth Liver

Butter Lutefisk

Cheese Loquats

Cucumbers Mullet

Egg whites Mutton

Fish Nasturtium

Fish Broth Nettles

Fowl Spinach

Gelatin Tomato's

Goat meat Wild Game

Hickory Nuts Pork

What I do NOT like about this list is that it is the potentially HIGH Cholesterol with the amount of animal proteins. What is important to remember is that fresh fruits and vegetables, while they contain natural sugars, they are also high in FIBER, which helps to normalize sugar levels. So you should still be getting regular intake of these, but limit the amount of fruit juices. Once a fruit has been juiced you have taken away the fiber that helps the sugar balance and digestion/absorption process.

I would have the leaner meats Fish, fowl, and lamb. These are not as high in cholesterol as beef and pork. This is why cholesterol is high in Diabetics because they stay away from ALL sugars and eat beef and pork in large amounts.

What can you do? Add more Fiber.

Add more complex carbohydrates to dishes, substitute whole wheat or oat flours to flour dishes. Incorporate nuts, grain, and rice other than white. Add grains to meat dishes. Ask me about more and specific ways to do this. You can still have a variety of foods, but leaning how to balance them is KEY.

Vegetables and Rice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small dried red Chile pepper, broken
• 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon paprika, preferably Spanish
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/4 cups brown rice or wild rice
• 3 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
• lemon wedges for garnish

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add Chile pepper, onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft but not browned, about 6 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

3. Add rice; stir to coat well with the tomato mixture. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot directly from the pan, garnished with parsley and lemon wedges, if desired.

Have a Healthy and Blessed Day

Are your nails healthy?

2009-11-30T06:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, Ladies I know you will love this one, and men pass it along to the lady you love.

Extra care keeps nails in shape!

We are going to be looking our best for the holidays and New Year, right! So, let’s keep these little protectors looking healthy and strong. I think that is a concern for a lot of us. We can tell a lot about your diet by looking at your nails. If they are too brittle, if they have calcium white spots on them, it they are paper thin, the list goes on and on.

To keep them strong, eat plenty of protein. Eggs, fish, lean poultry, and soy. Eggs contain a beautifying amino acid CYESTEINE. Sulfur rich cysteine binds the protein to keratin hardening the nails.

Also, essential fatty acids (flax seed, evening primrose, borage, and black current seed) and green foods (spirulina, kelp) strengthen the nails. Other nail friendly products include calcium, magnesium, and silica. Drinking herbal teas rich in silica such as horsetail, nettle, and oat straw helps the cuticles along with the nails.

If you are one who is having a little problem with splitting nails, try adding two TBSP a day of brewers yeast or wheat germ oil to your diet. You could also soak them in warm Olive oil or cider vinegar for 10 to 20 minutes a day.

In our nails are clues of a variety of medical issues. They can be indicators of something happening to alert us. Healthy nails are pink indicating there is a rich blood supply. These may be alerts to health problems.

• Chipping, peeling, splitting...indicates nutritional deficiency, a thyroid problem, and /or not enough hydrochloric acid in the body. What to do? Get plenty of good protein, Vitamin A, calcium, and iron.

• Horizontal ridges... Severe stress mentally and/or physically. What to do? Take B complex daily, with plenty of biotin.

• Spooning (upward curving of nails)... Anemia or problems with iron being able to be absorbed. What to do? Get Vitamin B12 as well as iron.

• Thick nails... Poor circulation, which may signal thyroid disease, Diabetes, and/or a fungal infection.

• Vertical ridges...indicate poor health, not enough fruit and vegetables are in the daily balance. What to do? Get plenty of protein, take a B complex, and increase raw fruits and vegetables.

• White spots... it not caused by an injury, may be a zinc deficiency. What to do? Consider adding 50 mg of zinc daily, but do not exceed 100 mg a day from food choices and supplements. For food choices contact me for more information.

Moisturizing is important for healthy and attractive nails. Pick a vitamin rich lotion to apply to unpolished nails and cuticles. Keep cuticles moisturized nightly by massaging jojoba or vitamin E oils into the nail of the bed.

Your nails are porous and able to absorb 20 to 25% their own weight in water. You can waterproof your nails before doing the dishes or other watery chores by rubbing a waxy lip balm over them.

When you file your nails be sure to follow the same design shape as your cuticle, round out if the cuticle is rounded, and box out a square shaped cuticle.

You can also do a little LIGHT buffing to add a little shine to the nail. If you chose to polish your nails try to pick a natural one that is without toxins.

Have a Healthy Holiday!!

Do you have Chronic Pain?

2009-11-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

Chronic pain counts for a majority of Dr. appointments across America. Ranging from headaches, back pain, knee pain, neck pain, and many more. We use the term chronic when the pain does not just go away, and we usually have to turn to a pain reliever. There are many pain relievers to choose from Tylenol, ibuprofen, and harder prescriptions. While some of these help to cover the pain, was the problem fixed? What about the effects these chemicals have on the liver and stomach? These can cause liver dysfunction and have long been said to be the second most cause of ulcers.
So, let’s talk about WHY we have these pains. One of the most common reasons is from inflammation in the body. One way we create and can stop this inflammation is in our food choices.

Here are some items that cause inflammation leading to pain in the body.
• Sugars- refined, processed, white
• Grains- enriched, processed, white flours. Examples are bagels, breads, pasta, desserts
• Oils- refined and processed
• Fatty Meats

Americans eat these on a daily bases and they consist of 80% of the food eaten. Wow, think about that! 80% of the food choices and it causes the pain that you get and we chuck it up to a bad day at the office, studying too hard, or not getting a good nights rest. The inflammation caused by these foods hit joints and muscles, causing pain and we are lead to medications to put a band-aid on it instead of STOPING it. The meds will wear off and the pain will still be there. What can you do?
Make a life style change of your eating habits. Pick cleaner foods from those mentioned above or try limit the use them.
• Natural sweeteners instead of refined sugar. Look to cut back big time on the sugars. If you need more ideas and how to do this please contact me. There is too much information to put that all here.
• Whole grains, whole wheat, brown rice.
• Better Oils would be olive oil, coconut, pure butter, but used in moderation.
• Lean meats, skinless chicken, fresh fish, and omega 3 eggs. Rich omega 3 foods help to reduce and clean up areas that have been affected by inflammation. Contact me for more ways to incorporate these in daily choices.

For the bulk of daily choices you have a great variety of foods. Vegetables, fruits, and raw nuts are all great choices. These provide what you need for the body to be clean and functioning correctly. The top highlighted areas should count for less than 25% of the daily calorie in take.

Also, using herbs and spices can put a variety of flavors and healthy benefits in your body.
Ginger, turmeric, rosemary, oregano, garlic, coriander, are just a few. Almost all spices have anti-inflammatory qualities.
So lets cut back on these problematic foods and increase the beneficial items and put Pain and Suffering behind us.
Turkey day is almost here, what helpful foods are you featuring to give the best for your family and friends. Please share with us any of your ideas!

Here is another favorite of mine.
Warm and toasty Carrots
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and sliced carrots
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp pure maple syrup
• chopped fresh parsley as garnish

Drizzle the pan with the olive oil and warm slightly. Add the cumin seeds, you are not browning, just warming, this will be about 3 minutes over med. heat. Add the ginger and continue to sauté for 1 minute. Stir in carrots and salt, and turn heat to medium low. Add water, cover, and cook for about 2 minutes, until just barely tender. Stir in lemon juice and maple syrup. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Get creative and Sneaky about adding more Veggies

2009-11-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is time that we spend with family, friends, and FOOD. I say that because we do not typically have any social occasion without some form of food or drink. You may be traveling or have family coming to you, so turkey day is just one day of many that you are preparing and consuming food. I had a friend say. "I am going home and I am so worried because I know the rich and delicious foods that will be there, and most will be bad for me." Most Americans do not know the damage that is done by eating foods today. We do not eat the correct amounts of fruits and veggies, and we cut corners making things from a BOX or CANS. What you can do is educate your loved ones on the importance of a Balanced diet.

Under 10 % of American children and teens are getting a sufficient amount of fruits and veggies.

These beneficial items in our diet are important for child growth and maintaining a healthy weight. Even preventing diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, ADHD, and more. The key is to sneak it in and make it fun.

Here are some creative ideas to try
1. Bugs on a log...Celery, peanut butter, and raisins.
2. Fruit Kabobs...assorted fruit on a stick to go.
3. Vegetable flowers and dip

You can get really creative and just add as many good things for them to enjoy. It just takes having some fun.

Check out the recipes and Ideas fromFamilyFun.com

They have great creative foods, just remember to be light on the sweets. I often get tempted to over indulge in those.

Have a healthy day.

Spice up your Holiday.. part 3..Give select sides with specific nutrient benefit.

2009-11-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

While the Turkey usually gets all the attention for Thanksgiving, lets highlight some great sides for the day. Some sides are not only delicious, but also can be packed with incredible nutritional benefits. Seasonal squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes, hold impressive amounts of beta carotene, Vitamin C and A, rich antioxidants, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and Folate acid.

You also get some veggie dishes that are high in fiber, low in saturated fats, and low in sodium. That is because they are not smothered in butter and cream sauces. So this year try a few different sides that have more nutrients and less FATS. When we get together with family and friends, we think about giving them the best because of our love for them. Let's load our tables with healthy and tasty foods, not the foods with unnecessary extras. That is a show of your love for them and their HEALTH!
Today your getting two for one!!!!
Spiced Quinoa
it can be used as something other than stuffing or an extra side.
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 cup rinsed and drained quinoa
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup finely minced fresh cilantro or mint

Brown all spices in oil in large saucepan. Add quinoa and stir well. Add 2 cups boiling water, cover, simmer, until water is absorbed while stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and let stand for a few more minutes. Add parsley and cilantro or mint. Fluff with fork and serve.

Spiced Toasted Almonds
Makes a great item to have out before the big meal.
• 2 cups raw almonds
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 tsp maple syrup, pure

• 1/4 tsp sea sal

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 cup ground ginger

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Toss the almonds with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and ginger until they are coated evenly. Spread over a baking sheet evenly. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until lightly browned and smelling delicious. Almonds will become crispy as they cool. you can even add some dried fruits (cranberries, raisins, or apricots), they are great for added texture and taste.

Have a healthy Holiday!

Spice up your holiday.. part 2..Less sugar

2009-11-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

On average Americans consume about 180 POUNDS of sugar a year! Over the past 30 years alone our calorie intake has increased by 70%. With the majority of our food coming out of a can or box, the manufacturers add a number of chemicals and toxins to preserve the food which requires increased amounts of sugars to make the food more palatable. Does anybody wonder why we are in the midst of a growing obesity and diabetes epidemic? Sugar is in almost all things we buy, and then we still add it to our drinks, desserts, and dishes. Try this for a turkey day treat. It will be better tasting and better for your waistline.

Oatmeal Harvest Cookies
15 prep time makes about 2 dozen cookies

• 1 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda ( non aluminum)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp chopped nuts and/or raisins
• 1 cup mashed acorn squash or sweet potato
• 3/8 cup oil... (which is also 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together. In separate bowl, mix cooked mashed squash or potato and oil. Add to the dry ingredients. Drop by heaping tsp onto the cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 15 minutes.
Did you notice NO sugar??

Spice up Your Holiday with healthy flavors!

2009-11-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

Common everyday kitchen spices help your health. They can do things from increasing vitamins and mineral, to protecting against E- Coli and other bacteria, and even help to aid digestion. We all probably need some digestive assistance after all the rich and heavy meals of the holidays. Herbs not only add flavor but healing properties also. Learn the phase, "let your food be your medicine and let your medicine be your food". It is so true. You can enjoy food that not only tastes great, but helps you feel great too. Here are some helpful spices:

Almonds...help acne, asthma, cancer, cough, dermatitis, and more.

Capers...arthritis, cancer, cataracts, fractures, and sciatica.

Cinnamon...Bronchitis, diabetes, fever, heartburn, herpes, pain, PMS, and rheumatism.

Ginger...indigestion, diarrhea, flatulence, sore throats, and stomach aches

Peppermint...digestion, PMS, nausea, and stimulates circulations.

Oregano, marjoram, basil, and more...they are all used in foods and help in many ways.

Here is a great dish for Thanksgiving. Be sure to look everyday I am featuring a HEALTHY dish, side, or dessert everyday until Thanksgiving day.

Sweet Potatoes Casserole

15 minute prep and 1 hour bake time serves 10-12

• 6 large Sweet potatoes

• 1 pineapple chopped in small pieces (reserve the juice) If you do not have time, you could use a 20 oz can (but remember the metal content in cans)

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

• 1 to 3 tsp sesame oil

Bake sweet potatoes on cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 1 hour or until done. When cool enough to handle cut potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh and discard the skin. Mash the potatoes in electric mixture or hand mashing, until smooth. Add pineapple, with juices, and cinnamon and oil. Mix well. Spoon mixture in casserole dish or 9 by 13 baking dish. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake covered for 40 minutes.

This is a delicious dish with much less fat as traditional casseroles, and same great taste.

You can even add raisins to the dish for even more added flavor.

New dangers in Can foods.

2009-11-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

We have all read that can foods are bad for their high levels of metals. They are also stripped of their digestive enzymes needed for nutrient absorption. Not to mention the preservative chemicals found in these foods. I should also remind you of the high sodium, BAD sodium, content.

Well, canned foods are also being linked to the bad estrogen chemical that is causing cancers. There is a chemical BPA that is a plastic lining in the cans of most of our everyday foods. You may say, "studies are showing everything is causing cancer!" You may be right, but in a different sense. The foods we eat today has been drastically changed then the way it was DESIGNED to eat. We have added and changed the make up of the food, and that is why it is causing disease within us. Everything processed is being linked to cancer, diabetes, cholesterol, and other diseases, because of the chemicals and processing of the food type. The reason fruits and vegetables are showing signs of preventing disease is because it always has prevented it, we just have been uneducated and lazy. Please read this article and share with your loved ones. If we just take the time to use fresh CLEAN foods we live a longer and healthier life. By limiting the uses of processed foods and increasing your intact of fruits and veggies, you will be lowing your chances of these diseases.

New Dangers of Canned Foods
Have a Blessed and Healthy day.

.

Update on Joey, its day four

2009-11-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

I wish I had taken pictures of Joey now. He is doing great. He is showing the same signs of improvement that the shots had always given him. I am hoping that this is going to CURE the mange, not just easy the symptoms. The true signs will be when the hair starts to come back around the eyes, but I am happy knowing that I am giving him something that is natural and non toxic, to help him get rid of this parasite. I just wish it was warmer, because I will be giving him his oatmeal bath today to keep his coat clean.

Update on Joey

2009-11-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

I am very happy to say that so far major improvments. He is not rubbing and opening his sores around the eyes, and it looks like he is doing better. I am giving the herbal extract and worm wood in his milk. He gets a extra treat for one... the extra smells like a medicine almost, and it must not taste great because I have to keep the bowl saying " drink it boy". He does, but slowly. I will keep you up dated.

Herbs not just for people but pets as well.

2009-11-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let you guys know what's been going with my dog lately. Healing my pets are not something I do often, but a light bulb came on this weekend. Since July I have been battling a problem with Mange on my dog. He picked it up at a kennel, and we have been doing shots to help cure it. Each time he gets better, but never cured, and its back again. He had some sores that developed around his eyes that were causing him to rub and bleed. He started that up again just a few days ago.

Now we have been using herbs in many ways for ourselves for a long time now, but I have never used any on my dog. My sister sent me to a site that is all about pets and treating them Naturally. I was so excited because it gave mention to the herb Wormwood. Now, I was not that familiar with the herb because its not often that we have to deal with parasites. Today is day two and Joey is showing more progress of healing than ever before. He is not rubbing the eyes, making them bleed, and he is allowing it to heal. The wormwood I am putting one cap full in a bowl of milk and he id drinking it down once a day.

I will be keeping you posted as to his progress, but I am having high hopes that this will be safer, and fast than the shots that he has been taking and not curing him.

The reason I wanted to share this story with you all is that nutrition and holistic health is not just for you and your family, but the extended family, our pets, as well.

Here is the site that I was sooo happy to have found.Pets natural remedies Check it out. And forward to pets lovers as well.
Be Healthy and Blessed!!!!

Holistic Health Thursday...Homeopathic remedies.

2009-11-12T06:08:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let you know about a little secret of mine. You already know that I try to do all the preventive care that I can at home. I love that when I need a Dr. I can see one right away, but the time lost when you have to take a child to a Dr. appointment is so frustrating. The time taken off from work, the time sitting in the waiting room, and then you usually wait some more in the room. Signs that it is cold and flu season so they are going to be very busy right. So, to go along will our natural food choice diet we also use Homeopathic Medicine.

When you take a medication it stems from a medicinal plant source, but they have changed and patented it for their our meds. These have changed and altered the natural state of the plant source of the medicinal plant. That's why meds are usually harsher for the liver than Homeopathic medicine. With all herbs, and items used for medicinal purposes you should use caution and be educated on the benefits and side effects. The great thing about Homeopathic is that you have to learn what works best for what situation. To learn about what to use for the right times, look at "Homeopathic Medicine at Home" By Maesimund B. Panos, M.D., a wonderful book that really breaks it down for you.

Homeopathic remedies to do at home are most effective when you use the right measurements and the right occasions. It is very easy to understand and do, and SAFE!!!!! That would have to be the most important thing to me.

Since it is the cold season and H1N1 is of everyone's concern. We are all taking Aconite 30. The kids take 2 small little balls under the tongue just once a week. You could take it more often, but since they have strong immune systems, we only need to maintain their resistance to the colds. It is great! They were battling runny noses and dry coughs from things they were bringing home from school. It has been one month and not a runny nose or cough since we started this small step in prevention. If you are interested in learning more for your self, pick up the book mentioned above, very helpful and informative. Its not just colds, but also, stomach problems, fevers, earaches, burns, acne, and many more.

Remember this is what our ancestors have been doing since the dawn of time. Prevention and healing.

You could be doing it too, and it just takes education and understanding.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!!

Our Environment

2009-11-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

You may wonder why I would be concerned with the environment when my passion is nutrition, but I think it goes hand in hand. We have to be more concerned with our environment because our food, water, and air are our resources that are being effected by our life styles.

Today's cause is to drop the bag. If we all took steps to make a better environment we could make big changes. Our oceans are becoming very toxic with the garbage that is Blow, dumped, and washed into it. There is a area larger than the state of Texas, where it goes for miles down with garbage debris. If we learn to make small steps to clean up our garbage, and use the recycling centers near you, we can make big changes. It starts with you and me, and it starts with educating ourselves. Please visit the web site and make a commitment to DROP the bag. The seafood we eat are becoming toxic for this reason. If we want to have fresh seafood, and not Mercury high farm raised seafood as our only choices, than please read more and not continue to look the other way.

I have 6-7 canvas bags that I use for my shopping needs, for the weekly groceries, and I try two keep 1 or two bags in my car for those quick stops. If you start today....you will be making a difference.

Ocean conservancy

and

drop the plastic bag

Workout Wednesday.. P90X update

2009-11-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

You all know I love the P90X workouts. I have started the 90 day challenge again. I went from a 10/12 to a size 6 the first time around. So I am hoping to make some big improvements with tone and definition. Another dress size down will be a big benefit. Its only day 3 of the 90 days, but I'll keep you posted on the improvements.
You have all heard at one time someone talk about P90X. Many, many people are do the workouts. I love the P90X routine, but you could also find a different program that fits you better. Go to. beachbody. for more information.

This is the workout you will buy as an investment that you NEVER get tired of. It makes you exhausted, haha, but you never get sick of doing it.

Have a Healthy and Blessed Day.

Its Detox Tuesday.....

2009-11-03T06:32:00.000-08:00

OK, So since I did the Master Cleanse, I have loved how my body feels, physically and emotionally. I will be doing the whole cleanse every 3 months, but what I do for weekly up keep, is a once week cleanse. I will make a pitcher of lemons and water in the morning and drink Lemon water all day. Loaded with Vitamin C for one thing, and then for lunch and Dinner I will make a different veggie and fruit shakes. If you are a little hunger than just a shake at dinner than have a nice vegetable soup puree. The things about today is that I am eating no meat, grains, cheese, anything that is a little harder to digest. The veggies and fruit are packed with vitamins, mineral, and FIBER. So I am cleaning and detoxing throughout the whole day. On a liquid diet, your digestive system gets the nutrients and is allowed to rest and recoup for the rest of the week. Its amazing and when you make it a routine you love the way your body runs better.

Here is a shake idea.

1 whole cucumber
4 sticks of celery
2-4 handfuls of spinach
8 lettuce leaves
Any other greens!
Optional boosters: parsley and fresh alfalfa sprouts
Juice all ingredients and mix 50/50 with distilled water. Add optional lemon juice to taste and Prime pH to boost the alkalinity of the juice

Another

3-4 Carrots
125g Fresh Spinach
Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley
2-3 Sticks of Celery
Juice all ingredients (putting celery through last). Mix with juice to taste or drink.

New Nutrition Monday....top Vitamin C foods.

2009-11-02T10:36:00.000-08:00

In no specific order....
Oranges
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Green peppers
Red Peppers
Brussels Sprouts
Kiwi
Guava
Grapefruit Juice
Vegetable Juice blend

If you can incorporate these in a daily diet one or a couple a day, rotating, having a assortment of these it will keep you out of the cold and flu discomforts and out enjoying this beautiful fall/winter weather. Just as a side note, oranges are NOT the frood with the most Vitamin C. Its actually on the lower end of the poll. THats why you want to mix it up and get a little of all these fruits and vegetables in. Make your own Vegetable shakes with these and say GOOD BYE flu and cold season.

Have a Healthy and Blessed Day

The herb of the week...is all about Vitamin C

2009-11-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

OK, I think most of us our concerned with this years cold and flu season, I know I am. So a great way to get some extra fluids, that taste great, is to have a nice cup of tea loaded with vitamin C. There are a few herbs that can help with this, but the top most packed with Vitamin C is the Accerola Fruit. It is loaded with Vitamin C from 1,500 mg to 14,800 mg of Vitamin C.

Fruit: Fruits are round to oblate, cherry-like but with 3 lobes. They are bright red (rarely yellow-orange) with thin skin, easily bruised. The pulp is juicy, acid to sub-acid occasionally nearly sweet, with a delicate flavor and apple notes. The fruit is very high in Vitamin C, up to 4,000 mg per 100 g fresh weight, but typically around 1,500 mg C. Green fruits have twice the Vitamin C level of mature fruits. Fruits develop to maturity in less than 25 days. Seeds typically three with fluted wings, forming a triangle. Many aspects of seed viability have not been studied.

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/acerola.html for more information.

Very beneifictial in areas of cold, flu, lung disorders, skin, and more. You can find it in tea bags at you local Health food store or start to grow your own, beautiful Schrub.

Have a Healthy and Blessed Day.

My Detox shake for today

2009-11-01T06:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am going to be blogging more later, but for those that wish to get a head start on detoxifying the sugar today. This is what we are having. Lots of greens and berries.

1/2 cup Orange Juice, fresh
1/2 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts
2 celery sticks
4 strawberries
1 cup blue berries
ice for texture you wish

Its all in the blender and blend through stages 1 to the liquefy. And its a beautiful purple color. Enjoy and have like 3 of these today. Slowly decreasing the berries and increasing the greens. The color will become greener with less blueberries. I will be posting later today as well.

Great Ideas for Halloween

2009-10-31T09:31:00.000-07:00

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ok, Parents I know some of you are concerned with the amount of sugar that is consumed during the holidays. We know that sugar lowers the immune system and increases our risks for illnesses. So think about all the candy we indulge in this night. We are all scared and concerned with the H1N1, and we should be. So lets keep our defenses stronger. Here is a few ideas.

1. Be sure to eat a full nutritious meal for dinner. Have plenty of vegetables, and fruit. There are some great ideas in Taste of Home with apple slices and almonds to look like a ghouls teeth, and cheese sticks that look like a vampires fingers. Be creative with natural foods, everything fun does not have to be laced ion sugar.

2. Allow them to collect candy and have fun in the event, but tell them you still have to inspect the candy as always for any hidden dangers. What we do is get the candy home and then after inspection , allow them 5 pieces to indulge in.

3. The next morning do the big exchange. They exchange their bag of candy for a new 5 dollar bill. They can buy something great at the store. It shows them there are rewards for giving it up, and its done and over. Its actually better to consume a larger amount of candy at one time, then spacing it out daily. The body burns up the candy and you feel terrible, but you can get back into a normal diet and help detox. When you give them a little every day, that's everyday that they are lowering the system more and more. You also have major behavioral issues because of that. Also, sugar has a drying effect on the skin. Its getting colder and they are going to be having itchy skin not from the change in temperatures, which will not help, but the sugar.

4. Also think about going to a community event where they give out not just candy and treats but also activities and toys. It does not have to be just about the treats.

You have tocheck this one out.....Truely health neat snacks for kids on halloween. Celery claws, beetle juice, eyeball eggs, ghost toast...you have to check it out to plan for tonight and make it healthy.

http://www.greatgrubclub.com/?location_id=148

If your wondering what to do with your pumpkin seeds check out. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spiced-Pumpkin-Seeds/Detail.aspx

Ways to increase Resveratrol's

2009-10-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

Blueberries 1 cup

Purple grapes 1/2 cup, twice a day

Peanut butter 2 tbsp

Red wine one 4.5 ounce glass

Cranberry Juice 1/2 cup

What is a resveratrol?

Resveratrol is found in grapes, wine, grape juice, peanuts, and berries, including blueberries, bilberries, and cranberries. Resveratrol is found only in the skins of grapes. "Resveratrol has been found to inhibit the proliferation of a variety of human cancer cell lines, including those from breast, prostate, stomach, colon, pancreatic, and thyroid cancer". Published at Organ State University. It is also being said to have anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Studies have also shown that resvertrols have antioxidant activities , which decreases oxidized stress in tissues that leads to cancer. With Cancer one of the top three killers in the United States, because of the diet and lifestyle we lead, increasing these specific items would be of great use.

I would plan to incorporate these in along with the omega 3's daily planner. We are past trying to eat well. We are now working in specific areas of health. To know what fruits and vegetables can help within the areas of our bodies we can identify when something feels off or not right.

That is why having vegetables and fruits as a major source of dietary intake helps fight disease and health problems. Every source of vitamin and minerals helps a specific area to give you better health.

At times we think that we have a disease of health problem due to parents having genes to that. Science is now showing that even though you may be PRON to those health risk, it is in your hands to stop it before it happens. Lets take diabetes as an example. If a parent had this, it does not mean you WILL. If you know it is a risk for you this is where you can increase and decrease certain foods to keep the door shut on this problem.
Being Proactive is the best way to keep you healthy. So often we are Reactive, we do something about it after we get the lab results in. At this stage the damage has been done and now you can only maintain a balance. Be Proactive and take control now to stay away from cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, stroke.

Omega 3's and how to increase and them to your diet.

2009-10-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

Ways to increase Omega 3's

Wild Salmon 3-4 ounces ( deck of cards)

Spinach 1 cup steamed ( baseball)

Walnuts 1 handful

Soymilk 2 cups (16 ounces)

Flaxseed 2 tbsp

DHA eggs 2 eggs

pecans 1 handful

Tofu 1/2 cup raw tofu

Wheat germ 2 tbsp

Soybean oil 2 tbsp

Alaskan Halibut 3-4 ounces

Collard greens 1 cup steamed

Pumpkins seeds 1 handful

chunk light tuna 3-4 ounces

Soy nuts 1 handful

Sunflower seeds 1 handful

You have a few combinations to put together, and learning the combinations will be of great benefit to make sure you get these in. Try to make it second nature because that's what this mounts up to, life choices.

Benefits of omega 3 include lowering triglycerides (fats in our bodies we get from eating animal products and saturated fats) in the blood, lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, and decreases the production of inflammatory chemicals produced by the body.

Omega 3 and 6's can not be produced by the body. These have to be incorporated in to the diet. Unfortunately processed foods such as white bread and white pastas contain higher levels of omega 6's that usually carry hydrogenated oils and increasing the disease causing trans fats. Limit these by increasing the omega 3's above and limiting the white carbs. When you create a environment in your body with omega 3's, its tougher to develop cancer, heart disease, muscular degeneration, obesity, cardiac arrhythmia, and decreased mental function.

Here are some ways to get them in beneficial daily combinations.

Wild salmon, spinach, walnuts, soymilk, flaxseed.

eggs, spinach, walnuts, tofu, wheat germ, soybeans.

Alaskan halibut, spinach, soymilk, flaxseed.

Pecans, soymilk.

eggs, collard greens, pumpkin seeds, tofu, flaxseed.

Chunked tuna, soy nuts, flax seed,

eggs, spinach, walnuts, soymilk, wheat germ
These are a few ways you can incorporate them in a daily routin.

I mentioned more about the Master Cleanse.

2009-10-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

I have so enjoyed the Cleanse. It has given me the energy that I needed to start working out again, and its helped to detox the junk we eat from time to time. I must say even though I am a huge advocate of Organic fruits and vegetables, I am not always able to eat from the organic produce, we are limited there. So its very beneficial to do a cleanse to clean out toxin in the blood, colon, and tissues. When we cleanse you not only reset your metabolism, but your energy and emotions as well. There we days that I said to my husband, "wow, I just feel really happy, and I don't know why." Then I read that that's one of the things you notice when you detox.
If you have a bad diet, the normal American Diet, then you would want to do this cleanse every 3 months. It's recommend for at least every 6 months.
Here is the link that you can read more about it, but start soon. You would be doing your colon a favor.

http://therawfoodsite.com/

There you can read about others that have done it, and what more to expect. Check it out.

Check out this clip to hear more about it and what it can do for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFZsWAluoUs&feature=player_embedded

How the Cleanse is coming

2009-09-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

I am so excited, it is going great and I have so much energy. The first day was uncomfortable, because I was having headaches due to detoxing and caffeine withdrawals. I drink too much coffee, which I will not be doing any more. I did not have much more than that happen beside a few detox symptoms. The second day felt what I thought was great. Later on during the day I started to notice a change in bowel movements, and it was that I was getting rid of toxins and more in the colon. It was amazing how great I am feeling everyday that I am on this. I the cleanse has been very beneficial and there is still seven days to go. I am expecting even better outcomes. I will be posting more ways this cleanse is helpful.

I am doing a cleanse for the digestive tract

2009-09-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about this. I have always wanted to do a cl easing fast, but always pregnant or breastfeeding. So I am doing the lemon cleanse. It's so easy and very beneficial. This is a effective and simple fast to clean out the digestive tract. This should be done every six months for great health. When you consume dead foods these have preservatives, toxins, and some dead foods are extremely hard to digest. When we do not clean ever so often they build up i the intestines and we become a toxic DUMP. We need to flush the toxins and the stuck fecal matter.

If you are wanting to do this. You would have to follow the steps and do the entire process to the end. Which is about 10 days, and you should have a good diet from there out. Meaning you do not want to just jump back into a dead diet. You will slowly be increasing the food back into the diet, with juice smoothies, raw vegetables, and then ultimately grains and proteins. You will want to make sure you can have lots of fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, to make sure you finish the cleanse to the end.

There are many cleanses out there, Master Cleanse is very similar to what I am using. Mine is geared toward using foods, and the Lemons are very effective in cleansing the digestive track.

If you have any questions please email me.

Flax seed is also a very nice cleanser to use as a daily routine. You can add this to you cereals, breads, shakes, and main dishes.

Blueberry Muffins
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
3/4 cup flax seed meal
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground ginger
2 apples, shredded
3/4 cup 2% milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all dry ingredients together, EXCEPT blueberries. Combine eggs, milk, and vanilla, and beat for 30 seconds. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir and fold into Blueberries. Fill each muffins tin 3/4 of the way full. Bake 350 degrees for 15- 20 minutes.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!

Deep Breathing

2009-09-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

It is so important to remember to breath. I know some may say that it is a automatic response for life is to breath. That is true, but we can become so stressed that we for get HOW to breath.

There are a few techniques for breathing.
1. The Auyvedic way to make sure we get rid of any excess CO2 within our lungs. This is a exercise you can do daily, as often as want. What you do is take short, quick, breaths in and then release long breaths out. And then another quick breath and longer breath out. The key is to breath in, but you breath out for as long as you can trying to empty the Carbon dioxide trapped inside. It can be toxic to the body, so remember to add this to you routine.

2. Another way is the DEEP breathing. Most of us know this one. You can take deep breaths in and long deep breaths out. This allows oxygen into the blood and to every part of the body. It is very relaxing and we take time to forget our troubles to focus on the rhythmic action of breathing in and out. You feel so good after this. You should learn to do this when you are stressed, upset, and in the evening when you want to rest.

You will also learn to breath correctly while doing Yoga and/or Tai Chi. It makes you focus on the movements and breath. Very beneficial exercise and breathing. It helps with stress and enhances moods. When you breath you are in a sense Detoxifying your mind and body.

We can all learn to handle are stress better and live longer.

Have a blessed and healthy day.

Heart Disease

2009-09-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Beneficially foods for heart disease.

Grapseed oil contains a high level of antioxidants and has shown to reduce your LDL (bad cholesterol) and raises the HDL (good cholesterol).

Salmon has omega-3 fats that help to prevent heart disease. When shopping you want wild salmon, which has lower PCB contaminants than farm raised.

Eat half a red grapefruit before your meals in the morning and it helps to lower cholesterol, even helps to loose weight.

Eat more red legumes, red lentils and kidney beans. Their rich in trypophan which helps to reduce stress and depression. Other benefits are that they reduce your blood pressure, give you more energy, and detoxify the colon.

By eating foods that help with constipation and aid digestion you reduce your blood pressure as well. (red cabbage, pomegranates, water melon, tomato juice, apples, etc)

Adding raw red onions to your salads, stews, spreads, side dishes can cut bad cholesterol.
If your cooking you want to use white or yellow onions, keep the red ones raw or you loose the properties listed here.

Eating wild Salmon helps prevent heart disease. Its rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium that helps to reduce stress.

Walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds also have heart healthy effects. You can add those to baked goods, salads, side dishes, and desserts.

Avocados are packed with healthy monounsaturated fatty acids or "good fats". They also help to lower cholesterol levels and raise the good HDL levels.

Avocado Dip or spread
2 avocados mashed
1/4 yellow onion minced or chopped finely
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Juice of one lemon

Mix together and have a dip and chips. I LOVE to add to the top of burgers instead of mayo. Its amazing taste can also be aided with a little BBQ sauce for a Tex Mex burger, wow.

To Vaccinate or Not, you decide

2009-09-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have had a lot of people ask me my opinion if they should vaccinate or not. I really am on the fence with that question. I have four children and will say that I have vaccinated all of them, but wonder if I did the right thing. My sister in law is a big advocate for NOT vaccinating and her children are just as strong and healthy children as mine. There has been a lot of talk on the matter. What I have is the some facts you should know for why not to have vaccinations. This information was taken from the Healthkeepers Magazine, and the Natural solutions Foundation.

1. Vaccines are toxin. They contain mercury, formaldehyde, and aluminum.

2. Immunizations depresses and disables the brain and immune function. Unbiased studies hasve shown vaccines to be linked to these illnesses, SIDS, development disorders, autism, mental retardation, hyperactivity, dyslexia, Immune deficiency, Degenerative diseases - muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, cancer, leukemia, lupus, fibromyalgia.

3. Since 1990, doctors are not legally required to report adverse reactions to the CDC. They actually consider adverse reactions to be normal. They are ignored and even classify as other disease. I would want reactions reported or to know that this reaction may happen.

4. Vaccines are taken for granted as safe and effective. They require it to be done and we do it, but they have no control group studies. They tell you that to not vaccinate is unethical but refuse to study those that do not vaccinate. Their are afraid to see there are people that are actually just as healthy or better.

There are more but they go into the laws and gag orders. Some have wondered if Doctors are held by the same fears that parents have, that they HAVE to give them to every child in fear of the what if. It is assumed and force that Vaccinations are needed and done. I will admit that I would have thought differently if I had the information I do now. I personally think they are unnecessary risk to take to keep children safe. Although, if a normal American Family does not have the appropriate diet and nutrition than maybe the vaccinations are for them. If you are in a natural and nutritious lifestyle than your child has a stronger immune system to fight the disease that they are trying to protect against.
So the choice should and be yours. If you want to see more information about this right that is yours is at christianhealthfellowship.org or call 574-268-2121. They can provide you with a certificate that explains to the school why its your choice and freedom to not have your child NOT vaccinated and in the public schools as well.

I am not saying that you should not vaccinate. If you choose to vaccinate that is again your right, all I am saying that there are risk and possible damages that can come from them that they do not tell us about. If you have a chemical inserted into the body you should know all possible reactions not just the fever, soreness, and upset stomach.

This was not meant to scared but to make you aware. There is pleanty of information out there as to why you should. I just wanted to let you see the other side as well.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!

Skin Care made Easy

2009-09-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about how much money you spend in your beauty products? Think about the items we, as woman, buy. Shampoo, Conditioners, lotions, eye cream, lip cream, foot creams, hand creams, rejuvenating toners and creams, age reversal cerium's.....and the list goes on. I have bought them all before and its endless to keep up with.

There is a better choice. If you eat for your beauty you are covering a few things at once. Your feeding your body the things it needs and your enriching your skin and hormones that might be causing the acne or blemishes you are trying to correct or hide.

Your skin is the largest organ of your body it lives, breaths, heals, and Can Be Corrected. You can increase certain foods into your diet and it will be more cost effective than the beauty products that do not always correct the problem. By side who really has time to do all the 1 to 4 steps to clean, scrub, tone, lotion and more.

1. First step is decreasing your amount of sugar. From cereals, sodas, processed and packaged foods, junk foods, and desserts.

2. Increase you antioxidants. This is in bright colored fruits and vegetables. Also in green tea, zinc, Vitamin C, and Ursolic acid ( an extract from rosemary). These scavenge free radicals that lead to wrinkles and precancerous cell damage.

3. Increase your Probiotics. These are good bacteria both internally and externally. They are very powerful in fighting acne, eczema, rosacea, athlete's foot, and dermatitis. Probiotics are necessary for prevention of staph and bacterial infections.

4. Enzymes. If your digestion is running correctly you are able to absorb the nutrient needed for cell health and production (ells like SKIN, hair, tissues, organs, etc.) If you have bad digestion you could have less than pure skin, bad hair, aging skin, and your toxic substances in the colon even effect and show in the skin. Top 10 enzymes that help are Acerola, Cherry, Cranberry, Papaya, Acai Berry, Goji Berries, Lutein, and Lycopene.

5. Peptides are a potent wrinkle reversal and collagen stimulant. You can get these from algae, brewers yeast, and growth actors like EGF, GABA, and Argireline. You can look for these ingredients in your cream and serums.

6. Essential Fatty acids and cold pressed oils are anti-inflammatory and softening skin agents. They aid in eliminating scaly skin and even treatment of eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions. They also restore skins natural glow and restore moisture from within.

These are things that should be in your diet anyway. Why not nourish your body and skin at the same time, and cut back on all those beauty products that do not fix the problem only cover it up.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!

When your busy and on the Run, remember to eat well

2009-09-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

So often we are traveling for business or multitasking are daily schedule, hit the gym, drop the kids off to various activities, and running errands. We need to remember to eat right, and not eat fast. We can still maintain a busy schedule with a little preparation and planning to eat foods good for are bodies. You can plan a head to have things already prepared. Here are some neat ideas.

1. You can make soups or stews on Sunday and have it ready for through the first half of the week. Add more water or vegetables broth when you need to, and even some grains like brown rice. You can warm that morning and put in your Thermos and have it still warm for lunch.

2. Make hummus, it will keep in the refrigerate for a week. This you can get creative whether in your favorite Peta pocket or tortilla but be sure to add veggies (bean sprouts, lettuce, avocado, cucumbers, etc.)

3. Be sure to keep the veggies coming through. Have a bag of carrots already ready to grab, celery chopped in sticks, zucchini came be like Julian to add to sandwiches or coined for dipping in favorite dip.

4. Even though you have to get out of the car, don't forget your deli section in the grocery store. You can always stop there and have them load your sandwich just the way you like, and add a cup a yogurt and vitamin water. Everything in and out in 10 minutes and healthy.

Those are just some ideas to get you started. My husband use to travel more than he does now, but he would come home bloated and uncomfortable from eating out as much as he did. Just think the normal business trip in anywhere from 2 to 3 days. Your eating out breakfast, lunch and dinner. How many of those meals are in a greasy fast food or restaurant where they do not give the list of ingredients and oils used to make your meal. If you make it or purchase and assemble your self, you may put more time into it, but you KNOW whats in it.

Also, don't forget to fortify your dishes with wheat germ, nuts, flax seed. You can add these healthy fats to salads, shakes, stews, and more. Healthy fats help to bring down the BAD fats and healthy fats are beneficial for brain function.

As always, have a blessed and healthy day!!!!!

Exercise, keeping it fun

2009-08-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone know that exercise is beneficial for you. It remove toxins stored in your lymph glands and breaks up toxins trapped in muscles and vital organs. The largest organ of the body is your skin. It releases a great number of toxins through perspiration, while exercising. While we exercise we do deep breathing which floods our bodies with rich oxygen. When you exercise not only are you toning muscle but increasing metabolism.

So you know exercise is great for you the problem is getting you to do it RIGHT. I bet if we gave you money, like "Biggest Loser" you would be getting up everyday to make that goal. There is probably a money amount to drag you out of bed or off the couch, but if I said "hey _______ would you like to go do something fun you enjoy", I would not have to persuade you much.

The key is to find something you enjoy, and then stick with it. You can have fun while exercising just be creative. Here are someways to get out and get moving.

Dancing
Swimming
Water Skiing
Walking
Jogging
kickboxing
Hiking
Racquetball
Rollerblading
Biking
Snow skiing
Aerobics
kayaking
Running
Golfing
Cross Country
Rock climbing
Cameoing
Tennis

There are so many ways to be fit and make it enjoyable with the family or friends. You can make goals to do something you have never done before and see if its for you. Whether it is a outside or inside ACTIVITY you will be moving and that's what it's all about.

Side note.....Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, which fight heart disease. Even though these nuts are high in fat, you can have a few and their nutrients go a long way. You can add them to salads, breads, as a handful a day by them selves, the possibilities are endless. Be creative and look at adding new foods great for your body where you can. You can add something new every week, and your on your way to a better, longer life.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!!!

Which Flower Remedy might you need.

2009-08-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is based off the Bach Flower Guide Booklet. It will have the name of the flower remedy and the questions under it that the flower would benefit.

1. Agrimony
Do you hide your worries behind a cheerful, smiling face to conceal your pain from other?
Are you distressed by arguments and quarrels, often giving in to avoid conflict?
when you feel life's pressures weighing down on you do you often turn to food, alcohol, drugs, or other outside influences to help you cope?

2. Aspen
Do you have feelings of apprehension or anxiety without knowing why?
Do you feel that something bad may happen but you are not sure why?
Do you wake up with a sense of anxiety of what the day will bring?

3. Beech
Are you often annoyed by the habits and shortcomings of others?
Do you find yourself to be overly critical and intolerant, usually looking for what someone has done wrong and not right?
Do the incompetence and foolishness of others irritate you?

4. Centaury
Do you often neglect your own needs in order to please others?
Is it Difficult to say no to those who impose upon your good nature?
Do you tend to be easily influenced by those stronger in nature than yourself?

5. Cerato
Do you constantly second-guess your own decisions and judgments?
Do you often seek advise and confirmation from other people, mistrusting you own intuition?
Do you change direction often, even when you have asked for advise, because you feel confused and unsure?

6. Cherry Plum
Are you afraid you might loose control of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically?
Do you fear that you may think or do something that you feel is wrong?
Do you think you may hurt yourself or others or become violent and explosive?

7. Chestnut Bud
Do you find yourself making the same mistakes over and over again as choosing the wrong type of partner or staying in a job you dislike?
Do you fail to learn from the mistakes or experiences of others?
Do you wish you would not repeat the same patterns again and again?

8. Chicory
Do you need to be needed or want your loved ones to be close by?
Do you feel unloved and unappreciated by your loved ones?
Are you possessive of those you care for, feeling you know what is best for them?

9. Clematis
Do you often feel spacey and absent minded?
Do you find yourself preoccupied and dreamy, unable to concentrate for any length of time?
Are you drowsy and listless, sleeping more often than necessary?

10. Crab apple
Are you obsessed with cleanliness and feel toxic and contaminated?
Are you embarrassed and ashamed of yourself or feel physically unattractive?
Do you tend to concentrate to much on small physical conditions such as pimples or marks?

11. Elm
Do you feel overwhelmed by your responsibilities?
Do you feel it is to difficult to handle all the many task ahead of you?
Do you become depressed and exhausted when face with your everyday commitments?

12. Gentian
Do you become discouraged and depressed when things go wrong?
Are you easily disheartened when faced with difficult situations?
Does your depressed attitude prevent you from making an effort to accomplish something?

13. Gorse
Do you feel hopeless, as if there is no reason to try to improve things?
Do you lack faith that things could get better in your life and therefore make no effort to improve your circumstances?
Do you believe that nothing can be done to relieve your pain and suffering?

14. Heather
Do you find that others may avoid you because you seem to talk too much?
Do you dislike being alone, always seeking the companionship of others, to have someone to talk to?
Do your conversations usually wind up on your interests or problems?

15. Honeysuckle
Do you find yourself living in the past, nostalgic and homesick for the "way it was"?
Are you unable to change present circumstances because you are always looking back and never forward?
Do you often contemplate past regrets?

16. Holly
Are you suspicious of others, feeling that people ulterior motives?
Do you feel great anger toward other people?
Are you full of jealousy, mistrust, or hate?

17. Hornbeam
Do you often feel too tired to face the day ahead?
Do you feel overwhelmed or bored with your life?
Do you tend to procrastinate and put off some tasked while easily accomplishing those that are more enjoyable?

18. Impatiens
Do you feel a sense of urgency in everything you do, always rushing to get through things?
Are you impatient and irritated with others who seem to do things too slowly for you?
Do you prefer to work alone?

19. Larch
Do you lack self confidence?
Do you feel inferior and often become discouraged?
Are you so sure that you will fail that you do not even attempt things?

20. Mimulus
Do you have fears of identifiable things, ie, illness, death, pain, heights?
Are you shy, overly sensitive and often afraid?
Do you often worry about everyday situations, ie, traffic bills, etc?

21. Mustard
Do you feel depressed without knowing why?
Do you feel moods swing back and forth?
Do you feel gloom, which seems to quickly appear for no apparent reason and then lifts just as quickly?

22. Oak
Are you exhausted but feel then need to struggle on against all odds?
Do you have a strong sense of duty and dependability, carrying on no matter what obstacles stand in your way?
Do you neglect you own needs in order to complete a task?

23. Olive
Do you feel utterly and completely exhausted, both physically and mentally?
Are you totally drained of all energy with no reserves left, finding it difficult to carry on?
Have you just been through a long period of illness, stress, or strain with no relief?

This is only 23 out of 38 Remedies. This is an example to see how a certain flower remedy can focus in on certain aspects and views of life. I have even seen a person select a certain flower for themselves, and then their spouse will pick a different one for them. At times we can not see how we appear to others. I absolutely believe in the Bach remedies, they have helped me and my family too many times to doubt there help.

I invite you to visit the official Bach Flower remedy site, Bachremedies.com. To find the right flower for you. Once there you can got to REMEDY CHOOSER at the top and then type the desired effect you are looking for. If you really like the guide that I was using to help you see if that is the remedy for you please feel free to contact me for more of the other Flowers if you feel these and the website did not help you enough.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!!

The Bach Flower Remedies

2009-08-20T09:27:00.001-07:00

For those of you who are not familiar with this company, they are amazing. A man named Edward Bach discovered the unique way of extracting the essence of certain flowers and their effect on our emotions.
Created in 1930 Dr. Bach who was a medical doctor and bacteriologist, formulated 38 Flower Remedies. These help to manage the emotional demands of everyday life and helps to center the negative attitudes and feelings into balance and perspective. When you know which flower is more beneficial to you, can manage those taxing times and moments. It works to free the body's own healing abilities and helps to promote an overall wellness.
The top two remedies we use in our house are the Rescue Remedy and Rescue Sleep. As a very busy mom, student , and running full time business. I love the effect that the Rescue Remedy has one me. I know when I start to feel overwhelmed, it would be a great time to just drop a few droplets under my tongue to bring a sense of calm into my day. I use to have a few drops as normal practice before leaving for Mass, knowing the kids would be taxing through the service. It helps in more ways than just stress.
My three year old daughter has a BIG fear of spiders and I have found when she has a run in with a certain pest, she will be calmed more after a few drops. In that sense it can actually help to reduce the traumatising effects of a memory and feeling of despair and stress. It is a safe homeopathic remedy for the whole family.
The Sleep Remedy, which we call the nightmare spray, help the mind and body relax just enough to be able to fall into a nice calming sleep. I find if the kids have a restless sleep a couple sprays helps the mind to forget the uncomfortable dreams they where just having. It has almost the same effects as a lavender aromatherapy, but more effective. There is nothing it the remedies to be like a drug, how they sometimes leave you tired or over tax the body. These are simply natural, powerful, and effective ways to help the body to heal, mentally and physically.

When to use Rescue Remedy.

Work Related stress
Childbirth/care
Sudden Bad news
Auto Accidents
Traffic Jams
Interviews
Dentist Doctor appointments
Arguments
Presentations to superiors or large groups
Large work loads
School Exams
Trauma
Or any other stressful occasion, Rescue remedy is you inner calm, ON CALL.

These are just of the products that you can take. There are 38 in all, and all help to center certain feeling, whether fear, anger, inpatients, and MORE.

Tomorrows post will be identifying the right one for you.
Have a Blessed and Healthy day!

Sugars can be in hidden forms

2009-08-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

It is considered LEGAL deception.......??

Artificial sweeteners
Aspartame
Barbados molasses
blackstrap molasses
buttered syrup
caramel
carob syrup
corn syrup
dextran
dextrose
diastatic malt
diastase
dried corn syrup
ethyl maltol
glucose
glucose solids
golden syrup
molasses
honey
maple syrup
nonnutritive sweeteners
refiner's syrup
saccharin
sorbitol
sucrose
turbinado sugar

These are all listen on your labels of boxes, cans, and others. These are listen as NUTRITIOUS
and they all mean SUGAR!! You might even find these nutrients, ha ha, to be 4 or 5 all in the same boxes or cans,

Here is a nice piece of information about Produce

2009-08-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can tell if a produce is 1. organic, 2. Conventionally grown, or 3. Genetically engineer(GE or GMO). It is very easy to explain. Just look to the PLU code on the sticker.
1. Organic produce will have five numbers and will always follow with a number 9. Example 94011. That is bananas.

2. Conventionally grown produce will be the ones that have been gown with fungicides, chemical fertilizers, and herbicides. These will only have 4 numbers listed on the PLU. Example 4011.

3. GE or GMO's will have 5 numbers as well but they will follow the number 8. Example 84011.
Most genetically engineered produce are designed and altered in a way that they are lacking in enzymes. This way they last longer from harvest to the store. Yes, you have the benefit of your fruit and veggies to look better, but they will be unable to be digested as well, and the body can not absorb what it can not digest. If items are not broken down correctly then you are eating a non-food. It will cause a nutrient debt within the body and is void of the nutrients needed in daily task.

OK, so you have the choice between a Organic item. That has only beneficial mineral, vitamins, and enzymes. Or a Conventional item that is loaded with chemicals that have been linked with causing a multitude of cancers from breast, prostate, and many more. Lastly there is the GMO items that are not able to be digested correctly cause IBM, gas, constipation, bad .absorption,...shall I continue? What would your choice be?

The message of today was to just let you see there is a system to the numbering of the produce department. Now you can know the differences without asking and not knowing what you buying.

As always,
Have a blessed and healthy day!

Gone Camping

2009-08-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

We went camping again. One of the best ways to get outside and breath all that fresh air!!!!
I will be posting again on Monday. Everyone enjoy your weekend and make wise food choices!

Have a Healthy and Blessed day!!

Therapies for Alzheimer's

2009-08-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

If your loved one has Alzheimer's, or believed to have it, make sure to be advised by Physician. I would like to think you are seeing one that believes in natural approaches or at least open to them. You can always try to find a Naturopathic Doctor, they will have more insights to these treatments.
First if you do not have Alzheimer's but are worried about the Aluminum in the body. You can always start but drinking more Green juices. A green Juices is all Vegetables and Fruit that are green. (celery, spinach, green lettuces, avocado, zucchini, cucumbers, kale, leeks, broccoli, grapes, kiwi, Norri, kelp, asparagus, collards, cabbage, beet tops.) You can make you own combinations, but all of these will help to detoxify the body and blood, and help balance the PH, allowing the body to heal. I would recommend doing a juice fast once a week, to help replenish and detox the body from every day heavy metals. When you Juice fast the body still receives its needed nutrients, and also help the organs to rest from processing the "bad" in the body. In addition to that. Start them on a complete organic diet (start with dirty dozen). These contain more traces minerals that are beneficial to the brain, chromium, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.

If the symptoms of the disease have begun there are steps you can take. Since every degree of degeneration is different from person to person, please be evaluated by a qualified health professional. They can help you make the best decisions on which of these treatments are right for you.
As we age the digestive system has been so taxed that the ability to produce proper stomach acid is diminished. Look at healing this problem and eating foods according to proper digestion. If the digestion is lacking, we can not absorbs the nutrients properly. Vitamin B6 and B12 along with iron are commonly deficient in later years, these also effect the memory.

Some clients have also received injections of B complex. Injections are used so the vitamins are absorbed right into the blood and used according by the body. When oral B-complex is used you can not be sure how much is broke down for use. SAMe, S-adenoslymethionine, is also increased because it is a amino acid that is in virtually every cell of the body. Alzheimer's studies show this to be lacking in extremely low levels.

Lecithin, has a substance know as choline, can enhance production of acetycholine. In a past post you see how this helps with the neurotransmitters. Lecithin, can also help alleviate anxiety, a natural Valium if you will, minus the drug effects. This they see very helpful in the confusion that comes with the disease.

Things that maybe deficient and/or to increase are Magnesium, Selenium, Vitamin C, Zinc, Taurine, Melatonin, Omega-3's, natural hormones, Trytophan, and Tyrosine. There are many things that can be lacking and need increasing. Most of these can be balanced with the food choices mentioned above, and then increasing certain amino acids and enzymes.

You want to also look into a product by Life Extension Foundation called Cognitex. This is a combination of elements that are considered brain boosting, consisting of the much needed choline. Also vital for building cell membrane's in the brain. The product also contains vinpocetine which improves blood flow and utilizes oxygen to the brain.

As always, you have alternatives and choices in your health and wellness. This information is here to show you there are natural approaches and treatments. Before stopping or starting anything, be sure to have Physician on board will decisions.

Have a Healthy and Blessed day!!

Alzheimer's

2009-08-04T06:26:00.000-07:00

This is a topic very important to me. If you have ever known a loved one to have this horrible disease, you would understand why I will be so passionate about this topic.

I remember when my grandfather first started showing signs that his memory was slipping. He was getting more frustrated everyday with the fact that simple things were just out of his reach. He was upset when he could not remember what to call the vacuum, or that he was eating pancakes for breakfast. At first you think it is funny and must be old age. Then it slowly got worse and he was losing his way home, or ending up in the wrong town. Back in the mid 80's they were not able to identity Alzheimer's. So, he got worse and we had to watch as he withdrew into himself, slowly not knowing us and were he was. It was heart breaking to to see such a strong and wonderful man lose of himself, and have to rely on others for his care. Even his body suffered from the disease losing body mass, the shell of the man that was left looked nothing like the man I knew. He was always there, but the pain showed everyday on him. It was a fast four years that we watched the man we love leave us. In the end he could barely talk and had lost the functions of walking a few years before.

This is why I am so passionate about nutrition, everything I have learned in school tells me about what we can do to limit the outcome of the disease. Most diseases we bring on out selves because we don not take the TIME to eat well balanced meals. We would rather something fast and tasty then look at whether we should be eating such foods.

The disease affects the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of the brain. This is where memory, language, and cognition are located and these are the first to be affected from damage to the neurotransmitters, which are responsible for communication. When the neurons located in the front of the brain are damaged, or destroyed, this affects the acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is the transmitter responsible for quick reactions and muscle activity. When someone suffers from Alzheimer's they can have symptoms with difficulty in communication, loss of memory, difficulty concentrating, and reduced motor skills.

One of the top most concerns that implicates the onset of Alzheimer's is Heavy Metal Toxicity. There have been autopsies on victims of Alzheimer's and they fins a high level of aluminum and mercury deposits in the brain, in areas associated with dementia. When you think of the amount of aluminum that we take in on a normal day its alarming the amount that can possible be stored in the brain. There is aluminum in the canned products you are consuming, the deodorant you wear, the baking soda in your baked goods, the cans of soda or beverages, and the list goes on. We did not start seeing the amount of Alzheimer's patients until we changed out processing of foods. There were always patients that had certain levels of dementia but not to this level, that was gave it a classified name- "Alzheimer's"

It is not just the aluminum, but also the normal American diet today is severely lacking in nutrients that we are causing a nutrient debt within our bodies. Not only are we taking in heavy metals toxic to us, but the foods we eat are laced with preservatives, chemicals, high fructose sugars, trans-fatty acids, and more. These additives are what further impairs our bodies and MINDS from healing and continuing in a strong healthy state.

I know you may be wondering "well what are we to eat". There are many alternatives, one is making your own food from scratch. We have strayed from the natural preparations of food. The normal American diet is not an ideal diet for healthy and vitality.
You health is in your hands.
If you are looking to change, make a point to do so today. Do not put off allowing your body to heal and have a longer life for you and your family. There are ways to detoxify the body of these metals, and supplements that can be taken to slow down the disease. I will be discussing these tomorrow. If you have a loved one that you wonder if they have this disease, please see your Physician and change your diet TODAY. I am more than happy to help give ideas to change the diet and you can always email me questions, address at top of blog, or comment.

Fried Rice
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 10 oz package of frozen peas
4cups brown rice

Cook brown rice until desired texture (see past post about how to make B. rice)

Then in separate pan, saute onions and garlic in oil until translucent, add peas, stir in rice. You can and egg, green onions, and others of your favorite items for fried rice. I also love to add some Norri seasoning and get the natural sodium instead of using the table salt.

Back to school

2009-07-31T08:31:00.001-07:00

With school around the corner, I wanted to mention some nutrition advised for the school schedule.

It is vitally important to make sure that you are sending your children to school with a good head start. We make sure they are dressed, teeth brushed, and homework done, but do we make sure they have a complete and healthy breakfast? You want to make sure their day does not start laced with sugar, that can make it difficult to concentrate on task through the day. The average child does not even eat half of the fruits and vegetables needed on a daily schedule. It is important to make sure the breakfast has whole grains for substance, fruit for energy that last through the day, and maybe even yogurt for a great source of calcium.

I prefer to pack my kids lunch even though the Schools lunch schedule says they include a fruit and vegetable. They usually use processed meats, starches (mostly white flour), and the fruits and vegetables are not always fresh but out of a can. When you eat items that have been processed and stored in Aluminum cans then aluminum leaches into the foods, and that heavy metal can cause lots of damage in later years. It is one of the top causes of Alzheimer's. Also, when the fruits or vegetables are processed in aluminum cans they are lacking the enzymes needed for digestion. When the food does not digest correctly, it causes many imbalances and not to mention physical discomforts like cramps, constipation, or gas.

When I pack their lunches I try to have a three day diet. I make sure to be rotating the fruits and vegetables every three days. that way it is not the same thing everyday. Change it up. Be sure to have a vegetable or TWO in there, and a fruit. For the bread use a non enriched whole grain. I stay away from sweets in their lunch. These will cancel the good things you put in there to eat. Unfortunately, we do not see them at lunch and we do not want them to eat the sweets over the good whole foods. I also, like to put in some sides like a granola bar or wheat pretzels since these are a great source of fiber and they are also filling. If your child is in after school sports, be sure to pack a healthy snack to consume before they practice. Cottage cheese is another favorite for the lunch snack or after school time.

It breaks my heart sometimes to see children's lunch boxes with sugary treats and then you wonder why they are emotional or not able to concentrate. It's all about eating for A's and eating for health.

Try to stay away from the sugary cereals, bring more whole fruits and vegetables in to the daily diet. I also love to pack an extra water container because they are also not drinking enough water through the day. It is best to use a reusable watering container instead of the plastic water bottles. These leach the plastic toxins into the water they drink here look at the ads I have to the left if you are looking for great products to reuse and have for lunches.

Have a Healthy and Blessed Day!

The Mighty Egg

2009-07-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

Eggs are one of our favorite breakfast items. They are a great source of Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and riboflavin. They are considered to be complete protein and great way to start off the day. In my house we try to have a balanced breakfast with grains, fruit, and either eggs or yogurt. Be creative because kids like to have variety, but keep it healthy.

A lot of Americans research has come out that the yoke of the egg is high in cholesterol. The yoke of the egg does have cholesterol and they are taking eggs out of the diet even for children. This is a mistake because the body is able to metabolize this type of cholesterol. The body is able to transfer this into Vitamin D when out in the sun. As long as the children are not having any heart health problems than they should eggs in their diet. Maybe not everyday but at least 2 to 3 times a week.
The real issue of eggs should be the source of them. Although they are rich in nutrients, some are a produced in less than ideal living conditions. Today's chicken are being held in cages with no room for walking, in temperature controlled room with artificial lighting, and feed by machines. The way they live on a daily bases is sure to have an effect on their eggs. Chickens were meant to forage around for whole grains and incests that give their eggs the nutrients they need for development. What is just as alarming, if not more, is the chemicals added to the feed for assembly line chickens. These chemicals include hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and even tranquilizers. These are designed to produce eggs, with little concern for the chickens that are producing them. Think of them as biological egg producing machines. All the chemicals the chicken ingests is passed to the egg and then passed to us when consumed. If you consume an organic egg it will be better for you. By organic, I mean the chickens that have been free ranged, free from hormones, and antibiotics that the mass produced eggs have.

Some may wonder what is the difference with a brown egg from a white egg, or one with spots. Nutritionally, nothing different just the breed of chicken that has laid the egg.

Basic Crepes with peaches
Filling
1/3 cups whole wheat flour Yogurt and chopped peaches
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups 2% milk, more if needed
3 large eggs room temperature
2 ounces of butter

In one bowl mix flour and salt together. In other bowl mix together milk and eggs. Pour liquid mixture in to dry bowl and whisk together. Mixture should be a buttermilk consistency. Let cool for about 30 minutes.
Warm the crepe pan , or 8 inch pan, brushing with butter and pour in 1/3 cup of batter on pan and move pan around until all batter reaches the outside of the pan coating bottom of pan evenly. Cook until top is set an bottom is golden brown (about 1 minute)
Use a spatula to loosen sides and flip quickly, allow the other side to brown to a golden color for about 45 seconds. Remove the crepe to another plate and cover. Repeat until all batter is gone. Remember to brush pan with butter between each crepe. Makes 15 large crepes.

I like to fill the inside of the crepe with yogurt and chopped peaches, or favorite fresh fruit.

Chelation Therapy

2009-07-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Chelation Therapy has been seeing a great amount of popularity since it was started in 1948. It was started by a group of physicians in Detroit Michigan that started using it as an antidote to lead poisoning. It was then that they saw that it was doing a great amount of positive things. They noticed that it was improving vision, hearing, lowering and loss of angina, more mobility and function in walking, and reduction in arteriosclerosis.

Chelation has to be one of the most interesting therapies. I think that if it was being used more, thousands would not be suffering from heart problems. It has been used in treating strokes, diabetes, memory loss, cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, damage due to long term smoking, abuse of alcohol, and MOST importantly heavy metal toxins.

The procedure used is done using an IV with a slow drip of a drug called ethylene diamine tetracetic acid, also known as EDTA. It is administered along with various nutrients in the arm. A client may receive up to 30 treatments the first year and ten decrease through the following years. Chelation is a Greek word meaning "CLAW". The heavy metals and excess calcium bind to the carrier molecules that are picked up by the claw and then removed through the kidneys. The body has to work way too hard to remove the foreign elements like heavy metals, excess calcium, and elements that harden the tissues. It is said in the natural health field that Chelation therapy can be an alternative to coronary bypass surgery. It has been successful in reducing the need for invasive procedures. Not to say that it is for every person, but it would be something to look at as an alternative to surgery. Most of the case studies show people that take the treatments change their diet and involved themselves in exercise.

For those who are in pain from angina and even have trouble walking may not be able to exercise. In most study cases the clients found such relief that they were able to start walking more and then exercises. It was interesting too, that in the case studies they did not only find relief of their arteriosclerosis, but also other areas like vision, carpal tunnel, blood pressure, memory improvements, and many more. In regard to the diet it was mentioned that most turned to a very low animal protein if at all.

Zucchini Tacos

3 Zucchinis sliced Julian
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cumin whole seeds
1/2 yellow onion chopped
1 tbsp chili powder
10 soft taco shells

Pour oil in pan and warm. Add cumin and stir lightly brown. Add onions cook until translucent. Add Zucchini and chili powder, stir until zucchini is just cooked (but not mushy you still want some firmness in the vegetable). Ready to serve with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Don't forget the chopped cilantro as a garnish. Even the kids love this absolutely wonderful taco. For those of you that love meat, you can add some ground turkey or beef to the mixture at the end. I love to go veggie once a week, try it.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!

Ayurveda, Continued

2009-07-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

I had said that I would go a little more into the three types of Dosha for Ayurvedic Medicine. The three types consist of Pitta, Vata, and Kapha. Pitta are those individuals that seem to be excessively hot. Vatta are ones that have a tendency to be more restless than others. While Kapha types will be more lethargic.
So what does that mean?
Once you know your "Dosha" you can change the diet accordingly for optimal health.
If you find that you are more a "Pitta", you are a person with good digestion and metabolism. The fire in the process of digestion has a lot to do with the fire even in the personality of the person. They are known for a warm friendly manor and qualities of leadership. Pitta governs your digestion, assimilation, absorption, nutrition, temperature, and many other things. Pita give you vitality, ability to learn, and understanding. When Pitta is off balance it can cause physical and Psychological problems, like anger, negative emotions, criticism, hair loss, ulcers, heartburn, and skin problems. Knowing if you are a Pitta Dosha can be helpful by making sure you are in good physical and physiological balance.
Vata is the element of wind, to flow, move, or command. What that means is energy of wind and movements through the body and mind. Vata is the movement of mind and body responses. The contraction of muscles, breathing, pulse, blood flow, and every other movement. Vata also has a big playing in feeling like fear, anxiety, and nervousness. If vata is not balanced then you can also have physical and physiological effects like constipation, high blood pressure, anxiety, dry skin, insomnia, and cramps. You can cause an imbalance by staying up to late and eating before your last meal has been digested.
Kapha is known as water and energy of the body. Kapha is the glue that holds the body together. Your Kapha is all liquid parts of the body from blood, nose, stomach, sinuses, mouth, chest, joints, and mucus. Its main source of energy is the chest region. Your emotions effects by Kapha are calmness, forgiveness, love, envy, greed, possessiveness. Balanced physical effects can be great endurance, strength, calm and even speech. When out of balance you can suffer to be lethargy, weight gain, and allergies.
You can look into finding your stronger dosha and then you will know how to balance it.

I learned two new excellent dishes from my very good friends who are teaching me their culture and preparation of foods.

Cauliflower Dish
1 head of cauliflower into florets
1 cup flour
1 tbsp corn starch
1/2 tbsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
water
3 cups canola oil

First separate cauliflower into florets and boil briefly for 7 minutes. Drain water and cool. For batter pour flour into bowl and add corn starch, pepper, salt and enough water at a time until you have a thin paste, it resembled ranch dressing to me. Also had oil heating in a wok. Pour cauliflower into batter and cot evenly. Then take coated cauliflower and fry until slightly brown. Its a great taste if looking for something vegetarian and Delicious.

For the sauce, she took 1 onions and sauteed in pan. Then added 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp vinegar, and 1 tbsp red chili paste. Then added fried cauliflower to this sauce and coated evenly. It was amazing Delicious.
It is fried which I like to minimize, but everything in moderation.

Have a Blessed and Healthy day!

P90X what is it

2009-07-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

P90x has been the best workout I have ever done. My husband bought it a few months back and I was very sceptical if it would work. I had already had my fourth baby and wanted to lose some of the extra baby weight. Good nutrition is vital in loosing weight but I know I need some toning and exercises.
So I went along with the 12 week challenge that they ask you to make. The package comes with 13 DVDs that has everything from Kenpo to yoga, my husband's favorite (I am laughing). Yoga Is really my favorite but I truly love all the DVDs. It come with a Fitness Guide that instructs you where to start and how to measure so you can see and feel the improvements.
It also comes with a nutritional guide to help you get the most out of the toning and weight loss. It has great recipes and I love the amount of veggies and fruits they have you eat.
You are probably wondering where I am with the program. I am on week 7 of 12 and have lost 21 lbs. I am still working to finish the program and hope to still lose an additional 10 lbs.
All workouts are great and Tony Horton is great to see everyday. The workout can be according to what you are looking for. There is the classic, Doubles, and lean. I am currently working on lean. The workouts are Chest & Back, Plyometrics, Shoulders & Arms, Yoga, Legs and Back, Kenpo, Stretch, Core, Cardio, Chest Shoulders & Triceps, Back and Biceps, Ab Ripper.
A little info about Ab Ripper its only 15 minutes, you will love it or hate it, but that one little workout has major results.
You can see the DVD set in the advertisements on the left, you can go view it in amazon.
If you are looking to loose weight or to get cut and toned, you want this workout.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!!!

Ayurvedic Nutrition

2009-07-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

This is a very exciting topic for me and one that would take more than just one blog to truly cover correctly. It started in India were every selection of food and the preparation of that food is inseparable from health and treatment of disease. What that means is that they have always used food to treat themselves for disease.
Ayurveic means Life and science. (Ayur-Life and veda- science) There medical tradition dates back thousands of years and has continued today uninterrupted. They have practiced many forms of therapy from herbal medicine, surgeries, meditation, physical therapy and message, and many more. Ayurvedic physician have helped pave the way of practice for many areas of science. They have been using herbs in ways for blood pressure regulations, antibiotics, calm nerves, and much more. Many of the medications we take now, started as a herbal remedy an then PATENTED it to make it there own, and still using the synthetic form s of the original herb.
One thing to take in to account is the way Ayurveic medicine is used. The body is never separated from the MIND. When they look to remedy anything in the body they look at the whole body. So when they prepare the food they eat on a day to day bases, they look at the health they wish to obtain.
They use a system of the Dosha... TRIDOSHA. This is very difficult to explain and will take more time. I just wanted to give you an introduction to this amazing science of food. To break it down for you. They are taught the tridosha's from the beginning of birth. If you have a runny nose you add more drying foods. If its winter you add more herbs that are warming. If you have certain beans with the meal you add the peppers that will help to "fire" and fuel the digestion process.
I have mentioned one time before that my friends have been teaching me some of the meals, was very kind to write everything out for me to share with you. This happens to be my favorite meal, so far.
First I want to explain a little about some of the ingredients used in this dish.
Mustard seeds are a staple in most Indian dishes. They are warming to the body. As well as aid in digestion, and the discomforts of intestinal cramps and gas.
Turmeric is also very much used in Ayurveic meals. It is a anti-inflammatory, aids to detoxify the body, stimulated digestion, boost's the immunity, and aids in skin health.

Potato Dish
potato's 4 lbs- boiled
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp urad daal
1 tbsp channa daal
1 cup yellow onions chopped
1/4 cup to 1/2 green chilies
1 tsp turmeric
1tsp sea salt

Boil the potato's and peel and cool.
Heat oil in pan, once oil is warm add mustard seeds and wait till it splutter, or pops.
Add cumin seeds, urad daal (white one) and channa daal ( yellow one). Let the seeds just barely brown stiring the whole time.
Then add choped 1 cup yellow onions and 1/4 cup green chilies.
Saute till onions are clear, then add turmeric and sea salt.
Add Mashed potato and stir in well. Add chopper cilantro as garnish.

I absolutely love this dish.

Have a blessed and Healthy Day.

Menopause and Natural Hormone Replacement

2009-07-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

If you are having difficulties with early menopause or in need of hormone replacement I have some great natural alternatives. The first and only place to look is your diet. You will not just be adding vitamins and minerals but the plants hormones are a natural alternative to the manufactured ones. The body absorbs them better.
First I want to mention a few things you can omit from the diet, because there are a few things in a typical America diet that are harmful to the body
1. Greatly reduce your amount of Sugar, try using a pure cane sugar or honey to sweeten things, but take out white processed sugar. This causes a nutrient debt to the body and also displaces estrogen.
2. Reduce your processed foods as well. There are a lot of hidden sugars and preservatives in things that are made to last on a shelf for more than a few months. These are things that really tax the body and cause undo stress on it.
3. Plastics, water bottles and food storage containers, should be reduces or omitted, they carry Xenoestrogens- which are a chemical estrogen that are a harmful, they contain more than double the estrogen found in plants. It should be noted that this chemical can do be processed out of the body by the Liver, and Xenoestrogen increases the chances of breast , liver, and other cancers.

Nutritionally we want to feed the body while nourishing certain systems to function better. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables to at least 7-9 servings a day. This should be slowly increased so you do not detoxify the body to quickly. You could be at this level of servings with in three months. Start with cooked vegetables and slowly increase serving. Then increase serving to all or mostly raw vegetables and fruits.
Make sure to increase certain highly beneficial produce which are grapefruit, oranges, apples, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage. Also, flax seed, legumes ( soybeans, lentils, chickpeas), fennel, parsley, alfalfa, and sage. These specific foods will replace estrogen while also helping the liver to eliminate excess estrogen from the body. If the enzyme glucarate, is not in correct amounts then the excess estrogen will be reprocessed into the blood and through the body logging in places where cancer is increased. This will also tax the Liver. So you want to try an d increase these natural food sources before having a synthetic form of the enzyme so the body will uses all of it and eliminate any abundance on its own. Increasing use of raw carrots as well, they help to detoxify the Liver and blood.
For symptoms of most hormone replacement therapies, I have found one product out there that is all herbal and it the needed dosage of everyday use, Black cohosh, Ginseng, Green Tea, Primrose, and others. The name is Estrotone made by New Charter. It is not a replacement hormone!!!!! It helps to alleviate symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal discomforts, mood swings, and sleepless nights. It also aids the estrogen and progesterone to function correctly while relieving most symptoms of the hormone dysfunction.
If you are looking to replace a current medication always be advised by your Physician. Let them know that you want to make a alternative chose to the products that are out there. You can make this change but be sure to let your physician be aware of your plan and any questions.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!

Power of Ginger

2009-07-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

Ginger is such as amazing little root. It will stop nausea, morning sickness, and motion sickness. Its helps to relieve headaches and aches and pains. Known to alleviate the discomforts of colds and flues, because if its detoxification abilities. It even aids in the digestion of food, easies stomach and colon cramps, as well as constipation.
It contains Vitamin A, B-complex, and C. The minerals contained are Calcium, Iron, Phosphorous, Sodium, Potassium, and Magnesium.
When you take Ginger along with other herbs, it acts as a transporter to the organs that are to be healed.
Ginger is used in making hard candies to sooth throats and even to make your own cough and cold tinctures.
Another great way Ginger is used is to increase the metabolism. Just one glass of ginger tea will
get the body running faster to digest and metabolise the food eaten through out the day.
You will see a favorite of mine that we buy for the house is Gin Gins. Its a hard candy made out of ginger that is refreshing to take after meals, in a cup of tea, or for a sore throat.

Ginger Tea
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
4 cups water
1 tbsp raw honey
Place ginger in a teacloth or tea bag, put water on to boil, once boiling, remove and pour water over grated ginger. Allow to seep for 5 minutes and remove tea bag, add honey and serve.

Have a Blessed and Healthy Day!

Dirty Dozen

2009-07-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

If you are looking at buying organic and worried about the price of it. I wanted to tell you about the "Dirty Dozen". What that means is that out of the fruit and vegetables we eat, these are the top 12 that you want to buy organic when and where available.
The reason these are "dirty" is that they have a soft skin and pesticides run all the way through to the center of that produce. You can not wash it off and we are taking those chemicals into our bodies.
These are the worst to the least affected...
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Lettuce
Grapes
Pears
Spinach
Potatoes (12)
The other produce out there is great to buy organic, but it would be wiser to focus on these first. And remember to buy in season and your Farmers Market. Great way to get more for less and the produce is usually more nutritious as well, when in season.
The reason this is important, for you and your family, is that cancer is on the rise. When our bodies have to work to rid it of chemicals and toxins, it works to hard. It also has damaging effects on the brain and throughout the body. Everything you eat is an investment. How important is it to you to have great health, not only today but in the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years?
Even if you can not buy organic for all 12 and on, start with the top three and slowly increase to a organic kitchen within time. This is a life changing experience. Do it right and always do it stages. This helps to not feel overwhelmed and it helps the pocket book.

Today's recipe is from Sara Snows book, "Fresh Living". Not only does she talk about the dirty dozen but also how to convert every room in the house to a safe and organic house. There are also recipes for food and to make your own household cleaners and more.

Fresh Pesto
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of Lemon
3 cups loosely packed fresh basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp coarse sea salt
dash of pepper

In food processor pulse garlic, pine nuts, EVOO, and lemon juice until smooth. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Pulse everything until blended and scrape down the sides and blend again until smooth. Then add over a nice bowl of whole grain pasta. I even add a little to sandwich's, taste great!!!!

Have a Blessed and Healthy day!!

Vitamin A

2009-07-12T21:40:00.001-07:00

For those of you wanting to get more vitamins in your diet, lets take vitamin in to consideration. There are two ways you can take this very beneficial vitamin. One is in a fat soluble and the second is a water dispersible (beta-carotene, lemon grass). It is preferred to take water soluble for there are less chances of overdosing.

Vitamin A helps to counter acts night blindness and helps improve eye sight. Helps to build resistant to respiratory problems. It also plays a important role in nourishing skin, hair, nails, teeth, bones, gums. It also helps to fight against pollutants in the air we breath, keep that in mind for those of you how live in large cities.

These are great food sources to increase for your vitamin A, bright colored fruits and vegetables, green leafy vegetables, carrots, liver, milk, eggs, and fish liver oil.

Raw Juice sources are carrots, kale, parsley, escarole, spinach, sweet potatoes, watermelon, and turnip greens. These all taste great in a smoothie. If you have one veggie smoothie a day, you will be on a road to better health. You want 5-6 serving of vegetables a day, but a veggie shake will get you half way to that goal.

If you are looking for a great juicer, something with the power to juice sweet potatoes, spinach, beets, and wheat grass. You will want to look at the advertisement on the left, power juicer. Sold many places but amazon is the cheapest.

Carrot salad
1 pound carrots, grated
1/2 fresh pineapple chunks
1/2 cup organic raisins
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt (this is optional try with and without)

Combine carrots, pineapple, and raisins, then blend juice and yogurt in blender until smooth.
pour over the carrots and serve. Fun and can be a side, snack, or dessert.

Summer colds

2009-07-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

A summer time cold is irritation, but there are ways to avoid one. So often we are out in the sun absorbing all the great vitamin D. The sun transforms cholesterol into vitamin D and we also use and transfer vitamins needed for the skin.
Vitamin F rejuvenates the skin. If you are out in the sun and end up getting a sunburn, the body will send whatever vitamin F is needed to replenish the skin. That is why you will see people put oils on after a nice shower after a day in the sun. It helps to restore the vitamins and condition the skin to heal. Coconut oil is my preference followed by safflower oil. The reason people feel tired after a long day of sun and fun is that the body is compensating for the changes in vitamins used and needed to restore, a lot is going on there. It would also be a great idea to eat a nice garden salad to replenish the used sodium supply. Sodium and Potassium are the two minerals that need to be restored on a daily basis. So, when you are out playing and glistening from the heat and exertion, you are losing lots of sodium and potassium. After being in the sun all day a wheat allergy may increase the risk of a summer cold. That is why people normally will eat fruits and salads to cool down, rice is great also. But, the wheat will use up the sulphur and cause the sulphur sacks in your throat to swell and create flem. When you are in the sun for extended periods of time, be sure to eat right after to keep from getting any of those silly summer colds.
If the cold comes on, just let it run its course. If you take over the counter meds you will slow down the healing process. Drink plenty of fluids, stick to water, teas, and juices. Avoid mucus causing foods like milk, dairy, and wheat. Allow the body to rest to be able to heal. By doing a little bid of exercising you can also help loosen any mucus that may have formed in the chest. Also, increase your salad and fruit intake. Our family also loves a certain raw egg smoothie that I will describe below the kids refer to it as the "Sunny D" Shake. It is delicious and easy to make. it helps to alleviate the symptoms of the cold and helps to cut down on healing time.

"Sunny D" Shake
1 Tbsp Raw Honey
1 Raw Egg
1 1/2 cups of Orange Juice
1/2 cup of ice

First blend the egg and honey together briefly until frothy. Then add juice and ice, whip until all blended and enjoy. You can also add your favorite berries and/or bananas. We drink this 3 times a day when we have a cold in the house and usually only have to continue for 2 days.

Have a Blessed and Healthy day!!!!

Increasing your vegetables and fruit

2009-07-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

When you change your lifestyle to whole foods and natural diet, you bring more nutrients into it. You want to slowly work up a goal to have more fruits and vegetables into the daily routine. It is a fact that 1 in 4 people do not eat any fruit or vegetables a day. A potato chip does not count as a vegetable and apple popovers are a fruit. We have to rethink food and how its cooked and made. There is some produce that release vitamins and minerals after they have been coked, but we usually over cook food and strip it of the nutrients needs for daily consumption.
You also do not want to increase the fruits and vegetables to fast. You can detox your body too quickly and cause undesired discomfort, for example you may get headaches and colds. The body will help you rid itself of unwanted chemicals and junk in the body, so you want to work out a plan to increase the servings per day slowly. You want to have a serving of 5-6 raw vegetables a day and 3-4 servings of fruit a day.
Start with where you are and increase one serving a week with raw and cooked whether it's fruit or vegetables, and every week increase to one more serving. Continue to increase weekly, until the daily value is met. This will keep the body from detoxifying to quickly, removing any unwanted side effects.
So, start a journal and make yourself weekly and daily goals. Be sure to change up the items, you can get bored really quick so keep it interesting and don't shy away from things you think you won't like. Your taste buds will change and you will like things differently. Give everything time and your body will thank you for it.

Awesome Turkey Sandwich

I take whole wheat bread, (non enriched)
Few sliced of turkey and layer with bean sprouts, tomato, cucumbers, onions, spinach, and cheese. You can also use a oil and vinaigrette in stead of mayo.

Bean sprouts are great for B complex, carotene's, iron, calcium, potassium, Vitamin C , and phosphorus. Looking for other ways to have been sprouts in you daily diet look to "Nourishing Traditions", its the yellow book on the left hand advertisement's, in Amazon. This book had 600 pages of recipes and information on nutrition and history of food, great guide for every kitchen.

Have a Blessed and Healthy day!!!

Milk and Alternatives

2009-07-07T13:49:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone I am back from a great week camping.

I had a friend ask me what I think about milk, and the alternatives that are out there. I think that it's something everyone should look into and find which one is right for them. It depends on the person, whether that milk is right for them. Here you will find information of the different types so you know you have options and then try which is right for you.
There are many forms of milk out there, cow's milk (pasteurized or raw), soy milk, goat's milk, rice and almond milk. So, which one should you chose.

First, not everyone has access to raw milk. It is actually difficult to get raw milk except if you are part of a Co-Op or farm. The reason they pasteurize milk is to keep it clean from bacteria and harmful pathogens, but it is important to mention with the machinery and stainless steal equipment that is used now the pasteurization process is unnecessary. The most important thing you want from your milk is for it to be hormone free. It would be great to have it un-pasteurized but we do not all live by a raw cow farm. Look into finding the closest one to you. So, if buying one in the store stay with a HM free and organic milk. Pasteurization does not only kill digestion enzymes but also amino acids, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12 as well as 80% of water soluble vitamin's. When a digestion enzyme is destroyed you disrupt the body's absorption proces of body building vitamins like calcium. That is why some people that drink milk might still develop Osteoporosis. If you are looking for a company to provide you with un-pasteurized milk and pasture feed cows you can look at http://www.realmilk.com/

Some people have been very pleased with raw goat's milk. This is easier to find as more and more people are raising their own goats for milk and find it is easier to digest and consume. The thing about raw milk is it has not been striped of the beneficial enzymes needed for digestion. That is why you will find so many lactose intolerant people. Those that are sensitive to cow's milk will enjoy goat's milk, the taste is not that different but might take getting use to. It also makes great cheese and yogurts. It is even a great alternative for babies that can not nurse for one reason or another, the canned goat's milk is not the same and should be avoided. My sister-n-law and family have enjoyed the change to goats milk so much that they now raise and milk their own goat's, making yogurts and cheeses as well.

Many people have tried the Rice, Soy, and almond milks also. These you can find in the cold sections and in boxed forms in the dry aisles as well. The Rice milk is made from the starches of brown rice, usually less allergic than soy. Soy is very beneficial and a great choice as a milk as well, but there has been controversy over whether soy is harmful to men. Some studies have shown that children raised on only soy milk have an increased risk of prostate problems and could become sterile. This is not completely proven, but soy is a natural estrogen and great for women that are looking for a natural hormone replacement. So, men can drink soy in moderation. Supplementing where needed will not cause these problems listed. You can also try the almond milk, this is a great source of vitamins and minerals. Almond milk is high in calcium and low in fat. Almond milk is also easy to digest. Please be advised that making alternatives are great, but when you change the diet do so rotating your intake of any one item. When people do straight soy or straight rice milk, you can develop allergies. When you rotate you rice, soy, almond, and goat's milk you get a rounded source of vitamins and minerals. I have a few recipes for making your own milks with the rice, soy, and almonds, if interested just email you request.

If you would like to try to make your own Rice milk

Vanilla Rice Milk
1 cup of brown rice
3 cups of pure water
1 drop of liquid lecithin
1/2 tsp vanilla - for taste
1 Tb sweetener (honey)
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp xanthan gum---found in health food stores

Cook rice with water in pan for about 20-30 minutes until thickened. ( Rice Base)
Mix 1/3 Rice Base with lecithin, vanilla, honey, sweetener, and sea salt. in blender and mix.
Add 1 quart of water, slowly, along with the xanthan gum while blending in blender. Add more water if too thick and more base if to thin. You can make just the way you desire. Store in glass jars in refrigerate. Shake before pouring. This should make about 4 1/2 cups.

Have a blessed and healthy day!

Will be back soon

2009-06-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

We are going camping and will be back on Wednesday. Everyone have a great beginning of the week. I will have some great recipes to share soon.

Have a blessed and healthy Day!

Who wants to age better

2009-06-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

I think we all want to age better or even a bit more gracefully. There are a few countries that come to mind with studying different cultures from the Himalayan, Indian, and Chinese in regard to there longevity and life span. All these countries are known for having a balanced diet of mostly grains, fruit and vegetables. They also have a very active lifestyle in regard to fitness. You can also see their Senior citizens (70-80) out farming, walking, and doing tai chi or qi gong. Boy, I hope I am that fit mentally and physically at that age, heck I hope even at 60! They also practice healing arts in herbs, acupuncture, and physical meditations.

We, as Americans can learn a lot from them. I think America is a nice little melting pot of many different cultures, that we have blended many dishes together forgetting the roots that the dish may have come from. Plus, making it fast and cheap does not help, because we skip steps or ingredients. I personally am learning to cook a few different dishes from a friend that just moved here from India just six months ago. Amazing to learn first hand from someone about their culture. With her country, India, everything she cooks has an order and a reason. Whether its to promote digestion, or to help correct teeth problems there is a food. From the first ingredient to the last there is a reason to why that ingredient goes first and how long before adding the next item. The taste is just an added benefit.

Americans have become fast paced and out of step with a natural path of life. What I mean is we want a magic bullet, or cure all, for everything. From our headaches to a toe ache, there is a drug over the counter or script that can be filled. Now taking a medication is NOT wrong, sometimes they are needed. I myself remember having extremely bad headaches, come to find out I had a cyst the size of a peach pushing up next to my brain. I had to go on heavy steroids in hope to shrink the cyst, and they were able to. So there are times when we need the help of medications, but so often we self medicate unnecessarily, and do not allow the body to work to help it's self.

Knowing what to do naturally for the aliments we have can take the need for most magic bullets, medications, out. I really hardly ever need anything for pain. I try to use a natural approach now to aid the body in what it needs.

For the most part we eat devitalized food and try to control aches and pains with medications. At some time we stop excising, which loses lean muscle mass. As a result we can lose done density and allow the metabolism to slow which will cause weakness and weight gain.

Science is now showing some of the reasons we are aging faster then we should. Ageing happens on a cellular level, starting with free radicals (see past posts). Good nutrition with antioxidants rich vitamins, minerals, and enzymes can make a defence against such aging offenders. The best defence is a great offense, what foods do you have in play every meal. Not just one but every meal.

There are many people that have gotten their hands on this information and are turning back the clock. You can do this as well with eating right, reducing stress, exercise, multivitamins, and increasing your water intake.

Your health is in your hands, turn back the clock and make the change.

Juice fast or therapies

2009-06-27T14:11:00.001-07:00

If you were thinking on doing a juice fast to help the body detoxify and rejuvenate here are some ideas.

Apples help to nourish the skin and helps with liver disorders. This fruit is also great for digestion and weight loss, because of its mild laxative effects.

Beets, these are ideal for nourishing the liver, even more than apples. If your liver is clean and working correctly, than the rest of you is sure to. It has a pleasant taste but you can add other berries to sweeten it if needed.

Cabbages are great for your Vitamin K and other cancer fighting agents. Also, great for alleviating stomach problems especially when comfrey is added to it. Just as a note to those nursing mothers, cabbage will dry out the milk, so use caution.

Carrot Juice, one of my favorites, is high in antioxidants, beta carotene and vitamins A, C, and E. This juice is filled with beneficial minerals and anti aging enzymes as well, and who would not want that. Carrot juice tends to be high in Natural sugars, so you might want to dilute it if you has any issues with a sugar imbalance. Beneficial for skin and sight.

Celery is a great source of organic sodium this helps the body regulate the cell chemistry. Sodium is need everyday for the body to function correctly.

Melon juice is excellent as a kidney cleanser. Melons have a wide range of vitamins and minerals, not mention those very needed enzymes.

Pineapple has anti-inflammatory effects, so great for those who suffer from arthritis. We also like to have pineapple in our house for those horrible stomach bugs.

These are just a few great starts. Juicing allows the organs also rest from having to work so hard to digest. When juicing your fruits and veggies you nourish the body and allow it to work better later.

Have fun with your juicer and make up your favorite shakes and smoothies. There is no limit the combinations you can come up with. I would recommend a juice fast once every two week, if not once a week.

Have a blessed and healthy day

Oils and free radicals

2009-06-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

I was unable to post yesterday and I am sorry. I will have a complete meal to make up for that in today's post. To finish the topic on Oils. There are so many on the shelves today, it is easy to be unsure which to pick. Everyone has their favorites, but not all are good for you and some need to be stored just right to keep fresh.
First, when you are purchasing a oil, whether olive oil, safflower, or canola. It needs to be Cold Pressed. This will insure that the high temperatures have not Oxidized the molecules that create Free Radicals. Free Radicals are damaging to the body in that they break the body down and cause cancer. When damaged cells come in contact with these scavenger molecules, they steal molecules from healthy cells and cause them to be damaged making a chain reaction of destruction. A great example of this is shown in www.thegreatproduct.com/hammond. The body has to fight hard to get back to balance and stop these free Radicals from continuing and then restore the damaged cells and tissue.
When oils have been heated to 375-400 degrees they start to create this oxidation in the oil. When you buy cold pressed oils you do not have to worry about that. Then you have to think about how to cook with it correctly. You can heat the oil but try not to heat above the 375 degrees. That means you want to avoid eating fried foods, if you do very seldom. When cooking over the stove, it is mostly used for infusing taste and seasonings, the oil is not used for to long.
The oils that are best to use are Olive Oil, Canola, and Coconut Oil. I try to put all my oils in the refrigerator to keep them fresh longer. The Coconut oil is amazing because you can nourish your skin after being in the sun for to long, it replenishes lost Vitamin F and K. It is even used as a natural sunscreen if used correctly, just rub the oil over the skin the night before going out in the sun. That way the skin has absorbed the qualities it needs.
It would be nice to also mention that the saturated oils and fats that you consume become cholesterol. Some times that cholesterol like oils are stored in the skin, just underneath. When you are out in the sun you need to take correct precautions to avoid over exposure, but when out for at least 20- 30 minutes in the sunlight that cholesterol is transformed into Vitamin D. The only natural and true way the body absorbs the Vitamin D is when the body makes it. So you get rid of unwanted cholesterol and you make Vitamin D, it's a very good thing. That is why it is so important to make sure you and your children are outside getting fresh air and letting the body do this amazing transformation. You always need Vitamin D to assist in the absorption of Calcium. Children need this for there fast growing bones and adults to maintain there bone integrity. If Vitamin D is low it can cause irritability, as well as bone problems.
Oils have many beneficial items as well like omega 3 and more. That will have to be another day though.
Today's recipe is one of my favorites.

Baked Zitti
1 package of whole wheat pasta.
1 lb of ground turkey meat
The chunky tomato sauce recipe from post(dangers of Add' 6-19-09)
1 lb Mozzarella cheese
1 Zucchini sliced Julianne
1 tbsp seasoning of sesame seeds and dulse- great taste and great vitamins and minerals

Start wit the tomato sauce you will need time to allow that to cook down, then boil the pasta and brown the meat. I then add zucchini, meat and seasoning to the chunky tomato sauce mix and simmer for another 6 minutes. Then add pasta and sauce mixture to oven temper dish and add the cheese to the top. Baked in 250 degrees for 20 minutes until cheese is melted.

Serve a fresh tossed salad.

Dessert is 1/2 cup of yogurt with mixed fresh berries on top.

Have a blessed and healthy day.

The Rise of Margarine

2009-06-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

In France the year 1869, butter became in short supply and they created a prize to see who could come up with a cheaper attractive substitute. A man named M. Hippolyte Mege took first place. He took the most inexpensive fats that were available, the drippings of meat packing, and added a mixture of milk and yogurt to add flavor. This was a similar resemblance, but no one was fooled, but it was used as an alternative for the cost. Later, during World War II they had to come up with a yet a cheaper way to substitute for butter fat due to rations. The small lard looking packs were handed out with yellow food coloring. So with meal times you would see people mixing their "butter" which was just lard and coloring. This actually became a normal routing even in the American households. We just kept coming up with cheaper ways to extract fats. Now it's the vegetable fats that were extracted, for these were much less costly than the price of fats from meat Industries. More science went into the process and no longer did you have to mix it yourself. The way the chemical chains bonded with the vegetable fats resulting in holding the structure and even melted like butter. YEAH! It is this processed form of margarine that holds oxygen atoms that cause it to go rancid faster than real Butter. So today's Margarine is mostly vegetable fat. It is important to note that once a vegetable has been "hydrogenated" a new fat has been created. It's a completely new, man made, synthetic fat. This has been linked with a higher rate of heart attacks.
I found that interesting, this is the example of how most of our food is made today. Every business wants to know where can we can cut cost, how can we make this cheaper. We as consumers say, "Wow, the price is down" and we run for it's the same. We're just amazed they can come up with new ways of developing it. The once tasty and mildly nutritious Butter of old is now a chunk of fat, synthetically made, that could increase risks of heart problems, but you will not read that on the label.
You might want to be leery of anything that contains hydrogenated oils. You can find this in your margarine's, Peanut Butter, and other places as well. There are companies that do make them with out that oil both Butter and Peanut Butter.
Just think of the items you use margarine and peanut butter in breakfast lunch and dinner. It's everywhere. My children love peanut butter with apples, bananas, and sandwiches. The amount of times I subjected them to this is amazing. There are more natural choices just read the labels. No Hydrogenated oils and little salt. Especially since "nearly three million children between the ages of 6 and 17 suffer from high blood pressure"- summarized from the Vitamin Supplement Journal.
It can be a little confusing so I hope to break it down for you. There is a lot of description as to how long the molecule chains can go and break down process, let's just skip to the important facts. Saturated fats are from animals, they will be solid at room temperature. An example would be cooking lard. Unsaturated are the vegetable fats and they will be in liquid form.
Tomorrow we can talk about your cooking oils between Olive, Canola, and Vegetable. Which ones you want to cook with and are better for the body, you will be surprised.

If you do not want to make your own fresh peanut butter, these are great brands. Adams, Arrowhead Mills, Spanky's, Toner, and Maranatha.

Make your own Peanut Butter in ten minutes.
1 1/2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts
1 tbsp peanut oil
In processor, blender, blend both ingredients until smooth or chunky as you want it. Store in a glass gar and refrigerate. It will stay good for 2 weeks.

Another Favorite of mine is Yogurt Peanut Butter Dip
1/2 cup plain yogurt
4 tbsp natural peanut butter
Mix together until smooth and keep cool. We eat these with fruit and veggies. Real hit at parties!!!

Have a Blessed and Healthy day!

Just because you Can eat it, does not mean it's FOOD.

2009-06-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

Just because you can eat it does not mean it is food. I am trying to teach my family that we have to make good choices everyday. There are so many things on the shelves of store and shops that you know taste good, but are they good for you. We call those items Non-foods. The have no nutritional value. You can always read a label that says NUTRIENTS....but it is mostly, sugar, salt, white flour, chemicals, and food coloring. Even if it says Vitamin A and Calcium. They most likely are the synthetic form that is added back in after processing, which the body will not absorb and use.
When a food is ALIVE. That means it was from a life giving force, for example, a plant or animal. You know that these things will bring you life. They still contain the nutrients to feed your body and keep it running. I joke with people all the time that you want to shop on the outside of the store for produce, dairy, meat, seafood, and breads. These areas are always on the outside, because they spoil quickly and need coolers. When things can sit on shelves for months or even YEARS, those are non foods. You can still find some that are still nutritious, such as your dried beans, legumes, rice, pastas. You have to finish cooking them and they still hold their nutritious value. You want to use the dried beans, not can beans, because they have no digestive enzymes left and will not completely be digested. (see last post for more information) I love when my daughter will look at her daddy, who just put a piece of candy in his mouth, and says "Do you know what that is doing to your body?" She may not entirely know but she knows its not good. We still have times when we will allow them to have "treats" but we try to teach moderation.
This last weekend we had a BBQ at the house and we had all types of food and drinks that were out. I let the kids have soda and at the end dessert. Later that night they all had night tremors and a few nightmares. You may say that could be a coincident, but when you know what foods do to the body you are able to recognize the difference. When there are non-foods eaten, they cause children to be more emotional, concentration in less, and possibly create anger. My son is more affected than the other three. He is much more emotional and was the one with nightmares all night long. His brain was running on a bad source of sucrose and dextrose, and maltose, all the things the body needs, but makes naturally on its own. Man's form of synthetic maltose is toxic in ways to the body. I know these possible results, and allowed these in his diet because like all moms it is hard to say no sometimes. The next morning we did talk about it and I asked him, "was it forth it to eat the sweats?" He said "no it makes my body feel funny." If you have behavior issues with your children, it may not be them, but what he or she is eating. I know I would never have thought it could make such a difference. You can help them to feel better. They do not know that some foods can be toxic to the body, because "how can something that tastes so good be so bad for you?"My seven years old asked that exact question. That is when I told him not all food is food you should eat. These lessons are daily. You want to teach them to eat right for a life time, not just while there are kids. Good eating habits that go with them in to those teenage years and adulthood.

Make your own soda!!!!

Combine in a blender
2/3 cup of unsweetened juice (grape, pineapple, lemon and lime)
1/3 cup plain seltzer
ice cubes

If not sweet enough you can add some pure maple syrup or honey. Very little because this is not ideal, you want to work towards not adding that in time, but its still less sugar than a regular Soda. Have fun with it. In time they will crave these more than the other.

Have a Blessed and Healthy day

Working for Balance

2009-06-22T04:47:00.001-07:00

The body is always trying to stay in balanced. Everything about it works down to a cellular level. It functions and repair that way. Food that was consumed yesterday, was sent through the night to replenish cells, that were lost or damaged. The ones that get stored thorough different organs are ready and waiting to digest and transport new working nutrients for the next meal. There is no real rest time for your body. When we are resting it is replenishing. When we are up and working they are working as well.
You can give your organs a little break to play catch up. When we do a fast, or Juice Fasting..... we still give the body nutrients the organs do not work as hard to process things. The stomach, intestines, and kidneys get to relax and allow the cellular system to aid damaged areas. When you fast it is always wise to still take in vitamins and minerals. If you do not the body works harder pulling things away from other tissues to make up the nutrients needed somewhere else.
Think about it this way. Take your job, you are performing your daily task and keep things in your control and in working order. When a fellow worker is running behind, or not at all, then they make you go and do their job, your work area start to fall apart. Not only are you trying to maintain your work, but also someone else's. Something is going to be damaged or lost. Not to mention the toll this is taking on you, one person performing the work of two burns up more than the two persons would do if the work remained seperate. The body burning nutrients works the same way.
I also want to make sure you know I am talking about organic sodium, which is the only sodium your body uses and absorbs in the form of various fruits and vegetables. Table salt is not the sodium that the body uses, it is called inorganic sodium. It just helps food taste differently. When we have too much table salt in our system is gets stored and logged in areas. Edema could possibly occur until the excess salt is removed from us, which extremely taxes the kidneys.
The food that we eat should be planned with that in mind. We should be thinking....OK, I should have plenty of vegetables to replace the sodium that I burnt up yesterday. From the time you start chewing your food, vitamins, and minerals are already processed from the previous foods are sent to work making enzymes for digestion, not just one but different ones need for specific times. Then they are sent as little workers where the body deems necessary.
It is difficult to understand but the body goes back and forth in an acidic and alkaline nature. Needing to balanced and work to do specific functions. When it can not work in time and function correctly that is when damaged cells start to allow disease. We think because we may feel fine, were healthy. The body will work to correct but when it can not, things start to fail and die. We will not be aware of the damage until it's already too late. Not to say that we can not try and correct the problem, but somethings will suffer a great a defeat and will not be the same.
My brother-in-law, a very fit and healthy person ate right for all we knew. But the body was taxed in a way he never knew until he started feeling a little off and knew something was not all right. He was found to have prostate cancer, which was a huge blow for us all because he was young and was what most would say is a very healthy person. He was mostly on a higher protein diet and I believe was not getting enough organic nutrients when things were working. Not to mention the foods we normally eat have lots of chemicals in them over taxing the body as well. Once he spoke to a cancer specialist they told him to have the surgery and put him on medications. He also started his own research and talked to a few natural physicians. He went to an organic diet and greatly increased his fruits and vegetables. He already had them in his diet but he discovered he needed more. He also started a really great product supplement out there call MonaVie. This is a juice that is LOADED with very beneficial nutrients. In the juice form it is easier for the body to absorb and process. Well, he actually started feeling better even before the surgery day, and thought maybe I can hold off and allow my body time to heal. It might have been able to slow the cancer down, but with great advice and counsel, he still had the surgery. This is an example that you never know that the body has suffered great damage until it is already done. When we have symptoms, those are signs of distress AFTER the body has already tried to heal and change, and to no avail. You have to be HELPING your body to live for tomorrow. By eating right and exercises you keep it in working order. It's in your hands, so what are you going to do?
If you want to see and hear more about MonaVie, it's such a great supplement. Even if you are not sick, you should be having these nutrients on a daily basis. I have been on it in my household and loved the way it made me feel. I did not know I could feel that much better until after I stopped taking it and was like, WOW why do I feel so sluggish, and then realized I had not taken the MonaVie in like three days. It only took three days for my body to show me it was lacking something it needed, and I saw that with a chuckle because I eat very well. So, to see a video and the information got to: www.thegreatproduct.com/hammond
The video is very informative, and there is a place to email any questions, OK.

Well here is the recipe for today.

Juice Smoothie..........Veggie Green, get over the color it Taste great

1/2 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup strawberries
1 stalk of celery
1/4 cup of broccoli
1/2 cup of apple juice
1/4 cup of vanilla yogurt

If you are using any frozen fruit you will not need ice, if not throw some in. But then layer your produce in the blender, and mix until smooth. This taste great and is a great way to get in an extra helping of those so often forgot about veggies.

Have a blessed and Healthy day. Feel free to make comments or questions and thanks for visiting me today.

A little History, Man

2009-06-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

When you think about it, majority of all food starts in the ground. From our fruits, vegetables, grains that are grown for rice, wheat, and legumes. Even the beef and chicken that we eat receive their nourishment from plants that need to be nutritious for consumption.
When we started forming villages , staying in one area our food habits changed. No longer could we just take from the land as we passed it. We started to follow the seasons and to grow things close to us, developing crop rotations. There was still hunting close to home so we could bring it back. They started to breed a new kind of crop as well. When they would go out and collect the wild herbs and grains, they would keep seeds for planting closer to home. When we brought the grains out of the NATURAL form of production, it in turn started to rely on man and man in turn relied on the propagation of the crop. This was the beginning of farming villages.
When herbs and plants are allowed to grow wild, they actually have a greater amount of nourishment and healing properties. Even the animals that we hunted had a stronger life span and less diseases before man started to mass produce them. For they eat off the same wild plants and grains that were available.
In one regard we can see man is now bound to taking care of the land for a fundamental diet, but also he no longer needs to be digging and foraging through the wild. Man, farmer, had to take into account the amount of food to be eaten and stored throughout the seasons for times of no growth. If they were no longer able to produce or the game went away, then they usually migrated to another place to start over. This was just a little history, with a little research you can discover it's entirety.
So, think about TODAY. We hardly have a herb pot, let alone a small vegetable garden. What is closer to our homes usually are the fast food chains or a convenience stores. Typically the places are filled with processed food, stripped of vitamins, nutrients, and sugar filled items. I will agree most of these items taste great or they would not be selling. Unfortunately, those are more of a crop field to most people than a backyard garden. We have come a long way...but in which direction would you say that is...positive or negative?
The consumption in America is on the rise, just think about the statistics. A survey is done every ten years in every state across America, in random homes. In 1955 most families had a fundamental diet. In 1965, using the same guidelines it was down 50% for its nutritional content. This is when we saw the start of our era with convenient foods. Make it easier, make it faster. We have continued to decrease with more health problems through the years. Today's most popular American foods are the hamburger, french fries, small salad, coffee, and soft drinks. Since World War II the consumption of soft drinks have increased 80%, pastries are up 70%, and potato chips are up 85%. Things that have decreased are fruits and vegetables by average of 25%. The American Cancer Institute had posted that 24- 25% of children did not eat a single fruit or vegetable the previous day. With fruits and vegetables being the basis of most of our nutritional needs, we need to ensure that we get these into our daily diet.
I know we have farmers still today. I think its a great time to mention supporting your local farmers markets. It is the small farmers that still use old methods of farming, with less chemicals in food, giving a better product. These small farmers are going to become extinct in time, with the larger mass produced ones living on. So let's try to start a small garden in the backyard or on the window seal, and find were the local Farmer Market is near you. You will actually taste a difference in the food, it will have more flavor and nourishment.
Here is a book if you want to think about gardening. He puts things back to the beginning using "Four Season Harvest". You can have a small area and garden all year long. That is the idea also, to get produce according to the seasons, its when we eat out of season that we spend the most on food.

Something Sweet.... Lemon Mousse found in " Nourishing Traditions"

6 egg yolks, room temperature
1/2 raw honey
grated rind of 2 lemons
6 egg whites, room temperature
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

Place eggs, honey, and lemon rind in mixing bowl and whisk on med low for 10 minutes, until mixer thickens. I freeze my bowl to keep the mixer from warming up the mousse. Chill in fridge about 1/2 hour. Beat cream until stiff. In separate bowl beat egg whites with sea salt until stiff. Fold in lemon mixture into cream mixture and then egg whites into cream mixture. Spoon into individual glasses and chill before serving.
Great for a summer day.

Something Fresh

Summer Salad
Head of Green Leaf Lettuce, chopped
Crown of broccoli, chopped just under little crowns
Cucumber, sliced thin
I red apple, sliced thin
10 baby carrots, Juliane
1 green apple, sliced thin
Slivered raw almonds 1/2 cup
2 stalks of celery, chopped small

Mixed all together and serve with favorite dressing. I love the combination of the crisp veggies with sweet apples and the almonds give a great crunch. This is enough for a family of 6 for dinner and then some left over for lunch the next day. If you are a smaller group, make enough as you go, the apples will not brown until late the next day. Just add those as you eat the salad. But you will absolutely love the combination.

Have a Blessed and Healthy day.

The Dangers of Additives

2009-06-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Lets start with what is an additive. The additives that I am referring to are the chemicals that manufactures ADD to the food we consume. These are items that were not originally there. They come in many forms and are passed off as something helpful, needed, and sometimes even HEALTHY!!!! Typically manufacturers use these techniques to save or make money due to the longer shelf life.

Reading the labels and becoming familiar with companies is extremely important. You would be surprised the things you could find out with a little research. I am not hear to bash any company, but to show you there are hidden ingredients in food that invokes caution. The more these chemicals are taken into the body the more the body is taxed, lowering the immune system.

Here are some of the ways our bodies can be effected:

Sulfates: are used in preserving and bleaching food, you will find these mainly with dehydrated and fresh produce. They are trying to regulate the amount of use of this chemical, but it is still used all across the America. Symptoms of an allergic toxic reaction can be flushing, dizziness, wheezing, or shortness of breath. A great way to avoid over exposure to this chemical would be to buy organic product, if not all at least "The Dirty Dozen" also referenced in Sara Snow's book.

Nitrates: These are used mostly in processed meats (bacon, bologna, lunch meats) Nitrates are a sodium salt and cause negative reactions when mixed with amino acids in the bowel. I know several people who can not eat things with nitrates due to side-effects such as headaches or stomach pains. You can buy meats that are made without the use of this chemical. HORMEL makes many products that you can buy in the grocery market, but you will have a greater selection in your local natural or healthy store.

Food Dyes: Have been known to cause allergic reactions but they have also been linked with children behavioral problems as well. You will find Food Dyes in almost everything. Anything with a #5,#6 so on, is a dye. They use coloring to make the product more appealing. We usually shop and eat with our eyes, especially children. The side-effects noted have been behavioral changes, asthma, hives, and headaches.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): This is still under controversy but anything that had been know to cause headaches, bloating and other side-effects is something that I would like to stay away from, but that is me personally.

I know how hard it is to try and omit these foods with chemicals. They are going to be in your everyday cereals, lunch meats, anything in a box, and canned foods. Knowing what some of these additives can trigger, you can look to see if they are effecting you or your children.

I will also say this; sometimes what you consider normal is not. After taking my seven year old off most cereals and other processed foods I noticed a HUGE change in his behaviors and emotions. I now realize that giving him a lot of certain foods in his diet results in the whole family suffering for it.

Here is a great Alternative for Boxed Pizza. When you make it you know exactly whats in it.

Chunky Tomato sauce

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups fresh tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup basil, chopped fine

pinch of sea salt

1/4 pepper

Suttee onions in olive oil until tender, add tomatoes, vinegar, and garlic . Bring to a boil and reduce reduce until liquid is almost gone. Stir in basil, and seasonings. Remove from heat about 1/2 hour and allow the herbs to fuse with sauce.

Pizza Crust..

1 1/2 -2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tbl olive oil

1/2 tbl sea salt

2 tsp yeast

3/4 cup warm water

Mix salt, flour and olive oil together until crumbly. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water, let sit about 4-5 minutes. Add yeast and rest of water to form a stiff ball. Knead dough until smooth. Place ball in a bowl drizzle with olive oil and flip ball around until coated. Cover ball in bowl with a cloth and allow to rise about 20 minutes. Place dough on lightly oiled stone and move dough out to sides of stone. Add your sauce and veggies and cheese. Place in a 425 degree oven 15 minutes or longer depending on toppings.

Chunky Tomato was used from "Nourishing Traditions".

Pizza Crust is our recipe from lots of practice and an assortment of other recipes. We enjoy this pizza so much more that store bought or boxed.

Have a Blessed and Healthy day.

Why would someone go Organic

2009-06-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

OK, so today I wanted to mention a little more about why Sara Snow started it all for me. I began watching on the Discovery channel a few years back, and love that she finally made a book and DVD. It is nice to have all my notes in one place.

I would recommend this book for anyone that was beginning to learn more about nutrition and the benefits of reading labels, buying organic, and having a clean home.

Most of us think that because it is in the grocery store it is healthy and nutritious for us. This is false. Sara talks about the dangers of eating food that is laced with chemicals and preservatives. Studying food enzymes showed me the importance in knowing when foods are processed they usually get striped of the enzymes that help us to digest that food item. Making gas, bloating, and pain when the food does not get processed within our bodies correctly. They do this for a longer shelf life. She also talks about the dirty dozen and the list of foods that if we are not always able to buy organic, these are the foods that should be. In a perfect world, we would all eat organic because it has more vitamins and minerals, less pesticides, and other chemicals. Sara makes it very easy to slowly grow into an organic lifestyle with a gradual process which is great for learning about the lifestyle while also understanding your on a budget. She also talks about the labels of NATURAL and ORGANIC, how sometimes we think we are buying something when Manufactures are just using a key wording for better sells. She shows you how to look for things in the label. There are many other things she talk about from fair trade to greening each room in the house, and so much more.

I have also added her DVD for those mommies that would like to know more about making things safer for babies. She also touches on these ideas in her book as well.

One thing I want to share is that in our fast pace world we have stray from the way things were meant to be made, packaged, and consumed. We have a lot more health problems today than we did 150 years ago. There will also be another book that has been very helpful to me. My sister-in-law gave this as a gift to me and I have loved it. "Nourishing Traditions" has a great amount of recipes and knowledge about the way things previously were prepared and cooked and shows us how to get back to those roots. From canning, to cutting, storing, and cooking. This is a great addition to any kitchen.

Today's Recipe....

Make your own granola. Great start to the day and very healthy.

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour or barley flour 1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbs chopped almonds 1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbs chopped pecans 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt salt
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients on left well. Then mix the liquid ingredients in with dry Ingredients. Spread on a lightly greased cookie sheet, I use one with edges this might be helpful. Bake at 325 for 20-40 minutes and mix around to make sure it does not burn. Cool
I store in a glass bowl with lid.
We love it with milk. You can add any fruit and it makes it a great breakfast or snack. We even add some over yogurt.

Tomorrow I will be talking about the Dangers of Additives and why they are so harmful to our children and ourselves.

Have a blessed and healthy day.

The Beginning

2009-06-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

I love food. I know everyone probably loves food, but it has become a great passion for me.

I started out as a mother of four small children stumbling in the dark about what to feed them and trying to make sure that it was nutritious, or at least what I thought was nutritious. I was worried about the many times I had to take my children to the Physicians Office for a cold, or an ear infection, and I started to wonder if it had anything to do with what I was feeding them. I had started to watch different programs on the Discovery channel and found, now one of my heroes, Sara Snow. She spoke about everything you can do at home to have a healthier more fulfilling life. This was just the start.

So I started taking some classes on Nutrition just to make sure I was doing my part on the food side. My husband was very supportive and loved the idea that I was learning, so I give them the best start to everyday that I could.

Learning about the different vitamins and minerals in food has given me an understanding of what food does to the body. I am happy to say that I have changed my household upside down. I have learned from books, classes, and friends that everything we eat has either a good effect or BAD effect on the body. That is why I have started this blog. This is my journal of the long and satisfying road that I have traveled with Nutrition.

I will be sharing my experiences, good and bad, recipes, and how my family has benefited from it. It is such a great feeling knowing that I am giving my children a inheritance in GREAT health. I have stories to share and one that I am very happy about is the fact that we hardly have to visit the Physician except in our yearly well checkups. There will be times and reasons to see a Doctor.....but if we can reduce those visits by using good nutrition to stay healthy, than that's a great way to live. Staying healthy has many perks to talk about.

Here you will NOT find advice, but GREAT ideas that have worked for my family. I will also let you know about great books and items that I have found to be very beneficial to our household.
I hope that you will follow me down this road of discovery that I plan to share with you. I know that every parent wants the best for their children. I hope that even those of you that are not parents, have a desire for better health and life for yourself as well. Nutrition is for every person!!!! Lets all get back to basics and see where better nutrition takes you!!!!