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Sorry everyone, I have been out of town and have gotten a little behind…oops! I’m back though, and ready to rock n’ roll!!  This week we are going to talk about where to buy this healthier food…..

While going to health food stores would be more ideal, sometimes we only have the conventional stores close by, so what do we do??  First…whip out your “dirty dozen list.” You can find it here on the Environmental Working Groups’s Website.  This list contains the top 12 foods that contain the highest levels of pesticides based on annual testing.  These are the foods tha

 

t I highly recommend that you find an organic replacement for!  If you start your switch there, you are getting the most bang for your buck; healthy nutrient dense foods that are less contaminated by pesticides when purchased organic. There is also a “Clean 15” list which contains the the 15 least contaminated foods.  These food items can be purchased conventionally. Many of these foods contain thicker skins/rinds that the pesticides cannot penetrate, leaving the flesh on the inside pesticide free.

2018 EWG Dirty Dozen

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Nectarines
4. Apples
5. Grapes
6. Peaches
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Tomatoes
10. Celery
11. Potatoes
12. Sweet Bell Peppers

 

So, Where do you go to purchase higher quality lower pesticide contaminated food????  Locally, I have several options….I have Farmer’s Markets, “Pick Your Own” Farms, Local Small Farms, and CSAs.
Let’s start with the Farmer’s Market. Our local Farmer’s Market is open spring, summer, and fall on Saturday mornings from 8:30 to noon.  I absolutely LOVE my farmer’s markets!  I love strolling through the stalls on a Saturday morning, buying the fresh products (many picked fresh that morning) and visiting with the vendors.  I ask questions and they are usually more than happy to tell me all about their farms and growing practices.  It’s wonderful conversing with the people who actually grow your food.  The prices are reasonable as well!  Be mindful though, sometimes you have vendors that ship in produce from other areas of the world or country that are not locally produced or in season.  I usually steer clear of these stalls.  After all, I am looking for local fresh produce that is in season!

 

Another great option is the “Pick Your Own” Farm . These farms are so much fun and can be an exciting outing and learning experience for your kiddos.  We like the local blueberry farm! By choosing to pick your own, you are sharing in the workload and can stock up on enough blueberries to freeze and use throughout the year for a fraction of what you would pay at the grocery store! Berries are the most common “Pick Your Own” product, but there are other fruits and vegetables out there as well.

Small Local Family Run Farms are almost everywhere and offer so many local organic options.  Many of these farmers use farming, planting and harvesting practices passed down for generations, way before the introduction of GMO’s and heavy chemical pesticides!  Visiting these farms allows you to see, first hand, how these farmers care for their farms and gives you the confidence to know that what you are buying for your family’s consumption was grown and raised with love!

 

CSAs are, hands down, one of the best ways to purchase directly from a local farmer.  CSAs or a Community Supported Agriculture agreement benefits both the farmer and consumer through the purchase of shares from a farmer though a predetermined season.  This partnership gives the farmers confidence that they have buyers for their produce and gives the consumer confidence that they are being provided locally grown healthy food weekly or monthly for the growing season.  There are so many different types of CSAs available these days!  They have come a long way!  Now you can join Summer CSAs which usually run from spring through fall, Herb CSAs that provide herbs or herbal preparations, Winter CSAs for

 

hearty winter vegetables, and for meat lovers there are also Meat CSAs.

With so many local options, it’s super easy to use your local grocery store as a place to run just for emergency last minute supplies!  Eating healthier is much easier than one could possibly imagine and very cost effective once you know where to look.  So go ahead and start searching your area for local farms, farmer’s markets and CSAs.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised just how many of these little gems you might find…and the food tastes so much more amazing when it’s that fresh!

In order to enact real change, we need to start eliminating processed foods from our diets. We need to, in turn start buying ingredients to make real food. I know, I know…quick easy prep meals make for less time in the kitchen, but processed foods are full of junk! To make matters worse, if you try to replace the conventional processed foods with organic processed foods, the prices seem to skyrocket. Here’s a secret, while organically processed foods don’t contain the pesticide laden ingredients that can be found in conventional processed foods, they are still devoid of many nutrients the body needs. So, processed foods in general should be avoided.

Making this change can be really frustrating in the beginning.  At times it seems as though the grocery store has very little in the way of food when you eliminate processed pre-made or easy prep meals. Start buying the ingredients that you need to make your favorite meals. Preparing these foods at home is actually healthier and eliminates the nasty additives that are needed to preserve prefab meals. Not only will this change benefit your health, but it will also save your pocketbook cutting back substantially on your grocery bill!

So where do you start? Look at your current prepackaged meals. Read the ingredients and start writing them down. For example instead of buying pre-made cookie dough, choose instead to write down chocolate chips, butter, eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla extract…. You can actually make large batches and freeze for later use. The savings over the long term are significant!  You can also read the packages of your favorite remade pizzas, pastas, far east inspired meals, and many other boxed dinners.  Write down the ingredients lists that you will need to make these healthier options.  You might actually be surprised at how much better the food will taste!

Another change that should be made on your next grocery list, is the elimination of non-beneficial items.  Items such as sugary drinks and snacks with no beneficial nutrients.  Sodas, flavored milks, and juices should be the first to go.  Instead, replace these items with good clean water, whole fruit and veggie smoothies, and herbal teas.

As you work towards healthier options, slowly start refining your grocery lists to contain more ingredients and less premade meals.  Work to remove quick sugary pick me ups with fresh fruit (to lengthen shelf life just freeze them).  Baby steps help you not only make the changes but stick to them!

Toxic emotions, thoughts, beliefs and feelings can wreak havoc on our emotional and physical health, and I am speaking from experience.  Trying to stuff them down doesn’t help either.  They have a tendency to rear their ugly head at the most inopportune times and can mess up our whole day (sometimes even our whole week).  They can lower our vibrational energy, which in turn lowers our immunity and makes us more susceptible to physical ailments not to mention all of the negative mental/emotional issues that these toxic thoughts can manifest.  Just because something unfavorable happens in our lives does not mean we have to continue to drown in that very unhappy place.  Instead, we need to seek mental clarity and process these negative

emotions, allowing us to grieve and be angry.  Then, when the time is right, learn to let go and find a place of peace.
No one’s life is perfect. It’s part of the human condition to suffer loss and grow.  This is where things can go wrong.  Sometimes we lose ourselves. It’s not uncommon after an emotionally traumatic event, that we just stop…stop trying, stop growing, stop caring.  These are unhealthy responses.  In order to come back to a place of peace, we must learn to process these traumatizing events, learn from them and grow into an even stronger version of ourselves.  We have to learn to let go of control (a very difficult one for me).  Many things in our lives are beyond our control and the sooner we learn that, the better off we will be.  We only have control over what we do and how we let a situation affect us.  We cannot control the way the world does things.  We cannot control the actions of others.  Instead we have to learn to accept what is and completely forgive those that have hurt us.  It doesn’t mean we have to allow others to continue to cause us emotional turmoil.  In fact, if these individuals only bring more toxicity into our lives, it’s best to keep our distance and if need be “love them from afar.”  They clearly have their own toxic garbage to work through.  It doesn’t mean that we don’t wish them well, send them positive thoughts or pray for them; it just means that we have got to keep our own space healthy and positive.

Replace Anger and Hatred with with Forgiveness, Love, Peacefulness, and Mercy.  Replace Sadness with Happiness, Cheerfulness, and Tenacity.  Abandonment can be replaced with feeling Cherished, Precious, or Cared For.
Try daily affirmations replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
For example:

Instead of “I am angry“….

“I am forgiving.”
“I am loving.”
“I am merciful.”

Instead of “I feel abandoned“…

“I feel cherished.”
“I feel loved.”
“I feel cared for.”

Learning to feel positive and replace these negative emotions with positive emotions can and will help improve our emotional and physical being.  Learning to move into a place of love can have a profound effect on anyone.

If you are interested in learning more, I suggest purchasing the books Feelings Buried Alive Never Die by Karol Truman and Conquering Toxic Emotions by Rhonda Favano.  Both are amazing books available on Amazon that can help you navigate your way back into a healthy mindset.

Did you know that prior to the invention of the modern refrigerator in the early 1900s, seasonal eating was the norm.  As there was no way to preserve many foods (other than salting and canning) most foods had to be consumed as they were harvested.

This seasonal way of eating isn’t a bad thing!  Foods consumed at their ripest point are the most nutrient dense and provide us with more nutrition than foods that are harvested too early, late, or foods that sit on shipping t

rucks and containers for days or weeks. The longer it takes to get foods from the farm to the table the more nutrients they lose, this makes buying in season locally a wonderful choice, ensuring that we are giving our bodies the most nutrient dense fuel available!

Eating with the seasons just makes sense.  Take a moment to think about it…

In the summertime, the most abundant foods are the ones that promote hydration; watermelon, cantaloupes, cucumbers, berries and tomatoes all have high water content that help to keep us from dehydrating on hot summer days.  These wonderful fruits and veggies also require little, if any preparation other than washing and slicing.
During the autumn months, foods such as squash, potatoes, beets, parsnips, carrots, and apples are in season.  These fruits and vegetables have a much longer shelf life than those grown in the summer months and can be combined to make soups and stews to warm us during the fall and winter months.  They also have a tendency to slightly increase body fat, which would have been a huge benefit back in the pioneer days before modern heating.  Many of the harvested autumn fruits and vegetables will last through winter and help to provide much needed vitamins and minerals to hold us over until spring.
Spring is full wonderfully nutrient dense greens such as kale, arugula, spinach, asparagus, dandelion greens and lettuce.  These green foods offer incredible liver support and help to detoxify the body of the indoor air pollution (much more toxic than outdoor) as well as helping to aid in the shedding of stored water weight.
Before you know it, it’s summer again and the cycle starts all over…

 

So for those who are new to this way of eating, where do you start? How do you know what is in season and what isn’t? Hit up your local farmer’s market.  When you buy locally grown food, you will find it in abundance there!  It’s usually much less expensive too!  Don’t have a farmer’s market?  Take a trip to your local grocery store and look for produce that is on sale.  This is usually a good indicator that the foods are grown locally and in abundance making their prices lower (less transportation costs and more competition).   For those that are really adventurous, plant your own garden and enjoy the fruits of your labor.  Regardless of how you choose to start, you can afford to eat healthier…it’s a mindset and a lifestyle.  What are you waiting for?

Changing how you view food and how you eat is done in baby steps.  Easing into a real foods lifestyle will help you stick to the positive changes you are making with less burn out.  I teach an in depth course on the subject and help my clients not only see food in a healthier way but we work together to help them continue to implement these changes in their lives with recipes and weekly accountability check ins.  For more information please email me through our contact page.

Tip: Buy berries locally in bulk from local berry farms in the summer and freeze to us throughout the year.

Week One….

It has been my experience that many people want to eat a healthier diet, but they just don’t know where to start.  With the artificial inflation of food items, the “crap filled” food is much less expensive than the healthier alternatives, and seems to be the first hurdle.  The second would be how we think of food.  In our modern society, we have this mindset that we not only need meat with every meal, but that this meat needs to be the largest food portion on our plates.  However, this has not always been the case. Historically, meats were luxuries that were only afforded during celebrations.  Most meals are heavy on vegetables that were in season.  The key is to live like a historical working class peasant; someone who only buys refined treats for special holidays and celebrations.  On most days, opt for a vegetable heavy diet without a need for meat with every meal.

*Learn to eat realistic portions.  Eat until you are satisfied, not until you are bursting at the seams.

*Only buy what your family will eat for the week,  don’t overstock and don’t cook more than your family will eat.

*Always stock the basics that you will use in multiple recipes and meals to avoid mad last minute dashes to the grocery store.

*Learn how to substitute missing ingredients with ones you have on hand.

Challenge for the week:

This weekend, empty out your cabinets, fridge, and pantry and place it all on the kitchen table.  See what items you already have and make a list of meals you could make.  If you are missing one or two ingredients, make a secondary list to take to the grocery store.  After you sort through what you have and what you need to complete those meals, take your grocery list and purchase ONLY those needed items to complete your meal planning for that week or two weeks.  You’ll be surprised just how much money and food you will save!

Trouble getting enough sleep? Circadian Rhythm out of sync?  Suffering from insomnia?  Do any of these sound like you?  Looking for natural ways to recharge and reset?

Are you getting enough quality sleep?  8 hours is the recommended amount of sleep needed for a healthy adult to function properly.  However, did you know that science has proven that the more sleep you get before midnight, the better.  That’s because the sleep you get before midnight is more likely to be deeper, restorative non-REM sleep.  Getting to bed earlier will allow you to get more restful sleep.  Our bodies naturally respond to light and dark.  When the sun goes down our bodies naturally start to produce melatonin, wind down and tell our brains to seek rest.  When the sun comes up our bodies begin to produce cortisol which tells the body to wake up, be alert and productive.  With the invention of artificial light, our bodies have been tricked into thinking it is daylight, when it is actually dark outside, boosting cortisol and reducing the production of melatonin, making it much harder to get restful sleep.  These artificial sources of light; cell phones, computers, tablets, and TVs, can emit more cortisol stimulating light rays than the actual sun…yikes!!  Knowing that these devices can suppress the production of the sleep inducing hormone melatonin, makes playing on your phone just before bed a bad idea that is bound to lead to insomnia or at the very least, less restful sleep.  Just an FYI…humans aren’t meant to be nocturnal creatures.  We are actually diurnal, and meant to be awake during the day.  None of us are actually “night people,” technology and artificial light have made us this way.
So, how do we reset our internal clocks?  Studies show that going camping for just one week, in nature, without any electronic devices can and has successfully turned “night owls’ into “early birds.”  It’s a relaxing and wonderful way to reset your body and improve your sleep schedule and overall health.

Additionally, you can use essential oils such as, Tranquil, Rutavala, Lavender, Cedarwood, or StressAway by Young Living in a massage on the feet and crown of your head to help prepare you for a good night’s sleep.  Try drinking some warm almond, cashew, or coconut milk then sprinkle with ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom to help support healthy digestion and restful sleep. Another option would be to turn off electronic devices an hour before bedtime to give your body time to wind down and prepare to rest. And, if you’re really feeling adventurous, try an electricity-free weekend at home.  Using only candlelight to light the house and turn off all electronic devices.

The easiest way to start implementing these changes to improve our sleep is through gradual modification.  Try going to bed 30 minutes early for the first week. By week two move that back another 30 minutes.  Make it a goal to be in bed between 9:00 and 9:30pm and asleep by 10:00pm.  Your body will thank you!

Did you know that being in nature is a natural stress reliever?  Studies have shown that spending time in forests and other green areas can be therapeutic to the soul and lower stress levels.  According to research, Muscle tension, stress hormones, blood pressure and heart rate all decrease much more rapidly in natural settings.  Being in nature has a calming effect on the mind and helps us to unwind, promoting a sense of serenity.   It boosts our natural production of serotonin and increases positive emotions including our ability to show empathy.

Getting outside boosts your vitamin D levels.  Vitamin D is responsible for boosting immunity and lowering your risk of various diseases.

Go outside and take in some fresh air.  Although there is air pollution outside, there is far more air pollution indoors and it poses an even greater risk to your health. Some of these risks include heart disease, bronchitis, asthma, and lung cancer.

Have you ever heard of grounding or earthing?  It’s the process of making direct contact with the earth. Studies have shown that grounding (earthing) can lower your inflammation levels, reduce chronic pain, speed up the healing process, and reduce the effects of aging. There are dozens of companies out there that sell products (mats and shoes) that make it more convenient to ground ourself, however, I still prefer the good old fashioned way of going barefoot.

So, If you’re feeling down in the dumps, get outside and go for a walk, or sit by a stream, or on a rock.  Walk barefoot in the grass or in the sand. Take a few deep breaths and relax, listen to the birds and the wind in the treetops.  Most importantly, just get outside!

 

 

Bees are such amazing little creatures.  They have been around for millions of years, just pollinating away!

As a child, I was fascinated with watching them fly from flower to flower and working away gathering all of the goodies to take back to their hives.  I would lay in the grass and just watch them for hours, still do sometimes.

My husband can attest to my love of the honey bee. One summer, my husband had left his soda sitting on the back of the truck while we were outside working.  When he went to take a drink, he got quite the surprise..a bee!  He quickly spit the little honey bee into his hand and looked over at me saying. “I almost swallowed a bee!” I’m not sure he was expecting my response which resulted in me gently taking the bee from him, sprinkling it with water and placing it on a dry surface and blowing on it’s wings to help it dry out!  I think I remember turning to him and saying, “You traumatized the poor thing!!” After a few minutes of drying off, the little bee regained its little insect composure and flew away.  I turned to my husband and said, “that was close!” Of course his jaw was still on the ground. “I could have been stung,” he said, as I walked back over to where he was standing. “But you weren’t,” I replied, without missing a beat.  We laugh about it now, but I think he was a little upset at the time because my first response was to try and revive the bee (which I successfully did, I might add.)  I was “saving the bees” before it was cool and have taught my children to look out for and protect the bees as well.

Imagine my excitement when I learned that we have a Bee Farm (Desert Creek Honey) less than 7 miles away from where I currently live!  I could hardly contain myself.  I use honey as one of my alternatives to sugar and I incorporate bee pollen into our smoothies, smoothie bowls, and hot tea during allergy season as part of our wellness plan.

So what are the benefits of Raw Unfiltered Honey???

Raw honey is a good source of antioxidants, which help to protect the body from cell damage caused by free radicals! Free radicals can contribute to premature aging and many diseases.  Studies also show that polyphenols in honey may play a role in protecting the heart.

Other benefits of raw honey are its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.  Raw honey naturally contains hydrogen peroxide, which is a natural antiseptic.  We keep a jar of Manuka honey on hand to put on cuts and scrapes. Amazing stuff! If you’ve never heard of Manuka Honey, Google it! Every household should have it!

There are an abundance of Phytonutrients found in raw honey.  Phytonutrients are compounds found in plants that help the plant thrive and protect them from damage.

Raw honey has been used to help heal digestive issues with much success. Just 1-2 teaspoons a day on an empty stomach can soothe the digestive tract.

Effective for coughs and sore throats.

 

What about Honeybee pollen?

Many holistic health proponents tout the benefits of bee pollen.  Bee pollen is a fine powdery collection of substances from plants that bees store in the hives.  Like the raw honey, the pollen helps to combat free radicals, fight aging, help reduce the production of histamines during allergy season and because it is so nutrient dense it can increase energy.  Other benefits of honeybee pollen include:

Boosting Metabolism
Strengthening the Immune System
Possibly Increase Fertility
Improve Skin Health
Helps to Support Proper Hormone Balance
and Improves Digestion

I could go on and on about honey and bees.  It’s fascinating how nature works and how such a small creature can be so beneficial and play such an important role in sustaining all forms of life on earth!

If you don’t have anywhere locally to buy high quality raw honey, please feel free to click on the link above. Desert Creek has an online presence and ships all over the US.    (They aren’t sponsoring me to say that. I just like helping others out when I can.)

 

I know that you’ve heard me talk about it before…the Young Living Seed to Seal Commitment.  It’s because quality really does matter.  Young Living is very particular with the way they grow and cultivate their herbs for essential oil production.  They believe that these plants should be grown on virgin, uncontaminated land.  Lands that are free of chemical herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides; far away from interstates, large heavily populated cities, factories, and nuclear plants!

The soil nourished with minerals, organic mulch, and enzymes in order to produce healthy robust plants that will yield higher quality oils.  The crops should be watered with deep well, watershed, or reservoir water.  (Mountain streams would be ideal with their high mineral content.) Municipally treated water should be avoided due to it’s ability to introduce unwanted chemical residues into the plants contaminating their essential oils.
The plant variety also matters!  Only plants that produce the highest quality essential oils should be selected!

Harvest time is one of the most important factors in the production of high quality essential oils. The season and time of day can play a critical role in whether the oil yield is of the best or substandard quality.  This difference in quality can literally be determined by just a few hours!  Take for example, German Chamomile harvested in the morning hours will produce an oil with far more azulene (a powerful compound that promotes a healthy inflammation response) than German Chamomile harvested in the late afternoon! How crazy is that??  Season and time of day aren’t the only factors to be considered when harvesting for quality essential oils, amount of dew on the leaves, percentage of plants in bloom, and the weather conditions two weeks prior to harvesting also play critical roles in the process.

Distillery location is a critical factor in the production of high quality essential oil.  Making sure the distillery is located in close proximity to the fields where the herbs are grown prevents the plants from drying out prior to being distilled.  Another advantage to local distillation?  Minimizing the exposure to pollutants, dust, mold, and petrochemical residues!

These are all actions taken by Young Living to ensure the quality of their essential oil products!  They stand behind the products that they produce.  If it isn’t grown on a Young Living Farm, it’s grown on a Young Living Partner farm and must adhere to these same strict standards.  There is a reason that Young Living is the World Leader in Essential Oils.

 

 

 

Ingredients:
2 – medium red or yellow onions, chopped
3 – tablespoons of real butter, melted
8 – medium-sized zucchini, sliced
3 cups of vegetable broth.
1 cup cashew milk or coconut milk
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp black pepper
A pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:
Sauté the onions in butter in a large sauce pan on medium heat until tender.
And zucchini and vegetable broth; and stir well.
Bring to boiling them cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.
Remove from heat. Pour the contents into a blender and purée.
Return the Puritan mixture into the sauce pan.
Add the cashew or coconut milk along with the salt nutmeg and peppers and continue to cook until heated through.

Serve.

* optionally you can use 3 cups of chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth. You can also substitute a half a cup of half-and-half for the one cup of cashew or coconut milk.
If so desired you can add cheese for garnish.