How many eggs do you eat a week??

For our family we eat 24 eggs a week, minimal.

We have a local friend who has chickens and we are lucky enough to get to buy organic, fresh, local eggs from him every Monday. Jeff was in the process of building us a chicken coop so we could have our own eggs, but then we got the dog and that process stopped. Until we can figure out how to do both, we will be buying our eggs from our local friend.

Eggs have a ton of health benefits but often get a bad rap for being fatty and high in cholesterol. I don't buy it. Read the health facts below to get an idea of some of the benefits of eating eggs.




http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-eggs.html
10 Health Benefits of Eggs

Published on April 17, 2006


Health Benefits of Eggs

Some of you may have eaten eggs over the Easter weekend so I thought I'd post ten health benefits of eggs (and it doesn't count if they were chocolate eggs!)

1. Eggs are great for the eyes. According to one study, an egg a day may prevent macular degeneraton due to the carotenoid content, specifically lutein and zeaxanthin. Both nutrients are more readily available to our bodies from eggs than from other sources.

2. In another study, researchers found that people who eat eggs every day lower their risk of developing cataracts, also because of the lutein and zeaxanthin in eggs.

3. One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids.
4. According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, there is no significant link between egg consumption and heart disease. In fact, according to one study, regular consumption of eggs may help prevent blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks.

5. They are a good source of choline. One egg yolk has about 300 micrograms of choline. Choline is an important nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system.

6. They contain the right kind of fat. One egg contains just 5 grams of fat and only 1.5 grams of that is saturated fat.

7. New research shows that, contrary to previous belief, moderate consumption of eggs does not have a negative impact on cholesterol. In fact, recent studies have shown that regular consumption of two eggs per day does not affect a person's lipid profile and may, in fact, improve it. Research suggests that it is saturated fat that raises cholesterol rather than dietary cholesterol.

8. Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D.

9. Eggs may prevent breast cancer. In one study, women who consumed at least 6 eggs per week lowered their risk of breast cancer by 44%.

10. Eggs promote healthy hair and nails because of their high sulphur content and wide array of vitamins and minerals. Many people find their hair growing faster after adding eggs to their diet, especially if they were previously deficient in foods containing sulphur or B12.

*Also, the reason we don't buy our eggs in the store is because to buy them organic it is way too expensive.... but I do think organic eggs are worth it. I don't buy all organic groceries but I do buy only organic eggs. This is basically why:

By Joseph Moritz
Eggs
Though they are a terrific source of protein, most eggs are produced using a range of antibiotics and hormones on the chickens that bear them. Given this, the health gains of eating organic eggs are similar to those of drinking organic milk. Essentially, organic eggs mean fewer hormones in the chicken and fewer foreign hormones (or chemicals acting as hormones) in your body.

Read more: http://www.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt_150/175_eating_well.html#ixzz1i8HloGaC

Let it Go, Let it Go. Let it Go.

This the the non-order my house was in all day today, and you know what? It was awesome. I even left it like that while I snuggled up for a nap sandwiched between B and A.

Christmas break thus far has been one thing after another. Going here, there, everywhere and today we just stayed home and chilled.
We woke up early and hung out. Watched some movies. Then I called my friend who lives too far away and just had a baby girl. I made pumpkin pancakes with coconut milk and my kids gobbled them up. We did crafts. I tried a new bread recipe. I did dishes forever it felt like. Made taco soup with fresh tomatoes that was delicious. The kids played. M and I did some puzzles. Jeff got home earlier than expected. A was in her nighty until 5:00pm. I love these kind of days. There is something really healthy about just being at home, hanging out, relaxing, napping, baking.... Christmas break therapy right here!




Then tonight, after I got dressed and dressed A, our teenage friends came over for dinner and to play with our kids so that Santa and I could go finish our shopping. We only had one more thing and we got it so we are completely done and ready. What a good feeling.
We love these girls! They take such good care of our kids and they love doing it. They seriously ask us when they can come babysit.
And to make this a healthy post they even tried the fish oil! Yep, they did and guess what they had to say about it?
H (the first to take the plunge) "it tastes like peaches."
T "it does taste like peaches."
So there you have it. Santa, if you are reading this you know what to give these girls in their stockings!

Is Your Laundry Detergent Safe?

Mine is. Because I make it.
It does take a little time but it's worth it to me.
Below is the recipe I use with the step by step directions.
Here is the email I received in my inbox today that I read with ease, knowing that it didn't apply to me! What a relief. If this article does startle you, change. It's never to late!

Homemade Laundry Soap
What you need
> 5 gallon bucket
> Storage containers (with a pump if you prefer)
> Fels Naptha soap ( I have used this but I currently use THIS!)
You can use whatever bar soap you like, probably. I don't know for sure but both have worked for me
> Borax
> Washing Soda

Grate 1/3 bar of soap and put the flakes into a large saucepan with 4 cups of water. Heat and stir until the soap flakes dissolve.

In liquid measuring cup dissolve 1/3 cup Borax and 1/3 Washing soda in 3/4 cup hot water.

Pour the bar soap mixture into the bucket and add the borax solution. Add enough hot water to make 2 galons. I don't measure I just add enough hot water until the bucket is like half full.
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Then it sits on my kitchen floor and I stir it with a long handled wooden spoon every 15 minutes or so until it's completely cooled.
Then pour it unto the containers.

Use 1/2 cup per load.
Shake before using.

So that is it. I have never kept track of how long one batch lasts but it's quite a while.

Also, the soap I use now for the flakes is THIS (like I said up above) and it is good stuff as well. My Gramy orders it and she likes to keep me stocked up on it so I use that as well. It's good stuff too, as far as I know, but I haven't carefully researched it.

Healthy Holidays

This time of year it is easy to use the excuse, "it's Christmas" and allow yourself to overeat or binge on sweets. Here are some little tips that I would recommend to have a happy and healthy holiday.

1. Keep drinking water. Lots of water. I know that when the weather is cold water doesn't sound as good. At least not to me. So I warm it up and make herbal tea. Another way to get your water intake up is to leave your cup somewhere where you see it often. My kids' cups are always on our kitchen table. That way whenever they walk by they see it and take a drink. The benefits of water are many!

2. Share. We really like eggnog but it is not something that I think is healthy, at all. There is a local joint (Cruisin' Coffee) and they have an AMAZING egg nog milkshake. I have loved it since I was young. It's thick and creamy and oh so good. We share one. We buy one, once a year when we go caroling as a family and we share it. One milkshake, five slobbery mouths on the same straw. We each get a taste and the goodness lasts the whole season. We all love it and we don't have tummy aches afterwards.

3. Make your own frosting! I am all about baking Christmas cookies and delivering them but making my own frosting is a must! Have you ever looked at the label of store bought frosting? Way too many ingredients in there for anyones liking. Make your own with 4 ingredients: Butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, whipping cream. It's not healthy but it is free of tons of preservatives and unknown ingredients.

4. Eat a good healthy breakfast. If you are anticipating eating sweets during the day make sure you aren't eating sugary cereals or sweet treats for breakfast. Instead have a hard boiled egg or a handful of almonds. Your body needs some protein and fiber and breakfast is still an important meal to get your digestive system up and running.

5. Don't let yourself get constipated. Ew, did I use that word on my blog? No one likes it, especially not your gut. The longer the waste is in your body the more toxins leach out. So get it out of there! Sugar constipates you if you didn't know that already. Epson salt baths work well to keep things flowing, as does drinking lots of water and continuing to maintain a healthy diet. Calcium supplements also work and my next point works too, rest!

6. Get lots of sleep. Bed time is still the same around here during break.

7. Experiment with healthy side dishes. Lots of times if you go to a party, all the food is junk. So you be the one to bring the veggies or the hummus and rice crackers. Then at least you can eat it and most likely others will have some too!

8. Don't eat after dinner. I know this is tough but it's so true. An empty stomach is so healthy. It gives your body a chance to completely digest what is already in there without piling more on top. Instead of ice-cream or cookies have a warm cup of tea or a glass of water. Suck on a vitamin C if you need something in your mouth.

9. Get outside. Although the weather is cool, get out and enjoy it. Fresh air is good for you! Take the kids for a walk or send them outside to play too. No one wants to be cooped up in a house all day.

10. Only eat your favorites. Just because your neighbor brought over a tray of cookies doesn't mean you have to eat all of them. That is silly. Today, I took a bite of a cookie our friends delivered on Friday, and when it tasted stale and old I spit it out into the sink and threw the rest away. Yuck. Don't eat it just because it's there. If it doesn't taste 100% to you than toss it. We can't be wasting sugary calories on mediocre treats.

11. Take the time to relax. Sit in front of your Christmas tree. Watch a good Christmas flick. Visit with old friends. Soak in a hot tub. Enjoy the season and the peace it can bring into your life.

Supplement Monday

This stuff is totally money.
I am not naive enough to think that this alone cured my strep throat but I can testify that when the antibiotics didn't work I started gargling this stuff twice a day and the bacteria died off.

So. Here is what worked for me. I did a cleanse, for one. I stopped eating sugar of any kind. Fruit, grains, potatoes.... So I completely cleansed my body and then I upped the amount of vitamins I was taking and I took 2 Tbs. of this stuff a day until I felt better.

I no longer take it. Rumor has it you can actually turn blue from too much silver, but the key here is too much. I took it for about 3 weeks and then I stopped. I felt better. The bacteria was no longer. Now I take this stuff at the first sign of illness as a preventative immune booster.

No side effects whatsoever!

Antibiotics and health

My husband is so cute sometimes. Tonight he found this article and told me to read it, which I did. And I liked it. And I liked that he knew I would like it and insisted I read it. And I liked that I agreed with it.

You can read the article here.

Antibiotics are a touchy subject, as most are that I discuss on this blog. My kids have never had an antibiotic. I don't think they are a healthy choice. I took 2 rounds of antibiotics last year when I had strep, for the sole purpose of not spreading the bacteria to my family. When they didn't work I was further convinced of their lousiness and more determined to continue to avoid them.

Here is why I personally choose to avoid them:
They mask the underlying issue. If you catch an infection it is because something is not balanced in your body. I honestly believe that if you are as healthy as you possibly could be infection would not be able to live in your body (of course non of us are but we can all strive to be!!)
They are a quick fix. I don't believe in quick fixes and I don't think they are effective long term. If your body is sick I believe that with time, rest, extra nutrients and vitamins, Your body will be able to heal. Patience is key here.
They kill everything in your gut. The good and the bad and the aftershocks are, to me, more detrimental than the problem originally trying to be solved.
There are other alternatives. I use homeopathic remedies, vitamin supplements, water, honey, colidial silver.
They are causing other issues, as you can read in the above article.
Often people get sick. Take an antibiotic. Get well, temporarily (because their body is still unhealthy), get sick again with the same thing or something different, take another antibiotic.... and they never heal. They never solve the problem. They actually worsen the problem because the antibiotics kill off the good guys too and so a small problem is increased and masked and increased and masked again.

Do you notice the vicious cycle I am referring too?

So antibiotics DID NOT kill my strep. I promise. I will tell you what natural remedies did, tomorrow.
Stay tuned.

sugar craves sugar!!!

Today I was listening to the radio and loving all the Christmas music and the broadcaster dude was telling all the listeners that they would probably want to start parking in the back of the lot at the store to burn those few extra calories that they've been eating. It made me laugh. Do people really think that parking a little further away is going to do anything? Maybe I'm the funny one but I'm not buying it.

Here is my advice and if you want to mock it, you can because I guess I am mocking his advice.
Sugar craves sugar. Right now everyone is surrounded by sugar and the more you eat, the more you indulge, the more you will want. It's true. So don't let sugar control you. You control the sugar. Don't eat it just because it's there. It's not worth it. Grab a handful of almonds, an avocado, a hard boiled egg, some carrot sticks or my favorite... A cup of herbal tea. Now that does the body good.

Supplement Monday

Today's Supplement is Classic Ambrotose Complex.
This is the product that Mannatech (the whole food vitamin company that I use and that I am a distributor for; check out right hand side bar) has a patent on. That is cool!
I will make a note here too. I am not a salesman. Period. I love these products and I have seen dramatic results by using them. At the same time I still use other products that I find to be effective but this one product is one of a kind and I really believe in it. So, no I am not trying to sell you something. I am just providing you with information that I have found helpful to sustain and improve health. That is why I designed this blog in the beginning.
This product is sold in a powder form and I take 1 Tbs. a day and I give my kids 1 tsp. each a day. I just mix it with an ounce or so of water, for me, but my kids don't like the taste of it with water so for them, every day with breakfast I mix it up with Kefir and give it to them on a spoon. It's the consistency of yogurt when it's mixed with Kefir and they love it! I just add 3 tsp. (for 3 kids) to a small bowl with about a 1/4 cup of kefir and mix it together. Then I feed it to them on a spoon until it's all gone. They all want the last bite!

Here are the facts from their website
http://us.mannatech.com/products/health/product-ambrotose-complex.html
Classic Ambrotose® Complex
Designed to support your immune system, starting with your cells*

Polysaccharides, also known as glyconutrients, play critical roles in supporting and maintaining health and the immune system. The Ambrotose complex includes patented technology and a blend of these plant-sourced polysaccharides.* This breakthrough product recognizes that your body is made up of cells, which when kept healthy, contribute to healthy bodies.*
Overview

People who have a healthy immune system experience more energy and endurance. Add Ambrotose products to your diet and…

Increase immune system support*

Support digestive function*

Improve memory and cognitive function*

Enhance mood and decrease irritability*

Mannatech's Ambrotose products are:

Plant- and naturally sourced

Cutting-edge technology

Tested and certified by NSF International (an independent third party organization that develops standards and certifies products in more than 100 countries).

Manufactured in conformance with federally established cGMPs (Current Good Manufacturing Practices)

Backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee+

Tuna and cauliflower

So last night we had cooked cauliflower with our dinner. I just baked it, no butter just plain. I think it's good. The kids aren't huge fans of cooked cauliflower but they ate it raw. Needless to say I had a bit of cooked cauliflower left over.
So......
Today when I made tuna fish and crackers for lunch what do you think I did?
Yep!
I mixed the tuna with mayo and cooked cauliflower. And sure enough they, and their father, and I, all at gobbled it up for lunch.
Raise the roof!

oh yes I did!

Ok so just so that you all aren't fooled into thinking that I ALWAYS make my treats healthy I will tell you what I made today.

My Aunt Angela's Nanimo Bar Recipe. Delicious.
Plus
Instead of making the filing vanilla, I added egg nog.

So they are chocolate nanimo bars with egg-nog filling.

Um, don't even begin to think that these are healthy!

These are a special treat and Yes, I do believe in a special treat once in a while.

My mouth is watering just typing this post. The YW are going to be pleasantly surprised when I serve them these for our Christmas Magic activity tonight. They have really come to like my healthy, bean, cookies.

Supplement Monday (on Tuesday)

Wow! I love this time of year and although I am typically busily running around making gifts, shopping sales, baking cookies, doing crafts... this year I can truly say I am soaking up the joy and peace of the season. I am relaxed. I have a lot to do but I am learning to delegate, to say "no" and to put some projects off until next yhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifear. It's ok. It's all good and I feel a lot of relief and a sense of calm. I really like that feeling.
I guess that is also my excuse for not doing a supplement post for the past couple weeks. Last night I knew which one I wanted to post but when my husband grabbed the Christmas book we are reading together this season I just couldn't deny him. The invitation to sit with him, by the twinkling tree, and listen to him read out loud while being warmed by the fire was too irresistible. And so it is Tuesday and life goes on.

So...
This supplement is HLC Neonate Powder. I love this stuff. It is great for babies with digestion issues (spit up, super loose stool,...) but I give it to alhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifl my kids this time of year. They don't mind the taste of it and I just have them open their mouths and tip back their heads and I pour the little spoon full on their tongue 2 times a day.

Did you know that skin issues (dry, rashy, cracked) is sometimes an issue of poor digestion? Well it's true. My little Adelle when she was a baby had super dry skin. I didn't know what it was or what it was from. My Naturalistic Dr. taught me a bit about probiotics, digestion, and skin and since then I have tried them and have seen really obvious results (like, no more dry skin!)

Check out some of the reviews of this product here.

Also, since I'm on topic and I know there are a lot of babies out there and a lot of breastfeeding moms out there I thought I would also share this tidbit; If you have an overgrowth of bad bacteria in your body (which most of us do either from poor diet or taking antibiotics) then that bacteria is passed onto your nursing baby. So, even if you are breastfeeding (which is totally AWESOME) I still always gave this to my babies to help their little developing systems.

an oldie but a goodie

A favorite lady of mine reminded me of this recipe tonight. She remembered it from a blog post a couple years ago. Check it out and notice how cute and little my Adelle was!

It's a good one!

Ironically I made it last Sunday...with a few substitutions:
Rice milk instead of Coconut milk ( I didn't have any coconut milk)
Zucchini instead of spinach. I sauteed the zucchini right in with the onions and garlic. It was tasty, I thought at least. Not a favorite with the fam.

On that note; every dinner doesn't have to be your kids' favorite. We don't make our kids eat all their dinner but we do make them try what's for dinner. If I do make something that isn't their favorite( I can anticipate this) I will have something else as a healthy side option that they can fill up on (veggies, tuna fish and cheese, hard boiled egg...)

baked oatmeal

This breakfast is a huge hit around here. Even for my not so much lovin' oatmeal husband.

This breakfast is packed with protein (plant based) and fiber and has no refined sugar.

This is what I did.

1/2 or 1 cube of butter ( your preference. I've done both ways and couldn't really tell the difference so now I just do 1/2 cube (NOT CUP, CUBE)

Put the butter in a 9x13 pan and melt in the oven while it is preheating to 350 degrees.

While the butter is melting and coating the pan mix 3 cups oatmeal in a large bowl (I am experimenting with gluten free oats.... I will get back to you on this whole thing.... in a while)

Add 1 Tbs. vanilla
Add 1 Tbs. cinnamon ( I usually do more for taste)
Add 2 Tbs. Pure Maple Syrup
Add 3 eggs ( or 1 or 2, depending on how many you have in your fridge)
Add 2 cups milk ( whatever you like, I like to use rice milk. It doesn't add any flavor because it's non-sweetened).

Mix all of that together in your bowl. Add to the melted butter in the pan and mix until combined.

Cook at 350 for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!!
This breakfast does not taste like boiled oatmeal. It is really chewy and so good!
It's a yum, yum, yum, yum, yum in this house!

Food Combining

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Hopefully you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and ate lots of good healthy food. I enjoyed a delicious homemade dinner with the company of lots of loved ones.
Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, coconut oil carrots, brussel sprouts, green bean and mushroom casserole, homemade cranberries, ceasar salad.

No rolls. No pumpkin pie. (Pumpkin pie is one of my favorite things to eat!!!)

I have read this book 2 times now and I'm really sold on some of the principles. One such principle is: food combining. Basically, which foods to eat together and which foods to NOT eat together.

He says in the book, "The continued use of sweets, even fruit, after protein is the worst of the combinations, and is one of the most destructive to health. This can also be said of most fruit juices combined with protein meals"(Matsen, pg.117).

This is why I didn't have pumpkin pie after dinner. First, I was full. Second, I didn't want to confuse my system that was busily breaking down the protein from the turkey ( I know, I did eat the potatoes (starch) and a small amount of cranberries (sugar) but give me a break, I did the best that I wanted to do...)

Let me review what I know concerning this matter:
The gut of your health determines your overall well being.
Your gut health is maintained by good digestion and elimination.
Carbs are first digested by alkaline juices in your mouth.
Proteins are digested to stomach acid.
When you eat carbs and proteins together your stomach juices neutralize causing digestion to slow down.
When your food is in your gut for long periods of time bad bacteria grow and toxins release.
Eating carbs and proteins together slows digestion and therefore increases toxicity.
Increased toxicity equals decreased health.

And there you have my rationale.
Oh, and for the record I did have pumpkin pie the next morning for breakfast. Because that's the way my system and me like it!
Now you can add this book to your Christmas wish list.... I highly recommend it!

Tori's favorite Dinner

Have you ever done something seriously crazy. Like, you look back on it and think, "Wow, Did I really do that?"

Well I have, plenty of times really but I will share one such occasion.

Back in March I was going a little crazy. My husband had been out of work for a little while. We were really poor. I was hit or miss as far as emotions went. I was super happy and determined to not let anyone know I was struggling at one moment and then at another moment (inside closed doors) I was emotionally stressed and completely burnt out.

One particular week my husband went out of town for a side job. I was at home, alone, with my three babes. It was busy. I didn't have the husband to give me any relief. One day I decided to serve my friend, Tori. She had had a baby a few weeks back and I wanted to bring her a meal. Like that day I wanted too! Now!

So, in my crazy, stressed state in between juggling kids I started throwing things together. Some black beans, some brown rice, a little chicken....

The next thing I knew I had walked my 3 kids up to her house with the casserole in tow and delivered a meal THAT I HAD NEVER EVEN TRIED AND THAT I COMPLETELY MADE UP ON A WHIM!

This is crazy to me, looking back. BUT.... now she swears it's her favorite thing to eat! I doubt it's really her favorite but it's at least super good. The second time she requested it I actually made it for my family too and I wrote it down and my family loves it as well. So, I guess the story has a good ending.

We all got a good, cheap, healthy meal out of the deal!

Here is the recipe. I will always remember this story and I will always call this dish "Tori's favorite!"

In a 9x13 pan mix up the following
2 cups brown rice ( I use short grain)
2 cups drained black beans
1 12.5 oz. can chicken drained
4 cups water
3 heaping TBS. taco seasoning

Cover with foil and cook at 350 for 55 minutes.

Grate as much cheddar cheese as you like
When the 55 minutes is up sprinkle cheese on top and remove foil (in the reverse order) and bake uncovered 5 more minutes until the cheese melts.

Also, I don't do cheese on half because I don't want the cheese and I prefer for Emmett to not have the cheese yet so you can be creative with that part of it too.
And one more thing, totally you can do this without the can of chicken and you've got yourself a vegetarian meal.

Enjoy!

Supplement Monday

Today's Supplement is Garlic. Some take a capsule. I don't have any experience with that. I do it the old fashioned way....
Take a garlic whole clove. Peel it. Cut it into fourths. Swallow it with water.
There are a lot of colds going around and I don't want one. Last night I took a clove, tonight I will do the same. Think about it, garlic is strong stuff it's bound to kill off those bad guys!


Here is some facts I found here.
Garlic and infections

There’s a large body of research which shows that garlic has numerous health benefits. Not only has it been used successfully as a natural remedy for thousands of years, but science is now proving its effectiveness, too.

Among the myriad medicinal talents of garlic, we find an apparent ability to fight infections such as the common cold, and especially to help clear up respiratory infections and lung congestion.

It keeps the delicate mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory system healthy and can be soothing for sore throats. Early in the 20th century, it was sometimes used in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Tasty Kale chips ( I fed these to my teenage girls at church and they loved them!!)


Here are my kids drinking their Kefir to the very last drop!


Kefir Stache!

Today's healthy recipes!

Today is mighty chilly outside.
It is a perfect stay-at-home-and-bake-day!
My house was hoppin' with kids this morning. My sisters kids spent last night with us and my girlfriends kids came over this morning. All the kids played together so well which left me with not much to do except, well, create recipes.

Squash Whole Wheat Pancakes:
Left over squash from last night (about 1 cup)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbs. flax ( my nephew is allergic to eggs so this is what I substituted)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 Tbs. cinnamon
! Tbs. vanilla
dash salt
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Mix it all together. Add water until you get pancake like consistency (about 1/3 cup)
Cook on a hot skillet! Enjoy! (Lesha your kids loved these!)

*note: I never sweeten my pancakes with sugar/honey... I figure they are going to get smothered in syrup/jam anyways so why add the extra sugar. No one ever notices and I feel better about it. And Emmett, the babe, he doesn't get syrup on his. Just good old pancakes with melted coconut oil for him. He loves it and I love that he is getting all the nutritional benefits of the coconut oil with his breakfast!


Kale chips:
2 bunches of kale. Washed and dried ( I washed it last night in vinegar water and dried it all night on paper towels on my counter)
Turn oven onto 275
Cut out the stem/rib of the kale.
Cut the leafy part into pieces, whatever size you want!
Lay kale pieces on cookie sheet and spritz with olive oil
sprinkle with salt ( I also got crazy with some batches and did wasabi because I like my wasabi!)
bake for 20 minutes.

These are so crunchy and good! They have a strong flavor but the crunch is fantastic. They are packed with nutrients! Braxton liked these. Adelle and Emmett... nope!

Gluten and Dairy Free Pumpkin Muffins:
Beat all ingredients together in mixer
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin canned
1 1/2 cups almond flour (almond meal is the same thing)
1 Tbs. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup black beans (not drained, not smashed)
1 Tbs. vanilla
dash salt

Add
chocolate chips ( I did 1/2 cup but you can do as many as you want)
Pour into greased muffin tins 1/2 full (made about 16 muffins)
Bake in 350 oven for 25 minutes
Let cool completely in tins

These came out really dense and custard-like. They were sooo good my kids are at the table begging for more.

I LOVE pumpkin season!!!!!!

Swiss Chard

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/sauteed-swiss-chard-recipe/index.html

I wish I had a picture of this beautiful vegetable! Swiss chard is so beautiful! It's really good for you too.

As a side tonight I made the recipe above with fresh swiss chard. I used fresh lemon juice rather than vinegar and only 2 TBS. butter, and it was really yummy! The kids weren't crazy about it but they ate acorn squash instead and loved that so we both won!

Here are some cool facts about this vegetable that is most common in the Mediterranean.
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=16
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

As an excellent source of vitamins C, E, beta-carotene and the mineral manganese, and a good source of the mineral zinc, chard offers an outstanding variety of conventional antioxidants. But these conventional antioxidants are only part of chard's fantastic health benefits with respect to prevention of oxidative stress and diseases related to chronic, unwanted oxidative stress. Equally outstanding are chard's phytonutrient antioxidants. These phytonutrient antioxidants range from carotenoids like beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin to flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol. But the range of phytonutrients in chard is even more extensive than researchers initially suspected, and at this point in time, about three dozen antioxidant phytonutrients have been identified in chard, including betalains (both betacyanins and betaxanthins) and epoxyxanthophylls. Many of these antioxidant phytonutrients provide chard with its colorful stems, stalks, and leaf veins.

As a rule, the phytonutrient antioxidants in chard also act as anti-inflammatory agents. Sometimes they lower risk of chronic, unwanted inflammation by altering the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes. At other times, they help prevent the production of pro-inflammatory messaging molecules. Because chronic low level inflammation (especially when coupled with excessive oxidative stress) has repeatedly been shown to increase our risk of obesity, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and several forms of arthritis, chard is very likely to show up in future studies on humans as a key vegetable for lowering risk of these health problems.

Carrot Canadian Bacon Sandwiches

So today for lunch Adelle and Emmett and I had Carrot and Canadian Bacon sandwiches. They were pretty tasty.
High protein
High fiber
Low sugar and starch!

This "sandwich" was Adelle's creation.

All I did was cut up carrots into coin shape. You know, thinly sliced just lay the whole carrot on the cutting board and cut tons of circles.

Cut up Canadian bacon into little pieces, just because Emmett eats it better that way.

I gave them each a plate with carrot coins and canadian bacon pieces. Then I dolloped a bit of hummus on their plates and handed them to them.
The next thing I know Adelle has taken the carrot, stacked it with canadian bacon, put a carrot lid on top and says, "look mom, it's a carrot sandwich."

Works for me!

Supplement Monday

Cough Syrup Alternatives

Sorry, still no pictures! :(

Useful information non the less!

Braxton has a cough. It sounds awful but he feels fine. No fever, no snotty nose. Here are some things we have been doing to help him sleep:

Humidifier in his room. This helps because the dry cold air makes the cough worse so adding moisture to the room helps a ton.

Warm water, fresh lemon juice, honey tea in the morning. When he wakes up I give him this. Honey has anciently been used to sooth the throat and the fresh lemon is a good source of Vitamin C.

Homeopathic cough syrup. The one I use is called Chestal Honey. The brand is BOIRON. It tastes really good because it has real honey in it! I get it at Super Supplements and it's not expensive. Homeopathic remedies have NO SIDE EFFECTS because they amount of substance they contain is microscopic. They are totally safe and effective and I encourage you to research them a bit if you are curious. You all probably have heard of Hylands Teething tablets? Well, they are a homeopathic remedy for teething babies. You love them, don't you!

Wild Indian Bark Syrup. This one doesn't taste as good but for a more serious cough I use this. The one is use is called Planetary Formulas Old Indian Wild Cherry Bark Syrup. It has echinacea in it with a whole bunch of other herbs. It also contains honey.

Here are some interesting statements I found regarding coughs/colds and medicine vs. honey.
I found them here
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/12/22/is-honey-more-effective-than-cough-medicine.aspx

"A research study has determined that children who get a dose of honey cough less and sleep better than those who get cough medicine with dextromethorphan (DM), the ingredient in most over-the-counter products for coughs."

"DM cough medicines, which earn about $50 million in sales each year, have previously been shown to be of little benefit to children."

Remember not to give honey to babies under the age of 1!!!

Kefir - in Turkish means "feel good"

Don't you want to feel good? Well here you go. Kefir is something that I discovered about a year ago. Not to gross you out but when I read to Jeff the Turkish meaning of the word Kefir he said, "yeah and in English it means, "large poop!" Yes. I guess. Kefir is so good for your intestinal tract and we all know now from following this blog at least, that when your intestine is healthy, the rest of you is healthy! So yes I guess Kefir means "feel good" and/or "large poop!"

I used to get my Kefir at the Co-op and it was expensive but Haggen sells it now and they have different flavors. My kids love the raspberry. They drink it up and I let them because of all the good bacteria in there. I think it's better than yogurt, health wise, and the cool thing is that it is super easy to digest so I give it to Emmett as well.

Read the article below if you are still interested and check it out at the grocery store in the dairy section with the milk/yogurt.

Here is what Dr. Mercola has to say about Kefir.
I found this article at http://products.mercola.com/body-ecology/kefir.htm

"Discover the Incredible Health-Promoting Benefits of Kefir"

If you are serious about boosting your immunity and increasing your daily energy, then adding traditionally fermented foods to your diet is a must.

Although not widely known, the health benefits of these foods are tremendous. I am a major proponent of traditionally fermented foods, and in my book, you'll find many recipes that include these nutritional bonanzas.

And now, you can achieve the amazing health benefits of traditionally lacto-fermented food with this exceptional Kefir Starter that I recommend to my patients and use on a daily basis myself.

Beneficial Fermented Foods vs. Commercially Processed


Long ago, food preservation was accomplished through lacto-fermentation, a process that adds a host of beneficial micro-organisms to food. This makes them easier to digest , increasing the healthy flora in our intestinal tracts.

Because fermentation is an inconsistent process, commercial food processors developed techniques like pasteurization -- a method that literally destroys dozens of precious enzymes -- to help standardize more consistent yields.

Sadly, I believe that modern culture has sacrificed many of the advantages of traditionally fermented healthy foods for faster and cheaper methods of mass production. In my opinion, our immunity and digestive health have been overlooked. I believe that it's time to return to the health-promoting foods of our past.

Why You Should Drink Kefir

Kefir, which means 'feel good" in Turkish, is an ancient cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your "inner ecosystem" to maintain optimal health and strengthen immunity.


Kefir's tart and refreshing flavor is similar to a drinking-style yogurt, and it contains beneficial yeast as well as the friendly 'probiotic' bacteria found in yogurt. When used regularly, the naturally occurring bacteria and yeast in Kefir combine symbiotically to help balance your intestinal flora and boost your immunity.

Among its many beneficial powers, Kefir:

Provides supplemental nourishment for pregnant and nursing women*
Contributes to your healthy immune system
Promotes a relaxing effect on the nervous system and benefit many who seek a restful night's sleep
Helps support your normal intestinal tract function, promote bowel movements and your healthy digestive system -- and is beneficial after the use of antibiotics to restore balance to the digestive tract
Curbs unhealthy food cravings by making your body more nourished and balanced
Kefir's Superior Therapeutic Nutrition

The exceptional nutritional content of Kefir offers a wealth of healthy benefits to people in every type of condition. More than just beneficial bacteria, Kefir contains minerals and essential amino acids that help your body with its natural healing powers and maintenance functions.

The complete proteins in Kefir are partially digested and therefore more easily utilized by the body.

Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in Kefir, is well-known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because it also offers loads of calcium and magnesium -- both of which are critical for a healthy nervous system -- Kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves.

Rich in vitamin B12, B1, and vitamin K, Kefir is an excellent source of biotin, a B vitamin which aids the body's absorption of other B vitamins, such as folic acid, pantothenic acid, and B12. The many advantages of maintaining adequate B vitamin intake range from regulation of the normal function of the kidneys, liver and nervous system to helping promote healthy looking skin, boosting energy and promoting longevity. Kefir's ample supply of phosphorus -- the second most abundant mineral in our bodies -- helps utilize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy.

Kefir vs. Yogurt

Ingredients: Kefir Culture Starter
Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis
Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris
Lactococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis
Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris
Lactobacillus kefyr
Klyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus
Saccaromyces unisporus
Carrier: dextrose, waterfree
While both Kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products, they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep your digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that already are present. Kefir actually helps to colonize your intestinal tract -- a feat that yogurt cannot match.

Additionally, Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt: Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species. It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces Kefir and Torula Kefir, which help balance the intestinal flora, including promotion of beneficial yeast in the body by penetrating the mucosal lining. They form a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and helps strengthen the intestines.

Kefir's active yeast and bacteria may provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy. The curd size of Kefir is smaller than yogurt, so it's also easier to digest, making it an ideal food for babies**, the elderly, and anyone with digestive health concerns.

What if I'm Lactose-intolerant?


Unlike yogurt, the lactose in Kefir is all digested by the time it is ingested, and some of the proteins have been broken down -- so even most individuals with sensitivities to milk can use it.***

Kefir can be made from any type of milk: goat, cow, or sheep. Kefir is made from gelatinous white or yellow particle granules. This makes Kefir unique, as no other milk culture forms these granules.

hows that for some popcorn!

Last night I concocted something rather yummy for snack. It was healthy too!

Popcorn. Popped in my whirly pop! Popped in butter, not oil.

After it was popped I melted the following together:

1 Tbs. pure, raw, honey
1 Tbs. butter
dash of cinnamon

Then I salted the popcorn with sea salt and poured the melted mixture on top.
Stirred it up.
Gave it to the fam for a Family Home Evening treat.

It was super yummy. The amount of sugar was microscopical and it was from the pure natural honey. The popcorn tasted like fall. It was a good treat.

Try it!

Supplement Monday

Oh my! I don't consider myself a very tech-y person per se but geeze, I am so frustrated lately without the full use of a normal working computer. Argh!! No pictures anywhere! Blah!

Thanks for standing by and being patient.

Today's supplement is actually a SUPPLEMENT REVOLUTION!!

The products are called Mannatech and they are what I have been using for the past while since my nutritionist recommended them. I know they have helped to get me to the healthful state I am feeling and I will continue to use them and give them to my family.

Unfortunately I am under oath that I cannot tell you that they will heal your ailments or cure your aches and pains but trust me when I say that they will greatly support your healthy lifestyle and I believe that they are the best supplement out there. They are real, people! They are made out of the foods that our bodies want/crave but that we don't feed them enough of. Studies have shown that real food vitamins are digested and absorbed way, way, better than the synthetic ones. Plus, they are derived from good, natural, ingredients. What is there not to like?

I am a bargainer and I am on a tight budget. That being said I also care a lot about what I put into the bodies around here and I do sacrifice a lot of other things to ensure good food and supplements for my family. It's worth it to me and I know that it works! I would rather pay a little more for something that I know works, then a little less for something that I don't know is working.

Check out my new link on the right sidebar.
Watch the video if you have a minute.
Read my story on the website if your curious.

Have a Happy, Healthy, Monday!

simple steps

One of the reasons I started this blog is because I want other people to learn that living a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be difficult and you also never have to be perfect.

We went to some friends for dinner the other night and I made it very clear that we eat whatever anyone else will cook for us. We are not picky or food snobs. For example, take my Grandma. Love her! Love her gravy and mashed potatoes. Love her cube of butter on each saltine cracker. Love her homemade tapioca pudding... do you get the picture? I love my grandma and I love her cooking. When she has us in for lunch/dinner we jump at the occasion. It's a treat and treats are o.k. In moderation.

That being said I have to tell you something because it's pretty awesome. My kids have not asked (or eaten) for one piece of Halloween candy. Are you serious? Yes! I am totally telling the honest truth. Not once have any of them even asked for one. That's amazingly awesome. They just don't care about it. Do you know why?? Not because my kids are perfect. Not because I'm perfect. Not even because I deprive them ( I will argue this forever, my children are not one bit deprived!) Simply because it's not a normal thing for us to have candy. My aunt Angela, on the other hand, always has chocolate. My kids know this. When we go to her house, they ask for chocolate. Every time. Never fails. Do you get my point??? You set yourself up. So just think about that and make small steps toward changing some of your habits.

Here is a nice healthy lunch. If it sounds good to you try implementing it into your routine. It's a typical lunch for us around here and we all enjoyed it, Emmett 21 months, Adelle 3 (going on 13) and I.

2 cans tuna fish (one albacore, one regular) drained well
a squirt or two of mayonaise
Lundberg Sea Salt Rice chips (google these! my blogger isn't functioning well enough for me to add the link!)
snap peas
cucumber slices

The secret simple step is when you tell your kids lunch is ready, or even for yourself, put the veggies on the table first. Always have veggies washed and cut up in your fridge so that they can be easily grabbed. I get my kids all seated at the table, give them the veggies to munch on, while I make the tuna. If you put it all in front of them at once they are going to go for the chips, they just are. So have the veggies out first. They will eat them while they wait. They don't like waiting when they are hungry so it's a win, win, win!

Next let them grab some chips from the bag for their own plates. Scoop them some tuna on their plate as well. They like being independent and helping themselves to the rice chips. This is fun and makes them feel empowered. If they chose to dip their chips in the tuna, great. If they chose to eat their chips plain then get them a fork to eat their tuna. They don't have to eat it all. They do have to eat the tuna before they get more chips. Put them in charge. If they want more chips, they will eat more tuna. My kids love this lunch but they do favor the chips so I have to set boundaries. In the end it all gets eaten.

Healthy parts of this lunch include:
Rice chips have no added sugar. They are made from brown rice. They are gluten free and wheat free.
snap peas are a good vegetable that kids love. They are high in fiber too.
cucumbers are an alkaline vegetable. Double bonus. Most of our bodies are acidic and we want to be neutral so adding alkaline foods is always recommended.
Tuna is a good, lean, protein.

To flu shot, or not to flu shot....huge debate!!

So my friend, Amanda, commented on a post a couple days ago and asked me my take on the flu shot.

I will disclose what I think, feel, know, believe.... but not in any order.

Getting a flu shot is a personal choice and there is much debate. You have to chose a side.

I feel strongly about where I stand on the topic and I will tell you why. However, I really want to stage the fact that these are all my opinions and experiences and if you end up getting the flu, it's NOT MY FAULT!

I do not get flu shots. Ever. I will not give them to my children.

When your body gets the flu, or any virus for that matter, it is because your body is weak. Sorry, it's the truth. I like to refer to my garden vegetables to illustrate this point (thanks to my friend Andrea for teaching me about my healthy garden veggies). When you grow a garden you want to make sure the soil is healthy. Then you want to make sure to water regularly, fertilize if necessary... to ensure healthy growth of plants. Pests don't attack a healthy plant. That is hugely important. The pests don't even bother with your garden if it is healthy. If the ph levels are correct, if the ground drains well, if water and sunlight are available...no problem. Same thing goes for your body. If you have a healthy system then the bugs don't bite. The germs don't have anything to grow and spread on in a healthy body. They simply die. My choice is to build up the body. Make it strong so that the germs don't have any place to stay. Strengthen the immune system by:

1. Eating well (low sugar consumption, high veggies, fiber, healthy fats...)

2. Drink water (NOT SODA) and drink a lot of it!

3. Take vitamin supplements (especially vitamin D and C)

4. Exercise

5. Get good sleep

6. Eliminate stress (yeah right!)

Those 6 steps are the flu shot alternative that I chose to live by. I really know that for us, they work. My kids have gotten the flu but Braxton for example, he's 6 years old and he's never had a flu shot. He's had the flu 1 time in his life. It was a bummer but he got over it and we move on which brings me to my next point.

When/if you do get the flu it is your body talking to you. It's screaming "Something is really wrong here. I am broken. Fix me!!!" You need to listen. Don't put on the ear mufs (flu shot) and pretend everything is ok. That will only lead to more sickness and yuckies. Just listen. Take a day off. Take a nap. Let your neighbor watch your kids and bring you some soup. Whatever. But listen to your body because it knows. Sometimes I get frustrated with our society. Go, go, go, go. Sometimes you do need to stop and sometimes it takes a nasty flu bug to hit that home for us.

Along with that my son, when he did get the flu, was down 2 days and then fine. As you work on building up your immune system you may still get the flu, but, the healthier you are the shorter lived it will be and you won't be out as long. So it's a bit of a wake up call I guess to let you know you still have some steps to take to full health.

So that is my story and I'm sticking to it. Bottom line:

Don't eat sugar. It seriously is so not good for you!!

Halloween Candy Buy Back 2011

Halloween Candy Buy Back 2011

Date/Time: Thursday, November 3, 2011 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Location: 405 32nd Street, Suite 100 (located behind REI in Sehome Village)

Halloween is coming, and normally it's hard for any dentist to get excited about that day because of all the candy kids will eat. However, this year will be different with our office. Dr. Faith Bult is putting her money where her patient's mouths are. Why? Because she knows how damaging too much candy can be to children's teeth. Dr. Bult sees the effect of popular sticky candy in the mouths of her young patients.

Take a look at some interesting facts:

• Global sugar consumption for kids increases by about 2% annually and currently sits at 50 million tons per year.
• Halloween is the king of candy consumption holidays, with annual sales totaling more than $2 billion.
• Candy, as well as hurting children's teeth by causing cavities, can also lead to hyperactivity and weight gain.
• In some cases, the wrong types of candy can lead to broken teeth and damaged braces.

So this Halloween Dr. Bult is hoping kids will pick out a few favorite pieces and then turn in the rest for cash. She will be paying kids $1.00 per pound of candy. The candy will then be shipped to our local troops who are serving overseas via Whatcom Homefront and Soldiers' Angels.

Here's how to participate:

• Bring your child/children to our office on Thursday, November 3, 2011 between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm.
• We will weigh the candy* and pay your child a dollar per pound of candy.
• Your child will receive a special blinking toothbrush, toothpaste and floss, a free-meal coupon to Red Robin Gourmet Burger restaurant and various other items as supplies last.
• The candy will be shipped to our local troops serving overseas, along with toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss, via Whatcom Homefront and Soldiers' Angels.

*Candy must be unopened with no bites.

We encourage kids to still dress up, go out, have fun, and yes, even eat some candy (of course, still brushing your teeth afterwards). But after picking out the best of their stash kids will probably still have about 10 pounds left. Bring the excess in to our office, get paid for the amount of candy donated, receive a free bag of goodies and help us send the candy overseas to our troops who rarely get candy from home. We hope that you will take advantage of this special opportunity!

Dr. Faith Bult

Happy Halloween

So I have to sadly say that our computer is down. Poor thing has pretty much died. I am at my parents eating warm beef stew. Yum!

Until I am back here are some helpful hints that have been on my mind as of late:

When you carve your pumpkins save the seeds. Roast them in your oven with a little butter and salt on 350 for 20-30 minutes. Pumpkin seeds are so good for you!! Eat them. Feed them to your kids!!

Halloween is tomorrow. Remember Halloween doesn't just mean candy! Make it about costumes and pumpkins and celebrating fall. Let them eat a piece or two of candy and then find a local dentist or charity who buys the candy to send away to the troops. My community does this, so I suggest you looking into it if you are interested.

Remember that disease, virus, bacteria feed on sugar too! You don't want those monsters on the insides of your kiddos!

Happy Healthy Halloween!

warm cozy protein packed breakfast

No picture. sorry.

This mornings breakfast was warm and cozy and packed with complete protein.

Quinoa!

I cooked the quinoa following the package directions (I do drain it in water but it's tricky because it's so small. I just put it in a bowl, run cold water over it, then dump out the cold water as carefully as I can without dumping out the quinoa.)

After the quinoa was cooked in plain old water I added 2 TBS. coconut oil and a dash of cinnamon.

I thought it was good!
Jeff liked it, minus the texture which he is still getting used to.
Emmett (our 1 1/2 year old) liked it.
Braxton was a so, so. He liked the flavor but wanted to have cereal (Chex) instead. I didn't let him and he didn't fuss. I did give him a dash of pure maple syrup and that helped!
Adelle is typically picky and she ate it up (after I added a dash of pure maple syrup!)

We will be having this again. Even if it's not a family favorite it's good for them to learn to eat lots of foods even if they aren't your favorite!

"we're gonna party like it's your birthday..."

These are the cookies I used. I got these for super cheap at The Grocery Outlet. They are all natural and organic. Our friends own the one in town so go there, you're sure to find a bargain!

Kind-of Homemade Ice cream Sandwiches.

Ok, I didn't make the ice cream or the cookies but I sure did take the two and layer them. All by myself in about 5 minutes even.

So here is the thing. I have children. Normal kids who like treats and associate birthdays with treats. Don't we all do this? I don't have a problem with a treat once in a while. Don't deprive yourself, right. However, when treats start to be a daily thing, even weekly thing, than you start to have a problem. These poor little ones get addicted to sugar. Honestly they do and that is unhealthy! Also, treats before bed. Not really happenen around here. My kids go crazy if they eat sugar before bed. Nightmares, talking in their sleep. It's not good for your system when you pour in sugar before bed.

So my son turned 6 yesterday. He wanted a chocolate cake decorated like a karate guy. When it came down to it my day ran out of time. How do you explain to your 6 year old that you didn't have time to make the cake they wanted when you were helping in their classroom and having their friend and his whole family over for dinner. Not to mention creating a special FHE game featuring him and making sure the house was clean (from the birthday party the night before) to welcome the guests....

Well I didn't even have to explain. I pulled out these babies and there was no mention of the absent karate cake. These things are 1 1/2 inches in diameter people. Small. Bite size. They each had one. They each savored the one. That's it. My kids don't even ask for two. They know everyone gets one. period.

Happy Birthday Treat without the huge, garbage filled cupcake with trans-fat frosting!

Just wanted you to know there are alternatives. You always have options. I love my kids too and want them to be spoiled on their birthdays. That's why I've created a very sneaky way to do it!

Today is FOOD DAY!

The First Annual Food Day

I copied and pasted this article from here.

October 24th, 2011 | Author: Sandi

It’s Food Day today. You can officially say that you were around for the very first Food Day. I figured you might have some questions about this new concept so here’s the lowdown.

What might you ask is “Food Day”?

It is a nationwide campaign sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which is a nonprofit group that has led successful campaigns for food labeling, better nutrition, and safer food. Like CSPI, Food Day does not accept funding from government or corporations.

Okay good. But what is the point of Food Day?

I went to www.foodday.org and loved the mission statement that I found there.

Food Day’s goal is nothing less than to transform the American diet—to inspire a broad movement involving people from every corner of our land who want healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way. In other words, we want America to eat real. We want to get Americans cooking real food for their families again. We want fewer people at drive-throughs and bigger crowds at farmers markets. We want to celebrate fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy whole grains—and to support the local farms and farmers that produce them. We want all Americans—regardless of their age or income or geographic location—to be able to select healthy diets and avoid obesity, heart disease, and other diet-related conditions.

So can you tell me what the driving principles are?

Food Day 2011 has five key priorities:

1. Promote healthier foods so fewer people get diet related diseases
2. Support sustainable farms and stop subsidizing agribusiness
3. Expand access to food so people aren’t hungry
4. Reform factory farms to protect animals and the environment
5. Curb junk-food marketing to kids

AppleSquash

Yep, just like Applesauce but I used apples and butternut squash. Pealed the squash, peeled the apples. Cut them all up into chunks. Put them in a pot with about 2 inches of water. Brought the water to a boil. Boiled the chunks until they were tender. Mash, mash, mash until all the water has evaporated or soaked in. Add a dash of cinnamon. Yum.

My friend Tori is a doll. She brought me some butternut squash from her parents garden today. Then she told me that apples were on sale and that she was going to make applesauce for baby food. A lightbulb went on in my healthy mindset and I said, "hey, you should add the squash to the applesauce!!!!!"

My kids are at the table right now eating this fresh after school snack that I just concocted. They are loving it. No added sweeteners. The apple is enough sweet. Try this out. Even if you don't like squash you will totally love this!

And fyi Costco has butternut squash right now in their produce, already cut into chunks!

This seriously took me about 15 minutes start to finish to make. Easy, fast, cheap, healthy. That's what I'm talking about!

So we all know apples are good for you but what about squash?

Squash is super good for you?? Like a total Power Food!

Health Benefits I found here:
Low in fat, butternut squash delivers an ample dose of dietary fiber, making it an exceptionally heart-friendly choice. It provides significant amounts of potassium, important for bone health, and vitamin B6, essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems. The folate content adds yet another boost to its heart-healthy reputation and helps guard against brain and spinal-cord-related birth defects such as spina bifida.

Squash's tangerine hue, however, indicates butternut's most noteworthy health perk. The color signals an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease. In particular, the gourd boasts very high levels of beta-carotene (which your body automatically converts to vitamin A), identified as a deterrent against breast cancer and age-related macular degeneration, as well as a supporter of healthy lung development in fetuses and newborns. What's more, with only a 1-cup serving, you get nearly half the recommended daily dose of antioxidant-rich vitamin C.

As if this weren't enough, butternut squash may have anti-inflammatory effects because of its high antioxidant content. Incorporating more of this hearty winter staple into your diet could help reduce risk of inflammation-related disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.

October 21 is National Mammography Day

With October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month today is

National Mammography Day.

There are plenty of debates out there as to whether or not mammograms are effective but I am not going to pick a side on that one. My perspective is limited and my knowledge on this topic is slim.

However there are some truths that I strongly believe in. One of them was stated well in an article I just read on Breast Cancer;

"Drugs do not cure disease anymore than bullets cure war."-Sayer Ji

That's a strong statement and you probably think I am a picketing hippie but I'm really not. I just want people to know that there are options other than taking a pill. Sometimes you have to do both, take the pill for a while until you can get your body built back up.

If you are dealing with something, anything really. Stress, depression, breast cancer, fatigue, PMS... I would strongly encourage you to take a look at what you are eating and make some changes. Less sugar. More veggies. Less trans-fats. More protein. Seriously put it to the test.

Quinoa

Ok so it's been a busy week! This whole keeping up two blogs things is for crazy people. Good thing I'm crazy and good thing I have some junk in my trunk to pull out on days like these when ya'll are waiting for a new post.

Quinoa is so yummy and so healthy and hearty. It's become a staple around here and one of Emmett's favorites.

Here are 2 other quinoa recipes that we eat a lot of. Check them out.

Tonight however is my recent favorite. I adapted this recipe from my good friend Sarah who is basically gourmet!

Cook quinoa is organic chicken stock. I also use bouillon sometimes if I don't have chicken stock. Just follow the directions on the package. It's simple and fast. Boil water, add quinoa, put on lid and simmer for like 15 minutes.

While that is doing it's thing roast veggies in the oven.
Chopped up whatever (you can use any or all of these depending on what your family likes, and what you have).
asparagus
garlic
onions
peppers
carrots
cabbage
zucchini
broccoli
snap peas
mushrooms

After the quinoa is done and the chopped veggies are roasted mix them together. Add some marinated artichoke hearts (which I buy at Costco) and you are set with a complete meal. My family likes this served warm but I prefer it cold the next day. Yum! Oh, and sometimes I add sun dried tomatoes too.

And just a bit on quinoa...seriously this stuff is good for you!! Eat it, feed it to your kids!

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice
"Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. It is a recently rediscovered ancient "grain" once considered "the gold of the Incas."

Supplement Monday

I don't know why the picture is so small? Anyway the day is half over so I better get on with this post!
Today's supplement is from Integrative Therapeutics, Inc. It is called:

Echinacea Vitamin C

This supplement is a chewable. Last year when Emmett got sick with swollen glands and the whole bit this is what I gave him. It totally worked. All of us in this house take this when we are sick.

I don't give my children any sort of cold medicine. There are too many added chemicals and too many other ingredients that I have no idea what they are or what they do. Read here for a little more insight on that if you're interested.

I am a firm believer in the old school cold remedies; honey, chicken noodle soup, extra rest, echinacea, vitamin c, lots and lots of fluids, humidifier, garlic...

Anyway, back to the supplement. This chewable is packed with lots of good stuff for your immune system. Both vitamin C and echinacea have properties that help you fight the common cold. I've given my kids up to three a day when they've had a cold. Don't give this one to them forever.

Here is the info they had online:

Echinacea Vitamin C provides important ingredients necessary to support a healthy immune system. The vitamin C is augmented through the inclusion of citrus bioflavonoids, which enhance its effects. Vitamin A, important in preventing infection, maintains the cellular integrity of the skin eyes and mucosa. Zinc enhances wound healing and is involved in a large number of metabolic processes. Vitamin B6 is involved in energy transport, red blood cell formation and healthy nerve responses. Echinacea, commonly known as purple coneflower, has a long history of preventing and treating respiratory ailments. It promotes overall immune support. Western larch, the source of the powerful anticancer drug tamoxifen, stimulates the production of the body’s own killer T-cells.
http://www.vitabase.com/supplements/allergy-immune/nf-formulas-echinacea-vitamin-c.aspx

Go Butter!

"When I eventually understood the nutritional myths that had me snookered and miserable, the biggest headline was that REAL FATS ARE GOOD- even the maligned saturated fats and its corollary, INDUSTRIAL FATS ARE BAD. It's not complicated. Eat real fats and avoid industrial ones." Nina Planck, Real Food for Mother and Baby.

Tasty fish oil for dessert!

This top picture is the one you all tasted last night. It's delicious but like I said, my Gramy bought it for me so I'm not sure where to buy it. You can look it up online.
This is the one I buy typically. It's a local company and I like the quality. They taste really comparable.

So as I confessed to some friends last night my kids each get a tablespoon of this after both breakfast and dinner. It's their dessert! I'm not kidding. They love this stuff! I have a firm belief in this product. It is good for concentration and I have noticed this in my children. They really do focus well. They are young and energetic but they have tremendous abilities to focus and concentrate on school work, books, art projects...
Provides greater resistance to common colds and flus. This too rings true for us. I have never had a flu shot. I don't give my kids flu shots. I work hard to build up their systems and immune function so that the flu doesn't get it and if it does it is short lived. This product has supported that effort as well.
I've always taken this in an extra dose during pregnancy and so far, so good!

Read the facts below and try some!

Why Omega 3's you ask?

www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/beginner_fats.html

Americans consume a dangerously insufficient amount of omega-3, a fat essential to good health but only found in fish oil and a few other foods. Meanwhile, our intake of omega-6, another fat found in corn, soy, sunflower and other oils, is far too high. The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be 1:1, but the typical American's ratio ranges from 15:1 to 50:1!

Benefits of omega-3 found in fish and cod liver oil:

Helps fight and prevent heart disease, cancer, depression, Alzheimer's, arthritis, diabetes, hyperactivity and many other diseases

• Increases your energy level and ability to concentrate
• Provides greater resistance to common illnesses such as flu and cold
• Helps pregnant women avoid premature births, low birth weight and other complications

While a helpful form of omega-3 can be found in flaxseed, walnuts and a few other foods, the most beneficial form of omega-3 -- containing two fatty acids, DHA and EPA, which are essential to fighting and preventing both physical and mental disease -- can only be found in fish.