Five Steps to Better Health - Natural Awakenings - January 2011 - Natural Awakenings

Five Steps to Better Health - Natural Awakenings - January 2011 - Natural Awakenings

The Germ Theory

Last week, I was at a local popular eatery for lunch. Midway through our meal, a woman and her toddler sat down one table away from us. She pulled out of her "suitcase-of-a-purse" a mini-aerosol bottle of Lysol and proceed to liberally spray down the highchair, table and seats. She placed the child in the highchair, engulfed in a cloud of chemicals, and gave him a large piece the complimentary sourdough bread to chew on. I wondered what would kill him first; chemical poisoning, choking on that obscene piece of bread, or cancer.

Within seconds, the potent smell traveled over to our table. I could practically taste Lysol in my mouth. I shot the women a dirty look as I quickly packed up our stuff  and moved myself, my 2-year-old and our food across a crowded restaurant. As we were leaving, her kid dropped his bread on the floor. She picked it up and handed it back to him without even brushing it off. WHAT!!??

This is not the first time I have seen mothers adopt this obsessive compulsive behavior over "germs", although it is first time that I saw someone practically asphyxiate an entire restaurant with Lysol spray. Antibacterial wipes, lotions, soaps, sprays and gels are everywhere. People buy this stuff in bulk! These products causes more harm then good. It might kill the "bad" germs and bacteria, BUT it also kills the Good Bacteria on our skin - the bacteria that is responsible for killing the bad bacteria and keeping our skin, and immune system, healthy. The more a person uses these products regularly, the more they are actually susceptible to getting sick because there is no defense. 

I am in close contact with people everyday, as well as Nolan and honestly, we are rarely sick. I am not a "germ-a-phob". We wash hands after using the bathroom and before eating, but I do not wipe down the shopping carts or "gel up" everytime I leave a store (have you noticed that those gel pumps are literally everywhere!) I do not have any "anti-bacterial" products, nor do we use Lysol or bleach when cleaning the house; only all-natural products, mostly made with vinegar, baking soda and essential oils, posted in Cleaning the House Naturally.

A healthy person with a highly-functioning immune system, and good bacteria thriving on their skin and in their gut should have no problem naturally fighting off these "germs". Simple ways to stay healthy are to eat a diet high in F&V and low in sugar and processed foods; take Vitamin D, Omega-3 and probiotic supplements, reduce stress, breastfeed your children as long as you can and DO NOT use antibacterial products on your skin! Other things you can do are listed out in Beat the Flu Naturally. Even if you do get a cold, or even the flu, that is OK! That is how your body gets stronger and builds up antibodies. Viruses and bacteria are living organisms, and as Jeff Goldblum's character said in Jurassic Park, "Life WILL find a way". That is why no matter how many flu shots you get, or antibacterial products you use, these "bugs" are alive, and they will find a way to adapt, survive, get stronger and multiply. Instead of worrying about the "bad bugs", focus more on your own body's "Good Bugs", and keeping them strong!


Consider this...Is the one thing we think that keeps us from getting sick, actually making us sick?


BJ Palmer's quote at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Iowa



Happy "Raw-licious" Birthday

Nolan just turned two, and we had an awesome little party for him with friends and family. Thank you to everyone that came! We had so much fun!

I think this year's menu came out a little bit better then last time, now that I have had a year to practice my raw/vegan recipes. Everyone seems hesitant when they hear that I'm cooking (oh, God, what's she gonna make NOW!?), but I think everything turned out very tasty. Having a Birthday party, or a Holiday dinner is no reason to go off the deep end, and I proved, once again, that you CAN have great food and a great time celebrating without putting yourself in a diabetic coma!

Our Menu included: "Raw Vegan Lemon Pie" (I called this a Keylime Pie since it tasted just like that!), "Chocolate Banana Pie" Homemade Bean & Salsa dips, Fresh Fruit with Yogurt and raw granola, "Flax Crackers", and Bruschetta. For Nolan's school party I made "Lemon-Thyme Mini Muffins" with "Greek Yogurt Frosting" and "Coco-Flax Cookies". (Click to check out these individual Recipes!)

As a new mother, our family is starting to create "new" traditions for our family. One that is very important to me is preparing, eating and more importantly sharing good, healthy food with our family and friends for holidays and parties. What traditions will you start with your family?

Party at School

KeyLime and Chocolate Banana Pies

"Chocolate Face"!

Veggie Meatballs - Recipes

Here is a great way to sneak veggies into your meatballs. Nolan loves meatballs - one of the only "meat" dishes my little vegan will eat! I changed some of the normal ingredients around to make it healthier. "Quick Dinner Idea" - make several meatballs ahead of time, freeze, and pull out what you need when ready!

Veggie Mealballs:
1 lb ground beef (atleast 80% or more lean) from free-range, grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic-free cows (you can find this at Wholefoods).
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp balsamic vinaigrette
1 egg (from free-range, organic feed, hormone and antibiotic-free chickens)
A variety of veggies - I used onion, beets, broccoli stems and carrots. Put in food processor and process until very fine, but not quite puree.

Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Start heating up organic jarred tomato sauce or homemade sauce in medium to large pot (make sure then is enough room in the pot to add the meatballs. Make little balls and place in skillet over medium heat with coconut oil until no longer pink in the middle and the outside is brown. Place in the pot with sauce. Simmer until ready to serve, or freeze until a later date.

Greek Yogurt "Frosting" - Recipe

Next time you need to "frost" something, a pie, cupcakes or muffin, here is a healthier alternative. However, since it is made of yogurt, you will want to frost right before eating and the cakes might get soggy if left out too long. I used this for frosting on the Lemon-Thyme Mini Muffins at Nolan's school and the kids loved it!

Greek Yogurt Frosting:
(1) Container of FULL Fat Organic Plain Greek Yogurt. Add raw, organic honey to taste. Using a hand-mixer, blend until smooth. Add in a tsp of vanilla extract, and/or lemon, orange or almond extract (to taste). Blend well. Frost desserts and enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Pie - Recipe

This is a healthy spin on a Chocolate Pudding pie. I used the same recipe at the Chocolate Mousse, added in banana and Almond butter (to taste) and used the same pie crust recipe as the Lemon Pie - AMAZING!!!

All raw, gluten-free, vegan and quick. I almost finished off the whole pie myself.....

Chocolate Banana Pie:
(Filling: I doubled the recipe so I had enough to fill the pie crust)
1/4 cup pitted medjool dates, soaked
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 - 2 Avocados
1/4 cup raw cocoa powder - or more to taste
1/4 cup water

Place dates, agave, and vanilla in food processor and process until smooth. Add avocado, cocoa and water and process until creamy.

**Add Banana and Almond Butter to taste.

Pie Crust:1 ½ cups organic unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups organic pecans
4 to 6 organic medjool dates
¼ cup organic raw agave nectar

Combine coconut, pecans, dates, and agave in a food processor and process until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs and begins to stick together. Empty the mixture into a 9” pie plate and evenly distribute the crumbs along the bottom and up the sides. Once the crumbs are distributed, press it all in firmly with your hand until it’s all packed together. Then using a spoon spread the filling over the crust. Chill the pie for about an hour before serving, then enjoy!

"L.O.V.E." your food!

In conclusion to the previous posts about why to eat healthy foods and some pictures of how our kitchen is stocked, this post is dedicated to how to shop for healthy foods and make the best choices possible. I have come up with an acronym to help you remember the top reasons to pick a certain food item over another: "L.O.V.E" YOUR FOOD

L=Locally grown/produced. When it comes to F&V, this is a way to insure that the most nutrients are in the item. When F&V have to ship from across the country, they have to be picked before they are ripe so they are not spoiled by then time they get to you. Unfortunately, that also means that the F&V was not done growing and maturing, so it is lacking in full, vital nutrients. Make sure your F&V come from a farm as close to your home as possible. Farmers Markets and Food Co-ops make it easy to find locally grown F&V. Local also pertains to meats, breads and really all products (even non-food items). When you buy from a locally owned company you are helping build your own economy AND help reduce pollution (less cross-country trucking, packaging, etc.)

O= Organic. This is number 1 top priority (over local) when buying F&V, meats, milk, yogurt, cheese and really everything (again, even non-food items). There are several other books and blogs on this subject alone, so I will not get too much into it. Bottom line - buy organic when you can to reduce GMO, chemicals, pesticides, hormones, anti-biotics an other things that will KILL you! The top crops in America that are GMO are: Corn, Soybeans, Canola, Cottonseed, Sugar Beets, Hawaiian Papaya (most) and a small amount of Zucchini and Yellow Squash. If it’s not labeled "organic" or "verified non-GMO" you can safely assume it is GMO. According to Dr. Mercola, research has now found Bt toxin, which is present in many GM crops, in human blood. And as for meat and dairy, products from cows may be injected with GM bovine growth hormone. Although we should limit consumption, when you do buy milk, yogurt, cheese and meat, make sure to look for labels stating "No rBGH, rBST, or artificial hormones".


V= Variety. The more variety of F&V you eat, the more variety if vitamins and minerals your body will get. Next time you are shopping, don't just pick up only Gala Apples, for example. Get one of each kind of apple, since each one will contain its own special combination of God-giving nutrition! Try new F&V - ones that you have never tried before! Experiment! There are so many great websites that show you exactly how to shop for, prepare, cook and season, there is no excuse not to try new foods. Check out http://www.eattheseasons.com/ for how to save money by eating what is in season. Try to also buy a variety of nuts, seeds, beans, spices and, again, you will gaining a much broader spectrum of nutrition.

E= Earth-conscience. Our agriculture procedures have changed dramatically in the past 100 years, and it is destroying the environment, the food and the human race. (Just watch Food Inc) This sums up the top 3 points, just as a reminder that when you are about to put that item in your cart, is it good for your body and was it made in a way that did not harm the Earth? No pesticides, chemicals, hormones, etc. to leak into our soil and drinking water? Was the animal treated humanely, fed grass (not grains) and was allowed to roam the Earth freely before it served its purpose? Alot of companies are now even packaging their shelf goods in recycled boxes. Most co-ops and farmers market vendors don't even supply bags - you gotta bring your own! We need to start taking a stand and demand the type of food we want and how we want it being produced. Every time you buy organic, you are "voting" for organic. And, unfortunately, every time you buy conventional, you are "voting" for conventional. There are plenty of local, organic, free-range farmers/ranchers out there - they just need support and the demand, and they WILL supply it!

In addition to the above, here are a few more "rules" to follow when shopping:
1) Before buying packaged items, think how many steps it took for that item to get from the Earth to the state it is in now. How many human interventions and processes did it take? And, are you ok with that? Some items can not be avoided or it is much more reasonable to buy it packaged, but it should have as few steps as possible from Earth to package.
2) Know EVERY ingredient in a packaged item. If you don't know what it really is, or a 5-year-old can't pronounce it, find out what it REALLY is before you eat it. 
3) Avoid aluminum cans, especially that package very acidic foods (like tomatoes) that break down the aluminum into the food (look for glass instead). Infact, try to avoid anything canned, as this food is so over-processed there is hardly any nutrients in it at all. For example, I love soup on a cold day. Instead of cans of soup, make a big pot, divide into servings and freeze until you want it.
4) Shop the perimeter first - and fill your cart with F&V (local and organic), meats (grass-fed) and eggs (free-range, no antibiotics, etc). Then shop the isles for only items that fall under the above rules.
5) When it comes to nuts, seeds, spices, and dried goods (coconut flakes, cocoa powder, quinoa, dates, etc) always look for raw and organic, to again benefit from the most nutrients.

Remember: Your food is your medicine...Eat to live, not live to eat... Your body is a temple - treat it as so...and, L.O.V.E. your food, and your body will love you back! Enjoy!

Co-Op Veggie Indian Bowls - Recipe

Here are two recipes using veggies from our new co-op. Of course, the "theme" was Indian, since that is Nolan's favorite!

Okra Chickpea Squash Bowl:
Saute garlic and onions in coconut oil in large frying pan/wok. Add in 1/4 tsp (or more to taste) each of turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Add in cooked chickpeas, and diced yellow & green squash and Heirloom okra. Saute until lightly cooked and still slightly firm. Serve over bed of greens. (didn't have time to snap a pic - too hungry!)

Indian Rainbow Bowl:

Indian Rainbow Bowl

Start by boiling water in a pot for pasta and for a separate pot for potatoes. Add diced purple sweet potatoes to boiling water and cook until almost done (they will finish cooking in the wok). Add gluten-free rice pasta (any shape) to boiling water. Saute garlic and onions in coconut oil in large frying pan/wok. Add in 1/4 tsp (or more taste) each of cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Add in diced red peppers, Heirloom okra, cooked purple sweet potatoes and saute until lightly cooked and still slightly firm. Drain pasta and add veggies over pasta. Garnish with diced avocado and chopped cilantro.

Indian Dessert:
To cool off your mouth, you need to finish with a sweet dessert. Most Indian meals end with fresh fruit, so we diced up some sweet honeydew and garnished it with chopped mint...Delish!