On this Easter Sunday we celebrate Christ's life and Resurrection. He died so that man may live. Not only physically, but spiritually. I am so grateful for this gift. And so amidst all the food talk here and my belief that food is healing and has medicinal properties, may we remember who is the divine source of healing. And that He will lead us on the right healing path for our particular circumstance when we are need of that healing.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Healing
For those of you who haven't read my blog before, here is where you can read my story. Healing is an incredible journey, a road filled with learning and growth. I have healed in so many different ways and have learned so many exciting things! While I don't claim that everyone who experiences healing can do so fully by just changing their diet, I do believe that shifting to a whole foods, nutrient-dense diet will make a world of difference and give one a foundation upon which to experience more healing. The mind, body and spirit are deeply interconnected, each part being influenced greatly by the other. I have mentioned before that in order to be balanced we must balance our "secondary food" (the actual food that we eat), with our "primary food" (our lifestyle - areas such as spiritual practice, exercise, career and relationships). Balance and healing will only take place when all of these areas of our lives are running more smoothly. (Notice I say "more" smoothly, because life is never perfect :-) I have a deep religious belief which, for me, has contributed to my healing above and beyond diet. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Jesus Christ is the center of our gospel message. We believe that it is He who heals all sin, pain, grief, suffering and sickness. He is the true source of healing and light and if we turn to Him, we can be healed. After all I can do, it is He that makes up the difference and makes me become whole again.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Choosing a new clientele
It has been a few months! I have been studying and learning and experimenting and have decided that my new clientele is (drum roll)...none other than my husband and daughters! I have always studied with the intention to help improve my health and the health of my family. But I also intended to start a health coaching business focusing on moms and families. As things have unfolded, I have realized that I must keep my focus on my calling as a wife and mother. And through writing on this blog and through my regular interactions with people, I can still help others find the health they desire.
That said, this blog will become a little different than it has been. For the couple of months that I wrote before, I focused on a particular principle of dietary health and was usually pretty factual, only sharing a story or two here and there. But because my focus group is now my family...well, you will probably get a few more personal stories and some insight into our less than perfect life! ;-) Don't be surprised when I talk about my mission to try and get my kids to eat more vegetables, or to have them eat something more for lunch than a nitrate free hotdog or almond butter sandwich with fruit. We have a lot of work to do here, but I am excited about the things I am learning and that I will be trying in the near future. And I am also excited to take you along with me on the journey. I hope we can all learn together!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Natural Healing
"Given the chance, the body will heal itself, by itself." (Joshua Rosenthal, Founder of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition)
Our bodies are incredible creations. They were designed to heal themselves. On the most basic level, when we get a cut or scrape, the body heals itself - with a little help from a protective covering. When a bone is broken, with the proper setting, it heals. So why don't we trust our bodies to heal in other circumstances? Why do we run to the first pharmaceutical drug we can find to help our symptoms when we don't feel well? Now, I have to say that I think there is a place for medication. It has saved many a life and I am grateful for modern medicine. But my opinion is that it is highly over-used and misused and, in many cases, not the best option.
In my quest for healing, I have found so many non-invasive, non-toxic things that have helped my body to heal. They are out there, but it does take some research to find the right methods for you. And these holistic, safe alternatives often work better than anything else. They may cost some money. But insurance co-pays and deductibles and non-covered procedures cost money too.
So, as is the topic here, let food be thy medicine. It is healing, it has medicinal properties, and if you are not feeling well - look at your diet first. It is true that there may be many other factors at play. So if you don't have an emergency situation, looking at your diet first, getting a handle on that, and then exploring other areas that need help would be the smartest order to proceed. Many people gain a clarity of mind and feel less stress and overwhelm once they change their diet. So the next steps to take become much more clear then.
Think of it this way, "toxic in, toxic out". If your food is toxic (unhealthy, processed, and devoid of nutrients), your life has the potential to be toxic. What we put into our bodies, if consistently unhealthy and processed, may eventually manifest itself as an illness. If our bodies do not go there, they are likely to go to decreased immunity, pain, and/or loss of energy. The environment inside our bodies matters. What we put into our bodies matters. If we are suffering, it could be because our diet is suffering.
The thing about natural healing that no one likes, though, is that it takes time. It is not an overnight process. Society wants a quick fix, so natural healing is not popular. I became ill after the birth of my 4th child almost 2 years ago and, while I am doing much, much better, I am still in the process of healing. I have fine-tuned my food and now I have gone on to other tools that are helping me become even more well. (Exercise, spiritual practice, energy healing & just starting to explore the world of essential oils - to name a few.)
Please join me in the natural healing journey. It is truly a rewarding one!
Our bodies are incredible creations. They were designed to heal themselves. On the most basic level, when we get a cut or scrape, the body heals itself - with a little help from a protective covering. When a bone is broken, with the proper setting, it heals. So why don't we trust our bodies to heal in other circumstances? Why do we run to the first pharmaceutical drug we can find to help our symptoms when we don't feel well? Now, I have to say that I think there is a place for medication. It has saved many a life and I am grateful for modern medicine. But my opinion is that it is highly over-used and misused and, in many cases, not the best option.
In my quest for healing, I have found so many non-invasive, non-toxic things that have helped my body to heal. They are out there, but it does take some research to find the right methods for you. And these holistic, safe alternatives often work better than anything else. They may cost some money. But insurance co-pays and deductibles and non-covered procedures cost money too.
So, as is the topic here, let food be thy medicine. It is healing, it has medicinal properties, and if you are not feeling well - look at your diet first. It is true that there may be many other factors at play. So if you don't have an emergency situation, looking at your diet first, getting a handle on that, and then exploring other areas that need help would be the smartest order to proceed. Many people gain a clarity of mind and feel less stress and overwhelm once they change their diet. So the next steps to take become much more clear then.
Think of it this way, "toxic in, toxic out". If your food is toxic (unhealthy, processed, and devoid of nutrients), your life has the potential to be toxic. What we put into our bodies, if consistently unhealthy and processed, may eventually manifest itself as an illness. If our bodies do not go there, they are likely to go to decreased immunity, pain, and/or loss of energy. The environment inside our bodies matters. What we put into our bodies matters. If we are suffering, it could be because our diet is suffering.
The thing about natural healing that no one likes, though, is that it takes time. It is not an overnight process. Society wants a quick fix, so natural healing is not popular. I became ill after the birth of my 4th child almost 2 years ago and, while I am doing much, much better, I am still in the process of healing. I have fine-tuned my food and now I have gone on to other tools that are helping me become even more well. (Exercise, spiritual practice, energy healing & just starting to explore the world of essential oils - to name a few.)
Please join me in the natural healing journey. It is truly a rewarding one!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Exercise - the natural mood lifter!
After months of telling ourselves we really needed to start incorporating consistent exercise back into our lives (after the whirlwind of having 4 children in less than 5 years), my husband and I finally did it this fall! We were both into exercise when we were single and really enjoyed it and couldn't believe we had let it fall out of our lives for so long. My goals for exercising included gaining strength and toning, (let's face it - after having 4 babies and losing almost 100 lbs, there is a lot of toning to be done :-) but I also knew that it would do wonders for my emotional health as well. It is now 3 months later and I have found that, yes, it is wonderful and beneficial to start to feel physically stronger and more toned. But an even bigger value for me has been the emotional health benefit. Now, if I go more than 2 days without exercising I literally start to spiral downward mood-wise. It's almost as if the light starts to dim a bit. So if you're feeling down, along with changing your diet, exercise is a super important component to help you gain back your mental/emotional energy and vitality.
Joshua Rosenthal, the founder of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, suggests that there are other areas, besides food, that need to be in place for optimal physical and emotional health. He calls them primary and secondary foods. Secondary food is the literal food that we eat. But then there are 4 primary foods. They are relationships, spirituality, exercise, and career. One's diet might be the picture of health, but they might not be experiencing optimal health if one of their primary foods is off-balance or lacking. As a health counselor, I will help people explore their diets, but also as important, we will explore these other areas that may need strengthening in order to achieve the desired outcome.
Joshua Rosenthal, the founder of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, suggests that there are other areas, besides food, that need to be in place for optimal physical and emotional health. He calls them primary and secondary foods. Secondary food is the literal food that we eat. But then there are 4 primary foods. They are relationships, spirituality, exercise, and career. One's diet might be the picture of health, but they might not be experiencing optimal health if one of their primary foods is off-balance or lacking. As a health counselor, I will help people explore their diets, but also as important, we will explore these other areas that may need strengthening in order to achieve the desired outcome.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Attention All Moms!
If you knew that you didn't have to dread another winter full of sick children, how would that make you feel? Does that prospect excite you? Being a mother of four young children, myself, I know how hard it is to have a sick child, or sick children. And then if the sicknesses just recur all season...well, I imagine that would be super tough. I can understand why mothers dread the winter season!
The great news is that there is a solution! And sharing this solution with families is one of my top priorities as I enter the world of holistic health counseling. It's DIET. Simple but true. (For info on preventing illness beyond diet, see the link I shared in the last post.) If you are willing to change your family's diet, you will drastically improve everyone's immune system functioning. You will find that even when sicknesses pop up, they are much more manageable. My children do get sick a couple of times a season with different ailments. But it never lasts very long and is never very severe. And I don't find myself dreading the winter sickness era like I hear many people do. I desire more than anything to help you not dread the wintertime cold/flu season either!
I know that changing diet can be tough in our society. But it can be done. And that is why I am here. To give you the support that you need to make those changes. It has taken my family years of small changes to get to where we are now. And we're far from perfect. But we've persisted and improved as time has gone on. We have seen the amazing benefits of eating fresh, wholesome foods and leaving ingredients such as sugar out, which is a major culprit to lower immune system functioning.
So if you're wondering where to start, start by choosing one small thing that you can do. Maybe it is to offer fruit FOR snacks instead of fruit snacks. Maybe it is to find a green smoothie recipe that your children will love. Maybe it is just to plan menus so you don't find yourself jetting off to McDonald's for lack of time. (If your children want french fries, cut up a potato and throw some sea salt on and bake. Voila. A much healthier alternative than fast food fries.) But whatever the goal, make one and follow through, and you will be well on your way to becoming more healthful! If you'd like to make yourself accountable, make a comment and let me know what your goal was and the progress you have made. I'd love to hear!
The great news is that there is a solution! And sharing this solution with families is one of my top priorities as I enter the world of holistic health counseling. It's DIET. Simple but true. (For info on preventing illness beyond diet, see the link I shared in the last post.) If you are willing to change your family's diet, you will drastically improve everyone's immune system functioning. You will find that even when sicknesses pop up, they are much more manageable. My children do get sick a couple of times a season with different ailments. But it never lasts very long and is never very severe. And I don't find myself dreading the winter sickness era like I hear many people do. I desire more than anything to help you not dread the wintertime cold/flu season either!
I know that changing diet can be tough in our society. But it can be done. And that is why I am here. To give you the support that you need to make those changes. It has taken my family years of small changes to get to where we are now. And we're far from perfect. But we've persisted and improved as time has gone on. We have seen the amazing benefits of eating fresh, wholesome foods and leaving ingredients such as sugar out, which is a major culprit to lower immune system functioning.
So if you're wondering where to start, start by choosing one small thing that you can do. Maybe it is to offer fruit FOR snacks instead of fruit snacks. Maybe it is to find a green smoothie recipe that your children will love. Maybe it is just to plan menus so you don't find yourself jetting off to McDonald's for lack of time. (If your children want french fries, cut up a potato and throw some sea salt on and bake. Voila. A much healthier alternative than fast food fries.) But whatever the goal, make one and follow through, and you will be well on your way to becoming more healthful! If you'd like to make yourself accountable, make a comment and let me know what your goal was and the progress you have made. I'd love to hear!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Natural cold prevention and cures
Since we're in the heat of cold and flu season, I thought I'd share the following article about simple and natural ways to help prevent or cure the common cold. Dr. Mercola is a great source for alternative medicine news and advice...
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/22/the-common-cold-simple-strategies-for-prevention-and-treatment.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/22/the-common-cold-simple-strategies-for-prevention-and-treatment.aspx
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Making greens palatable
Here are a few recipes for you to try in an effort to increase your leafy green consumption.
Even the kids might like this. Try it instead of chips!
Crispy Kale
Kale
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
Lightly toss chip size pieces of kale in olive oil and sea salt. Spread on parchment paper lining a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees on one side for 7 minutes. Flip the "chips". Bake on second side for another 7 minutes. Because ovens vary, check kale after 3 minutes on the 2nd side. Serve this tasty treat with hummus, guacamole dip or fresh salsa.
I've eaten these along with scrambled eggs for breakfast. A great start to your day!
Simply Delicious Collard Greens
Collard greens
Sea Salt
Raw butter or cultured organic butter
Remove the spines from the collard greens. You may discard them, save them for juicing, or slice them very thin and use them. If you choose to use them, begin a water saute and add the spines first. Be sure to cook them for 3-4 minutes before adding the leaves because they are extra fibrous and can be difficult to digest. Next, add the leaves and saute until bright green, but taste tender when tested. Do not cook them so long that they turn gray and mushy! Drain lightly and toss with good quality sea salt and raw or cultured organic butter.
If you don't have access to raw or cultured organic butter (Whole Foods sells a cultured butter), I would at least recommend using organic butter. My reasons for eating largely organic, and especially organic dairy will be for another post. I'll also take note to bring up the benefits of sea salt over regular salt in a later post.
I make this dressing a lot. It is simple and tasty.
Homemade Dressing1/2 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
Fresh squeezed juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic
Sea salt or Herbamare to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor (or Vitamix-type blender on low) and blend until mixed well.
You can find most of these ingredients in the organic section at Giant Eagle (our local grocery store). I can only find Herbamare at Whole Foods. It's not absolutely necessary, but I like it and buy it if we happen to be near a Whole Foods. It is an organic herb seasoning salt. The label states - "flavorful preference to table salt".
Even the kids might like this. Try it instead of chips!
Crispy Kale
Kale
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
Lightly toss chip size pieces of kale in olive oil and sea salt. Spread on parchment paper lining a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees on one side for 7 minutes. Flip the "chips". Bake on second side for another 7 minutes. Because ovens vary, check kale after 3 minutes on the 2nd side. Serve this tasty treat with hummus, guacamole dip or fresh salsa.
I've eaten these along with scrambled eggs for breakfast. A great start to your day!
Simply Delicious Collard Greens
Collard greens
Sea Salt
Raw butter or cultured organic butter
Remove the spines from the collard greens. You may discard them, save them for juicing, or slice them very thin and use them. If you choose to use them, begin a water saute and add the spines first. Be sure to cook them for 3-4 minutes before adding the leaves because they are extra fibrous and can be difficult to digest. Next, add the leaves and saute until bright green, but taste tender when tested. Do not cook them so long that they turn gray and mushy! Drain lightly and toss with good quality sea salt and raw or cultured organic butter.
If you don't have access to raw or cultured organic butter (Whole Foods sells a cultured butter), I would at least recommend using organic butter. My reasons for eating largely organic, and especially organic dairy will be for another post. I'll also take note to bring up the benefits of sea salt over regular salt in a later post.
I make this dressing a lot. It is simple and tasty.
Homemade Dressing1/2 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
Fresh squeezed juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic
Sea salt or Herbamare to taste
Combine all ingredients in a food processor (or Vitamix-type blender on low) and blend until mixed well.
You can find most of these ingredients in the organic section at Giant Eagle (our local grocery store). I can only find Herbamare at Whole Foods. It's not absolutely necessary, but I like it and buy it if we happen to be near a Whole Foods. It is an organic herb seasoning salt. The label states - "flavorful preference to table salt".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
