Monthly Archives: January 2024

fight chronic disease

The Power Of Real Food: Nourishing Your Body, Mind, And Spirit

by habits, health,
In a world where convenience has become the norm, it is easy to overlook the importance of nourishing our bodies with real, wholesome food.
 
As The Ingredient Guru and a holistic nutritionist, I believe in highlighting the significance of understanding what's in our food and the impact it has on our overall health.
 
I also want to emphasize the connection between food and our well-being, not only from a physical perspective but also on a spiritual and emotional level.

Shifting the Paradigm: Food as Medicine

In traditional Western medicine, the focus often lies on prescribing medications to relieve symptoms. However, this approach only masks the underlying issue.
 
By shifting your perspective and beginning with food as the foundation of health, you start to optimally fuel your body. I want to encourage you to prioritize nourishment from real, whole foods with supplements only as a secondary measure.
 
By taking this approach, you can address the foundation, the root cause of your health concerns rather than simply managing symptoms.

The Myths and Truths about Calories

I'd like to start by challenging the commonly held belief that "a calorie is a calorie is a calorie." For example, there is a significant nutritional difference between an apple and ten peanut M&Ms, despite both having approximately 100 calories.
 
It's not just about the number; it's about the quality of the calories we consume. Understanding the nutritional value of the foods you eat is essential for promoting optimal health and weight management.

The Art of Reading Labels

Becoming an advocate for yourself and your well-being starts with knowing how to properly read food labels. A vast amount of the necessary information about your food is found on those labels.
 
Unfortunately, most people only focus on the calorie and macronutrient content while neglecting the details of the ingredients.
 
Manufacturers use clever marketing tactics to manipulate your choices, making it crucial for you to take the time to evaluate whether a food is truly nourishing and healthy.
 
Learn to really read the label and your health and wellness journey will be off to a good start.
 
The presence of food additives in our everyday food is something many people often don't pay attention to. One example is carrageenan, a common ingredient added for its emulsifying and thickening properties. It's found in virtually every aisle of the grocery store and yet it's been shown to be highly inflammatory and can cause gut health issues.
 
By properly evaluating the ingredients in your food, you avoid unknowingly consuming substances that could undermine your health.
 
When you stop and carefully think about your food, when you shift your mindset and view food as a conscious act of nurturing and nourishing, only then can you truly tap into a spiritual aspect of your relationship with food.
 
This shift towards conscious eating becomes an exercise in mindfulness and spiritual growth. You are more than just what you eat, you are a holistic being and it's important to approach nourishing yourself on all levels, incorporating mind, body, and spirit.

Making Real Food Accessible

Contrary to common belief, preparing real food does not have to be a time-consuming process. It is possible to create delicious and nutritious meals efficiently. There is so much joy and satisfaction that comes from preparing meals with intention, taking into account the ingredients and their impact on your well-being.
 
Plus, with the rising cost of food, choosing a real food, prepared at home diet, is not only good for you, it's good for your wallet.

Conclusion

Food is more than mere sustenance; it is a powerful tool for nourishing all of you. By understanding the importance of what you eat and becoming an informed and educated consumer, you empower yourself to make choices that bring you optimal health and well-being.
 
The journey towards conscious eating is transformative, allowing you to create a harmonious balance between nourishment, self-care, and spirituality. Let's embark on this journey together, one nourishing meal at a time.
anxiety mold

Anxiety, Mold, And The Hidden Threats To Your Wellbeing

by stress
The modern environment, laden with synthetic molecules and chemicals, has drifted far from the natural rhythms that once underpinned human health.
 
Amid this sea of artificiality, your well-being can be unwittingly undermined, leading to an array of health issues including neuroinflammation and immune suppression triggered by mold toxins.
 
Recognizing these challenges and realigning with nature's inherent cycles is pivotal in nurturing your body back to health.

Food Choices, Stress, and Mold Connection 

The link between food choices, stress, and mold is significant. While convenient and processed foods were introduced to save time, they have had lasting negative effects on public health. These foods, rich in additives but low in nutrition, harm both the body and mind.

In the midst of a busy lifestyle, stress can dysregulate the nervous system, leading to various symptoms and illnesses, including heightened anxiety levels.

Anxiety acts as a natural alarm, signaling underlying issues that need attention. One such issue is the toxic aftermath of mold exposure, a hidden intruder that can be as harmful as it is widespread. G

Given the interconnectedness of the nervous and immune systems, taking a proactive approach is crucial to protect against unseen threats in your environment.

Mold Sickness Symptoms and Healing

Mold sickness presents a range of symptoms, from neurologic disruptions to immune suppression, posing a challenge in recognition due to potential misdiagnosis or undervaluation in healthcare.

Actions to Take:

  • Meditate Regularly: Begin with meditation to calm your nervous system, creating a foundation to implement lifestyle changes. 
  • Nourish Your Body: Prioritize a diet that supports your body’s healing from mold-induced inflammation.
  • Beware of Misdiagnosis: Understand that environmental factors such as mold toxicity may be overlooked in mainstream medicine, leading to ineffective treatments.
  • Seek Positive Support: Engage with communities that focus on healing and avoid hopeless discussions.
  • Embrace Nature: Reconnect with natural rhythms and adopt healthier living habits to counteract modern lifestyle-induced hypersensitivity. 

Learn more how to protect yourself from mold sickness by watching my interview with Dr. Traci Potterf below:

Rapid Eye Technology

Transform Stress Into Peace And Power With Rapid Eye Technology

by meditation
As you navigate through life, you might find yourself caught in a cycle of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. It's not uncommon to feel this way. However, there are therapeutic strategies that can help reprogram your mind and allow you to reclaim your sense of calmness and peace.
 
One such strategy is Rapid Eye Technology, which has been around for at least 40 years. Discover how this wonderful therapeutic approach can make a significant impact on your life.

What is Rapid Eye Technology

Rapid Eye Technology is an approach that aims to reprogram the brain's neurological patterns.
 
To comprehend this, consider the brain as having thousands of neuropathways, each holding its own set of information. These neuropathways are developed in childhood and are heavily influenced by external factors such as parents, the school system, media, and more. Over time, these pathways become our truth and, in turn, control our reality.
 
The therapy involves simple yet powerful techniques to address this. Through intentional blinking, a process is initiated to open these neuropathways and move information out of them. This essentially clears the storage units within our brain that hold negative emotions and patterns, providing space for new, positive information.
 
Another critical aspect is balancing the left and right brain hemisphere activity. The left brain is responsible for analytical thinking and can sometimes lead to overthinking and creating unnecessary stress. On the other hand, the right brain sees the bigger picture, bringing a sense of calmness and joy.
 
Rapid Eye Technology helps bridge the gap between these two hemispheres, enabling a more balanced and empowered mental state.

How it Works

A significant focus of Rapid Eye Technology is reprogramming the brain. This involves identifying and addressing core beliefs – those deep-seated, emotionally charged beliefs that form the basis of our thoughts and actions. By cleaning out the negative information stored in the brain's pathways and replacing it with positive affirmations and new patterns, a person can effectively create a shift in their cognitive processes.
 
In addition to the therapy sessions, there are simple tools that individuals can use in their everyday lives to manage their energy. These tools help in recognizing patterns of stress and anxiety early and work towards addressing them before they escalate.
 
By incorporating these practices and actively engaging in reprogramming the mind, individuals can reclaim their inner peace and empowered state.

 Applying RET to your Daily Life

Embracing Rapid Eye Technology in your daily routine doesn't have to be complicated. It's about simplicity and consistency.
 
One of the basic exercises is the eye movement practice. You can do this by finding a spot on one side of the room, then another on the opposite side, and smoothly moving your eyes back and forth between the two spots.
 
It's essential to incorporate this practice whenever you recognize stress or anxiety creeping in. By doing so, you are effectively opening the synapses, allowing for a flow of energy between the hemispheres of the brain and reducing the effects of fight or flight responses. This simple exercise can be done multiple times a day, whenever a moment of calmness and balance is needed.
 
Moreover, teaching your brain to recognize patterns of stress and anxiety before they become all-consuming is vital. By taking control of your mental processes through these techniques, you are not only benefiting yourself but also contributing positively to the collective consciousness, creating ripples of peace and empowerment.

In Conclusion

Rapid Eye Technology offers a holistic approach to transforming stress into peace and power. By understanding and utilizing the methods it offers, individuals can actively engage in reprogramming their minds and reclaiming a sense of balance and calmness.
 
By integrating these practices into daily life, individuals can create a significant and positive impact on their mental well-being without the need for expensive equipment or complex processes.
 
Learn more about RET by watchng my interview with Paula Bronte below.

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sheet pan breakfast

Sheet Pan Breakfast

by breakfast, pancake,
There's something wonderful about having a houseful of people. All the conversation and laughter seem to make the house feel lighter and brighter. Along with a house full of people comes the delight of feeding them.
 
I confess one meal that sometimes poses a challenge when cooking for a crowd is breakfast. Especially if I want to serve a more traditional breakfast. Cooking all those eggs and flipping all those pancakes takes a while which means you're either having people eat in shifts, trying to keep it warm in the oven which sometimes causes overcooking, or serving food a little colder than you'd like.
 
All of which is why I've become a huge fan of the sheet pan breakfast. It all started with bacon when I discovered cooking bacon in the oven was a super easy way to make it without creating a huge splatter on the stovetop. From there it progressed to pancakes and then eventually to eggs. The fabulous thing about making breakfast this way is how simple it is to get everything into the oven. And while it's cooking is a great time to set the table, make a fruit salad, or fruit and yogurt parfaits, and when breakfast is ready it's super simple to serve.
 
A few notes:
 
  • In sharing these recipes I've chosen my favorite add-ins, feel free to substitute the vegetable or fruits of your choice.
  • If you're making all three recipes at once you'll need three racks in your oven. If you don't have three racks you can use a footed cooling rack to make a space. Place the footed rack into the bacon, not the other dishes.
  • When making the eggs and pancakes it's helpful to use unbleached parchment paper for an easier cleanup. Lightly brush the tray with a little oil to help the parchment paper stick, lay down the paper, and then lightly oil the paper. I know it seems like a lot of work but cleanup is so much better when you do it this way
  • Chop and dice ingredients as needed before beginning the assembly process
  • The timing doesn't come out exact for all the recipes (meaning they don't all finish cooking at the same time) but it's close enough
 

sheet pan bacon

Sheet Pan Bacon

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound uncured bacon, preferably from pasture-raised pigs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F
  • Add parchment paper to the baking tray
  • Place a cooling rack (flat) on the tray
  • Lay out the strips of bacon on the rack
  • Place the tray in the oven on the bottom rack
  • The bacon will take 30-45 minutes to cook depending on thickness and crispiness preference so you'll need to keep an eye on it
  • When bacon is cooked to your preference remove it from the rack and pat dry with toweling to remove excess grease

sheet pan

Sheet Pan Pancakes

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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups gluten-free flour blend, such as King Arthur's Measure for Measure
  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
  • 5 teaspoon baking powder (yes I know it's a lot, trust me on this)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon organic sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup organic milk
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 3 cups fruit - I tend to use mixed berries but chopped apples or pears would work well here too

Instructions
 

  • Prepare a tray with parchment
  • Whisk together dry ingredients
  • Then add liquid ingredients and blend until fully combined and the batter is smooth
  • Pour mixture into pan and spread into an even layer
  • Top with fruit, if using apples or pears dust with cinnamon
  • Bake 5 minutes
  • Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 10 minutes or until pancake is firm and bounces back when tapped
  • Remove from oven, slice, and serve with maple syrup or jam

sheet pan

Sheet Pan Eggs

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Ingredients
  

  • 18 eggs
  • 1/3 cup organic milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup diced mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup diced bell peppers
  • 1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup diced lunchmeat, optional
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded organic cheese, optional
  • Guacamole
  • Hot sauce

Instructions
 

  • Prepare a tray with parchment
  • In a mixing bowl blend eggs, milk, herbs, salt, and pepper until well combined
  • Pour eggs into pan
  • Sprinkle veggies over the top of the egg mixture
  • Sprinkle with lunchmeat if using
  • Sprinkle with cheese, if using
  • Bake 15 minutes or until eggs are firm and bounce back when tapped
  • Remove from oven
  • Slice and serve with guacamole and hot sauce

 
 
pantry pests

Pantry Pests

by pantry, pest control,
I was completely unprepared for my monthly pantry moth trap check. Normally I check the trap and there’s nothing there. This time I was astonished to see nearly a dozen little moths stuck to the tape. I’m so focused on making sure my preparedness pantry is clean and organized that I was astonished to see this many moths.
 
Pantry moths, and other pests, can be quite a challenge. Which is why I thought it would be a good idea to share about the different types of pests that can get into your food storage. I’ll also share ideas about how to deal with them.
 
Let's start by identifying these pests and where they tend to hang out.
 
First, it’s important to know that finding pests in your food storage doesn’t mean your house is dirty. Often, these critters hitch a ride in your groceries or find their way through tiny openings and sneak unnoticed into your pantry. Here are some of the more common pantry pests:
 
  • Beetles, there are so many different kinds. The most commonly found beetles include drugstore, confused, saw-toothed, spider beetles, warehouse, and flour beetles. They tend to target pantry staples like flour and grains. Infested food should be discarded, especially because warehouse beetle larvae hairs may trigger an allergic reactions if consumed.
  • Cockroaches are the worst. There are several different kinds and sizes. They tend to swarm your trash or possibly get into your dishwasher (remember to clean that dishwasher food trap out regularly) and their droppings may cause allergies.
  • Indian Meal Moths. These are those little flyers that love setting up shop in your pantry. They usually come in with flour or pasta from the store and can lay hundreds of eggs, causing a real hassle. This is part of why I encourage freezing grains and flours before putting them into the pantry. It won’t stop them, but it can help reduce their numbers.
  • Pharaoh Ants. These tiny yellow or light brown ants tend to alternate between a desire for carb-rich and then protein-rich foods. Unfortunately while they’re looking for their next food fix, they may find your pantry.
  • Spiders can sometimes be found hanging around in your pantry, especially if there’s an infestation of other bugs they can eat.
  • Weevils are tiny bugs that feast on rice, barley, corn, and oats. They’re so small that they show up simply as dark specs in the flour or grain.
  • Yellow Mealworms love damp, moldy food, so if you spot them, the item was likely already expired or got too damp.

What Pantry Pests Like to Eat

The critters found lurking in your pantry or long-term food storage have got their eyes set on your food. They won’t bite or sting, but nobody wants them around. Both adults and larvae can be found in your food storage. They are most commonly found in starchy or sweet things but that’s not all they eat. And they’re not too picky when it comes to gluten free or gluten full, they like it all. Common food items they like include:
 
  • Cookies
  • Cornmeal or corn kernels
  • Crackers
  • Flour
  • Legumes - beans and peas
  • Nuts and seeds - and flours made from them
  • Pasta
  • Powdered milk
  • Spices
  • Sugar
  • Sugary drink mixes

How to Keep Pests out of Your Food Storage

pantry pest

 
Preventing pantry pests from sneaking into your food storage is important. If possible you want to get them out before they get into your food. It can be a tricky proposition because some of them are chewers, eating through plastic, cardboard, or even waxed paper. Rodents can also be relentless, after all, they’re hungry. But not to worry, there are ways to safeguard your food.
 
Keep your storage areas as neat as you can. Tidy up any spills and moisture as quickly as possible to prevent the bugs from making their home in your pantry.
 
Be sure to rotate long-term storage items regularly to keep things fresh. Learn how to build a preparedness pantry and great tips for how to properly rotate and document your food store when you join The Preparedness Pantry Masterclass.
 
Seal items tightly and only open when you’re ready to use them. It’s important to regularly check your pantry, especially your long-term food storage, for any signs of unwelcome visitors. Glass containers are a great option when possible, and freezing flours, nuts, and grains may help reduce the potential for an infestation.
 
For an aromatic twist some people encourage keeping garlic, bay leaves, or mint in the pantry area to help repel bugs.
 
If you do discover an infestation it’s important to pull out all of the items in your pantry and check for chewed boxes, rodent droppings, or other telltale signs like webs and debris on the shelves or in corners.
 
Get rid of any contaminated food in well-sealed trash bags – this is necessary to prevent the pests from coming back into your house. Vacuum and scrub your food storage area, wiping down every single surface. If your infestation is severe or keeps happening you may need to hire a professional to address the situation.
 

In conclusion

Remember, keeping a clean and dry house, sealing cracks, and promptly disposing of infested items can help prevent these uninvited pantry pests from taking over. They’re not there because your house is dirty. They’re simply looking for food and/or shelter and they often come in with the groceries. If you do have an infestation take the time to pull everything out of your pantry and thoroughly clean and inspect your items before putting them back in the pantry.

Word Of The Year 

by Uncategorized, ,

Back in 2013 I was challenged by a business coach to pick a word of the year.  A single word that would encompass my goals and guide me for the year ahead.  Each year since then I've continued to go through the process of picking a word.  

This year word that resonates the most with me is Clarity.

2024 Word of the Year: Clarity
ˈklarɪti

noun

  • the quality of being coherent and intelligible. 

  • the quality of being certain or definite. 

  • the quality of transparency or purity. 

  • the quality of being easy to see or hear; sharpness of image or sound. 

2023 was a very full year.  Who am I kidding?  The last few years have been over-full, challenging, and more than a little overwhelming for everyone. I think we all have been through a maelstrom, and are just now beginning to wake up from the chaos and confusion that started in 2020 with the advent of Covid. 

As I look back over the previous year, I am noticing a pattern. It's become apparent that I have narrowed my focus on certain things in my life, both personally and professionally.  I realize, in this narrowing down, that what I am doing is making the way clear for what is to come next. I am making room to be more focused and more present.  I’m also making room for opportunity and change to show up and be available in my life. By simplifying, by clarifying, I'm essentially unmuddying the waters of my life. 

So much of the work I do in sharing about ingredients, focusing on preparedness, and sharing holistic health and wellness information is already about helping others like you learn and see and notice what's impacting them and their lives.  It's about educating and equipping you to make informed choices. It's about making things clearer and more transparent. Plus, I believe the more you know the more you notice.  That has an echo of clarity to as well.  

Focusing on clarity and what lies ahead will, I think, help make life less stressful. It feels like clarity also brings the promise of abundance. I'm excited to see how clarity will show up for me in the year that lies ahead of us. 

As I learn to open up to the light of clarity in my own life, I'm also looking forward to sharing what I learn with those in my community and supporting them on their clearer and more defined wellness journey.  

I think it's going to be a beautiful year ahead. 

Previous Words

PS If you have celebrations that are joyful and warming to your heart, or books that resonate with this theme for you I'd like to hear about them. I'd also love to know if you've chosen a word for 2023 and what it is.  You can drop a comment in the online community.