Well, we went mostly Paleo in my household. I say mostly because we are finishing up the rice & beans we have in the pantry. We eat those about twice a week to get them finished up. Then...it's 100% Paleo!
I love Paleo! In less than a week I was able to take my children & myself off our meds! Yes, we talked to our family physician! She was all for our new diet change. My kids are actually more focused & calmer than they were even on their ADHD meds. How exciting! We were also able to take them off their allergy meds!
Everyone is sleeping better, better moods, & I've even lost 15 pounds! Woot! We've always eaten healthy, thinking whole grains, etc were the way to eat. Pft, I put on tons of weight following the government's food pyramid, kids were sick, had to be on meds etc. Not anymore, we are done, finished. We have found the best way for us to eat & we're happier for it.
I know it's not for everyone, of course these are just my experiences. As with everything, I urge you to do the research, find out what's best to make you happy & healthy.
Friday 28 February 2014
Thursday 20 February 2014
ACV- Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits
I personally use Braggs Raw, Unfiltered ACV with 'The Mother'.
I LOVE IT! My family loves it! We put about 1 teaspoon in an 8 ounce glass of filtered water.
Sometimes we add a splash of organic lemon juice & a teeny bit of local raw, unfiltered honey.
I encourage you to research the health benefits! Since I've been drinking it I have noticed a huge difference in how I feel. I've lost more weight, I have more energy & my skin glows! Who wouldn't love that!
Tuesday 18 February 2014
Paleo style banana cream pie
Banana Cream Pie
Crust:
3 cashew cookie Larabars
1/4 cup organic coconut fine shredded
1/2 cup cashew, almond, pistachio nut mix
2 tablespoons unrefined, virgin organic coconut oil
Put in food processor till fine
Smush into pie tin, then stick in freezer for 30 mins
Filling:
4-5 organic bananas, sliced into coin shape
Layered into crust
Topping:
Whipped coconut cream
( 2 cans top quality organic coconut milk, skim off the top thick bit. Save coconut water for another meal
Put in mixing bowl
Add 1 teaspoon raw organic honey
1 teaspoon organic vanilla
Using hand mixer blend until smooth)
A Paleo Dinner... Orange Spiced Chicken
5 simple ingredients
Organic chicken thighs (skin on)
5 organic mandarin oranges
Organic garlic ( 6 cloves )
Organic Moroccan spice blend
Fresh cracked organic pepper ( I used multi-coured)
Put in an electric roaster at 200 degrees
The last 20 mins crank up to 400 degrees
Cook until juices run clear or about 2 hours
*will post finished pic when dinner is finished!*
Paleo?
Ahhhh! What busy last few days of research! I don't even know where to start.
I've been on a quest for years to be the healthiest I can be, to keep my family healthy & to teach my kids what healthy living is... Holy cow I didn't realise how hard that actually was!
For years I went on the assumption that whole grains was the base of your diet, low or no fat foods, some veggies & fruits..yeah you know the food pyramid. In the last 3 years I've made my own food pyramid, mostly veggies, some fruits, dairy, a few whole grains (like cereal for breakfast), some meat. Well here I am 3 years later & I'm still struggling with my health & in Nov 3013, I found out I have a gluten intolerance. Well.... that was an eye opener. So, I set out on a mission for wellness.
That lead me to my first bit of research: what does gluten do to your body? Holy inflammation & holed intestines Batman! I had felt unwell for years, bloating, gas, nausea, etc, I always thought it was stress. Turns out I was stressed because my body was stressed, it was a vicious cycle. I wasn't getting all the nutrients, was getting sick all the time, you get the picture. Turns out that grains & gluten stop or severely limit the absorption of vitamins & minerals. So I cut out a lot of my dairy, went gluten free. I've felt loads better, the extra weight is very slowly coming off, my joints don't hurt anymore, I thought I found the cure! However, I still don't feel like I'm at my very best, I ask will I ever be, there's got to be something I'm missing? That's the question I've been asking myself for months.
Begin the next research project, keeping in mind our diet the last 7 years has been home cooked meals, fresh foods & some organic. My next research took me to soy & what that does to the body. Soy is a phytoestrogen, meaning it mimics estrogen in the body. Yikes! That's throwing my body & my family's bodies out of its natural cycles. We were literally out of whack! So out went foods made with soy. Keeping soy sauce around for hubby because he's Japanese & he grew up on it. However, my European self did not. Okay so now I'm feeling a little bit better, my kids are feeling better. I'm on the right track. Sigh, but sitting here right now, I know deep down I'm still not 100%. What next?
Well I went vegetarian for awhile, nope still felt like crap. Well, then came Veganism, okay feeling a little bit better, however I was taking supplements & omegas. Well, okay but I don't want to be dependent on that. Back to mostly vegetarian with some grass fed, vegetarian fed, organic meats, & of course gluten free grains, okay much better but still not perfect. Yikes, what a battle!
That brought me to the Palaeolithic diet, it's what our Homo Erectus, Neanderthal, Homo Sapiens ate for thousands of years. It's what our many, many times grandparents ate before agriculture, before the industrial revolution. So I asked, "how can a hundreds of thousands of year old diet be wrong?" I don't know the answers, I've only read research, watch documentaries, spoke to my doctor & listened to stories of my friends eating Paleo. Well, I have to say my friends look great, they look healthy. Well, must be something to it. So after a well educated discussion with my husband on the matter; speaking to my children (who by the way are older kids, not little kids) on the matter, we have decided as a family to try eating a Paleolithic diet.
Starting March 1st- May 1st, we are going to eat strictly Paleo. At the end of those 2 months we are going to evaluate how we all feel, to see if we do indeed look & feel healthier. I know we are almost there since taking out gluten, GMOs, soy & wheat, but we still have room for improvement.
I've been on a quest for years to be the healthiest I can be, to keep my family healthy & to teach my kids what healthy living is... Holy cow I didn't realise how hard that actually was!
For years I went on the assumption that whole grains was the base of your diet, low or no fat foods, some veggies & fruits..yeah you know the food pyramid. In the last 3 years I've made my own food pyramid, mostly veggies, some fruits, dairy, a few whole grains (like cereal for breakfast), some meat. Well here I am 3 years later & I'm still struggling with my health & in Nov 3013, I found out I have a gluten intolerance. Well.... that was an eye opener. So, I set out on a mission for wellness.
That lead me to my first bit of research: what does gluten do to your body? Holy inflammation & holed intestines Batman! I had felt unwell for years, bloating, gas, nausea, etc, I always thought it was stress. Turns out I was stressed because my body was stressed, it was a vicious cycle. I wasn't getting all the nutrients, was getting sick all the time, you get the picture. Turns out that grains & gluten stop or severely limit the absorption of vitamins & minerals. So I cut out a lot of my dairy, went gluten free. I've felt loads better, the extra weight is very slowly coming off, my joints don't hurt anymore, I thought I found the cure! However, I still don't feel like I'm at my very best, I ask will I ever be, there's got to be something I'm missing? That's the question I've been asking myself for months.
Begin the next research project, keeping in mind our diet the last 7 years has been home cooked meals, fresh foods & some organic. My next research took me to soy & what that does to the body. Soy is a phytoestrogen, meaning it mimics estrogen in the body. Yikes! That's throwing my body & my family's bodies out of its natural cycles. We were literally out of whack! So out went foods made with soy. Keeping soy sauce around for hubby because he's Japanese & he grew up on it. However, my European self did not. Okay so now I'm feeling a little bit better, my kids are feeling better. I'm on the right track. Sigh, but sitting here right now, I know deep down I'm still not 100%. What next?
Well I went vegetarian for awhile, nope still felt like crap. Well, then came Veganism, okay feeling a little bit better, however I was taking supplements & omegas. Well, okay but I don't want to be dependent on that. Back to mostly vegetarian with some grass fed, vegetarian fed, organic meats, & of course gluten free grains, okay much better but still not perfect. Yikes, what a battle!
That brought me to the Palaeolithic diet, it's what our Homo Erectus, Neanderthal, Homo Sapiens ate for thousands of years. It's what our many, many times grandparents ate before agriculture, before the industrial revolution. So I asked, "how can a hundreds of thousands of year old diet be wrong?" I don't know the answers, I've only read research, watch documentaries, spoke to my doctor & listened to stories of my friends eating Paleo. Well, I have to say my friends look great, they look healthy. Well, must be something to it. So after a well educated discussion with my husband on the matter; speaking to my children (who by the way are older kids, not little kids) on the matter, we have decided as a family to try eating a Paleolithic diet.
Starting March 1st- May 1st, we are going to eat strictly Paleo. At the end of those 2 months we are going to evaluate how we all feel, to see if we do indeed look & feel healthier. I know we are almost there since taking out gluten, GMOs, soy & wheat, but we still have room for improvement.
I'll keep you updated on how eating Caveman style goes for us.
Remember eat to live, don't live to eat; get up & move your body!
Be well!
Monday 17 February 2014
GMOs: The Horrible Truth
GMOs...
Let's face it, we've all heard about them. Genetically modified organisms: plants & animals that have been genetically engineered/altered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants & animals.
Horrible! It's not natural & they are killing us! Not only us, but the environment. Growing evidence has shown a direct correlation of the worlds health problems with GMO foods! Let's not forget companies like Monsanto are violating farmers & consumers rights!
Cross contamination of GMO seed & pollen into non-GMO farmers crops have been causing quite an outrage to those that educate themselves. Monsanto sues farmers of non-GMO crops due to nature sending GMO contaminates into their fields. Monsanto stating that those farmers have stolen Monsanto's "intellectual property". What kind of rubbish is that? These farmers are forced to take settlements because Monsanto & other companies like them are running these farmers into debt. Farmers mind you that are TRYING to provide wholesome, real food to people. In order to stop this poison from continuing to spread & take over the food supply we MUST ACT NOW! Buy locally sourced, organic, non-GMO foods. Support the farmers growing real food & stop buying from companies wanting you to eat POISON!
GMOs are considered so dangerous & bad for our health that over 60 countries have either banned, restricted GMO foods or required labeling. How come the United States isn't one of them you ask? Well the answer is in our government & regulatory offices. People in charge of the USDA & FDA are former Monsanto & companies like them executives. That's right, the people saying your food is safe worked for the companies making poison food!
It is estimated that over 80 percent of food grown worldwide are GMOs! 80 percent! That's huge! These GMOs are engineered to be herbicide, pesticide, fungicide resistant, so that means you have to use more chemical it kill weeds & bugs. It has been estimated since GMO seed came out that the use of round up which contains 2,4-D ( the chemical to make agent orange) has increased 15 times. This has made so called "super weeds & super bugs"; mean more chemicals, more harm to us & the environment.
Choose to make a change! Save yourselves, your children, your children's children etc from poisoned foods. Give them a chance to be healthy & live a long vibrant life. MAKE A CHANGE! It's easier than you think. I've said it before; buy locally sourced; organisms; non-GMO foods. Grow your own, shop farmer's markets. There are resources to find good, safe wholesome foods. When you buy non-GMO, organic, and/or locally sourced organic foods you ARE supporting that farmer. You ARE taking away money & power from Monsanto & companies like them.
Spread the word, educate yourselves, everyone has the right to safe, whole foods. Lobby for GMO labeling, don't let the poison win!
Resources:
Nongmoproject.org
Naturalness.com
Globalhealingcenter.com
Huffingtonpost.com
Secrets to Health- GAIAM TV
Let's face it, we've all heard about them. Genetically modified organisms: plants & animals that have been genetically engineered/altered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants & animals.
Horrible! It's not natural & they are killing us! Not only us, but the environment. Growing evidence has shown a direct correlation of the worlds health problems with GMO foods! Let's not forget companies like Monsanto are violating farmers & consumers rights!
Cross contamination of GMO seed & pollen into non-GMO farmers crops have been causing quite an outrage to those that educate themselves. Monsanto sues farmers of non-GMO crops due to nature sending GMO contaminates into their fields. Monsanto stating that those farmers have stolen Monsanto's "intellectual property". What kind of rubbish is that? These farmers are forced to take settlements because Monsanto & other companies like them are running these farmers into debt. Farmers mind you that are TRYING to provide wholesome, real food to people. In order to stop this poison from continuing to spread & take over the food supply we MUST ACT NOW! Buy locally sourced, organic, non-GMO foods. Support the farmers growing real food & stop buying from companies wanting you to eat POISON!
GMOs are considered so dangerous & bad for our health that over 60 countries have either banned, restricted GMO foods or required labeling. How come the United States isn't one of them you ask? Well the answer is in our government & regulatory offices. People in charge of the USDA & FDA are former Monsanto & companies like them executives. That's right, the people saying your food is safe worked for the companies making poison food!
It is estimated that over 80 percent of food grown worldwide are GMOs! 80 percent! That's huge! These GMOs are engineered to be herbicide, pesticide, fungicide resistant, so that means you have to use more chemical it kill weeds & bugs. It has been estimated since GMO seed came out that the use of round up which contains 2,4-D ( the chemical to make agent orange) has increased 15 times. This has made so called "super weeds & super bugs"; mean more chemicals, more harm to us & the environment.
Choose to make a change! Save yourselves, your children, your children's children etc from poisoned foods. Give them a chance to be healthy & live a long vibrant life. MAKE A CHANGE! It's easier than you think. I've said it before; buy locally sourced; organisms; non-GMO foods. Grow your own, shop farmer's markets. There are resources to find good, safe wholesome foods. When you buy non-GMO, organic, and/or locally sourced organic foods you ARE supporting that farmer. You ARE taking away money & power from Monsanto & companies like them.
Spread the word, educate yourselves, everyone has the right to safe, whole foods. Lobby for GMO labeling, don't let the poison win!
Resources:
Nongmoproject.org
Naturalness.com
Globalhealingcenter.com
Huffingtonpost.com
Secrets to Health- GAIAM TV
*more to come at a later date on the health problems & dangers of GMO foods*
Aloe Vera
I follow & subscribe to lots of health 'foodies' & same health lifestyle as myself. Rawganic posted this today. A great picture of the wonders this beauty of a plant can do.
I personally love putting into smoothies, especially detox ones. My kids love aloe vera juice mixed with their favourite fresh juices.
If you haven't used aloe before, I encourage you to research the uses & benefits for yourself & give it a try. It's easy to grow yourself, & lives well inside during cold months!
Canola Oil: It's not good for you
Came across a great article on canola oil, outlining all the reasons it's bad for you. In my home we avoid it like the plague. We purchase oils & products containing: olive oil, coconut, avocado, etc. When we buy the oils themselves they are of course, organic, virgin cold-pressed. I teach my kids when it comes to food it you can't read it, pronounce it or recognise, the ingredient don't buy it. Canola is one of the forbidden ingredients, made from rapeseed, using a gasoline by product to turn it into canola. Like the article says "there is no such thing as a canola plant", so why do we consume the oil. People are NOT EDUCATED! The majority of people are sheep! Eating what they are told, what the FDA says is safe, false advertising, etc, the list goes on & on.
People MUST educate themselves on what they are eating!
http://www.naturalnews.com/043948_canola_oil_hidden_health_dangers_food_bar.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/043948_canola_oil_hidden_health_dangers_food_bar.html
Sunday 16 February 2014
Food is the Cure
What you put in is what your going to get out...
If you put in junk, you're going to feel like junk! We are a nutrient devoid nation. Fast food, soda, sports drinks, junk food, all which are void of proper nutrition, well any nutrition really. People need to get back to what our ancestors ate. Whole foods, raw fruits & veggies; unprocessed foods, organic natural foods, foods in season & locally grown.
In the last 50 years processed food has taken over the shelves. So many chemicals, artificial ingredients, preservatives have been put into food that there is no real nutrition.
Go to your local farmers market, buy in season organic produce then wash & eat! You'll not only be eating healthier, you'll be supporting your local farmers.
I'm a firm believer that food is medicine, it's the cure to everything. You eat healthy, you will be healthy.
I'll say it over & over, proper food & nutrition is key.
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