Something Scary, but True!

Had a friend recently post this YouTube video on her Facebook page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe-CxnU-hFE

The speaker doesn't really share anything that I didn't already know. The problem for our family now is implementation...on a tight budget!

Some examples of changes we've already made:
1. No more tap water!
We've been refilling water bottles at any available source (usually Meijer or Wal-Mart) for about 7 years now. And now, we've even purchased a counter top water distiller. While I'm confident that removing the chlorine and fluoride from our drinking water (not to mention bacteria, lead and pharmaceuticals) is one of the best things we've ever done for our health, you can't always control this completely.
Just in the few years since we've made this change, a LOT has come out about toxins released in plastic bottles and metal bottles also contaminating your pure water that you're drinking. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to take a glass bottle or cup to drink from when I'm out running errands or going for the day to an amusement park, etc. Plus, if you go out to eat anywhere (at least here in Northern Kentucky where we live), you're most likely going to be given tap water to drink when you request it.

My solution- They're pricey, but we're buying Klean Kanteens for each member of the family. Do your research, there may be cheaper brands that are just as good, but what you put your clean water in is just as important as the quality of water. Also, the counter top distiller price of around $300 seems steep. But the amount of money we were spending on refilling water from the machines at grocery stores (which honestly from their cleaning records visible on the machines are sometimes months behind in cleaning and maintenance!) was about $350 a year. The distiller saves us money within the first year!
Here's some links to these products:
http://www.amazon.com/Kanteen-27-Ounce-Classic-Stainless-Bottle/dp/B0010EMTU4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302005542&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Waterwise-4000-Water-Steam-Distiller/dp/B002DQCMY6/ref=sr_1_cc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1302005594&sr=1-2-catcorr

2. GIVE UP THE POP!
Honestly, this is one we're still working on. There's something about that fizzy drink when you're eating out somewhere or with certain foods that we just can't quite overcome! YET, we have completely given up diet drinks and when we buy some for a treat at the store, we buy Hansen's with natural cane sugar or Sierra Mist which is now also with sugar only. (no High Fructose Corn Syrup) Additionally, if we eat out somewhere, we can easily pay an extra $10 just for drinks!
Why is this so difficult to give up even though it's costly?? Exactly as the video says...it's addictive. I regret ever letting my kids have pop...now it's too hard to say no!

A solution we're working toward: In my plan for transition this year, I'm going to be purchasing some water kefir cultures within the next month. [The delay is due to my work schedule. When tax season is over, I'll have more time for this kind of stuff.] Water kefir produces a "fizzy" water that is full of great digestive bacterial cultures and you can add fruit juices or whole fruits to it for flavor. You can also adjust the sweetness by the amount of additional sugar you add. So we can start out fairly sweet and over time, reduce that sugar intake. My plan is to juice our own lemons and limes (which we can get fairly cheap) for a Sierra Mist alternative. Or my husband has made his own ginger ale a few times too.
For water kefir culture information, visit Cultures for Health http://www.culturesforhealth.com/

3. No more fluoride!
Again, easier said than done. When you can get a tube of Colgate at the store for $1 or less and Tom's of Maine costs $4 or more and you have four kids (+ 2 adults) brushing their teeth at least twice a day...this one is difficult to do! Also, even if I successfully remove all fluoride from our home, I take them to the dentist and what does the hygienist do? Gives them a fluoride treatment!! [Don't even get me started on amalgam (mercury filled) fillings!]
Yes, I'm looking for a holistic dentist. But I'm fairly certain our insurance won't pay for one. And when you live at two times below the poverty level for a family of 6, money for a holistic dentist just doesn't compete with putting food on the table (or now, gas in the car when it's almost $4 a gallon!)
***Funny side note--just noticed the first three letters of fluoride spell FLU!***

My solution (again...still working toward for the family):
I make my own toothpaste and have been for about 3 months. If you just google "homemade toothpaste", you'll find lots of sites. I've even adjusted mine from my original recipe. It's very easy to make and the savings over natural brands is huge. So I won't go into a lot of detail here about the recipe other than to put your concerns at ease. Every recipe I've found uses three basic ingredients...coconut oil, baking soda, and essential oil.
Coconut oil- has natural anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties. This stuff will not mold in the container even with touching my toothbrush to it everyday. Granted I am making just about the equivalent of one tube of toothpaste each time so it lasts only about 4-6 weeks per recipe.
Baking soda- Use aluminum free only. You don't want to eliminate the health benefits by scrubbing your gums with Alzheimer's causing aluminum byproducts! Also gives my teeth that dentist clean feeling every time I brush.
Essential Oil- Actually not essential to the recipe! I've made my toothpaste with just some peppermint flavoring (a few drops) before I had the oil. Use any flavor you want, I prefer peppermint, but you don't even really need it. If you're worried about bad breath, then go for it. Honestly, since I gave up meat, coffee and dairy, I don't have bad breath anymore!

4. Eliminating Aspartame, High Fructose Corn Syrup and Genetically-Modified Foods (GMO)!
Even if you can't afford to buy organics/natural foods, just avoiding convenience foods (like box potatoes and other box mixes) will go a long way toward eliminating these from your diet.
My solution:
Bake and cook at home from scratch as much as possible...difficult to do in our busy culture. But I'm convinced slowing down and taking the time is one of the best things you can do for your health!

5. Other stuff mentioned in this video:
I'm not even addressing the milk and meat hormones because I don't use either. But for my family, I only buy organic or for milk we actually use coconut or almond milk now. Yes, this means meat is more of a treat ...not a necessity. The Simply Delicious coconut milk is even organic! http://www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com/products/product.php?p=so_delicious_beverage_hg_original If you click Like on FB for So Delicious, you also get links to great recipes that others have posted on the Internet.

6. Other stuff not mentioned in the video:
Deodorants with aluminum- Naturals are too expensive with 5 of us now using it. I'm in the process of converting to homemade. Again...lots of recipes on the web for these. Best thing I've done is give up meat and dairy! I've experimented and can actually go up to three days without deodorant. The key is what I eat. The minute I have something fried (Usually my weakness is fast-food fries...probably fried in oil laced with lard or other meat byproducts. Yuck!) or something with dairy in it, I begin to smell. I know, TMI...but true!

This also leads to the next one. Keeping my insides cleansed- God made our bodies with an amazing capacity for healing. I've done colon cleanses for years but only began to feel healed internally when I discovered the Gerson Therapy. I hope to blog more about this soon. But the thing to remember is...if my insides are backed up with the SAD food (Standard American Diet) that we all consume, how can my body heal with all of that poison inside? Again...this is an entire post by itself so I'll come back to this later.

Bottom line- While watching things like this or other documentaries I've seen (A Beautiful Truth, Food Inc, The Gerson Therapy, Food Matters, Super Size Me) can make me scared or lose hope that the task of healthy living is impossible because we're being sabotaged...the Truth is that the God who created our bodies knows exactly what we need and how to heal us. And the magnificent thing that He provided...again, before we ever knew we needed it...was a plethora of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains that contain everything we need for health and healing.

While you're doing your research and changing your ways...ask Him what changes He wants you to make. After all, He's the One that has told us to "run the race" and He's the Great Physician as well as Counselor. Doesn't it stand to reason that the Creator knows what's best for the creation?

Have peace and know that He is God!

A Great Vegan Slow Cooker Website

It's been awhile since I've posted, but life is slowing down and I hope to get back to it really soon. In the meantime, I wanted to post a link to a site for some new recipes that at least a few of my family love.

I have two that LOVE banana peanut butter sandwiches...fried is best (they say!). My daughter, Rebekah, had one at Graceland when she was 4 and has loved this sandwich ever since. She doesn't get it that often, so I was happy to discover Slow Cooker Vegan Elvis Oatmeal- The "Don't Be Cruel Oatmeal"
http://healthyslowcooking.com/2011/02/18/slow-cooker-vegan-elvis-oatmeal-the-dont-be-cruel-oatmeal/

I left off the vegan bacon bits, because frankly, that sounds disgusting and the sandwiches Dale & Bekah had at Graceland didn't include bacon anyway. But they both love this oatmeal. Peruse the website...there are tons of others to try.

We've also had the PB&J Oatmeal...also a huge hit! Admittedly, I have to add a little more sweetener than is recommended, but hopefully my sweet tooth will diminish someday.

Smoothies

As I sit her sipping my morning smoothie, I thought it was time for me to share what I put in it. I've procastinated sharing the recipe, because I don't really measure & it's a constantly evolving one. So I'll share the basics & you can modify it as you like.

1 banana, medium
1 c. berries (rasp, blue or straw are my favorites)
1 T. flax seed oil
1 T. raw honey
3 T. brown rice protein powder
1/4 tsp. kelp
1 1/2-2 c. coconut or almond milk (unsweetened cuts down on sugar content)
1 T. raw wheat germ

**2 T. Wheat grass (optional); 1 tsp. spirulina (optional- if you can get past the smell, it really doesn't have flavor as long as it is mixed in well & no chunks remain. It will turn your smoothie green!)**

Dump this all in a blender and blend. It's that easy and tastes great! Also, you can make it ahead of time, stick it in the fridge & it's a great breakfast drink on the run.

The only part I leave out for my kids is the protein powder. But little do they know I'll soon be sneeking it back in. The first time I tried adding some to theirs, I didn't have enough liquid in it & it gelled pretty quickly so noses where turned up & now I'm asked every time "Is there protein powder in this?"

Although it's been complicated to determine, when I posted this I wanted to include the nutritional information. I never would have imagined prior to my Vegan dietary changes that I could get so much nutrition in one little drink.

And don't let the calories or sugar content freak you out. This is designed to be a meal. It will fill you up for several hours. So as long as you're not eating this along with a 3-course meal, relax, enjoy and don't feel guilty about having a deliciously sweet shake! If you are concerned about sugar intake and wish to reduce it, simply replace the honey with powdered or liquid stevia according to taste.

Nutritional Information:
Calories- 499; Fat- 22 g (33%-Most of this is from beneficial flax seed oil); Sodium- 100 g (3-4%); Total Carbohydrates- 80 g (26%); Dietary Fiber- 15 g (41%); Sugars- 37 g; Protein- 21 g (27%); Potassium- 24%
__________________________________________________________________
Vitamin A- 13%; Vitamin C- 73%; Vitamin D- 30%; Vitamin B12- 50%; Magnesium- 10%; Zinc- 4%; Selenium- 8%; Folate- 6%; Iron- 36%; Calcium- 14.5%; Iodine- 260%; Omega 3- 500%; Omega 6- 2 g; Omega 9- 3 g

PLUS the following Amino Acids- *L-Isoleucine; *L-Leucine; *L-Lysine; *L-Methionine; *L-Phenylalanine; *L-Threonine; *L-Tryptophan; *L-Valine; L-Alanine;* L-Arginine; L-Aspartic Acid; L-Cystine; L-Glutamic Acid; L-Glycine; *L-Histidine; L-Proline; L-Serine; L-Tyrosine

*Essential Amino Acids


The vitamin & mineral content of Raw Honey is not included here. Do your research & discover all the benefits of consuming raw honey. Also, when I'd originally researched the berries & banana, the nutritional information did not include all the vitamins & minerals in them either.

**If you add wheat grass, you could be adding as much as 25% RDA of protein, plus adding chlorophyll and high amounts of Vitamins A, C & E AND 12 amino acids (8 of which are essential to our bodies). If you really want to get uber-healthy, try adding just 1 teaspoon of Spirulina and you'll get 4% RDA protein; 225% Vitamin A; 6% Thiamin; 7% Riboflavin; 33% Vitamin B12; 17% Iron; and more chlorophyll, Gammalinolenic acid; zeaxanthin; carotenoids; and c. Phycocyanin.

Kelp, wheat grass & spirulina are all Super Foods that you should try to add to your diet any way you can. And the great thing is it only takes very small amounts to reap HUGE health benefits!



Notes & Disclaimer- All of the nutritional information was what I could compile based on product labels & internet research. I cannot guarantee that all the information is complete or 100% accurate. Also all nutritional content would vary depending upon portion size and actual ingredients used.

Lentil Chili

8 cups vegetable broth, divided
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tsps chili powder
16 ounces brown lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Bring 3/4 cup broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook about 8 minutes or until onion and pepper are tender.
2. Stir in chili powder and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add lentils, tomatoes and remaining 7 1/4 cups broth.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until lentils are almost tender.
5. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer.
6. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Notes:
You can add a piece of kombu to the pot while the beans are cooking to add iodine and speed up the cooking time a little.

Zippy Corn Chowder

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. coconut oil*
14 1/2 oz vegetable broth or bouillon
2 large red potatoes, cubed
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cups frozen corn
4 green onions, chopped**
3 cups milk of choice***
1/4 cup flour of choice****

1. In a large saucepan, saute onion & green pepper in the coconut oil until tender.
2. Add broth & potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover & simmer about 15 minutes.
3. Remove lid, stir in jalapeno, mustard, salt, paprika & red pepper flakes.
4. Add corn, green onions & 2 1/2 cups of the milk.
5. In a separate bowl or cup, combine flour & remaining milk until smooth. Gradually add this to the soup.
6. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir about 2 minutes or until thick.

Notes:
*I prefer coconut oil for sauteing because it will not oxidize at normal cooking temperatures.
**The green onion are optional
***I prefer unsweetened almond or coconut milk.
****I prefer spelt flour or you could substitute organic corn starch or potato starch for high sensitivities to gluten.

This is a versatile recipe that you can reduce or increase the heat to accommodate your personal taste. As always, with all of my soup recipes, this is great paired with the Fast Cuban Bread.

Tropical Fruit Salsa

Here's another salsa recipe. It is mango season after all!

3 Tbsp red onion, minced
2 c. pineapple, diced
1 1/2 medium mango or 1 large, diced
2 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 medium jalapeno, seeded & minced
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Combine all ingredients
2. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 4 days (if it lasts that long!)

Corn Salsa

I love a good salsa and this recipe is one of my favorites.

1 cup corn (I've used canned or frozen in the past)
2 med. tomatillos (optional!)*
1 Tbsp. fine diced red onion
1 1/2 tsp. minced jalapeno
2 tsp. lime juice (preferably fresh)
2 tsp. coarsely chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. honey

Notes:
* I don't usually have tomatillos on hand. But I almost always have the other ingredients, so I rarely use the tomatillos and just use a little more corn.

The great thing about salsas are once you have the flavor combinations, the quantities don't really matter much. So just throw some corn, diced onion, jalapeno (I usually use a whole one chopped and don't measure!), lime juice, cilantro & a bit of honey together, taste it and adjust if needed. Enjoy!