Author Archives: ByCandace

Recipe: Breakfast – Egg Muffins

12 Thursday Jan 2017

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Egg Muffins are one of my favorite batch or bulk breakfasts and snack items.

Key Ingredients:

  • Pastured / Free Range Eggs
  • Protein of Choice
  • Veggies (if you have limited time, buy pre-cut veggies)
  • Starch (if you are not eating carbs for breakfast or are low carb, omit)

Protein Ideas: Ground Sausage or Meat of any kind, Bacon, Pork Chop or Loin, Left-over Chicken or Steak

Veggie Ideas: Pico de gallo, Garlic, Spinach, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Asparagus, Artichokes, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Bell Peppers, Green Onions, Tomatoes

Starch Ideas: Potato, Sweet Potato, Butternut Squash

Making Egg Muffins

I like to use a 12 cup muffin tin. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease each cup or use silicone inserts.

Season and cook your protein (don’t cook all the way, it will finish in the oven) and chop the protein into small pieces. While the meat is cooking chop the veggies. I like to sauté the veggies in butter, salt, pepper, and garlic for flavor. I use the same pan as I used to cook my protein in. If I’m just using pico de gallo I don’t cook it first. Beat 12 eggs in a bowl, add salt, pepper, and herbs of choice.

Note: Keep in mind that the cups are shallow so only a little of each layer can go into the cups.

If you are using a starch, either chop it in small pieces or grate it, season it and place in the bottom of each cup. If you are omitting starch, then spoon the meat into the bottom of each cup – otherwise add a spoon of meat on top of the starch layer. Then add a spoon of the veggies. Then ladle in the egg.

If you like and can tolerate cheese, you can sprinkle with cheese.

Note: Season each layer, so they don’t turn out bland. If I have a pesto on hand, sometimes I’ll swirl pesto into the top of each one before baking.

Place in the oven for 25 – 30 mins. Pull-out and place muffins on a cooling rack. After they are cool, put in individual sized portions in Ziploc bags in the fridge.

These are awesome with some franks hot sauce!

egg-muffins

Pizza Variation:

  • Chopped Pepperoni
  • Mozzarella Cheese
  • Chopped Tomatoes
  • Fresh Sautéed Garlic
  • Mushrooms (Optional)
  • Dried Basil
  • Dried Italian Seasoning
  • Salt & Pepper

Another Variation:

  • Small Pieces Prosciutto
  • Chopped Pre-Cooked, Seasoned Asparagus
  • Goat Cheese
  • Garlic Powder
  • Salt & Pepper

There is literally unlimited flavor combinations and variations you can make.

2016 Reflection = 2017 Theme

06 Friday Jan 2017

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I realize that I’m late posting a New Year post….I hope you can forgive me.

I have decided that 2017 is the year that I’m not going to let stress or should-ofs, would-ofs, or could-ofs hold power over me and how I think or feel about myself or my life.

I am not making resolutions or goals that have anything to do with what “I don’t want to…”, or “I’m not….”, or that are in any way a restriction or way to make myself smaller in the world.

Instead….I’m only making goals for this year that allow for more freedom (mentally, emotionally, and physically).

My Theme for 2017 is “Let it Go”

Let Go of stress

Let Go of all the things out of my control, that I want to control

My active exercise:

  • Recognize – when I’m having negative or stressful thoughts
  • Stop – myself mid-thought
  • Analyze – if the thoughts are about the things I can’t really control or do anything about (which they usually are)
  • Let it Go – actively tell myself to “Let it Go!” (insert a deep belly breath)
  • Move On – to a new thought

It has only been about a week, but so far this exercise is working quite well.

 

I have written about stress before here and here, but stress is our reaction to our perceptions about a given situation. While some stress is probably inevitable, some of it doesn’t have to be….I can make a choice to Let it Go.

I believe there is freedom in Letting Go.

My hope is that by practicing this exercise and Letting Go of all the things and not allowing the unknown to stress me out….that I will be able to be more present in there here-and-now.

 

I have always been the type of person who is goal oriented and results driven; it is what propels me forward every day and in my life. I think having specific and attainable goals is important; I’ve said for years that “if you don’t know where you are going, then you will not know how to get there”. I do think that we must leave room for error, movement, bending, and flexibility in our resolutions – allowing them to evolve as we do and as our life does throughout time.

Do not allow your resolutions or goals hold more power than they actually do and dictate how you feel or what you believe about yourself and your life. Allow them to be fluid rather than the end all be all.

I wish to you all a healthy and happy 2017!

Introducing: Araza Natural Beauty

05 Thursday Jan 2017

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As you may or may not know I’m all about finding and using the highest quality food and products I can. It is particularly important that we are using the most natural high-quality skin care products that we can. Our skin is our largest organ and is permeable, meaning it absorbs everything we put on it into our bodies. (In this post I discuss this further and other options in this link.)

That being said, until recently I found it quite difficult to find a quality ALL natural make-up that I like and is still affordable. I’ve been using products that are better than what is found a drug store but nothing as clean and nourishing as what I’m about to tell you about……

Soooooo I HAVE TO tell you ladies about a make-up that I’ve found and absolutely love….it is the epitome of natural!

Araza Natural Beauty

It is made with the most pure and certified organic ingredients so it will nourish your skin. You can feel good about putting it on your skin. It is Paleo Certified! It is made in the U.S.A., cruelty free, and gluten free.

I started using the 7 in 1 Coconut Cream Foundation and the Green Tea Cream Concealer. I cannot speak more highly of these products!

araza-natural-beauty

A little goes a long way. You can get as little or as much coverage as you want. It doesn’t feel like I’m wearing anything on my face AND it stays on all day (even with my touching my face). BEST OF ALL it doesn’t settle in my fine lines and wrinkles!

Araza has a Jojoba Infused 100% Natural Mineral Powder Foundation for those who prefer a powder over a cream and a Natural Clay Finishing Powder as well, that I’ve not used yet.

You can order sample sizes of all their products for $2.50 to test out colors.

Araza also offers Natural Sunshine Contouring Bronzer, Olive Extract Cheeky Cheek Color

Long-Wear Raspberry and Citrus Infused Eye Color (15 shades)

Coconut Lip Gloss and Organic Peppermint Luxe Lip Balm

a “Light” – An Illuminating Raw Beauty Oil

Eco-Friendly Bamboo Brushes

Last but not least Gift Cards for all the favorite ladies in your life.

 

Book Review: One-Pot Paleo Cookbook by: Jenny Castaneda

01 Thursday Dec 2016

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I have to admit that I’m a bit of a recipe and cookbook junkie. I read cookbooks with the same enthusiasm that other people read novels. I particularly enjoy cookbooks that have lots of pictures of the food in them.

Honestly there aren’t very many of them that I use with any regularity, but I think this one is going to be an exception. I work full-time and struggle with making sure that we have healthy meals throughout the week that are easy and fast.

Enter….the One-Pot-Paleo cookbook!

The first thing that I love about the book is on page 10. “the recipes in this book, you’ll find some that are quick and easy and come together in less than an hour, which are perfect for weeknights. Those that are simmered or braised for hours to achieve maximum flavor are ideal for weekends, and those that are marinated overnight can be prepared the night before, therefore transiting into a quick-and-easy meal the next day.” I would venture to guess that the recipes that simmered or braised for hours could be done in a slow cooker or in the oven at low temperatures all day while one is gone to work to come home to a delicious easy meal.

Although this cookbook says “Paleo” on it, due to the author’s heritage of Filipino and Spanish, she includes ingredients that are not squeaky clean Paleo like white rice, butter, wine, Worcestershire, arrowroot, and tapioca flour. On page 11 she has a short table of ingredient alternatives to these to provide other Paleo options. I personally have no issue with any of those ingredients and will likely not make swaps.

On pages 194 – 196, she has a “Recipe Allergen Index” to easily reference for those with dairy, nut, grain, and egg allergies. Beware that it is noted here too that all the recipes contain nightshades so they may be difficult for those following an Autoimmune Protocol (AIP).

In the Appendix, on page 192, she has a page that gives helpful tips for “Weekend Prep for Weeknight Meals”, which is fantastic! Seriously, who doesn’t want to make their weekday evenings easier?!

For those that aren’t quite so experienced in the kitchen, I think this would be a great book for you. Not only are we talking easy one-pot meals, but there is a section in the book called “The Basics” on pages 184 – 191 that has bone broth recipes, condiments, rice variations, and common sauces.

It is also nice that it is noted on each recipe that it serves between 2 and 4 people, which is great for those of us with small households. For those with larger occupancy, each recipe can be doubled (I assume that larger families already have to do this and are prepared to do so).

The pictures in the book are beautiful and will make you hungry.

To Buy or Not to Buy….That is the question……I say YES!

Recipe: Side Dish – Slow Cooking ‘Greens’ with Bacon

30 Wednesday Nov 2016

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Growing up in Texas ‘Greens’ is something I grew-up eating. My grandmother would pick and cook polk salad greens, collard greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens. I honestly can’t remember if I liked them or not, but I certainly remember them cooking in a BIG pot on the stove with a giant ham hock in them.

I like to cook mine an easy way. I start them in the morning and they are ready by dinner.

Recipe: Side Dish – Slow Cooking ‘Greens’ with Bacon

Tools:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Chop the onion first and set aside. Chop the garlic cloves and set aside (do not mix with onions).

Then cut the bacon (cut 5+ strips, stacked at a time) in 1” pieces and fry in your pan, I like to add some garlic powder to my bacon while it cooks to layer flavor. Transfer the bacon after fully cooked into the slow cooker.

If you have an overabundance of bacon grease pour it into a glass jar leaving enough in the pan to sauté the onions and garlic. Then put the onions into the pan, season with pepper, garlic powder, and a little salt until nice and brown. In the last few mins add in your garlic cloves – as soon as you can smell the garlic remove from heat and transfer into the slow cooker.

Pour in the bone broth (should be about ½ way up the side of the crock pot). Add the ACV and hot sauce. Stir.

Dump in ½ the pre-washed pre-cut greens of choice and season then add in the rest and season again. Squish it all down in the liquid with your hands.

Then fill the rest of the crock pot with filtered water, leaving at least 1” of room at the top.

Secure lid and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 10-12.

I’m certain this recipe can be easily done in an Instant Pot as well, sautéing the bacon first, then the onions and garlic, then adding in the liquid, greens, and cooking. I’ve not cooked greens in it yet so I’m not sure how long to suggest setting the heat/timer for…..perhaps we would use the “Soup” button?

I highly encourage you to Sign-up for Thrive Market. The annual fee is less than Sams Club or CostCo at $59.95 per year. I will save over $600 this year alone purchasing through Thrive Market. The second best part, aside from saving money, is that it all gets delivered to my door and I don’t have to go to the store.

Thrive Market allows you to shop for all the healthy food items you know and love at discount prices, because they cut out the middle man, and it gets delivered to your door so it also saves you time. Not only to you save money, but for every paid membership Thrive Gives a membership to a family in need.

I am so irritated by the aftermath of the recent election results….

11 Friday Nov 2016

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I typically do not write or post on subjects that are not about food, fitness, or fun! BUT….I am so irritated by the aftermath of the recent election results.

The comments and back and forth on social media has been craziness! People are talking ugly and are out-and-about acting like lunatics. I understand that the LBGT community, minorities, and immigrants are concerned about their lives and futures – however violence and looting is NOT going to improve the situation at all, most likely will make it worse. By the way, we are all concerned about our lives and futures; I wish people realized that we are actually in the same boat together. People’s true colors come out in times of adversity.

I was very opposed to Obama taking office both times. I was not and am not a fan of his. I was in fear for my and our country’s future during his time in office. At no time, NOT ONE TIME, did I talk ugly to Obama supporters. NOT ONE TIME did I stage protests, riot, loot, or create ciaos because I was unhappy with the U.S. nation’s presidential choice.

What is done is done. The current election is done. It is our duty as citizens of the republic of the United States of America (one nation under God and indivisible) to peruse happiness, to celebrate and live out our freedoms, and to be the change we want to see “peaceably”. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “believed that nonviolent protests is the most effective weapon against a racist and unjust society”.

It couldn’t have been said any better than in the movie The American President – “America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You’ve gotta want it bad, ’cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say, “You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.” This is how mature adults conduct themselves.

From the very inception of our federal government there were a few men that had concerns about giving more power to the federal government, “fearing it would endanger the rights of states and individuals” (http://www.history.com/topics/constitution). Which it has! At the onset of our federal government, it was the job of Congress to “govern foreign affairs, conduct war, and regulate currency”, that is it! We find ourselves in the place we are now within our country because the federal government has too much power over the states and citizens.

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“The Bill of Rights guarantees individuals certain basic protections as citizens, including freedom of speech, religion and the press; the right to bear and keep arms; the right to peaceably assemble; protection from unreasonable search and seizure; and the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.” This part of our constitution is what all U.S. citizens and hopeful to-be citizens hold so close, stand on, and fight for. A lot of these freedoms most people do not have the privilege of on our planet. The funny part to me is that many of these basic freedoms are the exact topics that politicians and citizens are fighting over – religion, speech, and right to bear and keep arms. As far as I’m concerned there is nothing to fight over, it is set – it is in the Constitution already – be happy and thankful we have them.

The Preamble of the Constitution is inspiring to me and is something that very few people take the time to meditate on. It is powerful, it is what we, as citizens, should all be spending our time trying to achieve, instead of promoting discord. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common Defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (http://constitutionus.com/) I hope and pray that these words will set your perspective as to what this nation is really about.

Let me tell you what this nation is not about….it is not about someone owing you anything, it is not about the minority ruling the majority, it is not about the right or freedom to harm the other citizens or their possessions around you, it is not about bullying and forcing your opinions on others, it is not about infringing on the God-given and Bill of Rights’ given freedoms of others, and it is not about your agenda.

The government and people of this country have lost their way, away from the principals of what this country was founded on. Greed and power have overcome. Everyone wants our rights and freedoms, but few people want to do the work it takes to keep and maintain them.

corruption-power-quotes-01

We still live in the best country on this planet. This song epitomizes how I feel about people abusing our country.

“The Fightin’ Side Of Me“

I hear people talkin’ bad,
About the way we have to live here in this country,
Harpin’ on the wars we fight,
An’ gripin’ ’bout the way things oughta be.

An’ I don’t mind ’em switchin’ sides,
An’ standin’ up for things they believe in.
When they’re runnin’ down my country, man,
They’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.

Yeah, walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.
Runnin’ down the way of life,
Our fightin’ men have fought and died to keep.
If you don’t love it, leave it:
Let this song I’m singin’ be a warnin’.
If you’re runnin’ down my country, man,
You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.

I read about some squirrely guy,
Who claims, he just don’t believe in fightin’.
An’ I wonder just how long,
The rest of us can count on bein’ free.

They love our milk an’ honey,
But they preach about some other way of livin’.
When they’re runnin’ down my country, hoss,
They’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.

Yeah, walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.
Runnin’ down the way of life,
Our fightin’ men have fought and died to keep.
If you don’t love it, leave it:
Let this song I’m singin’ be a warnin’.
If you’re runnin’ down my country, man,
You’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.

american-flag-pledge-allegiance-19250489

God Bless America

 

Recipe: All-In-One-Meal – Meat Lasagna

19 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by in Food

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I made this for dinner this past Saturday night and it was a big hit! It does take time to make, so only make this when you have plenty of time.

We were planning to eat dinner around 7:30p and I started cooking at 5:30p. I placed it in the oven around 6:30-ish and we ate around 7:30-ish.

Recipe: Main Dish – Meat Lasagna

Tools:

  • Chopping Board
  • Knife
  • Large/Deep Pan
  • Spatula
  • Large Plate
  • Medium Size Bowl
  • 2 Big Spoons
  • Lots of Paper Towels
  • Trash Can
  • Pot
  • Slotted Spoon
  • Colander
  • 9×13 baking dish

Sauce Ingredients:

  • Butter
  • Small or ½ Large Yellow or White Onion
  • 1 Organic Green Bell Pepper
  • Sliced Mushrooms (optional – my family doesn’t like them so I don’t use them)
  • 1 lb of Grass-fed Ground Beef or 1 lb of ground pork Italian sausage (or half and half of each)
  • 1 Tbs Fresh Minced Garlic
  • 1 15oz Can Petite Diced Tomatoes – Drained
  • 1 32oz Jar of Marinara Sauce
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1/8 Lemon

Cheese Mixture Ingredients:

  • 16oz – 20oz of Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
  • 1 8oz Pkg of Softened Cream Cheese
  • 1 – 2 tsp of homemade or jar Basil Pesto
  • ¼ Cup of Parmesan Cheese

Other:

  • Lasagna Noodles
  • Shredded Cheese of Choice (Mozzarella or Italian Cheese Blend)
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Powered Garlic
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

Place 16 – 20 oz of ricotta cheese on a large place and press it flat. Cover with paper towels, as the paper towels get wet, remove and replace. I went through a lot of paper towels, but drawing the moisture out of the ricotta will prevent the lasagna from being watery. I did this process for approximately 1 hour prior to layering. Alternatively, you could use a cheese cloth and squeeze the moisture out of the cheese.

Chop onion and green bell pepper in small equal size pieces. Place onion in hot pan with butter to brown over a medium-high heat. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When onions are brown add green bell pepper, add more salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Continue to sauté over a medium-heat until brown. At this time, add the mushrooms if you show choose (add butter, and more seasonings as before). The key is to add seasonings to each layer of ingredients.

sauted-onion-green-bell-pepper

Add the ground meat, salt, pepper, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and 1 Tbs of fresh minced garlic. Continue to cook over a medium-heat until meat is browned.

Add the drained can of tomatoes, salt, pepper, and stir – then cook over a medium-heat the rest of the liquid out of them. Then add the jar of marinara sauce, salt, Italian seasoning, and stir – cook to reduce/thicken on a low-medium heat until the rest of the components are ready to layer.

Pre-heat oven to 375°.

Bring a pot of water with salt to a boil. Add noodles, stir and cook according to package instructions.

cooking-noodles

While cooking noodles, mix your Ricotta cheese, cream cheese, basil pesto, and parmesan cheese together in a bowl and set aside.

Once noodles are done, drain and rinse with cold water, and return to a pot of cold water (this will keep them from sticking together and getting gummy). Pat noodles dry just before layering. I placed paper towels out on my counter top, put 3 noodles down, and placed paper towels on top to pat dry.

Turn off the stove under the sauce.

Line up your 9×13 pan, sauce, cheese mixture, noodles, and paper towels on the counter for easy access.

Time to build…..

  • Add a thin layer of meat sauce to bottom of pan
  • Dry and layer 3 noodles (length wise in pan)
  • Add more meat sauce
  • Generous layer of shredded cheese
  • Dry and layer 3 noodles (length wise in pan)
  • Add entire cheese blend mixture
  • Add more shredded cheese
  • Dry and layer 3 noodles (length wise in pan)
  • Add the remainder of the meat sauce

Cover with foil and puncture small vent holes with a knife. Bake for 30 minutes.

foil-with-vents

Remove from oven and remove the foil. Add a liberal amount of shredded cheese of choice and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

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Done. Eat. Enjoy.

I highly encourage you to Sign-up for Thrive Market

Thrive Market allows you to shop for all the healthy food items you know and love at discount prices, because they cut out the middle man, and it gets delivered to your door so it also saves you time. Not only to you save money, but for every paid membership Thrive Gives a membership to a family in need.

Are you applying a band-aid to a mortal wound?

14 Friday Oct 2016

Posted by in Lifestyle

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For many years, I would experience a symptom and find a supplement or medication for it. Don’t get me wrong, supplements and medications have their place and are very important.

But, you don’t want to put band-aids on mortal wounds….you’ll die. The band-aids helped me get by, but didn’t stop the bleeding.

You have to fix the big stuff before the little stuff will really have an impact. I mean who cares if there is dirt in the wound if there is a big piece of metal sticking out of it?!? You have to remove the metal projectile and then clean the dirt out….

The BIG stuff….

1. Food and Beverage Quality

You’re going to get out of your body what you put into your body. I type and say the word “quality” everyday to someone; it matters! What you put into your body is either taking you one-step closer to health or one step closer to disease.

If you would like more information about this subject please read Eat the Yolks (Audible version is $1.99). I have a post called Quality Food Sources you can check out for some quality resources.

2. Sleep Quality (and Quantity)

Your body heals when it sleeps, it cleans when it sleeps, and it rebuilds when it sleeps. If you have poor quality sleep, the wheels will fall off the wagon. Your body cannot heal and restore health unless you are getting enough good quality sleep.

A few tips for better sleep: 1) Reduce or Remove Screen Time after sundown (use flux or Apple’s “night shift” function on phones/tablets, and blue-blocking glasses), the blue light prevents melatonin production; 2) Reduce your home temperature around 70 degrees, 3) White Noise, I use fans and earplugs, but you can also use APs like SleepStream; 4) Super Dark Room, mostly the artificial light is the issue….light from devises, smoke detectors, yard lights etc., if you cannot block all the light out, use a sleep-mask, 5) If you can take an evening walk around sundown that is a great way to wind down for the night; 6) Supplements or Herbal Assistance – Doc Parsley’s Sleep Remedy (Discount Code: candace to save 10%), Epsom salt bath, EASE Magnesium on the bottom of feet, and to help your body produce its own melatonin use Cedarwood Essential Oil

3. Stress Management 

This subject is very touchy for me. I’ve shared some on stress here.

Stress itself is not a disease, but it will kill you!  I think that “mind-set” falls under this category.

There is physical stress like an internal infection or exercise and there is mental stress which is everything else…..mental stress is about your perception. The trick is learning to change your mind-set about how you perceive the things that typically stress you out.

When I get stressed out, taking a walk really helps me (inside, outside). Taking at least one walk a day helps me to prevent getting stressed as well. Using the Calm AP is helpful which has guided meditations, relaxing sounds, and more. Self-care is fantastic at preventing stress and helping reduce existing stress (schedule a massage, a mani/pedi, get out in nature (go fishing), play with pets, take a nice long bath, read, take a nap, spend time with light-hearted friends, whatever will help you relax and decompress.) I also love Stress Away Essential Oil; it smells sooooo good.

4. Smart Exercise / Movement

When it comes to exercise there are so many people who take it to such extremes and I’m not sure they even realize it.

Be specific in the goals you want to achieve; you won’t know how to get there if you don’t know where you are going. Measure your movement; use a tracker, count your steps and your stairs each day. Keep yourself to a pre-set measurable amount of time for exercise each week. Stay within the parameters you set so you don’t overdo it. Be realistic in the amount of exercise is really needed to effectively achieve your goals. Don’t do anything over what is necessary. Allow time for warm-ups, cool-downs, rest, and recovery.

Choose challenging and relevant movement and exercise to achieve your goals. For example, if you want to be able to do pull-ups do exercises to strengthen the muscles needed to achieve a pull-up.

Find the balance between achieving your fitness and health goals and all the fun stuff in life, like sleeping, eating, and hanging out with friends and family.

Recommended Exercise

Walk every day as much as possible

  • 1 – 3 sessions of around 30 minutes of challenging weight lifting per week
  • 1 – 2 sessions of 5 – 10 minutes of sprints each week
  • At least 1 – 2 sessions of 10 – 20 minutes of mobility work and stretching (Look into Becoming a Supple Leopard.)

All of the above is less than 3 hours a week of exercise time that will help keep your body healthy and mobile.

Start your health journey with what you can control – you can control these 4 things.

Once the big metal projectile is out of the wound you can clean the dirt out and really start healing.

Introducing: Nutreince

13 Thursday Oct 2016

Posted by in General, Nutrition

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I am super excited to introduce to you Nutreince by: Calton Nutrition.

Nutreince is a multivitamin unlike any other!

The Calton’s designed this multivitamin for maximum absorption. They have used a patented Anti-Competition Technology, which means the eliminates “over 45 absorption and health-blocking micronutrient competitions while providing more than 85 absorption and health-enhancing micronutrient synergies to greatly increase the benefits and utilization of many of the essential micronutrients found in nutreince”.

They also went to the trouble to make sure that the forms of the nutrients in the product are the active, complete, safe, and bio-available forms, so your body can actually use it. Nutreience is in a two mini-packet per-day powder that you add to water and drink. It should be taken within 20-30 minutes of a meal, one packet in the morning and one in the evening. It is 98% absorbable and supplies your body with 100% of the daily value of 20 vitamins and minerals.

Take the Micronutrient Sufficiency Quiz to see what nutrients you are deficient in.

Nutreince is great for children over the age of 4 or 54 pounds and it tastes delicious so they will love it! You can cut the dose in half for smaller children. It is also a fantastic source for 5-MTHF and folate (not folic acid) for pregnant women; not to mention it will not cause an upset stomach.

For more information and questions go here  and click on Nutreince and then click through the information tabs mid-way down the page; particularly the Q&A tab.

You can purchase a sample pack here (scroll 1/2 down the page) for $10.00 to taste the different flavors.
If you only pick one vitamin to take, Nutreince is the one you should pick!

I also highly recommend the Calton’s books – click here to buy:

  1. Naked Calories “reveals the naked truth about what you are eating and how your lifestyle habits may unknowingly be sabotaging your health”;
  2. Rich Food Poor Food “Grocery Purchasing System (GPS), is a unique guide that steers the consumer through the grocery store aisles, directing them to health enhancing Rich Food options while avoiding health detracting Poor Food ones”; and
  3. The Micronutrient Miracle “explains the truth about what you’re really eating and how your habits may be depleting essential micronutrients. It also provides an easy-to-follow 28-day plan to reverse these effects by restoring your depleted micronutrients”.

 

All Things Baby – Safe Body & Hair Products

12 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by in Babies: Before, During & After

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What we put on our skin and baby’s skin gets absorbed into the blood stream. Go simple, minimal, as few ingredients as possible. It is important to reduce your toxin load as much as possible and even more so during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Also, your baby’s toxin load. If you can control it….do….because you are getting so many toxins from the environment that you cannot control.

Generally speaking I do not recommend using products on babies or yourself that you can pick-up at a drug store or grocery store. There are some out there that you can get in stores that are safe, but I recommend the ones below specifically for expecting mothers and babies.

Safe Body and Hair Products

Innersence Organic Beauty

Primal Life Organics

Annmarie Gianni

Beauty Counter

Mother Dirt

Top Ingredients to avoid in products:

  • Aluminum chloride hexahydrate: Found in antiperspirant; check for aluminum chloride hexahydrate and aluminium chlorohydrate
  • Benzoyl peroxide (used in acne products)
  • Beta hydroxy acids: Salicylic acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, trethocanic acid and tropic acid
  • Benzalkonium Chloride: cleansers, antibacterial
  • DEA (Diethanolamine (DEA): Found in hair and body products; stay clear of diethanolamine, oleamide DEA, lauramide DEA and cocamide DEA), MEA, and TEA (foam booster)
  • Dihydroxyacetone (DHA): Found in spray self-tanners; could be harmful if inhaled
  • Dioxin (doesn’t always appear on ingredients lists, but is commonly added to antibacterial products, ethoxylated cleansers, PEGsand emulsifiers)
  • DMDM hydantoin and urea (used as preservatives)
  • FD&C colors and pigments (made from coal tar)
  • Formaldehyde: Found in hair straightening treatments, nail polishes and eyelash glue; look for formaldehyde, quaternium-15, dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM), hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, and 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol)
  • Hydroquinone: A lightening agent; abstain from hydroquinone, idrochinone and quinol/1-4 dihydroxy benzene/1-4 hydroxy benzene
  • Parabens (Keep away from ethyl, propyl, butyl, isopropyl, and methyl parabens; used as preservatives)
  • PEG or polyethylene glycol (are in most products)
  • Phthalates (found in many products, not usually labeled); (Found in products with synthetic fragrances and nail polishes; avoid diethyl and dibutyl especially)
  • Propylene glycol (PG) and butylene glycol (in many products)
  • Retinol: Vitamin A, retinoic acid, retinyl palmitate, retinaldehyde, adapalene, tretinoin, tazarotene and isotretinoin (Here are some retinol alternatives)
  • Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) (used as a foaming agent)
  • Sunscreen chemicals (Avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone, oxtinoxate, menthyl anthranilate and oxtocrylene.)
  • Thioglycolic acid: Found in chemical hair removers; can also be labeled acetyl mercaptan, mercaptoacetate, mercaptoacetic acid and thiovanic acid
  • Toluene: Found in nail polishes; skip methylbenzene, toluol and antisal 1a
  • Triclosan (an antibacterial agent)

This is a good site to use to check the quality of the products you are using.

Wellness Mama  put out a post on essential oils and pregnancy.

Here is a post about Herbal Remedies In Pregnancy; more specifically which ones to avoid.

Real Food Liz  mentioned she used the Mad Rash Baby Blam for irritated neck rolls. She did a great post recently here discussing her favorite “products for baby’s butt”.

Please also use clean water to shower and bathe in if you can. Particularly the water you bathe in if you can. Particularly the water you bathe your baby in.

I wish you all the healthiest of pregnancies and babies!

If you missed my first All Things Baby post….click here.