Pages

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Healthy Holiday Tips




The holiday season is upon us!  Many of us will be getting together with loved ones we cherish.  We will share traditions and memories.  We'll reflect on the last year and the new things we have experienced.  We will also share over meals.  Maybe several; maybe even celebrate at office parties!

What do we do?
How do we keep eating food that makes us feel  wonderful  instead of pain or even worse symptoms?

Here are a few simple ideas and suggestions that you can work into your festivities this Holiday season.

Tip 1.

If you eat until you’re well satisfied and nourished days before and days after the celebrations, you will be less apt to feel deprived and veer off into temptations.  So stay well satisfied and always make sure you are regularly eating foods you really enjoy.  Have nourishing soups (soup recipe, below) on the days before and days immediately after the party.  Have steaming, comforting bowls of food made with onions, peppers or garlic - any combination or all three together.   These ingredients will boost your Vitamin C and have anti-flu and cold benefits.

Tip 2.

At the party, eat only very tiny amounts of any starches such as sweet potato side dishes, breads and sweet desserts.   Keep a mental running total in your head.  Decide ahead of time what you’ve felt is a safe limit and stick to that.   Gently remind yourself that if you cheat too much you might feel bad soon afterwards and you want to feel great to keep up your good health now that you’ve finally regained it.

Tip 3.

Eat lots of butter on meats and non-starchy dishes which will be the bulk of what you eat at the event.  I even advocate B. Y.O. B. (Bring your own BUTTER!).  There are two good reasons for doing this step. One, some families consider using real butter a bit of a luxury (when it isn’t when you know its value, but that’s another discussion for another blog post).  The second reason is that some people will present a substance thought to be butter when in fact it isn’t anything remotely like the real McCoy!   This happens more often then I care to acknowledge!

Tip 4.

Take some kind of anti-fungal or herbal immune booster.  Take it the night before, the morning of, the evening of AND even the next morning (if you sense any symptoms or signs of illness) of the party.

Wellness Formula (click on link below!)

http://iherb.com/p/4562?rcode=joq664





Tip 5.

During the Holiday season make sure you take time for yourself so you don’t feel over-rushed or weighed down with endless responsibilities and to-dos. 
Take time to be good to yourself –
Do fun things for no reason –
Go to a good movie or meet with a friend to talk and drink tea or coffee.

Tip 6.

Go right back to eating well immediately the day after a party.   If you carefully cheat only one day and eat no sugars or starches afterwards you are less apt to get sick or even feel bad.

So there you go.  A few tips some of which (probably all)  I have learned over the years to make sure you have a wonderful, tasty, fun Holidays.  Days with great friends and family and wonderful health and life!

Here’s some soup that comforts and nourishes your soul between celebrations.


Sprouted Bean Trio Soup with Sausage                       Serves 6

2 medium red onions, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 cup celery, chopped
3 garlic, minced (I use roasted garlic I’ve roasted inside a roast chicken, previously)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons virgin olive oil
Or
Skip butter and oil and use 4 Tablespoons lard (full of Vitamin D)
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
Few grinds of fusion hot pepper blend (optional)
6-8 cups water with fumet or chicken stock
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 lb. beef sausage like Kielbasa, cubed
1 cup sprouted bean trio, TruRoots brand at Costco or make homemade
Sea salt , to taste

Heat butter and oil in large cast iron Dutch oven pan or large saucepot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery and carrots.  Cook till soft and translucent about 5 minutes,  Add thyme, bay leaves, garlic, ground beef and sausage and cook for 3 more minutes.  Let the flavors really develop and let everything get a little brown.  This makes the soup very similar to a good gumbo despite the fact there is no brown roux.  (Yes, I do know how to make a true Southern Louisiana Gumbo, even though I grew up far north from our southern borders, trust me on this, especially if you are a Cajun.)

Add stock and beans and cook at least 15 minutes.   Don’t let it boil over, turn heat to medium low if it threatens to do so.  Test the beans to see if they are tender enough and add salt to taste and more ground black pepper if needed.
Serve!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

A Great Ebook Bundle Offer And A New Recipe!

I wanted to let everyone know about this great offer.
This collection is only available from 8 a.m. EST on October 29th to 8 a.m. EST on November 3rd. There will be no late sales offered.

http://www.keeperofthehome.org/the-healthy-living-ebook-bundle-sale

HUGE Sale on Healthy Living ebooks


For 5 days only, 27 prominent Healthy Living authors have joined together to bundle 34 of their most popular eBooks, valued at just over $300, for the incredibly low price of $29.
That’s only $0.87 per book to gain inspiration, encouragement, and the practical resources you need for your own healthy lifestyle. Plus, receive $49 of additional FREE Bonuses, and be entered to win one of 3 great prizes.


What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase the Healthy Living eBook collection, you will get instant access to each of the 34 eBooks listed below.

PLUS $49 of FREE Bonuses

Each Healthy Living eBook Bundle comes with $49 of FREE Bonuses from several of our favorite healthy living companies. Offers include a variety package from Redmond Trading ($21 Value), a FREE 3-Month subscription to Plan to Eat ($15 Value), and a FREE Sourdough Starter or Traditional Buttermilk Starter from Cultures for Health ($13 Value). Click here for more details.

PLUS get entered to win one of 3 Great Prizes

Each person who purchases a Healthy Living eBook bundle is automatically entered to win any one of the following 1 Excalibur 9-Tray Dehydrator, 1 Omega VRT350 Masticating Juicer, or a R1 Royal Berkey Water Filtration System (Click here for more details).
Click here to purchase your Healthy Living eBook collection (with FREE bonuses) today!
Please note: This collection is only available from 8 a.m. EST on October 29th to 8 a.m. EST on November 2nd. There will be no late sales offered.

Real Food Meals for the Whole Family

Have Your Fruits… and Veggies, Too! by Laura Coppinger @ Heavenly Homemakers ($5.95)
Real {Fast} Food by Trina Holden @ Trina Holden ($6)
20 Minute Meals by Leigh Ann Dutton @ Intentional by Grace ($4.99)
Real Food… Real Easy by various bloggers @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Baking, Snacks and Desserts

Smart Sweets by Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship ($8.95)
Healthy Snacks To Go by Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship ($8.95)
Sourdough A to Z by Wardee Harmon @ GNOWFGLINS ($20)

Homemade “Everything” (Condiments, Pantry Basics, etc.)

Restocking the Pantry by Kresha Faber @ Nourishing Joy ($7.99)
Easy. Homemade. by Mandi Ehman @ Life Your Way ($3.99)

Grain Free and Paleo/Primal Eating

Grain Free Meal Plan Cookbook by Cara Faus @ Health, Home & Happiness ($18)
Toadally Primal Smoothies by Todd @ Primal Toad ($9.95)
Simple Food {for spring} by Shannon @ Nourishing Days ($10)
Simple Food {for winter} by Shannon @ Nourishing Days ($10)
Well Fed (Paleo Recipes) by Melissa Joulwan @ The Clothes Make The Girl ($14.95)

Saving Money on Real Food

Real Food on a Real Budget by Stephanie Langford @ Keeper of the Home ($18.99)
Plan It, Don’t Panic by Stephanie Langford @ Keeper of the Home ($4.99)
Don’t Compost It, Cook It by April Patel @ An Apple a Day Wisdom ($2.99)

Skincare and Beauty

My Buttered Life (Baby edition) by Renee Harris @ Hard Lotion ($5)
My Buttered Life (Gift edition) by Renee Harris @ Hard Lotion ($5)
My Buttered Life (Summer edition) by Renee Harris @ Hard Lotion ($5)
Simple Scrubs to Make and Give by Stacy Karen @ A Delightful Home ($3.99)
Food on Your Face for Acne and Oily Skin by Leslie @ Crunchy Betty ($7.99)
Holistic Mama’s Guide to Homemade Skincare by Roxanne King @ The Holistic Mama ($19)

Homesteading, Gardening and Preserving

Your Custom Homestead by Jill Winger @ The Prairie Homestead ($4.99)
Guide to Gardening and Preserving by Laura Coppinger @ Heavenly Homemakers ($7.95)
Apartment Gardening by Jami Leigh @ Young Wife’s Guide ($2.99)

Healthy Lifestyle

Simple Living by Lorilee Lippincott @ Loving Simple Living ($2.99)
Herbal Nurturing by Michele Augur @ Frugal Granola ($8.95)
Simple Natural Health by Nina Nelson @ Shalom Mama ($17)
Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie Langford @ Keeper of the Home ($12.95)
Music: An Essential Ingredient for Life by Resound School of Music ($6.99)

Pregnancy and Babies

Breast to Bib by Kate Tietje @ Modern Alternative Pregnancy ($8.95)
Healthy Pregnancy Super Foods by Kate Tietje @ Modern Alternative Pregnancy ($8.95)
Unbound Birth by Jenny Yarborough @ The Southern Institute ($4.99)

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these awesome Healthy Living companies…

$21.00 of incredible natural products from “Earthpaste” “Real Salt” and “Redmond Clay” products for FREE.
Your choice of a FREE sourdough starter, or a FREE traditional buttermilk starter from Cultures for Health ($12.99 value)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is a simple online menu planner that organizes your recipes and creates your grocery list for you. ($15.00 value)

PLUS, You will also be entered to win one of the following 3 awesome prizes…

9-Tray Excalibur Dehydrator with Timer
($349.95 Value)

Omega Vert VRT350 Masticating Juicer
($379.99 Value)

Royal Berkey Water Filtration System from LPC Survival  
$289.00 Value)

And here's a great recipe for breakfast.

You take an egg and separate the white and mix in a little shredded coconut.  Then make a little nest with it in your frying pan sizzling with butter and put the egg yolk in the center and cook like sunny side up or if you're like me easy over!  It's that easy.   I think this might be my new favorite thing to eat.  So filling!  Sprinkle just a little sea salt and now it's all salty sweet.  Yum!

I got the idea for this from another recipe I saw the other day but didn't remember the exact details.  Later I realized they were saying to make these in the oven.  Mine is so quick on top of the stove.
Enjoy!
And I really hope you check out the book deal - ends Nov. 3rd.