End of the Veggie Run!

Welcome to the end of the work week! (For most, that is.)

I am here to give you the update on how our final Fruit and Veggie Run went!

Wednesday I was feeling great - still loving the abundance of fruits, though admittedly a little tired of salad with no dressing ;-) But I just kept at it - last day, right?? And we had dinner plans with the dad, meeting at Applebee's.

Uh-oh. That sounds tantalizingly dangerous!

So, what's a good little nutritionist do? She plans ahead! I scour their website and hunt down the menu to see what would be acceptable for me. Lo and behold, a beautiful salad is part of their menu! The Asian Crunch Salad - romaine lettuce, cucumber, red onions, roasted red peppers, and sweet peas! I decide to just order it without the chicken and almonds, and dressing on the side.

I don't need no steenking dressing! I has my lemon!

(Mine came without the chicken though!!)

So, with that plan in mind - off we go! The only splurge I make is to keep the almonds - I am hungry and the salad just doesn't sound filling enough without some extra protein. So there it is! A lovely salad - and I devoured that sucker!

....and then we sat there for another hour conversing and laughing and having good times, and Dave had half of his burger sitting there, taunting me.

Evil burger.

A chink in the armor - I ate that half of that acid-forming burger.

Then a damaging blow to the armor!

The men wanted dessert - and oh what a dessert it was! A Maple Butter Blondie and a Chocolate Chip Cookies Sundae staring me in the face.

My rational mind began telling me all the reasons that I didn't want those resplendent foods: they're not really food, they're just "edible foodlike substances," I have worked too hard to bomb that heavily; processed food junks up the system, dairy can cause mucus formation for me... ok, well maybe one little bite....

And those men and their small stomachs! They couldn't finish their desserts! So I did. Ah well, it was enjoyable and tasty - though quickly past the pleasure of the taste buds and then just sat like a brick in the stomach. And that dairy and/or burger sure did affect my mucus production. I felt more congested and drainy that night than I have in a long time!

My body began working to digest all of that, and I don't know if it was just coincidence, but I was so tired! I couldn't even stay awake on the drive home! Thankfully Dave drove!

And the next morning, I woke with a lethargy like none other, and still some mucus buildup in my throat. And no appetite. By the time lunch rolled around, I felt somewhat hungry again, so I enjoyed a fresh veggie salad - but something was still undigested. That salad felt like it just sat there, blocked, and I felt all bloated and cramped. Yuck!

So it's back to my lighter fair again! Yesterday I went back to fruits and veggies and a few nuts. And this morning - so much better! I went to the gym, did my 3.1 miles on the treadmill - and didn't want to get off! So I just kept a'truckin'! Then for the last few minutes, I even cranked up the pace a bit! My 3.1 miles turned into 4.85!! Ahhhh, the body just seems to function better on lighter, colorful foods!

I have a luscious alkalizing green smoothie with me today (my happy desk companion as I type!) and some soaked wild rice to wrap with spinach and sprouts for lunch.

To quote my dad's old-time computer game hero, Duke Nukem: "Ahhhh, much better!"

Happy Friday! Lots of love :)

~Katie

Viva la Veggies!

Good evening, everyone!

Sorry for not posting lately - I guess I let my "staycation" get me a little lazy! My goal to sweat every day ALMOST happened... but I let a visit from my sister give me "reason" to slack. Ah well. I know I could have gone for my jog while she rested, but it was just such a nice cozy home, and I didn't feel like leaving!

But it's back to the grind! Dave and I have been enjoying playing guinea pig on ourselves. 6 days, nothing but fruits and veggies. (Is this a long-term plan? No. It would not be something to recommend long-term, but for less than a week, we were curious!)

Day 1 started out great! Dave admitted that his system was loving the easy digestion, and that he didn't feel so "bogged down" with trying to process junk. He was a whirl-wind Mr. Mom and spent the whole day checking off tasks left and right, and getting the home all clean!

Then the end of day 1 came.... and we both crashed. Tired, and I had a splitting headache. But we just went to bed early, slept a solid 10 hours (yikes!) and began days 2 and 3.

Those days were rough (I would have posted, but we were so tired from it!) Still felt lethargic, some brain fog, and the headache only slightly diminishing. Fruit-packed smoothies helped give us some natural sugars for energy; and adding some veggies helps sustain the long term health. Saturday evening, I pulled out some veggie wraps for us. Dave's supportive comment: "when I saw those plates of nothing but veggies - no cheese, no dressing... I thought I was going to die!" A little dramatic, but that's my man! And that brave soul managed to eat two entire wraps!

Admittedly, with only lemon for seasoning, they were a little bland, but still amazing nutritional sources! So much goodness wrapped into one little bundle! And easy on the digestion!

Pure Veggie Wraps

Shredded carrots

Raw corn

Mung bean sprouts

Onions

Chives

Broccoli sprouts

Lemon Juice

Large Veggie Leaves (ie: collards, Romaine, cabbage)

Top a large leaf with items of choice, squeeze a little lemon juice if desired, roll and devour!

I enjoyed cabbage leaves just because they are so sturdy. The Romaine tended to break and leak more! But all are good and healthy!

Day 4 is bringing back some energy. Dave was actually up and awake today, and I feel great! Having fun playing with the kids at work (enjoying some old-school Michael Jackson "Thriller" with one little boy!) and finding time to let you all peek in on our craziness! :)

Dave has forbidden me to mention the "holy name of Chipotle" for the next few days. Ha! He has also had dreams of Oreo Cakes, and dwells on thoughts of hot dogs and M&Ms. Hopefully his cravings for junk will soon start to lessen - mine have! I am craving fruit! Craziness!

I hope your week is off to a wonderfully energetic beginning! See you again soon!

xoxox

~Katie

Wednesday Words: Whole Grains 102

Welcome back, class, to Whole Grains 102! We will be continuing that exciting topic of making sure you’re getting what you want regarding whole grains! (And I’m really hoping that you WANT those whole grains, and opposed to refined “glorified sugar” versions on foods!)

I want to start off with the simple way to make sure that you ARE getting a good product – and then I’ll touch on the tricky ways companies market around it.

First, and easiest – with rice, you want brown rice. Simple! It’s brown because of that outer bran layer. The white rice has had that removed, and so reveals its naked white self. Scandalous! Put your bran on, little rice! You’re better that way!

Oats I will get in to next time.

For other items like pasta, tortillas, breads, and buns, the simple way to make sure your product is a whole grain is to check the ingredient list. The first product listed should include the word “whole.” “Whole grain flour,” “whole wheat flour,” “whole oat,” etc. Makes sense, doesn't it? You want Whole Grains, make sure it says is HAS Whole Grains!

The second thing to check is the fiber content. Look at the little nutrition label and make sure you’re getting at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Getting enough fiber is very important. Studies see a connection between high fiber diets and decreases in colon cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases. Fiber is also critical for your natural cleansing process! It’ll push the junk on out of ya! And on the way out, it is helping prevent constipation, hemorrhoids (don’t strain!), diverticulosis, and it can even sweep out some cholesterol, helping to keep those numbers in check.

So, that’s pretty simple! Just look for “whole” ingredients, and 3g fiber!

I could stop there, but I want to point out a few marketing trickeries, so you are aware.

A wheat product isn’t the same as Whole Wheat or Whole Grain. As shown in the 101 posting, that entire kernel was a WHEAT kernel! So, even when that kernel is processed down and the good parts are removed, they can still call it Wheat Bread. But you’re smart enough to not be fooled by that now, aren't ya! You want the WHOLE grain – bran, germ, and all!

For those types of products, the ingredient list will show “enriched” in the first ingredient. Enriched white flour, enriched wheat flour, etc. And again, that enriching processes means that after refining the grain, they added back synthetic nutrients to replace the natural goodness that was lost, and in smaller amounts that originally present. Avoid these items.

Those products also usually contain little in the way of fiber – maybe having none at all! Usually I see a whopping 1 gram listed on those.

BONUS MATERIAL:
For you over-achievers out there, here’s a little side topic about a newer wheat product: What about those “white wheat” breads?

Honestly, I haven’t looked at them too much. My initial reaction was that they were just white bread, made with the empty parts of the wheat grain. But there may be more too it!

The Mayo Clinic says these are actually made with a different type of wheat. Traditional wheat products are made from Red wheat. But there is a strain of Albino wheat, and “white whole-wheat bread – like regular whole-wheat bread – is made with the whole grain” and retains the fiber and nutrients. It is a softer version, more like white bread, marketing to those who are not ready to adjust to the heartier, nuttier flavors and textures of traditional whole wheat breads

Sound too good to be true, oh White-bread lovers out there? It just may be.

In a USA Today article about this new type of bread, Marion Nestle (a favorite dietitian and author of mine!) is quoted as saying:

“Bread is flour, water, yeast, salt. Period. This [white wheat bread] has something like 20 other ingredients.... Why not buy your kids real bread?"

Evidentially, albino wheat is still treated with a long list of conditioners and chemicals to make sure it replicates that doughy, soft texture of white bread. If so, that would be a far step from natural!

I’ll have to check out albino wheat bread at the store sometime to see the ingredient list for sure, but for now… I’ll pass on the “white wheat.” Personally, I like sprouted bread, but that’s for the advanced Whole Grains 201 class in the future!

Your homework: check the ingredients and fiber on your breads, pastas, wraps, buns, and cereals! See what you're getting! :)

*bell rings*

Alright, folks, that's all for today! Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

~Katie

Drink the Summer Rainbow

Good morning, everyone! I hope you've had a good week, and that your weekend is off to a great start! I know one way to get a good kick to your energy... c'mon you know what I'm gonna say... Smoothie!! :) (Do I sound like a broken record yet?)

I love Saturdays because they are Farmers' Market days here in my town! We have a humble little market with only about 8 farmers, and a few other entrepreneurs. You can also find soaps, lotions, baked goods, and crafts.

But before I restock my fridge with new produce from the market and the grocery store, I needed to make some room! So it was time to use up left over produce. I was surprised how much variety I still had! And it all looked so pretty! So this morning I did a rainbow smoothie. In produce, each color food carries its own health benefits - so get that variety!



So here's what I put in my smoothie:
Red: goji berries
Orange: peach
Yellow: pineapple and frozen mango
Green: kale and Romaine
Purple: strawberries and blackberries

Then I sprinkled in a few Tablespoons of flax seeds for some extra protein and omega oils.

Blend and enjoy!

This is a power-packed drink of fiber, vitamins and minerals, very alkaline and antioxidant rich... and a lot of great natural sugars to kick start the morning! It made a nice, thick, heavy smoothie - keeps me full for hours! (And keeps me skipping along as I browse the produce section at the store while being crowded among all the other Saturday morning shoppers.)

David Heber, MD, PhD wrote a book called What Color Is Your Diet? In it, he goes over the different colors and benefits.

White: Usually it is agreed that there is also the white color category - that would include things like onion, garlic, chives, and mushroom. Yeah... I didn't feel like putting that into my smoothie! I'm not that adventurous! Other white/green foods that I could have included, though, are celery and pears. These foods all contain flavonoids that protect your cell membranes.

Red: I talked about benefits a little bit in an earlier post during Valentine's Day. But, to refresh, bold red foods include tomatoes, watermelon, etc. Think bold bright, leaning more towards pink than purple. These foods are rich in lycopene, which helps fight cancer.

Darker Orange: carrots, sweet potato, and squash are great for the eyes! All the carotenoids help with night vision and are also great disease fighters.

Yellow-Orange: brighter colored oranges such as the orange fruit, nectarines, and papaya are phenomenal sources of Vitamin C - great for the immune system! Since Vitamin C is water-soluble, your body doesn't like to store it too much. So it's important to get vitamin C from food on a daily basis!

Yellow-Green: corn, spinach, avocado, and peas are part of this group. They are rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These components are now being linked with eye health and protection from macular degeneration!

Green: And the darker greens - kale, broccoli, sprouts, cabbage... these are such an important part of health. I've talked about it a little before, but these are rich in sulforaphane and help stimulate the liver, enhancing your body's natural detoxing and cleansing processes. They also contain isothicyanate and indoles, which help your body break down cancer-causing checmicals.

Purple: now you move into foods that are a darker red, such as grapes, berries, and eggplant. This color comes from anthocyanins that protect the heart.

So do like Skittles and taste (or drink!) the rainbow; but go for the natural, healthy rainbow instead of the sugary nutritionally-empty rainbow! ;-) You'll find that pot o' health in the end!

~Katie

Easy Omega-Rich Apple Snack

Good morning, lovely people! I hope your week has been going well! It has been a busy week at the homestead, continuing some spring cleaning and downsizing. It is such a liberating feeling throwing away bags and bags of junk! We’ve recycled box-loads of old paperwork, and unloaded a car full of items to Salvation Army. And I want to get rid of more! Seriously! It is addicting! Kind of like cleaning out your body of unwanted clutter and trash – feeling better and better the cleaner you get! (Oh yeah, I went there.)

So while you’re trying to simplify a diet with a return to whole foods, return to a simpler home life! GET RID OF CLUTTER! (I don’t have a whole lot of room to talk… my hubby is a pack-rat. But we’re working on it!) Plus, it’s always nice to give up some nice things to others who may appreciate it.

So anyways! Today is another easy spin on a classic childhood favorite: apple with peanut butter. Only, this time, it’s getting a crunchy addition.

I used to enjoy dipping my apple wedge in the peanut butter, then in Grape Nuts cereal – that extra crunch made it more enjoyable for me.

But, I now use almond butter, and don’t have any Grape Nuts hanging around the place right now, so I went for a different crunch – seeds! Chia and flax, specifically. (Yes – chia as in “Ch-ch-ch-CHIA!” Chia Pets. But I wouldn’t go buy a chia pet and steal the seeds… who knows if they’re treated or fertilized or something! Just check out your natural health store to see if they carry them)

Chia has become lovingly nicknamed “Alien Pods” at our place because of their look when they’re soaked and swollen. Toss some chia in a bit of water or milk, and they expand almost 3 times their size (great for helping you feel full as they expand!) – and they look like a little black dot in a clear egg shell :)

That's not water surrounding the pod - that's a gel formed on the seed! Alien pods!!!

But these little guys are little wonders. A single ounce of chia seed will provide 11 grams of fiber – helping you feel nice and full while pushing things through, cleansing as it goes. They are a complete protein, providing all of the 9 essential amino acids, as well as being a good source of Calcium, Manganese, and Phosphorus. These little guys are also a great source of Omega oils! …Which, you may have guessed based on the title of this post :) That 1 ounce serving contains almost 5 GRAMS of omega-3 fatty acids, and 1.6 grams of Omega-6 fatty acids.

Omega’s are being touted for so many benefits – for the heart, the mind, the hair, the skin, the joints. They help with bone health, inflammation, disease prevention…

Chia seeds are not always financially viable, though. I don’t mind paying for them now and then, because they add some fun variety. I like to sprinkle them on salads, in cereal, or soak them and add them to smoothies. They really don’t have much flavor – more just for texture!

Another good Omega source that works for this apple snack is flax seeds, the emblem of Northern Ireland! While not a complete protein, it’s darn close! Flax is a good source of Manganese and Phosphorus, but also give you a good dose of Copper, Magnesium, and Thiamin as well as a bit of Calcium, Iron, Zinc, and Selenium. Flax offers 6.4 grams of Omega-3 and 1.7 grams of Omega-6 per ounce!

And flax is pretty cheap! At my Kroger, I can get it at $1.99 per pound. And they’re light little buggers! You can get them golden yellow or a richer brown – I don’t notice a taste difference. Both have a slightly earthy, nutty flavor.

So enjoy either chia or flax seeds. Or, as I do, enjoy both!


Whichever seed, you’re getting a serving of goodness and a much healthier snack than something like potato chips or Nutter Butters!

Omega-away!

~Katie

Weed, Man... duuuuude...

Weeds are good!

(Notice I did NOT say "weed IS good!")

Weeds! Those pesky invaders of our gardens and lawns. They grow abundantly with little to no care. Heck, half the time you're TRYING to kill it, and it keeps a'goin'!

Why are they good?

Well, maybe they're not ALL good, but some are edible, healthy, and useful!

When Dave and I took our camping/wilderness class, we learned about so many great plants! Here's a quick run-down of the few we learned:

Dandelion: the leaves, while bitter, are great for liver cleansing! "Back in the day" (love that cliche!) people would go and actually buy medicines called "Bitters." Many green plants that have a sharp, bitter taste are good for you! The yellow heads can also be made into salads and honey! People are starting to recognize the benefit of dandelion now, so you may actually be able to find the greens in the store! But they are huge, full-grown leaves. One of our instructors said the smaller, more immature leaves are less bitter. I haven't had enough experience to be able to experiment the tastes, yet.

Purselane: I'm not sure of the specific nutritional value of these, but I know you can eat them! We chopped them up, heated them, then melted a ton of pepper jack cheese in it (shhhh! I know, not healthy!) and used it as dip for Triscuts at camp! So yummy!

Plantain or Plantago: (The flowery plant, not the banana-like fruit) well, ok, so this one is good for reasons other than nutritional sustenance. Plantain stalks are natural mosquito repellents! Eat three stalks per day for three days, and your body will start to naturally produce a repellent! Will it also repel those around you? I don't think so, but keep an eye out for friends inching away, and let me know ;-)

Jewel Weed: Dave's favorite! The thick stalks contain an aloe-like gel that you rub on itches! Specifically poison ivy, but it can may also help relieve other irritants.

Wood Sorrel: Dave calls this one "God's candy" as it has a slight lemony zing to it, and grows in abundance :) We also found this at one of the parks we have visited. Sadly, I didn't trust the park to be fertilizer-free, so we could not eat them. But they grown like crazy in our back yard, and I've seen a few sprouting this year! So maybe I'll season a salad with some lemon kick!

What a wonderful Provider we have! Such healthy, useful products within our own yards - and darn near impossible to screw up the growing!

Here's the kicker though: you can't usually rummage around fields to eat this food because we're trying to kill the weeds with weed killer! Poison on our bountiful health! Sadness!

If you don't treat your lawn with fertilizers or pesticides, and you're not near a roadway where lost of car exhaust will pollute your yard, you just may have a feast awaiting you! On the last day of my camp, we were given some instant rice, and told to add what we wanted to it. I went out and hunted up a bunch of green leafy dandelion leaves, jewel weed leaves, found a few wild carrot roots and onions, and tossed in a handful of wood sorrel for a hint of lemon! I turned that boring rice into a lovely grain salad!

I'm not sure when people's focus moved away from eating abundant weeds, to killing them while instead turning to harder-to-grow, out of season, transport-it-across-the-country eating. I have theories, but no real answers. Maybe it's time to start looking back to the way our ancestors used to live! (In some ways!) How much easier it would be to russle up a back-yard salad, instead of driving to the store to purchase week-old bag o' salad?

*siiiigh* Someday!

~Katie

PS: May I just say, Blogger frustrates me with its inconsistent spacings! If anyone has tips on alleviating this issue, please let me know! :) Xie-xie!

I got busy!

Oh my goodness! I can't believe I have only posted ONCE this month! I appologize for not being more on top of things, but life has been busy!

I have been studying to become a Certified LEAP Therapist (a diet therapist for food sensitivities that may cause suffering for migraines, IBS-D, fibromyalgia, and a host of other problems), applying for a new job, planning a baby shower for my current job, and planning a lecture on organics and healthy - yet still tasty - foods for busy people. Yikes!

But I will try to get back on top of things here. After all, it IS spring time and the warm weather definitely turns me towards healthy, fresh foods - and many people become more concerned with swim suit season! I have noticed my gym getting frustratingly crowded at new hours...

So Hooray for home workouts! Videos are nice; I still have my eliptical machine; jogging outdoors gives me some peace; or I'm learning about "Primal Workouts" using stuff you have around. Much fun to watch - I'll post more on that as I get further in to it!

But let's look at the spring cleaning... how about cleaning up your house in a more healthy, earth-friendly manner?

That wonderful Enviromental Working Group that I enjoy so much has come out with a Healthy Home Checklist you can use! There is a lot of great information about getting chemicals out of your clothes, your cleaning, and your body! See where you feel comfortable making some tweaks! And keep up with trying to spring clean your diet and your body, too!

Happy cleaning!!

~Katie

Get outside and get some clean air! ...if you can find it ;-)

Wednesday Words and The "Unsexy" Detox

Today’s words are two I’ve been using lately, and I realized that I don’t use them in the same sense that the media often does. DETOX and CLEANSE. Wooo-ey! These are terms that get thrown around a lot in the news! I mean, who hasn’t heard the latest celebrity Miss Skinny doing a master cleanse, or Mr. Fancy Pants doing such-and-such a detox regimen. And wow, don’t they just look great and slim?!

The way they media uses them, you might as well say “UNDERNOURISH” and “STARVE.” But that’s not what these terms really mean! Sure, there are many fad programs around that ask you to drink crazy concoctions, or fast, or use enemas, or who knows what else! And yes, with such a caloric restriction, you will probably lose weight - while your on it. But most of the time, people who follow these plans just end up back where they started afterwards, because they haven’t changed their lifestyle. They only brute-force made their way through on shear determination and will-power, not a gentle lifestyle change of acceptance.

(slow and steady does it! It's not a race to heal your body!)

But, you body IS made to detoxify and cleanse itself naturally. And you CAN do some things to help promote these functions!

Usually DETOXING is the process of loosening undesirable toxins from being stored in the body. Undesirables can be medicines, alcohol, pollution, chemicals, pesticides (go organic when you can!).

The liver is your primary detoxifier, with the kidneys offering some help. So if you want to better “detox,” you want to support your natural kidney and liver functioning and avoid things that drag down efficiency. Alcohol, fried foods, and processed foods can be tougher for your liver to deal with, so try to avoid those. Conversely, I mention in a previous blog about kale helping to stimulate digestive enzyme production in the liver, so kale may be thought of as a “detoxifying” food. Kale comes from the cruciferous vegetable family. Other veggies in this family can help as well: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, and Brussles sprouts. These foods contain sulfur. For me, sulfur often dredges up images of the demons from Frank Peretti’s book This Present Darkness... ;-)

(or on a less book-nerdy level, burnt matches!)

But sulfur is a molecule the liver uses to detoxify the body of a wide range of prescription medications, pesticides, and other types of environmental toxins. Other sulfur-continuing foods include onions and garlic. Studies are now also looking to turmeric, cinnamon, and licorice as helpful for the liver detoxing.

And CLEANSING is often your body purging those toxins out of your body completely.

So primarily, your intestines and skin are important routes for disposal. You want to keep these pathways healthy. When I counsel women suffering from constipation, I always recommend “The 3 F’s: Fluids, Fiber, and Fitness.” Fluids keep things soft; fiber helps push it through; and aerobics (even just walking) can also help stimulate movement. These three items work together to help your intestinal tract and eliminations moving efficiently. Go for that Smooooth move!

Regarding skin, general hygiene keeps your pores open so they can provide a way for toxins to leave. Sweating is good! (I hear my little sister groaning now, ahh, the sweet sound!) ;-) But seriously, it can help get some of the junk out, just be sure to wash it off as soon as you can rather than letting your body reabsorb it! And try to avoid caking your face in a make-up once in a while to let your skin breathe! So, due to its skin benefits, yesterday’s Skin-So-Smoothie recipe could possibly even be considered a “Cleansing” drink!

There has been suspicion that there is a link between dairy and acne. There still needs to be more research done to be sure, but one study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology looked at 47,355 women (that’s a lot o’ estrogen!) and compared their dairy intake to acne history. They looked at milk, instant breakfast drink, sherbet, cottage cheese, and cream cheese and all were positively associated with acne. They said “We hypothesize that the association with milk may be because of the presence of hormones and bioactive molecules in milk.” Hmmm… so, if you’re going for the dairy, AT LEAST please grab the organic, hormone-free variety! …But I digress…

Detoxing and Cleansing are very detailed topics in the nutrition world, so I really only touch on them here. But I hope that covers some of the basics, at least! Remember: your body loves you; love it back! :)

I’m sorry if I have disillusioned any “sexy” ideas of detoxing and cleansing. There really aren’t magic bullets, and natural health is best! Your body is made to take care of itself – just don’t overdo the harmful things! And help it along with the right healthy lifestyle.

But, if you want an “unsexy” sounding detox plan… well, try this plan for 7 days and let me know how you feel!

The Unsexy Detox:

1.Eliminate these “toxins”:
-Table sugar
-Pops/colas/sports drinks
-Fast food/highly processed foods
-Foods with added sugars – cookies, cakes, candy, etc
-Refined starches – white flour, white rice, white pasta

2. Drink plenty of fluids
–aim mostly for water (plain or with some lemon, lime, cucumber, mint, etc), and maybe a little tea -Listen to your body, but usually the average recommendation is 6 to 8 8-ounce cups daily.

3. Eat real foods with plenty of fiber
-fruits, veggies, seeds, whole grains
–try some fun grains! Quinoa, millet, amaranth, buckwheat…

4. Get AT LEAST the recommended 5 fruits or veggies daily, if not more!
-Have a green smoothie with some extra kale and collard greens!
-See if you can get 10 servings in! (C’mon, all those smoothie recipes will usually have at least 4-5 servings for just one recipe!)

5. If you need meat, eggs, or dairy, make sure it’s the lean versions, and go organic and hormone free!

Do that, and I bet you’ll feel better (after the first few days), and likely, you’ll drop some weight!

Ok, so that was a long one. But I hope you start to apply some of the ideas and remember how much food can affect your health! Enjoy some whole, healing foods and save that dessert for this Valentine’s weekend!

Honeydew Hugs!
~Katie

This morning I made a smoothie that has some great benefits for your skin!

Skin So Smoothie
3 c. grapes (organic red grapes with seeds are best)
½ lemon
2 collard green leaves
1 c. spinach
1 Tbs flax oil

Throw it all in a blender, and blend it all! I added ice to chill mine.

Grapes: So many benefits in that red skin! And I could probably do an entire post about the health properties. But for today, I’m looking at the grape seeds. The oil in grape seeds is commonly found in facial products because of its beautifying benefits. I talked with a woman who makes her own soaps, trained by her Cherokee grandmother who was a medicine woman for her tribe. She says “You are right about the grapeseed oil. It is VERY good for your skin, hair, nails. It is one of the 11 oils that go into my lotions for its healing properties.” So can you get these benefits by ingesting rather than applying topically? Sure! Beauty really does start from the inside, and can be compounded by the products you use on the outside. Grape seeds and skins also are anti-microbial, helping you’re your pores and cells stay healthy! Additionally, grapes are rich in antioxidants which will help protect your skin from aging oxidative damage to the cells (fine lines, wrinkles, and less firmly toned skin). They are also rich in manganese, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and promotes optimal functioning of your thyroid gland.

Lemons: rich in enzymes, also help stimulate your liver function; and your liver is one of your main organs to rid your body of waste and toxins, and burns fat. They are also packed with the powerful antioxidant Vitamin C. And the Mayo Clinic states that research now suggests a diet rich in vitamin C may promote younger looking skin.

Collard Greens and Spinach: These are rich in vitamin A, which is very important to skin health. It helps with tissue repair, and the formation of skin-tightening collagen and elastin, fibers that help support skin structure. And collards, being from the same family as kale, have strong properties that help your liver detoxify your body.

Flax Oil: Rich in omega-3s and omeg-6s in a healthy balance, these essential fatty acids (EFAs) are beneficial for many parts of your body! One of those benefits being healthy skin. EFAs help with healthy cell membranes, which helps the cells no only work as a barrier for harmful things, but to allow nutrients to cross, and let waste out of the cells. It also will help hold the healthy waters in, keeping cells hydrated and firm.

And of course, the whole beverage is water-rich produce, so that adds extra hydration to your body, keeping joints, eyes, cell, and everything supple and lubricated! The healthier you are inside, the more it will show outside! But it does take time. You won’t notice huge changes overnight, as your body is going to be more concerned with healing your inner cells first. But over time, you will notice your outward appearance picking up the healthy glow!

Drink up :) And keep that hydration going here in these cold, dry days!

~Katie