Fed Up { helpful Movie }

Check out this doc concerning GE or GMO foods... one more great reason to get to know the farmers around you!




Go HERE to find part 2 through 4

Tell me what you think!
Cheers,
Lindsay

Really really really good coconut corn chowda! { vegan }

This featured recipe is one of the best ( if not THE best ) soup recipes I have ever tasted. I am totally crazy about this soup. To have a fresh view and opinion I have asked one of my great friends to try the recipe out for us and review it. All photos are taken by Heidi Robertson. Would you like to try a recipe for me and review it here? Drop me a line.

Hello friends, fans, faithful readers and taste testers!  I am a good friend of Lindsay's, and a fan of her cooking, so I am pleased to be here today to share my thoughts on one of her well loved recipes from a (somewhat local) cookbook, which I am now seriously thinking about purchasing it. The Extra Vegan Za, from a Victoria, B.C. author Laura Matthias.  You can also check out her farm/bed and breakfast as well! 

here is the easy to make, and wonderful to eat recipe!

COCONUT CORN CHOWDER

2-3 tablespoons oil

1 medium leek, chopped 

3 medium carrots, thinly sliced, or grated

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, diced

1/8 teaspoon cayenne ( i used quite a bit more than this, i love cayenne pepper!)

1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, sliced however you would like

1 tablespoon coarse salt (i used regular table salt)

14 once can of garbanzo beans (or chick peas)

2 cups corn kernels

2 cups of water

2 cans, equaling out to 800 ml of coconut milk

in a pot, on medium high heat, stir-fry carrots, leek, garlic, cayenne pepper and jalapeno in oil,  stirring frequently to avoid sticking.

when leek has softened, add garbanzo beans, peppers, corn, coconut milk, water and salt, bringing to a boil before reducing to a simmer, covering for around 15-20 minutes. remove from heat and enjoy!

cost: (4 STARS) not too bad at all. almost all of the ingredients I already had in my home.  Coconut milk, the single jalapeno, and the leeks, (my new favourite veggie!) where the only things i had to purchase from the store.

if you had to go out and get every single food required for this recipe, it depends on what you're buying - if you buy organic, be prepared to spend more, but it is worth the extra dollars to put the better food in your body!

ease of prep: (5 STARS) folks, this soup was SO easy to make.  all it requires is a can opener, a cutting board, a knife, (or slicer if you're ballin') a grater if you prefer using it for the carrots, and a stove and pot!  Basically, anything you aren't using a can opener with, you are chopping up in whatever fashion you like, and adding it all together!

taste: (4.5 STARS) based on the fact that this recipe is vegan, the energy put into making it, the practical ingredients, and my tastebuds reaction, i'm giving this one a 4.5!  I definitely have a soft spot for all things sweet, and spicy.  This soup had a combination of both, which got me so excited!  You see, at home I make mostly the same things every week, because I am not very knowledgeable in the world of culinary expertise, so i stick with what i know.  But this recipe made me enthusiastic about making it again, and , for the second time i made it, I added in a few table spoons of unsweetened shredded coconut, and was very happy with the extra texture it added to the mix.  I tried this soup along with my cousin and father, who both love meat dishes.  They seemed to devour it with happy hearts, and compliments to the chef.  My father, who adds a good 1/4 of salt to everything he eats, did not once lift turn that shaker over his bowl.  I consider this a very valuable observation … it is roofer approved!

leftovers: (3.5 STARS)the recipe renders enough for about 3 hearty sized bowls.  I live with 2 other men, so one batch of this soup didn't go far!  When eaten the next day, the soup had even more kick to it, which was great, because I love it when the flavours have the extra time to really set in.

I hope you all enjoyed my review, and I really encourage anyone to try this recipe!  even in this hot pepper of a summer!  I slurped mine down with homemade iced tea and hummus with pita bread and did just fine!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

a note for the cynics out there.  yes, I know it's a vegan recipe, full of veggies and beans and grains, but I see your eyes, narrowing at those numbers, followed by that sweet, sweet tropic liquid … "800 ml of COCONUT MILK?! HOW ABSURD!"  

about a year back, I was scolded by a personal trainer who told me that the coconut milk i was using for a thai dish was "very fattening," and being a huge believer of the sweet milk, I was a little bummed out to hear this negative opinion.  And, I am guessing a few people who take one look at this recipe are concerned with the amount of coconut milk in the soup as well. May I direct you here, to an interesting page I found while researching coconut milk?  Found in this link are some interesting facts, benefits and uses for that great stuff made from coconuts that I have never known about - please take a gander, and decide for your self what you think about coconut milk.  

Thanks to Lindsay for letting me share my thoughts, and add a wonderful dish to my list!

cheers and good health to all!

-heidi

Something to think about { helpful quote }

{ not too sure who the quote is by, but I think it is great and worth sharing! }

The four basic nutrients

Here is a little tiny lesson on what our bodies need. Since we are all learning-- myself included, I thought I would do some posts that will help educate on what it is our bodies need to function. We know in order to live we need a certain set of building blocks. In the image below you will find the four building blocks necessary for health.

This may seem obvious but many of us forget that we need water, protein, fats and carbohydrates in order to sustain our bodies. The tricky thing is to maintain balance, moderation and variety. Sure we all get protein, but what are the sources of that protein? Is it all meat? All dairy products? How about carbohydrates? Does your biggest source of carbohydrates from processed and refined products? And finally fats.  Fats can be a trap for many people. We hear "you shouldn't eat fats. But we have seen changes in this popular thought. It is all about sources. Fat are essential for our bodies to function-- good fats are also key in keeping a good body weight. In fact some fats are known to help you lose weight! Where do your fat sources come from? Meat? Dairy? Desserts? Hydrogenated oils?  

I know for me, before I began to eat healthy, I was getting the majority of all these essentials through things like ice cream, candy, white breads, meat ( salty, processed and cheap ) and very little from the colorful array of fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. 

Now that you know what the four building blocks are, you may be a bit confused on where exactly they come from. You might ask... "well what is a healthy carbohydrate ?" or "what is a good source of fat ?".

Here are some great basics to pick and choose from!

{ Remember, there are plenty more sources of "good" fats, protein, and carbohydrates than I have mentioned here. These are some basic starter choices, they are GREAT! }

Remember, choosing the most natural source is best! Meat is not always the best choice for protein. The reason I say this is because.. are you ready for it... here is a hint that I have found useful -- Choose foods that are easiest to digest. 

Think about it. 

The harder something is to digest in your body, the more energy it will take your body to digest it. In turn you have spent more energy on digesting some foods than you got out of them. Meat isn't really one of those easily digestible foods. I am not saying to not eat meat, I am simply saying eat it less often. Your body will appreciate it. 

So next time you are out grocery shopping, remember your four main blocks. Water is easy! we can get it at home. So you only have three to worry about while shopping. 

FATS! PROTEIN! CARBOHYDRATES! We want to achieve a balance of these important building blocks in our diets. And we do his by selecting natural, whole and fresh sources!

Cheers!

Refreshing Quinoa Salad { ! }

I tried this recipe out tonight for dinner. I really liked it and though you might as well. I found this recipe in this months issue of Alive Magazine.

It has a couple steps but it is not too complicated. It is very refreshing and can be eaten cold- which is great for leftovers!  I especially like leftovers that i don't have to reheat. It makes packing a lunch super simple.

Quinoa is a great food thanks to its possession of all the amino acids (which makes it a complete protein). It also boasts nutrients such as B vitamins, Vitamin E, Calcium, and magnesium. Plus it is really easy to digest!

Quinoa Spring Salad

1/2 CUP frozen green peas (plus 2 cups of boiling water to soak peas)
3 CUPS cooked quinoa, cooled
1 CUP red bell peppers, chpped
1/4 CUP green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 CUP cucumber, seeds removed, diced
1/4 CUP green pistachios
1/4 CUP shelled hempseeds
3 TBSP parsley, cilantro or basil, chopped
1/4 TSP sea salt
1/4 CUP simple cider vinaigrette ( recipe below )

Directions
In bowl, soak frozen peas in boiling water. Let sit until peas have warmed through. Drain peas and let dry. Combine peas and remaining ingredients. Toss through to mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate in airtight container. Serves 5 to 6

Simple Cider Vinaigrette
1/4 CUP apple cider vinegar
1 TSP dijon mustard
1/2 TSP sea salt
ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 TBSP pure maple syrup
1/4 CUP extra virgin olive oil

Directions
In a blender, puree all ingredients except for oil. Continue blending and slowly add oil. Season to taste with additional sea salt and black pepper


I didn't have red peppers so I used what I had. You can do that as well. To help with cost sometimes I just substitute things. If you don't have pistachios you can trade it for walnuts. And so on!

Hope you enjoy it. Let me know how you liked it and what you think could be different.

Product Review { WATER }

This might seem like an obvious product, and actually it is not really a product at all. It is a naturally formed substance found on our great planet we call earth!

It seems as though our culture has forgotten about water-- or at least that we can drink it. When you think about all the hype on how the earth is running out of water, we don't actually drink it that often. And when we do it is juice, soda or some other beverage such as coffee ( which has the opposite effect of water ). Not too mention the over consumption of dairy in waters place.


What is the big deal with water anyways? Well for starters our body is made up of about 70% water. Our blood is mostly water and the rest of us ( muscles, brain and lungs!) are comprised of water as well. It would only seem logical that we need to keep hydrated. What is dehydration you ask? To put it simply : when you lose more water than you take in. This can happen a couple ways. One is exercising, when you are exerting your body it naturally perspires. This is a way the body relieves itself of toxins. If you exercise and do not replace fluids lost, you get .... you guessed it! dehydrated.
Another way and this is the most common today, is to not drink enough fluids. This is the one I will focus on here.

Here are some cool water facts form this site 

• in a day, your lungs expel about two to four cups of water just through normal breathing (even more on a cold day).
• You can lose up to a cup of water if your feet sweat.
• In just six trips to the bathroom a day, you can lose about six cups of water.
• Your body can expel about two cups of water a day if you perspire (and that doesn’t include exercise-induced sweat).

Signs of dehydration.
Dizziness, light headed, dry mouth, and a  sticky mouth.

How much do we need?
We have all heard that you need 8 glasses a day, which isn't bad advice. But I wouldn't say this is concrete science by any means. 8 glasses is probably a safe bet. But the problem is everyone is different.
Dietary intake depends on so much more than just a simple number that is prescribed to everybody.
If you are sick with a gastrointestinal illness than you are going to need a lot of water to replenish all the fluids you have lost in the familiar bathroom. If it is hot out and you are spending a lot of time outside in the sun, you are going to need lots of water as well. Not everybody has the same weight or height which plays into affect how much you need.

I have seen this formula for everyday water consumption-- Take your weight and divide it in half. Lets say you weigh 160-- you will need 80 ounces of water a day. If you exercise it recommends another eight ounces for every 20 minutes of activity you do.

It can be hard to bring water into your routine. Especially today when there are SO many other tasty beverages you can get. But this is one of those easier health choices. Adding water to your day is a very smart choice. I will be the first to admit that it was easy to forget about drinking a glass of water. One easy way that I have learned to drink water is to have a glass the first thing in the morning. This helps you wake up and start the day off well. Bring a water bottle with you.

It might be advised to remove  or drink very sparingly during meals. Drinking during meals can dilute the necessary digestive juices in your tummy that you need to break down the foods for nutrients. So drink ore in between meals.

I think drinking water is one if the best habits to form if you are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. One easy way to cut unwanted sugar from your diet is to drink water instead of other options such as soda, milk or caffein drinks. I noticed a huge difference in my eating and my body when I cut soda from my eating. Don't like the taste? Thats not a good enough reason to not drink the important fluid. Our taste buds have been over stimulated. Try kicking the sugary liquid habit and you might start to change your mind!

Try drinking water for a good transition into a healthier lifestyle. Please read more on this subject. I am sure you will learn something new and have a new appreciation for water. For more in depth articles check these out.

• Water is Not the New Oil (cleantechies.com)
• Is Eight Glasses of Water Enough? (maplewoodbootcamp.com)
• Get your drink on! (atyourcervix.blogspot.com)

I am warning you, I have a mental disorder!

I came across this article. I was super happy to find it because someone had informed me of this 'disease' the other day. I had heard tiny whispers of it here and there, but never actually knew the name of it or knew exactly what it entailed.


So what disorder do I have?  Orthorexia Nervosa!! 
What exactly is this disorder? Apparently those who have convictions about the food they eat are thought to have a mental disorder, haha, yes you heard it-- A MENTAL DISORDER!
Among some of the foods that these people 'fear' are : sugar, soy, MSG, gluten, wheat, hydrogenated oils, etc etc....
If those are the charges, I am guilty. I would not address it as a fear though. More of a "hey! crappy food is making me feel.. pretty uhh... crappy" Although I would say there are people who are obsessed, to the point where it makes it unhealthy. I wouldn't call someone who is deathly fearful of eating fat healthy or even attempting it. I would say they are in the same group of those that want to be thin. People who are afraid to eat fat are more uneducated by the right people and educated by media. 
What will happen is the health foodies out there who are even the slightest bit stern about eating habits will get lumped in here at some point. People who are into a healthy lifestyle live a lifestyle. When you live a lifestyle instead of a diet, you are serious about the food that you eat. There is no "cheating" on a healthy lifestyle. There is only cheating on diets. When you so called  "cheat" on your healthy lifestyle it is going outside what you believe. Outside of a set of food "morals".  When you "cheat" on a diet it is going against a temporary health fix, which dieters soon go back to anyways. It is my personal thought and experience that when you do begin to live a healthy lifestyle, or should I say the way we should ALL be living and created to live, you don't really enjoy eating crappy food. 


If you do not want to be lumped in with someone who may have orthorexia nervosa, please heed the advice from this " orthorexia nervosa prevention kit " 

You can read about it here -- Guardian.co.uk
And here -- Natural news


What do you think about this? 

Terms- what do they all mean ? Part one

These days you can't go two feet in the grocery store without seeing some terms that you might not be so familiar with. Raw this, roasted that, natural, organic and all of the above!
But what do they mean? Are they accurate? Or are they misleading? 

I must admit that as much as eating healthy should be simple, food companies use a lot of terms that make it a little more complicated. Some companies use terms that make their product seem natural while they are far from anything natural. I think it can get confusing to see all these terms and not really know what they mean. That is why, I , today have chosen to clear it up! For you and I of course. I still have a hard time figuring out all the definitions. Especially when a company can put an organic label on and not be entirely organic. :P Here are a couple terms to start us off.


Raw- This term is used to describe something that has been unprocessed, or manufactured using very simple methods. This is the most natural you can buy most products such as nuts, honey, etc. 


Organic- Farming the way our grandparents did it! 
•No spraying of crops with pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or rodenticides (The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now considers 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides and 30% of all insecticides to be carcinogenic).
•Strict controls are placed on crop rotation and manure composting to protect the soil and water from harmful bacteria.
•No chemical preservatives, waxes or irradiation are allowed to kill bacteria.
•No chemicals (growth hormones, lactation promoters or antibiotics) are used with animals.
•No genetic modification of crops or animals.
•No articial fertilizer, human or industrial waste permitted.
•Animals supplemented with organic feed only which cannot contain animal byproducts.
•Animals are free ranged and raised ethically.


Unless it states that 100% is organic, you may be purchasing something that is 95% organic. 


Organic ingredients- This means that only 70% of the ingredients used are organic. 


Roasted- This one can mean a couple things. We all know about roasted turkey and other meats, but there are also roasted nuts. Roasting happens with the application of heat. Nuts are roasted in many different ways, some are with oil and some are dry roasted. It depends on how the company chooses to roast them. It is possible to roast nuts yourself though. HERE Not necessarily a bad term or good. I usually try to stick with dry roasted. Along with roasted there can be added oils that are not necessary. 


Natural- This one is tricky. I think it may be the most misleading claim out there. Unfortunately. People are much more likely to buy a product with this label because frankly-- it sounds good. And I have fallen for it many times. Then I learned my lesson! There are no laws or rules that companies need to abide by to put this on their food. So I would say it is a lot of marketing. Although I read that the FDA allows meat produce to put 'natural' on meat that is minimally processed. And that is good. 
Unless your are getting your fruits and veggies straight from the farm, you aren't really getting much "natural" at all. Most of the fruits and veggies in the grocery store are scientifically 'enhanced'. Ripening does not happen without the aid of some scientific help. When food is not local it needs to travel a loooonnnng way. How long do fruits and veggies usually last? Think of this. Food is harvested, food is sorted, food is shipped, food sits on shelves, you buy food. Thats a long process that food couldn't endure without the help of a lab. Buying local sounds good now doesn't it? :) *usually a marketing ploy


Sugar free- This one is my pet peeve and also another tricky one. This can mean many different things. Sometimes it refers to no sugar being added, which usually occurs with honey and berries. Sometimes it can refer to there being no "sugar". Sounds pretty self explanatory ? Well its not sugar free, it is replaced with another sweetener, usually ending in "ose". Or they add aspartame instead of sugar. Bottom line - Processed sugar of any kind should be avoided. Don't be fooled by this label. It is a marketing tactic. Gum is one of the worst culprits. If it says sugar free expect a sweetener with less calories, but, more processing and more toxic.  *usually a marketing ploy


Fat free- Fat free goes right along with the rest of them. Another marketing ploy to get you to think it is the healthier choice. It really isn't any healthier than the full fat version. Most of the time it may be that there is less fat BUT even more of the bad salt, and other processed ingredients. "Light" also fits into this category. Light can even be referring to the colour of a product. That is false advertising if I have ever heard it! Here is how it works. The label "fat" free is referring to fat relative to servings. usually 1/2 a gram. Remember, it is only PER SERVING. Its not referring to the product as a whole. There is plenty of fat in it. And probably the kind you want to avoid. Such as canola oil, plam kernal oil, hydrogenated oil etc etc. *usually a marketing ploy


Light - A product has been changed to have half the fat or one-third fewer calories than the regular product; or the sodium in a low calorie, low fat food has been cut by 50 percent; or a meal or main dish is low fat or low calorie. Like I stated in the fat free section "light" has even been known to be "lighter" in "colour". *usually a marketing ploy


Lean - usually referring to meat. Lean is referring to the fat content of the meat. Lean and extra lean are among the lowest in fat. Remember when buying meat, try to buy LOCAL! The surest way to know you are getting quality meat. Good term, used to tell fat quantity.  




I know this whole good food thing might seem even more complicated now. But my advice is: always read the labels. Like I said in my healthy choices article, if you do your research and start to learn about all this stuff it becomes a lot easier. What makes eating healthy easier? Getting back to fruits, veggies, raw nuts and whole grains. Most of those things don't even come in a box. When you are buying fresh local or organic produce you can rest easy and know that your food is grown from the ground and not a test lab ;) Today I bought corn from down the road. It was SO GOOOD! I refused to buy corn unless it was local.
There is nothing wrong with critical eyes in the grocery store. Don't take the packages' word for it, you don't need to buy low fat natural chips. Maybe you need to switch to a pint of berries instead. And hey.. the berries are natural... naturally ;)


Have fun!




Here are some good resources that I read from.....


www.hallelujah.ca
findarticles.com

Think organic is pricey? So do I... check this out

Organic Foods for Less (lifescript.com)

yes, please tell me-- what are we eating exactly?

Food Inc.

This movie makes you ask who is leading who in the food industry. Who is in charge of the food industry? photo courtesy of xart.com



I am always interested in knowing what is really going. Whether or not what they say we're getting-- is really what we're getting. I personally do not like to be lied to. Especially when it comes to food. Something so fundamental to our survival as a human race. There are things we can't live without--and food is one of them. Of course we can go short time periods without it, but, to not eat is suicide.

I wanted to review a film for my next post so I went searching and the first place I usually look is free view documentaries. I know that they have a good selection of docs. I came across a movie titled Food Inc. I had seen a preview about it a while ago. I forgot about it until now. If you want to see a good documentary ( unbiased in my opinion) regarding the state of the FDA, USDA and other food governing agencies-- this is the video for you.

I really liked the way the film was made. It covered the full spectrum of the food market. From a small time farm to wal-mart selling organic produce. This movie shows the ins and outs of it all.

It covers the manufacturing process of Corn, Chicken, and, beef. And well-- it covers even more of the meat industry than just beef and chicken.

This is a good doc that doesn't have a healthier than thou attitude, it is raw and informative. If you can still eat mass produced meat after this movie then you probably have a stomach of steel.

Really really really good Alfredo sauce. (vegan)

My Husband and I had this for dinner the other night. One of my husbands favourite foods is-- yea you guessed it fettucini alfredo. I think he could eat it every night! I have to agree, it is pretty good stuff. But if you are like me and can't eat dairy then alfredo is not the friendliest food. I came across this recipe on this site. It is REALLY good. My husband really liked it as well. Which is a good thing. For the noodles we used spinach rice noodles. They went along nicely.




    Ingredients
    Small splash of Olive Oil OR a splash of water (to prevent sticking)
    1/2 medium Onion, roughly chopped (about 1/2 heaping cup)
    2-4 cloves of Garlic, minced
    1/2 Cauliflower, roughly chopped or broken into florets (about 3 cups)
    1 cup of Water or Vegetable Broth
    pinch of Nutmeg (about 1/8 tsp.)
    1/4 tsp. Cayenne (optional)
    Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
    1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
    2 Tbsp. Flax Oil OR Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Optional)
    Enough pasta for two large platefuls. Prepare according to package directions. I like using fettucci
    Extra veggies to put on top, steamed or roasted. This goes well with broccoli, asparagus, peas... 



Directions
Wash the cauliflower and chop or break apart, then set aside.
Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic.
If you are making veggies for on top, this is the time to prep and cook them.
In a saucepan on medium low heat, stir the onion and garlic with either a splash of oil, or a splash of water.
Cook for about five minutes or until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
Add in the cauliflower and stir for about two minutes.
Pour the broth or water in and cover it up. (I use water and 1/2 tsp. of salt).
Now is probably a good time to put the pasta on...
Bring to a boil and simmer lightly for a few minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
Take off of the heat and blend with a hand blender, food processor or blender until creamy.
Stir in a pinch of nutmeg, optional cayenne and the nutritional yeast.
Taste to see if you need salt and add as necessary. I like to add pepper once the food is on my plate. You may chose to blend it in with the sauce.
Just before serving, slowly blend in the flax or olive oil until emulsified.
Pour over cooked pasta and top with veggies. Savour every mouthful. :)

NOTES:
Remember to not reheat the dish once flax oil is added as cooking depletes its vital nutrients. Flax is a great source of EFA's.

This is a great sauce for pasta that is soy free, gluten free, nut free and of course, vegan.

Source of recipe: This recipe is a creation from my imagination... and my taste buds.

Makes: 2 large platefuls, Preparation time: 5-10 minutes, Cooking time: 15 minutes

This dish will not let you down! try it 

Making Healthy choices. Experience and helpful tips.

I would like to say that I was the only one who had anything to do with my choice to eat healthy. But I would be lying of I said I was. I was one of the lucky ones who had a mother who was not only interested in healthy eating, but also put it into practice. I had a really good foundation as a child. I remember being at school and opening my lunch-- I had 'nasty' brown bread, while all the other kids has that sweet white bread. Although now I would rather eat dirt. I am sure it is more nutritious than white bread anyways! I can even remember thinking my family was so healthy when were young that we had 'whole wheat' toilet paper-- of course, haha, it was just toilet paper made from recycled fibers.

I really appreciate the fact that my mother took the time to really invest in our eating habits. When my brother and I got older my mom let us chose whether or not we ate healthy. I, being young and independent chose to eat the unhealthy food. Now that I am 24, and look back on it I wish I would have reconsidered more of my eating habits as a teenager. I went from eating healthy balanced meals to eating fast food sometimes twice a day. 

Fast food, slurpies, candy, and, over processed foods all contributed to many consequences I deal with now. 

Fast forward to me at the age of 20 I hit a wall where I realized I had to make the choice. My brother had started to eat healthy again-- so I was the odd one out. My mom and brother would eat these super healthy meals while I was snacking on my bag of licorice. 

As I said, this wall I hit was a real crossroads for me. I didn't enjoy feeling sick all the time. And I certainly didn't like being out of shape. I started to gain interest in health. Oddly enough, I had always liked the idea of being a health professional. I know it sounds weird. Somewhere deep in me there was the interest, I never took the time to look.

I started to read a book called the "Great physicians Rx for health and wellness". This book gave me a huge craving to learn more about how our bodies were made and how they function. I realized through reading it that my body was much more than I thought it was. Our bodies are pretty incredible. And to add further: we need to treat our body incredibly as well.

For me, I needed to cut everything out of my diet that was doing me harm. My family tend to be on the more extreme side. So if we do something, we dot it all the way. I started by cutting out refined flours, refined sugars, most oils( stuck with the important ones), butters, and even most meat. At first I had some serious cravings, and would think about junk food a lot. But as the time went on I really developed a taste for good food. Salads, fruits, veggies, sprouted whole grain breads.

I know for many of you it seems daunting to think about living a more healthy lifestyle. And at this point I might even say it is the trendy thing to do-- which is one thing that frustrates me. Why you ask? The thing about eating healthy is not about switching to products that tell us they are healthy. So many companies have switched marketing campaigns to target the people who truly are try to adjust their diet. You might even say "but isn't it good for companies to make healthier options?" To which I reply-- if a company has to tell you its healthy. it probably isn't.Don't get me wrong there are some great brands out there that offer amazing products.

I took a photo on my phone while out at the grocery store today. It illustrates exactly what I am talking about. The term Health and wellness is being tossed around like a nobodies business. Carefully examine some of the products on this shelf. 

                                   

Health and wellness... yea, right! I checked to see if the vitamin shelf was near this section. NOPE! the vitamins were on the other side of the store.

I would not say that I am the healthiest person alive, or that I have some sort of higher knowledge of eating healthy. Not by any means would that be true. But as humans we learn from experience. There were many things I was eating that I 'thought' were healthy. Here is a hint I will give to you out there that want to make better eating habits. IT IS A LEARNING PROCESS! Everything in popular culture tells us us to overeat, and it isn't helping anyone.  One statistic says that 34 % of americans are suffering from obesity. 34 % !  ( With canada not too far behind). However I will say we can't only want to be healthy to be thin. I know many thin people who are unhealthy. Being healthy is a lifestyle. It encompasses more than weight, but also mental clarity, energy ,and emotions. 

If we also take a look at the numbers for child obesity it is coming in at 17 %. What we need is to form good habits, instill them in our children. But we need to start first. 

Here are helpful hints I have learned along the way:

• Read food labels. I always read the label of something I am buying. Unless I already know that brand. 
• If you don't know if something is bad for you-- look it up. We have a ton of resources on the internet and libraries full of books.
• Take interest in your body. Learn new things about how our bodies work. We don't care to make something work unless we care about what we are fixing.
• Don't be a sucker for these labels : Light, Low fat , no trans fats, no sugar, whole grains. Many of these labels are misleading. Companies can put 'no trans fat' on labels as long as there is a low amount PER SERVING.
• Buy foods that aren't in packages. Almost everything in a package is processed. Even if it says it is healthy.
• Meal plan. Going to the grocery store without a plan is good idea, saves money, time and keeps you from buying more junk food. 
• Don't be apathetic. This is one of the problems holding me back from eating healthy. I didn't care to until I learned that it mattered.
• Don't buy GMO. This is a critical one. GMO foods are toxic. Here is a very helpful resource. 
• Buy organic. ( this can be tough since they are expensive. But it is worth it. Plus if everyone buys more prices will go down)
• Get an accountability partner, do it with a friend. Support can make a world of difference. Plus you can give each other feedback on recipes, split food bills and so on. 
• Remember you are human. We all crave things that are not good for us. But we crave those things because our bodies have been trained to. Now it is time to undo it. There will be difficulties and mood swings. BUT! I assure you if you stick to it you will be stronger for it. 
• Learn to discipline yourself. Most of the reasons why I ate junk food was because I couldn't say no.
• Keep it simple. Being healthy is a lot simpler than we make it out to be. Don't worry about the latest health products, health scams, and  overpriced berry drinks. Think : Veggies, fruits, Legumes, whole grains and nuts. You can find all these items in the grocery store--mostly in one aisle. 
• Listen to your body, it speaks louder than you think. Sometimes we don't listen because we are ignoring it or covering symptoms. 
• The body is a WHOLE unit. When you put something in it, it affects the whole.
• Learn that eating healthy is a choice. If you don't make it for yourself you won't stick with it. 
• eating healthy is not a diet. It is a lifestyle
• You may want to start with adding healthy food, and taking away the bad instead of doing cold turkey like I did. 

Hopefully some if those tips will help. They are things I have learned over the years. 

Like I said before, eating healthy should be simple, but, there will be a learning curve-- as there is to anything. But having a little bit of patience will see you through. And besides, it's your health we are talking about. 

Have you been living a healthy lifestyle? Care to share your story? Or do you have any tips? Let me know!

Here are some articles you may be interested in reading.

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Coconut Flour Part two -- Something that didn't work

As I had stated in Part one of this blog, I had tried coconut flour. I wanted to step out and try something new-- add some variety in my eating habits. I do bake with organic whole wheat but I would like to add variety. Getting nutrients is great! But getting them from different sources is even better.

My husband loves cinnamon buns. The other day we were walking through the grocery store and as usual it smelled of warm gooey desserts. The flavour of the day was cinnamon buns. He was hungry within seconds of smelling them. As would any normal human! But since ( at our house ) we choose to eat foods that complement our health-- cinnamon buns are not an option. UNLESS! of course you are like me and think you can make anything good for you... well just about . I sometimes make cinnamon buns for a treat. The recipe usually consists of whole wheat flour, cinnamon, a veggie oil such as olive or grapeseed, maple syrup and walnuts.

This is much better compared to the alternative.

When the smell of those cinnamon buns in the grocery store hit me my brain I  started thinking of the different possibilities. COCONUT FLOUR! I could make cinnamon buns with coconut flour. Now fast forward to yesterday. Since it was my firs time using coconut flour I felt the difference very quickly. My cinnamon buns failed. And I am assuming it was due to my lack of experience. If you are new to coconut flour there are a couple things you should know before baking with it.

I found it to be very very absorbent. This might be due to the fact that it is 58% fiber?

Here are some tips I got from a Coconut Flour manufacturer.

Cooking time is different, Wheat recipes may take up to 30-50 minutes whereas coconut flour would only be 18 - 20 minutes at the same temp.


Instead of using more water-- use coconut oil or coconut milk


Baking with coconut flour means things are leavened with EGGS.


Sugar is an important factor in baking with coconut flour, you can reduce-- don't omit!


After I had tried to use coconut flour for my cinnamon buns, I quickly realized there were many things I hadn't taken into account. What I ended up doing was combining organic ww flour and coconut flour to ease myself in. I really enjoy the taste of coconut flour along with the texture. Coconut flour is not difficult, I feel that when it comes down to it-- it is different. It is not whole wheat flour. Which is why many people use it. I would encourage you to try it!

Here is what I did with the cinnamon bun recipe. I only used a small portion of Coconut flour. So this isn't a coconut flour recipe in its entirety. ( I borrowed elements from this site --cinnamon buns. I merely changed the flours, sugars and fat sources)

enjoy

1 cup of coconut flour
2.5 cups of whole wheat flour
2.4 TSP Yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup PURE maple syrup
1 egg
1 TSP of salt

Filling
1/2 cup of WW flour
1 cup of PURE maple syrup ( if you don't want to use this much adjust to your liking. you must also adjust the flour )
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of organic walnuts
1/2 TSP vanilla

Directions
Sprinkle Yeast on the warm water.
Add 1 teaspoon of honey and let stand until it starts to bubble..
Combine the almond milk, oil, egg maple syrup and salt-- then add one cup of flour.
After those are mixed and in the rest of the flour.
Cover and let rise until it has doubled in size.

After it has doubled, roll it out to approx. 11 x 17, spread on half of the filling. ( save the other half )
Roll up the dough evenly so it looks like a long tube!
Cut into 1/2 inch slices.
Lay them out on a pan ( i put parchment paper down ) with 1/2 inch between them.
Let rise for 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. W
With about 5 minutes left on the timer, spread the remaining half of the filling and put it back in the oven.

NOW EAT IT!