Acetylcholine: Finding More Creative Energy with Nutrition and Lifesyle

May 8, 2013 By

Writer’s Block, Dry spell, Brain Fart, Blogstipation.  Whatever slang or artist’s terminology you can utter to describe it, you may be one of the millions that feel your creative energy has been sapped this past week, month or who knows how long. Horrible things you wouldn’t wish on your biggest competitors like -

  • Music not stimulating your thoughts into productive action.
  • A fading memory where sometimes you feel that your college lifestyle is coming back to haunt you… Simple things like names of schoolmates, old vacation places or years, and where you put your !@#$-ing keys are gone to the land of the lost.
  • Utter emptiness; searching for fulfillment or inspiration in the form of aesthetic beauty that would bring about the fire inside you to create your passion in whatever gives you a sense of harmonic freedom.

Yeah… at times, I feel this too.  I think we all do and I’m sure more bullet points could be added. writer'sblock

Source

But know there is something nutritionally and holistically that can be done.

Gaining back your inner Picasso starts now with learning about the biochemical that directly affects your mind, memory and creativity.

 

Acetylcholine  is a neurotransmitter created in the parietal lobes of the brain.  These lobes control your thinking functions – intelligence and language comprehension even your ability to pay attention.

Acetylcholine controls brain speed, memory, and your ability to take in new sensory experiences.  Deficiency causes forgetfulness as memories get partially stored and your brain is unable to connect to incoming stimuli.  Brain speed lessens and is noticeably different when just 7 milliseconds are lost.  At times, you mentally feel a loss of enthusiasm for life and have memory lapses and maybe the beginning symptoms of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

So if you’re looking to improve your ‘brain age’ this is your #1.

What to do? – Easiest is to increase your choline nutrients.  This close relative of the B vitamin (both are made in the liver) is converted into acetylcholine in the body.  It creates insulation around your brain cells enabling them to keep the stored info and prevents them from possible damage or dissipation.

What to Eat? – The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for choline is 550 mg/day for men and 425 mg/day for women.  For vegetarians, this one is a little more difficult, like for most B vitamins.

  • Choline is prevalent in meats especially the liver, but ground beef, chicken, fish and pork all have high amounts, just make sure you’re eating from a good source – grass-fed and free range, organic.
  • Eggs contain some of the largest amounts – another reason to eat the yolk since just a single slightly-cooked large one contains about 140mg.
  • Nuts are the best choice for non-meat eaters; Pistachios, Almonds, Cashews, Pine nuts, Hazelnuts, and Macadamia
  • Other good vegetarian choices include Avocado, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, and whole grain cereals like oats, barley or to a lesser amount, rye.
  • For Gluten-Free options, Quinoa offers  a whopping 40mg per cooked serving.

cholinefoods

Source

Lifestyle – Is it possible to stimulate your creativity?  Of course!

  • Meditation, stimulating conversations, beautiful postcards, aesthetic pictures of old vacation spots, relaxing music, and yes, exercise.
  • Aerobic exercise can restore acetylcholine, exercising 1 hour a day can be extremely beneficial.  Ever tried rebounding?  It’s a No-Impact exercise that is “68% more effective than jogging”, says NASA in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
  • And beware of toxic metals, especially aluminum. Keep an eye on your kitchen and it’s cookware for this zinc-depleting  material because everything nowadays seems to be made with it.

Supplements – Choline supplementation is great, but if you’re already eating enough, not necessary.  Phosphatidyl choline has been know to cause upset stomachs and diarrhea in some and it’s not recommended for those with Bipolar disorders or the genetic disease, trimethylaminuria.  But don’t worry - there are some other options for increasing your brain health!  I recommend this Choline bitartrate from Country Life- due to the – No: corn, soy, gluten, dairy.  It’s also Kosher and vegan.  Yay!  Most other brands use either soy in the form of lecithin or a corn cellulose or gelatin pill.

  • As mentioned before, B vitamins are essential for a healthy nervous system with B12 being the superhero of the bunch. This Bluebonnet product has a small amount of choline, but most important are the lack of other questionable ingredients – no corn, rice, soy, gluten.  It’s also kosher and vegetarian.
  • Antioxidants are also extremely beneficial as a brain food and for protecting the cells against free radicals that damage the surrounding membranes.  So eat your berries and tomatoes and drink your organic matcha green tea or yerba mate.
  • Amino acid L-carnitine assists in building acetylcholine while also promoting weight loss and might help in lowering triglycerides. Again, I found this choice to also be free from soy, corn, gluten etc.
  • Huperzine-A is made from the rare herb Chinese Club Moss and preserves acetylcholine. It has a low occurrence of side effects but it shouldn’t be taken regularly, maybe only 2-4 times a week.  Same – no corn, soy, gluten…
  • Phosphatidyl choline or Phosphatidyl serine both improve memory and the latter has shown to be beneficial to those with depression or MS.  This one as a supplement is more difficult due it originating from soy.  You can find GMO-free soy, but then you run into Gelatin and Glycerin.  Or if you want it sourced from GMO-free Sunflower oil (I didn’t know sunflowers were GM…have to look at that one again…) with no soy you still run into vegetable cellulose – most likely made from corn.
  • Gingko Biloba – The Herbalists go-to guy for building brain power.  It improves circulation to the brain and increases tissue oxygenation.  Also available in a larger size from NOW foods with Gotu Kola and Eleuthero root.  Both are free from… you guessed it corn, soy, gluten!  Or you could get it as a tincture, using only organic alcohol- the best way to extract the benefits of herbs.

 

I’ll be waiting for your next masterpiece… If you want to share, your HD is always here for you – I’ll read any intro, absorb any painting or artfully drawn picture, and intently listen to your audio snippets! PG rated please – No 50 Shades of Gray or Explicit Lyrics please, young ‘uns have ways of finding everything -  Send ‘em to yourholisticdad@gmail.com

Go – Create!

 

Sources:

The Edge Effect by Eric R. Braverman M.D.
The Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
http://www.brainpower.org/research/huperzia-serrata.html
http://www.nal.usda.gov/
http://www.energiseforlife.com/rebounding_benefits.php

 
Filed Under: Mind Tagged With: , , , ,

Swing Open Creative Doors

April 25, 2013 By

It’s been one of those weeks.  I find myself doing everything but what I should be doing.  And when that time comes to sit, think and create… all the energy has been sapped and I’m staring at a blank screen fighting my brain to jump-start itself back to life.

So, enter our Guest Blogger and Heroine of Inspiration, Adriana Tavarez.  Her advice helps the wanderlust find their spark and has helped me “once more, unto the breech!” – Holistic Dad

 

Source

photo-1

 

So today I set the intention to finish this article on swinging open creative doors when SLAM! It happened to me. The doors sealed shut. My thoughts drew blank and not a single hint of creative flow surfaced.

My first thoughts were to find my place of inspiration. And so, I surfed the net and read about creative opportunities and real life stories of those who found the key. But this did not swing open the doors to hope, endless ideas nor flow. It evoked a state of anxiety and the, “end all, be all” feeling of fear. Needless to say, fear is the antithesis of flow that engages state of mind in which whatever you’re doing feels nearly effortless.

Given my perceived fail, I then proceeded to sleep on the matter for about an hour only to wake up completely uninspired. The door, now, was a passageway to a life of misery, unhappiness and nauseating downward spirals. At this point, I did not want to swing open creative doors. I had an uncontrollable urge to run from them!

Too often do we allow our self-conscious to interfere with our life’s work as it did for the brilliant writer David Foster Wallace, who committed suicide in 2008. Wallace was interviewed in 1997 on NPR’s Fresh Air. Asked by Terry Gross whether, when he was a teen tennis player, his self-consciousness interfered on the court, he said, yes, of course. He went on to wonder whether perhaps those listening have “this part in their brain” that allows them to turn off thoughts of “what if I double fault on this point, or what if I miss this free throw. Wallace at first figured “this stuff” doesn’t occur to professionals, then added, “but when I hung out with pro players for the tennis essay, it occurred to me that they have some kind of muscle that can cut that kind of thinking off.” Such self-consciousness, he said, is “literally paralyzing. You can end up like a bunny in the headlights.” Wallace couldn’t turn it off and gave up tennis.

 

Along came the serendipitous moment when my inner voice began to rant…

 

Try This: “*I AM good enough! *I AM talented!

*I AM NOT wasting my time! *I AM NOT a fool!

*I AM NOT stupid! *I AM NOT offending anyone!

*People WILL LOVE my work!”

 

So, when we are “unsuccessful” in an attempt to do something, it makes us frustrated but, most importantly for creativity, it generates resurgence in us that no other situation has before. It appeared to me that ruminating positive thoughts and consistently trying things, I’d discover what I enjoy and what I want to do. Yes, I’ll be bad at first and make lots of mistakes, but if I keep trying, I’ll get better at it.  It’s not fun to try, and fail. But what if it wasn’t a failure, what if it was a learning experience on the path to master?

 

Try This: Place yourself in difficult situations. Observe and take in the feelings of frustration and anger. Then go off and FREE yourself of it. Write about it. Sing it out. Dance it out. Act it out.

 

We don’t need to run like hell from those doors. We just need to give ourselves permission to play around with the knob. Wiggle it a little bit. Turn it left and maybe right. Lift it up and down just a bit and voila, those doors will swing wide open for us.

 

It’s a matter of practice. It’s a matter of tolerating “mistakes”. It’s about accepting that I’m learning, and it’s okay not to do it right the first time, second time, or even the eighth, ninth and tenth times! For me that’s Adriana’s Healthy Secrets. That’s also the real “secret” of books like Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, or Writing Down the Bones. It’s giving permission to try and to make mistakes and to practice, practice, practice! Experiencing this will give you the ideas that will swing open creative doors.

 

photo (1)  Adriana Nastasha Tavarez is the Chief Inspiration Officer of Adriana’s Healthy Secrets, a community she founded with a life’s mission to inspireYOU, educateYOU and scultpYOU into being your best self. Passionate about holistic healing and healthy eating, she studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition receiving her Health Counseling and American Association of Drugless Practitioners Certification in March of 2013. Adriana’s focus is to inspire the visionary champion in you!

 Learn more about Adriana  and her website!

  

 
Filed Under: Uncategorized

Happy Earth Day and a Giveaway!

April 22, 2013 By
You Can't Have My Planet But Take My Brother Please
Today friends we have  an awesome interview with James Mihaley, author of the fantastic kids book You Can’t Have My Planet But Take My Brother, Please.  Jim has a passion for living a holistic lifestyle and getting kids motivated to take care of the earth. He is a well known speaker in Los Angeles, talking to kids at bookstores, schools, and libraries about reading and the power of healthy living.
I had the chance to interview Jim about not only his book, but his lifestyle choices and what drives him to be grateful no matter what life brings him.
To celebrate Earth Day and the paperback edition of his book, he is giving away a signed copy of his book! 

 

1.) Hey Jim! Tell us a little about yourself and how you got started on the holistic living path!

I had a ruptured appendix when I was nineteen that was misdiagnosed.  I almost died.  I lost fifty pounds in two weeks.   As is often the case, good comes out of bad and I developed, at a young age, a deep appreciation for the gift of life, gratitude for every breath I took.  Gratitude is the key and it’s something I keep working on.  Living in Los Angeles, I have access to weekly lectures by Marianne Williamson and Michael Bernard Beckwith.  They’re exceptional speakers and spiritual guides.  I do lots of yoga, Hatha and Kundalini.  As far as diet goes, wheat grass juice provides me with key nutrients.  I have a wheat grass presser, a manual one, old school.  I’ve been vegan for about a year and feel great.  I believe that the mind/body connection is a key to happiness.  Dancing is a big part of my life, jazz and hip hop.  I also do volunteer work at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.  That brings me deep happiness.  I’d say the two most powerful sources of inner peace in my life are meditation and prayer.  I spend a lot of time doing that.  The more I do, the more everything seems to fall into place. 

 
2.) You’ve mentioned before that laughter plays a powerful role in healing. Tell us more about that!

 

On our journey through life,  it often feels like we’re crossing a desert.  The soul has a canteen.  It’s filled with laughter.
The soul drinks from the canteen of laughter to keep from withering away.
If we don’t laugh we die.  It’s that simple.  In Jewish culture and African American culture, people know how to laugh.  They really know how to laugh.  Why?  Because it kept them alive during periods of unspeakable hardship.

As a writer of children’s books, laughter also functions as an invaluable way to draw children in.  Kids love funny books, girls and boys.

3.) What inspired you to write You Can’t Have My Planet?

Earth is falling apart and I wanted to make children believe that they could turn things around.  Mine is a Utopian story, not Dystopian.  It harnesses the power of children to turn the world back into a paradise.

 

4.) What is You Can’t Have my planet about? What are some of the core elements of the book?

 

In my book it turns out that we humans are merely renting Earth.  Because we’re such lousy tenants, we’re about to get evicted!  A 13 year old boy named Giles must embark on a quest, along with three of his friends, to prove that we’re capable of stewarding the planet.
Along with the big environmental theme, the book also explores sibling rivalries, the importance of team work, the ugliness of bullying, the beauty of grandparent/grandchild relationships and the power of kindness.  KINDNESS FIRST.  ALWAYS AT ALL TIMES ALWAYS is Tula’s motto.  She helps Giles on a his quest.  Although only 12 years old, Tula is already a lawyer, an environmental lawyer.   She also happens to be an alien!  She goes around the universe, protecting the natural beauty on different planets.


5.) How can kids get involved in helping truly make a difference in changing how we view the earth and our place in it? How can they adopt healthier lives all around?

 

I think the first thing kids can do, and it often gets ignored, is to simply become aware of nature.  Look at a flower.  Take a few minutes and behold it.
If you don’t truly love something, you’re not going to try and protect it.
Fortunately there are dozens of environmental organizations out there that are designed specifically for kids.  Any child with a computer can easily get involved and discover what they can do around the house and in the neighborhood to help heal the planet.  One of these organizations is Grades of Green.  I’ve worked with them and they’re great.
Another thing kids can do to lead healthier lives and help the world is to simply enjoy being a kid.  There is an epidemic of children growing up too fast, losing their sense of wonder, losing their faith in the imagination.  Without wonder and imagination, we will never defeat cynicism and despair.  We will never heal this planet.

 

6.) What other projects do you have in the works?

 

I’m working on another Giles story and new novel for children.  I’m excited to be finishing up my first adult novel.  I also love to write poetry and have just finished my first Dr. Seuss-like rhyming poem about a boy and a hippo.  I’m excited to announce that we have a movie coming out soon to promote ‘You Can’t Have My Planet But Take My Brother, Please‘.  It’s called The JimBot.  It will be released as Webisodes.  A dear friend of mine, Mike Pedraza, directed it.  Mike is also an editor on the 150 million dollar Matt Damon movie coming out this summer.  We had great fun making the movie.  I’ll let you know as soon as we have a release date!

 

Win a signed copy of You Can’t Have My Planet, But Take My Brother Please!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Why Cinnamon Should be King in the Kitchen

February 28, 2013 By


It may be the last day of February,

but the past 2 weeks have been some of the coldest I’ve experienced since my Korean winter of 2010 when the world seemed to freeze over a period of 4 months.  That’s the year when the UK was frozen and London’s Heathrow all but closed a week before Christmas.  In the US, snow had hit every state, INCLUDING HAWAII!

So, now as we pile sweaters upon more sweaters in the lands of Kilts and Drams, I have a morning ritual that gives more benefit than the half wool, half acrylic outer layer I currently wear.

 

 

My morning organic oatmeal heaped with cinnamon.

   Ingredients :

A whole lot – Certified Gluten-Free Oatmeal

A few big shakes – Ceylon Cinnamon

Handful – Pumpkin Seeds

More than I should – Black Molasses

Enough to cool it down for immediate eating – Rice Milk

 

Cinnamon is one spice you should never be without.  Not only is it relatively cheap, but the health benefits rock the charts.

Here are the top things to know about Cinnamon with some tips on how to add it to your daily regimen.

Quick note… Cinnamon has 2 varieties:

  • the ‘true’ species Cinnamomum verum  (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) known as Ceylon or Sri Lanka Cinnamon
  • the lesser species cinnamomum cassia known as Cassia.

And the difference is quite large.  While Cassia still contains some of the nutrients and antibacterial, viral, and fungal abilities, Cassia has a different chemical constituency and pales in comparison.  There is also a danger of thinning of the blood if used in excess.  If Cassia is what you have, use 1/2 teaspoon daily for optimum benefit without worry of the adverse effects.  Then when you run out, spring for the Ceylon.

All the benefits listed below are for the bark of the ‘True’, Ceylon variety.

 

#1 – The Ancient Chinese All Purpose Ingredient

 

Cinnamon was so revered in Ancient China that it was always used at the first sign of illness.

In addition, it is added to most medicines due to it’s ability to strengthen the effectiveness of other herbs in the tonics and teas.

It is one of the top warming herbs; heating your body from the core to your cold organs, then moving outward to warm the skin all while it disperses energy blockage found in the chest, shoulder, and neck.

It is especially good for weak kidneys, backache, and lack of sex drive.  Pair it with powdered ginger for added effect – but not fresh ginger.  Chinese Herbalists believe fresh ginger does just the opposite – creating a cooling and moistening effect on the body.

 

#2 – Cinnamon Oil is Anti-Everything

Here’s the list of the multitude of Anti-s;

  • Fungal, inflammatory, bacterial, microbial, viral, depressant, infectious, parasitic, spasmodic…
  • Cinnamon is also an immune stimulant, an astringent, and as mentioned before, a sexual stimulant
  • As an antioxidant, cinnamon ranks second only to Clove… clove tea maybe, but are you really gonna put cloves on toast or ice cream, or pears, or pie, or oatmeal, or in a smoothie?

Testing has yet to find a virus, bacteria, or fungus that can survive in a dish of cinnamon oil.  But use with extreme caution as cinnamon  oil WILL irritate nasal passages, mucus membranes, and cause skin irritation… big time.  You’ll need to dilute it with coconut or any other carrier oil at least 1:3. We get our cinnamon oil from here.

 

#3 – Increased Circulation – It’s for more than just keeping warm

 

Exactly that.  Increased circulation serves every part of the body.  From areas fighting inflammation, to veins and arteries, lungs and extremities, all the way to the brain.  If you are a vegan and are curious about brain food that doesn’t involve fish oil, look no further.  Cinnamon is a brain stimulant that has shown promise in inhibiting components found in Alzheimer’s brain plaque formations.

“β-amyloid polypeptides (Aβ) play a key role in Alzheimer’s disease.” Here, “cinnamon extract (CEppt), “markedly inhibits the formation of toxic Aβ molecules and prevents the toxicity of Aβ on neuronal (brain) cells.”

 

Along with the brain, cinnamon helps strengthen the heart and it aids digestion, weight loss, and abdominal pain.  If you find yourself feeling lethargic, maybe a nice ginger and cinnamon tea would hit the spot as both fight fatigue and depression.  And when paired with the herb, Dong Quai, the tonic acts to ease the pain and severity of menstruation.

 

#4 – Diabetes -

 

Before I address this final benefit, I want to remind you not to undertake a self healing program in regards to diabetes and cinnamon without the consultation  and supervision of a doctor.

I’ve researched thoroughly and found that cinnamon not only increases circulation, but also assists in balancing blood sugar levels, making it extremely beneficial to those with diabetes or those susceptible to pre-diabetic conditions and the onset of Diabetes type 2.

Cinnamon improves glucose tolerance.  It lowers blood sugar levels when the digestive system is dormant – also known as ‘fasting glucose sugar levels’ by 11-29%.  The most promising study done in 2003 through Diabetes Care involved 60 patients taking cinnamon regularly and had reduced average fasting glucose levels, triglycerides, LDL Cholesterol, and total cholesterol by about 25% for each!

Again, don’t undertake a shift in your current medical program with regards to diabetes without discussing your options with a doctor.  They might not understand the true power of cinnamon, but if you assert this is something you’d like to try, they can give you advice on how to monitor your levels properly.

 

So now, I turn the table back to you.

What can you do for yourself?

How many food items and meals throughout your busy day could you include a sprinkle, pinch, or portion of cinnamon?  Some of my favorites are:

  • anything involving Sweet Potatoes
  • Oatmeal
  • Pumpkin dishes
  • Roasted Butternut squash
  • Almond and banana smoothies
  • Sprinkled on yogurt or rice-cream (ice cream made with rice milk)
  • Gluten-free toast…
  • Google search some more…  here.

Healing with herbs, spices and natural ingredients isn’t about quantity.  It’s about quality and consistency.

Can you do it now and tomorrow?  And all week?  How about all month?  Now for a total shift… can you do it every day for the next 6 months?  Take some preliminary tests on your blood sugar and cholesterol levels now to compare later.

Make a video for yourself detailing the way you feel everyday, then undertake a holistic change with cinnamon.  What do you think you’ll say 6 months later when you watch that video again???

I’d like to know, as I’m sure you would too…

 

Dad

 

Where to buy…

A 160z bag of ground Organic Ceylon Cinnamon  to last you a year! – around $21

A 50gram shaker of ground Organic Ceylon is good for a trial month – around $5

Both of these products are sold through Iherb.com, an online Vitamin store I LOVE and have been using for over 4 years.  Their international shipping is extremely cheap (paid $15 for a 10lb box to Thailand!) and their prices are about the same as Amazon and much better than Whole Foods.  $5 off if it’s your first order, too!

Or use it as an essential oil for maximum benefits.  Be careful, as this one burns!  Diffuse it or dilute with a carrier oil, at least 5:1 and apply topically to the soles of your feet.  I get my favorite and trusted source here: mydoterra.com/holisticfamily

Sources used to write this article that weren’t included in the post:

Cinnamon Image

Cinnamon Oil

Alzheimer’s Image

http://www.naturalnews.com/035642_cinnamon_blood_sugar_regulating.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/029583_cinnamon_diabetes.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/DiabetesScreening/story?id=3806997

http://www.naturalnews.com/034260_cinnamon_health_benefits.html

Ron Teeguarden’s  The Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs

Aroma Tools’   Modern Essentials
Filed Under: Spices Tagged With: , ,

Eat a Bouquet of Trace Minerals

February 10, 2013 By

wild plant salad mix

As I sat down to type these words (can’t think out loud at the moment as I’m oil pulling), my naked big toes have just sunken into snow – it’s the last trimester of winter here and tiny snowflakes are sifting steadily in our farmhouse’s yard.

So is it timely to write about how to actually eat bouquets of wild flowers? Well, for one thing, many of the plants I will feature here are cosmopolitan, just like the technology I’m using to deliver this present blog post to your lap, office desk, kitchen table or ultimately to your plate and (to be sure: grateful) belly. When it comes out, some of you may well be reading this post in real time full summer, poised to jump on your feet and run straight outside plucking those beauties into your salad bowl.

For those of you living on the northern hemisphere like myself, it might simply lend you a heart-warming heads-up how to more fully take advantage of the next growing season in and outside your garden. Perhaps even during hikes across pristine meadows.

I will make a little disclaimer here and advise you to always be on the prudent side of spontaneity and inform yourself before just blindly coloring your teeth with petals. That’s how we acted, too…

The people who actually got us hooked on eating from the wild, were two globetrotting volunteers at our ecologically managed farm a couple of summers ago. Both of them were vegetarian and although we are not, in retrospect greatly appreciate the life-long adventure of foraging they introduced us to.

Cheryl holding a horticulture degree and myself one in environmental studies with landscape architecture minor, we did have basic plant knowledge prior to these guys’ arrival, after all we had already homesteaded here for five years by then. Our knowledge, however, was way too theoretical and lacked the courage it often takes to really turn information into real benefit.

Reasons for making these amazingly colorful wild salads beyond the all-sensory bonanza they bring to your meals, are plenty. It is for instance the multitude of antioxidants and trace minerals and the whole slew of other beneficial ingredients herbalist literature will tell you about, that are either hard or impossible to find in the grown vegetables, especially nowadays. The roots of these wild plants are more often than not deep, therefore able to mobilize and build in those minerals that are depleted from the topsoil (largely due to improper farming procedures and the associated erosion), but are still bountiful underneath. These plants also happen to be very resilient to extreme weather conditions, such as extended heat and drought. When most other cultivated plants wilt, they will still hang in there for awhile.

Then there is that common sense wisdom informed by nature’s law that says: in diversity there is stability. This translates to nutrition as well – the more diversely one eats, the more wholesome the diet, the better one will feel. Let me just put it this way: incorporate, rather than refuse.

Again, being cautious, using intuition and keeping herb books about usage and identification, as well as the internet in our arms’ reach, we went plant (part) by plant (part) until pretty soon we were joyfully chowing down juicy salad mixes consisting of as many as 25 different plant species, most of them either wild or used in unconventional ways.

When making any salad one should bear in mind the potency, the flavor intensity of each added ingredient. I like to use my nose as advisor if I haven’t had previous experience with a plant (part) and add it to the whole accordingly.

To give you an example, coriander (Coriandrum sativum) has very penetrating, characteristic scent from root to flower, that could easily overpower the entire salad. The most commonly used dry seeds (pickling) are actually mellow in comparison to the fresh parts. Yet those tiny, light pink flowers are so adorable, one can’t help but pluck – a pinch.

You will find that goosefoot (Chenopodium album) on the other hand, in contrary to many edible wild plants, is not bitter at all and tastes much like floury spinach – pretty flavorful, actually. You can use this as one of the base plants of the wild salad, just check the underside of the leaves, because aphids like them, too.

Most of us know and love the spicy arugula or rucola (Eruca sativa), but I implore you to adventure in using its flowers, too, besides the leaves. They lend such wonderfully artistic look to the color and texture palate of your salad. They are off-white with a web of dark brown veins and megaphone shape.

Wild field poppies (Papaver rhoeas) will please you in so many ways: the silky touch of the petals, the gentle flavor and pink color they imbue salads with, the mild bitterness and velvety surface of the juvenile leaves.

And one could go on and on from the purple and blue bachelor’s button (Centaurea cyanus) petals with their scalloping like fingers, the white and yellow sweet clover (Melilotus sp.), the reds, pinks and whites of clover (Trifolium sp.), the orange of calendula (Calendula officinalis), the bright yellow of mustard (Sinapis alba) flowers, the deep purples and bright pinks of vetches (Vicia sp.) to the ubiquitous dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) flowers, lacy yarrow (Achillea millefolium) leaves (this is another plant to use in moderation due to its strong bitter aroma) or the pink and white inflorescence heads of the chives and onions.

You can see, how the cornucopia fills in fast this way. In fact we went from the blend of 25, to a “cocktail” of over 35 different plants the following summer when we hosted a wild salad party for some open-minded locals.

From a gastronomic angle I recommend serving this wild goodness marinated in more familiar juices. I like to use a blend of water, sour cream (choose the raw kind and if you can from Jersey cow), apple cider vinegar, a pinch of salt, a dash of honey – making sure that the acid-fat balance is harmonizing with the plants.

Enjoy and share!

 

Roland Magyar is himself a holistic father, husband, homesteader in Hungary, enjoying a simple life with great potentials. You can find more of his writings at their family blog Handcraftedtravellers  or interact with him on Facebook 

 
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

A Peek into Our E-Book

January 18, 2013 By

Recently we hit our 20,000 like mark on Facebook and rather than copy/paste a ‘thank you’ picture that has little personal engagement to show our gratitude, I thought I’d take you a little into the world of making our first ebook, The Holistic Approach, and give you a sneak preview of one of the chapters!

The book is a monumental, thought altering, lifestyle changing holistic journey urging you to take the steps needed to become a healthy and thriving human being.  We tackle the struggles that you deal with daily as we focus your mind into doing what is right for you, and not what the popular diets say, or you friends preach, or a commenter recommends.

The book addresses Eating Real Food and understanding how your body is shaped around the groceries you buy at the market.  We’ll also give you action steps for gradually adjusting your diet, while paying attention to your own health situation, thus enabling you to be the best you want to be.

Holistic living encompasses more than just food.  Your lifestyle is a major contributor to your health, for good and for bad!  Stress, money, happiness, love all impact your life as we all know.  But, dealing with it is another matter.  Along with the help of a few friends, we give you a deep look into how these factors can be utilized or minimized, aiding you in taking back your life.

More than the food you know, it’s also important to have an idea of what else is out there in the world that hasn’t stuck in between your ears; things you may have heard, seen, or had dreams about but never knew how to use, where to buy, or even what the heck they were.  Some might be life-altering, others might be swift-disregarding but inside there will no doubt be something to utilize in your daily life.  We’ll look at herbs from around the globe, mainly Indian and Chinese, and how you can benefit from their life giving properties.  We’ll address spices, supplements, juicing, teas, detoxification and elimination and give you a good understanding on where you can begin to turn your life onto the fast track of Holistic Living.

So keep an eye out.  The monkeys are typing as fast as they can – I’ve given them GMO banana’s that have been spliced with Cheetah DNA.

And because I love ya, really, Here’s that sneak peek I promised.

The New Year has come n’ gone and by now, your holiday credit card bills have been sent and you’re staring at the envelope not wanting to open it.

Well, here at Holistic Dad, we have a calming solution that will empower you to face financial adversity with a sense of serenity.

Our Guest is Linda Esposito, LCSW – an Anxiety Saboteur who loves to help people resolve their emotional baggage, from  TalkTherapyBiz.  Her wonderful guide will be part of the Holistic Dad E-Book – along with a financial tracker download, but since we love you (and it’s soo helpful) we’re sending it out as a little teaser.

So, without further ado…

I give you Linda’s Financial Stress Guide.

 

The Holistic Guide to Handle Financial Stress

Is financial stress making you sick?

If so, you’re not alone.

Stress that isn’t resolved becomes distress. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Consider the following:

  • Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
  • Seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
  • Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
  • The lifetime prevalence of an emotional disorder is more than 50%, often due to chronic, untreated stress reactions
  • The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared stress a hazard of the workplace. Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually. Source

The bad news is that part of your financial situation is tied to the economy.

The good news is you have more power over money than you think.

A holistic approach to wellness and health is all encompassing, and so is your relationship with money.  

“It is personal and different for each individual. In holistic and natural medicine, a doctor or herbalist seeks to not only treat the illness and its symptoms, but to get to the root of the reason why the illness manifested in the first place.”  Holistic Dad

The same can be said of psychotherapy. I’ve counseled hundreds of clients over the past fourteen years who suffered from anxiety and depression as a result of financial issues.

 

This post will highlight:

  1. How to change your relationship to money
  2. How to identify where your money problems originated
  3. How to budget for 2013

 

Life is not meant to be stressful. Money and material possessions should not have the power to dictate a good or a bad day.

Money, or lack thereof, is not the enemy. Money is neutral. How you attach importance to money, how you view it, and save or spend it is entirely up to you.

Money does not walk into a pub and disappear. Nor does cold hard cash sashay into a designer boutique and slink out as a name brand scarf that lines corporate pockets.

Believe me, I know. In my 20′s, credit card companies took up serious real estate in my mailbox, and their representatives practically accosted me on college campuses. It was as easy as spending four minutes filling out an application in the quad as I rushed to my Community Projects class. Need I mention the cool swag like colorful T-shirts, sturdy backpacks and best of all, 19-ounce bags of M&Ms… just for signing on the dotted line?

It was all good until I maxed out that $5,000.00 limit within 24 months.

And that was undergrad.

Luckily, by the time I entered my Master’s program, I got a financial butt kicking when a frugal friend stepped in and schooled me about just how much I was paying for things like a weekend getaway. That sun splashed excursion lasted two days but took me fourteen months to pay off. Somehow that 2.5-star hotel ended up costing as much as lodging at the Biltmore. And I didn’t even get to experience the “blending the bounty of the sea with botanicals from the gardens of Santa Barbara.”

The kicker was when I realized I was paying the college tuition of the VISA executives’ kids–Ouch! I did a 360, and became that gal counting coins and budgeting to the dime every month. I had envelopes filled with cash that I allotted for rent, food, gas, etc.

I could have lived in a monastery.

There was one problem: I was miserable. I had lived on both extremes of the financial pendulum: Carefree spending on plastic with huge interest rates, and living a life of scarcity while starving myself of simple pleasures like a movie or new Converse kicks. Friends stopped calling. Who could blame them? My low point came when I pondered sneaking a champagne split into a night club to avoid the two-drink minimum…I knew there had to be a better way.

Luckily, I found the financial middle ground, and it’s made all the difference in the world.

And you can too. You’re the expert on your life, which means you get to choose how to change your relationship with money. But you have to start with the commitment to doing things differently, because like Holistic Dad says,

“I cannot specify here all the ways in which you can be true to yourself, as you are an individual with specific needs. But here are some tips to help give you a holistic approach to life.”

And before I offer some tips to help give you a holistic approach to your finances, you’ll need to have an honest discussion with yourself and answer some questions. I suggest recording your responses in writing, and investing at least a couple of hours on this task. It might be helpful to call a sibling, or a childhood friend to gain some frame of reference, if you’re stuck on the origins of your relationship with money:

  • How was money handled as a kid?
  • Were your parents generous with cash, or were you made to know exactly how much you cost them?
  • Was money earned as a reward for meeting goals, or was it showered upon you freely?
  • Do you ever withhold material gifts from yourself because you feel like you’re not worth it?
  • Do you spend in order to satisfy a different hunger–think food, clothes, sex, status-seeking, luxury items, etc.
  • If you’re in debt, do you know why?
  • Do you take responsibility for your relationship to money or do you blame your parents, your spouse, your partner or your kids?

I can’t stress just how important it is to get a mental hold of your finances. The health of your mind and your body are dependent on proactive and prudent financial steps.

I hope you’ll hop on an inner financial journey this year, and give up the season tickets to the Debt-Express, once and for all.

4 Mental tips to reduce financial stress

1. Change your money mentality

So you used to pick up the dinner tab without so much as glancing at the amount? Well, that was yesterday, baby. Today’s a new day. You can still dine out, but you’ll need to scale back.

2. Be smart about where you cut back

Reducing what you spend on non-essential items is the first step towards financial independence. Be realistic about where to trim the fat, but don’t overdo it. Going from one extreme to the other will only leave you feeling angry, resentful and prone to over-spending.

For years, I wanted to hire a cleaning woman. I had the money, but with less income due to the recession, I convinced myself that I should return to the financially frugal days of yore.  But the stress took its toll. While the dishes piled up in the sink, and the dust bunnies took residence, I would snap at my son during homework time, and resent the Siberian huskies when they stared me down and dared me not to take them on their nightly walk.

The household mess made me more complacent because I knew cleaning my own home was costing me money. Once I made the commitment, I’ve never looked back.

3. Fund a luxury

As long as you’re willing to be financially prudent in most areas of your life, you can and should spend money on quality purchases such as hiking gear, or technology or a nice gym membership. And definitely invest in organic fruits and vegetables from the local farmer’s market.

Sure organic is more expensive, but so is the doctor bills when your asthma and allergies flare up.

4.   Healthy Living

“Dedicate yourself to spending time each day meditating, praying, walking in nature, or reading an inspirational book. If you are religious, take solace in your temple/ house of worship” - Holistic Dad.

14 Practical Tips to reduce financial stress

You’re probably familiar with many of these tips, but if you’re not sleeping soundly at night, you’re not doing enough of them. Choose the ones which work for you, and put a plan in place.

  1. Track your daily spending for at least two weeks.
  2.  Before you pull out that credit card, ask yourself if every purchase + interest is still a worthwhile buy.
  3. Call your credit card company, wireless carrier, cable telephone service, auto/home insurance company and ask if they can reduce your monthly bill.
  4. Brainstorm your skill sets and get creative about how you can monetize your talents. Can you babysit, walk dogs, do handy work, tutor high school math, set up websites, etc? Dig deep and go long. Then choose three ways to reach potential customers/clients and get crackin.
  5. Cancel your cable TV. If that’s really tough, try compromising with Netflix online which is under $8.00 per month. Go to the matinee showing of movies and bring your own snacks.
  6. Create an emergency fund, even if you’re in debt. It’s important to set aside money every month, even if you can only afford $25.00 to start. This will help you sleep better at night, increase your confidence, and build hope for the future.
  7. Take public transportation, carpool, walk, or bike somewhere at least three times per week.
  8. Walk to the store and bring your own shopping bags to ensure you’ll only buy as much as you can carry.
  9. Make Sundays food prep day. Plan a menu, freeze the leftovers, and remember to pack healthy snacks like nuts, carrots, and fruit.
  10.  Take inventory of the contents of your fridge. Try to eat everything before returning to the grocery store.
  11.  Check out a financial book from the library. One of my favorites is Rich Dad Poor Dad
  12. Hit up a mentor to help you create a product or business idea. Offer to take him/her to coffee in exchange for a brain picking session.
  13.  Invest in your education. This may sound counter-intuitive since your stressed over money, but the old adage that it takes money to make money is true.
  14.  Choose a cause or charity and donate time or money–even if it’s 30 minutes per week, or just 5.00 per month. You’ll get out of your head, and away from the endless obsessing over your finances. We’re all in this life game together, and helping others is always rewarding.

Look at the big picture. Just because you’re strapped now, doesn’t mean your life will always be like this.

The truth is, you do not have to be imprisoned by financial stress. And your self-worth is not measured by the contents of your bank account.

But don’t wait until you’ve racked up thousands of dollars in credit card bills to compel you into changing your spending ways. DO things differently NOW, not in the future. Because the future, my friend is NOW.

Set the intention to change your mind, and your finances will follow. We give Chanel’s “little black dress” and the new model Sedan too much psychological power, so in 2013, let’s practice taking it back.

Just be willing, and the resources you need will come to you. It might seem uncomfortable at first, but trust me; the freedom from that Debtor’s Prison you created in your mind is on the other side. Take off those psychological shackles, make a plan, practice gratitude, and stop stressing over what you don’t have. Somewhere out there exists a person whose biggest want in life is a laptop computer and access to an internet connection…

Linda Esposito, LCSW
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Closing 2012 and Arising in 2013

January 1, 2013 By

Source

In the land of natural healing, holistic well-being, and healthy eating, we will all face a bit of negativity.

 

Someone else will doubt what you do, how you live or what you believe.  But I say to you, never let that alter your course, change your being, or destroy the ultimate goal you have laid out for you self.

 
We here at the Holistic Dad community support one another, offer advice and honest, deep rooted, and self-tested ideas, remedies, thoughts, inspiration and love.  We pass it on to save another, most likely unknown soul, in the hopes that they will grow and blossom to undertake the wonderful gift of sharing the love that comes from living a vibrant, fulfilling, purposeful life.

 
For all those in the circle open your hands because someone somewhere would like to join, they just don’t know it yet.  The new year is upon us.  Look back at where you were a year ago.  How was that person, physically, emotionally and mentally… can you remember it?  Where were you and now how far have you come?  It it a giant leap?  Perhaps a few things? Maybe one small push- but one full of promise and possibility?

 
Healthy living thrives on forward momentum.  Take one step and you can’t help but take another, and another, and more and more til finally you’re the one suggesting life saving foods, herbs, spices, vitamins and activities that quite possibly will cause the next ‘guru’ to come forward and do the same in your stead to their own community.

 
Health is not something to be hoarded or kept under lock and key.  The ideas are out there and they cry to be shared.
I bring you my thoughts and beliefs and knowledge because it’s what drives me to work harder, live more passionately, sing fuller, laugh deeper, and love with my bleeding beating heart.

 
I’m sorry, but I can do no less.  This coming year, may you find your calling… your reason to tingle head to toe in triumph… your path to a higher level of thriving – of being… in whatever and wherever your heart, mind and soul guide you.

Source

For 2013, the Holistic Dad website will be going upgrades as we strive to bring you that extra step closer to becoming the ultimate you.

 

  • Ebook – The Holistic Dad ebook will be released and available for download in the upcoming month.  Inside we outline the courses of action to take when starting at the first step.  We detail how to make the switches for both gradual and immediate change to bring your life into a fuller, healthier, happier 2013 and beyond.

 

  • Book of the Month Club – We will be rolling out a free to join club that finds the best health books, ebooks, and possibly videos and discusses the trends, impacts, and possibilities contained within.  Bring your questions, concerns, personal experiences to the monthly google hangout and share with Dad and the community!

 

  • Weekly Podcast – Dad will be putting out a weekly podcast detailing the latest health news, research, and articles.  On the show we’ll also be interviewing other natural health experts sharing their story and victories.

 

  • Video – Dad will finally be adding video to the site.  Someone smack me for not doing this sooner.

 

  • Practitioners, Coaches, Natural Health Professionals  Community – We currently are creating a community page where the world’s natural healers, health sages,wellness coaches, and experts can come and gather insight and find their voice on getting their word out to the rest of us.  Each of us has a story on how we got here and what drives our very being.  Share and be inspired to go to the next level.

 

Source

So, as the clock ticks on…

May I wish you the final bright moment of 2012 and a happy welcome to 2013.

May we all rise and overcome illness together

And Believe in yourself for you are eternally beautiful

 

Sincerely,

Holistic Dad
Filed Under: Uncategorized

Is Agave Good for You? The Great Agave Debate

December 19, 2012 By

Source

Long, long ago… in a city miles away from here… I was introduced to a wondrous substance.

I was young.

I was naive.

I was inexperienced, to say the least.

I had no idea where I was headed.

I fell.  I fell…hard.

Yes… it was coffee.  But!  But…next to the coffee, served alongside the rainbow packets of sweeteners, was an odd bottle.  It was positioned upside-down in the wooden coffee sticks, dripping out into the bottom of the container.

I saved it from certain disaster, but not untouched.  It got me.  It found its way onto my finger, and hand, and sleeve and perhaps down the front of my pants a la honey on a bad day, but I can’t be certain.

Instead of wiping said substance onto the probably already fouled jeans, I unconsciously stuck said finger in to my mouth, and said something to the tune of… “wow!”

Yes.  It was agave.  And you probably guessed that from the title of the article, right?  I didn’t fool you one bit.

Now fast forward to now, like now-now.

The fence has been big and small at times, but I’ve always been riding it, the agave fence.  Which side am I on?

Obviously in the beginning I was on one side.  Thanks to copious amounts of advertising, marketing, and word of mouth praisers, I was convinced that agave was the end all be all of sweeteners.  I touted it’s wonders to everyone I could.

More recently though, I got back on the fence and proceeded to hop to the other side with the caution flag.  Let’s say, I would be considered a Turncloak in Dr. Seuss’ Butter-Battle Book.

There were lots of articles out there saying agave was a product of the marketing demons.  That agave is, was, and always has been a Fructose shock in disguise.  That the quoted “Low GI-Index” was true but had deeper evils that threatened diabetics and non-diabetics alike.

Now, I’m not going to make a final yes or no.  What I do, is what I do.  What you do, is due to your tastes, body, beliefs, family, budget, smell…etc.  So, how about I just give you the research and kinda make a few suggestions and in the end you decide which side of the bread the butter is on.

And a note… I’ve taken no money to write this article.  I don’t sell agave.  I don’t have friends that sell agave.  I don’t have business associates that give me money to say things about agave.  If you’d like to give me some, that’s fine, but this isn’t lobbying and I won’t change my voice… EVER…. capice?

Okay… here goes.  I’ve been researching agave for awhile and here’s what I’ve found… so far.

It seems we have a huge debate and what side you’re on, depends on what product you use, who you trust and how much FACTUAL info is available.  Some prominent health advocates (Mercola, Food Renegade, Rami Nagel) state that agave is dangerous due to:

  1. The refinement process with the possible use of chemicals, GM enzymes and other acids and ‘stuff’
  2. The high content of Fructose (55-90%) and naming it worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
  3. The preparation – using the starch from the root of the plant and the extreme heat involved
  4. The long term effect on Insulin levels and the effect concentrated Fructose has on the body.

Now… I’ve also seen a website and a few articles defending agave and this one brand seems to put everything on the table.

It’s interesting to note that the president, Mr. Craig Gerbore, states that their agave is sourced from agave salmiana, a very different species from the traditional blue agave.  He discloses nothing in regards to the production of his nectar.  This is taken from an interview conducted a few years ago on Altered Plates in response to some agave criticism.

  • “The native people supplying the juice collect it from the live plant, by hand, twice daily. There is no heat involved in the removal. The juice is immediately brought to the facility to remove the excess water as it will ferment rapidly if left standing. It is during the removal of the moisture that the only heat is applied. The juice is evaporated and moisture removed in a vacuum evaporator. The vacuum enables the moisture to be withdrawn at low temperatures. The temp is closely controlled. Subsequently, our agave is handled and packaged at room temperatures. No other heat is applied. And, rather than convert the complex sugars of the juice thermally, we use gentle enzymatic action. Just as a bee introduces an enzyme to flower nectar to make honey, we introduce an natural organic vegan enzyme for the same purpose. The technical term for the conversion of complex sugars into their simple sugar components is hydrolysis. Inulin is a fructan which is hydrolyzed into the simple sugars composing agave nectar, fructose and glucose.”source

Now, that seems… promising.  It certainly paints a different picture from the productions mentioned in the articles describing a chemical process that is detrimental to our health.

But before you dig in or shun agave forever, remember that it all boils down to fructose.(ha!)

Remember, fructose is the evil guy no matter what product you use.  Fructose is responsible for numerous chronic diseases stemming from obesity, liver damage, and even contributes to higher risks of heart attack!  For all the reasons HFCS is bad, remember fructose is the culprit.  It doesn’t matter the source; honey, agave, HFCS, or sugared sodas.

But, don’t stop eating your fruit!  Fructose is different from levulose.  ~And always check with your doctor if your medicated diet restricts sugars and all fructose and glucose!

  • “Levulose is [fructose], naturally occurring in fruits, and is not isolated but bound to other naturally occurring sugars. Unlike man-made fructose, levulose contains enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fruit pectin. Refined fructose is processed in the body through the liver, rather than digested in the intestine. Levulose is digested in the intestine.” source

And where does that leave me?

Well, I’ll be in the corner eating spoonfuls gluten-free oatmeal sprinkled with coconut sugar and black-strap molasses until someone uncovers some negative claims about them, where in I’ll cause a huge affair, a nasty break up worth of tabloid exposure and be seen running away from every thing sweet forevermore.

 

I hate sweets.

 

dad
Filed Under: Uncategorized

One of the biggest problems holding people back from health

December 13, 2012 By

healh

There can be many, many different aspects that hold people back from attaining radiant health. There can be, in some cases, the lack of funds to be able to purchase adequate fruits and vegetables and other healthy items. There can be the lack of information on what to eat and the importance of health and nutrition. This is quite common, and it’s why I post so frequently on my Fanpage: to help people begin their nutritional journey.

But the most common thing that holds people back from living a vibrant and healthy life is sadly lack of motivation to implement said knowledge. I can’t tell you how often I have people writing me or asking me for nutritional help who then refrain from changing their lifestyle. It doesn’t matter how sick they are, what their financial situation is…the overall problem of not implementing what one knows about wellness is what is holding millions of people back from their health goals.

I’m not being harsh here, simply honest. It’s one of the reasons I became a Wellness Coach, because after counseling people on and off for years I realized most never followed my advice or the advice of others, because it wasn’t frequent enough. Sure, I was there for friends if they had a question. I would answer them and became the go-to guy for health. But I wasn’t working with them weekly, as a coach would do. And that’s what people need: constant motivation and constant reminders of WHY they need to change their lifestyle.

This lack of motivation for change pervades every aspect of society. I was just listening to a coaching book last night and half the first section of the book was regarding coaches simply not implementing certain things they know they should be doing to grow their business. They knew what to do!! Yet, many were simply not doing it. That’s where Business Coaches come in.

Don’t think I am in any way immune to this. We ALL struggle with lack of motivation in some areas of our lives. It’s human nature, and it’s why we have families to help show us the way. It’s why we have communities where we can help each other out. If we don’t we fail. A support system is the make-break point.

Having a mentor or friend or coach that hold you accountable is key to success, no matter what your endeavor is. If you want to lose weight, it’s imperative you find someone to help you on your journey. Or if you want to eat less meat and processed foods. No matter what it is: find someone to help motivate you!
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Overcoming Food Cravings

December 7, 2012 By

 

raw foods witch

Many families yearn to eat healthier but face struggles such as craving their go-to junk/processed food item. We all have something unhealthy we may enjoy ( my obsession was with over sugared peanut butter…sigh) and our friend the ‘Raw Foods Witch’ offers suggestions and practical advice in Cure Cravings Forever.

Nathalie Lussier transformed her life by eating raw food, ‘…it got me from addicted to junk food and meat to loving vegetables and rocking the kitchen. I make a mean green smoothie.’ She took on the moniker raw foods witch and developed a popular website, dedicated to sharing her recipes and thoughts on the magic of raw food.

‘Raw food IS for everyone – how much is up to you’

Like many of us, Nathalie grew up seeing relatives struggle with their health, ‘It was normal to me to eat processed foods and factory farmed meat. It was also normal to me to attend funerals for my relatives who kept dying of heart attacks..’ It wasn’t until college that she began to learn more about health and wellness and the power of nutrition. Her program delves into how we can achieve and maintain our individual health goals and end our food cravings. Ending the cycle of eating healthy once and a while to falling back into our old habits during the holidays can be overcome when we have group support, as well as if we increase our knowledge in how to effectively adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

One of the things we love about Cure Cravings Forever is how inclusive it is: you don’t need to become a full blown raw foodist. We each have our own unique health goals, whether we simply want to eat more greens or lose weight. It’s also meant for those of us that need more energy and rely on caffeine 24/7 in order to function ( not naming names…).

If you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, check out Nathalie’s program as it may be right up your alley. Our family loves her advice as well as her online store.
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts