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3 cups cooked black beans
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 large tomatoe, chopped
1 Tablespoon tamari sauce or soy sauce
2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup salsa

In a large skillet, sauté onion, garlic until onion is soft. Add the green pepper and sauté until it is soft. Add the remaining ingredients except the salsa. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add in the salsa. Serve over cooked brown rice. Serves 4

This is a nice side dish with grilled chicken, pork chops, or steak. It makes a great lunch along side a salad.

Water is the most important nutrient we can feed our bodies. Lets face it we all know we can survive a lot longer without food than without water but we certainly don’t act like it. If you are like me, I sometimes feel like I am starving (like every few hours) and yet I rarely say I am dying of thirst. If I truly believed that water is the most important nutrient I would be drinking water all the time. Again I usually drink with my meals and rarely in between. To me that looks like I am giving just as much focus on the food I eat as the water I drink. Science tells us that the body would die without water in just a few days and yet we could survive 3-4 times that without food. Some of us could go even longer. What do we need so much water for? 

·      75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world pop.)

·      In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

·      Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.

·      One glass of water deters hunger pangs for 98% of the dieters observed in a University of Washington study.

·      The biggest trigger of daytime fatigue is lack of water.

·      Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

·      A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

·      Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79%, and develop bladder cancer by 50%.

·      Water serves as a lubricant

·      Water forms the base for saliva

·      Water forms the fluids that surround the joints.

·      Water regulates the body temperature, as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.

·      Water helps to alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste- the best detox agent.

·      Regulates metabolism

Did all you dieters see that last one? That is how our bodies use the fuel we give it.

This list is not exhaustive but it only touches the surface. Our bodies are 2/3 water so we need to replenish it and renew it.

So how much water does all this take? Researchers say to take half of your body weight and drink that in ounces. So if you weigh 150 pounds that is 75 ounces of water a day. Remember the 8-10 glasses that your doctor told  you to drink. If there are 8 ounces of water in each glass you are not getting enough.  (10 glasses times 8 ounces is only 80 ounces of water, so make it 16 ounces of water or two cups in each glass and you are there.)

Water is important so drink up. I am going to. 

Spicy Taco Chicken Salad 1 cup leftover chicken (sprinkled generously with 1/2 tsp. sea salt, 1/4tsp. black pepper, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder) or you can use a prepackaged taco seasoning mix salad greens 2 Tablespoons corn 2 Tablespoons black beans 2 Tablespoons cheddar cheese 1/2 tomatoe or 1/4 cup of salsa Combine these all together and enjoy. You can vary the spicy hot to suit your taste as well as other items. Try different beans or serve with a side of refried beans and guacamole.

I don’t like taking medication. I just needed to say that so you know why I even looked up the dangers of taking Tylenol, Advil, or any over the counter medicines to battle a cold. Our family has recently gone through a Spring cold that has been hard to beat. With preschoolers in the house, I am responsible to know how to best treat their symptoms but also I am responsible to do my best to help them get well. So the search was on for a safe alternative to relieve their coughing, sniffling, sneezing, aches, and pains.

ABC, CNN and others have reported on the dangers of cold medicines for children.  This is how we combat a cold.

1. Use a vaporizer along with Vicks Vapor Rub has helped immensely.
2. Eating healthy gives our bodies a fighting chance against viruses and bacterias.
3. Take a good mult-vitamin to provide any nutrients our diet has missed. We take Usana nutritionals.
4. Propping our older kids up with pillows while sleeping to keep congestion from clogging their nasal passages.
5. Keeping the house stocked with plenty of kleenex. A drippy runny nose is actually our bodies way of taking away impurities. You can aid this by using a netti pot or saline spray for younger kids.

But how can we relieve their achiness? What about a head ache from sinus build up? What can we do?

This is an issue I have not yet resolved. I was happy giving them some Tylenol until a friend told me the dangers of giving Tylenol when related to childhood immunizations.  Tylenol works to keep your bodies temperature down to normal when you are battling a disease or cold. But the problem is our bodies raise our temperatures so it can kill the virus.  When we supress the immune system by lowering our bodies temperature we are actually aiding the virus or bacteria.  We are helping them to win the fight. In other words we are prolonging our child’s cold.

I don’t want my child to suffer one moment longer than they have to with a cold. I don’t want them to suffer having the cold either. My best solution so far is to pretreat them before a cold by boosting their immune system every chance I can. During a cold I can naturally relieve all symptoms but the aches and pains are trickier. They have less aches and pains with less nasal congestion so that goes back to a symptom but when all else fails I go back to Tylenol but I give half doses. I will let you know that a bottle of Tylenol expires in our house before we use it and we have three preschoolers.

I am not a doctor so please always follow your medical professional’s advice while using your common sense.

Iron in vitamins seem to make me sick right after I take them. I might be crazy or it might not be the iron but anyway. I thought I would let you know how I get plenty of iron in my diet without taking any additional iron supplements.

You can increase iron by taking a good iron supplement but cooking in cast iron is a fabulous way as well. Dark green vegies are typically high in iron and are relatively easy to grow  too. I know red meat is a great source but I have read a lot that if the meat isn’t free range or just grass fed it isn’t as profitable because of the stuff they inject the animals with. Range fed meats are about twice as expensive so I tend to rely on cast iron, dark greens, and also using black strap molasses in cooking as a way to keep up my iron levels.

What do you do?

2 cucumbers, sliced into 1/4 in. thick rounds
2-3 green onions chopped
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. tahini or almond butter
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Dash of soy sauce (optional)
Seasonings to taste: a dash of salt, and pepper, and cumin

This is great with fresh summer cucs. I can’t wait for ours to grow but for now I’ll deal with the store bought cucumbers. You can also add this dressing on your favorite sandwich, salad, or use as a marinade for chicken, pork, or fish.(just leave out the cucumbers in the marinade)

Fiber intake can be raised easily by just adding more whole foods into a diet. For example eating the entire apple and its peel while avoiding eating just apple sauce or juice. But this principle also goes for grains. White rice is simply brown rice with the outer shell removed. The outer shell is where the fiber and a lot of nutrients are. Whole wheat flour is brown because it contains the germ and the bran (which contain the fiber and the nutrients) that white flour doesn’t. That is why white flour has to be enriched back with vitamins. Not ready for wheat flour? You can add a bit of wheat bran, wheat germ, whole flax seed, or oat bran back into any recipe you bake. I add between a 1/4 to 1/2 cup without changing any of the other ingredients. I doubt anyone in your family will notice.

There are certain foods high in fiber.

Apples with skin
Blueberries
Figs, dried
Grapefruit
Pear
Raspberries
Strawberries
Avocado (fruit)
Beet greens
Cabbage, cooked
Carrot, cooked
Cole slaw
Green beans
Kale, cooked
Peas, cooked
Spinach, cooked
Sweet potato, cooked
Winter squash
Bran cereal
Oats, rolled dry
Rice, dry brown
Almonds
Black beans, cooked
Flax seeds
Garbanzo beans, cooked
Kidney beans, cooked
Lentils, red cooked
Lima beans, cooked
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts

From this list you will be surprised to know that the beans have on average twice as much fiber per serving as the fruits or vegies.  Another good reason to eat beans and legumes.

The benefits of adding in your diet. Fiber moves quickly and relatively easily through your digestive tract and helps it function properly. A high-fiber diet may also help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Most high-fiber foods are comparably low in calories and fat. They also create a feeling of satiety since they typically take longer to chew.

With those benefits, why not add a few more to your day?

This is just a partial list so click here to find more foods.

This is our family’s favorite bread. I make a batch of this every week. It does take some time but it is well worth your work and effort.

2 teaspoons active yeast
½ cup warm water about 110 degrees
6 cups whole wheat flour
2 ½ teaspoon salt
2 ¼ cup lukewarm water
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons butter

Dissolve the yeast in ½ cup warm water. Don’t skip this step, it makes the yeast ready to do its job.
Mix the flour, and salt in a large bowl, stirring to make the flour fluffy, make a well in the center. Dissolve the honey into the  2/14 cups water. Pour the liquid and the yeast mixture into the well in the flour. Stirring first to combine the ingredients and then fold in the remaining flour from the sides of the bowl.
If you want really great bread-knead the dough for 20minutes without adding any more flour. The dough should remain soft, and should become elastic and smooth. This is an essential step, don’t skimp do all 20 minutes. Using a dough hook on a stand mixer will make the job easier but leave it in the machine for the full time.
As you knead incorporate the butter into the dough, a little at a time. As you continue to work the dough, toward the end of the kneading, it will become supple and elastic. You should be able to see the brown flecks of the bran against the gluten.
Form the dough into a round ball and put in a clean bowl to rise. Do not oil the bowl. Cover the bowl to protect from drafts and place in a warm draft free spot. This should take 1 ½ to 2 hours.
To check the dough wet your finger and poke the dough about a ½ inch. If the dough does not fill in, it is ready for the next step. Gently press the gas out of the dough and reshape into a round ball again for a second rise. Please do not punch the dough or skip the second rising. Whole wheat flour needs some extra tender care to allow it to be light and fluffy, not a hard brick. This second rising will take about ½ the amount of time.  Keep it covered and in a draft free space.
Check the dough just like before to see if it is ready for step three.
Turn out the dough keeping the smooth top surface carefully unbroken. Deflate the dough again. Cut the dough in half and form each part into a small round ball. Let the balls rest for about ten minutes. You can get the pans ready while they rest. You will need to lightly grease the pans.
After the dough has rested, shape the loaves and place in a bread pan and let rise once more. This rise will take about 30 minutes. The bread should touch the sides of the pan all the way up and form a nice arc over the top. The dough should feel spongy but not soggy. Place in hot oven. Bake at 425 for ten minutes and then turn down the temperature to 325 and bake for an additional 45 minutes. The loaves should leave the pans easily and be an even golden brown. If you thump the bottom of the loaves it will sound hollow.

You can make half the dough into some wonderful dinner rolls.  It will make 12-15 rolls. The rolls need a full rising in the pan. It might take as long as the second rise. If you make a loaf and rolls, shape the rolls first, and bake them half as long as the loaf. Brush with butter as soon as they are done. Cover them with a thick towel to keep them warm until you are ready to serve.

The best bread book I have read is “The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book” not only are there great recipes but she describes in detail the best way to knead, shape, and bake bread.

I am a self proclaimed ‘Health Nut’. I do my best to eat healthy, exercise, and educate my mind by reading how to be even more of a ‘Health Nut’.

How does that translate to how others view me? They see me as a fanatical nut case.

Do I mind? Sometimes. But I see how this translates to my family’s health and I am energized to become even healthier.

I have only heard the comment that others say about me in a negative light. I have not been lucky enough to hear it like others.  I have enjoyed these same people that will cut into my healthy living as a joke come to me privately with questions. People are truly looking for help and a personal success story is a bigger headline than any magazine can offer. I am here to help motivate others to take the journey of being a health nut for themselves, their family, and others.

What do you think?

I love to browse through magazines for recipes. I am always looking for new meals to try and new ways to dress up our favorites. I have found I can create a healthier version of the recipe featured in a magazine with changing just a few ingredients.

1. When your recipe calls for white rice exchange it for brown rice. Brown rice still has the outside hull over the rice. This provides tons of fiber and keeps the rice from being processed and having its nutrients zapped.

2.Each time there is a name brand item that comes from a box, jar, or can I can substitute for fresh or home-made. For instance I just read a recipe that needed “name brand” cereal to top a yogurt dessert. Why not make Homemade Granola? Substitute real whipped cream for frozen dairy whipped topping. With a little planning you can soak and cook your own beans for a fraction of the price. Bread crumbs can be made quickly by lightly toasting a piece of bread and then placing it in a plastic bag. Then run a rolling pin over it-presto bread crumbs.

3.Making your own salad dressing is easy. These can be used as a marinade, sauces, and of course on top of salad.

4. Use honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, molasses, or other forms of natural sweeteners for white sugar.

5. Use whole wheat flour for white flour. You can also experiment with oat, rice, spelt, millet, and other flours.

Any other ideas? What do you do to make recipes healthier?