Over the years on the path to reclaiming domestic arts and traditional wisdom, my vision and focus, pretty much has never left the kitchen.
These days though, I’m starting to think more and more about how to grow and access food, without relying on a grocery store – even the organic ones.
Move over wheatgrass, ‘weed grass’ is in the house!
It’s not that I don’t appreciate the convenience, it’s just that, I want to know for sure, that I know how to grow and access appreciable amounts of food for my family – anytime.
Whether you want to save money, access more nutrition or gain survival skills, you’re going to love discovering the garden you didn’t even know you have!
And no, it’s not about going into the woods and foraging (although you could), it’s a little closer to home…. right outside your door in fact!
I’ve been having so much fun with it and it lights me up so much, that I’m going to share the process with you, as I learn it, so that we can both grow in knowledge together.
I get so excited when I find really cool stuff…. I just can’t help myself from sharing it!
In this case I am sharing with you, something you already have!
Something you may even be trying to get rid of.
You should have seen the look of trepidation on my husbands face when I offered him a cold glass of ‘weedgrass’ juice tonight before dinner!
I decided to create video to show you what I’m learning, so that you can learn along with me!
It’s pretty cool isn’t it, that there is such an abundance of one of nature’s most nutritious foods (leafy greens) right outside your door.
It’s not only super accessible, but it’s completely free for everyone.
While you should invest in a weed book (just to make sure what you’re eating is actually edible) don’t worry about whether or not your weeds are perfectly pristine.
Free the Salad!
If you don’t spray your lawn or garden, it’s likely that even weeds growing by the side of the road are much cleaner then the conventional food at the grocery store (not to mention how often we eat commercially or organically grown food situated at the edge of the highway and don’t even know it)?
Remember, it’s earth, not dirt!
If you want to learn how you too can identify common edible weeds, instead of wasting them, click here to buy Katrina Blairs inspirational life-saving and practical book!
On another note, and yet in perfect timing…. did you know that according to Chinese medicine, it is liver season? If you want help loving up your liver this year, then check out this free training that will give you the knowledge of how to eat to nourish your liver this spring.
Did you know that sodium fluoride is an industrial waste by-product of aluminium and phosphate production? The sodium fluoride that is added to city water is surpassed only by Cyanide of Mercury in toxicity to human physiology.
In the 1920’s and 30’s, lawsuits and health officials forced companies to install pollution control devices to trap fluoride waste. These companies began to sell sodium fluoride as rat and insect poison. Eventually, it was marketed to prevent tooth decay which explains why consuming a 7 ounce tube of toothpaste is enough to kill a 20lb infant or child!
Few know that one of the least of fluoride’s side effects can be fluorosis, a mottling or pitting of the teeth, which is dismissed by most official organizations as being a “cosmetic” issue, even though children with dental fluorosis have also been found to have lower IQ’s and other bone structure disturbances.
And yet according to The Canadian Dental Association states that, “Where fluoride has been added to municipal water supplies, there has been a marked decline in tooth decay rates” and “Children need fluoride protection while their teeth are developing”.
So what gives?
Isn’t fluoride a necessary and health promoting mineral for the elastic fibers of the skin, the muscle tissue and the surface of the bones and teeth Yes, it is true that fluoride plays a role in healthy teeth and bones, yet sodium fluoride (the chemical waste by-product) and calcium fluoride (the fluorine found in naturally in food) are not the same.
Sodium fluoride is absorbed by organs and body systems, notably, the skeletal system and there is evidence of elevated risk of bone fractures, degenerative bone disease and bone cancer in fluoridated areas over non- fluoridated ones. And that is just the tip of the ice burg.
For more info on the side effects and on hidden sources of fluoride (besides dental care) please see www.fluoridealert.org.
While several studies have shown that the rates of dental decay declined after fluoridation, the CDC neglected to mention that dental decay rates also declined
in non fluoridated areas and were declining before mass fluoridation occurred (you can view CDC graphs which show this at aforementioned website).
The issue is not with fluoride, but with the form of flouride. You can strengthen your bones and teeth naturally with the calcium fluoride, found in nature, in the way you were meant to ingest it- through food!
Naturally rich fluorine rich foods are:
Cauliflower
Sauerkraut
Chinese Cabbage
Red and Green Cabbage
Goat’s milk
Seaweed
Rice
Rye
Parsley
Avocados
Cabbage
Black eyed peas
Herbs:
Juniper Berries
Licorice
Lemon Grass
Bancha tea twigs
If you or you or someone in your family is suffering from dental decay, there is a calcium fluoride supplement available as a homeopathic tissue salt called “Calc. Fluor.” Homeopathic products are non-toxic and safe for use on children.
My own son had a little cavity in between his two front baby teeth to which the dentist sent us home with topical fluoride to apply at home with instruction to come back in three months. And of course, being the hippy momma I am, I didn’t use it and looked for an alternative instead. Simply, each time we brushed his teeth, we also gave him a dose of the tissue salt Calc Flour.
When we returned to the dentist’s office, he said, “you’ve been using the fluoride faith fully haven’t you?”, while he carefully examined my son’s teeth. I said no, I’ve been using a homeopathic dose of calcium fluoride. After his eyes went blank for a brief second, he said ok, well come back in six months and we’ll keep our eye on it. Well we came back for 4, 6 month intervals, after which I decided to stop bring him, because the tooth had long since stopped decaying after our initial 3 months of taking calcium fluoride (since the cavity was in a very visible location, it was obvious to the naked eye, whether or not it was decaying further).
Wondering where you can purchase fluoride free toothpaste?
Most health food stores carry fluoride free toothpaste. Avoid tap water that has been fluoridated and if at all possible, avoid distilled water too (as it leaches minerals that your body would otherwise use to build your teeth!). A good alternative to fluoridated tap water is natural spring water bottled at the source, as it is clean and retains minerals that are naturally contained within it.
Fluoride filters for tap water are also available @ www.gtawater.com
References:
Frye. A., Holistic Midwifery-A Comprehensive Textbook for Midwives, Labrys Press Portland, Oregon, 1998, pp. 280-281.
Kroeger. H., Instant Vitamin-Mineral Locater. self-published, 1972.
Schuessler. W.H., Biochemic Handbook. Plantscan Publications, St. Edmunds, Suffolk, 1998
Crowe, D., The Fluoride Fiasco, www.alivepublishing.com
Pitchford, P., Healing With Whole Foods, North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California, 2002.
1) Sugar makes you fat.
2) Sugar wreaks havoc on your hormones.
3) Sugar makes you moody.
4) Sugar ages you.
5) Sugar increases inflammation
6) Sugar elevates your risk for developing cancer, diabetes and heart disease
While we know that all of this is true, it doesn’t make a bit of difference does it, when you feel the urge to reach for a candy bar or bag of chips (I know, you thought you were a salt person- but the truth is, potato chips metabolize just like sugar anyways. Busted!).
You see, the thing is that most of us are motivated by instant gratification.
The pleasure of sugar in the moment, outweighs the future health risks, right? And that’s why sheer willpower, diet plans and the very best intentions don’t work when it comes to sugar.
The truth is, when you eat sugar, it stimulates the release of dopamine, which makes you feel pleasure- essentially making your brain crave more.
Did you know that heroine, morphine and sugar all stimulate the same receptors in your brain?
That gives it some perspective, huh? Makes it a whole lot easier to see why it is so hard to get off sugar and why so many people are in denial.
If you are willing to admit that you are addicted to sugar, there is a part of you that WANTS TO get off sugar, and there is a part of you that DOESN’T WANT TO.
You feel conflicted, right?
You probably don’t trust yourself to even try, but there is also a part of you that is gently whispering ‘you can do it’, no?
I hear that and that is why we’ve developed a sugar detox that doesn’t force you to rely on your willpower (details below).
“Yeah but”, I bet you are wondering, “Will this just be another one of those things that I’ll try ‘half ass’ but never really get into”?
If you are nodding your head, you’ve hit the point of futility.
But, here is the Truth. In every decision you make, you are either moving toward better health or away from it. Don’t ever give up on you!!
Believe in yourself and that you are worth taking a chance on!
The thing is, even if you only implement 1/4 of what we share with you, you will still make significant gains toward your best health.
I don’t know any mom who wouldn’t welcome more energy and an increased sense of well-being. That’s a priceless commodity!
Here’s the solution we provide:
1) Move toward your goal of getting off sugar as fast or as slow as you want (yes, slow is good too -remember, slow and steady wins the race).
2) Follow our 3-step method that shows you how to replace, reduce and relax about sugar (this is not about becoming a militant sugar ‘avoider’).
3) Learn to feed your body, brain and spirit to ‘purge the urge’ for sugar-we will show you how!
4) Listen to what your body is trying to tell you (we will help you discover your unique craving complex so that you can eat your way to normalizing your desire for sugar).
6) What you will learn in this program will not only get you off the sugar roller coaster, but you will learn extremely important distinctions about food that medical/educational institutions and the media are NOT telling you (crucial stuff you’ll want to know).
7) Plus, everything we share (and the order in which we deliver it) is designed to get you off sugar without trying (you see, there is no reason to feel futility in this program- you can’t fail because you won’t be trying!)
Finally, this isn’t just about getting off of sugar, it is about a paradigm shift. Let us elevate you to a new and exciting way of relating to yourself and the world.
Alright – are you ready? Click here. Registration ends soon.
Do you think that sugar isn’t an issue for you just because you don’t have a ‘sweet tooth’?
If you can easily say ‘no’ to cake, cookies, chocolate bars and the like, you might be under the assumption that you couldn’t possibly be addicted to sugar.
BUT, if you can’t say ‘no’ to any or all of the following (or if you can’t imagine enjoying life without them) then I hate to break you the news, you ARE a sugar addict.
Bread
Juice
Crackers
Wine/Alcohol
Chips
Cereal
Processed foods
Ketchup etc.
While the aforementioned foods may not actually be ‘white sugar’ they either contain it or are metabolized just like it (hence why you can’t imagine enjoying food without them).
The benefits of getting off sugar go far beyond balancing your blood sugar and the good bacteria in your gut.
You get to heal the insulin resistance you didn’t know you had – and the subsequent digestive distress and hormonal havoc that come with it – so that you can stop losing your mind (and your hair!).
You can finally be free of your weight woes, get your glow back and feel ‘foxy’ instead of frumpy!
You can stop ‘drying out’, puffing up and aging fast.
But how you say?! How can I possibly give up these foods and still enjoy life?
I bet you’ve tried to get off it before, but it calls you back.
That’s because we are physiologically programmed to want sugar….the problem is, we’ve never before in history had access to concentrated sources of sugar the way we do now.
You haven’t evolved quick enough to be able to handle so much sugar, although if you are of European descent, you might be able to get away with it for longer than those of us who have a family background that is African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, or Pacific Islander American.
But even if you can get away with it for longer, who would want to with all the side affects? Like….
lowered immunity
weight gain
nutrition deficiency (when you fill yourself up with sugar, you are displacing the nutrients your body needs)
cardiovascular disease
fatty liver
metabolic syndrome
digestive distress
hormonal havoc
your hair falling out
aging fast
chronic ear aches
yeast infections
fungal infections
Really, this is the short list of health issues that overconsumption of sugar contributes to.
But we already know that sugar is not good for us.
We just can’t stop ourselves because of the instant pleasure gratification and subsequent crashes that keep us wanting more.
So how is what I am sharing with you going to even help in the face of that!?
The truth is, you CAN get off the sugar addiction cycle without giving up your favourite foods, simply by pressing reset on what your body craves through simple dietary shifts that will help you stop craving ‘the crap’ (without willpower).
Here’s how you can reduce your sugar intake by leaps and bounds (without having to use willpower or deprivation):
Step 1: Swap your artificial sweeteners with the natural non-toxic ones.
Step 2: Upgrade the quality of the sugar in your kitchen from white sugar to the best natural sugars available (and no agave syrup is not in that category).
Step 3: Transform your baking into nutrient dense delights (instead of eating nutrient and energy depleting ones) using 3 simple ingredient upgrades.
Step 4: Learn to adopt simple Chinese medicine principles and watch your cravings disappear.
Step 5: Eat the right fats- the ones that will actually satiate you (so that you forget about sugar).
Step 6: Discover your unique craving complex (what’s really driving those cravings and how to meet your nutritional deficiencies).
Step 7: Infuse your body with deep nutrition (give yourself a nutrient infusion, body reset and rejuvenation of your taste buds) so that you can experience what it is like to be fully nourished into freedom from sugar cravings and enjoy the natural flavour of real food. *When you eat sugar, table salt and processed food, your taste buds become so numbed out, that real nutritious food tastes boring and bland – but I promise you don’t have to give up the sweet, creamy rich comfort foods you love!
If your sugar addiction is mild or you don’t have insulin resistance, the aforementioned steps will probably alone get you to a place where you can eat sugar in moderation, with out feeling the need to binge on it.
However, if you have any hypoglycemia, hormone havoc, digestive distress, candida or any of the other symptoms I mentioned earlier, then you’ll want to get in on the complimentary ‘Sweet Life without Sugar’ call!
Or if you can’t wait and need to deal with this now before the holidays sweep you up in a sugar craze, then you’ll want to grab the Delish Diet Starter Kit, where I will walk you step-by-step through what you need to do, so that you actually do it (just knowing it, isn’t doing it!).
This is about sustainable changes.
I could rile you all up to get off sugar tomorrow, but then you’d be back on it next week.
That’s why the Delish Diet program is actually less about detoxing from sugar and more about what to eat exactly to allow your sugar cravings to drop away – while feeling more satiated and satisfied by what you eat than you have ever felt before – guilt free!
Best of all, while you are making the transition to sugar free, I have a ton of sweet recipes for you, so that you can still have your cake and eat it too!
We won’t simply be using willpower or psychology to change your behavior, but you are actually going to transform your physiology – so that you naturally desire more satiating foods that have staying power.
We’ll use nourishment to get you there, not deprivation or willpower!
People who crave sugar in any or all of its many of guises have a physiological craving.
But you can get off the track and best of all, it is not even hard if you know how to do it right!
If you are ready to learn how to detox the hidden sources of sugar in your life, decode your cravings and add more nourishment to your life, then you are invited to come long with me and step into a craving-free version of yourself.
Imagine being able to get through the holidays without a sugar hang over? It is easy when you’ve got the tools.
Have you ever bought one of those health food store detox kits?
If you know me well, you know that for many years I worked in the health food store industry. You might be surprised to learn that in all that time, I never once went on a ‘cleanse in a box’.
One thing that I know about detox (with a lot of experience customizing my own food based cleanses) is that you can add as many herbs and supplements as you want to a cleansing regime, but if you don’t make specific fundamental shifts in your diet and lifestyle at the same time, any benefits you get from the program will be short lived at best.
I am serious. You are wasting your money.
The thing is, you can spend your money on a short lived product or invest in a life changing experience.
It’s true. When you expect results in a bottle you end up spending money (yip, you can put that in the expenses category), whereas when you invest in a sustainable lifestyle and paradigm shifting experience, the return on your investment is priceless.
Anyone who is serious about getting off sugar, junk food, cleansing or healing their body is much better off investing in a health program (or healing retreat) where you can get the support, feedback and accountability of a group or mentor.
Most of us know what to do to help ourselves, but the fact is we just don’t do it. The best laid intentions and plans soon crumble when essential pieces are missing from the equation.
Plus, getting ‘unstuck’ in the places that we are stuck, often requires good coaching and a multifaceted approach that includes other aspects of our lives (beyond the kitchen) that need to be addressed, before we can shift and transform our way of being with food.
There are also the simple sustainable changes that we often overlook. If we saw them, it would take ‘hard’ out of the picture for us (an objective coach is essential in helping us uncover the things that we don’t know, we don’t know).
And there are certain structures and systems that we must put in place and become immersed in, for lasting transformation (yes, there are systematic and structured ways of getting organized around food that make eating healthy effortless)!
One thing that is typical of people who overcome their ‘processed food addictions’ (bet you can’t think of one person addicted to raw broccoli!) and heal from disease is that they often have a paradigm shift in the process that elevates and evolves literally every aspect of their lives.
Now you can’t get that from a pill or in a box, but you sure can from real caring people who can hold your hand and show you the way- but only if you are ready for the journey of course- what you put in, you get out.
So if you were thinking of just doing one of those cleansing kits, do you REALLY want to ‘just pop pills’ or do you want to make craving junk and sugar a thing of the past, so that you can take it or leave it (no issue)?
Not being much of a crafty mom, I am always on the look out for something crafty-functional that serves both as play and as something useful again later.
This New Year’s morning, Jasmine and I went out for a girl date and I while we were enjoying our hot chocolate & coffee, I started thinking ahead to what we could do at home to continue our date just a little bit longer.
With Shoppers Drug Mart being the only place open on New Year’s day, it occurred to me that we could prepare some aromatherapy Epsom salts baths by simply stirring in essential oils then storing them in glass canning jars.
This fast, easy craft is sure to tantalize the senses of both moms and kids!
Read on to learn how and why to make your own both nourishing and detoxifying bath salts at home.
Why do it:
1) It is a simple, fast, rewarding, sensory and health enriching activity that your kids will love!
2) It will nourish the whole family (many of us are actually deficient in magnesium, plus magnesium helps us absorb calcium). Magnesium is also way better absorbed through the skin, than through digestion.
3) It is a gentle detoxifier that is safe for the whole family.
4) Reduces inflammation and muscle pain.
5) Helps relieve stress by nourishing the adrenals, as well as sedating and toning the nervous system.
6) It makes bath time luxurious and fun!
7) According to the Epsom Salt Industry Council, it has all the same benefits associated with magnesium supplementation (improves the body’s ability to use insulin, increases heart and circulatory health, reduces irregular heartbeats, prevents hardening of the arteries, reduces blood clots and lowers blood pressure, prevents migraines, improves mood, concentration and digestion all the while helping you sleep better).
8) Sulphate triggers the pancreas to release digestive enzymes, helps form proteins in joints, brain tissue and mucin proteins (the cells that secrete mucous along the digestive tract).
.How to make it:
Step 1: Put 2 cups of magnesium sulphate in a bowl.
Step 4: Put in a half quart canning jar and store in an easily accessible place in the bathroom.
How to use it:
Dissolve 2 cups epsom salts in a bath (only 1 cup or less for children) that is as hot as you can tolerate. Soak for a minimum of 12 minutes.
Do this up to 3 times per week to replenish magnesium or to detoxify.
Since magnesium is so well absorbed through the skin, please do not exceed this amount excess magnesium can be fatal.
Do not let children drink the bathwater as magnesium sulphate is a laxative when taken internally.
Alternatives:
If you prefer not to use the synthesized form of magnesium, you can use the magnesium derived from the sea although it is more costly and less accessible.
