here in the northlands.

What better way to get a hearty intake of them then by

savoring a pot of Vegetable Soup with a hunk of buttered up

Rabbit Bakery Honey Oat Hemp Heart Artisan Bread available

at Hope’s Harvest Natural Foods and Deli.  Come on down

for some awesome ingredients.

Mid-Winter Vegetable Soup–This makes a big pot that you can freeze and turn into 6 or 8 servings!

4 garlic cloves, sliced

2 medium onions, coarsley chopped

4 c. sliced cabbage

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

4 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 t ground black pepper

1/2 t freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 t fresh thyme or 1/4 t. dried thyme

salt to taste

Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce or 1/8 t. of cayenne to taste.

Place veggies in large soup pot with stock and 3 cups water.  Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.  Cool to warm temperature, puree in food processor or blender in batches, return to soup pot.  Add seasonings, herbs and spices..simmer slowly on low and go do something fun…come back in an hour and two and enjoy!

Eat more fat!

What?

No this can’t be…

what about eating fat = being fat?

Some fats are actually really great for us.

Ever notice how eating

low-fat foods can make you feel hungry quicker?

And then you want to eat more to feel full?

They are,  simply put,

“light of the pocket”

nutritionally practically causing

malnutrition (this is my opinion, food industry, take

me on if you want…the research is out there)

if obsessivly consumed.

Ever heard of the term orthoexia  nervosa?

Orthorexia, or orthorexia nervosa is a term coined by Steven Bratman, a Colorado MD, to denote an eating disorder characterized by excessive focus on eating healthy foods. [In this case---an obsession with low-fat foods.]  In rare cases, this focus may turn into a fixation so extreme that it can lead to severe malnutrition or even death.

The good fats, saturated fats,

contain mainly stearic acid,

palmitic acid and lauric acid.

All of which are not only beneficial,

but they also

have a bonus of  actually filling  us up

so we don’t crave carbs and sugar!

Stearic acid has zero effect on cholesterol levels.

Palmitic and lauric acid do raise good cholesterol

almost more than bad

which then actually aids in reducing your risk of heart disease.

Meat,  cheese, whole milk,  yogurt,  keifer, nuts,  some oils,  organic virgin coconut and palm oils all contain plenty of  saturated fats.

Saturated fats

build cell membranes,

keep you feeling full

so you don’t keep eating and eating,

carry fat-soluable vitamins A, D, E and K,

convert carotene to vitamin A,

assist in mineral absorption,

are antiviral,

are antifungal,

and actually

lower cholesterol.

Low-fat foods then can often

deprive us of the proper nutrition we

need to keep our bodies  in sync and

functioning properly.

And we just want to keep eating

more because low-fat foods don’t

“stick” .

So here is a plan for healthy eating

that will stick to your ribs for sure:

1. Make quality protein the centerpiece of every meal. This should include non-contaminated fish such as wild salmon, sardines, or young tuna, as well as grass-fed meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, and beans.
2. Eat a wide array  of  leafy greens, and vegetables every day, and a moderate amount of fruit.
3. Eat plenty of healthy fats. The best fats are in cold-water fish and fish oil.  Almonds, walnuts, pumpkins seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, eggs, and grass-fed beef and buffalo also have good fats. Use organic virgin coconut oil, a medium chain fatty acid oil that digests quickly and avoid vegetable oils.
4. Practice portion control–”when your cup is full, quit pouring.”

Love your body and feed it well, eat whole fat foods, cultivate a positive attitude, reduce your stress load,  and feel good day in and day out.

Try this…
In a ‘Stir Crazy’ popcorn popper
or on the stove, melt:

2 T. Org. Virgin Coconut Oil
Add 1/2 cup org white popcorn
Pop it up!

When it lands in the bowl,
stir in the following healthy
wellness and value added ingredients:
1-2 T. Barleen’s Org. Flax Seed Oil (for
your Omega oil boost which aids in
heart health, healthy cholesterol levels,
joint mobility and bone density,
healthy blood glucose levels,
skin, hair and nail health
1 T Nutritional Yeast Flakes–loaded
with Vitamin Bs
1/4 t. Celtic Sea Salt–contains a balance of minerals and trace
elements.

Give it a go.
Your body will love you even more!

Fast and furious,

short and sweet,

expeditious,

zany wellness tips are going to blast out of this blog starting now.

Yes, it is true…the synergistic effects of cinnamon when combined with raw honey

( honey that hasn’t been heated over 120 degrees F. so as to keep the healthy and beneficial enzymes and wild yeasts present)

is found
to cure all sorts of ailments.

Make a paste of cinnamon and raw honey.

Have you ever tried this combo?

It is absolutely, outrageously delicious

and radiates deep into the comfort zone.

1 T of raw honey to 1 t. of organic cinnamon powder and spread on bread or bagels or add to hot tea. Results?
Regular use strengthens heart beat and revitalizes arteries and veins.

A cup of hot water with 1 T. of raw honey and 1 t. of cinnamon at night can reduce chronic arthritis.

Bladder infections, toothaches, lowering cholesterol, common colds, upset stomach, gas, indigestion, weightloss, bad breath, even pimples are all suggested to be reduced or eliminated  when cinnamon and honey paste are taken internally.
When treating skin issues like acne or eczema, an external paste can be directly applied to affected areas.

Wowwwwwwww…simple cures,
inexpensive and easy….all right!

Raw Honey from Homestead Apiaries located near Cannon Falls, MN  is available at Hope’s Harvest Natural Foods and Deli.  Organic Cinnamon Powder is also available in the bulk spice jar section or in one pound bags upon request.

Do it now!  Rock your body into wellness!

I  will feature a new recipe each week:

quick cuisine for under $10 bucks

featuring affordable ingredients

available at Hope’s Harvest Natural

Foods and Deli in beautiful downtown

Lake City, Minnesota.

Rockin’ East Indian Meal Under $10 Bucks
Rogan Josh–spicey but not too hot!

1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 T olive oil
1 T org coconut oil
1 carrot
1 C broccoli florets
1 C cauliflower florets
1 green pepper
1/2 c peas–frozen ok.
any other veggies that are hanging around

1 Packet of Tasty Bite Rogan Josh Simmer Sauce available at Hope’s Harvest Natural Foods and Deli.

Chop up veggies to your desired size.  Heat skillet or wok to medium high heat, add 1 T olive oil ad 1 T coconut oil( check out my blog entry on the benefits of organic virgin coconut oil, stir in onions.  When transluscent, add veggies and garlic.  Cover and simmer until veggies are brightly colored.    Add Tasty Bite Rogan Josh Simmer Sauce.  Enjoy with rice.

Variation:  Add Sauteed Chicken, Beef or Tofu to the Mix.  Yummy!

Basic  Rice

1 cup short or long grain brown rice or white or brown basmati rice
2 cups water
1 t salt
1/2 t oil

Bring water and salt to a boil, add rice.  Cover.  Boil for 5 min. Simmer at low heat for 20 min.  Turn off heat.  Keep lid on and let steam finish cooking rice for another 10-15 minutes.  Cut cooking time in half if using basmati or jasmine rice.

Enjoy with Chai Tea or a nice Cabernet.  Oh yes.

1) Eliminate white flour and processed foods, MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and excitoxins like aspartame found in soda pop.

1 ½)  Quit smoking!

2) Reduce or give up sugar.  Use agave nector, stevia, xylitol or local raw honey instead.  All of these are  good blood glucose regulators.

3) Make healthy food choices. Increase your intake of veggies and fruits. Include on half your plate at each meal a diverse array of brightly colored produce, raw or slightly cooked. Local is best.  Nutritionally dense, potent food is key.

4) Do supergreen foods. Spirulina and chlorella work synergistically to add mega vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber, detoxifying agents and excel  and alkalinize your immune system into power overdrive mode.  Chlorella detoxifies the liver removing lead, cadmium and mercury,(www.pureplanet.com) Eat  kale and spinach, too!

5) Take a food-based (as opposed to your basic synthetic waste of money multivitamin) multivitamin such as Minnesota’s own liquid multiple, VIBE, www.enviva.com or More than a Multiple.  Vitamin D3–2000mg can build up your immune system and

can work like a flu shot. www.mercola.com

6) Do your oils!!! Your skin tells all!  Take pharmaceutical grade organic flax seed oil, fish oil and cod liver oil ( www.barleans.com)Cook with organic virgin coconut oil (www.tropicaltraditions.com).  1-3T

per day is the recommended medicinal dose.

7) Drink purified water. Half your body weight in ounces per day is recommended to prevent chronic cellular dehydration. A glass

every hour or two is good, too.  

Exercize. Walk. Bike. Move. Do yoga. Anything that gets you breathing fresh air and moving your body.

9) Sleep 7-8 hours a night.  Beauty sleep happens between 10-12PM.  Oh yes…

10) Receive chiropractic adjustments twice per month or more to zing your spine back into alignment thereby boosting your entire nervous system into working at high functioning capacity.

11)  Habituate positive thinking as a permanent part of your mind chatter. We’re a culture that defaults to the negative side of things. It is time to flip that around, friends, and stay positive through the whole day. Robust health will be your daily bread for sure if your attitude remain positive. Cultivate an endless attitude that resides in gratitude.

all expanding a business entails

www.hopesharvest.com–see pictures

now winter is upon me and I feel I can get back to blogging again.

Clean food

verses

dirty food.

Alive food

verses

dead food.

Food as medicine.

I have been eating whole foods since

I was 16.

I haven’t been on antibiotics since I

was 16.

My kids ages 17, 12, 11, and 9

haven’t been on antiobiotics ever

except for once when one got bit by a

cat and the site got infected.

I have tons of energy and I feel

great most all days in all ways.

Food heals.

How can we separate ourselves from

the food chains we are a part?

How can we find joy and happiness and love

without feeling good physically?

I would state for the record that

how our bodies feel on a daily basis

dictate how all other areas of our life

are flowing or not.

To feel good

physically

sets the foundation for our

spiritual lives,

emotional lives,

relationship lives,

financial lives…

they are all interconnected,

but how we feel physically

is at the core.

Our well-being

on all levels begins

with what we put into our mouths.

Do you hear me?

Let us take our power  back around

our bodies.

Let us eat whole, alive, high vibrational,

potent and nutritionally dense food daily

and watch what happens.

“When your cup is full,

quit pouring.”

Lao Tso

Practice portion

control. I am talking to myself

right now.

I love you.

It is good to be back.

Hello people of the Universe…we are truly

all one with everything!

Food is medicine,

I love my gorilla smoothies…

spinach, banana, keifer, flax oil,

for breakfast,

yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vitamin D3-2000 mgs

is better than a flu shot

during these cold winter months

in Minnesota.

Increasing all the oils I ingest

keeps my skin from drying out

with the frigid wintry temperatures.

Flax seed oil, fish oil,  organic virgin coconut oil,

cod liver oil, krill oil….olive oil….avocados.

OH yeah,

joy is now,

life is awesome.

I feed my soul with food.

1 cup sliced strawberries

2 bananas

1/2 cup blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries,

whatever you have available in your bioregion, of course,

1 cup orange juice

1 cup keifer or yogurt

Add

1 T flax seed oil

1 T virgin coconut oil

1/4 t. spirulina

and any other nutritional supplement you may desire,

blend and

pour into your favorite glass,

sip luxuriously

and enjoy how

great you feel

knowing you

are putting fabulous ingredients

into your body!

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Sleep is wonderful.

Sleep keeps us looking youthful.

Sleep is regenerative to our cells.

Sleep helps us think clearly.

Sleep helps us move through colds, flu and other ailments.

Sleep keeps us  full of energy.

It is much easier to be positive and upbeat when we’ve had enough sleep.

Sleep, we’re talking 8 or 9 hours a night,

assists

in helping us maintain our preferred weight.

Lack of sleep disrupts hormones that regulate appetite

and body weight and  can even keep us from having

enough energy

to exercise.

When we are irritable and low energy from lack of sleep,

our defenses are down and we’re more vulnerable…

we  might be more likely to self-medicate with food.

Too much alcohol can interfere with REM that is critical

to a good night’s sleep.

Too much caffeine can also interfere with sleep patterns…try

to limit caffeine intake.

Ways to naturally go to sleep and sleep through the night:

1) exercise during the day–walks, bike rides, work-outs, etc.

2)  drink a cup of chamomile tea in the early evening

3)  take a hot bath in the early evening

4)   listen to a relaxing music or positive affirmation CD  at bedtime

5)   make sure your bedroom is completely dark

6)  keep a fan going for the white noise effect

7)  Try a natural sleep aid like  Natrol’s “Sleep and Restore’

or  Schiff’s ‘Knock Out’

or Valerian root….all have been successful aids purchased by

my customers.

Relax.

Enjoy sleep and all the healing properties that go with it.

Sleep, yes, sleep is good.