Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense

Frankincense is my absolute favorite oil that is received in your Premium Starter Kit.  If you have never used this oil before, I believe, you will fall in love with it.  At first I wasn't sure what to do with it except to use it on my new born baby.  It is exceptionally gentle and powerful all at the same time.  As I began experimenting with this oil I fell more in love with it's amazing beneficial properties.  I will give some personal testimony below.

Benefits of Frankincense:

Frankincense is considered the 'holy anointing oil' in the Middle East and has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years.  It was one of the oils given to Christ by the 'Wise Men' after His birth.  It has been used to treat every conceivable illness know to man and was valued more than gold during ancient times.  Only people with great wealth could afford it.

The Bible references frankincense over 52 times and is often referred to as incense.  Check out Exodus 30:34, Leviticus 2:1 and Leviticus 2:2 for just a few of the Biblical references.

How to Use Frankincense:

My family likes to use this oil full strength (although you can dilute to stretch the oil if needed, or when using as a massage).  We use directly on location of the issue, diffuse or inhale.  Frankincense enhances and deepens the ability of other oils, so can be added over another oil (like peppermint) to drive it deeper into the body's tissue.  Be careful, it will REALLY drive it deeper!

Personal Experience:

At first I was unsure how to use this oil since I didn't have any tumors or cancer, and wasn't depressed, but I soon learned that it is used for EVERYTHING.  My new born baby was born toward the end of cold season and was beginning to get congested in her eyes and nose.  It is scary for a new mom to have a new baby that is getting sick.  I began praying and applying frankincense directly to the bridge of her nose and eyebrows (keeping away from the eyes) about every 3 hours, and in 24 hours she was completely decongested!  Plus, the smell and mildness of the oil seemed to calm her and her paranoid Momma!

At one time in my life I kept getting canker sores inside my mouth, and the lavender would ease the pain and they would go away within 3 days (instead of lasting their normal 7-10 days).  This was good, but they kept coming back in different places every few weeks.  I decided to try frankincense before bed instead of lavender and not only was the canker sore GONE the next morning, but I haven't had another one in over 2 years!

At another time I kept getting a sty on my eye every few months that was very painful and would last a few weeks.  I remembered how the frankincense had worked on my canker sore, and decided to apply it on the bridge of my nose and the bony part of my eye (upper cheek and eyebrow), keeping it away from the eye.  The sty went away in 24 hours and again has never returned over a year later!

I met a lady that had been suffering from severe arthritis in her hands for years.  It was so bad she could hardly write or open containers of any kind.  She purchased the panaway and was delighted at how it was helping but asked me if there was anything else she could do.  I told her that she could apply frankincense over the panawy, but to be sure to dilute the panaway because the frankincense would drive it deep into her wrists and hands.  She decided NOT to dilute and said it burned like fire for about 20 minutes, but after that she was pain free for over 2 weeks!  That became her routine every few weeks to enjoy pain free hands!

Need oils?  Go sign up today by clicking HERE.  Feel free to use my number of 1069772 when you join. Great News!  It doesn't matter which country you live in; Young Living has a major presence all over the globe! 

Stay Tuned as I will be covering all the products received in the Premium Starter Kit over the next few weeks!

*All information given in this post has been obtained from personal experience and from the Essential Oils Desk Reference guide 4th Edition.  I am not a doctor or a physician, and this information is not meant to treat, diagnose or cure any ailments.  If you are in need of medical attention please seek out a professional health care provider. 

Purification Essential Oil

Purification is another great oil blend you will receive in your Premium Starter Kit.  If you have never used this oil before, I believe, you will be pleasantly surprised by it's aroma, uses and effectiveness. 

Benefits of Purification:

The properties in the oils used for this blend are highly antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, immune supporting and insect-repelling.

Purification has been known to cleanse and disinfect the air while neutralizing mildew, cigarette smoke and other odors.  It is GREAT for disinfecting and cleansing cuts, scrapes, bites and stings.  My family uses it during cold season by applying diluted to the bottom of the feet and down the spine, and/or diffusing into the air via our home diffuser (which will be spoken about in this Premium Starter Kit series). 

How to Use Purification:

My family likes to dilute 1 part essential oil (EO) with 1 part pure vegetable oil (such as extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil...); basically 1 drop each of EO with 1 drop of vegetable oil, and apply to the bottom of the feet and/or down the spine.  If the irritation is in the throat/ears then I apply to the lymph nodes on the sides of the neck also.

We also love to diffuse for 15-30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours in our home if something particularly nasty seems to be going around in the community.

Directly inhale (just smell from the bottle or put a few drops in your hand to inhale). 

Place 2-4 drops in bath water.

Apply directly to cuts, sores, bruise or wounds (I like to dilute).

Put a few drops on a cotton ball and put in air vents in home, office or vehicle.

Add a few drops to your all natural wool dryer balls or to a damp cloth and put in your clothes dryer.

Add a few drops to a spritz bottle of distilled water and a pinch of Epsom salt to use as an all natural insect repellent.

Or just wear as a perfume to enjoy the refreshing, enlivening and cleansing fragrance.

What Is Purification?:

Purification is a blend of the following therapeutic grade essential oils: Citronella, Lemongrass, Lavandin, Rosemary, Melaleuca and Myrtle.  These particular essential oils are high in antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, anti-infectious, anti-parasitic, immune supporting and other properties.

Personal Experience:

My family replaced our 'traditional' medicine cabinet over 5 years ago to an all natural cabinet featuring Young Living Essential Oils, and we have never looked back.  Once we switched to using therapeutic grade essential oils we were not only able to cut out the toxic over the counter drugs, but we also found ourselves simply not getting sick.  We use our oils faithfully!  Now I live a life of abundance and health rarely getting a sniffle.  Essential Oils is part of that change in not only my life, but in the lives of my family and many others around the world.

Need oils?  Go sign up today by clicking HERE.  Feel free to use my number of 1069772 when you join. Great News!  It doesn't matter which country you live in; Young Living has a major presence all over the globe! 

Stay Tuned as I will be covering all the products received in the Premium Starter Kit over the next few weeks!


*All information given in this post has been obtained from personal experience and from the Essential Oils Desk Reference guide 4th Edition.  I am not a doctor or a physician, and this information is not meant to treat, diagnose or cure any ailments.  If you are in need of medical attention please seek out a professional health care provider.

Thieves Oil

 

 

One of my favorite essential oils is the 'Thieves' blend. Not only does it have a wonderfully cinnamon spice aroma, but it also contains some of the strongest properties around. I put this oil (slightly diluted) on my kids feet and spine before Sunday school, regular school, gym time or any other highly populated outing.

Yes! Essential Oils can be used as a great defense. 

I also love to diffuse this oil in the fall/winter season to help cleanse our entire house. Actually, I enjoy the entire Thieves line of cleaners, tooth paste, hand sanitizer, soaps and more!

What is Thieves?:
Young Living’s amazing Thieves essential oil blend was inspired by the legend of four fifteenth-century thieves in France who formulated an aromatic blend composed of cloves, rosemary, and other botanicals to use while robbing graves. When captured, they were offered a lesser sentence in exchange for their secret recipe. Young Living’s one-of-a-kind blend is formulated with pure clove, cinnamon bark, rosemary, lemon, and eucalyptus (E. radiata) essential oils. Thieves blend can be found in many of Young Living’s most popular products and is a safe, natural alternative to harsh chemicals and cleaners.

Check out the thieves product here: http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/blends/thieves-essential-oil

Then go sign up as a Young Living Independent Distributor under me to get the most benefit out of your health today! www.youngliving.org/natalierenee #1069772

Discover Essential Oils

Video: Protecting Your Children From Germs In The Classroom

Do you use therapeutic grade Essential Oils?  If not, why?  Now is the time to get started...before germs start spreading in school!  We completely replaced our conventional medicine cabinet years ago with non-toxic essential oils and have never looked back.

Young Living (Here) offers several starter kits which you can choose from to purchase as your opening order.  No matter which kit you choose you will get 20% off retail price going forward, and you will have the ability to sell or sign people up under you to receive commissions.  There is a 'catch' to receive commissions though.  If someone purchases under you in a particular month you must have also purchased items yourself that month totaling 50PV.  Getting on the 'Essential Rewards' monthly auto ship (below) will rectify that situation, help you to stock up on oils/beauty/health products and rack up points for free product.

At that time you can also sign up for 'Essential Rewards' which is a program where you get an automatic monthly shipment sent to you house.  With 'Essential Rewards' you earn points that you can use to redeem free product in the future.  This is recommended if you are going to want to order product on a regular basis.  It can be added or removed at anytime and does not have to be done at the time of your initial set up.  The products sent to you monthly can be the same thing every month, or can be changed monthly...completely flexible.  The only thing is that you must spend a minimum of 50PV on that monthly order (approx. $50 + shipping).  Shipping is cheaper with the 'Essential Rewards'.

Depending on how you desire to use your oils you can choose one of several different starter kits.  The best bang for your buck kit would be the 'Premium Starter Kit'.  This kit comes with the entire everyday oils collection (5 ml each of: frankincense, lemon, lavender, peppermint, purification, panaway, peace and calm, thieves, valor), Home Diffuser, Welcome to Young Living booklet, Essential Oils at a Glance user’s guide, Distributor Resource Guide, S.E.E.D. Sharing for Success booklet, Stress Away 5-ml, AromaGlide Roller Fitment, two Lavender Sample Packets, two Peppermint Sample Packets, two Peace & Calming Sample Packets, two Lemon Sample Packets, two Thieves Sample Packets, Sample Packet Business Cards, two NingXia Red 2-oz. samples.  - Which is basically everything you would need to get started and get familiar with a large range of oils and uses...it basically gives you the best jumpstart for a beginner. $150 (the everyday oils kit is $159 all by itself, and the diffuser is $98.68, so this is a great value).

The 'Basic Plus Starter Kit' comes with what you see above minus the Everyday oils collection (which I really think a person needs). $75

The 'Basic Starter Kit' comes with what you see above minus the Everyday oils collection and minus the diffuser (both of which I really think a person needs). $40

Once you sign up and receive your oils/starter kit we should get together (or talk on the phone if you are long distance) for a one-on-one consultation, and allow me to talk to you about what you received, how to use them, and how YOU Personally can get the most benefit out of them for your needs.  We can then also come up with a 6 month plan to wellness through the young living products tailored just for you and your family. 
You would sign up under Natalie Sherwood #1069772 as a Young Living Wholesale Customer Here.   Both the Sponsor ID and Enroller ID are the number of 1069772.  If you need help just call or e-mail me.

Make Your Own Natural Cleaning Products

I have been making my own Non-Toxic, All-Natural Cleaning Products for quite some time now, and truly enjoy it!  Making my cleaning products actually makes me want to clean!  Gasp!  I know, right?  The products clean so well, smell so good, and don't make me dizzy to inhale, don't make me break out in a rash or make me want to put off cleaning for another day.

The biggest obstacle to getting started with making your own cleaners is knowing where to start, so here is a great resource with various recipes For Recipes Click Here.

Another thing to note is that these cleaners are typically harmless to humans, and the essential oils are very beneficial (I add essential oils to all of my cleaners for the anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and purifying properties).  So I would consider these safe to use around all people, kids and pets; contrary to most chemical cleaners that are full of warning labels and harsh compounds.  Plus, these homemade cleaners are very cost effective!

Here are some of the 'KEYS' to making your own cleaner:

1. Store in a glass bottle or jar if possible because essential oils are very strong and will eventually eat through plastic.  Use an amber or dark colored bottle when available.  (you can purchase online or go to Hobby Lobby and other craft stores)

2. Store away from direct sunlight.  This will help the oils and cleaners to maintain their properties, and the cleaning products will last for ages!

3. Use oils that you enjoy the fragrance of since you will be using these cleaners in your home.

4. Use oils with good anti fungal, antiviral, antibacterial properties (although most any oil will work).  Lemon, Peppermint, Pine and all the Citrus' are highly recommended.

5.  You can mix and match oils so feel free to change it up with each batch you make. 

6. 15 oz bottle of essential oil yields approximately 250 drops, so when you see the recipes you will find that you can make several batches of cleaner from one bottle of E.O. (I get my essential oils from www.youngliving.org/natalierenee you can sign up under my agent number 1069772)

7. These make great gifts! 


You can purchase glass bottles/jars from you local craft or hardware store, or check out these links:
http://www.abundanthealth4u.com/
http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.aspx

Alright, now go out there and make some non-toxic and beneficial cleaning product.  Here's to a happy, healthy and more natural home!

To order Young Living oils go to www.youngliving.org/natalierenee and use member #1069772 (if outside the US click here)

Detox & Cleanse

Here is one of my old posts, but with some new links!

Ever wonder why that new thing you are doing is just not working?  Like the healthy eating, juicing, all natural and pure supplements and exercising are not kicking in the way you would like?  Sure, you notice a difference, but where is the WOW factor in this new lifestyle?

It is quite possible that your body is so bound  up with toxins and junk that you need to do a cleanse, a fast, a detox (or whatever other name you want to give it) before you will really see results.  It is a lot like hitting the reset button on your electronic device.  Everything is cleared out and you get to start with a clean slate.  That is what 'cleaning out' your body does, it resets everything. 

Looking at your past and current lifestyle will depend on how long you need to hold down the reset button and how often you need to reset, again.  If you have been eating clean for quite some time then simply doing a few meal replacements or a short 3 day fast could work for you.  On the contrary, if you eat out a lot and drink fluids other than water, fresh juice (made at home) and herbal tea then you probably need a week long fast or longer.  If you are dealing with heavy food addiction, smoking and alcohol you probably need to start with baby steps (replace 2 meals a day with juicing) then go into a longer fast.

If you have health issues it is always advisable to seek a doctor's permission before beginning a new or strict program, and it is always good to note that this blog is not intended to diagnose illness or provide cures.

What does a fast or cleanse do?  I'm glad you asked! 

• It helps to retrain your taste buds (out with the junk, in with the fresh)
• Helps your body to remove addictions to artificial food preservatives and additives (and possibly other addictions as well).  Things such as MSG, high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, caffeine...
• Removes daily toxin build up from living in a world full of chemicals
• Cleans out your colon so you can absorb ALL the good nutrients you consume.
• Improves mental clarity
• Improves skin tone
• Increases energy
• Allows the body to alkalize and fight disease
• Give the gut a rest from digesting food all the time
• Jump starts weight loss
• Jump starts weight gain in an underweight and malnourished individual.
• Jump starts building good muscle tone for those exercising (don't train during a fast, but after the fast is over you can hit it hard and see the results)
• Help men experiencing issues in bed to be reawakened
• Aids in overall well being

Now don't get me wrong.  Fasting is not easy.  If your body is particularly bound up with toxins you will experience some detox symptoms the first few days.  But somewhere along the way you will begin to feel better, then feel great.  That is the point where you can be sure you have detoxed your body long enough, but feel free to go longer, or just detox more often!  Some do a 1 day detox monthly, others a 3 day detox quarterly, and still others a 10 day detox annually.  You decide what is right for you.

Here are some good juice fasting resources:

• Alkaline Diet Course: http://919239ndkhqdqy3zqc3dwknwej.hop.clickbank.net/
• Raw Foods Diet: http://50066ecrfgv4qw1nv0v6acl48j.hop.clickbank.net/
• How to conquer food cravings: http://51fb8edrgfwdp2f2tkpmu9bxb6.hop.clickbank.net/
• Total Wellness Cleanse: http://c99c7fclghs1rwaj6axakh27e9.hop.clickbank.net/

And so much more. 

Juice Fast recommendations:

• Breakfast meal replacement only
• Lunch meal replacement only
• Juice breakfast and lunch then eat a healthy dinner
• 3 day juice fast only
• 5 day juice fast only
• 10 day juice fast only
• 21 day juice fast only
• Juice for 3 days only after traveling or a stressful life event

By-the-way, only juice organic fruits and veggies.  And juice veggies WAY MORE then fruit.

Try it, you just might like it, and see some real health benefits!

Light Lunch Wrap

I really enjoy wraps and wanted to have something light and refreshing for lunch.  This is a simple tortilla with Vegan Ranch, fresh cilantro, avocado, tomatoes and mini sweet heirloom bell peppers.  It was so good I had more than one! 

You could change it up by using hummus with citrus flavors.  Or maybe use greens like arugula and kale with some ginger, corn and black beans.  If you are going gluten free you could use a large Swiss chard leaf instead of a tortilla, or use a corn tortilla.  The sky is the limit with fresh produce.

What are some of your favorite ingredients to put in a wrap.

This is my final dual post!  Don't forget to check out my new blog site where all of these 'health' posts will be appearing http://sowwhatyoueat.blogspot.com/ (this site will no longer feature all the 'health' stuff), now go click, sign up and follow me on FB and Twitter too!

Vegan Tips

You don't have to give up flavor to go vegan, you just have to get creative!  No meat, no dairy, no animal byproduct.  Yup we can do it...uh...I think?  We have chosen to eat vegan at home and not be strict when out with family and friends that way our bodies are getting what they need but we still have flexibility (except for those pesky artificial food colors and the like...we avoid those like the plague no matter where we are).  Our first day eating vegan was February 23, 2013.  So by the time you read this we will have been eating vegan as a family for 1-month.

Tips:

1. Make the same foods/dishes/meals you already make just without the meat and animal byproducts.
2. Use coconut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, olive oil (all organic) instead of butter.
3. Use vegetables as a meat instead of meat: acorn squash, butternut squash, eggplant, portabella mushrooms, zucchini...
4. Eat legumes, beans and whole grains (if your body allows).
5. Eat a TON of fresh fruits and veggies (mostly raw when you can).  This should be the majority of your diet.  The fiber will keep your blood sugars stabilized.
6. Drink fresh juice and smoothies.
7. Trail mixes, dried fruits and nuts are your friend.
8. Use milk alternatives: Almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk... (Organic/Non-GMO) and if you are concerned about hormone balance stay away from soy on a regular basis and only use on occasion.
9. Drink lots of water.
10. Grow some of your own food.
11. Make your own food.  Homemade dressings, spreads and breads are good!
12. Use a lot of herbs.  Herbs add flavor and nutrients so you use less of the higher fat items.
13. Shop Organic.
14. Remember, many foods are still higher in fat content, even the vegan foods, but some of the fats are short chain and easy for the body to process, digest and eliminate (opposite of animal fats which are long chains and difficult on the body causing clogged arteries and other issues).

If you have special dietary needs such as gluten free then you can simply remove the gluten grains, or if you need meat you can search out the Paleo style of eating.  We are eating vegan with some of the gluten grains but mostly without.  Many of the products we purchase or make at home are gluten free...that will be our next adventure, but not yet.

Some products we have found:

Do you feel the need for a creamy ranch style dressing that is vegan and gluten free?  This is a good one that we found at Whole Foods.  We also like to make our own dressings.  Adding 1/4 avocado to many of our homemade dressings gives it a creamy texture and taste!

Do you NEED chips?  Some times my kids do!  Here are some vegan and gluten-free 'chips'.  We are careful when buying because we avoid natural flavors in the ingredient list, and some of this brand contain those; otherwise this particular flavor does not and we like them.

I have not tried this Rice (soy free) vegan cheese, but my kids and hubby like it for sandwiches.  I just don't want to try a 'cheese' and it disappoint.

Vegenaise.  My husband loves mayonnaise, and thus so do my kids...vegenaise has solved that problem for us.  This one is made from Grapeseed oil, but there are many varieties.  I like the way this one tastes, and it is gluten free.

Don't forget to check out my new blog site where all of these posts will be appearing http://sowwhatyoueat.blogspot.com/ (this site will no longer feature all the 'health' stuff), now go click, sign up and follow me on FB and Twitter too!

Fun In The Sun

Do your kids like gardening, flowers and being outside as much as mine do?

Here they are smelling flowers at our local gardening center.

And here is a photo update on our baby garden.

Blueberries in bloom.

Green Strawberry.

Mandarin Orange Blossoms.

Bell Pepper Blossoms.

A row of peas.

Baby squash plants.

Baby zucchini plant.

Tomatillo in bloom.

 

 

Don't forget to check out my new blog site where all of these posts will be appearing http://sowwhatyoueat.blogspot.com/ (this site will no longer feature all the 'health' stuff), now go click, sign up and follow me on FB and Twitter too!

Vegan Sandwich Lunch

In a former post I told you that I like to eat, and like for my food to taste good.  Hopefully you have been able to see that from some of my Food Friday recipe posts.  Today is about lunch!  Above is one of my vegan sandwiches.  That is sourdough bread, vegenaise, tomato, avocado, lettuce and cilantro.  Very tasty!  Add a side of fruit or Lentil chips if you need that added crunch.

The vegenaise we use is a Grapeseed oil base and it tastes really good, oh and it is Gluten free also!

Lentil chips, Vegan and only a few ingredients

 

New Blog Site

Howdy Family, Friends and Fellow Blog Followers,

I just wanted to drop you all a line to let you know that all the great 'health' stuff I have been posting on this blog is now moving to its own personal blog site Sow What You Eat at http://sowwhatyoueat.blogspot.com/ .  So if you currently subscribe to this blog via e-mail or follow this blog some other way you will need to go visit my new Sow What You Eat blog and sign up there.

My health posts will show up in both places for 2 weeks, then Mommy Glamour will only be about my personal life and Sow What You Eat will contain my weekly series of My Life Monday, Wisdom Wednesday and Food Friday, where I talk about food, health, exercise, alternatives to medicine, gardening and so much more.  You can also find me on FaceBook at Sow What You Eat www.facebook.com/SowWhatYouEat

Please stop by and don't forget to share with your friends. 

Natalie

PS - If there are any topics of interest you would like to see covered feel free to leave a comment on my blog of FB page.

Wisdom Wednesday - Protein

Original Picture from Roma Foods

Do I get enough protein?  What if I am vegetarian, or vegan?  What if I just juice or am a raw foodie (eat raw fruits and veggies only)?  I'm glad you asked, let's find out! 

(By-the-way, raw foodies consume much larger quantities of fruits and veggies than the average person, eating an entire bunch of bananas, or a huge bowl of berries, or even a large plate of peaches all at once...that is how they get their calorie and protein intake.  Oh, and their salads are the Big serving bowl size, not a little cereal bowl size...yumm!)

First, what is protein?  Protein is the basic building block for the human body.  About.com explains that about 16% of our body is protein: muscle, hair, skin and connective tissues; and that it also plays a major part in our DNA and cellular activity. 

Since childhood we have been told that we have to eat meat (or other animal byproducts like eggs, cheese and milk) to get enough protein in our diet.  Is this true?  Are there other sources of proteins?  Are there better sources of proteins?

So, how much protein do I need?  The basic calculation for how much you need is your body weight in pounds x .37 =  minimum daily protein intake.  So for me that would be 103 x .37 = 38.11 grams minimum per day.  Athletes and pregnant/lactating women need more.  This is just one way to calculate daily needed protein, but it is good enough for any examples I use today.

Children are a little different, they are continually growing and learning so according to Baylor College of Medicine their calculation looks like this:
Ages 1-3 years: .55 x body weight in pounds = daily protein intake
Ages 4-6 years: .5 x body weight in pounds = daily protein intake
Ages 7-14 years: .45 x body weight in pounds = daily protein intake
Ages 15-18 years: .4 x body weight in pounds = daily protein intake
18+ uses calculation above for adults

My children would look like this:
Mackenzie: 43 x .5 = 21.5 grams daily
Micah: 29 x .55 = 15.95 grams daily

These numbers are very easily reached if animal byproducts are consumed.

3 oz. of chicken breast = 25 grams protein (the same as beef and turkey)
1 cup non-fat milk = 10 grams protein
1 cup cottage cheese = 28 grams protein
4 oz. ocean caught fish = 25 to 31 grams protein
6 oz. yogurt = 5 grams protein

If you use me as an example of needing 38.11 grams protein per day I would meet that with 4 oz. of fish, 1 cup milk and a yogurt.  Chances are I would eat MORE than 4 oz. of fish in a sitting.  Or, maybe I had 6 oz. of chicken...that is a whopping 50 grams of protein, way more than I need.  And this does not include all the extras like butter and cheese!  So yes, on an animal rich diet you can easily exceed your daily protein needs.

What about protein on a plant based diet?  You do have to be a little more intentional, but doable especially with grains, seeds, nuts, beans and legumes.  Let's take a look using my 38.11 grams of protein per day.

1/4 cup Nuts:
Almonds, Sesame and Pumpkin seeds: 7 grams protein
Peanuts and Sunflower seeds: 8 grams protein

1 cup cooked beans:
Black, Garbanzo and Kidney: 15 grams protein
Black eyed peas and Mug: 14 grams protein
Navy and Split Peas: 16 grams protein

1 cup cooked grains:
Wheat, Couscous, Bulgar, Groats: 6 grams protein
Brown Rice, Quinoa, Barley: 5 grams protein
Wild Rice, Oat bran: 7 grams protein

Raw Fruit:
Most of your fruit has 1-2 grams of protein per serving.  1 serving being either 1 medium fruit or 1 cup (like berries and cherries).  Some fruits have more like Durian or Avocado which has 4 grams of protein.

Cooked Vegetables:
These vary widely, so I am going to take a small sample of those with the most protein and those with the least protein.  Your green leafy veggies contain quite a bit of protein.
Medium Artichoke, 1 cup Collards, 1/2 cup peas: 4 grams protein
1 large cob sweet corn, Baked potato: 5 grams protein
Sweet potato: 3 grams protein
1 cup summer or winter squash: 2 grams protein
5 Asparagus spears: 2 grams protein
1/2 cup broccoli, Brussel sprouts: 2 grams protein
1 cup cucumber, lettuce, eggplant, celery, spinach: 1 gram protein

2 Tablespoons Peanut butter: 9 grams protein

Woo, that's a lot, and I didn't even include meat substitutes like tofu, milk substitutes like almond/coconut/soy milk, butter substitutes like olive oil or nut butters (which are high in protein...like 4-9 grams of protein per 2 Tablespoons)! 

Now, let us use my 38.11 grams of protein needed daily.  Can I do it?

2 slices of whole wheat toast (my bread has 5g per slice) with 2 tablespoons peanut butter for breakfast: 19 grams protein
Avocado, cucumber, tomato, whole wheat sandwich with strawberries on the side: 16.5 grams protein
By lunch I have already consumed 35.5 grams protein; more than I need for the day.
1 apple, 1 banana for snack: 2 grams protein
Roasted Eggplant, potato, sweet potato over brown rice for dinner: 14 grams protein
Daily total: 51.5 grams protein without animal byproduct!  And I usually have 2-3 snack per day.  Plus this did not include any milk, meat or butter substitutes.  When I juice each glass usually contains about 10 to 15 grams additional protein.  So I could easily get 66 grams of protein in my daily diet without the use of animal byproducts.  For me that is enough to live and work out on!  Actually, that is enough for some smaller men.  I usually do not have peanut butter and am heavier on the leafy greens and beans/legumes which would actually increase my daily intake of protein!  Now, having seen this, it is easy to see that unless you are on a vigorous workout schedule or are pregnant or nursing you probably do not need to stress out about your protein intake.  I exceeded my daily needs without even trying!  Also, don't eat processed and junk foods or drink unnecessary sugar and calories.  Those simply strip your body of the good stuff you are getting and trick you into thinking you are still hungry and need more protein!

Yes!  It can be done!  Even if you don't eat grains.  My large salad made the way I like it can easily contain 16+ grams of protein (a lot more if I add beans or eat a bigger portion).  Or even oatmeal with berries could have 6 grams or more!

Now, do I need to avoid animal byproduct?  That is a personal conviction.  Plant based proteins are easier for the body to digest and utilize, while animal based proteins cause plaque in arteries, disease, inflammation and high cholesterol/blood pressure things that the plants do no cause.  I would recommend you watch Fat Sick and Nearly Dead and/or The Beautiful Truth (check out my blog post here) to decide your stance on eating with our with out (or even limited) animal foods.

My next big topic to study...Gluten! 

What are your thoughts about protein? 

What would you like to read about?

Leave your comments and let me know!

My Life Monday - The Crush

Do you remember your first crush?  Was it a person, someone famous, or maybe even a cartoon character?  Hey now, you can admit it!  Some little people's first feelings are for those larger than life cartoon characters.

At this moment in life we are all about Tinkerbell. 

Photo from Movie Wallpaper

My daughter loves to be her, so we do a lot of flying and throwing of pixie dust around here.  But my son?  He asks to watch the movie daily.  Why?  Because he likes Tinkerbell?  No!  He is in love with Vidia.  The harder more stoic fairy.  I like to think it's because her hair is dark like his Mommy's, but I'm not so sure about that.

Picture from Wikia

So, who was your first crush?

Spinach Wrap Dinner

This is a twist to the normal fajita dinner, and instead it is a spinach wrap dinner.  Very tasty and light, yet filling.

First I began roasting the veggies of choice: cauliflower and eggplant in a little extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt.  Roast in the oven at 415* for about 20-25 minutes, or until eggplant is soft and cauliflower is caramelizing.  Done!

Than I began making a potato salad (yes, to go in the wrap).  Cube and boil potato of choice until soft about 12-20 minutes depending on the potato you choose.  Once done I drained then added minced garlic, coconut milk, cilantro and a dollop of veganise to the hot pot.  Re-added the potatoes and mixed together. Done!

Finally I chopped up some tomato and lettuce and we all sat down to fill and eat our spinach tortillas!  Yummm!

Lifestyle Change

Original picture from Loosen Your White Collar

I wanted to give you a few tips on how to change your lifestyle, if that is your desire.  This particular post will focus on food lifestyle, but the thought can be applied to other areas as well.

Tips:

1. Set a Goal - where do you want to be in the long run?  What do you want in the short term?
2. Make a Plan - how do I obtain my closest short term goal.  Don't move past that goal until it is met, then you can plan for your next short term goal.  After each one you are a huge step closer to that long term goal.
3. Start small - change one thing (or set of things) at a time.  Don't try to complete the entire race in one big jump, but rather take one day at a time.  For instance, my family started with removing artificial food colors.  Once we conquered that we removed MSG, High Fructose Corn Syrup (this step cuts out a lot!)...  Then we moved on to all artificial ingredients...  The we began lessening our meat intake, and now we are going vegan.  Eventually we hope to remove gluten, but we will wait and see.  That is a part of the larger goal, and not something I think about right now.  We will only move that direction once our vegan goal is fully obtained and not difficult; really a second nature to us.  Then we will re-evaluate and decide if we desire to move further. 
4. Don't just take things away from yourself, but also add good rewards.  We added juicing (which we love).  We added gardening (something I truly enjoy).  We added higher sugar content fruits such as dates, persimmons and the like to replace the sweet tooth cravings!  Actually, my kids think dates are candy they taste sooooo good. (fresh dates, not dried)
5. If you struggle get accountable.  I have my hubby and kids, but I have also found the transitions easy; they just motivate me.
6. Hang around like minded people.  It is easier when you all desire the same goals, or are moving in the same directions.
7. Give yourself some slack.  If you mess up it is OK, just start again...now, not tomorrow!  Like I stated before, we eat this way at home and are relaxed when out with people.  We still try to make good choices when out, but my kids can eat cheese, or we can eat meat on Thanksgiving...not a life or death issue!

My Life Monday - How Does Your Garden Grow?

I recently mentioned that we were restarting our garden this year.  Well, it is almost finished!  This post is mostly pictures, but let me just tell you that we are using organic gardening methods.  Most of the plants you see I started as seeds, and some seeds I just planted today so we will not see the sprouts for a few weeks.  Other crops (like beets, carrots, onions and spinach) I will plant every two weeks in order to have a rotating/continuous crop.  Our back yard is very small, so we decided to do a total of 5 small raised beds along the fence. 

Here is the 1.5 yards of gardening dirt we moved to the beds...my son had a blast helping with this.



One side of our yard...yes, our yard is not level.

The other side of our yard.  Eventually there will be some type of trellis on that back bed.

Cucumber, peas, strawberries, carrots, beets and onion bed.  We are using the square foot gardening method.  You get a much higher yield of produce this way.  Most everything is still seeds here, but you can see our strawberry and cucumber plants.  This bed will have a trellis along the back.

Mixed greens bed.  Various lettuces, arugula, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Kale.

See, here are two of the lettuces sprouting, one is red leaf and the other is butter bowl.

And here is a kale plant.  Tiny now, but in a few weeks it will be big.

Here is the eggplant, squash, zucchini bed.  The Zucchini will be staked to grow tall instead of trailing along the ground.  Everything else is bush variety and still seeds or seedlings.

 

 

Here is the melon bed with 2 watermelon sections and 2 cantaloupe sections.  Cabbage is planted along the front.  The melons will be trellised to grow up instead of along the ground.

 

See, this cantaloupe already has a flower!

This is the tomato, bell pepper bed (with some basil).  Some are still seedlings.

Our blueberry bush has flowers all over it! 

Our little Satsuma mandarin also has tiny flower buds.

That is it so far.  I will post pictures when everything really gets growing, and I hope to keep track of how much we produce this spring/summer season and again in the fall/winter season to see which crops do better when.  I'll keep you posted.

Do you have a garden?  What do you grow?  Any tips?

Roasted Veggie Dinner

I love the flavor profile of roasted veggies, especially potato, sweet potato and beets.  Here is a vegan dinner we made with the roasted veggies as the star.

White rice (I prefer brown, but hey, this is what we had) cooked according to package directions.  We actually buy organic bulk.

Sautéed veggies in Coconut Oil: Swiss Chard, Beet tops, Onions, Mushrooms.

Roasted Veggies on the side: Roasted Potato and Beets in oven at 420* for 45 - 50 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Eggplant Spread

Today I will post some food recipes and ideas.

I still owe you that leftover eggplant spread that was suppose to be posted last Friday, oops!

Eggplant Spread:

Leftover Eggplant
2 Garlic Cloves
Cumin
Squeeze fresh lemon
Dash Kosher Salt

Ingredients minus eggplant and garlic

Roast eggplant and garlic cloves together at 400* for 10-15 minutes, or until garlic is getting soft. 

Place all ingredients into food processer and process until a thick paste.  Does not look very appetizing, but my kids liked it in their pita as a meat substitute.

Use as desired.  We added it to our pita with lettuce and avocado.  You can dip veggies or use as a sandwich spread.  Or you could process with olive oil, avocado oil or sesame oil to thin out or veganise to make creamy, even change the spices to tahini, ginger or orange for different flavor profiles.