Love ourselves back to health...

        Getting ourselves to a healthier place, starts with self-love. We cannot "will" ourselves better, it is with gentle and loving kindness towards ourselves that things will begin to shift. We don't need to go looking for the new diet that claims to have all the answers, we don't need to clear out the cabinets and buy all organic and healthy foods. The change and shift will happen, one moment, one choice at a time. Each day brings with it a new beginning, and if yesterday we were not so kind to ourselves, then the awareness will help us try again. Our health is not a destination, it is a life long process of loving and learning. A chance to offer self love through the food we choose and the food we give to others.
        Here are three steps to guide you along and as always, if they don't speak to you, use what does. Self-Love comes in many forms!
 
        First Step:
~ Bring awareness to the food your eating. Not by judging if it's good or bad for you, but enjoy - the color, the taste, the smell. Be aware, as you chew, without distractions, for one meal or one snack.

        Second Step:
~ Be thankful for the abundance of choices and places you are able to purchase food.

        Third Step
~ Remember when your cooking ( no matter what it is) to cook it with a loving intention.

This is a journey of a lifetime... journey with me as we explore how we can " Love ourselves back to health"

Company/Product Review...

http://www.abesmarket.com/try/

I came across this company (as most of my finds, through something else I was searching) and I loved the idea that you could try up to three products a day for only $2.00 each with FREE shipping. Each product has a "info" button that allows you to click and see - an overview, the qualities the product has ( non- GMO etc.), ingredients, reviews and meet the seller. They are only looking for your feedback on the product. I love reviewing products!

Years ago I use to belong to a natural/organic food coop and we would order and divide items up so we could sample and try different things we wouldn't ordinarily purchase. It was so much fun and this company brought back some of that excitement. There are so many products on the market and it's nice to try with minimal commitment. And I thought they did a nice job with the packaging, I found it very appealing!

Here are the two things I picked to try:

I picked this because I thought the combination was really intriguing - cashew, cumin, cauliflower, coconut. And Indian flavor ~savory, not sweet. 

The full list of ingredients:

Cashews, brown rice syrup, tapioca syrup, cauliflower, lentils, coconut, coconut oil, potatoes, peas, mangoes, tomato powder, vegetable glycerine, sea salt, turmeric, onion, chili pepper, ginger, cumin seed

The first thing I tasted was the turmeric combined with broken up cashews and a slight sweet stickiness from the brown rice syrup and a nice soft texture. Other then that I couldn't really taste anything else. The turmeric has a strong presence which is not necessarily bad, but I think because it is so strong you lose some of the other flavors. I would have liked for the mango and ginger to be a bit more prevalent. 

Over all ~ I love the creative combination and uniqueness!

I picked this because I loved the way chocolate chip + macaroons sounded. Plus it was gluten and dairy free which is always a "plus" in my world!

The full list of ingredients:

organic coconut, organic raw agave, almond flour, non-gmo dark chocolate chips, ( unsweetened chocolate, cane sugar), organic extra virgin coconut oil, natural fair-trade vanilla flavor ( alcohol-free), organic vanilla bean, himalayan crystal salt and love!

( the last ingredient was my favorite!!!)

These were very good. My daughter and I had them gone in a matter of minutes. I personally would have liked a few more chips in each cookie and they were just a wee bit oily feeling (from the coconut oil) but it certainly didn't stop me from enjoying them!

Over all ~I would eat them again.

It was fun to try different things ~ 

Tuesday "Try"... Re-purposed Lasagna

Re-purposed Lasagna

My oldest son comes to visit a couple times a month ( when were lucky!) and I always send him home with a homemade meal. So when I'm anticipating his visit I am on the search for what to make. The great thing about my son Matt is he has always been my "Mikey"... He'll eat anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYEXzx-TINc ( here is the commercial where the reference comes from). I look around to see what I have, what is leftover that others don't want, what I have in the freezer , or just one of his favorites. I found this large piece of lasagna in my freezer. I made it for my other son but he said it was to dry and didn't like any of the options I offered to revive it. So... I thought what can I do with this? How the ideas come to me sometimes I'm not sure, but I think some are from trail and error, some are from just playing with my food over the years and some come from what I've seen others do. With this idea, my kids were questioning my sanity a little, but I thought what have I got to loose. No one was eating it anyway ( I couldn't eat it because it wasn't gluten/dairy free).

What I did was not let it defrost all the way so when I cut it, it would hold the shape and not fall apart.

I then proceeded to batter it with egg and bread Italian bread crumbs. I fried them in a small amount of organic Spectrum shortening in a pan. 

Just long enough to brown on both sides. These could be baked as well.

Then I put the pieces in a baking dish and poured some spaghetti sauce over the top and sprinkles cheese on. Baked it for about 15-20 min in 350 degree oven. I could not taste it ( not gluten/dairy free) but both my son's loved it.

I hope this inspires you to play a little with your food and see what you come up with. Don't forget to share!

You can follow me on https://www.facebook.com/WholeFoodLiving

and visit http://wholefood-living.com/index.html to see how I can help you on your way to a healthier you!

What is Salicylate

Salicylate are organic compounds that can affect the human body and occur naturally in many plants, which include fruits, vegetables and herbs, as well as tea and coffee. Plant salicylates are stored in the roots, seeds, and leaves. They act as a natural immune hormone and preservative, protecting plants against disease, insects, fungi and harmful bacteria. Salicylates are also created synthetically and you will find them in medicines, perfumes and preservatives.

       I mentioned this because it’s something to keep in mind when you’re wondering, “what can I try next.” You’ve tried eliminating gluten, dairy, soy, etc. from your diet and some symptoms still persist. There is a lot of great information on the “web” to help deciding if this is something that may be an issue for you.

http://salicylatesensitivity.com

http://www.feingold.org/sas.html

http://www.foodcanmakeyouill.co.uk/library/content/salicylate.html

http://www.psha-inc.com/guai-support/sf/Sal-Free/FAQ.htm#Landing

Facts about Salicylates:

*Salicylates have a cumulative effect in the body and build up over time.

*Histamine and Anine Intolerance may also coincide with salicylates – 70% of foods that are high    in salicylates are high in amine.  link for more info: http://salicylatesensitivity.com/info6

* Typically, the content of salicylates can vary from one item to another and even among batches of the same item from the same source.

* Salicylates can also be found in sweets, chewing gum and toothpaste.

* All meats, fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, dairy, cereal and bread are all low in salicylates.

Remember to listen to your body. It is telling you what you need to know. There is trail and error in finding out what works and what doesn’t. Don’t get discouraged, there is help and support available :

http://tinnitussupport92262.yuku.com/reply/45641/t/Salicylates.html#.UWXFxka_4vo

http://www.salicylatesensitivity.com/forum

for help with your meal planning experience contact:

http://wholefood-living.com/index.html