Tuesday "Try"... Goal Planning

I try to home - make as much of my food and some non food items as I can, but with that comes  strategies, such as "goal planning." This past week I had been really really busy for about four days and the list of things I've been wanting to make, had become long. So as not to get overwhelmed I decided to set goals for the days that I had the time to accomplish one or more on the list. Some things on my list that I wanted to make in the coming week(s):

pesto

lara bars

master tonic

tinctures

granola

laundry detergent

planting fall seeds/garlic

chicken broth/chicken noodle soup

give away things already in piles ready to go

One of the things I need is garlic for my pesto and master tonic, so one goal is to purchase enough from the store and then I will be that much further along when I have time to get it done. I bought a few things the other day for granola, tinctures and chicken broth so I am now ready to make those when I have the space in my week. And with each thing made, it will last for weeks or months depending on what it is and that leaves me space, to home - make other things.

Here are the five steps to help you eat and live a healthier life and get done what you want:

1) Make a list of the things you want done in the coming weeks

2) Put them in order of priority.

3) Make another list of what you need to gather/purchase for the items and make a goal when you are able get them.

4) Look on your calendar and pick a day when you can - without being stressed - to accomplish making your item.

5) Repeat - with a new list of items

Monday "Mention"- Flourless...

Baking/Cooking without flour? 

Why you ask? It gives your body a small break from flour of any kind ( http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Your-Body-Can-Do-Without-Grains---Including-Whole-Grains&id=3648259 ). And if you can make/bake, and it tastes good, why not! The internet is full of recipes to try your hand at baking/cooking without the use of flour. Here are five websites to get you started...

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/great-recipes.asp?food=flourless

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/flourless-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe.html

http://recipeland.com/recipes/list?q=flourless

http://homecookinginmontana.blogspot.com/2011/03/flourless-bread-with-no-sugarmade-with.html

http://www.yummly.com/recipes/flourless-cooking

If you would like help reading labels, shopping and/or making meal planning easy contact me athttp://www.wholefood-living.com/contact.html

Milk Allergy vs Lactose Intolerance...

Milk Allergy is caused by a malfunctioning immune system. The immune system identifies milk proteins as harmful invaders and releases antibodies called immunoglobulin E ( lgE) into your bloodstream. These antibodies then release histamine which cause milk allergy symptoms. It is a true food allergy caused by an allergic reaction.

Lactose Intolerance is caused by your stomach's inability to properly digest lactose, a sugar present in milk. Your small intestine doesn't produce enough of the enzyme lactose.  The enzyme is essential for the digestion of milk and the milk nutrients. Instead of being digested, milk moves into the colon where bacteria ferments it, making fatty acid and gases which cause the unpleasant symptoms.

(Some) Symptoms of a milk allergy - 

skin rashes/irritations

hives

itching/itchy eyes

redness

swelling and tingling around the mouth

vomiting

diarrhea 

stomach ache

runny or stuffy nose

sneezing and coughing/wheezing

(Some) Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance -

gas

bloating

abdominal pain

nausea

diarrhea

If you are lactose intolerant there are over the counter remedies like "lactaid" that provide the lactase enzymes you need. There are dairy products on the market that have added enzymes as well. 

If you have a milk allergy your options are only to not ingest milk and use the non-milk substitutes like, almond, soy, coconut or rice milk and non-dairy cheeses.

Some people can only have an allergy to one milk protein called whey.

Here is a list of other words to look out for, that mean "dairy".  Reading your food labels, you will discover "milk" you didn't even know hiding in the foods you eat.

http://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-free-grocery-shopping-guide/dairy-ingredient-list-2

A few sources of non dairy calcium rich foods -

Almonds

figs

Beans

Carrots

Pecans

Raisins

Brown Rice

Apricots

Garlic

Dates

Spinach

Sesame seeds

Brazil nuts

Cashews

Papaya

Avocados

Celery

*Note - my daughter had a milk allergy when she was a very young infant ( about 1-3 months old) and was only nursing at the time. The milk she was ingesting came from the milk that I was drinking. What you eat/drink does comes through breast milk. So when I stopped drinking milk she felt much better.

If you would like help reading labels, shopping and/or making meal planning easy contact me athttp://www.wholefood-living.com/contact.html

Friday "Fun" - Freeze Pops...

Homemade Freeze Pops

I came across these "Zipzicle" http://www.amazon.com/Zipzicle-Patent-D614043-Zip-Top-Ice-Pop/dp/B00CE1PQDE  and it reminded me of childhood fun. My children are older now, but with it being the middle of summer, I thought they would be a FUN cool treat for any age.  I love the idea that I can fill them with whatever I want and I know what the ingredients is. No dyes of any kind and even though they have some sugar each one has very little over all. They were inexpensive to purchase and reusable! If your looking for some different ingredients ideas just look online. Be creative and share what you filled yours with!

If you would like help reading labels, shopping and/or making meal planning easy contact me athttp://www.wholefood-living.com/contact.html

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"... Okra

Okra

A friend gave me some okra from her garden last year and I have to say I'd never really eaten fresh okra before then, and only knew of the slimy stories that come along when someone mentions the word "Okra." So when I was at the farmers market this past Saturday, I saw this okra and it was so beautiful AND organic. Okra is typically green but don't be afraid to try the same food in a different color. I just bought a few to play with and try something new with it ( now that I have fond memories of eating okra). I found a simple recipe... Just wash and cut the okra in slices.

Then cook some onion, diced fresh garlic, cumin, and red pepper flakes in oil ( I used some homemade beef broth I'd just made a few days ago. More about that in another post to come) until slightly done.

Then put the sliced okra in with the onion mix and continue to cook until the okra in tender as you like it. I left it slightly undercooked. I didn't want it to be to mushy. It was really really good. A nice summery side dish to add to any meal. I can see where this dish could have a lot of different spices added to it, depending on what you were pairing it with. Don't be afraid to play with your food!

If you would like help reading labels, shopping and/or making meal planning easy contact me athttp://www.wholefood-living.com/contact.html

Is is Natural?

Drying Vanilla Beans

As your reading labels, you often come across these two confusing words ~ Natural Flavors and Natural Flavoring, and what is the difference between the two? Here is some information that might help when trying to decide which is which in the food your eating. Because when were informed we can make different choices.

The term natural flavors is often used interchangeably with the term extract. A natural flavor or extract is generally made from a natural ingredient; for example, natural lemon flavor or lemon extract is made from lemon oil, and natural vanilla flavor or pure vanilla extract is made from real vanilla beans. the term natural flavoring refers to substances that are made in a laboratory that have the same or similar chemical formulas and flavors as a natural food, but are not derived from real foods as extracts are. They cannot contain any substances that are also contained in artificial flavorings.

* Excerpt From the book: The Science of Skinny-start understanding your body's chemistry- and stop dieting forever  Author: Dee McCaffrey CDC

If you would like help reading labels, shopping and/or making meal planning easy contact me at http://www.wholefood-living.com/contact.html