Spices & Apples & Pears, oh my!

Gotta love Fall for all the seasonal fruits & vegetables! Of course, you can find apples & pears in Florida anytime of the year.. but the selection that October brings is awesome! I've spent the past month chomping down on not only plenty of apples & pears but adding them to salads, smoothies, yogurt, & muffins! Also, to add some warming ingredients to this (slowly but surely) chilling weather.. I've been spicing up my dishes with lots of cinnamon, ginger, & cloves. I'm going to share this awesome Apple Spice Muffins recipe that I found last year in an issue of YOGA JOURNAL ...





Apple Spice Muffins (makes 12 muffins) - To give these muffins more warming qualities, add a teaspoon of chopped fresh ginger and/or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom and cloves to step 3.

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or buttermilk
2/3 cup Sucanat or other natural sugar 
2 eggs
6 tablespoons ghee, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 peeled fresh apples or pears (about 1 1/2 cups), cut into bite-size chunks
2 pitted dates, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil 12 muffin tins or line tins with muffin cups
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a sperate bowl, whisk together the milk, Sucanat, eggs, ghee, and vanilla extract.
4. In a third bowl, combine the fruit, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
5. Spoon muffin batter into the prepared tins, filling them only halfway. Add a heaping tablespoon of the   fruit mixture to each cup, and then top with the remaining batter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned on top.

Reduce, Reuse, Freecycle!

This morning, I was chatting with a good friend who is in need of a couch & was about to go out to make the purchase, though she wasn't thrilled about dropping the dollars. I asked her if she had checked out Freecycle.org & was surprised to find that she had not heard of this group before. This made me feel compelled to, once again, try to spread the word about this beautiful organization. The Freecycle Network™ is a grassroots/ non profit movement of people whom are giving goods for free in order to keep reusable stuff out of landfills. The goods are free and so is the membership! Everyday, people throw tons of good stuff to the curb for disposal and much of this stuff could be appreciated and used by someone else! As it has been said, "one man's junk is another man's treasure". 

SEARCH FOR YOUR LOCAL GROUP BY CLICKING HERE!

Prescription for Nutritional Healing!

If I had to choose one book to recommend to anyone/ everyone who loves natural health & alternative healing, it would absolutely be: Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A Practical A-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, & Food Supplements by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

After many months of wishing I still had a copy of this guide on hand, I finally ordered myself a new copy and received it this weekend! When I went to order this a couple of weeks ago, I realized that there was actually a new (5th) edition of the book being released on October 5th, so I decided to wait a few extra days & spend a few extra dollars on the newly revised version. The first edition was published over 20 years ago & has grown to be the "bible of natural remedies". This guide is extremely comprehensive & organized for easy navigation. It's broken into 3 parts: Part One - Understanding the Elements of Health  ; Part Two - The Disorders ; & Part Three - Remedies & Therapies ~ covering all aspects of alternative ways to achieving wellness. You can find it displayed & sold in many natural food stores (I know we referenced it everyday at the health food store that I worked at before), alternative/ holistic doctor offices, & most bookstores as well! And I spent less than $20 for a brand new copy!! Such a steal!

Check it out here!

oh my, allergies!

The past couple of weeks I have been waking up with pretty moderate allergy symptoms: stuffy/ runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezy. Yesterday was the worst day so far and I realized I need to take charge and work on preventing these icky feelings from returning over again. Summer is moving out and Fall has finally started to show itself to Florida. With this, come seasonal allergies. My allergies tend to bother me just as much this time of year as they do in the Spring. I can't help but to look at my long haired cat and know he is one of the culprits triggering my allergies... alongside the pollen, dust, mold, etc. 

Usually, my last resort would to be to pop an OTC pill for this. With a list of ingredients that I know nothing about, several precautions & of course the possible side effects. My preferred approach would be to combat my allergies with natural remedies. So I'll share my favorites here. 

* Neti Pot ~ Definitely one of my all time favorite ways to rinse away allergens & mucus to clear my nasal passages. The neti pot is used for nasal irrigation and works like a charm! It's very simple to use and becomes even easier over time as it uses only a stream of salt water for a gentle rinse. Many people use neti's on a daily basis which is a great way to manage a clean nasal passage and rid of pollens, bacteria, viruses, etc. I'm not great with keeping up this routine but definitely reach for the neti at the first sign of a stuffy nose! You can find a neti pot online or at most health food stores. They are generally $10-$20. 

* Local Honey ~ Honey is a great natural remedy for SO many symptoms such as a sore throat, cuts/ burns, & arthritis pain. Its a wonderful natural sweetener & gives our bodies a great energy boost ( much better than what we could get from refined sugars!) & its also an immune booster! How else can it help with seasonal allergies? It has been suggested that eating LOCAL honey (best to start several weeks prior to the changing of seasons) will help introduce the local pollens to your body and build your immune system. Though, if it is to late (like in my case) it is a great anti-inflammatory so it will help relieve these symptoms if they are already present. A great place to find local honey would be at the community farmer's market or a natural food store that carries local products. 

* Homeopathic medicine ~ Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine based on treating 'like with like'. In that way, it can be similar to mainstream medicine and the use of vaccines & antidotes. However, it is very safe form of self medicating that uses micro doses of plants, minerals, & other biological substances for their remedies. My medicine cabinet currently has only homeopathic medicines inside and a couple of them happen to be for allergies. They are quick dissolving tablets & pellets that are quick dissolving in the mouth or under the tongue and for me they work great for relieving my symptoms without all the nasty side effects! 

* Massage, Aromatherapy, & Yoga ~ Last, but definitely not least, massage & yoga are great ways to balance out our systems and introduce deep breathing, which is all I ever want when I'm feeling clogged up or stuffy. A massage is great way to the clear the congestion that comes with allergies. Massage helps by improving circulation and relaxing the muscles that we use for breathing. Massaging of the sinuses will help to relieve the pressure and open up the nose and throat. Use of aromatherapy oils such as eucalyptus, peppermint, or lavender can also greatly assist in relaxing & opening our sinuses. As with yoga, where the stretching & massaging of the internal organs helps us to eliminate waste and toxins. 

:)

"Jewels of Winter"

With each new season, I look forward to my favorite fruits & vegetables appearing in the produce section. Here in the U.S., September begins the season for one of my favorite fruits... Pomegranates! Last week, I purchased my first pomegranates since February and have been enjoying these beautiful seeds everyday! They are not only a unique fruit, stocked with hundreds of bright, beautiful seeds; but they are a 'SUPER' fruit as well! These fruits are suggested to have more antioxidants than most other natural foods and are a great source of Vitamins (especially Vitamin C!), Iron, Potassium, Folic Acid, & Fiber. Research suggests that consumption of pomegranates (raw), pomegranate juice, and/ or pomegranate extract (for those who prefer capsule form) helps our bodies with circulation, boosts our immune systems, reduces bad cholesterol, and reverses the signs of aging. What else!? THEY TASTE DELICIOUS! 

Since last week, I have been making frequent trips to the refrigerator to grab a handful of seeds for a snack. I've had pomegranate smoothies (one with pears! that was REAL tasty) and yummy pomegranate salads. But on Monday, I was able to enjoy my favorite pomegranate recipe: TEMPEH & VEGETABLES W/ POMEGRANATE GLAZE. This recipe was shared with me by my friend, Brittany, who I think was passing it down from another friend, Ashley. Thank you, ladies! :) 

Now, I will share it with you! ...Do you have any pomegranate recipes that you would like to share?

Tempeh & Vegetables with Pomegranate Glaze

1/4 cup low-sodium tamari
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup natural rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil
6 large white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red or yellow pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 head broccoli cut into 1/2-inch chunks
8 ounces tempeh, cut into 24 cubes
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
1 pomegranate, seeds only

Directions: 

Combine tamari, pomegranate juice, vinegar, water, chili sauce, and honey. Whisk, then add cornstarch, whisking again to incorporate. Set glaze aside. 

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms. Leave mushrooms alone for 1 to 2 minutes in the pan so they brown. Add garlic and saute for another minute, being careful not to burn it. Add vegetables (except for scallions), and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add tempeh and saute 1 minute. Pour glaze over mixture, turn down heat, and cover. Allow mixture to steam for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid and add more water, if necessary, to thin out the thickened glaze. Serve over udon noodles, whole wheat linguine, or brown rice. Garnish with scallions, pistachio nuts, and pomegranate seeds. 

Of course, you can always be creative and adjust the recipe as you like, I always do! 

Removing the seeds from the fruit may seem time-consuming but is definitely worth it in the end.

I always choose ORGANIC when buying juices to avoid added sweeteners, fillers, & additives. 

The fruit is sweet enough, naturally! ;)

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a smoothie a day!

A few months ago, my mom came for a visit and brought me such a wonderful gift, the Magic Bullet blender. I don't think I have ever used a single appliance as much as I use this one. It's so easy and quick to make fresh snacks or meals; or to grind up coffee or nuts. I'm always making new batches of salsa, hummus, or guacamole. Fresh soup only takes a second to whip up. But, what I make the most is smoothies. I literally have a smoothie a day! It has become my routine to start each day with a smoothie, packed with variations of fresh fruits, juices, yogurts, nuts, supplemental powders, & flaxseed oil. This is the perfect way to get the nutrients that my body needs to start my day and it usually takes me less than 5 minutes mix up! Plus it's nice & cold, perfect for any hot Florida day. Thanks MOM! :)

This Mornings Smoothie Recipe: 

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup of frozen pineapple

1/2 cup of strawberries

1 cup of SO Delicious Coconut Milk yogurt~ plain

splash of Simple Orange juice with Mango

1 scoop of Amazing Grass GREENSuperFood

1 tablespoon of Flax Oil

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