A Christmas List for Healthier Living

Posted on: December 10, 2015 by: Tara Canlett

Christmas is coming quick! I hope this gives you some ideas of either what to add to your list or to purchase for your loved ones. There’s no better gift than the gift of better health. Some of these items are on my list for sure. I keep a wish list on Amazon that my husband has access to. There’s no guessing here. 🙂 You never know what can happen with a simple gift. A gift can turn into a huge lifestyle change, or even little changes here and there. Why not give someone a gift that could possibly change their life? Now I know some of these kitchen items don’t necessarily mean healthy living. But cooking from scratch is better than eating out. So starting there is great. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

For the Kitchen

1. A New Pan (or pans): Mama Natural has raved about this pan so I added it to my list. I have some stainless steel pans but haven’t quite mastered them to be non-stick yet. I either want to get a pan like this or regular cast-iron. Getting rid of the teflon-coated pans is a must.

2. Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream Maker: This is something the whole family would love. Homemade ice cream!!! Even if you buy organic ice cream, there are usually still the added ingredients that you don’t want in your ice cream. With homemade, you can add in what you want. And it would be fun to make! 🙂

3. Cupcake Decorating Kit: I usually make cake/cupcakes for my kids’ birthdays so this would definitely come in handy for decorating.

4. Spiralizer: Our garden produced a crazy amount of zucchini one summer and I don’t know why I never purchased one of these to make zucchini noodles. I still plan to!

5. Bamboo Cutting Boards: It’s always good to reduce the amount of plastic we use and cutting boards are no exception. I have a couple small ones that are glass and one that is plastic. I plan to buy these and get rid of the plastic one.

6. Pineapple Corer Slicer: This is just kind-of a nice-to-have item. If we were really going to go through pineapple that much I would want to have this. And maybe we should be eating more pineapple. Anyway, it’s on my list to buy someday.

7. Glass Tupperware: To reduce more plastic in our homes, why not give the gift of glass tupperware?? And, it is also much better to use glass in the microwave than plastic. When we were using plastic in the microwave, you could see the plastic warp over time. I’m sure we were eating plastic at some point… 🙁

8. Glass Water Bottle: Speaking of reducing plastic, my husband got me this glass water bottle last Christmas and I use it all the time! It hasn’t broke, it’s dishwasher safe, the water tastes better and stays cool longer, and the outside is made of silicone instead of plastic. There are different colors too!

9. Popcorn Popper: I’m still popping my popcorn in the microwave… It’s in a paper bag and I use organic kernels, but I’m sure it would be better to do it on the stove or using a popcorn popper.

10. Bread Machine: A bread machine would be a great gift! We have used ours to make bread weekly, pizza dough probably every couple weeks, and I have also made cinnamon rolls using the machine to make the dough. I’m sure there are many more things we could make but I just haven’t tried yet. And this isn’t the machine I have, but mine is 10 years old lol.

11. Electric Griddle: I would love to have one of these so I can make a double batch of pancakes easily. Then I could freeze some of the pancakes to eat later.

12. Tortilla Press: Okay so this would be a nice-to-have item too. We don’t need a tortilla press but it would be cool to be able to make our own corn tortillas someday. If this is something that you (or whoever you are buying for) eat a lot of than it would be worth the investment.

13. Food Processor: I do have a food processor but I admit, it hardly gets used. Only because I’m always trying to not dirty so many dishes, haha. But I have used mine to cut up cauliflower into very small pieces to make ‘cauliflower rice’. For a while I was doing it regularly. In a real food kitchen, I’m sure this could come in handy.

14. Waffle Maker: This is definitely an item that I want to get so we can make waffles! We have never made waffles before, only pancakes. And I have seen other things made in a waffle iron, like quesadillas, grilled cheese, and omelets (just to name a few).

15. Donut Pan: We have a mini donut pan that is silicone and it works great! The donuts pop out pretty easily, and it’s safe for the oven and dishwasher. The mini donuts are cute and all but I would really like to have a bigger-sized donut pan like this. Of course this is just a wish list item, not something I need. 🙂

16. Slow Cooker: Of course a slow cooker (crock pot) is nice to have. There are some weeks that I use it 2 or 3 times, and other weeks not at all. But it really is so nice to have dinner all ready when everyone gets home.

17. NutriBullet: We have got so much use out of our NutriBullet. We use it to make smoothies, milkshakes, grind up seeds, grind up graham crackers to use for breading on meat, and probably more that I can’t think of right now.

18. A Juicer: We also have a juicer, but I don’t use it nearly as much as I want to. It is expensive to buy large quantities of produce, and washing the pieces of the juicer is not as convenient. But they are dishwasher safe. And sometimes it’s fun to make homemade apple juice or orange juice. I have also used it to juice spinach to make green food coloring before, and juiced strawberries to add to milk for homemade strawberry milk. 🙂

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Other Items for Healthy Living

1. Salt Lamp: Even if we have eliminated the chemicals going into our body, on our skin, and everywhere else we can think of, chances are we are still being exposed to chemicals all the time. There is flame-retardant in so many things like our couch, other furniture, our clothes, etc. Everything that is made of plastic is full of chemicals. What about the paint on the walls? SO many things we aren’t even thinking about. I would love to have one of these salt lamps to help purify the air, and they also help to reduce stress. Win win!

2. Natural Soaps: Okay I have never bought these soaps before but they sure are cute and free of harmful chemicals. Would be a great gift!

3. Beeswax Candle: It’s shocking to learn about all the chemicals we are exposed to. Candles release a lot of toxins into the air that we breathe, unless you buy the right ones. Beeswax is the way to go. And if you want one that is scented, make sure it is scented using essential oils instead of chemicals.

4. Lavender Bath & Body Gift Set: This gift set says all natural ingredients are used. No harmful chemicals. And lavender is very calming.

5. Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Gift Set: I just thought this was adorable. And they are samples of some of their products so it’s a good way to introduce someone to the natural world.

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Books/Cookbooks for Healthy Living

1. Reboot with Joe: Fully Charged

2. The Food Babe Way. Here’s my review on this one: http://organicfibromommies.com/2015/02/book-review-food-babe-way/.

3. 100 Days of Real Food cookbook. My review: http://organicfibromommies.com/2014/09/cookbook-review-100-days-real-food/.

And see what I’ve made from this cookbook so far: http://organicfibromommies.com/2015/03/what-ive-made-from-the-100-days-of-real-food-cookbook/.

4. The Grain-Free Family Table. My review: http://organicfibromommies.com/2014/11/cookbook-review-grain-free-family-table-deliciously-organic/.

5. The Wellness Mama cookbook

6. Deliciously Organic cookbook

Other ideas for gifts on healthier living: plants that purify the air, homemade gifts like vanilla extract, homemade granola, cookies or other treats made with organic ingredients and sweetened with honey/maple syrup or very little raw cane sugar. There are so many options out there for making soaps, candles from beeswax, and many many more.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same, but Organic Fibro Mommies will earn a small commission (which helps to offset web hosting fees, maintenance, etc.). Your support is greatly appreciated!

Natural Personal Care Products

Posted on: August 21, 2015 by: Tara Canlett

It is just as important to use natural ingredients on our skin as it is to consume them. Whatever we put on our skin is absorbed into our body. Also, whatever we wash off in the shower is going into the lakes & streams. The less chemicals all around, the better for everyone and everything. There are some good options for natural personal care products out there, and recipes to make your own. I know I don’t want to spend a ton of money on products and would rather spend more money on our food, so I try to find better products at lower costs.

Deodorant:
Of course, regular deodorants typically have a plethora of chemicals in them. Some have been linked to possibly causing breast cancer. I feel like I have been through every kind of natural deodorant you can find in the stores. This is really getting personal but I used to sweat a lot more than I do now. I think it was from the meds I was on, and also from being overweight. Anyway, I couldn’t find a natural deodorant that worked for me and the Tom’s scented deodorants (even though they are all-natural) were causing me to breakout. Now that I don’t sweat as much, the Tom’s original unscented works just fine unless it’s summertime. Then I have to reapply a couple times throughout the day! I have heard great things about Pit Paste but haven’t tried it yet. Here’s the Pit Paste if you’re interested in trying it (there is lavender-scented available and you can buy it in a stick too):

Dental Care:
I do like Tom’s toothpastes but I did make my own toothpaste once using baking soda. Regular toothpaste has a lot of chemicals including dyes added, which aren’t good for our teeth and gums. I buy Tom’s for my kids too. They have a strawberry flavored product specifically for kids. I am also doing oil pulling (started in March of 2014). Oil pulling is where you swish around about 1 tsp – 1 tablespoon of oil in your mouth for up to 20 minutes each day. Try to go at least 5 minutes to get the benefits of it. Since I have been doing it, my husband pointed out that I don’t have bad breath anymore. I always had bad breath, and not just in the morning. I had gum and mints on hand because I was so worried about it. My teeth are whiter, and gums don’t bleed like they used to when I floss. I also got my daughter to start doing it (only sometimes). She definitely needs all the toxins out of her mouth! She doesn’t do it very long but I figure some is better than none. My husband did give it a try once. I have been doing it just about every morning, between 5 and 15 minutes. It just depends on how long I feel like going. Sometimes it gets really gross and I have to spit it out. When you spit it out, make sure you spit into the garbage can, not the sink. It can mess up your pipes! And DO NOT swallow it. You can use other oils but I have heard so many great benefits of coconut oil for your teeth and gums so that is what I am going with. I used to do it every day, now it’s about every other day, and I did skip a week a couple times just because we were low on coconut oil. When on a budget I wasn’t going to go out and buy more just so I could do the oil pulling. 😉

Hair Care:
For shampoo and conditioner I was using a natural Tresemme, but when you read the ingredients you can see that it isn’t really ‘natural’. I was very disappointed. I have used a coconut shampoo and conditioner before that I found in the natural section of the grocery store but you get this small tube @ like $9 each so for shampoo and conditioner I was spending $18, and that just seems crazy. So I had to pick and choose what I would rather spend money on. An all-natural shampoo or fresh organic fruits & vegetables? Yea, I think I’m going to put more money towards food than personal care products. Of course, you can make your own too. But I did decide to try the “no-poo” method (sham-poo that is). Sounds weird but it really works! Here’s all about it:

Week 1 – I used 1/2 tsp baking soda with a drop of tea tree oil and a little warm water, just on the scalp. I did this one time during the week, and other times I showered I didn’t use anything. There’s no way to avoid it. Your hair just gets oily and gross in the beginning.

Week 2 – Same method as above except I started applying apple cider vinegar to the ends.

Week 3 – Same method as above. I’m starting to notice that my hair is looking healthier and there’s a wave to it. Plus I am not losing as much hair in the shower or when brushing. Before I had a handful of hair that would come out. The top is still oily looking. Sorry, these aren’t the best pictures.

Weeks 4 & 5 – Getting better (picture above, on the right). I do the baking soda on top once a week and sometimes add the tea tree oil. And I apply apple cider vinegar to the ends once/week. Overall it seems to be going okay but my hair does look oily sometimes.

Week 6 – I got a hair cut and specifically told the stylist what I am doing and not to use any products on my hair but water was okay to wet it down. Well whatever he was spraying me with was not just water. I could see the bubbles in it and it had a scent to it. Then he said he needed to use something on my hair just so he could make sure the cut and layers were even (I can’t remember what he called it). I was like okay… I really think he was playing with my hair. He did a good job on the cut but I was just annoyed that he put products on my hair when I asked him not to. Then I felt like I had to start all over with this. The good thing was that he mentioned how healthy and nice my hair looks. This picture is after I got my hair cut and them using the product on my hair. Wish I would have gotten a picture before but you can still see that it is pretty healthy looking.

So, this does really work, over time, but I was having a hard time keeping everything balanced. My hair became dry so I added coconut oil and then it was too oily looking. The baking soda works on top to keep the top from being oily but I read that baking soda isn’t good for your hair. And my hair wasn’t smelling good between the baking soda w/tea tree oil and the apple cider vinegar…. It didn’t smell that bad, but my husband always liked that my hair smelled so good. So I needed something to balance out the oily and dry in my hair, and smell good. I decided to start using Trader Joe’s tea tree shampoo & conditioner (picture to the right). It’s a great price and has some really good stuff in it. Like peppermint, tea tree and eucalyptus botanicals. My hair seems balanced now, and my husband likes the shampoo because it helps with his usually dry itchy scalp and dandruff. What I noticed though after I started using shampoo again is that more hair is coming out in the shower or when I brush. But I just put a little shampoo on the top and work it in, and a little conditioner worked into the ends. Everyone’s hair is different so you may find something else that works for your hair. I tend to have thick dry hair, usually. I may end up making something that will work to wash my hair with and if I do, I will report back on that.

Shaving:
I use coconut oil for shaving. You only need a small amount at a time and it’s so great for your skin. It’s not perfect but it does work and feels good. It leaves my skin smooth after. I just keep a small tupperware container of it in the shower so it’s easily accessible. Using the coconut oil in the bath/shower has not clogged my drain either. And I do use an electric razor sometimes too. Which is great for camping. 😉 Here’s the one I have:

Face/Body Wash:
I use a Burt’s Bees peach facial scrub and I also do a lemon and honey face mask a couple times a week (whenever I remember). Just take about a ½ tsp of honey and a squirt of lemon juice, rub together and apply to your entire face, leave on for 5 minutes and rinse off with luke-warm water. I like the Kiss My Face soap to wash my body with, and I take an Epsom salt bath every now and then. Sometimes I add lavender (I have a lavender plant but you can get lavender essential oil too). I also came across a pure castile bar soap with lavender. Both are pictured above, to the right. I found both bars of soap and the facial scrub at Fred Meyer (Kroger).

Lotion/Sunscreen:
For lotion I found a good coconut lotion that isn’t too expensive and has lasted me a while (Desert Essence), found at Fred Meyer in the natural section, or just use coconut oil as a moisturizer. I use coconut oil for Sunscreen (it has an SPF of about 10) but only when I am just going to be in the sun a little, or in and out of it. If we are going to be out in the hot sun all day, I will use a natural sunscreen, which is what I use for the kids. Just anything I can find that says ‘natural’. It’s not perfect, but better. Here’s a natural organic ‘Food Babe approved’ sunscreen:

Chapstick/Lipgloss:
I use Burt’s Bees chapstick and lipgloss. There are different colors too. I use the chapstick a lot more than I use the lipgloss. You can probably find these at any grocery store but I purchased mine at Fred Meyer (Kroger).

Make-up & Make-up Removal:
I don’t wear make-up that often anymore but if I do, I use grape seed oil to remove it. It works great and is good for your skin too, but a little goes a long way. You can also use coconut oil. I found some natural make-up at our local food co-op. It’s made with much better ingredients. It’s expensive but like I said, I don’t wear make-up that often.

There are many recipes out there for making pretty much anything, from deodorant to mascara and in-between. There are also companies you can buy from like The Honest Co. One of these days I am going to sign up to receive their products each month! I think you get to choose 5 products each month for a certain price.

What I’ve Made from the 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook

Posted on: March 6, 2015 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 2 Comments

Back in September, I became a cookbook ambassador for the 100 Days of Real Food cookbook. That means I was sent a cookbook to review and post my review on my blog. You can read my review here. So, do I still feel the same about this cookbook today? Definitely! I still highly recommend purchasing it. We loved everything we made so far and there’s still so much more we want to make. The recipes are pretty easy too. The cookbook and the recipes have met all of my expectations. Here is everything I have made from the cookbook, so far, and how we liked it. Sorry, no recipes. You will have to buy the cookbook for that. 😉 Heads-up, I will be saying a lot of “this was so good!” and “so easy to make”. Because they were! (FYI, my pictures are not even close to the beautiful pictures in the cookbook. I still use my iPhone to take pictures.)

Homemade Granola Cereal
This is one of my necessary staples now. I love to have it on yogurt or as cereal with almond milk, coconut milk, or hemp milk. So good! And I love how I can just use whatever kind of nuts or seeds I have. My husband and daughter love it too. My daughter wanted it plain in her lunch one time and just used a spoon to eat it (pictured below). I have only been making half a batch at a time because I never have enough ingredients on hand, but it worked out just fine. Below you can see it in yogurt with pomegranate, with almond milk and raisins, with almond milk and blueberries, and with yogurt and raspberries.

Eggs in a Basket
This was one of the first recipes we made from the cookbook. My kids requested it the next morning and are still requesting it. They love it! The first picture is obviously from the cookbook. I think my picture is a little more realistic on a busy weekday morning. 😉 The kids did not care how it looked. They ate it up so quick. You could put ketchup on it but my kids didn’t want it. Or maybe some cheese? They liked it as-is.

Potato Hash
I adjusted this recipe a bit to add in what we wanted but we did really like it. The potatoes were chopped to the perfect size! The trick to prevent them from sticking is to get the oil REALLY hot in the pan first.

Southwest Chicken Wraps
Wow the sauce for these wraps is so tasty! Everyone loved it except my daughter. She didn’t like the lime taste so we just put sour cream on hers. But the rest of us ate it all up. And I used the leftover sauce as a dressing on my salad the next day and it was really good.

Pizza Bites
We make these every now and then to freeze for my daughter to take in her lunches, or sometimes my son will have one for lunch too. I couldn’t find the exact size of the mini pita pockets but the ones I found at Trader Joe’s worked just fine.

Here they are in my daughter’s lunch:

Whole-Grain Pumpkin Muffins
I love anything pumpkin. These were so delicious. Everyone ate them so fast that there weren’t any left to freeze. I would have to make a double-batch to be able to freeze some. You can add to school lunches, eat with breakfast, or as a snack.

My daughter’s lunch with a pumpkin muffin (butter added):

Apple Sandwich
We did try making this and it worked just fine, but we decided we would just slice an apple and have some peanut butter on the side to dip in for packing school lunches. But it is a fun idea.

From the cookbook:

My daughter’s lunch:

Hummus Sandwiches Three Ways
I couldn’t believe my daughter wanted this sandwich in her lunch and actually liked it! We added spinach and cheese and then another time we also added tomato.

Mini Lunch-box Quiches
When I made these and asked everyone to try them, they were almost all gone in the same day! Everyone loved them so much that they had to have another one. I didn’t think my husband would even try them because he wasn’t crazy about my quiche. Well he loved it and says it is much better in a smaller version like this. My daughter liked it but didn’t like the crust. She just ate the top egg part. But she still ate two of them. You can freeze them or put in the fridge for later. They would be great as breakfast or in the lunch-box.

Cinnamon-Raisin Quick Bread
This is a recipe I can actually give you. It’s posted here: http://organicfibromommies.com/2014/09/cookbook-review-100-days-real-food/. This was really easy to make and sooooo good! Especially with cream cheese on top. 🙂 It would be good with butter too!

And here’s my daughter’s lunch with some cinnamon raisin bread in it. Of course it’s good with breakfast too!

Popcorn (in the microwave or on the stove)
As soon as I saw this on Lisa’s blog I have been making it. I don’t buy the packaged popcorn anymore and just make our own. I add real butter, salt, and a little cheese powder from our local food co-op. It’s all-natural. I pop it in the microwave but you can also do it on the stovetop. Packaged popcorn contains so many additives, unhealthy oils, and other questionable ingredients. You can pop some popcorn ahead of time and add it to lunches or for the kids’ snacks too!

Cinnamon Apple Chips
These were so good and our neighbor tried some too. He said that I really needed to make more. 😉 I thought I took a picture of them when they were done but can’t seem to find it. I think we were too anxious to eat them and since I shared with the neighbors too they got eaten up really fast! 🙂 These would be great with breakfast, in a lunchbox, or as a snack.

The Best Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker and Overnight Chicken Stock in the Slow Cooker
I tried this long before the cookbook came out and have been doing it ever since! It’s nice to have all that chicken to freeze for future meals and to make the homemade broth to freeze and use later. It’s so much better for us and nice not to have to buy it.

The Best Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker
This is so good! We did add some BBQ sauce to ours but didn’t even try it without the BBQ sauce. It probably would have been just as good without it. There is also a recipe for BBQ sauce in the cookbook too that I definitely want to make. We also added cheese and coleslaw to our pulled pork sandwiches.

From the cookbook:

My slightly adjusted version:

Peanut Butter Cookies
Oh man… I love peanut butter cookies. Everyone loved these, and they were gone quick. You can add to school lunches for a special treat! (As long as there are no peanut allergies of course.)

Sydney’s Honey Mustard Sauce
I tried this a while back after Lisa posted about it on her blog. So easy to make and good too! Unfortunately I cannot find the picture. I think it may be part of the photos that I lost after my laptop crashed. So here’s a picture from the cookbook. We dipped some homemade chicken nuggets into it. I don’t know why the honey mustard sauce you can buy in the grocery store has to have so many things added to it?? It doesn’t have to be so complicated.

And there are still many more recipes we want to try!

Whole-Wheat Banana Pancakes
Grandma Esther’s (Whole-Wheat) Crepes
Fruit Salad with Orange Zest
Breakfast Sausage Casserole
Breakfast Tacos
Grilled Cheese with Apples and Bacon
Easy Slow-Cooker Refried Beans
Black Bean Tostada
Tomato Bisque
PB&J Smoothie
Grilled Caprese Paninis
Onion Dip with Veggie Sticks
Pimento Cheese Crackers
How to Make the Perfect Juice – Three Ways
Spiced Nut Mix
Fruit Kabobs with Yogurt Dip
Shortcut Caesar Salad
Carrots with Rosemary
Veggie Pancakes
Zucchini with Almonds and Parmesan
Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole
BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Quinoa and Sausage-Stuffed Peppers
My Dad’s (Brown Rice) Risotto
Macaroni Casserole
Quinoa Veggie “Burgers”
Whole-Wheat Spaghetti and Meatballs
Veggie Corn Chowder
Whole-Wheat Pasta with Kale-Pesto Cream Sauce
Slow-Cooker BBQ Ribs
Homemade Ice Cream Three Ways
(Extra) Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites
Cinnamon-Glazed Popcorn
Frozen Yogurt Pops Two Ways
Mango Sorbet
Mini Chocolate Truffles
Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
And there are many of the homemade staples I want to try.

Wow, after listing all the recipes I still want to make, I am realizing there are so many! All that’s prevented me from making more of the recipes is the time to do it, and in some cases it may be the money too. Like for the homemade ice cream I would need to buy an Ice Cream Maker. And please note that these are not all the recipes left in the cookbook. Just the ones I want to make. 🙂 (There are some seafood recipes too and we don’t really eat seafood.)

You can purchase the 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook here:

Book Review: The Food Babe Way

Posted on: February 10, 2015 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 2 Comments

I love Food Babe (Vani Hari). I love that she is right to the point about everything and isn’t afraid to say it how it is. She doesn’t just support organic foods and choose not to purchase the bad foods. She fights to have those companies change their ways. Sure, we could all just look the other way and not care because we aren’t the ones eating that food. But there are people out there that are eating it. And we are still eating it on occasion during our ‘cheat’ times. There’s no reason we shouldn’t fight to get them to change. The production of that food and everything around it affects us in one way or another.

Of course, there are people out there that don’t like that Food Babe is fighting so hard. And they are getting very defensive and protective over everything she is putting out there. This is causing threats towards her, and some very nasty comments. I guess people just can’t handle the truth! If it wasn’t for Food Babe, I would just trust anything that says natural, or organic. It’s because of Vani that I am reading labels on everything now. I am always open to more information about our food system. And I take everything with a grain of salt. I like to do my own research and figure things out for myself instead of just believing everything I hear. I’m pretty good at filtering out things I don’t agree with and keeping what I think is right. There are those things that we come across and aren’t sure about. They stay out there in the grey area somewhere and eventually they might make sense. And sometimes we think we understand something and it goes back to that grey area. That’s okay. Our food system is far more complex than I would have ever thought.

When I saw Vani’s book and the chance to review it, I jumped at the offer. I wanted to read it right away and get the information out to you all. Well let me tell you, I did not want to put the book down. But I had to of course. Life with kids is too busy to sit and read all day. 😉 I thought that I would already know most of what is in the book. The information about our food system, the investigations that Food Babe did, and her story. Well I was wrong. There is so much information included, I definitely learned a lot! She doesn’t just tell us that something is bad for us and we shouldn’t eat it. She has done the research to back it up. And provides all the information, data, resources, etc. When it goes into Vani’s story from when she was growing up and how she ate, I could totally relate. I too was addicted to candy and junk food and can tell you about a time I ate Sour Patch Kids for breakfast! I was so addicted to refined sugar and just didn’t think about it or take the time to care. I could really relate to a lot of what she was saying. My health problems didn’t come on quite as drastically as hers did but I felt like they were severe at the time.

In The Food Babe Way, you’ll learn how to:

Develop 21 simple, lasting habits that will get you off chemical-laced food for good;
Avoid the top 15 ingredients that wreak havoc on your weight, beauty, and health;
Spot manipulative marketing and manufacturing techniques the food industry uses to get you to eat processed foods or hide questionable ingredients;
Replace the foods that make you fat, look older, and sap your energy with healthful, delicious substitutes;
Prepare dozens of additive-free meals with easy and delicious recipes.

Reading about the investigations Food Babe accomplished and the changes the food companies made afterwards got me all-fired-up. We all really can make a difference! And we should be fighting for our health and the health of others. We all live in this world together and it all affects us in one way or another. Vani has encouraged me to use my voice. Investigate, research, speak-up. I hope that my family/friends don’t consider it as an insult towards them or think that I’m crazy when I explain to them what is in the food they are eating. I just care about them and want them to be healthy and live a longer life. So, sometimes I do decide to speak-up and other times I stay out of things. I decided to speak-up when KFC posted on Twitter that their nuggets in the popcorn chicken are made from the world’s best chicken. Really?!? I had to say something. And my reply got some attention! My reply was: “@KFC The world’s best chicken?? So your chicken is not from factory-farmed chickens? Your chickens are outside roaming around? No.” I wanted to say more but you are limited on the number of characters on Twitter. My reply was ‘favorited’ and retweeted right away and I had some nice replies too, supporting what I said. You just never know I guess! Companies like that should not be able to get away with saying that kind of stuff. They are lying. How can they say it is the world’s best chicken??? Come on…. That post got 432 views. I hardly ever have any action on Twitter. That got me pumped up and excited to keep fighting. 🙂 And no, KFC did not reply…

So, back to the book. I love that Vani goes into details about all the different diets. What they are, why she thinks they are flawed, and what chemicals you might be exposed to on those diets. I think this information will be very helpful to so many people that think they are on a good diet. I got so excited reading about Food Babe’s 21 day health plan! I wanted to start it right away. When I started Day 1, the lemon & cayenne pepper drink in the morning instead of my usual coffee, I was grumpy but felt like I really needed to do this. Sure, I love coffee. But I know it’s not doing my body any good right now. I’m not saying coffee isn’t good for you. And one day, maybe I will add it back in. Right now I just need to cleanse my body of all the toxins and get well. I’m sick of being sick every.single.day. I need to heal my gut. I realized I am already doing a lot of the 21 days of habits listed in the book but there was still a plethora of information included and I learned a lot. And reading about the other habits that I haven’t been doing has motivated me to make changes. Some I had thought about before but haven’t done anything to make the change yet. Food Babe has encouraged me to take that next step. I’m not sure if I will do everything listed but I will try. The only thing I would add to the list is to clean out all the toxins in your home. From cleaners, to soaps, to candles and air-fresheners, and anything else you are breathing or are exposed to. Everything that you breath and that touches your skin can seep into your body.

Love this. Straight out of the book:

After the 21 day health plan is the 21 day eating plan, followed by recipes that coincide. This includes information about the ingredients in the plan to help guide you, like what kind of flour and oil to choose, and much more. And some of those recipes sound really good! Much better than I expected. I already made a smaller version of the Ginger Berry Smoothie, a slightly different version of the Quinoa Veggie Scramble (just cauliflower ‘rice’ instead of quinoa because I had some I needed to use up), and the Creamy Kale and Artichoke Dip. All three were very good!

I’m excited to try the following recipes:

Breakfast Burritos w/sweet potatoes,
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Crunch,
Spicy Tomato Kale Soup,
Open-Faced Crunchy Veggie Sandwich,
White Bean Chili,
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup,
Organic Homemade Frappuccino,
Sweet Potato Fries,
Almond Chocolate Freezer Fudge,
And much more!

There’s even more information included in the back of the book. How to start a petition, tons of resources, a rundown of how much certain corporations spent during the past 12 months to make sure GMOs aren’t labeled, followed by a bibliography. I highly recommend this book and think that everyone should read it! I did think that some of the promises to lose weight and become healthy were a little much, but I do believe if you stay on a healthy path you will get there. And The Food Babe Way will definitely guide you. Overall I think it was a great book and would be worth purchasing. I think I will be going back through this book many times, and it’s always great having more recipes on hand! 🙂

Video Book Trailer: The Food Babe Way Video Book Trailer.

You can purchase the book here: http://thefoodbabeway.com.

Or here:

**GET RID OF ALL THE CHEMICALS! START TODAY, THE FOOD BABE WAY!**

Cookbook Review: Grain-Free Family Table by Deliciously Organic

Posted on: November 14, 2014 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 3 Comments

This is my 2nd real food cookbook! A great start to my collection. 🙂 So, I am going to be totally honest. This cookbook is beyond my expertise as a cook and health-nut, but I want to branch out and do what I can to be healthier. We have been eating organic foods for almost 2 years now and we feel very comfortable with what we buy and what we eat, for the most part. But lately I have been wondering about other foods like different flours and grains available. I experimented with quinoa noodles and they were good! No one noticed that it was anything different. I have done a little experimenting with spelt flour too. But I want to experiment more and I have also been wondering about grain-free options. I am not saying we will go completely grain-free but Carrie Vitt from Deliciously Organic is such an inspiration! She has healed herself from chronic migraines, IBS, eczema, and Hashimoto’s disease all through diet. I am just moved by her story and want to do what I can to be even healthier. I am willing to try new recipes and new ingredients that I haven’t worked with before to see what could happen. I have Fibromyalgia but I have also wondered if I have IBS. I am constantly dealing with digestive issues.

The cookbook starts out with Carrie’s story and how she healed herself. It is such an incredible story. She gives people with chronic illness some hope. And we definitely need that. Then it goes on to some great information about going grain-free, different types of foods, what’s all in her pantry and fridge, how to adapt recipes and eat out, and how to encourage your kids to eat grain-free foods. Then of course are the wonderful recipes with beautiful photos. Breakfast, starters, salads, sides, main dishes, desserts, kids’ favorites, and basics. There’s a conversion chart in the back, with some great resources. I flipped through the cookbook with my kids and they loved the desserts the most! Surprising huh? 😉

There are 125 Recipes in the Cookbook Which Includes:

125 Grain-Free Recipes
125 Gluten-Free Recipes
125 Recipes with a Paleo/Dairy-Free Adaption
87 Egg-Free Recipes
114 Nut-Free Recipes
70% of the recipes have never been published on her blog
All recipes have been tested by a professional test kitchen

This cookbook would make a great gift for someone (or for yourself!) that is trying to eat healthier and maybe even heal themselves from the inside out in the process. These recipes work with grain-free flours like almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot flour, tapioca flour, and bean flours; natural sweeteners; and healthy oils & fats. If you know someone that uses these flours, then I think this is the cookbook for them!

Here is one of the recipes straight out of the cookbook that looks like something I definitely want to make! *ZINGERS*

Zingers

If you’re going to make anything in this book, make this recipe. Carrie’s mom, owner of The Festive Kitchen, in Dallas, Texas, is the creator of these little bites and sells thirty thousand pounds of them each holiday season. The apricot has a melty-sweet quality, there’s a small bite from the jalapeño, and it’s all wrapped in salty bacon. It’s truly the ultimate appetizer.

MAKES 20 APPETIZERS

PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

20 dried apricots
20 jarred jalapeño slices
7 bacon slices, cut into thirds
20 strong toothpicks

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F and adjust the rack to the middle position. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
Using a paring knife, cut a slice horizontally down an apricot. Cut almost but not all the way through, so that it will open like a book. Place a jalapeño slice inside the apricot, wrap the apricot in a piece of the cut bacon, secure it with a toothpick, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Bake for 10 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, flip the zingers and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the bacon is golden brown. Serve immediately.

NOTE: You can make these ahead of time and freeze them, unbaked, in an airtight container. No need to thaw them—you can bake them straight from the freezer. Just increase the baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

And here’s a preview of the Apricot Pecan Cookies that are in the cookbook. You will need to purchase the cookbook for the recipe. 😉 Don’t they look good???

So where can you purchase this wonderful cookbook??? Right here: http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062308160/the-grain-free-family-table.

Or here:

And here’s a picture of me with the cookbook on the day it arrived! It took a while to get here so I was excited when it finally came. I am so excited to try these new recipes!!!

Cookbook Review: 100 Days of Real Food

Posted on: September 30, 2014 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 2 Comments

How I Became a Cookbook Ambassador

Before I get into the review of the cookbook, I have a story to tell you. Over summer, during our vacation, our website crashed and my best friend (Jeanette – the other Admin for this website) was in the hospital bleeding internally and they didn’t know what was wrong. It was very serious. She would just pass out from the loss of blood. I don’t know what I would do if something ever happened to her. I was distraught. She turned out to be okay and life kept moving along but I missed a very important email. An email from Lisa Leake at 100 Days of Real Food accepting me as her cookbook ambassador! I replied to the email and followed what it said but I was sure it was too late. 2 weeks late to be exact. Well then my laptop crashed and I thought I lost everything. We were finally able to recover most of my stuff but now I have to wade through tons and tons of files and pictures to get everything organized again. You could bet I was checking my email every day after missing that one. And guess what popped in one day? More information on being a cookbook ambassador and then I got a signed copy of the 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook!!!! I COULD NOT believe it. I thought everything around this blog was crashing on me… from the website crashing, missing the important email, and then my laptop crashing. It’s amazing I’m still blogging. 😉 It was sure nice of Lisa to let me in at the last minute.

So what does it mean to be a Cookbook Ambassador? Well, I get to be part of a group of bloggers that received a F R E E signed copy of the 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook (see Lisa’s signature to the right)! All I had to do in return is review it and post my review on my blog. Lisa has already sent out her Thank You post that includes all the cookbook ambassadors. There are a lot listed but I am honored to be one of them. Check out the list and you may find some other blogs that you want to follow. And feel free to share with others!

My Review of the 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook

Okay, enough about me and now we are on to this really great cookbook! The only cookbook I have really ever had is a Betty Crocker cookbook. It’s not about organic real foods and it’s all black-and-white. No pictures. The 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook is not just a cookbook, it tells a story. A story of how Lisa and her family made these huge changes in their lives towards real foods. A story of how you can make healthier changes in your diet, how you can make changes for your whole family. I absolutely love this cookbook. My kids enjoyed looking through it and we can’t wait to make these yummy foods. I love how the recipes are separated out and the pictures are beautiful! I think the pictures alone would convince anyone to make these delicious foods. Anyone could benefit from this book. The way it is laid out is so easy to follow and I truly believe that if someone wanted to switch to eating real foods, they would know exactly what to do and where to start from following this book. Lisa has done an amazing job of putting it all together.

What You Can Expect

In addition to telling their story, Lisa gives her definition of what real food is. This includes a break-down of the different types of grains, her thoughts on sugar consumption, reading labels, and so much more. There’s also information about shopping, food budget tips and meal plans. There are recipes for different dietary needs (see bulleted items below). Recipes for appetizers and treats, all the basic meals, side dishes, salads, snacks, and things to make that you just need to have around. Basic staples like sauces, dressing, bread, tortillas, and much more. A beautiful color photo is included with each recipe. There is a lot here that is not on the 100 Days of Real Food website. Plus, I don’t think it is very convenient to search for things on a website. I love having this book that I can easily carry around and flip through to make these easy, wholesome recipes. It isn’t super heavy like I imagined. My kids could carry it around… although I don’t think I would let them just yet. I am very protective of this new book I just got! 😉

71 recipes are (or can easily be) Gluten-Free
79 recipes are (or can easily be) Vegetarian
49 recipes are (or can easily be) Dairy-Free
42 recipes are Freezer-Friendly

In the beginning of the cookbook, Lisa tells their story of how they got here and the goals for the cookbook. I love her story of when “the light clicked on” for her and she never turned back. That was similar to what happened to me. And the goals of this book are to be able to help those in any type of situation in which they think they won’t be able to make the switch to real foods but in fact, anyone can! And this book definitely shows you how. Here’s some of the content, straight from the book:

One of the first recipes we will be making from the cookbook is the Cinnamon-Raisin Quick Bread:

Recipe for Cinnamon-Raisin Quick Bread from the 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted (plus more for greasing the pan)
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup raisins

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with butter and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Using a fork, mix in the eggs, applesauce, melted butter, and syrup until well combined, taking care not to over mix. Gently fold in the raisins. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 – 55 minutes.

My kids and I sat down together to look through the cookbook. They knew all about it and why I was keeping a close watch for the UPS guy/gal every day until it got here. 😉 They really loved going through all the pictures and talking about what we can make. Their favorites are: Waffle Sticks you can dip in syrup, Eggs in a Basket, Cinnamon-Raisin Quick Bread, Pizza Bites, Cinnamon Apple Chips, Fruit Kabobs with Yogurt Dip, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and every single Special Treat recipe in the cookbook.

My son Tyler (age 5): “Everything looks SO GOOD and it’s making me hungry!”

My daughter Kailey (age 8): “Those girls (Lisa’s daughters) are SO lucky they get to eat all this good stuff. I want to bring that stuff for lunch too.”

The following morning I asked the kids what they wanted for breakfast and what we should pack in my daughter’s lunch. They both mentioned items from the cookbook. So we made the Eggs in a Basket for breakfast and they both LOVED it! For my daughter’s lunch (3rd grade), she picked the hummus sandwich. I was really surprised. I didn’t think she would ever want something like that. They want to try a lot of other recipes but I need to stock up on some of the items first. 😉

Here’s where you can purchase this wonderful cookbook, that is a #1 New York Times best seller by the way! Buy yourself a gift or it would be a great gift for someone else. How about one for you and one for them?? 😀

How I Got My Husband & Kids to Eat Organic

Posted on: February 12, 2014 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 2 Comments

In the beginning, switching to organic/natural foods can be a challenge. You have to first convince yourself to make this huge change and then trying to convince those you live with can be hard. With my husband, I tried explaining what organic is and why I think we should switch. He basically said that if I do the shopping and cooking, he will try it and if he likes it then great. I told him we would eat most of the same kinds of foods, just less of the bad stuff that’s in them. We watched a couple of the different food documentaries together like Food, Inc. and Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead. We tried many different replacements for things he likes and some were winners, but some weren’t. We just tried new things here and there but it was a slow transition. Plus, you don’t want to spend a bunch of money on things and then have to toss them. Introducing one new item a week is a good rule. He didn’t like that the cost of the items is a lot more but that went down over time and now it is the ‘norm’ for us.

With my kids (my daughter was 7 and my son was 3 at the time), I tried explaining everything in a way they would understand. I just simply told them that the food we had been eating has bad stuff in it and we are going to try this other food that is better for us. I first tried to buy things that are similar to what they are used to. We bought organic pop-tarts, organic cinnamon toast crunch, fruit strips instead of fruit snacks, organic oreo cookies, cheddar bunnies instead of goldfish crackers, etc. Then I tried to incorporate new things in each week. We tried almond chocolate milk and they love it! They were excited to try new things and to go shopping with me to help pick them out. We don’t buy so many of those items now. It was just what we did in transition and now they are considered a special treat.

It wasn’t always easy. There were times where my daughter would get mad and say, “Why does everything have to be organic? Can we go back to the way we were eating now?” But she would get over it and move on. Then there were other times where she would ask other people if something was organic before she ate it. Kids really pick-up what you are teaching them. After Kailey had an MRI (see my post about her dental problems, behavioral problems, & seizures), they gave her some goldfish crackers and apple juice and she asked the nurse if it was organic. I started laughing and told her she didn’t need to worry about that today. We do still have some of the things we used to but it’s only once in a while. All in moderation. Change can be scary at first but we just made small changes here and there until everything was switched over. It’s about finding what you like. I still think it’s exciting going to the store and finding something new. It makes shopping exciting and that’s something we definitely needed. I used to hate grocery shopping. Tyler is usually with me when shopping and he grumbles about it, but I always let him pick out something special. A certain kind of organic cereal, cookies, etc.

We have come a long way. My husband went from thinking I’m nuts to now eating all organic and he is very interested in gardening! The kids still have their moments where they want something bad and sometimes I let them. I don’t want them growing up worrying TOO much about food. Just enough to know that this is what’s up with food and this is what we eat but it’s okay to splurge now and then. And maybe someday, organic will just be the ‘norm’. The other stuff is what isn’t normal. It has so many bad things added to it. We just want to eat real food. Organic was normal to our grandparents or great-grandparents, but they didn’t call it organic. They just called it food. I think we can get back to that place. There are big changes happening and the word is getting around.

To read more about making the switch and see a picture of our first organic shopping trip, click here.

Resources: Cereals – Mom’s Best, Cascadian Farm. Pop tarts – Nature’s Path. Cookies – Simple Truth, Newman-O’s. Fruit Strips – Trader Joe’s. Annie’s cheddar bunnies.

The Big Switch to Organic Foods

Posted on: January 10, 2014 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 12 Comments

It has almost been a full year since we started eating organic/natural food! I feel like I am finally eating food I was meant to be eating. All my life I have had a love for food and after having kids I couldn’t seem to keep the weight off. I was never the dieting type. I just liked to eat all foods and didn’t want to eliminate certain ones. Well now I can and I feel good about it! I have lost weight and feel so much healthier.

We grew up eating all the typical American foods. After having kids, both of us working and my husband going to school, we had a lot on our plate so our health took the back-burner. Everything we bought was out of convenience to make our lives easier and to spend less. We ate cheap meat in family packs, boxed sides like rice-a-roni, macaroni and cheese, potato buds, etc. I bought margarine by the tub, thinking it was better for us! We did eat fruits and veggies quite frequently, but they weren’t organic. I didn’t have a clue what organic was and hadn’t even really heard about it much. We ate out a lot too. Fast food a couple times a week for dinner and then for lunch sometimes too. Now we very rarely eat out. And I was drinking diet soda thinking it would help me lose weight. We had watched the documentary Food Inc. and realized what is really happening in the food industry. Even then, we didn’t make any big changes to the way we were eating because life kind-of took over. But after being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and seeing even more documentaries on food and information going around on Facebook, I decided it was time to take action.

Our first shopping trip for organic food was in February 2013. I got everything you see in this picture for $150. (Sorry the picture isn’t good quality. I didn’t even have a blog then.) A lot has changed since then and there is actually a wider selection and lower costs. These items are not all organic. Some are just a better, natural version of what we used to buy. That was all I was trying to do at first, and then I learned along the way. When first starting out, that’s what I suggest doing. It can be very overwhelming at first but just try to find a better version of what you were eating. Then you can make small changes along the way and try new things. Your taste buds will change too and you will probably like things you never thought you would! I love avocados now and never liked them before. Below are some tips I have posted before, if you can’t go full-blown organic.

If you can’t afford to eat organic (I know it can be expensive), these are small changes you can make to be healthier:

Say NO to margarine. Just buy real butter. It is actually better for you, even with the cholesterol and fat. There is good fat and good cholesterol.
Don’t drink diet soda! If you must have a soda, just buy regular. Diet sodas have additives in them that make them taste good but are bad for you and addicting. This can cause so many problems in the long run.
Make as much as you can from scratch and not from a box. It really doesn’t take that much more time to make it and you can make it how you want. I love to add in a bunch of different herbs and seasonings to make it really yummy!
Don’t buy products that say Low Fat, reduced fat, diet or lite. They contain additives in them to make them taste good but they are really bad for you.
Say NO to anything with Aspartame!!! This chemical is added as a sweetener to things like diet soda, iced teas or lemonades, mints/gum, and even yogurt.
Read ingredients on what you buy. If there are multiple choices for an item, buy the one with less ingredients. Chances are if you don’t know what an ingredient is, it probably isn’t good for you.

Here’s a video about a family that buys all the typical American foods and they come to the realization of what’s really in these foods. Food Babe explains these ingredients and why they should switch. http://foodbabe.com/2013/10/29/why-this-family-will-never-make-this-popular-staple-ever-again/.

I hope this helps you make better choices for your family. I am so glad we made the switch and I will never look back. We are much healthier and happier because of it. I’m finally managing my Fibro, for the most part, and lost 30 pounds. Kailey’s behavioral issues have subsided significantly, and Jesse is feeling much better too. He has even lost weight! 🙂

Natural Cleaners Made Easy

Posted on: December 14, 2013 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 2 Comments

Using natural cleaners is good for many reasons. The typical cleaners you find in the store contain many chemicals in them that are toxic and unhealthy to breathe or touch. They have been linked to allergies in children and adults, and they aren’t good for those of us with Fibromyalgia! The following cleaners contain only natural ingredients and are safe to breathe in. You don’t have to worry so much about your kids being around them so you don’t have to triple lock them up somewhere. They are good for the environment, and cost-friendly! Besides all of those benefits, they get the job done. The first 6 are basic cleaners I keep on hand and use frequently.

Glass Cleaner:
In a spray bottle,1 part vinegar, 1 part water. Tip: Use newspaper to clean the glass/window.
Furniture Polish:
In a spray bottle,1 part vinegar, 1 part lemon juice.
Liquid Hand Soap or Dish Soap (pictured below):
1 part Castile soap, 1 part water. (See link below for Castile Soap.)
Toilet Cleaner:
1 part baking soda, 1 part lemon juice.
Let sit for 5 minutes and then scrub.
Tub/Tile Cleaner:
Just use Borax, or same mix for toilet cleaner. (See link below for Borax.)
Bathroom Sink/Counter Tops:
Baking soda and water or lemon juice, equal parts.
Floor Cleaner:
2 or 3 tablespoons (TB) of Castile soap in a bucket of water. (See link below for Castile Soap.)
Natural Febreeze:
1 TB baking soda, 2 cups distilled water,10 drops of your favorite essential oil.
In a bowl, add baking soda and then the essential oil on top. Using a fork, mix the oil into the baking soda. Put the mixture into a spray bottle and top off with water. Shake before use.
Carpet Stain Cleaner:
Soak Hydrogen Peroxide on the spot and let sit for 5 minutes. Blot and scrub with a damp cloth. Repeat as necessary.
Mold Killer:
In a spray bottle,2 tsp tea tree oil & 2 cups of water or straight vinegar.
Spray mixture and let sit. Do not rinse. (See link below for tea tree oil.)
Bleach Alternative:
12 cups water, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 cup hydrogen peroxide.
Mix, then add 2 cups per wash load or use in a spray bottle as a household cleaner.

Castile Soap (I like the citrus orange), Borax, and Tea Tree Oil can be found here:

First Steps in Switching to Organic

Posted on: July 21, 2013 by: Tara Canlett Comments: 1 Comment

When you first switch over to eating organic, it can be very overwhelming. I would first start out trying to buy all the same kinds of foods you bought before, just a healthier version. You can find a replacement for just about anything. Just check out the organic section sometime and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. 🙂 Start replacing items little by little. And try new things each week. If your kids don’t like something, keep reintroducing those items and eventually they may come around. It is very important to read ingredients. You will want to make this a habit when grocery shopping. Don’t stress too much though when you’re first starting out. Just remember that you are trying to eat better. Better than you were before. And give yourself a pat on the back every time you replace something, even if it’s not perfect and still has some bad stuff. You are doing better and that’s great!

After you replace items with the organic versions, you can start thinking about the overall way your family is eating. Maybe you are eating too much meat/dairy, or too many sugary foods. Should you eliminate gluten or go grain-free? Are you incorporating enough fruit/veggies into your diet? What kinds of foods could you make from scratch?

Dairy: Think about what the best kind of milk would be for everyone in your house, especially if there are any allergies. There are many different kinds of milk out there. Almond milk, oat milk, hemp milk, rice milk, coconut milk, soy milk, just to name a few. 😉 If you drink cow’s milk, raw is best. I still have not tried this yet but as long as you know & trust where it’s coming from it should be just fine. I buy organic whole milk and put hemp milk in my smoothies and with my cereal. Whole milk really is best. You don’t want 2%, 1%, Fat-free, Skim milk. We actually need these healthy fats. Butter is good for us as long as it’s the right kind of butter. Cultured butter, grass-fed organic are best. There is good cholesterol and bad. Real butter has good cholesterol. It is really hard to find yogurt that doesn’t have a ton of sugar and other things added, even with organic. Trader Joe’s has plain yogurt you can buy and add what you want to sweeten it up. Maybe some maple syrup and fruit. And cheese is great, but raw organic is best. I have not yet tried raw cheese but I plan on it!

Meat: The right meats are healthy for us, in moderation. I don’t think we should have a big steak every night, even if it’s grass-fed organic. Grass-fed organic is best for beef, organic chicken or at least hormone-free all natural, pork without hormones or additives, as natural as possible. For seafood, you want wild caught if you can. We don’t eat meat every night but there are many nights we do eat it, just in smaller portions than before.

Grains: Quinoa is a healthy grain for sure. It is very bland though, so you will probably want to add herbs and seasonings. Brown rice and whole wheat noodles are good. There are many gluten-free options out there. Oats for oatmeal or in granola bars/cookies. Whole wheat flour or other flours like spelt flour, coconut flour, einkorn flour, and many others. I had a hard time finding a good bread for my daughter that didn’t have all the seeds so I make bread once/week. It’s so good when it’s fresh out of the oven! Other than the homemade bread, I buy Dave’s Killer Bread. It’s organic and full of good stuff. It’s a great store-bought option.

Fruit/Veggies: Organic is best. If you can buy local that is even better, or grow your own! The amount of fruit/veggies we need in a day is a lot more than we normally consume. You could do juicing or make smoothies to help.

Healthy Drinks: I drink coconut water periodically and regular water with a slice of lemon every day. Coffee is okay if you have a good organic coffee like Trader Joe’s fair trade organic coffee. There are some good organic teas at Trader Joe’s too that I just add honey. Juicing/Smoothies.

Here’s my post on us making The Big Switch to Organic Foods: http://organicfibromommies.com/2014/01/big-switch-organic-foods/.

Here’s my post on How I Got My Husband & Kids to Eat Organic: http://organicfibromommies.com/2014/02/how-got-husband-kids-eat-organic/.

After you switch out all your food/drinks, you can focus on switching out your soaps/cleaners, personal care products, maybe start a garden eventually, and whatever else you can do to live a natural lifestyle. Just start slow and make changes as you can. I think you will notice a huge difference in how you feel over time. You will not only be helping yourself but the environment as well! 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions along the way. I am happy to help.