Pasta Alternatives

Eating processed, white-carb heavy pasta may not fit into your dietary lifestyle very well.  But, who doesn't get a hankering for an Italian dish?  I'm not one to spend the money on processed, wheat-free pastas, and although the following alternatives may be just as expensive in some cases, they're healthier.

Quinoa - just make sure you soak it in water and whey, lemon juice, or vinegar.

Spaghetti Squash

Buckwheat (not the flour, of course, the whole buckwheat)

Bulgar

A vegetable variety, stir fried or steamed

Do you have any other pasta substitute ideas?

Do you make your own pasta?

Instead of....Try This....

Instead of peanut butter and jelly and/or fluff sandwiches, try peanut butter (or almond butter) and honey!  Even better...add unrefined coconut oil in a semi-solid state!

Instead of an ice cream sundae for dessert, try vanilla yogurt with fruit, nuts, shredded coconut and shaved high quality chocolate.

Instead of an Almond Joy or Mounds bar, try a high quality, organic, all natural ingredient chocolate square topped with a layer of unrefined coconut oil in the solid state.  YUM!  Want Almond Joy?  Add an almond.

Turmeric

A couple years ago at a local farm, I purchased a small container of turmeric, not really knowing what it was used for.  Turns out I bought one of the best medicinal herbs out there!

Turmeric is:  "A bright yellow aromatic powder obtained from the rhizome of a plant of the ginger family, used for flavoring and coloring in Asian cooking and formerly as a fabric dye." Google Dictionary

Turmeric is a great immune booster.  When cold season is upon is, and especially when colds begin, I add turmeric to homemade chicken soup for an added immune boost.  I also fill capsules with turmeric to take as an immune boosting supplement.

Currently, my household is using turmeric in capsules as an anti-inflammatory to treat ulcerative colitis.  I also add turmeric powder to orange juice (yeah, I know, orange juice isn't the most healthy thing to drink, but it is chock full of vitamin C and a great mask for turmeric) and give it to my oldest child who has bronchitis.

Other benefits include:

Source: www.rebellesociety.com

There is also an entire website about the health benefits of turmeric!

You can purchase organic turmeric HERE, HERE, from a Christian source HERE, or in capsule form HERE.

Zero Waste Home Book

Bea Johnson of Zero Waste Home has her book available for pre-order now in paperback or kindle!  I am looking forward to ordering this book and reading it for some great ideas on reducing waste and clutter; simplifying our home and improving our health and perhaps even finances.

For those who don't know what a Zero Waste Home is, check out this youtube video:

Now, I know many people watch this video, shake their head and think, "no way!"  It is a HUGE lifestyle shift and the challenge leaves many (as I've read from commenters on her blog) on the defense.  Bea never comes across as demanding or better than her readers or "this is how you must do it."  She simply blogs about HER choices and lifestyle and gives gentle advice and straight facts on how it is done and can be achievable.

Am I striving to be zero waste?  Honestly, no.  It does take a combined family effort, a huge commitment and a strong backbone (and thick skin) to achieve true Zero Waste.  I don't have all of those factors.  But, Bea does give GREAT advice on how to limit waste.  Every little bit truly does help.  It helps mankind.  It helps the future.  It helps the earth.  It helps ourselves.  Beyond that, the simplicity one can approach by utilizing many of Bea's ideas leaves us open for greater things...like helping others and spending more time with those we love.

*Bea Johnson is in no way affiliated with my blog and I am not being paid to discuss her book or blog.

Ya Better Soak That Quinoa!

Source: NY Times

Quinoa!  That healthy grain that's all the rage now among foodies and health nuts.  I'm glad quinoa has gained in popularity, but like everything else that's a fad, you've gotta do your research!  Just because they stick quinoa in this that or the other thing doesn't make it healthy.  (Read my post:  Why Bother With Quinoa Pasta?)

Someone I know was eagerly telling me about this oh so healthy grain and I must try it  "You can get it in the health food section of the grocery store in Rice-A-Roni style box!"  Not one to let a soapbox opportunity about food misunderstandings fall to the wayside, I tried to gently but firmly explain that 1. just because it is in that aisle doesn't mean it's good for you.  2. Putting it in a convenience packaging with a little packet of who knows what's in it flavoring pretty much renders it NOT good for you.  3. You're supposed to SOAK quinoa for at LEAST 12 hours in a whey, lemon juice or vinegar water before consuming it or it's not good for you.

"Ummmm....well, I cook it in water," she responded.  

So, I explained to her what I'm going to explain to you.  Quinoa, like all grains, contain anti nutrients and phytates/phytic acid which are there to keep the grain from sprouting prematurely.  These anti nutrients render grains difficult to digest and block the absorption of calcium, copper, magnesium, zinc and iron, thus causing deficiencies which can lead to intestinal upset, bone loss, depression, fatigue, anemia, and a lower immune system.  (Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon)

Soaking quinoa and other grains in water with whey, lemon juice or vinegar not only breaks down the anti nutrients, but it predigests some of the gluten (in grains that contain gluten...quinoa is gluten-free) making it easier for your body to handle it.  It also opens the doors for the nutrients it does contain to be utilized more easily and readily in your body.  (Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon)

So, soak that quinoa for better health!

For soaked quinoa recipes and mountains of information on utilizing food to the maximum, get Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon!

How I am No-Pooing It

Other than a poodle-perm in 7th grade because I envied the girl with the corkscrew curls pony tail, my hair is otherwise untouched by salon chemicals.  In this picture, I just had it washed, trimmed and heat-set curled because I won it in a giveaway!

Growing up, I washed my hair every day with cheap shampoo in hard water.  I wasn't in the best of health for puberty (my diet consisted almost entirely of processed foods) so my hair would get really greasy really quickly.  Shampooing every day didn't help matters, either.

After I began improving my diet, I could go longer between shampoos.  I also learned to wash just the top so as not to dry out and damage the length.  Then, I switched to more natural shampoos.  I tried Scottish Lye Soap, my homemade soap and Dr. Bronner's with mixed reviews.  Some days they seemed to work well.  Others, not so much.  Although around the time I was using the soaps, my water softener broke.  We have ridiculously hard water, so I needed heavy chemicals do clean anything, it seemed.

A couple years ago, I learned about no-pooing your hair using baking soda and apple cider vinegar.  I tried it and hated it and felt like it wasted an awful lot of cider vinegar.  But I also hated that I hated it.  So, I recently tried it again, but changed my technique.

Now, I no-poo once a week and use a Yes To shampoo once on the weekends!

I'm trying to use up what I have in the house, so I've been using *ahem* dry dog shampoo.  Hey, the ingredients are baking soda, corn starch and lavender oil...no weird doggy stuff in there!  Sounds pretty haute for a dog to me!

I rub some of the dry dog shampoo onto the top of my hair and massage it on my scalp.  If the underneath is a bit oily, I do that, too.

Then, I pour some of the dry dog shampoo into a mason jar and add some apple cider vinegar to create a reaction and dissolve the dry dog shampoo.  

Next, I get into the shower and get my hair wet.

Then, I add some of the warm shower water into the mason jar and slowly pour it over my head and let it run down the length of my hair.

After, I massage it through.

Finally, I rinse thoroughly.  

Voila!  Clean, healthy hair!

For added hair health and wellness, you can do a pre-treatment of coconut oil the night before.  Massage coconut oil into your hair and wrap with a head wrap or towel, then no-poo in the morning.

Argan oil makes a luxurious leave in conditioner after no-pooing.

Bulk Herb Store also offers herbal rinses for your hair.  I haven't tried them yet, but if I do, I'll do a review for sure.

Diastasis Recti - Post Partum Abs

Diastis Recti is when your ab muscles separate in the front for whatever reason.  In women, it is usually caused by pregnancy.  I was under the impression that the muscles eventually go back together, but that's not necessarily true!  I suspected I had an issue with DR and sure enough, I have about a 1.5 finger width separation.

My 3rd baby's pregnancy resulted in DR.  After I gave birth to him, I had a very painful umbilical hernia because of it.  Working out helped me lose weight and tone up, but I never fully got rid of the poochiness unless I lost a lot of weight and zipped up my abs as tight as I could all the time.  I also had a lot of problems with my pelvic floor, including bladder prolapse and sexual weakness and discomfort.  (Sorry anyone who knows me personally reading this and finding TMI, but I am trying to be transparent for any mom who's experienced this as well and wonders why).  I also had difficult to correct poor posture and painful problems with my hips.

After my 4th pregnancy, I wore a post partum binder to help get thing back in place.  I did plenty of kegals and joined the Beachbody program.  I lost most of the weight, toned up, got my guts back in place, but I still dealt with pelvic floor weakness, bad hip joint pain, poor-difficult to correct posture, and a poochy belly.

Now that I've discovered that I have DR, I would like to correct it.

Here are some links to help do that:

http://befitmom.com/diastasis_recti.html?gclid=CMCzheuW27QCFUQw4AodJwwAvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys7mb_PPuqA

http://mutusystem.com/diastasis-recti-exercises-what-works.html