A year ago on the Natural Health Answers Blog

I’ve been a missing blogger. The summer has been a busy one for me but I know I will have more time to share some great stuff with you soon. In the meantime be sure to check out some posts from a year ago that you may have missed. Back soon with posts on Children’s Herbs, Adrenal Health, and some yummy recipes!

Aromatherapy-Part I
Thinking of using essential oils in your health and healing regimen? The be sure and read this introduction to aromatherapy as it will give you guidelines on how to use it effectively and safely. Plus you will learn which two oils are essential to have on hand. Be sure and check out this post on Tea Tree OIl as well.

What Can I Eat for Breakfast?
You’ll find some new ideas for breakfast food plus you’ll find a couple of recipes that are easy and delicious.

Healthy Wishes!

Mosaic Monday: Eat your veggies

 

1. Fresh Felt Veggies, 2. Veggies, 3. Veggies for sale, 4. Veggies, 5. Eat ur veggies, 6. Whole Foods Veggies, 7. Orange Peppers, 8. veggies, 9. Fresh Veggies and Dip 

Check out this fun vegetable quiz I found here: Veggie Quiz

If you aren’t getting your 5-9 servings ( I usually recommend 9-12 servings) a day of fruits and vegetables you can supplement with Ultimate GreenZone or pH Greenzone. Just add to your morning smoothie and you will be ahead of the game.

For a delicious Kale recipe that I have on my web site click here.

Have a wonderful Monday!

What can I eat for breakfast?

This question tops the list of questions people ask me. So many people I talk to or consult with simply don’t eat breakfast. The reasons I hear most often are because they don’t have time, aren’t hungry, or don’t know what to eat for a healthy breakfast.  Not eating breakfast can lead to many health issues down the road because balancing your blood sugar is the number one thing you can do to improve your overall health. If you are not eating breakfast or even worse eating doughnuts or sweetened cereal and coffee then your blood sugar regulation is sure to suffer. Think of breakfast as exactly what it says: break – fast as in break your fast. You haven’t eaten since dinner last night or maybe that late night snack you snuck from the fridge when everyone else was sleeping so it’s been close to twelve hours, it’s time to break the fast. Your body will thank you because you will be feeling much better throughout the day, it has been proven (many times) to improve concentration, problem solving ability, mental performance, memory, and mood. It also helps you lose weight! The benefits are numerous so eat your breakfast!

Here are some great ideas to get you started on what to eat and how to build a healthy breakfast:

First you want to have some protein in your breakfast and I’m not talking about hormone laden, preservative filled bacon or sausage or ham! There are plenty of healthy choices when it comes to protein. Try choosing a natural no chemicals added turkey bacon or make your own turkey sausage (see recipe below). These are delicious and an excellent source of protein.  Organic eggs  are another good thing to add to your breakfast meal. If you are on the run you can boil some eggs on the weekend and keep them in the fridge for a quick source of protein. I don’t recommend dairy unless it’s from an organic source and is not eaten regularly. You can also check your blood type to see where you stand with dairy. If you are an A or AB blood type cottage cheese is beneficial food for your blood type so you could do an organic Cottage Cheese. Vegetarians can use a protein powders, soy (fermented is better) and eggs if they eat dairy.

So now that you know what protein sources to eat you can add in some carbohydrate and some healthy fats. The carbohydrate would consist of vegetables and fruits. A healthier denser bread such as a sprouted hemp (French Meadow makes a wonderful Hemp Bread) which is delicious and is higher in protein than white or even whole wheat bread would work here too. The healhy fats to choose would be avocado, raw nuts (almonds are preferred), olive oil and organic cold-pressed coconut oil (I recommend Nutiva Brand).

Here are some examples of healthy, blood-sugar balancing, delicious breakfasts:

Fruit Smoothie

Protein Powder
Blueberries
Strawberries  (Or use whatever fruit you have on hand)
Ice
Mix in blender
Eat some nuts with it to give you the healthy fats and keep you satiated unti lunch.

An omelette  (use ratio of 2 whites to 1 yolk) made with lots of fresh veggies and olive oil.

Turkey Sausage and Hemp Toast w/Coconut oil and cinnamon

Turkey Sausage Recipe
1/4 pound ground turkey thigh 
1/4 pound ground turkey breast
1 egg white
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp. fennel seed (optional)
1/8 tsp. sea salt

Products to add to your breakfast planning:

NutriBurn – Chocolate -Protein Powder (If you are short on time try this as a meal replacement.)
NutriBurn-Vanilla – Protein Powder (Add fruit for great flavor!)
Xylitol Bulk (1 lb Bag) (Sweeten your cinnamon toast with a healthy natural, low-calorie, low-carb substitute)

I hope these suggestions help you make healthier choices for your breakfast.  Please post your healthy breakfast ideas! Others will benefit as would I because I’m always looking for new ideas for myself and for my clients.

Paige Rennekamp, CNHP
www.naturalhealthanswers.com

Morning Energy Shake:

 2 Tbsp Ultimate Green Zone
2 Tbsp Berry Healthy
1 Tbsp Vitamin C, Ascorbates
1 Tbsp Nature’s Three

Mix all ingredients and add 8 oz. of Nature’s Spring Water or filtered water and be sure to mix the Nature’s Three in last.

Is it a fruit or is it a vegetable?

I’m talking about the ever so delicious avocado.

And if you said fruit you would be correct!

Did you know that avocados:

• Contain 60% more potassium than bananas? A medium-sized one packs about 850 mg!
• Are also rich in the phytochemical beta-sitosterol which promotes normal cholesterol levels and a healthy prostate.
• Ounce for ounce, avocados are a superior source for many nutrients including glutathione, a potent antioxidant, and the eye health protector lutein.
• Are high in protein.
• Are rich in an oil that contains vitamins A, D, and E and contains 14 minerals especially copper and iron.
• Are rich in phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and manganese.
• And yes they are high in fat but it’s a good kind of fat that your body needs called a monounsaturated fat and it’s low in saturated fat and has 0 cholesterol.
• Are an excellent nutrient dense food that are helplful for stabilizing blood sugar, are an aid in blood and tissue regeneration, are beneficial to the cardiovascular system and are also proving to be helpful for joint health.

So say yes to avocados the next time you are in the supermarket and know you are giving your body something nutritious and tasty at the same time!

Here is one of my favorite recipes that is super simple. I use this as a spread for sandwiches and wraps, as a dip and of course on mexican food. Yummy!

Guacamole

Makes 2 Servings
TIME NEEDED: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
½ small chopped tomato
1 thinly sliced green onion
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon salsa

Directions:

Mash avocado with fork in small bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Serve with  non-GMO corn chips, whole wheat tortillas, or sliced veggies.

Enjoy!