Earth Day Everyday

Lately I’ve been in a major state of self-actualizing, and it has been such a blessing to have the space/time for the journey. From honing my wardrobe, analyzing and developing my sense of color and style, to utilizing a new method of cleaning to truly de-clutter our home my wellness pursuits have been largely unconventional lately. Though, yesterday I did smear raw honey and banana all over my face, and the same mixture plus coconut oil in my hair, while I read about color theory. I highly recommend doing that while you read this in fact (Treat yourself!).

Growing up, and now, Earth Day is one of my favorite days. When I was a kid it meant going to Earth Day fairs with my Dad who taught people about Vermicomposting and energy conservation. I would visit all the booths, “help” with his booth, and then return to my little fort under one of the tables to look at my new pins and treasures. I have always tried to have the approach of keeping the environment in mind every day: purchasing used over new, making do with what I have, supporting local businesses and responsible companies, taking shorter showers, educating about the environment, etc. Today I want to share two fairly recent discoveries that are helping me keep the environment in mind every day, and as always, support my goal of joyful living. Continue reading

Soup Season!

There is a damp chill in the air and I’m starting to think of sweaters and a whole blissful season of root vegetables (Beets! So many beets!) and making everything pumpkin. It also means my brain is shifting from salads and smoothies to soups, lots of meals from the slow cooker, and steel cut oats slowly cooking on the stove. Today, that means making a big batch of chicken stock (bone broth) with veggie scraps I’ve been saving in the freezer, and the leftovers of the last two week’s roast chickens. It is also getting to be cold and flu season and turns out the tradition of having chicken soup when you are sick originated with science! Dr. Stephen Rennard, a pulmonary specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, found that chicken soup elicits an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, primarily due to the mineral-rich stock of its base. The viral bugs that cause a cold or flu stimulate formation of inflammatory compounds in the body, which are to blame for most of the icky symptoms.

Making your own chicken stock is not only cost effective (I do mine from scraps with a couple of additions) it also can be a great way to target the base nutrients you are looking to add to your diet.

So colorful and delectably fragrant. Yum!

So colorful and delectably fragrant. Yum!

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