Harvesting Health

Well, here it is the day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as black Friday, and I am back at work excited about the holidays and the upcoming wedding of our billing manger and my son, Jeremy.  And while it was nice to take a day off to celebrate being thankful for the "bounty" I also took some time to think about where the bounty came from and what the "bounty" does for us.

I have added several links below for your viewing as a way for you to become aware and more involved in your food choices.  Most often we fail to think about how what we have on our tables  not only affects our bodies but also may affect others and our environment.
Yes, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful, but let's think about and dig deeper regarding the foods we eat!

www.nourishlife.org/

http://www.ozy.com/pov/why-our-food-our-politics/36883

Morning Bliss

Morning Bliss

PCP(pumpkin, cranberry, pecan) low fat, low sugar, and egg, dairy, and gluten-free muffins.

Waking up to the serene calm of a Saturday morning is the perfect time to create a batch of muffins that will take you to a place of heaven.  These muffins will be the first entry into my Cookbook "The Queen of the Quick-Cooking Cookbook".  I am all about getting 'er done, but with pleasure and satisfaction!  This recipe takes about 30 minutes:10 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook. That's the Queen's way!

Recipe:

1 1/2 cup of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Mix

1/2 cup of Gluten Free whole oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

pinch of nutmeg

2 tbsp flax meal in 1 tbsp of warm water

1/2 cup sunflower oil (may use safflower, olive, or oil of choice)

1/2 cup honey, plus 1 tbsp Truvia (may add more honey without Truvia)

1 tsp vanilla flavoring

1 can organic pumpkin

1/4-1/2 cup of rice milk (liquid of your choice-enough to moisten, but not too much)

1/2-3/4 cup dried cranberry

1/2-3/4 cup chopped pecans

 Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.  Mix first 7 dry ingredients in one bowl.  Mix flax meal, oil, honey, vanilla, and pumpkin in a second bowl and then add the dry ingredients to the second bowl.  Mix gently adding milk to moisten.  Add the amount of cranberries and pecans to your liking.  Bake 18-20 minutes.  ENJOY!

   

 When searching for a beginning, or  further support, for a lifestyle of wellness and health you may want to consider the source from which it all begins.  One drop of water, one step, is all it takes to create a ripple effect.  Stepping out of what is into what can be sometimes is daunting when we are not sure of which direction to take.
      Finding the needed support and direction that takes us into a healthier lifestyle, or merely back to wellness, is an important and wise choice to make.  In today's market of healthcare providers there are many choices, but we must consider what is being offered and what is valued in providing care that makes sense and achieves optimal health with minimal cost in the outcome.
     If you merely are looking for a way to overcome sickness there are a multitude of providers who can offer mainstream and often necessary medical treatments, such as antibiotics for a sore throat.  In this approach there is only the "sick and treat" standard of care, but what if the sore throat has been an ongoing chronic problem and the reasons for this condition have yet to be uncovered.  Does the healthcare provider in this day and time spend time to search for the underlying problem?  Perhaps this is a symptom of a toxic environment, will antibiotics really make you well?
In today's  healthcare physicians are often driven by the demands of both cost to insurance or third party payers.  The payers are only allowing X amount of dollars for the treatment of the patients and often what this amount consists of doesn't allow the physician to take the extra time for uncovering the real problems due to increased cost of overhead.  Also, it is often the patient who is not willing to contribute to their time or effort in finding a real solution, which of course limits the effects for long-term health and wellness.
     So again,  what is your goal and what is your decision in making the choice to find healthcare that supports your health & long-term wellness?   What ripples are you making today?