People have asked so I’m going to share something very heavy and very personal. I am going to tread lightly without judgement or harsh words but this topic still may push some buttons because it is going to go against everything you know and have been taught. I will be kind with my words, but I will not sugar coat facts.

Although this topic is personal, it only is so because we have been taught and programmed to think ONE way. Not too long ago, around 50 years, doctors were suggesting smoking was good for you. Not only that, but they ran ads and the Surgeons General actually promoted smoking cigarettes as healthy. Now what do we know? We know that within those 50 years, science and numerous medical studies have proven that it is actually highly detrimental to your health. Doctors, the AMA, Big Pharma, and the like are all humans. They make mistakes. Their judgement can get clouded because of greed or pride. (Just like all of ours can) But the past 70 years or so, our society has been taught, by the same people who suggested smoking was healthy, that vaccines save lives. And guess what? They are right. In third world countries where they don’t have access to clean food, to proper sanitation and integrated sewer systems, to healthy water and bathing, and to clean air, vaccines ARE saving their lives. Honestly, it’s a must in those countries. But over here, in America, we have a developed country with access to everything we need to live a life how we were created to live. We have running clean water, access (although not everyone eats properly) to whole, organic nutritious foods, we have a sewer system in place that keeps our cities sanitary, our air is relatively clean compared to theirs, etc. So why are we one of the sickest countries in the world? Why are our kids sicker then ever and 1 out of 2 of your children will get cancer in their lifetime? Why has the rate of autism, ADD, ADHD, and mental disorders skyrocketed in the past 70 years? Why do more people have food allergies specifically to peanuts, eggs, soy, gluten, and food additives more than any other time in our countries history? (BTW, ALL of those allergens I just listed are also found in vaccinations…..hmmm….) Childhood onset diabetes? This was UNHEARD of 20 years ago. That was for the elderly. There is a huge missing puzzle piece, but the fact is, it’s not missing. It’s right in front of our faces, we are just too programed to not question what we have been taught. (Me included for along time.) I am NOT blaming or shaming anyone. This is just the truthful reality we live in today but at some point, we have to take a look at our society and we have to start using our critical thinking skills to see why our children are suffering from diseases and illnesses that they never should be experiencing.

So here’s where I stand.

I firmly believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that God made our bodies perfectly. He made an immune system, a nervous system, and detoxification system, and every single living cell of our body, He formed to perfection. When He created this world He took in to account what would need to happen in order for us to live on earth. My first take away with vaccinations is why are we trying to play God? Why does MAN think that they need to mess with the way our bodies were formed, created, and designed? I personally believe that they don’t.

Beyond that first major point, the second reason I believe why our children don’t need vaccinations is because of what the vaccines are made of and the amount of those substances we give our children; it is a recipe for disaster. Let’s break this down.
In the first 6 years of life your child receives the following, if you vaccinate:
17,500 mcg 2-phenoxyethanol (antifreeze)
5, 700 mcg aluminum (neurotoxin which is now known to be one of the biggest risk factors for Alzheimers and other mental issues like autism)
Unknown amounts of fetal bovine serum (this is cows blood…remember in the Bible when it talks about how mixing blood with animals and other humans? Leviticus 19:19 says, “Thou shalt not let the cattle gender with a diverse kind.” Let’s also not forget in Corinthian 6:19-20 where it says, “The temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye heave of God, and ye are not your own. For ye are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Also Luke 13:1-5 states that those who mix human blood with the blood of animals are sinners.)
801.6 mcg formaldehyde (carcinogen that is used to embalm dead bodies)
23,250 mcg gelatin (ground up animal carcusses, and I’m going to assume this isn’t from organic, pasture raised, grass fed beef either. So natural mamas who try and keep your kids from chemicals but still vaccinate….yikes)
500 mcg human albumin (this is human blood guys, refer to the Bible about mixing bloods)
760 mcg of MSG
Unknown amounts of MRC-5 cells (this is aborted human babies-this alone should prevent ANY Christian from vaccinating)
Over 10 mcg neomycin (antibiotic)
Over 0.075 mcg polymyxin B (antibiotic)
Over 560 mcg polysorbate 80 (Known carcinogen)
116 mcg potassium chloride (used in lethal injection for capital punishments)
188 mcg potassium phosphate (liquid fertilizer agent)
260 mcg sodium bicarbonate (baking soda-also contains aluminum)
70 mcg sodium borate (Borax, used for cockroach control)
54,100 mcg of sodium chloride (bleached table salt)
Unknown amounts of sodium citrate
Unknown amounts of sodium hydroxide (a very dangerous corrosive)
2,800 mcg sodium phosphate (toxic to any organism)
Unknown amounts of sodium phosphate mono basic monohydrate (toxic to any organism)
32,000 mcg sorbitol (not to be injected)
0.6 mcg streptomycin (antibiotic)
Over 40,000 mcg sucrose (sugar)
35,000 mcg yeast protein (fungus)
5,000 mcg urea (metabolic waste from human urine-um ew.)

So what happens when all of these harmful substances are injected into our children by-passing the blood-brain barrier (which is a God created design to process substances that are not supposed to be entering our blood and brain), thats when we see things like autism, encephalitis, SIDS, allergies, ADD, DEATH, etc.

I believe vaccinations are apart of a huge agenda to destroy our children; literally as soon as they enter this world (they get their first vaccination within HOURS of being born) to keep them a Big Pharma customer for life. I do not believe that medical doctors do this on purpose. They are taught just like the rest of us that these vaccinations are safe and effective and are never taught the side effects. Did you know in 1986 that there was a law put in to place that protects the manufacturers of vaccinations from being sued due to vaccine damage? Never in the history of ever was there such a law. If you take Tylenol and it kills you, your family can sue the company. But not with vaccinations. Now why is this? Follow the money. So why would the government and Big Pharma want to do this to our children? Evil. Remember the Bible says that it is NOT the man who is evil but who they have allowed to rule their life. The devil wants nothing more than to prevent children from growing up into mighty men of God. What better way to capture them then to turn mens hearts towards greed and pride and infiltrate our very medical system we are supposed trust. Guys, this is hard and deep and it’s scary but the Lord has really been pressing on my heart to share what so many of you ask about. It’s not a simple answer because it’s so personal. Do you see? I don’t want to offend or make anyone out to be a monster but guys, the devil is real and he is out to kill, steal, and destroy and our children are on the front line here.

Next up is this thought. Do you ever see parents walking around daily, concerned about their children contracting leprosy? It still exists-by thousands in various parts of the word. The US has roughly 100-200 cases every year. Did you know that? Thats actually more then measles cases in the US. Don’t you think its weird that there was hysteria over 140 measles cases, where no one died or was permanently harmed, and you hear exactly ZERO about the 100-200 cases of leprosy? Everyone knows that when there is a measles outbreak, it’s all over the news. How do we not hear about these cases of leprosy? Why aren’t we concerned about someone from another country bringing leprosy into the United States and someone exposing all of our children to THIS illness?

There is no vaccine for leprosy. We are afraid of what we vaccinate for because these illnesses are hyped up all of the time. It’s propaganda. It’s money. Measles is a concern for us because we are told that it should be. But we don’t walk around fearing leprosy. Our children haven’t contracted it either. Funny how that all works, isn’t it?

So what am I getting at? I am getting at the fact that we need to be able to openly talk and discuss vaccinations. We need to be able to have these conversations without getting labeled as an anti-vaccer who is killing their kids and should be hung. Or that we are a pro-vaccine advocate and we hate our kids and are killing them. This shaming nonsense, in more ways then one, needs to stop. Let’s have a discussion. Remember those? When our grandparents and parents used to sit around a solid-oak wood round table, with some coffee and pie, and discuss life’s mysteries. Let’s do that. And then at the end of the night after our differing opinions have been aired out and thoughtful communication has taken place, we leave that sturdy table having used our critical thinking skills, and hug our friend and love them even though their opinions are different then our own. Why can’t we do that now? I am breaking this silence of shaming and name-calling and I want to open up this discussion. Because we are all in this together. Raising our kids and doing the best we can. So when its time to make the decision to vaccinate instead of only doing what you have been taught, which we have established isn’t always right, let’s look at science, lets look at facts, lets look at our ROOTS, lets look at real, first-hand testimonies, let’s pray, let’s look at how God made our bodies and see in the Bible what the word says, THEN let’s make a decision.

I’ve laid out some reasons why I don’t see the need to vaccinate our children at this point in time and those reasons aren’t exhaustive. They are just a few reasons that are easy to communicate without being face to face. I pray this post has gently tugged on your heart and opened up your mind to have a loving discussion with someone in your life about vaccinating and why we should or shouldn’t. Maybe you just want to share this with a friend and that is enough to open up discussion. Or maybe you don’t agree with me but you appreciate my viewpoint and it has allowed for you to confirm your own convictions. I don’t know. But I do know that conversations need to be had. We need to be able to talk without feeling silenced. Thank you for allowing me to share a little of whats on my heart lately. I do not take this little space of the internet lightly and I pray it blesses you.

-Kasey

 

 

 

Popcorn has been one of our family’s favorite snacks for years. Its so easy to make and is SO inexpensive when you pop it yourself. Granted corn isn’t packed with nutrients, its a pretty good compromise when it comes to easy snacks for the kids.

Today we may or may not have popped our own popcorn to bring to the movies 😉  I am not condoning or encouraging you to sneak popcorn into the movie theaters ha! BUT I will definitely discourage you from buying that giant bucket of genetically modified corn covered in that awful hydrogenated soybean oil and artificial flavoring. THAT ISN’T EVEN REAL BUTTER! And it gives most people an awful stomachache, rightfully so.

(This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on and purchase products on one of the product links, we’ll receive a few pennies. Thanks for supporting our blog!)

You can add a little nutrition (and a lot of flavor) to these beautiful jewel kernels when you add things like nutritional yeast and grass fed butter.

Nutritional yeast can add a wonderful salty cheese like flavor. It is a wonderful source of protein, fiber, all 18 amino acids and a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including a B-complex (this is important!)  I would personally recommend only getting a non-fortified version. This is a new favorite brand of ours. It is non-sythnetic and naturally occurring. We like to think that the body isn’t to fond of synthetic foods being put into it. Buyer beware that most of the nutritional yeast out there is heavily fortified with synthetics (including our precious Braggs). Sari’s nutritional yeast is on the pricey end but I like to use it minimally and save for special recipes!

The grass fed butter packs a wonderful nutritional punch! It is high in wonderful fat soluble vitamins and amino acids. It has been proven that grass fed butter is significantly richer in these nutrients, than just regular butter. So when reaching for butter make sure you are getting grass fed! Ghee is also a wonderful dairy free option and REALLY gives it that movie theater popcorn taste.

We like to air pop our own popcorn. I always buy our kernels in bulk to keep in a jar on the counter to pop whenever we want. Its usually a job for my 9 year old! We just got a popper from Target but something like this should do!

Popcorn TO GO!
(Gluten Free)

Directions: Air pop 1/2 cup of kernels into a large bowl. Pour 2 TBSP of melted butter or ghee over. Sprinkle with salt to your liking! Then sprinkle 1 or more TBSP of nutritional yeast over. Stir and/or shake. Feel free to add more or less of any of these toppings. Then pour into a gallon size ziplock bag to go to the movies! Or park or pool or just a yummy snack haha!

 

Enjoy!

-Angelina

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Who doesn’t love a good top 10 list?!

I don’t want to be wordy because these products mostly speak for themselves. But these 10 items are on my go to summer grocery list and they are bomb. 

 1. Hilary’s Veggie Burgers

These are AMAZING! Of course, you can make these, but when you are a pinch and just need some quick, on the go “fast food” and don’t have time to make your own, keeping these in the freezer will save you from grabbing junk. These provide a good dose of protein with the grains they combine along with a lot of veggies. They are 100% USDA organic and only use coconut oil instead of rancid processed oils. They are around $1.50 per patty! I mean, that’s practically McDonalds prices! I love adding some tomato and avocado on the top with some sprouts or in between some romaine. So filling!

2. Nutritional Yeast

Did you know most nutritional yeast has synthetic vitamins in it? So our bodies don’t process it well, unfortunately. This brand is a non-fortified kind and is totally worth the price for this large bag. You can use it recipes like our Faux Real Cheese Dip or our Roasted Garlic “Cheese” Sauce.

3. Kale Chips

Summer is all about easy, if you haven’t noticed. I love making all kinds of veggie chips but when you’re on the go, these are great to have in the pantry. They are organic, gluten free, and dairy free and are a great way to eat your veggies. No, they don’t taste like ranch, but the flavor is really good and that crunch is super satisfying.

4. Plentils

These are a new find for me. Now here me out, YES they are processed and NO they aren’t the most nutrient dense food on the planet, but when you need or want a crunch or need something to scoop up some of our Healthiest Artichoke Dip, these fit the bill. They are free of all the common allergens and are non gmo. Pretty darn clean for a “chip”. Plus they have some yummy flavors to try.

5. Red Lentil Pasta

Talk about nutrient dense! This pasts is gluten free and loaded with protein! The ONLY ingredient it red lentils! Talk about awesome. It’s non gmo and couldn’t be any cleaner. Use this instead of yucky wheat or white pasta loaded with gluten and makes you bloated. This is also great to use for a quick lunch, just toss with some olive oil, lemon, garlic, spinach and red pepper flakes and you have a complete lunch done in under 15 min!

6. Purely Elizabeth

The best granola ever. That’s all you need to know. Love to just eat it straight from the bag for a treat after dinner.

7. Simple Mills

Anything Simple Mills makes is highly nutrient dense. Their ingredient list is just like you would make it at home from scratch. They use coconut sugar instead of processed sugar. They use almond flour to make it gluten free and it’s always free of dairy too. Anything they make, including their delicious crackers, is well worth the try! I love to make these muffins on the weekends for a special Saturday or Sunday breakfast. BONUS: puree some spinach to bake it, no one will know.

8. Garden of Life Probiotics

Technically not a food, but a good probiotic first thing in the morning is a MUST for every one. They help balance your gut flora which is actually the root of all disease. These have a bonus ingredients with what is called, adaptogens, which help your body process stress. I find rotating probiotics the best to give your body and belly different strains and keep the bacteria happy. But I really love this brand and particularly this one for the stress reducing properties it has.

9. Harmless Coconut Water

A total summer staple. This is like an organic form of Gatorade only not. It has no sugar or anything in it but coconut water. It has electrolytes so it’s great for those hot summer days, after working out, or just when you need a refreshing drink. Coconut water has so many benefits and this is one you definitely want to try.

10. Milkadamia

So yeah, making your own nut milk is healthier and cheaper, but I have so many things I make from scratch that sometimes I just don’t have time to invest. We have to choose our priorities, amiright? So when I buy nut milk, one of my favorite brands is this Milkadamia. I try and rotate my milks and not just drink one type of dairy free milk, because our body thrives on food rotation. Otherwise, we can develop some weird sensitivities and intolerances. So I have come to love this macadamia milk! It is so creamy and with a nutty taste similar to almond but I love it even more! Try it!

So there you go! Hopefully these give you some great ideas to think outside the box for some easy, delicious summer items to add to your next grocery list!

Have a great weekend!

-Kasey

One of my favorite healthy eating bloggers, Physical Kitchness, shared her favorite artichoke dip on her blog and I totally couldn’t wait even a day to make it. Thankfully, I had all of the ingredients on hand, and with a few tweaks, made the BEST summertime dip! All recipe credit goes to her, other than the few changes I made, but the pictures are all mine. I just HAD to share with you this bowl of yumminess! Plus, I love supporting other bloggers that I believe in and Physical Kitchness deserves a huge shoutout!

One of the things I do miss the most about being dairy free is all of the yummy dips. It seems like every party or potluck has the most delicious dips but most, if not all, contain massive amounts of dairy. I’m not denying that these are amazing, but they also leave my tummy feeling not so good. Beyond that, we just try to stay away from as much dairy as possible for health and anti-inflammatory reason. You can read more about that here.

This dip replaces that dairy with a surprise ingredient that makes it JUST as creamy as those dairy-filled appetizers. Serve this with some veggie sticks, chips, or crackers and your guests won’t know the difference and enjoy it all the same.

The Healthiest Artichoke Dip
(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan)

Ingredients
1 can of artichoke hearts
1 cup of roasted cauliflower (Just throw in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until crispy)
1/4 cup plain almond milk
1/4 cup coconut cream
1/2 squeeze lemon
1 .5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
Drain your can of artichoke hearts and put all of the ingredients in to a food processor and pulse until smooth with some chunks. Literally, thats it! Yeah!

Artichokes: Artichokes are high in fiber which decreases the bad cholesterol and helps to cut down colon cancer risks.  It is also high in folic acid which helps the very DNA you are made of stay healthy and strong, which means they are great for preconception, conception, and pregnancy and nursing. They are high in vitamin-C, and help reduce free radicals and are anti-inflammatory. Another star reason to incorporate them into your diet is that they are a huge source of vitamin K-which helps reduce the neuronal damage that is a precursor for Alzheimers.

-Kasey

 

 

When you are ditching dairy, there are some things that are easily replaceable and some things that just don’t make the cut. I will be the first to admit that there is NOTHING quite like that wonderful sharp-golden-orange-block of cheesy goodness. BUT this tzatziki is something that actually makes that cut and is here to stay!

Its very very simple to make, sometimes I even just throw the ingredients inside with the yogurt in the yogurt cup and stir. We have been eating this with our hummus plates, our sweet potato “burgers” (Ive been wanting to share this wonderful recipe because its been a favorite lately), and whatever else you can imagine tzatziki is good with.

When you are looking for the coconut milk yogurt: be sure to get unsweetened and not the plain one, the plain still has sugar. I made that mistake last week and it was not pretty (well to be honest my husband grabbed the wrong yogurt not me ha). The unsweetened has that real yogurt taste that makes this recipe work.

Having different plant based sauces and dips to easily whip up, definitely helps a plant based recipe out! You definitely don’t miss that dairy and you’ll feel better anyway!

Dairy Free “Tzatziki”
(Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegan)

INGREDIENTS:
5 oz. Coconut Milk Yogurt (unsweetened)
2 TBSP finely chopped cucumber
1/2 tsp fresh or dried dill
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Mix all of the ingredients in a small container. Serve with fresh veggies or your favorite dish and enjoy!

Cucumber: Cucumbers are known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol—three lignans (types of polyphenol) that have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well as several cancer types, including breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.

-Angelina

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Summer break is in full force and that requires a lot of fresh smoothies, fruit bowls and every once in a while a healthy treat!

The boys and I whipped up these incredible, fluffy, and slightly sweet brownies one hot afternoon and downed a few with some cold almond milk. SO GOOOOOOD.

They are easy and full of nutrient dense ingredients. When making a treat we always try and make sure they provide some nutritional content that our body can use for energy or healing. These fit the bill.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Brownies
(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of peanut butter
1 cup of coconut sugar
3 eggs
1/8 up of coconut oil, melted
1 tbs vanilla
1 1/2 cups of gluten free oats
1/2 cups of oat flour (I just put my oats in the food processor to make the flour)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of dairy free chocolate chips

Directions
Beat the peanut butter, coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined.  Add eggs and beat well.  IN a separate bowl, whisk together baking soda, salt, coconut flour, oat flour, and rolled oats.  Add dry ingredients to wet and mix together.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Grease a 13×9 dish and pour in the batter, patting down as you go.  Bake at 350 degree for 15-20 minutes.  Serve hot or cold!

 

Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar is a great “refined sugar” alternative. It doesn’t have a coconut flavor, although it isn’t as sweet as regular sugar so adjust your recipes accordingly. But what it does offer is a super high mineral index and also inulin, which is a starchy prebiotic fiber making blood sugars stable when consuming moderately instead of spiking it like white sugar does.

Oats: Oats are super high in fiber which which help remove cholesterol from the digestive system that would otherwise end up in the blood stream. Unique antioxidant properties make them great for helping to remove free radical damage which ultimately can cause cancer and other diseases. They can help keep the immune system up, prevent heart issues, and stabilize blood sugar. They are a great addition to any diet!

-Kasey

 

Essential oils are all the craze! And rightly so. They are powerful, natural extracts that are highly concentrated and THEY WORK.

But there is a dark side. And that dark side is something no one talks about. Especially in this day in age when all you see is your Facebook feed filled with someone selling them and telling you how magical they are. But guys, there’s a real side of these and that is ESSENTIAL OIL SAFETY. I rarely hear anyone talking about this and it’s absolutely something that must be discussed.

Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts-typically obtained either by steam distillation or cold pressing-from flowers, leaves, roots, berries, items, seeds, gums, needles, bark, or resins of numerous plants. They contain natural hormones, vitamins, antibiotics, and antiseptics.  Do you see why they need to be used safely? They use our sense of smell to enrich our experience in the world. Smell plays a significant role in our daily perceptions and how we react physically, emotionally, and mentally to what is going on around us.  Various scents help us orient ourselves to the season of th year, our location, and situations of danger. The inhalation of certain essential oils has been associated with the release of brain chemicals that stimulate various emotions. Beyond the benefit of them using our sense of smell, they also have properties that actually heal and are beneficial when used correctly topically. And under the strict supervision of someone qualified, you CAN use them internally. But like I said, under safety. absolute care of a certified aromatherapist or naturopathic physical certified in essential oils.

They are known as volatile oils because they evaporate easily in the air. Essential oils are soluble in vegetable oil, partially soluble in alcohol, and not soluble in water. Because they are so concentrated, they are likely to irritate mucous membranes and the stomach lining if taken internally. It is therefore best to use essential oils externally only. And like I said, unless you are working specifically with an aromatherapist or naturopathic physician who is certified in essential oil safety. This is serious, guys. This is a problem that I see literally daily on my social media feeds. I see recommendations for putting lemon oil in your water or baked goods. Or ingesting peppermint oil for a pick me up. Or putting dangerous oils on kids feet and spine. These kind of recommendations are serious and can cause unintentional harm. The people that sell oils through MLMs are NOT qualified to be giving out any medical advice, let alone essential oil usage advice. (This is a blanket statement, although, I know there are SOME MLM reps who ARE certified aromatherapist, and this is not directed at them.) And this isn’t a post dogging and screaming foul at those who do sell EO’s through an MLM. I have many friends who do, and I love them for trying to live more naturally and healthy. But that doesn’t change the truth. And the truth is, is that it is not safe to be purchasing EO’s from those who are not qualified to give advice or giving bad advice.

On top of the dangerous medical advice that we see floating around the internet from unqualified individuals and EO MLM reps, there is another aspect to essential oil safety that you don’t see discussed and that is that they are NOT a replacement for preventive care. They are not a cure all. In fact, they shouldn’t even be used daily. What you eat and fuel your body with, your lifestyle and spiritual health, and your sleep and stress patterns all should be your focus. Many use essential oils like they would a vitamin and that is not what they are for. They should be a BONUS to a healthy lifestyle. I hate to say it  but if you are using essential oils to live a healthy lifestyle but you still eat McDonalds and vaccinate your kids you are literally wasting your money. A healthy lifestyle should be all inclusive. It should INCLUDE essential oils but shouldn’t be the ONLY healthy hack in your life. They should be used for a stressful day when you’re unwinding in the bath and you’re diffusing them. They should be used when your child ends up getting the sniffles and you use the appropriate kind in the appropriate amount with the appropriate carrier oil. They should be used when you’ve got a burn or mosquito bite and you can use them in addition to other natural remedies to help heal faster and soothe the ache or itch. But we don’t need to oil our kids up every day or drink it in our water. Let’s just use some fresh lemon slices instead for the beneficial vitamin C and aid in digestive health, mmmkay? They can be apart of a healthy lifestyle, but are not the only component. They are powerful. They are beneficial. But they need to be used safely. I highly suggest you work with a certified aromatherapist who knows the chemical composition of each oil and can give you solid advice that won’t, in the short or long run, hurt you or your kids.

When you are ready to use EO’s safely, you want to make sure they are 100 percent pure botanical extracts.  You want to buy them in small quantities because oxygen in partially filled bottles deteriorates the oil.  I always suggest purchasing from small, family-owned farms that can verify exactly where the oil came from. As always, buying organic is important because conventional oils contain concentrated amounts of pesticides and chemicals. For my favorites you can look here and here.

I pray that essential oil safety is a top priority to you and maybe has opened your eyes to think about some things you haven’t thought about otherwise.

-Kasey

This EASY watermelon slushy recipe is one that we visit often during the hot summer months. It’s always a HUGE hit with the kids. They scream and cheer when we know we are getting a watermelon especially for “watermelon slushies”.

By now I’m sure you have figured out that I am pretty passionate about our kids health and what they are putting into their bodies. So when we find something thats healthy that they LOVE, its a pretty big win. My kids love sugar treats just as much as the next kids, but I would say they get just as excited about these as they do the high fructose corn syrup ones. Its a great refreshing alternative to sugar filled treats. They are super sweet and delicious!

And when I say easy I mean, EASY! All you need is some cut up watermelon, a blender and some ice. You can add some optional honey but that is completely optional and I don’t always. You can even play with adding some different flavors like lemon or *lime* juice, or strawberries (oooh I think I’ll do that next!).

 

EASY Watermelon Slushies
(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan)

INGREDIENTS
2/3 pitcher worth of cubed watermelon
2-3 cups of ice
optional: 1 TBSP of local raw honey

DIRECTIONS
Fill your high powered blender about 2/3 of the way with cubed watermelon. Then fill the rest with ice (it was about 2 cups).  Add your optional honey or other flavors. Blend on high for just a few seconds until the ice is completely blended. After its blended I always add another cup of ice or so to make it more *slush*.

This really is a perfect treat for the entire family! My kids and their cousins just gobbled up about two pitchers of these slushies. The next time you have a hankering for something cold and sweet, I hope you give this EASY recipe a try! If you kids like watermelon I am sure it will be a big hit.

Watermelon is mostly water, about 90% actually (so a yummy treat like this will be great at helping to keep kiddos hydrated this summer.) but it still has some other great benefits. It has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in other nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Vitamin A, and Magnesium.

Enjoy!

-Angelina

I’m always looking for easy weeknight meals along with a way to get my kids to eat wild caught, high in omega 3 fish.  My babes aren’t too picky, because they’ve grown up eating whole, real foods,  (to read some suggestions and tips on getting your kids to eat healthy food, read here) but whole salmon or fish filets aren’t their favorite. So I came up with these gluten and dairy free salmon cakes that are SOOOOO crispy and taste so fresh and delicious. And they are super simple.

When choosing fish, specifically salmon, you want to ensure you are getting WILD CAUGHT. The reason is because farmed fish is more often than not genetically modified as well as raised in suboptimal conditions, sometimes even harmful and dirty,  that don’t allow the fish to be develop maximum nutrition; which means less nutrients for us when we consume.

Be sure and read all the way to the bottom to see why wild caught salmon is so nutritious!

Crispy Salmon Cakes
(Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Ingredients
2 cans of wild caught skinless and boneless salmon
1/2 cup of dairy free parmesan
2 eggs
3 green onions chopped
1/2 cup gluten free crackers crushed or pulsed in food processor
1/2 lemon juice
Ghee and coconut oil to fry with

Directions
Drain almond and put into a medium sized bowl.  Add all of the other ingredients except the oil.  Mix and stir to combine well. Let sit for 5-10 minutes for the crackers to absorb the liquid and the patties to stick together better. At this point, heat a large non stick skillet over medium to high heat and add your combination of ghee and coconut oil; this combination is the best yet I have found for frying and making them crispy.  I use about 2 tablespoons of each.  When the ghee and oil is hot, form a patty and add one at a time into the hot oil pan.  Be sure to leave enough room to have a good inch in between each patty.  I usually have to cook mine in 2 batches.  Cook about 5 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown and then flip to cook the other side.   Once cooked, put the patty on a plate covered with a paper towel and serve! Makes about 8 3 inch patties.

You may notice there isn’t any seasonings in this patty. What’s amazing is it doesn’t need any! The cakes are soooo flavorful on their own.

Salmon: Salmon is super high in omega 3s which we need for every cell function in the body, especially better brain function.  Salmon also improves memory and cognitive function and it provides joint protection. Because of the high omega 3s, salmon provides you with a healthy dose of cancer reducing properties along with eye benefits! Try and eat at least 2 servings of wild caught fish a week.

-Kasey

 

 

It still boggles my mind that we are told to STAY OUT OF THE SUN! ITS DANGEROUS! IT CAUSES CANCER! ITS DEADLY!  Have you heard these things? Let’s step back and think. God made the moon, sun, and stars and He called THEM GOOD! Plants, animal, and humans all need the sun to live. The sun gives us vitamins that our body cannot make on its own. It sets our circadian rhythm, which is fancy words for your body’s internal clock. It tells your body when to release melatonin and when to make cortisol. It signals to your mind to make serotonin and feel good hormones. It does so much good for our bodies and minds. We NEED the sun to survive.

So whats with all the bad rap of the sun? Well, when you eat a diet full of fast food, processed food, white bleached sugar, stripped of its nutrients salt, and all the horrible chemicals our bodies don’t understand how to process, not to mention that most Americans don’t get enough fruit and vegetables (and no, your morning danish or pop-tart doesn’t count), your body doesn’t know what to do with the sun. It doesn’t know how to absorb and take in the GOOD that the sun provides so instead your skin burns and your very DNA mutates and damage is done.

Eating a diet high in antioxidants, such as beta-carotene-rich carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and spinach; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and turnips; and citrus fruits. Include in your diet plenty of foods that are high in vitamin E. A  diet rich in vitamin E may protect your skin against damage from UV rays.  Good food sources of vitamin E include asparagus, green leafy vegetables, raw nuts, and organic, cold-pressed vegetable oils.

The BEST time of day to be in the sun is when the sun is at its highest, typically between 10-3pm. Dr Holick, who you can read about here, has said, “Vitamin D is made in your skin from about 10am until 3pm for the same reason that you only make vitamin D in the spring, summer, and fall. In the early morning and late afternoon, the sun’s rays are more oblique and get absorbed by the ozone layer. As a result, you don’t make vitamin D in your skin.”

Vitamin D, from the sun, actually LOWERS your cancer risk. Dr. Holick also has said, “Vitamin D is produced in your skin, and is then activated in your liver to 25-hydroxyvitamin D — the major circulating form. Next, it travels to your kidneys, where it gets activated to 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D.  As far back as the 1970s and 1980s, researchers knew that your intestine, bone, and kidneys — organs that regulate calcium metabolism — have vitamin D receptors. These vitamin D receptors interact with the active form, which unlocks genetic information that increases intestinal calcium absorption, helps mobilize calcium from your bones, and conserve calcium in your kidneys. In the ’80s and ’90s, they began to realize that not only do these cells and tissues have vitamin D receptors, but so does your colon, prostate, breast, brain, heart, and blood vessels, just to name a few. The obvious question was why? As it turns out, vitamin D receptors found throughout your body serve an important anti-cancer function. One of the first pieces of scientific evidence was developed by Dr. Toshio Suda, back in 1979. What he showed was that if you took a leukemic cell that had a vitamin D receptor, and incubated it with the active form of vitamin D, that leukemic cell became normal. It transformed back into a normal cell. This began to introduce the concept that maybe some of the association studies suggesting exposure to sunlight reduces your risk of cancer may be related to vitamin D.  In fact, one of the early association studies done in 1915 showed that if you were working indoors and living in San Diego, you had an eight times higher risk of developing a deadly cancer and dying of that cancer than if you worked outdoors. A very nice study done in Canada showed that … women who had the most sun exposure as teenagers and young adults had a 69 percent reduced risk of breast cancer later in life … This shows, I think very clearly, that exposure to sunlight or sensible sunlight exposure, throughout your life, helps reduce risk of deadly cancers later in life. What is this association? How is it possible that exposure to sunlight and improving your vitamin D status could reduce your risk of cancer? [We] worked with Dr. Gary Schwartz, and showed that human prostate cells, obtained at the time of prostate biopsy, had the ability to activate vitamin D. We then began to realize that there’s a new major function of vitamin D that we haven’t appreciated before, which is … if you raise your blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D into healthy range of about 30 ng/ml, this 25-hydroxyvitamin D can get activated in your prostate, colon, breast, and brain, and this active vitamin D has the ability to regulate up to 2,000 genes in your body, either directly or indirectly. That’s about one-sixth of the human genome. These genes have been linked to controlling more than 80 different metabolic processes including enhancing DNA repair, having antioxidant activity, regulating cellular proliferation and differentiation and improving immune function.”

Along with all the things I’ve mentioned so far, it also kills bad bacteria in and on the body, it has a beneficial effect on skin disorders, it can lower cholesterol, it can lower blood pressure, it can cleanse the blood and blood vessels, it increases oxygen to our DNA, it build the immune system, it increases the growth and height of children, and it can also help cure depression.

Obviously we have to be IN the sun to reap the benefits of it. And that means we can’t cover up our skin with sunscreen; which literally blocks the suns rays from penetrating the skin. It can also be a skin cancer CONTRIBUTOR because of the chemicals that sunscreen is made of but also because when those chemicals react with heat and the suns rays, it becomes highly carcinogenic. If you are going to be out for hours and hours in the direct sunlight without moving around (example, laying out by the pool, baseball game, or at a new place with stronger sun then you’re used too like the beach,) then using an organic sunscreen and upping your intake of all the beneficial food I listed above is recommended.

(I do encourage you to use your discretion. If you are pumping yourself or your kids full of vaccines, prescription drugs, and they are eating a diet high in processed foods and chemicals, then please use sunscreen. But life doesn’t have to be that way. There is an easier way to live and enjoy this beautiful life and earth! Please click here to read about where to start. Or email office@dosewellness.com to chat.)

Like with most things, God made our bodies and creation perfectly. He knew we needed the sun, thats why He made it. AND IT WAS GOOD. He also knew that we needed to eat HIS foods; fruits, nuts, vegetables, seeds, grains, and animal protein. And we need to eat it in their most natural forms: which would be organic without pesticides or GMOs or anything done to it. When we eat a diet that we were created to eat, then we can enjoy creation God created for us to enjoy which  includes the SUN!

So relax this summer and get outside, get some fresh air, and allow the sun to refresh, renew, and rejuvenate you!

-Kasey