Category: Diet

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WINTER WARMUP CHICKEN & BROWN RICE CROCKPOT / PRESSURE COOKER STEW

We’re in the peak of cold, dreary winter weather (for most of us), so it’s ideal CROCK-POT / Pressure Cooker season!  Dust off this make-your-life easier appliance to enjoy a ‘set it and forget it’, delicious Winter Warmup Chicken & Brown Rice Crockpot / Pressure Cooker Stew — YUM!!

Winter Warmup Chicken & Brown Rice CrockPot / Pressure Cooker Stew (serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 cups (1 box) Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Medium-sized Chicken Breasts
1-2 Medium-sized Organic Sweet Apples (diced)
1 cup Organic Kale (chopped)
1 cup Organic Collard Greens (chopped)
1/2 cup Organic Squash or Zucchini
1/2 cup Instant Brown Rice*
1/4 cup Dried Split Green Peas or Lentils (optional)
1/2 Tsp each Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Turn crock pot on high and add chicken broth and chicken breasts.  Or, if using a pressure cooker, there should be an option for stew or rice dishes.

Dice 1-2 medium sized sweet apples.

Chop 1 cup each of kale and collard greens.  Dice 1/2 cup squash or zucchini.

Add ingredients as you prepare or all at once.”

Add 1/2 cup instant brown rice.  *Can use slow cook rice as well but will take significantly longer to cook in the crockpot.  A pressure cooker can manage this with ease in less than an hour.  Use the rice option to set correct time.

And, if you’re looking for a greater protein and fiber punch – add 1/4 cup dried split peas or lentils.  Lastly, add 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Stir thoroughly.  Add additional salt and pepper as stew cooks (to taste) or leave for others to add upon serving.  Keep heat on high until chicken is thoroughly cooked.  Can reduce to low heat to simmer all day.

Smells and tastes delicious!!

Enjoy this Chicken and Brown Rice Stew recipe throughout the cold weather season.  And, easy to freeze any left overs in jars or freezer safe containers for six+ months.

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TOP 5 HEALTHY HALLOWEEN TREATS!

TOP 5 HEALTHY HALLOWEEN TREATS!

It is absolutely scary what’s in trick-or-treat candy! Before you buy that super-sized bag of artificially flavored and colored candies this Halloween, consider these fun and healthy Halloween treats!

CHOCOLATE

What would Halloween be without chocolate?  We are thrilled to see that popular candy companies like Nestle and Hershey commit to removing artificial flavors and colors (and more recently added sugar in Nestle’s dark chocolate) from all or some of their chocolate brands. However, cancer- causing, artificial preservatives like TBHQ, BHA, and BHT remain.

Try to avoid the milk chocolate and preservatives and go for individually wrapped, antioxidant-rich, dark chocolate mini bars sold by Unreal Snacks and 100 Grand.

Unreal Halloween Peanut Butter Cups are mostly organic and very kid-friendly for those who don’t like dark chocolate but still maintain 36% less sugar than leading brands. They keep sugar to a minimum, without using sugar alcohols like erythritol, stevia or artificial sweeteners. And, no soy ingredients, no artificial flavors, no preservatives or fillers. [$28.48 for 40 individually wrapped cups]

100 Grand now sold under the Ferrero Candy Company based in Luxemburg (purchased Nestle in 2018) makes fun-size bars without all the scary ingredients we see in many US-based candy companies. These are sold everywhere!

CITRUS PUMPKINS

Seriously, can these be any cuter?  Clementines, mandarins, tangerines, and oranges can be transformed into delicious, mini pumpkins with the help of a black marker.  Great project to do with your kids too.  Crooked smiley faces are fine!

FRUITY CHEWS

The Torie & Howard candy company features unique, naturally flavored, organic, non-GMO chewie fruities and hard candies.  A healthy replacement to Starbursts!  These include flavors like blood orange & honey, pomegranate & nectarine, pink grapefruit & honey, and pear & cinnamon.  All yummy!  [21.16oz bag includes 50 fruities – $15.99 at Torie & Howard].

LOLLIPOPS

If you want to be really scared this Halloween, read the ingredients on those suckers that are handed out freely at your neighborhood restaurant and barber shop.  Normally full of artificial colors, flavors and SUGAR, they are a toxic shot to your kiddo’s system.  However, we found YumEarth Organics which offers individually wrapped, certified organic, real fruit extract, and kosher pops.  They are also free of gluten, tree-nuts, peanuts, GMOs, dairy, soy, and artificial colors/dyes [138-30oz container of variety assortment – $15.49 at Amazon.com.]

MINI-STAMPS

A fun alternative to candy for those with allergies — Halloween-themed stamps!  The assortment includes pumpkins, ghosts, spiders, and more [variety pack of 8 – $1].  In addition, this is also a nice option for the numerous kids with food allergies.  Many other non-food items are also available at Dollar Tree and Oriental Trading at unbeatable prices!

Make it a ‘Happy’ Halloween with these healthy Halloween treats for all!!

 

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HOW TO FIND GRATITUDE FOR A HEALTHIER LIFE

Let’s be real, sometimes it’s a struggle to find gratitude about anything. At this time of year, we (in the US) are focusing on family gatherings and the concept of being ‘thankful’. It’s a time to pause and focus on the big (and small) parts of our life that make us happy. But, most do not continue this practice EVERY day, and does it really matter?! Well…YES!!

THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING GRATITUDE

Numerous credible, health professionals and advisers believe in the benefits of practicing gratitude for physical and mental health.

HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Most notably, The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology reports from a research study titled “Counting Blessings vs. Burdens” that in an experimental comparison, those who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercise more regularly, report fewer physical symptoms, and feel better about their lives as a whole. Additionally, they are more optimistic about the upcoming week AND are more likely to achieve personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) compared to those who record hassles or neutral life events (Robert Emmons & Michael McCullough, 2003-2006).

Alternatively, studies show that individuals experiencing physical, mental, or emotional pressure (i.e. psychological stress) are more susceptible to health problems.  The National Cancer Institute reports that people who experience intense and long-term stress can have digestive problems, fertility problems, urinary problems, headaches, viral infections, depression, anxiety, and a weakened immune system. Evidence from experimental studies also suggests that psychological stress can affect a cancer tumor’s ability to grow and spread.

ADVISORS

Conversations With God author Neale Donald Walsch states, “Every act is an act of self-definition.” Therefore, “Everything we think, say, and do is a demonstration of our highest and our most sacred values and spiritual beliefs.”

Walsch believes we are “lost as a civilization” if we do not practice this standard.

So, how do we find gratitude in our lives? Mindful magazine, “Gratitude for the Lousy Ingrate”, recently shared five helpful tips.

5 SIMPLE HOW TOs

Begin With Gratitude for Your Body

When we take a moment to appreciate what’s happening in our bodies right now, with a spirit of curiosity, we honor all that our bodies do for us every day.

Allow Gratitude to Connect You to All Living Things

When we awaken awe and gratitude for our interdependence, we can infuse a spirit of loving-kindness toward all beings, including ourselves.

Awaken the Flow of Gratitude in Nature

The outdoors offer gentle (and sometimes not so gentle) opportunities to be present with our sensations and our surroundings. Awaken gratitude for the Earth by going outside and noticing what arises.

Counteract Resentment

When we cling to our ideas of what we want and resist the way things are, we invite resentment into our lives. Gratitude invites us to let go.

Nurture a Sense of Gratitude

Use meditation exercises to connect with your body and breath and the present moment. This is a gentle way to nurture a felt sense of loving-kindness and gratitude. We recommend The Shine app which can be downloaded or found as a podcast called The Daily Shine.

It may seem overwhelming at first but eventually, it will become automatic and routine to do all five daily. Give it a try–you only have your health and happiness to gain!

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TRY A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO BOTOX — FACE YOGA!

TRY A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE TO BOTOX — FACE YOGA!

Face yoga is a natural alternative to botox, fillers, and other more invasive procedures, that can bring lasting results if done regularly.  The technique uses a variety of massage and exercises to target your face, neck, and shoulders.

BENEFITS

Medical researchers at Northwestern University, Loyola, and others find that face yoga may be effective in improving the structural appearance of your face by strengthening the muscles of the cheeks and face providing a more youthful appearance.  According to Healthline, face yoga practitioners also report it may help to:

  • control face muscles
  • promote proper nostril breathing
  • firm the neckline
  • reprogram muscle memory
  • improve symptoms of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disordersTrusted Source
  • make your face more symmetrical
  • reduce the appearance of dark underage circles
  • improve confidence
  • tone face muscles
  • correct sagging
  • generate positive emotions
  • make your face less rounded

SYMPTOMS

Erika Walljasper, Licensed Esthetician and Certified Face Yoga Instructor, focuses on holistic skin care at Facial Boutique.  Facial yoga allows for the release of tension in the face and neck. “By taking more control of facial muscles, it helps us to recognize furrowing, clenching, and straining.  All of these movements that we do on a regular basis without really thinking about it, create blockages in the face and neck,” according to Ms. Walljasper.

These blockages prevent blood flow and lymphatic flow which are essential for skin health and whole body wellness.  “Our neck is the gateway to the rest of the body.  We want the neck to stay open and tension released to lift muscles of the face, contour the jaw, and help firm the skin on the neck,” Walljasper states.

We have over 60 muscles in the face and neck and half don’t get used.  Face exercises help lift and strengthen these muscles to avoid botox, fillers, and cosmetic surgery.  Additionally, we can learn how to release tension in the face and neck and take control of facial muscles and the aging process!

EXERCISES

Check out three, free introductory exercises offered by Ms. Walljasper in her 5-week Face Yoga Introductory Course – teaching 15 exercises using the Glowinface Face Yoga method.  She believes in a whole body wellness approach to take control of the body as we age.  Her next online session begins soon and can be found here: https://www.erikasfacialboutique.com/face-yoga 

Let us know what you think of the introductory exercises. Do you see improvement? We hope to report back after completion of the course with before and after pics!

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6 TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR FOOD WASTE!

 

Food waste from Cedar Rapids and Marion Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores will be worked into yard waste and composted at the Solid Waste Agency’s compost site at the Site 1 landfill on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, in Cedar Rapids. (Liz Martin/SourceMedia Group News)

One of the easiest ways we can decrease greenhouse gases and reverse climate change is to reduce our food waste.  According to National Geographic’s issue on The New Food Revolution, “our need for food poses one of the biggest dangers to the planet”.

Agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to global warming, emitting more greenhouse gases than all our cars, trucks, trains, and planes combined – largely from methane released by cattle and rice farms, nitrous oxide from fertilized fields, and carbon dioxide from the cutting of rain forests to grow crops or raise livestock.

So, what can we do?!

REDUCE FOOD WASTE

An estimated 25 percent of the world’s food calories (or about 1.3 billion tons) are lost or wasted before they can be consumed.  In developed countries, the waste occurs in homes, restaurants, and supermarkets.  These startling statistics led the U.N. to launch a global campaign, Think Eat Save, dedicated to reducing the ‘foodprint’ or food waste of consumers, retailers, and restaurants.

The good news!  We, as consumers, can make simple changes that make a BIG difference in the amount of food we throw away each year.  Try one or all of these top 6 tips to reduce your foodprint!

Avoid Impulse Buys

You’re less likely to eat the items you don’t need.  Stick to ‘the list’!

Buy Funny-Looking Produce

Nature does not naturally produce perfectly shaped, blemish-free fruit and vegetables so why do we expect it?  When you buy the less than perfect ones at a grocery store or farmer’s market, you’re helping reduce food that might otherwise be thrown out.

Stock Like Supermarket Shelves

Remember FIFO – First In First Out.   When unpacking groceries, move older products to the front of the shelf and put new products in the back. Great way to avoid the dreaded – “is this still good?” question on those post expiration date foods.

Eat Leftovers

So easy to forget what’s in that styrofoam container or casserole dish after it gets pushed to the back of the fridge.  If you have leftovers, make sure to put them in an airtight container at the front of the shelf.  All containers are not created equal so verify that the lids are truly secure and marked as ‘airtight’.  We like Tenzo Variety 4-Pack Glass Containers and Verel 36oz 4-Pack Containers.  Both sets have bamboo lids that multi-task as cutting boards and serving platters.  Great to also bring your own containers to restaurants for left-overs so no wasted ‘to-go’ container that’s usually not even recyclable!

Make a Smoothie

Soft fruit and vegetables can be used in smoothies as well as soups and nutritious juice.  So easy to find smoothie recipes online but you can always try new recipes curated or created weekly @koecolife on #ThirstyThursday or our website! 

Compost Waste

If some items just didn’t make it to your mouth and are rotting away…don’t worry!  “Throw them in – the compost bin!”  Compost bins can be discreetly added to any size yard or outdoor space and most food waste will naturally decompose without even needing to empty the bin!

Or, you can schedule regular compost pick ups through companies like Wastenot Compost in Chicago.  For a small fee, they will provide a compost bucket and collect it as needed. ADD PROMO CODE update koecolife promo!!

 

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HOW TO MAKE ALL NATURAL SUNSCREEN

 

Why choose to make ‘all natural sunscreen’?  The FDA is conducting a major review of Over The Counter (OTC) sunscreens to assess there safety and quality.

In 2019, the agency proposed that of the 16 currently used ingredients in OTC sunscreens, only two — zinc oxide and titanium dioxide — are considered safe and effective based on available data.

It is alarming to see the research that confirms many traditional sunscreens use potentially toxic chemicals, synthetic preservatives, colors, and fragrances that generate free radicals which leads to early skin aging and non-melanoma skin cancer.  Additionally, these ingredients can be hormone disruptors in children and toxic to sea life.

Anything coming in constant contact with your skin will land in your bloodstream for distribution throughout your body.  Chemicals ON your skin may actually be worse than digesting them because they are absorbed immediately and go directly to your delicate organs.  This makes it even more critical that we protect ourselves and our families from the dangers of toxic sunscreens.

You may have heard the saying, “if you can’t pronounce it, then don’t eat it”.  The same goes for not using lotions, gels, creams, etc. with ‘foreign’ ingredients.

So, what ‘toxic’ ingredients are used?

The common ingredient the EWG is wary of is retinylpalmitate, a form of vitamin A added to sunscreen as an antioxidant.

“Federally funded research found that when you add this form of vitamin A to a skin cream and then put it on mice and expose them to UV radiation, they have higher rates of skin damage, skin tumours and lesions,” Lunder said. “And this is because the ingredient breaks down to a phototoxic ingredient that’s harmful to the skin.”

EWG looks at active and inactive ingredients in sunscreen, rates formulations for their ability to protect skin from UVA and UVB rays, looks at stability of ingredients and checks for allergens and potentially dangerous chemicals.  Check out how your sunscreen fared here.

Want an easy alternative?

MAKE YOUR OWN SUNSCREEN

Seriously!!  We found this easy recipe from wellnessmama.com:

All ingredients have a natural SPF; unfortunately, since this is a homemade recipe and has not been tested by a regulatory organization, we can’t make any claims as to the combined SPF.  However, the individual ingredients that are naturally SPF are:

*For a simpler version for moderate exposure, mix coconut oil and shea butter with; a little Raspberry Seed and Carrot Seed Oil or some Zinc oxide. Or, add Zinc Oxide to your favorite organic lotion (that doesn’t contain citrus oils).

As always check with your doctor or dermatologist before using any new products.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup almond or olive oil (can infuse with herbs first if desired)
  • Ÿ cup beeswax
  • 1/4 cup Coconut Oil (natural SPF 4)
  • 2 Tablespoons Zinc Oxide (This is a non-nano version that won’t be absorbed into the skin. Be careful not to inhale the powder. This makes a natural SPF of 2-20+ or more can be added.)
  • Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Red Raspberry Seed Oil (natural SPF 25-50)
  • Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Carrot Seed Oil (natural SPF 35-40)
  • Optional: up to 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
  • Optional: 2 tablespoons Shea Butter (natural SPF 4-5)
  • Optional: Essential Oils, Vanilla Extract or other natural extracts to suit your preference

How to:

  1. Combine ingredients (except zinc oxide) in a pint sized or larger glass jar.  (Great repurpose use for a former spaghetti sauce jar!)  Fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water and place over medium heat.
  2. Put a lid on the jar loosely and place in the pan with the water.
  3. As the water heats, the ingredients in the jar will start to melt.  Shake or stir occasionally to incorporate.  When all ingredients are completely melted, add the zinc oxide, stir in well and pour into whatever jar or tin you will use for storage.
  4. Stir a few times as it cools to make sure zinc oxide is incorporated.Use as you would regular sunscreen.  Best if used within six months!

NOTE:

  • This sunscreen is somewhat, but not completely, waterproof and will need to be reapplied after sweating or swimming
  • Make sure not to inhale the Zinc Oxide- use a mask if necessary!
  • This recipe has an SPF of about 15-20, though adding more Zinc Oxide will increase the SPF
  • Beeswax can be added as a thickener if desired
  • Store in a cool, dry place or in the fridge (will melt in warm environment so make sure to shake container before opening).