Holistic Instincts

Turmeric root, the spice that gives curry powder its signature yellow color, is most commonly associated with cooking.  But historically, it has been used for its medicinal properties due to its powerful compounds - most importantly curcumin.  Studies have shown that the compound curcumin contains strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, as well as antiseptic properties and can be used as a sleep aid alternative. Topically, turmeric can be used in a paste to sooth inflamed skin (as with eczema and psoriasis, acne and bug bites).  Internally, turmeric can be helpful in reducing pain associated with inflammation (as with arthritis, or other conditions), and aids with digestive issues, such as upset stomach or pains, and with gallbladder, kidney and liver issues. Laboratory tests have shown that using turmeric can prevent hardening of the arteries.  It may support brain health and prevent and slow Alzheimer's.  And curcumin, as a cancer trea...

                                        I love a good salad and can eat one for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  But it was not always the case for me.  I realized that my previous disdain for salads had to do with the store-bought dressing that, somehow, tasted bland and yet full of chemicals at the same time.  But give me a bowl of vegetables with croutons and I would eat that all day long.  Well, just the croutons.  I dabbled with a homemade dressing around seven years ago (a nice balsamic if memory serves) and my love affair with salad dressings began. My household typically enjoys a salad with dinner several times a week and I usually rotate between five or six dressings that can be thrown together in just a few minutes.  One favorite is a raw vegetable salad with this Greek-style dressing.  It may take a few minutes longer than our usual ones but ...

Breakfast options seem limited when things like instant oatmeal or toast are a thing of the past.  Dry cereal or toaster waffles are not food and the only ones that want you to believe that it is are companies that heavily market such items, both to kids and adults, as breakfast. I can almost guarantee that our grandparents (and their grandparents) did not eat frozen pancakes or drive-through sandwiches.  More than likely, a full meal was prepared, especially since previous generations did not have access to the convenience food or fast food joints.  Leftovers from the previous night were also served since households may not have had a refrigerator handy. So what can you eat when the standard options are not available?  The answer is:  EVERYTHING!  In my family, we eat a variety of meals in the morning.  Eggs are an obvious option because they are cheap, nutritious and super easy.  Smoothies made with both healthy raw eggs and greens like spi...

Why would anyone want to make mayonnaise?  It truly is one of the easiest, fastest and tastiest condiments to make.  A batch is versatile and can be used to dress tuna salads, added to omelettes (yep!)  and used as (or whisked into) salad dressings.  And, mayonnaise can be used as a natural hair treatment . But I confess:  I used to hate anything with mayonnaise.  I never added it to sandwiches and avoided mayo-based pasta or veggies salads.  It is an unnatural white color, blobby (blobby is a word, right?), flavorless and just all-around gross.  I bought it regularly though, and always Costco-sized, because....well I am not sure.  Maybe I thought it was one of those things every kitchen needed and someone would report me to mom police if I didn't have any around. A hundred years ago, when I become a stay-at-home mom, I knew that making as many food items as possible from scratch would save money.  I made my own salad dressings, ...

It has become common knowledge that an increase of dietary probiotics can be very important to our health. Foods with added probiotics are popular (such as yogurt), as are probiotic supplements.  And both are now commonly found in grocery stores. Emerging research on our microbiome indicates that the bacteria that colonizes our gut can impact both our physical and emotional health.  Probiotic foods have many benefits , including: Stimulation of memory and learning Positive mood changes Improved digestive function Increased diversity of gut microflora Enhanced immune system function Possible decrease of some allergic reactions Historically, many cultures fermented foods as a way of preserving them (before water-bath canning was available).  Allowing food to ferment foods in a controlled environment not only enhances the flavor but also increases the digestibility of food while making vitamins and minerals bio-available. While many cultured foods and b...