Holistic Instincts

One of my absolute favorite soups is French Onion.  Back in my dairy-and-grain-full days, I would love to visit this favorite restaurant chain that was famous for this soup and promptly order a bowl (no cup, please) of French Onion soup in all of its glory, before even looking at the menu. Since going dairy and grain-free, I still make this cold weather favorite, and gladly omit the bread and cheese.  This soup, full of browned onions and good old-fashioned homemade bone broth still promises to satisfy the mind and belly. It is no secret the bone broth is full of nourishing and medicinal qualities - and just all-around good for you!  Previous generations instinctively knew to include broth as part of a cold remedy protocol because it supports immune function, is easy to digest and full of vitamins and minerals that are easily absorbable in the body.  Plus. the gelatin is helpful needed for healthy skin, hair and nails. I come to this very budget-friendl...

Honey is used in my house for a variety of things and is definitely one of my most used pantry items. And I prefer raw honey as a natural sweetener because it retains more of its nutritional and medicinal properties over honey that has been heated and processed. Honey has instinctively been used for centuries as medicine due to both its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and has been used for treating colds and soothing coughs for ages, too.  Its unique properties allow it to be used as a barrier for wounds, speeding the growth of healthy tissue, killing bacteria and germs, reducing pain and inflammation and treating burns, scrapes, skin ulcers and sores. According to WedMD : 'Several recent studies show manuka honey is effective when used on top of wounds and leg ulcers. Studies also show it's effective in fighting infection and promoting healing. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database lists honey as being "possibly effective" to treat bur...

One of the main concerns for most people changing their diet is cost.  And I certainly understand - it took me a long time not to flinch when comparing the cost between one pound of conventional ground beef  and one pound of grass-fed beef.  I know that my food budget has changed drastically since I began ensuring that the food my family and I eat is healthy.  And compared to SAD (Standard American Diet), eating a real food diet can seem totally out of reach.  Convenience and fast food will always seem cheaper than sourcing quality foods and preparing them at home but compared to cost of health concerns such as obesity, auto-immune conditions, allergies and sensitivities, doctors visits and medication .....is convenience really worth it?  For me, it is not. Below, I have put together some of the best tips that have really helped maximize my food budget: Avoid processed foods:   Going on a clean diet seems to eliminate this issue when items like ...

In Sanskrit, Urdhva means upward, Mukha means face and Shvana means dog.  This pose is named so because of the way it resembles a dog that is stretching its hindquarters. Every yoga class incorporates this pose as part of a vinyasa flow, usually several times.  And while Upward-Facing Dog looks a little like Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana), there are several differences.  Here, the body is lifted off the ground (including the thighs) and it is supported by the palms of the hands and tops of the feet.  This pose seems fairly easy but strength is needed to support the body, and open the chest and shoulders. Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana strengthens the spine, arms and wrists while opening the chest, as well as the legs and hips.  It can aid in increasing circulation to the lungs and abdomen.  And is beneficial in increasing the range of motion for the spine and stretches the abdomen and hip flexors. To enter this pose, you may begin on the floor resting on your...

Ranch dressing just seems to be one of those things that every person can agree on:  it goes on everything! The sad truth is that commercial ranch dressings are full of of bad oils, questionable ingredients and chemicals to make them shelf-stable, look pretty and have a bleached-white color.  Below are the ingredients listed for the ever popular  Hidden Valley Original Ranch dressing (directly from their website): ' Vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola), water, egg yolk, sugar, salt, cultured nonfat buttermilk, natural flavors (milk and soy), less that 1% of: spices, dried garlic, dried onion, vinegar, phosphoric acid, xanthan gum, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, artificial flavors, disodium phosphate, sorbic acid and calcium disodium EDTA as preservatives, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate.  Contains: egg, milk, soy.  Gluten-free.' MSG, along with four kinds of disodium-somethings, are not my idea of healthy.  Or tasty. My ver...