Holistic Instincts

For centuries, many cultures instinctively used bentonite clay for its powerful healing properties, but the practice of using the clay medicinally had been largely forgotten.  In recent years, however, Bentonite clay has been making a comeback! Due to its special properties, this type of clay swells up to six times it size when activated by water and develops an electromagnetic charge.  Its absorbent quality allows it to draw out and absorb toxins.   Bentonite clay is known to absorb and remove heavy metals, chemicals and other impurities. Bentonite clay is typically sold dry but can easily be rehydrated  so that it is always readily available to use,  Once prepared in a glass jar, the clay is ready: To be taken internally to ease stomach aches and other digestive issues - 1 teaspoon dry clay powder added to a glass of water To ease heartburn Balance ph Provide minerals to the body. Externally, Bentonite clay can be used for: Used in a detox ba...

For centuries, many cultures instinctively used bentonite clay for its powerful healing properties, but the practice of using the clay medicinally had been largely forgotten.  In recent years, however, Bentonite clay has been making a comeback! Due to its special properties, this type of clay swells up to six times it size when activated by water and develops an electromagnetic charge.  Its absorbent quality allows it to draw out and absorb toxins.   Bentonite clay is known to absorb and remove heavy metals, chemicals and other impurities. Bentonite clay is typically sold dry but can easily be rehydrated  so that it is always readily available to use,  Once prepared in a glass jar, the clay is ready: To be taken internally to ease stomach aches and other digestive issues - 1 teaspoon dry clay powder added to a glass of water To ease heartburn Balance ph Provide minerals to the body. Externally, Bentonite clay can be used for: Used in a detox ba...

Mexico is the land of aguas frescas.  Agua fresh, literally means fresh water, and it refers to traditional fresh fruit and/or veggie drinks.  Aguas frescas are usually single-ingredient drinks, such as an agua de limon (a lime-ade), agua de pi ñ a (pineapple) or my favorite: agua de tamarindo (tamarind drink).  And some aguas are simple combos such as a lime and cucumber agua fresca. Interestingly, the lime and cucumber flavor is usually made with nutrient-dense chia seeds and is recommended for a healthy digestion. Walk down most streets, especially those around or in the town square, and you may find a vendor or two serving a variety of aguas frescas out of huge glass containers.  The drinks are then served in a plastic baggie with a straw, which is great while exploring the town!   During market day or special event, vendors multiply and make it hard to choose between tables of colorful options! I spent three weeks in Mexico last month and indulged in...

Taco seasoning is literally the opposite of authentic Mexican food but what can I say?  My kids like it.  Mind you, they would not come near standard fast food with taco seasoning flavors, nor can they stomach the smell of a store-bought taco seasoning packet.  But this?  This they like! A quick look at the label of a readily available brand of taco seasoning surprised me due to its fairly decent ingredients: McCormick Taco Seasoning ingredients include: Spices (including chile pepper, cumin, paprika, onion), onion, whey (milk), salt, garlic, sugar, potato starch. and natural flavor Due to a dairy allergy, I stay away from foods that contain whey or other by-products and as a general rule of thumb, we stay away from added sugars.  Natural flavor can mean a host of things but again, I stay away because I don't know what it is! Other brands, such as Ortega  , contain huge no-no's, such as maltodextrin, modified corn starch, and autolyzed yeast ...

I just came back home after spending three whole weeks in the state of Michoacan, Mexico eating anything and everything that was shoved my way.  That is the life, I tell you! Most of the time, our time was spent in the town of Pajacuaran, Mexico,  One of the many things I love about visiting is the food.  Crazy, I know!  In town, if you can cook, you can make a humble living by setting up a table or two right outside your front door and serve breakfast or dinner to anyone who swings by.  We climbed three blocks up a steep hill, one block which was unpaved, to a house for freshly made crispy enchiladas, burritos and tacos more times than I care to count.  My dad took us a few times to another woman's house that served pozole, tortas and tostadas with a variety of toppings - my favorite: tender liver tostadas.  I could not get enough!  We had dinner in many different houses and once, inside an old bus. My dad almost always ordered extra...

Breakfast and lunch tend to be difficult for some to navigate when switching to a real food diet.  And the idea that a real food meal needs to be prepared with simple and fresh ingredients can seem daunting! I like to double-batch certain dinners, like roasted chicken, grilled steak or tuna patties, so that leftovers pull double duty for breakfast and/or lunch the next day.  But even I know, leftovers can only take you so far!  Once in awhile, especially when the weather turns warm, I will prep a large batch of salads or pates, such as this one, so that there are a variety of options in the refrigerator to choose from when hunger. Wild-caught tuna is inexpensive when compared to other wild proteins so this recipe can be accessible with items already probably in your kitchen.  And this tuna pate is versatile because it makes a great portable school or work lunch. I love any excuse to add extra fat to our diets so this recipe includes a nutrient-dense avocado...

Menudo , or tripe soup, is a traditional soup commonly served on a Sunday morning.  It is considered labor-intensive since it requires a very long cooking time, so it started the night before any plans to eat it, or made for special occasions. Due to its nourishing collagen-packed broth and mineral-rich protein, it has a cult following for those wishing to get rid of the Saturday night hangover! I remember my dad being the one prepping the tripe at night and I remember someone getting up during the night at various times to check on the pot of soup bubbling on the stove.  I also remember becoming a teenager and deciding I no longer would eat organ meats!  So I even gave up on all the other delicious ones, like tender beef tongue and beef cheeks.  I also happily gave up the ones I never liked - like liver and mushy brains.  Yes, brains...... As an adult, I decided being an adventurous eater was much more fun and I incorporated liver back in my diet. ...