Learn and Thrive

How to use this page and these recipes ~

• For meal planning:  Choose the season you are in, then the meal you are planning.  Scroll through all the various recipes to choose ones you like or want to try.
• Search feature:  If you have an ingredient you are hungry for or have lots of you can use the search feature at the top and bottom of every page, just type in what you want; for example, pesto.  Several different pesto recipes will come up.
• There is also a page of all the recipes sorted by meals only that is very convenient to scroll through.  

Food as Medicine, Food as information to our cells. What does this mean?
Eating to thrive is about finding your way of eating that promotes your health. There is no single “right diet” for everyone; we have to take into consideration genetic backgrounds, different cultures, and our likes and dislikes … Most of us have not taken the time to figure out what foods are right for us. This is where I will help you navigate.

For centuries we have relied on our food supply not only as a source of energy, but also for improved health, disease prevention, and connection with family and friends. However in the last several decades our food supply (and how we eat) has drastically changed. These changes towards processed and convenience foods have contributed strongly to the the increases in diseases.

Even science is very clear that food is a powerful influencer of our health. Food is not just calories to fuel our engines, it also carries nutrients that play important roles in all bodily functions — informing our cells how to behave to create health and resist disease. Poor quality food can actually create disease where as high quality foods at the right amounts, at the right times of day can reverse disease and sustain health. This is how food is medicine and food is information to our body.

Food also represents connection; families and friends that prepare and eat food together form healthy cultural bonds — at the daily dinner table and through celebrations and ceremonies. Preparing food from scratch are the traditions that spread knowledge of how to cook and prepare healthful foods from one generation to another. The loss of cooking from scratch has contributed greatly to the current disease load.

How do we get back to it? Change is not easy — there will always be ups and downs … but there will NOT be any harsh restrictions, counting calories, or feeling deprived. Instead I will help you with effective strategies and tools to improve your health; like weekly meal planning, shopping schedules and resources of clean foods, recipes, and recommendations about time management, cooking, and food storage. As well as steps toward mindful eating so you can digest and absorb all the nutrients in your nutrient dense foods.

Just a few basic concepts will get us started on the path … Keeping it simple in the words of best selling author Michael Pollan “Eat Real Food, Not too much, Mostly Plants”.

Eggplant Parmesan

Categories: Recipes, Summer Recipes

Brie Brûlée

Categories: Fall/Winter Recipes, Recipes, Summer Recipes

Roasted Cabbage

Categories: Fall/Winter Recipes, Recipes, Summer Recipes

Arugula Pesto

Categories: Fall/Winter Recipes, Recipes, Summer Recipes

This is an area where we can greatly reduce our chemical load. Personal care products are some of the most toxic.

Do you know that the average woman who uses cosmetics, lotions, lip stick, fingernail polish, hair gel, etc. walks out the house in the morning with over 60 known carcinogenic chemicals on her body (!) And over 500 chemicals in general. These chemicals interfere with our bodily processes — especially our hormones and are linked to increased risks of cancer and auto-immunity. With the rise in our populations with these diseases we clearly need to reduce our chemical exposures. Here is a nice starting point and a relatively easy way to reduce your chemical exposure which thereby reduces your risk of disease.

Hibiscus & Rose Sugar Body Scrub

Categories: Face and Body Care Essentials, Bath/Shower Scrubs

Semi-Soft Deodorant

Categories: Face and Body Care Essentials, Deodorants

Yarrow Hydrosol

Categories: Herbal Home Remedies, Face and Body Care Essentials, Hydrosol

Summertime Cooling and Toning Body Oil/Gel

Categories: Face and Body Care Essentials, Lotions/Butters/Oils

Essential oils for cleaning are far superior!
EWG.org the Environmental Working Group explains that commercial cleaning products can cause numerous health problems including asthma, allergies, birth defects, cancer, and chemical burns. You want to avoid these poisonous products from “scented” cleaners to air freshers to dryer sheets!

A clean environment not a sterile environment is what we want. Sterile environments don’t teach our immune systems how fight off germs and bad bacteria. The bacteria in our soil and around our house “vaccinate” us from many illnesses just from being exposed to small amounts of them.  Many household chemical cleaners not only kill the bad bacteria, but also the good. This is like cleaning with anti-biotics — disrupting the balance of immunity and digestion. Don’t kill the good guys . . . and avoid the chemicals. It’s easier than you think.

You really don’t need clorox, oregano oil works better! Essential oils effectively kill MRSA, e. coli, salmonella, the flu virus, staph, listeria, and pneumonia. They effectively kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi without promoting resistance like anti-biotics and other chemical cleaners.

Essential oils are relatively easy to obtain, have low toxicity, and degrade quickly in water and soil making them environmentally friendly 🙂

Some of the best antimicrobials, antibacterials, antiseptic, degreasers, and mold and mildew killers are:  Cedar wood oil, Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Grapefruit, Juniper Berry, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary, Sweet orange, and Tea tree.

A word on Elbow Grease
As it turns out, it is not what we spray on surfaces to clean that does the cleaning — it is our effort of wiping . . . think wax on, wax off . . . The most effective mix for removing bad bacteria is a double wipe down method. It is the effect of spraying once and wiping down, then a second time and wiping down each area you are disinfecting.

Yoga Mat Spray/Wash

Categories: True Green Cleaning

Oregano Disinfectant Spray

Categories: True Green Cleaning

for Electronics, Screens, Keyboards, etc.

Categories: True Green Cleaning

Dusting Spray for Wood furniture — this makes your wood lovely!

Categories: True Green Cleaning

Learn how to use herbs and oils to prevent and treat minor ailments and injuries — aka little boo-boos.  Also learn ways to reduce antibiotic and medication use by learning how to incorporate herbs, spices, and essential oils into your life safely and effectively.

Aromatherapy is not just smelling the oils, though this is lovely.  Aromatherapy is using the aromatic molecules the plants produce for our health too. 
Plants produce these aromatic molecules to protect them from insects, diseases, harsh weather, and any other threats.  As it turns out us humans face similar threats from these same pests and diseases — making these plant molecules effective for humans as well.

The aromatic molecules plants produce can be used in a variety of ways. Diffusing their scents into the air is good for our respiratory system, reducing stress, help fight contagion, boost immunity and mood, and could even help you sleep.

We also use the herbs and oils in lotions or carrier oils for improved skin health and lymphatics. Gels, salves, and balms can be helpful for minor aches pains or household type little injuries, as can a warm compress with herbs. Baths are another lovely was to incorporate herbs and oils for healing and stress reduction.
Plant medicines can do all this with very low risk of side effects!

Yarrow Hydrosol

Categories: Herbal Home Remedies, Face and Body Care Essentials, Hydrosol

Triple “Anti-Biotic” Oil featuring Oregano

Categories: Herbal Home Remedies

Healthy Veins Gel

Categories: Herbal Home Remedies, Face and Body Care Essentials, Body Care, Lotions/Butters/Oils

Red Bottlebrush Hydrosol

Categories: Herbal Home Remedies, Face and Body Care Essentials, Facial Care, Hydrosol, Body Care