​One of my favorite teas around, Yarrow & Rose make a beautiful combination in the jar and the meadow. Whenever I'm picking yarrow in a meadow it's often growing between big beautiful bushes of white and pink roses. This makes sense to me, as they're both faerie flowers and lend an astringent, toning quality to the entire body. More specifically, yarrow helps tone the digestive system and breaks down toxins in the blood so that they can be flushed out from the body without too many detoxification symptoms like headaches, rashes, or nausea. Roses tone the heart, circulatory system, and feed the capillaries beneath the skin: perhaps this is why drinking roses makes one's skin rosy?

I like to take a big handful of yarrow and a nice handful of roses and throw them into a quart jar. I boil water and fill it to the top and let them steep overnight. In the morning I drink 1-2 cups warmed up on the stove before eating anything to flush my body, tone my organs, and nourish my skin from the inside out!

These are a favorite our home and always are a hit with our friends! Contrary to what you heard, sweet potatoes are not nightshades at all. Meaning, they don't contribute to inflammation. Curry powder is anti-inflammatory, great for the liver, and amazing for digestive fires. When you combine the two, you get a "french fry" that is nutritionally superior to its white, canola-fried, diner friend in that it's loaded with beta-carotene, antioxidants, is restorative to digestive health, and warming to the entire body. The nutrients in sweet potatoes helps the skin retain its glow, tones the kidneys, and eases constipation and nausea. 

Get yourself a large sweet potato, sesame oil, curry powder, and tamari. Now, do the following:

1) Slice potato into the desired thickness, thinness, or shapes.
2) Add sliced potato to a bowl and cover with 1-2 tbsp. of sesame oil, 1 tbsp. tamari, and 2 tbsp. of curry powder.
3) Mix well.
4) Spread on a cookie sheet and bake on 425 for 25-35 minutes until crispy - or leave them in longer if you wish.
5) Serve with any meal, as a snack, or with your favorite dipping sauces!

Eating fruit for breakfast is one of the best things you can do for your health. You see, fruit is the one food that does not get digested in the stomach. It bypasses the stomach completely and is broken down in the small intestine. This means the stomach can continue resting after sleeping and your body and stay in a fasting mode that helps to cleanse, strengthen, and fortify your system every day. It's a short cut to alkalizing and rebalancing. If you can't eat just fruit for breakfast, have something light with it like organic toast from sprouted grains or some hot porridge. The worst food in the morning is something high in fat and protein like dairy products, nut butters, & meats. Unrefined, whole carbohydrates are the best way to wake up your sleepy body.

This recipe, if I can call it that, is so simple and easy. It takes but 10 minutes or so and can stew while you get ready for work, admire the birds, or tend to other morning rituals. You'll need:


1 apple or pear
1/2 pint of blueberries
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. slippery elm powder
1 pinch of sea salt


1) Dice the apple and peel it if you desire a smoother porridge.


2) Fill a pot with just a shallow layer of water and place it on the burner.


3) Add apples, berries, cinnamon, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat for 10 minutes.


4) Uncover and mash up the porridge with a spoon to soften the apples further.


5) Like this!


6) Remove from heat and add slippery elm powder.


7) Mix well and pour in a bowl. This makes one serving of warm, delicious apple porridge.


The benefits of such a simple, easy meal like this never fail to impress me. Pectin from the apple is a great fiber that helps to cleanse the colon, detoxify heavy metals from the body, and even absorb and remove radiation! The antioxidants and phytochemicals in the blueberries have potent liver enhancing and restorative properties, along with helping to improve eyesight, skin repair, and clean the blood. The cinnamon helps balance blood sugar levels and increase circulation (a must when you're living in the Northeast in February!) and the slippery elm soothes and repairs the digestive system by healing inflammation and rebuilding tissue.

All of that comes from this humble bowl of apples and berries! To make this more appealing for children, peel the apples and add a small amount of maple syrup to mimic apple sauce or a sweet treat. You may also use this as topping for oatmeal, pancakes, or toast. Pears are equally good alternatives for apples if you're wanting more variety as well.

Stay warm and enjoy!

A lot of people, actually. Spirulina is a fishy, dark green algae that has a strong taste but an even stronger healthy punch. The amazing thing about Spirulina, like most not-so-palatable foods, is that your body will gain so may benefits from its nutrients that it will soon start to like and then actually crave the taste of it. I take my Spirulina shaken in a jar - never stirred. Add 2 cups of slight lukewarm water and 1 tsp. of Spirulina powder to a  jar and shake well. This will get all the clumps out and slightly dilute the flavor.


The BIG Benefits of Such A Little Plant

​
I don't even know where to start as there are so many. Spirulina can and has (for me):

- balance blood sugar very well
- cleanse the colon and promote regularity
- heal internal wounds and cuts like ulcers, diverticulitis flare-ups, and other digestive traumas
- rich in chlorophyll it acts as an internal deodorizer so you will smell like a garden - not compost
- very high in Vitamin A which can help improve eyesight, skin, and add moisture to the entire body
- can be healing for the mucus membranes: mouth, anus, vagina
- builds strong blood with chlorophyll (mimics iron) and vitamin K for proper clotting and healing
- detoxifies the system of any pathogens and bacteria with high chlorophyll content
- high in antioxidants help it prevent oxidative stress to the brain, heart, and lungs
- has been very helpful with cancer and other immune disorders
- improves appetite and rejuvenates the digestive tract
- can help the body's B-12 stores in Vegetarians and Vegans

I take 2 teaspoons daily. One in water upon rising, and one in my food in the afternoon or evening. This miraculous algae has helped me cure asthma, acne, diverticulitis, weakness, malnutrition, and fatigue from stress. It was one of the first greens I ever took when entering the holistic world in 2004. Try a cup for yourself and start slow. Have 1/2 tsp. daily and work up to 2. 

You'll be glad you did. 

Fast food happens to all of us, but it doesn't have to mean GMOs, animal products, or drive thrus. It can be as easy as a few ingredients deliciously paired together. This sandwich is that kind of food - or should I say dat kind of food. Behold, "DAT" open faced sandwich.





​All you need is:

Ezekiel sprouted, gluten-free bread
1/2 ripe avocado
maine coast apple smoked dulse strips
tomato
a toaster

1) Toast your Ezekiel bread to desired texture.
2) Smash half an avocado and spread over the toasted bread.
3) Layer generous amounts of smoke dulse strips.
4) Then top with juicy tomato and eat!

This Dulse Avocado Tomato (DAT) sandwich is loaded with nutrition. First, you're getting your week's worth of iodine from the dulse which is good for your thyroid, detoxifying to radiation, and preventative against many different cancers. The apple wood smoked style makes it taste like bacon! The avocado is supplying you with over 1/2 your vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. The sprouted bread is giving you lots of fiber and flavor - but NO gluten or weird starches. The tomato is loaded with lycopene for blood cleaning, prostate health, and protection against the Sun. Not like the latter is a real problem right now in upstate NY.

So there you have it. A simple, 5 minute breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack to nourish and feed your brain and body.

​Amaranth is a forgotten grain. It's the hardest to find in a store, on a menu, and even at specialty shops and restaurants. The taste and texture may contribute to it. We often liken the smell of dried amaranth to grasshoppers and the texture to slime. I know I'm not doing a good job at proving why you should eat this but, don't worry, I will!

Amaranth is the most mineral-dense grain on the planet. Or at least that I'm aware of. This is why it smells so strong and tastes so unique. Amaranth is loaded with calcium. magnesium, iron, trace minerals, and protein. In fact, it has more digestible protein than any other plant sources AND it is complete in that it is full of L-Lysine: the amino acid that most grains lack. 

L-Lysine is a superstar amino acid that helps prevent and treat viruses and viral breakouts like shingles, herpes, and possibly even HIV. It protects the immune system, strengthens the skin, and helps create healthy muscles and collagen structures like tendons and ligaments in the body.

It is said that there is no malnourishment wherever Amaranth is eaten. As far as growing it, it grows nearly anywhere, in any climate, and can easily thrive in poor soil, drought conditions, and the cold. The nutrient density of this grain and its ability to grown anywhere makes it extremely beneficial for a world that is running out of whole foods and room. This grain is sustainable, vital, and SO good for you.

Now, about the taste, how does one work with it? I recommend starting with this tasty breakfast porridge. You'll need:

1 cup amaranth
1 cup coconut milk from the can (or homemade/store bought nut milks)
1/2 pint blueberries
5 walnuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
maple syrup or raw honey

1) Simply add 1 cup of amaranth to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer and keep covered for 15-25 minutes until most water is absorbed. It should resemble cream of wheat porridge.

2) Add everything else except for the walnuts or honey, stir well, and let it sit covered for another 5 minutes.

3) Pour a serving into a bowl, top with crushed walnuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a drizzle of your preferred sweetener (optional) and enjoy this warm, creamy, delicious and nutritious breakfast!

It makes a great snack and post-workout food as well. Your kids will love it if you add organic cocoa powder to it and chill it in the fridge. It tastes like a decadent chocolate pudding that way. Perhaps the kid in you will love it too?

I first discovered Amaranth many years ago when I was detoxing my liver and curing Candida in my gut. Amaranth porridge was an essential part of my diet. It's a great food for anyone with stomach issues as the grain is less abrasive because it creates a soothing mucilage rather than an abundance of indigestible fiber like wheat or brown rice. 

Enjoy!

" I want to buy good quality food, but on a low budget. What tips do you have & what exactly should I be buying?"
This question has been plaguing my inbox, so I thought it would be a good time to address it. Eating healthy does NOT mean eating expensive and gourmet. It's quite the opposite. The type of diet I advocate is a pure vegetarian diet made of whole foods. Some call it Vegan, but I prefer to call it pure vegetarian (more on that another time). 

A pure vegetarian, whole-food diet consists entirely of whole grains, beans, vegetables, seaweeds, nuts, seeds, and fruits. You can include high quality plant oils, but a very small amount. Eating this way does take more time, but you will save your money and your health. 

Now, if you're going to be buying organic prepackaged soups, organic microwaveable meals, organic frozen pizzas, organic cereals, organic nut milks, organic cheeses, organic meats, and organic desserts you are going to spend a considerable amount more than the unprocessed foods I mentioned before.

There's a good reason for this: there's more energy in the box! Any company that wishes to be certified organic must spend much more money than a conventional food company for testing, evaluations, and any fines or penalties they may come across in the certification process. Organic, bulk products are the most inexpensive ways to eat healthy.

Organic oats in bulk are $1.79 per pound, while organic packaged oats are $4.49 per pound. One can (3 cups) of black beans is $2.79, while organic dried black beans are $2.49 per pound. If you take both of these figures into consideration, also realizing that 1 cup of black beans yields 3 cups cooked and there's nearly 3 cups of black beans in one pound bulk, you'll spend 4 times the amount on oatmeal and almost 3 times the amount on beans.

If you make grains and beans your staple, a single person would spend around $5 each week on just the grain and bean portion of each meal. This is not an ideally balanced diet, but it's a great start! Moving onto vegetables and fruits, there are certainly some that go a long way nutritionally, while still saving you money.

Vegetables

Cabbage
Broccoli
Kale
Carrots
Potatoes (sweet and white)
Onions


Fruits

Pears
Apples
Raisins
Bananas

At Sunflower Natural Foods in Woodstock, NY Broccoli is $3.49 for two bunches, sweet potatoes are $1.79 per pound, and apples are $1.69 per pound. If you figure you get 5 servings or more from the broccoli, and that one sweet potato is 1 pound and yields 2 servings you can see that a meal made of rice and beans with broccoli and potatoes costs less than $4.00. If steaming is too bland, you can even add 1 tbsp. of coconut oil ($10.99 per jar, 30 servings), and use one thin slice of an onion ($1.59 per 1 pound onion) and you're talking rice and beans with stir-fried vegetables for $4.69!

Broccoli is known to be one of the most cancer-preventing foods around. For 69 cents a serving, you can literally be cutting down your risk for cancer and many other degenerative conditions. For $1 per apple, you can take in heavy metal absorbing pectin and fiber that will help cleanse your bowels daily of industrial toxins and pollution. For 90 cents a serving (sweet potato), you can obtain your day's worth of Vitamin A which helps to rebuild your skin, cleanse your blood, and build your immune system. Unlike inorganic, "cheaper" produce you're getting nutrients that rebuild your body and immune system, rather than deplete it with pesticides, GMOs, and other chemicals that hurt your body when you're trying to eat healthy. It's really not saving you money to go to the doctor's office when you're sick from the cheap food you're eating. When you look at food this way and see it's true worth, you can see how inexpensive organic really is.

My partner and I mostly eat like this and we spend $50 a week or less on groceries. Eating this way is simple, healthy, and completely inexpensive. If you don't indulge, you can even spend the extra penny on almond butter, coconut oil, and a $6 pint of blueberries. The almond butter at $10.99 will last two weeks if you eat it in moderation, coming out to 78 cents per serving. The blueberries, well, those ARE expensive! But they're not too much more than a pint of ice cream. The difference is that the blueberries can help lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, and lower your risk of cancers and strokes.

Organic food is a slower process. It involves growing foods in accordance to nature's laws and rhythms. This is exceptionally true for biodynamic farming. I like that organic food is more expensive than conventional food. It teaches us to value our Earth and her abundance over other things that may be draining our money and our Earth. Things like computers, endless Smartphone renditions, and tons of plastic packaging.

One can easily spend $500 per month on cable, smart phones, and health insurance alone. I say throw them all out, have more time with your own thoughts, do more creative things with your friends, and use your money to buy healthy food that may actually prevent you from ever needing to consider insurance. Still, you don't have to change your life that drastically. Simply eat oatmeal for breakfast, and rice and beans with vegetables for lunch or dinner. Watch how much money you save and how much better your feel!

Buying organic also helps you take a stand against destructive methods of making food. When you consider that a burger that comes from a cow raised in whatwas the rainforest, then shipped across the world by boats and planes, put between a bun that's full of genetically modified corn, which was processed in a lab by manipulating its genetic code to make it withstand tons of chemical fertilizers that were also made in a lab, then flown over hundreds of acres to be dropped over a large mono-crop of corn, soy, or wheat that pollutes all the drinking water in the area, then is harvested and packaged with preservatives, more chemicals, and endorsed by cartoon characters can be cheaper than something raised on water and sunshine. One of two things must be true: whoever is in charge of this system is either mad with greed or simply mad from all the genetically modified food they've been eating.

In any case, the consumer is really who is in charge. It is up to us to decide what to spend our money on and what we find to be most important and changing our systems in life. If you can't buy all organic, at least go to your local farm stand or farmer's market and get food that may not be organic but may be better than organic: local, home-grown, and chemical free! The best thing you can do is grow as much food yourself and truly gain control of your life and health.

I will be adding recipes on here that are inexpensive to make from bulk, organic ingredients. The recipe below is anti-viral, lymph activating, detoxifying, warming, and nourishing for the winter. You can add any additional green vegetables to this if you desire. Its also delicious with squash instead of sweet potatoes. 

Coconut-Curried Cabbage Soup

1 red cabbage (2-3 cups chopped)
1 onion (diced)
1 can coconut milk - full fat
2 small, or 1 large, sweet potato
2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 tbsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. rosemary or thyme
1 pinch of sea salt
4-6 cups of water

1) Add oil, salt, curry, and onions to the bottom of  a pot and fry for 3 minutes.
2) Add cabbage and sauté for an additional 4 minutes.
3) Add the entire can of coconut milk, diced sweet potato, and 4-6 cups of water depending on how rich you want the stock to be.
4) Bring to a boil, then simmer for 35- 45 minutes.
5) Serve with millet and sauerkraut.

Enjoy!