Green Options

The foods we eat have a direct impact on our overall energy.

Think about how you feel after having certain foods.

A greasy fast food meal more than likely leaves you tired, sluggish, and possibly feeling guilty, while a meal full of complex carbohydrates, healthy protein and fats, and fresh fruits and vegetables leaves a person feeling satisfied and energized.

I am not a big fan of pasteurized milk, even organic. It just seems like milk flavored water with much of the nutrition and all of the enzymes being killed during the pasteurization process. For several years now we have opted to buy raw milk or make homemade almond milk instead. Both are much healthier and easier on the stomach. Conventional milk is not an option for me in fact as the moment I drink I get dehibilitating stomach aches. To me this means I just shouldn’t be drinking it.

Making almond milk is incredibly easy once you get your system down and my kids think it is incredibly delicious. They will drink it straight, add it to cereal, or use it to make chocolate milk or banana milk smoothies. Since I use raw organic almonds, I get to rest easy knowing that their milk, or “mylk” as many refer to it, is healthier for their little bodies and healthier for the planet. Nuts are an essential fuel for the body too. To make it I just follow these simple steps:

With each of the recent salmonella outbreaks, I seem to develop a mysterious, if wholly unfounded, distaste for the culprit in all its manifestations. When it was spinach, I switched my salad to Caesar and stocked up on romaine. Then with tomatoes, I let my sandwiches suffice with crunchy cucumber instead. Despite the guidelines that usually accompany a recall, I’m happier to just abstain from the afflicted species for awhile until the buzz dies down

Now with peanut butter on the outs, you may find yourself seeking a B-list nut butter just to be safe. Technically speaking, jars of peanut butter are still in the clear. The thing is, peanut butter is already the lowliest of the nut butters and actually a legume butter, despite its popularity in the American market. So consider this latest epidemic an opportunity, if you will. If you’re with me, I’d like to introduce you to a more sophisticated escort to that jam in your sandwich: butter from almonds.

About 50% of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness during their first trimester. If you have suffered from the nausea and vomiting like I did throughout both of my pregnancies, you know it isn’t really “morning” sickness, but all day sickness. My midwives were wonderful at suggesting natural remedies to ease my suffering. The following suggestions for herbs, foods, and lifestyle practices are from my own personal experiences and from a great list of natural remedies posted on Mothering.

Herbs that Alleviate Morning Sickness

Ginger is well-known for its nausea reducing qualities, and many women have had success with ginger tea for relieving their morning sickness. The herb I found most useful was peppermint. I drank my own blend of herbs for a pregnancy tea (I’ll be posting that recipe soon!), and the peppermint really made me feel better. You can drink the tea cold or hot, depending on what makes you feel better. Fennel seeds also relieve queasiness, whether in tea or simply chewing on the seeds. Slippery Elm is another herb that may calm your stomach.