New Recipes!!

Here are a few more to play with…they have either been created by myself, friends, or Mark Sisson or off that world wide interweb!  Remember that when new recipes are posted they are at the top of that page….the older recipes follow…check them out too!

In the Meat, Poultry and Fish World:

Banh Mi Salad  (yummy!)

Lemon ~ Parsley Brisket

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Kale and Ginger Steak

Grilled Lamb Steaks with Preserved Lemon & Mint Gremolata

In the Snack, Energy Bars, etc World:

Easy Energy Balls

Thrive Apple Cinnamon Energy Bar

Raw Chocolate-Chia Energy Bars

In the Cleanse Foods World:

Dr. Fuhrman’s Green Longevity Drink

Detoxifying Dandelion and Bitter Greens Salad with a Tarragon-Lemon Vinaigrette

Wilted Dandelion Salad with Pine Nuts and Crispy Garlic

In the Soups World:

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup (one of longtime favorites!)

Bug Be Gone and Sun Soother!

Recently I have had a few friends ask for my old recipe for Bug Be Gone…. a natural bug spray that I used to sell back when I made a bunch of products for retail accounts.  So here is the basic recipe!  It works great and smells good too!  As with all natural bug sprays, you just have to apply it more often and be sure to shake it up before each use.  I also added in a recipe for my Sun Soother cuz tis the season!  Next to each essential oil, I listed an approximate amount of drops…because you can play around with them as you please, to make it smell closer to your own liking and to also accommodate the fact that not everyone has all of these essential oils on hand.  The main essential oils for the bug spray being: lemongrass, lavender, eucalyptus and citronella….great to have on hand anyway for a variety of reasons.  These always sold so dam well so hope you enjoy!!  Here ya go Jen, Amy and Sarah!! (and hopefully a few others!)

Bug Be Gone:  (remember you can always double or triple the recipe!)

Ingredients:

• Witch Hazel:  8 oz
• Grapeseed Oil:  2 oz (or almond or jojoba oil..though not olive…bugs actually kinda like it)
• Lemongrass essential oil:   20 drops
• Lavender ess oil:  20 drops
• Eucalyptus ess oil:  20 drops
• Citronella ess oil: 10-15 drops
• Geranium ess oil:  10 drops
• Frankincense ess oil: 10 drops

Prep:

• Blend everything in a glass container and your done!  haha….just about….
• Mix up well so the oil is well dispersed before pouring into whatever spray or squirt bottle you have on hand…you may need to mix a few times if you are pouring into a few different containers so one container doesn’t get all the oil which will sit on top if you don’t mix well.
• If you do not have geranium or frankincense, you can skip them, just go a bit heavier on the other essential oils.
• If you want it stronger, add more citronella…just be aware it will smell like citronella…
• Shake before each use on skin (again to mix up the oil which is in there so it will stay on your skin a bit without being too greasy)
• Great for kids too!

Sun Soother:  (excellent for after sun exposure to cool the burn or to help turn the burn into more of a tan)

Ingredients:

• Aloe Vera Gel:   5 parts
• Witch Hazel:   2 parts
• Lavender Water:  1/2 part  (see how to make a simple lavender water below)
• Melted Coconut Oil:  1/3 part

Prep:

• Keep in mind that you can make as little or as much of this as you want….hence the “parts”.  One ‘part’ can equal one tablespoon, one cup or one quart…just use the same ‘part’ (tablespoon, ounce cup etc) throughout the whole recipe
• Mix aloe and witch hazel together
• Add in lavender water, homemade or store bought (a simple recipe for lavender water:  8 ounces distilled water with 20 drops of lavender essential oil mixed in)….you can use any leftover lavender water that you make to freshen the house, as a bathroom spray, a linen/closet spray or a body spray!

• Melt the coconut oil in a pan and mix with the above as a liquid.  If your sun soother ever gets a little thick…it is because coconut oil hardens when cool….so just leave on a sunny windowsill or on the dash of your car in the sun to turn back to liquid…though with this small amount, you shouldn’t have any problems with that
• When mixed well, pour into a flip top/squirt bottle and apply as needed.  Can be used on household burns as well as long as they are superficial/first degree

 

Nutritional ~ Physical ~ Social ~ Environmental ~ Emotional

The Five Areas of Wellness….

So, I realized the other day that I have never shared with you the Roots Wise General Food and Health Philosophy on this site…this is a brief write up that sums up some general food and wellness philosophies that I believe can greatly contribute to wellness and ones that I stand behind and share and explore with my clients.  They are basic yes, yet can offer some thought.  I feel it is absolutely important to consider the 5 areas of wellness in all you do.  These 5 areas of wellness that I focus on in my work include:

 

Read on…..

Fluids:   

• Primarily drink water and avoid juice, alcohol and too much caffeine.

Fruits and Vegetables: 

• Consume an abundant amount of fruits and veggies as close to their natural form as possible and as fresh and raw as possible for plentiful vitamins and minerals
• Be sure to include an abundant amount of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, asparagus) and nutrient dense leafy greens such as kale and spinach as well as veggies in the allium family (onions, garlic, leeks etc) for added nutrients.
• Lean more towards temperate region fruits vs tropical region fruits (if you live in temperate regions) and fruits lower in total fructose vs glucose.
• Indulge in plenty of fiber rich veggies & fruit, both insoluble and soluble fiber
• Limit starchy veggies and legumes (potatoes, corn, beans)
• Choose wild or organic whenever possible

Meats, Fish, Eggs and Dairy: 

• Enjoy healthy sources of protein in abundance
• Choose organic,free range, wild caught and/or grass fed whenever able
• Choose fish that is lower in mercury levels
• Avoid too much dairy other than eggs and yogurt (unless you have access to raw, organic milk)
• Be conscious of your meat and dairy choices and the environmental impact of those choices

Carbohydrates: 

• Consume primarily fruits and vegetables for your carbohydrates
• Eat the right carbs at the right time
• Avoid flour based foods, cereals, crackers & breads as best as able
• Seek out grains that are nutrient dense with a low glycemic load, in moderation, such as quinoa, oats, brown and wild rice, millet, barley, etc.
• Avoid so called “health” bars and instead make your own or choose ones low in sugar

Fats:  

• Consume an abundant amount of healthy fats, maintaining  an ideal omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, such as coconut oil, avocado, raw nuts, extra virgin olive oil, and fatty fish (salmon etc).
• Avoid all hydrogentated oils and trans fats and eat healthy saturated oils.  Also avoid vegetable oils such as corn, soybean, sunflower and canola.

Supplements:

• Because we live in a day and age where our soils and thus are food are stripped of vital nutrients, it is important to include a few valuable high quality – whole food based supplements to your daily life
• Roots Wise recommends:  a whole food based multi-vitamin, an essential fatty acid supplement with D3 or a vitamin D3 supplement 9 months out of the year here in Vt, and a probiotic supplement for everyone (probiotics may only need to be taken 3-5x/week).  Roots Wise also often recommends magnesium supplementation. Recognize that certain individuals may need more and/or different supplementation.

 Cleansing and Detoxyfing:  

• Roots Wise recognizes the importance of engaging in an occasional (often 2x/year) cleansing program.  We all live amongst environmental toxins and subject our bodies to internal toxins as well through the foods we eat, the exercise we do and the stress we take on.  Roots Wise has a created a nutrition, herbal and movement cleansing program to help you do just that.
• Roots Wise also feels it is important to recognize the unnecessary chemicals and plastics that are in our environment, in our lives and in our homes and work to cut back on their use and prevalence and find alternatives.

Movement:

• Our bodies were designed to move!  Roots wise stresses the importance of daily movement and play that combines elements of aerobic, anaerobic, multi-planar and functional moves that are fun, enjoyable and mimic how our bodies were designed to move…outside of course!
• Enjoy daily movement or schedule it if that is what you need to do.
• Move as often as possible outdoors in your natural environment.

Social Interactions:

• Positive social experience is necessary for optimal health.  How you interact with the world around you and the people in that world around you, contributes greatly to how you experience life, how you learn about yourself and how you share with others.

 Protecting Our Playgrounds: 

• Roots Wise puts great emphasis on doing the best we can to protect the environment we live in through our food and lifestyle choices.  We recognize our responsibility in being stewards of the earth and therefore are conscious of our choices in regards to: local and organic, fair trade, grass fed, industrialized farming and feedlots, animal protein production, the environmental impact, and our local and global economies.

Stress and Happiness:

• How we interact internally as with others and with our environment is crucial in maintaining a healthy, happy life.  Healthy stress can be an important part of our every day, be it physical, emotional or spiritual stress.  Excess and unnecessary stress is detrimental to our health.  How we manage and cope with that stress will determine whether that stress is a negative or a positive in our lives.  Roots Wise feels it is important in working to create the life you desire and puts focus on emotional, spiritual, physical, environmental, nutritional and creative health.