Posts from — June 2010

I had never had rice pudding before I tried this recipe, and now I am in love. I cooked up a ton of brown rice on Monday, and this is one fabulous way to use the leftovers. Tonight I made it for the second night in a row, and made some adjustments that turned out just right, so it’s ready to share!

The recipe below makes 1 serving if you have it alone, and 2 servings if you use it as a caramel-esque ice cream topping (yum!).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. brown rice
• 2 Tbsp milk of your choice (I recommend coconut milk or almond milk)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup (ideally Grade B, organic!)
• 1/2 Tbsp almond butter
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• optional: 2 Tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut, 2 Tbsp raisins, and/or 2 Tbsp sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently.
3. Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Pour into a bowls, or split into 2 servings and pour over 1/4 cup ice cream (I highly recommend coconut milk ice cream, or the real-deal good stuff)

Adapted from recipes found on The Institute of Integrative Nutrition website and in Health magazine.

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I’ve always been a fairly positive thinker, but one who believes “all things happen for a reason” and I have tended to think that things like chanting your intentions, meditation, and daily affirmations were just a little too “out there” for me.

However, I have recently been introduced to the science of positive psychology, and I find it fascinating! I have come to believe that, although there are definitely many things in the world that are out of our control, having a positive outlook and setting your mind to a positive place when doubt and fears creep in really does have a major impact.

That doesn’t mean I have perfected the practice, but I am continually learning. One exercise I particularly like is the “Three Blessings Exercise.” I learned it through a lecture by James Pawelski and have incorporated it into my daily life. It’s very simple: every night before you go to bed, write down three good things that happened that day, and why they happened. Then after a week, look back and see if you discover any patterns.

Now, I have modified this slightly. I end each day thinking about (not writing down–although I may start that) three things that I feel grateful for that day. I do this in the form of prayer, but whether or not you choose to thank God or the universe or whatever higher power you believe in, ending your day thinking about three positive things you are grateful for really is a peaceful, positive way to end the day and begin to prepare your mind and body for a new one. Some days it’s really, really hard but I’ve found even on days I couldn’t imagine it, I somehow do find three things that I am grateful for that happened that day (don’t just decide you are grateful for your cat each day–truly consider the day and what happened and what it meant to you).

So since I have adopted that, it’s not such a stretch to think that daily affirmations might be powerful and useful. This week I am participating in a group Master Cleanse led by another health coach, and one day she sent out some affirmations by Louise Hay. I found some of them extremely moving, so I printed them out and put them on my desk in front of my computer, and I like reading them each morning. Here they are:

• Healing happens! I get my mind out of the way and allow the intelligence of my body to do its healing work naturally.
• My body is always doing its best to create perfect health.
• Perfect health is my divine right, and I claim it now.
• I return my body to optimal health by giving it exactly what it needs on every level.
• I go within and connect with that part of myself that knows how to heal.
• I breathe deeply and fully. I take in the breath of life, and I am nourished.
• I am grateful to be alive today. It is my joy and pleasure to live another wonderful day.
• I balance my life between work, rest and play. They all get equal time.
• I am the only person who has control over my eating habits. I can resist something if I choose to.
• I make healthy choices. I have respect for myself.

If any of these speak to you, I recommend putting them somewhere accessible and reading them each day. No need to chant aloud or anything, just read them and try to mean them. If you find you don’t mean them or they don’t ring true for you, but you want them to, explore those thoughts and consider what actions might allow you to make them true. Making more time for yourself, starting a new hobby, exploring different ways of eating, or working with a health coach are all potential steps in a positive direction.

But in the meantime, simply trying the “Three Blessings Exercise” a few nights in a row and/or stating these or other affirmations each day might do you a world of good. I honestly believe they have done that for me!

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This salsa was inspired by salsa I purchased at the berry farm when I picked our strawberries. I LOVED it, and was sad not to find more when I went back another time. I found a recipe online and adapted it based on the ingredients that were in the salsa I bought, and my own preferences, and it turned out quite tasty. My husband told me it didn’t taste much like that salsa I bought—he thought it was better!

Yield:  About 4 cups

• 2 cups diced strawberries (I used frozen ones that I thawed and drained)
• 2 large tomatoes, peeled and diced (great instructions for peeling here!)
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 fresh lime, juiced (yield should be about 2 Tbsp)
• 1 small  jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely minced, or to taste
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup finely diced green bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

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Before I even got really interested in natural, whole foods, I read an article in a magazine that sparked my interest in natural beauty products. I learned that the majority of cosmetic and beauty product ingredients have not been evaluated and are not regulated by the FDA, and about some of the links between common ingredients and cancer (parabens), hormone disruption (DEA), and reproductive issues (parabens and phthalates). Within the week I was looking up everything in my bathroom on the Environmental Working Group’s Online Cosmetic Safety Database and filling bags of sweet-smelling, paraben-filled lotions and body sprays to be trashed or given away.

The tricky thing is, most products have SO many ingredients, it’s exhausting to scan them all and try to see what’s what. And the database, while helpful with its rating system, also shares very honestly the data gap that goes along with their rating, so it still leaves a lot to your own judgment.

When I learned the “five ingredients” rule of thumb for food (when buying packaged/processed foods, look for the ones that have five or fewer ingredients, and be sure you recognize each) I thought that would also be a good one to use for my household beauty and cleaning products. And then I decided, if I could go a step further and make things myself, that would be a great way to save money and know exactly what I was using!

I’m still exploring making my own all-natural house-cleaning products, laundry detergent, and shampoo and conditioner, and will cover those in future posts. Today I want to share the one replacement I can finally say I am happy with: my deodorant!

Deodorant is a product that has gotten quite a bit of attention lately, and most people are at least familiar with the concept that deodorants and antiperspirants containing aluminum may not be good for them. Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer’s Disease, because high concentrations of the metal have been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. It has also been linked to breast cancer, and it interferes with calcium, phosphorous, zinc, and selenium absorption. Another common deodorant and antiperspirant ingredient is Triclosan, and it is known to cause cancer and other medical problems. Putting products that contain these ingredients onto your skin anywhere–especially near the lymph nodes under your arms–causes them to go into and spread throughout your body very quickly. Never forget that your skin is your largest organ, and anything you put ON it, you are putting INTO you!

So after trying several brands of natural deodorant/antiperspirants and seeing each one fail miserably, I decided to try the make-your-own solution that I had come across a few places online. I had to play around with the “recipe” a bit, but I’m now very happy with the results. I have made my own stick deodorant, which works great, but especially because it’s summer, I find that the coconut oil gets drippy because of my body heat and can get on my clothes, so now I use my homemade stick and then I follow up with a bit of powder.

To make the stick:

1. Combine 1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder and 1/4 cup baking soda in a bowl
2. Add 4- 5 tablespoons coconut oil, mashing with a fork and working into a paste
3. Add a few drops of lavender oil or other good-smelling essential oil (optional)
4. Depending on the temperature in your house, your coconut oil may be very runny or very solid–ideally it will be somewhere in the middle, creating a paste
5. If you want to make a stick, pour the mixture into an empty deodorant container. If you are ok with applying it with your fingers, just store in a container with a lid.
6. Store at room temperature, or if it’s very runny, refrigerate until it’s more solid. Once it’s solid, unless your bathroom is VERY warm, you should be able to store it there without it being too melty.
7. Apply daily (although some people online swear they can go for 2 days!)
8. Note: Some people say the baking soda makes their underarms itch or even get a little rash, especially right after shaving there. If this happens, experiment with less baking soda and more cornstarch/arrowroot powder, but don’t give up on this!

To make the powder:

1. Combine 1 part baking soda with 6 parts cornstarch or arrowroot powder in an empty bowl with a lid
2. Add a few drops of lavender oil or other essential oil if desired
3. Put the lid on the container and shake thoroughly to mix
4. Dab on daily with a cotton ball or cosmetic applicator (I bought a powder puff)

Some people swear by just the powder, some people (including me) find the coconut oil mixture is more effective, but the combination of the two has been the perfect solution for me (and my clothes). The powder does get onto my clothes, but it’s easy to brush off, which the oil is not.

It may take a little while for your body to adjust to this, but give it a try for at least a week or two and see how it works for you. If you buy a big container of coconut oil, don’t worry about the extra–you can use it in cooking or apply it to your skin anywhere as a moisturizer!

Now I’m off to scout out some more homemade shampoo recipes to try…so far no luck there, but I’ll have a more full report on that soon!

Additional Resources:

Know Your Cosmetic Ingredients: Top Ingredients to Avoid

The Dirty Dozen Chemicals in Cosmetics

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