It’s not lost on me just how lucky I am to be married to someone with such a passion and skill for cooking. A recipe with more than a few ingredients has me sweating and stressing in the kitchen. In contrast, Christina is in her element and seems to execute flawlessly the more challenging the dish. Consequently, I have become a master level dishwasher and only occasionally raise an eyebrow at the amount of cookware piled high in the sink!…
Whether you’re traveling or just having a very busy week, it can be so hard to stay regular! Yup, we’re talking about that taboo topic, poop. Your colon loves a regular schedule. Regular food, regular hydration, and the same schedule day in and day out. The truth is life isn’t always regular. Meetings get booked in the morning, work schedules get erratic, and early morning flights make it all more difficult. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone! Travel…
I prefer breakfast in bed… … but if I have to do breakfast on the go, it’s usually overnight oats. They come together all on their own in the fridge while I sleep, they’re a fiber-rich, satiating breakfast with lots of room for variation. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know I like to add pureed cauliflower, sweet potato or banana to my oats. It bulks them up, adds flavor and nutrients, and it’s the perfect way to…
Good quality oils can make such a difference to your diet. Even if you only change this one thing, I believe you’ll feel different. This includes: Not using oils to cook with that shouldn’t be heated (flax, canola, modified vegetable oils, margarine) Respecting an oil’s smoke point – olive oil has a smoke point of 350 F, so it can be used for light sautéing or cooking under that temperature, whereas flax oil shouldn’t be heated due to its sensitive…
In New Zealand, there grows a tree the native Māori people call mānuka. They use its durable wood to make tools and smoke meat, and they make an essential oil—which you may know as tea tree oil—from its leaves. But the most special thing about the mānuka tree may be its white or pink blossoms. These flowers attract bees that make honey from the nectar, and this one-of-a-kind elixir contains special enzymes and antioxidants other honey doesn’t. It’s called mānuka…
Spring! After our region of the Midwest was hit with a historically bad winter, I have never been happier to see spring. With warmer weather and sunshine finally reemerging, my training has picked back up and with it my craving for sweets. Growing up I always eyed those prepackaged sugar cookie rolls that people sliced and baked, but I was raised in a natural household where my mother would tint food with natural ingredients and make all baked goods from…
If you’re like a lot of parents, the thought of spring break coming up fills you with a sort of dread. It’s not that you don’t love your kids—of course, you do!—but you also don’t want to be bombarded with “I’m bored! What should I do?” the entire week. Planning ahead is the answer. And since the weather doesn’t always cooperate in March and April, the smartest move is to plan indoor and outdoor activities to keep your kiddos busy.…
Start your day off right with a sweet and sunshiny smoothie. The Tropical Fruit Smoothie brings together bursts of bright fruit flavors with creamy yogurt and power-packed Gandalf / VieSun Spirulina™. It’s a delicious blend that’ll leave your whole family smiling. Yogurt brings protein and probiotics to the mix, while the addition of tropical fruit helps you load up on vitamin C, ideal to keep your immune system strong. Gandalf / VieSun Spirulina™ is the icing on the nutritional cake,…
Spring is in the air, and the first cherry blossoms have bloomed. The sunshine and moisture, flowers and birds are back. Everything is turning green—including our smoothies! Spring greens such as lettuce, kale, and arugula/roquette are now signaling spring in sunny gardens in the southern states. ‘Lettuce’ hope you lucky folks from warm areas gobble them up for us since they sprout up a little later for us here at Flora. In the Pacific northwest, local produce will continue to…
It is not so much an issue of knowledge but of habits, convenience, and support systems. That’s why even if you ‘know better’, a nutritionist or accountability coach can help you. When not to see a nutrition professional We are not the people to see if you are experiencing an acute issue—say a stroke or trauma—or during a mental health emergency. Why not to see a nutrition professional See a primary care practitioner to get a disease diagnosed or treated—we…