Become a localvore

There is nothing tastier then eating food straight from the garden, especially this time of year when berries are growing wildly and the gardens are full of nutrient packed veggies. If you have ever eaten from your own garden or a friends, you taste the obvious difference. Home grown food is more flavorful and full of life and energy that is then passed onto you, not to mention more colorful and uniquely shaped them commercially grown produce.

If you don't have space for a garden or simply don't have the time, a great way to get the freshest vegetables available is by eating: local, from the farmers market or by participating in a CSA (community sponsored agriculture) program. Eating local helps to sustain your own community as well as keep your body in sync with the natural flow of the seasons.

Enjoy all the fruits and vegetables available this time of year. Try something new when you go to the farmers market, and challenge yourself to make a new dish with summer veggies and fruits.

The inner goddess

We are all spiritual beings longing to be a part of community; to feel a sense of connectivity with one another. What impact do you want to leave on this earth? What do you envision for your life? If you could achieve everything you wished and dreamed of taking place in your life how would you feel?

Take a moment to think about what your life would look like in a perfect world. Are you living in the same city or enjoying the days on a tropical beach in another country? Are you self employed or working for someone else? Do you spend time worrying about satisfying everyone else before meeting your own needs?

Imagine how you would feel waking up everyday to live the life that you created! And know that, it is possible!

Think about how much time you spend each day worrying about what you have to do. How much time is spent not focusing on the present moment? How often do you worry about other people's problems? Let it all go and take time each day to nurture yourself.

A few simple ideas for self care:
1. Be in nature
2. Walk or run
3. Yoga outdoors
4. Sit alone and just be
5. Focus on all the good things in life
6. Laugh
7. Listen to music
8. Take a bath
9. Get a massage
10.Breath deeply

Symptoms are signals

When diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and others make themselves undeniably visible to us they do so after having been allowed the time to grow and develop. It is understood now that diseases do not just show up over night. Many people complain about aches and pains that they have had for months or maybe even years and do nothing about it but take a pill to alleviate the inconvenience of feeling unwell. What about eating less sugar and refined foods and eating more whole foods? What if instead of eating packaged foods you fed your body fresh fruits and vegetables? The China Study proves that cancer can be turned on and off depending on the types of food being consumed. If we take care of our bodies and keep them in a state of well-being we reduce the chances of having a body able to support disease. We make a choice every time we eat whether we are going to take care for our bodies or put it in harms way.

Symptoms are the bodies way of letting us know that something is wrong and if we medicate them we miss out on the opportunity to truly figure out what is the root of the problem. When you go to the doctor and are prescribed medicine for high blood pressure you are dealing with the symptoms only, but the reason you have high blood pressure in the first place is never addressed. Taking medication to alleviate a health issue is not the solution and most often has repercussions in the long run.

If you find yourself dealing with recurring problems such as: eczema, psoriasis, indigestion, PMS, head aches, low energy, etc contact me. Together we can go over your health and see what can be done to make sure you are able to live a life pain and problem free.

Tinctures

Tinctures are an excellent way to support your body or simply to maintain the functioning of your systems. For those who are sensitive to western medicines or who are uncomfortable with the idea of ingesting man made chemicals, tinctures are a wonderful alternative.

What is a tincture?

Herbs and parts of herbs are soaked in alcohol for 3-6 weeks leaving the liquid after that time concentrated with the benefits of the herbs, the liquid is called a tincture and is a potent form of what has been soaked.

A few reasons why to use tinctures...

Easily digested-
Due to the liquid form that is achieved after the 6 week process, your body can easily absorb what is ingested and does not need to expel energy digesting. This is especially important for people who have digestion problems.

Shelf life-
The shelf life for most tinctures is about 5 years, kept out of sunlight and best stored in dark glass. Fresh herbs and dried herbs lose efficacy after a short period of time making the tinctures a great way to get all you can out of your herbs.

Empowerment-
Imagine taking your own health into your hands and preparing natural remedies that you know are benefiting your body. You are able to control the quality of your medicine by choosing which herbs to use and where you get them from. You can also experiment by making a blend of different herbs to make your own unique tincture.

Herb of the week-Dill

Now is the time that you will find fresh dill at your local farmers markets and grocery stores. Dried dill can be found year round but is not as flavorful as fresh dill so go out there and indulge in the fresh herb. The herb which is native to Southern Russia, the Mediterranean region, and western Africa is widely available to those of us living in the United States and is a wonderful addition to salads, fish dishes and dressings.

Dill is high in calcium, iron, manganese and magnesium making this herb a great support for healthy bones. Studies have shown dill to have anti bacterial properties and help protect the body neutralize certain carcinogens and ward off free radicals.

The leaves from the dill plant can be used fresh or dried and the seeds are also a delicious addition to many dishes.

Try: Add dill to your next salad, bean dish, grains or fish and notice how the distinct flavors enhance your every bite.

Beautiful Beets!

Now is the perfect time to go out and buy some beets. Although they are available year round their season is June through October. They are known for their vibrant magenta color and can also be found in golden yellows, oranges and rainbow colors. The attractive coloring of beets signals to us that they are high in antioxidants.

Beets benefits us by...

Lowering blood pressure
Preventing birth defects
Detoxifying the liver
Colon/stomach cancer prevention
Preventing Osteoporosis

Not only are the beets themselves highly beneficial to our health, but so are the green leaves that are attached to the beetroot. Enjoy your beets raw, cooked, steamed or juiced.

Beet salad

Ingredients:

* 4-5 large beets
* water for boiling
* 1 orange, peeled and cut into segments
* 2 apples, sliced
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 1 tbsp raspberry or red wine vinegar
* dash salt
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 bunches spinach or other salad greens
* 3 tbsp walnuts or any other seeds/nuts (optional)
* sweetener if desired (maple syrup, sugar)

Preparation:

Steam beets until tender. Remove beets from steam and cut into thin slices once they have cooled down.

Place the beets, oranges and apples in a large bowl.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, sweetener if desired, salt and garlic. Pour this dressing over the beets and fruit, tossing to coat.

Serve the beets and fruit over spinach or greens and top with walnuts if desired.

What to expect

As the months progress and we find ourselves approaching the summertime, the Organic Wild Child is determined to progress as well in order to provide even more valuable information to you as you work towards nourishing your body.

You can now expect a weekly highlight on:

Herbs
Vitamins
Food
Recipes
Healthy tips

Thank you for supporting the Organic Wild Child and keep checking back for ways that you can take your heath to the next level.