Filed under: Healthy Nutrition | Tags: candida, reduce sugar cravings, sugar cravings
For probably the first time in my life I can honestly say I do not crave sugar. I am almost 38 years old so that is pretty huge for me. That isn’t to say I don’t enjoy a sweet snack from time to time; it means that I don’t find myself obsessing over sugar or figuring out what is sweet in the house that I can eat to satisfy my sugar craving.
I figure I came by my sugar addiction naturally because several family members really love(d) sugar too. My dad could eat a one pound box of Saunder’s chocolates in two sittings. If you have seen him you know he was pretty thin but he loved his sugar. It is possible that he was unknowingly suffering from candida (an overgrowth of yeast in the digestive tract that feeds on sugar and causes sugar cravings). One interesting fact was that after his cancer was in full swing he no longer craved sugar. I found that odd because like candida, cancer feeds on sugar.
I have read some hypothesis that consumption of large quantities of sugar and white flour products are contributing to an increase in cancer. I have learned when it comes to losing a loved one it is much better to not say, “What if…” or “If only…” especially when we have no idea what the end result would have been. I do know that I did not like having my mind and my body ruled by sugar cravings and if I can reduce my chances for getting cancer, all the better.
So what do I contribute my reduced sugar cravings to? I think there are three primary contributing factors:
- Garlic. I have been taking garlic for the past four months or so and as a natural anti-biotic, anti-fungal, etc it helps to battle the candida naturally. It was after I was taking the garlic for a couple months that I noticed, “Hey, I haven’t had a sugar craving in a while.”
- Protein increase. I have been more careful to get my protein in each day which supports keeping my blood sugar balanced. When my blood sugar plummets my body is more naturally going to look for a quick carbohydrate.
- Balanced nutrition. Consistently taking my multi-vitamin, Omega 3 fatty acids, carotenoids, and vitamins B and C along with a few others has provided my body with a baseline for health and wellness.
If you suffer from sugar cravings, my heart goes out to you. I want you to know that it is not a function of will-power. Something in your body is imbalanced, very possibly candida. For more information on candida symptoms and treatments, read “Candida: The Silent Nemesis”, a blog I wrote a couple months ago. Good luck!
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys helping people to live healthier lives, naturally. You can find Garlic Complex, Cinch Protein Shakes, Energizing Soy Protein, and Vitalizer all at: www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland
Filed under: gluten-free | Tags: certified gluten-free oats, gluten-free, oats
You may not think this is such a tough question, but for a lot of people trying to figure out a gluten-free lifestyle, it is surprizingly confusing. You see, the answer to, “Are oats gluten-free?” is yes and no. Let me explain.
The “yes” part is that oats are naturally gluten-free. The “no” part is that oats get cross-contaminated almost all the time. They are grown in the same fields, or next to fields with wheat crops. They are transported in the same trucks as wheat and stored in the same silos as wheat is stored.
You might not think such levels of cross-contamination would cause an issue, but it does. My suggestion for people who are very sensitive to wheat OR have Celiac is that they avoid oats unless they are certified gluten-free (in case you are curious, the price triples or quadruples). It is worth it to pay that extra price; let me tell you my story with oats.
I am gluten-intolerant so when I was diagnosed my doctor told me to play around with my diet and do what felt good to my body. (If I had Celiac I would have instantly been on a no-gluten diet for the rest of my life…no playing around with Celiac, there are serious health consequences there.)
Initially I continued to eat oats on ocassion or use them in baking. Oat flour makes some lovely cookies and of course oats are great in fruit crisps. A little over a year ago I went on an oatmeal-for-breakfast-kick where I was eating oatmeal about four days per week. By this time I hadn’t “cheated” on my gluten-free diet (at least not knowingly) in a couple years. I noticed my stomach started being uncomfortable on a daily basis and it reminded me of how I felt most of the time before I got diagnosed.
Of course when this happens you start thinking about what you have been eating and oats were the only possible source of gluten that I was getting in my diet. You can probably guess that I have since eliminated oats from my diet with two exceptions: 1) the gluten-free oats I have in my cupboard and 2) the rhubarb crisp I ate at my mom’s this past spring.
If you know someone has Celiac or is gluten-intolerant please ask them before using oats or oat flour in a dish. I strongly suggest if they have Celiac that you refrain completely (unless they are certified gluten-free oats) and if they are gluten-intolerant ask them their preference.
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys helping people make a smooth and delicious transition to a gluten-free lifestyle. She loves the Shaklee supplements and protein shakes as almost everything is gluten-free. Contact her for more information or go to: www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland to order and read labels.
Filed under: Green Living | Tags: baking with stoneware, concentrated cleaners, juice concentrate, reducing trash
Today is garbage day and as I walked through my neighborhood I thought about how we are so accustomed to throwing things out in America. Buy food at a fast food restaurant and toss the cup and wrappers into the trash without a second thought (at least we hope you put them in the trash and don’t toss them out the window as you drive down the road). My point isn’t that we never again eat fast food; my point is that we consider areas of our lives where maybe we could make a difference in how much we are throwing away. When I go to a coffee shop I always ask for a “real cup” or it it is “to go” I will get it in my own reusable cup.
Today I thought I would touch on three areas where you may be able to minimize your own family’s disposables and help from two directions:
- The less we throwing out means the less that was needed to be manufactured for our purposes so we are helping to extend the earth’s resources.
- The less we throw out means the less that is going into our filling landfills. Sure, there is lots of space available in many parts of the country for garbage so garbage disposal is pretty cheap, but what about in the future? Do you want your grandchildren to need to live next door to a dump because we are running out of space?
Several gluten-free cookbooks suggest using parchment paper to line cookie sheets for breads and cookies to keep them from sticking. I did that a few times but parchment paper isn’t cheap and it tends to slide on the tray. I decided to try baking directly on my stoneware and guess what? It worked great! I already loved my stoneware and this was another reason to love it! All of my stoneware is by Pampered Chef and you can check it out at: www.pamperedchef.biz/bethcooks4you if you are interested.
Also in the kitchen, consider mixing up juice concentrates instead of buying bottles of juice. Most of the pre-mixed is from concentrate anyway so you save packaging and cash 
Use highly concentrated cleaning products. My 5.5 pound box of laundry detergent washes 88 loads. My 16 oz bottle of green cleaning concentrate make HUNDREDS of bottles of degreaser, all-purpose cleaner, and window cleaner. Not only am I multi-tasking with that one bottle, I am also reducing shipping needs by adding my own water to mix it up.
Consider your activities as you go through the day and think as you are about to toss something in the trash, “How can I keep this out of the garbage?” My next step for myself is attempting to switch to hankies from Kleenex. What is your next step?
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor and on a path of helping people and the planet to live healthier lives by taking small steps. For more information on Shaklee’s great cleaning products, you can go to: www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland/GetClean
Filed under: Healthy Nutrition | Tags: health, Low fat diets, processed foods
First of all, let me say that I don’t believe in a “one size fits all” approach to diet or other lifestyle choices. I read once how much of our DNA is identical to dogs yet dogs cannot eat chocolate or grapes without poisoning themselves yet for humans both of those foods are good for us (depending on how much they have been processed and how much we have messed with pesticides and such). The article “Fat is Where It’s At” (Ode Magazine June/July 2009) says that for about the past thirty years there has been an emphasis on eating low-fat for health.
I am nearly thirty-eight years old. That means that pretty much since I could read I have been hearing the message that we should consume lower fat diets. I’ll be honest with you that I’m not quite prepared to believe that if I am reaching for the organic strawberry yogurt that I am better off to grab the full-fat version than the low-fat. For years though, I have stopped grabbing the “fat free” because I find there are a lot more unusual ingredients in fat free dairy products (such as cottage cheese, sour cream, cheese, and yogurt).
Let’s move away from the dairy section and into the cookie and cracker aisle. Pick up a random type of cookie that comes in a “regular” AND “low or fat free” version. Compare the labels. Which one is easier to understand? This is also evident in the ice cream aisle. Packaged and processed foods that are “low fat” or “fat free” are not only packed with more chemicals, they usually have more sugars and simple carbohydrates. Plus, people eat more of them in one sitting because they don’t feel satisfied.
Consider allowing yourself to purchase the more full-fat version of a few items this week when you go grocery shopping. If you usually avoid nuts because of the high fat content, buy them. They are great for your health and can actually HELP some folks to lose weight becuase they have such a nice balance of protein and fiber. Instead of making “low fat” your no-brainer choice, make “fewer chemicals and simple carbohydrates” your no-brainer and see how you feel.
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys sharing the knowledge she gathers in her own quest to live a healthier and more fulfilling life. One of her favorite parts of a fulfilling life is being her own boss and setting her own hours. If you would like to evaluate that option and see if a Shaklee Distributorship is right for you, check out: www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland/DistMain.
Filed under: Healthy Nutrition | Tags: fat consumption, fats and ode magazine, healthy fats
Yep, eat more fat. The American Heart Association recently revised its nutritional guidelines calling for an INCREASE in the daily recommendation of fat. According to the president of the AHA, Robert Eckel a professor of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, “The science just wasn’t there.”
I read “Fat is Where it’s At” in the June/July 2009 issue of Ode Magazine (odemagazine.com) and it challenged some of my beliefs about fat. I will share some of the pieces that are in alignment with my beliefs; I will continue to noodle over the parts that I’m still not sure of. All in all, it is a worthy conversation for us to have with ourselves, our doctors, and our families.
My husband, Keith, and I have gone to nutritionist Cindy Klement (located in Ann Arbor, Michigan) twice for consultation. Cindy is a big proponent of getting lots of great, cold-pressed oils from a variety of sources into your diet to maximize health. Because of Cindy’s guidance I now mix my own salad dressings using vinegar, herbs and spices, and oils. They are tasty, fresh, completely customizable, and a lot cheaper then store-bought dressings.
One of the main points of the article is that we, as a nation, have become so fearful of fat that we are avoiding it at all costs. It is proven that our bodies need fats to survive; many of our nutrients absorb better when taken with fats; we feel more satisfied after eating fats; and, this huge increase in “low fat” foods has had no impact on the health of the nation. (If anything, we have gotten fatter.)
The main point I would like to leave you with today is to consider your diet and how much fat are you consuming, on average, in a day. Try some new, cold-pressed, oils and add extra to your salads or veggies. I also think that living a life of deprivation does no good. Have an order of fries once in a while as a treat or buy a quart of full-fat ice cream (you should be able to read all the ingredients) for a birthday celebration. Enjoy life and enjoy each bite.
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who educates people on how to live healthier and more satisfying lives utilizing the information she researches. For excellent vitamins to be absorbed with that extra fat, go to: www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland
When I’m hungry I want to eat quickly and if I’m tired I want to be in quiet surroundings where I can relax, you know, like my home. I have found over the years it is better for me to whip up a meal at home then to go through the expense and emotional energy of eating in a noisy restaurant when I am tired. My last blog post explain how Keith and I developed the term “Guerrilla Cooking” and my thoughts that go into what to put in a quick, home cooked meal.
It isn’t so easy to give you recipes for Guerrilla Cooking, in fact, if you are looking for a recipe, you are missing the point. I do, however, sometimes use memories of recipes or of the flavor of dishes I have tried to serve as inspiration. The problem with recipes is you are supposed to start with the ingredients listed. The point with Guerrilla Cooking is to start with what you have available to you and what is supposed to be used up first because it is going to go bad.
If I am tired I am also interested in quick clean up so along with a quick, home cooked meal, I like to create as few dishes as possible, often just one pot. I heard it said once that when you are creating a dinner party just make one thing spectacular and everything else can be average. People will remember the spectacular piece and have a great time. Downscale that concept by 10 and that is Guerrilla Cooking. Create a main dish or side dish quickly that is tasty and the rest can be so-so.
You need to start with your likes and dislikes. I may list ingredients that you don’t care for in the following examples. Don’t use them if you don’t like them. The information is designed to get your brain started thinking so you can create your own quick, home cooked meals (usually in 15-20 minutes, no kidding and no shopping). Here are a couple that show up frequently:
Homemade Tomato Soup:
- Saute chopped onions and garlic together until soft.
- Add fresh kale or spinach to wilt at the very end if you have extra to use up.
- Add one large can of diced tomatoes (with or without basil) and add one small can of “fire roasted” tomatoes (with or without green chilies-nice spice).
- Add fresh basil (or dried if you don’t have fresh).
- Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
- Add milk (I’ve used plain soy, low-fat, whole, coffee cream, whatever I have to use up).
- Add extra olive oil for your health. You need the good fats and it adds a richness to the soup.
- Blend all ingredients together using an immersion blender (or do in two batches using a regular blender).
- Heat to eating temperature.
Serve with a side of protein, one veggie, and carbs.
Pot ‘o Beans:
- Saute onions and garlic together.
- Drain 2-3 cans of whatever beans you enjoy (pinto, kidney, black-eyed peas, black, etc).
- Find veggies to add (fresh or frozen broccoli, peas, spinach are my favs). You can use canned if you don’t have fresh or frozen.
- Add the veggies and drained beans.
- Add spices to taste. I like a bit of spice so hot pepper sauce or whatever is handy. I also put vinegar in sometimes or a touch of fruit juice or wine to change it up. Salt helps too. You can also use a packaged sauce if you have some left over from another dish that you want to use up.
- Cook until everything is done and warmed through.
Serve with a side of carbs and a second veggie, if needed.
Hopefully these recipes have given you some “food for thought” about how you can create some quick home cooked meals with ingredients you have on hand. Shopping for staples is important. For example, I always have onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, and canned beans in my kitchen because they are MY staples. Figure out what are staples for your family and keep those handy and available. Have fun with herbs and spices. I have a so-so meal about every one in ten now and a complete flop happens rarely (although more often in the beginning). You get a bad meal at a restaurant sometimes too! If that happens, make popcorn and slice good cheddar cheese to go with it instead!
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who enjoys sharing cooking tips and helping others to live healthier lives. One of her favorite quick proteins is Shaklee “Energizing Soy Protein” that has tons of nutrients and mixes well in fruit juice. It is a great addition to a meal missing the protein element. You can find out more at: www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland
Filed under: Healthy Nutrition | Tags: healthy meals, quick meals, wasting food
You may have heard of “Guerrilla Warfare” where those who don’t have access to a lot of resources make do with what they have (and are often very effective) to wage a battle or war. Well, Keith and I have coined the term “Guerrilla Cooking” for throwing together a tasty meal, making do with whatever is in the pantry. It is quite a skill and one that I find to be continually challenging and fun. We have actually found many “favorites” have come out of an experimental Guerrilla Cooking moment.
So, maybe you would like to improve your Guerrilla Cooking skills. On those days that you just want to eat and you don’t want to think about it you may be tempted to go out to eat. Here is what I know about that…by the time you get to the restaurant and place your order, I can have dinner on the table and it will cost less AND likely, be tastier. The bonus is that I am already at home so I don’t need to then drive home to relax.
It’s dinnertime and you have no clue of what you are going to make. Start by opening all the cupboard doors and looking in the fridge. Don’t forget the crisper and especially any items that are about to expire. Do you have anything on the “critical” list (the fresh spinach that is wilting, the ground beef that won’t last another day)? If so, use that as your starting point. Whatever else you serve, that item is going to be in the meal.
Is the item beyond the point of using it in its current state? For example, the carrots are a bit rubbery so you can’t serve them raw.
Next, consider the parts of a balanced meal:
- Protein: Being a vegetarian I am always careful to get protein in there because it is easy to overlook and very critical to being healthy. My favorite “quick” proteins are: canned or pre-cooked beans or legumes, tofu, cottage cheese, and eggs. When I was a meat eater I would cook a chicken or turkey and then pick the meat off the bones and freeze the meat. I could break off a chunk to use for dinner and that was very convenient.
- Carbohydrate: I want one good, complex carbohydrate. The carb can be tricky because the good ones often take a long time to cook (like brown rice) so if you have something from a previous meal, you are golden. If you need to start fresh consider quinoa (I call it the gluten-free version of couscous that is tasty for everyone) or I have a fall-back of corn tortilla’s (either warmed, toasted, or baked…sometimes with a little cheese on them). I also use potatoes occasionally, squash, gluten-free noodles or gluten-free bread.
- Vegetables: I would like at least two vegetables at a meal, preferably one fresh and one cooked. It doesn’t always work out that way but I figure it all balances out in the end. If I don’t have fresh veggies, my second choice is frozen and my last choice is to dip into my emergency stockpile of canned veggies.
- Fats: Many people don’t realize that fats are good for us (there is a great article in this month’s Ode Magazine about fats) and we need fats in our diet everyday. I especially like olive oil (not a big fan of the taste but I know it is good for me so I doctor it up). I drizzle it over cooked veggies instead of butter or pour it into soup or salad dressings for extra good fats.
I’m going to leave you in suspense for how to pull it all together and in my next post I will share a couple of my spontaneous recipes that I stumbled on by accident and have become regular meals in my home.
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who supports the community by providing information on living healthier lives. Guerrilla cooking is one of her favorite past times. You can see more information on Shaklee at: www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland Feedback on this site is appreciated. Thanks for visiting!
Filed under: Uncategorized
I have been in California this past weekend, one of my quickest cross-country trips that I have ever had. We flew out Friday evening and were back in Michigan by 8 AM on Monday…Ugh! I knew that my immune system would be challenged between the weird hours of sleep, long hours in a seminar, and of course, my favorite, all that time in the airplanes. I packed my supplements and made sure that I brought along alfalfa.
I wasn’t a big fan of alfalfa when I first heard about it. It seemed kind of odd to consume grass (isn’t alfalfa in guinea pig food or given to horses?). In fact, the first person I remember singing the praises of alfalfa talked about how it helped them recover faster from hangovers. That isn’t a challenge that I have so I figured maybe I didn’t need alfalfa. Then I learned some interesting tidbits about alfalfa:
Did you know alfalfa is considered the “King of Plants”? That is because the roots grow very deep into the earth (up to 125 feet!) which creates an extremely nutrient-rich food.
Alfalfa is a natural anti-histamine (think allergies); anti-fungal (think athlete’s foot); anti-inflammatory (think heart disease or digestive issues); analgesic (pain relief); and diuretic (helps the body maintain it’s delicate water-balance). Did you know all of that?
In addition, alfalfa helps to support healthy kidney and bladder (makes urine less acidic); normalizes body chemistry (very alkalizing); cleanses body of toxins and aids in their removal from the body. It also helps to improve digestion and elimination because of the digestive enzymes present in the plant and its alkalizing property has antacid effect and also discourages the proliferation of both antigens (allergy producing) and pathogens (bacteria, virus, fungus) thereby alleviating allergies and many illnesses.
Is anyone else pretty impressed right now? That is why I took the alfalfa with me (and a couple extra doses). I knew my body was going to be under stress, I was going to maybe not be eating as well since I was traveling and might have more exposure to toxins. I was going to be sitting for long hours in a chair in a seminar (try for 12 hours each day) and in general want to feel good and recover quickly from my trip.
Who else would benefit from alfalfa? Anyone with any muscle or joint aches and pains or swelling, allergies or asthma, digestive issues, skin issues, someone with body or foot odor or bad breath, a person who is cleansing – helps with the detoxification process, provides trace minerals required to heal bones, injuries, and surgeries.
To take it, you start slow and build up to 1 tablet per 10 lbs of body weight divided doses with meals. It can be swallowed whole, chewed, or crushed and made into a tea.
Special thanks for the information obtained from “Why Do I Feel This Way?” Christine Gaber, RHN and Charlene Day, RDC
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who loves to share health-supporting tidbits of information. To try Shaklee’s Alfalfa Complex, go to www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland
Filed under: Natural Kids | Tags: baby carriers, Babywearing, holistic babies, holistic moms
I went to a really interesting meeting last night with a group called “Holistic Moms” in Livonia. It is a nation-wide organization with chapters across the country. Each month they have guest speakers on various topics of how to raise children more naturally. You may know that I don’t have any children of my own but I thought it would be a good place to connect with people who are interested in the same things I am. By the way, in case you are wondering, there was one dad there last night. There is no discrimination and men are very welcome.
Anyway, the topic last night was on “babywearing” which is the action of having your baby or small child secured to you using a wrap, sling, or baby carrier. Many of us are familiar with the image of people from developing countries “babywearing” because they need to in order to get their day to day tasks done. In the U.S. it is more frowned on with some pediatricians and other child-rearing specialists being adamantly opposed to the concept.
The presentation was really interesting and one of the points that I came away with was that those professionals who are so against babywearing do not have scientific data that shows that there is harm to the child that comes with being that close to one of the parents for a large portion of the day. However, there are lots of scientific studies that show a lack of physical contact between the child and caregivers DOES create some very real developmental issues including attachment disorders and reduced brain development.
Some of the interesting studies that have been done on babywearing show:
- Both parent and child release endorphins when the child is close and this enhances the child’s sense of well-being and immune system.
- Children who are kept close have better brain development.
- Carried children have less emotional stress and cry significantly less.
- Children learn to communicate better because they are an optimum distance of about 12 inches away from the parent’s face as their eyes and brains are developing.
- Using a carrier allows for the caregiver to have hands-free for other activities.
One of the things I enjoyed about the presentation was that it wasn’t a “militant” or opinionated soapbox that you “must” carry your baby for so many minutes throughout the day. It was more about, here is why you might want to carry your baby or small toddler (some of the carriers can hold up to 65 pounds!), and here are some of the pros and cons of various styles of carriers.
There is more information (and a very interesting read) in a book titled “The Vital Touch” by Sharon Heller. The suggestion is that if you are looking for a baby carrier for yourself (or someone you love), go to a natural parenting store or, better yet, see if there is a local “babywearing” group. They often have an assortment of carriers that you can try first so you can figure out which style suits you the best before you make your purchase. Carriers also come in a variety of fabrics and sizes so if both parents want to participate you will likely end up purchasing two.
For more information on the holistic moms organization, you can go to www.holisticmoms.org. Thanks to Karen for the great presentation and to Andrea for leading the meeting. Also, thanks to Tonya for introducing me to Holistic Moms in the first place!
Donna Copeland is an Independent Shaklee Distributor who believes in finding natural ways to stay healthy for the whole family. You can find more information about Shaklee and Donna’s favorite products at: www.Shaklee.net/DonnaCopeland There is a free membership offer for the month of July so be sure to check that out if you are not already a member.
