Browse Our Healthy Articles To Help You Live A Better Longer Life!

40 DAY CHALLENGE POSTER / INFO

BACK TO SCHOOL MEAL TIPS 

Organic on a Budget

Organic vs. Unsprayed Food

GOOD AND BAD FATS MADE SIMPLE 

WHERE WE SHOP 

EXERCISING FOR HEALTH - PEAK 8 

TOUGH PEAK 8 AND STRENGTH COMBINED WORKOUTS

SPINAL HYGIENE CORE TRAINING 

REAL FOOD PLEASE

MY KIDS WON'T EAT THAT

TRAINING KIDS TO EAT WELL 

INTRODUCING FOOD TO YOUR BABY 

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES TO YOUR STAPLE FOODS

BBQ'S AND CANCER - GRILLING TIPS 

RECIPES & 40 DAY FRIENDLY RECIPES

BREAKFAST & SMOOTHIES

SOUPS

SALADS

MAIN COURSES

DIPS AND SNACKS

BAKING AND TREATS 

Eating Well On A Budget

Just like having a healthy nervous system, eating well is obviously a major determinant of your long term health and a common topic of our Chirothots. I have gone into depth before about what foods your body requires for optimal health. To recap, it is simple, you only NEED fruits, vegetables and healthy meats to be at your inborn potential for health. The rest is low nutrient density foods that are very filling and take away room in your stomach that should be filled with more fruit vegetables and meats and their high nutrient density. Organic fruits and vegetables are the best as studies repeatedly show they have up to 80% more vitamins and minerals but I often hear people complain about their price. Many people think this is an expensive way to eat but in reality the $5 you spend on a health reducing bag of Oreo cookies or other snack could get you health enhancing food like five organic avocados, or a bag of organic apples if you know where to buy it from! Many people have asked me about how to eat well on a low budget so I will cover that this week and help you eat well for less.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

1. By far the best budget source of organic fruits and vegetables is the Urban Harvest warehouse sale. Their normal service is delivery of the best produce to your door but Saturday mornings they sell off their un-delivered produce at reduced prices. When I have compared their price to non-organic produce at grocery stores I have been pleasantly surprised to find they are almost the same and the produce is amazing and local when possible. The sale happens from 9-1 on Saturdays at 806 Crowley Ave. Check out www.urbanharvest.ca for a list of what they have that week.

2. Another great option for making local organic food more affordable is buying bulk when the food is in season. This can happen through Urban Harvest or the Famer’s Market. Sproule and Sons and Forbes Farms are both organic booths that sell by the box for about half the cost per pound. If you don’t mind some bruises you can get seconds for half the price of normal! Buy peaches, berries, melons, etc. and freeze them for healthy local, organic fruit all year round for far less than the cost of non-organic fruits in winter.

HEALTHY MEATS

1. The only healthy red meats are grass fed beef and wild meat. These are great sources of essential fats just like wild salmon is. This is available from Vale Farms through the Farmer’s Market, Nature’s Fare, and Abaco Health but buying it piece by piece is quite expensive. The most cost effective way to eat this type of meat is to buy a half, quarter or eighth of a grass fed cow and freeze it or find friends who are hunters and will sell you some of their elk, moose or deer. Contact Vale Farms in Lumby at 1-866-567-2300 or www.valefarms.com . You can also choose to eat less expensive cuts of healthy meats instead of buying more expensive cuts of normal meat.

2. Wild salmon is a great source of essential fats and protein but can be high in mercury. Choosing pink, chum or sockeye salmon ensures it is less toxic as they feed on plankton not other fish. Buying it by the fillet is fairly expensive, especially when it is not in season. The alternative is to stock up on salmon when it is in season and freeze it. When it is in season you can buy the whole fish for a fraction of the cost per pound of a fillet (around $6 / lb!). Fish shops like Codfathers or Hooked On Seafood will even fillet it into meal size portions, vacuum pack it and freeze it for no extra cost! We buy them when the cost is lowest in the season and get them done up the morning the truck arrives with them fresh from the sea!

OTHER FOODS

1. DAIRY – We recommend not eating dairy as a staple in your diet! For cheese, yogurt, etc… organic is best but it is more expensive. There is a local dairy in Sicamous called D Dutchmen Dairy that uses similar natural organic principles for their dairy but it is not certified organic so it is the same cost as non-organic. Their products are a less expensive alternative to organic dairy and can be found at Nature’s Fare and possibly at other grocery stores.

2. ORGANIC SNACKS, ETC… We find the sales items at Nature’s Fare, Choices and Abaco Health allow you to stock up on organic foods for the same cost as non-organic. Almond milk is the best alternative to dairy and is around $3.50 a litre normally but if you buy it when on sale it is around $2 a litre so we buy cases of it then. Stores like Costco are carrying more and more organic foods at great prices. They are boxed, processed foods and last a long time so they should not replace whole natural foods in your diet. The best snacks are dried organic fruit and raw nuts. The best source is Real Raw Food (www.realrawfood.com) who sell their goods at the Urban Harvest Warehouse sale only on the 3^rd Saturday of each month. You can buy large bulk packs which really reduces the cost.

3. DRINKS – Only drink water!(spring water is best) That is cheap!

If you are eating local, organic fruit, vegetables and meats you are getting high nutrient rich foods that nourish your body. You save a ton of money by not needing many supplements. By planning ahead and using a deep freeze you can eat this way all year round and enjoy the bounty of the Okanagan for less!

Back To School

Well for many of you summer is officially over and kids are back in school. I really noticed that one of the things that you regain in the summer is more control over what your children are eating, how much they eat, and how often. With your kids back in school it is a good chance to assess how you are feeding your kids before school and with their lunches. Are you helping optimize their concentration, behaviour and attention span or are you feeding them in ways that make them crash in the afternoon or even mid morning, and leave them exhausted by the end of the day and week and ultimately getting lots of colds and flus as a result.

So, here are a few tips for feeding your kids well with their return to school.

1 - START THE DAY OFF RIGHT

Often lots of thought is put into lunches for kids, but breakfast is overlooked and something quick is grabbed on the way out the door or nothing is prepared to make a healthy breakfast an option. The best way to ensure your kids can be at their potential all day at school is to start their day with a high energy, high nutrition breakfast. Try to use little or no sweeteners at breakfast to avoid mid morning sugar crashes. Most boxed cereals have a lot of sugar or cane juice to make your kids choose them over the others. Look for cereals made with oats and sweetened with molasses or juice. They are hard to find so we avoid boxed cereal. Making oatmeal or homemade granola allows you to reduce the sweetener. Reducing overall sugar consumption allows slightly sweet foods to be as rewarding to your kids as high sugar snacks are to other kids. Protein and healthy fat are great for feeling full and energized all day. Adding ultimate brand high alpha whey protein to smoothies or oatmeal is great. Give your kids their fish oil every morning before school. Some examples of a great breakfast would be organic whole oats either boiled or soaked overnight. Add in fruit, berries, nuts, protein powder or dried fruit. Free range eggs from chickens in real pastures are amazing for a solid start. Prep some eggs in a bowl the night before and cook them in minutes in the morning for quick scrambled eggs for your kids. A smoothie is a great way to pack lots of nutrients into a quick breakfast. If your kids are really hungry in the morning, try making a smoothie for the car in addition to breakfast.

SUPER SMART SMOOTHIE FOR ONE CHILD

àCUP OF FROZEN BERRIES, ICE OR FROZEN BANANA, WATER OR ALMOND MILK, POWDERED GREENS OR FRESH KALE OR SPINACH à BLEND THEN ADD HIGH ALPHA WHEY PROTEIN OR VEGA SMOOTHIE POWDERS + FISH OIL à BLEND ON LOW 10 SEC

2 – HEALTHY SCHOOL LUNCHES

Focus on nutrient dense, high energy foods here so your kids can get lots of healthy calories to fuel them all day. We find that the foods need to be quick to eat as well so they don’t come home with them uneaten. Again, avoid anything with sugar in it and even other simple sugar sweeteners will cause crashing and a grumpy irritable child when you pick them up. Fructose and glucose syrups are really bad this way but even refined flour in bread and crackers will cause the same insulin crash. Stick to fruits, vegetables and healthy meats. Avoid lunch meat that contains nitrates. Organic lunch meat from choices or natural lunch meat from grocery stores is good in moderation and eaten as finger food without bread. Organic bison pepperoni from Nature’s fare is great as well. Cut up veggies and two pieces of fruit complete a good lunch. If that is not enough food for older children, give them more of the same and consider adding raw milk cheese, sprouted grain bread or crackers for a sandwich if they need more energy. Making energy bars is a great option as well and this can be done without nuts, have a look around online for some recipes. Leftover meats like chicken work well as does leftover oatmeal or ancient grain salads. Be creative, I used to love making toothpick kebabs as a child the night before school with pepperoni, pineapple, pepper and cheese.

3 – TALK TO TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS

We find it surprising how much other food our kids get given at school. Often it is not food we would allow our kids to eat such as candy or cakes. The rule with our children is that if something has food coloring, they are not allowed to eat it. That is just our rule, but it takes out a lot of junk food. If it is birthday cake they take the food coloring part off and eat the rest. If there is something you don’t want your kids to be getting, such as candy, make sure to talk to your teachers about not giving candy as a treat or reward. We find they are happy to give stickers or other replacements but often they don’t realize how many parents don’t want their kids eating candy. If more parents tell them not to hand out candy, it won’t be a problem for long! I would also mention to the teachers if you find your child is not eating much of their lunch. Often there is such a rush to play that not enough time is given for kids to properly fuel themselves for another 3 hours of school.

You can pack the best lunch for your child but if it does not get eaten it does them no good!

I am sure all of you know that I strongly recommend eating organic fruits and vegetables when possible. I have recommended this for seven or more years both when practicing in the UK and in Canada. Since being in Kelowna the past five years I have seen the interest in eating organic increase exponentially which is awesome. One thing that I have seen a lot in Kelowna that concerns me greatly though is people, even health professionals, calling something organic if it has all natural ingredients, or if it is produce that is unsprayed. I have witnessed colleagues, friends, patients, vendors at the market, and farmers do this regularly and it has led people to believe that if a farmer describes their goods as unsprayed or naturally raised that it is the same as being organic but just cheaper. Although it is just a misunderstanding it is important that you know about the differences between certified organic produce and meats compared to unsprayed or naturally raised. Here are 5 major differences for your health when something is certified organic:

1) SOIL IS TESTED FOR TOXINS AND CONTAMINANTS

To be certified organic a farmer must have their soil tested for toxins and contaminants and soil quality. There can not be any chemicals (fertilizers, sprays, etc.) used on the soil for over 7 years. This certification is the only way you can know that you are getting produce that is low in toxins and chemicals. A farmer who does not spray but is not certified could be farming on toxic soil, or use various chemicals to help start plants faster and get bigger yields, etc. There is no way to know what has or is being done if it is not certified organic unless you really know and trust the farmer and know the history of the land. Certified organic farms are tested and randomly visited to ensure standards are being upheld. They pay for this testing as part of certification and charge higher prices due to the guaranteed better standards. If a farm is in the application process its produce is called “transitional” until it is certified.

2) NO CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS

In my experience if you ask many farmers selling conventional produce whether they are organic they will tell you they don’t spray most of their produce or tell you that organic is a farse, or not any different. Be aware of this at the Kelowna Farmers Market because many booths will tell you they don’t spray! If you want to buy unsprayed produce instead of organic because it is cheaper, you need to know that almost all produce that is not certified organic will be grown using chemical fertilizers to improve yield, size, and growing time. These chemicals will be present in the food in some way and some of the building blocks in the food will be from chemical or synthetic sources not natural sources in soil or compost. This is similar to a great vitamin being from whole food source compared to many cheap ones which are synthetic and made in a lab or from petroleum products. I trust natural soil and whole food sources! If you can’t justify eating organic, always find “transitional farms” like Old Meadows Farm on Gordon because they are using organic methods while waiting for soil certification.

3) NO CHEMICAL PESTICIDES, FUNGICIDES, HERBICIDES OR SPRAYS

Many other chemicals can be used in or added to conventional fertilizers, or in pellets to kill weeds, pests, fungus etc. so even though no spray is used, it can have fungicides and tons of other chemicals used in the growing process. Often the tree or plant is being sprayed or treated early in the season but if the end product fruit or veggie is not sprayed directly the farmer may call it unsprayed.

4) BETTER NUTRIENT CONTENT

Organic farming methods involve more responsible use of the land, better crop rotation, etc. so that the soil is not depleted of nutrients the way that conventional farms would and replace it with chemical fertilizer. Many studies have found higher nutrient and mineral composition in organic produce, some have not, but either way the amount of natural nutrients received from the soil MUST be higher and I would rather have nitrogen from the soil than from a lab! Also, the seeds used must be organic which means they are NOT coming from plants raised using chemicals and pesticides or genetically modified. Organic seeds cost more so I doubt a farm would use them if they are not a certified organic farm. If a person is made sick by poor lifestyle or taking a lot of toxic drugs and antibiotics in their life, it effects their genes for three generations. I am sure that chemical farming would do the same to plants so their seeds will contain chemical components and have altered genes.

5) ANIMALS CONTAIN LESS TOXINS AND BETTER FEED

For animals, certified organic ensures that medication is not used preventatively, they are raised on land that is free of toxins, sprays, fertilizers, etc. and their feed has to be organic and natural. They do not have to be fed their natural diet so organic meat is not as healthy as wild fish or wild meat or grass fed beef. I prefer wild foods like mushrooms, berries, meats and fish over any farmed version but there is not enough to feed us all so we need farms.

Here is my order of preference for fruits and vegetables to ensure the healthiest result!

Choose Local Certified Organic First à Then Local Transitional Produce à Then Non-local Certified Organic

I strongly believe that organic farming is necessary for our health and the way of the future. I believe that farmers selling or advertising unsprayed or naturally raised products are undermining the whole organic certification. They want to appeal to the health minded crowd without having to be scrutinized or spend the money to actually show their clients that their products are being farmed responsibly. Certification is the only way to give you a guarantee and peace of mind of truly organic food. If they believe it is a better way for your health and the environment, they need to buck up. The more farms that do, the less it will cost!

Where We Shop

Suzie and I are huge fans of great quality, local providers of food because it tastes so amazing, is better for your health, supports our local economy and producers, and is better for the environment. The emphasis for all of your food needs to be all natural every time, local where possible, and organic where possible. I find that if you shop to find the best sources, you can eat local and organic for very similar cost to non local non organic from the grocery store.

After shopping around a lot to find the best quality and price, here are the best!

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

1. I often mention Urban Harvest as our top choice all year round. Their normal service is delivery of the best produce to your door which is amazing as well and more convenient but if you have the time or want to make a family trip of it every week like we do, every Saturday morning they sell off their un-delivered produce at reduced prices. The sale happens from 9-1 on Saturdays at 806 Crowley Ave. Check out www.urbanharvest.ca for a list of what they have that week. They sell boxes of local fruits when in season for great prices as well. Nature’s Fare and Abaco Health are good sources of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis.

2. The Farmer’s Market. Here are our favorite organic booths. Forbes Farms from Oliver has amazing quality and earlier season but it is slightly more costly. Sproule and Sons is great as well and it is from Winfield so you can get your favorite fruit a little later in the season. Both the above booths sell by the box for about half the cost per pound. If you don’t mind some bruises you can get seconds for half the price of normal! Buy peaches, berries, melons, etc. and freeze them for healthy local, organic fruit all year round for far less than the cost of non-organic fruits in winter. Stepney Hills Farms, Greencroft, gardens, Sunshine farms, and Quails Farms are great growers of organic veggies.

GRAINS (not necessary for health, but OK occasionally and better if whole or freshly milled into flour)

1. Wolfgangs and Quails Farms. Both these people are dedicated to growing their own organic grains and milling it into flour. Buy rolled oats days after being rolled, wheat flour, fresh spelt flour to replace wheat flour, etc… Both are at the farmer’s market and Wolfgangs is at the Urban Harvest Warehouse sale.

HEALTHY MEATS and FISH

1. The only healthy red meats are grass fed beef, bison, and wild meat. This is available fresh and well priced at Johnny’s in Rutland or at KLO and Benvoulin. It is available frozen from Vale Farms through the Farmer’s Market, Nature’s Fare, and Abaco Health but buying it by the piece is quite expensive. The most cost effective way to eat this type of meat is to buy a half, quarter or eighth of a grass fed cow from Johnny’s or Vail Farms and freeze it or find friends who hunt elk, moose or deer.

2. Wild salmon is a great source of essential fats and protein but can be high in mercury. Choosing pink, chum or sockeye salmon ensures it is less toxic as they feed on plankton not other fish. Buying it by the fillet is fairly expensive, especially when it is not in season. The alternative is to stock up on salmon when it is in season and freeze it. When it is in season you can buy the whole fish for a fraction of the cost per pound of a fillet (around $6 / lb!). Fish shops like Codfathers or Hooked On Seafood will even fillet it into meal size portions, vacuum pack it and freeze it for no extra cost!

DAIRY

1. Jerseyland Organics is a great local source of grass fed, raw milk dairy cheeses, yogurts, etc. Available at Nature’s Fare, Abaco, Urban Harvest and the Farmer’s Market. I would not make any dairy a staple in your diet.

NUTS AND SEEDS

1. Walnuts and macadamians are the best nuts to eat regularly. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are good in moderation. Real Raw Food is the best place to buy these. Order online from www.realrawfood.com or see them at Urban Harvest the3^rd Sat. of each month.

EATING OUT

I avoid chains where possible as they usually produce the food in a huge centre, freeze it and ship it so you are getting reheated food. Cabana Bar and Grill is my favorite restaurant in town that is family friendly and makes everything from scratch with all natural ingredients. It is on Cook Rd at the lakeshore end. Kid’s eat free Monday to Wednesday in the winter! Raudz restaurant (formerly Fresco) is also all natural, very local and organic and now has less expensive meals (grass fed beef burger, baked fish and chips, etc..) as well as high end meals. For fast food there is not much to choose from but Burrito stands such as Chipotle in the US are the most healthy but no chain in Canada is as healthy yet. The Chopped Leaf in Orchard Plaza is awesome for creative healthy salads and wraps. Jugo Juice on Banks rd or in the H2O has very healthy smoothies (made with fruit not sorbet unlike booster juice).

Peak 8 and Surge Training

A few weeks ago at our advanced workshop I discussed the benefits of short bursts of high intensity exercise compared to long slow activities. Here is a summary, if you want more information, ask for the handout from our workshop. If you were there, I hope this reminder helps you take action!!!

Effects of Surge Training and Peak 8 Training compared to long duration cardio:

• Normalized blood sugar and insulin response

(normalizing your insulin levels is one of the most important factor for optimizing your overall health and preventing disease of all kinds, from diabetes, to heart disease, to cancer, etc.)

• Testosterone and growth hormone increase
• Results in building muscle and burning fat throughout the day
• Muscle building effect à increases metabolism
• Increases endorphin levels à opposite effect of depression and anxiety
• 1 Hour of muscle building and fat burning AFTER the workout for every 10 minutes of training
• Best done first thing in the morning, before eating, BUT well hydrated!

PEAK 8 TRAINING (google peak 8 fitness and click on mercola.com articles for more info)

Step 1 -BRING HEART RATE TO ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD FOR 30 SECONDS

-brisk walking for beginners, up to sprints if advanced. Can use any exercise like running on the spot, skipping rope, sprint cycling, burpees, knee highs, etc…

Step 2 -REST OR EASY PACE FOR 90 SECONDS UNTIL HEART RATE IS DOWN

DO THIS 8 TIMES (16 MINUTES TOTAL)

By the end of your 30 second period if you are at anaerobic threshold you will notice:

• It will be relatively hard to breathe and talk because you are in oxygen debt
• You will start to sweat profusely. Typically this occurs in the second or third repetition unless you have a thyroid issue and don't sweat much normally.
• Your body temperature will rise
• Lactic acid increases and you will feel a muscle "burn"

SURGE TRAINING

Similar principles to peak 8 but less structured and more intense – mix of intense strength and plyometric activities with core exercises at high intensity for 20-30 minutes. I recommend surge training for your strength and core training. YOU CAN INCORPORATE CARDIO INTO IT TO BE SUPER EFFICIENT. It has huge benefits and gains while being incredibly efficient and taking very little time (see appendix 2 of the advanced workshop for a sample). For personal training of this type contact Stratis Fitness at (250) 215-4674 www.stratisfitness.com (they offer a free training session)

GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR MORE EFFECTIVE EXERCISE:

1. Increase the intensity from what is comfortable or easy. Training BEGINS when the burn starts - increase the intensity and time. Your fitness level barely changes if you stay below the threshold of where it is hard for you

2. mix that with rest periods to bring your heart rate down – and shorten the duration to 20-30 minutes

3. EAT low carb meals (protein & healthy fats) after workouts, not sugar, fructose or grains

(NO sports drinks or bars)

Knowledge does nothing without action! Research is showing you need less time to exercise than we have been told in the past; if you increase the intensity. I hope this helps you to exercise more often, and get more benefit!

Getting to your CORE!

I was watching the Calgary Stampede a while ago and I noticed the rippling core and stabilizer muscles on the bulls and bucking broncos. Wow they must really do a lot of core training! Wait a minute, they don’t do any! We were not designed to need daily plank, fitball, or ab exercises to be healthy? It is because we are so sedentary that our core muscles are shot in anyone who is not active. The KEY solution though is not to just do core strength exercises and solve the weakness there. That is NOT solving the problem because if your core muscles are weak, I guarantee there are a hundred other weak muscles in your body that need training as much or more! Walking, running, swimming, and almost any full body movement involves core strength training so you don’t need to put more focus there than you do on lower body, or upper body training. The old ways of working out isolated one muscle group and did not involve your core so you did have to target them separately or they got weak. That is why I love surge training and TRX training like I talk about at our advanced workshops. www.fitnessanywhere.com They integrate your core into a workout even more than natural movements do. If you have been working out the old way of targeting muscle groups and have left out your core then you have some work to do to get your core up to the strength of the rest of you. Or else if you have been sedentary for a long time, sit or drive a lot at work, then again, doing some core strength work can be helpful BUT do it alongside other training like walking, running, swimming or surge training so you get full body benefits to your health. Because your core is always working, you can do these exercises everyday if you like.

A fit-ball can be purchased at any department or sporting goods store. The bigger the ball the easier the exercises.

*Unless otherwise stated, repeat each action 8-10, and do 3 sets if possible. Work to increase the time you hold the action, then increase the number of reps.

IN ORDER FROM EASIEST TO HARDEST – work your way down the list slowly!

1- Ball - Superman

Start position - With your stomach on the fit ball (or lying flat on the ground) and your hands and toes on the ground.

Action - Keeping your body straight, slowly lift your right arm and left leg off the ground to horizontal and hold it there for 2-3 seconds. Repeat this with the left arm and right leg.

2- Pelvic Tilt

Start position - Lying on the floor on your back with your knees bent

Action – Lift your buttock off the ground & keep your lower back pressed against the floor and hold it for 2 – 3 seconds.

3- Ball - Bridging

Start position – Lying on your back with the ball under your lower leg and your legs straight

Action – Lift your buttocks and lower back off of the ground and hold for 2-3 seconds. As an advanced move only put one leg on the ball, the other in the air.

4- Ball - Figure 8

Start position - Sitting on the ball with your spine straight

Action – Move your hips on the ball in a figure eight pattern side to side. Do this for about thirty seconds. Repeat three times. This is great for re-hydrating damaged discs in your lower back.

5- Plank (and Half Plank)

Start position - Lying on your front with your elbows bent and hands under your shoulders

Action – Keeping your body straight “as a plank”, push yourself up onto your elbows so only your forearms and toes are touching the ground, with your elbows bent 90 degrees underneath you. Hold this for 30 seconds if possible. Progress up to one minute or as long as possible. Repeat it 3 times. For many people this will be too hard, so try it with your knees on the ground as well (half plank). To progress, cross your legs, or put a fit-ball under your shins.

6- Ball - Russian Dancer

Start position - Lying on the ball with it between your shoulder blades and your knees bent 90 degrees.

Action – Straighten one leg keeping it parallel to the floor and hold it for 8-10 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.

7- Tripod

Start position - On hands and knees

Action – Keeping your leg bent at 90 degrees, slowly lift one leg off the ground until your thigh is parallel to the floor focusing on keeping your body stable and not changing the position of your upper or lower body to compensate. Hold it for 2-3 seconds then repeat with the other leg.

8- Side Plank

Start position - Lying on your side with your elbow tucked under your side and arm bent to 90 degrees

Action – Keeping your body stiff, lift your body off of the ground so that only your lower arm and feet are touching. Hold this until failure, then do it on the other side. Repeat it three times on each side. Work up to one minute each side.

TOUGH PEAK 8 AND STRENGTH COMBINED WORKOUTS

AND

ATOMIC CRUNCHES

PLANK

SIDE PLANK LEFT

SIDE PLANK RIGHT

REAL FOOD PLEASE!

This is my new cutting edge rule for nutrition. It is guaranteed to work to help you lose weight!

I AM JUST KIDDING! I had a discovery when I was on holiday a few weeks ago that really helped me understand why people’s eating patterns have developed in such an unhealthy way. We were at Green Bay Family Camp and the evening snack was fresh local cherries and chocolate chip cookies. We all indulged in both. Here is the key! We ate a lot of cherries first. Everyone was commenting on how amazing these huge, plump, juicy and sweet cherries were. They are so naturally sweet. After some cherries, we had a cookie and it was really good, albeit in a different way. Sweet, buttery, chocolaty and delicious but rich. Here is the interesting part. We then had some more cherries and after the cookie, they no longer tasted sweet at all, and seemed bland. So what is the point?

The foods that were put on the Earth for us to eat are testimony of God’s desire for us to have pleasure in life. We don’t eat grass or hay, we get to have fruits, vegetables, healthy meats that are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, all in their own way. Your body actually has taste receptors for each of those flavors, so we are programmed to enjoy each of them. What humanity has done, is take each of those flavors that we enjoy, and has extracted the flavor on its own to make a powerful, concentrated form. Think of white powdery sugar, the sweetest substance on the planet I am sure. Or table salt, chemistry used to combine sodium and chloride to intensify salty flavour. Potent sour flavourings are also used in foods, especially candy, as are bitters. The problem with this is simple. Those potent and concentrated flavours are powerful and nothing in nature can compare to the punch or impact they have. They actually stimulate the nerves on your tastebuds in a more intense way. They are so far beyond the programmed level of those flavours that your brain is shocked and never forgets how potent they are so nothing natural can compare.

This potency is being used by most major food corporations to make cheap, processed food that has higher levels of flavours like saltiness or sweetness because of its chemicals and non-natural ingredients. I love watching “The Great Canadian Food Show” which visits lots of Canadian places highlighting good natural food. The host, Carlo, drove up to a fast food window and ordered “a pre-frozen patty of indeterminate meat origin seared till grey, or dry, served on a hyperbleached bun with chemically treated sauce that tastes hauntingly like mayonnaise”. I couldn’t say it any better. The only reason places can churn out such poor quality food (crap) and sell billions of dollars worth is because they jack it up with salt, sugar, and artificial flavours. They shock your brain into thinking this is tasty and flavourful. MSG is a classic example. It has no flavour but stimulates the neurons in your taste buds more than if it did, so whatever it is put in makes your brain think it is more flavorful without actually having more flavour! Crazy! It is in all processed burgers and most processed food so it tastes good despite not having tasty ingredients. Super sweet drinks like pop make water hard to enjoy for kids. You can’t give them pop regularly and expect them to drink enough water.

So how do you stand a chance at raising kids that appreciate true tasty food? As long as your kids have potently sweet or sour food and drinks, nothing natural will be quite as appealing. To me this explains why some people have a lot of trouble getting their kids to stop eating junk food. There is also marketing to blame, giving junk food a cool stigma and colorful labels. An apple will never have as cool a label as fruit loops! In fact, FOOD THAT IS GOOD FOR YOU HAS NO LABEL, AND NO INGREDIENT LIST! The only chance you have of teaching your kids that natural food is great tasting is to buy local, in season, and organic as it is the best of the best. So make a point of finding treats that are naturally sweet. This is the perfect time of year. Visit the Farmer’s Market and teach your kids to buy local and experience the best of every type of food. Foods they thought they didn’t like, are a lot more appealing when they are tree ripened and full of flavour and sweetness. Tomatoes, canteloupe, sugar snap peas, and even broccoli taste infinitely better when fresh and local! Buy a box of organic tree ripened peaches. Buy a local watermelon or cantaloupe. When kids start to experience the best that nature has to offer in food it changes everything. At the same time, you have to make an effort to avoid the shockingly sweet processed foods because nothing compares to the taste bud shock that fake food delivers with MSG and other weapons. It is always summer somewhere so get mango in season, pineapple, etc…

We have found that our kids love to eat fresh natural food. When they have an artificial treat, at a birthday usually, after a few bites they typically have had enough. Don’t forget how innately smart your kids are. Teach them what foods are good for their body and what foods are bad for their body. Our kids ask us and if it is bad for their body they understand why we won’t let them have it. Show your kids that you value their health, and that their body is precious and worth stewarding in a healthy way. Giving health damaging food never makes sense, even if your kids have been trained to want it! So choose cherries before cookies!

“My Kids Won’t Eat That!”

I was reminded recently of a trip our family took last summer. Some of you may remember the article I wrote after it. Our kids were eating whole wheat organic pizza, oatmeal pancakes, wild rice cakes, and much to Owen’s excitement homemade ice cream! After a couple of days we asked our then three year old what he wanted for dinner and his response was awesome, and shocking. He told us he wanted an avocado for dinner. We tried to suggest other options but he was set on having avocado, by itself. His body was craving goodness. His body was tired after 2 days of eating more carbs and less good stuff. He ate fruit and avocado for the rest of the trip. He has been fed an organic diet rich in fruit and vegetables and healthy meats. He gets excited at the thought of birthday cake, or brownies but usually he stops eating it after a couple of bites, except for homemade ice cream. He always gets just as excited about the good stuff like salmon, or cashews, or avocado.

If you or your kids are not like that realize that your response to food is trained and learned. If children see their parents get excited about “treats” which are bad for them those treats are what will excite the child? If they are rewarded for doing good things with bad food, what food will they aspire to eat more of? In fact, if they are rewarded for doing good things with food at all, even good food, the result will be them doing the right thing for the reward, not because they want to do the right thing. That is a whole other issue! If they don’t see the parents eating healthy food and talking about how good it is, how could a child learn to love good food. If the parents talk negatively about eating vegetables or good stuff that is what the child will learn. Being a great ROLE MODEL is the most important step to having children who eat well regularly. We are not perfect role models so don’t get me wrong. We naturally have just taught our kids that some foods are good for their body, and some are bad for their body. They know their body is amazing, can heal and do incredible things and they know giving it foods that it needs helps them be amazing. We just tell them if a food is bad for their body, and they usually choose to not have it. If they really want it, we will trade it for a more natural treat from the health food store that they are equally excited about. Or if we are OK with them eating something we will tell them they can have a food that is bad for their body, like a piece of organic chocolate, if they have something that is good for their body, like a carrot.

I often hear things like “my child won’t eat vegetables”, or “how do you get your child to eat that”. Children all go through phases of eating so don’t worry about the phases, mine are not perfect and change what they like regularly, but inevitably they will always return to the habits they learn from watching their parents. You need to train them to eat what is good for their body and that will work every time because that is what their body knows it needs.

I don’t believe for a minute that a child’s perfect body would not want healthy food. If you ran around all day and climbed to the top of a mountain, your body would innately choose an apple and water over a pop and a chocolate bar EVERY TIME. Our bodies want good food to fuel them but some of us have trained our minds to want different things or have let commercials train our mind. YOU MUST START BY TRAINING YOURSELF TO EAT THIS WAY FIRST! Teaching your child to act differently than you do will never work. So how do we train our mind to want good stuff again? First know that our bodies need only three things, fruit vegetables and meat (fish, chicken, wild or organic meat). The first simple step is to eat more and more of these things. Naturally you will eat less and less of the bad stuff. Find healthy treats which can be special and sweet fruits like pineapple or mango, or the local fruit that is in season. If you like certain textures of junk food, find similar textures of healthy food. Try making baked French fries, or buy organic yam fries. Buy wild rice chips or apple chips.

Most people die from lifestyle, preventable diseases so realize that what your child learns to eat can be the difference between life and death at some point in their life. Train them to eat what their body needs.

Allowing Outrageous Health In Children!

As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. we don’t have to CREATE health in kids. They are genetically programmed for it, and created for outrageous health! They just need a lifestyle that provides everything their body needs to function at a healthy level (sufficiency) with few toxins (purity) to allow their inborn health potential to shine through. Here are 5 SIMPLE changes you can make to help with that!

1) TEACH THEM WHAT IS GOOD FOR THEIR BODY AND WHAT IS BAD FOR THEIR BODY

Suzie and I have accidentally taught our kids that some foods are good for their body, and some are bad for their body. They know their body is amazing, can heal and do incredible things and now they know giving it foods that it needs helps them be amazing. Now we just tell them if a food is bad for their body, and they usually choose to not have it. If they really want it, we will trade it for a similar but more natural treat from the health food store that they are equally excited about. Or if we are OK with them eating something we will tell them they can have a food that is bad for their body, like a piece of homemade baking, if they have 3 things that are good for their body, like fruits or veggies. Next week I will list the foods that are good, OK, and bad for their body.

2) FEED THEM FRESH FIBER FIRST

This is the best way to ensure your child fills up on nutrient dense food rather than filler food such as bread, rice or pasta. Start every meal with ONLY raw fruits or veggies. Fruit before breakfast. Cut up raw veggies before lunch and dinner. Most kids have a dinner plate full of food including a few veggies. They are full by the time they get to the veggies and you can barely get them to eat any. Try giving them only veggies while they are hungriest and give them the rest once you are happy with the amount of veggies they have eaten.

3) TEACH THEM THEIR BODY ONLY NEEDS 3 FOODS - fruit, vegetables and healthy meats

God put the food on the earth that we need to be healthy, simple as that. I trust Him more than any corporation making food. If you focus on eating nutrient dense food the only foods your body requires for health are fruits, vegetables, and healthy meats. They provide adequate amounts of every single required nutrient for health if they are the major part of each meal. Other foods (breads, pastas, crackers, cereal, junk food) are more filling so the more of them you eat, the less room in your stomach there is for nutrient dense food so you end up deficient. That is the main reason people need supplements, calcium, multivitamins, etc… Make sure all other food you give them is 100% natural! Food with a label should have no chemicals or unnatural ingredients. Real food has no label!!!!!!!! Like an apple

4) GET THEM ADJUSTED

Hopefully you know enough about this one. Their nervous system controls every function in their body and the nerves send the signals from the brain to every cell to allow it to be healthy. If the spine is misaligned it interferes with these signals and blocks life from getting to that part of their body resulting in declining health and ultimately sickness and disease. Get you kids under chiropractic care to ensure their nervous system is free of interference for life! Most kids love getting adjusted, and it is safe and gentle!

5) BE ACTIVE OUTSIDE AS A FAMILY EVERY DAY

This is a simple way to lead them to being active, staying in touch with each other, and getting vitamin D.

I know we are all just trying to do the best we can as parents. None of us are perfect and we need to recognize where we need to improve. Our pastor gave a great message a couple of weeks ago on repentance. I know that brings up lots of scary church memories for most people. I am not suggesting parents need to repent if they have fed their kids bad food, etc… His message was that once we acknowledge our own sin, asking for forgiveness (repentance) is needed, but the most important part of repentance is CHANGING DIRECTION IN THE FUTURE! Meaning that if you keep doing the same sin over and over and repent every time, you are missing the point. I suggest the same approach is what we need to do to improve how we feed our children. We need to sit down with them and explain what choices we have made in the past with their lifestyle that we are not happy with, and what the result has been or will be if we kept doing that. If they understand why you want to change their lifestyle and how important it is, and see you admitting that you have made mistakes, I think you will be surprised at how easily they embrace the change of direction that is needed. I hope we can help you change directions!

BBQs, Cancer, and Health

Men, before you start freaking out at me because of the title, just know that I BBQ often and it is my favorite way to cook so I am not going to tell you that you can’t do it! I will however, tell you that if you are not careful about how you BBQ, it will dramatically increase your risk of cancer and other health issues, guaranteed. As a GP, Dr. Mercola, points out, “there have been massive public health agendas aimed at the importance of thoroughly cooking your meat to prevent food poisoning, but very little has been said about the danger of overcooking your meats.
 Ironically, if you get meat from a reputable source such as a small organic farm (THAT IS FED IT’S NATURAL DIET LIKE 100% GRASS FOR COWS), the risks of food poisoning from undercooked meat drastically diminish”. As an example, I ate totally raw venison fillet on the weekend, and I have no concern about it because I know that bacteria like e-coli only flourish in sick animals fed an unnatural diet such as grains. This changes the animal completely including ph and enzymes and unhealthy bacteria flourish as a result. Not true for grass fed cows / bison or wild animals. One of the key points with BBQ’d meat is that the high temperatures can create some nasty chemicals which are linked to pancreatic, breast and prostate cancer. The more well done it is cooked, the more chemicals are produced. A recent study found those who ate a lot of well-done steak had a 60 percent greater pancreatic cancer risk than those who ate steak less well done. The main chemicals produced from high heat BBQ cooking are: Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) found primarily in the blackened section of cooked meat. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the smoke from fat dripping onto the flame which transfer to the food if you have a lid on your BBQ. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) from any high temperature cooking (including when food is pasteurized or sterilized), leading to oxidative stress, inflammation and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease. Overcooking meat also makes the food very hard to digest and it has to remain in your gut for a lot longer to break down.

How to Make BBQing Healthier

1. Make sure you’re eating plenty of other raw foods in your diet alongside cooked meats.

2. You can reduce the amount of PAHs when you grill by not cooking fatty meats, and by trimming the fat off before you grill. Choose tenderloins, flatirons, and sirloins over more fatty steaks.

3. When grilling, cook your food with indirect heat by turning the burner down or off below your meat, and use the other burners to provide indirect heat. Cooking on a cedar plank is also helpful.

4. Always avoid charring your meat (and don't eat the black or brown parts).

5. Cook meat partially before putting it on the grill, or cook smaller pieces of meat, which take less time to cook, and therefore give HCAs less time to form.

6. Marinate meat for 4-6 hrs using an acidic marinade that contains lemon juice or vinegar, or even red wine or beer, can reduce the amount of AGEs and HCAs in your food (according to some experts by 90 percent or more). Use natural ingredients for marinades, and keep them thin to avoid charring.

7. Flip your burgers often, to cut down on HCAs. They are done once juices go from red to clear.

8. Avoid grilling hot dogs, bratwurst and other processed meats unless they are 100% nitrate free.

9. Only grill high-quality, 100% grass-fed or wild meats, organic if possible. Johnny’s is great!

10. Cook the meat as little as possible. Rare or medium-rare at the absolute most. You can also quickly sear the meat on both sides, leaving the inside mostly raw. That is how it is done in much of the world, and your body digests it much better that way! With wild meat or grass fed beef, never go past medium rare, cook on indirect heat mainly, and remove the meat just before it’s done and let it rest for 5 minutes to let juices disperse. It will cook a bit more while resting.

HEALTHY FAT MADE SIMPLE

If you missed our advanced workshop on fats, here is the basic advice without any explanation of why. Just trust advice to ensure you are eating lots of health enhancing fats, and avoiding the health destroying fats.

EAT MORE OF THESE (HEALTH PROMOTING):

· WILD MEAT, GRASS FED BEEF OR BISON (Johnny’s ion Rutland or KLO / Benvoulin)

· NUTRASEA FISH OIL EVERY DAY (SEE CHART FOR QUANTITY) & ANTIOXIDANT

· WILD SOCKEYE, PINK OR CHUM SALMON (Codfather’s or Hooked On Seafood)

· WALNUTS AND MACADAMIA NUTS (www.realrawfood.com or Urban Harvest 3^rd Sat. of month)

· COLD PRESSED EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL

· COLD PRESSED EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (Raw or cooked below medium heat) (Costco)

· FLAX SEEDS AND COLD PRESSED EXTRA VIRGIN FLAX SEED OIL (GREAT IN DRESSINGS)

· HEMP SEEDS AND COLD PRESSED EXTRA VIRGIN HEMP SEED OIL

· WHOLE ORGANIC OATS REPLACING OTHER GRAINS AND CEREALS (Wolfgang’s @ U.H.)

· POULTRY EATING GREENS AND INSECTS OR AND OMEGA RICH DIET

· EGGS FROM CHICKENS RAISED AS ABOVE

· AVOCADO

· DAILY POMEGRANATE JUICE (Costco) OR LOCAL BERRIES IN SEASON (Urban Harvest)

EAT OCCASIONALLY (NEUTRAL IN MODERATION):

· GRASS FED COW DAIRY OR GOAT DAIRY

· WILD RICE REPLACING OTHER GRAINS WITH MEALS

· WILD COLD WATER FISH THAT ARE LARGE SUCH AS TUNA, HALIBUT, COD

· CASHEWS, ALMONDS, BRASIL NUTS, CORN ON THE COB, POPCORN

· HIGH OMEGA 6 FOODS IN THEIR WHOLE FORM (CORN, SOYA, NUTS, SEEDS, ETC.)

· COLD PRESSED EXTRA VIRGIN CANOLA OIL IF YOU MUST USE VEGETABLE OIL

· PUMPKIN AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS

AVOID THESE (HEALTH DESTROYING):

· PROCESSED AND NON-FIBER CARBS (FLOUR, PASTA, BREAD, ETC.)

· COMMERCIALLY RAISED MEATS LIKE GRAIN FED BEEF, ANIMALS FED UNNATURALLY

· FARMED FISH LIKE ATLANTIC SALMON, TILAPIA, STEELHEAD TROUT, CHAR, ETC.

· BOTTOM FEEDER FISH AND CRUSTACEANS

· ANIMALS FED FOOD DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY NATURALLY WOULD EAT

· ANY VEGETABLE OIL, PERIOD, ESPECIALLY IF HYDROGENATED

· PASTEURIZED NORMAL COW DAIRY

· ANYTHING DEEP FRIED, ESPECIALLY IF THE OIL USED IS NOT FRESH (1 DAY OLD MAX)

o DONUTS, CHIPS, TORTILLA CHIPS, FRENCH FRIES, DORITOS, TEMPURA, ETC…

· ANYTHING WITH TRANS FATS (READ LABELS!)

· CORN AND SOYA BASED PRODUCTS (WHOLE KERNEL IF AT ALL)

· PEANUTS

· SOYA (SOME FERMENTED TEMPEH – MISO IS OKAY)

· SMOKED MEATS

· ALL PROCESSED FOOD IN BOXES UNLESS COME FROM HEALTH FOOD STORE AND DON’T CONTAIN ANYTHING ON THIS LIST!

Starting Kids Off Right!

This week’s topic is about the best way to introduce different foods to children. If you don’t have young children or grandchildren please pass this onto people who do. There is a lot of confusion and bad advice when it comes to what foods to introduce to your child first and when to start. The results can negatively effect children’s long term health. Everyone does the best they can with the information they have. My parent’s generation were often told to use formula, and put their children onto rice pablum as early as possible, often with babies as young as 2 months. They will say “you survived” but food allergies skyrocketed as a result. Make your choices, thank people for their input but ask that they not be offended if you do things differently.

WHEN TO INTRODUCE FOODS

The digestive tract of a baby is very immature until around 9 months of age. Basically every person’s intestines (lower digestive tract) have little holes in them that allow the small molecules the food has been broken down into in the upper digestive system to enter into the person’s blood carrying with them vitamins and minerals. A newborn’s intestines have HUGE holes which allow anything to pass into their blood. It is assumed only breast milk will enter their digestive system and if this is the case there is no problem. However if formula is introduced or food is introduced too early then molecules such as cow’s milk proteins will enter the blood which is bad and increases allergies and effects the immune system. This is inherently a problem with formula feeding so explore ALL options before turning to that and talk to Tim or Suzie to make sure there isn’t a natural way of stimulating breast milk production or solving problems naturally! The holes in the intestine get smaller and smaller as the baby ages but it isn’t until the child is 9 months old that they are small enough to function like an adult or older child’s digestive system. So it is really important that if you introduce food before 9 months of age there is no allergen or large protein molecules in it! Our culture tends to introduces food far too early to babies so there will be pressure for you to do the same. Often people will tell you if your child reaches for food they are ready for solids. Between 4 and 6 months children start being able to reach out and grab things so they reach for food. If you put a toy in front of them they reach for that as well so don’t use this as a measure of when to feed your child. In our experience 8 or 9 months is a more natural time to introduce solids as they have teeth, and can feed themselves finger foods in chunks or from a spoon. From 6-9 months the volume of food they eat is very small anyway, it is a pain to puree, and there are few good food choices so you rotate between only a few foods for 3 or 4 months. Remember it is much worse to introduce food too early than waiting until 12 months. If you start with food before 9 months be very careful to follow the advice below. We never recommend starting a child on solids before 6 months as their system is too immature. Food should not be the main part of their diet until 1 yr old.

WHAT FOODS TO INTRODUCE FIRST

If you wait until 9 months you may be able to go right into finger foods which they can chew on or you cut into little bites. This is much easier, Suzie recommends that! Introduce foods for at least 3-4 days on their own to test for any allergic reaction by skin, behavior or temperature changes. Then introduce another food on it’s own for 3-4 days, and work through the options. Mash up the food into a paste for babies 6-9 months and then make it chunkier as they get older or give them chunks they can put into their own mouth. Mix it with breast milk or breast feed them right before or after they eat so they can digest the food easier. Give them a tiny amount (2 teaspoons) until they show you they want more. As long as they are breast feeding they have no requirement for the food, it is a bonus!

BEGINNING HEALTHY EATING HABITS – Role Model

Children learn by copying, and there siblings and parents are their role models. We believe if they see their role models eating fruits and vegetables every meal they will eventually do the same. If the rest of the family is eating fish sticks while you are trying to feed Johnny broccoli – it’s over! If you are pounding Doritos while trying to spoon feed him he might not love his asparagus.

FOODS SAFE FROM 6 MONTHS ON: (try for foods that can be eaten raw, and ALWAYS buy organic)

Avocado – this is almost a perfect food and is the BEST first food for kids.

Vegetables – Best examples are deeply colored ones as they are more nutrient dense, use a variety of colors for interest sake and nutrition. Try avocado, then sweet potato, squashes, carrot, zucchini, peas, etc…

Fruits – banana (introduce really slowly mixed with other food as it will cause constipation), apples, peaches, pears, plums are great and can be cooked and mashed into sauces or cut into finger foods. Mango and melon are favorites for many babies.

Grains - Oats and brown rice are safe from 9 months but can wait. All other grains should wait until 1year.

Egg Yolks – we suggest from 9-12 months starting to mix in 1 egg yolk a day. Organic is best, omega 3 eggs 2^nd best. The egg white is a common allergen so hard-boil the egg, separate the white off the yolk and wash off the yolk to remove any egg white. Stirring it into mashed avocado works well. Egg yolks are well proven to assist in brain development and increase IQ.

Vegetable juices – such as freshly juiced carrots are wonderful starter foods for your baby and you can add in fresh raw greens and veggies (spinach, beets, etc.). Dilute ALL juices by double the amount of spring water.

FOODS TO WAIT UNTIL CHILD IS 12 MONTHS OLD:

Dairy -organic yogurt is the only cow dairy we recommend feeding children, it is meant for baby cows! W feed our son organic cheese as well but recommend using almond milk instead of cow’s milk, or use goat dairy.

Grains and Rice –whole oats can be introduced earlier, use organic and brown or whole grain versions of all other grains. Avoid white flour always, and choose sprouted grain breads.

Meat, Poultry, and Fish – Choose grass fed beef, wild red meat and fish when possible, and organic versions of all others to avoid growth hormone and antibiotics. The cost is not a huge factor as they will eat a very small quantity. Choose wild spring, chum , coho and sockeye salmon as they feed on plankton so they are lower in mercury which is very dangerous to kids. Avoid canned tuna.

Nuts – wait until 2 years for peanuts. Look for raw nuts as they are better and choose unsalted. Almond butter, cashew butter and sesame butter are terrific sources of protein as are whole cooked chickpeas.

Citrus Fruits and berries – These are fair game after 12 months and always favorites.

Fruit Juices - Any fruit juices should be of the type found in natural food stores because they are not from concentrate. Concentrated juices have high sugar content and overload the pancreas (link to diabetes) and are a known cause of candidiasis (yeast infection) in children. Fresh juices are far better!

Sugars – avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners. Sugar increases hyperactivity, lowers immunity and slows growth. Choose maple syrup or brown rice syrup instead. Honey can be used after 1 year.

Dairy – dairy is a big source of growth hormone and antibiotics so we suggest always choosing organic dairy or better yet avoiding it altogether (our family eats some cheese and yogurt only). Choose almond milk as the best alternative, brown rice milk is 2^nd, soya milk 3rd.

DOES YOUR CHILD NEED SUPPLEMENTS?

As we discussed last week our belief is that God designed our bodies to live off food and water alone. If you source out organic food, local when available, and encourage eating lots of fruit and vegetables we do not feel supplements are essential with two exceptions. Omega fats, using a small amount of fish oil every day. Natural bacteria, using a specific children’s probiotic is the other necessary supplement. If your child is not eating veggies for a while buy kid’s Greens and put it into a drink to make up for it. None of these supplements is necessary while your child is breast-feeding.

OWEN’S FAVORITE SUPER BRAIN, IMMUNE AND HEALTH BOOSTING SMOOTHIE!!!

Mix an organic banana (frozen for slushy texture), with Jerseyland Organic non-homogenized yogurt, a tiny amount of fish oil, organic frozen berries, and top up with spring water or almond milk to about 500 mL. Use a hand blender or blender to mix it smooth and give half in am, half in pm. Add Greens if desired.

I hope this information helps you make better choices with the foods your children eat. If you introduced food differently that is okay. We all do the best we can with what the info we have. We are constantly trying to give you better information about health so your family can reach their potential for health, vitality and happiness!

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES TO YOUR "STAPLE" FOODS

1. Dairy – almond or hemp milk instead

- goat milk products

- raw, grass fed (for omega 3) organic cow’s milk products (cheese, yogurt, etc…) –Jerseyland Organic

2. Cereal and Grain products – eat a healthy meat with a variety of vegetables for most meals

– use ancient grains or sprouted grains SPARINGLY – not staples or at every meal

– spelt, kamut, quinoa, and millet are the main ones, they are more nutrient dense -Kashi products are good for this but have sweeteners

– cereal -organic oats are healthiest, soaked is best, but cooked from raw is OK too.  Ancient grain cereals are easy to find, even at Costco

– bread – sprouted grain breads or ancient grain breads are best.  These are readily available everywhere.

– pasta – use ancient grain pasta (kamut is our favorite), organic brown rice pasta, or at least organic whole wheat pasta.

– rice – use ancient grains, other than spelt, or brown or wild rice to make side dishes, or cold salads

– baked goods – use spelt flour to replace all or some of the wheat flour OR COCONUT FLOUR which is awesome in baked goods! Almond flour makes amazing pancakes!

3. Processed foods -Find quick recipes to make food naturally at home

-choose natural organic products ALWAYS for processed stuff if you must have it

(ex. Ketchup, chips, etc…) potato chips over candy, etc. choose the condiment made with the best sweetener.

-find alternatives with the same texture or taste for snacks (ex. Cut up veggies instead of chips, dried mango instead of candy or sugary things)

HEALTHY, LIFE GIVING RECIPES

HERE ARE A COLLECTION OF OUR FAVORITE RECIPES FROM WEBSITES, COOKBOOKS, ETC.  VERY FEW OF THESE ARE OUR OWN RECIPES, THEY ARE ONES WE LOVE FROM OTHER PEOPLE. ENJOY!  MOST OF THEM ARE 40 DAY LIFESTYLE CHALLENGE FRIENDLY, SOME MAY INVOLVE SMALL AMOUNTS OF SWEETENER LIKE HONEY OR MAPLE SYRUP WHICH YOU CAN HAVE IN SMALL AMOUNTS EVERY FEW DAYS SO CONSUME ONE SERVING ONCE EVERY FEW DAYS SO YOU CAN STILL RETRAIN YOUR SWEETNESS LEVEL.

I HAVE TO MENTION THAT ANY RECIPE SAYING "RAW" MEANS NOTHING COOKED IS USED IN IT AND OTHER THAN INCLUDING RAW HONEY, THEY ARE PERFECT FOR BEING CREATIVE AND HEALTHY AT THE SAME TIME.  

WWW.ROOSTBLOG.COM IS AN AMAZING SOURCE OF HEALTHY BUT INCREDIBLY TASTY FOOD, THE RAW RECIPES ARE UNBELIEVABLE.  HER HUSBAND IS CELIAC SO THE RECIPES ARE GLUTEN FREE AND USUALLY GRAIN FREE AS WELL.

THE SLICE COOKBOOK IS ANOTHER AMAZING RESOURCE BUT IT IS HARD TO FIND.  WWW.SLICEOFHEALTH.COM  

BREAKFAST

Our favorite 40 Day Challenge breakfast is either a smoothie, or eggs or almond flour pancakes.  Almond flour is expensive but very nutritious and tasty!  Our family love almond flour pancakes but there are lots of bad recipes out there.  Here are 4 good recipes, all with different textures so try them all and see which your family likes best. The first is a simple one that is easy to make turn out well.  If you have issues making any of these with the batter or having them not flip well, try cooking at a higher temp or letting the batter sit for 10 minutes before cooking.  Go to this site for more troubleshooting tips, they should look like normal pancakes but are full of healthy ingredients! www.elanaspantry.com/gluten-free-pancakes-revisited 

Almond Flour Blender Pancakesprinter friendly (from Elana's pantry blog)
2 eggs
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
coconut oil for sauteing (in a well seasoned pan I find this is not needed)

1. In a Vitamix, combine eggs, agave and vanilla and blend on high until smooth
2. Add almond flour, salt and baking soda and blend again to incorporate dry 
3. Let batter sit for 15-20 minutes to thicken up
4. Warm coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat
5. Ladle pancake batter onto skillet
6. Pancakes will form little bubbles, when bubbles open, flip pancakes over 
7. Remove from heat to a plate
8. Repeat process with remaining batter, adding more oil to skillet as needed

Makes 12 pancakes

Spiced Banana Almond Meal Pancakes
 (roostblog.com)
2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 overripe bananas
2 eggs
Coconut oil for greasing pan
berries for topping
(including bananas).Pour wet and dry ingredients into a blender and blend for 
about 30 seconds. Heat a non-stick griddle pan or skillet and grease coconut oil, 
or butter. Pour batter (if a little thick use a spoon to help flatten out the batter 
in the pan) into 4-inch rounds. Cook and flip until each side is done. 
Remove from pan and spread with coconut oil. Top with berries and enjoy!
Makes about 12 4-inch pancakes

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients 

ALMOND FLOUR PANCAKES

– serves 2 people so double or triple for a family

- IF YOU REMOVE THE SWEETENER YOU COULD EAT THESE EVERYDAY DURING THE 40 DAY CHALLENGE!

1 cup almond flour (almond flour is a finer grind than almond meal) – can be bought at choices in a brown box (not cheap but worth it!) or bulk barn

2 eggs

1/4 cup H2O (best if sparking water)

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/4 tsp salt

1T sweetener (honey, maple syrup) - optional

COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS AND THEN STIR IN THE CARBONATED WATER AT THE END

ALMOND FLOUR OAT AND APPLE PANCAKES 
(LAUREN'S BLOG)
THIS USES 1 CUP OF OATS SO IT IS LESS 40 DAY FRIENDLY BUT ONCE A 
WEEK WOULD BE FINE.  THE APPLE WORKS WELL WITH CINNAMON.
YOU NEED A GOOD BLENDER FOR THIS ONE - BLENDTEC WILDSIDE IS 
BEST IN MY OPINION BUT PRICEY! 
1 cup    Organic Oatmeal  (Blend in my blendtec to a fine powder)
1 cup     Almond Flour       (certified Gluten Free)
3           Eggs  or  Chia seed gel to make it Vegan
1           apple cut in 4
1/2 cup  Coconut water, Hemp, or Almond Milk
1 tsp        Vanilla
1 tsp        Baking Powder
1 tsp       Cinnamon spices
1.  Blend Oats in a blender or food processor to powder.
2.  Add the rest of the ingredients to blender or food processor.
3.  Heat Large Pan or Skillet with Coconut or Olive Oil on medium to high.
4.  Press "batter" button if you have a Blendtec. Otherwise blend on low speed making 
sure all ingredients get mixed well.  You can also hand mix if needed!
5.  Pour on to heated pan to desired size.  It will not bubble like flour pancakes. Check them 
frequently and flip when golden brown. 

SUPER SMART SMOOTHIE FOR ONE CHILD
CUP OF FROZEN BERRIES, ICE OR FROZEN BANANA, WATER OR ALMOND MILK, POWDERED
GREENS OR SCHINOUSSA SEA VEGETABLES OR FRESH KALE OR SPINACH --> BLEND THEN ADD 
NEW ZEALAND UNDENATURED WHEY PROTEIN OR VEGA SMOOTHIE POWDERS + FISH
OIL --> BLEND ON LOW 10 SEC
-use blueberries and add two wedges of lemon with peel on if you have a good blender 
for a great citrus combo 

PB&J Smoothie (bite of life blog)
Ingredients: blended together on HI
1/2 cup frozen organic strawberries
1/2 cup frozen organic cherries
1 cup almond milk (add water if more liquid is needed)
1/4 or 1/2 banana, previously peeled and frozen
1 heaping TBS almond butter 
1 scoop berry Vega* powder

GREEN SHAKE (BITE OF LIFE BLOG)
You can add water/milk of your choice until you reach the desired consistency. 
Ingredients:
This recipe fills two mason jars.
1 cup coconut milk/almond milk
1.5 – 2 cups water
1 avocado
1 cucumber
2-3 handfuls fresh spinach
1 grapefruit, peel discarded
1 lime, peel discarded
1-2 scoops green powder or schinnoussa sea vegetables
ice
OPTIONAL: 2 drops peppermint extract

Vanilla Bean Raw-Granola (ROOSTBLOG)
Soaking Times
-Cashews, Pine Nuts, & Macadamia Nuts: 1-2 hours (these will get slimy if soaked too long)
-Pumpkin, Sesame, & Sunflower Seeds: 4-8 hours
-Brazil nuts, Pecans & Walnuts: 4-6 hours
-Almonds, Hazelnuts & Pistachios: 7-24 hours

2 cups raw almonds (soaked)

1 cup raw walnuts (soaked)
1 cup pumpkin seeds (soaked)
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 pitted raw dates (if you buy dried dates soak them in warm water until they 
are plump and juicy)
1/4 cup water
WE REMOVED THE HONEY SO IT IS 40 DAY FRIENDLY!
*Feel free to experiment with different types of nuts/seeds/dried fruits used in this recipe.
To make the binding ingredients place the dates, water,honey, vanilla seeds, salt and 
cinnamon in a food processor and process on high until a paste forms. Set aside.
Then place your nuts and pumpkin seeds in a food processor and coarsely chop (do not 
over process or you will have nut flour!).
Pour the chopped nut mixture in a bowl and toss with the date mixture. Make sure you coat 
the nuts evenly. 
To Dry in Dehydrator: pour the rawnola onto your teflex sheet (with the mesh screen and 
tray underneath) and spread evenly unto a thin layer. Dehydrate at 105F (to keep the 
rawnola truly "live") for 24-48 hours depending on how crunchy you want it.
To Dry in the Oven: Line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper (not wax paper) 
and spread the granola evenly into a thin layer. Place in your oven at the lowest degree 
possible and dry until it is your desired texture.
To Bake in the Oven: Preheat oven to 250F. Line a couple of cookie sheets with 
parchment paper (not wax paper) and spread the granola evenly into a thin layer. Bake for 
about 30-45 minutes until is is your desired texture.
Makes about 4 cups.

BANANA CREAM QUINOA BREAKFAST CEREAL

(SLICE OF LIFE BLOG) - IF YOU "NEED" AN OATMEAL SUBSTITUTE

1 cup organic quinoa (uncooked)
1 cup vanilla coconut milk (in the carton) OR almond milk
1 cup water (If you want it to be really creamy, use all milk and no water)
1 banana, sliced
handful of cranberries (OR raisins, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, etc.)
1 tsp cinnamon
handful of raw walnuts or almonds
1-2 TBS maple flavored agave nectar OR drops of stevia to taste
Add quinoa to milk/water and bring to a boil.
Add all ingredients EXCEPT agave and simmer, covered for 8-10 minutes. 
Drizzle with agave and sprinkle with extra cinnamon as needed.

MINI VEGGIE FRITTATA (SLICE OF LIFE BLOG) 

Ingredients: (this recipe made 5 mini frittatas)

-YOU COULD MAKE ONE LARGE TRADITIONAL FRITTATA

SOUPS

Authentic Black Bean Soup
(SLICE COOKBOOK)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups of black beans, cooked
1 large sweet potato, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
3 cups Vegetable Stock (or Chicken Stock)
1 lime, juiced

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, saute until translucent. Add beans, sweet potato, carrot, tomato, cumin, salt, chili powder and oregano and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes, or until sweet potato is tender. Puree in a blender or with a hand blender. Add lime juice, stir to blend.
Garnish with avacado

Barley Lentil Soup

1/2 cup whole barley
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup lentils...any colour
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp tamari seasoning (or soya sauce)
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp each: basil, oregano, thyme and sea salt
1/2 tsp dill
several dashes of cayenne or hot sauce

1. Place barley in a bowl...covered with water...for at least 1 hour or overnight. Drain and rinse barely, set aside.

2. In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add stock and bring to a boil.

3. Add soaked barley, reduce heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes.

4. Add lentils and simmer covered for an additional 20 minutes.

5. Once barely and lentils are tender, add vegetables, herbs and spices and simmer for an additional 10 minutes...or until you're ready to eat! Add more water or stock if needed to thin soup.

CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP (BITE OF LIFE BLOG)

1 bundle of  fresh asparagus, chopped in half
1 leek or bundle of green onions, chopped (about 1/8 cup)
2 cloves garlic, whole
2-3 kale leaves (or handful of spinach)
1 cup raw cashews (to create the “cream”) OR 1 cup coconut/almond milk
1 cup water
2 cups vegetable broth
paprika, sea salt, pepper, to taste

DIPS AND SNACK

(from Trinity Yoga's Raw Cooking Classes)

Tuscan Kale Chips 

(roostblog) 

Preheat oven to 250°F. Toss kale with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leaves. Transfer leaves to rack to cool slightly then dig in!

SALADS

This is an amazing kale salad- Trinity Yoga Raw Cooking Classes
2 heads kale (wilts down when salt is added) 
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup baby tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
2 avocados
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon agave
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon each of onion powder, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and
tamari/nama shoyu
Remove the stems and then wash and cut the kale into small pieces. Place into a bowl, add 
salt and start to massage the kale until it wilts and takes on a ‘cooked’texture.

MAIN COURSES 

TRUTHFULLY, WE DO NOT MAKE MANY RECIPES FOR DINNER.  OUR TYPICAL DINNER IS A PROTEIN AND TWO VEGETABLES, WITH LOTS OF CUT UP VEGGIES EATEN BY STARVING KIDS WHILE MOM IS COOKING THE FOOD.  WE BBQ CHICKEN, SALMON, AND GRASS FED MEAT USUALLY MARINATED IN HERBS AND LEMON JUICE AND CHIPOTLE SALT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 of an onion, zucchini, red pepper & yam, diced finely

2 crushed garlic cloves

2 cups cooked black beans (19oz can)

½ cup corn, fresh or frozen

14 oz can diced tomatoes (Eden organics is BPA free)

1 tsp each of chili powder, cumin & coriander

4-6 Sprouted grain tortillas or dehydrated grated carrot FOR 40 DAY CHALLENGE

fresh cilantro

aged raw milk cheddar, grated (optional)

fresh salsa, guacomole if desired

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil on medium. Add onion, zucchini, pepper and yam and garlic and sauté for 8-10 min until tender. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and coriander. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer covered for 7-10 minutes until yams are soft. Don’t overfill the tortilla with the mixture, add cilantro, cheese and fold in both ends and roll. Serve immediately, with a dollop of fresh salsa, yogurt or guacamole if desired.

ZUCCHINI PASTA AND SPINACH

(BITE OF LIFE BLOG)- USING ZUCCHINI FROM A SPIRALIZER IS A GREAT SUBSTITUTE FOR PASTA!  THIS ONE'S FOR YOU LAURA!

4 zucchini (I prefer skin on)
2-4 cups fresh baby spinach
tomato sauce, warmed on stove (I used Organicville brand from a jar; if you prefer homeade, refer to my tomato sauce from my veggie lasagna recipe or create your own)
Bring 6 cups water almost to a boil.
Using a julienne slicer or spiral vegetable slicer, slice all of the zucchini
Before the water boils, remove from heat.  Plunge the zucchini into the water, give it a quick stir, then drain water from zucchini (this just warms it and prevents the zucchini from cooking).
Add the raw spinach to the drained zucchini and toss together.  The spinach will wilt from the heat.
Add the tomato sauce and stir. 

SPICY AFRICAN PEANUT STEW

from www.peasandthankyou.com  

Ingredients

· 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

· 1 sweet potato, cubed (about 1 c. total)

· 1 1/2 t. curry powder

· 1/2-3/4 t. garam masala (depending on how spicy you like it)

· 1 t. cumin

· 1 T. minced ginger

· 2 t. minced garlic

· stevia to taste (I used almost 2 packets of NuNaturals)

· dash of cinnamon

· 1 14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes, in juice

· 1 can light coconut milk

· 2 c. vegetable stock

· 2 T. natural Almond butter

· 1/2 c. red lentils, drained and rinsed (can substitute quinoa, if desired)

· Optional garnishes: cilantro, chopped cashews, sour cream or plain yogurt (vegan, if desired)

Instructions

· Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and turn to high for about an hour. This gets your crock pot good and going, then switch it to low for the next several hours.

RAW Vegetarian Chili Con Quesco

(Trinity Yoga Raw Food Classes)

Ingredients:

1 portobello mushroom

½ cup minced celery

½ cup chopped red onion

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 cup almonds, soaked 4-6 hours

1 cup chopped carrots

1 ½ cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked

2 cups water, fresh or from sun-dried tomatoes soaking liquid

1 TB olive oil

¼ cup nama shoyu

1 clove garlic

2 TB fresh oregano

1 TB dry oregano

2 tsp chilli powder

1 TB cumin

1 TB apple cider vinegar

1 TB agave

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

Place mushrooms, celery, onion, and bell pepper in a large bowl. Pulse almonds and carrots in food processor until a chunky consistency is achieved; add to bowl.

Blend remaining ingredients in Vita-mix until smooth; add to bowl and mix all ingredients until well combined. Store in refrigerator and warm in dehydrator prior to serving (optional). Yield 2 quarts.

Cashew Sour Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups cashews, soaked 4-6 hours

1 cup water

½ cup olive oil

3 TB lemon juice

1 ½ tsp salt

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in vita-mix until completely smooth. Yield 1 quart.

Recipe Source: Matthew Kenney

KALE WRAPS

There is no right or wrong with this recipe.  Simply place your leafy green out like a sub-roll and add all the ingredients.  I smeared the mustard, nutritional yeast, and sea salt on first, then added the rest.  Then I topped it with the olive oil (& garlic salt) and carefully rolled it into a wrap.  It is messy, but so worth it!  Feel free to add any veggies you have

on hand and you can’t go wrong!

Brazilian Stew 
(SLICE COOKBOOK) 
prep time 15 minutes cook time 35 minutes  serves 6

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

28oz can diced tomatoes (Eden organics is BPA free)

1 Cup vegetable stock

1 Tbsp each of chili powder & paprika

several dashes of cayenne

2 cups cooked black beans (19oz can)

½ cup corn, fresh or frozen

plain yogurt, optional

Heat oil on medium. Add onion and squash and sauté for 3-5 min. Add tomatoes, stock, chili powder, paprika and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Add beans and corn and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately

SPICY WHITE CHILI

(BITE OF LIFE BLOG) 

BLACK BEAN BURGERS

(BITE OF LIFE BLOG) - SKIP A BUN AND USE ICEBERG LETTUCE ROUNDS
(makes 6-8 burgers)
approximately 2 TBS Coconut oil
1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups (canned) black beans, drained (1.5 cans)
1.5 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1 TBS ground cumin
bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped (as much as you like – I like A LOT!)
3 eggs (or egg whites)
3/4 or 1 whole cup almond flour OR flour of your choice

Saute the onion for 8 to 10 minutes in 1 TBS coconut oil, until soft.  Add garlic and pepper and saute another 3-5 minutes. 
In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture with all other ingredients. 
Form into 2-3 inch patties.
Heat remaining coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook patties for 4-6 minutes each side, until golden. 

STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
(BITE OF LIFE BLOG)
Handful of fresh spinach, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2-3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
4 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (I used tomatoes packed in olive oil, but rinsed and dried them before cooking)
sea salt & pepper
toothpicks
2 chicken breasts

CHICKEN ESCONDIDO

(BITE OF LIFE BLOG)

BAKING AND TREATS 

1. Place the dates, maple syrup and vanilla in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until smooth.

2. Add the avocado and cocoa powder and process until creamy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the water and process briefly. Can be frozen. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

 RAW Meyer Lemon, Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

TAKEN FROM WWW.ROOSTBLOG.COM (MY WIFE'S FAVORITE BLOG!)
THIS CHEESECAKE IS UNBELIEVABLE, AMAZING AND GOOD FOR YOU 
AND TAKES 20-30 MINUTES TO MAKE! Reduce the sweetener in my opinion, but 
when you serve it, even "normal" people will love it. There is an amazing lavender version 
on her website as well that is equally good and more unique. 
For the Crust
2 cups raw almonds soaked overnight
1/2 dates, pitted (about 7 or 8 dates) if dates are really dry, put them in a bowl 
of warm water for 10 minutes, discard water
1/4 cup non-sweetened coconut flakes
Place almonds and dates in a food processor and mix until chopped and well incorporated. 
Cover the bottom of a 9inch spring form cake pan with the coconut flakes (this prevents the 
cake from sticking the the pan). Pour the almond mixture on top of the coconut flakes , 
spread out and mold into the cake pan.
For the Filling
3 cups raw cashews soaked for three hours
3/4 cup fresh meyer lemon juice
3/4 cup raw honey (you can use regular honey)
3/4 cup raw coconut oil (Artisana is my favorite brand) you do not have to 
warm it, just use it straight out of jar
1 tsp vanilla or 1 vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped, pod discarded
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
To make the cheese, blend the cashews, lemon, honey, coconut oil, vanilla/vanilla bean, and
 sea salt. Blend until smooth and adjust to taste. (For the best results you need to use a high 
speed blender!)
Pour mixture on top of the "crust" and carefully tap the pan on the counter to release any air
 bubbles.
For the topping
1 bag of frozen blueberries (or any berry that you prefer)
honey or dates to sweeten ( I didn't measure I just poured and tasted)
1/4 cup apple cider (this is optional, but my mixture was too thick so I added 
the cider to smooth it out....orange juice would work great too or water if 
needed)
Place honey, berries and cider/juice in a high speed blender and process until smooth. 
Pour over "cheese" mixture. 
Place the pan in the freezer for at least three hours or overnight. Before serving place on 
counter to thaw slightly. This is best served semi frozen, soft enough to run a serrated knife 
through.

Spiced Carrot Cake with coconut cream

(ELANA'S PANTRY BLOG) 
2 cups blanched almond flour
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 egg
2 tablespoons RAW UNPASTEURIZED HONEY