Everyone loves JELLO!

I work hard to make sure our little guy (15 months) gets fresh, nutritious food at every meal. Unfortunately, that means I have to prepare all his meals for daycare and forego the provided meals. Sadly, the food that is provided does not match our family’s beliefs about healthy and nutritious food, but that is a whole different blog post that could get pretty long.

In his new classroom the kids sit down together at a table and eat every meal. By doing this they learn great social skills and develop skills to eat with utensils-all very important. This also means, though, that my little guy has become acutely aware even at his small age that he is eating different foods than his little friends. How do I compete with veggie pizza for lunch or breadsticks and marinara for afternoon snack? For snack, I have found a consistent winner-Jello! Not the artificially colored and flavored stuff, but incredibly easy and healthy homemade Jello. It takes maybe 10 minutes to put together and then you put it in the fridge. I just scoop from the bowl each night when putting his food together for the next day and he has a fun snack that is also nutritious. Orange has been his favorite flavor lately.

Ingredients

3 cups of juice (I have been juicing the fruits, but you can buy store bought as long as it is 100% juice with no additives. Whole Foods has a decent selection.)

½ cup cool water

½ cup hot water

2 TBS gelatin (I have used Great Lakes and Vital Proteins grass fed gelatin for the added health benefit)

It really doesn’t get much easier than this!

1. Pour your cool water into a small bowl and stir in the gelatin powder until thoroughly mixed.
2. Add the hot water and stir
3. Mix this into a larger bowl with the fruit juice and stir.
4. I usually leave this in a bowl and put into the fridge overnight to solidify, but you can also put into a 9x13 baking dish for smaller squares or even to cut into fun shapes!
5. Let sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours and ENJOY!

Becca Potter

BeccaPotterNRT@gmail.com

To schedule online with Becca click the link below

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/home?studioid=213814 

Chicken Zucchini Bites

This is one of my favorites lately- Super quick to make and really tasty!  You can dip them in salsa or guac to taste really really good.  They make for good finger food too!  (Great for Candida Clear, Whole30, 21 Sugar Detox- plus everyone else!)

All you need is
1 pound ground chicken breast
2 cups grated zucchini, no need to peel it (Around 1.5 to 2 medium sized zucchinis)
2-3 green onions, sliced
3 to 4 TBS cilantro, minced (I didn't measure this out but threw in a handful of it)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Grate zucchini and mix together with the other ingredients listed above.  You DO NOT need to dry out the zucchini or get out the excess water.  You can but don't need to.  The mixture will be wet but that is okay.

While mixing the ingredients start warming up a skillet over medium heat with 1 TBS or more coconut oil.

Then scoop the mixture onto the skillet (about meatball sized).  Cook on each side for around 5 minutes and then flip.  They will cook all the way through and get a little brown and crispy.  Make sure to keep adding coconut oil each time you throw on a new batch.  It is what helps make them more crispy.   

(You can also bake them at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.  If you want to at the end turn on the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to get them more brown on the top.)  

Enjoy!

Recipe from:  http://www.onelovelylife.com/chicken-zucchini-poppers-gf-df/

Dinner! 

Hit at Wall between 1 and 3pm?

Do you hit a wall between 1 and 3 pm?  Most people feel like they either need a nap, something sugary or caffeine.  If you are one of those people continue reading...

When you hit this wall or feel like you need sugary foods or caffeine in these hours it means your adrenal glands are tired.  These glands are considered your 'stress glands.'  They pump out hormones to keep you going day in and day out.  They fire up with both good and bad stress and each time there is a stressor it is like asking them to run a marathon.  Then another stressor comes and they have to run again.  And another and another.  If you really had to do this you eventually couldn't go anymore... and eventually they get so tired that they are barely running.  (And how you know they are just getting by is when you hit that wall between 1 and 3 pm AND/OR when someone gives you one more thing to do you want to cry, run away or yell.  That is stereotypical adrenal exhaustion symptoms- AKA most people in America.)

What can you do? 
Try to avoid stress! Ha! That is what most people say but how realistic is it?  Likely not very realistic but you can choose to minimize it.  Do not say yes to everything and everyone- you will wear yourself down.  On to other ideas :)

-Eat an avocado a day (great hormones and fuel for the adrenals)
-If you hit a dip in the afternoon drink hot tea with 1 tbs of coconut oil (keeps your blood sugar levels stable and doesn't spike them which stresses the adrenal glands even more)
-Keep your protein intake up (Make sure to get 30 grams of protein in for breakfast.  I do through a smoothie or eat turkey, chicken sausage, etc. with eggs for breakfast).  You want to have a protein source at each meal.
-Snack on nuts and seeds
-If you are craving sugar- eat some protein first and wait 15 minutes before indulging.  If you have to indulge try natural sugars like honey and maple syrup (but in moderation).

Great supplements we commonly use in the office. (These are just a few of the many many ones we use.  The adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system- so we have to look at everything and not just single out the adrenals!)

• Adrenal Support by Nature Sunshine
• Great to take a bottle when big stressors come up or life throws you a curve ball
• Nervous Fatigue TCM by Nature Sunshine
• Great for maintenance and protection of the adrenals
• Mineral Chi Tonic by Nature Sunshine
• Minerals are fuel for adrenals and this also has other great herbs for them too.  Its is a liquid which is easy to mix or take straight (not the best tasting thing but you can do it :))
• Adrenal Desiccated by Standard Process
• For very severe cases
• Drenamin by Standard Process
• Whole food based supplement for the adrenals
• Min Tran by Standard Process
• Relaxing minerals to relax the body and adrenals

Again there are SO SO many other supplements we use but this is just a quick overview.  If the symptoms above sound like you... give us a call and we can help out.  You don't have to live run down or in a constant state of feeling overwhelmed. 

For order instructions on Nature Sunshine click here and for Standard Process visit the office or call 615-656-3558.

This is after one of his long, hard days at the office.  It is hard life getting belly rubs all day. 

Butternut Squash Soup with only 4 Ingredients

Here is an easy soup recipe!  For those on Candida Clear sub the balsamic vinegar for apple cider vinegar.  I tried both ways and the apple cider vinegar is a great substitution for it!

2 lbs of butternut squash (I got mine from Costco and it is already cut into cubes)
1 medium onion
3 to 4 cups vegetable broth (We didn't have any so I used chicken broth)
2 to 4 balsamic vinegar (For Candida Clear use apple cider vinegar)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the diced up butternut squash in coconut oil at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until tender.  With about 10 minutes to go cut up the onion and saute with coconut oil in a skillet until they start to get golden edges.  

When both the butternut squash and the onions are cooked throw them into a blender with the vegetable (or chicken) broth.  I didn't have to warm up the chicken/vegetable broth because the squash and onions were really hot so it warmed the broth up really quickly.  

After it is blended add the balsamic or apple cider vinegar to taste.  Start with 1 tsp and work up to what you would like.  (I didn't get my blender out but instead put everything into a large soup pot and then used a hand blender.  Either way works great!)  

We topped it with jalapenos and avocado which was a perfect little addition!  You could even try cilantro or green onions too.

Enjoy! 

Recipe Idea from

http://www.onelovelylife.com/roasted-butternut-squash-soup/

Diced up Butternut Squash from Costco

All done!  Topped with jalapenos and avocado

What I used to blend it all together with.  Or you could add it all to a regular blender.  

Tips on Ear Infections for Infants

This one is for all the parents! 

 

My son has been fighting an ear infection and all the drainage that comes with it this past week.  This time of year, especially, we see a lot of kids for sinus drainage, ear aches, and coughs.  It’s such a challenge to see our little ones not feeling well and, of course, we want to do all we can to make them feel better as quickly as possible.  Before you rush out and load up on the “yummy pink stuff” we got as kids any time we needed an antibiotic, here are a few tricks to try at home.  If these don’t work, give us a call and get in for a sick visit!

 

Breastmilk

If you are nursing, a few drops of breastmilk can do wonders!  Breastmilk is loaded with antibodies to help fight illnesses and does wonders against infections and clearing fluids.  For stuffy noses or sinuses, place a few drops into the nostril while baby is lying down.  For clogged tear ducts or pink eye, put the drops into the corner of the eye (Warm breastmilk may be less of a shock to the little one).  For earaches and infections (you guessed it) put a few drops (warmed) into the ear to help soothe and dry up fluids.  There’s a reason they call this stuff liquid gold!

 

Garlic Oil

I am sure you have heard us tell you many times that garlic is a wonderful natural antibiotic and drainage supplement.  This definitely applies to earaches!  At the onset of ear pain, place 3-4 drops of warmed garlic oil into the ear.  This will help to soothe the pain and dry fluids while fending off any start of infection.

 

Silver

When in doubt, there is always Silver Shield!  Colloidal Silver is a fantastic and effective natural antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal and so much more.  Especially with Nature’s Sunshine’s addition of their Silver Shield gel, there are countless ways you can use it now.  For pink eye, place a drop into the corner of the eye.  With an ear infection, drop into the ear.  With any kind of respiratory issue, stop by the office to pick up a nasal spray bottle.  You can put the silver shield into the bottle and squirt up the nose to get directly into the sinuses and lungs.

 

Have a good day! 

Becca Potter

BeccaPotterNRT@gmail.com

 

To schedule online with Becca click the link below

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/home?studioid=213814 

 

 

 

100% Vitamin C Drink for Kids

Don't worry about the high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, food coloring and dyes (known neurotoxins) this has 100% vitamin C in it! (It makes me want to cry seeing this and how it is marketed as a yummy treat for little ones tummies.)

Do your children a favor and choose fruits and vegetables for their vitamin C and avoid all this junk.  Getting in their 100% vitamin C is not worth drinking this punch.  No way, Jose!!! 

Struggling with Menopause?

If you are one of the many women struggling with (or fear) menopause keep reading.

Menopause does not mean the body stops producing all hormones but instead the ovaries go into retirement by drastically decreasing their production of estrogen and progesterone.  In turn the adrenals (aka stress glands) have to pick up the slack and increase their production of sex hormones for everything to run smoothly.

The problem is that over the first 40 to 50 years of most peoples lives, the stress glands get run down.  They have to produce the stress hormone (cortisol) whenever stress is present.  Stress can be good or bad, actual or perceived.  This means even if you are moving to a new beautiful house it can still be very stressful.  Then you add in on top of it kids games, deadlines at work, traffic, family stress, etc.  It adds up real quick and your adrenal glands never get a break.  It is like asking them to do a sprint, then another sprint, then run a marathon, and once they finish another sprint, etc.  If you had to physically do that each moment you were awake your body would crash and burn.  And after 40+ years of this they get burned out too.  

After all of that you THEN start asking them to up the production of estrogen and progesterone to make up for the lack of hormones being produced by the ovaries.  The result when the adrenals (aka stress glands) can't keep up is stereotypical menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, decreased libido, dry skin, etc).  

So supporting and giving your 'stress glands' some love and TLC to produce hormones like they should can do wonders, absolute wonders, for women going or who have gone through menopause.  It SHOULD NOT be a dramatic, terrible transition.  Don't fall into the trap of thinking that common symptoms (aka what you stereotypically hear about) are NORMAL.  They are NOT NORMAL but instead common because most Americans are in adrenal fatigue.

One of my favorite quotes is (by Kevin Trudeau)

"Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel."  

You DO NOT have to suffer with the incurable, miserable symptoms.  Support the areas of your body that need it and you will be surprised at how good you can feel and how minimal the 'transition' will be.  

For specific ideas on how to support your adrenals there will be a blog post coming your way next week.  Stay tuned!