The Paleo Mama

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What’s the Matcha Tea Craze All About?

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Matcha tea —the green powdered tea imported from Japan—has become one of the trendiest new superfoods. Most of us had never heard of it until one day we discovered that it was one of the hottest talking points in health and wellness websites. Matcha tea has been a part of Chinese and Japanese cultures for centuries, and is now taking the Western world by storm.

I heard about it a couple of years ago, and even prepared a guest blog from one blogger who had created a yummy version of Matcha tea—her Matcha Mate Almond Latte—to help her wean herself off her near addiction to black tea and coffee (Here).

Today, I want to explore just what it is that is driving the current Matcha Tea craze. We’ll look at:

  • Just what Matcha tea is.
  • What Matcha Tea’s superfood health benefits are.
  • How to enjoy Matcha Tea for yourself.

Just What Is Matcha Tea?

For many people, enjoying Matcha Tea is much more than benefitting from its health benefits—it is an experience. The moments spent with a warm cup of Matcha Tea in hand allow the person to experience positive mental wellbeing because of the tea’s cultural focus on meditation and spirituality. One leading tea expert and author sums it up this way: “Matcha is unique not only for its healthfulness and flavor, but because it combines the contradictory attributes of novelty and tradition.”[1]

Matcha is the tea used in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony known as chado. The formal ritual of chado is designed to lead toward spiritual awakening through four principles: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility.[2] This is a positive concept to adopt, one that will allow us to slow down and cultivate a greater inner peace and outer harmony. In our American fast-paced, stress-filled culture, taking the time to unplug is a real luxury, and drinking Matcha Tea has become one way to do that. Even preparing the tea takes time—the water must be heated to just the right temperature, and the powder must be sifted, scooped, and whisked into a frothy frenzy before it’s ready to consume.

The Health Benefits of Matcha Tea

Matcha is much more than just another green tea.

  • It has a high concentration of polyphenols, catechins, and antioxidants. With these high concentrations, if can prevent cancer, help burn fat faster, and increase brain power.
  • It contains theanine, which has been shown to increase the natural levels of serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and glycine in our bodies. This can lead to reduced mental and physical stress.
  • Its green color indicates that it has a high amount of chlorophyll, just like broccoli, spinach, kale and other leafy greens.
  • It contains a powerful amount of caffeine, making it a great alternative to less healthy caffeinated sugary beverages. The caffeine helps to improve alertness and cognitive functioning, all while being healthy too.
  • It has even stronger obesity-fighting potential than regular green tea. It can significantly reduce hypertension.[3]

These are just a few of the benefits to drinking Matcha Tea. There are practical benefits too, things like:

  • It relaxes you without making you sleepy.
  • It delivers caffeine into the bloodstream in a much more measured way than coffee.
  • Its caffeine effects last up to 4-6 hours, compared to coffee’s high and then quick crash.
  • There is evidence that it has some weight loss benefits.

Its Cautions

There are many benefits to drinking this tea, but there are also some cautions. Matcha tea is highly concentrated, and contains about three times as much powerful antioxidants as regular green tea, and as much caffeine as coffee. When you drink Matcha, you are drinking a suspension of ground leaves infused in water, which is different than a regular cup of tea where you steep the tea and then remove the tea leaves.

When you buy matcha tea powder (or leaves), stick to matcha teas grown in Japan that have been tested for the presence of heavy metals. The tea from China is grown is soil contaminated with lead, which will absort into the leaves. Also look for good-quality matcha, which is bright, vivid green and has a fine powdery consistency. Avoid anything yellowish or coarse—it will not taste good.

How to Choose a Good Matcha:

Good matcha tea is expensive, costing anywhere from $25-$33 an ounce (a tin of 30 grams). Anything cheaper is not likely to have a good flavor. A 30-gram tin will give you about 30 cups of tea.

Also avoid the Americanized version of prepared matcha tea now popular. They are likely to have lots of added sugar which completely ruins the Matcha. I prefer to purchase my Matcha Tea from a Japanese source and labeled “ceremonial grade” (click here to buy). I spend a little extra for a high quality brand because I look at Matcha as more of a superfood and supplement than an actual drink.

I also make sure I use my small Matcha scoop and whisk so I use the exact amount of recommeded Matcha per cup! 

How to Enjoy Matcha Tea for Yourself

Image credit to Flickr
Image credit to Flickr

Why not try making your own experience with a cup of warm, healthy matcha tea? Remember—it’s an experience, not a quick pick-me-up! Once you have tried it, no doubt you will want to continue this relaxing experience.

Step 1: Fill a kettle with water and heat. Don’t bring to a boil 

Step 2: Add (or sift) 1 teaspoon of matcha to a bowl. 

Step 3: Add 2 oz of hot water (not boiling) to the bowl. I use my matcha spoon to add the perfect amount. 

Step 4: Whisk until the tea is frothy using your bamboo (or wire) whisk. 

Step 5: Add 4 more oz of hot water, stir, and enjoy! Drink it out of the bowl or pour it into a mug. 

There are many ways to enjoy Matcha Tea. Here are just a few:

  1. Try Iced Matcha Milk, using almond milk or coconut milk for a healthy, unique tasting drink.
  2. Instead of adding sugar to your coffee, use high-quality matcha to add a sweet aftertaste with an antioxidant boost.
  3. If you like buttered coffee as much as I do, try adding a tsp. of matcha powder to your buttered morning coffee. What a way to start your day!
  4. Add a bit to naturally sweet Tabbouleh (bulgur, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil). Add it to your recipe when you add the tomatoes and parsley.
  5. Blend a little matcha powder into the cream cheese you top your bagel with in the morning.
  6. Make a creamy spread to use on sandwiches and burgers by chopping and steaming a bunch of kale, then blending in ½ tsp matcha powder and ½ cup walnut. Use your food processor to complete the spread.
  7. Stir a little matcha into your guacamole recipe just before you mash the ingredients together.

 

Matcha Mate Almond Latte

My guest blogger created this energizing and yummy to distract herself from morning coffee cravings. 

Ingredients

  • Yerba Mate—this is a traditional South American tea made from the dried leaves of the yerba mate plant.
  • Matcha—the superfood green powder we’ve been introducing in this post.
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • Sweetener—a touch of honey or maple syrup balances the mild bitterness of the matcha.
  • Flavoring—the recipe used cardamom, but you could also try pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, or almond extract. If you love essential oils like I do, add your favorite essential oil flavor.

You can follow the recipe directions in the blog to make this warm and creamy morning drink. Click here to see the full recipe! 

 

Get Started

Any current trend got its claim to fame as more and more people tried it. Matcha Tea is one of the top ten trends in the health and wellness fields right now, so it’s obvious that a lot of people have tried it—and stuck with it. Why not give it a try yourself?

There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life.

—Lin Yutang

image credit
image credit

Sources

  1. https://hauteliving.com/2016/07/a-comprehensive-guide-to-the-latest-matcha-craze/616857/
  2. https://www.eater.com/drinks/2015/2/11/8006039/everything-you-need-to-know-about-matcha
  3. https://vibrantwellnessjournal.com/2015/10/19/matcha-green-tea-food-trend/

[1] Quoted by James Norwood Pratt.

[2] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/christie-carmelle-lopez/get-it-while-its-hot-matc_b_9117056.html

[3] These health benefits adapted from: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/matcha-craze

Avocado 101 – Everything You Need to Know

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Avocados have broken out of the bowl—they’re no longer found only in guacamole! The bumpy-skinned fruit (yes, avocado is a fruit) has taken America by storm. The sales of Hass avocados, which make up more than 95 percent of all avocados consumed in the United States, soared to a record of nearly 1.9 billion pounds (or some 4.25 billion avocados) in 2014—four times as many as sold in 2000.[1]

Fast food restaurants are now offering them with their sandwiches, avocado bars are cropping up in the west, even President Obama has tweeted about them,[2] and this morning (at a time when television is frustratingly overfilled with elections, violence, crime, and the Chicago Cubs), as I watched a bit of the news before starting this post, the lowly guacamole was right up there in the morning news! There’s a national avocado shortage right now and people are freaking out because they love their avocados so much. 

So I thought it was good timing to get on the bandwagon and share my own thoughts and findings about one of my favorite foods. Yes, I love avocados, and have been using them for much more than just guacamole for a couple years—although guacamole is one of my favorite things!

10 Health Benefits of Avocado

In an earlier post I wrote about 10 health benefits to avocados. Let me briefly list them here:

  1. Benefits in pregnancy. Avocados are a natural source of folate which contains folic acid and is important for the development of a healthy fetus. Synthetic versions of folic acid are recommended for all women who are planning to get pregnant; eating avocados is a simpler and tastier option!
  2. Avocados are brimming with ‘good’ fats. You may have heard that you should avoid avocados due to their high fat content. This is not quite the case. While they are very high in fat (and calories) these are monounsaturated fats or ‘good fats’. They assist good heart health and help to lower blood pressure. The monounsaturated fats found in avocados can also help to reverse insulin resistance which can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.
  3. Fantastic source of Vitamin E. Avocados are the fruit with the highest level of Vitamin E (yes avocados are a fruit!) Vitamin E is an essential vitamin and helps to maintain overall health. Vitamin E also has positive effects on heart disease, stroke, cancer prevention, and development of cataracts and is widely claimed to have anti-aging properties.
  4. Source of dietary fiber. Avocados contain both soluble and insoluble fiber meaning they help to reduce cholesterol levels by preventing re-absorption, help to maintain bowel function and can assist the body to avoid blood sugar spikes after meals.
  5. You know exactly what you’re getting when you buy an avocado. At the time of writing there are no genetically modified avocado crops. Avocados have such a thick skin that the inner fruit is protected from pesticides making the cost of organic avocados something you can easily bypass.
  6. Avocados are a ‘brain food’. Dr. Daniel G. Amen considers them one of the best brain-healthy foods that you can consume to help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Omega 3 fatty acids as well as Vitamin E are naturally occurring in avocados and have been clinically proven to stop Alzheimer’s disease from progressing and possibly even reversing the very early stages. 
  7. Better nutrient absorption. Adding avocado to a meal has been found to increase the amount of carotenoids absorbed from that meal by up to 5 times. Carotenoids include beta carotene and lycopene which are important nutrients for good health. This increase is through to be due to nutrients and enzymes in avocados that reduce stomach inflammation and inflammation in the small intestine’s mucous lining. So you not only get the powerhouse of nutrients contained in the avocado but you get greater benefits from the foods you choose to eat with it.
  8. May aid in stroke prevention. The high folate levels that are beneficial to pregnant women may also play a part in reducing the incidence of stroke. Those who eat diets that contain a lot of folate have been shown to suffer stroke far less than those who eat less folate in their everyday diet.
  9. Reduction of cholesterol. One study has shown a 17% decrease in cholesterol levels for participants who ate increased amounts of avocado for just one week. Researchers believe this is due to beta-sitosterol which has previously been found to assist in lowering cholesterol levels.
  10. Protection for your eyes. Eating avocados can increase your levels of Lutein which protects against macular degeneration and the formation of cataracts. Further research is needed to determine exactly what it is that may assist in eye protection.

But there are many more benefits to eating avocado than those ten listed above. Let’s look at a few more:

  • Good digestion—they soothe the intestine and help to keep it running smoothly. The fiber in avocados helps to ensure the smooth passage of food through the intestinal tract.
  • Dental Care—consuming avocados helps to prevent bad breath, and have been connected with preventing oral cancer.
  • Skin and Hair Care—the nutrient-dense benefits are fantastic for enriching skin that is dry, chapped or damaged.
  • Healthy Eyes—the carotenoids in avocados protect your eyes against cataracts and eye diseases related to aging.
  • Healthy Heart—they help to prevent atherosclerosis and reduce hypertension.
  • Arthritis—the anti-inflammatory properties and wide range of phytochemicals, flavonoids, carotenoids, phytosterols, fatty alcohols, and omega-3 fatty acids make avacodos one of the best foods for getting rid of inflammation in tissues, joints, and muscles.

These are just a few of the reasons why Americans are eating billions of this tasty fruit every year. Of course one of the biggest reasons—at least in my thinking—is the scrumptious taste and flavor of avocados.

Ways to Use Guacamole on Your Body

Don’t think that the only way you can use guacamole is as an ingredient in a food item. There are dozens of ways to use avocados that you can find online. Here’s a few.

  1. Avocado Face Mask—avocado is rich in fatty acids and makes a great natural moisturizer for dry of unbalanced skin. With winter coming on, this would be a great time for you to add this face mask to your winter beauty regimen. You can find the recipe here. 
  2. Avocado Hair Oil—avocado oil can seal in moisture, get rid of the frizzies, and prevent split ends in your hair. It is rich in vitamins and protein. Try making this Avocado Hair Oil  to use after washing and conditioning your hair. Apply a few drops and comb it through. You’ll love the smooth, soft, hydrated feel of your hair.
  3. DIY Avocado Foot Scrub—it’s not only the fruit of the avocado that is useful, you can make an exfoliating foot scrub using the peel and ground up pit. Maybe your feet are rough and calloused from summertime barefoot walking. Or maybe you have alligator soles year round and need to soften them. Try this DIY Avocado Foot Scrub recipe.
  4. Get rid of the bags under your eyes—Have you tried expensive creams and lotions and are still left with those ugly bags under your eyes? Simply peel an avocado, remove the pit, and slice quarter-inch crescents. Just lie down for about 20 minutes while placing a slice under each eye. (Don’t forget to use the remaining slices in your favorite recipes.)
  5. Avocado Baby Food—avocados are often called one of nature’s perfect foods because they are said to contain everything a person needs to survive. They are a great first food for baby due to their texture and creaminess. I gave my kids avocado long before many other “baby-appropriate” foods, and they loved them, and still do. You can find all the information you need for introducing avocados to your baby here. 

The Many Ways to Eat Avocados

You knew I’d get to the good part about eating them. There are so many ways to use avocados in recipes that I can’t begin to cover all of them. You can do your own research online—believe me, you won’t be disappointed!

I want to give you a list of some food options, and then I’ll share three of my favorite recipes with you.

Food Options

(You will find recipes for each item here.) 

  • Make vegan mayonnaise (or just use avocado in place of mayo.)
  • Bake cheesy skillet pizza bread
  • Make Banana Avocado Pudding
  • Freeze it into popsicles
  • Bake an egg in it
  • Grill it
  • Stuff it
  • Make low-carb, dairy-free mint chocolate chip ice cream.
  • Make guacamole hummus
  • Blend it into pesto
  • Use it as a base for cold soup
  • Substitute it in creamy salad dressings
  • Make frosting
  • Turn it into cheese-less cheesecake
  • Mix it in mashed potatoes
  • Use it in risotto
  • Eat avocado pancakes for breakfast
  • Make fried avocado tacos

Now I want to share three of my favorite ways to eat quacamole.

Jackie’s Guaciled Eggs

I was trying to figure out something to bring to a pot-luck one time, and I thought deviled eggs would be very Paleo-friendly, and even those who weren’t sticking to a specific food plan would enjoy it. In comes my idea for Guaciled Eggs!

Ingredients

  • 8 Boiled eggs – cut in half lengthwise and yolks removed. Here a post I did on my sneaky way to peel those annoying farm fresh eggs. 
  • 3-4 TB lemon juice
  • 2 TS of dried mustard
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • About 1/4 cup of Guacamole (I use Wholly Guacamole or make your own)
  • Paprika

Directions

I threw the egg yolks in the food processor and added the guacamole. I pulsed it a few times to combine and then added the lemon juice until it was the consistency I wanted. Then I threw in the spices, scooped the mixture in the egg whites, and added some paprika on top! It was delicious!!!

Fudgy Avocado Brownies

If you love chocolate as much as I do, then you are going to want to make these creamy, rich, decadent, thick, gooey, appetizing, exquisite, dense, heavenly, savory, succulent, sumptuous, yummy, fudgiest, chocolately brownies EVER! This is not my own recipe, but I highly recommend you try them. You will love them. Besides delicious avocados, you will use dark chocolate, coconut oil or butter, almond flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and eggs. You can even top them with the avocado frosting recipe you can find online in the list above. This delicious recipe can be found here. 

Baked Avocado and Egg

OK, I know the avocado brownie recipe was just a little bit hyped! You probably won’t make them every day. But this recipe for a breakfast dish using avocado and egg is something that would start you out with a healthy, delicious breakfast any day you try it. They are easy to prepare, and you can bake them while you are getting school lunches made or completing your morning chores.

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado (per two people)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
  • A sprinkle of your favorite spicy spice (We love red pepper on ours)
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • A little feta cheese (optional)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cut each avocado in half, removing the pit. Crack an egg into each avocado hole. If the hole looks too small, scoop out a bit of the fruit before adding the egg. Season each half with spicy spice, sea salt and pepper. Put the halves in a glass baking dish and bake approximately 15 minutes. Check to be sure the egg is done the way you prefer before removing from oven. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and feta cheese, and dig in.

Get Started

If you’ve never tried eating avocado any way but in guacamole then it’s time you got creative. It’s one of the healthiest and tastiest things you can do for you and your family.

Holy Guacamole—Soooo delicious

avocado

Sources

  1. https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-avocado.html
  2. https://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/ways-to-avocado?utm_term=.qb8jZqG2W#.jqnG61KDb 
  3. Natural Blaze

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/01/22/the-sudden-rise-of-the-avocado-americas-new-favorite-fruit/

[2] https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/616338528138608640

6 Powerful Herbs that Reduce Stress

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Stress—you can’t live with it, and you can’t live without it! Just say the word stress, and many people begin to hyperventilate with anxiety. But most of us would accomplish very little without some stress in our lives. Lot of us wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning without the stress of that annoying alarm telling us to move. For me, it’s knowing that dozens of farm animals, hungry children, and endless phone calls are waiting for me. So some stress is a good thing. Here are a few reasons why we need some stress:

  • It causes us to be more productive—it lights a fire under us. When I know I have to get a few things done by a certain time, I am inspired to work like Superwoman to get it done.
  • It creates a higher level of commitment that would otherwise be non-existent. When I see others being more successful in our business, it drives me to work my butt off to do as well—or better—than they.
  • It triggers a fight-or-flight mode in us that can be a life saver. For example, when someone cuts you off in traffic, the stress response moves you to change your course and so, in most cases, you avoid an accident.

Stress is unavoidable. It can be a valuable tool to getting things done. But when it begins to overwhelm our lives with high-pressure workdays, raising kids, not enough sleep or exercise, or trying to make ends meet, then it can damage our health and make it difficult to control our emotions.

It’s done that to me! My husband and I went gung-ho into our dream life of homesteading, maintaining a blog presence online, raising heritage animals, building a successful essential oil business, and raising our children. For a while all went well. But then the daily demands of our life brought on crushing, immobilizing stress. Unforeseen external stress slammed into us—the anxiety of too much debt, the death of close family members, several moves, health problems, negative family issues, the demands of building a business, and, worst of all, the recognition that we simply could not do it all!

I hit the wall! When I should be up and running, I simply shut down! I couldn’t get out of bed. Couldn’t think straight. Couldn’t mother. Couldn’t give of myself to others. Total…painful…crushing…shut down! I needed a solution, and I needed it fast!

Recognizing stress is the first step toward managing it. Take a close look at your own life. What are the stressors that are bogging you down? If you’re not sure if stress is starting you overwhelm you, try taking a stress test to identify the stress triggers at work in your life. (You can find one stress test here.) 

Once you have figured out what the stress triggers are in your life, you can start thinking of ways to manage your stress. Just remember this: There is no one miracle pill you can take to remove overwhelming stress from your life. There will be several steps you need to take. For me it was nearly a total how I handle life makeover.

We can’t cover all the solutions in this one blog post, so I want to concentrate on a group of wonderful, healthy stress-fighting super herbs that you can use to eliminate the negative impact of too much stress. These super herbs are called ADAPTOGENS, and are a unique group of herbal ingredients used to improve the health of your adrenal system, the system that’s in charge of managing your body’s hormonal response to stress.  They are called adaptogens because of their unique ability to adapt their function according to your body’s specific needs.  

These super herbs have been around for years, and have been used in Chinese and Indian medicine for centuries. They work like a thermostat—and can calm you down while boosting your energy without overstimulating you. You can use these super herbs to help our body bounce back from the challenges and stressors of modern life.

We’ll take a closer look at several of these powerful herbs that reduce stress.

6 Powerful Herbs that Reduce Stress 

1. Asian Ginseng

Asian Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) has been one of the most valued medicinal plants in the world for thousands of years. It is the most well-known adaptogen, and the most potent. It has proven to be useful for improving mental performance (which is vastly lessened by too much stress), and for its ability to help you withstand stress. Ginseng delays the onset of your body’s fight or flight response to stress, giving you time to recognize the rising negative impact of the stressor you are facing, and take proactive steps to reduce those factors from your life.

Dose: 100-200 mg per day, usually found in gelatin capsules.

2. Ashwagandha

The word ahwagandha means “the smell of the horse,” so don’t be surprised by the pungent odor of this super herb! But despite its smell, it has a long list of health benefits, and is particularly useful for reducing anxiety and stress-induced depression. It reduces cortisol levels. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. It is elevated cortisol that causes many of the stress-related health problems, suchas: increased weight gain, blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease, as well as interfering with learning and memory, and lowering your immune function and bone density.

Dose: 3,200 mg per say, divided into two doses in gelatin capsules.

3. Rhodiola Rosea

Another super herb used in traditional Chinese medicine, Rhodiola Rosea, is effective in reducing fatigue and exhaustion due to prolonged stressful situations. It also acts like hormone thermostat, and helps to balance the cortisol levels in your body. It has a positive effect on brain function and heart health. It is a favorite among integrative medicine experts for treatment of “21st century stress.”

Dose: start with 100 mg daily for a week in gelatin capsules, and then increase
the dosage by 100 mg every week, up to 400 mg a day, if needed.

4. Holy Basil

Holy Basil has been called the elixir of anti-aging in Asian medicine. It is related to sweet basil, and has been valued for centuries for its benefits for the mind, body and spirit. It possessed great potential in the areas of stress relief and relaxation. It helps to decrease stress hormone levels, particularly of cortisol.

Dose: 500 mg of the leaf extract taken twice daily in gelatin capsules.

5. Astragalus

Astragalus is a perennial plant native to China, Mongolia and Korea. The root is the medicinal part of the plant. It boosts immunity and buffers the effects of stress. It increases the amount of anti-stress compounds our bodies use to repair stress-related damage. It protects the body from stress and disease.

Dose: While there is no uniform dosage suggested, many
people enjoy its benefits in a Herbal Immune System Soup,
and you can find the recipe here or purchase it in capsules here. 

6. Cordycep Mushrooms

Cordycep mushrooms include: reishi, shiitake and maitake mushrooms. These nutrition-rich mushrooms have all the benefits of antioxidant foods. While they may not be adaptogens in the classic sense, they all have adaptogenic, anti-tumor, and immune-enhancing properties. Many athletes benefit from their ability to allow the body to handle larger amounts of stress during training programs.

Dose: 40-50 mg of shiitake, 50-60 mg of maitake,
50-60 mg or reishi, and 100 mg of cordyceps mushrooms daily.

I don’t know about you, but the idea of getting my dosage of stress-fighting mushrooms in a delicious homemade mushroom soup sounds so inviting. I recommend that you use this recipe,  using the four types of stress-fighting mushrooms in your soup.

Don’t Let Stress Take Your Health

We all need stress in our lives. But becoming overwhelmed with debilitating stress will compromise your ability to cope adequately with everyday life—and can cause serious, even fatal damage to your health. There isn’t one easy solution to overwhelming stress. You will need to take time to re-evaluate your life, eliminating as much stress as possible, and learning healthy ways to deal successfully with the stress that stays in your life.

These 6 powerful herbs that reduce stress are one way you can tackle the problem of stress naturally. They have powerful, positive effects to get you moving away from the paralysis of too much stress.  

And remember:

A diamond is just a piece of black charcoal that
handles stress exceptionally well!

Learn to be a diamond.

6 powerful herbs that reduce stress

Sources

  1. https://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2008/03/4-reasons-why-you-need-stress/
  2. https://www.drfranklipman.com/adaptogens-natures-miracle-anti-stress-and-fatigue-fighters/
  3. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-adaptogen-superherbs-fight-stress-improve-occhipinti-m-s-
  4. https://www.afpafitness.com/blog/7-adaptogen-superherbs-to-fight-stress-improve-performance
  5. https://draxe.com/7-adaptogen-herbs-to-lower-cortisol/

How to Declutter Your Life

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A year ago I read the New York Times Best Seller by Marie Kondo, titled The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Its principles really grabbed me, and I determined to clean out the clutter of my life. I started with my closet, and didn’t stop until I’d cleaned out clutter from every nook of my house. Then I worked on clearing out the clutter of my mind. It was such a valuable experience for me as I learned how to declutter my life and my mind. 

Many of you are recognizing the dissatisfaction found in the excess of things, and are beginning to do some major cleaning. You are simplifying your lives, and as you do you are finding great freedom in owning less. All over the world, people are embracing simplicity as a way of life. There is even a growing trend to tiny house living, which is living in less than about 300 square feet.

One of the top trending topics in the Health and Wellness world right now is just that—learning to live with less. Part of the trend is due to Marie Kondo’s book, but there are so many other contributors to this trend. Some of them are:

  • The discovery that accumulating more stuff just doesn’t lead to more satisfaction in life.
  • The rising costs of Living Big, and the parallel rising consumer debt.
  • The ache in people’s hearts to get back to a simpler lifestyle, like we did. 
  • The clutter of stuff in our homes that just keeps us busier taking care of it all.
  • The ability to consolidate the kitchen tools needed with one power tool (such as the Instant Pot popularity).
  • The lack of storage for stuff, such as closet space, kitchen space, storage space in the garage, and rooms too-full of furniture for ease of entertaining.
  • Seeing your family closeness disintegrate as each member focuses on individual goals for getting more stuff, more technology, the latest iPhone
  • Growing old and recognizing that you have more stuff than you do friends.

So I want you to take a look at the possibility of living with less—and the benefits it brings you when you do. We’ll concentrate of three steps of how to declutter your life:

  1. Learn why and how to get rid of your stuff.
  2. Find ways to store the things you keep.
  3. Now that you are living with less, focus on things that make you love your new life.

Learn Why and How to Get Rid of Your Stuff

It is important to start with the Whys of decluttering your life. That’s where I had to start. I had to ask questions like:

  • Why did I buy all these clothes?
  • Why do I spend time looking through catalogs and online stores even though I have so much already?
  • Why do I envy the things I see others able to accumulate?

To be successful at decluttering your life, you must begin by decluttering your mind. Maybe you buy all the latest styles in clothing because as a child your mother could only afford to give you hand-me-downs from garage sales and used clothing stores. Maybe you envied the got-everything girl in your high school class, and determined that when you were leading your own life, you’d find a way to get everything you wanted. Maybe you missed out on real family closeness as a child, and as you grew you learned to satisfy the longings in your heart with stuff instead of relationships.

Asking yourself some hard questions about your reasons for having stuff isn’t easy. It makes us wonder about the true motivations that drive us to the actions we take in life. But until you recognize your cluttered thinking, and take steps to declutter those thoughts that drive you to accumulating more stuff, you won’t be successful at decluttering your home.

When you are ready to move on, you will probably discover that you really don’t know How to get the job done. How do you start? Where do you start? Marie Kondo says this:

Tidy in the right order. There are only two tasks involved—discarding and deciding where to keep things. Discarding must come first. Be sure to completely finish the first task before starting the next. Do not even think of putting your things away until you have finished the process of discarding.[1]

So how to get rid of the stuff in your home and life is a lot like how you eat an elephant—you do it one bite at a time. You might want to download the free “Konmari” APP so that you can keep track of what you have done and what you need to do next.

Let’s take a look at how you can find the right order to begin your decluttering. There are two guiding principles you can use:

  1. Think in concrete terms so that you can vividly picture what it would be like to live in a clutter-free space.[2]
  2. Take each item in your hand and ask: “Does this spark joy?” If it doesn’t dispose of it.[3]

Does this spark joy

What is the right order for you?

The right order for you is very likely to be different than the right order was for me. Maybe you start with where you have the biggest mess. Maybe it’s where you don’t have enough room? Or maybe it’s where you know in your heart that you have simply accumulated too much.

For many women the place to start is likely to be the clothes closet. Some women have clothes from every fashion trend, in every size, from every big box store’s sale of the year. So many clothes that there isn’t any room for more—and there hasn’t been room for your husband’s clothes in years. So start here, and be ruthless in your cleaning. Sort your clothes into categories: tops, bottoms, underwear, outerwear, purses and accessories. If each piece of clothing doesn’t give you joy, or it’s stained, ripped, too big or too small, or unworn for a year, decide now to either give it away or toss it.

When you have finished your ruthless assessment of your clothes closet, finish this category by finding more effective ways to store your clothes. Not everything has to hang on hangers. Fold what can be folded, and have bins in which you rotate your clothing according to the seasons. In order to stay true to your new less is more philosophy, make it a rule that every time you bring home a new piece of clothing, you discard one in the same category from out of your closet.

(Here’s a quick folding tutorial video from Marie Kondo)

 

Follow this way of ordering your decluttering for each area in your home. Probably the next biggest stuff problem is in the kitchen. The kitchen gets heavy traffic, and is often overused, overstuffed, and over dirty. You have too many dishes, too many kitchen appliances, too many pots and pans, and too many bulk items in the pantry. Start here by sorting the kitchen into categories, and then tackle each category one by one—not stopping until you are finished with this one. Get rid of items you don’t need, appliances and kitchen tool you never use, duplicate dishes and pots and pans (duplicates that are not needed), and stuff you have too much of: mugs, food containers, storage containers, pot holders, countertop clutter, and stuff stored on top of the refrigerator or on its doors (pictures, etc.). Don’t forget to clean out the fridge, freezer, and pantry. It’s likely you have items with expired dates, freezer-burned foods, and spices several years old.

Find new and better ways to store things

Then tackle the second step of organizing and finding storage solutions for what you keep. I love using mason jars for storage, and other large, glass storage containers. Because plastic containers have been proven to leach chemicals into our food and drink, I do not use plastic in our kitchen. Glass and stainless steel are much safer options.

Determine that you will continue through the categories of items in your home that need to be considered for discard. Don’t stop until you have finished with everything. Years ago my mother told me the story of the woman who was given one white rose. She sat that rose on her kitchen table, and immediately thought, “I can’t leave it there with all those dirty dishes and things,” so she proceeded to clean her kitchen table, then her stove, then her sink, and finally her entire kitchen. Then she took that one white rose in to sit on the living room side table beside her favorite chair. The same thing happened, and she proceeded to clean up her entire living room. Then she continued until her entire home had been dejunked, cleaned, and was sparkling clean. Visualize your home without any distracting clutter. What would it look like?

Now that you are living with less, focus on
things that make you love your new life.

The magic of decluttering lies in the newfound joy of discovering all the stuff you really can live without! You will find greater contentment in your life, and in the growing relationships you now have time to build upon. I believe there are at least four important principles for learning to be contented with less. They are:

  1. Live beyond the temporary—I like the verse in Matthew 6:20 (niv): “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
  2. Learn to give—Giving expands our heart and helps to keep our hands open to receive gratefully and to give cheerfully.
  3. Grow a thankful heart—Change your focus from what you don’t have to what you do have. Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.
  4. Live within your means—That is a practice that Frank and I are attempting to incorporate into every day of our life. For example:
  • Our farm pickup is years old, rusty, dirty, but perfectly suited for what we use it for.
  • I still buy the majority of my clothes from second-hand stores.
  • We try to live sustainably, using the things we raise and grow instead of shopping at the high-priced and unhealthy big box food stores.
  • We love to furnish our home with gently used or repurposed furniture, loving the look of what I call our shabby chic home.

If you put your house in order now, you will be able to pour your time and passion into what brings you the most joy, your mission in life. Life truly begins after you have put your house in order.[4]

How to Declutter

[1] Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 2014), 35.

[2] Ibid., 36.

[3] Ibid., 41

[4] Ibid., 204

Mint Chocolate Body Butter

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This recipe I’ve developed has got to be the most amazing and luxurious body butter I have ever experienced. It’s as comforting as a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream and, I’ve got to tell you, it smells the same. You are going to love this mint chocolate body butter!

I’ve made lots of body butter in my years of making my own homemade body products and I’ve made LOTS of mistakes. Many times the body butter doesn’t emulsify. Sometimes the body butter is as hard as a rock. Working with natural ingredients has its frustrations, but this recipe is PROVEN! 

I’m an avid soap maker and one thing I know is that if you want oils to emulsify, then you NEED to add water. That’s why many homemade body butters on the web are pretty and soft for the first day, but then they turn hard and unusable. They don’t have a liquid agent, like water, added to them. 

The most important thing is to use a high quality essential oil, like doTERRA. It’s the best essential oils I have found, and the peppermint essential oil smells so clean and crisp. You can purchase doTERRA essential oils by going here. Also, there’s a free online essential oil summit coming up this month! Make sure you grab your seat and register for it here. 

Now, let’s get to it….

PS. I lost my camera battery charger and had to take pics with my iPhone. Don’t judge the recipe by the quality of the pics. I promise this recipe is to die for! 

Mint Chocolate Body Butter

For this recipe, I recommend using a blender. You are going to be mixing oil and water, which makes this recipe so soft. Pay attention to the exact measurements.

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS: 

PicMonkey Image

  1. Use a double boiler and melt the coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax and cocoa butter on low heat while stirring constantly. Do not let the oils get too hot. You are simply melting them. 
  2. Turn off the heat and remove the pot. 
  3. Add the jojoba or almond oil and the vitamin E. 
  4. Allow the oils to cool to room temperature. If you’re impatient like me, stick the pot in the fridge for 10 minutes! 
  5. Get out your blender and pour the melted oils into the blender. 
  6. Add your peppermint essential oil. 
  7. Turn your blender on and remove the central knob on the cover. 
  8. Slowly drizzle your water into the blender. SLOWLY! You will need to use your other hand to cover the hole a little bit so you don’t get body butter all over. 
  9. You will hear your blender gurgle. When you hear it do this, blend for just a few seconds more and turn off. 
  10. Pour into mason jars or pretty body butter jars. 
  11. Rinse out your blender and pot immediately with hot water to keep it from getting too sticky. I like to use the water from my double boiler and dump it over the blender to remove the body butter. You may have to use paper towels to remove any residue. Don’t stress…it’s worth it!
  12. Store your jar at room temperature and scoop out when needed! I like to put extra jars in the fridge for longer storage. 
  13. Enjoy your natural and luscious cream! 
  14. BONUS—register for the FREE Essential Oil Online Summit this month to learn more about using essential oils in your homemade body products. 

 

Hibiscus Fruit Punch—A Healthy Alternative Summer Drink

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Hibiscus Fruit Punch

It’s summer time—the kids are home from school…it’s hot outside…everyone is thirsty…and you want to give your kids and family something healthy to drink instead of the chemical-laden Kool Aid and fruit drinks available from the supermarket. Well, guess what—you are so fortunate because the hibiscus are also in bloom, and I have fallen completely in love with Hibiscus Tea and Hibiscus Fruit Punch.

So this blog post is all about stirring up some delicious, healthy Hibiscus Fruit Punch to have ready when your kids come in all sweaty and clamoring for “something cool to drink”! I remember growing up as a kid in hot, humid Florida and playing outside until I was so thirsty I couldn’t stand it anymore. Sad to say, I often just grabbed the garden hose and took a drink—definitely not the healthiest thing to do. But I have an even better memory of going inside and opening the refrigerator door to find a big, cold pitcher of my Dad’s homemade Ice Tea. If you live in the South, you know all about Sweet Tea. My Dad had his own recipe, which was less sappy sweet than the usual sweet tea.

As an adult, I’ve loved having iced tea around to drink. I’ve gotten even more enamored with fresh peppermint tea and all its healthy benefits than with the usual black tea. But lately I’ve discovered something even better—Hibiscus Tea and/or Fruit Punch. It tastes just as delicious and wonderful as the beautiful hibiscus blooms looked growing on the bushes that grew in my backyard as a kid.

Before I tell you how I make my Hibiscus Tea/Punch, let me give you a few of the health benefits of hibiscus tea.

Hibiscus Tea Benefits

There is nothing more relaxing to me than pouring a tall glass of hibiscus tea, sitting on my front porch, and enjoying the moment of relaxation after a long hard day on the farm. I love the tart, cranberry-like flavor and like to just a bit of Stevia or raw honey to sweeten it up a bit.

Hibiscus tea is very healthy. Only the calyx is used for hibiscus tea. And although there are more than 200 varieties of hibiscus plants, not all of them are used for tea or healing. The traditional hibiscus tea plant has yellow flowers and a red center (Hibiscus sabdariffa). I’ll give you a suggestion for where to purchase your hibiscus tea below when I give you a recipe.

Hibiscus tea is loaded with antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and zinc. It is packed full of omega-3 and omega-6. It’s also a great source of protein and dietary fiber. In the chart below you will find 10 health benefits for Hibiscus Tea.

Health Benefit Information
1. Reduces high blood pressure Helps to lower systolic blood pressure
2. Helps lower cholesterol Antioxidants may lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
3. It is beneficial for diabetics It can lower both cholesterol levels and blood pressure in type 2 diabetes
4. Offers liver protection A research study found the anthocyannins in hibiscus tea can reduce inflammatory liver lesions and oxidative liver damage
5. Anti-cancer properties The protocatechuic acid in hibiscus tea has strong anti-tumor properties
6. Help relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression It calms the nervous system and helps to put people in a positive mind frame.
7. Benefits weight loss It is low in calories, and is a diuretic herb that helps flush toxins and excess fluids in the body.
8. Improves digestion The diuretic properties help treat constipation and improve the strength of the gastrointestinal system.
9. Helps boost the immune system The high amount of vitamin C is a great immune booster and can help prevent colds and flu.
10. Helps improve skin conditions The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties help treat various skin problems.1

Precaution: Don’t combine hibiscus tea with Tylenol or any other drug containing acetaminophen. The diuretic effect of the beverage can speed up the release of acetaminophen from the body.

Making Delicious Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus Tea

You can make hibiscus fruit punch by using dried organic hibiscus flowers, organic hibiscus powder, or you can purchase organic hibiscus tea bags to use. I’ll give you a basic recipe for each methods. You can purchase each of these products online, and it is important that you do your own research to be sure you are getting the pure hibiscus sabdariffa flower, and that it is certified organic. Some hibiscus flowers are grown intercropped with peanuts, and could be risky for individuals with severe peanut allergies. I recommend Starwest Botanicals Organic Hibiscus Flowers Tea Cut, found here. 

If you prefer using Hibiscus Tea Powder, you may want to try the Starwest Botanicals Organic Hibiscus Flower Powder, found here. 

There are several organic Hibiscus Tea Bags available. Some of the ones I like best include:

Recipe for Hibiscus Fruit Punch 

Ingredients:

Directions: In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the honey and dissolve. Add the hibiscus flowers and mint and then remove from heat. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Remove the hibiscus flowers by filtering through a cheesecloth or tea filter or use a slotted spoon and scoop out the flowers. 

Add the orange juice, lemonade, and banana extract to a pitcher. Then add in your hibiscus tea. Cool in the fridge for a few hours and then serve! 

Your kids will love it! 

Recipe for Hibiscus Fruit Punch from Hibiscus tea bags. – Follow the directions above and use 4 bags of hibiscus tea in place of the flowers. 

Your summer Hibiscus Fruit Punch is going to be super healthy and tasty, and it contains a high antioxidant count. It’s so simple to make, your kids will love it, and you will relish a quiet, relaxing moment with your glass of Hibiscus Fruit Punch. Try it…I guarantee you are going to love it!

Sources

  1. https://www.doctorshealthpress.com/food-and-nutrition-articles/hibiscus-tea-benefits.
  2. https://www.produceonparade.com/produce-on-parade/hibiscus-fruit-punch-an-antioxidant-powerhouse.
  3. https://www.spicejungle.com/the-jungle/hibiscus-iced-tea-recipe.
  4. https://obedientingredients.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/antioxidant-fruit-punch/.