The Paleo Mama

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Time for a Teatox? The Scoop on Detox Teas

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Generations ago our ancestors had very little reason to be concerned about toxins entering their bodies. They drank pure water and ate fresh, unpolluted organic foods that were grown on land never polluted with chemicals. But things have changed a lot for our generation. Especially in the last 60 years, more toxins have entered our environment that ever before. Toxins lodge is cells, tissue and muscles until our bodies are completely overwhelmed. And a companion problem is the fact that so many necessary nutrients have been completely destroyed in our land, our sources of meat, and our crops of fruits and vegetables. Add that to the fact that most Americans purchase as much as 80-90 percent of their foods, health products, and cleaning supplies from the chemically laden, toxin-filled canned, boxed, and packaged aisles in our grocery stores.

So it’s no big surprise that on many days—for no apparent reason—we feel sluggish, depressed, weak, and suffering from unexplained illnesses. Our bodies are being slowly poisoned because our detox systems are not strong enough to protect our bodies from all the toxins we are piling in.

I want to suggest one way we can begin to rid our bodies of these toxins —using detox teas. Let me quickly add that there is no one miracle way to do this. A detox tea will have little effect unless we are making many more healthy choices to eliminate toxins from our bodies and finding ways to prevent them from ever entering it.

Toxin Tragedies

Before we look at detox teas, let’s find out a bit more about the effect toxins have on our bodies. Here are a few things to think about:

  • Toxins accumulate in fat tissue and breast tissue.
  • Toxins like PCBs and dioxins affect your endocrine system, causing harmful health affects like decreased sperm count and testicular cancer in men, early puberty in girls, endometriosis in women and exposure to high levels of estrogen in babies.
  • Some toxins are persistent and stay in your body for many years.
  • Mothers can pass toxins to babies in the womb or while breastfeeding.
  • Toxins have a stronger effect on children’s developing bodies. Exposure can lead to conditions such as eczema, hives, asthma, headaches, dyslexia, irritability, infections, autism, PDD, ADHD and ADD.
  • Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the US alone. Adults and children consume these pesticides, causing health problems like heart rate changes, nausea, muscle cramps, confusion, emotional instability, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and even death.
  • Seemingly innocent products like household cleaners and lawn care products contribute to your toxic load. 
  • Most beauty products are loaded with toxins. Your shampoo, toothpaste, body lotion, facial cream and other products may be causing aging and other harmful affects due to toxic chemicals in the ingredients. Even health food store products may contain toxic chemicals.
  • Over time, the daily onslaught of these toxins can clog up your detoxification pathways and lead to illness and dis-ease.[1]

It is so important for our health that we are doing all we can to support the proper function of our detox systems. One way we will look at to do just that is by using detox teas.

detox teas

The Benefits of Detox Teas

Detox teas have been around for years, especially among people who shopped at health-food stores or consulted with alternative practitioners. They’ve become big business today. Social media sites are filled with examples of celebrities, TV shows, and sports/fitness gurus praising their chosen detox tea. Have you ever wondered—“Do they really work? Are they safe?”

What you should know about detox teas

Before I give you some of the benefits, let me just mention some things we should know about detox teas.

  • Detox teas can contain ingredients that cause negative effects for some people. Before using any detox tea, be sure you know the ingredients and be sure you are not allergic to any of them.
  • Detox teas can increase or decrease the absorption of drugs or herbs you are taking at the same time. Be sure you know the side effects of the tea you are taking.
  • The diuretic effects of most detox teas can raise the risk of dehydration in some people.
  • Because many detox teas contain caffeine, it can interfere with getting enough sleep. Avoid them at least six hours before bedtime.

Detox teas need to work in partnership with a healthy diet. In order to really detoxify your body you need to also cut processed and fried foods, up your intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins and healthy fats. Once your diet is clean and gentle on your body, detoxifying teas can begin to do the work of getting rid of those pesky toxins.

Important benefits of detox teas

Now let’s look at some of the healthy benefits to detox tea.

  • Appetite Suppressant—detox teas have the effect of making you feel less hungry, and therefore, less likely to snack.
  • Aide Digestion—the natural compounds in most detox teas aid the digestive process and speed up the emptying of the colon, removing waste from the body.
  • Removes Toxins—the natural herbs in detox teas assist the liver in detoxifying the body of alcohol, caffeine, smoke, and other food additives. They lead to the improved activation of detox enzymes in the liver.
  • Boosts the Immune System—detox teas are high in antioxidants, which shield your body from free radicals that can trigger healthy issues.
  • Increases Metabolism—this allows your body to burn extra calories, even when you are at rest. Detox teas can have a thermogenic effect that burns fat and decreases fat storage in your body.

All of these benefits can get you on the journey to better health.

2016’s Best Detox Teas

detox teas

There are many detox teas available online. Unfortunately, not all of them are made with the purest of ingredients. If you are choosing a detox tea product there are 3 important qualities to watch for.

  • It contains research-proven ingredients.
  • The company making it is based in the USA.
  • It has minimal laxative effect.

Once you have checked these qualities, you can safely use a detox tea product. Some of the teas that have been rated best and healthiest are shown below:

Slimming Leaf Tea Combination —This combination includes one detox tea for daytime, and another for overnight. The teas are made by Cellular Research Institute in the United States. Crucial ingredients are free of exposure to harmful pollutants or toxins.

Green Root Wellness Organic Detox Tea —Rated as one of the Best and most effective cleansing diet tea’s for both Men and Women. 100% Organic Ingredients – Made with only the highest quality green tea and other natural herbal ingredients.

Dr. Stuart’s Hibiscus Ginger Goji Berry Tea —Hibiscus is considered by many to be one of the most powerful natural detoxifying ingredients, and it’s the star of this stimulating and refreshing blend. We make a Fire Cider Cold and Flu tonic using hibiscus (recipe here). 

Traditional Medicinals EveryDay Detox Tea —With ingredients like burdock and dandelion root, this tea helps promote healthy liver function.

MateFit 28-Day Detox Tea —Kiss unhealthy bacteria in the stomach and colon goodbye when you drink this down every other night.

Yogi Detox Tea —This brand has several great detox teas. As one of the brand’s best sellers, this detox tea gently supports the cleansing of organs like the liver and kidneys for an overall healthier you.[2]

DIY Detox Teas

Now you gotta know this could not be a Paleo Mama blog without some DIY recipes. You can make your own detox teas, and I have three recipes for you that could be the perfect solution to clear out those nasty toxins from your body. Here are some recipes for you to try.

Homemade Echinacea Tea

detox teas

Echinacea can be a super herb, both after a detox and generally for immune and system support. It increases the body’s overall ability to dispose of bacteria, infected and damaged cells, toxins and other harmful chemicals. We were fortunate to find that our farm came with a garden patch of Echinacea plants, and as I learned more about this plant, I discovered how useful it can be to help detox our bodies. I want to share with you my favorite Echinacea Tea recipe as well as much more information about the plant and its uses. You will find more information in my Echinacea blog here.

Ingredients

Directions

Simmer 8 ounces of water in a small pot over medium heat. Add the fresh or dried Echinacea. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain tea into a mug and add honey!

 I’ll let you in on a little “Ritz farm” secret—I am really attracted to the wonderful homemade Echinacea tea that I can brew from my perennially blooming Echinacea plants! Please read my blog to find out how to grow and harvest Echinacea, and to find a DIY recipe for Echinacea Tea.

Green Tea Detox Recipe

detox teas

Green tea is one of the most recommended ingredients for natural detoxing. There are many green detox tea recipes online, and one of my favorites is this one.

Ingredients

The ingredients you will use are:

  • Strawberries
  • Cucumber
  • Lemon
  • Green tea bag
  • Honey
  • Water

 To view the whole recipe, please go here. 

Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Tea

I have known the tremendous benefits of apple cider vinegar (with the mother) for a long time, and try to incorporate it into my diet whenever possible. If you have not found out about the magical properties it has, I recommend you begin your own research right now! Aside from aiding your detox, apple cider vinegar can help cure even the gravest of conditions, but for detox purposes you have to drink it. It might be a bit difficult to wash down on its own, so here is a super simple apple cider vinegar detox tea recipe that you can make at home.

Ingredients

Go here to read the directions on how to make this ACV tea! 

“How Do I Use My Detox Tea?”

The many prepared detox tea products available will each have information for how to detox using that tea. But when you make your own detox tea, you may not be confident that you really know how to use it. I want to make a few suggestions for you here.

  1. Morning—as soon as you get out of bed, made a hot cup of your detox tea to wake up your organs and kick-start your metabolism. You can have another cup of the tea about a half hour later, if desired, which will give you the antioxidant, vitamin, and energy boost you need for the rest of the day.
  2. Daytime—throughout the day, drink several cups of your detox tea.
  3. Nighttime—drink a cup of your detox tea. If desired, you could add a teaspoon of a natural herb that has great effectiveness for cleansing your colon. Try Senna, ginger root, cayenne or fennel. This will help to provide you with an overnight colon cleanse.

Follow this routine for 7, 14, or 28 days at a time. Don’t forget to change your food and meal plans for a healthier menu at the same time. You will be surprised at all the benefits you see from this simple commitment to detoxing your body.

If we don’t take care of this, the most magnificent machine that you will ever be given.…where are you going to live?

—Karyn Calabrese

detox-teas
Image credit

[1] https://www.savvy-team.com/hww/the-dangers-of-toxic-deposits-in-your-body/

[2] The six teas mentioned in this section were found at: https://www.bestproducts.com/eats/drinks/g552/best-detox-tea-cleanses/?

“Cheater” Fire Cider Recipe

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We have begun making Fire Cider as a part of our Home and Farm Apothecary.  Fire Cider is a homeopathic fermented tonic, praised for its flavors and its ability to fight off digestive bacteria and digestive problems. It’s a spicy, warming drink that usually contains horseradish, ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper.

Adding fermented foods and drinks to our eating plans is one of the top trending topics currently in health and wellness circles. I’m currently working on a blog post on “Fermented Superfoods,” which I can’t wait to share with you!

Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar created the first Fire Cider in her herbalist school kitchen in the early 1980s. She had a sincere desire to teach her students how to make herbal preparations that were as much food as they were medicines. Fire Cider was one of the early cross over recipes that came from her constant experimentation in medicinal herbalism.

I am so grateful for the contribution of herbalists like Rosemary Gladstar and my own herbalist instructor, Juliet Blankespoor of Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, who are helping people like me and others who are interested in knowing better how to use the natural herbs and plants of the earth to maximize the health of our families. I will tell you more about the great Herbalism school I attend in the post below.

What Is Fire Cider?

Fire Cider is a spicy hot deliciously sweet vinegar tonic. It is an especially healthy tonic to have available during the fall and winter months when seasonal colds and flus are creating havoc with many people’s health. 

When I first heard of Fire Cider and its variety of ingredients my first thought was the same of many others, “You want me to drink THAT?” The base ingredients include:

  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Ginger
  • Horseradish
  • Hot peppers

Believe me, you would probably want to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth before you got too close to your loved ones after Fire Cider made only with those ingredients! There are plenty of other herbs that can be thrown in, with everyone opting to add in their own favorite choices. You can take Fire Cider straight—by the spoonful (or swig)—and I’ll share my favorite recipe for how to make that below.

Health Benefits of Fire Cider

The many health benefits of fire cider come from the ingredients used to make it. Let me list a few of the ingredients, showing each ingredient’s health benefits.

  • Horseradish—it has many antibacterial properties, and is used to fight bacteria. I stimulates digestion, and increases gastric secretions and appetite. It’s also a good diuretic, promoting perspiration, which is useful in treating colds, fevers, and flu. It is also an expectorant and mild antibiotic, useful with both respiratory and urinary tract infections.
  • Ginger—it helps to warm the stomach, ease vomiting and nausea, and fight off colds, chills, and cough. It is useful for all kinds of congestion in the body.
  • Garlic—it supports the immune function, and opens the pores, which helps to lower fever. It has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that are useful in treating kidney and bladder infections, yeast infections, strep throat and ear infections.
  • Cayenne—this herb is useful for increasing circulation. It also helps to get phlegm flowing. It is often used as a digestive aid to stimulate gastric juices. Many people have even found that cayenne can give relief from migraines.[1]
  • Raw Apple Cider Vinegar—there are many benefits to apple cider vinegar. The primary ones include: it can kill many types of bacteria, preventing them from multiplying or reaching harmful levels; it lowers blood sugar levels and fights diabetes; it lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease; and it may have protective effects against cancer.[2]
  • Honey—it has been called “liquid gold” because of its numerous benefits. A simple list of some include:
    • Alleviates allergies
    • Is an excellent source of all-natural energy
    • Boosts memory
    • Is a cough suppressant
    • Aid in sleeping
    • Treats dandruff
    • Can be used to treat wounds and cuts
  • Turmeric—this is one of the world’s healthiest foods. While once focused on anti-inflammatory benefits, decreased cancer risk, and support of detoxification, studies on turmeric intake now include its potential for improving cognitive function, blood sugar balance, and kidney function, as well as lessening the degree of severity associated with certain forms of arthritis and certain digestive disorders.[3]

So it’s easy to recognize why you want to have some fire cider ready when those achy, stuffy feelings appear suddenly. As for me, I just like to enjoy a dose of fire cider for no better reason than the homey, comforting and relaxing feelings it wakes up in me whenever I drink it.

They say food is the best medicine. In some cases, that truism can be taken quite literally.

My Favorite Fire Cider Recipe

I feel very honored that my Herbalist Instructor, Juliet Blankespoor of Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, has given me permission to share her Hibiscus Pomegranate Cheater Fire Cider recipe with you. I made this for my medicine making course and just LOVED it so much that I didn’t want to recreate my own or alter it in any way. Two of her main ingredients are: 

  • Hbiscus leaves (where to buy)—they help to clear harmful and unwanted toxins from your body, are a good skin cleanser, regulate hormonal balance, and boost energy. They give this fire cider the beautiful, deep red hue that makes it extra special!
  • Pomegranate—they reduce arthritis and joint pain, lower blood pressure, fight bacterial infections, and improve memory. You can use either the fruit or POM juice for this recipe. 

I have already given you (above) the health benefits for the other base ingredients used.

Image of Hibiscus taken by Juliet Blankespoor

In April, I applied for Juliet’s herbal medicine school and I have enjoyed every, single second of it. As an avid essential oil user, I debated back-and-forth about going to an aromatherapist school or an herbalist school. But since we have a farm and garden and I love growing things, I wanted to learn all about soil, plant propagation and the medicinal benefits of herbs that I can cultivate and grow in my own garden. I haven’t been disappointed one bit! This online herbalism school is even based out of my growing zone, which is helpful, but not important. Juliet is extremely detailed and her photography skills are incredible (which is very helpful when looking at parts of plants). 

The herbal immersion program is 1-2 years long and you have the option of earning an “herbalist” certificate. There is a shorter program for those who just want to learn some herbal medicine making and I would recommend that to anyone who wants to learn more about salves, tonics, body butters, beginning tincturing, and so much more. 

“Cheater” Fire Cider Recipe

re-posted with permission. Original recipe posted here. 

hibiscus-fire-cider-bb2

Let’s take a look at the recipe for this fire cider.  You will notice that this is a recipe for cheater fire cider. Why?  Typically fire cider is made by using a fermenting process of placing the ingredients in a glass jar and letting it sit for six weeks. This recipe is a one-day affair and you can use the cider made with this recipe immediately (especially helpful if you are making this because you are sick). If you would rather make a stronger cider by using the traditional fermenting time, you can use this same recipe, but hold the pomegranate juice to be added right before you strain the cider. You would also skip the heating part.

Juliet’s recipe makes eight to ten 8-ounce bottles, but since I know most of you are going to be making this for just home-use, I’m going to give you the amounts to make 2 8-ounce bottles. Double, triple or quadruple the recipe if you are making it for gifts!. This milder, sweeter Hibiscus pomegranate Fire Cider is a great way to become herbally initiated to its taste. (IDEA: it would make a great Holiday gift.) 

Ingredients

Directions: 

  1. Peel the garlic, and coarsely chop the onions, horseradish, and turmeric. Place them in a food processor or blender, along with the cayenne, with enough apple cider vinegar to cover. Blend carefully with the lid on, and take care not to let fumes or slurry enter your eyes.
  2. Place the slurried spiciness in a double boiler. Don’t have one? Nest a smaller pot in a bigger pot or saucepan and use a couple of upside-down mason jar rings to keep the inside pot up off the outside one. Add a little water to the outside pot and voila – double boiler! Add the rest of the apple cider vinegar to the slurry and keep the heat on low, with the lid on! Let the mixture heat on low (don’t let it get above 120 degrees) for three hours, stirring once in a while. Again, careful with the fumes!!!!
  3. Meanwhile, back at the bat cave, peel your oranges and de-seed the pomegranates, sneaking off a nibble or two. Put on an old apron and mash the pomegranates and oranges with a potato masher in the sink.
  4. After a couple hours, taste the slurry. If it’s too mild for your fire cider pleasure, this is your chance to add more of the spicy herbs and cook for one more hour. After three hours of total cook time, turn off the heat and add the hibiscus and the juicy pomegranate/orange mixture. Let sit for one hour and check the color- if it’s too light in color add more hibiscus. When the cider is a beautiful red, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or potato ricer. If it’s not a deep red, then throw some more hibiscus flowers in there until you get the color you desire.
  5. You will need to squeeze out or press the slurry, or you will loose a great deal of the medicine. Add the honey and mix well, making sure all the honey is dissolved. Place in clear glass jars, label and refrigerate. 

I love this Cheater Fire Cider recipe, and I’m pretty sure you will too. The dosage is one teaspoon as needed. My husband and I take one swig a day during the fall and winter months. If one of us is sick, we will take multiple swigs a day. 

This fire cider is TOO spicy for children. I recommend giving children (over 12 months) Elderberry Syrup during the fall and winter months. You can see my Elderberry Syrup recipe here. 

Get Started

This fire cider is one more healthy addition to your conscious effort to eat (or drink) more health-filled fermented foods. Get started now on your journey to better health.

A healthy body is a guest-chamber for the soul; a sick body is a prison.

—Francis Bacon

cheater fire cider

Sources

  1. https://www.healingspiritsherbfarm.com/recipe/fire-cider
  2. https://mountainroseblog.com/fire-cider/
  3. https://modernfarmer.com/2015/12/cold-remedies-fire-cider/

[1] These first four ingredient were adapted from: https://www.healingspiritsherbfarm.com/recipe/fire-cider

[2] https://authoritynutrition.com/6-proven-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

[3] https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78

Achieving Balance Between Work and Life

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I remember spending time in the park near my house when I was growing up with my sister, Dinah. One of the things we liked to do was to see how long we could balance ourselves on the seesaw without either of us touching the ground. It didn’t last for long—one of us was sure to try to throw the other one off balance so she would fall back to the ground.

Sometimes trying to balance our lives between all the work that has to be done and all the fun we want to have with family can be like sitting on that seesaw. Work/life balance is like an elusive dream at times. Most people today seem to be torn between juggling heavy workloads, managing relationship and family responsibilities, and squeezing in outside interests. More than one in four Americans describe themselves as super stressed. And that’s not balanced—or healthy.

screen-shot-2016-11-01-at-11-46-48-amI’ve been one of those super stressed people. And I soon discovered that in my rush to get it all done, I began failing at getting anything productive done in any area of my life. My concentration left. I became irritable, and our family life suffered. I was like that Tom turkey in our barnyard that chases everyone who comes near, and will soon become our Thanksgiving dinner as a result. No one wanted to get near, and if they did, my grouchy funk chased them away. Believe me—when Mama wasn’t happy, no one was happy.

Trying to find a balance between work and life has become one of the greatest challenges most people face today. One study found that 70 percent of American workers struggle with finding a work-life system that works for them.[1] It doesn’t matter if you are just one of a host of other workers who are working in a business owned by someone else, if you are the owner of a business of your own with employees working for you, or if you are an entrepreneur working for yourself (like I am) only. Work can take a serious toll on your personal life. You face responsibilities…long hours…inevitable stress…an uncertain future…and sleepless night just trying to juggle it all.

I want to take a look at some of the steps we can take to achieve a better balance between work and life. With the busiest season of the year now upon us, what better time to take a critical inventory of how well we are balancing work and life. It doesn’t have to be an impossible dream.

Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

—Dolly Parton

Steps to Finding Balance

Step 1: Set Goals That Align With Your Passion

This is a process more than a single step. Many people are simply working to pay the bills and buy the family necessities. So take the time to find out what it is that you are passionate about. Maybe you’ve known since childhood just what you wanted out of life and that is exactly what you are pursuing. But for most of us it takes some time to find out just who and what we are meant to be.

Once you discover your passion—your calling in life—take the time to set specific goals with actions and milestones you can track. Write down your goals. Create a vision board you look at every day. (You can find out more about creating a vision board here.)Your vision board will keep you focused on your goals. Instead of just letting life happen, your goals enable you to make deliberate choices about what you want from life and how you want to spend your time.

Remember that your goals need to be progressive—there may be many twists and turns along the way before you reach your final destination of becoming who you were created to be. For example, when Frank and I began dreaming of a future that included building a self-sustaining lifestyle and being able to work for ourselves instead of others we were nearly $50,000 in debt and tied to just making enough money to pay the bills—clearly not enough to live out our dream. So one of the most important first goals we set was getting out of debt. We focused all our efforts on doing just that, and met that goal in merely six months. (Read our story here.) 

Review your goals regularly, and stay focused on reaching the milestones that support your goals. Work intentionally, Minimize your distractions.

Balance, peace and joy are the fruit of a successful life. It starts with recognizing your talents and finding ways to serve others by using them.

—Thomas Kinkade

Step 2: Learn to Be a Better Manager of Your Time

To reach your goals, you will have to dedicate time to them. Map out a typical week, and figure out what your priorities need to be—work, family time, exercise, homemaking, children, and personal time. Start with the most important and least flexible responsibilities. If you have a job outside the home, this is one of them. Another may be spending time together as a family. Eliminate the least important things so you can concentrate on your priorities. Here are some simple steps that can help:

  • Track your time
  • Have a plan of action for each goal
  • Make a to do list
  • Be flexible with your time
  • Identify time-sapping habits
  • Learn to say no
  • Eliminate unnecessary obligations and tasks

Managing your time wisely will take practice. But it is the solution to a chaotic, stress-filled life. Going through the process of prioritizing your time is a great way to find out what is really important to you, and to eliminate the time robbers that you can live without.

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.

—Michael Altshuler

Step 3: Get Rid of Distractions

Distractions throw you out of focus, and take more of your energy and time than you realize. It has been estimated that it can take 20 minutes or more to regain your focus on a task once you give time to a distraction. Figure out what it is that distracts you first. It may be:

  • Facebook or Twitter
  • Surfing the internet
  • Playing games
  • Checking email
  • Getting coffee
  • Daydreaming

Here are some ways you can work at eliminating those bothersome distractions.

  1. Turn off instant notifications on your phone, tablet, and computer.
  2. Put your cell phone on silent or vibrate—or, better yet, leave it in a room away from you.
  3. Set some ground rules with people around you.
  4. Figure out some sort of Do Not Disturb sign.
  5. Work in scheduled chunks of time.
  6. Clear your work area of visual clutter.
  7. Read/answer email at scheduled times only twice a day

screen-shot-2016-11-01-at-11-59-31-amOnce you have done whatever you can to eliminate those distractions, now concentrate on building your capacity for attentiveness to your tasks. This was a hard one for me. Since we work at home, I was constantly distracted by just about anything—kids asking questions, sounds in the barnyard, phone ringing constantly, homesteading chores I’d rather do like making cheese or DIY health and beauty products with my essential oils. So we created a work plan, and then we worked the plan. We set up our office in the basement, scheduled unbroken times for work, hired a nanny to entertain the kids during working hours, and used technology to schedule when and how long the phone calls were allowed. We divided the work load, and respected each other’s focused times.

Distractions will always be around. But you can learn to get the distractions under some control, and can build your ability to give focused attention to the tasks at hand.

You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.

—Winston Churchill

Step 4: Make Time for Yourself

This is a hard one for many people. Author Thomas Moore has said, “We seem to have a complex about busyness in our culture. Most of us do have time in our days that we could devote to simple relaxation, but we convince ourselves that we don’t.”[2] We can always find something that needs doing or someone who needs our attention. So it’s time to put yourself on your priority list! Me time is not something you should feel guilty about. It give you an opportunity to relax, refocus, and recharge. Here are 5 steps to making ME time a reality:

  1. Decide you deserve some time to yourself each day.
  2. Decide how best to spend me time.
  3. Evaluate the things that are wasting your time each day.
  4. Ask for help with chores that don’t have to done by you alone.
  5. Create a daily ritual.

Maybe your ME time is taking a relaxing detox bath, listening to music, taking a walk or meditating. Make it something you look forward to. ME time for me is getting a cup of coffee and sitting on my porch as I allow the beauty of my surroundings to clear my mind. It’s curling up alone with a good book or my Bible. It’s listening to my favorite worship music. It’s my time to simply bask in the sounds of silence.

screen-shot-2016-11-01-at-11-59-06-am

Stop wishing you had more time to yourself, and commit to carving it into your schedule. You will be amazed at how your ME time changes your perspective and feeds your soul. I read the story of a group of Americans who traveled to Africa and hired local guides to show them the land. They were up at dawn every day, ready to go. For six days they pushed their guides to hurry up and get moving. On the seventh day, their guides refused to move. “Come on, let’s go,” shouted the Americans. But the lead guide replied quietly in his broken English, “We no go today, we rest. We let souls catch up with bodies.”

Determine right now to let nothing interfere with your ME time. Let your soul catch up with your body.

Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort.

—Deborah Day

Step 5: Make Time for Family

A recent survey says that parents and children have less than eight hours together in total each week.[3] A strong family gives its members the support they need to make it through life’s toughest spots. To build a strong family relationship, you must prioritize time together to build family rituals that give each family member the attention needed. Family rituals help to define who you are as a family. It gives time to share experiences with one another, and to reconnect.

Family time brings your family closer. You make lifelong memories, and create an environment that builds self-esteem and character in your children. The number one thing your children want most from you is time.

 screen-shot-2016-11-01-at-12-03-21-pmBecause we work from home, it’s not hard for our family to all be home together. But it is hard to ensure that we are spending quality time together—not just quantity time. But we have made family time one of our highest priorities, and it works. Sure, our quality time might be taking care of baby farm animals, making soap from goat milk, or mucking out the barnyard. But we make it fun, and we do it together. We have scheduled times for fun activities, and we spend time talking about our family goals and simply playing together.

Here are some important reasons why you need to make family time a priority.

  1. There will be a time when you can’t spend time together.
  2. It help you practice acceptance and compassion.
  3. It gives everyone a sense of value.
  4. It creates shared laughter.
  5. It occupies your mind.
  6. It unleashes your creative side.
  7. It gives you a new perspective on your home.
  8. It encourages a better path for kids.
  9. It gives you a place to share important things.[4]

Children grow up and are gone before we realize it, so let’s not waste the time we have with them now. How do you spend your time with your family? Have you made family time a priority? If not, it’s time to do just that!

In family relationships, love is really spelled T.I.M.E.

—Dieter f. Uchtdorf

Have You Found Balance in Your Life?

Hopefully these suggestions for finding a better work/life balance has been helpful to you. Often the lack of clear direction and goals can waste our time and energy and contribute to imbalance in our lives. A life that gets out of balance is much like a car tire that is out of balance. It will make the operation of the car rough and unsafe. Tires in perfect balance can give a smooth and comfortable ride. Before you plunge head first into the busyness of the holidays, take some time to ensure that you have done everything you can to find that fragile balance between what you do and who you are.

When you have balance in your life, work becomes an entirely different experience. There is a passion that moves you to a whole new level of fulfillment and gratitude, and that’s when you can do your best… for yourself and for others.

—Cara Delevingne

Achieving Balance

 

[1] https://www.fastcompany.com/3047825/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/7-habits-of-people-who-have-achieved-work-life-balance.

[2] Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul (New York: Harper Perennial, 25th Anniversary edition, 2016).

[3] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2363193/No-time-family-You-Parents-children-spend-hour-day-modern-demands.html.

[4] https://www.ilanelanzen.com/familyandparenting/importance-of-family-time-and-how-to-make-it-happen/.

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/

No Time for Making Bone Broth?

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You didn’t really think I *always* made my own bone broth, did you? You did?! Awww, that’s so cute….but I wish you could have a peak into my crazy mama world. Total transparency here, I’m a happy-hot-busy-mess.  I’ll admit, I love making bone broth when I have a chicken carcass laying around, but there are times when I don’t always have it on hand. Or I’m too busy and don’t have time to defrost it for a recipe I’m throwing together while I have HANGRY kids tearing at my ankles.  

So what do I use during these crazy mama moments? 

Kettle & Fire Bone Broth baby! 

Crazy Mamas, like myself, turn to Kettle & Fire Bone Broth when: 

  • They want bone broth from happy organic hens who are pasture-raised and spend all day pecking for bugs and enjoying the sunshine. 
  • They want CHICKEN FEET in their broth! Y’all…chicken feet creates the most beautiful gelatin and collagen which keeps our joints and our gut healthy! If your broth ain’t gellin’, you got no reason sellin’ (other store-bought bone broths). 
  • They want a bone broth that is locally sourced here in the USA so they can support small family farms who are working their butts off to provide sustainable and organic foods.
  • They care about the ingredients and spices that go into the bone broth. Take a look at the ingredients in Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth.

Ingredients: Chicken Bone Broth (Filtered Water, Organic Chicken Bones, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar), Chicken Broth, Organic Celery, Organic Roasted Poblano Pepper, Organic Green Pepper, Organic Onion, Organic Carrots, Organic Garlic, Organic Scallions, Organic Tomato Puree, Organic Herbs (Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, Bay Leaves) Organic Spices, Organic Black Pepper, Sea Salt.

Kettle & Fire Bone Broth sets the standard in the “brothery world“. Their bone broth is slow-simmered for over 20 hours, which allows the marrow, collagen and amino acids time to render into the broth so you get the added benefits. Kettle & Fire combine the highest-collagen content bones (knuckle, patella, femur, and feet bones) with only organic vegetables, sea salt, and herbs. This means no artificial ingredients, no preservatives, and no additives. And if, by some rare chance, you don’t like it, Kettle & Fire have a 100% money back guarantee. 

Since most busy people don’t have the time to make bone broth at home, I felt it was important to share with you this secret that I have been keeping. Kettle & Fire has hundreds of 5 star ratings (9,800+ customers) and I’m confident you are going to love this bone broth. 

Normally, Kettle & Fire only sells their product at FULL retail price at Whole Foods Market and on their site. Since I’m such a fan of this stuff, I reached out to the good folks at Kettle & Fire and they gave me an offer to pay forward to you. It’s pretty easy, really. Just click here to get 20% OFF your order of Kettle & Fire bone broth! 

Bone Broth Giveaway