‘Tis the season of gift-giving, and one of the best ways to show you care is homemade gifts. A sweet jar of homemade jam, a supply of quick pickles or even some creamy, dreamy homemade nut butter all make great gifts. The following festive snacks are pretty delicious gifts, too. Coconut Popcorn Ingredients 1 cup unpopped corn kernels 5 tablespoons coconut oil, divided 8 ounces coconut butter Fine-grain sea salt, to taste Directions In a large pot with a lid, set over medium-high heat, combine 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with a few corn kernels. When the kernels start to pop, add the rest of the kernels, cover tightly with a pot lid, and shake the pan until the remaining kernels pop. Keep the popcorn moving to prevent burning. In a separate small saucepan, warm the coconut butter and remaining 4 tablespoons of coconut oil. Stir until smooth and viscous — you want the mixture to pour... Read more »
Many of us find the holidays stressful, disruptive and tough on our relationships.(iStockPhoto) Many of us have a love-hate relationship with the holiday season. We look forward to it year after year, cherish our airbrushed memories of family togetherness and spend a ton of time, energy and money in preparation. But we also find the holidays stressful, disruptive and tough on our relationships. For those in recovery from mental illness and/or substance use issues, the holidays can be particularly challenging. When January rolls around, we’re depleted and disillusioned. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are five tips to help families transform the stressors of the holiday season, and emerge in the new year feeling energized and more tightly bonded than ever. 1. Schedule self-care. Don’t let the holidays throw you off your routine. It’s way too easy during this time of year to let your usual self-care habits – whether it’s a morning... Read more »
Happy Fridayyyyyy! Guess what I’m doing today? DRIVING TO MILWAUKEEEEEE. I’m sure you think I’m absolutely crazy when it comes to travel, but I wouldn’t have it any other way at this point in my life. No pets, no kids, no house…time to travel! I’m sure once I hit my 30’s it may slow down a bit (MAY), but for now this is how I like it. Honestly even when I have kids in my life I foresee lots of travel. I moved around quite a bit as a kid (we lived in 5 states by the time I was in 4th grade!) and my parents took us on lots of travel adventures. I think this really helped mold me into the person I am today. Side note: I love love and I try and live as open-mindedly as possible. I feel like the world is going bat shit crazy and the... Read more »
I get this question a lot, and we’ve talked about it before in this column. There is some new information that is interesting. The honest answer is that we don’t know why it is we sleep. We spend about a third of our lives doing it, so nature must have a reason for it. But it’s hard to ask nature questions — or, at least, to get an answer. One possible reason for sleep is obvious: Our muscles may need the rest. However, the heart is a muscle, and it doesn’t rest while we sleep, thank goodness. And like our heart, many of our other organs, such as the liver and kidneys, keep working. Maybe our brains need rest? It makes sense, but I doubt it’s the reason. That’s because brain wave studies show that the brain is active while we sleep. Sigmund Freud thought that we needed to sleep in... Read more »
Need some lunch inspo? Healthy midday eating is a doddle with our easy-to-prepare lunches… A tasty, filling and healthy lunch will set you up for a productive afternoon and keep you going until dinner. A well-balanced meal midday also helps to keep your blood sugar levels balanced, which means you won’t get that 4pm slump and be tempted to reach for unhealthy treats! But eating the same thing day in, day out can be dull. Lacking in foodie inspiration? No probs, just check out these healthy ideas… 1 Baked sweet potato filled with tuna and served with roasted vegetables and a large green salad. 2 Half a small tin of sardines with a sprouted seed salad and a wholemeal roll. A low-fat natural yoghurt and a slice of melon. 3 A bowl of vegetable soup served with a wholemeal roll. A fresh fruit salad topped with low-fat natural yogurt and a tablespoon... Read more »
Try to remember back, many many moons ago when it was feasible to feel like you were keeping your home clean and getting away from all of the pollution in the world just by staying inside your house and keeping the doors and windows closed? In your own house, you command what kind of air you breathe. Or is that even achievable? The truth is that you can find all sorts of pollution that can infect the air of your home and increase your risk of respiratory problems and asthma. This is to a certain extent because our houses are now more air tight–our windows and walls are sealed in order to keep the heating and cooling costs low. Of course, saving electricity is how we are now making the air in our houses more challenging to breathe in and out. Here are some of the things that can be done... Read more »
Over the past few years, we have seen many a fad diet pass by. But the Paleo Diet is one of the few that seems to be here to stay. With its health-focused dietary restrictions, you are not supposed to eat any grains, dairy, legumes, sugar, vegetable oil, or preservatives. Such restrictions can make cooking a hassle. But author and Paleo enthusiast Justin Lord has solved all of your problems by creating aCaveman Cooking Masterclass with videos on how to create dishes that are simple and delicious. You no longer need to fight those cravings or worry about breaking the diet – because you won’t want to! You will look forward to these fast and easy, healthy and delicious meals. They are easy to follow and also easy to access and laid out clearly in over 70 HD Training Videos. You can now get these recipes from any electronic device you own, from your... Read more »