Friday's Food for Thought: One of the Why's Behind the Assault on Raw Dairy

If you appreciate real, living, healthy foods- in the form of raw dairy, one of the healthiest on the planet, then you have got to check out this article from Dr. Mercola shedding some light on the recent all out assault against raw dairy in this country.

We have got to stay informed, so that we can fight to make sure we can access the living foods we need!

Check out the article at:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/31/us-government-sneakily-subsidizes-milk-industry.aspx

Toxin Free Body: Our Favorite Men's Shaving Cream

My wonderful husband is very particular about the shaving cream he uses. He has very sensitive skin that is easily aggravated, making it difficult to find a good shaving cream. There are many natural brands that do not do the job well, and conventional brands contain a smorgasbord of toxins.

Fortunately, Aubrey Organics makes an awesome toxin free shaving cream that is gentle, thick, and works extremely well, even for sensitive skin like my husband's. It smells wonderful too! (Definitely manly, but I like it too!)

We get ours at Whole Foods, but you can order it online as well. Enjoy your toxin free shaving cream, men!

Toxin Free Home: Our Favorite Water Bottle

Water bottles are practically a necessity of modern day life. When we are on the run so much, we need to take our hydration with us!

Buying plastic water bottles is bad for the environment, and many conventional reusable plastic options are full of toxic BPA and phthalates. So what are we to do?

Our family loves Klean Kanteen's stainless steel, food grade, aluminum & plastic free water bottles. My husband has a 40 oz. container that his sister gave him for his birthday. He loves it, and it keeps him drinking water. (Especially if I put sugar in it. Just kidding! Well, kind of.) ;)

These bottles wash up great, don't stink, and are heavy duty. They also make smaller bottles, as well as sippy cups and kid sized kanteens. Check them out at their website at:

http://www.kleankanteen.com.

Happy toxin free water bottle drinking everyone!

Monday's Menu: Baby Snacks: Bananas Fried in Coconut Oil

(Photo courtesy of தகவலுழவன்)

My kids love bananas. I mean, seriously love bananas. I ate banana chips almost obsessively when pregnant with Nathaniel, and he can now eat 4-5 bananas a day easily. Micah loves bananas (not quite as much as Nathaniel) so much that he eats them- peel & all, when we grocery shop. (It's my tactic for keeping him quiet!)

Besides eating bananas raw, my kids love eating bananas fried in coconut oil. I thought I'd share with you this simple snack that is great for growing kids. (And adults too!) Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid (found in breastmilk), healthy saturated fats essential for the health of the brain & heart, and is antimicrobial and antibacterial as well. Bananas are rich in potassium and vitamin B6.

The coconut oil also makes this snack very filling. It tastes like dessert, without any added sweetener!

"Fried" Bananas (Serves 2)
2 organic bananas, the riper the better
2 tablespoons organic extra virgin coconut oil, such as Nutiva or Garden of Life

Cut the bananas in half, and then the two halves in half as well- for a total of 4 pieces per banana.

Melt the coconut oil in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet until completely melted, on medium high heat.

Put the banana pieces in flat side down, turning every couple of minutes, until just becoming lightly crisp. (If you do too long, they get mushy, but if you don't do them long enough, they stay too firm.) Look for a light browning on both sides.

Remove from heat, cool down, and serve! That's it! I promise your kids will love this, so long as they like bananas. It smells divine too!

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Merry Christmas from our family to ours! We pray you have a blessed Christmas and a very happy New Year's!

Toxin Free Body: The Healing Properties of Cinnamon!

While you are enjoying your Christmas cookies sprinkled with cinnamon (organic & whole grain of course!) ;) and other delightful desserts, you might be interested to know that cinnamon, as well as these other typical holiday spices, contain some incredibly life-giving properties.

This Dr. Mercola article talks about cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and peppermint, and what they can do to boost your health! Enjoy your holiday spices this year, and know you are doing your body a favor!

Enjoy your Christmas preparations everyone!

Toxin Free Body: Preventing the Common Cold

With cold & flu season raging all around us, I had to pass on this Dr. Mercola article I saw today. He gives some awesome tips on how to prevent catching colds & coughs, in addition to some great tips in case you do come down with one. (Although I still maintain that taking Garden of Life's Immune Balance products are one of the top things you can do to prevent/fight sickness!)

Check out the article for yourself to find out some great tips to protect yourself & your family, including one tip that costs less than a dollar and is extremely effective in our family's experience!

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/22/alternative-cold-remedies.aspx