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December 5, 2024

Post-Thanksgiving Mini Reset

Thanksgiving may have left you feeling a little too much like the stuffed turkey centerpiece. If you’re ready to shake off the sluggishness before m

November 28, 2024

Savor, Stroll, and Stay Thankful

Thanksgiving. A time to enjoy the company of loved ones, share stories, and of course, indulge in delicious food. Here’s a tip to help you savor

November 19, 2024

Gobble Up These Thanksgiving Preparation Tips

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, gathering, and indulging in an amazing feast. However, hosting can sometimes feel more like a marathon than a ce

November 14, 2024

Mediterranean Feel-Good Soups for Fall

As we transition from fall into the holidays, staying mindful of our health goals can help us enjoy the season without feeling run down or overwhelmed

November 7, 2024

Healthy Eating FAQs and Answers

Before I get into this week’s topic, I must first retract a statement that I made last week about Mr. Non-Compliant. I stand corrected, as he did NO

October 31, 2024

Mr. Non-Compliant’s Birthday Fest

This week Mr. Non-Compliant (aka my dear hubby) celebrated a birthday. He flaunted his morning non-compliance by leaving the EMPTY cinnamon roll box o

October 24, 2024

Not a Vegetable Fan? Read This

It’s not just kids that wrinkle their nose at a plate of green stuff. Lots of fully-grown adults feel the same—inclined to hide their Brussels spr

October 17, 2024

How Safe is Your Cinnamon?

I’m a huge cinnamon fan. I shake it in my coffee, smoothies, muffins, stewed apples, and of course, pumpkin pie. Years ago I mixed it with a little

October 10, 2024

10 Simple Tips to Ease into Fall

Fall is officially here. I know this not only from the calendar and fewer hours of daylight, but by the temperature of my house when I wake up in the

October 10, 2024

Cumin, Coriander, Fennel (CCF) Tea

To make a cup of CCF tea (Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel tea) using seeds, follow this simple recipe: Ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Plant-Based Wild Blueberry Muffins

Plant-Based Wild Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free. The texture is different than mainstay blueberry muffins. I find them to be amazing. 

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup almond flour*
  • 1/4 cup buckwheat flour* (this is a gluten-free flour, non-wheat flour)
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 2/3 cup monkfruit sweetener or coconut sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or light coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup MCT or melted coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup Wyman’s frozen wild blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin cups or grease well. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, and baking powder.

In another bowl, add the almond milk, applesauce, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until uniform. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until evenly mixed and lump-free. Fold in the wild blueberries until evenly dispersed in the batter.

Spoon the muffin batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 22-26 minutes, until browned on top and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin, then move to a wire rack and cool completely. Best enjoyed on the day of baking and kept in an airtight container until needed.

Makes 12 muffins

*Note: This recipe is adapted from the Medical Medium (MM) Wild Blueberry Muffin recipe. The original recipe calls for 1 cup gluten-free oat flour instead of the almond and buckwheat flours. You could use 2 cups of a regular gluten-free flour blend as a substitute for all the various flours and they would probably taste more like a traditional muffin. MM also uses coconut sugar in place of monkfruit and alcohol-free vanilla extract or vanilla powder.

Tiny Berry Packs a Powerful Punch

If you’ve not yet discovered Wyman’s Wild Blueberries, now is your time. These tiny little berries are one of the healthiest (perhaps even #1) and most delicious foods on the planet.

While cultivated blueberries that we find locally in stores or pick here in the Midwest are good, wild blueberries have 2X the antioxidants, 33% more anthocyanins (the deep pigment) and 72% more fiber. What this means for us is even greater health benefits, such as:

  • Improved brain and heart health
  • Healthy blood sugar levels due to low glycemic index
  • Promotes gut health
  • Overall wellness

These berries have naturally grown in abundance in Maine and Eastern Canada for thousands of years. 

They can only be harvested one time a year – in August & September. Therefore, most of the fruit is frozen, dried, juiced or powdered to ensure year-round availability.

Wyman’s freezes the berries within 24 hours of harvesting to maintain peak freshness and nutrition. I’ve seen them at Costco and other local groceries near the other frozen fruits.

I also noticed that you could order them directly from the Wyman website.

They come washed and ready to eat. I love adding them to my smoothies.

And our cells love the benefits of that beautiful purple color!

Enjoy them in baked goods, pancakes, pour milk over frozen berries or make sorbet (I’m going to do this soon).

I also saw a suggestion to put them on top of a baked sweet potato. Hmmm. Guess we shouldn’t knock it until we’ve tried it.

Apparently, the tartness of the berries compliments the sweetness of the potato.

I’ll let you know if I try it. I doubt I’ll get Mr. Non-Compliant on board. He’d be all in for a wild blueberry donut—but only if it’s AMAZING.

Be a Lifelong Learner

I’ve recently had the privilege of speaking to some local groups. There is an abundance of health topics that make for interesting, interactive seminars.

While preparing for my seminars and during the presentations, I always learn something new.

No two seminars are ever the same because the audience and questions are different.

Everyone benefits and we have fun.

 If you know of a group or business looking for a speaker, please keep me in mind. 

Curious about a topic or hobby? Have the desire to learn a new language or how to play an instrument? Ever dream of taking singing lessons or a yoga class?

My challenge for you is to listen to an audio or read a book on the topic, take the lessons, sign up for a class.

It’s never too late to learn something new.

Be a lifelong learner.

There is one downside. The more we learn, the more we realize we don’t know.

Much love to you,
Health Coach Carol

“A commitment to lifelong learning is a natural expression of the practice of living consciously.” — Nathaniel Branden

Debate on the Dirty Dozen

“Should I spend my money on organic fruits and vegetables?”

“Is organic produce superior nutritionally?”

“Does it really matter?”

I hear these questions frequently. My response was typically, “Check out the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) ‘Dirty Dozen’ and ‘Clean Fifteen,’ and use that as a guide.” 

 Now I’m not so sure.

I’ve read several articles that discredit the methods that lead to their lists. One such article cited that a toxicologist did an investigation and discovered:

  • The methodology used by the EWG to rank the fruits and vegetables with respect to pesticide risks lacks scientific credibility
  • Exposure to the most commonly detected pesticides on the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables poses negligible risks to consumers
  • Substituting organic forms of the “dirty dozen” foods for conventional forms does not reduce consumer risks

The Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) is a non-profit organization that represents organic and conventional farmers of fruits and vegetables and farms.

According to their testing tool, for example, an adult woman could eat 3,624 individual strawberries without worrying about potential pesticide exposure. Strawberries are historically on the “Dirty Dozen” list.

I love strawberries but there’s no way I could eat that many in one sitting.

I could go on; however, I’ll get right to the point.

Eat more fruits and vegetables for optimal health, either conventional or organic.

Do not be afraid.

Wash all your produce with plain running water, and if it’s a hearty fruit or vegetable, use your little produce scrubber.

Do what is best for you and your family. Please don’t avoid eating produce because it’s on a list. The benefits of eating more produce far outweigh any possible risks. 

If I learn more information that influences my thoughts on this topic, you’ll be the first to know.

Another Pineapple Tip

A friend of mine wrote me with another tip for choosing the tastiest pineapple. Pluck a leaf and if it comes out easily, the fruit is ripe.

My Report on Orange Cauliflower

A few weeks ago, I wrote about colored cauliflower. I had the courage to try an orange one, and…drum roll, please…It was sweeter than the white variety.

I roasted it with an assortment of other vegetables and enjoyed it. Even Mr. Non-Compliant gave it a thumbs up.

Next time I’ll try a purple one and see what happens.

It’s always good to add more variety to our diets, which is why I continually try to include fruits and vegetables that I don’t normally eat.

I challenge you to do the same.

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.”— Doug Larson

Choosing a Tasty Pineapple

In the past week, a discussion came up about pineapple.

How do you choose a tasty one? Well, for those inquiring minds, here you go. 

How to choose a tasty pineapple

  1. Look for a bit of yellow, which should be present at the eyes at the base of the fruit, but a green tint elsewhere is fine. The leaves should be a vibrant shade of green.
  2. Squeeze it. The body of the pineapple should not be soft. It should be firm and give slightly with pressure.
  3. Sniff near the stem. It should smell sweet. No scent means it’s not ripe. If it smells like vinegar or alcohol, put it down. It’s past its prime and you don’t want anything to do with it.
  4. The heavier, the better. As with melons, there’s more water so it’s juicy.
  5. I also read that if you store it upside down before you cut it, the sweet juice from the bottom which was connected to the plant, circulates throughout the pineapple.

I have been known to let a pineapple sit on my counter for a few too many days, allowing it to spoil. If you’re not ready to cut a ripe pineapple, put it in the fridge to help keep it from going bad.

If you have trouble cutting a pineapple, check out one of the videos on YouTube. It’s much easier than trying to explain it. Cutting a fresh pineapple is not hard once you know how to go about it.

It is definitely worth the effort.

Dealing with negativity

This was another topic that showed up in conversation: dealing with negative friends, co-workers and family.

I know, it’s quite a contrast from pineapple. It’s all real-life stuff that happens.

There are people on the planet who tend to have a negative attitude about everything—even happy news.

We all have a bad day (or week) on occasion. Negative folks can’t find relief—ever.

Nothing you say will help them see the light. When you are in their presence, you feel a drain on your energy.  

We must learn to set boundaries, love from a distance, let go of any guilt. Not easy to do.

If you have the option, only spend time with negative people when your positive emotional bank is full, and you feel confident. Limit the time spent with them so that you don’t take on their negativity. 

Be compassionate and kind, then move on. Remember that their unhappy state has nothing to do with you.

Surround yourself with positive people most of the time. When you find yourself in a mood that is unbecoming, take on an activity that helps improve your state.

Sometimes we simply need sleep, healthy food, and a dose of Seinfeld.

Sending you love,
Health Coach Carol

“Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.” – Deborah Reber