4 Roots of Optimum Wellness

There are four essential parts to being healthy: Diet, Exercise, Sleep & Attitude.

Vitae Elixxir Healing Herbs

A proprietary combination of ten disease-fighting herbs used for more than 40 years and helping thousands of people with serious health issues.

Books by Author & Health Coach Chris Pedersen

In a world of adventure and imagination, kids’ books in print and digital that encourage a healthy lifestyle.

6 Tips to Lose Weight

Don’t count calories—take a serious look at the food you want to eat, then ask, ”Is this something that will give my body good health?”

Friday, December 18, 2015

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!


Wishing you a Blessed and Merry Christmas. I am grateful for you and your interest in being a healthier self. Looking forward to 2016, let me know what health area you'd like to learn more about—thank you to those I've already heard from. It would be great to hear what you found helpful from Healthy Journey Cafe this past year (scroll past the Related Posts to add your comments).

I'll be taking a break until after the New Year. Enjoy your Christmas and New Year celebrations with family and friends. Remember to be grateful for the blessings you have and share with those in your community who have little.

I'm thankful for my family and the addition of a new daughter-in-law this past June. What a joy! But we also endured the loss of loved ones this year, leaving holes in our lives that are impossible to fill.


Never the less, we have hope because Christmas is about remembering that God became man in a humble stable in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago. The birth of Jesus marks God's long-planned and foretold redemption of man. Jesus Christ changed the course of history, but most importantly he changed my heart. The grace that God extended to me is available to all who desire His gift of eternal life. God only asks for your heart—that's it! He knows we can't be "good enough." He accepts us as we are—torn, tattered and broken. Really.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Food Companies Respond to Consumer Pressure

In the short time I've been writing this blog, I'm thrilled to say the tide is turning. Manufacturers have seen a shrinking of their bottom line because YOU have voted with your shopping dollars and shunned foods that contain artificial ingredients (preservatives, coloring, etc) and too much sugar.

Last month an article in the New York Times reported that a seismic shift in how people eat has caused big food companies to scramble. Manufacturers are responding by changing their ingredients to reflect the demand for healthier food.

I originally wrote about the dangers of manufactured food, particularly in breakfast cereals, back in 2011 called The (Mad) Science of Food Packaging.

Let's look at what is coming out of the research labs of the food companies and celebrate the victories consumers have achieved.

In Food Makers Try to Paint With Nature's Palette, the Wall Street Journal reported how food companies were replacing artificial ingredients with real food alternatives in response to consumer demands for ingredients they might "find in their own pantries." The article sites General Mills' experience to change the artificial colors in Trix, a kid's breakfast cereal. The final color palette is minus two colors and looks very different from the un-natural colors of the artificially colored version, but now appears wholesome and natural. A step in the right direction.


Next we'd like to see them labeling any genetically modified ingredients, such as corn in the Trix. Or better yet, replacing with non-GMO sourced ingredients and getting verified by the non-GMO project.

In my blog The (Mad) Science of Food Packaging, I focussed on Kellogg's Froot Loops. Unfortunately Kellogg's is one year behind the progress of General Mills. They still show the same artificial ingredients. Oh wait... I see they changed Blue #2 to Blue #1. You can see the difference between artificial (Froot Loops in the title image) and natural (above in the Trix image and labeling).

I've copied the ingredients below:
Froot Loops Ingredients: Sugar, corn flour blend (whole grain yellow corn flour, degerminated yellow corn flour), wheat flour, whole grain oat flour, oat fiber, modified food starch, soluble corn fiber, contains 2% or less of hydrogenated vegetable oil (coconut, soybean and/or cottonseed), salt, natural flavor, red 40, turmeric extract color, yellow 6, blue 1, annatto extract color, BHT for freshness.
At any rate, we have made a difference. These changes are because of YOU! Give yourself a pat on the back and continue to vote with your wallet.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Give Yourself a Shot of Health

Instead of medications or getting a flu shot, boost your health with a daily shot of health. Taking two shots a day (even one shot a day) of this health drink—one in the morning and one in the evening—will give your immune system a kick. But don't expect it to make-up for an unhealthy diet of processed foods and sugar. Nope!

Shot of Health

yield ~14 shots

category Drink
cuisine Vegan

ingredients
1.5 C filtered water
7 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV)
Juice of 1 lemon or 1 drop lemon essential oil
1 Tbsp raw honey
5 Tbsp of collagen (if you have it)

directions
1. Combine in glass jar and shake until blended.
2. Store in fridge.
3. Take 1 to 2 shots (one morning, one evening) daily

I just took my shot for today and, I should add, it blows your hair back. Woo!

BTW if you use Bragg's ACV (which I highly encourage), you'll be getting a dose of prebiotics as well. Prebiotics is food for the good bacteria in your gut. For more information on pro and pre-biotics, read What's the Scoop on Probiotics and Prebiotics.

What healthy habits do you use to boost your immunity?

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Wisdom Wednesday

Fight inflammation by choosing the right foods.

Are you tired of having sore and painful joints, catching that perennial cold or flu, experiencing itchy, dry skin, off and on allergies?

You're suffering from inflammation and your immune system is not in top condition.

Eat these foods to reduce inflammation:
  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids (salmon, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil)
  • Fiber (beans, seeds, fruits and vegetables)
  • Herbs (turmeric and other spices)
  • Green Tea
Avoid/eliminate:
  • Sugar
  • Trans Fats (hydrogenated oils)
  • Artificial Ingredients
You'll be amazed at how quickly your pains and problems go away.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Green Beans with Shiitake Bacon

I've got some great recipes for your fall and winter enjoyment. I hope I can get them all to you in time. Great for Thanksgiving, Christmas and the many parties requiring a "dish to share."

Consider last week's Pear and Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash the first installment. Please subscribe to this blog to get them all.

Here's a yummy bean recipe for those who love green beans, but don't love the milk-based ingredients or the bacon that seems to be the latest to add to veggie salads and side dishes. Whaa! Can anyone tell me what bacon is doing in a broccoli salad?
Did you hear or read that the World Health Organization (WHO) is telling us that processed meat is cancer-causing? Yeah! That means bacon with the added nitrates, nitrites, and other chemicals.
Back to our recipe... You'll never miss the real bacon. Using shiitake mushrooms soaked in tamari, maple syrup and balsamic then roasted in smoked sea salt, you'll discover a whole new kind of wow you can add to a dish.

I discovered this great bacon substitute at the Soup Addict when I made the Vegetarian BLT Tacos with Shiitake Bacon. Check our other recipes at the Soup Addict. I know you'll find something to love. Karen is not a vegan nor vegetarian, but does post recipes that are—or can easily be modified, such as substituting items like butter with something appropriate for my diet.


Here's what the shiitake mushrooms look like after being soaked in the tamari, maple syrup and balsamic mixture and laid out to roast.

Don't fret if you don't have sherry vinegar for finishing off the cooked beans. You can use any vinegar you might have, for example, apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar.

Green Beans with Shiitake Bacon

from Chris Pedersen
yield 4-6 servings

category Side Dish
cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian

ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt (smoked is best)
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4" (stems discarded)
1 Tbsp oilive oil
1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
1.5 lb. green beans, ends trimmed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried majoram
2 tsp sherry vinegar
fresh ground pepper to taste

directions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack centered. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Whisk olive oil, tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika and balsamic in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add shiitake slices, tossing until each piece is thoroughly coated.
3. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on baking sheet. Season generously with smoked salt. Roast the mushrooms for 20 minutes then flip over and roast another 10 minutes. Finished mushrooms should be dark and sizzling, but not charred.
4. Remove from oven and set aside.
5. Add olive oil to large skillet or wok on medium heat. Add shallot and cook for 5 minutes until soft. 
6. Add green beans, salt and marjoram. Cook and stir 5 minutes or more until green beans are crisp to tender. Add cranberries, sprinkle sherry over beans and stir until beans are cookied, but not soft (about 5 minutes).
7. Season with pepper and serve with shiitake "bacon" sprinkled on top.

I had a little more shiitake mushroom bacon than I needed to put on the beans. If that happens, hold the extra back and add it to your organic eggs the next morning for a delicious change of pace. Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that earlier.

What's your favorite recipe to take to a holiday party?


Sunday, November 15, 2015

It Takes Time & Patience...

Friday, November 13, 2015

Pear & Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash

What are your plans for the Thanksgiving table? Are you doing traditional Turkey and all the accompanying starchy foods? Or do you plan to make some changes in your meal choices because you've been adjusting your lifestyle to be healthier?

There are great options for yummy food–perfect for fall. I made this delicious recipe and it was all we had for dinner. Mmmmm! The fresh herbs make it really sing and it's so easy to prepare.

The recipe calls for red D'Anjou pear, but you can use any variety of pear. I used a Bartlett pear and it  was mmmm good. I think you could experiment with using other fruit. How does fuyu persimmon sound?  I must try that one. Persimmons are my favorite fall fruit—maybe my all time fav actually.

Pear & Pistachio Stuffed Acorn Squash

from Costco Connection
yield 4-8 servings
category Main Course
cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian

ingredients
2 Acorn Squash
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 C chopped pistachios
2 Tbsp diced pistachios
1 red D'Anjou pear, diced
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 springs of rosemary, finely chopped
10 leaves of mint, finely chopped
4 springs thyme, finely chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper

directions
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Slice squash in half through stem and scoop out seeds.
2. Place squash cut side up on baking sheet. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 30-35 minutes, or until soft.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the cup of chopped pistachios, pear, oil, maple syrup, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper.
4. Portion out the pear mixture to fill the squash halves and sprinkle with the diced pistachios.
5. Preheat broiler. Place the squash under broiler for about 3 minutes, until golden. Serve warm.

I plan on bringing this dish to the family Thanksgiving dinner at my brothers. I used to bring the Tofurky with vegan dressing for any vegans (which is usually just me and my hubby) at the feast. But since I stopped eating soy this year, I'm bringing only veggie options for my meal. No more fake turkey.

What changes have you made that will effect your Thanksgiving meal?

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

20 Questions to Ask Your Oncologist

Chris Wark, fellow cancer conquerer, cancer killer, cancer whisperer and all around nice guy, is making a difference in disseminating the truth about cancer. He just posted a great resource that everyone should have for themselves or someone they know who is facing cancer. Go to ChrisBeatCancer.com and sign-up for his FREE 20 questions for your oncologist.

Asking the right questions is a powerful tool and (as Chris had learned) can save your life.

Chris writes, "Most cancer patients have NO IDEA what they are getting into. They have no idea how effective the treatments will be. They have no idea what the real risks are. They have no idea how much suffering is involved. They have no idea about the long-term damage the treatments will inflict on their body... "

And oncologists are likely not going to tell you... unless you insist and ask the questions.


Getting truthful answers to your questions, may cause you to wonder whether the recommended conventional treatments are worth it. It may send you on a journey to find a better way to heal from cancer. One that will not harm you in the process.

Remember one thing, you have time to get answers—take that time to do your research and be informed. Check our my post I Have Cancer—6 Tips for help.

Which questions on Chris' list surprised you?

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Now Appearing: Cure Today Online Magazine

I'm happy to announce that I am a new contributor at Cure Today online magazine. Catch my debut article Being Passionate About Health Saved My Life. You may learn a bit more about me you didn't already know.

As you might guess, I provide a different approach than most contributors to the site, who offer stories of survival while undergoing the conventional treatment of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Take a look around and read a few other posts.

Look for future articles at Cure Today that provide motivation and support for a different approach to cancer. Something you (my faithful readers) would expect from me.

Note: If you haven't gotten to see The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest 9-part video series, you would have missed my interview in Episode 9. You'll hear me speak to being an example of epigenetics. Look for epigenetics to be the subject of a future post. Some viewers of the series wrote me and expressed a hope for their genetic cancer condition after watching me.

What would you like to see me address in this blog or at Cure Today?

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Wisdom Wednesday

Was there some significance to Frankincense being one of the gifts given to the Christ Child? Today we find it to be a powerful cancer fighter—kills cancer cells (apoptosis), stops cancer cell reproduction and is toxic only to cancer cells. Also known as Boswellia, throughout the ages it has been used to fight disease and inflammation while strengthening the immune system.

Studies show frankincense effective at killing ovarian cancer cells which are resistant to chemotherapy and may be used to treat many other cancers.

Available from several essential oil companies, frankincense may be administered orally (check each brand as some are not food grade oils), topically or defused.

Have you or someone you know had experience with the healing properties of frankincense? Share the experience.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Redesigned Carrot Cupcakes Recipe

This is the second Carrot Cupcake recipe I've created. I decided the first recipe could be easier and, yes, even yummier. So I set about to make a newer, better recipe. Motivated by the upcoming celebration of our son's marriage to his college sweetheart, I spent the week before the event (dubbed the I Do BBQ) planning, shopping and making the dishes and dessert.

Our son Nur and his college sweetheart Annaliese met over 11 years ago. Nur participated in the Anime club on campus and met Annaliese there. Smitten from their first meeting, Nur spent much of the years winning her over—a true romantic tale. Both being minimalists and creatures of habit, they seem made for each other, highlighted by their love of Anime and annual vacation to Comic-Con in San Diego. The two lovebirds married in a private ceremony at San Francisco City Hall (a beautiful and cheap venue) on June 19th. The I Do BBQ allowed the extended family to meet Annaliese and share their well-wishes with the newlyweds.

Run the carrots through your juicer and add the filtered water. Add coconut oil, honey and eggs to a medium-size bowl and mix thoroughly then add to the carrots.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. I used quinoa flour and buckwheat flour, but you can choose any flours you want—make it gluten-free or add 2 cups of one type of flour. Your choice.

Add the carrot mixture to the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, walnuts (optional if you like) and raisons. Add a bit of water if the mixture is too dry. Batter should be wet enough to easily scoop into cupcake papers. Sprinkle with some natural sugar and bake.

Viola! The buckwheat flour made these cupcakes look like chocolate cupcakes. I certainly fooled a few when they bit into the delicious cake. The crowd loved em!

Carrot Cupcakes ReDesigned

from Chris Pedersen
yield 16 cupcakes

category Dessert
cuisine Vegetarian, no sugar

ingredients
3 carrots
1/2 C filtered water
2/3 C coconut oil, melted
2/3 C raw honey
2 eggs
1 C buckwheat flour
1 C quinoa flour
1 C rolled oats
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 C chopped wlanuts
1/2 C raisons
1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar or sucanate

directions
1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Run carrots through a juicer and use juice and pulp. Add water to carrots and pulp.
3. In medium bowl, mix together oil, honey and eggs. Add to carrot mixture.
4. In separate bowl, mix flours, oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
5. Add carrot mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. Add vanilla, lemon juice, walnuts and raisons. Combine.
6. Scoop mixture into cupcake papers in a muffin tin. Fill to just below the top. Sprinkle coconut sugar or sucanate on top of each cupcake.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Test with toothpick.

I elected to add some fun and decorative frosting to the cupcakes. A search for vegan cream cheese frosting yielded this perfect and easy recipe. If you want to do something similar on top of your cupcakes, take a sandwich bag and cut a teeny, tiny triangle off one bottom corner of the bag. Scoop in the frosting then squeeze from the top of the bag (this can be messy) until the frosting comes out of the hole. Decorate away!

What's your idea of a good cupcake recipe?

Thursday, October 15, 2015

The Truth About Cancer

Powerful! is the word to describe the first episode of the 9-part doc-series The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest. I hope you're seeing this!

Ty covers the history of chemotherapy and how the pharmaceutical companies have hijacked our health system turning it into a disease system that heavily promotes the sale of drugs and pads their bottom line. You will be shocked by what he found in his quest across the globe. Ty talked to health practitioners who are healing people from cancer, but at risk of losing their license because they are not using the accepted treatment of chemotherapy and radiation.

My father died at 63 of Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. That was 28 years ago. He lived 4 years with the disease refusing to do chemotherapy, but rather sought more natural means to heal his body.

My life-long healthy lifestyle is home grown. Dad encouraged eating healthy, took supplements, and read Adelle Davis and other early healthy eating champions like Jethro Kloss of Back to Eden. My mother cooked meals from scratch and shunned white bread and TV dinners which came into vogue in the 50's. We also had raw milk delivered to the door each week along with bottled water. Dad also stressed exercise. My most prized possession as a young girl was a 3-speed bicycle.

When faced with cancer, it was dad's drive to be healthy that kept him alive for so long. He used food and alternative therapies like acupuncture in an effort to heal his cancer.

Eventually he put his fate into the hands of the medical system which immediately put him on chemotherapy. Six months later he was dead. The oncologist admitted my dad kept himself alive for many years longer than expected by the treatments he did, although he (the oncologist) did not understand how.

Sad that many doctors today still have no clue how to heal cancer. Instead they administer drugs and radiation that cause more cancer and keep the industry making money at the expense of a bankrupt healthcare system. Really we've lost the war on cancer. Meanwhile there is a different war—against those who practice non-harmful ways to heal cancer.

Please educate yourself about the dangers and insidious foundation of our current treatment for cancer. The only way we can turn the tide is to get people educated. You still have time to register and view the videos for The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest.

And if you know someone who is facing cancer, please send them a link to my post I Have Cancer—6 Tips.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

I Have Cancer—6 Tips

"You have cancer," is still the worst phrase a person can hear. It changes your life forever. Sadly, you become a member of a growing class of people who feel the grief and vulnerability of having a disease that not only kills, but the conventional treatment prescribed often harms and leads to death.

I'm not going to make this post about my feelings toward the conventional approach cancer patients are subjected to. But I will be firm about what you should do.

Remember you are ultimately in charge of your health. Not the doctor. Not your family or friends. YOU! You need to make the decision for YOU. Because you have to live with the disease. It's happening in your body. Not the doctor's. Not your spouse's. Not your friend's. YOU!

1. Don't Panic
The doctor will insist you need to get treatment started right away. They will role out the conveyer belt in front of you and urge you to jump on. Enjoy the ride!

Don't panic. It took many years for the tumor/cancer to develop. You have time to make an informed decision after you consider the remaining tips.

2. Get a Second Opinion
The doctors may balk at you getting another opinion, but remember, this is about YOU. Search out other treatment centers. Do your homework. Which brings up #3...

3. Educate Yourself
There is a vast sea of research and information out there for you to explore. Get on the web and start googling.

I learned everything I could about my defective gene. Did you know the majority of genes in your DNA are exclusively for repairing things that go bad during cell division (i.e., DNA replication). Realizing that process is happening right now as you're reading this post, I hope you begin to understand how cancer might develop.

This process will help you make peace with your cancer. After all, the cancer growing in you is YOU. Your body. A symptom in your body that is sounding an alarm: "Something is wrong!"

Please take this seriously, you are in charge of your health and YOU can affect your heath with changes in lifestyle choices. People do it every day.

4. Live Life to the Fullest
I've heard it said that health is 100% diet and 100% mental. You can change your health by changing what you eat. Equally important is what you think about yourself and others, stress you're under—your overall attitude. If your'e a negative person, then you need to make some changes. Negativity breeds ill health. Here are 3 studies that show how your thoughts can make you sick.

Slow down. Take time to pamper yourself. Count your blessings—of course there are things you can be thankful for. Live your life to the fullest every day.

Shortly after my cancer diagnosis, my husband took me to Paris, fullfilling a promise he made to me years earlier while on a business trip there. We enjoyed only 5 days in Paris, but we made the most of it. That trip is still one of the best trips I've taken—living life to the fullest.

5. Change Your Diet
When I started my diet changes I hoped to stop the possibility of cancer growing in my colon. Some thought I was extreme and wondered why—some were even mean. But I didn't care what they thought. I wanted to make my body healthy and not allow cancer to grow. Create an environment in my body that could NOT sustain cancer. Yup.

After succeeding, I discovered what happened to me was an example of epigenetics. No matter what my genes said,  I could control my gene expression (good or bad) by my environment—what I chose to eat and drink, think, or be exposed to.

So where do you start with changing your diet? Begin by eliminating processed food loaded with dead food, chemicals and sugar. Sugar has been added to everything. "Nom, nom!" said the cancer cell—makes me grow big and strong! Eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. Drink lots of purified water. If your body needs animal proteins, stick with wild-caught or strictly grass-fed with no hormones or antibiotics. I eat eggs from chickens eating what they forage as they free-range or fed organic food.

Don't make it complicated.

6. Beware!
I think when doctors get their medical degree they lose their ability to think critically. They are trained to focus on assessing the symptoms in order to apply an appropriate diagnosis, which can then be used to prescribe a medication. So when they tell you diet will not affect your cancer, they are not thinking.

Really? The cancer can be healed with a drug, but not food? So (you might ask) the reason you have cancer is because you haven't taken the right drugs?

Nonsense!

Here's another tool to add to your toolbox so you might get a fair shake and make it out alive if you get a cancer diagnosis. Click below to get a FREE guide from Chris Wark (fellow cancer conquerer) on what you should ask your oncologist.


Please pass his on to anyone you know who is facing cancer. I'm sure you know several since cancer has become a pandemic in this country. Remember when you didn't know anybody who had cancer? I'm old enough to remember.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest

It's finally here—the 9-part docu-series you won't want to miss. Another groundbreaking video series from Ty Bollinger of The Truth About Cancer. He is passionate about bringing you knowledge about non-harming cancer treatments.


The series is FREE and starts October 13th when episode 1 airs at 9 PM Eastern Time. Don't miss out! Get signed up to get linked up.

Over 131 doctors, researchers, scientists and survivors from 27 countries across the globe come together in unity to reveal their amazing new findings. It’s not just news—it's a movement! The Truth About Cancer!


If you or anyone you love has been touched by cancer, you owe it to them and to yourself to watch this explosive FREE docu-series, The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest.


The information you gain by watching could save your life or the life of a loved one. This is my passion, dear readers. We do not need to be slaves to the conventional medicine conveyor belt treatments for the most dreaded disease of our time.

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Wisdom Wednesday

More than half of Americans take medications. Many experience side effects, but may not realize the medication also creates nutrient deficiencies. Check out mytavin.com to learn about nutrient deficiencies triggered by a drug. The site lists symptoms of those deficiencies so you can adjust your diet or supplement intake to compensate.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Paradigm Shift: Disease Care to Healthcare

 Evolution of Medicine Summit
Would you like to avoid chronic diseases, keep your family healthy and discover healthcare that actually works? This week you have the opportunity to listen to the Evolution of Medicine Summit FREE. Starting Monday September 21 - 28, 2015 at 10AM (USA Eastern Time) each day you'll hear from doctors and health professionals who are making a difference. 

Today, our healthcare system works well when you have an emergency, but to treat chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer, we need to reinvent healthcare to help you live a longer, happier and healthier life. Change the current system of disease care to true healthcare.

The Evolution of Medicine Summit is FREE and online. Register to attend.



Chronic diseases could kill 52 million per year…
Plus, the summit will introduce the very first affordable, ACA-compliant alternative to health insurance, Liberty Direct!
WHY ATTEND?
With 30+ presentations that give you information to effectively prevent and manage chronic disease, the Evolution of Medicine Summit will discuss:
  • Our current health system and its limitations (plus, alternatives you can access!)
  • How to take advantage of health technology
  • Share a vision for an empowered, proactive and participatory healthcare system
  • Preventing chronic disease and taking control of your health today
It will take all of us, patients and practitioners, to create a medical system that truly combats chronic disease. Join me at The Evolution of Medicine Summit!
Register for FREE now at the following link:
Here are a few of the incredible experts who will speak at The Evolution of Medicine Summit:
  • Suzanne Somers, What is making Your TOX-SICK
  • David Perlmutter, MD, The Gut, Brain and Chronic Disease
  • Rangan Chatterjee, MD, The Doctor of the Future
  • Mark Sisson, Hidden Genetic Switches
  • Chris Kresser, MS, LAc, Healthcare from Scratch
With 30+ presenters sharing their expertise about healthcare, this invaluable (and FREE) resource is intended for patients and practitioners everywhere!
Better yet, if you register today, you’ll have access to the following FREE GIFTS as soon as you register!
  • Free Gift #1: Chris Kresser’s talk, “Healthcare from Scratch,” which discusses the key role of the “exposome” in chronic disease, evolutionary mismatch and its relevance to medicine and his insights on scaling the foundations of “healthcare from scratch”
  • Free Gift #2: Evolution of Medicine Founder James Maskell’s talk, “Evolution or Revolution? The Rationale for Healthcare from Scratch,” which discusses learnings from the 2014 Evolution of Medicine Summit and the 8 opposites that truly demand an environment for creating “healthcare from scratch.”
I've listened to both of the above talks and they are mind-blowing. We are certainly on the cusp of a paradigm shift in healthcare. Register now so you can learn the exciting aspects of an evolutionary—even revolutionary—medical system that is patient-centered and effective to fight chronic diseases.

The Evolution of Medicine Summit is online and free from September 21-28, 2015!
Register for FREE at the following link today:
I’ll see you at the summit!

Friday, September 18, 2015

Egg-Free Mayonnaise Recipe

This recipe comes from fellow plant-based eating friend, Jennie. She's always looking for recipes on the web and, like me, subscribes to a few healthy recipe sites. Since she doesn't like regular mayonnaise (made from eggs) and those vegan choices made with soy, she was always looking for a replacement. She found this one on Nourishing Meals.

Egg-Free Mayonnaise

yield 1.5 C

category Condiment
cuisine Vegan

ingredients
1 C raw cashews
1/4 C filtered water
2 Tbsp apple cidar vinegar
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp yellow mustard powder
3/4 - 1 tsp sea salt
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

directions
1. Place cashews in bowl then cover with filtered water. Set aside to soak for 3 hours.
2. Add the soaked cashews, water, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard powder, and sea salt to your high-powered blender. Blend until thick and creamy. 
3. Then add the olive oil and blend until combined. Keep blending until it is ultra smooth. You may need to stop the blender, stir it, and then blend again.
4. Scoop the mayo into a jar and refirgerate. It will thicken when it chills.

If you were looking for something to dip veggies in for an appetizer, you might use this recipe. The flavor presents a mild zing. Sprinkle some smoked paprika on the mayo/dip and scoop away. I think you'll like it.

What's your favorite use for mayonnaise?

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Aiden Is Back In School

It's back to school time and learning is in full swing. Some kids are getting more screen time (the good kind) as more schools roll-out iPads. Here's where a company called eSpark is making a difference helping teachers achieve goals for their students.

Using the technology of iPads in the classroom, eSpark is focused on education that is student-centered—working with the needs of an individual student. Each child gets a personalized assignment, called a quest, using particular apps to achieve defined goals.

"eSpark empowers teachers to transform their classrooms with technology.... Teachers can focus iPad instruction on students' individual needs to improve their academic outcomes."

Rather than creating educational apps for their platform, eSpark scours the vast ecosystem of iPad apps to identify highly engaging and challenging activities. Apps are vetted through a strict rubric to ensure Common Core alignment, academic rigor, and engagement.

The Prisoner of Carrot Castle is privileged to be one of the hand-picked kid's apps used on the eSparkLearning platform. Kids in 4th grade might be assigned The Prisoner of Carrot Castle for Reading Literacy (Common Core aligned to RL 2 and RL 9) in their prescribed quest.

I hope you'll visit eSparkLearning to find out more of how their teaching process works. It is very cool. Those kids are really learning to dig in and be critical thinkers... even creating a video to re-teach and reinforce the learned concepts from their quest.

Here's a video from the Chicago area (Home turf for eSpark) from news station Fox32 on the Good Day Chicago program featuring eSparkLearning.

If you have kids in school, do you volunteer in the classroom? What have you learned about the use of technology in teaching today (called edtech)?