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?”

Monday, January 18, 2016

Forget Everything You Know About Fat

Forget everything you’ve heard about FAT…

For decades, medicine and pop culture have told us that eating less fat (and exercising more) is the secret to sustained weight loss, health, and longevity.

Yet Americans are sicker and fatter than ever!

Clearly, something isn’t adding up.

My good friend, New York Times bestselling author Dr. Mark Hyman is on a mission to separate the FAT from Fiction during his upcoming event, The Fat Summit January 25 - February 1.

Register for Free now!



In The Fat Summit January 25 - February 1, Dr. Hyman will interview 30+ of the world’s top experts, as they reveal the truth about fat—and what it really takes to lose weight, feel great, and reverse chronic disease.

Here’s a look at what you’ll discover:
  • Why eating more fat (and less sugar) actually leads to weight loss 
  • Whether or not children should eat a high-fat diet 
  • How carbohydrates impact hunger 
  • The research on red meat (does “grass-fed” really make a difference?) 
  • How wellness impacts the financial health of our nation 
  • The connection between toxins and weight gain How to enjoy healthy meat (with minimal environmental impact) 
  • The best sources of plant-based fat
  • The role of fat in aging
  • And much more…
This event airs for FREE online January 25 - February 1. But you have to RSVP to save your spot.

Register Today

P.S. Forget about New Year’s Resolutions… If you’re ready to lose those extra pounds for good, have more energy immediately, and prevent conditions ranging from heart disease and cancer to diabetes and dementia, you won’t want to miss this FREE event.

Register for FREE

See you there!

Friday, January 15, 2016

Cabbage, Apple & Kale Salad Recipe

Here's a great salad that's yummy anytime. It comes by way of Kalyn's Kitchen who got the inspiration from a recipe in Bon Appetite Magazine. I changed up a few items and made it my own based on what I have on hand and my food preferences.

I chose to include sprouted pumpkin seeds in the recipe to add a nutrient boost. These seeds are very high in protein, low in carbohydrates and contain loads of minerals including iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc, as well as heart-healthy niacin and vitamin B3. Plus sprouting seeds multiples powerful nutrients and unlocks enzymes to super-charge digestion and support optimal wellness. Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

Pick up a package of Go Raw Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds next time you go to Costco. You might also get a package of Go Raw Sprouted Sunflower Seeds while there. Both of these seeds are ingredients for my DIY trail mix.

To cut the kale in short strips follow the technique I wrote in the recipe directions. Check this recipe to see pictures of the kale cutting process.

Cabbage, Apple & Kale Salad with Cranberries & Pumpkin Seeds

from Inspired by Kalyn's Kitchen
yield 4-6 servings

category Salad
cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian
ingredients
1/2 head of white cabbage
1 Granny Smith apple
2 large kale leaves, de-stemmed
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C sprouted pumpkin seeds (Go Raw)
Dressing:
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp raw honey
pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper

directions
1. Slice cabbage thin then cut across to create short strips. Add to large bowl.
2. Cut apple into 1/2 inch chunks (peel first if you prefer). Add apple to small bowl and squeeze fresh lemon juice over apples. Stir to coat.
3. Once you have de-stemmed the kale (I prefer Lacinato, aka Dino kale), cut length-wise into 1-inch strips then roughly cut to 4-inch length. Stack the strips side-by-side and cut across to make thin short strips.
4. Add apples and kale to cabbage.
5. Whisk ingredients for dressing. Add to cabbage mixture and toss. 
6. Add cranberries and pumpkin seeds then toss again. Serve.

Enjoy this salad with a nice soup like this Vegan Lentil Chili with Roasted Red Peppers that's on the menu for dinner tonight. My hubby raves about this salad, but then he thinks I'm the Salad Queen.

Just a reminder, use only organic produce for your recipes. Otherwise check the Environmental Working Group website (ewg.org) to see which types of produce are least affected by pesticides. Many people wrongly think pesticides can be washed off their produce—not the case. It's in the flesh and that's why you must be careful.


Monday, January 11, 2016

Your Gut: Where Health Starts & Healing Begins

Gut dysfunction can be linked to virtually every disease and can cause conditions like fatigue, depression, food sensitivities, chronic pain, allergies and more. The Heal Your Gut Summit from January 18-25, will help you understand how these conditions are by and large preventable!

Why Attend? 
Your gut is the cornerstone of true health, which is why Dr. Josh Axe, Donna Gates and Dr. Eric Zielinski have gathered together more than 30 gut health experts from around the globe to share the evidence-based tools you need to regain control of your health!

Register for FREE here!

The Heal Your Gut Summit will teach you about: 

  • Healing the gut to boost immunity and fight cancer 
  • Losing weight by improving digestive health 
  • Solutions to recover from irritable bowel syndrome 
  • Balancing hormones and increasing libido 
  • Reversing allergies and autoimmunity with foods and herbal remedies 

Attend and listen to the following experts (over 30 in all!): 
Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS: 5 Steps to Heal Leaky Gut 
Leo Galland, MD: Why Allergies Could Be Signaling Bigger Problems 
David Perlmutter, MD: Heal Your Gut by Going Grain Free 
Ty Bollinger: Boost Immunity with Gut-Immune-Cancer Connection 


Heal Your Gut Summit


Register today and you’ll get the following free gifts: 
Expert Talk #1: 5 Steps to Heal Leaky Gut, Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS 
Expert Talk #2: Boost Immunity with Gut-Immune-Cancer Connection, Ty Bollinger 
Expert Talk #3: Getting to The Root Cause of Thyroid Disease, Izabella Wentz, PharmD, FASCP 
Expert Talk #4: Secrets to Overcome Candida & Yeast, Donna Gates, MEd, ABAAHP 

The Heal Your Gut Summit is online and FREE from January 18-25, 2016! 

Register for FREE today!


I’ll see you at the summit!

Friday, January 8, 2016

Almond Butter Cookie Recipe

This is a very simple (only five ingredients) and quick recipe to make. The cookies come out soft and chewy when warm from the oven—great time to taste test. Once cooled they become crunchy—many favs this consistency.

I like chopped nuts in my cookies, so using crunchy almond butter makes one less ingredient to add. If you don't prefer the nuts, you can use creamy almond butter—your choice.

Once you add the almond butter to the sugar mixture, the batter gets real thick and clogs up the beaters. Because of the almond oil in the mixture it does not stick to the beaters and can be easily scrapped off with little waste.

In the picture above the cookies are spaced too close. They ended up "growing" into each other. The next batch was spaced three to a row—perfect.

Almond Butter Cookies

from Chris Pedersen
yield 18 cookies

category Dessert
cuisine Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Low-Glycemic

ingredients
1 large egg
1 C coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Mexican vanilla
1 C crunchy almond butter

directions
1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Using electric mixer, beat egg, coconut sugar, baking powder and vanilla until creamy (about 1 minute). Add almond butter and mix well. The mixture will get thick.
3. Scoop batter using a teaspoon then form into a ball and place on a non-stick cookie sheet. 
4. Put a small amount of water in a small bowl. Dip a fork into water and then smash down cookie ball in a cross pattern.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until cookies feel firm and slightly browned.

Enjoy making these cookies.  Just try to resist eating them all too quickly.

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Shop Online for Less

Thrive Market
Happy New Year! 
Hope you are ready to enjoy 2016. Have you set some goals? Making some productive changes in your life? Perhaps adding more plant-based whole food to your eating?

Great! I'm cheering you on (crowd roar)!

For food, supplements, eco-friendly household and personal care products you buy on a regular basis (or even those occasional purchases), I have a great money saver for you.

I recently subscribed to Thrive Market and saved $79 over what I would have paid at my local discount market. Yup! That's right!

Example: Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar $2.95 at Thrive Market is $3.68 at my local discount grocer.

The Smart Way to Save Money on Healthy Food
Thrive Market offers something for anyone who wants to eat healthy and live well. Thrive has a really nice, curated mix of products to choose from that are the best-in-class organic, non-GMO, vegan, raw, paleo and gluten free. Whatever your healthy shopping desires may be, you can find exactly what you’re looking for.

Like Costco or other warehouse clubs, Thrive Market is membership based. Thrive members purchase a membership for $59.95 per year. That’s just $5 per month, if you break it down. With a Thrive Market membership comes access to more than 3,000 (and growing) top organic, non-GMO, healthy products. You simply browse the website, fill your cart with whatever products you like, and have your order shipped directly to your home.

Go ahead, try out Thrive Market with a FREE one-month trial before you start paying the annual fee. Currently you get FREE shipping with orders over $49. Ready to start saving? Click here.

As a community conscious organization, for every paying member who joins, Thrive Market will donate one free membership to a family in need. This social mission taps into Thrive Market’s larger goal—making healthy food accessible for everyone.

Start your trial membership today! Click here.