Category: Food

What every woman needs to know about FOLATE and FOLIC ACID

What every woman needs to know about FOLATE and FOLIC ACID

Pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant?? What you need to know about FOLATE and FOLIC ACID

Things you should know! First of all I am not a Doctor nor do I proclaim to be providing any medical advice.  What I am going to explain is purely information I have found while using GOOGLE. I highly suggest that you look it up for yourself and do your own research into FOLATE or it’s synthetically produced counterpart FOLIC ACID.  FOLATE, is purely Vitamin B9, and a very important nutrient needed in our diets, especially pregnant or wanting to be pregnant women.  Vitamin B9 is found in leafy greens, broccoli, and dried legumes such as beans and lentils.  This key nutrient is used by our body to make DNA and other genetic material, produce new cells, and support nervous and immune system functions.  DID YOU SEE THAT? Make DNA?? so that is why this is so important during pregnancy?  I don’t know, but makes sense to me.

However, do your research and always ask your doctor, practitioner or midwife before taking any supplements or dietary nutrition.

 

Why you wouldn’t choose FOLIC ACID

Folic acid is the synthetically derived vitamin from the whole food form of FOLATE.  FOLIC ACID is not natural and does not naturally exist in nature.  Like I mentioned previously FOLATE is Vitamin B9, remember that.  Research has determined that synthetics, like FOLIC ACID, can be metabolized in the liver.  However overtime the liver cannot synthesize FOLIC ACID, especially in high concentrations.  This obviously can cause stress on our liver, right?  Are you still with me here?

Pregnant women or looking to become pregnant are always advised to increase their intake of naturally-occurring FOLATE by consuming more dark leafy greens, broccoli, spinach, dried legumes and lentils.  Another way is by taking the synthetic FOLIC ACID.

Here’s an easy way to get good, food sourced FOLATE

You can juice or eat a lot of leafy greens as well as eat a lot of dried legumes and lentils.  Or may I make a suggestion here?  Did you know that Young Living has a couple of products that already contain FOLATE and are infused with essential oils and packed with other great vitamins and other good for you stuff?  Look at the ingredient list of Young Livings Balance Complete:

 

This would be a great addition to anyone’s daily healthy nutrition regimen, I mean look at all that great stuff in there!  The taste is great too, because I think it tastes like vanilla cake mix, or raw cookie dough flavor.  And did you notice that FOLATE is listed at 33%, you can’t beat that right?  Oh but you can, and look at Young Living’s Super B product!

 

There you go, 100% of the DV of  FOLATE right there along with a whole butt load of other good for you stuff!  There, I finally posted this.  I’ve been mulling it around for quite a while and felt it was time to finally get the info out there.

and if you want to look it up for yourself, which you should for your own peace of mind, here is a link because ya’ know, like I said I am not a Doctor.  Another good thing to point out is that we ALL need to become informed, knowledge is wonderful! here is another good link from the Mayo Clinic.

Quit relying on everyone else to give their opinion on things, even Doctors only know what they know, and what they don’t know might be helpful for you and worth finding out.  In the past I have heard of one doctor saying one thing and another saying the opposite, so you know what?  Do some research.  I hope this helped you out!

If you want to purchase your Young Living products so you can get your FOLATE naturally, please reach out to me so I can be of help.  Here’s my email: [email protected] or if you just want to head on over and place an order you can go to my link here , however I’d really like to make a suggestion to become a member so you can get the wholesale price, there’s no cost to join.  I can help you with that, and get you on our Essential Rewards program called ER so you can get your Balance Complete and Super B coming every month.  We all know when you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant you can get busy and very overwhelmed with life, so our ER program is a perfect way to make sure you get your FOLATE while you need it.  You can cancel it at any time, but, here’s a little secret…………while you are on the ER program you will be earning reward points so you can get free product!  Yep you read that right, FREE PRODUCT every month!

Let me show you how you can end up with with one or both of these GIFT BUNDLES for free!

To find out more about the Young Living SEEDLINGS line for babies and infants you can click this link

Young Living is proud to be the leader of essential oil infused products.  With the “SEED TO SEAL GUARANTEE” you can rest assured these products are free from dirty, nasty toxins.  Start your baby out right by choosing natural, plant based and toxic free products that you’ll enjoy as well!

As they grow, there is an entire line of products just for kids called Kidscents!  I will post soon about the Seedlings and Kidscents products so you can learn more.


Hi, this is Rosalie and if you don’t know me, I’ve been married over 35 years, raised my kids and now enjoying my grand children.  I love God, the Creator,  and started my healthy journey several years ago because I wanted to live my life and take control of my health and healing naturally, God’s way.

I’m an advocate for healing the body through, prayer, trust in God, upright good living, good wholesome food and proper nutrition.  Boosting the immune system and ridding your home of nasty toxins is a HUGE key to a healthy lifestyle.  I believe living God’s way, living healthier and eating the proper foods and practicing good nutrition is all you need to maintain a healthy weight, a healthy body, as well as having that balanced mind and emotions we all need in this chaotic world we live in.  Having a strong spiritual connection with God the Creator as my guide has opened up an entire study of what it means to keep our temple(aka our BODY) clean.

I’ve done a lot of study about living God’s way and what it means to take care of our temple(our body).  Weather you have just started, been going at it for a long time or maybe on the fence and don’t know how to start clean living, I am here to help and guide you through your journey.

Health and Wellness Coach – Certified with The Integrative Wellness Academy in 2015

Aromatherapist –  Certified with New York Institute of Aromatic Studies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese Noodle Soup with Sliced Leeks

Chinese Noodle Soup with Sliced Leeks

Chinese Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS

6 cups broth, can be beef, chicken or vegetable

2 – 3 servings dried Chinese egg noodles

2  eggs

1/4 medium onion, chopped

1 leek stalk

4 cloves garlic

thumb size ginger piece

1/2 cup chopped cooked beef, shrimp or chicken if desired

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

To prepare broth wrap ginger and garlic in cheese cloth and drop into pot, add sliced onion and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, then simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Boil water and prepare chinese noodles as per instructions, drain and set aside. Boil two eggs, peel and slice in half, chop meat if desired, set aside. Take the leek stalk and cut off the leafy top, cut into thin strips lengthwise, set aside. Take the larger bottom section of the leek and slice at an angle, place immediately into simmering soup and remove cheese cloth containing ginger and garlic, you can toss it now.

Place noodles in bowl, add meat if desired and half an egg, ladle hot broth over the bowl, sprinkle a few of the leek strips over the top.  Salt and pepper to taste.  This is an easy and quick recipe.  You can used left over meat from a previous meal to add in, I don’t like wasting food.  this is something I might make after I’ve cooked a chicken or had steak the night before and just couldn’t eat it all.  Or you know that time you cook almost all the shrimp however, there are a few left in the freezer?  Grab them and throw them in delicious soup.

Charred Broccolini with Grapes & Cashews

Charred Broccolini with Grapes & Cashews

I must admit this is not an original recipe, however, I did change it up a bit to my liking.  I think you will like it.  The original recipe came from People Magazine and a feature from Executive Chef GREG Proechel of New York’s Ferris restaurant.  I will asterisk the items I added.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

TWISTED SWEET LIES – IS HFCS on YOUR HOLIDAY LIST

TWISTED SWEET LIES – IS HFCS on YOUR HOLIDAY LIST

CHEMICAL OVERLOAD?? COULD IT BE HFCS? 

Crazy angry kids, shouting and aggressive behaviour?

 

Rosalie here,

Read this and at the bottom is a link to schedule a FREE STRATEGY session with me so we can set up a plan to get you on the road to better health!  IF YOU ARE READY NOW, JUST SCROLL RIGHT ON DOWN AND LET’S SCHEDULE IT RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN TALK RIGHT AWAY!

Have you ever thought those HORRIBLE behaviours and outbursts could be from a TOXIC CHEMICAL OVERLOAD??  And do you know about HFCS? You might think is just plain sugar, but it’s not. HFCS is from the corn plant, innocent right?  NO!  It’s a genetically altered corn plant, highly processed and in almost all of our processed and packaged foods. Stop giving it to your kids and see if it doesn’t make a difference right now, today! READ THE LABELS of everything you buy, it’s even in that healthy thing called yogurt!  Surprise, surprise!

The following is from Dr. Mark Hyman’s website

IF YOU CAN’T CONVINCE THEM, CONFUSE THEM – Harry Truman

The current media debate about the benefits (or lack of harm) of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in our diet misses the obvious. The average American increased their consumption of HFCS (mostly from sugar sweetened drinks and processed food) from zero to over 60 pounds per person per year.

During that time period, obesity rates have more than tripled and diabetes incidence has increased more than seven fold. Not perhaps the only cause, but a fact that cannot be ignored.

Doubt and confusion are the currency of deception, and they sow the seeds of complacency. These are used skillfully through massive print and television advertising campaigns by the Corn Refiners Association’sattempt to dispel the “myth” that HFCS is harmful and assert through the opinion of “medical and nutrition experts” that it is no different than cane sugar. It is a “natural” product that is a healthy part of our diet when used in moderation.

Except for one problem. When used in moderation it is a major cause of heart diseaseobesity, cancer, dementia, liver failure, tooth decay, and more.

Why is the corn industry spending millions on misinformation campaigns to convince consumers and health care professionals of the safety of their product? Could it be that the food industry comprises 17 percent of our economy?

The Lengths the Corn Industry Will Go To

The goal of the corn industry is to call into question any claim of harm from consuming high fructose corn syrup, and to confuse and deflect by calling their product natural “corn sugar”. That’s like calling tobacco in cigarettes natural herbal medicine.

In the ad, the father tells us:

Like any parent I have questions about the food my daughter eats–-like high fructose corn syrup. So I started looking for answers from medical and nutrition experts, and what I discovered whether it’s corn sugar or cane sugar your body can’t tell the difference. Sugar is sugar. Knowing that makes me feel better about what she eats and that’s one less thing to worry about.”

Physicians are also targeted directly. I received a 12-page color glossy monograph from the Corn Refiners Association reviewing the “science” that HFCS was safe and no different than cane sugar. I assume the other 700,000 physicians in America received the same propaganda at who knows what cost.

In addition to this, I received a special “personal” letter from the Corn Refiner’s Association outlining every mention of the problems with HFCS in our diet–whether in print, blogs, books, radio, or television. They warned me of the errors of my ways and put me on “notice”. For what I am not sure. To think they are tracking this (and me) that closely gives me an Orwellian chill.

New websites like www.sweetsurprise.com and www.cornsugar.com help “set us straight” about HFCS with quotes from professors of nutrition and medicine and thought leaders from Harvard and other stellar institutions.

Why is the corn industry spending millions on misinformation campaigns to convince consumers and health care professionals of the safety of their product? Could it be that the food industry comprises 17 percent of our economy?

But are these twisted sweet lies or a sweet surprise, as the Corn Refiners Association websites claim?

Here are 5 reasons you should stay way from any product containing high fructose corn syrup and why it may kill you.  

  1. Sugar in any form causes obesity and disease when consumed in pharmacologic doses.Cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup are indeed both harmful when consumed in pharmacologic doses of 140 pounds per person per year.When one 20 ounce HFCS sweetened soda, sports drink, or tea has 17 teaspoons of sugar (and the average teenager often consumes two drinks a day) we are conducting a largely uncontrolled experiment on the human species.Our hunter gatherer ancestors consumed the equivalent of 20 teaspoons per year, not per day. In this sense, I would agree with the corn industry that sugar is sugar. Quantity matters. But there are some important differences.
  2. HFCS and cane sugar are NOT biochemically identical or processed the same way by the body. High fructose corn syrup is an industrial food product and far from “natural” or a naturally occurring substance. It is extracted from corn stalks through a process so secret that Archer Daniels Midland and Carghill would not allow the investigative journalist Michael Pollan to observe it for his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The sugars are extracted through a chemical enzymatic process resulting in a chemically and biologically novel compound called HFCS. Some basic biochemistry will help you understand this. Regular cane sugar (sucrose) is made of two-sugar molecules bound tightly together– glucose and fructose in equal amounts.The enzymes in your digestive tract must break down the sucrose into glucose and fructose, which are then absorbed into the body. HFCS also consists of glucose and fructose, not in a 50-50 ratio, but a 55-45 fructose to glucose ratio in an unbound form. Fructose is sweeter than glucose. And HFCS is cheaper than sugar because of the government farm bill corn subsidies. Products with HFCS are sweeter and cheaper than products made with cane sugar. This allowed for the average soda size to balloon from 8 ounces to 20 ounces with little financial costs to manufacturers but great human costs of increased obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease.Now back to biochemistry. Since there is there is no chemical bond between them, no digestion is required so they are more rapidly absorbed into your blood stream. Fructose goes right to the liver and triggers lipogenesis (the production of fats like triglycerides and cholesterol) this is why it is the major cause of liver damage in this country and causes a condition called “fatty liver” which affects 70 million people.The rapidly absorbed glucose triggers big spikes in insulin–our body’s major fat storage hormone. Both these features of HFCS lead to increased metabolic disturbances that drive increases in appetite, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and more.But there was one more thing I learned during lunch with Dr. Bruce Ames. Research done by his group at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute found that free fructose from HFCS requires more energy to be absorbed by the gut and soaks up two phosphorous molecules from ATP (our body’s energy source).This depletes the energy fuel source, or ATP, in our gut required to maintain the integrity of our intestinal lining. Little “tight junctions” cement each intestinal cell together preventing food and bacteria from “leaking” across the intestinal membrane and triggering an immune reaction and body wide inflammation.High doses of free fructose have been proven to literally punch holes in the intestinal lining allowing nasty byproducts of toxic gut bacteria and partially digested food proteins to enter your blood stream and trigger the inflammation that we know is at the root of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and accelerated aging. Naturally occurring fructose in fruit is part of a complex of nutrients and fiber that doesn’t exhibit the same biological effects as the free high fructose doses found in “corn sugar”.The takeaway: Cane sugar and the industrially produced, euphemistically named “corn sugar” are not biochemically or physiologically the same.
  3. HFCS contains contaminants including mercury that are not regulated or measured by the FDA. An FDA researcher asked corn producers to ship a barrel of high fructose corn syrup in order to test for contaminants. Her repeated requests were refused until she claimed she represented a newly created soft drink company. She was then promptly shipped a big vat of HFCS that was used as part of the study that showed that HFCS often contains toxic levels of mercury because of chlor-alkali products used in its manufacturing.(i) Poisoned sugar is certainly not “natural”.When HFCS is run through a chemical analyzer or a chromatograph, strange chemical peaks show up that are not glucose or fructose. What are they? Who knows? This certainly calls into question the purity of this processed form of super sugar. The exact nature, effects, and toxicity of these funny compounds have not been fully explained, but shouldn’t we be protected from the presence of untested chemical compounds in our food supply, especially when the contaminated food product comprises up to 15-20 percent of the average American’s daily calorie intake?  
  4. Independent medical and nutrition experts DO NOT support the use of HFCS in our diet, despite the assertions of the corn industry. The corn industry’s happy looking websites www.cornsugar.com and www.sweetsurprise.com bolster their position that cane sugar and corn sugar are the same by quoting experts, or should we say misquoting … Barry M. Popkin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has published widely on the dangers of sugar-sweetened drinks and their contribution to the obesity epidemic. In a review of HFCS in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,(ii)he explains the mechanism by which the free fructose may contribute to obesity.He states that: “The digestion, absorption, and metabolism of fructose differ from those of glucose. Hepatic metabolism of fructose favors de novo lipogenesis (production of fat in the liver). In addition, unlike glucose, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or enhance leptin production. Because insulin and leptin act as key afferent signals in the regulation of food intake and body weight (to control appetite), this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased energy intake and weight gain. Furthermore, calorically sweetened beverages may enhance caloric over-consumption.”He states that HFCS is absorbed more rapidly than regular sugar and that it doesn’t stimulate insulin or leptin production. This prevents you from triggering the body’s signals for being full and may lead to over-consumption of total calories. He concludes by saying that:“… the increase in consumption of HFCS has a temporal relation to the epidemic of obesity, and the overconsumption of HFCS in calorically sweetened beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity.”The corn industry takes his comments out of context to support their position. “All sugar you eat is the same.”True pharmacologic doses of any kind of sugar are harmful, but the biochemistry of different kinds of sugar and their respective effects on absorption, appetite, and metabolism are different, and Dr. Popkin knows that.David S. Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, and a personal friend, has published extensively on the dangers and the obesogenic properties of sugar-sweetened beverages.He was quoted as saying that “high fructose corn syrup is one of the most misunderstood products in the food industry.” When I asked him why he supported the corn industry, he told me he didn’t and that his comments were taken totally out of context.Misrepresenting science is one thing, misrepresenting scientists who have been at the forefront of the fight against obesity and high fructose sugar sweetened beverages is quite another.
  5. HFCS is almost always a marker of poor-quality, nutrient-poor disease-creating industrial food products or “food-like substances”. The last reason to avoid products that contain HFCS is that they are a marker for poor-quality, nutritionally-depleted, processed industrial food full of empty calories and artificial ingredients. If you find “high fructose corn syrup” on the label you can be sure it is not a whole, real, fresh food full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. Stay away if you want to stay healthy. We still must reduce our overall consumption of sugar, but with this one simple dietary change you can radically reduce your health risks and improve your health.While debate may rage about the biochemistry and physiology of cane sugar versus corn sugar, this is in fact beside the point (despite the finer points of my scientific analysis above). The conversation has been diverted to a simple assertion that cane sugar and corn sugar are not different.

The real issues are only two.

  • We are consuming HFCS and sugar in pharmacologic quantities never before experienced in human history–140 pounds a year versus 20 teaspoons a year 10,000 years ago.
  • High fructose corn syrup is always found in very poor-quality foods that are nutritionally vacuous and filled with all sorts of other disease promoting compounds, fats, salt, chemicals, and even mercury.

That being said, I would watch what I give to those littles we love this Holiday Season.  You owe to them and yourself.  If you want to give a gift, give a gift of good health, no toxins this year.

I know I’ve been giving you a lot of information.  But here is a list of 20 dangerous toxins I am positive you have in your home and some of their side effects.  This is TRUTH folks.  Do you really want to continue doing the same things?  Do you really want to continue to ignore the TRUTH?

It took me ZERO DAYS to decide what to do once I started discovering the truth about TOXINS.  What have you decided so far?  You have 2 choices.  Remain the same or make a change.  What are you going to do?  If I haven’t heard from you yet, then I am going to assume you have chosen to remain the same and ignore the TRUTH.  I would ask that those of you I have heard from, pass this along and share the TRUTH with those around you.  

Labels on cosmetics and body care products are a tough code to crack. The industry is so shockingly unregulated that it’s usually impossible to trust the claims that manufacturers place on their products. A word such as “natural” can be used by anyone for anything. Even “organic” is misleading. Companies are supposed to use an organic label only if ALL ingredients are certified-organic, but they can also say it’s “made with organic” if it contains a minimum of 70 percent certified-organic ingredients. Regardless, 30 percent still leaves a lot of room for toxins. Are you willing to risk it with the 30% mark?

The whole industry has a “innocent-till-proven-guilty” approach to ingredients. Unless a chemical used in beauty products is proven to cause harm to human health, it is classified as GRAS, or “generally recognized as safe.” This classification is upheld by the U.S. FDA and hardly has the best interests of consumers at heart. Remember the FDA is the same group that approves all of the deadly medications out there.  The same poisonous and deadly medications that they end up recalling a short time later after enough people have died or experienced severe side affect.  How long will you be comfortable trusting them?

Do you carry around toxins in your handbag? I bet you do.  I did for many years, and if you are like me, you didn’t know any better.  Got some red lipstick in there? Hand or body moisturizers? Sunscreen? Because you are concerned about toxins in the environment I’d thought you’d like this information! After I found out about this I no longer carried a TOXIC HANDBAG.

 

Synthetics, PHTHALATES, dyes and other horrid chemicals in our personal products are known to cause cancer, joint and muscle aches, problems with memory and concentration and more. I know you are interested in finding out why you are having headaches daily.  I understand why you may be wanting to give up and succumb to the medications you are told will help you.  I know you are tired of being sick and tired.

 

You have the right to know the dangerous TOXINS that are in personal products.  Big corporations lie to us everyday. If you knew there was an answer wouldn’t you want to know?  If you did know the answer wouldn’t you want to start doing what it takes to change things.  When you find out, you are going to also want to share it with those you love and care about.  You will want to share the information with your mothers, sisters, daughters and other people in your circle of close friends and family.

 

It’s horrible being lied to every day.  It’s horrible that the advertising companies think we are so dumb all they need to do it cover up these dangerous toxins with pretty packages and make them smell pretty.  It’s degrading to me that they see women being dumb and willing to purchase anything that might make us feel, look or smell pretty, all the while they are filling us with TOXIC poison. They first fill our eyes and minds with advertising lies, making promising claims of beauty.

 

But it doesn’t stop there.  These same companies are making us sick, disrupting our hormones and thyroids.  The very things that make a woman tick is being destroyed by these TOXINS.  Is this what you want for your daughters and granddaughters, or your friends and yourself.  How much longer are you going to ignore the truth?  I’m giving you just a few things in this report, there is so much more to the big picture of consumable poisonous TOXINS. We can FIX THIS NOW! Let’s put a stop to this!

 

So here you are sick.  You are tired.  You experience headaches.  You have emotional mood swings that affect your family life, your work and school life.  They affect every relationship you are in.  You can no longer control your emotions and can’t figure out why.  You have high blood pressure and more stress because of all of this. I feel your pain, I was in the same place.

 

************************YOUR PROBLEM is NOT YOUR PROBLEM***************************

 

Your problem is that you don’t know what you don’t know. It very well may be the cause of TOXIC poisoning, you are frustrated not knowing the cause of all these ill feelings. Feeling alone and lost and not knowing can be so frustrating!

 

I know your frustration with feeling sick and tired all the time.  I feel your pain if you’ve gone to Doctors with constant headaches with no explanation.  I know what it’s like to be exhausted all the time only adding to stress and moodiness. I was always tired and had no motivation.  My exhaustion took time away from my family.  My hormones were going crazy and I had horrible mood swings.  My thyroid was out of whack. I was told it was due to my age and perfectly normal.  All I needed were a few prescriptions to be filled and I’d be fine.

 

I was able to change all that by making better choices for myself and choosing non-toxic products and using essential oils for my emotional well-being.  It saved my family life and my sanity!  I didn’t just save myself from the toxins but, I also saved myself from the side effects I would have experienced after starting the cycle of taking medications.

 

Did you know there are dangerous toxic chemicals in makeup, deodorant, lotions and other body products?  What you put ON your skin goes IN the body.  Our skin is the largest organ of the body and the first line of defense against sickness and disease. Things like FD&C and D&C are suspected carcinogens.

 

“Fragrance” is a cover up word to protect ingredients companies really don’t want to reveal to protect their secret formula. Phthalates are known endocrine disrupters and have been linked to certain cancers. Tricolson is widely used antimicrobial chemical that’s a known endocrine disruptor — especially thyroid and reproductive hormones, and a skin irritant. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) / Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). This surfactant can be found in more than 90 percent of personal care and cleaning products (think foaming products). SLS’s are known to be skin, lung, and eye irritants. Formaldehyde, Toluene(a potent solvent that can dissolve paint), and Propylene glycol are just to name a few. To really find out what is in the products you use, you can check out the EWG’s Skin Deep Database to research toxic chemicals that could be in your cosmetic and personal care products.

 

Fortunately there is an answer, a safe non toxic alternative when it comes to your face and makeup. Here I only discuss about using alternative and natural personal body products such as soap, deodorant, shampoo, facial moisturizers and more. And folks it is not available in stores.  If non-toxic is where you want to go, I’VE GOT YOU COVERED FROM HEAD TO TOE!

 

Years ago I decided I was not going to keep POISONING my face and my body every day!  If you knew you could do something about what was making you sick, wouldn’t you do something about it?  I was so ready and finally had a place to start.  I found out I could fix my problem myself without doctors or medications.  I didn’t need to be sick and tired anymore.  No more time wasted sitting in a Doctor’s office or wasting money for medication.

The best thing we consumers can do is read ingredient lists carefully in order to avoid chemicals that are known to be harmful, even though they continue to be widely used. Go grab your shampoo, your moisturizer, body lotion, maybe that favorite candle you just think you can’t give up……………go on, I double dog dare you!  Go get a few things right now and let’s see if any of the following items might lurk inside.  Look at the ingredient list and let’s see what you have that’s making you sick.

 

 

 

Coal Tar: A known carcinogen banned in the EU, but still used in North America. Used in dry skin treatments, anti-lice and anti-dandruff shampoos, also listed as a color plus number, i.e. FD&C Red No. 6.

DEA/TEA/MEA: Suspected carcinogens used as emulsifiers and foaming agents for shampoos, body washes, soaps.

Ethoxylated surfactants and 1,4-dioxane: Never listed because it’s a by-product made from adding carcinogenic ethylene oxide to make other chemicals less harsh. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found 1,4-dioxane in 57 percent of baby washes in the U.S. Avoid any ingredients containing the letters “eth.”

Formaldehyde: Probable carcinogen and irritant found in nail products, hair dye, fake eyelash adhesives, shampoos. Banned in the EU.

Fragrance/Parfum: A catchall for hidden chemicals, such as phthalates. Fragrance is connected to headaches, dizziness, asthma, and allergies.

Hydroquinone: Used for lightening skin. Banned in the UK, rated most toxic on the EWG’s Skin Deep database, and linked to cancer and reproductive toxicity.

Lead: Known carcinogen found in lipstick and hair dye, but never listed because it’s a contaminant, not an ingredient.

Mercury: Known allergen that impairs brain development. Found in mascara and some eyedrops.

Mineral oil: By-product of petroleum that’s used in baby oil, moisturizers, styling gels. It creates a film that impairs the skin’s ability to release toxins.

Oxybenzone: Active ingredient in chemical sunscreens that accumulates in fatty tissues and is linked to allergies, hormone disruption, cellular damage, low birth weight.

Parabens: Used as preservatives, found in many products. Linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity.

Paraphenylenediamine (PPD): Used in hair products and dyes, but toxic to skin and immune system.

Phthalates: Plasticizers banned in the EU and California in children’s toys, but present in many fragrances, perfumes, deodorants, lotions. Linked to endocrine disruption, liver/kidney/lung damage, cancer.

Placental extract: Used in some skin and hair products, but linked to endocrine disruption.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG): Penetration enhancer used in many products, it’s often contaminated with 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide, both known carcinogens.

Silicone-derived emollients: Used to make a product feel soft, these don’t biodegrade, and also prevent skin from breathing. Linked to tumour growth and skin irritation.

Sodium lauryl (ether) sulfate (SLS, SLES): A former industrial degreaser now used to make soap foamy, it’s absorbed into the body and irritates skin.

Talc: Similar to asbestos in composition, it’s found in baby powder, eye shadow, blush, deodorant. Linked to ovarian cancer and respiratory problems.

Toluene: Known to disrupt the immune and endocrine systems, and fetal development, it’s used in nail and hair products. Often hidden under fragrance.

Triclosan: Found in antibacterial products, hand sanitizers, and deodorants, it is linked to cancer and endocrine disruption. Avoid the brand Microban.

 

Now I’ve given you some TRUTH, what will you do with it?

I want to help you get started now!  I want to help you end the feelings of being lied to, the feelings of being confused and overwhelmed.  I want to help you figure this out and fix it now before it’s too late.  I have a form you can fill out to answer a few questions.  After I get to know a little about you, we can set up a quick phone session.  We can strategize together and get you to the next step in becoming TOXIC free.  Here is the link: https://rosalielopez.wufoo.com/forms/z241dsl06hfm1d/

 

 

Can we talk about it a bit? I’d really like to help you set up a plan to start a journey of toxic free living.  Get on the road to better health and wellness, there is no better time than this.  I want to give you the gift of health this Holiday Season.

 

 

You can do this!

Rosalie

P.S. You owe it to yourself to start somewhere.  The alternative is to DO NOTHING and continue on a road to MORE SICKNESS and DISEASE.  Stop that now.  Here is the link: https://rosalielopez.wufoo.com/forms/z241dsl06hfm1d/

 

 

Magical Chocolate Cake

Magical Chocolate Cake

I know, I know, what am I thinking?? I promote great whole, real food eating, eating clean and healthy, etc, but you know when I eat real food every day of the year I do find myself indulging in some occasional off the road sweet sensations. I strive to make is as “healthy” as possible, but a girl needs her chocolate right? Of course, and this is one of the most delicious, moist and decadent cakes I’ve ever made. Enjoy this holiday season and try this out, it is sure to become an annual request. Remember to use organic, raw ingredients whenever possible!

It is said that the coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate, I couldn’t agree more!

I call this a Magical Chocolate Cake!

INGREDIENTS

2 C organic sugar, raw is best. May I suggest raw organic sugar processed in a food processor to make a fine medium.

1 3/4 C organic flour

3/4 C Organic Raw Cacao Powder, I find mine on AMAZON

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 Jumbo farm raised eggs

1 C organic buttermilk

1/2 C organic virgin olive oil

1 C organic strong black coffee, reserving 1 TBL for frosting if not using the coffee liquor

2 tsp organic vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9″ round baking pans

Stir together sugar, flour, cacao, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed with hand mixer for 2 minutes, (batter will be thin). Pour evenly into baking pans.

Bake 30-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost using recipe below.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING

12 TBL organic butter

4 1/2 C organic confectioners sugar

1 C plus 2 TBL raw organic Cacao powder

pinch of salt

2 tsp organic Vanilla extract

2 TBL organic buttermilk

6 TBL organic heavy cream

1 TBL coffee liquor or 1 TBL reserved strong black coffee

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in cocoa, salt, buttermilk, heavy cream, liquor(or coffee). Gradually add powder sugar, beating to a spreading consistency, you may add a bit more cream if it is to thin for desired consistency. Place first layer on cake plate and pour desired amount of frosting on center and spread to the edges. You may need to reheat to thin for the finish. Place top layer on top of bottom layer. Pour warm frosting over top layer letting it run down the sides and onto plate in no certain way, just let it go!

What?  No grain bread??

What? No grain bread??

You cannot be serious, really, a bread without grain?  I finally worked and tried various recipes and I found one that was really good, but it just needed something, so I did a variation, it was good too, but needed something.  I did another variation, and that was even better.  So, which one, hmmmmm?  Well let’s just say I now have 3 very good bread recipes made without wheat flour.

The final variation #2 is my pick for sandwich bread.  You can find the original recipe, and both variations #1 and #2 here.

The original recipe I made using whole eggs and ghee for the oil and it was tasty and buttery, makes great french bread and toast!

Variation #1 was made using coconut oil and just eggs whites, whisked until frothy,  for a lighter more airy bread.  This bread was lighter in texture, taste and color, but the loafs I thought were too small.  We were going through about one every two days.  Yes, we missed bread a lot when we cut wheat out of our diet.

Variation #2 Well, I doubled this recipe and used olive oil, whisked egg whites only and I added honey.  I also turned down the heat a bit to 325 degrees because it was twice the amount and I  without wanted to make sure it got cooked thoroughly without burning.  I had to increase the time as well, up to 50 minutes and it still wasn’t done, but had a nice golden crust on it. I decided to cover it completely to prevent it from getting too brown, and put it back into the oven for another 15 minutes, for a total cooking time of 65 minutes.  Ovens vary so make sure you insert a knife and it comes out clean to be sure.

As you can see in this picture I ended up with a nice golden crusted bread, light and airy.  It tasted really good, too.

Beef Bone Broth

BEEF Bone Broth

Isn’t this lovely!!  Look at the color, nice and golden.  A lot of people call it “Liquid Gold”.  Why you might ask?  Well, it is very healthy not to mention delicious!!  Whether it is beef or poultry stock, consuming a warm cup of home made bone broth can be beneficial to our skin, bones and overall wellness.  There are a lot of great things in there like collagen for instance, that is great for healthy skin.

And the great thing about home made is that you can begin with organic grass fed beef or free range poultry and get an even healthier broth for your family without any added chemicals and salt, yuck!

To begin with may I suggest a nice roast like my BEST Prime Rib and save the bones.  I use a 6 qt instant, electric pressure pot.  You can buy these on AMAZON, they are great time saving gadgets that are a must for any cooks kitchen.  I will blog more on that later, but it is one of my favorite things!

I add 4-6 cups water to my instant pot, place the bones in there, cover, lock and cook for 90 minutes.  Look!!  Is that not beautiful or what??  Now you can heat a cup each morning and enjoy, add noodles, some veggies, use it for soups, gravy or even mix in with your mashed potatoes or rice dishes for an added flavor.

A nice golden broth, ready to be filtered and poured into containers.  I use a very fine meshed strainer to catch any particles that may be in the stock, which won’t hurt, it only makes it look ugly.

Some people may as an option add seasonings to the broth if you know you are going to use it for a specific thing, like Italian seasoning for instance.  I personally don’t because I want the option to be able to use it for whatever I want and season it later.

BEST ROASTED PRIME RIB

BEST ROASTED PRIME RIB

BEST Prime Rib Roast EVER!!

This is something I cook around the end of the year for our friends and family.  I quit doing the decorating and gift giving years ago due to the whole commercialism and selfishness the whole thing represents and relieved my immediate friends and family of the burden of gift giving.  At least under my roof!  No, you won’t find a Christmas tree in my house and YES!  I still believe in Jesus, just not in the celebratory way the world has pressured us to do.

Instead I prefer spending time with friends and family, spending my money on food and a huge gathering that will still be in the minds of those who attend for many years to come. Friendship and time with my family is priceless.

My prime rib method is one I do not quite remember coming across, or even overhearing, but all I know is that I saw or heard it somewhere and it works great for me.  My guests will attest to the fact, they come year after year for more!

Here’s is what I do:

Bone In Prime Rib Roast(allow 1/2 lb per person and it will be more than you need, but enough for a bit of leftovers)  Now I purchase my prime rib roast about a week before I plan to cook it, I like my meat aged.  I place it in the refrigerator and cook it within 5-7 days.  I also remove it from the refrigerator in the morning because I prefer to begin with a roast that is at room temperature.

Pre-heat the oven now to 500 degrees Fahrenheit

DRY RUB – Garlic powder, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, parsley, onion powder, Lowery’s Seasoning Salt, Mrs. Dash Seasoning and rock salt.  I take approx. 1 Tbl-2 Tbl (depending on size of roast) of each and put them into a small jar or container with a lid so I can shake it up and mix it well.  I take this and rub it all over the sides of the roast, I really rub it in well.

I happen to love cast iron pans, I cook the roast in a large cast iron pan and then I can use the drippings for a gravy or au jus when I remove the roast, YUM!  I rub the pan with butter or coconut oil, lots and lots, go ahead, it’s good for you!  Place the Roast bone side down into the pan.  Don’t worry about covering it.  I do place a meat thermometer in it just for my piece of mind, but, I never go by it, because once yu put the roast in the oven you DO NOT OPEN the door, not even once.

By now your roast should be ready to place in the oven and it should have reached it’s 500 degrees.  If not, wait until it comes to full temperature.  Place the pan and roast into the oven, close the door and set a timer for 1 hour for a 2-3 bone roast and 1 hour 15 minutes for a 4 bone or larger roast .  Trust me 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes is all it takes for the first part.

Once the timer rings you may turn off your oven, BUT, DON’T OPEN the oven, DON’T.  Now reset your timer for 2 hours, yes 2 hours!  Now you may want to prepare the rest of your meal.  When your timer goes off you can open the oven and remove your pan and roast.  This is when I check my meat thermometer and it usually is right on rare or med rare depending on the size.  A larger roast will be rare, a smaller usually med rare to med.  You will have the ends for those who want their meat more well to well done and the center will be a nice med rare to rare, trust me.  Remove the roast to a nice platter and use the roasting pan to make au jus or a gravy if desired.

 

This was after we ate and a small piece of one end was all that was left.  It was delicious as usual.

Old Fashioned German Chocolate Cake

Old Fashioned German Chocolate Cake

I normally would not post a recipe like this because it isn’t the greatest if you want to advocate healthy eating.  You know what?  I don’t know, but I do know you can eat whatever you want in moderation.  Now I do not advocate eating all processed food of course, but once in a while a person needs cake and I personally love German Chocolate cake, so here ya go!!  Chocolate is good for you and pecans are good healthy nuts, coconut offers so many health benefits, and who can go wrong with some eggs and milk??

You are very welcome!

Ingredients

1 pkg baker’s german sweet chocolate (4 ounce)
1/2 c water
2 call purpose flour, sifted, then measured
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
4 large egg yolks, room temperature (reserve whites)
1 tspvanilla extract
1 c buttermilk
4 large egg whites, beaten to form stiff peaks

COCONUT PECAN FILLING AND FROSTING

1 can(s)evaporated milk 12 ounce size (not sweetened condensed)
1 1/2 c sugar
3/4 c melted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
4 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
7 oz baker’s angel flake coconut
1 1/2 c broken pecans

Directions Step-By-Step

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 X 13 or a 10 X 16 baking pan. If you prefer a thinner cake, use the larger pan. You may also use three 9″ pans and frost between the layers.

Sift two cups flour and then measure again for accuracy. Stir in baking soda and salt and set aside. Microwave chocolate in the water until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute and 30 seconds, depending on microwave. Remove from microwave and stir well, set aside.

Separate eggs. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and set aside.

Using a hand mixer, beat butter and sugar just until combined. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing after each addition.

Slowly add melted chocolate to butter mixture while mixing. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and mix well. Add vanilla and mix well.

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. DO NOT USE A MIXER ON THIS PART!! Stir by hand using a spatula or spoon. Once mixed, you may use your hand mixer for no more than 10-20 seconds, just to make sure batter is mixed well.

Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

FOR THE FROSTING: Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add milk, sugar, vanilla and egg yolks and cook over medium heat for about 12 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and add coconut and pecans. Stir until combined. Pour warm frosting over cooled cake.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re making the three 9″ layers, you’ll want to let the frosting cool a bit to thicken.