Help reduce exercise-induced inflammation!

“EAT YOUR VEGETABLES!”

We have all heard or said the phrase a million times in our lives.

We all know that produce is good for us, but many people don’t always know “WHY”

I do a lot of research when I am highlighting my favorite foods, and come across many articles that give the information so much better than I could write it.  The following is a portion of one such article written by Trevor Thieme C.S.C.S. A link to Full article below.

… Odds are you, [like many people, have ignored advice to “eat your veggies” at some point or] for even your entire life. Your mom nagged you about eating your broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Your doctor advises you to “eat the rainbow.” And you likely have at least one vegan friend who wants to convert you — or at the very least replace some of the meat in your largely carnivorous diet with plants. Even Michelle Obama has got in on the act, imploring you and every other American to eat more fruits and veggies. And like Murphy (and most other Americans), odds are you don’t listen: Only 1 in 10 people in the United States eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, according to a report from the CDC.

That’s a problem. “If you’re not eating at least two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables per day, you’re not building ‘foundational health,’ which is key for preventing disease and supporting athletic performance,” says Susan Kleiner, PhD, R.D., author of The Powerfood Nutrition Plan. If she had her way, you’d eat eight servings.

While nutritionists have long known about the athletic advantages of increasing protein intake, they’re only just beginning to comprehend the fitness benefits of eating more phytonutrients — bioactive (i.e., body-boosting) compounds found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and other “phyto” (plant) foods. …

“One of the most exciting benefits of phytonutrients is their strong antioxidant potential, disarming free radicals that wreak havoc in the body,” says Kleiner. “But it’s also bigger than that—scientists are learning that some phytonutrients seem go deep into the genetic matrix, turning on and off genes that protect us from disease development.”

That potential of phytonutrients to bolster the immune system is hugely important for athletes, who often run themselves down through overtraining. “One of the biggest things that holds athletes back is getting sick, and research shows that some phytonutrients can act as prebiotics, stimulating the growth of bacteria in your gut, thus helping to boost immunity,” says Kleiner.

Polyphenols — found in abundance in green tea — are among them, according to Japanese researchers. …

But perhaps the greatest benefit of phytonutrients — especially as far as athletes are concerned — is their ability to fight exercise-induced inflammation. “The nature of training is to tear the body down, and the body is extraordinary in its ability to repair and rebuild its tissues to become stronger,” says Kleiner. “But part of that process involves an inflammatory response — inflammatory cells rush to the damaged tissue, heat it up, and begin repairing it.”

If you’ve ever felt sore a couple of days after a tough workout (a phenomenon known as delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS), you’ve felt the inflammatory process at work. A little inflammation is a good thing — it helps your muscles adapt to the demands of training (and you to become more powerful). “But if you don’t have enough anti-inflammatory factors in your body, the inflammation process can proceed unchecked, which can delay recovery,” says Kleiner.

…

Fortunately, you don’t have to eat every single plant to reap the benefits; you just have to eat a variety of them, according to Kleiner. “And by variety, I mean not only among food groups, but also within food groups,” she says. In other words, while you might love bananas, Amaranth, and Swiss chard, don’t just eat bananas, Amaranth, and Swiss chard. Becoming stuck in a dietary routine is just as detrimental as getting stuck in training rut.
Click for suggestions on what to eat to stay out of a food rut


In short, your mom, doctor, and vegan friend were right — you should eat a greater number and variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. “And whenever possible, skip pills for whole foods,” says Kleiner. “There’s a lot we have yet to discover about phytonutrients, but one thing we do know is that they’re more potent when they work synergistically with other nutrients in foods than when they’re taken [and working] alone.”

Click Here for the full article by Trevor Theime C.S.C.S

As always leave your comments and questions here, or on Facebook or Instagram

I will see you on the other side.

Bringing Back the Plant Based Diet

We are now well into the post holiday season.  I have a ton of bone broth stored in my fridge and deep freeze, and now I’m on to my next adventure…bring back the plants!!!!🌱

As a diary free family we have a lot to work around during the holidays and I feel like I’m cooking and baking in all of my spare time, just to keep up with the demands of school, family and sports celebrations.  So I tend to let some of our healthier habits slide, simply because I’m too tired (i.e.:lazy) to keep them up.  One of the things I have let slide is the variety of plant based foods and meals.  Typically we try some new vegetable each month, my kids get to help pick it out and help me find recipes.  Some things we like and add into our regular meals and others, well lets just say my family is opinionated and leave it at that!😂😉

During the holidays, I let that tradition go and resort back to frozen peas, corn and standard mixed veggies and keep carrots and cucumbers in stock, but that’s about it.  So, we still get some serving of veggies, but I’m definitely over it by the end of January.  I star counting the hours until I can plant my garden, spend extra time digging through produce to find the freshest one, and even start pulling out my spring time recipes to kill off some of the cabin fever.

You know me, I love me some research!  I scoured my library for a new take on plant based foods and I’m only 2 chapters in but I’m loving The Plant-Powered Diet by Sharon Palmer RD.

She has a great take on adding in plants to a standard American diet, achieving a “plant based omnivore” diet and how to transition on the “Plant-Powered Diet Spectrum.”  I love that she covers all facets of food consumption, allowing it to be okay that you consume meat and animal products, go completely vegan, or find a comfortable place inbetween.  She give healthy alternatives to the processed foods that we have become accustomed to.  I have flipped through the recipes in the back and have 3 on my list for this upcoming week!

She also has a great pantry resource. This was, by far, my favorite thing in the book.  Many people assume that to eat a plant based Diet you have to go to the store multiple time each week to get the freshest ingredients, and who has time for that?!?!  Most of the things on her list are things I make at home or I can buy with my Amazon Pantry account and have them delivered, SCORE!

There is even a 14-Day meal plan for newbies!!

Just to be clear, I’m not an affiliate for this book or author, I just love sharing great resources that I find work well for myself and my family. But I do give credit where is due!  Here’s Sharon’s blog sharonpalmer.com check her out!

  I have always noticed a huge shift in personality with both of my kids when we eat better, and I have found that I can handle their drama better when I have a better diet. Simple things like being a regular bathroom user💩 can actually have an affect on how your brain works!😱. When your body is a toxic waste dump and it can’t get rid of the waste your body begins to reabsorb the toxins! And that’s just one benefit of simply adding more whole plants into your diet, imagine what else will start to fix itself when your body is working properly!!! 

That’s all I have for now!  See you on the other side!

Turkey Bone Broth!

Alright!  It has begun!  My first Bone Broth recipe from the Bare Bones Broth Cookbook by Katherine and Ryan Harvey.

I am rocking the turkey bones left over from Thanksgiving.  I am extremely excited because my kitchen smells amazing and I don’t even have all of the ingredients in yet.

This broth will get immediate use. We are in the midst of holiday productions in my home, including school and dance shows all falling in the same week, beginning this weekend.  We are experiencing longer nights and earlier mornings just keeping up with the schedule. I am excited to have the immune boosting power at my fingertips to keep us all healthy, and frankly to stave off hangriness during our long days!

The first hour has me skimming fat and “scum” off the top!   Yummy!

As this is a time intensive process I will add a new blog post during each phase.  This is (almost) real time people!!!

See you on the other side!!!

Back in Action with Bone Broth!!

I’ve been MIA from the blog taking care of some family priorities!😉

Now I’m back at it and really diving into Bone Broth this round.

Many people think of Broth or stock as the meat flavored liquid that comes in a box and you make soup with.  The truth is it (kind of) is and can be So. Much. More!

It is one of THE simplest things to make from scratch too.  You throw your ingredients in a pot add some good, clean, filtered water and let it simmer!! Done!

Just to give a shout out I am referencing The Bare Bones Broth Cookbook by Katherine and Ryan Harvey.

Yes! that is a chicken foot you see on the cover!

I make Bone broths a few time a year in big batches and then freeze them for when I need them.  I try to reference a new and updated book when I do. I am a nerd and love the science behind things, and  food science is HUGE and ever changing right now. So this is my book of choice fresh from the library! 📚

Bone broth can help support very common health conditions like digestion, asthma, diabetes, joint injuries, colic, osteoarthritis, RA, inflammation, and the list goes on. Bonus!

It is also a sustainable way to consume food.  By using local suppliers and also using parts of the animal that are typically discarded we are supporting responsible and sustainable food pathways. Double Bonus!

This book goes through the many health benefits in more detail and it also has a chapter on Broth 101 to help you get the basics down if you are new to this adventure!

I am very excited too because this book explains how to use a crock pot to make the Broth over a longer period of time.  To get the most nutrient value out of Bone Broth it should simmer it for at least 24 hours. This is one thing I have never done out of fear of leaving my stove on over night or while I’m away.  The longest I have gone is 8-10 hours (if I was prepared enough to start early!😉). I can’t wait to try the slow cooker method!😍

Another great benefit of making Bone Broth at home is that you know what’s in it!! Many commercial broths/stocks have preservatives and MSG in them. Neither is something you want to consume.

As you know I have kids with food allergies and my own body does NOT appreciate it when I consume certain things. We eat as clean as possible while still living in a kids-go-to-school-with-a-birthday-party-every-other-day world 🌎 

I do my best, as many other parents who work with food allergies and sensitivities, to keep my kids as included as possible when it comes to food.  I love the idea that I have another tool in my belt to help prepare (or recover) their digestive system from something that doesn’t agree with their system.  They are both becoming very active in sports and this same tool can help them train, improve and recover better than any sports pill/powder/drink out there.

The nutrition we can get just from consuming Bone Broth is crazy!

• Glycosaminoglycans
• Glucosamine
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Chondroiton Sulfate
• Electrolytes
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Silicon
• Collagen
• Gelatin
• Amino Acids

It is definitely with the effort!!

I am getting my shopping list ready and I’ll let you know how my first ever batch of crockpot Bone Broth turns out!!

Hay Bale Garden – Post Vacation

So I started out this gardening season with an experiment using hay bales instead of pots or a raised bed.  After some research I found that the idea behind using the hay bales was because they hold water well and will keep the plants hydrated even on extremely hot days. I also read that the root system would be stronger due to the ease of growth for the roots through the hay.

It has been an interesting adventure for sure. We had a cold front come through late May that was unexpected and I lost all my seedlings. Then round 2 seedlings were planted into June, well after frost, only to be taken by a cute little rabbit that has taken residence in a field behind our house.🙄🐰

Third time was a charm for me!  All my seedlings went in just fine, and I was able to use my dogs’ hair around the bales to prevent the rabbits from getting to the plants again.

As my plants took root and grew I was excited to see if they would make it through my next challenge…family vacation.

We were gone for two weeks total and I didn’t ask anyone to check on the plants or water them.  I wanted to see if the theory that the bales would hold water well and allow the plants to grow even in a drought situation.

I was pleasantly surprised at the results I came home to…

With the exception of two plants, all of my plants survived and I even had a couple surprises too!

Broccoli plants growing well even with some caterpillar munching

Corn is looking a little droppy, but still growing



cucmbers are ready to go even if a little light. They were shaded by the zucchini leaves.

Speaking of zucchini, these got huge! I clearly missed a couple before we left

our biggest zucchini is as long as my son’s leg!

The only this I am working on bringing back is my tomato plant. It was in a pot that had a well in the bottom to give it continuous water. The pot blew over and  the well drained. I’m not giving up on it yet though. There is still plenty of green to give me hope, and this plant has been a strong one. It is actually a clipping from our plant last year. It broke off an my 5 year old asked if we coule put it in a vase of water. Little did I know that over the winter it would develop an amazing root system and then take to being replanted in the spring!🍅 Tomatoes are the best!

I can’t wait for the recovery of this guy!
Til next time!