Happy Health by Carla

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Nutrition Posts

Nutrition Tips for Mental Wellness

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Do you suffer from anxiety and depression? You’re not alone. The more I open up to my friends about how low I’ve been feeling lately, the more I realize everyone is feeling the same way. It’s been a weird year to say the least.

While I think it’s normal to feel a little bit anxious depending on what life is throwing at you, I don’t think anyone should have to live with debilitating anxiety or depression. I strongly believe there are things you can do (besides poppin’ a pill) to get your body back to homeostasis and support your neurotransmitters. The best part is that most of the things I recommend adding to your diet to support mental health are freaking delicious! Check out my podcast with Soul Full of Wellness where we dive deep into this topic. Let me know what you think! xx

Finally Free: 7 Week Intuitive Eating and Empowerment Workshop

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Have you found yourself turning to food and drinks while bored or stressed in quarantine? You’re not alone. I used to be the queen of emotional eating, but thankfully after becoming a Finally Free Instructor, I’ve learned to find better ways to cope. I’m starting the next round of my Finally Free workshop on Saturday, May 2nd from 2-4 pm. We will meet via Zoom every Saturday for 7 consecutive weeks. It’s a good fit for anyone who wants to:

  • Get off the sugar addiction roller coaster
  • Find a better way to meet your emotional needs
  • Ditch limiting beliefs that hold you back
  • Tap into your inner strength and courage
  • Break negative habits and learn to eat intuitively
  • Make eating healthy a way of life… most of the time 🙂
  • Take back control and learn the secrets of lasting change

Here’s what it entails:

  • Week 1: The No Sugar Challenge. Preparing your environment for success.
  • Week 2: Inner Resources. Tapping into your inner strength and courage. 
  • Week 3: Self Discovery: Explore how you use food to meet your emotional needs.
  • Week 4: Intuitive Eating. Learning to trust your inner guidance.
  • Week 5: Managing your mind. How thoughts and beliefs affect your decisions. 
  • Week 6: Resolving inner conflict. Bridging the gap between where you are, and where you want to go.
  • Week 7: Finally Free. Being at peace with food and your body for life.

Check out this testimonial from one of my workshop participants.

Normally the cost of the workshop is $549, but because I know this is a hard time for everyone, I’m offering it for $375. You can register by sending a payment to my Paypal account (search carla.keith24@gmail.com) or my venmo account. Payment plans are available to those who need them, just ask 🙂  

But Our Grandparents Turned Out Okay!

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The other day I was checking out at Trader Joe’s and the cashier said something to me about how eating processed foods isn’t really a big deal .  “Our grandparents ate processed foods and they turned out okay!” she said.

Most people assume that because their grandparents ate a crappy diet and turned out “okay” that the same holds true for our generation and our future children.  What I wish everyone knew is that actually, the 2nd and 3rd generation will be the most screwed up from the first generation’s diet choices. AKA me, my future children and my future grandchildren are going to face the most consequences from my parents’ and grandparents’ diet.  I know this thanks to Pottenger’s cat study.

In the 1930’s, there was a medical doctor named Dr. Francis Pottenger who conducted a really important study on cats.  His father was also a doctor who worked at a sanitarium, where people who had tuberculosis or respiratory illnesses would go to recover their health.  

When Dr. Pottenger gave meat products to patients, he noticed they recovered much faster.  Meat contains adrenal extract, which greatly helps the immune system and reduces stress and fatigue.

Dr. Pottenger was intrigued by this finding and wanted to dig deeper.  He took on the task of quantifying the optimal amount of adrenal substances for humans. He used cats to conduct his research (this was a long time ago when that was acceptable.)   The cats were healthy and fed cooked meat scraps, yet the study suffered from an inexplicably high mortality rate…

There were so many cats provided for the study and not enough cooked meat from the sanitarium to feed them all, so, raw meat replaced the cooked meat.  The raw meat fed animals began to thrive much more than the ones that were fed cooked meat. This surprised Dr. Pottenger, who felt called to continue to do a series of studies for many years to come based on these unexpected findings.  

There were three test groups in his studies.  The “basic diet” that was fed to the cats consisted of raw meat, bones, viscera, cod liver oil, and raw milk.  The basic diet made up ⅓ of each of the test cats’ diets. The other ⅔ of their diet depended on which test group they were in.  Some were fed raw meat, others cooked meat, some were fed pasteurized milk, others evaporated milk and even sweetened condensed milk. There were two different studies: one focused on milk and the other on meat.  Both came to the same conclusion.

The cats who were fed raw meat and unpasteurized milk thrived in comparison to the cats who were fed cooked meat, pasteurized milk and especially sweetened condensed milk.  The extreme degeneration of the cats was not found in the 1st generation, but rather the 2nd and 3rd generations. The degeneration of the cats is a mirror image of our current health situation.  The cats faced:

-structural deformity (in humans this would be crooked teeth, flat feet, heart defects, deformities of the spine/limbs, to name a few.)

-social stress (today we see this as anxiety, depression, mood disorders)

-allergies (Zyrtec anyone?!)

-reproductive problems (the # of women who can’t have kids continues to increase)

What we can takeaway from this 30 year study:

  • Our food and lifestyle choices actually affect our children and grandchildren more than they do us.  We need to change the way we eat now otherwise it’s just going to get worse for future generations.
  • Cooking foods in high heat can absolutely have an affect on the nutrient content of the food.   It’s important to avoid over-cooking your food. For example, opting for rare steak instead of well done, as the high heat cooking process will lessen the nutrients available for your body to absorb.  Make sure you are buying grass fed meat or pasture raised eggs/chicken if you are going to eat them raw or rare.  
  • Eat raw!  Raw veggies, raw dairy such as cultured yogurt from grass-fed cows, raw (and soaked) nuts and seeds, raw oils made from nuts and seeds like extra virgin olive oil and sesame oil.  
  • The pasteurization process takes away the bad bacteria from dairy products, but unfortunately it also takes away the good bacteria that keeps our bodies healthy.
  • The cats that were fed cooked meat in addition to pasteurized, sweetened condensed milk pretty much got fucked even though 1/3 of their diet was still the healthy “basic diet.”  Cooked meats, pasteurized milk products and sugar are all things that Americans eat today (in addition to more processed food and alcohol.) The cats that were fed the shit diet still ate better than today’s average American, but their health was completely compromised and the 2nd and 3rd generation suffered worse consequences.

Let’s change the course so that our future children and grandchildren don’t have to suffer so much! Check out my guide on what to eat for more information.

xx

Carla

Dairy: Healthy or Unhealthy?

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Is dairy bad for you? Why are so many people lactose intolerant or dairy sensitive?  Good questions, young grasshopper.

Dairy used to be a health food.  In its pasteurized and raw form, it’s a great source of fat, protein, vitamins, minerals and enzymes.  Today’s dairy is far less nutritious due to processing and the addition of hormones and antibiotics pumped into cows.  During the pasteurization process, milk is heated to approximately 150 degrees (but not boiled.) This kills the harmful microorganisms that could potentially be in the milk.  Unfortunately, the good qualities of the milk are also destroyed during this process. The casein (milk protein) is completely altered and becomes harder to digest. The enzymes that make milk easier to digest are also destroyed during this process.

During the homogenization process, the cream or fat of milk is mixed with the non-fat part of milk.  This makes the fat extremely hard to digest and allows for one of the enzymes to enter the bloodstream instead of being pooped out like it normally would.  When this enzyme enters the heart and arteries, it really messes with cell membranes and creates scar tissue. The scarred areas become home to cholesterol deposits, which then clog your arteries.  This is known as atherosclerosis.

Ever wonder why so many people are lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy these days?  Lactose intolerance occurs when one is deficient in the enzyme lactase. This enzyme’s job is to breakdown lactose so we can properly metabolize it.  Besides lactose-intolerance, many people have a hard time digesting casein. This can manifest as stomach pain, heartburn, gas, bloating, cramping, runny/stuffy nose, sinus headache, sore throat, earaches and infections.  

So let’s be real guys, I’ve never actually seen raw, unpasteurized milk at my grocery store.  It’s a bit controversial since the pasteurization process is meant to kill the bad bacteria, after all.  However, you can always check to make sure the raw dairy you buy is certified free of harmful microorganisms.  Check out https://www.realmilk.com/real-milk-finder/ to find raw dairy products near you!  

Does this mean I never consume dairy products?  Nope! I eat grass fed butter (the proteins are completely different than those of milk/cheese) and sometimes I eat goat’s cheese and grass fed yogurt.  I personally do okay with dairy, but I choose not to eat it every day since it is so processed and potentially has negative health effects. However, I’m excited to try raw dairy in the near future!  I’ve heard it’s incredible. Would you guys ever try raw dairy? Let me know!

Xx

Work Cited

“Diet.” Question by Question Guide to the Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire, by Dicken Weatherby, Nutritional Therapy Association, 2004, pp. 66–66.

Balanced Blood Sugar: Your Secret Weapon for deep sleep, energy & an end to HANGER

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Do any of the following sound like you?

•you wake up in the middle of the night often, even if just to pee

•you get hangry before you eat (irritable, shaky)

•you crash at 3 pm and need coffee or a snack to keep going

•you’re always hungry 

Your blood sugar might be out of balance! You can easily fix this by:

1) making sure each meal or snack has a good balance of protein, fats and carbs

2) removing processed sugars from your diet.

A common theme I see among girls my age is making a smoothie out of almond milk, fruit and greens and then becoming ravenous an hour later. While this smoothie is techically clean and much better than grabbing a donut or a bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast, it lacks the macronutrients needed to balance blood sugar and provide long-lasting energy.

Try adding fat and protein to your smoothie! My favorite forms of fat are:

  • nut butter
  • canned coconut milk
  • coconut oil or mct oil (great for anyone who doesn’t have a gallbladder as it’s way easier of a fat to digest)

My favorite protein powders are Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth Protein, Collagen and Tone It Up Protein. If you haven’t invested in a protein powder yet, you can also hard boil eggs the night before and eat two with your AM smoothie.

The combination of these macros helps to stabilize your blood sugar so your energy feels consistent throughout the day instead of going up and down. 

My smoothie bowl today was:

  • 1/2 a can of trader joe’s coconut milk,
  • ancient nutrition vanilla protein powder,
  • frozen blueberries,
  • 1/2 a frozen banana
  • frozen kale,
  • sun potion Macuna Pruriens (optional adaptogenic herbs)
  • cacao nibs sprinkled on top so that I have to chew it and stimulate my digestion.

This macronutrient equation can (and should) be used for every meal, smoothie or not! Make sure to balance those macros so you can show up as your best, baddest self and not be a hangry, sleep deprived betch.

Sprouting and Soaking Grains & Legumes for Optimal Digestion

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Do you ever feel bloated after you consume grains, legumes or even nuts and seeds? Ever eaten quinoa and then seen it appear in your poo? Fear not, you might not be sensitive to these foods–you may just not have prepared them properly.

Grains, legumes and nuts are meant to be soaked prior to cooking for optimal digestion. This is something that I definitely did not know about before I studied holistic nutrition, but it’s made a big difference for me.

The night before I cook quinoa or legumes, I leave them soaking in a pot (for at least 12 hours) with filtered water and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. When I’m ready to cook them, just rinse and cook as I normally would.

The soaking process activates enzymes making these foods more easy to digest. Since you are more able to digest these foods, their nutrient content goes up.

When buying nuts, seeds, or whole grains, look for ones that say “soaked” or “sprouted.”

Try this next time you eat grains, legumes, nuts or seeds and let me know if it helps your digestion. If you continue to have digestive issues with one or all of these foods, it could be a sensitivity or an underlying digestive issue. I am always here if you need a nutritionist!

Eat This

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With so much information (and misinformation) out there about what’s “bad” and what’s “good” for you, you might be extremely confused as to what to eat.  This blog post is meant to simplify that thinking process for you. These are the things you should focus on eating:

Meat

When most people think of healthy eating, beef isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind. We’ve been told that meat is bad for us, especially red meat.  Modern science is disproving that that theory, which makes sense since our ancestors have eaten meat since we evolved. What we do know is that where you source your meat makes a huge difference.  When buying red meats, look for grass-fed or grass-finished.  When buying chicken, look for pasture-raised. Don’t feel bad about buying red meat, because it’s incredibly nutritious. For bonus points, eat organ meats! These are the most nutritious part of the animal! They are also excellent for anti-aging 😉

Eggs

Eggs are an great source of healthy fats and nutrients.  Eat the yolks!!! They are the most nutritious part of the egg.  Like meat, sourcing matters. Look for pasture-raised eggs at your local health food store.  I try to buy local when possible, but if not I buy Vital Farms eggs at Whole Foods.

Wild-caught fish

Fish is another excellent protein source.  You’ll want to buy wild-caught instead of farm-raised, again because you are what you eat, but you also are what you eat, eats.  The farm-raised fish is often fed a grain-based diet in addition to nasty antibiotics. I buy wild-caught salmon in the frozen section at Trader Joe’s as well as wild-caught smoked salmon in the refrigerated section.

Veggies

Fill your plate with veggies!  Try to include lots of raw veggies in your diet, since the cooking process lessens the nutrient content of food.  Buy organic when possible.  If money is tight, I gotchu.  Check out the dirty dozen and clean fifteen list by ewg.com to see what produce you should buy organic vs. what is okay to buy conventional.  

Fruits

Fruits, especially organic, are a great source of vitamins!  Fruits have gotten a bad rep lately because some people in the health space are saying that they contain too much sugar.  As a general guideline, 2-3 servings of fruit per day is totally fine for most people. I can’t say that for everyone, because there are certain people, like type II diabetics for example, who might do better with less or no fruit.  For the average person reading this blog post, don’t fear fruit! The way you eat fruit does matter, though. Check out my post on balancing blood sugar for more info.  

Oils

For cooking in high temperatures, I use coconut oil, ghee, grass-fed butter or avocado oil. When sautéing on the stove I use the aforementioned in addition to olive oil. For salad dressing, I love extra virgin olive oil. These are all incredible sources of healthy fat, which fuels our cells and keeps our bodies in good health. They are high in calories but that is because they help to satiate us for long periods of time. Don’t fear the oils!

What to avoid: canola/corn/vegetable oil and margarine. These hydrogenated fats were developed to stay liquid at room temperature. To form them, a hydrogen atom is moved to the other side of the fatty acid. Unfortunately, when we consume them, our cells do not recognize that there is a difference in their structure compared to a natural fat, like grass-fed butter, and they wreak havoc on our cellular metabolism. Hydrogenated fats prevent cells from doing specific functions that can only occur when cells are in specific arrangements. They have been linked to heart disease and other degenerative diseases. Get them out of your diet, asap!

Grains

If you don’t have a sensitivity to grains, they can be a great part of a well balanced diet.  Look for whole grains that are either soured or fermented, as these processes create B vitamins. Grains should be soaked in warm water for optimal digestion. All grains with the exception of brown rice, buckwheat and millet, need to be soaked for 12-24 hours.  Buckwheat, brown rice and millet have low levels of phytic acid and only require 7 hours soaking time.

Legumes

Legumes, a.k.a, beans, can also be a great part of a healthy diet if you can digest them. If they typically leave you bloated, it might be because you didn’t prepared them properly. Legumes should also be soaked (and rinsed) before cooking to aid in digestion.

Nuts & Seeds

These are great as snacks or on top of a salad. If you have stomach troubles after eating these, try the soaking method! Keep in mind that roasting nuts and seeds will lessen the nutrient content so including raw nuts and seeds is always a good idea.

There you have it, hunnies. If you focus on filling your grocery cart up with these items, you will be off to a great start. Please let me know if you have any questions. Love ya’ll.

Holiday Hangover Prevention

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Happy Holidays, my friends!  It’s December 9th and we are well into the swing of holiday festivities which often include treats and adult beverages.  As some of you know, I started out the month with an attempt at Whole30. After Thanksgiving, I felt kind of crappy and unproductive.  I wanted a reset so that I could feel and look my best, and also get a lot done this month (my nutrition finals are in January..eek!)

Well, I realized that doing a whole30 in December is…torturous.  I’ve made it to day 14 and I think I am going to throw in the towel.  While I’ve loved making delicious paleo meals and waking up without a hangover, I have not loved staying in on the weekends and missing out on the holiday fun!  For the rest of the month, I am going to continue to cook whole30 meals at home, but allow myself some leeway with the holiday parties. Life is short, right? I’m working on finding my balance.

I love socializing and going to parties, but I absolutely LOATHE waking up the next day with a hangover, missing my workout and setting aside my to-do list for the next day.   Fortunately, I realize there is a way to have it all–the social life, the productivity and the body I feel confident in. It starts with mindfulness, nutrients and hydration!

Mindfulness

Obviously, the best way to avoid a hangover is to not drink so much.  I find that people my age still binge drink the way we did in college.  It can be hard for me to remember to drink mindfully in the moment (e.g. when I’m at a party and people start playing flip cup and next thing you know I’m drunk off my ass) so I find that incorporating a daily mindfulness routine helps me to take preventative measures.  

My mindfulness routine includes journaling and intention setting.  I love taking some time each day to write down my thoughts. If I know I’m going to be going out that night, I like to write down my intentions for the night and also for the next day.  If I write down that I want to work out the next day and do some studying or meal prep, then I’m able to keep that top of mind. Meditation can also be an amazing way to incorporate mindfulness into your routine.  I love the app headspace and I’m also a big fan of Tara Brach’s guided meditations.

Nutrients

One of the main reasons alcohol makes us feel so shitty is because it actually depletes us of nutrients.  Nutrients like zinc, potassium and magnesium which are so critical in every day bodily functions. If you eat a standard American diet, then you are likely already deficient in these nutrients!  Even more so if you take medications, like birth control, which depletes your body of vitamins and minerals. The best way to get nutrients is through eating real food.  The morning after drinking, I recommend cooking your own breakfast at home.

Nitrate & sugar free bacon: not only is this delicious, but it’s a great way to restore your body’s sodium levels.  FYI, sodium is not bad for you. Sodium is only has negative health effects when it becomes out of balance with potassium.  In a standard American diet, most people get more sodium than potassium because of all the processed food. If you eat a real food diet, this will not be a problem.  I love the brand Wellshire Farms for bacon.  I buy it  at Whole Foods. 

Pasture-raised eggs: these are way more nutritious than conventional eggs (cage free still doesn’t count) and also way more delicious!  Organic greens are an excellent addition to your eggs as they are rich in folic acid, which can reduce hangover effects. 

Avocado: a great source of healthy fats, potassium and magnesium.  Healthy fats will help bring your blood sugar back to balance after indulging.  If you’ve ever woken up starving the morning after drinking, that’s because alcohol (and sugar, which tends to go hand-in-hand with alcohol) spikes your blood sugar, a.k.a it sends signals to your brain that you are starving– even if you ate an entire pizza last night. 

You can cook this meal in the bacon grease or use grass-fed butter, ghee, lard, avocado oil or olive oil.  Sipping on bone broth is also an amazing way to bring nutrients back into your body and quench your thirst!

Foods to avoid: fried foods cooked in hydrogenated oils (canola oil), refined carbohydrates and sugar.  These will continue to deplete your body of nutrients.

Supplements

If you want to take it to the next level, you can supplement the day of and the day after a holiday party.  Personally, I’m a big fan of supplements because unfortunately our food is not as nutritious as it once was due to our soil quality.  Not all supplements can be trusted though..below I have linked supplements that I approve of (aka they have no nasty additives.)

The day of: take your B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and vitamin C with food before drinking.  The day after drinking, I would take these supplements (besides the activated charcoal) on an empty stomach.  More info below. 

Magnesium: the anti-stress mineral that most people with a hangover are deficient in. This mineral regulates over 800 enzyme actions in the body.  It’s best to take this on an empty stomach the next morning, or at least between meals so that your body can absorb it.

B vitamins: ever have inexplicable anxiety the day after drinking?  That is likely because your body is depleted of B vitamins. These vitamins play a huge role in mental health as well as many other bodily functions.  

Zinc: zinc plays a crucial role in many bodily functions, but most Americans are deficient in it.  It is part of alcohol dehydrogenase, which helps the liver detoxify alcohol. I recommend taking the aqueous (liquid) form.  In order to absorb the pill form, you need to have enough hydrochloric acid (Hcl) in your stomach. Alcohol lessens your body’s ability to make Hcl, but taking the liquid form is a way to get around this, as this will allow your body to directly absorb it.  

Activated charcoal: this should be taken before bed after a night of drinking.  Research is still limited on this, but some say that it can help remove the toxins from alcohol.  Be aware that activated charcoal should NOT be taken with other medications or supplements because your body may not be able to absorb them.  

Milk Thistle: protects the liver cells from toxic damage.    

Hydration

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it makes you pee more and is extremely dehydrating.  Because of this, it is critical that you go into any drinking situation already hydrated.  Otherwise you are setting yourself up to feel like absolute shit the next day.  I wrote a whole post on water consumption, but as a reminder here is the formula that tells us how much water we need to drink per day:

(ounces of diuretics* x 1.5) + (body weight in pounds / 2) = amount of water in ounces that you should be drinking per day

*Diuretics include alcohol, caffeinated beverages (including black tea) juice, sodas, etc.  

Besides hydrating beforehand, it’s important to make sure you’re drinking water in between drinks during the night.  I aim to drink one water in between each alcoholic beverage.  When I get home, I like to drink more water before and of course leave water by my bedside for the next morning. 

One thing to note: the supplements I recommended earlier are best absorbed by the body when the stomach is more acidic a.k.a when it’s empty.  This is just an educated guess, but I think it would make the most sense to drink a lot of water before bed and take your supplements on an empty stomach the next morning.  If you don’t hydrate before bed, wake up thirsty as a mofo and try to chug water with your supplements, the water will dilute the acidic juices in your stomach and you may not absorb your- very expensive-supplements.  Sipping is okay, but try to drink most of your water 30 minutes before or after supplementation and meals.  

Don’t end up like Spongebob this holiday season.  Eat real food, stay hydrated, practice mindfulness and supplement when necessary.  Do you guys have any other hangover tips?!  Please let me know!  As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. 

xx

Carla

Whole30 Approved Bolognese with Zoodles & “The Magic Pill” Recap

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The other day I watched a documentary on Netflix called “The Magic Pill” that inspired me to get back into paleo cooking.  The documentary showed how the ketogenic diet magically healed three different people with a wide array of health problems.  According to the Bulletproof blog:

“The Magic Pill” follows people in America and Australia suffering from different ailments to explore what effect, if any, the ketogenic diet has on their symptoms. The ketogenic, or keto diet, is a high-fat, low-carb diet that encourages your body to use fat for fuel instead of carbs.

The film tracks the subjects for 10 weeks, then looks at whether the keto diet improved each person’s particular condition.

In the film, Abigail, a young girl with autism — who ate processed chicken fingers, goldfish crackers, and apple juice previously — appeared to make significant gains after five weeks of restricting carbs. Though she struggled to adjust to the diet initially, her parents were convinced it was working. Her father noted her belly was less bloated, she had more regular bowel movements (she took a laxative every day prior to the keto diet), and she communicated better.

“She’s able to concentrate, and she’s able to progress, because she’s not running all over the place and she’s not seizing,” her doctor says in the film. “Her seizures are going down, and we have tangible data from the school. We are actually starting to wean her off of the anti-convulsory narcotic that she’s on.”

The people profiled followed a diet based on keto principles. These include:

  • Eat whole and organic foods
  • Eliminate processed foods, dairy, grains, and legumes
  • Edge out bad fats (vegetable oils) with healthy fats (olive and coconut oils, animal fats, eggs, and avocados)
  • Aim to consume free-range animals and wild caught seafood
  • Introduce bone broths, organ meats, fermented foods, and intermittent fasting into your diet

(Bullet Proof Blog)

This documentary was incredible and reminded me that real food is amazing medicine.  I feel inspired to cut out sugar, processed food, alcohol, grains, soy, dairy and legumes right now to see where it takes me.

Last time I attempted a whole30 in March, I threw in the towel at the end of week two because I got so bored with what I was cooking!  I wasn’t mixing it up or trying fun new recipes and that was my down fall.  So if you’re reading this, and you’re trying paleo or simply just trying to be healthier, here’s my advice:

a) spice it up and try one new recipe a week

b) be prepared–always have yummy meals ready to go in the fridge.  Like this one:

INGREDIENTS
  1. Spiralize the zucchinis first. Feel free to spiralize it as thick or as thin as you’d like! Add the spiralized zucchini to a large colander and place it over the sink. Add the kosher salt and massage it well into the zucchini. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, as this process will release a lot of moisture. Rinse the zucchini well with cold water and let it drain for another 10-15 minutes. Pat it as dry as you can with a kitchen towel and set aside. Not gonna lie guys I didn’t do this whole salt thing and mine turned out fine 
  2. Cook the bacon cubes in a large cooking pot on medium. Transfer the bacon to a plate for later use.
  3. Cook the onion, celery and carrots until the onions appear translucent. Add in the garlic cloves and cook for another minute or so, until fragrant. I used minced garlic from Trader Joe’s instead of cloves
  4. Add in the beef and cook until brown. Add in the coconut milk, bone broth, tomato paste and cooked bacon cubes. Let it simmer for 7-10 minutes, until everything is well combined and appears thick. I couldn’t find grass fed beef at the store so I used lamb instead.  I also forgot to buy bone broth lol so I used extra coconut milk.
  5. Stir in the garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper, to taste. I also didn’t do this part…lol
  6. Stir in the zucchini noodles and let everything cook together for 4-5 minutes. Serve warm.
    I found this recipe on Pinterest and it’s from this blog. Let me know if you guys have any questions! I’m happy to help.  Have a happy & healthy week my friends 🙂

How Much Water Should I Drink?

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Greetings, loved ones.  If you are reading this now, there’s a high chance you are probably dehydrated.  Most of us are.  Drinking clean water seems pretty basic but it can make a HUGE difference in the way you feel.  For me, when I’m dehydrated, I experience brain fog, I feel tired and my bowels just don’t move… but when I’m hydrated I feel energized, alive & my digestion works properly.  This is because water plays many big roles in the body including:

•Improving oxygen delivery to cells
•Transporting nutrients
•Enabling cellular hydration
•Cushioning bones and joints
•Absorbing shocks to joints and organs
•Preventing tissues from sticking
•Lubricating joints
•Removing waste
•Flushing toxins
•Moistening oxygen for easier breathing
•Regulating body temperature
•Improving cell to cell communications
•Maintaining electrical properties of cells
•Empowering natural healing processes
(NTA Training)

So, how much water should you drink?  Your body weight in lbs divided by 2 = amount of water in oz you should aim to get per day.  If you drink diuretics (coffee, fruit juice, green/black tea, soda, alcohol) you’ll need to compensate!  Here’s the new formula:

(oz of diuretics x 1.5) + (body weight lbs/2) = your amount in oz

For example, if Sally Sue weighs 140 lbs she needs to drink 70 oz of water per day.  But if Sally Sue drinks a grande Starbucks coffee (20 oz) in the morning and two glasses of wine after work (5 oz each) then she will actually need:  (25 x 1.5) + (70) = 107.5 oz of water.

Quality matters!  Unfortunately many chemicals have been added to our tap water in order to prevent the pipes from rusting, for example.  Unfortunately, these chemicals wreak havoc on our insides. Always drink filtered water and avoid plastic water bottles when possible.  I invested in a Berkey water filter this year and I am loving it!

Try to sip it throughout the day rather than chugging all at once so that it can best perform its MANY functions.  In my studies, I also learned that drinking liquids while you eat can negatively impair digestion.  The reason is because it dilutes your stomach acid, which is supposed to break down food so you can absorb all of the nutrients!  Ya learn something new every day guys. 

Stay hydrated my friends!