Welcome back to the Raising Health Families series, join us each week as we take a look at different ways to keep your family healthy and vibrant in a not-so-healthy world.

Written by Sara from Your Thriving Family

Many of us are trying to eat real food and get back to natural products, for what we believe to be the best for our families.  The wall we sometimes hit, unfortunately, can be our well-meaning and loving extended family.

The post Raising Healthy Families: Natural Living in a Normal Family appeared first on learningandyearning.

Mint is a member of the genus Mentha – plants with a strong menthol flavor. There are a number of varieties including spearmint, peppermint, apple mint, orange mint and even chocolate mint. Mint is a perennial which spreads rapidly and can be invasive. It’s best to keep it in a bed of its own to keep it from taking over your garden. Mint grows about 12 – 18″ tall, and will grow in full sun to partial shade. It loves moisture. The leaves are best harvested before the plant’s purple flowers appear; pinch flower buds off if you wish to delay flowering.

Mint is a good source of  Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Phosphorus and Zinc, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. (Source)

There are probably more uses for mint than any other herb. Many of those uses are culinary, but mint is also used in other ways. For example:

1.) Allow some of the plant to flower to attract beneficial insects. These beneficial insects will help to devour insects which can destroy your garden.

2.) Mint is helpful in repelling mice, ants, flies and moths. Place fresh mint leaves in places where you are having a problem and replace when they dry out. Planting mint near your home where pests enter may also help. Or combine several drops of mint essential oil and water into a spray bottle and spray around the foundation of your home, in cabinets, or in any place where pests are a problem. Mint also deters white cabbage moth in the garden.

3.) Eat a fresh leaf or two to freshen breath.

4.) Make iced tea. In my opinion, fresh mint makes the best iced tea. Pour 6 cups of boiling water over a large handful of fresh mint sprigs. Steep for about 20 minutes. Strain. Add honey or other sweetener to taste, and lemon if desired. Refrigerate until cold. This tea aids digestion and soothes an upset stomach, and is delicious.

5.) Use the mint iced tea to soothe the pain of sunburn.

6.) Sprinkle chopped mint leaves on peas, carrots, fruit salad and tossed green salad.

7.) Place fresh mint leaves under the skin of a whole chicken before roasting and add to the cavity of the chicken.

8.) Make mint pesto to serve over lamb. Blend 2 c fresh mint leaves, 1/2 c olive oil, 4 cloves garlic. Optionally, parmesan and pine nuts may also be included.

9.) Blend 1/2 c of fresh mint leaves with the sugar in your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and then continue with the recipe as normal.

10.) When making homemade vanilla ice cream, steep a cup of chopped, fresh mint leaves in the warmed milk for 15 – 20 minutes. Strain, and then proceed with your recipe.

11.) For another refreshing beverage, place peeled fresh cucumber slices and fresh mint leaves in a pitcher of water and refrigerate until cold.

12.) Make minted cucumber salad by tossing together 2 peeled and sliced cucumbers, 20 – 30 fresh mint leaves, julienned (these scissors make the job easy), 2 T mayonnaise or yogurt, sea salt and pepper to taste. Chill.

What great ways have you found to use mint?

Shared at: Thank Your Body, From the Farm

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Welcome! I’ve hosted giveaways here and there, but I’d like to begin to do them on a more regular basis. Right now, the value of the giveaway won’t be much, but I hope to choose items that you’ll enjoy. And as my blog grows, the giveaway items will be able to grow as well. Thanks for being here!

Hoping to Win? Here’s What You Have to Do:

1. First, click here now to check out the 7 piece bamboo measuring spoon set.
2. Next, use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter this giveaway. A requirement for the giveaway is  to sign up to receive my latest blog updates and newsletter via email. You may unsubscribe at any time, but must be signed up to win.
3. You’ll also be able to earn extra entries for liking my Facebook page, following me on Twitter and leaving a blog post comment letting me know what product (under $30) you’d like to see in my next giveaway.
   

The giveaway will run from Sunday, May 12th at 12 a.m. to Friday, May 17th at 11:59 p.m. The name of the winner will show up in the Rafflecopter below after the giveaway ends.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Shared at: EOA, Whole Foods Wednesday

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Welcome back to the Raising Healthy Families series! Join us each week as we take a look at different ways to keep your family healthy and vibrant in a not-so-healthy world.

Written by Krissa Jeldy of More Than Mundane

Summer is right around the corner and now is the perfect time to start planning and preparing your natural first aid kit for summer. Discover safe and effective ways to heal sunburn, relieve bug bites, and care for cuts and scrapes. Head on over to More Than Mundane to learn how to prepare a natural first aid kit for summer.

Note: This series is designed as a fun and informative compilation to help you and your family thrive. Each post is the opinion of that particular blogger, not necessarily mine or Positively Real Media’s.

The post Raising Healthy Families: Stocking Your Natural First Aid Kit for Summer appeared first on learningandyearning.

We have lots of company at our summer cottage and we love to cook out on the charcoal grill. Burgers are great, but sometimes we want something a little more fun. That’s when we make Chicken Fajitas!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Marinade:

• 1 1/2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
• 4 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 6 T. olive oil (where to purchase)
• 1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley
• 2 T. chopped fresh oregano
• 1 t. sea salt
• 4 minced cloves of garlic
• 2 lbs. boneless chicken from pastured chickens (I prefer boneless thighs)

Cover the chicken with the marinade and allow to sit overnight, or at least four hours.

Fajita:

• the chicken that has been marinating
• 1 each red, yellow, and green peppers, cored and cut in half
• 1 large red onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2″ thick slices
• shredded lettuce
• chopped tomatoes
• salsa
• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• tortillas

Sear the chicken on both sides on a hot grill. Move to an area of the grill that has medium heat to continue cooking. Place onions and pepper halves on the grill and close the cover. Cook the vegetables until they are browned and tender, turning once. Cook the chicken for approximately 10 minutes per side (for boneless thighs – breasts may cook more quickly) until the temperature has reached 160 degrees. Allow to rest for several minutes after removing it from the grill and to allow the temperature to rise another 5 degrees.

Slice the chicken, onions, and peppers into strips. Place on tortillas* and top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

*tortillas may be store bought, but I prefer to make my own. I absolutely love this recipe because it uses lard, except that I use sprouted wheat flour.

And by the way, if you don’t have a chimney for starting your charcoal, you really should look into it. No starter fluid is required, so it saves money and starter fluid is so nasty. I recommend stainless steel because it lasts a lot longer than aluminum.

What’s your favorite thing to cook on the grill? 

Aren’t the photos beautiful? That’s because my friend, Kim Winey took them!

Shared at: Thank Your Body Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, HomeAcre Hop, From the Farm, Weekend Whatever Link Up, Clever Chicks, Homestead BarnHop, Fat Tuesday, Backyard Farming Connection, Tuesdays with a Twist, EOA, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday

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Our health is intimately connected to “dirt”. Soil Scientist William A. Albrect (1888 – 1974) believed that the chemistry of each of our bodies provides a picture of the soil in which the food we eat is grown. The importance of maintaining healthy soils so that our food is nutrient dense is of supreme importance.

But, there is another, not so obvious way in which soil can affect us. Soil is teeming with life – earthworms and centipedes, fungi and bacteria, and so much more. One type of bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae (M. vaccae), is particularly fascinating. M. vacae is especially abundant in soils rich in moist, organic matter. When we work in the soil, we breath it in. And we ingest it when we eat freshly harvested produce. M. vaccae then does something marvelous. It triggers the release of serotonin in our brains. Our mood improves; depression is allayed. Our immune system is strengthened; learning is boosted. All of these are areas where serotonin plays a role.

In addition to depression, low levels of serotonin have been associated with anxiety, aggression, bipolar disorder, irritable bowel, fibromyalgia, and more. Boosting our serotonin by exposing ourselves and our family to soil bacteria goes a long way in building health.  Children should be playing outdoors and getting dirty. Dr. Mary Ruebush, immunologist and author of Why Dirt is Good says “If your child isn’t coming in dirty every day, they’re not doing their job.” She considers playing in the dirt an important step in building their immune systems.

Gardening is one obvious way that we can get our M. vaccae fix. And gardening has so many other health benefits. It’s good exercise, provides fresh produce, helps establish healthy eating habits, and exposes us to Vitamin D from sunshine. It’s not the only way to get dirty, of course. You can also:

• Remove the sod from an area of your yard and keep dirt friendly toys like trucks, buckets, spoons, pots and pans available for play.
• Take nature walks. Collect stones and leaves, and pick wildflowers. Don’t worry about dirty hands.
• Have a scavenger hunt in the woods, or even in your backyard. List items to find that must be picked up off of the ground.
• When my son was little, one of his favorite activities was “digging a hole to China.”
• Explore the edges of a pond or creek.
• Go camping, especially tent camping, where you are pounding stakes into the soil, sitting on logs and running around the woods.
• If all else fails, just get outdoors.

What great ways has your family found to get dirty?

Plant photo credit: www.stockfreeimages.com Shared at: Old Fashioned Friday, Small Footprint Friday, Sunday School, Homestead Barnhop, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Clever Chicks, What To Do Weekends, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, Backyard Farming Connection, Tuesdays with a Twist, Tuned in Tuesday, Living Green, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Healthy 2Day, EOA, Real Food Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Wellness Wednesday, Eco-Kids Tuesday, Thank Your Body Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, HomeAcre Hop, From the Farm

The post Go Play in the Dirt! It’s Good for your Health appeared first on learningandyearning.

Welcome back to the Raising Health Families series; join us each week as we take a look at different ways to keep your family healthy and vibrant in a not-so-healthy world.

Written by Jennifer Lambert of Royal Little Lambs.

Learn about how I massaged my daughter out of a major leg surgery using essential oils and the power of prayer. After visiting several doctors, specialists, and physical therapists, we turned to natural methods – prayer, essential oils, massage, and yoga to heal my daughter’s legs and feet. Read our story at
Royal Little Lambs.

Note: This series is designed as a fun and informative compilation to help you and your family thrive. Each post is the opinion of that particular blogger, not necessarily mine or Positively Real Media’s.

The post Raising Healthy Families: Essential Oils Instead of Surgery appeared first on learningandyearning.

Just upstream from where I harvest ramps, I found a nice patch of watercress, a perennial green which grows wild in shallow areas of streams and has a wonderful peppery taste. It is especially tender in the spring, and can be used fresh in salads, or as an ingredient in soup. It is high in vitamin C and minerals.

Watercress

The roots of the watercress grow in the water, with the leaves growing just above the water. I find it easiest to harvest the watercress using scissors, cutting the plant just at the level of the water. Leaving the roots assures a future crop, and makes clean up at home a lot easier.

Wash the watercress in cold water, removing any remaining roots or other debris. Here’s how I made my soup, which is so delicious!

Watercress Soup

• 4 T butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cups chicken bone broth*
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 – 1/2 t hot pepper flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cups cleaned, young watercress leaves and stems

Watercress in the stream

Saute the chopped onion in butter until translucent. Add the chicken broth, cubed potatoes and seasonings. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Add the watercress and simmer for several more minutes. Blend your soup with an immersion blender, or very carefully in a regular blender. May be served with a splash of cream.

* Find good quality bone broth here, if you aren’t making your own.

Recommended Reading: The Wild Food Trail Guide by Alan Hall

Shared at: Clever Chicks, Homestead Barnhop, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, Backyard Farming Connection, Tuned In Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays With a Twist, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Healthy 2Day, EOA, Real Food Wednesday, Party Wave, Whole Foods Wednesday, Downhome Bloghop, Tasty Traditions, Thank Your Body, Farmgirl Blogfest, Old Fashioned Friday

Simple Lives Thursday, Homeacre Hop

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Welcome back to the Raising Health Families series, join us each week as we take a look at different ways to keep your family healthy and vibrant in a not-so-healthy world.

Written by Justyn Lang of Creative Christian Mama.

When a woman is pregnant or is trying to conceive, she is usually told to start taking a folic acid supplement to prevent birth defects. Did you know that this synthetic form of the vitamin folate has been shown in many studies to cause cancer? Please visit Justyn over at Creative Christian Mama to get the scoop on what folic acid is and how to get plenty of the natural sources of folate in your diet!

Note: This series is designed as a fun and informative compilation to help you and your family thrive. Each post is the opinion of that particular blogger, not necessarily mine or Positively Real Media’s.

The post Raising Healthy Families: Natural Sources of Folic Acid appeared first on learningandyearning.

I’ve been curious about The Eczema Cure: Heal From the Inside Out with Real Food by Emily Bartlett for a while now. I’ve even mentioned it to a friend whose son has eczema with the caveat that I had not read it myself. Well, I finally downloaded the book and I’m impressed. Discussing why traditional medicine often fails to cure eczema, Bartlett says:

The common western treatments for eczema include: steroid creams, non-steroid petroleum based lotions, antihistamines, and anti-itch medicines. These medications work with varying degrees of success, but typically after a variable period of time, the eczema flares again – sometimes while the medications are still being used.

These treatments fail because stopping the rash does not resolve the reason why the rash is happening in the first place. Eczema (and in fact, most skin conditions) is a reflection of a deeper, internal imbalance typically originating from poor digestion. When a dermatologist gives you creams and medicines to make the skin clear, the internal issues are not addressed.

According to the author, eczema may manifest itself externally, but is, at it’s core, almost always an internal digestive issue with Leaky Gut Syndrome most likely the root cause.

In The Eczema Cure: Heal From the Inside Out with Real Food, Emily Bartlett, holistic health practitioner and  licensed acupuncturist, outlines a 4 step plan of action to cure eczema from the inside out:

• Identify and avoid triggers
  
• Put out the fire
• Strengthen your defenses
• Heal your eczema with Real food

What I didn’t expect when I opened this book was that it would be such a rich source of information on real food, with lots of instruction for preparing food in a way that assures good digestion for maximum nourishment. And the author includes lots of great recipes for foods that heal. This book, in my opinion, would be a valuable resource for anyone trying to heal digestive issues, not just for those with eczema.

Bartlett says, “Some babies are born with eczema or develop it shortly after birth. Officially, the cause is “unknown,” but one theory really seems to stand out – the parents poor gut flora is passed along to baby, leaving the child susceptible to gut dysbiosis and systemic inflammation.” The before and after photo above is of the author’s daughter. On the left, she is 10 months old and is sensitive to wheat, dairy, and strawberries. On the right, she is 2 and her skin is clear after her mom implemented the protocol shared in The Eczema Cure. 

To find out more, or to purchase The Eczema Cure eBook click here.

Shared at: Fight Back Friday, Small Footprint Friday, Homestead Barnhop, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, Tuned In Tuesday, Tuesdays With a Twist,
Wildcrafting Wednesday, Healthy 2Day, EOA, Real Food Wednesday, Party Wave, Whole Foods Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Homeacre Hop, Old Fashioned Friday

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I love when I find a great buy that I can share with my readers. I’ve promoted eBook Bundles in the past, but I honestly don’t think I’ve ever been as enthusiastic about any as I am about this one!

From April 17th through April 23rd, 30 amazing, healthy living titles are being offered for $39. There are $479 worth of books in this package! I have to constrain myself from overusing my exclamation points!!!

Download all 30 e-books now for this LOW price and read them at your leisure — on your Kindle, iPad, iPhone or computer. Click here now to order.

Here’s a sampling of what’s in the package:

And 21 more, amazing E-Books! 

The post Spring E-Book Bundle – 30 Healthy Living E-Books for only $39 appeared first on learningandyearning.

Alfalfa, a perennial flowering legume, is mainly known as an animal feed. But I love it for its many uses in the garden. It can be used in any of its forms:

• freshly chopped alfalfa – lightly dig into the soil
• alfalfa hay – use as mulch, or in layers as you build a lasagna garden
• alfalfa meal – this is dried, ground alfalfa and can be sprinkled around the garden
• alfalfa pellets – alfalfa meal formed into pellets – check to be sure there are no other ingredients – sprinkle around the garden
• alfalfa tea – brewed by putting a cup of meal into a 5 gallon bucket and filling with water. Let this sit for several days. It will get stronger and more odiferous the larger you brew it. Strain the tea and water plants with it, or use it as a foliar spray.

Benefits of Using Alfalfa 

This plant is just one of those all around good guys! I don’t garden without it. Here are 10 great benefits to using alfalfa in your garden:

1. Good Source of Minerals

Alfalfa is a good source of nitrogen, along with several other minerals including:

• phosphorus
• potassium
• calcium
• sulfur
• magnesium
• boron
• iron
• zinc

The N-P-K ratio for alfalfa is approximately 3 – 1 – 3, depending on its source.

2. Builds Organic Matter

Alfalfa builds organic matter in your soil providing nutrients to plant roots. Its high nitrogen content helps other organic material to decompose. Organic matter also helps to prevent compaction, acts like a sponge and holds moisture in the soil, improves soil structure, and helps to prevent erosion.

3. Feeds Microorganisms

The microorganisms in your soil love alfalfa because of the protein, amino acids, fiber and sugars in its stalk – items they need to thrive. Alfalfa hay has an almost perfect balance of carbon to nitrogen (24:1) which soil organisms require.

4. Stimulates Growth

Alfalfa contains triacontanol, a hormone which stimulates the growth of plant roots, enhances photosynthesis, and increases beneficial microbes which help to suppress many soil-borne diseases.

5. Fixes Nitrogen

Alfalfa actually takes nitrogen from the air and holds it as nodules on its roots, a process called “nitrogen fixing”.  This nitrogen becomes available in the soil for other plants to use when the alfalfa plant is cut down and its roots are left in the soil, or when the plant is turned into the soil.

6. Stimulates Compost

When added to your compost pile, alfalfa acts as a stimulator. It decomposes rapidly, creating heat which helps the rest of your compost to decompose. And your finished compost will have higher nutrient levels when alfalfa is used. Higher nutrient levels in your compost and soil means more nutrient-dense produce in your garden.

7. Controls Harmful Nematodes

A study in Italy showed that alfalfa pellets significantly reduced infestation of root-knot nematode on tomato plants, and cyst nematode on carrots. As an added bonus, yields for both tomatoes and carrots were increased in comparison to the control groups.

8. Provides Drought Resistance

Because of alfalfa’s sponge-like ability to absorb and hold moisture, it helps plants grown in that soil to be more resistant to periods of low rain.

9. Is a Dynamic Accumulator

Alfalfa roots reach down into the sub-soil up to 8 feet, bringing valuable hard-to-reach nutrients up to the soil surface where they are stored in the leaves of the plant. Using the cut alfalfa in your garden and compost adds these nutrients to the upper layers of your soil where other garden plants can use them. Alfalfa is particularly good at bringing iron to the surface, a micro-nutrient needed for chlorophyll synthesis.

10. Is a Great Cover Crop

Leaving garden beds bare in the winter leaves them exposed to the harsh elements of weather. They should always be mulched, or a cover crop should be planted. Also known as “green manure”, cover crops are generally planted in the fall and then dug into the soil in the spring to improve soil. The crop may also be cut down at the soil level and used as a mulch, rather than digging it in. All of the above benefits (with the exception of #9) would apply.

Where to Buy Alfalfa

Bales of alfalfa and pellets can generally be found at feed supply stores such as Tractor Supply. At this point, I haven’t been able to find it at garden centers, at least not in my area. Alfalfa meal may be found here.

What ways have you used alfalfa in your garden? Did you find it beneficial?

Sources, Photo Source Shared at: Sunday School, Clever Chicks, Homestead Barnhop, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, Backyard Farming Hop, Tuned In Tuesday, Tuesdays with a Twist, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Downhome Blog Hop, EOA, Party Wave Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Tasty Traditions, Thank Your Body, Simple Lives Thursday, HomeAcre Hop, Green Thumb Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Farm Girl, Small Footprint Friday

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