This is an easy and fast stir-fry that I often make on busy nights. It has a lot of contrasting flavors and colors and we’re especially enjoying it now that our Broccoli is in season in the garden.

If your family isn’t used to these types of spices, start with half and work up from there

Ingredients:

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh (or more for leftovers)
• 1 medium sized head of broccoli or 1 large bag frozen
• 3-4 carrots, very thinly sliced
• 1 onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder (I buy here)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder (I buy here)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon turmeric (I buy here)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth (or water, or coconut milk)
• Optional toppings: raisins and green olives
• Olive oil, coconut oil or butter for sauteing.

What to Do:

1. Chop chicken breasts/thighs into bite size pieces and saute in oil until cooked. I use coconut oil to saute.
2. Add  carrots and onion and cook about 5 minutes until starting to soften.
3. Cut broccoli into florets and add to pan. Saute for another 3-4 minutes.
4. Add spices to taste and broth.
5. Cook an additional 5 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
6. Top with raisins and green olives if desired.
7. Enjoy!

I get a lot of questions about natural makeup options, and this was definitely one of the tougher things for me to find natural alternatives for. In college, I practically collected makeup, and had endless tubes and compacts of makeup that never even got half used.

While there are some good natural alternatives that you can buy (see list below), the cheapest, easiest and most natural way is to just make your own, and you might have all of the ingredients in your kitchen already!

Natural Skin Care

What you do to your skin before you use makeup is just as important as the makeup you use and there are some great natural options for skin care.

Personally, I’m a microfiber convert, and only use microfiber products with natural silver fibers (antibacterial) for washing my face and for make-up removal. This is truly the most natural option you can use, since you don’t even need soap (and microfiber is great for baby too… no chemicals to irritate skin!).

For deeper cleansing and moisturizing, I’ve also use the oil cleansing method, which leaves skin very soft and smooth. You can also use a natural sugar scrub (equal parts sugar and natural oil) or natural microdermabrasion (baking soda) to make skin look younger.

With proper skin care, the skin will be naturally healthy and you won’t even need to wear makeup most of the time. Most days, I skip the makeup altogether, but  when I do wear it, these are the recipes I use:

Natural Foundation

Homemade Option: At the recommendation of a friend who had used cocoa powder for natural bronzer, I started experimenting with natural foundation options, and came up with a recipe similar to a mineral make-up, though lighter, and smoother…

I start with a base of arrowroot powder (can also use cornstarch, but arrowroot works better) and then slowly add in cocoa powder and finely ground cinnamon powder until you get a shade close to your skin tone. You can then store in a jar or old powder container and use a brush to apply. It took me a few tries of mixing to get the color correct for my skin tone, but most days, a quick brush of this is all I need.

If you want to make it a more solid base so that only a little sticks to the brush, use a few drops of essential oil or vodka to mix with the powder and push down in a compact. This will make it hard like a regular compact.

I’ve thought about adding this combination to some homemade lotion to make a liquid foundation but haven’t tried it yet.

Commercial Options:If making makeup isn’t your thing but you still want some natural options, there are a few good choices. No commercial choice is as natural as the homemade option, but they are a tremendous improvement over any conventional options! Dr. Haushcka Translucent Foundation is the most natural liquid foundation I’ve found and my skin reacted well to it. I also loved Nvey Eco Liquid Foundation. I’ve also used Nvey Creme Foundation which is thicker and is mainly great as a concealer or under-eye cover.

For powdered foundation, my favorite one I’ve tried is Aubrey Organics Silken Earth which doesn’t have titanium dioxide like many of the mineral make-ups and which has almost completely natural ingredients.

Natural Bronzer/Blush

Homemade Option: Similar to above, natural bronzer and blush can be easily made with a base of arrowroot and by adding more cocoa powder and cinnamon to get a darker shade. I’ve also tried powdering dried beet root (in the dehydrator) or dried hibiscus flowers to add a pink tone which works well as long as you can very finely powder them. Store in a shaker make-up container or an old compact.

Commercial Options: For natural blush, I love Aubrey Organic Silken Blush or Nvey Eco Powdered Blush.

Natural Eye Liner and Shadow

Homemade Options:Always be careful when using any products, even natural ones, near the eyes. I mix up several colors of eye shadow using cocoa powder (brown shades) Spirulina (green shades) and arrowroot (light shades). My favorite is just cocoa powder with a tiny bit of arrowroot mixed in for smoothness.

For eye-liner, I either use a tiny bit of cocoa powder mixed with coconut oil, or a tiny dab or activated charcoal on a slightly damp brush. Be careful not to get either one in the eye. I store the eye shadow in an old powdered eye shadow container and apply with my finger or a very slightly damp brush.

To make a smoother eyeliner, I mix equal parts of coconut oil and cocoa butter (about 1/2 ounce of each) and add about 1/2 tsp of activated charcoal to make a black eyeliner that is thicker. You can also do this with cocoa powder for a brown hue.

Commercial Options: Nvey Eco Powdered Eyeliner is the best I’ve used so far and is almost completely natural.

Natural Mascara

Homemade Option: I don’t wear mascara most days, but when I want a natural option, it is an easy one to make. In a small bowl, I just mix a few drops of Aloe Vera Gel from Mountain Rose Herbs, a couple drops of Vitamin E oil, and a pinch of activated charcoal (not very precise… I know). I mix it up as I use it, though you could also make and store in an old mascara container or in a small jar and just clean the mascara wand between uses. I brush it on with a clean mascara brush, or even a used Bass Toothbrush from OraWellness.

Commercial Options: The two natural ones I’ve tried and love are Nvey Eco Mascara and Organic Wear Natural.

Supplements for Skin Care

I’m firmly convinced that what you put into your body is just as important, if not more so, than what you put on it when it comes to skin health. I used to have terrible acne and since changing my diet and supplements, I don’t break out at all and my past scars have healed. The supplements that seemed to have made the biggest difference in skin health for me are:

• Fermented Cod Liver Oil- for the Vitamins A, D and K, Omega-3s and Antioxidants, all which are great for the skin.
• Gelatin – Which is a pre-cursor for collagen and has made my hair, skin and nails noticeably stronger and smoother (great for cellulite too).
• Magnesium- An anti-inflammatory and lacking in many people’s diets. Topical Magnesium Oil seems to be the most effective for skin health.

I’ve also switched to using microfiber for cleaning my skin, which leaves many of the natural oils in my skin and has made skin care a breeze.

Natural lip gloss and lipstick recipes coming soon

Ever made any makeup? What is the toughest thing to find natural versions of for you? Let me know below! 

I write a lot about the importance of nutrition and exercise for overall health, weight loss, and prevention of disease and certainly, the importance of these things can’t be overstated, but there are couple other important factors that we sometimes miss.

I occasionally have clients who despite a close-to-perfect diet and a regular exercise regime still struggle with health problems or are unable to lose weight. Even for myself, when I get sick or have trouble getting baby weight off, there is usually a common cause: stress!

What Stress Does to the Body

This is a topic that I occasionally see addressed my mainstream medicine occasionally, but they often just mention emotional stress and tell people that they need to relax more. This topic is being addressed much more in the alternative healthy communities lately, and I believe that this might be the missing link for many people who can’t seem to break through a plateau or still struggle with health challenges.

While stress is often thought of as a strictly emotional and mental problem, there is a growing amount of evidence that is has a host of physiological effects as well. One study found that a chemical released when the body is in a stressed state, Neuropeptide Y, causes fat cells to open and store fat rather than burn it. Another study found that, especially in women, higher cortisol (stress hormone) leads to weight gain around the waist, even in otherwise slender women.

Another study found that stress shortens telomeres in cells at a faster rate, leading to premature aging and the increased risk of diseases that accompanies it.

Stress can impact hormones and fertility as well. When cortisol is high in the body, progesterone is often low because the body uses progesterone to manufacture cortisol. This is often why stress and elevated cortisol levels correlate with trouble conceiving or maintaining a pregnancy. While natural progesterone cream can be helpful, it is important to address the causes as well.

Other physical reactions associated with high stress levels are:

• Hair loss (from prolonged stress)
• headaches
• insomnia
• dry mouth
• increased incidence of heart disease and stroke
• higher incidence of allergy
• muscle pain or twitching
• hormonal and menstrual troubles
• increased incidence of eczema and psoriasis
• slower healing from all illness

Types of Stress

Mental and emotional stress are often considered the culprits in stress related problems, but there are also physical stressors that can cause the same problems. Before stress can be reduced, one must figure out what is causing it in the first place.

Certainly, lifestyle factors, hectic schedules or a busy job (like motherhood), can cause stress, but so can other factors like:

• eating foods that the body is allergic or intolerant to (even if you don’t know you have the allergy)
• not getting enough sleep
• toxins in your home or environment
• an underlying hormone imbalance
• leptin or insulin resistance

What To Do About It:

Effectively dealing with stress requires an integrative approach that not only addresses the causes of stress (mental, emotional, physical) but also works to actively reverse the damage that has already been done. For me personally, this is one of my toughest health challenges to address, since even though I know what I should be doing, I don’t always have time to fit it all in.

To start, we definitely must address the basics:

• Physical Stress: While some physical stress is good (Sprinting, lifting weights, etc) other types can be harmful (chronic cardio, lack of sleep, etc) and dietary causes also create a physical stress. A poor diet, especially one that includes any foods you are intolerant or allergic too can create a stress reaction in your body, even if you minimize other types of stresses. To help reduce physical stress, eat a solid real-food diet, get enough sleep and avoid toxins when you can. See the supplement and sleep info below for some practical tips.
• Emotional Stress: This one can obviously have many causes, but can often be addressed by working through tough relationships, making time for prayer and meditation, keeping a gratitude journal to focus on the positive and making time to unwind.
• Mental Stress: Similar to emotional stress, this type of stress is often helped my meditation, time management, and organization to only need to focus on one tast at a time.

Since this is one of my biggest struggles personally, I’ve been experimenting lately with ways to reduce stress and wanted to share some of the ones that seem to be working for me:

Supplements:

If some of your stress is physical, or if you have any type of inflammation in your body, there are some supplements that can really help reduce the effects on your body. Especially if you struggled with food allergies for a while before being diagnosed and removing foods from your diet (or if you have celiac disease or autoimmune disorders) removing the offending foods is only have of the solution.

It is also important to address the inflammation in the body and help the body heal. Even with an optimal diet, there are some supplements that can help reduce inflammation and decrease physical stress in the body:

• Fermented Cod Liver Oil/High Vitamin Butter Oil Blend  (also great for remineralizing teeth)- This combination, or even just regular Fermented Cod Liver Oil contains high levels of antioxidants and is great for reducing oxidative stress in the body. It contains high levels of Omega-3s and Vitamins A, D and K, which help to reduce inflammation (including arterial inflammation). In some studies, it was shown to improve glucose response in patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It has also been shown to be helpful in patients with Colitis, IBS, Crohn’s and other digestive issues, which is important since these conditions create tremendous physical stress in the body. I personally take Fermented Cod Liver Oil daily, as do my husband and kids.
• Probiotics: If there is any kind of intestinal damage from food allergies or leaky gut, or if a person has yeast overgrowth or intestinal disturbances, probiotics can be a tremendous help in normalizing gut bacteria. These can also be especially beneficial for children, whose gut bacteria is still forming. Stress hormones also deplete the natural gut bacteria and can lead to further problems.
• Gelatin- I’ve written about it in depth before, but Gelatin helps sooth the digestive system and reduce inflammation. It’s anti-inflammatory properties also make it great for joints and joint pain. Personally, I take it for the skin and hair benefits and many people take it to help reduce inflammation. There is some evidence that it can help reduce stress hormones since stress hormones tend to be stored in the muscle tissue of animals. Most people don’t get enough gelatinous and bone tissue from animals and eat an disproportionate amount of muscle meat, so regularly taking Gelatin can help balance this out.
• Magnesium- Another one that I’ve written about in depth before, but Magnesium has excellent anti-inflammatory properties. Practically everyone is deficient in it, due to declining soil magnesium levels, and it is an easy thing to supplement. Kevin Cottrell, who is well known in the Paleosphere was able to reduce his C-Reactive Protein from 5.4 (semi-dangerous level) to 0.44 (excellent level) in a month using Magnesium and Cold Thermogenesis (more on that soon). Some people have trouble digesting Magnesium effectively, especially if they are highly deficient, so Topical Magnesium Oil is helpful for those people. It is also available in capsule or drink mix (fizzy like soda) form.
• Let Food Be Your Medicine: Consuming lots of healthy fats, antioxidant rich foods and healthy protein sources will also help your body countaract the negative effects of stress.

Sleep

Even if diet and exercise are great, not getting enough sleep will have a tremendous impact on stress levels and on overall health. One study showed that one night of missed or very interrupted sleep was enough to give a healthy person the blood sugar levels of a diabetic or pre-diabetic. Other studies have shown that getting less than 5 hours of sleep a night can impact driving ability and cognitive function the next day.

There is also information linking lack of sleep to higher risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer or chronic disease. Lack of sleep is also linked to weight gain, which for some is reason enough to start sleeping more!

Cold Therapy

 Balancing Leptin Levels and using Cold Thermogenesis, as suggested by Dr. Jack Kurse, has been greatly effective in balancing stress hormones, leptin levels and even speeding weight loss for some people. I’m in the middle of a self-experiment with his protocol now and will be writing more about it soon, but anyone with high levels of inflammation, diabetes, or joint problems might benefit from reading his information now.

Are you stressed? How do you deal with it? Let me know!

You might have heard me mention before the benefits of running and training barefoot  and you may have seen (or even own) some minimalist shoes like Vibram Five Fingers or Altras.

Now, aside from the joint and health benefits, there is another reason to try out barefoot running…

Over the next few months, throughout the country, there will be a series of races called the “Naked Foot 5K” which benefit Soles for Souls, a charity focused on bringing and donating shoes to people throughout the world. For some, these shoes can mean the difference between being able to walk to work and hold a steady job, or to being able to attend school or not.

Appropriately, the race is shoes optional (you can run with shoes if barefoot isn’t your thing) so you can experience walking/running barefoot like those who have no shoes.

My husband’s favorite part of this race is that participants are asked to bring any gently used shoes to donate to Soles for Souls, which means I have a good reason to donate some of my (embarrassingly large) shoe collection…

Run With Me!

I was excited to find out about a barefoot race benefiting such a good cause, and I’m excited to be able to run the Nashville Naked Foot 5K! If you’re nearby, I’d absolutely love for you to come run barefoot with me! (Details below on how you can win a free entry!)

I’ll be running the Nashville Naked Foot 5K, but there are races throughout the country in St. Augustine, Santa Barbara, Washington D.C., Seattle, Minneapolis, Grand Rapids, Denver, Austin, Nashville and Salt Lake City.

If you’re near any of these areas, you can register here: Also, you can save $5 off the price of registration with the code “NFmama” and if you run with friends or family, you can all save $7 by registering together. Kids run free in the 5K and there is also a free 1K for those who aren’t up to the full 5K.

My husband and I will be running the 5K and our kids will be running the 1K. We’ll also be brining a big bag of shoes to donate, and I’m looking forward to this fun, fitness based, family activity.

There’s also a fun after-party benefiting the Tennessee Literary Coalition (at the Nashville race) that includes local music, food and fun activities for the kids (and even a climbing wall… hopefully for adults too!)

Help Soles for Souls

Naked Foot 5K’s goal in each city is to raise $2500 for Soles for Souls, and if you help by donating even $5, you could win a chance to go to Haiti and help deliver the shoes. (Pick me, Pick me!!!)

Even if you have no interest in running, consider donating even just $5 to help them bring shoes to those in need around the world… 100% of donations go to Soles for Souls.

Win A Free Entry!

Now for the fun part… I hope you’ll be able to run with me, but you can enter to win a free entry for any of the races around the country. To enter, just leave a comment below telling me about your experience (if any) with running barefoot. Even if your answer is “That’s crazy, I’d never try it!” let me know below!

Shoes or not, I’d love to meet and run with some of you that weekend!

For an extra entry, go like The Naked Foot 5K on facebook and share with your friends, then come back and leave a comment letting me know that you did.

Ever run barefoot? Will you come run with me… pretty please? Leave a comment below!

This is a similar recipe to my Meatloaf Cupcakes, but with more vegetables…

My kids absolutely love sweet potatoes and will eat them any way I fix them, so this is a good way to add in the extra veggies. This recipe also freezes well and re-heats well so it can be prepared ahead for busy nights.

Ingredients:

• 2 (or more) pounds of ground beef, turkey or other meat
• 4-6 medium sized sweet potatoes
• 1 bag of frozen mixed veggies (no corn! It’s not a veggie!)
• 1-2 onions
• large handful of Kale (a small bunch)
• 1 egg
• Seasonings to taste (I used natural beef bouillon, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and a little cayenne for meat and sea salt for sweet potatoes)
• 3-4 Tablespoons of butter
• cream cheese to top (optional)

How to Make:

1. Brown meat in large skillet and season to taste when cooked. Set aside.
2. Saute diced onion and kale torn into small pieces in skillet until somewhat soft. Set aside with meat.
3. Pour mixed veggies in the skillet to heat on low heat and in the meantime…
4. For sweet potatoes: either bake ahead for about an hour or until soft, or boil about 10 minutes in large pot of water until soft. I usually cook during a previous meal when I’m already baking sweet potatoes and then just re-heat the night I make this.
5. Mash sweet potatoes with butter and sea salt (or Himalayan salt) until smooth. (An immersion blender makes this go quickly!)
6. Mixed veggies should be cooked by now.
7. Mix the meat, onions mixed veggies, raw egg and any additional seasonings and put in bottom of 9×13 baking dish.
8. Spread mashed sweet potato mixture over it until smooth.
9. Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.
10. When done, top with a small dollop of cream cheese (optional)
11. Enjoy

Possible variation: bake in pint sized mason jars for easy packable lunches!

Ever make Shepard’s Pie? Ever tried this variation? Let me know below!

Since we’ve been on the topic of homemade lotion bars the past couple of weeks, I figured I’d share the recipe for deodorant bars (or homemade deodorant sticks!)

This is similar to homemade sunscreen bars but without the zinc oxide for sun protection and with baking soda and arrowroot added in. These are slightly thicker than my original homemade deodorant recipe, which allows them to be used as a bar, or put into an old deodorant container.

Since the homemade lotion bars, sunscreen bars and deodorant bars all use many of the same ingredients, you can order these in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs or find them locally and save a lot of money on your family’s personal care products.

I also love Frugally Sustainable’s idea of adding probiotics to the recipe to help balance good bacteria and prevent odor, and I tried it with this recipe. If you have very sensitive skin or really struggle with odor, this might be a great option for you also!

Try making your own deodorant if you haven’t already… you’ll not only save money and avoid chemicals, but I’ve found the homemade versions work better too!

The Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup shea butter, cocoa butter or mango butter (or a mix of all three equal to 1 part)
• 1/2 cup + 1 tsp  beeswax
• optional: Vitamin E oil to preserve. I added 1 tsp vitamin E oil for  this recipe)
• 3 tablespoons baking soda (Omit this if you have sensitive skin and just use extra arrowroot)
• 1/2 cup organic arrowroot powder
• 2-3 capsules of high quality probiotics that don’t need to be refrigerated (I love Bio Kult brand)
• optional: Essential oils of choice – I used about 20 drops of lavender essential oil

This recipe can be adjusted to make any quantity that you’d like by increasing the amount of ingredients used. This batch made enough deodorant for my husband and I for about 2-3 months. You could also cut the recipe in half if you want to make a smaller amount.

How to Make:

Combine coconut oil, shea (or other) butter, and beeswax in a double boiler, or a glass bowl over a smaller saucepan with 1 inch of water in it.

Turn the burner on and bring water to a boil. Stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth:

Remove from heat and add the vitamin E oil, baking soda, arrowroot powder, probiotics, and essential oils. Make sure the mixture is not hot to the touch (warm is ok) so that the heat doesn’t kill the probiotics.

Gently stir by hand until all ingredients are incorporated.

If you will be making these into bars, pour into muffin tins or other molds while still liquid. If you will be putting into an old deodorant container to use like stick deodorant, let the mixture harden for about 15-20 minutes at room temperature to harden and when it is about the consistency of peanut butter, use a spoon to scoop into the deodorant tube and pack down to fill. Then, leave the cap off overnight to completely harden before using.

Enjoy!

Next week, we’ll move on to natural make-up and hair product recipes! Any specific requests?

Have you ever made your own personal care products? How did it go? Let me know below!

As Mother’s Day approached, I’ve gotten several requests from husbands of a few readers for Mother’s Day gift ideas when regular chocolate won’t cut it anymore.

I’ve compiled a list of some of the things I’d want to get (hint-hint honey) and feel free to add your favorites in the comments! Some of these are definitely not your typical gifts but are ones that will help Mom be healthy and happy!

Organic Dark Chocolate

Ok, so regular chocolate with soy lecithin won’t cut it anymore, but organic, fair-trade high quality dark chocolate will! (It’s packed with antioxidants and magnesium!)

My favorite is Tropical Traditions ‘ Organic Dark Chocolate (and they have mint, orange and espresso flavored) but any organic dark chocolate over 70% chocolate without soy lecithin  is fair game.

New Shoes (Sort of)

If the special woman in your life has joint pain in her legs or if she is a runner, consider getting her some minimalist shoes. There is evidence that running barefoot (or pseudobarefoot in minimalist shoes) is better for the joints and may have some health benefits.

My favorites are Vibram Five Fingers Komodo Sport and their Bikila, but they now make lots of variations of their barefoot shoes, and in a lot of fun colors. For those who just can’t get used to the idea of a shoe with toes, the Altra Eve’s are another good option (I’ll hopefully be reviewing these soon).

A Massage (at Home)

I’ve been saving up for a Rumble Roller, which allows you to get the benefits of a deep tissue massage at home. From what I’ve heard from readers who’ve tried them, these really break down muscle tension and help relieve stiff muscles. Plus, it’s only about the price of one massage and it stores anywhere!

Microfiber Cleaning Supplies

I’ve recently become obsessed with microfiber cleaning because it is so much faster and I don’t need any chemicals at all! While cleaning supplies might not be the most exciting of gifts, anything that cuts down the amount of time I spend cleaning is a winner in my book! My favorite microfiber products are the Mop Set, the Kitchen Collection and the Household Essentials.

A Good Night’s Sleep

If the mom in your life is anything like me, she doesn’t always get a full night of sleep without an interruption or someone needing something in the middle of the night. This means that the time we do get to sleep is even more important.

Despite all the information about the importance of sleep (it’s even more important in some ways than healthy food!) it is hard to make it a priority. The things that have greatly improved my sleep lately are: removing sources of artificial light and putting up blackout curtains, taking enough magnesium, and spending time in the sun each day.

Next on my wish list are: a natural light alarm clock (no harsh buzzing and gentler wake-up), an earthing mat to help reduce EMFs and ground the body, and some cold thermogenesis (more on that soon).

A One Item Gym

I’m personally a huge fan of kettlebells because they are a completely portable and very effective workout option. My kettlebell stores under my bed or in a corner of a room and is the most effective 15-minute or less workout option I’ve ever used. Workout videos have nothing on kettlebells, and they especially strengthen the core, buttocks and upper legs (all areas that most women wish they could firm up).

Other fun gift ideas:

• A CSA share
• Some pastured meat from a local farm
• baby chickens (the gift that really keeps on giving…)
• A picnic (if it isn’t too cold)
• Tickets to a local theatre or performing arts center
• A basket of seeds and gardening supplies
• Cooking classes, personal training or massage gift certificates
• Flowers- but give in a flower pot rather than cut flowers so she can enjoy them year-round!
• anything made by her kids
• Not having to cook or clean for a day (This is the one I really want!)

What do you want for Mother’s Day? Anything on this list? Please share below!

This is one of those super-easy but really impressive chicken recipes that even kids seem to enjoy because of the hidden ingredients inside. It’s also an easy recipe to adapt and make grain free.

My kids ask for “Blue Chicken” often, and I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

What You Need:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 8 slices of nitrate free ham
• 4 large slices of provolone or swiss cheese (optional)
• salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard (optional)
• 2 teaspoons homemade mayo (optional)
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon tallow, coconut oil or lard, in liquid state
• spices to taste: garlic, salt, pepper, etc (I used about one teaspoon of each

How to Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Carefully cut the chicken lengthwise to make a pocket but not all the way through.
3. Roll the piece of cheese into a thin log, and make sure that it is shorter than the width of the chicken.
4. Wrap the pieces of ham around the cheese and roll it up, securing the ends, so the cheese won’t ooze out. (can do this without the cheese)
5. Spread the mustard and mayo inside the chicken (if using).
6. Beat egg and put in a bowl.
7. Add salt, pepper and other desired spices to the almond flour and put on a plate.
8. Place the ham and cheese roll inside the chicken, then dredge in the egg mixture and then in the almond flour to coat, making sure the seam is especially well coated.
9. Place in a well-greased oven safe baking dish.
10. Put in oven for approximately 45-50 minutes or until completely cooked.
11. When fully cooked, remove and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
12. Enjoy!

What is your favorite chicken dish? Share below!

This 300+ page book not only has explanation of why some modern foods (grains, sugars, vegetable oils,etc) are not healthy, but also some great recipes and a meal plan.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Paleo is also extremely easy to read and has lots of quick tips and easy reference for the main points. I think this would be especially useful for friends or relatives who don’t understand your way  of eating and who could benefit from an easy and concise explanation.

I’ve tried a few of their recipes and especially enjoyed their Salmon Cakes with Mango and Cilantro Salsa and their Sausage Stuffed Tomatoes.

Perhaps my favorite part was at the very end where they compare a paleo diet and a standard American diet side by side for nutrient levels. I often get questions about if we will miss out on nutrients on a real food diet, and this clearly shows the superior nutrient levels in a paleo/real-food diet.

What is your favorite real food book? Have you read this one? 

Chamomile is one of the most well-known herbs, and one I wouldn’t be without, especially with small children.

It is widely available in tea form, but can also be made into capsules or tinctures or used in cosmetic applications.

Chamomile flowers are mildly sedative, making them wonderful for improving sleep quality and relaxation. I use chamomile in place of Tylenol for teething or colicky babies, and on my own stomach after giving birth to help ease the after pains.

I’ve also heard of natural doctors using a strong chamomile tincture as a nervine to reduce cravings in patients who are stopping smoking or drug use. It is a good herbal source of Magnesium, which is one of the top supplements I recommend.

Ways to Use Chamomile:

• As an herbal tea before bedtime to help improve relaxation and sleep
• As a tincture (internally or externally) for muscle pain or for teething children (on the gums)
• As a tincture for children who have trouble sleeping or who are emotionally upset
• As a strong brewed tea in the hair to naturally lighten blonde tones
• To help relax during emotional or physical distress (I use the tincture internally during labor to help ease contractions and help me relax)
• Internally and externally for headache relief
• As a tincture to help calm hyper children
• For pink eye: Pour a small amount of boiling water over a chamomile tea bag and soak on the eye for about 15 minutes a few times a day (wait until its cool) OR make a strong tea with it and use a soaked cotton ball to wipe the eye every hour throughout the day and infection should be gone within 24-36 hours. Can also sleep with a cotton ball “patch” on the eye to help remove the infection.

Where to Get:

• As with most herbs, I buy in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs as this is the cheapest way to order and I am confident in the quality of their herbs.
• I highly recommend making a chamomile tincture (instructions here) as the flowers can easily lose their natural oils, which make them effective. You can also buy a pre-made tincture if you’d prefer not to make your own.
• There are also capsules available, though I would not suggest a concentrated dose like this for children, and this would be more effective when stopping a tobacco or drug addiction as overseen by a natural doctor.
• You can also, of course, get Chamomile tea bags, which is the most widely available form of chamomile.

Notes: Chamomile is generally considered a safe herb for anyone, including during pregnancy, but in very rare cases it can cause an allergic reaction in those with ragweed allergies, so use caution if you have these types of allergies.

Do you use chamomile? What is your favorite use? Share below!