Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 14

Critically Endangered Red Wolves Need Out Help

Let’s start with a question. What is the most endangered wild animal in the U.S.?  If your pick is the critically endangered red wolf, you are right! Of course, the photos might have given you a clue! Not only are they endangered, but they are also an underdog species — meaning they are unjustly feared and misunderstood.

So what makes an animal endangered? Any animal or plant that is so rare it might go extinct is considered endangered. And going extinct means it is gone forever. It is no longer on our planet. Pretty scary. With less than just 20 red wolves left in the wild, they are on the brink of extinction. But there is hope. Endangered also means there are a lot of folks working hard to save them and you can be one of them! 

So we need your help! Very few people know about red wolves. But why should you care? Let’s find out. 

We fell in love with red wolves at the NC Zoo. It was love at first sight! Just like Dale and me. (Some of you know our story of getting engaged in 8 days, in our 60s — proving it is never too late, but I digress.)

One of the most endearing things about red wolves is they generally mate for life, which is remarkable since only 3-5% of all mammals partner for life.
Another astonishing fact, the male and female care for their pups together. Again, a mere 5-10 % of father mammals help care for their offspring. Wow, we had no idea. Now you are starting to see why our endangered red wolves are so special! They are loving, caring parents who both take on the responsibility of pup rearing. 

Red wolves have such a challenging time increasing their populations because they only give birth once a year in the spring. Puppy litters range from 2 to 8, with only about 50% of the pups surviving in the wild until the age of one. 

But once born, the male brings food to the mom while she is nursing and caring for the pups. The newborns are blind and completely helpless until about 2 weeks old. After 3 weeks, the pups will start exploring their surroundings. And while it sure is tough being a pup, they love to play, horse around with each other and generally annoy their parents.

Red wolves are vital to ecosystems. Photo by Patrick Fobian on Unsplash

And to see why we love these magnificent underdogs, watch our newly released film (just 4 minutes long) “For the Love of  Red Wolves” with never before seen footage of wild pups born in the Spring of 2022. Be prepared to fall in love. 

Another thing we love about our endangered red wolves? They are the only wolves native solely to the U.S. Sure, the gray wolf is native to the U.S. but it is also found in Canada and  Mexico. So red wolves are truly American, which is why we often refer to them as America’s red wolves. An amazing treasure for our country. 

And just like the American bald eagle, if we work together, we can save them from extinction. Currently, their only population is in Eastern North Carolina, but their historical range goes from New York to South Florida and west to Texas. Today, USFWS is working hard to identify new locations where they can be reintroduced. 

As an underdog, lots of people unjustly fear wolves. So shouldn’t we be afraid? Remember Little Red Riding Hood & The Three Little Pigs? Absolutely not. They are way more afraid of us than we are of them. 

In the history of the world (and that is a very long time), not one human has ever been attacked or hurt by a red wolf.

And why are wolves important?  

We sometimes hear folks say the wolves are eating all the deer. And our response? Let’s talk. 

Recent studies show both quail and deer numbers increase when wolves are on the landscape. Hmmm. 

Why? Well, the wolves generally eat the sick and weak deer which helps keep the herds healthy. As for quail and songbirds, the wolves eat raccoons & opossums (and don’t get us wrong, we love these critters too) which feed on the bird eggs. The more eggs that hatch, the more birds. 

Even native plants benefit. Since wolves keep deer moving, they don’t overgraze the plants. As a result, native plants have a chance to flourish which also keeps the invasive species at bay.
Where red wolves live in the wild, other animals and native plants are generally healthier, keeping our ecosystem balanced. A win/win. 

For free photos, films and videos to download, see our Red Wolf Gallery. Photographers, filmmakers & red wolf partners have donated the use of their images to help you spread awareness of these magnificent animals. 

The best way you can help is to share posts on social media and tell everyone you know about red wolves. 

One way we help is by teaching students in K-12th grade about red wolves and their importance to their environment. Each student makes a red wolf head from clay to take home. To support our teaching, including buying art supplies, and learn more, please consider a donation at our website Weiler Woods for Wildlife. 

Loti Woods and Dale Weiler are the founders of Weiler Woods for Wildlife. Their mission is to inspire folks, using art and education, to become champions for wildlife’s underdogs, especially the endangered. 

How to Prevent Acne Naturally With Simple Diet Changes

When I wrote about how I cleared up my acne, so many of my followers had great questions about how what you put into your body affects your skin. I invited my friend and macrobiotic expert Christina Pirello to answer your questions with me. Here we go…

Q.Why have you cut back on nuts and how do you feel about ‘fats’ in a diet? How do you feel about adapted versions of a raw diet, with local fruits/veg/nuts/seeds rather than tropical? E.g. apples, almonds, etc.

Alicia: A little bit of natural fat is good… like olive oil and avocado, and some tahini here and there. Don’t go nuts (pun intended!). Local raw can still be bad for your skin. Eating apples and almonds is not bad, but if I was only eating raw foods (especially in the winter) then my skin would still freak out. I eat an apple or a handful of almonds occasionally, but not more than roughly one cup per week. I’ve never had a problem with my skin from eating olive oil, but if I eat a lot of nuts or nut butters, I can run into trouble. I tell my story about going raw in the intro of The Kind Diet.

Christina: While fats are good for skin and that includes nuts and nut butter and tahini, once you have skin trouble, you need to cut back on fats (not eliminate, but minimize) until the skin clears up. Anything that is inflammatory to the system (and while fat is good for us, excessive use or inappropriate use of it will turn it inflammatory) or contributes to an acidic pH, will aggravate skin conditions. So while raw nuts and fruits and avocadoes are fine in a healthy diet, they need to be minimized until the skin clears.

Q. Any advice for getting rid of acne scars, or more generally, for wound healing?

Christina: Acne scars take time, but you can minimize them and see them fade over time with some ingredients right in your kitchen! Olive oil is the most amazing treatment I have seen for acne or any other scars. Simply massage it into the affected areas 3-4 times a day. Make sure to use pure or light olive oil (which has high acidity), not extra virgin (which has low acidity and is less effective). It could take 2-3 months to see a big difference. Tea tree oil will also help reduce the scars and you can use it in the same way. Next, get some fenugreek leaves and make a paste with the leaves and olive oil to create a facial mask. Do this 2-3 times a week and you should see results in 8 weeks. You may also boil 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds in 2 cups of water for 10-15 minutes and pat it on scars when it cools down. You can do this 3-4 times a day and could take 3-4 months to see a difference. But the number one remedy for acne scars is lemon juice applied right to the scars. Do this 3-4 times a day and you should see some changes in 4-5 weeks.

Q. What do you use as a daily cleanser? I’ve been looking for a new natural cleanser.

Alicia: I use a simple cleanser like the Juice Beauty Organic Face Wash. It smells so great and feels really yummy.

Christina: I love cleansers like Alicia’s, but I alternate it with a cleanser I make in my kitchen: a gentle scrub made from brown sugar and warm water which makes a soft, exfoliating scrub that works great for my sensitive skin. You may also use salt or regular table sugar (finally a use for sugar that’s good for us…) but the brown sugar is nice for sensitive skin. If your skin is dry, use olive oil in place of the water to create the scrub. Simply add enough water to the sugar to make a gritty paste.

Q. Are there any foods that make acne worse or cause more breakouts? And what foods help clear acne?

Christina: The foods that are the worst for acne are white flour, sugar, dairy, and any other animal food. Sugar and white flour clog the pores and prevent your skin from breathing as well as increasing the skin’s production of oil. Many times, acne is caused by hormonal imbalances, so you can see why dairy foods and other animal foods are a problem for acne. Most animal products naturally contain hormones (they are animals, after all…) and since most commercially produced animal foods are treated with hormones, it’s a lose-lose…for the animals and for your skin.

Q.What are your thoughts on soy? Why is it on the “no list” now?

Alicia: Soy isn’t on my “no” list. I eat soy, but in the healthy versions… the ones that have been keeping Asian cultures alive for thousands of years with little incidence of cancer (until they were introduced to the Western diet, that is). These include all organic miso, soy sauce, and tofu. I don’t eat processed soy products except as a rare treat (like vegan ice cream), but not in my regular superhero diet.

Christina: I completely agree with Alicia on this. Soy is a great food for us, but only when it is a traditionally produced product like tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso or soy sauce…and I also agree that on occasion, foods like ice cream are fine, but those kinds of foods are occasional treats…if you want lovely skin and good health.

Q. My skin looks much more luminous on a raw diet. Do you have any idea why people react so differently to diverse diets?

Alicia: That’s great! Mine got so bad on a raw food diet. I was happy, but my acne was crazy and I got chubby. But I was happy!

Christina: Everyone is different. We are all born under different conditions; have different constitutions; different health conditions. Some people thrive on raw foods although, in my own experience, I have never seen someone (or their skin) thrive for many years. Most often, raw foods work very well for a time. They are rich in fiber and loaded with moisture and enzymes all of which are just great for skin…and also great for cleansing. Many times our skin glows on a raw diet for a time because the body is cleansing and getting plenty of moisture. If it works for now, go for it, but remain aware of how you feel and be open to adjusting your diet as your health requires.

Q. Why do non-local fruits affect the skin? Is it because tropical fruits have more sugar? Is it because local, organic fruits have more available nutrients? What if you move to a tropical island, would you still not be able to eat the fruit? Does everyone on a tropical island have acne?

Alicia: Fruits like mangos and pineapples help to cool off people in those tropical climates. It’s ideal to eat what is indigenous to your area to avoid stressing your body. When you align more with nature and the seasons, you’ll align more with yourself and your body.

Christina: Not all fruit affects our skin in a negative way, but tropical fruits have a lot of sugar, which can contribute to skin trouble if you eat a lot of it. And yes, a lot of people who live on tropical islands struggle with their skin in terms of breakouts. While tropical foods can help cool the body, that concentration of sugar can take a toll. That said, if you also eat lots and lots of dark leafy greens, you can likely enjoy some tropical fruit now and then with no consequence to your skin.

Q. Is there something you can substitute for miso soup? (Every time I have ever tried it, the smell alone makes me nauseated).

Christina: Nope. There is nothing that can do for us what miso does for us. If it makes you sick when you eat it, it’s an indication that your intestines in fact need fermented foods. So you have some choices. You can use a light amount of miso (using salt to make up the flavor) and gradually increase it until you tolerate it better. You may also use other fermented foods like sauerkraut or unpasteurized pickles to help strengthen digestion. Finally, you can take a pro-biotic to help alkalize and strengthen digestion until you can tolerate miso.

Q.I get acne all the time! Since starting the vegan diet, my acne has become worse…maybe it’s the stress. I’m not sure, but I would love for it to go away! Will try to cut back on fruit, though I love it and up my vegetable intake. All the whole grains I’ve been eating have made me gain a little weight.  Maybe I’m doing horribly on this whole balanced and healthy diet-planning thing.

Alicia: You won’t gain weight from whole grains so it’s possibly something else in your diet. Maybe the fruit? How much fruit are you eating daily?
It might be good to limit your grains to 1/2-3/4 cups at each meal instead of more. Remember to chew really well and make sure that you’re eating superhero-style and balanced. This means lots of vegetables and legumes as well!

Christina: Sounds like your diet is off-balance. You need to eat more protein in the form of beans, tofu and tempeh, less volume of grains (but still eat them) and lots and lots of veggies, and a few good quality fats like olive oil. Minimize nuts and avocadoes, and fruit and juice.

Q. What are the effects of birth control and natural alternatives to it? I have read many times that it is good to get off of birth control, but not about alternatives.

Alicia: Birth control is very intense on your body. While very effective at preventing making babies, it’s very damaging to our natural balance and is not healthy. That said, my skin was a wreck when I stopped birth control.  When I first went to see a macrobiotic counselor, she noticed how bad my acne was after going off the pill and that was how I started on a superhero diet. I’ve practiced a natural method for many years. When you practice natural birth control (sometimes referred to as “Natural Family Planning”) be aware that you could become a mama if you don’t practice it perfectly!

Christina: While birth control can help prevent unwanted pregnancies they do have an effect on our health. This is a complicated answer, so this will just scratch the surface. Preventing pregnancy with pharmaceuticals messes with your body’s natural hormonal balance and the long-term implications are far-reaching and complex. A lot of how birth control affects you depends on what you take, how often, how strong it is and your health and age when you begin taking it.
Natural alternatives exist but are not as effective as pharmaceuticals. They include: withdrawal method; knowing when you ovulate and abstaining during that time; condoms for both men and women; contraceptive herbs like wild yam, neem oil, and pomegranate can help; they are between 70-85% effective.

Q. I still get blackheads and little bumps under the skin that never turn into anything but they still annoy me. Any advice for those?

Christina: Sugar and dairy are the main causes of these blackheads, although excessive soymilk can contribute since it’s so fatty. Skipping these and other fatty foods will help, as well as scrubbing the skin (see the scrubs above). Blackheads are an accumulation of dirt and bacteria and sebum that clog the pores, so steaming your skin can also be helpful. Boil a pot of water with calendula oil in it (a few drops) and then make a tent over your head with a towel and steam your skin for 5-10 minutes. Follow the steam with a scrub and then moisturize with a natural, vegan moisturizer that will not clog pores. You can steam 2-3 times a week.

Q. I began experiencing skin problems a few months into my vegan diet. After much trial and error, I found that almond milk was the culprit. I’ve not had any problems since I’ve stopped drinking almond milk daily. I now use soy or on occasion coconut milk. Hope this helps someone who may be experiencing similar skin problems.

Alicia: Yes, too much nut butter or soy and rice milk can cause this problem too… You don’t need to necessarily cut it out completely, but don’t eat/drink a ton of it.

Christina: I am with Alicia on this one. While all the non-dairy milk and nut butter are fun and all that, it’s more important if you want great skin, hair, nails, and normal weight, that you eat whole grains, beans, and lots and lots of veggies, especially greens.

8 Ways to Supercharge Your Fitness Results, Plus a Vegan Smoothie to Help You Sleep

I’ve come to learn that there’s much more to becoming a successful athlete than simply eating and exercising—calories in, calories out. There has to be a purpose with both. There also needs to be an appreciation and understanding of how training and food impact the hormonal system and the significant value that comes with working this system to our advantage.

In my first book, Thrive, I write extensively about the destructive nature of chronically elevated cortisol levels, caused by stress. The first onset of elevated cortisol actually provides a surge of energy and even increased strength. However, soon after, if cortisol becomes chronically elevated, it turns catabolic, meaning that it will eat away at muscle and cause body fat to be stored. Clearly, this needs to be understood when building a program. Natural hormone manipulation can have a significant impact on results, and we can use that understanding to our advantage. Of course, we want to encourage our bodies to make less cortisol and more human growth hormone (HGH). After about the age of 30, our bodies naturally slow their production of HGH, which can lead to lean muscle loss, stored body fat, weaker bones, hair loss, reduced elasticity of the skin, and other general signs of aging, including slower recovery between workouts, greater inflammation, decreased range of motion, and reduced flexibility.

Fortunately, there are ways to help increase our HGH production, by way of properly designed workouts and well-timed, purposeful eating. The Thrive Fitness program of course takes this into consideration.

Here are eight natural ways we can ensure our workout and nutrition results are maximized by boosting HGH production.

1.  Perform VO2 Max Training

Training above anaerobic threshold for short bursts, which engages fast-twitch muscles, helps to produce HGH. Known as VO2 max training, this strategy is put into practice starting on page 113. Using your largest muscles, such as glutes and quads, to lift heavy weight will also release HGH. Squats and one-legged pistol squats—included in the max strength / build / afterburn workouts—are an integral part of the hormonal manipulation utilized by Thrive Fitness.

2. Have a 4:1 Carbohydrate-to-Protein Ratio Recovery Drink Immediately Following a Workout

Consuming carbs on their own will cause the hormone somatostatin to be released, which directly inhibits HGH from being produced and therefore slows recovery rate. Within about 20 minutes of completing a workout, drinking a mixture that is made up of a 4:1 carb to protein ratio will help restock glycogen stores, and the protein in the mixture will prevent insulin from spiking. This will result in HGH being produced, which will significantly speed recovery by quickly bringing the body to an anabolic state. (See pages 163–166 of Thrive Fitness for recovery drink recipe.)

3. Eat Foods That Contain Glutamine

Eating foods rich in the amino acid glutamine soon after a workout and before bed will also assist your body’s HGH production. Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, meaning the body can generate an adequate amount; however, glutamine stores become depleted when the body is under stress. Whether the stress is mental, emotional, or a result of the physical strain of exercise, glutamine levels are likely to be lower than ideal unless stress-supporting foods are a regular part of your diet. Pea protein and spinach are good sources of glutamine.

4. Spend Time Outside

Vitamin D that comes primarily from the sun helps the body produce more HGH. Even getting 30 minutes of sun exposure a day can have a clearly positive impact. Direct sunlight is best, but even if the sky is overcast, there’s still vitamin D reaching you. Having your arms and legs exposed will turn your body into a vitamin D harnessing machine.

5. Increase Melatonin Production Before Bed

Increased melatonin levels have been shown to boost HGH levels. The best way to elevate melatonin production is to limit the amount of light that enters your eyes, starting about an hour before bed. Avoiding the TV, computer, and phone for an hour before you go to sleep can significantly increase melatonin production, and in turn HGH production. Melatonin is naturally produced in readying your body for a deep sleep, but if there is too much light entering your eyes, its production won’t ramp up.

6. Consume Protein Before Bed

Consuming high-quality, complete protein before bed will boost HGH. Plant-based, alkaline-forming protein in liquid form is ideal, as it’s easier to digest and keeps inflammation down. Also, foods such as almonds, lentils, and pea protein have been shown to help the body naturally produce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which helps the body relax before bed and increases HGH production. (below, see HGH-releasing pre-bedtime smoothie recipe.)

7. Eat Foods Rich in L-arginine and L-lysine

Eating foods that are rich in the essential amino acids L-arginine and L- lysine before bed, as well as before long, less-intense workouts, will help produce HGH. L-arginine will also enhance nitrogen oxide production, which will dilate blood vessels and therefore allow more blood to be pumped throughout your body with less strain placed on the heart. This will improve performance, as well as sleep quality, in turn allowing more HGH to be produced. Walnuts and pine nuts are excellent sources of these amino acids.

8. Enable Your Body to Get High-Quality Sleep

It’s commonly said that we need eight hours of sleep a night to be in peak form. But I believe that quality is much more important than quantity. A person who sleeps only six hours may well be better rested than someone who sleeps a full eight, simply because the phase of the sleep is deeper. As I write about extensively in Thrive, reducing cortisol levels has a dramatically positive effect on enabling the body to sleep more efficiently. The deep, desirable delta phase of sleep that the body is able to reach when cortisol levels are low directly increases HGH production.

Pre-Sleep HGH-Releasing Smoothie

This smoothie is low in starch and sugar, has plenty of high-quality fat and complete protein, and is rich in L-glutamine (from pea protein), L-arginine, and L-lysine (from walnuts and pine nuts). Because of this, it will enable the body to relax before bed as well as reduce the production of HGH, which will speed the recovery process, help build lean muscle, and reduce body fat.

1 handful spinach

1⁄4 cup pine nuts

1⁄4 cup walnuts

1 (2-inch) piece cucumber

1 (2-inch) piece celery

Juice from 1⁄2 lemon

1⁄2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 scoop Vega Protein & Greens (natural flavor) (or pea protein)

3⁄4 cup water

Blend all ingredients together in a blender.

MAKES 1 SERVING.

—

Excerpted from Thrive Fitness: The Program for Peak Mental and Physical Strength – Fueled by Clean, Plant-based, Whole Food Recipes. 

About Brendan:

Brendan is the formulator and cofounder of Vega, bestselling author of the Thrive book series, creator and host of the Thrive Forward web series, and creator of the Thrive Fitness Fitplan app. He’s also a former professional Ironman triathlete and a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion. Brendan is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on plant-based performance nutrition, and therefore works with several NHL, NFL, MLB, UFC, and Olympic athletes. Brendan now invests in and works with socially responsible food & tech companies whose mandate is to fix our food system and reduce the environmental strain of food production.

Natural Remedies for When You Get Sick (Plus: How to Strengthen Your Immune System So You Don’t)

One of the most frequently asked questions we get this time of year is, “what do you do when you get sick?”I remember asking Marliee (our co-founder) this question when I started learning about food as medicine, tossing the toxins and natural remedies years ago. I also remember wondering if switching to a non-toxic lifestyle would prevent me from getting sick as often. And it did!

However, like everyone else in the world, I still get sick at least once or twice a year (and so do my kids… sometimes more frequently). At first, I thought I must be doing something wrong. But then I learned that getting the occasional cold or virus can actually help strengthen and educate our immune system. In other words: catching a “bug” now and then is a natural and beneficial part of living a healthy lifestyle! That said, it’s still no fun to be down and out. So, here’s what we do to get through uncomplicated, occasional illnesses quickly, safely, and as comfortably as possible.

Keep Your Immune System Strong

With summer over and school back in session, increased risk of exposure to cold and flu viruses is inevitable. Your best defense is to strengthen your immune system by reducing everyday stressors. Here’s how:

Use soap and water vs sanitizers to wash your hands

Soap and water do an excellent job removing germs, (instead of killing them, which is what causes them to morph into stronger germs), bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens without any unwanted side effects. We use Branch Basics Foaming Wash at home and the travel size when out and about.

[image error]Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash#TossTheToxins

Common household products with harmful ingredients like fragrance, VOCs, SVOCs, formaldehyde and pesticides all take a toll on different aspects of our immune system (lungs, lymph, liver, etc.) causing vulnerability and more weakness over time. Thus, improving indoor air quality by tossing the toxins is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health. Learn more on how to do this in our #TossTheToxins free online course.

Focus on REAL food

This means tossing the toxins in your pantry and refrigerator! Avoid foods with harmful chemicals and eat as much organic, whole, unprocessed food as possible while minimizing packaged, processed foods. We’ll have more tips on what we eat when we do get sick coming up, but you can also dive into our Food section of the Branch Basics Learning Center to read more.

Reduce screen time at night to optimize sleep

Sleep is one of the most powerful remedies for supporting your immune system. However, the artificial blue light emitted from screens suppresses the production of our master sleep hormone, melatonin, resulting in less quality sleep. If you ever needed a good reason to reduce screen time, this would be a great one! For more ways to improve your sleep, see our article 10 Tips For Healthier Sleep.

What To Do If You Get Sick

Rest as much as possible: We know this is easier said than done when you have children, a job, and other responsibilities. However, research has proven that sleep helps enhance our immune defenses by helping certain immune cells attach to their targets.1 2
Plus, it’s the world’s best stress reducer and helps quell inflammation. Try to resist the urge to scroll through your phone, bring your work to bed or even binge-watch your favorite show during this time and just surrender your body to sleep.
Tip for new moms: If you’re sick with a baby, it’s essential to call in reinforcements! Ask your partner or a close friend/family member to stay with you so you can rest between nursing and feeding sessions. According to breastfeeding experts, nursing mothers produce antibodies to the pathogens they are exposed to which get passed along to their breastmilk (wow!). This is why it’s almost always A-OK to keep nursing when you’re sick (but if you’re unsure or hesitant, check in with your doctor, midwife or lactation expert). 3 Just make sure you’re drinking lots of fluids to keep up with you and your baby’s needs.

Get outside and get grounded

If weather permits, getting outdoors isn’t just helpful for increasing vitamin D levels, but other benefits as well. We believe in the practice of grounding (aka earthing), or walking around on wet grass barefoot. This simple form of nature therapy has a long list of scientifically-proven benefits for your health. To dig in more, we suggest watching this amazing documentary on the benefits of grounding!
Grounding has so many benefits. To name a few, it improves your immune response by increasing white blood cell counts, decreases inflammation, reduces cortisol output, is good for your heart health and helps you sleep.4 How does this work? Well, when we come into direct contact with the ground there is a natural exchange of negatively-charged electrons from the earth. These electrons act as antioxidants, which neutralize excess positive electrons (from electronics, personal devices, EMFs, etc.) and provide our bodies with all the aforementioned health benefits. Check out the powerful findings of this grounding study or read Grounding: A Few Steps A Day To Transform Your Life for more information.

Eat vegetables and fruits – no meat and dairy

It’s important to listen to your body in two ways when sick – eating only when truly hungry and eating easy-to-digest, nutrient-dense foods that support healing versus suppressing it. This means we fill our plates up with plenty of vegetables, moderate amounts of vitamin-rich fruits, and no heavy foods, particularly meat and dairy (as an exception, bone broths are great). When you do have an appetite, eat the rainbow!

Easy to digest, blended vegetable soups and broths are often best when feeling sick. As you improve salads, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, squashes, greens, roasted veggies and veggie “noodles” (spiralized into soups or sauteed with garlic and a little coconut oil) are excellent foods that promote healing without compromising your body’s defenses.
As for fruit, organic, sugar-free, additive-free applesauce and fresh melons, citrus, bananas, pineapple, papaya, and berries all supply helpful vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, prebiotic fibers, and natural sugars that bolster immunity and refuel your liver’s vital glycogen stores.

Eat extra greens!

Leafy greens like kale, collards, turnip greens, dandelion greens and lettuce support immunity two ways:

They are powerhouses of immune-enhancing minerals and vitamins C, K, selenium, antioxidants and enzymes. Microgreens actually contain up to 40 times more healing nutrients than fully-grown vegetables!5New research has shown that leafy greens and other green veggies like brassicas are the source of a chemical signal critical to functional immunity. They work by ensuring that immune cells in the gut and the skin known as intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) function properly.6Try raw garlic

Garlic is an extremely powerful antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-fungal. Plus it’s good for your heart and blood sugar, both of which can be affected during acute illness.7 Since the freshness, chemical composition, and purity of garlic supplements varies widely from brand to brand, it’s best to eat organic, raw garlic.
Fresh garlic is pungent, but by consuming it this way you’ll get all the benefits of its whole food components including the oils, enzymes, antioxidants, and concentrated allicin – the active component that makes garlic so medicinal.
Here are 7 ways to make raw garlic palatable, and possibly even downright tasty!:

Grate and/or mince garlic, and mix it with raw honey. Ingest like cough syrup.Chop up garlic and swallow it whole, like you would a supplement.Hold a crushed clove in your cheek, especially if you have a sore throat. This can work wonders to reduce the pain and other symptoms of a cold!Mince garlic and ginger together and add lemon and raw honey to make a tea.Eat it pickled or fermented – just make sure it’s been naturally picked or lactofermented, as in no vinegar added, for greatest medicinal benefit.Throw some minced garlic in your greens, potatoes or soup.Make garlic lemonade! I discovered this recipe whilst researching natural remedies for clogged milk ducts (too much raw garlic can be no bueno for nursing infants) and it was delicious and effective. It’s great for kids too and anyone who can’t quite stomach whole garlic. Find the recipe at birthstream.com! It’s delicious and warm, too.

If your kids won’t eat raw garlic, try making garlic socks! Before bed, grate and/or crush garlic and mix it with a little olive or coconut oil. Then, put the mixture on the bottom of a pair of socks. Cut a strip of an old cotton rag to wrap gently around the garlic and foot and pull on the socks!  You can also just put garlic on the bottom of the foot and pull on socks. Within seconds you can smell garlic on the breath, which shows how the skin uptakes whatever it comes into contact with… Crazy!

Drink Bieler’s broth, healing soups and fresh juices

Bieler’s broth is a classic healing elixir created by Dr. Henry G. Bieler, a prominent figure in the early days of alternative medicine. This broth is touted for its ability to alkalize the body, support detoxification pathways, and supply vital immune-fortifying nutrients. You can find the original Bieler’s Broth recipe here.
Carrot, ginger, and turmeric soup is also a lovely combination of super-healing foods and expectorant, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory spices. Here’s a quick recipe:

Sautee onions, carrots, garlic and celery until softAdd in fresh ginger and fresh or dried turmeric to taste. The more the better, but make sure it tastes good enough to eat as turmeric is very earthy.Add water or bone brothSimmer until tenderBlend until smoothSeason with Himalayan pink salt or sea salt to taste, and enjoy!

Organic, fresh vegetable juices are also great sources of nutrients and can have a cooling effect if you have access to a juicer. Here are some of the best items to juice:

Carrots are a great choice for their high beta carotene content. Their natural sweetness can give you a boost of energy.Celery packs a detoxification punch and is high in minerals, natural sodium, potassium, and vitamins C and K.Cucumber is cooling for fevers and contains potassium, vitamins C and K, and silica.Ginger has proven antiviral and anti-bacterial benefits and is particularly good for upper respiratory infections and excess mucous8

You can also add some fruit to your juices, but keep them predominantly vegetable-based. Fruits like papaya and pineapples contain enzymes like bromelain9 that can help break up mucus and aid coughing. Citrus fruits are high in immune-boosting vitamin C and antioxidants and melons are cooling and hydrating.

Take extra Vitamin C, D and zinc

The best way to get vitamins and minerals is to eat organic whole foods. However, agricultural practices have greatly depleted our soil, so supplementation with micronutrient dense food-based supplements can be beneficial, not only as a preventative but especially when faced with illness.
Vitamin C helps bolster immunity by supporting your innate and adaptive immune system. As an antioxidant, it helps reduce inflammation and free radical damage – both of which increase when you are ill. It has been shown effective in preventing and helping address acute upper respiratory infections (especially when combined with zinc).10 11 Since it’s been shown that acute infections will rapidly deplete vitamin C, larger doses are most effective when you’re sick. 12
For best results, choose a whole foods-based vitamin C such as Garden of Life Vitamin C and PRL Vitamin C. Check with your doctor for dosage. It’s also a great idea to eat vitamin C-rich foods such as mangoes, peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits, and brussels sprouts.

Photo by Tandem X Visuals on Unsplash

Vitamin D (aka “the sunshine vitamin”) is critical for maintaining immune function 13 and helping you heal faster. It modulates the innate and adaptive immune system and deficiencies are associated with a greater risk of infection. The best way to get your daily dose is to expose yourself to sunshine without sunscreen. Try sitting out in a lounge chair while drinking a nice cup of tea or lemon water. For best absorption, experts recommend going out for 20-30 minutes at high noon when the sun is strongest.
Finally, zinc is very effective for fighting off colds and flu. It can help soothe sore throats when taken as a lozenge or liquid and plenty of studies have shown it can significantly shorten the duration and severity of the common cold when taken within 24 hours of symptoms.
You can supplement with Vitamin D3/K2 if desired. Vitamin D3/K2 has been shown more effective in raising blood levels than D3 alone.15 Vitamin K2 acts as a synergistic nutrient, shuttling the calcium that D3 frees up to your bones.16 17 Zinc is also responsible for supporting a normal sense of taste and smell.18 The National Academy of Sciences Engineering Medicine suggests the safe daily upper limit is 40 mg, though the studies on zinc and colds suggest even 13-14 mg daily is enough.19 If you’re unsure, check with your doctor or practitioner.  Here is a whole foods based zinc option.

Consider taking Quinton Isotonic

This seawater liquid mineral supplement gives the cells a highly bioavailable mineral-rich bath. It supports recovery from fatigue, reduces inflammation, supports the body’s ability to eliminate infections and is like liquid gold for your biological terrain! Take one vial before bed on an empty stomach for more restful sleep.

Take a detox bath

We’ve covered this at-length in Our Favorite Detox Baths article, but below are the cliff notes.
Fill a tub with very warm water, as warm as you can comfortably enjoy based on your body temperature. Plan on 10-40 minutes to soak. Get out of the tub slowly in case of dizziness. If you get dizzy whilst in the tub, slowly cool it down by adding cold water and get out very slowly.
Add in any of the following to boost detoxification and speed healing:

2-3 cups epsom salts2 cups epsom salts + 2 cups baking soda (cut this recipe in half if you have eczema or any other skin condition/rash as it may cause irritation.1 cup epsom salts + 1 cup baking soda + 1 cup sea salt

For fevers, we love iodine baths. These should be taken at lukewarm temperature to prevent overheating:

1 cup sea salt or Morton’s Pickling Salt + ¼ cup iodine (like liquid potassium iodide).Soak for 20-40 minutes for adults and 10-30 minutes for children.Most importantly: listen to your body and get help if you need it!

When we nourish, detoxify, destress and take care of ourselves regularly, common illnesses usually pass quickly and uneventfully. However, if your symptoms become severe (shortness of breath, fainting, bleeding or extreme pain) or you just can’t get back on your feet after a reasonable amount of time, be sure to seek medical attention. And if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, always consult your doctor or midwife about the best way to care for yourself.
Blessings of health and healing as we move into this new phase of the year together!

4 Foods That Are Toxic For Trying or Expecting Mamas

Most women think of pregnancy as a total departure from normal life, like it’s some kind of nine-month-long excuse to wear fat pants. But all those pints of ice cream and pepperoni pizzas will probably come with a side of hemorrhoids, varicose veins, swollen feet, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Not to mention the impact on your baby.

That’s because filling your diet with nasty foods is the quickest way to derail balance in your body. If your system is busy doing damage control after mealtimes, then it’ll be too short-staffed to get to the really important stuff like making a cleaner, safer, healthier place for your baby to live.

Meat, dairy, and processed foods are tracking toxic sludge through your baby’s house. They’re clogging your arteries, raising your blood pressure, and pumping you full of cholesterol, toxins, hormones, and antibiotics that you don’t need.

Nasty Food #1: Meat

Unlike true carnivores (think big jungle cats with big, pointy teeth), whose short intestinal tracts allow for much faster input-output when we humans eat meat, it gets to spend time on the 98.6-degree-Fahrenheit lazy river of our insides—up to 72 hours, to be exact. And what’s it doing in those 72 hours? It’s rotting. That’s three days that a decomposing piece of flesh is sharing a bunk bed with your baby! Yes, it’s being dealt with by your digestive system, but while that meat is taking days and days to break down, it’s leaching a noxious cocktail of hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, pollutants, bacteria, and viruses into your body.

Fish isn’t much better. The tons of garbage floating in the oceans slowly break down into snack-size particles for little plankton-eating fish. And when those little fish become dinner for the big fish—which we in turn eat—they’re passing on not only mercury but also organochlorines, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other environmental toxins that are known to be major offenders in fertility, increasing the risk of endometriosis and altering hormonal function.

Yes, omega-3 fatty acids (found in some fish) are good at lowering the risk of heart disease, improving blood vessel function, and improving the overall health of people with diabetes, but we can also get these health benefits from omega-3-rich sources like walnuts, chia, hemp, and flaxseeds, without any of the fishy stuff.

Nasty Food #2: Dairy

Dairy, like meat, is full of unwanted surprises. With the approval of the FDA and USDA, many farmers use growth hormones to rev up milk production and antibiotics to treat the frequent infections cows get from being tethered to milking machines three times a day with no fresh air, and feed them livestock grains that are doused with any number of purposely life-killing compounds.

I know milk seems like a healthy staple of our diet—I mean, most of us grew up drinking a glass with dinner. But the truth is, most humans never tasted any milk besides breast milk for almost all of human history. Cow’s milk is a fairly recent addition to a majority of our diets, thanks to industrialized agriculture. Besides, no other mammal quenches its thirst for the milk of another species.

Nasty Food #3: Sugar

Sugar is bad for the baby house and bad for you. It causes inflammation, can lead to diabetes, and is linked to cancer. But let’s think about the most obvious point of all: Sugar makes you feel like garbage.

If you’re caught in the sugar-craving hamster wheel, consider this: Refined sugar is really bad for the baby house. The Nurses’ Health Study found that eating too many simple carbohydrates can lower your chance of getting pregnant. And if you do manage to get pregnant, according to a Norwegian study, continuing to consume large amounts of refined sugar puts you at an increased risk for high blood pressure, which can endanger the baby.

Plants are not without their unprocessed sweet rewards, and after you give your poor taste buds a break from the white sugar assault, you won’t believe how utterly satisfying something as simple as a bowl of ripe berries can be.

Nasty Food #4: Processed Food

Believe me, I know the allure of a quick-and-easy meal or snack snapped off the grocery store shelf. But food that comes in a box or bag, that has a mile-long list of ingredients, and that can sit unrefrigerated for days is not the “kind food” we’re talking about.

Yes, there might be whole grains or even kale listed on the side of the box. But chances are, during its factory-processed life, those good bits were souped up with hidden sugars and fats and a scary mix of preservatives and additives that are suspected to be carcinogenic, contributors to obesity and heart disease, and seriously detrimental to the health of your developing baby.

If you’ve gotten to the end of this article and are freaking out about a lifetime spent eating these foods take a deep breath, deliciousness awaits you – trust me!! The human body is incredibly resilient. It wants to heal and be healthy! By beginning to make cleaner, kinder choices now, you can give your body the opportunity to be the amazing little machine it was meant to be. 

Check out The Kind Mama for more information & seriously delicious recipes.

Vegan Roasted Cauliflower, Leek, and Chickpea Pasta With Pepper Cream Sauce

Whip up these easy, vegan pasta dish with pepper cream sauce, chickpeas, and roasted vegetables.

I just can’t get down with that no-carb life! So if you, too, are all about comforting warmer meals then this post is for you. There’s no dairy required to get a creamy, yummy texture in this pasta dish.

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
3 leeks
5 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 lb. of pasta such as fusilli
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Roasted Pepper Cream Sauce

1-1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy, almond, etc.)
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1 roasted sweet red pepper, skin and seeds removed
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 to 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.

2. Remove hard woody stems from cauliflower and chop into small florets. Remove outer stalks of leeks and slice into thin rings. Wash sliced leeks thoroughly in a bowl of water and let them float to the top. Scoop leeks out, leaving water and any sediment behind and drain well.

3. Toss cauliflower, leeks and garlic cloves with skins on in olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake on a sheet pan for 25-30 minutes until browned and fork tender. Remove garlic cloves to be used in the sauce.

4. While veggies are roasting, prepare the sauce. In a blender add milks, cooked rice, roasted red pepper, nutritional yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and blend until smooth and creamy. When garlic is done roasting, remove skins then add it to sauce and puree until smooth.

5. Cook pasta al dente in boiling salted water according the package directions.

6. While pasta cooks, pour sauce into a large deep-sided skillet and heat on lowest setting, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water then drain pasta and add it to the pan. Fold in roasted cauliflower and leeks and chickpeas. Add reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary.

7. Remove from heat and fold in chopped parsley. Optionally garnish with lemon zest and/or toasted pine nuts.

Serve immediately. Keep leftovers covered in fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat with a little milk to loosen sauce and serve or serve cold as a pasta salad.

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About Kaity

Kaity Farrell is a private chef, food blogger, artisan and mother based on the island of Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts. Her blog Fare Isle, focuses on seasonal, plant-based, whole food recipes that are easily accessible for families and anyone who wants to cook more plant-based meals at home.

Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Croquettes

Black-eyed peas are a New Year’s Day staple. But they’re also good for you and the planet every other day of the year, too. Did you know that 2016 was proclaimed “International Year of the Pulses” by the United Nations? Pulses include crops such as dry peas, chickpeas, lentils, and beans.

Not only are pulses protein and fiber-packed, and full of nutritious goodness, but they also have the lowest carbon footprint of any food group. These guys are natural fertilizers, enriching the soil where they grow reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. They use just ten percent of the water of other protein sources. (It takes roughly 800-1,800 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while it only takes 43 gallons to produce 1 pound of pulses.) From a diet, environmental, and economic perspective (cost per serving of lentils is $.10 vs. $1.49 for beef) it’s no doubt that pulses deserve some serious recognition.

So in honor of these plant powerhouses, I’m excited to share this delicious vegan black-eyed pea recipe for your New Year’s Day or any other day.

These croquettes get crispy in the hot oil, but the insides stay moist so they’re crunchy and satisfying. Although barley malt is the best for the glaze, if you can’t get your hands on it, use rice syrup.

Makes 12 medium-size croquettes, serves 4

Ingredients
2 cups black-eyed peas, soaked overnight in water to cover (**do not cook them**)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon shoyu
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups safflower oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup barley malt syrup or rice syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions
Drain the soaked uncooked beans and transfer to a food processor. Add the parsley or cilantro, salt, shoyu, and cumin. Blend until the beans are chopped to fine shreds, but don’t blend them to a pulp. The mixture will be slightly wet but should hold together. Form the bean mixture into something between football and UFO-shaped croquettes in the palms of your hands.

Heat 1″ of oil in a cast-iron skillet to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. To test the oil, drop a tiny amount of croquette mixture. If it bubbles furiously and rises to the top, the oil is ready. Do no let the oil get so hot that it smokes. You may need to make little adjustments to the heat under the oil throughout the cooking process to avoid burning croquettes.

Place 4 croquettes in the oil and fry for about 4 minutes on each side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried croquettes to a plate lined with paper towels or a paper grocery bag to drain.

To make the dipping sauce, stir together the barley malt syrup and mustard in a small saucepan. Warm the sauce over low heat until it bubbles.

Serve the croquettes while still hot. Drizzle with the dipping sauce or serve it alongside the croquettes in individual dipping bowls.
Enjoy!

This post was brought to you by the American Pulse Association

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Bust Out the Bubbly, But Make Sure It’s Vegan

Champagne is the traditional alcoholic beverage to serve on New Year’s Eve, and if you’re planning to imbibe, you may be surprised to learn that not all Champagne is vegan. Some Champagne, like other wine, is processed with fining agents, which can include products such as casein (milk protein), gelatin, fish bladders, and egg white.

Because these fining agents aren’t ingredients but part of the winemaking process, brands aren’t required to disclose their use on labeling. If you want to be sure your Champagne or bubbly is truly free from animal products, check out Barnivore.com, for an extensive list of vegan spirits, beer, and wine.

For your New Year’s Eve Champagne these five are vegan:

1. Möet Chandon
2.  Domaine Ste. Michelle
3.  Korbel
4.  Veuve Clicquot (Thank God this one is free of nasty stuff! I can’t remember the last time I had a glass of champagne… it must have been years… but I remember loving this one.)
5.  Piper Heidsieck

Happy Winter Solstice! It’s Time to Go Within

It is now full-blown Winter!

I love the Fall, when the weather first starts to change, the smells and the feeling in the air…and then, when Winter starts to really settle in…so cozy!

It’s weird at first how it gets dark so early, and sometimes this may cause us to feel depressed, worry, give into our fears, or just feel a bit out of sorts. All of this is totally natural in the Winter.

The key is to keep warm, nourish your soul and feed your spirit with all of the love that you have in your life. Relax and practice patience, and remember that after this beautiful, darker time of the year, Spring is just around the corner! But for right now, be present and enjoy the time that Winter allows for us to go deep inside, heal and take care of ourselves.

Nature naturally provides us with warming foods for the wintertime, foods such as root vegetables. These winter foods help balance out the season, store energy, and strengthen yourself. The way you cook during this season can also help seal in warm energy, comfort, and healing. Cooking long and slow meals, like hearty soups, or using a pressure cooker are perfect for this time of year. You might also find yourself going heavier than usual on oil, baking, or deep-frying. — don’t freak out, this is ok! Your body is trying to keep you warm, so in moderation, these actions are totally appropriate.

The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and the lowest point of the sun. As of today, each day grows longer until June 21st. The actual word ‘solstice’ translates to “sun stands still” since during each year’s two solstices (winter and summer) the sun appears to halt in its gradual journey across the sky. But it can mean more than that in other cultures. Many cultures around the world (both modern & historical) recognize the Winter Solstice as a rebirth of the sun. Traditionally, people B.C. would participate in some sort of nature ceremony to give thanks for the abundance of the summer and fall seasons, as well as celebrate the sun’s return.Since this day is about celebration, rebirth, and nourishing yourself, I hope you take the time to go within and celebrate your kind journey. Almost any kind of nature-based celebration is a great way to honor the return of the light. Take a little celebratory walk at sunset, moon gaze by a fire,  or take a special bath.

From Sides to Sweets: The Best Vegan Christmas Recipes

The kind recipe gallery is full of delicious vegan Christmas recipes. Whether cooking for a crew or an intimate dinner, here are some great holiday-inspired plant-based recipes to try:

Side Dishes

Wild Rice Cornbread Stuffing
 Cuban Style Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Maple Roasted Lotus Root, Sunchokes and Leek
Pumpkin Lentil Soup

EntreesTal Ronnen’s “Chicken” Scaloppini Seitan in Balsamic Wine Reduction
Caroline’s Divine Tomato SauceLentil Loaf

 

DessertsDreamy Pear Trifle
Berry PieMississippi Vegan’s Apple Rose Tart
Coconut Whipped Cream

 

Beverages

Hot Apple Cider
For more beverages, check Barnivore

Of course, The Kind Diet has lots of additional recipes that are perfect for Christmas dinner as well.  Happy Cooking!