Most people learned about pH in school. The difference between acids and bases can be shown on Ph Test Strips (affiliate link). It was fun to discover where certain liquids would fall on the scale. What most people don’t learn is how important pH is to your health. Did you know your pH could be making if more difficult to lose weight?
The optimal pH level is between 7.2-7.4. “pH (potential of hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14—the lower the pH the more acidic the solution, the higher the pH the more alkaline (or base) the solution. When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has a pH of 7 which is neutral.” (Natural Health School)read more
Are you ready to embark on a culinary adventure that’s equal parts delicious and delightful? We’re diving into the mouthwatering world of ground turkey curry on pita bread—a fusion of flavors that’s sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more. Whether you’re a seasoned chef looking to spice up your weeknight dinners or a kitchen novice eager to explore new flavors, this recipe has something special in store for you. So grab your apron and get ready to whip up a dish that’s as easy to make as it is satisfying to eat. Let’s dive in and discover the magic of ground turkey curry on pita bread together!read more
This healthy low carb Chicken a la King recipe is great for a family comfort meal that is full of flavor and healthy ingredients too. With noodles make from squash, you can really keep the carbs low without giving up on taste!
Angela of Grassfed Mama shares healthy tips for busy moms.
Low Carb Comfort Meals
When I was first married, I would spend hours searching for recipes in my cookbooks that my family either bought for me or handed down so I would have endless meal ideas as a newlywed. After my personal health scare, we drastically changed our diets and most of the recipes in those cookbooks no longer fit into our eating plan. I love using some of my older recipes to give me inspiration to update them to make them not only healthier to eat, but low carb too. Enter in Healthy Low Carb Chicken a la King: read more
We’re about to embark on a little morning ritual that could revolutionize your oral health game – oil pulling! Picture this: a simple, natural practice that not only kicks off your day with a burst of freshness but also pampers your pearly whites in ways you never thought possible. In this blog post, we’re unraveling the why behind oil pulling and how dedicating a few minutes each morning to this ancient oral tradition can leave you grinning from ear to ear. So, grab your favorite oil, cue the morning sunshine, and let’s explore the world of oil pulling for a happier, healthier smile! read more
Berries are a love of mine. I love how naturally sweet they are. I love that they are a low glycemic food. I love that you can even grow your own at home. I used to have 3 blueberry bushes… Maybe I should plant some at my new house.
I was starting to dream (I dream about food mostly) about a berry dessert that was egg free, gluten free, and dairy free. It took a little time, but finally was able to create this beautiful dessert.
The Crust
This crust is surprisingly easy to make. You throw everything into your food processor and blend it all together.read more
Everyone always is asking what to buy for their baby’s birthday or special occasions. Sometimes it is hard to know what are the best toys out there for different developmental ages. Right now Annaleigh is 8 months old and so much fun. At 6 months, she just starting to really have fun and play. It was a whole new world for her to explore! We have tested out these toys. I wanted to share her favorite ones.
Here are my top picks toys for 6 month olds:
1) Exersaucer
Annaleigh loves that she can sit up and play in her exersaucer. She enjoys being about to look around the room and watch Aidalyn run around. The exersaucer also gives her a chance to use her newly developed head control and work towards sitting up by strengthening her core muscles.
2) Easy to Grab Toys
Annaleigh is all about being about to hold toys in her hands. The perfect toys for this age are the ones with fun colors and lots of small things to catch her attention. The easier for them to hold onto, the less picking up you will have to do. Annaleigh loves toys that make gentle noises like rattles and crinkle sounds.
Here are some examples of grab-able toys:
3) Toys that Grow with your Child
It is no new idea that kids grow fast. Toys that can adapt to their growing body and abilities are the best because they will last as an engaging toy. Soon these babies will be sitting up then crawling and eventually running circles around you!
Here are some toys that grow that I personally love:
4) Toys to Chew
Teething is a common woe to 6 month olds. They want to chew on anything and everything they can get their teeth on! Even if it isn’t designed to be chewed on, babies will find a way to soothe their gums.
Sophie the Giraffe Teether (affiliate link) was a gift from a friend. I had seen Sophie before, but didn’t have one with Aidalyn. Annaleigh doesn’t take a paci, but she just seems to enjoy chewing on Sophie. I think she will be a great toy to have as we continue to teethe.
Here are some toys that are designed to be chewed on:
6 months is such a fun age. They start growing out of the itty bitty stage and are really to really develop in speech and motor.
I love watching Annaleigh learn and discover. She is so close to sitting up on her own. Even at 8 months, she will balance for a few seconds and then fall over. She wants to crawl so badly too. She is sort of scooting and rolling everywhere she wants to go.
This is a simple and delicious recipe to make a low carb cheeseburger cauliflower casserole. You can limit the carbs without losing the taste!
Angela of Grassfed Mama shares healthy tips for busy moms.
Cheeseburger Cauliflower Casserole
As a kid, I loved eating Mac and Cheese. During the summer, my brother and me would live off of mac and cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches. This recipe is low carb and gluten free which makes it the perfect substitution for my childhood cravings.
We love cauliflower at our house. It is one vegetable that you can make into almost anything. I saw a recipe recently using cauliflower to make a cheese sauce that looked amazing.read more
The children’s lunch included: meat, potatoes, carrot, milk, and an orange. Under the school’s “balanced” guidelines, a parent is supposed to pack: 1 milk, 1 meat, 1 grain, and 2 fruits and vegetables. This mom actually packed an extra vegetable – a starch (the potato) – which is by far better than a Ritz cracker.
Adapted from http://www.flickr.com/photos/buzzymelibee/8696769797/
What is in a Ritz Cracker?
Ritz cracker ingredients: Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Sugar, Raising Agents (Ammonium and Sodium Bicarbonates, Disodium Diphosphate), Salt, Glucose Syrup, barley Malt Flour. The crackers have more sugar than a potato and include vegetable oil (which is not a health food, read about healthy fats here). This doesn’t sound very healthy or balanced to me. If the school plans to routinely supplement children’s meals with Ritz crackers for health and nutritional reasons… they may need to rethink their plan.
The school should widen it’s view of a “balanced” lunch. They possibly should eliminate the need to include grains entirely, because you can eat a balanced meal without eating grains. The school could offer one of the foods in the 4 food groups list to supplement a meal, if their goal is health. If the school continues to require grains to be included in the school lunch, parents could send my Almond flour Cheese Crackers (shhh they are grain free). These gluten free crackers are easy to make. They are grain-free, gluten-free and have good healthy saturated fats (one of the 4 food groups all kids need).
Have you met my friend Greek Yogurt yet? No. Well, then you are in for a treat! Greek Yogurt is one of the most versatile foods.
Greek Yogurt is strained yogurt leaving a protein packed, thick and rich dairy left. It is very different in texture than regular yogurt. It is rich and creamy… so good!
It is also healthy, because a good quality Greek yogurt will contain strains of beneficial bacteria that helps with your digestion. Since Greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt, it helps keep you full longer and keep blood sugar levels stable. It is also lower in lactose, so it has fewer carbs.
Here are just a few swaps you can make with Greek Yogurt. It saves refrigerator space and calories sometimes. read more
I just became familiar with the benefits of drinking green tea and Matcha green tea. I love Match green tea powder because it is very easy to add into recipes.
I started drinking tea after I visited Hong Kong for 2 weeks with my husband and my sister’s family. While we were there, we were able to visit an active monastery.
Po Lin Monastery and the Largest Outside Seated Bronze Buddha (Tian Tan Buddha) are located on Lan Tau Island. This experience was probably one of the highlights of the trip. We were able to see the importance of tea in the culture of the area.
Matcha is a traditional drink of the Monks in Japan. Although not the same area, thinking about how tea is used in ceremonies makes me want to go back to Hong Kong again and relive some of those memories.
Drinking tea can be a wonderful addition to your health journey. I share on Whole New Mom the 7 Reasons Why You should be drinking Matcha Green Tea.
(affiliate link) was a gift from a friend. I had seen Sophie before, but didn’t have one with Aidalyn. Annaleigh doesn’t take a paci, but she just seems to enjoy chewing on Sophie. I think she will be a great toy to have as we continue to teethe.
