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With a busy week ahead filled with school, work, or kids, meal planning can feel like an extra burden. You already have so much to think about and having one more item might make you explode. Through my own journey I have found two things to be key: planning and taking small steps. If you can’t plan a whole week, try planning for a day or two.  Biggest nutrient bang for your buck  Plant foods are going to be the biggest bang for your buck nutrient wise. There are a few plant

Salicylic acid is a compound produced by aspirin but also found commonly in plant-based foods. Salicylic acid may be higher in organic foods when plants are creating more of their own defense hormones against pests, including salicylic acid . A meta-analysis concluded that aspirin taken daily protects one from cancer deaths . Many plant foods naturally contain salicylic acid with herbs and spices having the highest amounts this may explain why India has very low colorectal ca

I tried making a baked dish using oats and lentils, and there was only one little being that appreciated it - our dog Rio. In my opinion his opinion is the only one that matters. I was also happy there was a healthy treat he did indeed like and thought to share it. Lentil Banana Oat Bake Ingredients 1 cup lentils 1 large ripe banana 3 dates (pitted) 1 cup oats 1 cup non-dairy milk (plus more if needed) 1 tablespoon baking powder Optional: fresh fruit for topping Instructions

Trataka mediation is the process of staring into the flame of a candle continuously. It allows the mind to become more focused on a single task and go into a heightened state of awareness . Studies show this type of meditation may improve spatial and working memory. Along with a reduction in mind wandering and visual strain . One potential way trataka leads to these benefits is by impacting intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC). Another pathway that trat

Ingredients 1 cup soy milk (or other milk of choice) 1 cup spinach 1 cup kale 1/2 cup frozen berries 1 ripe banana 1 tablespoon hemp seeds 1 tablespoon flax seeds 1 tablespoon chia seeds 1 inch of ginger 1 tablespoon of cacao powder 1 tablespoon of wheat germ Instructions Place kale, spinach, berries, banana, hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, ginger and soy milk into a blender and blend. Add more milk as preferred. Top with wheat germ and enjoy!

Starting Plant Based  When first trying to go plant based, figuring out what to eat can be a bit of confusion. Am I getting the right nutrients? What vegetables are even out there? Can I afford it? Mindset Shift - when trying to become more plant based (or really anything) key mindset shifts play a paramount role to long term success.  Don’t sweat failure. If you are trying to go plant based and keep falling off the meal plan routine, don’t sweat it! The best way to stick to

Milk is a fascinating topic, because it is the main source of nutrients for many species when they are young. Milk content varies from species to species to meet the specific needs of newborns. This raises a lot of questions. What is in milk that makes some species grow so fast? Why doesn’t a mother produce milk indefinitely for her children?  What happens when one species drinks the milk of another species?  What’s in Dairy Milk?  Along with vitamins and minerals, dairy milk

Your gut is super important. It is where roughly 90 percent of the body’s serotonin is made. The neurotransmitter responsible for that blissed out feeling. Specifically enterochromaffin cells (EC) produce serotonin and is concentrated in the Enteric Nervous System ( ENS ) also sometimes known as the second gut. Your gut microbiome plays a role in this process by producing TPH1, which signals for EC cells to generate serotonin .  Negative emotions while eating can physically c

Shockingly, visible signs of aging can be 90% due to sun rays with those of lighter skin . Research shows that those in a group that were using sunscreen consistently had significantly less skin aging . The application of sunscreen is very important and is no joke to reduce skin cancer and skin aging. I encourage you to read the following article, check out the linked sources, and to do your own research on the science of sunshine! The Rays of Sunshine  The commonly well know

This is a brief description on research between animal products and breast cancer. As always, be sure to read the research papers and draw your conclusions from there.  Research has shown that countries with the highest milk drinkers also have the highest rates of breast cancer .  In 2015, it was found that more breast cancer rates developed in the presence of Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV). The DNA of this virus was found plentifully in the breast tissues with those who had bre

Many vegan dishes can taste just like meat and that is where Chicken of the Woods comes in. Chicken of the Woods is actually Laetiporus sulphureus a type of mushroom. It can be yellow or orange and grows on tree trunks and is common throughout the world. It is also nutritionally dense and protein packed . Research has also shown them to be antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer. Here is a recipe below. Be sure to cook the mushroom thoroughly. Golden Pan-Pressed Chicken o

A little bit of stress can go a long way in the plant kingdom. We put our bodies through stress when exercising and fasting and we see the benefits of it. What if you could delegate the job to plants? During a plant’s lifetime they will go through many stressors. They don’t have legs, so plants develop a lot of biological resistance to invaders and harsh environmental conditions. Vitamins and antioxidants we ingest were produced by plants for their own survival. (Gregor, 509-

The United States Department of Agriculture defines organic as “[a] labeling term that refers to an agricultural product produced in accordance with the [The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990] and the regulations in this part .” There are different labeling and standards as well which we will address near the end of the article.  The questions this article addresses: What are the nutritional differences between organic and nonorganic foods?  What are the antioxidant differ

The brief description about soapnuts is to highlight the cool aspects of mother nature! If you are going to use soapnuts be sure to do your own thorough research and take a look at the link provided.  Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn also known as soapnuts, soapberries, washnuts, or reetha. The plant is usually grown in Asia including China, Japan, India, Bengal, and Pakistan. Washnuts are a tree that within the fruits, galls, and roots of this plant are triterpenoid saponins. These

Traveling can be just a grand time. A time for adventure, relaxation, friends and family, and amazing food. Sometimes it can be difficult to organize - or even care - that your body is getting the nutrients it needs, which is why we wrote this comprehensible post on tips and tricks you could implement to boost your nutrient game on vacation. Of course, talk to your doctor about proper supplementation based on your specific dietary needs.  The Seed Supplement Nuts and seeds ar

Date, tahini, wheat germ bites  Zinc = 3.17 mg Ingredients  3 pitted dates  1 tablespoon tahini - 1 mg 1 tablespoon hemp seeds - .99 mg  1 tablespoon wheat germ - 1.18 mg Directions:  Place the dates onto a baking sheet or plate  Scoop out one teaspoon of tahini and place it on top of each date  Sprinkle on top hemp seeds and wheat germ and voilà!  Green pea hummus blast Zinc = 2.5 mg  1½  cup cooked green peas - 1.42 mg ¼ cup hummus - 1.08 mg  ¼ teaspoon salt  ¼ teaspoon tur

Hemp seeds shine when it comes to nutritional value. Hemp seeds are actually from the same plant species as marijuana, the plant Cannabis sativa . Don’t be alarmed though. They are from a variety of Cannabis sativa that only produces trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp seeds are also not the part of the plant where THC is produced which is in the inflorescences. Hemp seeds do contain phytic acid, tannins and protease inhibitors all of which could potentially inh

Our body naturally produces some spermidine, with the help of the amino acid arginine, but it decreases as we age. (Greger, 2023, p. 29). By the time we are in our fifties, Spermidine decreases by more than half. (Greger, 2023, p. 29). Spermidine can also be produced by our gut bacteria. (Greger, 2023, p. 29). Just another reason among the many of why it is important to take care of our gut! Trust your gut feeling! Fun fact - over 90% of serotonin, the mood stabilizing hormon

Why take spermidine (Why is spermidine good for you?) In essence, spermidine impacts longevity. Compared to other rodents, naked mole rats live 10-20 years longer, living for a long time without visual aging signs (Greger, 2023, p. 29). This animal has also shown to have high levels of spermidine throughout their life, as found in human centenarians (Greger, 2023, p. 29).  To answer this question let’s look at the science of aging. There are multiple different pathways to agi

Flaxseed serving size, side effects and more! Flaxseed - Tiny but Might! Flaxseeds come from this beautiful purple flower plant called  Linum usitatissimum . This beautiful plant comes with seeds that are extremely powerful. Just how powerful you ask? That was put to the test in a hypertension study.  In the trial one group was given placebo ground flaxseeds and the other one actual ground flaxseeds. After six months the group eating actual flaxseeds showed a blood pressure d