That’s probably a little much, huh? Describing a farmer’s market as magical might make it seem like I’m losing grip a bit, but I swear that it was. It was a great atmosphere where everyone was as passionate as I am about healthy, natural foods. Even the bakers there use only fresh berries they grew themselves to make their beautiful pies! I felt really connected to the foods I was trying, and the people that grew them.

So what did I walk away with? Blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries, kale, heirloom tomatoes, beautiful handmade soap, vegetarian baked beans (OMG), local free range eggs (sold by kids who were farm more excited about eggs than I’ve ever seen anyone), homemade cinnamon bread, raspberry jam, and more.

And what am I going to do with all of this?

For the berries – no cooking, just enjoying!

The goosberries – what I don’t munch on, I’m tempted to make a gooseberry fool with local, raw cream!

Heirloom Tomatoes – I have a nice loaf of crusty parmesan and garlic bread. Add fresh basil and a slice of provolone – fresh tomato sandwich (it’s the simple things in life…)

Kale – I just got a juicer, and have been juicing everything in sight (more on that later!). Kale is getting thrown in my breakfast juice!

And the baked beans – It has been so long since I have had baked beans. They’re usually full of bacon and pork; no thank you. So when the couple that makes these asked me if I’d like to try, and I politely declined and added in that I’m a vegetarian, I was thrilled when he told me he is a lifelong vegetarian and these beans were a dream come true. Well, he was right. They’re unbelievable. And for all you out there ready to crack jokes about baked beans, get this: The name of their company is Breakwind Farms. Their slogan? “Fartootasty”

Here’s to a relaxing, dreamy weekend for all of you!

Plus, an afternoon lunch with a great friend isn’t a bad way to spend the rest of the day…

You might not, its been awhile. A long while. And as I sit here typing, I am so thrilled to be writing here again that my fingers are moving across the keys faster than the neurons in my brain can fire thoughts. There is so much that I want to share, and so so many things that need to be written about. I have had some huge changes in my life happening all around me: I got an (amazing) new job, bought a house, graduated college, and on top of it all, am only two short months away from my wedding. All of these things occurred rapid fire, and I’m not sure how I made it out of the maddening vortex of change in one piece, but here I am. There is something I want to share on nearly every one of these topics, and so I’ll space them out as a back-to-boldness series, I think. I can’t start chronologically because these events are stacked one on top of the other in a leaning tower of exact timing, so I’ll start with the job…

I left my position at a local natural foods store (which was very bittersweet, I must say) to take a full time position at one of my all time favorite companies. Now, you’ve heard me mention this company before, and it was part fate, part networking, and part persistence that landed me where I am now. You see, working in a health food store, you become introduced to so many new things – products, supplements, foods, lifestyles. One of my favorite discoveries was a supplement company – whole food, sustainable, and, believe it or not, local.

For the years I worked at the market, I loved these products. I took them religiously, touted them religiously, and learned all I could from reps and research. After all, these products were not just food based, of even “whole food,” but 100% whole food.

Image via Wikipedia

And this distinction was important to me. The clincher for me was astubborn B- vitamin deficiency that I just couldn’t shake…five days into their B Complex, I was 100% better. The results spoke for themselves. And so with luck, consistent persistence, and a little help from my stores rep, I landed a job at Megafood. Sometimes a company seems so glamorous or reputable from the outside, and once you get in, you learn the ways they cut corners or the things they do to mitigate costs, but I can tell you, after 2 months inside the company, I am far more enamored now by their products than I ever have been in the past. Seriously, they are incredible. The care, love, and science that goes into ever single supplement is amazing – oh, and lets not forget to mention, they are the only whole food supplement to manufacture their own product. Its amazing. And so as I ramble on and on about this unbelievable company, I feel so blessed to be working in an industry I love, fresh out of college, soaking up as much natural and herbal healing wisdom as I can. I’m in love. I really am.

So I’m sure as we move forward you’ll be hearing more about Megafood. I urge you, if you’ve never taken their supplements, do so now. Check out the website and scope their incredible formulations. And good news Vegans – all supplements are vegetarian, and the ones without vitamin D3 are 100% vegan, right down to the tablet coating! And I promise, I’ll try not to brag about them too much on here….I’ll try…In fact, I’ve held back quite a bit already, so there will be a bit more amazement to come!

Its good to be back, bold friends.

Plastic bottles, garbage, electronics, water, pollution, pesticides, fertilizers. Just some of the buzz-words you’ll hear when you’re talking about the eco-movement. There is so much you can do to make a difference in the treatment of our Earth. Here’s some eco-facts that might make you think twice before tossing the water bottle or leaving on that light.

• The average American consumes five times more energy than the average global citizen or 10 times more than the typical Chinese. (Worldwatch Institute)
• It takes less gasoline to restart your car than it does to let it idle for more than a minute. If all the cars on US roads had properly inflated tires, it would save an estimated 2 billion gallons of gasoline per year and improve your gas mileage 3-7%. (University of ColoradoEnvironmental Center, 2003)
• If every car carried one more passenger during its daily commute, 32 million gallons of gasoline would be saved each day. (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2003)
• Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. (U.S Dept. of Energy)
• Indoor lighting use is highest during the hours of 9 to 5, even though the light bulb was invented to help us see in the dark. (University of Colorado Environmental Center, 2003)
• Between 1850 and 1970, the number of people living on Earth more than tripled—yet the energy they consumed rose 12-fold. (Worldwatch Institute)
• Replacing one wasted can requires the energy equivalent to light a 100-watt light bulb for 5 hours or to power the average laptop computer for 11 hours. (Container Recycling Institute, 2001)
• Glass can be recycled again and again with no loss in quality or purity. Glass containers go from recycling bin to store shelf in as little as 30 days—again and again. (The Glass Packaging Institute)
• The average global temperature in 2005 was 14.6 degrees Celsius, making it the warmest year ever recorded on Earth’s surface. The five warmest years since recordkeeping began in 1880 have all occurred since 1998. (Worldwatch Institute)
• Extracting and processing petroleum into common plastic containers (polyethylene terephthalate, PET, and high-density polyethylene, HDPE) takes four to eight times more energy than making plastics from recycled plastics. (GRRN, Wasting and Recycling in the United States, 2000)

(courtesy of Energy X Roads)

• If just 25% of U.S. families used 10 fewer plastic bags a month, we would save over 2.5 BILLION bags a year.
• About 1% of U.S. landfill space is full of disposable diapers, which take 500 years to decompose.
• In the past 50 years, humans have consumed more resources than in all previous history. (U.S. EPA, 2009. Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead.)
• More than 100 billion pieces of junk mail are delivered in the United States each year, which comes out to 848 pieces per household. The production, distribution and disposal of all that junk mail creates over 51 million metric tons of greenhouses gases annually, the equivalent emissions of more than 9.3 million cars. (ForestEthics, 2008. Climate Change Enclosed: Junk Mail’s Impact on Global Warming.)
• Half the world’s tropical and temperate forests are now gone. (U.S. EPA, 2009.Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead.)
• 75% of marine fisheries are now overfished or fished to capacity. (U.S. EPA, 2009. Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead.)
• Only a few hundred of the more than 80,000 chemicals in use in the United States have been tested for safety. (President’s Cancer Panel, National Cancer Institute, 2010. Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now.)

(couresty of Ecocycle)

And, unfortunately, the list could go on. And on. And on. And on. There are so many small ways you can green-up your routine, and so many resources that can help you do just that. Below I’ve added a few links to sites that can help with great ways to go eco! To be as Bold as Nature, we have to make sure Nature sticks around….do your part!

Green Links:

The Green Guide

The Daily Green

Practically Green

Whole Living

I recently had to visit to the doctor’s. Stressors were building up in my life like an earthquake ready to rumble, and my body was paying the price; unsteady on the shifting tectonics that I had forever found stable. Life happens, things linger, and before you know it, you’re unwell. There is no shame in seeking help at all. In fact, it can sometimes be the most courageous thing you can do. But in my (brief 15 minute) visit to the doctor’s, which may or may not have helped me, it again occurred to me how hard and expensive it can be to receive healthcare when you are uninsured.

I was suffering from anxiety. Every day left me feeling like a stranger in my own body, scared and quaking when I should have been living life. It was frustrating, scary, and altogether horrible. I did what I could with natural remedies, but because my anxiety was rooted in emotional turmoil, they did little to help. In fact, it seems all I needed was time and a new fuzzy companion to get myself through it.

But my point is this: There is no substitute for Western medicine when crisis strikes and your life is on the line, BUT, with the rising costs of insurance and healthcare, it is becoming more and more necessary (as it should be) to take your health into your own hands and be proactive. My little visit to the doctor’s cost me around a hundred dollars. That may not seem like much, but in 15 minutes I spent several days work. Ouch. According to a CBS report, $2.3 trillion was spent on healthcare in 2008, much of this money going to address issues such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and many other lifestyle-related illnesses, all of which could be prevented by a healthy diet and outlook on life.

By now, you know what makes up health: exercise, a varied diet (preferably plant-based, but at least with less meat than the average American consumes), and limited processed foods. When imbalance happens, and it will, there are many ways you can remedy them with supplements, herbs, and even the right foods.

To start today and get your life on the right track (while saving you $$$ from repeated doctor visits) go Bold. Eat well, get moving, and get as close to nature as possible. Step away from those Cheetos (because where in nature are you going to find those growing?!) and bring your body into harmony with foods it was meant to eat and movements it was meant to do. And laugh. And share. Don’t leave emotion pent up until it manifests physically. And for when you fall (slightly) ill, or become imbalanced, pick up a book and find out how to use nature to find harmony before you call up the doctor (use common sense here…if you need to see the doc, don’t delay). Stress, obesity, anxiety, allergies, arthritis, and even certain types of infections (read: candida, etc.) can be taken care of with the use of nature.

Below is a list of books that are great to have on your shelf to learn about herbs and other natural healing remedies.

So please, take care of yourself. Take care of your wallet. Take care of the planet. Go Bold.

Image via Wikipedia

Ah, those pearly whites. We brush, we floss, we visit the dentist. All for shimmering chompers and healthy gums. The science is clear: healthy teeth and gums are a direct reflection of the health of the rest of the body. So to stave off gingivitis and cavities, we do what we have to to maintain oral equilibrium. I would venture to bet that when you were a youngster, and you hopped into the over-sized dentist chair, mouth open wide and eyes blinded by the light looming over your head, you often received a fluoride treatment. And of course, why wouldn’t you? Fluoride builds strong teeth, right? And I bet you still brush with a toothpaste that contains fluoride, too? Maybe even a mouth rinse? All because we’ve been taught over and over again that it is VITAL for the health and strength of our teeth.

Perhaps its time to take a look at the lore behind fluoride and see how important it really is to supplement with it in toothpastes and rinses. You may be getting far more fluoride than you bargained for…

Let’s take a look:

Not only is fluoride found in the toothpaste you use everyday to stave off cavities, but since the 1940′s it can also be found in your drinking water. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2006, 61.5 percent of American’s were drinking fluoridated water. While all other additives in drinking water are present to treat and purify the water, fluoride is the only one added for medicinal purposes.

Image via Wikipedia

The problem with this is multi-fold. First, ingesting synthesized fluoride (read: lab-produced rather than naturally occurring) has minimal impact on the oral environment. Rather, it is topical application that promotes dental health. So the levels found in everyday drinking water do very little in the way of fluoride supplementation. Instead, once ingested excess fluoride consumption has been linked to depression, weight gain, lessened intellectual capacity, and heart disease. The majority of these side effects, however, tend to be the ones that effect intellectual ability. Human studies conducted in several countries, including China and India, have verified the claim that excess fluoride leads to diminished intelligence and impaired development. Ingested fluoride has also been found by the U.S. National Research Council to effect endocrine function, which can contribute to disorders of the thyroid.

The use of fluoride-containing rinses and pastes in addition to the drinking water then compounds this supplementation, leading to unhealthy levels of ingestion and the risk of any of these side effects and possible fluoride poisoning. Children are especially vulnerable to this, as their smaller bodies can’t handle as much fluoride. In addition, the fundamental growth occurring at younger ages makes the risk of intellectual damage that much greater. Yikes!

But relax! There is an easy solution. Switch to rinses and toothpastes that do not contain fluoride: Tom’s of Maine has several varieties (though they are not ALL fluoride-free), VitaMyr, Jason’s, etc. And as far as tap water is concerned, a standard carbon filter (either on the tap or in a pitcher) will do the trick!

And because fluoride is a natural compound, it is often found in produce and other foods that obtain their nutrients from the ground. With a varied, healthy diet, all that is needed for healthy teeth should be supplied by your food! So eat up and be well!

Recently I was given the opportunity to be a regular guest blogger on Chic Vegan, an ethical and vegan fashion blog. I am really excited about this opportunity, and hope that Bold As Nature can continue to grow as a result. Several times a month I will be sharing my thoughts on health and nature for the ethically-minded over there, and I hope you will take some time to head on over and give it a read!

If anyone has any ideas they would like me to share, or topics they care to know more about, feel free to let me know! I’m always looking to share on subjects that people really care about right now!

Until next time, Be Bold!

I have no pictures, because I didn’t plan on sharing this…because I didn’t think it would be this delicious! But it is, and so I feel I have to share this healthy and yummy smoothie I made this morning. Before I get into it, I’ll explain what makes it a great way to start the day: Young coconuts are one of the most incredible re-hydrators in the natural world. Their water is full of magnesium and has more potassium than 2 bananas. The bananas, if using, are another source of potassium and give natural sweetness to the smoothie without the use of added sweeteners (I used banana because it is what I had on hand…). If using fresh berries, you are adding antioxidants and other great stuff to the drink (I think this would be equally yummy). The yogurt (if using cream-top, farm-fresh yogurt) adds protein to the smoothie, and the flax seeds add fiber and a healthy dose of omega-3′s.

Here’s the recipe: (to be honest, I’m guessing measurements…I just dumped stuff in the blender!)

• 1 young coconut
• 1/3 ripe banana (or 1/4 c of berries or other fruit of choice)
• 1/4 c fresh plain yogurt
• 1/4 c wild berry nectar (here is the brand I use. You can find it at health food stores)
• 2 tsp. flax seed

First, you’ll want to open the young coconut. Now, I’ve tried a ton of ways to open these bad boys, including swinging a chef’s knife like a machete in hopes to get it open. After much testing (and failing…) I’ve found this to be the best way to safely and easily open a young coconut. Save the precious water and use a spoon to scoop out the meat. Add the meat to the blender, along with the banana, yogurt, flax, and nectar. Blend, and thin to desired consistency with small amounts of coconut water. Save the rest of the water to enjoy later, especially after a workout!

And Voila! An easy, healthy, yummy breakfast right in a cup! Enjoy!

Image via Wikipedia

Citrus

No recipes, just eat it! Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, which has been proven ins studies to reduce cold symptoms and prevent them altogether. Lemons are great blended with honey to combat a sore throat, and eating two citrus fruits a day when you feel a cold setting in can greatly diminish its effects.

Elderberries

Elderberries are amazing for immunity. They contain more than dozen antiviral compounds, as well as anthocyanins, which help reduce inflammation and the aches associated with a cold. Sambucol is a potent supplement of concentrated elderberry extract, but if you can get your hands onto the actual berries, you are in business for whipping up some quick, healing goodies.
When I have a cold accompanied by an awful sore throat, I love having something warm first thing in the morning to soothe it away. My favorite? Warm homemade oatmeal with dried elderberries and honey.

Image via Wikipedia

The recipe:

• 1/2 c. rolled oats
• 1 c. milk or water, depending on preference
• 1-2 tbls dried elderberries
• 1 tbls raw honey
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger

Combine oats, elderberries, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat until oats are desired consistency. For me, this is about 5 minutes (I like them thicker). Remove from heat, and stir in honey, cinnamon and ginger. Enjoy!

Elderberries are also great as a quick and easy tea with raw honey. I recommend sipping at least two cups a day.

Image via Wikipedia

Garlic and Onions

These two foods contain plenty of antiviral and antiseptic properties, as well as high levels of immunity boosters. In fact, allicin, a compound in garlic, is considered the most potent broad-spectrum antibiotic found in plants.

Try to include plenty of both of these foods in your diet when you are catching a cold. Here are two of my favorite ways to enjoy them:

Roasted Vegetables over brown and wild rice

• Variety of roasting vegetables. I like to include carrots, potatoes, celery, squash, and of course, plenty of garlic and onions
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350* F. Chop veggies to uniform sizes to ensure equal roasting. Keep garlic cloves whole and in skin. Remove outer peel of onion and cut off one end, leaving root end in tact. Slice into sixths. This will ensure onion sections stay together and don’t burn. Toss all veggies on baking sheet with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake about 40 minutes, or until veggies are tender, tossing once. Meanwhile, prepare brown rice according to directions. Serve veggies over rice, and make sure to get a good serving of onions and garlic!

Garlic and French Onion Soup

• One large white onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth

Warm olive oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat. Peel, then slice onion in half and slice into thin half-circles. Add to warm pan, and move heat to low. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, mince the garlic and add to pot after 10 minutes. Continue to cook on low for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are fully caramelized. Add warm broth to the pot, along with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 10 minutes, and remove from heat. Pour into an oven-safe bowl (optional) and top with crusty bread and gruyere cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and beginning to brown, for a true French Soup experience. Alternately, enjoy warm from the stove all alone – it’s still yummy!

Image via Wikipedia

Ginger and Honey

I am listing these together, because the recipes I commonly use them in have already been listed in part. I add ginger  and honey both to my elderberry oatmeal, and to increase the potency of elderberry and honey tea, I like to grate fresh ginger in there as well. For a sore throat, I like to combine raw honey, the juice of one lemon, a bit of freshly grated ginger and a splash of water in a mug. Heated, it is the best sore-throat soother I have yet to come across. It is also packed with great immunity compounds.

Ginger contains sesquiterpenes, which directly fight off the rhinovirus. It can also suppress cough, and reduce inflammation. Raw honey contains antimicrobial properties which help fend off the cold, as well as being a powerful aid in lessening a sore throat.

Coconut Water

Drink as much pure coconut water you can during cold season! It is a powerful re-hydrator, as well as a great source of potassium and magnesium, which keep dehydration in check. Staying hydrated with a cold is so important because fluids help flush the system of bacteria and toxins which cause colds and all their unpleasant symptoms.

Stay healthy this winter season! And if you don’t, try these recipes to feel better faster and fend off even the most frightful cold!

So here’s something to be concerned about:

Legislation called S3767 has been proposed in the Senate, and what this bill would enact is a censor on the supplement industry that would be, if not followed, punishable with up to 10 years of prison time. Let me explain: Supplements are currently categorized as foods as a result of DSHEA, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. This act preserved the right of the consumer to take supplements by classifying them as such.

This new legislation, however, would attack nutritional supplements using their “food” classification against them. S3767, also called the “Food Safety Accountability Act of 2010″ would hold the right to punish businesses and individuals for “certain knowing violations relating to food that is misbranded or adulterated…or against the introduction of interstate commerce of unsafe dietary supplements, with conscious or reckless disregard of a rish of death or serious bodily injury.” Now, keeping the consumer safe is all well and good, but to get at the heart of what this bill is trying to do, you have to think about it in a larger context. In this act, they have lumped together both actual food (produce, meat, eggs, etc.) and supplements. By doing this, the supplement industry is being linked with the irresponsible manufacturers that distributed eggs tainted by salmonella last August and other such questionable businesses. In fact, many believe that this bill was introduced BECAUSE of the egg-scare, and supplements were linked with the legislation in an effort to take down the lucrative nutritional supplement industry. But there is more:

Checks are already in place to ensure that consumers get the safest supplements possible. Good Manufacturing Practices are already in place, and most reputable manufacturers utilize third-party testing to provide the highest level of safety possible. The results of these tests are a huge selling point for the supplement companies, because they first prove their safety, but also ensure their potency and potential effectiveness. That is where the “misbranding” language in the bill comes in. S3767 would allow the FDA to make misbranding accusations at its discretion, labeling anything not verified by the FDA as mislabeled, which could lead to prison time for the supplement companies. This could silence supplement manufacturers from including beneficial research and such on their labeling, make the consumer uninformed, and ultimately crippling sales. Through this, the industry could suffer greatly at the hands of the FDA.

So what does this all boil down to?

Money. Politics. Money.

And what does this mean for consumers?

Harder-to-get supplements. Expensive supplements. No supplements. Loss of health freedom.

This bill is currently being debated by the senate. To preserve your right to improve your health through nutritional supplements, and to maintain the freedom you have over your own health, contact your senator today. Let them know that it is unjust to lump safe, proven supplements together with dangerous retailers who knowingly sold tainted eggs. Let them know that you have a right to take charge of your health, and that without supplement freedom, they are taking that away from you. Stand up for your rights.