Tag: glass

30 for 30

I used to struggle to get 30 different types of plant foods in my diet each week. As I’ve been doing this for a while now — and enjoying the benefits of a much healthier tummy — I thought I’d share a few secrets.

Coffee Klatch ☕️

Every morning, I begin with coffee and add to it about 1 tablespoon of chaga, which is a mushroom product.

Two down, 28 to go!

Tea for Two 🫖

Teas count! I usually have a cup of herbal tea after my morning coffee. My favorite is ginger turmeric, but of course, I mix it up… each day is different. 

I’m going to estimate that you’ll get at least 3 plant foods and their wonderful micronutrients in one cup of tea.

Add a lemon, lime, or orange slice? You’ve got 4.

What’s the tally now? Six plant foods! 24 to go!

Nuts to You 🌰🥜🐿

We like to keep a couple of jars of nuts in the den… easy access to healthy snacks when movie time rolls around. We keep a big one just for cashews, a small one for pistachios, and a medium-sized one for mixed nuts from Aldi, which includes peanuts, pecans, almonds and hazelnuts.

Ok, so a handful here and there throughout the week equals 6 of your 30 plant-based foods. And just having them around will help curb your desire for the unhealthy stuff.

Ok, add 6 to the tally. 18 to go!

Shoot Some Salad, Salad Shooter 🥗🔫

I’m making a big salad for tonight, and marinating some chicken for Jimmy to grill.

Here’s the salad ingredients in tonight’s mix: romaine lettuce, baby spinach, baby chard, baby kale, broccoli sprouts, tomatoes, cucumber slices, celery, sweet pepper slices, avocado, olives, and green onion. 

There’s enough for 4 of us to eat, and I’m pretty sure there will be leftovers for tomorrow. I’m not too proud to eat yesterday’s dressed salad. It takes on a giardiniera vibe.

Ok, that’s 12 more plant foods to add to the tally.

If you count the red wine vinegar I use in the dressing, it makes 13! I’m not going to count the dried herbs, though…

18 – 13 = 5 more to go!

Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy 🍉🍒🫐🍓🍍

It’s summer, and there’s a ton of ripe fruit available, so take advantage while you can.

This morning, we finished a pineapple at breakfast.

My lunch was apple chunks with peanut butter drizzle.

On the dinner table, I set out blueberries, watermelon, and cherries. So there’s 5 more plant foods for today!

5 – 5 = 0! I got 30 in one day! Now, any new veggie to cross my path is just a bonus!

Easy, healthy, and delicious!

Homemade Granola

The house smells wonderful this morning as I’ve made a batch of homemade granola. It’s delicious and also good to know all the ingredients are whole foods from sources I’ve scrutinized myself.

Including the chia and flax seeds is a way to add Omega-3s into my diet. Using coconut oil helps reduce my Omega-6 load because even organic granola includes seed oils.

Im using a recipe titled “Maple and Chia Seed Granola” by Maria Provenzano, changed a bit based on what we had in the cupboard:

  • 4 cups old fashioned oats
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ¾ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup coconut oil, measured then melted
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup dried berries and/or raisins
  • 1/4 cup dried apricots, diced into small chunks

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.


In a large bowl, combine the oats, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, and salt until well mixed.


Melt the coconut oil in a small pan over low/medium heat until melted. Combine the coconut oil and maple syrup together, and mix in the vanilla.


Pour the oil/syrup mixture over the oat mixture, and use a spatula to mix it together so that everything is evenly coated.


Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (not wax paper, not aluminum foil), and evenly distribute the granola between the two sheets.


Keep the granola somewhat compact, because that prevents it from getting too crunchy; it allows the center to stay chewy, and the outside pieces to get a bit more crunchy.


Bake at 325 degrees for 12-14 minutes, or until starting to become slightly golden around the edges. Don’t bake longer than 14 minutes.


Allow the granola to cool for at least 10-15 minutes after baking. If you skip this step, then the granola won’t come together.


After it has cooled, add in all the extras like coconut flakes and dried fruit.


Put it in a good jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Here’s the original recipe: https://www.fromscratchwithmaria.com/maple-chia-seed-granola/

Yum! It’s half gone already.

A Good Jar

Each time I save a good jar from the recycling bin, I feel a little closer to my elders who went through the depression. I remember those comments… Hey, don’t throw that out. That’s a good jar!

I love how the cabinets and spice rack have changed since I started detoxing my home. Bye bye, plastic! Hello glass, steel & sustainability!

How about you?

Microplastics, pt 2

Found a couple of videos from Dr. Rhonda Patrick to illuminate the problems with and sources of microplastic exposure.

These are long but very worthwhile.

Warning: These are “Eye of Sauron” videos that may overwhelm you. Take breaks! I had to…

Takeaways:

  • Be cautious with your children’s clothing as they are still in development. Avoid polyester and rayon as they do shed micro- and nanoparticles of plastic.
  • Avoid using “moisture wicking” fabrics, especially because they are generally worn when exercising and, therefore, are heating up and stretching, which hastens the breakdown of the fabric.
  • Avoid drinking from plastic water bottles if possible. Be aware that some single-serve metal water bottles will have plastic lining. But of course, drink from these if they’re your only choice.
  • In the kitchen, avoid heating anything made or lined with plastic. That means avoid microwaving or even washing in high temperatures. It’s best to just throw these away and replace them with glass.
  • Avoid situations where vinegars or acidic fruits are used in plastic (to-go salads, etc.) as the vinegar/acid will work the same as heat to break down the plastic and release chemicals.
  • Microwave popcorn bags are lined in BPA, and that is released in the microwave. Avoid!!
  • Aluminum cans are also lined with BPAs, which are forever chemicals, which take years to leave your body.
  • Avoid getting any hot beverage in a to-go cup (plastic-lined). Because these are cheap and flexible, the BPA is released quickly when hot coffee or tea is put in. Carry a reusable mug and ask the barista to use it directly.
  • Throw out any non-stick cooking pans and replace with steel or cast iron.
  • Silicon baking materials are not to be used or trusted.

Explore her videos for more info on health and microplastics… including how to hasten their excretion from the body. Hint: sulforaphane, fibrous diet, etc.

Microplastics

Soooo, yeah, we are eating and inhaling plastic. Little bits are being found in people’s brains… half a percent on average! 😬

Microplastics are even clogging up arteries, adding to obstructive artery problems, heart attacks and the like. Ugh.

Is it a problem? Yes.

Does it have a connection to cancer? Yes.

From what I’ve gathered, it can work in the same way an oyster creates a pearl. A bit of sand finds its way into the oyster, the oyster is irritated, the immune system reacts, and it coats the sand with layer upon layer of mucus or film until the irritating grain of sand is smooth.

In our bodies, foreign items are attacked by our immune system, too. It usually involves redness, swelling (inflammation), and mucus. Because the plastic isn’t going to break down, the immune response continues. This creates a “locus” or location around which cells may stop functioning properly due to prolonged inflammation.

This is why talcum powder causes ovarian cancer.

This is not to even mention the chemicals that leach from the plastic as it accumulates in our bodies, ☠️ ☣️ or leach into our food as we microwave items in plastic or in cheap steamer bags…

So anyway, if you are looking for a resolution today, New Years Day 2025, I recommend going through your kitchen cabinets and throwing out all the plastic, especially the thin stuff that comes from take-out containers.

Only drink from glass, metal, or pottery.

Get rid of any plastic cutting boards, which can break down as they are being used, with little plastic shavings going right into your food.

And please, get rid of any coffee maker that brews boiling water through plastic. Those Keurig and Nespresso cartridges are so dangerous!! I’m sure you can find an after-Christmas sale on a French press or a coffee maker with a steel grounds holder.

Storage containers and canisters should be changed out for glass. It’s healthier and looks good too.

A lot of food, even organic food, is sold in plastic. So, when you get home from the grocery store, spend time moving the food to glass storage, rather than leaving it in the original plastic.

Little steps. Let’s all take these little steps in the new year for our health, and for our families.

👣

In Praise of Stainless Steel

Had to text my Mom the other day, and thank her for buying me these amazing kitchen tools years ago, when Jimmy and I got married. I’m sure they cost a bit … certainly more than the plastic and Teflon crap that’s caused so much cancer, IBS, etc.

I’m so glad we had stainless steel to use instead. And I urgently implore YOU to search your own kitchen and throw away any plastic or Teflon materials, especially pans and things that are heated.

While you’re at it, get rid of any plastic cups. Just fling ’em. Use glass, steel, pottery… There’s plenty of great stuff to choose from at your local Goodwill. Most of our drinking glasses are just old sauce and jelly jars.

Look at your storage containers and consider trashing the plastic and replacing with glass or steel. Your health is worth it! Your family’s health is worth it! Again, lots of great options at Goodwill.

If you want to know more about the dangers of Teflon, there’s a fairly recent film called “Dark Waters” starring Mark Ruffalo & Anne Hathaway. Here’s the trailer: