Eating healthy, whole foods is important to me. But I’m also a busy mom of two little ones who runs her own business. When I come across a resource that makes meals both easy and delicious, I get very excited!
Recently I started cooking from “Cook Once Eat All Week” by Cassy Joy Garcia. I am two weeks into the meal plans and am very impressed. The book is based off of the concept that preparing components of a meal in advance and assembling the dish the day of will give you a fresh, quick meal.
What I Love About This Book
- There are 26 weeks of meal plans. That's 6 months of delicious meals!
- All the recipes are gluten free and real food based (modifications are available for those on dairy-free, grain-free, or low-carb diets).
- Each week has a full shopping lists.
- Following the instructions on the prep day gets you ready to quickly prepare hot meals throughout the week.
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Throughout history, opportunities for solitude were built into a person’s daily life. There were no cell phones to look at while waiting for appointments or social media accounts to keep connected with friends when they were home alone. Solitude was often a person’s default mode.
In our ultra-connected society, this is no longer the case. Modern technology gives us the ability to fill our time and minds endlessly. There are many benefits to these technologies, but is there a hidden cost that we are paying?
What Solitude Really Is
Solitude is often referred to as a state of being alone without being lonely. This lovely definition of solitude conjures up images of sunsets on top of a mountain or leisurely walks along the beach. But in reality, we don’t need to be alone in a remote location to enjoy solitude. To complicate things more, sometimes being alone in and of itself does not result in solitude.
In the book Lead Yourself First, authors Kethledge and Erwin define solitude as “a subjective state in which you’re isolated from input from other minds”. In other words, solitude is when you are left alone with your own thoughts. It is more about your internal experience than what is going on around you.
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Spices and herbs have been believed to preserve health for thousands of years! Egypt has had schools for herbalists since 300 B.C. According to The Book of Spices, around 2600 to 2100 BC in Egypt “onions and garlic were fed to the one hundred thousand laborers who toiled in the construction of the Great Pyramid of Cheops, as medicinal herbs to preserve their health.” Recent studies have supported what the Egyptians long knew. There are many health benefits of herbs and spices.
Healing Properties of Specific Spices
- Cinnamon is a delicious spice that has many health benefits. In a study comparing 26 spices, it was found to have the highest level of antioxidants. It has many anti-inflammatory properties and is known to help with blood sugar regulation. It may help individuals with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, HIV, and cancer.
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We had so much fun cooking, eating, and talking about the Keto diet on Tuesday night at Prairie Path Books! The discussion was wonderful, and everyone loved the recipes from Leanne Vogels book, The Keto Diet.
What's Special About This Book
Why did I choose this book out of all the Keto books on the market? There are a number of reasons that this book stands out to me.
- The recipes are based on a variation of the Keto diet that relies on healthy, non-processed, whole foods (think Paleo).
- She recognizes that each body is unique and provides resources to find the right “path” for your body.
- She provided four weeks of meal plans and shopping lists for each path.
- She uses leftovers in the meal plans, so you are not constantly cooking.
- Her balanced approach is refreshing. She focuses on lifestyle change, not dieting!
What Was On The Menu
We had samples of a salad, entree, side, dessert, and a drink.
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With the beautiful days of summer ahead of us it’s time to get outside! Enjoying the weather can naturally lead us to be more physically active, which is good for both our minds and our bodies. Let’s intentionally embrace these opportunities and find pleasure in our movement this summer!
There are ways to incorporate physical activity into your daily life and make it fun, so that it doesn’t feel like work. With so many amazing places to explore physical activity doesn’t need to be repetitive, boring, or expensive.
Let’s look at some ways to make this a great, active summer!
Incorporate Physical Activity Into Your Everyday Life
If you live a busy life and struggle to find time to be active, try to incorporate it into your daily life.
- Choose a parking spot far away from the building when out and about.
- Walk, or bike, places if possible when running errands, getting together with friends, etc.
- Carry your child or give them a piggy back ride to the car, the lunch table, or bedtime.
- Race up and down the stairs in between other less active pursuits.
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