 Dear Future Husband,
I want you to know I'm praying for you. I'm praying you've been broken open just like me. I pray you're traveling on a transformational journey like I am experiencing. I pray you are working on yourself. I pray you are taking the time you need to heal, no matter how long it may take. I pray for these things:
Why am I praying you ask? Because these are the things I'm doing right now to prepare for YOU. True, it's not all about prepping myself just to find you....I'm bettering myself for myself. I'm bettering me to know what it's like to accept myself and love myself for me, so I will be more able to fully accept and love you too. And I want those things for you. So when we meet, and come together (or if it's someone from my past, when we reconnect), we'll both be ready. Our connection will be sheer magic. So, take care of yourself. Love yourself just because you're you. Because I will. I'm working on the same things over here. See you soon! Love, Brooke
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 If you're anything like me, mornings are always hectic. It doesn't matter what day it is, I'm always running behind--making sure my lunches/snacks are packed, the dogs have gone out to do their thing, I'm dressed in my appropriate uniform and ready (believe me some days I forget...pjs are acceptable work attire right??), and Did I actually eat breakfast? Well, for today's edition of Scrumptious Sunday, I'm going over some of my fave grab and go oaty breakfasts. These are great to prep ahead of time....and will be ready to just pop open or heat up and eat once I get to my destination. As the holiday season gets busy, I wanted to give new life to your regular old oats! Hint....my bowls usually involve pumpkin 🎃.....a lot of pumpkin 😉. But I've tried other recipes too, so I'll share a few other ideas to get your creative juices flowing!!  The first is my simple hot pumpkin oats. I mix 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats in a 12 oz wide mouth mason jar with pumpkin (usually 2 big spoonfuls), cinnamon, ginger, and slivered almonds to taste. I screw on the lid, then when I get to work, I add hot water out of the coffee machine (or just plain ole tap water if coffee isn't on), and stir. If I use tap water, I'll heat in microwave for 2 minutes, then stir it all to combine. Very easy to grab and fix/eat when I'm starting my day!  Next one is my overnight yogurt oats. In this one, I use 1/4 cup steel cut oats, 1/3 cup pumpkin, 1/2 cup yogurt (I used plain Icelandic style, but any type will do), cinnamon (to taste), ginger (to taste), and 2 handfuls of frozen cranberries.  I mix this in a container the night before to let the oats soften and the cranberries thaw. In the morning, I'll just grab a spoon and my container and I'm rolling! You can customize the fruit...whatever you've got...I've used apricots, medjool dates, deglect noir dates, figs, papayas...the possibilities are endless. Note the first pic I posted above is a variation of this recipe with medjool dates....so caramely and wonderful!!!  Once you've got either your hot oatmeal or your overnight yogurt oats base fixed, then it's time to get creative! Here are some ideas:
Can't wait to see what you come up with. Post your pics with #scrumptioussunday to give me some new ideas for my own grab and go breakfasts.....I'm hungry 😋   You know, I was gonna post a "Healthy Thursday" article on digestion and how to be mindful during your Thanksgiving Day meal, but I couldn't push post. I mean, we have been bombarded with images, news stories, and all kinds of tips and tricks when it comes to making food choices on turkey day. So my post just felt redundant and hollow. I went to bed feeling dejected and not knowing what to post.
I woke up this morning with a few words on my heart I wanted to share. I want to talk a bit about a person who tends to be forgotten this time of year--yourself. Through all of our endless to-dos and holiday gatherings, it is typical to end the season exhausted, depleted, and overcome with remorse (buyer's remorse or otherwise). What I'm describing is how I used to to end the holiday season every year--broke, bloated, exhausted, and unmotivated to make the next year any better. This year will be the first of many which will be quite different--and I couldn't be more excited. This year, I've been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, which has prompted my whole outlook on the world to change. It's also forced me to change how and where I spend my energy. If I use too much, I'm down and out for at least a week. And if it's during a detoxification phase, well, I'm just down and out in general for as long as the phase lasts. I'm currently in the middle of round 2, so it's a struggle to even get out of the bed and function throughout the day. So this year won't be filled with late nights and early mornings trying to shop, buy, work, decorate, cook, wrap, party, watch, visit, eat, bake, swap, eat some more, etc. It's going to be much different. Here's 3 ways I'm gonna be spending the season loving myself:
Simplifying feels so good. It lifts the weights of me being "perfect" during this time of year and getting it all done. I can't get it all done. I am only responsible for me. I am allowing this season of joy to actually be about joy, the kind you can't get in any store. 🌟 What about you? What things will you be doing this season to make sure you stay present and mindful in a world which tells us we have to do more, more, and more? I'd like to hear your thoughts!!  Back in my younger days, I was quite a negative person. I focused on the bad stuff, and consequently, the bad stuff was what I received. Sometimes it was subtle, sometimes it was overt, but that negative 'tude permeated by entire being.
I've been aware of this lean towards the negative for many years. And while I did try to "change" many times, the attempts were futile. Why? Because I didn't believe I could. The attempts weren't heartfelt. Just repeating words of gratitude were simply that--just repeating words. There was no real desire to change behind these prayers, the words were cloaked in failure and felt fake coming out of my mouth. And that was how I lived for many years, stuck in an endless cycle of trying to change, failing, getting fed up, trying to change, and failing again. This cycle wasn't only used in my search for gratitude. In fact, it was how I lived my entire life...but those other things are for other posts 😬 Enter in chronic fatigue syndrome. Enter in my healing team. Enter in the complete review of my entire life during this illness. And enter in an actual awakening to how powerful gratitude can be. It started with beginning to just be thankful for the food I'm eating to heal my body. Just being thankful for the vibrant colors. Thankful for the fruits which I started eating again. Thankful for the energy to prepare the food. And then it began to be more about everything else: the job which allows me to pay for these foods; the time to write and create a blog; the patience to deal with myself as I detox and heal; the friends in IG and in real life I've made along this healing path; the music which has touched me so deep as I heal; the parents who have cared for me when I wasn't able to care for myself; the ability to be able to move home; and, the ability to allow myself to be cared for when all I wanted to do was shut down and put up so many guarded walls. It's shifted a lot of my perspective. It's brought more light into my life. My heart actually swells when I say my prayers now before each meal and before I go to bed. I'm seeing new opportunities where they used to not be any. I'm opening up to the possibility my world doesn't need to be so negative. I believe it can be good, it can be positive, and it can be full of gratitude. I hope wherever you are on this path called life you choose to open your heart to the ability to be thankful. Because it's certainly changing my life for the better. It's bringing healing to places I never knew existed. Welcome to this week's Scrumptious Sunday! Ever since the weather has turned a bit chillier, I've been craving the comfort only a yummy rice dish can provide. However, the cheesy risotto I used to make almost weekly won't quite fit in my new dietary plan (no dairy and no arborio rice). So, I've come up with a lighter, veggie rich version which fits my bill.  So, since I've started using my oven, I truly can't get enough of it! I've become a bit of a roasting fool. It just adds such a depth of flavor that cooking on the stove top can't provide. Also, enter another first for me--cutting my first butternut squash. Yes, at 36, I bought my first butternut squash and cooked it from scratch. I used to think it took so much time to peel and chop, so I'd only buy the pre-chopped squash in the deli or the freezer section. But it was so easy to do! I know....I know....I'm actually admitting this out loud to ALOT of people. Eh, I'd like to think being so open about these types of things add to the charm which makes me "me". But, I digress.... Lets talk about ragu. This type of ragu (not to be confused with the company) is an Italian sauce made with ground meat and veggies--or, in my case, beans and veggies!  Let's dive in shall we? Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this dish (feel free to customize based on your liking):
I cooked this dish on my day off from work, when I had time to complete multiple steps and cook multiple meals. I like to prep ahead for the week....hey, I've gotta have options! Now, I will say cooking this dish quickly would be a cinch too...just do it all on stove top using the pre-cut/frozen varieties. Onto roasting...... I peeled and chopped the squash into cubes and mixed it with a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil, salt, and pepper. I roasted the squash in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes. Once you remove squash from oven, set aside to let squash cool. At the same time, I brought 2 cups of water plus a glug of apple cider vinegar to a boil. After the water comes to a boil, add in 1 cup brown rice. Once the combo comes back to a boil, cut the heat down to medium and let the rice simmer until all the water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. If you need to add more water (either because it was absorbed too fast or you'd like the rice to not stick to the bottom of your pan, please add in 1/4 cup increments. It's always easier to keep adding water if you need to rather than take water away!) Once the rice is done to your liking, cut off the heat and set aside while rest of dish comes together.  Now, the stove top part.... Peel and dice onion into small pieces. Chop carrot into half moons. Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil over medium high heat. Once the oil has melted, you add onions, carrots, salt and pepper to the skillet. Mix well and cook 5-7 minutes until onions are soft and translucent.  While the onions and carrots are softening, drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Once onions are soft, add entire can of chickpeas, 1 to 1 & 1/2 tsp chili powder (depends on your preference of spice), and about 4 oz of water. I'm adding the water to help get the yummy onion and carrot bits off the bottom. Let it simmer until the water has almost evaporated.  Once the water has almost evaporated, add in your cooled, roasted butternut squash and 1/2 cup frozen green peas and stir to combine.  After combining all together, I realized I had some leftover steamed cauliflower in my fridge. So, I chopped it up and added it into the dish. The veggies in this dish are flexible....I was trying to use up what I had left in my fridge and freezer. For some reason (must be another one of my cooking quirks), I love using up the all the veggies I bought the week before. It makes me feel economical and creative all at once....and also energizes me to get ready to grocery shop and replenish my stock for the week ahead. Yeah, I just admitted I love to grocery shop! It's such a fun way to experience new, healing foods to nourish my body. Before I go more into the giddiness I get while grocery shopping and planning my meals for the week, I'll continue with this recipe. 😉  Guess what?? This dish is now ready to serve! I dished up a serving of rice, topped it with my ragu, and with diced avocados. Some other ways you could choose to serve this dish-- put this dish over salad greens; add in meat if you'd like; squeeze lime and chopped cilantro over the avocado; add extra steamed veggies; add extra spice (cayenne pepper, cumin, or curry powder for example); the options are limitless! Also, this dish lasted in my fridge for 3 days, and it kept getting better each day. Guess it was all the extra time for the rice, spice, veggies, and beans to meld together in complete yummy matrimony.   As the Italians would say, Bon Appetit!!!
I'd love to see what you'd make--tag your post on IG with the #scrumtioussunday hashtag. Can't wait to see what you create!!  Alright, so you've been doing all the "right" things--exercising, getting the proper amount of sleep, eating your fruits and veggies, taking your vitamins--and you still get sick with a nasty cold! What gives? As the saying goes, sometimes -ish happens! But, lets talk about some of the things you can do to help lessen the severity and duration of your cold so you can get back to being you sooner!  First off, don't panic! It will only make you feel worse. Take a deep breath and lets take a look at some things to help you out. Next, decide is this a cold, flu, or allergies? Let's look at a few of the general symptoms of each: *A Cold: mild aches, sore throat, stuffy nose, mild fatigue, little to no fever, comes on slower...you can feel it coming *A Flu: very sudden onset, high fever, severe fatigue, severe aches/pains, chills *Allergies: usual symptoms: itchy eyes, watery eyes, red eyes, sneezing, runny nose, wheezing, comes on fast after exposure to allergen (ex. pet dander, mold, dust, ragweed, etc) Okay, you've got one of the three....what to do now? *A Cold: I'll discuss down below *A Flu: I'll discuss in a longer post at a later date, but generally, you could go to the doctor and try to get an antiviral (if its only been 72 hours since you've had it), or visit a health food store to grab a very popular homeopathic remedy known as Oscillococcinum, which can help your body deal with the symptoms and duration of the flu) *Allergies: Again, I'll discuss as we get closer to a new allergy season, but you could run to the drug store and grab some over the counter medications (anti-histamines) or while at your local health food store, you could grab some natural allergy relief (ex. Quercetin, Bromelain, etc.) Dealing with a Cold Foods to eat: 1. Hot Liquids--There's a reason people eat alot of soup during times of illness--chicken soup works wonders! The warm liquids help soothe sore throats and open up nasal passages. Not only does soup work, but so does hot tea! Oatmeal also warms you from the inside out and is one of my favorite things any time of the year, even when illness strikes. 2. Stay Hydrated--It will help keep things moving through you. I know staying hydrated is the last thing I want to do when I feel lousy, but it will help for the release of the virus. 3. Whole Foods, especially Vitamin C rich foods--Orange juice, oranges, grapefruits/grapefruit juice (if you can drink this), kiwis, red peppers for example. Yes, I know its easier to grab a box of crackers out of the cabinet and just eat those. But, nutrition is key to help support the body as it fights the virus and tries to drive it out. I know cooking is also the last thing you want to do, so, if there are already pre made meals in the freezer, use them! Even if there isn't, grabbing pre sliced veggies and fruits from your local store will give you healthy snacking and quick meal options. As a single gal, when I'm sick, its just me (the dogs can't exactly cook me food), so I try to make sure to have the ingredients on hand for healthy salads, smoothies, and oatmeal bowls ready to be whipped up in mere minutes. Supplements you could add to your protocol:  Echinacea Perhaps one of the most popular supplements is echinacea purpurea. This supplement can speed recovery and reduce the duration of your cold. It is designed to be used as a short term booster for your immunity when you do get sick, not something you really can use long term. It helps keep the strep bacteria from burying in your throat and causing another yucky illness, strep throat. Notes: *do not use if you're allergic to ragweed or plants in the sunflower family *if you're interested in getting pregnant, it is advised against taking it as it can lower fertility *if you're struggling with autoimmune issues or chronic/long term infections, do not use echinacea *echinacea can interfere with breaking down certain prescription meds (ex. chemo drugs, lupus drugs, high blood pressure meds) *also, echinacea reacts with prescription medications which react with grapefruit juice, so please check with your pharmacist or medical professional to see if your medicine is okay to take with echinacea  Astragalus Astragalus is another popular supplement people take when faced with a cold. It is known as an overall body helper. Not only is it good for strengthening immunity, building up our body's natural resistance, and making our immune cells quicker and more efficient, its also good to help boost our body's metabolic activities and digestion. Notes: *do not use if you have a fever or acute infection *do not use with beta blockers, blood thinners, medications given after a heart attack because astragulus has blood thinning properties itself *use with extreme caution if you have autoimmune issues or if your immune system is being suppressed in any way  Elderberry Elderberry is one of the most effective supplements to prevent and treat upper respiratory infections. One of the best forms the body uses is Sambucol. It helps to promote sweating and can help break a fever. Elderberries come from a tree which is native to Europe. These berries can relieve congestion and sore throats from viruses. Inside the berries, there are these little fighters (technically called SNAs) who can help protect our human cells from being infected with viruses. These little fighters also can protect against up to 8 strains of the flu virus (note the flu shot usually only protects us from 1 to 3 strains of the virus!) This supplement usually comes in liquid form; but, it can come in capsule form and is often included in an immune support blend (Nature's Sunshine carries it as a blend with echinacea and vitamin d). Notes: *do not use unprocessed berries *munching on raw berries, when eaten in large quantities, can cause nausea/major digestive discomfort *the stems are toxic *sambucol is the best form to take in (our bodies process it better)  Other Things to Note:
*Eucalyptus essential oil--This oil can be diffused in the air or mixed with a carrier oil and spread on your chest (or bottoms of your feet) to help ease congestion and open up nasal passage *Moderate exercise (gentle yoga, walking, etc) can help ease congestion and actually make you feel better! *Get to bed earlier and get some rest whenever possible. *Wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth/nose with your elbow when you sneeze. This will help stop the spread of the virus amongst your family and friends. My mom used to tell us as young kids, "Stay out of everyone's face who looks sick, acts sick, or says they are sick"....she was right! Keep a distance from others if you're sick, and if you're feeling bad, stay home from work! There are no medals given out for coming to work when you're at the height of your illness. Take care of yourself and be well! If there is anything I can help you with, please don't hesitate to let me know. *These supplements are merely general suggestions. These statements aren't intended to diagnose, prescribe, or cure anything. If you have any questions about your specific needs (eg. interactions with medications, etc.), please contact your medical professional for further guidance.  In order to move forward for things I've been praying for and dreaming of, I've got to be willing to give up the things I'm holding onto.
*If I want a loving relationship, I've got to release the long held insecurities which have held me back (ex. "I'm not good enough, I don't have enough, I'm not cool enough, I don't deserve this"). How does this releasing truly start? It's not with a new partner. It starts by loving me. And in releasing my insecurities, I get to focus on self love. I get to treat myself well, cook myself beautiful and nourishing food, and tap into my brilliant inner wisdom. I get to focus on what makes me light up instead of focusing solely on what a partner wants (I'm guilty of that in every romantic relationship I've had). Another part of this release for more loving relationships is huge. So big it still brings me to tears. I will admit I've held onto to my exes, well, one ex in particular. I've held onto the hope for years he'd walk back through my door. I've held onto the chance we'd get to try again and this time, it would be so much better...it would, in fact, be forever. But, this hope has kept me from seeing the beauty and potential in other men. It's also kept me living in the past and staying stuck in a story which has already ended. So, as I say bye bye to this story, I'm opening up my lungs and can breathe for the first time in over three years. I feel free. And I want to focus on loving me and rebuilding the trust within myself, for myself, and by myself. Then, when that partner comes into my life, I can love him with all of me, the woman who's already whole without a partner. And loving like that will be beautiful, inspiring, and long lasting. *if I want to be more financially stable then I need to let go of those mindsets which have held me back. The feelings of not deserving of success have permeated every decision I've made. It's reflected itself in how I self sabatage my economic and entrepreneurial opportunities. It also goes back to not feeling good enough. You know what, I failed a national exam 5 times....5. Each time I received my results, I felt more deflated and lower than dirt. I felt my worth was tied up in those results. And my career choices have reflected this feeling. My relationships with coworkers and bosses have reflected this. But I'm so ready to pitch these fears and move forward. I can do this. I can step into my power and own who I am...and make NO apologies for it. You can do this too. You can step into your power. You can own your prowess. How? By owning where you are currently. By seeing all of those insecurities, fears, and long held beliefs. By recognizing you still cling to them. And then, letting them go. It can be symbolic: writing these feelings down and burning them/flushing them down the toilet/tossing into the garbage, etc. or physical: smashing something (safely--tennis racket into a pillow is nice!)/giving clothing/items away through donations/punching a punching bag, etc. Releasing is one of the most powerful things we can do. So, let's do this! It's all about making space for the new. For the thought changes. For the releasing to happen. For the letting go to occur. This is what I'm pledging to do. This is what I'm currently doing. This is one of the reasons why I believe I'm struggling with chronic fatigue. I needed to stop and look around at my current state in order to clear myself for my massive move forward. Will you pledge to move forward with me? Let's release and let go. 🤗  How are you feeling about 2017? 🤔
- Do you have your dreams and goals set? Are you going to be ready to hit the ground running when the calendar turns to Jan 1? - Yeah, me neither. 😐 - 2016 has been a difficult one, for myself and many people in my world. I've felt directionless, unable to move forward or seize my goals. - But have you ever thought about NOT focusing on the goals themselves, but chasing how you'll FEEL once you reach those goals? - You haven't? Yeah I hadn't either. Until I picked up Danielle LaPorte's amazing book, The Desire Map. I read through it in one night and then participated in a weekend retreat a week later. That was October of 2015. - I remember leaving that retreat with my then 4 CDFs (core desired feelings). I felt empowered, insightful, and connected to myself in a way I'd never ever been before. - Fast forward to November 2016. In this past year I've moved, been diagnosed with chronic fatigue, gotten a full time job, witnessed a lot of political/social/emotional upheaval, and forgot those CDFs I originally created. - No wonder I've felt like I was just floundering around this year. I didn't even know how I wanted to feel, much less goals to accomplish for my year. Now, I'm not trying to beat myself up here because my main mission honestly has just been to feel better and eat better. But, as I'm beginning down this healing road, my brain desires something more. I desire connection with my heart. I desire freedom. I desire creativity. I desire inspiring others to do the same. - And so, starting in December, I'm working on my 2017 Desire Map. I don't want to think about resolutions. I want to think about my own life revolution. I want that for you also. Let's create a life revolution by living from our heart, and following our feelings which drive us to achieve our goals. - What do you say? Would you join me for a virtual group? I've got room to have a group of women take this "goals with soul" program. I'd love to start the new year off with you, empowered with our newly minted CDFs in mind. This will be one you won't want to miss. Registration closes on November 26th. - Here's the short version: *Six weeks, six virtual lessons *Program runs December 1-January 12th. *We will have a virtual meet up six times, on Thursdays (time TBD), replays can be made available *A small, private Facebook group so we can encourage and support one another as the year progresses (we've got monthly follow ups to in our workbooks!!)--Don't worry if you don't have a FB...don't let that discourage you from signing up! I'll work with you to help you connect in with everyone! *Working with me!! *Figuring out exactly what it is you want to feel...and setting a plan to go for it!! - Do you have questions? Want to know more? For more details, drop me an email ([email protected]) with "Goals with Soul 2017" as the subject. You are so worth it!! ❤️ link: http://bit.ly/2fNrruR For today's installment of Scrumptious Sunday, I wanted to highlight stir fry. For as as long as I can remember, I've craved stir fry. It didn't matter if it was homemade or from a restaurant. It just always kept me wanting more. It didn't matter if it was the soy-licious sauce, the crispy crunch of the carrots, the fluffy rice...I loved it all. And let's be honest, it's a one pot meal, which is totally me. But, now I avoid soy, so I've got to come up with a wonderful alternative, and I think I did (psst.....it deals with tahini)!  To start, I collected all my pots and pans together. I used: *a chefs knife *cutting board *12 inch sauté pan *a medium sized soup pot *colander I then grabbed all my veggies: *broccoli spears *beet slices *green peas *green beans *carrots I used mostly frozen veggies, except for the fresh carrots. Since I'm just cooking for myself, having lots of different frozen veggies to choose from gives me variety, color, and lots of good nutrition! Plus, frozen veggies stay fresh...no waste! Tips: *Put a damp paper towel under a cutting board to prevent the cutting board from slipping. No slipping means less of a chance to cut yourself inadvertently (no one needs to do that!) *After you wash/rinse your carrots, keep the skins on when you chop! They actually contain a plethora of the nutrients (and after all these years of disposing of those little orange strands...whoops)  Before I get to the recipe, I wanted to chat a little bit about soba noodles. Soba is the Japanese word for buckwheat. They are thin, spaghetti like noodles made from buckwheat flour and/or other combinations of flours. Just because the word wheat is in the name doesn't mean there is wheat lurking in the flour. It is a gluten free flour! This particular brand I bought is made of buckwheat flour and sweet potato and is wheat and gluten free. If you are gluten free, or just want to avoid gluten, it's important to check the labels. Sometimes, soba noodles can be made with wheat flour or another gluten containing flour. Right now my nutrition calls for avoiding gluten, so gluten free is good for me!  Alright, now I'll stop talking and get right to the recipe! Ingredients: 2 carrots, washed and cut into coins 1 bag frozen broccoli, steamed 10 beet slices (about 1 small beet if using fresh) 30 frozen green beans 1/3 cup frozen green peas 1 tbsp coconut oil Salt Pepper 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence 1 bunch (about the size of a quarter) soba noodles Water (to cook noodles) Steps: 1. Steam frozen broccoli in 1/4 cup water in soup pot. (I just bring the water to a boil and let steam until tender, about 3-5 minutes). 2. While the broccoli is steaming, chop carrots into coins. Once broccoli has been steamed, drain it and transfer broccoli to the cutting board for a rough chop. Set broccoli aside. 3. Refill soup pot with water and place back on stove. Sprinkle water with a bit of salt. Bring to a boil. 4. Put 1 tbsp coconut oil in skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil has melted, add the carrot coins, beer slices, green beans, and green peas. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and the Herbs de Provence over all veggies. Stir and cook until all veggies are thawed and mixed well, about 7-10 minutes.  5. Once salted water is up to a boil, then add soba noodles. Lower heat and cook for 5-6 minutes until noodles are soft and pliable. Drain noodles in colander and rinse it cold water (tip: it helps noodles not stick together). Look at the photo bomb from my sous chef!  6. Returning to your veggie skillet, add in chopped broccoli and stir well. Cut off heat and set pan aside.  7. Make dressing in a small jelly or mason jar. Make sure you've got a good lid! Ingredients: *5 tbsp coconut oil (I used liquid) *3 tbsp tahini *Juice of 1 lemon *Salt *Pepper Add add all ingredients into jar. Screw the lid on tight and shake to emulsify (aka mix) dressing together.  After the shaking:  8. To serve, scoop in a bowl and drizzle with dressing. Make sure you shake dressing before you drizzle...it will separate after sitting in fridge for a bit. Before drizzle:  After drizzle:   There you have it! A very simple, easy dinner which is super filling! I served this dinner with a simple salad of spring mix and a squirt of lemon juice.
This dish lasts in the fridge for 4 days......if it actually lasts that long! You could also store this dish in the freezer for a couple months. You can also use tamari or coconut aminos if you want a more traditional stir fry flavor. I just wanted to switch it up a bit. If you'd like a meat option, this dish would be good with crumbled bacon, chopped chicken, or turkey. You can also swap out some veggies if the ones I use didn't trip your trigger. Brussel sprouts, chopped cabbage, zucchini, mini corn, celery, onions, etc. would also be fantastic and nutritious. Take this dish and make it your own. Making a recipe with my own variations actually used to scare me. I thought recipes could only be made one way...the way they were made in the book. Turns out, they don't!! And I remember how free I felt when I discovered I could fix recipes with my favorite things instead of the veggies I didn't like (like celery blech lol 😝)...so I hope these suggestions give you "permission" to do the same. Post your pictures with the hashtag #scrumptioussunday...I can't wait to see your creations! Enjoy! As we continue our Healthy Thursday series on Immunity, I received a question from a reader about Vitamin A and its role in our diet. So, let's learn about how this vitamin plays an essential role in our bodies; what foods contain A; and how we can supplement if its needed.  What is Vitamin A good for? Growing up, we heard in various forms--"Eat your carrots or you'll go blind." Vitamin A does help with eyesight, macular degeneration/cataract progression, and night blindness. But, it can also help with:
How could I know if I'm deficient? Blood tests of course can detect your actual levels, but you can look to a few other physical clues:
What forms of Vitamin A exist? There are 2 forms--Vitamin A itself and a class of compounds related to vitamin A called carotenoids. What do carotenoids do?
Do I know any of the carotenoids? Yes, you do! Some of the best known are beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and phytosterols. Beta-carotene is found in orange veggies; lycopene is found in tomatoes; lutein and zeaxanthin are found in marigolds; and, phytosterols are found in green veggies. How do carotenoids relate to Vitamin A? If you eat carotenoids, for example, beta-carotene, they are converted to Vitamin A in the liver.  What are the food sources of vitamin A?
What if I do decide or need to take a supplement of Vitamin A? Well, supplements can come in the form of either Vitamin A itself (usually in fish oil form) or the carotenoids. If you choose to take carotenoids, it is better to take a carotenoid complex than the individual carotenoids alone, but you can take carotenoids like beta carotene and lutein alone. How much can I take? Certain conditions--pregnancy, liver disease, chemotherapy, diabetes, hypothyroidism for example--require specific dosages which need to be discussed with your health care practitioner. For general suggestion,
Do you take a supplement? Yes, I do. I am deficient in Vitamin A, so I'm eating alot of beta carotene (no turning orange yet haha) and taking a Vitamin A supplement. Mine comes from Nature's Sunshine. I have noticed my skin clearing and aided in reducing my fatigue level. And since I have chronic fatigue, I can use all the help reducing my fatigue level I can get!!!  If I'm interested or need supplementation, where can I go?
You can go to my Nature's Sunshine website. Also, you can just connect with me on this site too and we'll have a session to figure out what supplement is right for you or for someone in your family. I have a question for you......how do I let you know? Use the contact me form on this site, my Nature's Sunshine page, or my Instagram (@brooke_langford_). I'd love to hear from you! As always, this information isn't intended to diagnose, cure, prescribe, or fix any particular problem. Please contact your doctor if you have a certain medical concern. I'm here to offer general advice and guidance in your wellness journey. |
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