No More Toxins: In My Kitchen

I was determined to get rid of every toxin in my house and body after I lost my first daughter to the #1 toxin- mercury.  Loosing her was totally preventable if I had the knowledge (I wrote about her in Joy- Who Truly Made Me Healthy).  I starting reading tons of books about toxins.  I could not believe all that I was missing.  We ate semi organic and thought we were healthy.  After a chelation test (I wrote about this in How I Rid My Body Of Mercury), I found I had a ton of toxins in my body.  After these events, my world was shook upside down. 

I was on a mission to find and get rid of every toxin in my house, my body and my husband's body.  I probably went a little overboard but after I became aware of everything, I couldn't not do something about it.

After my husband and I both did a cleanse that I bought at our health food store (we did Smart Cleanse- first the Heavy Metal one then the General one).   I started making my Green Smoothies every day to get any extra toxins out. 

I then started cleaning out the toxins in my kitchen.

I switched to EVERYTHING organic.  You just can't trust when something says "All Natural".  The companies are allowed to still genetically modify and add toxins.  I try to buy as many whole foods because it will cut down on cost if you don't buy packaged (aside from the fact that real live food is much better for you).  I also try to buy as much food from the farmers market because it is fresh and full of nutrients. It also hasn't been packaged in plastic

I got rid of every plastic in my kitchen.  Plastic cups, zip lock bags plastic wrap, food storage containers, spoons, everything.  Plastic has many toxins that alter your hormones.  These are especially harmful if you put hot food in them.  The more elastic the plastic i.e. food baggies and plastic wrap, the more toxins in them.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to find alternatives.  We use all glass to drink out of.  I cook in stainless steal or glass.  I store our food in glass with plastic lids but that is okay because the food isn't touching the plastic.  Instead of plastic wrap, I use non-bleach wax paper and tape it up.

We stopped using the Microwave.  There are many studies that show that microwave use kills nutrients in our food.  Why would I go through all the trouble to eat organic when it's just going to be destroyed in the microwave.  Also, studies have shown that there are radioactive properties to food after they are heated in a microwave.  I haven't used one in three years.  I just heat my food in the oven, covered on 300 degrees.  Takes a little patience but it is so worth it.

I make sure I don't cook anything in aluminum.  I had extremely high levels of aluminum in me.  This is scary because it can cause memory loss and early dementia.  I was cooking on aluminum cookie sheets, aluminum muffin pans and in aluminum pans with non-stick coating.  I changed to stainless steal and caste iron.  You can find good deals at Target and at Good Will.

We installed a water filter. You would be shocked at the amount of toxins and chemicals that are in your water.

This may seem like a lot but it is so worth it!  I had to go through something horrible before I changed and really realized what was going on in my body.  You can be thinking you are doing just fine but all of this stuff adds up.  I had the motivation of trying to create the healthiest baby I could after loosing Joy.  My mission now is to share my story so I can help prevent any other children being hurt because someone simply didn't have the knowledge.

I will share with you all the other things I changed in up coming post.

Sincerely,

Tara

Good For You Guac

Guacamole is so good for you!  The avocados in them have many properties that fight and prevent cancer.  The carotenoid lutein in them helps prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.  Avocados also lower cholesterol.  The folate in them helps with heart health and prevents strokes.

Arabella likes to play with the seed and lick it clean. : )

The other ingredients in Guac are also super foods.  The raw garlic and onion have flu fighting properties in them.  I try to load up on these two around flu season.  The vitamin C in the tomatoes also help with your immune system.

Full Recipe:

2-3 organic avocados
1 large organic tomato
1/2 organic onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp hot sauce
2 tsp raw sugar
juice of half a lemon
salt to taste
Mash all together.  Arabella loves to mash it with her hands.

I serve ours on toasted bread with butter for a snack or lunch.  You can also dip chips in it.  My favorite healthy chip is a millet and flax one by Brick Oven.  I also make a tortilla chip by toasting a sprouted grain tortilla with olive oil or butter and salt on a pizza stone for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees.

Happy Healthy Eating!

Tara

Burn Baby Burn

Running is one of the best ways to burn off that post Thanksgiving couple of pounds.  If you can't run, walking will work but just go a little longer.  I think your body sees the best results because it is one of the most natural ways for your body to move.

Call me crazy but I actually look forward to my run after a couple of days of laying around.  I'm just not sleeping as good and I feel very sluggish.  As soon as I hit those trails, I get very engergized as my little coach aka Arabella yells "run really really fast mama" from her jogging stroller. : )

A good run can also help you deal with any family stress that you might have had to deal with over the Holiday.  We all know we need help in that department.  I feel like I have taken a wonderful deep breath after my run and the problems are quit as bad.

This is Arabella in my running shoes.  I will write a post about them soon.  She alternates them with my heels.  Good balance between jock and girly girl. : )

Also, I feel like a need a good cleanse after all those goodies.  I do have a sweet tooth, so I let myself indulge a little. I try not to worry too much about not eating organic either. I think it is good for you metally to take a break every once and a while. But after about a day and half of goodies, my body starts to crave a green smoothie and other healthy foods.

Each time you run or walk, please take the time to stretch. This is SOOOOOOOOOOO important. It will help your muscles prepare for the next run and prevent injury. Here are some great post-run stretches:

This quad stretch will help keep the muscles around your knees elastic and keep from pulling on them.

This hamstring stretch will really help prevent your tight hamstrings from pulling on your low back.  60% of low back problems come from tight hamstrings.

This stretches your IT band (the muscle that runs alongside the outside of your thigh). The IT band can get very tight from running (and from being on your feet all day, mamas!)

This stretches your inner thighs and again will keep you from having any knee problems.

Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds and take long deep breaths.

I also believe in having good shoes. I know times are tough but good shoes are an investment that can help prevent injury or even aches when they are unnecessary. My favorite is the Vibram 5 Fingers Shoes.  They are the closest thing to help you have a natural stride. They help your body work the way it is suppose to and thus preventing injury. If you are in Tallahassee, The Shoe Box has a great selection.

Run Mamas Run!

Tara

Bella's Creamed Butternut Squash

 I am all about easy, tasty recipes.  This is so easy and so tasty.

Butternut squash is such a healthy food.  It has wonderful fiber for digestion.  Vitamin A for great eye site.

Slice the butternut squash in half.  Take the seeds out.  Put in glass pan, sprinkle olive oil and salt on the squash.  Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour.  Let it cool a bit.  Blend in blender with butter and milk till smooth.  It is soooo yummy!  I eat it like a dessert.  

Enjoy!

Tara

Our Fall Garden

We have had so much fun gardening this year.  It has far exceeded my expectations.  I had dreamed about doing this with Arabella even before she was born.

 Let me make clear that I don't have any gardening experience.  Let me take that back, my mom had a garden but all I remember about it was having to weed as punishment and taking the stinky compost up the hill (compost won't stink if you do the right mixture of things).  I am hoping if I teach Arabella as we go and I don't force her to help, she will grow a love for gardening. 


I had my hubby put these plots together, filled them with 3/4 organic soil and 1/4 organic cow manure.  Bought organic seeds or plants and planted what I thought might work.  Some things didn't work like yellow squash seeds in mid summer heat but many other things did. 

This sandbox in one of the plots was the BEST idea ever!  Arabella would help me plant for a bit but then was ready for something different.  She would then dig in the sandbox while I did fun things like weed and mix the compost.  : )  Side note- I put compost on the plants about twice month.

We had tons of basil.  I would make at least 2 batches of my Posey Pesto (you can find the recipe on here) a week.  Basil has many antimicrobial properties.  It is called Holy Basil because of how it fights off flu and colds.  I think this is one of the reasons we didn't get sick all summer.

I planted these eggplant seeds last spring.  It took all summer to grow the plant but now all the sudden, we are getting lots of eggplant.  I slice them on the round about 1/4 inch thick, sprinkle lots of salt on them.  Let them sit to drawl out the acid.  After about 30-60 minutes, take a paper towel and blot the excess liquid off.  I then roast them with olive oil in the oven for 30 minutes on 375.  Delish!

I tried to plant flowers in with the veggies to make it visually stimulating for Arabella.  Well, I love flowers too.  These are trumpet flowers.

I bought this celery plant from Turkey Hill Farm last spring.  It lasted though summer and has grown and grown.  I think they are the best farm around.  Their produce is amazing and they definitely practice what they preach (all natural and organic).  I put it in everything to add flavor and even put it in my green smoothies for added nutrients. 

I also bought my tomato plants from Turkey Hill.  They produced so many tomatoes!  We could pick every day.  Have plenty for salads and Arabella's full tummy of her favorite food.

I let Arabella plant some of her seeds where she wanted.  She planted some in her sandbox and it grew!  She had three sunflowers grow right in the middle of her sandbox!   I was going to make a cover for it but I couldn't destroy her flower that was growing out of pure love.

Arabella's Sunflower. : )

The other big hit was the water hose and sprinkler.  She kept cool and had so much fun.

Happy Gardening!

Tara & Arabella

This Moment- Camping

This summer we had a wonderful time camping.  With these hard economic times, we couldn't afford a big vacation so we made do.  We ended up finding some wonderful spots to camp.  This is in Cape San Blas.  It is on the Gulf Coast.

We founds some wonderful state and nationals parks all within 2 hours of our house.  It only cost $4 dollars to camp at most parks.  Most people are scared of taking a baby/toddler camping but Arabella LOVED it.

Yes, she would wake up at sunrise but that is okay once and a while. 

Our best trips where camping on the beach.   This is an amazing experience!  You get to build a camp fire and listen to the waves at the same time. 

This was our camp at Cumberland Island.  What an amazing place!  You are on an island that has these wonderful live oaks and palms and then the ocean is right there.  This is Dada setting up camp. : )

They do have raccoons on the island so they provide a storage cage for your food and trash.  Arabella thought is was the best thing ever!  Her own little house.

This is the beach on Cumberland Island.  We were out there by 7 a.m. and nobody around.  We had so much fun!

Another great thing about the island is the wild horses roaming around.  You would be just walking around on the trails and see all these horses and their new babies.  Arabella just couldn't believe her eyes.  Mama's dream came true on making her happy.

We had to take a ferry to get to the island.  Arabella loved that too.

She is a tree hugger.  : )  Just kidding but she did hug this tree.

This was our last camp at Port Saint Joe Peninsula.  We got so lucky and experienced the Monart Butterfly migration.  There were butterflies everywhere!  Magical!

We were gathering up to get ready for our hike to our camp site.

We have perfected our method.  We figured out how to pack everything in a wheel barrow and then make the trek on the sand near the beach with Arabella on top. : )

What a sight.  You get to have a camp fire and a sun set at the same time.  Arabella is enjoying her marsh mellows. I don't give her a lot of sugar but we all need a treat now and then.  I get these marsh mellows from New Leaf.  They are all natural (still lots of sugar but no dyes).  Did you know that all other marsh mellows have blue dye in them.  These are just as delish without the dyes.  Makes mama happy.

In the morning when we wake up, Arabella just loves exploring her surroundings (sand, ocean- she said it was her swimming pool : ).

We brought our camp down to the beach to enjoy the day.

I highly recommend camping for your family.  Don't be afraid of doing it with your baby/toddler.  They will get so tuckered out with all the wonderful surroundings that they will sleep through the night on a good air mattress.  Happy Camping!

Tara, Cory & Arabella

Happy 80th Birthday to my Dad!

Happy 80th Birthday to my Dad!  I am a daddy's girl.  I love my dadio (that is what I call him or Joedad- his name is Joe).

I can't believe he is 80.  He is such a young 80.  He eats right and walks every day with his dog PoPo.  I got PoPo for him when he retired and he has been a great buddy for him.

Okay, now I am going to cry as I write this.  I love my dad.  He has been wonderful to me.  No, not perfect but he did the best he could do.  I love him for being him.

This is Arabella dancing for him at his 79th birthday.  Me and my dad use to dance every Sunday as we listened to Prairie Home Companion.  I would tell him "listen to the beat" and clap for him just like Arabella is doing here. Tears.  I would also stand on his feet as we danced around the room. : )

We were so blessed to stay at one of my friends/clients cabin for his birthday.  It is on a beautiful lake.  It was such a wonderful retreat for all of us.  Thank you Tottin Family!

Arabella helped me present JoJo (that is what Arabella calls him) with his organic birthday cake.  In return JoJo shared his cake.

Arabella was very satisfied and off to burn off her sugar high since she never gets sugar.

This was at Lamoyne's Christmas last year.  Lamoyne is an art gallery that puts on a wonderful Christmas celebration every year.  It is tradition that me and my dad go every year and pick out the best Christmas ornament.  Now Cory and Arabella are included.  It doesn't feel like Christmas until we share this moment.

Arabella is sending you hugs, JoJo.  We LOVE you!  Happy Birthday!

Tara

Happy Fall Fun & Crafts

We had so much fun going to the pumpkin patches in our area this fall.  Arabella loved seeing all the kids and playing with the pumpkins.

 Since the little pumpkins only cost $1 so we could get a couple each time. I made Arabella's skirt and it is SUPER easy- 30 minutes tops.  I will write a tutorial on how to do it soon.

 This was Dada and Arabella on Halloween night.  He dressed up as Russell Brand and I made Arabella's kitty cat costume with some emerald bling.

 I was Kati Perry.  I had to make a big fluffy tutu for Arabella's costume.  It was a must!  I used my organic eye makeup for Arabella's whiskers.

 These fabric pumpkins were so easy to make.  I cut a 12 x 12 square out of some cute fabric.  Take a roll of toilet paper and squash it a bit.  Then wrap that in two pieces of newspaper.  Wrap that in your fabric by pushing it into the hole at the top.

 Glue a stick in the hole at the top then tie a bow around it.  Voila!  Easy fun fall craft!

 These pumpkins; I just hot glued some glitter to the top.  As you can see the Dada one has a tie that is made of green glitter.  The mama one is wrapped in lace and has white glitter.  The baby one has her lace dress on  and is made with green and white glitter.  Cheesy but makes me smile. : )

 I just glued this pretty lace to the top of this cool gray pumpkin.  Maybe it could be a granny pumpkin.

 Our porch ready for Fall. : )

 Arabella eating her organic lolly pop on Halloween.  I don't ever want her to feel deprived but I also want to keep her from the awful dyes that are in most candies for as long as I can.  I filled her candy bag with organic, fruit juice candies.  She went trick or treating but when she asked for a piece of candy I just grabbed the organic candy and she never knew the difference.  I know there will come a time where she does but I am dragging it out as long as I can.

Happy Fall to all!  We have had a great one and hope you have too. : )

The Poseys