U is for Use the 90% Real Food Rule

ABCs for healthy living are quick takes on simple strategies for creating a healthier life.

I start every day with a real food breakfast.

I created ten strategies for healthy living that helped me detoxify my life and optimize my stamina and energy because I was desperate to find ways to cope with the severe pain and fatigue of the chronic illness fibromyalgia.I succeeded far beyond what I could imagine.I not only found ways to cope. I eventually completely recovered. Last week I celebrated four years of being symptom free.

These strategies required me to make changes in my lifestyle.All of the strategies have been important in my recovery and in maintaining my health. The top three are:

• Replace harmful household products with safer ones.
• Remove most processed food from my diet.
• Make smart choices about eating real food.

The first one was the easiest.I didn't have any emotional attachment to cleaning products. I could live without scented things.If you would like more info on why scented products are dangerous and some ideas for making your own nontoxic cleaners, check out these posts.

3 Easy Nontoxic Cleaners You Can Make

How to Clean Your Entire Bathroom Without Toxic Chemicals

Why Scented Products are Hazardous to Your Health
Completely revamping my diet was a lot more difficult for me.I had been eating things out of boxes and packages and using cans of this and that in recipes for years.I was emotionally attached to some of the processed food I ate.So I use the 90% rule.I eat real food 90% of the time.This gives me a 10% flexibility window each day for occasionally eating processed food, eating out when I don't know what ingredients restaurants use in the food, and going to parties and potluck dinners.

Five things help me follow the 90% real food rule.

1. I start every day with a real food breakfast that includes bread I make myself, fruit, nuts, organic free range eggs I get from a friend, and a cup of ginger tea. Recipe for Ginger Tea

2. When I eat occasional processed food, I make sure it has five ingredients or less and stay away from the most harmful ingredients like preservatives and food dyes. For example, if I want potato chips with my sandwich, I choose a single serving bag that is made from only three ingredients: potatoes,salt,and oil.

3. When I'm invited to a potluck dinner or party, I take a fresh fruit or vegetable platter so that I know I will have some real food choices no matter what else is served.

4. When I eat at a restaurant I choose foods that have the greatest potential for being unprocessed like grilled chicken, fruit, vegetables, and salad.

5. I thoroughly enjoy my 10% flexibility window.This week I've been baking Christmas goodies for my grandchildren. And I've tasted everything I made. One piece of homemade candy or one cookie doesn't wreck my plan because the rest of the day I know I will follow the 90% real food rule that helps me create a healthier life.

Want to join my online community?

Like my Facebook page Practical Priorities 

Follow my blog  Practical Priorities

Follow me on Twitter  @KathyKNorman

Connect with me on LinkedIn  Kathy K. Norman

Check out my Pinterest boards KathyKNorman3

I is for Inflammation

ABCs for healthy living are quick takes on simple strategies for creating a healthier life.

Eating fruit reduces inflammation in our bodies.

Any type of stress on our bodies causes inflammation on a cellular level. Increased inflammation is a primary factor in the onset of chronic illness, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, and many types of cancer.

Inflammation can be caused by anything that puts stress on our bodies. Some common causes of increased inflammation are exposure to environmental toxins, eating processed food full of toxic ingredients, using cleaning products and cosmetics full of harmful chemicals, leading a sedentary life, not getting enough sleep, and going through periods of physical,emotional, mental, or spiritual stress.

We can reduce the inflammation in our bodies and the illnesses it produces by limiting our exposure to the things that increase inflammation. Eliminating processed food from our diets and eating real food with lots of anti-inflammatory nutrients is a great way to reduce inflammation.

If you want to decrease the inflammation in your body, try adding these great anti-inflammatory foods to your diet: almonds, bell peppers, beets,blueberries, broccoli,cherries, chia seeds, cinnamon, coconut oil, flaxseed, ginger, limes, pineapple, sweet potatoes, tea, turmeric, walnuts.

Check out this post for a great recipe for ginger tea that includes four anti-inflammatory ingredients. Ginger Tea Recipe

Want to join my online community?

Follow my blog  Practical Priorities

Follow me on Twitter  @KathyKNorman

Like my Facebook page Practical Priorities 

Connect with me on LinkedIn  Kathy K. Norman

Check out my Pinterest boards KathyKNorman3

Visit my website www.kathyknorman.com

G is for Ginger Tea

ABCs for healthy living are quick takes on simple strategies for creating a healthier life.

Ingredients for Making Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is one of my favorite foods for healthy living.It is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Every ingredient in the tea is great for reducing inflammation.I have a cup every morning with breakfast.

Peel a one to two inch slice of fresh ginger root.

Use a microplane grater to finely grate 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fresh ginger. Freshly grated ginger is quite spicy. You may want to use 1 teaspoon rather than 1 to 2 tablespoons and gradually increase the amount of ginger a little bit each day until you get used to the taste of freshly grated ginger. If you love spicy flavors and adore ginger, go for the larger amount from the get go.

You can make ginger tea in any mug with any type of tea bag or you can use an infuser tea mug and loose leaf organic tea.

.

If you are using a regular mug and tea bag, put the grated ginger into the mug.

Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of raw local honey.

Add the juice from one slice of lime or lemon.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

Wait for the teakettle to whistle.

Fill the mug half full with boiling water.

Stir briskly to thoroughly mix the ingredients and dissolve the ginger.

Add a single serving size tea bag of your favorite black or green tea. 

Add hot water to finish filling up the mug.

Steep the tea for three to five minutes depending on how strong you like your tea.

Remove the tea bag and enjoy.

I prefer making ginger tea using loose leaf organic tea in an infuser mug that has an inner removable strainer.If you use an infusion mug, follow these steps.

Put the grated ginger and your favorite loose leaf organic tea into the infuser. Oolong, Darjeeling, and Irish Breakfast are some of my favorite loose leaf organic teas.

Add a slice of lime or lemon and hot water.

After the tea has steeped for 4 minutes, remove the inner infuser liner and add the honey and cinnamon. 

Stir and enjoy.

You can find loose leaf organic tea at health food stores and organic grocery chains like Earth Fare and Whole Foods Market.Infuser mugs can be purchased at kitchen specialty stores and tea shops. If you'd rather shop online, check out this infuser mug on amazon.com Infuser Tea Mug

Want to join my online community?

Follow my blog  Practical Priorities

Follow me on Twitter  @KathyKNorman

Like my Facebook page Practical Priorities 

Connect with me on LinkedIn  Kathy K. Norman

Check out my Pinterest boards KathyKNorman3

Visit my website www.kathyknorman.com

Let the Good Food Roll

I was exhausted from being tired all the time and I was tired of constantly having to think about things to eliminate from my life.  I had zapped all the chemicals from my environment, my food, and my daily routine.  My world soon devolved into too much don't, don't, don't and no, no, no.  On the other hand my fibromyalgia pain was a lot better. So I couldn't complain.  (But I did anyway on days when my chronic fatigue symptoms were unrelenting and overwhelming.) 

I had taken positive steps to add more whole foods to my diet.  Now it was time to dive into the adventure of finding foods that might actually help strengthen my immune system, reduce my symptoms, and kick this disease into remission.  I was scrolling through my Facebook feed one morning when I came across the list posted above. I seldom make smoothies and I have found a lot of ways to use these foods besides in soups and salads although they are certainly delicious and easy to incorporate into those dishes.  I eat as many things off this list as I can creatively work into my menus each day.

Here are some ideas:

Sprinkle dried cherries and almonds over organic granola and mix with Greek yogurt.

Add chopped garlic to crock pot dishes, spaghetti sauce, casseroles, meat, poultry, vegetables, and,well honestly, just about everything you cook.

Make fresh ginger tea. I drink at least one cup of this each day and often enjoy two or three cups. Here's the recipe:

Fresh Ginger Tea

Use a micro plane grater to grate 1 T of fresh ginger

Put the ginger in a large mug.

Add a couple of tsp. of raw local honey.

Add the juice from one slice of lime.

Add 1/4 tsp. of ground cinnamon.

Add your favorite tea bag.

Wait for the teakettle to whistle.

Fill the mug with boiling water.

Steep for three minutes.

Remove tea bag.

Here are some tips for using and storing fresh ginger. Peel only as much as you need before grating. Never store in plastic containers or plastic wrap.  It will stay fresher longer if you pop the unused pieces into a plain brown paper lunch bag and keep in the vegetable crisper in your refrigerator. Gotta run.  For some reason I'm suddenly craving a cup of ginger tea.