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

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F is for Farmer's Markets

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

Bounty from the Kansas City Farmer's Market

Farmer's markets are a great place to find lots of fresh real food.The food is usually grown locally so it has not been transported over long distances before you buy it. Many farmer's markets offer organically grown produce. You can often speak to the person who planted and harvested the crop to ask questions about the use of pesticides and GMO (genetically modified organism) seeds. Organic farmers are great advocates for eating real food and are frequently willing to discuss their growing methods with you.

Farmer's markets are located in towns large and small around the country. My friendly little hometown has a population of a little over 3000 and we have a farmer's market that you can visit every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday during gardening season. Red Bay Farmer's Market

There is a wonderful farmer's market in Madison, AL where we shopped many Saturdays when we lived there. Madison City Farmer's Market

We enjoy traveling in our motorhome. I love to buy fresh fruit and vegetables from local farmer's markets when we are crusing around our beautiful country. We discovered a great one when we were in Kansas City, MO. The historic City Market has been selling fruit and vegetables in approximately the same location in downtown Kansas City since 1857. It was a fun place to visit and to restock our supply of fresh produce. Kansas City Market


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

Easy Roasted Vegetables Recipe

I love to roast all kinds of vegetables. Here are some fruit and vegetables I picked up from the farmer's market.

The purple onions, purple potatoes, and yellow squash all taste delicious roasted. I cut the purple potatoes in half, sliced the squash, chopped the onion, added a sliced zucchini and some chopped garlic I picked up at the grocery store, and had a great side dish to go with grilled chicken fingers.

I have also roasted broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, red new potatoes and red, green, yellow, and orange bell peppers with great results.

To make Easy Roasted Vegetables for your Thanksgiving feast, select your favorite fresh vegetables.Think colorfully.Vegetables with deeper colors usually have more nutritional value than paler versions. Purple onions have more nutrients than white onions. Purple and red potatoes and deep orange sweet potatoes have more nutritional value than plain white potatoes. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Brush a large rimmed cookie sheet with 4 T of olive oil.

While the oven is preheating, wash, slice and chop the vegetables you have selected. Zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, several colors of bell peppers, purple onions, and garlic make a delicious and pretty dish.

Arrange the prepared vegetables in a single layer on the cookie sheet.

Use a basting brush to spread 4 T of olive oil over the top of the layer of vegetables.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs and spices to taste.

Bake in the preheated oven until the vegetables are golden on top and starting to brown around the edges. This will take from 30-45 minutes depending on how thickly you have sliced the vegetables.

Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove the vegetables from the pan to a serving platter.

Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top.

Serve warm.

Want More Recipes?

To get recipes for Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese, Portuguese Country Bread, Roasted Vegetables, Apple Pear Crisp, and Chocolate Almond Pie check out my Facebook page: Practical Healing in a Toxic World  Thanksgiving recipes will be featured this week.

Like the page to find lots of practical ways to move toward a healthy life.The page has recipes, tips on chemical free living, fibromyalgia facts, and spiritual encouragement. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!