Healthy Valentines Day Ideas

Valentine's Day is only a few weeks away and for those who are looking for a healthier life, a day full of love is wonderful, it does a body and soul good, but the candy, well... not so good.

We all know why sugar is bad for us (and there are a lot of reasons). So this Valentine's Day why not skip the junk, feel the love, and enjoy a healthy, happy day with your loved one(s).

So this sounds great right? Not sure how to get started? Well here are some ideas!

Instead of going out to dinner, consider staying at home and making a wonderful, tasty, healthy meal for two (or more, you could invite friends and show them how delicious healthy can be!). Not only will it be better for your body, it will probably be better for your wallet too! You can make it as romantic as you want. Think candles, roses, music, maybe some organic wine, and the two of you. Or think relaxed casual night in with great food, great friends, great wine and great conversation!

That's the beauty of planning your own night in, you can do whatever you feel :)

Need some yummy dinner ideas?

Look on our website,

http://www.healthhutch.com/common/recipes/recipes_home.asp?storeID=E4BAEB362D3D435695068E7F94C474A9

or check out this one

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_valentines_day_recipes

Ok, you've got your dinner ideas now what about dessert?

You can actually pick almost any recipe that sounds good and replace unhealthy ingredients with healthier ones or you can go simple and easy and buy already made desserts that are on the healthier side, check out your local health food store :)

For dessert you can go simple like a cookie or brownie (these you may be able to buy already made) and then top with a little agave sweetened ice cream. It's delicious and not full of sugar.

Or maybe you feel like going all out and making something really special!

You can check out both websites above for delicious dessert recipes or you can find/use your own and modify them to make them a little healthier. We like to use raw, unfiltered honey, or organic agave instead of sugar for in baking. You may also want to skip the white processed flours and try something new! Brown rice flour, coconut flour and oat flour may not be familiar to you but they are usually pretty easy to use and work great as replacements.

Well now that you have a few ideas on how to have a healthier Valentine's Day, be sure to keep in mind that it's a day to show those you love just how you feel about them. So please let all of those in your life know how much they mean to you and how much you love them by spending time with them and enjoying it! It will be remembered much more than cards, candy, or flowers :)

Take advantage and cherish every moment you have with your loved ones and have a wonderfully Happy Valentine's Day!

Artificial Sweeteners

Most of us have heard that artificial sweeteners are not healthy but many don't really know why.

With more and more people wanting to cut sugar from their diets some think that using aspartame or Splenda (sucralose) is an acceptable alternative. Well, if you are looking for a truly healthy life then consuming sugar is definitely not a good idea but artificial sweeteners are just as bad, if not worse! Many people don't realize that aspartame is not only in diet sodas and some other diet foods but can also be in chewing gum, cough drops, yogurt, low quality vitamins, and more. In fact according to Dr. Mercola's website,(http://www.mercola.com/ ) in 2008 aspartame could be found in over 6,000 products! You may be surprised at how many products contain this but still wondering why this is a bad thing? Aspartame is not natural, it is a man made chemical and as we all know, if you want true health staying away from man made "food" is a must. For those of you who need more, consider this- many people who consume aspartame experience symptoms like joint pain, headaches/migraines, memory loss, fatigue and weakness, dizziness, sleep problems, change in heart rate and many more symptoms. Many people who have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraines, and other health problems have experienced a very significant if not total improvement when giving up artificial sweeteners like aspartame. If you suffer from any of these conditions (or others) and consume foods with aspartame eliminate it and be sure to read labels because it can be in products you would never suspect. Not only will you lessen your pain and discomfort, you will be taking one more step on your journey to true health!

To learn more about what exactly aspartame is and what it actually does in/to the body, check out this article http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/13/Artificial-Sweeteners-More-Dangerous-than-You-Ever-Imagined.aspx

Just a little note:

I briefly mentioned Splenda, this has been advertised as natural and made from sugar. Many companies have used Splenda to replace aspartame but this is not acceptable and has many problems associated with it also. It is an advertising trick and this sweetener is no better than aspartame. All you have to do is google dangers of splenda and a number of websites pop up.

Here is some info on dangers of Splenda

http://www.splendaexposed.com/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/17/One-More-Reason-to-Ban-Artificial-Sweeteners-from-Your-Diet.aspx

http://www.splendainfo.com/dangers-of-splenda

Are you wondering what you could use as a sweetener?

Luckily there are a few good options.

Raw, organic,unfiltered honey is delicious and has many healthful properties.

Stevia is natural, from a plant, and really has no calories.

It may take a little time to get used to using a different sweetener but in a very short time you will feel healthier, be healthier and your body will thank you!

Look For Natural Remedies

It's really no surprise that there has been yet another recall of over the counter medications. This time Tylenol, Motrin, and other products are being recalled because of an unusual odor that was described as a moldy, musty odor that caused some to have stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. According to the company this smell was caused by the breakdown of a chemical that is applied to wood for pallets that are used for storing and transporting product materials. They are not quite sure though how this could have gotten into the bottles. Another bothersome fact- they had received complaints about Tylenol in fall of 2008 but did not report it until 2009!

(Find recall info here http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com/)
Just my opinion here but recalls, sickness, hiding complaints, and generally not taking responsibility are common for companies like this and not a lot usually happens. Oh sure, they may have to pay a fine but again, just a slap on the wrist. Well, good thing we have other options! Options that are economical, safe, and effective.

This recall coupled with an earlier recall that happened a few months ago has left some nervous to give these medications and asking what they could give their children or themselves for fevers, pain, and sickness and other health related issues. There are plenty of options.
Herbs and homeopathy provide many tried and true remedies.
Homeopathy has actually been around for over 200 years and people have been using herbs for as long as they have been on this earth! To me that just sounds like a better idea, remedies that come from the earth and work with the body as opposed to man made chemicals that force the body into doing something. I'm not saying there isn't a time and a place for modern or conventional medicine but I think that for most situations I would definitely try to find and use natural remedies first!

If you are interested in homeopathy you can find more information at

http://www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/

http://www.hpathy.com/

those are great places to start :)

There are many, many resources for homeopathic and herbal remedies and if you are interested in a more natural approach to your health and would like more information please stop in, e-mail, or give us a call!

Vinegar's Many Uses and Benefits

There are two types of vinegar I love and use regularly, apple cider vinegar and distilled white vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar has been used for hundreds of years and has a long list of benefits. It is known for being rich in enzymes and potassium, helping digestion, heartburn and acid reflux, balancing the body's PH, helping with weight, arthritis, acne, blood pressure, and the list goes on! You can also give it to pets and farm animals to help with general health, arthritis, fleas and makes their coat healthy and shiny :)

This type of vinegar is made from fresh apples that mature and ferment. Once fermented or matured, it contains what is called the mother. The mother is natural pectin and apple residues and the presence of the mother means that the minerals and enzymes (good stuff) have not been filtered out or destroyed. When looking for apple cider vinegar look for one that is organic, raw,unfiltered and unpasturized.

The next type of vinegar I mentioned was white distilled vinegar. I use this vinegar for cleaning, disinfecting and other household uses. Apple cider vinegar would work just as well but I save the raw, organic, unfiltered vinegar for taking internally and use the filtered, processed vinegar for cleaning.

White distilled vinegar is usually made by distilling corn into corn alcohol, combining it with other ingredients and then fermenting. This vinegar goes through a process of ultra filtration.

There are many uses for this type of vinegar. You can use it for cleaning, deodorizing, disinfecting, sunburns, insect bites, and more! Here's a helpful tip, cleaning with vinegar is economical, earth friendly, and non toxic! Next time you need to disinfect your home pick up the vinegar instead of toxic household cleaners. Those toxic cleaners are bad for us, our children and the earth but vinegar is just as effective and non toxic.

If you are interested in more information about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar check out these sites:

http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/acvinegar.html

http://bragg.com/products/acv.html

Interested in what you could clean with white vinegar? Look at this site it has 1001 uses!

http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/

January 2010 Newsletter

Be sure to check out our January Newsletter!

It has great information on antibiotics and good bacteria, weight management, cold medicine, and resolutions. All the info you need to have a great start to a new year!

Read more here

And be sure to sign up for our newsletter, then you can have information about natural health, healthy living, our store and more sent right to your inbox!

Children,Dirt and Health

In today's day and age everyone seems extremely cautious of germs or anything dirty. But at what cost? Your immune system is similar to a muscle, you have to exercise it for it to work properly. If our you or your children are never exposed to anything how will their immune systems recognize and deal with things?

Well it seems that according to the University of California, San Diego, children that are too clean are at higher risk for inflammation and disease. They also seem to have more trouble with allergies.

Next time you reach for antibacterial soap or harsh hand sanitizers remember- plain soap and water or gentle organic hand sanitizers (if soap and water aren't available) will do the trick without stripping away all bacteria which can actually be beneficial!

So let's get back to playing outside, running around barefoot, making mud pies, playing with frogs and worms, digging in the garden and all other dirty activities :) Just make sure to wash your hands before you eat and after you go to the bathroom and all will be well!

Check out this interesting article from Natural News for more information

http://www.naturalnews.com/027855_children_dirt.html

Interested in natural hand sanitizers? Stop in and check out what we carry!