A few years back I found myself in a downward health spiral. I was doing all I could to work through it but the physical pain wasn’t going away fast enough. My ankles and knees were full of fluid and aching everyday. I had heard about the effects that epsom baths could have on body aches and decided to try it one day to see what all the hype was about. It was the first bath I had taken since I was a child! I’m not sure if it was the high from the nostalgia and relaxation or if it actually worked but I lifted myself out of that tub with absolutely no pain in my knees..maybe a miracle, I thought! I continued tapping into that miracle every once in a while when it got bad, as I was continuing to actually heal from my auto-immune ailments.
Fast forward to this year and we purchased a home with a Jacuzzi tub...boy the baths I'm gunna take in that awesomeness!! It was something I had adapted into my self care routine that always brought me peace and alignment but through the chaos of a new home, care taking and starting my own businesses, I found myself having to clean out the tub before using it most times because I was doing it so rarely!! I knew I needed to get back to it for my own sanity but I never gained the initiative back until an angel entered my life. I was offered a complementary chakra alignment one day that was absolutely amazing and informative. She saw salt water as a healing tool for me which meant Epsom salt baths..lots of them!! She advised me to stay in for at least 20 minutes, the first ten for release and the second ten for replenishment. So...I jumped in that cuzzi! She was right and it was exactly what I needed at that time.
I tried to take one every couple of days and although it was helping to heal the the emotional pain I was experiencing at the time and helping me manifest great change and love, i was still hearing my ugly self talk through it all. You know what I’m talking about, the “you’re still worthless, a monster, you’re not able to change, you’re still ugly and fat... you don't deserve this love from yourself.”
Once I realized that this self talk was not only counteracting my warm and fuzzy baths but it was also hindering complete healing for me, I decided to add a little something into my bathing routine..I knew the baths helped me so I wasn’t going to try something different, just improve it. You know what’s best for you and your body so just stop and listen to what it needs, not to what everyone is telling you you should be doing in order to feel better.
So I realized that my skin was super sensitive after being in the warm water for a bit and that washing myself off with a soft cloth felt really lovely and touch is something we’re all lacking in our lives(even if you think you’re getting enough) and self touch is that much more powerful. I would start by closing my eyes and dipping the cloth in the warm water and running it up my arm and down the back of it. Across my chest and shoulders and down to my hands. All while envisioning actual hearts and love coming off of the cloth, being washed all over my skin. Almost like putting lotion on and seeing it absorb into your skin, I was bathing myself in love and absorbing it into my body and soul. To some this may sound silly, to others it may sound sensual...and it’s both! But it is what works for me. The connection I get with myself and my body leaves me feeling extremely loved and that much more able to love. It literally fills me to the brim with only loving feelings for myself after detoxing any pain, fear or bad thoughts away. It’s always important to replenish with positive energy after letting go of anything negative or else you’re leaving space for absolutely anything to come back in which could instantly be a negative moment or feeling. I continue over my entire body, spending a little extra time on my feet since they need the most physical love on most of us...eyes closed, hearts everywhere. Full of love.
If you’re looking to up your self care game, try something similar or if you already have the perfect regimen, we’d love to hear about it. Are you practicing enough? Have you found something that replenishes you? There’s something for everyone so don’t give up finding it and don’t forget to practice often in order to give back fully 
It can almost sound silly but it has been very difficult for me to form a good relationship with our new house so far. When we first walked in it, I loved it. It was perfect for what mom and I needed currently and it was even more perfect for a family to grow into for the future. It gave me a sense of comfort at the time, knowing that the big decision I was making to move back in with my mother, as an adult, in order to give her what she needed...was the right thing to do and that it would make us all happy. After the first day of moving in, it quickly became the house where I lost all independence. The home with nosy neighbors when I was used to living out in the woods where no one cared what I did or even knew my name. The house where I lost all privacy after living alone for 4 years. The 4,000 square feet of materials that I had to clean all by myself when it used to only be 900. The place that everyone called beautiful and enormous and I called "too much." The four walls that I was constantly buying stuff to fill with instead of filling it with my love and gratitude. The place that I slept, ate, fought and yelled at. Every day felt like a war that I was losing, with my mother, and myself.
This morning was the first time I've felt the connection I've been looking for. The sun rose through the green leaves changing to red, shining a stunning color into my living room as I drank my coffee and adored the beauty that this home is bringing me. The gratitude for all of the days I get to spend with my mother that are making up for the time I lost with her as a child. The gratefulness of a loving boyfriend that I finally get to imagine a family with that will one day call this the home they grew up in. The strength that I'm gaining in order to provide for this home in any way that I can. The memories that we will build here and remember long after all of the things are gone. The patience I'm gaining in order to be a better human for not only myself, but those around me. I know that the beginnings of this connection will also help me grow a deeper connection with my mother and help the both of us appreciate our fucked up situation even better!
Do you have something or someone in your life that you're having a hard time connecting with? If so, try starting off each day by saying aloud 1 thing that makes you happy or proud about this person/thing or a positive way that it impacts you. If you can't think of one thing each day for a full week, than its quite possible that you weren't meant to form a connection and that it is not meant for your path. AND THAT IS OKAY :) If you can, than you will slowly see after just one week, a new light shinning through whatever was mentally blocking you in the first place. Connections are key in life, form them wherever you go!
We spent most of the morning soaking up the hot summer sun and perusing the local Vintage Flea Market, and by perusing I mean spending way too much money! I'm a sucker for old things and even more so for supporting local businesses and homemade products. There is nothing better than using something that you know is helping a neighbor put food on the table. Before we knew it, it was late afternoon and it was time to get the heck out of there before our stomachs ate themselves. We said a quick hello and goodbye to the farm animals and headed home. On the way we talked about how hungry we were and where we should stop to eat. Of course that was our only option since we were SO famished, right? I don't know about you, but when I'm super hungry, there's a word PAST hangry that was made for me. I don't have time to make food, just give it to me now!! But then we started to discuss everything we bought and soon realized that we shouldn't spend anymore so we headed home.
I LOVE cooking but mostly just because I love the outcome, not the actual cooking part. Because of this, I've pretty much mastered the quick, easy and delicious meal. So I decided to tap into that once we got home. I started by warming up a pan with Ghee in it and grabbing a bag of mixed grains from the pantry. Since I'm so into fast meals, I've also found almost every healthy product there is out there that has fast cook times, including quinoa!! They say it's best to shop the perimeter of the grocery store but those people know nothing about packaged grains! I was able to easily find organic microwavable grains that had only seasonings in them...no preservatives, no sugar, no dyes, no nothing but goodness. I'm not one for the microwave but come on now, you cant beat yummy quinoa in 1 minute!! All I did was place the package in the microwave, unwrap some fresh salmon I had in the fridge, place it in the pan to sear and grabbed a bag of frozen veggies from the freezer(peas on this day.) I seared the salmon until brown on the flesh side then seared on the skin side until I didn't see much pink left on the side of the filet. This leaves it absolutely moist and perfect. An amazing, buttery crunch on the top and warm and flaky on the inside, not dry and hard like my mother used to make :P By the time that was done, so was my quinoa which I added the peas to for the last couple of seconds to warm and plump up. TADA!! That literally took me LESS than 10 minutes and my inner hungry girl didn't even have time to come out!
Ingredients:
- Frozen vegetable of choice
If that wasn't easy enough for you, here's another quick and DELISH "recipe" you can make when you're in a hurry. Gather all of the fresh veggies you have in the kitchen, cut them up, put them in a bowl with a splash of oil and vinegar, add some Himalayan salt and a package(yes package, not can) of tuna or salmon and toss together. You'll be amazed at how something so simple and fast can be so amazing and you're body literally thanks you while you're eating because it knows how good it is for it's well being. Do you know what I mean? When your body just relaxes and says "AHH" because you're feeding it fuel and not crap?! You DO have the time to fuel your body and not just feed it junk. Eating healthy and delicious doesn't have to take a lot of time and money. When you cook the right foods, you won't need to add a bunch of ingredients to make it complicated and bad for you and it doesn't take a chef or asshole fast food worker to make it yummy. It's easy to resort to fast and easy when we're stressed for time or relief but the truth is, healthy can be fast and easy!
Ingredients:
- Heirloom tomatoes
- Calypso and Boothby's blonde cucumbers
- Garlic
- Salad greens
- Avocado oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Himalayan salt
- Packaged salmon
No more "I don't have time, energy, money, patience, creativity...to eat/make good food." Time to take care of yourself so you START to have that energy and patience. It all starts with what you feed your body and everything else follows suit. If you eat like crap, than you feel like crap and you have a lot of crap involved in your life. Flush that shit!! If you're ready to flush it but think you need some guidance and support, check out how I may be able to help you. We can start by showing you just how easy making food like this REALLY is in one of my activity sessions.
Ingest health ☮
I'm not afraid to admit it, I'm lazy...or at least I used to be. I was so lazy that I wanted to make everything easier and faster. I now call this smart ;) I am also forgetful. I was purchasing herbs, fruits and veggies from the store or receiving from my CSA and I would either forget all about them or not use them in enough time and they would all go to waste, at LEAST $10 a week in the trash. I got smart about this, too.
My ex brought very few good things to my life but one of them was at least 10 ice cube trays that his mother was getting rid of and when I was about to donate them
one day because they were taking up space and not being used, I had an epiphany! At that time I was making my own green shakes daily and could never keep a bag of spinach without it going bad by my third shake(organic usually means they don't last as long because there are no added preservatives or chemical pesticides on them) Trash! I thought that maybe if I froze the greens that it would not only solve my forgetfulness but also my laziness, and man was I right! I threw my bags of kale and spinach in my bullet blender, poured in some coconut water and blended. I then poured the mixture into an ice cube tray(or two) and froze them. The next morning, I popped out a couple, put them in the blender with a handful of fresh fruit and almond milk and BAM! I had my shake. It took half the time to prepare and my greens weren't going to waste, even if I decided to skip shakes for a day or two.
I went crazy after that! I cube almost anything these days. Herbs were a big problem for me also, so I chop them up and disperse them evenly in the tray, warm up some ghee or coconut oil(whatever I think I'll be cooking it with in the future) and pour it over the herbs to make little cubes for cooking. I love lemon and pineapple in my water and it's super good for your gut and immune system but I was also wasting those when I wasn't using them as often. I started by cutting them up, putting them in sandwich bags and freezing them to be able to pop into my water any morning but I found myself banging the bag against the counter every morning trying to get the pieces apart just to get one....so now, those get cubed too!! I make full pots of coffee and cube them so I can just throw the cubes in some almond milk in the morning or into a blender with some creamer to make a frappacino, half the price!
My absolute favorite thing to cube is bone broth! I use bone broth for a lot of things like soup and bean bases but I also love to drink it. I found it tedious to warm up a pot of bone broth on the stove(especially since we downgraded to electric, crap!)every time I wanted a cup and it was always a little too strong anyways so I decided to start cubing it. Not only does this help maintain shelf life(which is also short for broth) but it takes a quarter of the time to make now. I simply run a pot of coffee, with out the coffee of course, and then plop 2 broth cubes in my coffee cup. It melts in seconds and is the perfect timing and ratio.
If you're looking for something delicious and nutritious to do with some of your herbs before you freeze them, check back to The Seduction of Fermentation for some yummy recipes! Drop a line with your waste not, want not hacks. Spread the savings :)
Whenever there is a screaming child in the room or a friend has a new baby, my mother often exclaims about how I used to play so well on my own when I was a child. I could make a fun time out of nothing and didn't need constant attention or someone to play with in order to be happy. She always said that my sister was the exact opposite and at times I wondered how we ended up so different but this reminds me that we were different from the very beginning. Some people believe that our experiences growing up is what makes us into the type of people we are, and although it does to some extent, this observation proves that most of it comes from the start of conception. This is called our Constitution. Your personality, microbiome, body type...so many other things were developed based on what time of year you were conceived, what climate, diet and habits your mother had while pregnant, how you were delivered, and so on. These are the unique things about you that cannot be changed.
Although I am extremely proud of my independence and love when my mother brags on me, this part of my constitution can be difficult to deal with at times. I enjoy alone time, I don't like or want to be the center of attention, I love spending time getting to know myself without anyone else's opinion, my favorite things to do are read books and listen to the sounds of nature....alone!
As you get older, alone barely exists. I have an amazing forever partner so I don't sleep alone. I am my mothers caretaker so I do not eat or watch TV alone. I have a dog and 2 cats so I do not poop alone! When you live this kind of life, as the loner with too much going on, it can make you anxious. Almost like you're gasping for a type of air that doesn't exist. You can never know for sure if you'll ever find it so every day becomes a search for something and everything else seems to lose its meaning in the midst of the search. You find places to hide for a little bit or things to do "alone" but the air is still to thick with reminders of the things and people you have to handle when you come "back." The funny part is that as I get older, I also appreciate the loudness even more. The things that give me pure joy are the things inside said chaos.
In order for me to embrace both sides of this crazy adult-ness, I have decided to go somewhere I've never been, completely alone, whenever I can. I have thought over and over that I will do this once everyone is OK and taken care of or when I have enough money or am more settled and don't have so many responsibilities...so I've been waiting a while, go figure.
Today was ALMOST another one of those days. I had planned all week, knowing that I finally had no work to do this weekend. That our home closing got pushed back so I wouldn't be in the middle of moving. Now would be the perfect time to get back to ME for a little bit. As the rain fell down my bedroom window all night, I had an overwhelming feeling that I wouldn't get that chance just yet. I wanted to go to the beach...and this was no weather for the beach. I woke up this morning, looked out the window and just said "Fuck it!" I made my mother breakfast, told her I'd see her for dinner and to be careful and I began to head south. The sky was one big sea of dark grey and I had no idea what I was getting myself into and that thought almost immediately calmed me. I silenced my phone and finally reached my destination an hour and a half later. Although I had planned for a beautiful and sunny day with me, myself and I, I quickly realized that this nasty weather brought me true alone-ness that I wouldn't have gotten on a regular Saturday in Spring. There was no one around, all I could hear were the birds chirping, the waves lightly crashing and the drizzle hitting rooftops.
I walked the given path, enjoying the scenery and history. Rang the bell and vibrated with it's calming sound. Looked to the waters and breathed the deepest breath I had ever taken. Then I placed a bag on the wet bench on the dock, sat down and enjoyed one of my favorite books. A book that talks about food as healing but also everything else that comes along with it, and I knew I was in the right place at the right time. At times it was hard to concentrate on the book because on a post right behind me was an Osprey nest with it's momma flying overhead, swooping into the water to catch fish and bring back to her nest. It was a magnificent distraction!
For the first time in a while, I knew that although everything was not perfect or in place and that some things were even out of control, that it was all still in my control. That things would work out the way they were suppose to and I would still survive with whatever the outcome may be. That through the chaos you can still find yourself and be at peace even if you aren't completely alone. And most
importantly that the crazy times and not being able to poop alone are the very things that help you appreciate the moments and opportunities you used to take for granted. I found that unattainable air and intend to keep it in a jar nearby for safe keeping and reminding that everything you could possibly want or need is right in your reach, you just have to know what you're looking for and make the moves. Don't wait for the perfect day or time, you'll be waiting forever without realizing that life is already perfect.
Am I crazy for loving myself and wanting to embrace it alone? Possibly. But we're all different and need to embrace whatever it is that makes us happy in order to be healthy and successful humans. Do you take time to yourself or to do the things that heal your heart? Share your experiences with the class below and spread the love 😍
The leaves started to fall and while some people were admiring their decent and jumping into piles raked together, you were dreading the constant "cold" you KNEW you'd have for the next few months. Now that you're finally better, the trees are starting to bloom and the flowers are rising from the cool ground. Instead of appreciating their awakening, you start sneezing and coughing. You start to ask yourself "Why have I been sick all winter?" "How come my allergies are getting worse every year, I've never been allergic before." "I guess this is normal?" Well...it's not!
This way of life has become the new normal but it is anything but. Normal is described as something typical or expected and though it appears that "sick" is becoming more expected, it should NOT be normal, and YOU can fix it. Why are we getting so sick?
Because our immune systems are being compromised. What are we being compromised by? Oh I could go on forever about why, but we'll save that for a rainy day. Today is sunny and beautiful so let's keep the positivity going by talking about 3 EASY delights to add to your day to reverse the erosion.
First up, my #1 favorite addition, honey! Not the corn syrup labeled as honey you get at the grocery store, not even the one labeled "real" honey(this honey has been over processed and has lost most of it's nutrients and usually contains no bee pollen). I'm talking about the good stuff...from the farm down the street or your friendly ⇉local⇇ beekeeper. When you purchase local honey, you are not only supporting your community but you are getting strains of bee pollen that are local to your area which helps build your immunity to their flowers which in turn helps those boogery allergies stay away! Studies have also shown that a daily dose of raw honey raises levels of health-promoting antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants help block free radicals in the body that cause disease. It also boosts the immune system, acting as a preventative against any number of debilitating diseases. Honey contains polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that help stave off nasty colds and even cancer; add one tablespoon of honey to your daily diet via your favorite warm tea, circled over your morning grits or even just by the spoonful!
My second favorite and probably the easiest way to boost your immunity is to smile! Really? That's it?(You don't even have to BE happy!) When you smile, your body naturally relaxes. When you are relaxed, your immune system is able to function optimally, helping to fight off colds and flu. It is also a double duty remedy as when you smile, you naturally make everyone around you smile and happy so you are helping to heal others while healing yourself; no matter how you're feeling today, try to smile at everyone you come in contact with. Especially that coworker that complains all day about their workload but doesn't do any work!
The last and most tasty(according to me) way to boost your immune system is to incorporate garlic into your diet. One clove contains 5 mg of calcium, 12 mg of potassium, and more than 100 sulfuric compounds -- powerful enough to wipe out bacteria and infection. Raw garlic is most
beneficial for health, since heat and water inactivate sulfur enzymes,
which can diminish garlic's antibiotic effects. Cut or crush your raw garlic and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before you use it, to start and complete the chemical reaction that produces allyl sulfide; the compound known for all of it's miracle properties. I personally love to eat raw garlic on it's own or even mixed with a spoonful of honey(double tummy whammy) but if you're not that bold than a great way to get your daily raw garlic in is to make your own salad dressing. Add apple cider or red wine vinegar and oil to an empty jar, add dijon mustard, your garlic after 10 minutes, salt/pepper and shake what your mama gave you. It's so yummy, a gazillion times better for you than store bought/bottled dressing and it will insure that you're getting more veggies in your diet by having more salad. Share your amazing garlic and honey recipes in the comments for others to try!
If you are like me and have absolutely no time to find local honey and don't want stinky hands all day than kill two birds with one stone and check out the lovely Blythe's Bounty for an incredible tonic of Elderberry and Rose Hip, local honey already included!! This syrup will keep you and your wee ones healthy all year round with multiple immune boosting ingredients.
Go out and smell the flowers, you deserve it ✌
"We are all addicted to something that takes the pain away."
Addiction; a word no one wants to say, a topic no body wants to discuss, a problem that no person wants to admit they have. Addiction comes in every form possible and we all suffer from it, yet it is a taboo topic. When people think of the word addiction, they often think of the dirtier side of it like drugs, alcohol and sex but it can also come in more familiar ways like food, shopping or even beauty addictions. Though one may seem worse than the other, they all take high priority and they all require the attention and recovery that they deserve.
I have lost many loved ones from addiction, I know an even larger number that are still fighting the battle and a small few that are in successful recovery. I am not an MD but I can tell you from first hand experience that almost all addiction stems from trauma. It then rewires your brain completely, making it almost impossible to recover from or even realize that it has become your disease. It is referred to as a chronic disease(Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they
are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by non-reversible
pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for
rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of
supervision, observation, or care) but it IS possible to recover from it, just as so with most other chronic disease.
I personally am addicted to food, I absolutely love it! My addiction started at a young age when my father would not let my sister or I leave the table until we were finished with the food on our plates....no matter how much was put on it or how full we were. We would find ourselves still sitting at the table at 9, 10 o'clock at night because we either hated the food or we literally could not eat any more. If it got to a certain time, we would be punished heavily. It got to a point where we would hide food under the cushions of the dining table chairs and behind the bookshelves, just so we wouldn't be beaten: as I got older, this grew into an obsession with finishing all of the food on my plate, no matter what. The addiction grew after my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer twice and then my parents divorce, when I would eat to comfort myself. It was never "too much" at this time, but the food always took the pain away and was always there for me at a time where I felt completely abandoned. Fast forward to young adulthood where I was binge eating for days at a time, eating out at almost every meal and crash dieting when I noticed any weight gain. I would always lose weight but then I would gain it back 10 fold.
We all have something that we are addicted to that takes away the pain, so wouldn't one think that if there is no more pain than there is no more addiction? I personally believe this to be completely true. There is no possible way to be pain free in life but it is possible to change the way we feel about the things that pained us in the past and the inevitable future pain we may go through. My recovery started with facing the fact that what I was doing was hurting and killing me. Many people are already at this point..."I know this triple bacon burger is bad for me but it tastes SO good. YOLO!" "I know this drug is tearing my family apart but I can't stop." "I know that we are going bankrupt but I have to have nice things." So what after that?? I looked into my past where I was reliving the bad times on a DAILY basis. It was extremely difficult for me to recall any good memories and at one point I figured that if I had forgiven certain people or events that I would be healed. Although forgiveness is a key factor in healing, it also has to come with a rewiring of the brain. When you focus on bad moments for so long, you are not only inviting more bad energy into your life but you are literally damaging the brain to where it knows nothing more than the darkness, no matter what light gets let in. To forgive something is to become ok with the fact that it happened, but to not let it hurt you anymore...you have to let it go(LET IT GO!)
I wrote a letter of the things I needed to let go, I burned it, and I cried.
Yes, it was that simple for me! In that very moment, I felt my shoulders get lighter, my heart become warmer and my thoughts started to finally clear up. It was almost instant that I started to recall a memory of laying in the back of my fathers GMC Suburban "big bird" with my sister, under the carport while it was pouring down rain because we all loved the sound and to watch it fall over the roof top. My heart got warmer and I could feel the actual "rewiring" happening. I retrained my brain to focus on the good things that did and would happen. I acknowledged the things that went wrong and knew that they had no effect on my here and now or future, if anything, they made me a beautiful and strong woman. Changing all of these things in turn, changed the way I felt about food, my addiction. I still LOVE food but I love the way it nourishes my body when I feed it the right things, gives me natural energy when I'm down and I mostly love the way it keeps me alive now instead of killing me! Instead of trying to heal pain through food or any other addiction, I was now just trying to experience more pleasure and make more wonderful memories. It may seem simple or even impossible, but it's real! Please take the time to heal your heart, reach out to someone if you need help and most importantly, don't forget to be alive!
Do you have an addiction you need to face or let go of? Have you successfully recovered from one? Please share your story in the comments to encourage others and reach out if you need a helping hand <3
Fermented foods are some of my favorite, mostly because I am of German decent. I grew up with sauerkraut as a side to everything. As I got older and my grandparents quickly passed, I found myself wanting more than just a CAN of kraut! (Enter Bulgarian Love of my Life) It almost seemed like my grandparents could hear my cries for something better and sent down my soulmate to fill that void I had been missing since I had lost them...from that point on, I was eating sour cabbage rolls and salad almost every week with my new family! On a beautiful Sunday morning exactly a year ago, my new little family and I did some exploring at their new farm house. We found some pretty amazing and interesting things that day.
After such a long day of exploring, we headed back home to make dinner. Baba was making fermented cabbage like she always did, in a large paint bucket! It always had my interest and amazed me. I'm sure she could tell, as she looked up at me and said "Come here, let me show you!" That day I learned the simple act of fermenting and I never looked back. It was a wonderful experience she shared with me; I had started to wonder if my family made it this way. I wondered if this is what it would have been like were my grandmother to show me some of her culture. I will never forget that day.
The Science⟾
When you combine fruits, vegetables and/or grains with salt water in an anaerobic state(no air/oxygen), a reaction happens between the good bacteria and the natural sugars found in these foods, creating lactic acid. This reaction lowers the anti-nutrient phytic acid(that stuff that makes you fart😷) that is found in grains and beans that inhibits the full absorption of nutrients into the gut. It also increases the activity of vitamins A, vitamin C and other macro- and micro-nutrients among various strains of probiotics. If you aren't familiar with probiotics, those are little miro-miracles that improve your digestion, help create a healthy gut and boost your immune system. It is also important to add prebiotics to your fermented foods as prebiotics are food for probiotics. When probiotics and prebiotics are combined, they form a synbiotic. Fermented foods can be amazing for keeping the common cold away, treating diarrhea and keeping good bacteria in your gut during antibiotics(just to name a few +'s).
The Act⟾
Fermenting is so simple. All you need is some local, seasonal, preferably organic veggie's, purified or filtered water and salt!! That's it. I started out using old pickle jars or whatever jar(cheeze whiz once hah) I had that was emptied as long as it wasn't metal and recently upgraded to Ball jars. You can literally use anything AND add anything to your liking, this is all YOU! Some of my favorite things to ferment are cabbage and radishes, yum.
The "Recipe"⟾
Sunday afternoon I came into some yummy, local carrots and knew I wanted to ferment them!! Have I ever fermented carrots before? No. Can I? YES!! I like to add garlic to my ferments because it is prebiotic so here is what I made. Again, you can add whatever prebiotics, herbs or flavors that you'd like to make it yours. NO SUGAR THOUGH :)
4 carrots sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt(table,sea salt or Himalayan)
sprig of fresh dill
2 garlic cloves
approx. 1/2 cup filtered water
1 cabbage leaf
Cut carrots about an inch shorter than the jar you're using; there needs to be room for the jar to "bubble" or it WILL overflow. Place sprig of dill in jar and fill it with carrots until almost tight. Squeeze halved garlic cloves in between slices. Sprinkle salt over the top of carrots and fill with water until the carrots are covered. Place top on and shake jar a couple of times until the salt is dissolved. Open the jar and place cabbage leave on top of the carrots to insure that they stay submerged and that no oxygen reaches them. Replace top tightly and find a nice spot on the counter for your new friend. In a couple of days you will see your friend start to come alive!! You will want to burp the jar(loosen the lid for a second) every couple of days to release the gas that is forming. It is best to leave the jar on the counter for at least 7 days but you can start tasting it after 5 to see if it's at a sour level that you like. The warmer the room is, the faster the fermentation happens so don't forget about your friend!
I would love to hear if you've ever tried to ferment at home and what kind of recipes you have. If you haven't, give it a try! I also have jars for purchase if you can't find time in your day to try it out on your own.
Happy Day,
Amanda
Fast forward to this year and we purchased a home with a Jacuzzi tub...boy the baths I'm gunna take in that awesomeness!! It was something I had adapted into my self care routine that always brought me peace and alignment but through the chaos of a new home, care taking and starting my own businesses, I found myself having to clean out the tub before using it most times because I was doing it so rarely!! I knew I needed to get back to it for my own sanity but I never gained the initiative back until an angel entered my life. I was offered a complementary chakra alignment one day that was absolutely amazing and informative. She saw salt water as a healing tool for me which meant Epsom salt baths..lots of them!! She advised me to stay in for at least 20 minutes, the first ten for release and the second ten for replenishment. So...I jumped in that cuzzi! She was right and it was exactly what I needed at that time. 
I tried to take one every couple of days and although it was helping to heal the the emotional pain I was experiencing at the time and helping me manifest great change and love, i was still hearing my ugly self talk through it all. You know what I’m talking about, the “you’re still worthless, a monster, you’re not able to change, you’re still ugly and fat... you don't deserve this love from yourself.”
