I need...

...you to watch this.

I feel so strongly about this, that I honestly think watching, understanding, marinating in this knowledge, taking notes, and applying this concept will SAVE your life. Strong words.

This is the trailer for the full version film that you can watch FOR FREE for the next 10 days. Click here to watch the full version. You have to enter your name and email address to view it. If you are concerned about spam, get over it.

Thank you to my Aunt Liz. Without her influence and passion for educated eating, I would have missed out on this amazing piece of art and plethora of knowledge.

Flu Fighter Cookies

Put down the phone, I didn't find a cure for the flu. I just made some yummy cookies filled with ingredients to help your body battle the flu! 

If you don't follow me on Twitter or Facebook, then you have missed the week long saga of  every member of my family being sick. We even paid the ER a visit on Wednesday! Fun times.  I am just now starting to feel human again (can't you tell? I made cookies) thanks to a LOT of herbal tea with honey and enough Vicks products to make any shareholder happy. 

Let's break down a few of these ingredients!

Cinnamon: anti-inflammatory properties, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic properties.

Nutmeg: helps regulate your GI tract.

Allspice: helps ease digestive symptoms (use your imagination), acts as an anesthetic to numb pain, it is also knows to have string antioxidant properties, and it is used to treat coughs, chills, bronchitis, and depression.

Ginger: widely used to treat colds and the flu.

Honey: helps treat allergies

Cranberries: rich in antioxidants and helps treat infections

Raisins: another concentrated source of antioxidants

Walnuts: Eating as few as six to seven average sized nuts a day could help scavenge disease causing free radicals from the body

Apricots: enriched with numerous health promoting phyto-chemicals; that helps prevent heart disease, reduce LDL, ("bad cholesterol") levels and offers protection against cancers

You might think they will taste like a spice cookie but the lemon zest adds a lovely freshness and keeps them light!

Have I convinced you yet?? 

Now go whip up a batch! 

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Flu Fighter Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts

1/4 cup dried apricots, diced

Preparation:

Spray 2-3 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until well combined.

Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Add the honey, yogurt, ginger powder and lemon zest and beat until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture to make a sticky batter (do not overmix). Fold in the oats and half of the raisins, cranberries, apricots, and walnuts.

 Mix the remaining dried fruit and nuts in a small bowl and set aside.

Drop 2 tablespoon sized scoops of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Top each with some of the reserved dried fruit and nut mixture and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the cookies until dark golden but still soft, 10 to 12 minutes; cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!

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Also, check out my guest post at Lovely Little Things today!! 

Ironically enough, it involves food. :) 

Week 1: Day 2

As promised, here is Week 1: Day 2!

Just joining us? Here is Day 1! I personally like to start Day 1 on Monday, Day 2 on Tuesday, and so on. It help me keep my week organized. I know what to prepare and plan for.

Speaking of being prepared, let's talk about meal planning. This is a crucial part of having success with any kind of exercise program. I am fortunate enough to have space in my office to take most of my lunch and snack supplies at the beginning of each week. I am a strong advocate of eating 6 smaller meals throughout the day rather than eating 2-3 big meals a day. This method really works well for me and others that I know. It keeps your metabolism steady and you never get that ohmygosh I'm starving feeling.

I seriously used to make so much fun of my mom for all the lists she makes. These days, I can't survive without a list. I grocery shop once a week, but before I go, I make a meal plan for the entire week. It really only takes about 10 minutes and it also guarantees a successful shopping trip. There is nothing worse than getting home only to realize you left half of the ingredients you needed for a recipe. Or another horrible alternative, over buying...especially produce.

I really like this template from The Mom Experiment. It is a free printable and great resource to start planning! As you fill it out, add all the needed ingredients to your grocery list. Hang your planner on the fridge, keep it in your purse, whatever you need to do to stay on track!

I will share some nutrition tips that work for me when I post Day 3! Please feel free to leave any questions in the comment section below or email me at feedingmytemple@gmail.com.

Week 1: Day 2

30 minutes cardio

Upper Legs 

Exercise	Rest	Reps	Sets
Iron Cross	1 minute	12	1
Iron Cross	1 minute	10	1
Iron Cross	1 minute	8	1
Iron Cross	1 minute	6	1
Dumbbell Lunges	None	12	1
Iron Cross	2 min	12	1

Exercise	Rest	Reps	Sets
Dumbbell Squat	1 minute	12	1
Dumbbell Squat	1 minute	10	1
Dumbbell Squat	1 minute	8	1
Dumbbell Squat	1 minute	6	1
Dumbbell Walking Lunges	None	12	1
Dumbbell Squat	2 min	12	1

Lower Legs

Exercise	Rest	Reps	Sets
Rocking Standing Calf Raise*	1 minute	12	1
Rocking Standing Calf Raise*	1 minute	10	1
Rocking Standing Calf Raise*	1 minute	8	1
Rocking Standing Calf Raise*	1 minute	6	1
Calf Raise on a Dumbbell	None	12	1
Rocking Standing Calf Raise*	2 min	12	1

*Use 2 dumbbells instead of a barbell 

Genetically Engineered? {Part 3 of 3}

Now, what about genetically engineered (GE) foods, also referred to as genetically modified, or GMOs?
These are altered at the molecular level in ways that could not happen naturally. This means plants and animals that have had their genetic makeup altered to exhibit traits that are not naturally theirs. These techniques use DNA molecules from different sources, sometimes different species, and combine them into one molecule to create a new set of genes. I won’t go into much gory detail, but when this is done in animals, they grow at a ridiculously fast rate (like 5 times faster than they should.) You see this a lot in chicken and more recently, salmon. I don’t know about you, but if it wasn’t put on this planet that way…I’m probably not supposed to eat it. Something tells me God made chicken just the way they were meant to be eaten. The majority of the livestock (with the exception of USDA certified organic livestock) that Americans consume have been raised on genetically engineered grains. This is not just because they have been modified themselves, but because the two most prevalent genetically engineered crops are corn and soy which are used in many processed foods and most animal feeds.
This doesn’t just apply to meat. 60-70% of processed foods available in grocery stores likely contain some GE material. 

Here is how you can make a healthy, educated choice when it comes to the produce section! Look at the sticker!
Organically grown will have five digits and start with the number 9 (94823). 

Conventionally grown will have four digits and will NOT start with a 9.  They usually start with the number 4 (4129).

Genetically modified will always begin with the number 8. You NEVER want to consume genetically modified foods.
To sum it up, unless its a fruit or veggie…you just don’t know what’s in it.
If you are still with me at this point, you truly are an awesome reader. Learning what we have over the past few weeks poses the question WHY???


I have recently had the opportunity to join forces with the Label My Food! campaign. It gives consumers like you and I an opportunity to share our opinions! We have a right to know what’s in our food. A legal petition calling for mandatory labeling of GE foods has been submitted to the FDA. You can be a part of this as well and take action. Its as simple as adding your name to the hundreds of thousands of partners and consumers who support the petition.

Understanding Food Labeling {Part 2 of 3}

Welcome back! Today, part 2 covers the term natural! In case you missed it, here is Part 1:Organic.

Natural

Natural Cheetos?? Please...nothing that color of orange comes from nature.

What does "natural" mean?

To put it bluntly, "natural," in the overwhelming majority of cases is meaningless, even though most consumers do not fully understand this. Natural, in other words, means conventional, with a green veneer. Natural products are routinely produced using pesticides, chemical fertilizer, hormones, genetic engineering, and sewage sludge. Natural or conventional products-whether produce, dairy, or canned or frozen goods are typically produced on large industrial farms or in processing plants that are highly polluting, chemical-intensive and energy-intensive. "Natural," "all-natural," and "sustainable," products in most cases are neither backed up by rules and regulations, nor a Third Party certifier. Natural and sustainable are typically label claims that are neither policed nor monitored.

The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service provides loose, non-enforced guidelines for the use of the term "natural" on meat--basically the products cannot contain artificial flavors, coloring, or preservatives and cannot be more than minimally processed.  


On non-meat products, the term natural is typically pure propaganda.  Companies are using this term to lead consumers to believe they are buying a healthy product. Furthermore, some companies that started out organic and built brand loyalty as organic brands, switched to non-organic ingredients and "natural" labeling.


Sad, isn't it? 


Stay tuned for Part 3: GMO/GE (genetically modified/engineered foods)

Understanding Food Labeling {Part 1 of 3}

Welcome to a 3 week series on understanding nutritional/product labeling! This series will cover 3 hot topics and terms in the food world. Organic, natural, and GMO/GE (genetically modified/genetically engineered.)

I hope this will help you to use some simple facts to make healthy choices at the grocery store for you and your family!

Organic

There is a common misconception between nautral and organic foods. For a long time, I didn't really even know the difference. Natural? Organic?? That can't be bad...right?? Sounds good to me!

What does certified organic or "USDA Organic" mean? 
This means these products are certified 95-100% organic. Certified organic means the farmer or producer has undergone a regular inspection of its farm, facilities, ingredients, and practices by an independent Third Party certifier, accredited by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). The producer has followed strict NOP regulations and maintained detailed records. Synthetic pesticides, animal drugs, sewage sludge, GMOs, irradiation, and chemical fertilizers are prohibited. Farm animals, soil, and crops have been managed organically; food can only be processed with certain methods; only allowed ingredients can be used.  source

How Do I Know if My Food Is Organic?

Look at the label. If you see the USDA organic seal, the product is certified organic and has 95 percent or more organic content. For multi-ingredient products such as bread or soup, if the label claims that it is made with specified organic ingredients, you can be confident that those specific ingredients have been certified organic.


Organic foods are ideally, the best to choose. I find it frustrating that many, if not all organic foods cost more than the processed alternative. This leads to a lot of shoppers just giving up and continue consuming chemicals, dyes, and pesticides that we were not created to eat.


 Keeping your shopping cart around the perimeter of the store is a good way to find most of the organic foods, i.e. meats, fruits and veggies, and dairy. If your local grocery store doesn't offer some organic items, stopping by a health food store probably will. Don't have one of those close by? You can buy organic foods online! 


Like Organic Prarie (a sub label of Organic Valley.) They even offer FREE shipping! 

You can also visit Local Harvest to find a local farmer/supplier of organic products! 

At the very least, I try to buy all organic produce and meat from local farmers that is sold at my local heath food store. The thought of eating cow or chicken that was injected with all kinds of who knows what makes me want to yack. 

Stay tuned for the second part of the series, Natural!!