Bone Marrow: Health Benefits + Special Recipe

Bone marrow is a creamy substance that is found in the middle of long bones. It is composed of enormous amounts of micronutrients, amino acids, stem cells, collagen and alkylglycerols (which protect the body from foreign invaders and force cancer cells to kill themselves, wow!). It is the ultimate brain food being fatty, nutrient dense and rich in energy. It is even considered a delicacy in many countries.

What is in bone marrow?

Amino Acids, Collagen + Gelatin

Supports skin, hair and nail growth, can help tighten loose skin and improve digestion.

Vitamins + Minerals

One of the main qualities of bone marrow is that it contains important microelements: calcium, iron, phosphorous, zinc, selenium, magnesium, manganese, and other mineral-Laden chemicals. It also contains Vitamin A in its complete form.
Stem Cells

Lipids

These are the alkylglycerols which are involved in the production of white blood cells in the bone marrow. They protect the body against infections and contribute to health maintenance of cells under serious immune problems such as cancer.

Recipe: Middle Eastern Spice Roasted Bone Marrow

Paleo, Autoimmune-Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free
Well this was my first time trying bone marrow. I had been reading about it a lot and I passed by it in the grocery store the other day and just said "Hey, why not?" It was pretty interesting... I'm just getting used to this whole idea of fat being good for you so the texture was still a little rough for me to handle, but the flavors were delicious!

Ingredients:

• 8 pieces of beef marrow bones
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon corriander
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Mix all the spices together in a bowl. Place the marrow pieces in the bowl, toss and coat the spices evenly. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes. It will start to bubble around the edges. Serve with a small spoon for scooping.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 5min
Total time: 20min

My Thyroid Story

How It All Happened

When I was around 5 years old, I went through a very traumatic experience when getting my immunizations at the doctor. I was a healthy "normal" kid with no weight issues, perfectly fit and had good energy levels. All of this changed at once. All I remember was screaming my brains out while being held down on all four limbs while nurses or doctors gave me 4 shots in each arm and leg, AT THE SAME TIME. That's insane is it not?? Come to find out years and years later, this triggered an attack on my own thyroid. I could tell you my views on immunizations and children, but I am going to leave it for a different post because this is about my struggle story with hypothyroidism.

Being a Child with Hypothyroidism

Fast forward two years later to me as a 90 pound 7-year-old, sick and tired all of the time. I remember just wanting to stay home from school a lot because I was so tired. This is definitely not normal for a 7 year old girl. A normal weight range for the age of 7 is in the 60 pound range... So my stepfather, whom was a psychiatrist who had sometimes tested patients with depression to see if they had a thyroid problem, had me get tested. Come to find out I had a severe hypothyroidism.

Back to "Normal"

Once I was properly medicated for my hypothyroid, I had regular energy again, started taking dance lessons and completely lost the extra weight! It was a night and day difference with my improvements in energy and weight.

Differences in Doctors

I had a great doctor (who was in California) growing up and one thing I really liked about her was that she always listened to how I felt when prescribing my medication... as well as taking regular blood test to monitor the TSH levels. When I moved to Arizona, it was a struggle with my doctors because they kept wanting to lower my medication levels... which was hard for me because instantly I could tell my energy levels were decreasing and decreasing, my weight was increasing and increasing, and there was nothing I could do about it... or so I thought.

Fighting Hypothyroidism On My Own... Naturally!

The doctors in Arizona had a good reason though because there are great risks involved with over medicating the thyroid. However, I was stuck with low energy and weight gain again... About 5 months ago, I changed my diet and chose to naturally treat my hypothyroidism and that has greatly improved everything.

Coming Soon Topics on Hypothyroidism

The Natural Approach to Improving Thyroid Function
Autoimmune Protocol for Treating YOUR Hypothyroidism (+ other autoimmune disorders)
Risks of Over Medicating Hypothyroidism

How I Keep Track of my Toddler's Eczema

When my son was 4 months old, I decided it was best for my family if I went back to work and it was at that point, I (regrettably) stopped breast feeding. We first switched my son over to regular formula and he all of the sudden had eczema AND he had a dairy allergy, so we had to feed him the soy formula.

Well now he is 16 months old and we have his eczema down most of the time, but I notice, when things change in his life (like recently starting pre pre school) it tends to break out. So this last time was pretty difficult to get under control... but I've come up with a routine that has been making his skin 100% better.

Here is what we did:

NOT Coconut Oil 

Surprisingly, coconut oil wasn't helpful to my son's skin. I wouldn't say it made it worse, but it definitely didn't make the eczema better despite what everyone told me.

Magnesium Sponge Baths 

I noticed a big improvement after we starting doing sponge baths every other day, alternating quick 2 minute baths one day (using a natural baby soap, like this one here) and a full on sponge bath with a magnesium tablet broken up into a bowl of warm water on the other day.

Pycnogenol (very small amounts) 

Pycnogenol is the US registered trademark name for a product derived from the pine bark of a tree known as Pinus pinaster.
I started putting just a tiny bit of this supplement into his morning oatmeal (no, my son is not 100% paleo).

Vitamin D drops

Vitamin D is very beneficial to everyone's skin, but vitamin D deficiency is so common now, that it is now recognized as a pandemic.The major cause of vitamin D deficiency is the lack of appreciation that sun exposure in moderation is the major source of vitamin D for most humans. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, and foods that are fortified with vitamin D are often inadequate to satisfy either a child's or an adult's vitamin D requirement. Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children and will precipitate and exacerbate osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fractures in adults. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of common cancers, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and infectious diseases.
Everyone should be taking a vitamin D supplement unless you spend the majority of your day outside in the sun for long periods of time.

Natural Products + Creams 

Here are my favorite:
Desert Essence
Honest Organic Healing Balm
Vaseline

Protein Powders + Why I Choose Pea Protein

Why do I use Protein Powder in the first place?

I use protein powder as a simple way to get plenty of protein in my diet. It is my easy meal replacement for breakfast & sometimes as a 3 o'clock small meal. My naturopath, whom treats my hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's recommended that I have about 23g of protein every 3 hours. I meal prep to make my life easier because it's hard to find healthy and affordable paleo dishes on the go, but I only prep my lunches for the week. Stay tuned to my blog to find out how I meal prep for the week. 

I usually don't have time to cook myself breakfast in the morning, so I pack a handful of berries and bring my protein shake to drink at work (along with my lunch). And that is why I use protein powder.

Why I choose Pea Protein Powder

• Hypoallergenic: Whey, casein, egg, and even soy protein powders daily for extended periods of time can sometimes lead to the development of an allergy or intolerance
• High in BCAAs (branched chain amino acids): which can decrease belly fat, keep you full longer, give you energy, keep your body in a muscle building state + much more
• 100% Vegan: It's only ingredients are yellow peas.
• Easily Digested: same cannot be said for other plant based proteins like soy which is difficult to digest and not utilized by your body nearly as well
• Lactose Free: it is completely free of lactose, the sugar found in some types of whey protein powder that causes those of you who are intolerant to it to feel bloated and gassy
• Tastes Slightly Sweeter than Hemp
• I Stay Full Longer: Studies show that drinking pea protein powder activates the release of hormones in your body that keep you feeling full between meals
• Low in Carbohydrates
• Gluten Free

Here's what I use:

Source Naturals Pea Protein Power

Morning Pea Protein Shake Recipe

Quick Morning Circuit Workouts

These are my morning workouts that I do at home in my living room before I get in the shower. Every month or two I go through them and increase the difficulty and switch them up a bit. I would like to note that originally I previously had exercises like jumping jacks and squats, but I have pretty bad knees, so these are exercises that don't cause me any knee problems.

These ones take around 15 minutes to complete + there's no need for a gym. If you have more time to work out &/or would like a harder workout, I would suggest repeating the workout two or three times... Enjoy!

Dealing with Depression Naturally + 7 Natural Remedies for Depression

You don't have to turn to drugs

In the traditional western medical model they turn to antidepressant drugs as a solution for depression, but there are ways to deal with depression other than drugs. Personally, I would not take a pill to feel "happy" when I know I'm not "happy". I believe the healthy thing to do is work through the pain, loss, hurt of whatever it is that is causing you to be down.

Why risk the chance of weight gain, sexual dysfunction, a HUGE risk of suicide, worsened memory, dry mouth? and this list goes on...We have an entire hormonal system to deal with trauma of all kinds.

Antidepressant drugs are one of the most prescribed drugs in the United States, doubling from 13.3 million in 1996 to 27 million in 2005. Despite this, more than one in 20 Americans are depressed according to the most recent statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

So why are so many people still depressed if these drugs are so greatly prescribed? Because they don't address the cause of depression.

Sometimes, if you go outside, walk barefoot on some grass and ground yourself to the earth, you can forget about everything for a moment and just exist in the present, where loss was yesterday, or tomorrow, but it's not now and it's not important.

Emotions are a blessing and a curse. We love, we hate, we lose, we hurt another and we grieve. But after tragedy, we move on and continue to exist in the now where we can take care of ourselves and our loved ones around us.

7 Natural Remedies for Depression

Sun

The sun is a free and vital source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to depression according to the British Journal of Psychiatry. Now don't go and lay out in the sun for 2 hours, but 30 minutes outdoors everyday would be great. Try light therapy if you live in a place with out a lot of sun.

Exercise Regularly

No surprise here. You don't have to run 5 miles, just take a 15 minute walk through the park or your neighborhood and it will release endorphins in your brain which is another happy chemical.

Eat A Happy Diet

Believe it or not, some foods can help boost serotonin levels (which is what makes us happy). They include:

• Wild Caught Fish or Fish Oil, rich with Omega-3 fatty acids
• Grass Fed Beef (for tryptophan + omega-3s surprisingly!)
• Flaxseed (for trytophan + omega-3s)
• Healthy Fats like Coconut Oil + Avocado Oil
• Free Range Turkey (When you eat a protein source containing tryptophan, along with a small amount of carbohydrate, all of the amino acids except for tryptophan are cleared from the bloodstream leaving tryptophan free to cross the blood brain barrier and form serotonin.)
• Tart or Sour Cherries (for melatonin)
• High Quality Eggs (for omega-3s)
• Walnuts (for omega-3s)
• Bananas (for magnesium)
• Pumpkin Seeds (for healthy fats, magnesium + tryptophan)
• Dark Chocolate + Cocoa, try for 70% and higher cocoa chocolate (antioxidants + polyphenols)

Stay Away from Coffee

Many claim coffee to help depression, but it is really not a good mix. The concentrated caffeine will boost your mood quickly, but you will crash later and being exhausted but wired is not good for mood regulating chemicals. If you must have that boost, switch to green tea. It contains L-theanine which works harmoniously with caffeine to boost mood in such a way that you don’t get the same crash-effect.

Meditate

If there's one thing I encourage everyone to do, it is to meditate every night. It's hard to do but it truly helps balance you out and connect with your inner self... More on this later.

Talk to Someone

And if you don't have someone to talk to, don't be ashamed to see a therapist. They are hugely helpful and allows you to get some weight off your chest if need be.

Increase Vitamin B-12 Intake

Vitamin B-12 plays a huge role in producing serotonin, dopamine and epinephrime (which all impact your mood).  Either add more B vitamin rich foods into your diet or take a supplement (this is what I take).

Work Week Hustle

As a mom working full time, I have little time during the week to actually work out right now. I do however have some time early in the morning and late at night to fit some sort of exercise in... and then since I am sitting down at a computer while I work, I take about 5 different 20 minute breaks to do some walking and stair climbing.

To help remind and manage my work week, I sat down, listed everything I needed to do through out each day and came up with what I call my Work Week Hustle.

The Wholesome Folsom Work Week Hustle

I encourage everyone to do this! I typed this up, printed it out and placed it in areas that I am frequently at (refrigerator door and on my desk at work). It helps remind me to stay on top of my health and fitness goals.

My Three MUST-HAVES Every Morning

• Warm Water with Lemon always ALWAYS when I first get up (learn benefits here). 
• Morning circuit training workout varies every day of the week. View my workouts here
• Morning Juice freshly homemade with mostly vegetables. Makes the sun shine brighter and the flowers smell even better, I swear! View my juice recipes here

My Two MUST-HAVES Every Evening

• PM Workout almost always a 30 minute or 60 minute yoga video to help me wind down
• Detox Drink (stay tuned for more on my Evening Detox Drink)

You will notices other things like pea protein shake, stair climbs and walks, that I promise I will talk about later in upcoming posts, but not this one. This is about scheduling your day so you can stay on track of your goals. Feel free to print mine out and use it, but it's much more effective to make your own.

Hiking Adventures + Health Benefits

Superstition Mountains

Last weekend we all went on a hike in the Superstition Mountains and we even dared to take Ryder without our baby carrier (which was far worse for my husband than me) but it was fine actually. What a beautiful desert hike. All of the yellow wild flowers were in bloom, air was fresh, butterflies were fluttering and the views... Gorgeous!

Perfectly Captured Moment of Ryder + I

My Husband + Gorgeous Views

Superstition Mountain

Health Benefits

Hiking is not just a nice view with a good cardio workout. With hiking you can:

• strengthen your core, glutes, hamstrings, quads + more
• improve your balance
• lower your risk of heart disease
• improve your blood pressure & blood sugar levels
• all natural anti-depressant

Ideally, it would be nice to hike at least once a month if you have good weather. It was perfect here in Arizona (a low 80 degrees). So get out there and hike more with family, friends or go by yourself to clear your head and de-stress... yes

Weight Loss Goals

I would like to share that I am on the path to weight loss and health. 

I have Hypothyroidism (a thyroid disease, which I will share more about at a different time) that makes it hard for my to lose weight among many other negatives. During my pregnancy, I gained about 70 lbs. It was difficult... I had gone on a cruise to Italy and Spain (two of my favorite places) right when I was about 5 months along, couldn't drink all the lovely European wine obviously, so I said I'm in Italy... Pregnant... I'm going to enjoy all of this food because when else will I be in Italy again? (which I hope to I WILL go back to again) That will have to be a different post, but here is a picture of me pregnant in Italy.

5 Months Pregnant Me in a mask shop in Venice, Italy, May 2013

After I had my son, I was able to take off about 30 lbs in the first 6 months without trying too hard, but I was in "new mommy mode" and wasn't very focused on my weight. Skip forward to about 4 months ago and a girl I worked with asked how far along I was...... I was NOT pregnant... and this really opened my eyes that it was time to get healthy for myself AND my family.

Since 4 months ago, I've adopted the paleo diet, juicing, in home circuit training and taking frequent walks during the work day... Oh yes, I work full time as a Graphic Designer, a profession that has me sitting at my desk for the majority of the day. And also since then, I've lost 20 lbs and have so much more energy (which is really the best part). My goal is to lose at least 20 more lbs by July and eventually 15 more after. I will keep you posted on my journey!

I hope I can inspire others to take control of their health as well!