Megan Rand

Category: Money Savers

  • Homemade Almond Milk

    Homemade Almond Milk

     

    Going to the grocery store for milk can be an overwhelming experience nowadays. We are bombarded with different types of milk, percentages, and brands. How can we be sure of what we are getting? Is it pasteurized? Is it organic? Are there additives?  What type of milk is best for you and your family?

     

    In our house we love coconut and almond milk.  With 2 Native Americans in the house (and one on the way) finding a lactose-free milk was a must!!!  For those of you who live with people who are lactose-intolerant, you know what I am talking about.

     

    First off, almond milk is dairy-free so it is great for those with a dairy allergy, sensitivity, or who just plain don’t like the taste of regular cow’s milk. It also acts as a complete substitute for cow’s milk because you are getting just as much protein and calcium but with less hormones, preservatives and additives.

     

    Some other benefits include:

    • It is a great source of healthy fats.
    • Strengthens bones with its calcium and vitamin D content.
    • Contains 50% of your daily value of vitamin E to help keep your skin glowing and healthy.
    • Has little effect on your blood sugar because almond milk is low in carbs.
    • Helps with digestion through fiber content.
    • Lactose-free!
    • It doesn’t require refrigeration so you can take it literally everywhere since it is still great at room temperature.
    • Helps with weight management. One cup of almond milk contains 60 calories, compared to milk that contains 146 calories in whole milk, 122 calories for 2%, 102 calories for 1%, and 86 calories for skim milk. I’m not the biggest fan of calorie counting, but if you are a calorie counter, this will give you some insight.
    • It is super easy to make yourself!

     

    What’s really great is that you can easily make almond milk yourself!

     

    Here is an excellent, easy recipe to help you make your own almond milk!

    Makes 4 cups

     

    Need:

    • 1 cup raw almonds, soaked for 8 hours
    • 4 cups water
    • Liquid sweetener to taste (optional)

     

    1) Remove almonds from the water and place in a blender. Add the 4 cups of fresh water and blend for 2 minutes or until the almonds are ground down.

     

    2) Pour the almond milk into a nut milk bag over a large bowl. Squeeze the bag to allow the milk to run through and leave the pulp inside the bag.

     

    3) Sweeten your milk if you desire, place it in a container and refrigerate. The milk should be good for 2-3 days before spoiling.

     

    Enjoy!

  • Natural Gatorade Electrolyte Elixir

    Natural Gatorade Electrolyte Elixir

     

    Today we have an awesome guest post from Laura at Radical Roots!!  Have you been to her website?  It is fabulous, so check it out if you haven’t already! She shares a detox friendly recipe that is a great addition to the seasonal detox programs.

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    Laura is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and a Certified CrossFit Trainer.

     

    She has a passion for educating, and absolutely loves teaching others about nutrition, functional movement, and the power each has to set the foundation for health, wellness, and true quality of life. The ability to thrive is not just a product of the way we eat and move, though; nutrition, mindfulness, daily movement, and regular play are the integral parts needed for a healthy, happy life. Asking questions, digging deep, speaking up, and living a little radically each and every day are necessary to grow strong, and the growing never ends, no matter how old we get (and neither should play).

     

    Laura and I see eye to on the way that we approach health and that is why I am so excited to have her share her recipe for her Electrolyte Elixir.

     

    Check out today’s guest blog post by Laura —>

    ————————————————————————–

    As an active part of the CrossFit community and a life-long athlete of pretty much every team sport available to me as a kid, I have seen my fair share of sugary sports drinks, advertised, purchased, and handed out for their electrolytes and performance enhancement. The reality? It’s all hogwash.

     

    Just 32 ounces of you average electrolyte drink sold for it’s “healthy” properties and performance enhancement abilities contains 280 calories, 220 milligrams of sodium and 76 grams of sugar. It’s “a ‘sports drink’ marketed to appeal to Olympic couch potatoes” (Katz). This is enough to make me crazy, and I haven’t touched on the issues that the seemingly endless supply of plastic bottles creates for both our health and the environment.

     

    Now, not all electrolyte drinks are created equal. There is a benefit to staying hydrated and to fueling up with nutrient dense, electrolyte providing elixirs. A high quality elixir can improve immunity while replenishing lost essential minerals during physical exertion, periods of detox or sickness, childbirth, or any sort of trauma.

     

    The drink I’ve created below is the latter. With ingredients such as hibiscus, coconut water, pure organic orange juice, raw local honey, and Celtic sea salt, this replenishing concoction has all kinds of beneficial properties. The biggest benefit? It tastes good too without all of the crap they put into drinks like Gatorade.

     

    Kick the sugar, dextrose, citric acid, “natural flavor”, salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, gum arabic, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, glycerol ester of rosin, and yellow 6 (actual Gatorade ingredients) to the curb and replace them with the beneficial ingredients below for a delicious drink that will keep everyone happy – mom, dad, grandma, the family athlete, and those rambunctious kiddos too.

     

    So let’s talk about what’s in this:

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    • Hibiscus Herbal Tea – is filled with antioxidants and has been used traditionally to maintain normal body temperature, support heart health, keep skin healthy, and promote circulation.
    • Organic Orange (juice and peels) – provides Vitamin C and regenerative glucose for the liver (and has been a huge hit with Ginger Newtrition’s adrenal cocktail creamsicle)
    • Raw Local Honey – the raw aspect provides minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and powerful antioxidants and has been shown to boost anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties; while the local component keep local allergies at bay
    • Organic Pure Coconut Water – The naturally occurring potassium, an essential electrolyte, keeps the body hydrated and provides vital minerals that are lost during any kind of physical exertion (from a tough CrossFit or a full day in the garden to a suffering from a bad cold or stomach flu)
    • Celtic Sea Salt – provides 84 essential minerals that the body need to function properly (NOTE: this is very different from iodized table salt, which can be quite detrimental)

     

    Bonus points for the fact that this is so easy to make which is especially important because it doesn’t last long at our house. With warmer weather approaching, and all the adventures of spring and summer to look forward to, whip up a batch or two of this electrolyte elixir and toss the Gatorade in the trash.

     

    Recreate. Share. Enjoy… and as always, Live Rad!

     

    WHAT YOU NEED:

    •  4 organic hibiscus tea bags
    • Juice and the peels from 1 organic orange or 2 organic mandarins
    • 1 cup filtered or spring water
    • 1-2 TB raw local honey (depending on how sweet you would like it)
    • 1/2 cup organic 100% orange juice
    • 1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
    • 2 cups organic coconut water (no additives or sugar added)

     

    WHAT YOU DO:

    • bring water to a boil, pour over tea bags and orange peels in a glass cup, cover and let steep for 1 hour
    • strain the liquid and put it in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to allow it to cool to room temperature
    • in the meantime, put the raw honey, fresh orange juice and salt in a large glass measuring cup, and stir until the honey has dissolved (this can take a few minutes)
    • add cooled hibiscus tea and coconut water to the orange juice mixture, and stir until all ingredients are incorporated
    • store in the refrigerator, and enjoy fresh within 3 days

     

    On a warm day, this is great over ice or mixed with some sparkling water if you want it to be less sweet. To the moms out there – this is a great choice for you to give the kiddos when they need to replenish!

     

    Let me know what you think! Have you kicked Gatorade (and the like) to the curb yet? What have you used as a replacement? Leave comments below. Happy adventures, everyone. And as always. Live Rad.

  • Homemade Toothpaste

    Homemade Toothpaste

    As I have recently been working on a Toxic Home Makeover handout for my clients, I have developed a severe phobia of every single household cleaner and personal care product.  The more I research, the worse it gets.

     

    To magnify this phobia, I have a very sensitive daughter who reacts to everything.  Long story short, minimizing toxins and chemicals in our life is top on the list right now.

     

    First stop: Toothpaste

     

    Why? Because I was reading the ingredients in the toothpaste that my daughter got from her dentist and saw sodium laurel sulfate.  Oh no, the evil SLS.  Is it really evil? I don’t know, but after finding some super easy homemade toothpaste recipes, I figured why not use something that is homemade and has 5 basic ingredients, all of which I know what they are!

     

    I remember my grandmother used to brush her teeth daily with baking soda.   She just dipped in the box and brushed away!  I wish I could be as hardcore as she was, but the taste is a little too much for me.

     

    I slightly adapted this homemade toothpaste from the Wellness Mama recipe (If you don’t follow her, you should. She rocks!)  I decided to add xylitol after my holistic dentist was telling me how amazing xylitol is for your teeth, and does just as good of a job as flouride.

     

    It took me a while to get used to the taste, but I was amazed that my teeth felt so much cleaner!

     

    Homemade Peppermint Toothpaste (for me)

    ¼  cup coconut oil

    1 tbs baking soda

    1 tsp xylitol

    15 drops peppermint (more or less to taste)

    5 drops grapefruit seed extract (optional)

     

    1. Start with slightly softened coconut oil (fully melted is a little trickier).

    2. Add all ingredients and thoroughly mix.  If the oil was liquid, than you will need to keep stirring as it solidifies.

    3. Pour into a glass jar (I used an old horseradish jar).

    4. If you are sharing, you can use a small spoon to put on your toothbrush, or make each family member their own toothpaste and they can dip right in!

     

    Homemade Kid Toothpaste

    The peppermint didn’t go over well with my little munchkin.  So for her, we used the same recipe as above, but with DoTERRA On Guard (Wild orange essential oil, combined with clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary ) instead of the peppermint.

    This seemed like a perfect choice since cloves relieves sore gums and toothaches, is a deodorizer and anesthetic, and cinnamon is also deodorizing, antiviral, antifungal, and slightly anesthetic.  I am sure that orange has amazing benefits as well, but we just really like the smell and taste!

     

    What if your toothpaste is in a hot car for 24 hours and melts into a soupy goo?

     

    Yes, this happened to me and then when it solidified the baking soda and oils had gone to the bottom and the coconut oil was on top.  No need to panic, just re-melt and keep stirring as the liquid is solidifying.

     

    What other personal care products do you like to make yourself?  Please share your favorite recipes in the comments below!

     

    Want to save this recipe for later?  Pin this here!

    Homemade toothpaste image for pinterest

     

  • 5 Cheap At-Home Health Tests That Don’t Require A Doctor

    5 Cheap At-Home Health Tests That Don’t Require A Doctor

    Have you been searching for a reason that things aren’t quite right or wondering why those annoying symptoms keep popping up? Or do you feel great but are curious how you are doing on the inside? These 5 tests are a great place to start as you search for clues and gather information. The cost of functional lab work that we use to check hormones, detoxification, intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and food sensitivities can cost a lot of money! Although they are often needed, why not start with the basics? Read on to find out how to use these cheap (or free) tests in the comfort of your home. Great tools for monitoring your own progress!

    To test at home: Blood Sugar Levels

    Did you know that balanced blood sugar is the common attribute of people who live to be over 100? Keeping blood sugar from fluctuating is extremely important to health and longevity. Monitoring your levels can give insight into how your body reacts to the foods you eat.

    1)   Buy an inexpensive glucometer. Glucometers can be really expensive and the strips can be even more expensive (I pay $1.00 per test strip since I didn’t have this handy information before!). Amazon has the Tru 2 Go for only $13.25 and the test strips that go with this are $17.50/100 (17.5 cents ea).

    2)   For 7 days – test your blood sugar first thing in the morning before having any food (ideally 12 hours since your last meal) for your fasting blood sugar level. An ideal level is less than 86 mg/dL. Although this is not the number that is considered “normal” at the doctor’s office, this study shows that a person with a fasting glucose level of 90-94 has 49% greater risk of developing diabetes compared with a level less than 85. While testing, I highly suggest that you keep a detailed food journal to watch the patterns. For my more advanced testers you can check blood sugar levels 1,2 & 3 hours after a meal to see how you are reacting to a food. If you want more information about this topic Chris Kresser has an awesome article Why your “normal” blood sugar isn’t normal (Part 2).

    To test at home: Food Sensitivities

    An elimination diet is a good test to find out if you have a food sensitivity. According to Dr. Mercola, food and chemical sensitivities are estimated to affect up to 50% of Americans. Sensitivities are much harder to pinpoint than a true food allergy, because sensitivities cause a slower and more subtle response. The top 5 Food sensitivities are corn, soy, gluten, dairy and eggs. But, your sensitivity could be to any food. If your gastro-intestinal tract is compromised or has been under attack for a long time, you might have devolved sensitivities to many foods. To test: Remove most common food sensitivies corn, soy, gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, and processed foods, alcohol, sugar and anything else that you suspect might cause a problem (I also have my clients remove most beans & grains since this can be hard on digestion for many people) for 2 weeks. Add one new food back in every 2 days and watch for any reaction. Reactions can include digestive problems, skin issues, headaches, or low mood and energy.  A food journal of mood as well as physical symptoms is imperative in this process.

    To test at home: pH

    An Acid-Alkaline balance in the body is an important factor for your health.   Just as we know it is important to keep your pool at a certain pH or funky things will grow, this is the same within your body. Cancer thrives in and acidic environment but cannot survive in an alkaline environment. Maintaining a proper pH will help the body be able to detoxify and will increase our immunity.

    6 days in a row

    1)     Buy pH strips from your local drug store or health food store in the supplement section

    2)     Upon waking (before eating or drinking anything) put one strip in your mouth to test your saliva

    Should be 6.8 to 7.2

    3)     Test 1st urine between 5 am and 8 am – this should be more acidic because during the first 4 hours of sleep your body removes acid from the joints.

    4)     Test 2nd urine (before eating if possible) – This is the most important reading to give you a good baseline of where you are for the day

    Should be 6.8 to 7.2

    To test at home: Candida

    6 days in a row

    Spit in a glass of water 1st thing in the morning when you wake up before eating, drinking or brushing your teeth. Check the glass over 45 minutes. If after 45 minutes your spit is floating on the top, you are good to go. If the spit has formed legs and traveling down, we need to work on your balance. If the spit has completely dropped to the bottom, then candida is planning a major takeover and we need to take care of the candida to improve your health.  

    To test at home: Thyroid Health

    3 days in a row

    Take your temperature first thing in the morning when you wake up. Put your thermometer under your armpit and then get back into bed for 10 minutes. You can also take your temperature before you go to bed and 20 minutes after each meal. If you are consistently under 97.4 then you might have a sluggish thyroid.

  • 20 Healthy Foods Found at Costco for Less

    20 Healthy Foods Found at Costco for Less

     

    I am sure that prices vary in different locations, but in sunny San Diego I have gotten pretty used to a large chunk of my check and my right arm going toward groceries.  If you are like us and also look for these kind of items; organic, grass-fed, pastured, non-GMO, chemical/nitrate/additive-free, then you know what I am talking about!

    How can we eat healthy or buy organic food when on a budget?  This seems to be a top request from clients so I thought I would do a little research at Costco.

    After 1 hour with a 3 year old clinging to my leg, here are the 20 items that made it into our cart! We didn’t have time for the fruit and veggie section, but I know that they carry a good amount of organic produce, so check that out as well!

    Top Finds of the Day:

    1)      Albacore Tuna (Wild Planet) – $14.99 for 6-5 oz. cans

    2)      Almond Milk- unsweetened (Silk) – $7.79 for 3- ½ gallons

    3)      Organic Apple Juice (Evolution)- $5.69 for 64 oz.

    4)      Avocado Oil (Chosen Foods) – $9.49 for 33.8 oz.

    5)      Bison Burgers (Kiva Sun) – $13.49 for 6 burgers

    6)      Organic Brown Rice (Lundberg) – $13.79 for 12 lbs.

    7)      Chia Seeds (Nutiva) – $13.99 for 32 oz.

    8)      Organic Chicken Breasts (Coastal Range)- $16.89 for 3 lbs.

    9)      Organic Cold Pressed Juice (SUJA) – $29.49 for 9-12 oz.

    10)   Organic Frozen Strawberries (Pure Nature) – $8.99 for 4 lbs.

    11)   Hemp Hearts (Manitoba Harvest) – $14.89 for 28 oz.

    12)   Himalayan pink salt (Kirkland)- $3.99 for 13 oz.

    13)   Hummus (Pita Pal) – $5.99 for 32 oz.

    14)  Grass-Fed Butter (Kerry Gold) – $6.99 for 3-8 oz. bars

    15)  Coconut Oil (Nutiva) – $22.49 for 78 oz.

    16)   Organic ground beef (Kirkland) – $17.99

    17)   Organic sundried tomatoes (Kirkland) – $8.99 for 4 lbs.

    18)   Organic Quinoa (Truroots) – $18.99 for 64 oz.

    19)   Organic Raw Coconut Water (Harmless Harvest) – $15.89 for 4-16oz

    20)   Tangerine juice (Evolution) – $5.69 for 64 oz.

     

    What else have you found at Costco?  I would love your input in the comments below!

     

    Happy Shopping.