Foot Reflexology Chart

Cold and Flu Prevention + Holistic Tips by Andrea Beaman   The changing season brings with it a host of challenges especially, for the lungs and respiratory system.   You may have noticed as the weather dips down, more people begin complaining of flu, colds, cough and runny nose. This is normal. When season’s change, atmospheric pressure and wind shifts, and our bodies have to make adjustments to those environmental modifications. Moving from warmer weather into cooler weather (summer to fall, and fall to winter), the body begins contracting. As the body goes through this natural process, it becomes momentarily de-stabilized, and this can create the perfect environment for viruses to enter into the system. Like most folks, you may not be prepared for the onslaught of common bugs that can enter your body through the respiratory system at this time of year… but if you have some herbal and culinary savvy, you need not worry. Right now, in your kitchen, you probably already have these easy remedies that can keep the bugs at bay and help you retain good respiratory health through seasonal shifts. Here are a few of my favorites: Garlic Toast – at the first sign of a tickle in your nose or throat, crush a fresh clove of garlic and mince it finely. Mix the garlic with honey and smear it on top of toasted sourdough bread and eat it. For those of you that do NOT eat gluten, smear it onto an apple, or just put it onto a spoon and directly into your mouth. If you opt to put it directly into your mouth without a buffer (bread or apple), be prepared – it is STRONG! Garlic (Allium sativum) is both antimicrobial and antiviral, and at the onset of respiratory invaders, can work like magic! Oregano Gargle – if the tickle moves into your throat, mince 5-6 tablespoons of fresh oregano (or 2 tsp. dried oregano) and put into a bowl. Pour 6-8 ounces boiling water on top of leaves and steep, covered, 15-20 minutes. Strain out the leaves and gargle with the warm oregano water. Make sure the water is not too hot. I don’t want you to burn your throat. Oregano (Origanum vulgare) contains thymol and carvacrol, that have powerful antiseptic and antibiotic properties. You could also use 1-2 drops of oregano essential oil in hot water and gargle with that. Thyme Tea with Lemon and Honey – If you don’t catch the bugs at the onset (in the nose or in the throat), and your immune system has been slow to respond, they are going to move into your chest. Here’s where you will develop a tickle in the chest and a cough. Pull 5-6 tbsp. of fresh thyme leaves off the stem and pack into a “tea ball”. Put the tea ball into a mug and cover with boiling water. Steep, covered, for 15 minutes. Add 1 tsp. honey and 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice. Drink 3-4x per day. If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can use 2 tsp. dried thyme. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) contains volatile oils that are strongly antiseptic and promote expectoration. It is an excellent remedy for respiratory infections and coughs.

Pho Recipe — a Gut-Friendly Vietnamese Soup

There’s nothing like cooler weather that makes me want to cook up a big batch of soup and spend a cozy evening in with family and friends. Especially one that involves bone broth, grass-fed beef and immune-boosting herbs and vegetables. That’s right, I’m talking about this pho recipe, which will warm you up, aid your gut health, support your immune system during these cold winter months and is downright tasty.
What is pho? Pho or phở originated in Vietnam in the early 20th century and has probably been around even longer, although there is poor documentation of the recipe until the last 90 years. It is thought that the French occupying the region in northern Vietnam and neighboring Chinese traditions both influenced the popular broth that we know today.
After the Geneva Accords, which required Vietnam to split into two in 1954, many northern Vietnamese migrated south and brought their Vietnamese soup along with them. (1) Southern Vietnam was much more liberal with their pho soup and introduced garnishes like cilantro, lime, bean sprouts and Thai basil. How do you pronounce pho? The same you would ‘duh’!
Is pho healthy? I would argue, absolutely. Not only are the benefits of bone broth numerous, including digestive repair, skin and joint health, but adding in healing spices and herbs boosts the benefits even more. Grass-fed beef boasts benefits of CLA, omega 3 fatty acids and is free of all hormones and antibiotics. Instead of traditional white rice noodles used in pho, I incorporated zucchini noodles, which have high anti-inflammatory properties and are high in vitamin C. (You can also opt for gluten-free brown rice noodles.)
Toppings for the pho include cilantro, which helps rid the body of heavy metals, and Thai basil, which boosts immunity and contains natural antioxidant properties. Mint leaves aid in digestion and give a refreshingly cool flavor to the broth. Green onions give a mild, pungent kick and also add in antiviral and antibacterial properties to your pho soup recipe. Bean sprouts add a crunch, and since they are sprouted, are easy to digest, and you can absorb the nutrients within them much easier.
Lastly, I added organic sriracha sauce to give it an extra kick and coconut aminos with beneficial enzymes, minerals and other healthy elements.
So now you’re wondering how to make this pho recipe. Traditional bone broth can take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to prepare, so if you’re using homemade, give yourself a day or two to get your pho broth ready. Otherwise, find a high-quality bone broth made from organic meat and vegetables to add to your pho ingredients. This pho recipe is easier to make than you think, so don’t be afraid to dive in!

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How To Make Pho

First, take the bone broth and add it to a large stock pot. Add in onions, carrots, garlic cloves, cinnamon sticks and coconut aminos and bring it to a boil. Once the broth is boiling, reduce the heat so that the broth will simmer for 30 minutes. While the broth is simmering, go ahead and spiralize your zucchini into noodles or “zoodles.” 
Chop up your herbs and vegetables and set aside. Slice your sirloin steak into very thin slices, about one-fourth of an inch. Place the steak slices back in the refrigerator to keep them cold until the broth is ready. After the broth has simmered, strain out the solids and discard them. Return the broth to the stove top and keep piping hot until ready to serve. Now you’re going to assemble your pho soup bowls.

First, add in a handful of zucchini noodles to the bottom of the bowl.
Pour in a cup or two of bone broth over the noodles and quickly add 5–6 raw beef slices and watch them begin to cook through in the piping hot broth.

Top off your pho with cilantro, green onion, bean sprouts, mint, Thai basil, organic sriracha and more coconut aminos, if desired.

This pho recipe is so soothing, warming and nourishing. You’ll want to make this again and again in the upcoming winter months!

Pho Recipe — a Gut-Friendly Vietnamese Soup

Total Time: 50 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• For the broth:
• 6 cups beef bone broth
• 2 onions, peeled and halved
• 4-5 whole carrots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peel on and smashed
• 2-3 whole cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
• Toppings:
• ½ pound sirloin steak, sliced into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 pound zucchini, spiralized
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ½ cup Thai basil leaves
• ¼ cup mint leaves
• Organic sriracha, to taste
• Coconut aminos, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot, add in beef bone broth, onion, carrots, garlic cloves, cinnamon sticks and coconut aminos.
2. Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and let broth simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Place zucchini into a spiralizer and spiralize into noodles. Set aside.
4. Slice beef into very thin slices, about ¼ inch thick. Keep beef slices in the refrigerator to keep cold until ready to add to the broth.
5. Strain the broth and discard the solids. Return the broth to the stove to keep warm.
6. In four soup bowls, prepare each serving by adding in zucchini noodles to the bottom.
7. Top with pho broth and add in 5-6 raw beef slices.
8. Top each bowl with desired amount of herbs, vegetables, sriracha and coconut aminos.
9. Serve immediately.

Reduce your body's oxalate load Having trouble viewing this email

We’ve all heard nutritionists and scientists – myself included! – discuss at length the numerous benefits that leafy greens have on your health. From power-packed spinach to fat-fighting greens, adding leafy greens to your diet can give your health and well-being a huge boost.   However, we don’t hear much about the not-so-healthy compound that occurs naturally in leafy greens – oxalates. To a certain level, oxalates are not rare or harmful to our bodies unless we happen to be sensitive to them. For the most part, issues only begin to arise when oxalates build up from the overconsumption of oxalate-rich foods. At high levels, oxalates, or oxalic acid, limit the absorption of calcium, iron, and magnesium in the digestive tract. Simply put, they prevent your body from getting the most benefit from those essential minerals. Your kidneys may also suffer, as oxalate build-up has been linked to the formation of harmful and painful kidney stones. In fact, calcium oxalate stones account for anywhere from 75% to 86% of all stones formed.   One study measured the oxalate levels in some common leafy greens and other fruits and vegetables. Based on their findings, the top ten raw foods with the highest oxalate content (mean milligrams per 100 grams) are:     If you suffer from kidney stones, it may be best to avoid these foods with high levels of oxalates. However, for the rest of us, there are ways to reap the benefits of high-oxalate vegetables without causing unhealthy oxalate build-up in the body.   Specifically, how you prepare your vegetables plays a dramatic role in the concentration of oxalates. The oxalate amounts listed above can be lowered simply by blanching your vegetables. To blanch vegetables, cook in a pot of boiling water for 4-6 minutes and submerge into ice water immediately after cooking. Two studies compared the oxalate content of blanched vegetables to their raw counterparts with encouraging results: the oxalate content of the raw vegetables studied (spinach, beetroot, celeriac, and parsnip) was reduced by 30-40% when blanched.   While blanching was the most effective cooking method found, the studies also showed that pressure cooking and open pan cooking also reduced the oxalate content in the vegetables, although to lesser amounts. Drying vegetables had the opposite effect – the oxalate content of dried spinach was almost triple that of raw spinach!   Don’t let a fear of oxalates prevent you from eating the full spectrum of fruits and vegetables daily! There are a multitude of benefits to be gained from colorful vegetables. It’s simply important to be a smart cook and to eat a variety of foods – if you’re eating lots of veggies that you know are high in oxalates, try out one of the cooking methods mentioned above to minimize the risk of overloading your body with the compound. Your kidneys will thank you!   And, don't forget to check with your healthcare practitioner if you have specific questions about your sensitivity to oxalates.

5 Drinks that Leave Pumpkin Spiced Lattes in the Dust

As the cool breezes and gusty winds of autumn set in, there’s no doubt grabbing a pumpkin spiced latte at a local coffee chain sounds like a great idea. But maybe you’ve been warned about the one pumpkin spiced latte ingredient you always need to avoid. Or maybe you’re already aware that a typical 16-ounce pumpkin spiced latte contains a whopping 50 grams of sugar. Luckily, we’ve got a list of drinks that leave pumpkin spiced lattes in the dust. And they’re much healthier than what you’re getting in typical coffee chains or convenience stores. Cheers to that!

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5 Drinks that Leave Pumpkin Spiced Lattes in the Dust

Homemade Chai Tea
Forgo toxic chemicals and artificial sweeteners and flavors with this simple recipe. Real spices loaded with antioxidants are the stars of this recipe. The best part? You don’t need to turn to refined sugars to make it a crowd-pleaser.

Spiced Hot Apple Cider

Forget added sugars. We let the powerful, antioxidant-rich spices like clove do the work in this recipe. You’ll also get a healthy dose of blood sugar-regulation, thanks to the health benefits of cinnamon.

Turmeric Tea Recipe
Popular in Asia and often referred to as “liquid gold,” this tea is full of turmeric benefits, mostly due to an active compound called curcumin. If you’re looking for a warm, nourishing, anti-inflammatory drink, this rich, creamy, slightly sweet beverage is it.

Beef Bone Broth
Bone broth was the go-to warming tonic back in your great-grandparent’s day. And it’s making a huge comeback. In fact, it’s selling for $10 a cup in big cities.
Not only does it hit the spot during bouts of cold weather, but benefits of bone broth include healing arthritis and digestive symptoms, too. It’s rich in nutrients like gelatin and glycine. These help to heal your leaky gut and even your skin.

Real Pumpkin Spiced Latte Recipe
Get the benefits of drinking coffee, without all of the liver-damaging refined sugars found in most commercial pumpkin spiced lattes. The healthy fats in the coconut milk will help you feel full and satisfied, too.

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Final Thoughts on Drinks that Leave Pumpkin Spiced Latte in the Dust

• Most pumpkin spiced lattes sold in chains and convenience stores contain dangerous levels of sugar and sometimes other toxic ingredients, including food dyes, fake flavors and carrageenan.
• Luckily, you can make your own nourishing, health warm fall drinks at home using our recipes.
• Drinks based in turmeric and even bone broth can provide anti-inflammatory benefits and even help heal your digestive tract.

Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub

This luxurious body scrub is sure to get you in the spirit of the season. Brown sugar buffs away dead skin. Pumpkin is packed with vitamins A, C, and E; alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs); beta-carotene; zinc; and potassium to improve tone and texture. Jojoba oil moisturizes and helps relieve dry skin. Cinnamon and nutmeg create a wonderful warming sensation—that feels magical. Ginger helps delivers detoxifying benefits. Allspice is rich in youth-boosting vitamins A and C. Vanilla essential oil is widely used in aromatherapy for its uplifting aroma.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups organic brown sugar
• ⅓ cup pumpkin puree (preferably fresh, but canned works too)
• 3 tablespoons jojoba oil
• 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg)
• 3 drops vanilla essential oil