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The Truth About Grass-Fed Beef

2/7/2016

** Updated June 2016**

I don't usually like to call out my fellow health-minded writers; after all, we are all in this together, right? We are all trying to do our best to help people learn to make healthier choices and lead healthier lives. And while I'm sure the author of the article I read this week about grass fed-beef had good intentions, it got me pretty fired up, and since this topic is near and dear to my heart, I felt I had to address some of the many points in her article that were misleading, misinformed, or just plain false.

The title of her article is "Is Grass-Fed Beef Worth the Money?", and you may have a different answer than me, and that's fine. But I want to make sure you are getting the facts straight before you decide, so here is my rebuttal.

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3 Foods You're Eating Wrong

1/31/2016

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Okay, I'm super busy this weekend (dinner with hubby's dad this afternoon, and I still have to update Facebook and get your weekly newsletter put together!), so instead of writing a super long post today, I thought I'd share a helpful article from one of my favorite resources....

The team at BioTrust has lots of great information and articles on healthy eating, and they also provide top-quality supplements designed to keep you healthy and help you maintain a healthy weight. If you want to check out what they have to offer, you can visit them at BioTrust.com.

In the meantime, here's a quick little article that I thought was interesting.... It's about 3 healthy foods that aren't nearly as healthy if you eat them the wrong way!

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Why I Don't (Usually) Promote Products

1/17/2016

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If you've been reading this blog for some time, you may have noticed something....

I don't promote products. At least not often. I will occasionally write a review of a book or video that I found especially helpful and thought my readers might benefit from the information it contains. But if I do promote something, it's usually just that: Information to help you live a healthier, happier life. Yes, we have some products listed on our "Recommended Products" page, and throughout the website as well. (You may notice that many of those are also information products.)

I also don't promote a lot of products in my daily life. I don't talk about the products I use all the time - even the ones that work really well for me. Maybe I should do more of this, but I just don't feel right about being a walking billboard for products - no matter how natural and effective.

Why? The reason is simple - at least in my opinion...

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Vegan Or Paleo: Which Is More Natural?

12/13/2015

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I recently participated in an interesting and rather lengthy online discussion with an avid vegan (is there any other kind?), and I thought I would address the topic here on the blog - though it may be rather controversial!

Since both the Vegan and the Paleo diets have become so mainstream over the past few years, and both have their loyal (even obsessive) followings, I thought it would be interesting to compare the two from the angle of, which is a more natural way for humans to eat?

Let's dig in, shall we?

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4 Simple Steps to Balance Your Gut Bacteria

11/29/2015

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As we discussed a couple of weeks ago, the health of your gut is important for many reasons - especially as it makes up the greater part of your immune system - and having the right balance of gut bacteria in your digestive tract is key for good health. While it may not be possible to know exactly which microorganisms are out of balance, by watching for the signs we mentioned in our previous post, you can at least determine if your digestive system needs some support.

If you do have any of the symptoms mentioned, you can take steps to correct the imbalance in your gut, and build a stronger, healthier immune system.

Here are 4 simple steps to balancing your gut bacteria:

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Is Your Gut Bacteria Out of Balance? Here Are 7 Signs To Watch For...

11/15/2015

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If you've done much reading in the natural health arena, you may have heard natural health experts talking about the importance of having a healthy balance of microflora in your digestive tract - or, in layman's terms - "good gut bacteria."

Since, as we mentioned a few weeks ago, your digestive system is one of the most important parts of your immune system, it stands to reason that the health of your gut has a lot to do with your overall health.

Unfortunately, our modern lifestyle is filled with unhealthy foods and habits, not to mention prescription drugs like antibiotics, which can really take a toll on the health of those ever-important bacteria whose job it is to help keep you alive and well.

In fact, there are more studies coming out all the time on the connection between your gut bacteria and just about every other aspect of your health.

While you may know that our motto here at New Holistic Living is "everything is connected," nowhere is this more true than in the digestive system. Just as an example, a recent study on mice tracked what happened when gut bacteria from depressed mice were transplanted into healthy, happy mice. The happy mice began showing signs of depression within hours! This just goes to show that changing your gut bacteria literally can change your life!

But how do you know if your gut bacteria are healthy or not? And if they aren't, what can you do about it?

Keep reading to find out.

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Homesteading Update: Storing Up For Winter

10/30/2015

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A Novemberish view.

Even though it is predicted to be in the 70's again next week, there is no doubt that summer is over. The garden is frost-blackened and blasted, waiting to be cleaned out and put to bed for the winter. The last of the brightly colored leaves will soon be gone, and already bare branches greet me through my office window.

We have lots to do outside yet, but in terms of food preparation and preservation, we are pretty much done - and it has been a fruitful year!

It was my first full-scale attempt to put away a good quantity of (mostly) home-grown food for the winter, and while it did involve a fair amount of work, the satisfaction is practically its own reward - although we have already been enjoying a few of the fruits of our labors.... :-)

I have 2 more food preservation tasks left, and then it will be time to rest for a few months - something I'm very much looking forward to after this busy first summer on the homestead!

Here's how things went, for our first season of partially self-sufficient living:

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What's The Deal With the Paleo Diet?

10/25/2015

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In recent years, the so-called "Paleo" diet has been the hottest thing since, well, 10,000 years before sliced bread! But is it really all that it's cracked up to be? Before we can unravel the truth from the hype, we need to go back in time and look at what the Paleo diet really is.

Dr. Boyd Eaton pioneered many of the concepts of the modern Paleo diet movement, although Dr. Loren Cordain is commonly recognized as the "founder." Once a fringe way of eating that eschewed the mainstream, I think it's safe to say that the Paleo diet is now fully commercialized. Dozens of books have been written on the concept, and there are hundreds of processed foods being sold as "Paleo" in stores throughout the country.

With all the hype surrounding the concept these days, it can be easy to see the Paleo Diet as just another fad. But there is much more to it than that. Eating Paleo really doesn't have anything to do with chowing down on "Paleo food bars," and it also doesn't mean you'll eat bacon all day, or give up your shoes! Instead, living a Paleo lifestyle simply involves smart exercise, sleep and eating foods that are nutrient-dense.

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13 Tasty Tips For A Healthier Brain

10/18/2015

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Brain diseases and disorders are one of the fastest growing health issues of the modern world. And while there are a lot of different factors that can affect your brain health, diet is one of the most important.

That's right, you really are what you eat - and your brain is paying for the sins you are committing when you eat a modern diet high in processed foods.

In fact, your brain is arguably influenced more (or at least more visibly) by your diet than any other organ. This can easily be seen by watching how a small child's behavior changes drastically after eating or drinking something packed full of sugar! But it's affecting you just as much as an adult.

If you listen to your body after you eat, you may notice that what you eat can affect your mood dramatically, and even change your entire day. What you eat impacts the way you think, the way you feel, and the way your body and brain function.

We talk a lot here about the impact of food on our health, but what about your brain health? How can you eat to improve your brain's health, rather than diminishing it? Is there an optimal way to eat that will both create a healthier brain, and maximize your brain power?

Try these 13 tips, and I can promise you, not only will your brain be healthier, but your whole outlook on life will improve! (And perhaps best of all, eating this way is highly enjoyable and satisfying!)

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Is "Natural" Sugar Really Better for You?

10/4/2015

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You probably know by now that refined sugars are one of the worst things you can consume. Along with processed trans-fats and artificial ingredients, sugar is one of the major killers that we consume on a regular basis, and has been linked to numerous diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and cancer.

As more and more people are becoming aware of the dangers of sugar, it's not surprising that more and more sugar "replacements" are being marketed, but are they really all that much better for you than real sugar?

We now know that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are possibly even worse for you than real sugar, but what about the "natural" sugars you hear about everywhere these days?

Today I'm going to reveal the truth with a quick rundown of the top 6 natural sugars on the market right now, and how they compare.

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