We can't discuss holistic health without talking about things like nutrition, sleep, and exercise.

Exercise plays a vital role in holistic health, contributing to the overall well-being of our mind, body, and spirit. It goes beyond physical fitness, as it encompasses a wide range of benefits that extend to all aspects of our being.

In this week's installment in this series, we will discuss the role of exercise in supporting our health, plus a few tips for finding the right type of exercise for your body and personal preferences.

I've been interested in health for a long time, and especially how we, as individuals, can take control of our own health and lead naturally healthy lives amidst today's onslaught of chronic disease.

However, in recent years, I have become more and more fascinated with the impact that our minds have on our physical health. Even modern medicine - with all its flaws - recognizes this phenomenon (just look at the frequent reports of placebos offering relief from so many symptoms and diseases).

So I am looking forward to exploring this topic in more depth in this upcoming masterclass. If you would like to learn more about how to improve your health through mindset, please register to join me for this special series!

This post has been a long time coming, as it has taken me several months to be able to face the topic... But I feel it's important to write about, and hopefully even cathartic.

Every homesteader will eventually face the inevitability of death - it is, after all, an essential part of the life cycle. We all know this, but for those who raise livestock, it is more visible (and visceral) than for others. And although we homesteaders expect death, knowing it will happen and actually experiencing it are two different things.

Growing up on a farm, I was familiar with death from a young age. A favorite cat died of distemper (very painfully from the looks of it) before I was ten. Chickens and goats died regularly (often at the hand of my father), and were usually enjoyed as dinner "from nose-to-tail," as the current slogan goes. I distinctly remember my grief when I accidentally stepped on a baby chick at about 9 years old, and also my determination as I twisted its tiny neck to try and put it out of its misery as quickly as possible, tears streaming down my freckled cheeks.

Two of my sisters - and several friends - have also kept chickens in adulthood, and I knew from their experience (as well as lots of reading) that apparently humans aren't the only creatures with a taste for chicken! So, when I got my first batch of my own chickens, I knew death would come. And I thought I was prepared.

One thing that sets a holistic health approach apart from the conventional allopathic medicine model is its recognition that everything is connected - and not just the physical aspects of health, but also mental and spiritual factors as well.

Holistic health inherently implies that the mind, body, and spirit are interconnected and must be addressed as a whole to achieve optimal well-being. This perspective recognizes that our physical health is intimately linked to our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, and that each aspect impacts the others in profound ways.

In today's post, we will explore these connections, and how we can use them to improve our overall health and well-being.

Today's topic is one that is a problem for our society on many levels. What at first seemed like a way to support farmers during tough times has turned into a monster with many heads. Not only does it discourage competition (and improvements in quality) in the market, but it also is harming the environment, and even our health.

We all know that ultra-processed foods are bad for us, but there is more than one reason why they remain so popular on store shelves today. Yes, clever marketers and manufacturers have created food processing techniques that make junk foods taste like something that's good for us, but there's more to it than that.

In case you hadn't guessed, it's all about the Benjamins, baby...

After nearly a 50-year stint underground, psychedelics are re-emerging as a viable medical treatment and a hot topic of study.

While psychedelics have been used for centuries in traditional medicine and shamanic rituals by indigenous peoples, in recent years, there has been a resurgence of scientific interest in their potential therapeutic benefits. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that psychedelics may be effective in treating a range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

I recently read the book, How to Change Your Mind, by Michael Pollan - a fascinating look at the history and potential uses of psychedelics, so I have been paying attention to all the new buzz around this topic. I was intrigued to see this event being offered for free this week, and thought I would share it with you so you can learn more about this promising new field in the health world. Learn more below, or click here to register for the free event - going on this week only!

I've shared a lot on this blog about holistic and healthy living, but I thought it was time to define a more concrete pathway to holistic health and its principles and benefits. Over the summer, I plan to expand upon this definition by exploring various aspects of holistic health, so stay tuned!

To start off with, it seems like a good idea to define holistic health in a bit more detail.

At its core, holistic health is a philosophy of health that views the human body and mind as interconnected and dependent upon each other for optimal well-being.

Unlike the modern allopathic medicine approach, the holistic approach to health considers the entire person, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, as well as environment, lifestyle, and social relationships.

Holistic health recognizes that the body is not just a collection of parts that need to be fixed when something goes wrong! Instead, it views the body as a complex system that is in constant communication with its environment and is constantly adapting to maintain balance and harmony.

Below are a few of the key principles of holistic health, and the benefits it can bring to those who implement these principles into our daily lives.

A sheet pan recipe my brother-in-law made recently inspired me to try this easy variation on my favorite skillet hash.

My favorite cookbook, Vegetables Illustrated, has an awesome recipe for Red Flannel Hash, which I typically make often in the fall or winter. The problem is, even in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, it still ends up sticking like the dickens by the time it's done, which is frustrating and leaves a crusty mess to clean up.

After my brother-in-law roasted some butternut squash and Brussels sprouts in the oven with bacon with delicious results, I thought I would try adapting the hash recipe to a sheet pan for easier cleanup. It turned out excellent, and much easier than making it on the stovetop! From now on, this will be my usual method of making hash.

Side Note: I realize this recipe is not very springy, but we're trying to use up our butternut squash before summer, and had a few beets left as well, so I made this on a cool spring evening when we were in the mood for a hearty and healthy dinner.

This makes a good meal by itself with fried eggs, but could also make a good side dish to go with a roast or chicken. Since it's cooked in the oven, it doesn't need much tending, and the hardest part will likely be dicing the butternut squash. If you complete the steps in the order listed below, you should have it on the table in 40 minutes or less. Check out the recipe below, and maybe bookmark it for the fall season!

We're back this week with an interesting post that's a little different from our usual. This podcast episode from the Doctor's Farmacy focuses on the importance of mindset when it comes to happiness, success, and even health.

Your mind is so much more powerful than you know - and even with all of our modern technology, we are only just beginning to scratch the surface of what our minds can truly accomplish...

In this episode, functional medicine doctor, Mark Hyman, interviews Lewis Howes - a New York Times best-selling author, keynote speaker, and former professional football player about how to unlock the power of the mind, eliminate self-sabotaging thoughts, and pursue a meaningful mission in life.  If you've ever struggled with fear, self-doubt, or limiting beliefs (and who among us hasn't?), you won't want to miss this special episode!

We're back! I apologize for the hiatus in March - things got a bit crazy with getting ready for our Florida vacation, and I fell behind on posting... I had intended to catch up this weekend, but we returned to the devastating news that one of our dearest friends had passed away unexpectedly, and the funeral was this Saturday...

It has been a sad week, but I'm happy to be able to share this month's freebie with you today, along with my plan to bring you more helpful posts this month, as well as an updated website theme, which is long-overdue (coming soon).

This month, I'm sharing an offer from a company whose products I have been trying out this year for the first time. In my effort to reduce plastic use this year, I've been switching some of my personal care products to plastic-free, but hadn't yet found a good solution for household cleaning items. Although I've been using natural and non-toxic cleaners for many years now, they usually still come in bulky plastic containers, and even though they're usually recyclable, I would really rather cut down on purchasing plastic packaging wherever possible.

Then I discovered Truly Free. This eco-conscious company is based in Michigan, and they offer all sorts of non-toxic cleaning products with much less packaging than most. They provide a free container on your first order, and then you simply purchase refills, which are packaged in small pouches made from recyclable plastic (they can go right into your grocery bag recycling bins at most supermarkets and big-box stores).

So far, I have been really impressed with most of the products we've tried. They work well, don't have an unpleasant fragrance, and are safe for our septic system. Plus, you get free stuff with every order! :-) - AND they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all their products.

This month, in honor of "National Laundry Day" (which apparently is April 15 - who knew??), they are offering 50 free loads of their non-toxic laundry detergent with your first order. Click here to check it out, or learn more about this special offer below.