The Paleo Diet is one of the "hottest" dietary trends in recent nutritional history, but does it really have staying power, or is it just a fad?

I wrote about the Paleo Diet back in 2015, and since then, it has only grown more popular. But dietary fads can sometimes last for quite a few years, so how can we be sure that Paleo won't go the way of so many other fad diets that have faded into the dusty archives of outdated trends?

The Paleo way of eating has thousands of passionate followers who claim that eating this way can help you lose body fat, lower your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol, prevent diabetes, improve brain health, boost your energy levels, and more. But are these claims actually true, or is this just another over-hyped "miracle diet" that doesn't actually deliver on its promises in the long-term?

Today we will look a little deeper at the Paleo Diet in an attempt to address some of these questions.

In some circles, yogurt is thought of as a "health food," and in truth, it really is one of the only fermented foods that is still regularly included in the American diet. As we have discussed numerous times before, fermented foods contain beneficial probiotics that, as more and more scientific studies are revealing, may be the key to many different aspects of health - not only physical, but mental as well.

However, others rail against yogurt, calling it a glorified "junk food," packed with sugar, artificial ingredients, and, of course, dairy - an oft-vilified food type by many in the new "plant-based" diet movement.

So what is the real truth about yogurt? Is it a healthy food that you should include in your diet, or a junk food that you should avoid?

Today's guest article by one of my favorite natural health writers and nutritionists will explore some of the problems you should be aware of when eating  yogurt, as well as how to choose the right type of yogurt for good health. He will also discuss the differences between yogurt and kefir - another dairy-based fermented food that has gained a cult following in the U.S. in recent years, although it has been consumed for centuries in other parts of the world.

Read on to find out more...

I think often about the conundrum that is modern life...

We have more knowledge and more technology available to us than ever before in human history, yet we seem to continue to make the stupidest decisions - especially when it comes to our health! We live in a society of stress, confusion, and disease - all of which seem like they should be things of the past with all the resources we have access to in today's world...

Doesn’t it sometimes seem strange how we can be so technologically advanced yet so stressed out and unhealthy?

I often wonder how we can find our way back to a healthy balance. Or if it’s even possible?

And then this weekend, I got a sneak preview of something that finally put it all together for me...

Not just what’s wrong, but why, and what we can do in our daily lives as caring, conscious individuals to make real positive change - and I'm not just talking about diet and exercise...

I'm talking about ancient wisdom that shows us how we can all sustainably thrive in a toxic modern world.

After spending last weekend traveling to visit friends in Tennessee, this weekend was double the work - with piles of tomatoes to work through, and the fridge stuffed full with corn, green beans, and okra. When the bounty of the summer garden arrives, it arrives with a vengeance!

I always forget how productive certain crops (i.e. tomatoes) can be until another summer rolls around and they are rotting in piles on the counter, as well as under the plants in the garden. I thought I had sufficiently scaled down my tomato planting this year, but apparently not quite far enough!

Anyway, we canned our first batch of tomatoes this weekend, and froze some as well - along with a number of other food preservation tasks.

Below is a quick list of what I was up to this weekend in the homestead kitchen - along with some pictures of the bounty, and a quick run-down of our tomato canning process...

We all know that exercise is good for us. Not only does regular exercise help us to stay in shape, avoid injury, maintain a healthy weight, and prolong our lives, it is also linked to a reduced risk of almost every modern disease.

So why do so few of us get enough of it?

While there are many factors that contribute to our lack of exercise as a society, one of the main reasons is that we're just so darned *busy.* With dozens of demands on our time every day, we tend to prioritize the things that are urgent and the things that we enjoy the most - neither of which applies to exercise for most people.

With a full-time job, family responsibilities, social activities, and hobbies to juggle, going to the gym for an hour or so 3-4 times per week is often at the bottom of the priorities list. This is bad news for our health as a nation, and we can see the results in our worsening health and increasing waistlines.

The good news is, getting enough exercise to stay healthy may take a lot less time than you think...

According to scientific studies, researchers have discovered that as little as 30 minutes of exercise per week may improve health and longevity rather significantly.

BUT - it all depends on the type of exercise you're doing...

If you're interested in becoming more self-sufficient and learning how to take control of your health and become more in touch with your body's health needs, I believe there is nothing more valuable that you can do then to learn to make your own natural medicines.

While the mainstream medical industry would have you believe they know everything there is to know about health, in fact, they have only been around for the past century or so, while humans have been making natural remedies and medicinal preparations at home for thousands of years! There certainly have been some valuable advances in medical technology over the past century, but that doesn't mean that our previous thousands of years of experience are no longer valid.

With a combined approach, you can learn to treat minor issues at home where appropriate, and rely on the more advanced technologies of our medical institutions when medically necessary for more serious illnesses and injuries. By taking this approach, not only will you save money, but you will also learn to be more self-sufficient, and develop a deeper connection with your own body and a better understanding of its needs - two things which are practically priceless.

Unfortunately, much of the knowledge of ancient medicinal remedies which used to be passed down to from generation to generation has been lost from memory over the past century, and few people in today's modern world know how to make home medicines or medicinal preparations. The good news is, for the information that has survived, the internet makes it easier than ever for people to re-learn these lost skills.

If you are interested in learning the art and science of making your own medicines using natural and effective ingredients, I would like to invite you to attend this inspiring 4-part video series that is coming up in the next few days, which will teach you how to confidently heal the 12 most common ailments using natural, homemade medicines.

Register Here for the FREE Video Series, or learn more below...

I'm back!  I'm so sorry for the long absence. I returned from our trip to Minnesota to find that I was unable to log into the blog, and after a couple of weeks of back and forth with the support team, I have just now regained access. Whew! Anyway, we may have some changes to our posting schedule coming up, but I will keep you informed. In the meantime, we are back on schedule with our end-of-the-month recipe.

One of the simplest and easiest nutritionist-recommended ways to eat healthier is to "eat the rainbow" - that is, to eat as wide a variety of colored fruits and veggies as possible. It should come as no surprise that salads are my favorite way to get lots of beautiful colors on my plate. There is nearly an infinite variety of colors, flavors, and textures that you can add to a salad, which makes it one of the most exciting things to eat, in my opinion!

You can have a big salad, or small one, a salad as a whole meal, or as a side dish. A salad can be just greens and vegetables, or topped with fruit, nuts, or seeds. You can add beans, meat, eggs, or fish for protein, and throw some healthy fats on there like avocados. Toss on some homemade kimchi or pickled veggies for some healthy probiotics, and of course, don't forget the huge array of dressing options to top off your salad. Just about anything goes when it comes to salads, so they are just as fun to make as they are to eat!

This week, I'm sharing a colorful and delicious salad idea full of loads of healthy and flavorful ingredients that are packed with vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Some of these items are more commonly found in your garden in the spring or fall, but feel free to use your own creativity and whatever fresh garden veggies you have on hand and make it your own!

In honor of summer (for reals, y'all! Sorry, my Southern is showing...) :-)  this week I've got something a little different for you. This is a great resource for all my fellow gardeners out there (if you're not a gardener, don't worry - we've got more health stuff coming your way soon!).

I have been saving a few of my own seeds for years (especially tomatoes and beans) with varying success, and this Seed Saving Hacks Webinar really helped me to figure out what I could do better and how to improve my results with seeds that I saved - and it also explains why saving your own seeds is so important for preserving our food security!

Whether you're a dedicated seed-saver, or you've never saved seeds before, you're sure to get something out of this helpful webinar.

As you may know by now, I'm a big fan of fermented foods, and I regularly experiment with interesting new fermentation methods. One fermented food that I have yet to try making myself is kombucha.

Kombucha is a fizzy, fermented tea drink that has gone mainstream in recent years, and you can now find it in the refrigerated section of not just health food stores, but even big supermarket chains. However, the kombucha you buy in stores is, of course, a far cry from what you can make at home. Some storebought kombucha contains artificial ingredients such as colorings or flavorings, and of course, most contains lots of sugar.

However, homemade kombucha can be a delicious and nutritious drink, and it's a great way to get more fermented foods into your diet for their healthy benefits.

From what I have read, kombucha is also really easy to make, so I'm looking forward to trying it! The recipe below demonstrates how easy it is to make your own homemade kombucha.

If you're busy like me (and let's face it, in today's world, who isn't?), eating healthy can seem a chore at best, and nearly impossible at worst. Who really has time to prepare a home-cooked meal from scratch every day? This can seem especially difficult if you're trying to feed a family with both parents working full time.

However, the good news is that it can be done - and it may be easier than you think...

With a little advance planning, and a bit of creativity and flexibility, you'll find yourself eating healthy, delicious homemade meals on a regular basis, which will not only have a positive impact on your long-term health, but also on your wallet!

Below are 4 tips to help you eat healthier every day, no matter how cram-packed your schedule seems, or how many kids you have to shuttle to soccer practice or dance class.