cultivate a better world

Whatever you think of the brand marketed through this video,

I think it's a pretty brilliant illustration of the world of factory farming.

The fact of the matter is that this is a glimpse into the reality of conventional large-scale farming practices in the United States... and with every dollar, we support and become what we consume.

i'm doing something beautiful

"These animals... you gotta take care of them... and not eat them."

one kitchen table at a time

Eat real food.

Not too much.

Mostly plants.

-Michael Pollan-

The food that we eat is changing.  Genetically modified produce and processed foods blanket our grocery story shelves - playing a role in over 85% of the foods in conventional grocery stores.  And, without awareness, we are allowing these foods to change the way that we eat, the way that we live, the way that our bodies function and respond.  The incidence of childhood food allergies are skyrocketing. The impact on our environment is irreparable.  And agri-commerce companies don't want you to know.

But things are changing.  Just this past week, Chipotle revealed its list of GMO ingredients, announcing plans to phase out their use in restaurants nationwide.  There are dozens of GMO-labeling bills working their way through our legislative systems, and Connecticut proved victorious in passing their own GMO-labeling bill just this past week.  Nationwide activism continues to put pressure on Washington to repeal the Monsanto Protection Act.  And countries around the world are rejecting the use of GMO crops, as evidenced by Hungary's recent burning of 1,000 acres of GMO corn.

We don't have to be blind consumers.  Our Food Industry relies on our continued support... and, with greater knowledge, more awareness and a commitment to the health of ourselves, our children and our world, we have the power to take a stand, one kitchen table at a time.

In honor of today's International March Against Monsanto, the world's most prominent agri-commerce giant and creators of Round-Up Ready crops and pesticides, I wanted to pass along two sides of the story.  Read up.  Watch the video.  Do your own research. Stand for real food.

READ --> "Listening to the Women of Monsanto."

WATCH -->

smoothie heaven

My deepest apologies for the delay in posting!  I have spent the last few weeks starting some new things within my job, changing some major parts of my daily health routine, and... drum-roll, please... enrolling in a program to become a Health and Wellness Coach!  Working hard to process it all - I beg your forgiveness in the meantime!

A few weeks ago, I asked my favorite readers (psst... that's YOU) for their favorite smoothie recipes!  I have been in smoothie heaven lately, loving the summery feeling of all that fruit, getting some delicious and delightful nutrients, and growing in inspiration as I explore different combinations.  

Here is our winning entry, by the lovely Mary! It's an incredible combination of nutrients. 

Note: These measurements are just estimates!  That's the beauty of smoothie-making, explore to make the smoothie fit your taste-buds! 

1.5 c. Vanilla Coconut Milk (Mary suggests "SoDelicious" because it's seriously so delicious!  I agree!)

1 c. frozen raspberries

1 handful of spinach

1 TBSP ground flax

1/2 to 1 banana

1-2 TBSP of PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter (depending on your love of peanut butter)

Toss 'em all into a blender and make it happen!

I love learning from YOU all, as readers -- out there fighting the fight, living lives of health!  Come be a part of the toliveboldly experience!  What inspires you to make healthy choices?! Do you have a favorite blog, movie, article, daily piece of inspiration?!  I want to know!

a season of health

Photo credit: K. Krueger, 2012

Happy Friday, friends!

It feels as though it has been an eternity since my last substantial post -- though, I'll be honest, I was so grateful to take a week off and really be present during the Thanksgiving holiday.  We drove down to Phoenix and spent the most relaxing weekend with family and friends.  On Thanksgiving Day, my honey and I both unplugged from phones, computers and social media (other than phone calls to my amazing family in Seattle and New York), and it was the most beautiful blessing.  Such a freeing experience to be fully present to the moment!  Crazy enough, it was almost a culture shock to return to it all the day after!

The most beautiful part of the weekend?! (Other than fabulous family and friends, of course.)

We have "officially" entered the most wonderful time of the year!  It might seem ridiculous, it might seem cheesy... but I am a certified holiday nutcase (which should come as no surprise to most of you).  And, while I'll be honest and admit that I snuck in my fair share of Christmas tunes before the Thanksgiving holiday, I feel like I am finally free to let my Christmas-loving, winter-adoring flag fly high!  There are moments, the ones where I am twirling to Christmas music or find myself filled with childlike wonder at a holiday display, that I catch my sweetheart staring at me, eyes laughing and a huge smile across his face as he watches his love captured by the joy of the season.  Each day, when I get to return home after a day of work to light candles and curl up, basking in the light of the Christmas tree, I am filled with gratitude and warmth.  The living room is decked out in holiday joy and my sketchbook is covered with wintery and hopeful inspiration.  It's the joy that makes even the coldest days a little warmer.

But my deep love for this season inspires in me an even greater appreciation for its flip-side.  Hidden within the glittery trappings of the Christmas season, there lies a pervasive sadness, filled with consumerism, anxiety, loneliness and poverty.  For many of us, this is the most painful time of the year.  Holiday stressors - both material and emotional - cause many of us (myself included) to react in destructive ways, many of which are socially accepted during this time of year. We spend a fortune, losing ourselves in overcrowded malls trying to find the biggest, best, newest gifts. We indulge ourselves in delicious foods - hiding our stress in emotional eating. We use substances to numb our anxiety. We turn inward rather than finding connection in community. And, in my opinion, some of it is only natural. For many of us, this season, while bright and light and joyful on the outside, also contains some of our most painful memories.  Those internalized family traumas, the disappointment of unrealized hopes, the painful reality of financial and emotional strain.

This month, as the holiday triggers present themselves in very real ways, I am inspired to explore - with you by my side - how to find, maintain and thrive through emotional and physical health. 

For me, my anxiety presents itself in the desire to eat every sweet in sight (and there are so many delicious ones!), and I am only now learning how to create healthy habits to combat my desire to drown my stress in sugar.  Whether its family anxiety, financial pressure or just the sadness we can't place, there are so many ways to create healthy habits rather than allowing ourselves to be victim to destructive reactions and patterns!

What about for you?! As you look inward, where do you desire to grow this month? Share in the comments below!

pillows from heaven

Photo Credit: P. McCarthy, 2012

Last weekend, winter came to call.  Since moving to this sleepy little town, the weather has been insanely consistent and ridiculously mild -- almost three months of 60-70 degree days, full sunshine and almost no rain (a shock to the system for a little Seattleite like myself).  It's been just plain lovely for a girl who loves walks outside, is almost always inappropriately chilly, and soaks up the chance for a long bike ride.  But, almost overnight, Jack Frost and his wintery companions have arrived.  As you can see by the gorgeous photograph taken by my ridiculously talented sweetheart, winter has come.

And I love it.

I have been craving the cold, desperately wishing for the days where creamy hot cocoa, cozy sweaters and cuddling up together under a blanket are finally deemed appropriate.  As a winter holiday nutcase (I wish that I was overstating that...), I have been impatiently waiting for the weather to catch up to my holiday inspiration!  Despite the fact that we finally had to turn the thermostat on and my car is encased in a fresh layer of frost each morning, I am deeply grateful for this change of pace.  

If you've followed toliveboldly, you know that I am deeply passionate about health and wellness, about healthy nutrition and an active lifestyle (I am also deeply passionate about delicious food... but I haven't gone there with you all, yet).  This week, however, I am going to break stride and share with you the delicious fruits of my wintery inspiration.

Courtesy of years of toasty-warm nights in the kitchen with my unbelievably talented cook-of-a-mother, wintery weather inspires within me a deeply nostalgic craving for baking... for the scent of sugary dough, the warmth emanating from the oven, the rhythm of the mixer in my hands.  This past weekend, armed with one of my favorite recipes and a hankering for some kitchen experimentation, I let my inner-baker run wild -- and was unbelievably pleased (and incredibly stuffed) with the results.  

On Tuesday, I began a new position working in individual and family services at a local non-profit here in Flagstaff.  It has been exciting, inspiring, heartbreaking, and... overwhelming.  In lieu of my typical post, and in order to rest, renew and enjoy some quality time with my sweetheart, I wanted to share with you the delicious fruits of a snow-filled weekend of warmth and joy.  

One of the easiest (and most delicious) cookie recipes I have ever found, its mastermind, Paula Deen, calls these Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies, but I prefer to call them Pillows from Heaven, because really... that's what they are.

Wishing you warmth, joy and peace wherever you are. XO.

--------------------------------------------

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

aka Pillows from Heaven

modified only slightly from a recipe by Paula Deen

I wish there were more cookies to show you...

But these are what's left. Or were left when I took the picture. 

I might have had three while typing this. 

They are THAT good.

-----------------

You'll need...

8 ounce brick of cream cheese* 

1 stick butter*

(*HINT: recipe calls for both cream cheese and butter

to be at room temperature, but I have found that the

batter works better when they are melted together for about

30 seconds in the microwave*)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

18 oz. box moist cake mix**

(**HINT: Paula's recipe calls for moist chocolate cake mix,

but you can use your favorite!  We've experimented with 

chocolate fudge cake mix, milk chocolate cake mix, and, 

believe it or not, Funfetti cake mix! All have been DELICIOUS,

but Funfetti might have been my favorite!)

confectioners sugar

-----------------

Directions...

In large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream cream cheese and butter 

until smooth. Beat in egg, vanilla and cake mix, one at a time, 

in that order.

Cover and chill in fridge for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Uncover and roll batter into tablespoon-sized balls and 

roll in confectioners sugar.  Arrange 2-inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.  

Cookies should be soft and gooey-looking! YUM!

Cool completely - they are honestly best after a couple of hours - and enjoy!

a mindful diet

Happy Wednesday!

I am so excited to share this little tidbit with you all!  As you all know, I'm always on the lookout for new research regarding health and wellness, and, while I am most certainly not an expert, I am so inspired by some new research in healthy living: mindful eating.

To live holistically, fully, boldly, requires presence, mindfulness.  And research shows that to bring the concept of mindfulness -- a foundational aspect of whole living practices like meditation and yoga -- to our eating can transform our diets.  This transformation reawakens our instincts for healthy portion sizes and creates new avenues for the greater rewards of emotional stability and joyful living!

Check it out and tell me what you think!  Mindful Eating and the Psychology of Feeling Full.

the American epidemic

Image via Obesity in America, Huffington Post

from a certified sweet tooth.

"We need to get rid of all the junk food here.  When I'm working out regularly, I don't even want to eat crappy food.  I just want to feel this healthy all the time."

- my sweetheart -

You heard it here first, folks.  The mind/body/food connection at work, from the mouth of a certified sweet tooth. 

between body and mind

I'll be honest, I have been the queen of procrastination with writing this week, due to a combination of way too much thinking (and overthinking), the presidential debate (and the resulting political nausea), and the laziness found only in making very poor health choices.

After a week of recovering from a cold, very little exercise and seven days of pity-me-I'm-sick desserts, we drove down to Phoenix for a couple of days with the honey's parents.  Now, there are three things that I have learned about my eating habits.  One, I have no sense of moderation.  With sweets or good bread?  Mmm... I can't stop myself if they're in the house.  Two, while my metabolism-gifted sweetheart can eat anything and still be fit, I... cannot.  That aforementioned lack of moderation comes into play here.  No good comes from my addiction to sweets and delicious carbohydrates.  And, three... my relationship with my body has a direct correlation to what I'm putting in my body.

... And this weekend was proof enough.  An unbalanced diet, high on the processed carbs, multiple trips through the drive thru, and sweets on sweets on sweets... let's just say that I returned home with a high fat hangover - nauseated and exhausted. Five days later, and the mention of greasy food still turns my stomach.  But beyond the physical effects of my poor dietary choices (which cannot be underestimated) were the psychological and emotional effects of a week so deeply in contrast to my normal health habits.

Even more striking than my newfound lack of energy and new friend, nausea, which hung around for several days into a healthy-habits-filled week, was the return of my familiar foes, the ones that I hadn't seen for over a month: disappointment, self-hatred and self-pity (have I mentioned how much they suck?!).

I experienced a deep disappointment in myself and a sickening disgust when I thought about my body.  I felt - warning, I'm about to use the f-word - fat and weak, even though, in reality, it couldn't be farther from the truth.  My psyche felt what my body was experiencing, the churning consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle.

Researchers have discovered (and continue to discover) a distinct relationship between our dietary intake and our mental health.  They have found that a diet filled with unhealthy fats, refined carbohydrates and sugars - staples of both fast food and our favorite sit-down restaurants - is directly connected to an increased rate of depression, anxiety and hyperactivity (see article).  Others have found that these same foods undermine your sleep (could have told you that after last week!).  They have discovered, through research, what we instinctively know when we are in attunement with ourselves: our bodies, our minds, our spirits are deeply connected to how we feed ourselves.  

I cannot tell you how much I wish that I could turn back the hands of time and get my week back (and the days of miserable hangover that followed).  Bouncing back from a week, a month, a lifetime of giving into junk food cravings and poor diet choices takes work, not just physically but mentally -- fighting off the internal demons and carbohydrate cravings.  But the beautiful thing is that its never too late to recommit, to yourself, your body, and your future.

My relationship with my body has a direct correlation to what I'm putting in my body.  My week of unhealthy choices transported me temporarily to a place I have been before -- to the land of harsh self-criticism, deep anxiety and exhaustion.  Frankly, I never want to go there again.  Healthy living means a clean existence -- and bold living, whole living flows swiftly from there.

The truth is that the longer you live in the land of unhealthy choices, the harder it is to break that habit.  It's a new month.  The time is now.

For us, October means a commitment to changing our habits.  Changing the way we eat, changing the way we exercise.  What about you?  Where do you need to recommit?

Need some ideas?  What about adding in an afternoon workout in addition to your morning routine?  What about researching ways to eat in season?!  Autumn is a prime season for healthy, antioxidant rich foods.  Maybe you need to cut down on eating out.  Maybe you need to commit to getting more rest (let's face it, most of us fail to get the recommended zzz's).  What about changing your portion sizes?!

Whatever your health goals, start now.  Make your physical, and mental, well-being a priority.  And, as always, please be kind to yourself.

get up and move

Somehow, I managed to start autumn off on a rough note... with a sore throat and total lack of energy, but it's meant that this week has had a definite theme for me: getting and staying healthy.  This has resulted in me finding ways to workout despite the cold, forgoing the usual ramped up cardio workout for a low-key yoga session and biking or walking to run errands, eating healthy and, always, remembering to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

It's also meant a little extra time to do the personal research that I love -- finding new research, health tips and more -- which means that I get to pass them onto you!

As autumn ramps up with work, sports, school and more -- what are you doing to keep a fitness routine?!  I want to know!

Also, make sure you check out some of the benefits of an A.M. workout!

can food be addictive?

We've all experienced those insane cravings (did I forget to mention last week's desperate search for a chocolate fix that involved not one but two trips in the car to find satisfaction...?).  Whether its ice cream, cookies or your personal comfort food, researchers are recently discovering a link between our neurological firings and food addiction -- and the bingeing that sometimes goes along with it.

Check it out and leave your comment below!  What are your reactions?!

to buy organic or conventional

For those of you who are interested in the organic movement, check out this article from the New York Times' wellness blog citing new research in the great debate!