Brew It Yourself Bone Broth

You have probably heard about the awesome benefits of homemade bone broth - from stronger joints and bones to better skin, teeth, hair and nails. I love making my own homemade bone broth! You just need grass-fed animal bones, veggies, spices, herbs, and water and you are ready.

Recently, I have been trying to drink a cup of bone broth almost daily. It can be hard to make enough bone broth with my own stash of bones and other supplies, so I have been relying on this awesome BIY (Brew it Yourself) Bone Broth, which make it easy for people to make high-quality bone broth at home.

All the nutritious goodies you need to make your own broth comes packed into one handy bag. All you need is a 5-quart slow cooker and a gallon of water. Since my clay slow cooker is not that big, I just used a big old stock pot. All you have to do is open up the bag, pour everything into the empty pan or slow cooker, making sure to open up the little sachet of veggies and herbs. 

Next, dump water over it all and cook for 12 hours or whatever time you like.

 

Each package yields 16 flavorful cups - and you can enjoy a cup every day.

Remember, this is not your average broth from the store. This is like a nutritional supplement. I love this company because they understand this, and their broth kits are made using the very best ingredients.

The beef kits only use grass-fed bones, ribs and/or tendons full of healthy fats and essential marrow. Their chicken kits contain free-range backs, wings and/or feet necessary to deliver collagen and all the savory goodness you can trust in each mug. They choose very specific vegetables and herbs that have been dehydrated at their peak freshness to preserve nutrients and concentrate maximum flavor.

 

The finished broth is a hit with my entire family! In fact, I have already ordered 5 more kits! (and got free shipping) :-) Anything that makes life a little more simple and healthy is welcome in our house.

Make sure to check out their Kickstarter campaign. Who else will be enjoying a warm cup of bone broth today? 

 

I was sent a bag to try out. No other compensation was provided. I am now a lifelong fan and customer. :-)

2 Health Drinks You Need to Include In Your Day

I was provided product to review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

While I do not like to drink my calories, I do like to get super healthy nutrients, probiotics, and enzymes in my drinks. Let me share with you two ways you can drink healthier without adding a bunch more calories to your day!

I have long been a fan of KeVita and am now excited that they have upped the delicious, cleansing and balancing goodness found in every bottle!

The Cleansing Probiotic Tonics, KeVita’s newest line, combines probiotics, 30g of apple cider vinegar and effective doses of specific ingredients – like Cinnamon or Tumeric – for a ‘one-two punch’ of healthy benefits. In addition, KeVita Cleansing Probiotic Tonics are currently available in Whole Foods locations and are low-calorie, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, certified organic, Non-GMO Project verified, and Kosher.
KeVita Cleansing Probiotic Tonics are available in five palate-pleasing flavors:  Cinnamon, Kale Lemon, Tumeric Ginger, Red Beet, and Chili Ginger Lime.



My favorite is probably the Cinnamon or Turmeric Ginger. I love to drink my Turmeric Ginger with a healthy breakfast of scrambled eggs with turmeric, coconut oil, and black pepper. The combination of black pepper and healthy fat along with the turmeric helps it to be absorbed much better, and it really becomes an inflammation-fighting machine!

Who drinks apple cider vinegar in their water? I do!!! There are a ton of healthy benefits of ACV, including weight loss, better digestion, and killing off some types of bad bacteria. Now, there is an even healthier version of regular ACV! I am super excited to share Fire Cider with you. To the base of certified organic apple cider vinegar, they have added whole, raw, certified organic oranges, lemons, onions, ginger, horseradish, habanero pepper, garlic and turmeric. They let this mixture steep for 6 weeks at room temperature, to preserve the living vinegar culture and delicate flavors of the ingredients. Lastly, they blend a generous helping of raw wildflower honey into the mix. The result is potent but balanced, offering layers of sweet, tart and spice.

How does that sound? While it is fiery, it also has a hint of sweet. I add just a tablespoon or so to my glass of water, and it wakes me up and gives me energy to do everything I need to do in my day. My children even drink it in their water. It is the perfect tonic to drink if you feel a sore throat or runny nose coming on. Also, try adding it to a tablespoon of raw honey for another easy way to feel better fast. You can find Fire Cider on-line store or at over 500 locations nationwide.

What are your favorite health drinks?

Does Drinking Tea Help Fight Off Sickness?

We have probably all been there sometime this winter - sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, the works. It is not fun, but sickness seems to be running rampant this winter. Can you protect yourself? Can you feel better faster? And what does tea have to do with all of this? First off, check out Top 12 Tips For Staying Healthy Through Flu Season.

The key with drinking tea to fight sickness is to pick teas with high quality ingredients that are shown to fight off illness and get you feeling better sooner rather than later.

Pukka is a brand of organic herbal tea that I have been using a LOT of this winter. Not only is a steaming cup of tea very soothing when you’re stuck in bed with the sniffles, but I have found that several of their teas have helped me knock my symptoms out quickly. 

 Lemon, Ginger, and Manuka Honey

 Elderberry and Echinacea

Three Ginger

Each tea is soothing, full of flu fighting ingredients that work to boost your immune system, and taste great! I have had great success with them, and I make sure I always have some on hand in case I start to feel that tickle in my throat.

I also like to support my immune system with tea from Choice Organic Teas, like their Breathing Space or Throat Cozy, which can help maintain healthy airways or soothe your throat. Lemon Lavender Mint, Ginger, and Chamomile.

Two of the things that compromise my immune system most are stress and lack of sleep. To help with these things, I rely a lot on Choice Lemon Lavendar Mint and Choice Chamomile teas. Not only are they delicious, but they really do relax my body and allow my immune system to work the way it should!

Check out all the 80+ varieties of organic, non-GMO verified Choice Organic Teas!

So, does drinking tea help fight off sickness? In my experience, it absolutely does! Tea is one of the important parts of my daily routine, especially during cold and flu season. What do you think?

Pass the Spice - 4 Spices to Start Using Now

So many think healthy cooking must taste gross. Are you kidding me?

I actually prefer organic, healthy food to conventional food. In fact, I am sure many of you can relate when I say I'd rather eat my own food than the stuff restaurants serve. Do you know why?

One word - spice.

There is a reason they talk about "spicing" up your life. Spices make eating glorious! They add pizazz. They make your taste buds dance.

If you want to start adding some more pizazz to your cooking, but don't know which spices to start with, let me help. I will share my favorite four with you today.

• Turmeric - Numerous studies have confirmed that turmeric root has powerful anticancer properties, including the ability to inhibit blood vessel formation in tumors. Because of its awesome yellow/orange color, also known as the curcumin, it is a very powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. In fact, it appears to be as effective an anti-inflammatory as many over-the-counter drugs. I use turmeric almost daily in our scrambled eggs, soups, and meat dishes like Sneaky Sliders. It has a very subtle flavor, but be prepared - your food does take on a yellow color. Yellow is so cheerful!

 

• Cinnamon - This is one of my sweet tooth's best friends. It has been shown to help regulate and stabilize blood sugar. I use this in all my sweet treats that I make, especially my no-bake, chocolate cookies that I eat practically every day. Cinnamon also has natural anti-inflammatory properties, is high in fiber, calcium, iron, and manganese, and can relieve pain associated with PMS in women and balance hormones. Bring on the cinnamon!

•  Cayenne Pepper - Cayenne pepper is high in Vitamins A, C, B complex, calcium and potassium. Long-term use of Cayenne pepper helps your body to fight and prevent infections. Cayenne pepper reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by thinning the blood and improving blood circulation. It is also effective for lowering high blood pressure. Cayenne pepper contains Beta-carotene, antioxidant properties that help fight against damage caused by free radicals. Beta-carotene also can help to reduce symptoms of asthma. It is genius to use during flu season or when you catch a cold. I put a couple shakes in my tea with honey and cinnamon. I also regularly use it on our whole family's eggs (yes, my children eat it too) every morning, in soups, in meat dishes, and everywhere else I can sneak it in. It just adds a little spice.

• Outer Spice Original -Outer Spice recently sent me one of their spice mixes to review, and I have become a huge fan! Their Original seasoning is full of flavor from delicious spices and herbs. It starts out with a little pink sea salt and adds in flavorful garlic, black pepper, onion, allspice, nutmeg, thyme, scallions, red pepper, onion powder, peppers, cinnamon, dill, and caraway. I love blends like these, because they are so versatile. I sprinkle this on everything from salmon to eggs to soup to salads. With all those healthy herbs and spices, you are getting a wonderful health boost too!

 Whether you are new to using spices in your cooking or a long-time fan, try these spices and recipes! Enjoy the taste and the amazing health benefits!

*Cara was provided Outer Spice for review. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are 100% hers.*

Most Popular Health Posts of 2013

Whether you are a long time reader or brand new reader to Your World: Healthy and Natural, I am so happy you are here! In case you missed any of the fun we had during 2013, I am sharing with you my Top 12 Blog Posts of 2013!!!!

Make sure you follow us or subscribe (along the right sidebar) to get all the latest health news, free workouts, great giveaways, product reviews you want to hear about, or just some Friday Fun!

My #1 most popular post of the year is....

Delicious Crock Pot Italian Chicken Soup Recipe - easy, delicious, paleo, whole30, gluten-free, dairy free

 

Here are my other top posts of the year...

2. Crockpot Italian Meatballs Recipe - Paleo, whole30, gluten-free, dairy free, a family favorite!!

3. Chicken Avocado Salad Recipe - Paleo, whole30, gluten-free, dairy free, use this instead of chicken salad with mayo

4. Paleo Gluten-free Apple Crisp Recipe - so healthy and delicious, also vegan and dairy free

5. Crock Pot Mexican Chicken Wraps - paleo, whole30, gluten-free, dairy free, a weekly menu item in our house

6. How I Skipped Baby Food and You Can Too!! - save yourself the money and hassle and skip baby food!

7. Tabata Tuesday Free Workouts - This is the first of my great tabata workouts. Only 20 minutes, but burns calories for up to 2 days later!!! So awesome! (for the other tabata workouts, check out my right sidebar and click where you see tabata workouts)

8. Paleo Slow Cooker Down Home Shrimp Recipe - Full of flavor and guaranteed to satisfy your cravings!

9. Zucchini "Bread"sticks Recipe - gluten-free, Paleo, dairy free, whole30, and a delicious and easy way to use up all that zucchini - actually makes me wish I had planted more!

10. Top 12 Tips for Staying Healthy During Flu Season - Such important tips to keep you and your family healthy and feeling great all winter long!

11. Crock Pot Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato/Carrot Soup - Paleo, gluten-free, dairy free, whole30, and the perfect comfort food!

12. Free Piano Lessons -We have been using these FREE piano lessons with our 5 year old son, and not only does he love them but he is learning a lot!!

There you have it. YOUR favorite posts from 2013! Here's to another awesome year in 2014! Can't wait to help you get healthier, feel your best, and do your best for others!

Triclosan: Is it Safe?

I know that many of you carry around hand sanitizers in your purse or bag. While I am all for clean hands, I am not excited about many of the ingredients in conventional hand sanitizers.

Let's take triclosan for example:  According to the FDA, recent studies have raised questions about whether triclosan might be hazardous to human health. Research has shown that triclosan:

• Alters hormone regulation in animals
• Might contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant germs
• Might be harmful to the immune system

When you use a product containing triclosan, you can absorb a small amount through your skin or mouth. A 2008 study, which was designed to assess exposure to triclosan in a representative sample of U.S. children and adults, found triclosan in the urine of nearly 75 percent of those tested.

Triclosan isn't an essential ingredient in many products. There's no evidence that antibacterial soaps and body washes containing triclosan provide any extra benefits, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

For me personally, that raises a lot of red flags. I would much rather just use soap and water or a great anti-bacterial essential oil like lemon or tea tree. 

If you still would prefer to use a hand sanitizer or lotion, then there are better products out there. Mother's Therapy Organics just sent me several of their products to try. I was very pleased to see they use wonderful organic ingredients such as: organic aloe vera, organic coconut oil, lemon essential oil, and organic oregano.

They do not use triclosan in any of their products; however, I was quite disappointed to see that they do use an artificial fragrance of cucumber. The scent is very strong, and I try to stay away from artificial fragrances with my family. These products would be fantastic without that fragrance!

 

As you are out and about this holiday season, make sure to wash up with soap and water, use some essential oils or find a safe and effective antibacterial product that doesn't contain triclosan.

Natural Remedies for Cold and Flu

Thanks to Naturally Savvy and Boiron for their item for review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own.

Flu season is here, and unfortunately, it isn't going away anytime soon. The only thing we can do is work to prevent our bodies from getting sick and then take natural remedies to help support our bodies if we do get sick.

As far as prevention goes, check out my Top 12 Tips For Staying Healthy Through Flu Season for all the information you need!

Now, if you do get sick, the key is in acting fast! You don't want to wait until you are in bed, feeling the chills, using up all the Kleenex in your house. Right when you start to feel that first tickle in your throat, you need to act!

When that happens in our house, I start diffusing essential oils, take extra Vitamin C and Defend and Resist, and then we reach for the homeopathic Oscillo. If you are thinking, "Osci-what?" let me explain. This is a homeopathic medicine that works best when taken at the first sign of flu-like symptoms such as feeling run-down, body aches, chills and fever. Oscillo has been shown in clinical studies to help reduce both the duration and the severity of flu-like symptoms.

 

Oscillo is made by Boiron, which is a favorite company of mine for all things homeopathic. They have been around since 1932, and have been providing safe and natural products ever since. We have been using Boiron's homeopathic products since we started our natural journey 5 years ago, and we love them!

One Oscillo box contains 6 doses. Each dose is packaged individually in a compact plastic tube and is safe to administer to children 2 years of age and older. You dissolve the entire contents on one tube in your mouth every 6 hours, up to 3 times a day. Don't worry, these tubes aren't that big, and they won't fill your mouth with some weird substance. They are just tiny little tablets that you can very easily swallow or dissolve in your mouth.

When you feel those first flu symptoms starting, be sure to grab natural remedies instead of medicines that will just add more toxins to your already ailing body.

Back To School Flu Season Prevention

Whether we like it or not, flu season is coming...I firmly believe that the key to keeping you and your family healthy through flu season and all winter long is flu prevention! I have two small children age 3 and 9 months, and thankfully, they have never even needed to go to the doctor for any sickness ever! Not only has it saved our family a lot of money, but it has saved me the stress and worry that you feel when your child gets sick. I think the main reason that we have such a healthy family is that we feed our bodies the nutrients and vitamins that they need to thrive and heal themselves.

This all starts with a good multivitamin. For children, I recommend Shakleekids or Shakleebaby powder- To give good nutritional foundation to the brain and nervous system and to the whole child, a good program should always begin with a good multi-vitamin/mineral…and this is the best. For adults, I recommend the Vita-Lea mulitivitamin or Vitalizer.

We also add in a Vita-C tablet for each of us all fall and winter long. There is a Vita-C Chewable or Sustained Release, as soon as they can swallow. These are essential for a healthy immune system. Love, love, love Vitamin C!

For anyone that has ever been on antibiotic, Optiflora probiotic is essential! It restores essential flora in intestines where 80% of the immune system resides. It also helps keep candida yeast in check. It is super easy to swallow, since it is the size of a pearl. What makes it different is that this is an encapsulated probiotic, so it is protected from stomach acids.

NutriFeron is so unique and so awesome in flu prevention and asthma and allergy relief!  Yet another recent clinical study from Cornell Medical School proves its effectiveness against flu viruse. It stimulates your body to produce interferon, critical to triggering immune response to germs and possibly cancer cells, according to Dr Sandra Bevacqua. Love it!
 

If you are starting to feel a cold come on, I highly suggest using Defend & Resist Complex right away! It contains Echinacea plus zince and herbs that increase activity of white bloods cells to gobble up viruses and bacteria. It works best when taken at onset of a virus or cold. We use anywhere from 2 to 6 a day, depending on the age of the family member starting a runny nose or tickling throat. They can also be sucked on like a lozenge or made into a tea.
What else can you do to prevent sickness this flu season? Follow these healthy habits:

-10 hours of sleep for children; 9 for teens; 8 for adults
-Plan meals to incorporate 6 to 9 vegetables a day (tuck them into soups, spaghetti sauce, chili, casseroles & of course, salads) like celery, broccoli, zucchini, green beans, carrots
-Avoid SUGAR & baked goods – I know this is tough – but sugar is seriously damaging to the immune system and especially the brain. Sugar and white flour are called the anti nutrients because they deplete B vitamins & other essential nutrients.

Stay healthy and save yourself a lot of doctor bills this flu season with prevention!

To Your Health!

Cara