The Daily Dozen

Back in December I downloaded Dr. Michael Gregor's Daily Dozen ap to use on my phone.  It corresponds with the Diet he recommends in his two books "How Not to Die" and "How Not to Diet".   It is worth noting that Dr. Gregor does not hide his content behind a paywall nor does he profit from his books.  His non profit Nutrition Facts.org is supported by voluntary donations.  He does collect a salary from the non profit as lead researcher.

Here is what he has to say about how Nutrition Facts is funded

Everything on NutritionFacts.org is free. There is no members-only area where additional life-saving information is available—for a price. There are no advertisements of any kind allowed. We don’t accept corporate sponsorships. NutritionFacts.org is strictly non-commercial. There’s no line of Dr. Greger’s Brand Snakeoilwondersupplements. We are not selling anything. Dr. Greger simply produces these videos as a public service for those hungry for evidence-based nutrition.

Then how do the bills get paid? The Jesse and Julie Rasch Foundation provided the critical start-up seed money and expertise to get us off the ground, but now NutritionFacts.org runs strictly on the Wikipedia model of accepting donations from users who appreciate the content. We reach so many millions of people that if even 1 in 1,000 make a small contribution we will be able to continue to thrive. If you feel like NutritionFacts.org has enriched your life, please consider supporting us by making a tax-deductible one-time or monthly donation.

So anyway, I like his style, transparency and mission.  All the claims he makes are well grounded in literature - double blind, peer reviewed, placebo controlled research is his go to - no shady citations from reddit or you tube.  

I do find it a challenge to eat all that I need to meet my daily dozen requirements - 24 boxes in total to tick.

My moving average currently is 16 out of 24 checks but I am fasting today so I am really bringing it down.  More often, I am up around 20.  I am boring you with all of this so when I share recipes later this year, you will understand why I am choosing whole grain and greens and beans.  I gotta eat a lot of those in a day.  

Any how it is a pretty cool ap and they are phenomenal books.  So if you are looking to make a lifestyle change, check it out.
 

 

Hiking Magic

 Last week, his Lordship and I hiked 5 miles into town.  It was a nice walk through lots of snowy scenery.

We started through the cemetery as we walked the old or lower Intermin trail.

We passed the leg sculpture which has some new footwear.  I think it wore a hiking boot for the longest time.

We dropped a book off at the library and noticed this lovely on a front porch.

Walking back we took a trail I had never been on that met up with the Intermin Trail.  This is his Lordship hiking toward  Tava aka Pikes Peak.

Lots of these gals out and about looking for sustenance..  Well I felt great on my hike but the next day I was so fatigued.  Sigh - healing is a bitch.

Garden Explosion

Despite being hailed on twice this season, the garden is going great gangbusters and keeping up with it has been kind of a chore.

Good thing we are house bound due to the pandemic and have the time to tend it.  For weeks now we have eaten unlimited kale, beets, and turnips.

The potatoes and onions are also ready for harvest.  I picked a lot of basil and made pesto for tonight's dinner using this recipe from The Minimalist Baker. The tomatoes are just getting started.  

All in all, it has been a year of abundance.  I am so thankful for my garden because without it, I might have gone crazy this year.  

P.S. I also have a Monarch caterpillar on the milkweed plant.

Making Milk

Now that I have your attention, I am to old to lactate.  I am making plant based milks.  So far I have tried almond, cashew, soy and oat.  Oat milk is by far my favorite and here's why:

No cooking like soy milk

Hardly any waste product like soy and almond.  It was a pain to find something to do with that okara and nut fiber leftover from soy and almond milk.

Organic oats are cheaper than organic almonds and organic cashews.

It's slimy - I like that and rolled oats soak fast so you can have milk in a couple of hours.

I buy organic oats in bulk so no waste.  

Vegan!

My Twisted Sister and I have gone vegan.  I am 3 weeks into the lifestyle change and feeling great.  The food I am preparing is delicious - even by his Lordships discriminating standards.  We are having fun exploring the wide world of aqua faba, okara, and agar agar.  Really though we watched a documentary called the The Game Changers and thought why not give it a try.  Our vegan diet is of course a whole food diet - no process over packaged vegan food for me.

Here are some the major effects of the diet:

• My shit don't stink - literally it doesn't

• The inflammation in my body is down - my plantar fasciitis, which acted up all summer and fall, is vastly improved.  So is my crabby shoulder.

• My enegy level is higher than over the summer and fall.

• My mood is better

So maybe it is all in my head but I plan to keep it up till my physical in Feb.  If my blood work shows a big improvement, then I am sold.

Our refill efforts made the Paper

We have an article in this weeks Pikes Peak Bulletin.  Thanks to Rhonda Van Pelt for taking an interest in our refill efforts. 

A Bumper Crop

We are enjoying masses of produces out of the garden this year.  Tomatoes are just coming ripe.  The beets were fab as were the turnips.  The carrots, potatoes, and green beans have exceeded expectations.  And the zucchini? Lets just say, despite urban myth, transplanting the seedlings was not hard at all.  Now we have twice as many as we need!

Into the kitchen to start cooking.  I am going to make two kinds of Salsa, pickle some carrots and make pickle relish.  Wish me luck.

A Year of Yoga

Wow - I did not even realize that Sat. I passed my year of yoga milestone.  Still practicing at the Sunwater Spa with my monthly membership about 5 days a week!

Lemon Balm

Dang - I planted this lemon balm and now it is going wacky snacks!  Did a little research and found that I could make some lemon balm vinegar.  Any other ideas???

11 Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Footprint

This year my New Years resolution has been to reduce my  consumption. If you have been online and seen  the many pictures of plastic choking our oceans, you might be as outraged as I am.  So I have decided to reuse and reduce my consumer goods footprint.  Here are my top 10 tips for reducing plastic and other waste.

1. Buy bulk
Our local health food store has lots of items in bulk.  So I have save my old clean jars and take them with me to the store.  I can have them weighed and refilled and thus save all the packaging.  Items I buy in bulk include dried nuts, seeds, beans, fruit, flour, rice, chocolate chips, spices, tea, and grains.

2. Start a co-op
We have started a co-op with friends to share eco friendly laundry detergent and dish soap.  We purchased large 5 gallon buckets online and sell refills to our friends at cost.  Thus, not only do we refill our plastic bottles, we spread the love throughout our community and lo and behold, we are all saving money.  The large 5 gallon bucket can then be used for gardening, storage ect. for years before going to the landfill.

3. Water
So many stores offer refillable water stations where one can purchase filtered water and refill existing containers.  Need containers? Thrift stores are great places to buy second hand growlers.

4. Beer
Same as water - refilling a growler at your local craft brewery becoming a widely available option.  They will refill any clean growler so again look for them at your local Goodwill.

5. Reuse or eliminate plastic shopping and produce bags
Tote bags are a no brainer - keep some in the car at all times so you can take them shopping.  Also, for most items which are already packaged, I just skip the bag and carry the item.  Plastic bags can also be reused over and over.  I will often take my produce bags to the store with me for multiple or wet produce as 1 piece of fruit doesn't need a bag.  In addition, lots of reusable bags veggie bags are hitting the market.  I have yet to try these but plan to this year.

6.  Make your own
One of the easiest ways to eliminate packaging is to make your own.  I make veggie stock in the crockpot with all my veggie scraps, I brew my own kombucha in glass container acquired from the thrift store, I can and freeze veggies that I grow and purchase at the farmers market. I put them all in containers that I reuse over and over again.

7.  Thrift Everything
Thrift stores are a great place to find lots of stuff - dishes, flowerpots, yoga pants, ball jars etc.  Why buy new when you can reuse?  Remember to refuse the bag or take your own.  We even have a craft thrift store in town called "Who Gives a Scrap".  Also donate your reusable items to keep them out of the landfill.

8. Farmers Market
A great place to reuse packaging you already have like egg cartons. plastic cherry tomato containers, plastic produce bags.

9.  Garden
Growing your own organic herbs means you do not have to buy them in those heinous plastic containers! Even a small outdoor space provides gardening opportunities. Dirt, compose and  mulch can all be purchased in bulk so I avoid buying these in plastic. Seriously contact a local farm and go get some manure to add to your compost.  You don't need to buy it wrapped in plastic.

10.  Get out of the single use mindset
Is it really that hard to wash dishes and cutlery?  Cups? Glasses?  Even if you are entertaining, single use hospitality items are such a waste.

11.  Presents for good.
Rethink gifts.  Most of us have to much crap anyway.  Make a donation to a non profit.  Make your own gifts with upcycled materials.  Give gifts with little or no packaging.  Wrap gifts in old newspapers or reusuable boxes.