Fruit is so beneficial for us and I truly see it as Nature’s Medicine.
We should be eating watermelons all year long. They are sooo good for us!
For one thing they are SUPER hydrating, coming in at about 92% water. They provide water, fiber and lots of nutrition like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These babies nourish every cell in your body!
They are also easily assimilated by the body and are utilized immediately. This is super for people who have digestive issues as they are not able to utilize their food as well as they should, meaning to break it down and extract the nutrition. Watermelon bypasses this problem and is like a direct hit of nutrition for the body.BAM! 👌︎✌︎
There are many ways to eat watermelon and there are many ways to slice it. Eat or slice it anyway you wish, but make sure you eat it and often!!
Here is a little video with one idea of how to prepare a watermelon for a gang or to prepare and keep in your fridge.
Watermelon slicing or carving
I hope you enJOY ♥ more watermelons in your daily diet. 🙂
Like this info? Why not Pin it over on Pinterest? Here is a picture to pin:
Looking for some great ways to add in more fruits into your daily diet to nourish every cell in your happy body? 🙂 Why not take advantage of my hugely discounted Juicing Recipe book?
Sheet pan dinners save you time and are so easy to do. Whenever I am pressed for time or feeling lazy, I opt for a sheet pan dinner. Tonight was one of those nights.
I was working away on the computer and wanted to throw something on quick and that would cook itself while I continued to work on my computer. Sheet pan dinners are perfect for occasions like this! They are great ways to get a healthy meal done and served to table easily and quickly.
For this one I just used carrots, green beans, potatoes, onions and chicken thighs cut into strips. I made everything in cuts that would be proportionate for even cooking. When I use bigger pieces of chicken for example, I use bigger pieces of potatoes and carrots and such, but today it was smaller pieces just because I felt like it. 🙂
All you have to do is cut up your veg and meat of choice and covered it with some Olive Oil or Coconut Oil and season. I used salt, pepper, and a veggie seasoning I buy from President’s Choice.
Toss all in a bowl and then put on a sheet pan. I used this one with one of those silicone pan liners.
My sheet pan dinner ready to go in the oven. Chicken, potatoes, carrots, green beans, and onions.
Preheat your oven to 420 to 425 degrees. I use 420 because my oven runs hot. You want it hot enough so it cooks the veggies in the right way and kind of carmelizes them. A whole unique flavor is created by roasting them this way.
Here they are mid way through cooking.
A peek at the sheet pan dinner half way through cooking.
I like to turn them a couple of times while cooking them. It usually takes around 30 minutes for cooking but use your own judgement. Take them out of the oven when they look good to you. You can use a fork to see if the potatoes and carrots are tender and ready.
Now finally, here was my serving version, as in, it hit the table for dinner. And it was delicious I must say!
Final version plated and ready to serve!
Recipe
In this recipe I used only 4 chicken thighs sliced, 2 carrots, 2 potatoes, 1 onion and a handful of green beans and it served 4 of us perfectly. I served it along with a salad and some broccoli. I was able to deliver a lot of vegetables to the table this way, with minimal meat.
You can increase or decrease the size overall or any particular ingredient or add in any other ingredient you like like, brussel sprouts or peppers, etc. and of course increase the meat if you like, but I prefer to make the veggies the main portion.
I hope you find this helpful and by all means get creative with these sheet pan dinners. Really anything goes! Change up your meat, your veggies and your herbs and spices. And most of all enJOY!
Make sure you sit at the table and have a great conversation with your loved ones while you all enjoy your delicious meal. 🙂
Oh and if you are looking for more easy go-to recipes, crock pot dinners are super easy too! Here is a link to a great cookbook that you can get to have easy recipes at your virtual finger tips.
Where I live in Canada today it is really cold. This was just posted 4 minutes ago:
It is currently -23 C where I live and much colder with the wind chill factor
Anyhow, it is a great time for enJOYing hot and nourishing soup. Yesterday I made a delicious pot of soup along with some other goodies like a small meatloaf (something I rarely make), a Cajun Rice & Chicken dish, and my soup. I had 3 of my favorite pots on the go: 🙂 Two cooked in the oven with the chicken and meatloaf and the other stove top for the soup. Oh and also in the pic is small stainless steel pot which boiled a small batch of potatoes.
3 of my red cast iron pots. I have more too lol in different colors. I use these pots often and I have a couple of locations where I spend my time so they are spread out over 3 kitchens 🙂
Soup Hacks
Today I thought I would share a couple of hacks for soup. I rarely, if ever, follow a recipe to make soup. It is usually create as I go and use what I have, which involves finishing up other food items.
I love using the slow cooker and cook with it several times a week. In fact, I am out at my lake house right now making this blog post and I have a slow cooker meal on back at the main house for Hubs. 🙂
I ran across this video that has an easy recipe for doing a chuck roast in the slow cooker. I am sure any cut of lower end beef would work. If I do a more expensive roast like Prime Rib I like to do it in the oven, but for cheaper cuts, the slow cooker is your BFF.
And it’s so easy. Just set it and forget it!
Here is the video:
Short Video with Instructions for doing a Chuck Roast in a Slow Cooker
Here are the ingredients for you to make it easier:
3 lb Chuck Roast
1/3 Cup Flour (substitute Gluten Free Flour if needed)
1 Tbsp Salt
1/2 tsp pepper (I would add more – I love pepper!)
Mix & coat the roast and sear in a hot pan. I prefer cast iron for this.
Put in slow cooker with:
1 cup chopped red onion (could use white or both)
1 celery stalk chopped
1 carrot chopped (I would add several larger pieces of carrot to go with the meal)
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 28 oz can of tomoates
2 cups of red wine
1 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp Sage
1/2 Tbsp salt
1 Bayleaf
Cook on low for 8 hours and then enJOY!
And just a reminder that recipes are only guidelines. Get creative and add in what you like. Oh and don’t forget to save the leftover broth for soups or gravies. You can freeze it in little jars or plastic bags. I prefer the jars.
If you make this, please let me know how it turned out for you and if you changed anything up. 🙂 Bon Appetite!
Oh and if you want a steal of a deal here is a great cookbook to get your started on your slow cooker journey or to add to your recipe index. 🙂 I am charging only a small fee for this book to help cover the costs associated with blogging this information. 🙂 Just click anywhere on that lovely roast below to go to the order page. And if you want to SAVE even more, just SHARE the link with a friend or two to save 25%. Then you are getting the book for $1.50! Less than the price of a cup of coffee. 🙂
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Another juicing recipe using watermelon. In addition to the watermelon, we’ve added in spinach, kale and cucumber. This may turn out deliciously red, but you are getting your greens at the same time, which is nice.
Ingredients:
4 cups watermelon
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup kale
1 large cucumber
SERVES
2
Directions:
Add ingredients to the juicer alternating between each of them. Garnish with a sprig or two of mint leaves.
Integrative medicine means treating the whole person as in mind, body, and spirit. This is quite different than treating a disease.
I encourage you to see your own self-care and wellness plan for daily living with integrative medicine in mind. If you can see your daily wellness goals in a nature that is condusive for inclusion rather than focusing on a symptom or a disease label for example.
What to include? Here are a few ideas but are by no means all of the possible ideas you could have to thinking wholistically when it comes to your health and healing.
Prevention.
Our bodies have the natural ability to heal themselves and to bring about homeostasis or balance. Consider ways to aid your body, mind and spirit, in being balanced before they becomes unbalanced. Think of this whole situation as a set of scales and you DO NOT want the scales to tip.
You do not want the scales of your health to tip the wrong way because when it tips, it tips!
So by adding in more healthy things into your day you can help keep the balance. More sunshine, more walks, more water, more nutrients, more laughter, more meditation, more greens, more fruit… more, more … more. 🙂
Natural Healing
Because the body has the ability to heal itself, when seeking ‘treatment’ for any ailments you might have, keep this in mind. Consider how can you aid in the treatment(s) you are receiving by adding in extra helpers or things that can help restore that balance? Look for ways to add in more enhancements that aid in healing and in wellness.
Take Responsibility & Be Proactive
Ultimately it is your body, your mind and your spirit that we are talking about here and the more YOU can take charge and be proactive and involved as an important proponent of your health care and wellness management, the more integrative the approach becomes and the better chance to balance the scales in a positive way.
I hope you find this helpful. As always, when I write, I remind and encourage my own-self with my words. Great reminder Maggie! Thanks 🙂
You just can’t go wrong with these two fruits! Watermelons 🍉🍉🍉 and Strawberries. 🍓🍓🍓
I wrote a blog post in the past called ♥ “Miraculous Melons”. ♥ They really are amazing. Make sure you read this one too so you can get excited about how healing and nutrient dense melons are. Here is the link to Miraculous Melons (っ◔◡◔)
And Here is the Juicy Juice Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk or other non dairy milk of choice
1 cup frozen strawberries 🍓🍓🍓
1 cup watermelon 🍉🍉🍉
1 tablespoon fresh basil
1 cup ice
Directions:
Add the ingredients to a blender and blend until it reaches a smooth texture. EnJOY and drink often.
“Strawberries always fill my heart with joy.” 🍓🍓🍓 JOY JOY JOY
Lately I have fallen More in Love with Oranges! And why not? With all this talk of the coronavirus and just colds and flus in general, it is always good to incorporate more micro-nutrients that come from things such as fruits and veggies into your daily life.
Oranges are ˜”°•.˜”°• AMAZING •°”˜.•°”˜ and are not only absolutely delicious but are also nutritional powerhouses! We all know they are loaded with good old Vitamin C, but there is so much more to oranges.
I am always learning from Anthony Williams, The Medical Medium, and here are some things he says about oranges:
Protect Against Viruses & Heavy Metals
. Oranges (and their cousins, tangerines and grapefruits) are full of the coenzyme glutathione, which goes into activation because of their high content of flavonoids and limonoids. Together, glutathione, flavonoids, and limonoids fight off viruses, protect the body from radiation damage, and deactivate toxic heavy metals in the system.
Calcium
. Oranges and tangerines are also abundant in a form of bioactive calcium you can’t get anywhere else. The body instantly absorbs this calcium, which means that these citrus beauties actually help regrow teeth, not destroy them.
Kidney & Gallstones
Their acid content is not destructive; rather, it works for you by dissolving kidney stones and gallstones.
Liver Love!
. Oranges and tangerines: Provide a combination of calcium and vitamin C; when both are combined from the same food source, the liver can use both better than it could from separate sources.
PhytoNutrients/Vitamins/Minerals/MicroNutrients
. Oranges have been called a “perfect food” and contain an amazing array of healing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. They are high in vitamin C, vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, folate, beta carotene, lutein, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium.
. Oranges have been known to help prevent cancer, lower high blood pressure, fight off viral infections, relieve constipation, keep bones and teeth strong, prevent kidney stones and macular degeneration.
Prevent Acidosis/Remove Toxic Debris From Colon
. Oranges are rich in lime and alkaline salts that help to counteract and prevent acidosis in the body. They are also excellent for the digestive tract and help to remove toxic debris from the colon through enhanced peristaltic action.
Eye & Lung Function
. Oranges contain a significant amount of glutathione which is critical for healthy eye and lung function
Respiratory Issues/Cardiovascular Support
. Oranges are very good for respiratory problems such as asthma or bronchitis and cardiovascular issues such as hypertension and COPD.
Purify/Natural Antiseptic/Strengthen Organs
. Oranges act as an internal antiseptic to the body and have the ability to purify and strengthen all the organs in the body.
Colds & Flu
. Oranges contain anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties which are particularly beneficial for those suffering with a cold or flu or an auto-immune disorder such as shingles, arthritis, IBS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and raynaud’s disease.
Weight Loss
. Oranges are an excellent weight loss food due to their high pectin content which also helps to reduce blood cholesterol.
Notes on Oranges:
. Fresh squeezed orange juice is a predigested food and allows for immediate absorption of all it’s abundant healing properties.
. Oranges are an ideal “fast food”, easy to transport, delicious to eat, and provide a steady form of energy throughout the day.
. be aware that orange juice will lose the majority of its vitamin C content within 30 minutes of being squeezed, so for optimum results drink immediately
. Whole oranges, peeled or cut in slices, are the best option as the fiber and pith is where so many of the phytonutrients and healing properties are contained.
There you have it. I for one bought two cases of oranges yesterday and have been on an orange fest. I hope that you too, delight in these amazing, nutritional powerhouses that are truly gifts from the Gods! EnJOY!
Manuka Honey is well known for its healing properties. Check out the additional amazing ingredients in this soothing skin cream! I love this product and will always have it on hand. I never want to be without it. You can view the details below:
Manuka Honey 21 Complex Manuka Honey 21 Complex is blended with active New Zealand 12+ Manuka honey and twenty-one additional active organic botanicals such as, aloe fillet gel, carrot, orange, avocado and pumpkin. The unique phytonutrient complex supports skin repair and promote skin health by providing a rich complex of essential vitamins (A, C, E & K) and minerals, antioxidants/bioflavonoids, beneficial amino acids and essential fatty acids (omega 3, 6 & 9).
How to Apply Skin: Place a small amount in the palm of the hand and apply directly to affected skin areas. Safe for use after breastfeeding. Hair: Place a small amount of cream in the palm of the hand and rub both hands together lightly coating your fingers and palm with cream. Run hands through dry damaged hair until you achieve desired smoothing. Can style as usual, or apply a heavier coating for overnight nourishment. Use cream lightly so hair does not appear greasy. Use as often as needed.
Cautions and Warnings Wash hands after use. Keep away from eyes. Not for consumption. This product is not a sunscreen, but is recommended for after the sun care.
You can learn more about the product here and even order if it is something that you are interested in. There are also many other great nutritional products here to view as well. Please note that this is for Canada only… You’re welcome my Canadian friends. 🙂 Oh and you will be prompted for you email address when you click through. It’s just how the site works but it does not mean you have to purchase anything. 🙂
MaggiesVitamins 