Conveying Awareness with Jessica David: 14 Taking Care of Yourself Resources from 2014

Last year was my best year blogging since inception (2010; see my first post here) and I attribute the growth to a few things: More transparency in the sharing of my wellness journey, connecting with bloggers, sharing content across several social media platforms, more nutrient dense recipes, and refined opportunities to educate about the importance of eating a variety of healthy foods. It was difficult to narrow down the Top 14 because there were a few that were within a handful of views from the ones chosen for this collection.

If you're interested in learning more about my nutrition education services or other recipes I've written or if you have an idea for a post, contact me through my blog. One of my past clients from my online workshop, Simplified Nutrition, asked for a list of healthy snacks and the first link below is from her idea.

So, if you've got an idea or need some clarity with regards to your own wellness journey, and the recipes (or resource) is not already covered on my blog then there's a good chance that with the sharing of your insight, it may be published with correct attribution, or better, I can point you to several resources including blogs to keep you moving forward in your journey.

Snacks / Appetizers

Real food is fuel whether it's found in a meal or a snack or even at times, in a smoothie. Parents are looking for ways to increase nutrition in their children's choices (and individuals without children too). My recommendation always rests in eating more fruits and vegetables and a colorful variety daily. But that can get old after awhile so let this collection, Healthy Snacks for everyone, prove to be resourceful for your wellness journey.

In addition to the collection above, you'll salivate when it comes to these apple wedges. They're made with all organic ingredients. One of the ingredients is using Bob's Red Mill. I contacted them in October to learn of their promise to source all non-GMO ingredients.

Ever wanted to experiment with a raw foods recipe? This one is really a hat's off to How We Flourish. You can find my adaptation here. My recipe uses a vegan plant based powder that I highly recommend that is gluten free and nonGMO.

Give me a +1 if you're eating the real rainbow daily. Go back to recipe #1 for what this is (hint: fruits and vegetables). If you're eating the same two or three veggies a day or week and are struggling finding ways to get in more, give this a try for 6-8 months and see if it changes your life. When it does, you'll feel good about the investment for the long term. If it doesn't, cancellation is easy!

As you may know I always encourage my readers to strive for 5 different fruits and 5 different vegetables a day and this in addition to any product that supports your real-rainbow-eating goals! =) We buy a boatload of organic corn on the cob in the summer and I prepare them by parboiling then freezing so that I can pull several cobs for this recipe. Salsa anyone?

More on the real rainbow then we'll jump into the entrees (and their condiments) for lunch or dinner. You may have said, "I eat healthy; I have a salad every day at lunch," or "Fruits and vegetables go bad too quickly," or even "I'm not confident in cooking real foods." If any of this describes you, this [real] rainbow collection may be a resource for you.

Meals

You're a busy individual and maybe, you're a parent, and you've got little time to make a nutritious meal. You're in the right place. This is a meal you can make in under 20 minutes. One of the benefits to grilled chicken is that you can have it all pre-made (pan fried in a healthy fat (oil) or grilled) on a Sunday and stored in an air tight container - some in the fridge (eaten within 2 days) or in the freezer. Throughout the week, you can pull from what's already made and make this chicken and pasta dish.

You can learn a lot from those who can make a dollar stretch especially those who feed their children nutrient dense meals. They cut back on unnecessary expenses (no cable TV or smart phones) so that they can build the foundation of a healthy start in their children with real food solutions. As a side note of encouragement, visit my first post of 2015: New Year Solutions (paying attention to #s 3-5) for some tips in the kitchen.

But don't run off yet, you'll want to pin some, if not all of the recipes in this collection, Eating Real Food on a Shoestring Budget. No matter where you're at on your journey, you can start with one change.

If you're good at canning and have your own tomato sauce made already, this will be a recipe to add to your repertoire or you can buy some organic sauce in a jar (then you can reuse the jar later). One of my readers suggested freezing a head of cabbage then letting it thaw instead of boiling water (like I did in the recipe). I lack adequate freezer space so I'll stick with the latter option. I'm a huge fan of green cabbage. I love it in a stir-saute with onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Most recently, I received a new leafy green in my CSA box called Tokyo Bekana which is a mix between a bok choy and green cabbage. If you ever get an opportunity to get some, you'll prepare it like bok choy. Destem and cook first then add the leafy greens (just until they wilt). Enjoy this stuffed cabbage dish.

Crockpot loving! Let me count the ways how many recipes I can make from a whole chicken made in a crockpot. This one includes at least three and over a dozen bone broth recipes from real food bloggers.

Wild? Farm raised? Omega 3s... What about Mercury? When it comes to fish, do you ask yourself any of these questions? Be rest assured that the answers are in this Wild Caught: Fish Recipes collection. Hint: Wild always over Farmed.

Personal Care

What are some ways that your family stays well during cold & flu season? In this post, I share my top 10 holistic ways and let me tell you, all of them but maybe two or three you can do right now! And who knows, maybe you'll want to add all ten.

Foot Spray and Powder to keeping your [children's] feet and shoes fresh and germ-free. The spray is also helpful for use after playing sports and in locker rooms.

I know it's popular to ingest EOs without direction from a certified aromatherapist and many don't mind doing so because it is truly a personal decision, but I don't utilize essential oils for their ingestion abilities but more so for their aromatic qualities and in this case, topically. I found a great combination of three oils to help knock out dizziness and headaches. If you deal with this from seasonal allergies or pressure changes, you may find this recipe helpful.

A reminder to take care of self.

Your wellness journey is personal and while you're advocating for it and researching options, remember your 'why' always because seasons change. Keep your mind open, learn, grow, and share (in love). Be well! =)