Winter 2013

  • Coconut Oil Toothpaste

    Coconut Oil Toothpaste Following my recent blogs about the benefits of coconut oil in oil pulling and healing mouth sores wouldn’t be complete without mention of using coconut oil for a more holistic toothpaste. A holistic approach to health and wellness means treating the mouth as a whole unit, rather than individual parts.  A holistic […]

  • Oral Benefits of Coconut Oil

    Oral Benefits of Coconut Oil My previous blog on oil pulling recommended using coconut oil.  This post will expound on that a bit.  Coconut oil is very healing, and as mentioned previously, has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties. Using coconut oil for oil pulling is an excellent choice, working equally well as Sesame or Olive […]

  • Oil Pulling

    Oil Pulling The ancient Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling is a daily oral hygiene practice similar to our daily habit of brushing and flossing for good oral health.  Oil pulling begins in the mouth, with oral benefits to be sure; however its effects are more holistic and widespread than being limited to just the mouth. […]

  • Are you Chemically Addicted to Food?

    Are you Chemically Addicted to Food? Jonny Bowden PhD made a very interesting point during his segment in the Future of Nutrition Conference that was recently sponsored by the Institute of the Psychology of Eating.  In regards to food addictions, he said processed food manufactures have hundreds of PhD scientists who very carefully and methodically […]

  • Living in Your Heart

    Living in Your Heart With Valentines Day rapidly approaching, thoughts turn to love.  Wouldn’t it be great to have Valentines Day every day?  We can, simply by living in our hearts and coming from a place of love for all.  Being in love is such a happy place, but many of us approach love from […]

  • Being Proactive With Your Own Health

    Being Proactive With Your Own Health Our health needs are in a state of constant evolution as we pass through the process of aging.  The needs of a growing child are very different than the needs of a fully grown adult.  The needs of a healthy individual are much different than someone with a health […]

  • To Juice or Not to Juice

    With the popularity of smoothies, there seems to be some confusion about the  difference between juicing and blending. Juicing is much different that pulverizing your fruits and vegetables in a high-speed blender. What is the difference and does it matter? Yes there is a difference, and yes, it does matter. Nutritionally, there is a difference. Juicing […]

  • Wishing You a Healthy and Happy New Year

    New Years resolutions frequently include determination to get healthier. January is a busy time for gym memberships and exercise equipment. Although exercise is important, being healthy involves more than increasing exercise. I was recently reminded of something I first heard from Colin T Campbell in his book “The China Study”, when it was echoed by […]

  • Healthy & Fun Family Event!

    You are invited to the Healthy & Fun Choices® Family Event! Saturday, January 25th 10am-6pm Workshops begin at 10am & BBQ at noon Alpenrose Dairy 6149 SW Shattock, Portland, OR Suggested $10 donation per family Speakers/Performers: Jake French, Cat-in-the-hat, Kirsten Klug, Pianists from the Snowman Foundation, Randy Traegger, Cindy Haas (that’s me!) and a juggling […]

  • Obesity Verses Overweight

    How did we become a nation of obese individuals? One spoonful at a time. Like advancing age creeping up on us one day at a time, we put on excess pounds one bite at a time. As long as we can see other people around us who are heavier than ourselves, they are the obese […]

  • Summer Thoughts on a Winter’s Day

    Summer Thoughts on a Winter’s Day Brrrrr!  It’s the kind of day that encourages me to have a pot of something yummy simmering on the back burner, filling the house with wonderful aromas.  My back burner today is simmering homemade spaghetti sauce, the kind my mother use to make. As I prepared the sauce, which […]

  • Winter Skin Care

    Our skin is the largest protective barriers of our body.   Having healthy skin is an important aspect of being well.  Keeping our skin moist and flexible during the cold, dry winter months is a challenge many of us combat by slathering on a multitude of lotions.  Commercial lotions can be expensive and filled with toxic […]

  • Happy Sugar Season

    With tongue in cheek, I have to suggest that you evaluate the reason for the season rapidly descending upon us.  Think about the reason we celebrate the upcoming holidays. Is Thanksgiving about gratitude and being grateful for our blessings? Is Christmas a sacred holiday? Is New Years a celebration of a new year bringing another […]

  • Tis the Season to be Jolly

    When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on! For many years, this was my holiday coping strategy.  Eventually, age brought some long overdue wisdom with it and I learned to pace myself for the holidays.  Although the internet enables us to accomplish some of our extra holiday tasks […]

  • Happy Holiday Season

    Wishing you all a very blessed and Happy Holiday Season. Thanksgiving has traditionally been a celebration of counting our blessings. How sad that such a lovely holiday has been bombarded with the discontentment of wanting more rather than giving thanks for our bounty.  Each year black Friday ushers in the Christmas season earlier and earlier, […]

  • Cut the sugar to combat the cold?

    Driving past all the signs encouraging us to “get our flu shot here!” reminds me that we are rapidly approaching the cold-and-flu season.  Many people just accept having colds and flu as a natural part of winter, but is there something going on at a deeper level with our immune system and seasonal eating patterns?  […]