I was doing a little online research about HFCS and wanted to post what I found.  Ever since we moved to the Outer Banks, I’ve really had to change the way I shop for food.  In VA, almost 100% of my grocery list was USDA Organic and I never looked for anything else.  I wasn’t worried too much about ingredients or labels because I was shopping at an all-natural food market and trusted them to do all the weeding out of the crap.  When I went in there to shop I knew I was buying GMO-free, USDA Organic, no HFCS items and never batted an eyelash.

But now…WOW.  To continue to shop the same way here on the OBX, well, it’s almost impossible.  At the Harris Teeter, I’m spending about 25% more than I was back in VA…and I’m not finding nearly as many of the same items.  I have a few brands that I was devoted to and just can’t seem to locate them here.  So, at the risk of bankrupting my family…I knew I needed to do a little homework and make some changed.  So, I’m starting to buy more national brands that aren’t necessarily USDA Organic or even “natural” and that means I’m reading a lot more labels.  I’m starting with making sure that the products I buy are high fructose corn syrup FREE and it has not been easy.   That sh*t is in EVERYTHING!  And it’s soooo bad for us!  It’s a fake sweetner and your body reads it as FAT so it doesn’t get burned off.  I’m not saying HFCS is the only thing that’ll make your backside swell…but it ain’t helping!  If you’re going to eat sugar..eat REAL sugar.   So I just found this list I wanted to share.  Look over it and you’ll be surprised to see so many of the national name brands that are HFCS free.  I know I was!

NO High Fructose Corn Sryup List

Naturally Yours, Dallas

I have fallen in love with my blender all over again!  I’ve been on this smoothie kick lately and was thinking I would post my recipes for you guys.  You can change them up and add whatever you want but just be sure to have at least one green veggie as part of your recipe.  Like collards, kale, broccoli, chard or spinach – whatever is in season that you can get your lil nuggets on!  Do NOT forget the fruit because if you do it’s gonna taste like shit and you’ll never eat one again.  Seriously.

Try to to get your kids hooked on them too!  Just never let them see ya make them!

“Collards for the Colon” Smoothie

3 collard green leaves torn up into bite size pieces (blend with a little filtered water until frothy)

handful of blueberries

banana

honey

handful of trail mix

two small apples

tablespoon nut butter

BLEND!  BLEND!  BLEND!  Once smooth, spoon into your fave beverage glass, add a fun straw and enjoy!!

Naturally yours, Dallas

To vax or not to vax…that is the question.  If you’ve read my blog before you’ll know my view on vax is this – GET YOUR FACTS.  Gather all the information you can, talk to other parents, talk to your ped, talk to the Moms (or Dads) you see in the coffee shop, talk to your friends and anyone else you think could offer some insight.  Educate yourself as much as possible before you decide one way or the other with regards to vaccinating.  Why do I stress this?   Because in the age of the internet, unless you are living under a rock or out in space, there is NO reason why you should not be educated on this topic.  IF this topic is of concern to you.  It may not be.  You may be a parent that could not possibly care any less about vaccinating.  And if that is you, stop reading this blog and go do something else.

So here’s the skinny.  A friend of mine who is pro-vax wanted to share some facts on why it is important to get our kids vaccinated with all shots and on time.  And I asked her to put that info together because I wanted to share it with my readers.  The reason I’m doing this is because as a community (of parents) we are all shooting for the same goals and I believe in the power of knowledge.  And I know that we are stronger together (both sides of the coin) than we are apart.  So without further delay….. Read the rest of this entry »

Ok – it’s been a few hot minutes since I last posted and I’ve missed ya’ll so very much.  Really, I have.  But I just have not felt inspired and I needed to step away for a bit to get the blogging juices flowing once again.  I was feeling burnt out and not that into it.  I told myself that once blogging started to feel like a job – I would step away.  So I did and I’m feeling refreshed.  Did ya miss me?  Hope so!

Just to get you caught up on the Nugget – here is a recent pik.

Ain’t he cute??

Naturally yours, Dallas

Don’t be a sheep.

I hate that I haven’t blogged in what seems like forever.  But things have been a little hectic around here for the last two weeks.  I went in for a mammo and they found a lump in my right breast.  A week later they wanted me to get an MRI just to be sure that they weren’t missing anything.  And OF COURSE they found another lump in my left breast during this MRI.  I had both lumps biopsied yesterday and will have the results tomorrow.  This has been all consuming and I just haven’t felt like blogging.  But I wanted to let you guys in on what was going on.  I’m sad, confused, a little bitter and ready to put together a plan to tackle whatever is going on in my boobs.

Till then…

Naturally yours, Dallas

Hi ya’ll! Sorry it’s been a few days since my last post.  Life has been, well, a little hectic and I’ll share with you all the sordid details in a few. But for now, I wanted to be sure that you guys get to read the report that the Environmental Working Group recently put out on contaminants found in our children’s bath products.  I only use California Baby on Kiki  so I’m not sweating this too much (other than the fact that I’m totally pissed at the FDA…again!) but I do want us to pass this info around to everyone we know!

http://www.ewg.org/report/toxic-tub/31209

Another great source of info is the sister site to the Environmental Working Group, Skin Deep.  This site is where you should go to get up to date, accurate and important info about all of our skin care products.  Save both links!!

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1

Naturally yours, Dallas

Hello fellow Nuggets!  A while back I posted an entry on supergreens and how great I felt and how awesome they are and blah blah blah.  Well, now I’m getting off the supergreens and switching to something else.  Why you ask?  Because after about a month of  drinking my supergreen shake every morning…I started to feel pretty crappy.  By about two in the afternoon I could barely keep my eyes open and I was really congested all the time. So on my last trip to the  local market, I told the supplement lady my sypmptoms and how icky I was feeling.  She asked me if I had any seasonal allergies and I said yes (hello? We’re in Richmond honey..who doesn’t have seasonal allergies?)  She pulled my supergreen from the shelf and said that about 75% of the ingredients in this particular supergreen were all GRASS.  No wonder I feel like shit.  I’m basically drinking liquid lawn every single morning!

She suggested that I stop taking this supergreen immediately and switch to a superfood that was berry based.  Try it for a month she said and I guarantee you’ll feel better..she said.

Well, I’ve been on the Berry Green for about a week now and I can already see the change.  I have sustained energy all day long and my sinuses have cleared up quite a bit.   It’s a berry based superfood which also contains the three big leafy greens we should all be eating every day…broccoli, spinach and kale.  I love the taste and the way it makes me feel.  Give it a try if your prone to allergies like me.

Berry Green by New Chapter

Naturally yours, Dallas

Finally!  Alternative medicine is making it’s way into the light!  When we were going through our troubles with having a baby, my insurance company would cover the “bad news” visits…but never anything to try and figure out why we were losing our babies.  I remember calling my insurance company and asking if they would cover holistic fertility treatments because we didn’t want to use Western drugs and they said no, that it was considered an alternative therapy and not really medicine. My Western OBGYN would roll his eyes at me every time I told him that I was seeing a holistic fertility specialist or what herbs I was taking or if I mentioned acupuncture.  But during our journey I learned how to take really good care of myself both physically and mentally.  I took chinese herbs, changed my diet, did a few detoxes, had a little therapy and received acupuncture treatments.  Before, during and after my pregnancy I was the healthiest I had been in my whole life.   And when Kiki was born – my western OBGYN asked me for the name and number of my Chinese Medicine Doctor so he could refer infertility patients to him.  Can you believe that?!  So, I think alternative medicine will become more and more available to anyone who seeks it.  And I know the proof that alternative medicine works, is making it’s way into the mainstream.

Alternative medicine and holistic therapies are about supporting the body and its systems all the time.  Its about tapping into your body’s ability to heal itself and offering a gentle push if needed.  Remember to honor your body, mind and spirit with healthy eating, rest, meditation (which I try but I can’t sit still for very long!) and some form of exercise!

Read this article..let me know what you think!

Alternative Medicine is Mainstream

Naturally Yours, Dallas