Breakfast Bounty: Creating Tasty & Green Morning Meals

It’s no secret that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. You won’t get very far through your day without the chance to first eat something, and the type of food you eat will always impact the way you feel for hours yet to come. Of course, for many people, a slice of toast or a quick bowl of cereal is enough, though this doesn’t exactly create a thrilling breakfast experience. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring a range of healthy, delicious, and easy to prepare breakfast dishes for you to enjoy.

Everything Oats

Oats are one of the healthiest grains grown by humans in the modern world. They are gluten-free, along with being packed with essential vitamins and nutrients that will keep your body running smoothly. Studies have even shown that regular consumption of oats can lower your chances of suffering from heart conditions in the future, while also lowering your blood sugar and helping you to lose weight. Of course, though, how exactly should you be eating your oats?

  • Oatmeal

Oatmeal has long been one of the most popular breakfast options in the world, with loads of people across the globe using this food source to fuel their days. You can learn more about oatmeal and gluten intolerance online, with loads of resources giving you the chance to soak up information about the type of food.

  • Overnight Oats

Similar to oatmeal, overnight oats will usually come in the form of a range of ingredients that have been allowed to mingle with oats for a long period (usually overnight). This enables you to create rich flavors and complex meals with barely any work, all while benefiting from the health aspects of oats.

  • Oatcakes

Similar to pancakes in their form, oatcakes offer a great alternative to this traditional breakfast treat. You can buy ready-made oatcakes, though they are also nice and easy to make for yourself if you’d prefer. You can treat these exactly how you’d treat pancakes, though it’s worth choosing things like fruit over sugar and chocolate.

Not only are oats really healthy, but they are also good for the environment. Unlike other crops, oats can be grown year in year out, all without harming the quality of the soil they are grown in. This means that farmers can continue to grow oats in fields that would otherwise have to take long breaks.

Fruity Fruity

Fruits have been on the menu for humans for their entire existence, and it’s no wonder that we like them so much; they’re an excellent natural source of vitamins and nutrients. This makes fruit great for breakfast, though most people will find it a little unsatisfying to eat raw fruit on its own. Let’s take a look at some of the best breakfast options available for those who love fruit.

  • Fruit & Yogurt: Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, along with loads of other vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Plain Greek yogurt is the best of the bunch, but it will be a little boring without some fruit to liven things up. Chopped fruit in yogurt is a great way to start your day.
  • Smoothies: Making fruit into a drink can be a great way to improve the way that it tastes, while also giving you the chance to enjoy an easy breakfast that can be taken anywhere. Smoothies have long been a popular choice for health enthusiasts, providing you with a way to enjoy loads of fruit and veg without having to eat it raw.
  • Fruit Salads: Mixing chopped fruit with a little bit of fruit juice sounds nice and easy, right? Fruit salads provide an excellent breakfast option for those with limited time on their hands. Pre-made fruit salads tend to be very sugary, but you can check the pack to make sure that you’re not eating something bad here.

As you probably know, fruits come from plants, and plants are largely made from carbon. This carbon is drawn from carbon dioxide in the air; one of the primary components of climate change. With more and more fruit trees being planted, the impact of human activity could be drastically reduced.

Cereals

It can be all too easy to assume that something like cereal will be too boring for your morning meal. In reality, though, there are loads of different cereal options out there, and you need only find one that you like to enjoy a healthy and green breakfast each day. Granola is a great place to start with this, with options like muesli also appealing to a lot of people. When looking for cereals, you should always avoid those that come in colorful packets that are designed for children.

While not every cereal manufacturer is green, it’s easy to find examples that reflect your passion for the environment when you’re looking at healthier cereals. It’s always worth doing some research before you buy products like this, with companies like Nestle doing a good job to make their products look ethical and green, but the reality of these products being really quite different.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to kickstart a life of better breakfasts. It can be hard to make sure that your morning meals tick all of the boxes, but there are loads of options on the market that can help with this. From oatmeal to cereal, you’ve never had a wider range of breakfast options available, and this makes it easy to find options that you like and are good for your body.

Your Green Festive Look, But In Red!

Have you already started the countdown to the festive season? 

Most of us have! There are only a few weeks left to get your Christmas plans ready. However, with about 6 weeks before Christmas, you can still make it count and create a sustainable festive look. It’s easy to panic and choose easy solutions. But before you turn to the high street brands, here are some ideas to embrace the Christmas colors while going green. 

It’s hard to think of the festive season without thinking of Santa’s costume, Rudolph’s nose, and the yummy candy canes. Red is the color of Christmas, and that could be your festive look this year. Are you ready for a red Christmas that is green? 

Warm henna hues for your hair

If you are familiar with home DIY kits for hair dyes, you probably already have found a few trustworthy brands that are good for your hair and the environment. Natural hair dyes are safe for the planet, as they don’t cause any damage when you wash them away in the sink. More importantly, because of their low chemical content, they are gentle on your hair. Brands such as Aveda and Original & Mineral refer to their dye’s formulas as clean and eco-conscious technology. Alternatively, if you prefer a subtle red nuance, you can also try henna for the hair which gives a warm, reddish glow to most hair colors. If you’re new to using henna, be aware that it may take two to three applications to get it right. But the product is safe to use and reuse. 

Warm eyeshadow and blush palette

With plenty of skin-safe and gentle make-up products available, it can be challenging to find the right thing for you. When it comes to your Christmas look, you may want to splurge on the purchase of a vegan eyeshadow palette buy here for a warm look. You can use burgundy or maroon hues for a toned-down look. If you are feeling more adventurous, a trendy pink can turn heads around the Christmas dinner table. 

Your very unique Christmas dress

A little DIY can go a long way to getting your Christmas dress ready. You’ll find plenty of fabrics that have been colored using natural dyes and produced sustainably. Ecological textiles are typically available from specialist shops online. Sewing a simple dress can be a fun Christmas challenge. With a lot of tutorials available, you can rely on free material for guidance. If you are unsure how to proceed, it can be helpful to use one of your dresses as a basic pattern to follow. 

Eco-friendly tights that set the mood

Are tights eco-friendly? Not all tights are sustainably produced, but a lot of brands have green concerns. Swedish stockings recycle used tights from any brands. The brand also cuts down on water use and relies on vegan dyes only. So you can showcase your legs with an elegant design that doesn’t damage the planet. 

Are you ready to make your Christmas look go further? Looking your best for a stylish celebration at home doesn’t have to be damaging for the planet. You can be pretty in red while protecting our green and blue planet.

Sprouted Kitchen’s Peach Creme with Gingersnap Crust

OK, so I have a sweet tooth, it is true. I love a little something sweet each day and today I am in love with the Peach Creme with Gingersnap Crust from one of my favorite blogs Sprouted Kitchen. It is a fab blog created by a lovely gal named Sara who cooks the most amazing recipes using only local and organic foods. Her love, Hugh does all of the fab photography. I will be featuring some of my favorite recipes from Sprouted Kitchen on Sweet Greens for you to enjoy. Please visit Sprouted Kitchen for more amazing recipes and photography.

Ingredients:

The science of this pie is that the lemon reacts with the milk products to help the filling firm up. Be sure to give it ample time to do its thing before serving.

What you will need:

* The Crust

10 oz. Gingersnap Cookies
3 Tbsp. Butter

* The Filling

1 14 oz. Can Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk {low fat optional}
½ Cup Crème Fraiche
ÂĽ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tbsp. Cinnamon
1 ÂĽ Cup Ripe Peaches, Peeled and Diced

Directions:

1. In a food processor, grind the gingersnap cookies. Add the butter and pulse to combine.
2. Press the cookie mixture evenly into the sides and bottom of a 9’’ glass pie pan. Pop this in the freezer while preparing the filling.
3. In a bowl, whisk the condensed milk, crème fraiche, lemon juice, and cinnamon together. Give the peach pieces a good squeeze in your fist to crush them up a bit, and add to the cream mixture. Whisk together. Add the filling to the chilled cookie crust.
4. Let the pie firm up in the fridge for at LEAST 4 hours. We put ours in the freezer, and then let it sit for a bit before serving.

What do you think?
Enjoy.

Stress Relief Tips You Can Use Today

 

Feeling stressed out? Feel like you need a break, but can’t find the time to take one? Here are some simple green tips to help you let go of the stress you are feeling, relax, and say awwww. I do at least one of these things every day, usually more and it really helps to keep my stress level down and positive energy up.

* Grab a steaming cup of coffee, tea, chai, or cocoa and find somewhere cozy and quiet to enjoy just one cup. I start my day with a nice cup of decaf coffee and then have a cup of tea at the end of my workday and it always relaxes me.

* Spend 30 minutes doing an outside activity that you love. Some of our favorites {Jayson and I}are stopping at the driving range to hit a bucket of balls, going for a bike ride, gardening, or taking a walk by the stream. We try to do at least one of these things every night after dinner.

* Spend at least 20 minutes a day getting some type of exercise. My favorites are aerobics, yoga, cycling, and swimming. I exercise every day because I have found it to be the one thing that has the largest impact on my mental and physical well being.

* Take a soothing bath with a relaxing essential oil such as lavender. I don’t do this nearly as often as I would like, maybe once a month because I worry about wasting so much water, therefore it isn’t relaxing for me.

* Curl up in a nice cozy spot with a good book, journal, or your iPod and unwind. Jayson and I read every night and it is much more relaxing than watching TV.

* Enjoy a nice glass of biodynamic or Organic wine on your patio or outside space. My favorites wines are Jayson’s Homemade Wine, Parducci’s, and Quivira Vineyards.

* Snuggle up with your favorite furry friend or loved one. Olive our French Bulldog is excellent for this, bulldogs think they are lap dogs and love to cuddle, Jayson is pretty good at this as well. 

* Spend 15 minutes meditating. Find somewhere quiet, sit, breath slowing (in and out through your nose) and clear your mind of all of the stresses of the current day, this is excellent for relaxation.

How do you relax and free yourself from stress?
What have you found to be the most relaxing activity that you do?

Natural Home Remedies for 3 Common Skin Blemishes

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Sometimes, maintaining healthy skin can seem impossible. If you have acne, that bacteria-fighting scrub from the drugstore might dry out your skin, causing itchy and painful redness. If your skin is too dry, a store-bought moisturizer might make your skin appear greasy. Finding the perfect product may never happen.

Luckily, there are natural ways to boost your skin’s appearance. Below, we’ve listed some great at-home remedies that can combat common skin blemishes without hurting your skin’s health. As a bonus, these natural methods can be cheaper than serums and soaps produced commercially, so you won’t waste big bucks if they don’t work for your unique skin.

Here are just a few fuss-free natural remedies for common skin ailments and blemishes:

Fighting Acne Naturally

Acne is incredibly common. In fact, 85% of people have experienced acne in some form throughout their life. However, just because acne is common doesn’t mean you want to have it. Pimples are painful, and deep forms like cystic acne can leave scars.

There are many types of acne that all have different causes and symptoms. However, natural skin hygiene habits can combat most forms of this condition. Try this homemade honey-based face wash from Dr. Axe to combat acne-forming bacteria:

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 20 small droplets of melaleuca essential oil
  • 2 capsules of live probiotics

Leave this mixture on affected areas for two minutes, then wash away with water. Repeat once daily to kill bacteria and reduced inflammation associated with acne!

Reducing the Appearance of Scars at Home

Like acne, scars come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. Though we commonly think of scars as long-healed cuts, scars can also come from burns, surgeries, or tissue that was completely removed.

Scars on the face can be particularly troublesome. Even though in 2016 91% of children were vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella, many older adults have facial scars left from these types of childhood illnesses. Scars anywhere on the body can appear darker or lighter than the surrounding skin, and keloid scars form bumps.

Scars are signs that your body has done the work of healing an earlier injury. As such, scars don’t need treatment themselves for you to be in good health. Scars are also unlikely to disappear completely. However, if you’d like to minimize the appearance of a scar, you can try the following natural method:

Aloe Moisturizing

Try taking a leaf of an aloe plant and peeling away the dark outer skin. Then, scoop out and apply the light green/clear gel directly to the scar area. Let the gel rest for half an hour, then rinse with cool water. Repeat twice daily.

Natural Cellulite Treatments

It’s been estimated that 80% to 98% of women have cellulite somewhere on their body. Even though it is common, many women and men alike would prefer their cellulite was less noticeable. Cellulite is associated with the body’s fat storage processes, so many consider diet and exercise to be the best treatment.

However, even individuals with a healthy weight can have cellulite. No matter your size, there are a variety of methods for reducing cellulite. Try eating more seaweed or soaking with seaweed in your bathwater. Seaweed is known for balancing hormones and drawing toxins out of the body. Additionally, dry brushing with a natural bristle brush can improve circulation and exfoliate old skin cells, which may reduce dimpling and improve skin’s overall appearance.

No matter what your skin looks like, all-natural methods can help you save a little money and support your overall health. Before trying expensive and artificial serums for skin conditions that may never go away (like stretch marks, scars, and wrinkles), give these natural, homemade solutions a try.