A few of my favorite things....

I can't tell you how many times I get requests for a list of my favorite foods etc.  I am not Oprah and what I love may not mean much to you but I can almost guarantee that my items will taste better, be better for you and sustain your healthy life.  BUT if you are looking for trendy clothes of jewelry or even a monogrammed dog sweater...you won't get that from me (EVER).  I am saving myself time here and creating this blog so when people ask I will say "See my blog" and save myself a ton of time (I hope).

I will start by saying this:  Shop locally first.  The best place to go May 18-Oct. 19 is the downtown market in Clarksville, TN. on Saturday mornings.   Click here for more information on the downtown market. Here are a few links to some local farmers that I recommend.

Tennesee Grass fed is a local farm that delivers to Co-op and the downtown market or you can pick up at their farm.  Their bacon is AWEsome but is usually on back order so I ALWAYS keep a running order of bacon in.  YES....pastured bacon IS that important.  Click here for Tennessee Grass Fed

Jolly Barnyard is a small farm in Ashland City.  They sell massive pieces of bone in chicken that I love to use for bone broth. Click here for Jolly Barnyard  they verified that they no longer use a GMO grain mill for their chickens.  The chicken can be a little tough (because those guys are out running around getting all muscled up and not sitting in some small cage getting sick), so I like to crock pot it or marinate it for 24 hours.

Great resource for fish and they are at the clarksville downtown market on Saturdays: Wild & Local

Clarksville Co op and CSA guide (covers more counties as well) is a good place to find vegetables, herbs etc.  Perfect for people who don't have their own garden.  You can purchase shares of crops.
Click here for Co -op and CSA guide

JD Farms sells pastured milk.  It's not RAW (which would be better...IMO but we are in Clarksville so maybe in the next 20 years we will see that happen. :)  They also sell cream, buttermilk and flavored yogurt etc.  If you frequent the Minnonite pantry in Guthrie (awesome resource for spices, eggs etc) or the Chopping Block you can find it at either place.  They give you money back for bottles and will be at the downtown market as well.
Click here for milk  Click here for directions and pantry info

Eggs:  H and H Farms phone number:  931-546-8068 is out toward Tobacco Road and exit 1.  Holland Farms is off 41 A 931-358-2801

Ok...so that is about it for local resources.  Again we are in Clarksville (this community is a tad bit behind on food that I would recommend).   If you explore the co op link it can give you more details on organics and sustainable farming etc.


On to my favorites online...and BOY do I shop online.  

I use US Wellness Meats when I want more variety in my choices.  Their pork sausage is divine and they have a variety of organ meats and steaks, chicken and pork, dairy and snacks.  A GO TO site for everything.  Click here for US Wellness Meats

I LOVED turkey jerky when I wasn't a red meat eater...and now I loooove beef jerky...but mainly from Nicks Sticks.  I have tried other pastured sticks and jerks and this guys has the best flavor and no gamey after taste (ewwwww).  I also love that we are on automatic delivery monthly!  YEA no thinking about it. Click for Nicks Sticks

Coffee....love it or hate it.  I have an intimate relationship with it and ADORE it. Always have.  But it doesn't love me.  I believed for a long time I wasn't meant to have it...I gave it up for three months...I longed for it...I tried substitutes.  Nothing worked to fill that void.  Back to it..and back to the jitters and intolerance symptoms.  I then came across the holy grail of coffee...the golden path to happiness.  Bulletproof Coffee.  (Insert the heavens opening up sound).  It is expensive.  It is delicious.  It is lacking in the micotoxins that were making me feel like crap so it is worth every penny!  Now?  I drink it with NO side effects, no jitters...nothing but a spoonful of butter some fat from my coconut milk and the feeling of pure bliss.  Their MCT oil is awesome too.  Check out Bulletproof coffee

One of the most common questions I get from clients:  "What protein or protein bar can I use?"  First I don't advocate using protein for ANYthing except added protein to a meal.  TO A MEAL.  Not to replace a meal.  Food first.  My new mantra.  Protein requires fat to work properly in the body.  But if you want protein...then get the good kind.  I like DEEP 30 because it is mixed with whey,  goat whey, probiotics and bio available ingredients...and it is more digestible than plain whey.  They have different flavors too.  Click here for DEEP 30   Ask them for samples!  The protein bar I recommend is free of all the bad stuff that most bars have in them:  soy, gluten, syrups and fillers and full of the good stuff:  HIGH bio available protein and a short label you can actually pronounce.   They send samples too! Quest bars  Again, automatic delivery!

I hate peanut butter.  Well let me say this...I LOVE the taste but not whats in it.   I used to eat a lot of it until I found out how bad it is for you.  We have it in the house bc kids love it and every once in a blue moon my kid wants a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich on GF bread.  He gets it every time bc he eats so well otherwise.  If you don't believe peanut butter is bad for you take a peek HERE .  Ok so now I am going to give you an alternative to Peanut butter that would make you wonder WHY OH WHY you EVER liked it when you could have this yummy stuff instead??  Meenut Butter- otherwise called by me OMG Butter

Where do I get my flours and cacao etc?  If you haven't received an invitation from Vitacost from ME and saved your $10.00 yet send me an email at mindfulnessinhealth@gmail.com and get on it b/c I save $10.00 too!  This site has EVERYthing!   Shipping is reasonable and even free after a certain amount.   Everything you can imagine at Vitacost  Some of favorite items are:  coconut oil, coconut manna, coconut butter, almond flour, coconut flour, raw nuts, Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, Betty Lou's raspberry bars for my kid, almond butter, a mixture of make up,  Raw Cacao, Native Forest coconut milk FULL fat.  I love when I see the big Vitacost box on my porch.

I just ordered some pasta from this place because I am TIRED of rice pasta and rice is a grain so I typically don't get excited about it and usually end up skipping it altogether.  I haven't tasted it yet but will remove this part of my blog if it stinks!  NOT rice pasta!

I am a HUGE fan of making my own granola, trail mix bags etc but if you are short on time and want someone else to do the work Steves Paleo Goods are a good source.  Snacks

So if you follow me on facebook or are an existing client you KNOW the only butter I recommend that you can get locally is Kerrygold.  Walmart has it for $2.83 and it's worth the trip there (ugh).  Kroger $5.99 (INSANE and yes I have complained), and Publix is mid range in price.  You can order it on Us Wellness meats but here's a picture of what you are looking for if you are new to the Gold and Silver wrappers. Kerrygold  Kerrygold also has good cheese and Sams sells a massive block of it.  If you're into cheese.  Which I am not.  But my husband is half mouse so we buy it.

Fermented Cod Liver oil....if you told me I had one supplement I could keep but everything else had to go this would be it.  Don't let me try and tell you why it's so good for you... just read here


I am a dipper..always have been. You can ask my dear friend Marty about the first time we went to eat together when we were both pregnant...we went to Chik Fil A (UGH) before child birth class and I got grilled chicken with:  Ketchup, BBQ, honey mustard, Polynesia sauce and ranch. For one meal.  So of course..I had to find a reliable yummy source for dressings and sauces.   Tessamaes is it!


So if you wonder why I believe so deeply in pastured and grass fed foods read this: Grass Fed Basics


If you are new to this blog please visit my old blog for a ton of posts on other health related topics.  Old Blog


I am sure I will remember and add some things as time goes on....Hope this is helpful in leading you toward a more humane and healthy life!

In health,

cfh

"What you think of me is none of my business"...

    The importance of self esteem, self acceptance and internal beauty is a subject that has been written about in every magazine possible and talked about in therapy a million times over  I am sure.   (Insert p.s. this will be more of a rant...so if you want to skip my tirade scoot down to the links at the bottom that are SO worth reading! ) Ridiculously they usually have the thinnest woman with the most perfect skin on the cover.  Or how about the super lean muscled up man in his underwear (which I totally enjoy so don't get me wrong) on the cover of a mens health magazine and then an article inside about how you can still be healthy and be a clydesdale size guy?  This world is consumed with physical appearances.  We are exercising 5-7 days a week for hours at a time, running miles and miles trying to shed a tiny pound (BAD idea by the way), buying the most trendy clothes, having dangerous surgeries, eating NON food diet programs and going into debt to keep up appearances.   It's a list as long as my arm.....and its not changing anytime soon.
   
     How did we stray so far from the things that are most important?  I used to think the important "life" list was similar for most humans:  family, friends, happiness in a career and a healthy body...but I am starting to doubt it.    I know of people who spend hours shopping for the most perfect outfit for their kid yet complain they "don't have enough time" to cook a healthy meal for their family.  How about the women who say they can't afford organic food but they spend hundreds of dollars on clothes, nails and hair?  These are usually the same women who end up popping diet pills or going on some fad caffeine laden diet that causes even more irritability, eventual weight gain and even depression.  Where are our priorities!!!??

     Another  question I have is "Why is THIN and SKINNY considered a compliment??"  When I was my thinnest a couple years ago I got more compliments than I have ever gotten.  "You look so SKINNY!  What do I have to do to look like that?"  At first it felt good to hear these things....but then I realized  how twisted it was that people thought I looked good because I was thin?  WTH?  Never mind that I work hard at eating right, I move my body in a healthy way and try to enjoy my life.

    I train beautiful women of all shapes and sizes every day and I know I see them in a totally different way then they see themselves.  I see strong, hard working, kind and funny women yet I hear "I hate my stomach, how can I get rid of this flabby arm etc".  I wish I could help them see how their beauty shines through in so many ways.   A healthy image of ourselves is so much more important than what other people think of us yet that is what most women focus on...."what others will think".  I can't remember where I read this before but it's one of my favorite quotes "What other people think of me is none of my business".  I don't want to know if you think I have gained weight (I have...damn peri menopause!), or if I look tired, or if my clothes are from Target (many times they are!).  I don't really care....because to me....it's more important if I am kind, generous, helpful, compassionate, hard working and invested in my relationships.  I think I am all of those things...and what I wear and what I weigh doesn't make me any less of any of them.

     I am working harder at self acceptance myself...we all have room for improvement there...no matter our weight, clothing choice or how ragged our nails are.  The reason I wanted to address this subject briefly is because I am sick and tired of the world around us determining how we feel about ourselves and putting my frustrations in writing is always helpful for me.  I hope anyone who reads this will sit in self acceptance every day if even for a few minutes and be grateful and kind to yourself.    A couple great articles in the links below may help you to do just that!

Why women need fat


A refreshing post!



In health,

Cfh