Demystifying Oils

Here at Peas of Mind we love to eat seasonally; this helps us stay healthy and allows us to enjoy every season to the max.  Seasonal eating in the winter means a lot of warming foods such as kale, sweet potatoes, squash, root vegetables and fat.  You heard us right; we said fat, but before you go run to the food court to get a Cinnamon bun, note that we’re talking about heart healthy plant-based oils. 

We know that it can sometimes feel overwhelming when navigating oils and trying to figure out the best option to bake with, sauté with or to put in your salad dressings.  Because Peas of Mind is always looking to help you make your life easier and healthier we’ve decided to break things down.  We took our 6 favorite oils and made the below chart so that you can feel confident when adding these healthful oils into your diet.

click to enlarge

Fort Frydays

Fort Frydays is back celebrating our Veggie Wedgies, which are now available in military commissaries!

Today our hometown hero is Kristina Doss, a military daughter, wife and mom.  By day, Kristina is a journalist whose work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Times and by night, she's a hometown hero taking care of her husband and daughter.  

Photo by Camille O. Martin-Jones

More from Christina, this week's hometown hero:

What branch of the military is your spouse in?

"My husband is in the U.S. Navy. He has served our country for 12 years and my family is incredibly proud of his service and all that he has accomplished so far."

How long have you been a military wife?

"I’ve been a military wife for almost seven years. During that time, my husband and I have moved, lived and traveled around the world. (We currently live in Singapore.) It’s been quite the adventure – one that I share on the blog My Traveling Troop."

Do you have kids? If so, what are their names and ages?

"Our daughter Bella is four years old. We also have another bundle of joy on the way."

Do you or have you lived on base? Which one?

"We’ve lived both on and off base over the years. I think both options offer wonderful and unique experiences. For us, the choice to live on or off base depends on the area and what stage in life we’re in at the time we have to make the decision."

What is the best thing about base life?

"Living off base has given us an opportunity to develop friendships with locals and, when we’re overseas, learn about their culture and customs more. On the other hand, living on base provided us with an immediate sense of community and support from people who also live and understand a nomadic lifestyle."

What is your favorite food to prepare for your family?

"That’s a tough question, because I love to cook! But if I had to choose one, I would say chicken and brown rice soup. The dish is easy to make and healthy since it’s packed with protein, vegetables and fresh herbs. My husband and daughter love it."

You are on a deserted island and can only bring one thing...Go!

"I’m going to imagine that this deserted island has excellent reception so that I can bring my iPhone. The phone has a map application, so I’ll always know where we are and how to get home. I can call for help and Google how-to instructions on how to build a fire, pitch a tent from the materials around us and forage for food while we wait for help to arrive. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have a little entertainment while you’re stranded somewhere. "

Is Military wife life what you thought it would be?

"I grew up as a Navy child; my father served for 20 years. As a result, I had a good sense of what to expect when I married someone in the Navy. But truth be told, as a military wife I’ve experienced more surprises and adventures than I ever could have imagined."

Fight the flu (part two)

If you read our last post you know that here at Peas of Mind we’re staying healthy and fighting the flu by washing our hands, getting enough sleep and eating our veggies.  But because desperate times call for desperate measures we’ve turned to our Peas of Mind Facebook followers to see what other things we could be doing this month to stay healthy. We got some great suggestions, so get out a pen and paper, take some notes and get ready to fight the flu (part two)!

Start your morning off right.  Michelle recommends a healthy shake/smoothie in the morning.  It’s much easier to load your day with fruits and veggies when you start it off with a bang.  This morning we drank a green smoothie that had a two cups kale, 1 cup of orange juice, ½ cup of blueberries, a banana, a peeled orange, an apple and a tablespoon of chlorella.  This made about two smoothies and it was so tasty!  Be creative and try different fruits and fresh juices always adding some type of green.

Christena suggests oil of oregano (one of our favorite health secrets).  It’s a powerful antibiotic and antimicrobial and is great when you feel like you might be getting sick.  It’s not for everyone so do your research and use cautiously.

Sarah recommends good old-fashioned exercise.  Exercising on a regular basis helps to lower stress and speed up the rate our white blood cells fight off illness; this has a major immune-enhancing effect.

Micheal says he uses Echinacea tea and also drinks a tall glass of water with a dash of Bragg Live Foods raw apple cider vinegar and honey.  Sounds interesting and so easy to add in pre smoothie.

The last two helpful hints from Jennifer and Kathy are so easy and oh so important: drink lots of water and get your vitamin D.  These are two key pieces in keeping your immune system up and ready to take on any germs that come your bodies way.  So this afternoon (if it’s sunny) grab a big glass of water and sit in the sun for 20 minutes – simple AND relaxing!

We hope this helps you stay happy and healthy the rest of this flu season!

Fight the Flu

If you’ve been watching the news, you know that flu season is here, and it’s here with a vengeance!   How do you stay healthy when it seems everyone around you is getting sick?  Well here at Peas of Mind, we are practicing two simple tips to stay healthy: stay away from germs and keep our immune system strong.

First things first, wash your hands! I know we hear it all the time but it really is one of our best defenses against germs. By washing our hands (sing happy birthday to yourself to gauge how long you should wash) we wash off the germs we constantly come in contact with from doorknobs to sneezes. And remember to avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes because germs can easily sneak through these entry points. Did you know that the average person touches his or her face three to five times per minute? This means you've probably touched your face three times while reading this blog so go wash your hands!

Secondly, get in touch with your animal instinct and find time to hibernate!  Winter should be the season we slow down and get lots of sleep. Now I know sleeping for four months is just not an option but during these cold months it’s important to aim to get about 8 hours per night.  This not only boosts your immune system but it also reduces stress, inflammation and increases positivity.

An apple a day DOES keep the doctor away…well sort of… Diet greatly affects our body’s ability to fight off sickness, which means a helping of veggie wedgies (which is about 10 fries and contains 1.5 servings of vegetables) can really keep those nasty germs at bay.  Combine your veggie fries with seasonal produce, garlic (fresh garlic has been shown to fight off viruses) and whole grains and you will have that healthy edge you need to fight the flu and make it through the winter with a clean bill of health!

Fort Frydays

Fort Frydays is back for 2013!  As you know,  Peas of Mind’s Veggie Wedgies are now in military commissaries, which means we get the honor of feeding the brave men and women who serve our country and the families who love them.  Fort Frydays is a celebration of the moms and dads (or Home Town Hero’s as we like to call them) who take care of the household while their spouse is/was away. 

This week we’re celebrating military wife and mom, Chantal Shelstad. When Chantel's not busy with her daughter and husband, she writes for her blog Scattered Seashells about life as a military mom helping her family live a healthy lifestyle (her life just got a little easier because now she can get Peas of Mind products at her commissary)! 

More from Chantel, this week's hometown hero:

What branch of the military is your spouse in?

“My husband is in the Army. He is training to be a helicopter pilot.”

How long have you been a military wife?

“We've been married since June 2008, and he's been in the Army since then too! So it'll be five years come this summer.”

Do you have kids? If so, what are their names and ages?

“We have one daughter, Penny, who just turned one in December.”

Do you or have you lived on base? 

“We live on base here at Fort Rucker. Before we lived here, we were stationed in Hawaii, and we lived on base there too.”

What is the best thing about base life?

“We love being close to his work so he can come home between breaks.  There are lots of perks of living on base - proximity to the commissary and PX, close to other families, good housing. I especially love being on post here because I'm close to friends, because my husband is gone a lot for training in flight school.”

What is your favorite food to prepare for your family?

“We have tons! But I like a good meatloaf with roasted broccoli and sweet potato fries on the side. I’m so excited to try Peas of Mind Carrot fries, they seem super healthy and easy to make.”

You are on a deserted island and can only bring one thing...Go!

“Does my husband count as a thing? Seriously, he would get us out of anything. I'm sure that's putting a lot of faith in him but I trust him beyond words. I know he would work to get us off that island.  Well, unless we liked it so much, and then he'd work to make us a great house!”

Is Military life what you thought it would be?

“That and more! I love the relationships I have with others who understand exactly what I'm going through. I love the opportunities we have to travel. I love the activities they organize. I love the sense of community. I love being an Army wife!”

Spa state of mind

I hope everyone is having a healthy and happy 2013 thus far!  I must admit that one of my favorite parts of the New Year is that the Holidays are over; no more presents to wrap, the cookies are finally gone and the stockings are hung back in the attic where they belong.  January is a time for new beginnings and I’m a firm believer that in order to start the year off right it’s important to take some time to recharge and rejuvenate.   But with your busy schedule, your kid’s extra-circular activates and that 2 mile walk you made it your resolution to do three times per-week, how on earth are you ever going to find time to relax? Two words: spa night!  Now we’re not telling you to go spend a few hundred dollars at a spa; the idea is to get yourself in the spa state of mind and bring the luxuries of the spa to your home.

Five simple steps to spa night:

1)       You’re going to need an hour to yourself so put a Peas of Pie in the oven and a movie in the DVD player. You get a Spa night and your kids get a movie night!

2)       Let your troubles float away.  Did you know that soaking in warm water lowers blood pressure, lifts toxins from your skin and relaxes muscles?  Add some Epsom salts, lavender oil or your favorite bubble bath to get the full spa experience.

3)      This is no ordinary bath so don’t forget to light some candles and bring something yummy to drink. Why not something seasonal like a cranberry spritzer (just mix cranberry juice and carbonated water) or our Winter Ginger Sipper (http://www.peasofmind.com/recipes/recipes.htm)?

4)      This is a great time to treat your tresses to the spa experience.  Mix your conditioner with a few teaspoons of olive oil, rub into the ends of your hair and put on a shower cap.  Leave this concoction in for at least five minutes.

5)      Enjoy the quiet.  Read that book you’ve been meaning to finish, indulge in your favorite guilty pleasure magazine or just let your mind wander.

When you emerge from the bath you will feel relaxed and invigorated - ready to start the New Year with a skip in your step.  Here’s to spa night bringing you peas and harmony in 2013!