Spring into SPRING!

It's official: Spring has sprung!  We're so excited about the warmer weather, longer days and blossoms on the trees…but the thing that makes us want to jump for joy is SPRING PRODUCE!

The bounties of this season are not only tasty, they're full of nutrients and many seasonal fruits and veggies are detoxifying too.  So if you're like us and feeling the need to cleanse and detoxify but want to continue on life as usual, just incorporate some of the below spring produce into your diets.

Without any further adieu, the following is our Spring into Spring produce recommendations:

Cruciferous veggies (aka broccoli, kale, cauliflower, collards, etc)

These delicious veggies are not only jam packed with cancer-fighting nutrients they help clear up the liver’s detoxification pathways and can even support the body in eliminating fat.

Garlic

Green garlic (looks a lot like large green onions) is not only a gourmet treat; it’s an antibiotic that can reduce toxins in the body.  Similarly to cruciferous veggies, it’s a powerhouse at detoxifying the liver.

Artichokes

These beautiful flowers are not only fun to eat-they’re incredibly healthy.  Artichokes support the body in digesting fats and purifying the liver.  If you’re feeling extra daring you can drink the left over artichoke water (the water that you used to cook the artichokes in) as this water is incredibly high in antioxidants and very cleansing for the digestive tract.

Beets

These sweet and earthy roots are loaded with B vitamins, beta carotene, calcium and iron, all of which help with detoxification of the digestive tract and gallbladder.

Strawberries

Representing dessert in our top five is the perfectly delicious STRAWBERRY! We all know that they’re loaded with anti-oxidants but did you know that they’re an incredible source of vitamin C? Vitamin C is an important part of detoxifying the body as it removes fat deposits from the arteries.

So next time you’re at the market, don’t forget to load up your cart with these seasonal gems, your taste buds and your health will thank you!

Home Remedies for Seasonal Allergies

Here in San Francisco spring is in full bloom.  All around the city, folks are having outdoor picnics while soaking in the sunshine and enjoying everything this delightful season has to offer.  Unfortunately for some, spring is a lot more than sunshine and flowers. The American Association of Allergies, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) reports that 36 million people in the US sneeze at the scent of blossoms and tear up at the sight of a flowering weeds all due to seasonal allergies.  But have no fear allergy sufferers, Peas of Mind is here to help reduce these symptoms with some simple home remedies.

 First things first, make sure your home is a sanctuary from your allergies by dusting and vacuuming every single surface in your house (don't forget about your drapes and curtains which can easily collect pollen and other allergy-causing culprits). If you live in an especially humid area, you may want to get a dehumidifier. This will remove mold causing moisture from the air (but be sure to change the filters once a month). 

Now that you’ve ensured that your house is allergen-free, it’s important to keep it that way.  Keep your windows closed, especially between the hours of 5am and 10am when pollen tends to be at it’s worst and when it’s windy outside.  If you shower in the morning, you may want to switch to nighttime showers to remove any pollen from your hair and body before you crawl into bed.  With that being said, it’s also a good idea to change your sheets once a week to ensure that the coziest place in your house doesn’t cause you to sniffle and sneeze all night.

Educate yourself on your allergies by visiting the AAAAI's website.   This website has daily pollen and mold reports which will allow you to prepare for your day according to the pollen and mold levels.  Also if you don't know what's causing your allergies, these reports may help you narrow down the trees, weeds or types of mold that could be the culprits.

When it comes to severe allergies, it’s always best to consult your doctor but if you're just suffering from some annoying sniffles and sneezes, there are many at home remedies hiding in your kitchen cupboard:  

• Peppermint tea not only helps clear your sinuses, it also acts as an anti-inflammatory and a mild anti-bacterial.  Make the tea extra strong by using both a tea bag and fresh mint.
• A teaspoon of raw, local, unfiltered honey everyday has been known to act as a vaccine by building your immune system's defense against the allergens in your environment.  Check out your local farmers market and make sure that the honey is from your city. This ensures that you're ingesting the same pollen that's causing your allergies.
• Stinging nettle tea does not only aid in feeling better from allergy symptoms, it’s also been known to help stop the symptoms before they even start.   Stinging nettles contain natural anti-histamines and are power-packed with nutrients which can boost your immune system.  It’s important to make the tea EXTRA strong (steep the tea bag until it's dark green) and drink it daily (it will work even better if you start drinking it a month or two before allergy season begins).
• Cucumber slices on your eyes are no longer just for the spa. These cold, cooling veggies are known to reduce the redness and puffiness around your eyes caused by hay fever.
• If you're up for it, wasabi and horseradish is another delicious decongestant. Not only will these spicy root vegetables clear your sinuses they also have anti-inflammatory properties.  So go get some lunchtime sushi, add a heap of wasabi, take a deep breath and enjoy nature’s tasty remedy.

Spring Cleaning

After a long, cold winter, spring has finally sprung (or at least here in Northern California).  The days are getting longer, the daffodils are in bloom and the pressure to spring clean is weighing on you.  The time to come has come to organize that closet that has become a giant knick-knack drawer, recycle the magazines that have been piling up in your office and finally take a trip to Goodwill to donate that “donation pile” at the bottom of your closet. But like most people, you probably aren't planning on cleaning the most important room in the house.  That room is…the kitchen, namely the cupboards, pantry and the refrigerator.

Not only is this a chance to organize and wipe away all of the dust that has accumulated over the past 12 months…it’s your chance to give yourself a Kitchen makeover.   We’ve laid out a 5-step plan that will leave you with an organized, clean, accessible and nutrient packed kitchen in a matter of hours.

1) Make a mess.  We’re big believers that it’s important to make a bigger mess before everything actually gets clean.  Make sure you have LOTS of free table and counter space and COMPLTELEY empty your refrigerator, pantry and cupboard.  Divide everything into four categories:

                1. The expiration date has passed and it's time to compost it.

2. Too many ingredients you can’t pronounce and not something you feel good about eating.

3.  Even though it’s open, it hasn’t expired and still looks good.

4. Yummy, I’d eat this tonight!

2) Compost, recycle and throw away everything from category one and two.  Wipe off, organize and repackage everything from category three and four. (Here at Peas of Mind we love storing our grains, beans and baked goods in mason jars…it looks so cute and makes the ingredients last longer). 

3) This is where the spring “cleaning” really comes into play.  Now that everything is empty, wipe off every surface, wash each vegetable drawer and really get into all the nooks and crannies of every corner, crevice and crack.  If your freezer is like ours and it needs a good spring clean, a quick way to defrost and wipe everything down without unplugging the whole fridge is to place a pot of boiling water in the freezer and let sit for 20 minutes.  After this time, you should be able to chip away the ice and wipe your freezer until it sparkles. 

4) Put everything from categories three and four into the appropriate storage space, admiring your new adorable jars, dust-free surfaces and all the free shelf space.

5) Fill the free space with items from our Pantry Staples that will give you Peas of Mind blog post. Also stock your squeaky clean vegetable drawers with spring produce like, Asparagus, Beets, Kale and of course, Peas.  Put out a fruit bowl that is easily accessible to everyone full of grapefruits, kiwis, oranges and strawberries so that your whole family can easily enjoy nature’s springtime treats!