HEARTh & HOME – Conscious Community Magazine: Recent Episodes
HEARTh & HOME – Conscious Community Magazine
By Betsy Bruns As a classic, October-born Libra, I love the fall by design. After all the summer fun and UV rays, cooler temperatures, brilliant colors, falling leaves and warming fires are welcome—as are pumpkins, root vegetables and sweet treats. Orange you ready for fall? It was not until I sat down to write about …
By Meghan De Jong, RHN – You don’t have to look too deep into the health industry to realize there is a whole lot of buzz surrounding the topic of plant-based diets these days. In fact, according to research by Global Data (2017) there has been a 600% increase in people identifying as vegan in …
By Betsy Bruns Labor Day has been a bittersweet holiday for most of my life. Sweet because we were usually having a barbeque, attending one, or off on a road trip. Bitter because it signaled the end of summer fun. What is Labor Day and why do we celebrate it? According to the U.S. …
By Dr. Jennifer Mieres and Dr. Stacey Rosen One in three women will die from cardiovascular disease this year. For men, the American Heart Association says it’s one in four. That’s higher than all types of cancer fatalities combined. Of course, there are risk factors that can increase a woman’s chance of getting the …
By Betsy Bruns The evolution of the sweet tooth is thought to be centered around the idea that, over generations, we have linked a sweet taste with high-energy foods, which would have helped our ancestors survive. Sourcing foods with high energy density meant less time foraging for food. It’s been observed that our ability …
By Betsy Bruns To what degree will food shortages plague us in 2022? So far, I’ve not had any problems finding staples and am holding a vision of plenty of good food and health abundance in the coming year. Quinoa, beans, lentils, rice, oats, nutritional yeast, condiments, and spices have been in good supply. Not …
By Betsy Bruns Refreshing Easter Traditions Easter gatherings in our family always included two things: ham and chicken liver pâté. It was tradition. Special care was taken to secure these delicacies in advance. The Easter ham was ordered well before the holiday and the chicken liver was bought early, then frozen to assure that …
By Betsy Bruns Spuds – The gift of the Irish As an Irish gal, I have consumed more than my fair share of potatoes. I love them boiled, baked, mashed, plain, or seasoned – and for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I’m clearly not alone in my appreciation for the fourth largest crop in the …
By Betsy Bruns February 1st, 2022, is the Chinese Lunar New Year (LNY) commencing The Year of The Tiger. It is said that Tiger years bring times of change, this year even more so because 2022 is a Water Tiger. Water is associated with sensitivity, creativity, and openness to change. Water is also powerful. …
By Betsy Bruns It’s my “veganniversary” this month, and because going vegan is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life — for health and personal peace — I encourage you to give it a try. On January 1st, 2012, my husband and I were sipping coffee in bed and decided to …
By Betsy Bruns It’s the most wonderful time of the year for nibbling. Whipping up favorite family recipes, creating new foodie traditions, noshing on coffee cakes and candy canes, baking cookies, and serving appetizers are popular pastimes of the holiday season. Food can be an expression of who we are. We associate certain types …
By Betsy Bruns Nearly a decade ago, a sweeping transformation happened in my life following a 30-Day gratitude challenge. During this time, I simply began each day by writing down five things for which I was grateful. These things didn’t need to be extravagant, though sometimes they were. More often it was a warm cup …
By Betsy Bruns World Vegetarian day is October 1st, and so is my birthday. Coincidence? Probably not. Is it possible we are born to be vegetarian? I’m convinced I was born this way because even as a small child, if I just started thinking about the animal who I was eating, I’d have to …
By Betsy Bruns As summer is sunsetting, my husband and I are looking forward to squeezing in a bit more Lake Michigan beach time with loved ones. Moving away from family and friends in 2021 means that gatherings are less spontaneous and occur mostly on weekend visits. The memories we make feed the soul and …
By Betsy Bruns Have you ever heard of the song “Peaceful Easy Feeling” by the Eagles? I had that feeling recently when eating green rice for breakfast while gazing at our French Bulldog Buddha statue. The bully Buddha is purposefully placed across from the kitchen table to remind me each day that peace starts …
By Betsy Bruns We are already halfway through the year, and summer and sovereignty day are here. On July 4th, 1776, thirteen colonies claimed independence from England, leading to the formation of the United States. Each year on the fourth of July, Americans celebrate the freedom and independence that this historic event initiated. I …
By Betsy Bruns I’ve never had much of a green thumb—more like a brown one. Although it’s my mission to inspire others to eat more plants, I’m much more comfortable in the kitchen than in the garden. This year, a friend planted a small garden for my husband and me. Perhaps now I’ll grow a …
By Betsy Bruns On our last Mother’s Day together, I brought Bunny (my mom) her favorite treats to eat. Bunny’s health had been on the decline for quite a while, but I felt assured things were stable. We had been to the doctor a couple of weeks prior to my visit, and no alarm …
By Betsy Bruns I have a confession to make. I’ve been overdosing on vitamin D all winter. How does one get extreme doses of the sunshine hormone? One way is spending lots of time outside in the light. Five to fifteen minutes of midday sun exposure can be enough to meet many people’s vitamin …
By Betsy Bruns When it comes to exercise, leaning out, and building muscle, the proverbial nutrition plan in modern history has been akin to Rocky Balboa’s. For those of you too young to remember in the 1976 movie, Rocky, Sylvester Stallone plays a lovable loan shark debt collector with a dream. In this rag …
By Betsy Bruns Welcome to February, the month where we celebrate the heart—in health and in love—with both Valentine’s Day and National Heart Health Month! In Feb. 2016, I spent the days by my sister’s side as she recovered from open heart bypass surgery. It was her 52nd birthday. In the year leading up to this …
By Betsy Bruns Beans, beans, they’re good for the heart…the more you eat…the more you lose. Traditionally, this time of year, many people embark on a weight loss plan in an attempt to release excess pounds. You may know where I’m going with this, as I’ve written previously about the many incredible benefits of …
By Betsy Bruns A holiday tradition in our family has been to create narrative poems that weave in the events of the year. The following poem from me to you is an ode to creating new holiday traditions on the heels of a transformative year. One of the ways we transformed in 2020 is …
By Betsy Bruns In the United States, November 2020 is a dynamic month with much of our attention on health, politics, and of course, Thanksgiving. It’s also World Vegan Month. Each November plant-based eaters from across the globe celebrate a cruelty-free lifestyle. My life transformed when I went vegan. I am grateful to have …
By Betsy Bruns We are now full swing into grill season in the United States. What a long, strange Spring it’s been. Most of us know that meaty, fatty barbeque is not healthy. In recent months, meat has been harder to come by, and with the closures of meat processing plants, it has been becoming …
By Betsy Bruns We all may be experiencing the pandemic in different ways. Some may feel more fear, either of the virus or about their financial future, while others may feel grateful to have better quality time with family and more time at home. There are many aspects of life we can’t control but focusing …
By Betsy Bruns July is National Hot Dog Month. It’s said that because the hot dog is such a vibrant part of Americana, Hot Dog Month is celebrated in the same month that America celebrates her independence. While it’s unclear exactly when the hot dog was invented, they have been linked to sausages developed during …
By Betsy Bruns I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a while ago. Like weight-loss diets, which have a start date, an end date, and the feeling of holding your breath until the torture is over. New Year’s resolutions are rarely successful. Neither are most diets. According to some estimates, diets fail 95% of the time. …
By Swati Mhaske Today, many people are seeking out natural methods for their health care needs. With the modern pace of life, where we are constantly forced to make unhealthy diet choices, our bodies and minds need healing. Healing tuned with nature restores both the body and mind. Ayurveda is such a method. Ayurveda originated …
By Betsy Bruns Are you on the vine about tomatoes, or can you eat them one after the other like potato chips? I’m a bit dicey. Not a zestful tomato connoisseur. I’ve pretty much always liked the dishes made with tomatoes, like pizza and pasta with sauce, but eating plain tomato’s or popping raw …
By Betsy Bruns Father’s Day may have you thinking of summer grilling. As June bridges the final days of Spring with the Summer Solstice, we are featuring seasonal ingredients and an unusual spice that will play with your appetite and taste buds in surprising ways. In the Midwest, asparagus and peas are in season and …
By Janae Jean When asked what their favorite food is what is the most common response in the United States? It’s pizza. Although pizza may be delectable, it is not the most healthful choice with the most popular variety, pepperoni, being high in saturated fat and sodium. April ushers in spring in full bloom and …
By Janae Jean After the long winter, spring returns on March 20. Fresh and locally-sourced fruits and vegetables will soon be returning to our markets. Spring (or green) onions are some of the earliest fresh spring produce. In fact, spring onion season is celebrated in Spain. From January until April, there arecalçotadafestivals in various Spanish …
By Janae Jean – This Valentine’s Day, treat yourself (and your sweetheart) to breakfast in bed. These two recipes are simple to prepare but complex in flavor. Heart healthful flaxseed adds protein and good fat. If you prefer to cube your own potatoes and tofu, simply do so the day before to save preparation time. …
By Janae Jean What do the most popular New Year’s Resolutions have in common? Looking at polls on Statista.com from 2016, 2017 and 2018, eating healthier, improving self-care, increasing overall fitness, losing weight and trying something new were favorites every year. I’m confident that those will still be the favorites for 2019. One way we …
By Janae Jean Pears and cranberries are both popular ingredients on holiday tables. According to the traditional song The Twelve Days of Christmas, the Christmas season begins with the gift of “a partridge in a pear tree.” Cranberries, historically known as “craneberries,” were served at the first Thanksgiving dinner. This month, we have two recipes …
By Janae Jean – For Thanksgiving, we are sharing four different takes on the classic cranberry sauce. The cranberry, is second only to the blueberry in antioxidant capacity per cup. They are also high in vitamins C and E and fiber and very low in sugar with only 46 calories per cup. Fresh cranberries can …
By Janae Jean In North America, pumpkins and other winter squash are synonymous with fall. Pumpkin pies, lattés, breads, muffins and more are everywhere as well as squash soups and risottos. While you may think that pumpkin and squash look very different from one another, pumpkin is actually a variety of winter squash and both …
By Janae Jean October is the half-way point for the fall semester at most colleges and universities. Students are in the midst of studying hard for midterms and midnight snacks become meals. For this fall semester, here are two healthful variations on the college dorm room classic ramen noodles. Ramen is traditionally a Japanese soup …
By Janae Jean September is such a busy time of year for many of us. Summer vacation season is done, and it’s time to go back to school. Even those of us who aren’t in school or don’t have students in our homes are getting ready for the cooler fall days. As we retreat back …
by Janae Jean – August in the Midwest is hot and humid. So, why not add some heat to our dinner plates as well? This month we have a plant-based meal inspired by the Indian Subcontinent. Indian food is known for its spicy flavors. This month’s masala-inspired dish is packed with heart healthy and anti-inflammatory …
By Janae Jean – In the United States we use the word smörgåsbord to refer to any type of buffet style meal. It literally means “sandwich table” in Swedish. Its normally a large spread of cold and hot dishes, featuring regional ingredients such as herring, salmon, dill, cucumbers and crispbread. The sandwiches of Northern Europe …
By Janae Jean – Lavender is for more than skin care and potpourri; it’s a culinary herb that adds a certain je ne sais quoi to both sweet and savory dishes and beverages. Lavender is a common herb in Southern French or Provençalcooking. While recently becoming popular in North America, lavender has been used as a …
by Janae Jean – We are all most familiar with orange carrots, but carrots come in purple, red, yellow and white varieties as well. When we include carrots are various hues in our diets, we are maximizing our antioxidant intake. Carrots are probably best known for the antioxidant named for them, beta-carotene. However, they contain …
By Janae Jean – Rhubarb and Asparagus April is the first full month of spring, and the fresh, locally grown produce we missed during the long, cold winter is beginning to return to the produce aisles and farmer’s markets. In the Midwest, some of the first in season fruits and vegetables are asparagus and …
Irish Teatime Breads By Janae Jean – What is the most popular drink in Ireland? Is it that well-known dry stout? Is it whiskey? It’s Assam black tea. The Irish consumed 4.83 pounds per capita of tea in 2016; that’s second in the world after the Turks. Irish tea is generally brewed strong, served with …
By Janae Jean – Cooking With Himalayan Sea Salt and Lemon Zest Cooking together is a fun and affordable way to build intimacy. When we cook together, we explore each other’s tastes, we reveal quirks in our personality, and we spend quality time mindfully being together. Julia Child said, “I think careful cooking is love, …
Interview by Janae Jean & Spencer Schluter Our first podcast guest of 2018 is Michael Greger, M.D. Dr. Greger is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling How Not To Die as well as the recently released companion book How Not To Die Cookbook. He is also the founder of the not-for-profit NutritionFacts.org, …
By Janae Jean – Cooking with Beets and Pomegranates Snow…sub-zero wind chills…icy patches …we are in the midst of winter now in the Midwest. Not much grows in our gardens this time of year, but that does not mean there are not fresh fruit and vegetables in season. Beets and other root vegetables are the …
By Janae Jean – What’s in season this holiday season? Winter squash? Root vegetables? To me, the holiday season is cookie season! We all have our family favorites. Many of us have family and friends with dietary concerns that make this time of year difficult to suit their needs. I flipped through some of my …
By Janae Jean – It’s November, and the holiday season is beginning. Thanksgiving leftovers don’t have to boring. This month we have two flavorful takes on family dinner staples, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. The first, Curried Sweet Potatoes, adds Eastern flair to a Western favorite, thanks to blended curry spices. The second, Savory Butternut …
By Janae Jean – After eating fresh fruits and vegetables all summer long, the cooler autumn days bring us back to baking. The harvest has begun, and locally grown fall produce is appearing on the shelves at our local grocers and farmer’s markets. As part of a new series, HEARTh & Home, we will be …