Welcome to my Blog about Food and Well-being!

I am often asked to share my knowledge of food and recipes. After changing my diet four years ago from a typical "Western" diet to a mostly whole-foods and plant-based diet, I have seen incredible changes in my health and well-being. I have spent countless hours researching and love helping those who are ready to feel better. The underlying theme? YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. Read on to find out more.

RESOURCES

Many of you ask me to tell you where to find certain products or what brands I like. Here is a list I hope you find helpful. I try not to buy a lot of packaged foods, but if I do, these are the places I go and the brands I choose. I'll continue to add more.

Produce
  • Johnson's Backyard Garden - This is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), meaning the money I spend goes straight to the actual farmer. The produce is local, seasonal and organic. They have a large booth at local farmer's markets and deliver boxes of produce to most neighborhoods in Austin every week, although you can schedule your deliveries less often.
  • Not in Austin? Find your own local CSA by clicking on this LINK.


Stores
  • Whole Foods - Check out their iPad app for great recipes! I love this store, even if some things are more pricey. They have the hard-to-find ingredients I can't find anywhere else.
  • Casa de Luz - This organic, vegan, gluten-free restaurant also offers a small market for high quality items, such as imported Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce), sesame oil, grains, teas and fun bento lunch boxes. If you've never been, GO. There's nothing like it.
  • Honeyville Grain - I order a 5 lb. bag of blanched almond flour for gluten-free muffins, cookies and breadcrumb alternative. Store in fridge and use in place of regular flour.
  • Unrefined - This little gem of a store my sister told me about is in Dallas. It's a gluten-free bakery that ships all over the world. Their pizza crusts are amazing and I've heard all of their products are divine. I love that they use only unrefined, unprocessed ingredients.

Products
  • Eden Organics - They offer organic beans that are cooked in kombu (see previous posts about seaweeds) in BPA-free cans, as well as many other organic foods. HEB, Whole Foods and Central Market carry their line.
  • King Soba noodles - I absolutely LOVE this line of Asian noodles (gluten free). My favorites are the Black Rice Noodles, and Brown Rice and Wakame Noodles. Cook, then rinse in cold water. HEB carries some, but you can find it online by clicking on this LINK and finding the King Soba brand.
  • Mitoku - This brand is my favorite for REAL soy sauces, sesame oils, vinegars, and other Japanese ingredients. Imported from Japan, these high-quality products put their American counterparts to shame. I've never tasted soy sauce like this before - aged for years in casks and tended to like a fine wine. Try it and buy it at Casa de Luz (see above) or order ONLINE.
  • Cascadian Farm - I like this brand for cereals and snack bars. They use organic ingredients and the kids love their products. Just make sure you make sure they don't include more than 8 grams of sugar per serving. Most major grocery stores carry this brand. Click HERE to see what the packaging looks like.
  • Edward & Sons - They make organic, GMO-free, gluten-free crackers that are wonderful! I buy them at HEB, but have found them at Whole Foods and Central Market. Click HERE to see what the packaging looks like.
  • Food for Life - I love their organic, sprouted corn tortillas (=no GMOs and easier to digest). I buy them at Whole Foods, but you can also order them HERE.
  • Daiya cheese - Because this is processed, I use it sparingly, but it is a great alternative to dairy cheese. I prefer it melted, like in enchiladas, nachos, taquitos, and quesadillas. I buy this at Whole Foods, but many health food stores and Central Market carry it. LINK here.
  • Earth Balance - I use their buttery spreads because it's the only one I found without any dairy. It is processed, so I use sparingly, but sometimes you just need a little butter! There are many types, but I prefer the soy free because so many other products contain soy. Buy at most major grocery stores. LINK here.
  • Shaklee - ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER - My mom has used Shaklee products for 40 years and swears by them...now I do, too. Made from biodegradable and nontoxic ingredients, I use Basic H2 to clean everything from floors to cars, counters to windows. It's SUPER concentrated, so one 16 oz. bottle will make nearly 6,000 bottles of regular cleaners like Windex or 409!!! For extra scrubbing power, sprinkle nontoxic Bon Ami powder with the cleaner (under $1.50 at most stores).



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