If you have followed me for very long, you'll know that I like to focus on nutrition. This is something I've had to do for 12+ years now due to some special dietary needs in my family (more on this later). Today I want to talk a little bit about the importance of aloe vera juice. I recently added it to my daily routine and I absolutely love it!
Just look at all the amazing benefits a good, quality aloe juice can have:
- Antioxidant rich
- Aid and support for digestion
- Helps with body alkalinity
- Hydration for skin
- Liver function
- and potentially so much more!
The particular one I use is formulated with a variety of antioxidant supporting phytonutrients and is made from pure organic Aloe Vera.* It's also made with natural ingredients that aid and support digestion and contains naturally-occuring electrolytes to support cellular function*. It has natural honey that aids to help soothe the stomach and also has natural pear juice to help support energy.* Now that's a great ounce of juice right there! Not to mention that it tastes amazing and is light & sweet. It seriously makes taking care of your gastrointestinal health something you want to do.
One thing I'm learning more and more on my path to natural healing is that if the digestive tract is messed up, the whole body will eventually follow suit. A heathy gut is sooooo important! It allows the body to absorb the nutrients it needs and expel those it doesn't. Aloe Vera is just one of the things I've added to my daily protocol. You can read about my full regimen in "my health journal" on my website.
As with any dietary product, please keep in mind: *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
🌸 From my homestead heart to yours —
If you’re walking this same journey of homemaking, decluttering, and creating a peaceful, faith-filled home, you’re not alone.
I’d love to share encouragement, simple living inspiration, and homestead wisdom with you — right to your inbox.
If you’re walking this same journey of homemaking, decluttering, and creating a peaceful, faith-filled home, you’re not alone.
I’d love to share encouragement, simple living inspiration, and homestead wisdom with you — right to your inbox.
– Amanda | The HomeGrown Mom 🌾
Originally today's post was going to be all about mindset and why it matters. But the truth is, things have been super crazy lately and that means things get a little off balance. That's all okay, because in all reality, the wheel is never fully balanced. It rotates and there will be times one area needs a bit more help than others. For me right now, that area is health.
A week or so ago I was told by a friend about a holistic practitioner in the area. I didn't really think I had anything major to go in for but wanted to get my foot in the door and knew it had been a while since I'd had a good checkup. So I scheduled an appointment. That appointment was today. The news wasn't quite as I expected. I fully thought she'd agree that I'm premenopausal (which she did) and that I have a few gut issues going on. My thought was that it was just "normal" things that a good cleanse could take care of. No biggie.
Though these are all areas that came up, it wasn't necessarily for the reasons I expected. So, what exactly is going on? Lyme Disease. The funny thing is that, though it hadn't really crossed my mind that I had it, I also wasn't super surprised. I live in central Oklahoma and the ticks can be thick at times. So, yes, I've had tick bites before. However, it's been a while so I was surprised that it's something that is just now coming up (which I also found out isn't so uncommon).
What now? Thankfully, since I'm already health-conscious and try to give my body what it needs, this process should go a little faster than the projected 11+ months that it can take.
Step #1 is to open up the drainage system.
Step #2 is to kill off all parasites. Thankfully she said I really don't have a lot to deal with here. That's a big plus!
Step #3 is a series of steps to actually kill off the Lyme Disease.
I'm feeling pretty confident about the action steps we are taking and I can't wait to heal my body from the inside out. It's so important to listen to you bodies and find ways to treat the core issues, not just the symptoms. Like I said above, I felt I needed to go in but not for anything major. But I was also relieved to have the appointment set just to know what all is going on. And you better believe I'm happy that I didn't put it off any longer. Now we can head things off quickly and get my body back to where it needs to be.
As for mindset, well, it plays a part here too...having a positive attitude when healing the body is a must! The results will be so much better when you face things with a positive outlook. Stay tuned for my original blog on why mindset matters...and having a healthy body is just one reason why!
🌸 From my homestead heart to yours —
If you’re walking this same journey of homemaking, decluttering, and creating a peaceful, faith-filled home, you’re not alone.
I’d love to share encouragement, simple living inspiration, and homestead wisdom with you — right to your inbox.
If you’re walking this same journey of homemaking, decluttering, and creating a peaceful, faith-filled home, you’re not alone.
I’d love to share encouragement, simple living inspiration, and homestead wisdom with you — right to your inbox.
– Amanda | The HomeGrown Mom 🌾
Oh man! Do I have a delicious recipe for you!! This black bean soup is a favorite in my house. It's soooo tasty, especially when you make your own black beans (recipe here).
We like to serve this over cooked rice. Try adding chopped cilantro to add that nice cool and refreshing taste. Though sour cream and cheese may make great additions, we prefer it just as it is!
Enjoy!!
Bacon & Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups black beans (I use this recipe to make them from dried beans)
- 6 slices of bacon or more (I usually use a whole package...cuz it's bacon!)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 TBS minced garlic
- 32 oz chicken broth (or 2 cans)
- 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Served with:
Rice
Chopped Cilantro
Instructions
- Cook bacon in stockpot (I usually do some in the pot and some in the oven to speed up the process).
- When bacon is mostly done, add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add in beans and remaining ingredients (except rice and cilantro).
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 min to help blend the flavors.
- Serve over cooked rice. Add cilantro and desired toppings.
🌸 From my homestead heart to yours —
If you’re walking this same journey of homemaking, decluttering, and creating a peaceful, faith-filled home, you’re not alone.
I’d love to share encouragement, simple living inspiration, and homestead wisdom with you — right to your inbox.
If you’re walking this same journey of homemaking, decluttering, and creating a peaceful, faith-filled home, you’re not alone.
I’d love to share encouragement, simple living inspiration, and homestead wisdom with you — right to your inbox.
– Amanda | The HomeGrown Mom 🌾
These black beans so so delicious!! Once you make them, you'll never want canned black beans again! They are perfect for tacos or soup. Sooooo good!
You can find my bacon black bean soup recipe here. Yum!
Instant Pot Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry black beans (sorted and rinsed)
- 3 cups water
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp worcestershire sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in instant pot.
- Place lid on and turn steam release valve to sealing.
- Set pot to manual (high pressure) for 22 minutes. It may take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
- Allow steam to release naturally for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, carefully open steam valve to release any remaining steam.
- Once steam is fully released, carefully open lead.
- Serve beans as desired.
🌸 From my homestead heart to yours —
If you’re walking this same journey of homemaking, decluttering, and creating a peaceful, faith-filled home, you’re not alone.
I’d love to share encouragement, simple living inspiration, and homestead wisdom with you — right to your inbox.
If you’re walking this same journey of homemaking, decluttering, and creating a peaceful, faith-filled home, you’re not alone.
I’d love to share encouragement, simple living inspiration, and homestead wisdom with you — right to your inbox.
– Amanda | The HomeGrown Mom 🌾
In today's society, it seems almost impossible to always be happy...truly happy. There is so much negativity around us, often even within our own homes, that happiness seems to be fleeting and hard to find. I want to take a moment to encourage you to find your path to happiness. But first, let's define happiness according to Merriam Webster Dictionary:
Now, let's take a look at some terrific reasons to be happy:
- Happy people attract happy people. Have you ever noticed that just one bad mood can ruin it for everyone else in the room? The same applies to happiness. One person with a cheerful attitude can help all those around to feel happier. Go ahead, try it and you'll see!
- It can improve your health. There are several studies done on this, and though it is hard to prove, the results clearly show that happiness can improve your overall health. I don't know about you, but I'll take it!
- Lower stress levels. Positive emotions can help to broaden your perspective and encourages new ideas. This can help you keep the stress at bay when you are confronted with, well, anything! Business, home, life...
- More productivity. Those who are happy tend to have better focus and motivation, therefore making them more productive in their tasks, which also means they are more likely to reach their goals.
- Happier people tend to take care of their bodies better, which could also be why they are happier! Nutrition, exercise, mental health...it all works together. If you have a healthy diet and exercise regularly, it helps to produce endorphins, which aid in happiness. Did you know that this is one reason we often crave chocolate? Yep, eating chocolate can help produce those feel-good endorphins. More chocolate please!!
- Better relationships. This takes us back to #1, people enjoy being around happy people. Therefore, it stands to reason that you will have better, healthier relationships with others. We need each other. Being with others is part of what makes us tick (even if you're an introvert like me). So, here's to better relationships and spreading happiness all around
There are many different studies done on this topic and though it isn't fully understood, it's fairly evident that happiness can improve your overall quality of life!
Want some more tips on learning to choose happiness? Check out this link for info on a 21 day happiness challenge.
🌸 From my homestead heart to yours —
If you’re walking this same journey of homemaking, decluttering, and creating a peaceful, faith-filled home, you’re not alone.
I’d love to share encouragement, simple living inspiration, and homestead wisdom with you — right to your inbox.
If you’re walking this same journey of homemaking, decluttering, and creating a peaceful, faith-filled home, you’re not alone.
I’d love to share encouragement, simple living inspiration, and homestead wisdom with you — right to your inbox.
– Amanda | The HomeGrown Mom 🌾
