About 15 years ago ( geezzzzz - hard to believe it has been that long!), I was traveling around New Zealand with my sister. I pretty much dragged her to everything adventurous we could possible do and one was cave diving to see the glow worms. It was a very cold, yet interestingly fun adventure but the one thing I remember was the delicious hot pumpkin soup and buttery toast we had after our tour.

Sadly though, my pumpkin soup will not go down with such memories with my family. Although, I thought it was good and it was simple and nutritious, I figured I would post it.

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 1Tbsp of olive oil

• 2 Tbsp of butter

• 1 onion, sliced

• 6 cups of pumpkin cut into larger chunks

• 3 cups of sliced potatoes

• 2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock

• pinch of nutmeg

• 1 tsp chopped and fresh tarragon

• 2 1/2 cups of milk
• 1 to 2 tsp of lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat up the oil and butter in a sauce pan. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes - stirring frequently.
2. Add the pumpkin and potatoes and stir well. Cover and let steam for approximately 10 minutes until the vegetables are almost tender. Don’t forget to stir!
3. Stir in stock, nutmeg, tarragon and salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes ( or until the vegetables are completely tender).
4. Let the soup cool and then pour into a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Pour back in to the pan and add the milk. Heat slowly, add the lemon juice and adjust the seasonings if need be.
5. Serve the soup nice an hot!

Enjoy! and be well,

Vitamin D has been well researched over the years in its’ role in calcium absorption and metabolism of bone health. But recent research is suggesting that vitamin D may have an important role in many diseases thus playing some impact on our immune system.

One wonder about vitamin D is its association with flus. Why don’t we have many  flu  cases during the summer months? Is it possible that flu cases are associated with Vitamin D levels? The sun gives our bodies enough vitamin D ( when we are not slathering on copious amounts of sunscreen) during the sunny summer months, so maybe that is our answer to prevention of colds and flus during the winter months.

Something to ponder about about.

Doctor Greg and Greg fromt he Natures Cure Clinic are podcasting about Vitamin D and giving some important facts ( and myths!).

They talk about…

sunscreen - UVA and B rays

• We take in most of our needed vitamin D by the sun ( but there are some food sources - see below)
• UVB rays are needed to activate vitamin D but this is what we normally block when wearing sunscreen
• UVA rays are associated with cancer ( find a sun block that blocks these rays!)

food sources

• D3 is the active form and is mostly  found in animal sources, for example; fish ( yummy cod liver oil), halibut, sardines, salmon
  

• D2 is found in almost all plant sources but it needs to be converted to D3 in the body ( which is more work for the body)

optimal and reference ranges (interesting)

• D2 is mostly given as a prescription ( and at a high dose) although it is much more desirable to take the more usable and potent form D3
• Reference range: 30 to 100 ( based on disease)
• Optimal range ( naturopathic range: indicates health): get a baseline to see where you are, then supplement
• Toxicity risk? Minimal unless you are taking mega huge dosages ( less is usually more!)

dosages ( remember to work with a physician and get a baseline first)

• RDA 200 IU a day
• Optimal dosage: 1100 IU a day

and so much more

• so go ahead and listen to them!
  

I really enjoys listening to what they have to say and want to pass it on to you. Take the time to listen as they are witty, charming and extremely knowledgeable.

Happy listening!

PS If you are like us and do put on daily sunscreen, maybe some Liquid Sunshine - Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D3 liquid would be helpful for you. You can purchase through Emerson Ecologics on my shopping supplements page.

I used to make my dad’s instant coffee every morning, however, I did not have my first sip until I was about 24 ( due to a room mate who brewed a pot every morning). The smell intrigued me so I gave it a try with lots of milk and sugar. It wasn’t really my first choice in beverages until  I had kids! Once the kids arrived anything caffeinated to help me get through the long afternoons was much appreciated!

And really, coffee is not all bad for you and actually it has many health benefits. Moderation of course is the key and really a good cup a java is all you really need.

Well, now that I have been pretty consistent on my coffee sipping (every once in a while I will stop drinking and lucky for me I have no side effects), that I am beginning to get a little snobby with my coffee choices. And living in Hawaii, I am quite lucky to be living amongst some amazing coffee farmers.

I have recently discovered, Hawaii White Mountain Javaloha Coffee. It is smoothest, sweetest and loveliest cup of coffee, I have ever tasted. I am lucky because it is sold at our local farmers market but you can also purchase a bag from their site. I recommend you do for yourself or for someone you know who is a coffee lover.

Bring on the french press and be well,

I have never been one to add salt to my foods and actually I do not even have a salt and pepper shaker on our kitchen table. Although a  few months ago, I was eating at one of the local hotel restaurants and they served these yummy brioches with a side of butter sprinkled with pink salt. After one tiny nibble ( tiny because I was not positive that it was salt ) I became hooked.

Now I solely use sea salt in all my cooking.  It is much less refined than table salt ( less processing is always better), and it’s trace minerals give it its distinct taste and provides the body with some added nutrition.

There are many places that manufacture sea salts - from Hawaii to Cape Cod to France, however, I have yet to find the perfect one for me so if any of you have a sea salt you wear by please let me know!

Although sea salt has not been processed as much as table salt, it is important to eat it in moderation. It’s yummy though and just an extra sprinkle of it will surely to be enough to satisfy your taste buds.

Be well,

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February4, 2010

Contact: Heather Manley, N.D.
Email: drheather@drheathernd.com
Phone: 808.640.1159

THE MOM’S CHOICE AWARDS® NAMES

HUMAN BODY DETECTIVES: THE LUCKY ESCAPE

SILVER MEDALIST IN FAMILY-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

The Mom’s Choice Awards® has named Human Body Detectives: The Lucky Escape among the best in family friendly media, products and services by awarding them with silver medal in Juvenile Books (Level 1 - Ages 5 to in Multimedia Experiences.

Human Body Detectives is a series of educational adventure story-telling audio CDs and activity workbooks featuring Merrin and Pearl, sisters who find they have the magical ability to enter different systems in other people’s bodies to solve health mysteries. Through the action- packed fictional adventures, listeners learn how the various systems work and what best foods fuel that system. The accompanying workbook filled with games and puzzles reinforces what they kids have learned and helps them further understand the importance of maintaining a healthy body.

The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) is an awards program that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services. The Mom’s Choice Awards® seal helps families and educators navigate the vast array of products and services and make informed decisions.

An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of our panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of PBS’s Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times best-selling author, Priscilla Dunstan, creator of the Dunstan Baby Language; Patricia Rossi, host of NBC’s Manners Minute; Dr. Letitia S. Wright, D.C., host of the Wright Place™ TV Show; and Catherine Witcher, M.Ed., special needs expert and founder of Precision Education, Inc.

The evaluation process uses a propriety methodology in which entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost. The end result is a list of the best in family-friendly media, products and services that parents and educators can feel confident in using.
Follow Merrin and Pearl through their imaginative adventures in the digestive system , The Lucky Escape, the immune system, Battle with the Bugs and their newest, releasing in the Spring, The Heart Pumping Adventure.

To learn more about Human Body Detectives visit HBD press page.

Contact us for more information on how the Human Body Detectives is used in educational programming.

This recipe was a hit with everyone! And again, it fit my soup criteria of being extremely easy to cook.

Thai Chicken and Noodle Soup

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 skinless, boneless 6 ounce chicken breasts - chopped
• 1/2 TSP turmeric
• 1/4 TSP cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup creamed coconut
• 3 3/4 cups chicken stock, hot
• 2 TBSP lemon or lime juice
• 2 TBSP crunchy peanut butter ( I used smooth)
• 1 cup of egg noodles broken into small pieces
• 1 TBSP scallions
• 1 TPSP fresh cilantro
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Shredded coconut and fresh red chili to garnish ( I didn’t do this)

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and then the chicken and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes
2. Sprinkle the creamed coconut into the hot chicken stock and stir until it dissolves. Pour onto the chicken meat and add the lemon or lime juice, peanut butter and egg noodles.
3. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the scallions and fresh cilantro, season well with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes longer.
4. If you garnish; heat the shredded coconut and chili in a small dry skillet fpr 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cocnut is light brown.
5. Pour the soup into bowls and sprinkle with garnish.

This serves about 4 people and the whole pot was gone in about 10 minutes! Next time I plan to double and make the garnish.

Pumpkin soup is next..sounds great to me but lets se what the family thinks!

Be well,

In early December, I was asked to appear on the morning show to talk about HBD: Battle with the Bugs. It was my first time on T.V. so needless to say I was quite nervous, but luckily it was so early in the morning I didn’t have too much time to dwell on it!

For those of you who have not seen the the clip, here you are!

Be well,

I am on a crusade to cook up as many soups that look good ( great photos) and sound good  from, The Cook’s Encyclopedia of Soup. I began this crusade for many reasons….

• most important reason: they are simple to cook
• they are nutritious
• they are yummy
• everyone loves them in my family ( although Pearl is slightly picky)

The first soup I tried was the Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup. Ok, it sounded good to me because I enjoy the occasional nibble of blue cheese on my salads. But when I started cooking it up I started to think about the others in my family. At the last minute I almost threw in goat cheese instead of the blue cheese but I thought about the movie, Julie and Julia, and decided to stick with the recipe.

I should have gone with my instincts.

It was ok but the kids really truly disliked it ( I would write their comments but hmmm…they were not pretty).

My second soup attempt was, Pasta and Chick-Pea Soup. And it was a family pleaser!

Here is the recipe:

• 4 TBSP of olive oil
• 1 minced onion
• 2 minced carrots
• 2 finely chopped celery stalks
• 14 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 7 ounce can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2/3 cups of pureed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 quarts of vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 cups of dried conchiglie pasta
• salt and pepper to taste
• shavings of Parmesan cheese to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the chopped vegetables. Cook over low heat ( don’t forget to stir) for 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the chickpeas, cannellini beans, stir well, and cook for 5 minutes Stir in the purred tomatoes and water. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes
3. Add 2 cups of stock, the rosemary and salt an pepper. Bring to a boil and then smiimer for 1 hour.
4. Pour in the remaining stock, add the pasta and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes ( pasta is al dente!)
5. Remove the rosemary and serve with the Parmesan cheese.

I was telling a friend of mine this recipe and she thought some swiss chard, kale or spinach would be a great “colorful” addition. Brilliant, I thought. Next time I will definitely add it.

Be and eat well!

I wrote about how I like to look at food list..how they inspire me to buy and cook with foods that I may have forgotten.  I thought it might be a good idea for me to create my own list - my favourite, everyday foods. Once I started typing away at my list I realized it was quite big! I thought about categorizing but well….nah.

My favourite super nutrient packed and yummy foods!

1. avocados
2. fuji apples
3. blueberries
4. broccoli
5. almonds
6. red onions
7. tomatos
8. good olives
9. salmon
10. spinach
11. basil
12. cilantro
13. thyme
14. egg
15. goat cheese
16. brown rice bread
17. butter
18. olive oil
19. dark chocolate
20. licorice mint tea
21. coffee
22. cream
23. sugar ( for my coffee!)

*** these foods I readily have in my pantry or fridge***

The foods I would like to eat more of:

1. kale
2. swiss chard
3. cabbage
4. beans
5. more fruit - kiwi and such ( I am not much of a fruit eater except in my daily smoothies)
6. leeks
7. root vegetables: squash, pumpkin ( not potatoes though - not my thing)
8. seeds

I am sure I could think of more but for now, that is about it.

I try to purchase all my foods/produce from the local farmers and organic. I really feel that when I buy local and/or organic I am not only helping to keep my family healthy but also the planet.

Be well,

PS If you have any simple recipes to encourage me to eat more of the foods I want to eat more of, please send them my way!

Finding a Naturopathic Physician

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Be well,

I was walking with a friend of mine the other day and I was telling her about a woman whose doctor, 10 years ago, did not write in her chart that she discovered some endometriosis while doing surgery on her ( the doctor told the present doctor this). She didn’t, of course, realize this at the time but since that surgery she has had growing abdominal pain and has finally found a doctor who decided not to give her pain meds but to find out what the cause of her on going pain.

Anyway, she is doing great now but it is a reminder of how important it is to get your medical records and labs from your doctor. I think it gives people more ownership of their health - which it turns may have people become more proactive in taking care of themselves.

To get your medical records you will need to sign a release form that all hospitals and most doctor offices will have. This should not be a problem and it is very important that you have a record of what your doctors have written about you to make sure nothing has been overlooked. Once you have these records, create a folder of all of the papers and put in a safe spot.

Be well,

Medicine Cabinet Part 3

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Be well,

PS Please go to my Shopping Supplements page and shop at Emerson Ecologics!

I have consciously and officially started to train my hair to part in a different spot. I am not doing it for fun or to get a new look. I am doing out of pure necessity - to cover my ever growing gray hair strands.

How can I be feeling the best I have felt…really in my whole life ( and I have a few more than a couple decades) …. yet glance in the mirror and see someone completely different? It is complete craziness to look into the mirror, thinking I will see my 25 year old self, and actually see my gray hairs sticking up, slighly droopy eyes and many wrinkles. What has happend?

Life, I suppose…a pretty happy life in that. Yes, my life has been a complete roller coaster ride with as many ups as downs. And I get that, but how do you make that leap into fully accepting all the physical/outward changes? Actually it is all quite amusing to me….on most days that is. On the good days, I can look in the mirror and say, ” that freckle is from that amazing trip I took with my sisters’” and “those deep smile wrinkles ( or creases!) are from me laughing and giggling at my kids everyday craziness!” The bad days…well that brings me to my question for all of you

Should I start constantly colouring my hair to cover the grays?

Be well,

I love cookies. Always have but really I only nibble on a few types…mostly chocolate chip and macaroons. Funny though, I have never baked macaroons before. So the other day, I decided to buy some coconut, find a recipe and bake up a batch.

Off to allrecipes I went, found the recipe below and got baking. For some reason I thought macaroons had no flour in them but this recipe called  for a little. I used spelt though with no problem. And I was quite surprised to see what few ingredients it did have and how simple they were to make ( and fast…although that is extremely dangerous for me!)

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/3 cups flaked cocnut
2. 1/3 cup sugar
3. 2 TBSP flour
4. 1/8 tsp salt
5. 2 egg whites
6. 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix and combine the coconut, flour, and salt. Stir in the egg whites and vanilla.
2. Drop a rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased ( really grease them because mine stuck) baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Merrin and I love these but we have decided to fiure out the best way to dip half of them in dark chocolate. That would be super yummy!

Be well,

I like these types of articles. Lists with foods we could be eating more of or ones not to be eating so much of. It encourages me to cook more of the super nutrient packed foods….like swiss chard which I love and so does most ( not so much Pearl) of my family.

Looking down the list, I see beets on the very top. Uggggg. I think my mom tainted me from beets for the rest of my life. I have tried  them in many different ways ( and if you have a recipe that you think I couldn’t resist, please send it!) but nope, I have never been able to eat them.

Next time I head to the market, I am going to get some cabbage and dried plums. Cabbage, I know will get eated and if I wrap up the dried plums in some prosciutto and baked them, I think my family would love it.

Bring on the new year with some new ( or more of) these great foods!

Be well,

Medicine Cabinet Part Two

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Be well,

PS Please go to my Shopping Supplements page and shop at Emerson Ecologics!

Medicine Cabinet Part One

Find more videos like this on Holistic Human®

Be well,

PS Please go to my Shopping Supplements page and shop at Emerson Ecologics!

Love it! Ever since my childhood friend introduced me to the world by pretending to mail ourselves somewhere every time we passed a mailbox, I have been intrigued with cultures and wildlife of different countries.

My mother-in-law is in Antartica right now and a good friend of mine is from Bahia ( Brazil), which are both on the list, ” The 31 Places to Go in 2010.” Happy to say, I have visited  many of the places on the list ( like walking around Cali, Columbia, alone as my husband lay sick in our hotel - maybe not safe but I survived and it was interesting!) Embarrassed to say, I needed to grab an atlas for some places and finally, some I have always dreamed about going to ( Sri Lanka!)

My husband would love to go to South Africa to watch the games in the World Cup ( summer 2010). And I would love to get my feet in African soil again ( LOVE this country!) I was surprised not to see Buenos Aires on the list, although they are calling Cartegena the next Buenos Aires and the architecture is so  beautiful there!

Well, I will keep dreaming and trying to stock away some money because I look forward to seeing more of the world… especially with the kids!

Be well,

Your kids will love this article! I loved the article - it brings me back to my childhood and my twenties. One of my truly amazing life highlights was seeing the mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

I arrived in Kigali, Rwanda overland from Nairobi, Kenya with 2 good friends. It was 1990, so the place was alive and full of tourists. However, most of the tourists were on planned trips and we were some backpackers just rolling into town to see the famous Dian Fossey gorillas. Luckily, Colin, loved to speak the 3 languages he knew and that the Rwandans spoke, and as we stood in the middle of a dusty road, we could hear Colin and our future tour guide make some deals in French, English and Swahili.

The next day we began our hike into mountain gorilla territory. It was rainy and actually quite miserable. The gorillas were usually seen within a 2 hour hike and we were hitting that mark. But  when our guide turned to us with his index finger to his lips, I didn’t care if  a storm broke out!  All of a sudden, right in front of me, 2 black hands gently pushed away the branches that covered his face. And there, framed with greenery, was the magnificent creature’s beautiful face.

The clouds drifted away and the sun began to shine as we watch this mountain gorilla family eat and play in the dewy bushes. It was a sight and the  feeling of true natural bliss, I will never forget.

OK,  back to this article in the New Your Times. The article talks about all the different voices/calls monkeys have for predators and such. Maybe monkeys could talk if they wanted too but are choosing not too. Interesting! And it would not have surprised me if one had said hello to me…they are brilliant.

Be well,

My friend Eric Bonnici interviewed me a few months ago. We sat down for about an hour! - so he broke up the interview into 5 segments. I will be posting the interviews, one by one, in the next few weeks.

Hope you enjoy them and if you have any questions for me or Eric please email us.

Be well,

Daily Health Care for Children

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The holidays have been full of late nights - at least in our house ( but I am sure we are not alone)! This coming weekend will be about getting the kids back on schedule so they are not tired and grumpy in school. Below are some things I did when when they were small and what I usually re-introduce after a school break.

BEDTIME!

I remember the nights, very well, when it was impossible to get my kids to go to sleep. I actually think it was the true test of my patience! I never let my kids “cry it out” as it was just too painful for us all. So I decided to come up with a plan that really worked for us. I allowed myself to relax and realize that bedtime was a special time for me to have with my kids. I focused more on peacefully reading to my tired kids instead of focusing on them going to sleep. Two books and a short discussion of the highlights of their day would work…so I thought. Well, I needed to devise a more diverse plan. I realized the number one solution was to find a ritual that works for everyone and then stick to it. Here are some suggestions for settling the mood for sleep:

* Having a tea party with a sleepy time tea (or something similar)

* Purchase an 8oz spray bottle and place 1oz of essential oil mixture (rose, chamomile, vanilla and lavender work well) in the bottle and fill the rest with water. Spray on your child’s bedding, but only for naps and bedtimes

* The essential oil mixture can also be put in the bath tub for night time soak

* Purchase a lullaby or a calming cd (better without lyrics) to play in the bedroom when the lights are turned off. Only play this music for nap and bedtime

* If all else fails, let your child colour or look at a book in bed but tell her them they may not leave their bedroom (make sure they have water so they will not holler for some)

Be well,

The Holiday Sale has been extended till January 10th! It is a great time to stock up on kids birthday gifts for the year!

Happy New Year!

Science News posted an article on December 6, 2009 titled, Kids Eat Less Junk Food When Middle Schools Stop Providing It. I loved this article and its’ message ( or the facts you could say).

Last year, I spoke to a class of 4th and 5th grades at a local school. We talked about the digestive system, foods and nutrients, and acute and chronic disease. They were all over it asking a million questions. It was a brilliant hour I spent with these inquisitive kids.

The next day the teacher called me and said that the talk had made a huge impact on the kids and she had some happy parents calling her. But there were a handful of kids who said their parents were too busy to purchase the whole foods we talked about and that they were still eating at fast food restaurants.

These poor kids want to eat whole colourful foods and I think we as parents need to make a big effort to provide them these foods. I realize parents are busy and tired….I really get it but we, as parents, need to make a conscious effort to break the bad food cycles we may be in.

Here is a quick meal I whipped together last night. I was in no mood to cook but I had some polenta, tomatoes, cheese, peas and lettuce. I quickly sliced the polenta, put some tomato sauce and cheese on it and put it in the oven. While waiting for the polenta to heat up, I cooked the peas and washed the lettuce. In 15 minutes, I had a great satisfying and tasty meal for everyone.

Let’s really try to give our kids a chance to feel and be healthy. They really deserve it!

Be well,

PS Save those nights where you really really cannot bare to cook for going out!

I will be out of town ( yippeee a well-deserved family holiday!) for the next few weeks so there will not be too many blog postings. I may do some twittering and messaging on HBD fan page so you may want to tune in there!

Here are the links!

twitter @drheathernd ~ Become a fan of HBD on facebook!

Happy Holidays and Be Well!

This time Pearl is in Lucy’s kitchen learning how to make a frittata! Absolutely adorable these girls are!

I recently had a glance at the new Healthy Kids recipe page and it is amazing. I beleive it will go live sometime in January but I will keep you all in the loop.

Hapy Holidays and Be Well,

PS We will be up in BC this holiday season and cooking in the cousins house!