Written By: Natural Mama I have found a way to get my kids to drink spinach! I am not kidding. One day I decided to add spinach to my smoothie and it turns out you can’t taste it. I gave it to my kids, and they actually drank it.     This smoothie is delicious… 1 banana 1.5 cups rice milk 3 heaping TBS of organic vanilla yogurt 3 cups loose leaf organic spinach 1 TBS maple syrup 1 TBS almond butter a hand full of fresh/frozen berries It doesn’t matter the recipe. Add spinach to any smoothie. The health benefits of spinach are numerous and its ability to help prevent disease is well…

Written by: Natural Mama The Diva Cup is convenient, saves you money and is good for the environment. What’s not to love? … Oh, what is it exactly? If you are not familiar with the Menstrual Diva Cup than I suggest you read on because the Diva Cup is the best thing that has ever happened to my period. I LOVE it. The Diva Cup is inserted into the vagina and sits at the lower base of the vaginal canal. Oh, did I mention this blog is for FEMALE EYES ONLY? It collects menstrual flow, you pull it out, empty it, clean it, and insert it again and again. Yes, you only need one! No more tampons ladies…

Written By: Natural Mama One summer I taught art camp to school age kids. This gave me the opportunity to sneak a peak into their lunch kits and see the range of nutrition that was packed for them. The lack of healthy variety was disappointing. Considering how easy nutritious eating can be, I would have loved to stand on the table at pick up time, and give a little speech to the parents about what to feed their kids…and then go on about what I feed MY kids, because I am, oh, so knowledgeable on the matter. I would have never had the audacity to do a loud obnoxious announcement, but that’s…

Slices of white turkey, left over stuffing and mashed potatos fill my fridge. Warm energies from our last night’s friends still encompass the house. With a family holiday today, life is feeling pretty good. The hot sun shining in October is a bonus I could have wished for. I am still resonating from Thanksgiving dinner. After having had recovered from illness, I am aware of how much our thoughts affect our mood, our health and our over-all happiness. Awareness of giving thanks is a major part of our well-being. My healing process involved and still involves a very active sense of gratitude…

The other day, preparing for our wedding celebration here at 2 Lakeside (I will post some pictures soon), I almost tripped over a garden rake. Wedding jitters. This ‘almost disaster’ reminded me of an excerpt from one of my aromatherapy books. Being that time of year when we are preparing our gardens for their winter rest, I thought I’d share this with you. “You bump your head, trip over the cat, fall down the stairs, or stand on the upturned end of a garden rake so that it suddenly smacks you viciously on the head. In fact, garden injuries are among the commonest and most dangerous kind.…

A Conditioner Fiasco Government labeling regulations for natural skin care, natural cleaning products or natural anything, are, well, unregulated. Manufactures are free to print misleading label statements until their hearts are content. How does this affect us, as customers? False advertising deceives our belief that we are making smart choices. The problem isn’t just about deceiving labels. This issue has to do with just how harmful these chemicals actually are. Research at the Natural Institute of Health has discovered the correlation between these chemicals and cancer, alzheimers, other…

Gene Stone’s book, ‘The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick’ is an inspiration. In each chapter, whether it be on ‘napping’, cold showers, friendship or garlic, Gene Stone includes an excerpt on ‘sharing in the secret’. The following is on Garlic. Share in the Secret Garlic can be ingested in many ways. Some people cook it and some eat it raw—which is fine if you can abide the taste and the resulting pungent breath. (Current research doesn't indicate whether one form is more healthful than the other.) Garlic also comes in many liquid forms, such as teas and syrups. It also is available in…

We want to know where and what you buy and who you buy it from. Share a favourite local store, co-operative (see blog 'Celebrating the Seasonal'), organic farmer and even a national grocery chain that is making a difference. We have a new local store that is specializing in gluten-free products and two wonderful co-operatives (one is run by a trio of young women) that are certainly making a difference in our community (the West Island of Montreal, see the links below.) Word of mouth is always the best way to share AND taste the ingredients that sustain, nourish and delight…