EricaLund.com

05/11/2018

When I stock up on chicken from Costco, I take a few minutes before everything goes in the freezer to first cut apart the 3-pack to make it easier to retrieve singles later. Not much of a tip so far, right? Well, then I grab my handy kitchen scale, a Sharpie, and some painter's tape, so I can weigh and label each package. After years of standing at my freezer trying to estimate which pack was heavier or lighter (always fun with frozen items), and never knowing if I was even close to the suggested amount of meat for a particular recipe, I finally got smart. The tape sticks well to the top of the packs and it's easier than trying to write on the plastic itself. Let me know if you give it a go, or do something similar.

02/02/2018

Taking a moment to celebrate a huge milestone. I've meditated 70 days straight! "Highly Meditated" indeed. Thank you for the tools I needed to do this and for the perfect message to sum up my personal victory. We all struggle with aspects of supporting our health. For me, the spiritual path has been the most difficult to walk even though I know it will take me where I need to go. When you fully commit to something, it's amazing how much easier it is to just do it already.

02/02/2018

Here's my homemade gluten-free, pure vanilla extract after sitting for 10 weeks. It won't get any darker unless I add new vanilla pods. It has good flavor even with just 5 pods (my price point). I'll use some later today for my "Socceroon" protein cookies. Many, many months from now when I get close to the bottom of the jar, I'll use a fine mesh sieve to use up the last of it. When I get there, I'll simply start a new jar. Note: Homemade vanilla extract is not an excuse to bake up weekly batches of gluten-free chocolate chip cookies!

12/19/2017

It's really easy to make your own gluten-free, pure vanilla extract. About a month ago, put 5 diced vanilla pods (1 package from Amazon) and 1-3/4 cups of grape-based vodka from Trader Joe's in a Mason jar. The secret ingredient is time. It takes that long to fully infuse the vanilla flavor into the vodka. Shake the jar periodically when you think of it and store it in a cupboard. You can make yours stronger by adding 2-3 more vanilla pods. For me, this was good enough.

12/19/2017

Get in the habit of smashing any fresh garlic before you prepare the rest of your ingredients. Why? This enables the molecules separated inside the cloves to come together and get activated which boosts garlic's potent anti-cancer properties. Simply press on the flat side of a large kitchen knife with the heel of your hand to crush the garlic cloves (peeled or unpeeled). Then wait 10 minutes before chopping/pressing them into your recipes. How easy is that?

12/13/2017

Digestion doesn't begin in the mouth or stomach. It actually starts in the mind as we anticipate what we're about to eat. This simple step ignites the rest of the digestive process to ensure that we get the most value and pleasure out of our food. So, take time to get excited about what's about to go in your mouth. Here's my adorable dog, Chimo, giving us a visual for what mindful eating can look like. Personally, I try to keep my tongue in my mouth for this step. But you do you!

12/13/2017

Check out my rainbow stir-fry. Here's where all those beautifully chopped vegetables from my previous post went. Dinner doesn't get much simpler than this. Wild shrimp were an easy addition at the end for our protein. Shrimp are also a great source of selenium and vitamin B12 along with phosphorus, choline, copper and iodine. Serve it over cauliflower "rice" or actual rice (as appropriate for your body). Inspired? Let me know.

12/13/2017

One of the best ways to boost your overall nutrition is to "eat the rainbow". Be intentional and select as many different colored vegetables as you can. Each one has its own micronutrient profile, so variety is key. And the deeper the color, the better. Get creative! Are you wondering what to do once you get this far? Check out my next post.

12/11/2017

Here's a fact about birth control pills you may not have already known.

There are other important facts to know about oral contraceptives, not the least of which is that they can deplete vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from our bodies.

If you'd like to learn a lot more on this topic, I highly recommend reading "A Mind of Your Own" by Dr. Kelly Brogan.

How synthetic hormones change desire in women—and their choice in a mate

12/11/2017

Food for thought! This is a great article by Dr. David Katz from Yale University.

Whether the big food companies are wittingly supporting the obesity epidemic, they are undeniably fueling it - literally - with their products. One of the first food categories I have my clients eliminate is breakfast cereals (pictured here). The vast majority of them are made from highly processed grains, added sugars, preservatives, and synthetic vitamins and minerals. Combine all of that with cow or soy milk, and you've started your day with a highly inflammatory, unhealthy punch to the gut.

An article just published in the New England Journal of Medicine predicts the future prevalence of obesity among adults in the United States based on the...