Cooked Beetroot is awesome - and a little scary.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         They have this incredible earthiness about them, and when pulled straight from the garden, carry important soil-born good bacteria - if you could only smell this batch of slowly cooked beets, simmered for 1.5 hrs in filtered water, vinegar, herbs and coconut sugar. I'm going to peel and slice them - just cut the top and tail and gently squeeze the outer layer off, like a soft onion peel. Then slice and dice for bottling using the cooking water and extra vinegar until the tops are totally covered. Iv'e ended up with a small bottle (thanks Maccona coffee) of diced beetroot to add to salads etc and a large jar with bigger chunks, suitable to roast or cut down smaller.
   

                                                                                                                                                                                                             When you grow your own f/veg, you often have more than you can eat at once, so bottling is a quick an easy way to stretch your crop out while you wait for the next crop to grow. If you don't grow your own, try buying a bunch from your organic grocer and make your own batch of nutritious and delicious beetroot or just throw them on a baking tray with some pumpkin, olive oil and balsamic for an hour for an earthy and richly flavored roasted experience. Red and orange colored vegetables have high levels of nutrients and antioxidents, vital for good health, and a sure fire way to help heal the gut.                         

                                                                                     
One of the easier root vegetables to grow, they don't require loads of space so you could easily grow them in a raised bed or pot as they have few pest and diseases. It's easy to grow them organically, by using organic mulches like sugar cane and improving  the soil with cow and chook manures, blood n bone, potash from a fireplace etc and by fertilizing with natural manure pellets and fish emulsions. Don't forget to use the liquid seaweeds to improve soil bacteria and general health of the plant as well.

So why is it a little scary ? well, when you eat a lot of beetroot in one sitting, it's amazing red colour, well - shows up in the toilet! No, your not bleeding internally - it's just the beetroot :) only, my husband didn't put 2 and 2 together and thought he had a serious problem! ha ha - you should have seem his face when he told me -I just looked at him and smiled with a little shake of the head and gently reminded him of the roasted whole beets we ate. Poor him, he was so relieved, and I'm pretty sure it will become a little family joke.

Cancer - this special link will save lives

Cancer - it touches everyone these days. Even if you and your family have been free of this horrible disease, I'm sure you still know someone who is dealing with it, or worse, has passed because of it.

What a sad time we live in when a disease is that prevalent to humanity. It's scary, because there are so many types, most of which, as a patient, we don't seem to know a lot about.

I'm talking from experience unfortunately. From a dear friend who passed from breast cancer related issues at age 48, to my brother in law from pancreatic cancer, and now my beautiful mum, who has it in her kidney and lung. From a family perspective it has become all encompassing. It changes every aspect of your life and all those around you, and it becomes your focus. That being said, I still don't know exactly what type of cancer mum has or the type of chemotherapy being used, as the medical profession seem to whizz over the technical stuff, and start pumping toxic substances into you before you really have time to digest or investigate your options - indeed, they don't actually give you options.

So if this disease is going to affect us in one way or another in our lives, surely we should already have some knowledge and power about how to deal with it. Knowing your options, should you or someone you know, ever have the need, will greatly improve your survival, not to mention knowing what to avoid now to prevent cancers. Knowledge will make the journey more proactive and empowering to the cancer owner/families, not the doctors.

This being said, I would like to share with you a link to one of the most powerful eye-opening docu-series that I have been part of. There is so much info that will forever change your perspective of this disease, treatments and prevention's. All you have to do is watch the one hour a day - 9 part - series. It's totally free, although you can opt to purchase it for future reference as I did.

This series and website is all about spreading the truth and sharing knowledge of cancer and all related treatments worldwide, with various specialist and cancer survivor interviews. A fascinating watch.

You will need to register NOW as it starts 12th APRIL. Don't miss this free event - it could save your life and has definitely changed mine.


https://go.thetruthaboutcancer.com/?ref=77b39dbc-46a8-4ccb-a28d-a24884b0d850

I hope you get as much out of this series as I have and pass on this event to anyone it may help.

Till next time ........from Roz at Well & Good

Wellness, such a popular word...........

but what does it mean to you?

It has become apparent to me that everyone has a completely different perspective of just what good health is and how to achieve it. And because we are all so different, with varying health issues, ages and expectations, we have an incredibly wide range of ideas of just what is 'good' for us, and are easily led astray by this health industry. And like all popular themes, everyone is an expert and everyone is touting their theories and products.

Any wonder there is loads of confusement and wrongly applied information out there. Health supplements, diets, exercise programs, and of course lifestyle shifts and eating protocols - how are you supposed to know what is the right one for you and is it really healthy, just another fad or indeed another million dollar corporate money maker?

I'm no expert either, just another person on my own personal health journey, hoping to attain my own state of er.....wellness. The difference is that I spend hours researching and reading, being part of online summits and listening to various experts in their fields. And yes, I get just as overwhelmed and confused as everyone else. So, I can only approach this blog using my own experiences, health issues and acquired knowledge and of course the wisdom of age -been there, done that!

'Wellness' is one of the most powerful advertising words at the moment and everyone is on the bandwagon using it to promote their product or company - wikipedia  define it as - a term used to mean a healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit, that results in an overall feeling of well-being.
Sounds about right, but how to get there is an individual journey that differs greatly from person to person.

So keep reading folks, and we will try to wade through some of the mind, body and spirit aspects of this incredible journey to great health and lifestyle. I have been part of some amazing summits recently that have given me a greater clarity in my personal 'wellness' journey, and I would like to share them with you - so I hope you have an open and questioning mind - your going to need it.

In my next post I will share the most life changing global quest, that has forever challenged my views on Cancer - how to avoid it and how to treat it, so stay tuned by following this Well & Good blog by email so you don't miss out. It will include a link that could be life changing to you, your family and friends, so stay tuned..........

New Years Resolutions 2016

Have you made any this year? New Years Resolutions that is? Mores the point, how long before they fade away as a distant memory and you give up on them?  I `Resolved` to do more yoga classes and finally get on top of my allergies. Iv`e already booked in to have allergy testing next month so I`m  already heading in the right direction. I will continue to eat in a `clean manner` and contribute to my health through nutritional eating and as chemical free lifestyle as possible (within the bounds of not being an obsessive nut)

.Did you make one or a list? and how`s it going so far? January is the traditional month of embarking on those pesky resolutions that seemed pretty straight forward and reasonable at the time. Perhaps you are one of the deeper thinkers, that approach resolutions with great thought and determination (usually the more successful at it). But by end of February, many of us have given up, or the shine and ideal has worn off - it`s not fun giving up stuff we love to eat and do even though we know they are bad for us. All my gym classes are full to the gills at the moment, with people trying to undo all their Christmas cheer, with the resolution to be healthier this year or to lose some weight this year. I know from past experience that class numbers always decline as winter approaches, meaning many have given up or gone back to bad habits.

It`s the time of the year for new beginnings and many of us are wanting to make changes for the better but are unclear of how to actually achieve it, then we get lost along the way and lose interest. I commend anyone having a go at making changes for the better in their lives, but unless you give yourself clear guidelines on how to reach your goal, you ultimately set up for failure.

So how do we actually achieve our Resolutions?  Firstly don`t have unrealistic ones. Not many people can change lifestyle habits easily. Next, just take one step at a time - you know, baby steps. When I first started my healthier Resolution journey at the beginning of last year, I began by giving up all Aspartame's.Then it was processed sugar, and then gluten. One challenge at a time.

If your decision is to `get healthy` this year, or `lose x amount of weight` then the answer is not just about going hard at the gym and trying to stay away from fast foods. These are great ideas if you stick at it - but it should be at a level that you are prepared to live by - permanently. When your efforts have finally rewarded you with some good results, you then need to maintain them, or risk slipping straight back to where you started - or worse! So it should be a change your committed to live by. The aim is to make small changes for good. When you`ve mastered that, then make the next change, with the intention that it will be for good. You can always take it to the next step or phase as you adjust to living with, and without certain things. If you don`t stress the body out with extremes, and unrealistic goals, you will have much better success, and if you make a conscious effort to change your perception about what you eat and drink and how you think about food and exercise, then your on your way to being a healthier you - for life.

After all, there are plenty of better options out there, you just have to look for them, implement them, then try to live by them.

If you are serious about making some changes, the best way forward is to change one thing at a time. That way you don`t overwhelm yourself. When you`ve mastered that, then add the next thing. A great example is giving up sugar. This is extremely hard to do as it encompasses not only what you put in your mouth, but your emotions, hormones and lifestyle at the same time. A better way to go, is to ease into the changes with a controllable limit like giving up sugars in soft drinks, sport drinks and juices first. When you feel that this is no longer a tough thing to live with, then add the next layer and cut out lollies, sweets and icecreams and finally when your body has adjusted to these changes add the next layer by cutting out all processed sugars that are hidden in so many things we eat (which means reading ingredients labels). Don`t forget you can supplement your cravings with small amounts of honey or pure maple syrup as a substitute in cooking so your sweet tooth doesn`t miss out.

Now the trick to this working, is to allow at least a month per change, so you don`t go through sugar withdrawals, which can ultimately be your undoing. Very few people are prepared for a withdrawal period and when your at your lowest it`s easy to give up. And of course, if you fall off the wagon - get straight back on the next day.

If you set yourself a six month target to feel healthier or lose some excess weight, then you can reassess when you get there and make new goals at that stage, planning how to stick to your guns through winter and so on. It helps if you develop an interest in cooking healthier foods as it will help to drive your focus. Stick to choosing better options when you eat out, and don`t have a mindset that tells you your missing out - you should be proud of your better choices and feel good that you`ve made them and live by them.

Good luck with your year ahead. May you be the person you always wanted to be, because your achievements are the elixir of life. Share your New Years Resolutions as a comment to re-affirm your commitment to change.