Zucchini Chips - Great Healthy Snack!!

Healthy Delicious Zucchini Chips

Ingredients:
1 lb (about 4 cups) thin sliced Zucchini
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp olive oil (this can be omitted)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions:
Slice Zucchinni
In a medium bowl whisk salt, pepper, olive oil (if used), and vinegar
Add sliced zucchini
Toss with the “dressing” to coat
Arrange slices on dehydrator trays
Dehydrate at 135 degrees for 5-6 hours or until crispy


Missy Briggeman

Empowering Patients, Educating Minds and Healing Bodies

701 W. Queens St. Suite 100
Broken Arrow, OK  74012
918-994-4810 Office
918-994-4816 Fax


photo credit: Vanessa Pike-Russell via photopin cc

9 Ways to Use Coconut Oil in Your Home

The more I read about Coconut Oil, the more convinced that it is almost a cure-all ingredient!!! Ok, maybe it doesn't cure ALL, but there are so many ways that you can use it! This week I am focusing on 10 ways that you can use it around the house.

Check these out and be sure to comment if you have additional ideas!!

1. Perfect for moisturizing/cleaning Leather (always test first)
2. Remove Chewing Gum from hair – just rub some coconut oil around the chewing gum, all it to sit for about 30 minutes and it will come out easily.
3. Make your own "Goo Gone" –  Put equal parts coconut oil and baking soda in a bowl and mix into a paste.   Allow the paste to set on the sticky area for a minute and then scrub off.
4. Insect repellent – mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over exposed skin. Much safer than using products with DEET.
5. Oiling wood cutting boards and wood bowls
6. Polish bronze by rubbing a little oil into a cotton towel and then wipe the bronze area to clean and deepen the color.
7. Polish Furniture – coconut oil  with a little lemon juice works well on wood furniture (be sure to test small discreet area first)
8. Season your cookware
9. Homemade Soap – coconut oil can be used as one of the fats in soap.

I hope these tips will help you rid your home of some of the everyday chemicals that are stashed in your home.  It can be hard to part ways with your trusted cleaners - but in the end you are providing chemical free atmosphere for you and your family!!

Missy Briggeman

Empowering Patients, Educating Minds and Healing Bodies

701 W. Queens St. Suite 100
Broken Arrow, OK  74012
918-994-4810 Office
918-994-4816 Fax

photo credit: legends2k via photopin cc

Flourless, Sugar free and Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffin 

• 2 1/2 c oats (gluten free but regular is fine if you do not have celiac disease)
• 1 c plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 1/2 c honey
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 t cinnamon 
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1 c canned pumpkin
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray tin with non-stick cooking spray. (Olive oil spray is a healthy choice). You could also use a silicone muffin pan. No liners are needed. 

Place all of the liquid ingredients in the blender (including pumpkin), and then blend adding oats in 1/2 c at a 
time until smooth. You may need to stop the blender a few times to stir. Stir in chopped walnuts after blending is complete.  Divide batter among 12 muffin cups  and bake for 20 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.


Missy Briggeman

Empowering Patients, Educating Minds and Healing Bodies

701 W. Queens St. Suite 100
Broken Arrow, OK  74012
918-994-4810 Office
918-994-4816 Fax

Chemical Free Liquid Soap

Homemade Liquid Soap
Great for cleaning dishes and hands.
 
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup liquid Castile soap
1tbsp vinegar 
1tbsp backing soda or washing soda 
20 drops of your favorite essential oil
(We like using lemon or peppermint)

If you would like a thick liquid soap just add shredded bar soap. 
Once it's all mixed just pour into a soap dispenser!!

Missy Briggeman

Empowering Patients, Educating Minds and Healing Bodies


701 W. Queens St. Suite 100
Broken Arrow, OK  74012
918-994-4810 Office
918-994-4816 Fax

Chemical Free Hair Gel - Kid Friendly!!

Homemade Hair Gel

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 
1 cup warm water

Mix together and refrigerate 15 minutes before use. 

Add essential oils for fragrance. 
Safe to use on kids. Refrigerate between uses. Lasts up to two weeks. Cost pennies.

Missy Briggeman

Empowering Patients · Educating Minds · Healing Bodies

701 W. Queens St. Suite 100

Broken Arrow, OK 74012

918-994-4810

918-994-4816 Fax

Hormones in our Daily Foods

Our children are sexually and hormonally developing earlier then past generations. Women are experiencing menopause symptoms in their 30’s. Cancer is spreading as if it’s contagious. Could the food we eat be playing a role? 

FDA: Food and Drug Administration or is it Food Destroying America?
The FDA has approved several steroid hormone drugs to be used in beef cattle and sheep. These hormones include estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and their synthetic versions. FDA says “These drugs increase the animals’ growth rate, the efficiency by which they convert the feed they eat into meat, and the leanness of their meat.” These hormones are also used in milking cows, chickens and pork.

The hormones are in pellet form and placed in the animals ears. The FDA does require that the ears are disregarded. The hormones are continuously released into the animal. Cows, just like humans, cannot produce milk unless they are pregnant or have just had a baby. The milking cow is artificially inseminated or given hormone injections to simulate pregnancy in order to produce milk. The day their calf is born it is taken from the mother. The mother cow is then hooked to a milking machine several times a day and artificially inseminated again.

An average cow’s life expectancy is 15-20 years. A milking cow typically lives four years and is then slaughtered for it’s beef. According to Wikipedia, “In 2009, approximately 19% of the US beef supply came from cull dairy cows: cows that can no longer be seen as an economic asset to the dairy farm. These animals may be sold due to reproductive problems or common diseases...”

Milking cows can get irritation, yeast, cracks and bleeding on their utters. They are given injections of antibiotics that are supposed help with the symptoms, but unfortunately puss that oozes from the cracked utters gets into the milk. The government does not regulate the amount of puss allowed in milk. They do however regulate raw milk that was hand squeezed from a cow or goat that was raised on a family farm with no added hormones.

We are not saying or implying that you should not eat meat or drink cow milk. We just want you to be aware of the facts that can be found on the FDA website. If you would like to try an alternative to cow’s milk there is almond milk, rice milk, and coconut milk.

When purchasing meat from a grocery store, look on the label for “hormone free”. Purchasing grass fed beef is also a good idea. There are local farmers who sale grass fed cattle for beef. Typically you purchase half a cow or a full cow, and freeze the meat to last throughout the year.

My grandfather is raising a grass fed cow for us right now. He lives on my great-grandma’s farm that has fed five generations. It’s located in Tahlequah, Ok. If you are interested in purchasing half a cow or a whole cow just leave a comment and let us know.

Missy Briggeman
Empowering Patients · Educating Minds · Healing Bodies

701 W. Queens St. Suite 100

Broken Arrow, OK 74012

918-994-4810

918-994-4816 Fax

Homemade Detergent - Liquid and Powder

Liquid Detergent:

1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1 bar of soap or 3 cups liquid Castile Soap (as natural as you can find)
5 Gallon Bucket

If you use bar soap you will need to cut it into 1 inch cubes and boil in 6 cups of water. Once the cubes have disappeared let it cool for a few minute. Then stir in Borax and Washing soda.
Use ½ cup per load. 

If you use liquid Castile Soap, mix it with 3 cups water, Borax and Washing Soda.

Then fill the 5 gallon bucket with 4 gallons of water and stir in the mixture. As time goes by (usually 24 to 48 hours) it will start to thicken to a gel like consistency. If you feel like it's too watery you can add more boiled down soap or liquid Castile soap.

Powder Detergent:

1 box Borax
1 box Washing soda
1 bar of soap (as natural as you can find)
1 large container

Grind the soap down to a fine consistency. You can use a food processor or cheese grader to grind the soap. Then mix the soap, borax and washing soda together in a large container.
Use ¼ cup per load.

Missy Briggeman
Empowering Patients · Educating Minds · Healing Bodies

701 W. Queens St. Suite 100

Broken Arrow, OK 74012

918-994-4810

918-994-4816 Fax