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Aug 24 2016

Thursday Thoughts: New Insights Into How The Body Influences The Mind

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This post contains affiliate links.

There’s strong evidence that the mind/body connection is positively correlated, meaning the more balanced your physical health, the more balanced your mental health ought to be.

Food/Environment:

Spraying chemicals on the lawns your children and grandchildren play in or in the gardens where you grow your produce that winds up on your dinner table…how can you be surprised with these results? Wake up people! Think about what you are doing. The FDA and government regulations aren’t protecting you–they are protecting their profits. Why do you think Autism rates have climbed so dramatically? One theory is liberal use of pesticides. Maybe you don’t believe that theory, but you can’t tell me you are in “support” of the copious use of poison on our food that IS linked to other defects? Go organic now. Stop using pesticides, herbicides and go organic.

You can be weed-free and grow successfully without poison. Promise. Continue reading »

Jul 29 2016

No-Fail Summer Garden Starters

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Have you thought about starting a garden but let spring pass you by? It’s not too late to plant a Summer Garden! You can plant now for a late Summer harvest and even plant again in time for a Fall Harvest too!

If you’ve never scratched the surface of gardening before, not to worry! When I first started my garden, I was completely clueless. Every new project is an experiment, and I’ve learned from some of the planting mistakes I made early on. I’ve now got plentiful Muscadine grapes, so I must be doing something right!

I put together an article for Tribe Magazine that is just perfect for novice gardeners and children:

5 Super-Easy Plants Your Kids Will Love Growing Themselves This Summer

It’s full of good information to get you started on your summer garden. This one provides specific examples of the plants that are best suited for a child’s (or impatient adult’s!) first gardening experience. There are lots of plants that are practically no-fail options that don’t require a green thumb or lots of space, time, or funds. Check out this article to see how you can get started!

Gardening is one of the most satisfying and therapeutic activities kids can tackle relatively independently. Children love creating something from (virtually) nothing. What begins as tiny seeds which germinate into something that’s living and bearing edibles is almost tantamount to magic. Planting vegetables and flowers is an exciting activity, regardless of age.

Jun 4 2016

Happy Weekend

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Happy Weekend!

Here are some pictures from my garden this weekend:

And here are my latest articles published on BlogHer

and Parent.co.

What’s new with you?

Hey! Like my writing? Do you wish you had access to all of my password protected posts and other content that isn’t available online? I have other work! I’ve published ! It’s nothing crazy; they are about 50-55 pages each and cost approximately $5 each depending on what country you are purchasing from. Each ebook consists of a , mental illness, family dynamics, social anxiety, and other awkward shit that happens in my life. It’s relatable, honest and raw. Oh, and there are pictures in titles like & . You’ll probably like it. Or not. What the hell? It’s $5!

***If you have previously purchased Amazon downloadable content, please note that the ebook content has changed. Some previously available titles have been updated and contain more essays, pages, pictures, etc. If you have specific questions, please email me directly @ .

POLICIES & DISCLAIMER

May 23 2016

Now & Then

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Do you ever come across photographs from just a year or so in the past and think, this couldn’t possibly be the same (fill-in-the-blank) that I am looking at today?

Well, I happened to be looking for something completely unrelated, but I came across these pictures of my grapevines from sometime during 2015. It would have been early in the year, say January or February, when everything was still dormant from the winter weather.

The side yard has had some pretty incredible changes, too. Pretty dramatic, huh?

I miss Rennie so, so much. She was a sweet baby. This Memorial Day weekend will be one year since she was taken from me.

I was going through a dangerously low period around this time last year and while I can say that I still have a really bad day every 4 days or so, I am in a relatively better head space now. I am more functional, productive and forward-looking. The changes in my grape vine pictures are similar to the changes in my outlook: they are stretching upward and outward, towards light and life. I have too much writing to do to die.

On that note, I have another article that was published by The Mighty.com today and 6 more that are coming out over the next two weeks or so on: Blogher.com, Parent.co, Rolereboot.org, and Thebodyisnotanapology.com.

If you’d like to check out the article, here’s the link: In the Mind of a Person With Rapid-Cycling Type I Bipolar Disorder

make sure to “like” it and share it on facebook, , and Pinterest!

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What photos have you recently come across that have demonstrated a dramatic change in something in your life?

POLICIES & DISCLAIMER

May 18 2016

5 Reasons Why You Should Start Growing Your Own Stevia At Home

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I’ve done posts on Stevia previously, but it’s been a while and, since various versions of the sweetener seem to be available just about everywhere, I thought I’d write a comprehensive post on why it’s best to grow your own. If you aren’t familiar with it, here’s a quick run-down: The Stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) produces sweet-tasting, calorie-free leaves which can be crushed or dried to sweeten foods and beverages naturally. Stevia can replace sugar in TONS of recipes and is perfect for consumption because it is not metabolized by the body.

Stevia grows best in warm conditions similar to those preferred by Basil. I live in Florida, so it’s an ideal climate for both Stevia and Basil to proliferate. Bonus for me, because I’m a fan of both:

Apr 9 2016

Amazing Apple Cider Vinegar

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If the glass bottle of Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar from my Balanced Gut, Balanced Mind post caught your eye and you’re wondering how in the world vinegar might be beneficial to your health, then this is the post for you.¹

And if you’re already well aware of the benefits of using raw apple cider vinegar, then I apologize for being patronizing, but, hopefully, this post will provide you with a platform to contribute your own unique experience using apple cider vinegar.

The information that I’m providing is by no means exhaustive, I’m not a doctor, nutritionist or licensed health professional.² This post is based on personal experience and I’d love to hear how it has personally helped you! So if you already use, or have used, apple cider vinegar in your daily regimen, then please comment below with your experience. Continue reading »

Apr 8 2016

Balanced Gut, Balanced Mind?

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Near the end of 2014, I published a post entitled What’s in My Pantry which explained the difference between Probiotics and Prebiotics as well as how they work in synchronicity within the human digestive system to promote Gastrointestinal and Mental Health benefits.

Because April is Autism Awareness Month, I wanted to revisit this topic.

As was stated in the original post, “there is hard evidence linking conditions such as Autism and Depression to the gut’s microbial residents…” There is scientific proof that the GI environment and conditions like Autism are linked.

“In humans, there is some very early evidence of a link between gut bacteria and mental health. A new study from England found that supplements that boost “good” bacteria in the gut (called “prebiotics”) may alter the way people process emotional information, suggesting that changes in gut bacteria may have anti-anxiety effects”.

Gut bacteria plays a major role in our sanity. Incredible.

Probiotics are the “good” bacteria (live cultures) naturally occurring in the stomach. These active cultures help balance gut flora by reproducing more good bacteria. A good balance helps boost immunity and overall health, particularly the aforementioned Gastrointestinal Health. Probiotics can be used to treat stomach issues like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), food allergies and lactose intolerance.

Prebiotics are the foods that help the Probiotics along. They are good bacteria “promoters”. Prebiotics and Probiotics work together to achieve Gastrointestinal Health.

Gastrointestinal Health is important for more than just happy tummies. More and more scientific research is pointing towards intestinal bacteria playing an influential role in managing mental disorder symptoms. Continue reading »

Mar 27 2016

The Garden of Verisimilitude

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Between the Easter holiday and copious rain showers, it’s hard to believe we’re not well into the month of April already! Truly, this year is flying by.

Celebrating Easter isn’t for everyone; some people celebrate the resurrection of The Messiah, others look forward to the arrival of the Easter Bunny. Some go out for Chinese food. 😉

Whether you put your faith in Christ or Coney, there has to be a modicum of verisimilitude present leading up to that “willing suspension of disbelief” which is, ultimately, what allows a person to go along with an outlandish-sounding story. This is actually a literary term which was coined in 1817 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge who asserted that if a writer was able to fill his work with a “human interest and a semblance of truth”, the readers would willingly suspend or delay their doubt in relation to the story.

I’m enamored of literary devices. I’ve been familiar with them since the 6th grade thanks to an extremely talented and valuable English teacher, Diane Tomko, whom I can thank for my love and appreciation for literature and language arts. I use literary devices so often in my writing that I have to actively think of examples simply because I’m not even conscious of using them; it’s second nature. Verisimilitude is defined as appearing, or having the appearance of, being real or true. I would venture to say that Jesus is more verisimilitudinous than the bunny–even the Cadbury one.

And if Jesus has verisimilitude, then Adam & Eve do, too. So maybe they came from the Garden of Verisimilitude.

And speaking of gardens…ahem, here’s a completely natural segway…

Obviously, it’s much too early in the season for anything substantial to report, but there is some preliminary action worth sharing that’s pretty neat! Continue reading »

Feb 14 2016

Raw, Vegan Walnut Milk!

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Today I used up the last of my creamer for coffee, so I decided to get creative with what I had on hand. I am by no means skilled in the kitchen–I’m rather horrible actually. I’m neglectful in following recipes and usually just go off instinct.

This sometimes results in an accidentally nice-tasting result, but, more often, the results are pretty bleak.

I’d recently used my food processor to make homemade cashew butter sweetened with dates, and that somehow turned out really good. A day or so later, I wanted to find a savory use for my raw pumpkin seeds. I’d already tried a sweet attempt with Pepitas, Brazil Nuts and Raw Honey a while ago, with fairly decent results (below).

It turns out, pumpkin seeds, coarsely blended with salt and garlic, taste amazing mixed with pasta. I realized that I’d stumbled upon my own homemade vegan “Parmesan cheese” without actively looking for it. Whaaat? It was so good with plain pasta and a little pepper added. When tossed with the warm pasta, the pulverized pepitas became creamy. It tasted like Fettuccine Alfredo, but vegan! So, so surprisingly good.

Jan 28 2016

Neat Gardening Tips & Tricks: 2016

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Dear Readers,

This Post was originally written around this time last year. Since then, I’ve learned a little bit more about gardening and made some cool additions to the front, side and back yards respectively, and I thought I’d update this little post with some things that came into my head today. So, some of it’s a re-read and some of it’s new.

My hope is, you’ve acquired a year’s worth of new gardening tips & tricks to share with me! 😉 Kristen

While I was working in my garden today, I took pictures of the plants that have recently improved, bloomed or yielded crops. While doing so, I began to think about some of the neat tips and tricks I have learned through my own gardening experiences. I thought I would share some of that knowledge with you in this post in the event you were considering planting a Spring Garden this year.

While it would be a boost to my ego for you to just blindly follow my instructions, I will explain why these gardening tips and tricks work.

There are opportunities to improve the quality of the plants in your garden that you may be missing daily!