A reflection on Easter Sunday

Today I reflect back to all the Easter Sundays that I gave my children the very large Easter basket with all of my favorites so that I could make sure that I got my sugar fix as well. How did the Easter bunny get connected with Jesus anyway? Maybe it was invented by the candy companies? Now that I am really aware of all of the dangers of sugar, I reflect back and ask Why? Why didn't I know any better? Well I was raised the same exact way. When I was young I had a very large Easter basket with all of my favorites in it like Robin eggs (those blue eggs with a malted milk ball center and candy coating on the outside. And then there was the Cadbury eggs with the creamy egg like sugar center. Oh those were heaven. Now that I know all of the dangers of eating large amounts of sugar, I hope to educate as many people as I can about what sugar can do to you and your children. It is a very highly addictive substance and most people don't really realize how bad it is. Here are just a few reasons why sugar ruins your health.

Sugar can suppress the immune system

Sugar interferes with the absorption of calcium and magnesium.

Sugar can weaken eyesight.

Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.

Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline levels in children.

Sugar can cause arthritis.

Sugar can increase cholesterol.

Sugar can cause headaches,including migraines

Sugar can cause depression.

Sugar causes tooth decay

This is just a short list of reasons that you should consider eliminating sugar in your families diet.

Sunflower Oatmeal Cookies

½ cup Pure maple syrup
½ cup Tahini
1 ½ cup rolled oats
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup raisins

In a mixing bowl stir together maple syrup and tahini until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Optional: Add 1 tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp vanilla.

2 options for baking:
Dehydrator: Drop by spoonfuls on parchment paper laid on top of the trays. Dehydrate overnight at 105 (about 10 hrs). Store in the refrigerator. Dehydrating does not remove the nutrition from these cookies.
Bake in Oven: Drop by spoonfuls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Makes about 12-15 cookies.

Alkalize your body

A great way to begin to create balance in your body is to start your day with a glass of lemon water. Just squeeze 1/4 to 1/2 of a fresh organic lemon into 8-12 oz of purified water each morning and you will begin to notice a difference in how you feel. You may think that is sounds crazy that lemon will alkalize your body but it really does work. You can test this by using PH paper in your urine stream about 1 hr after drinking the lemon water. There are a very small percentage of people who do not metabolize the lemon to alkalize so it is probably best to actually test how your body reacts with PH paper. You should be able to find some at your local health food store.

Favorite Meatloaf

1 Lb Ground meat (grass fed beef or bison)

1 Onion chopped

½ Green pepper chopped

2 Carrots grated (1 large or 2 small)

1 Egg

½ C Oatmeal

1 t. Thyme

½ t. Cumin

½ t. Oregano

1 t. Sage leaves or ½ tsp ground sage

½ tsp ground fennel

3 T. Soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350

Mix all ingredients together and press into a loaf pan. Bake for 50 min or until well done. Drain extra fat if necessary.

Serves 6-8

I like to make this meatloaf and use the leftovers in spaghetti sauce over brown rice pasta it also makes a great addition to a stir fry. That is 3 meals from one recipe. If you have a large family and wish to use leftovers, I would suggest making two loaves.

Another suggestion would be to make 3 mini-loaves and freeze them from later use.