All self-healthers know that consistent exercise is crucial to optimal health. But it’s equally important to understand when exercise is bad for you. Of course, there are obvious times you shouldn’t exercise, like when you’ve been injured. Your body needs time to heal after an injury, and aggravating it in the name of fitness can […]
Category Archives: Self-Health Survival Guides
11
Aug
Aug
During a casual conversation the other day, a friend of mine proclaimed that she doesn’t fart. “What do you mean, you don’t fart?” I responded without even thinking about it. Then she clarified her point: she does, in fact, fart, but not very often. Like any decent human, this got me thinking about my own […]
30
Jul
Jul
It’s summertime, and some of us are still in self-quarantine. On a happy note, this is a wonderful opportunity to cook and nurture our bodies and our souls. Life is good, and staying well is good. I hope our lives return to a new normal that we can appreciate soon. The Italians are amused by […]
29
Jul
Jul
Fermentation and canning are both traditional methods of preserving food, but there are important differences to consider. It’s summertime, folks, and our gardens are producing a bounty of vegetables! But what to do with the surplus of tomatoes, zucchini, string beans, radishes, cabbage, and all the other gorgeous produce that remains after cooking, eating, baking, […]
23
Jul
Jul
What is a weed anyway? A weed is defined as “a valueless plant growing wild.” (I am not sure that any plant is “valueless,” but that may be a conversation for another time.) Value aside, weeds are generally thought of as undesirable plants. That means they often happen to be in the wrong place, such […]
21
Jul
Jul
When I receive more than three emails from readers on the same subject—especially when they’re requesting recipes that go beyond mac and cheese or beans and rice and want more exotic fare—my interest is piqued. Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of interest in vegetarian casseroles. It crossed my mind recently that casseroles have lost […]
14
Jul
Jul
Most of us perform nearly all of our daily tasks with one particular hand, whether it’s eating, turning a doorknob, or brushing our teeth. This is called hand dominance, and it’s established when we’re quite young. As toddlers (2½–3 years old), we start showing a preference for what will become our dominant hand. By focusing […]
08
Jul
Jul
It’s been ages since I’ve even thought of making Christmas breads. But now, with our world turned upside down, many of us have been making our own bread—so I thought, why not? These aromatic and spicy loaves are simple to make. Although it’s a yeast dough, the process is still uncomplicated, and your dough hook […]
07
Jul
Jul
Confession time. I’m not much of a yogi. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve participated in a few yoga classes and felt great afterwards. I just haven’t made it a priority in my life. I’m more inclined to head outside for a walk or throw some punches at our kickboxing bag. However, there is one yoga pose […]
30
Jun
Jun
Let’s not sugarcoat things here, folks. The last three-plus months have put many of us on edge. The lockdown. Unemployment. Living in fear of a dry cough, fever, or shortness of breath. While little pieces of our routines are coming back into play, COVID-19 has changed the way we function on a daily basis. With […]
25
Jun
Jun
When it comes to leftovers, it often seems that the husbands rather than the children don’t want to eat yesterday’s meal. (But as I’m fond of saying, this is the meat and potatoes of another post.) My dear readers, perhaps you’re old enough to remember that ladies’ luncheons in the 1960s always served chicken divan. […]
17
Jun
Jun
I will be the first to admit it. Before this pandemic, I hadn’t made a meatloaf in years. Perhaps I think of this dish now because I long for the comfort food of my youth and the memories that surround it. I used to love a good meatloaf for an evening dinner, along with mashed […]
09
Jun
Jun
When something comes up in my world, I rarely think, Okay, so this is happening now. Let’s see what happens next. Nope, I want to know more. I want to have an idea of what to expect and try to outsmart it, if only a little bit. Of course, many things in life cannot be […]
03
Jun
Jun
Ask Chef Phyllis My family loves a good chicken dish. They demand chicken breasts, although my mother always bought whole chicken and used every part. I usually make chicken breasts in the slow cooker, and though it’s good, the breasts get too dry and lack flavor after six hours in the pot. I have a […]
02
Jun
Jun
“How’s your digestion?” Without fail, this is a question I get asked whenever I see a healthcare provider who takes a more holistic approach to things. My automatic response is always, “It’s good.” And then we move on. However, because I also work at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, I hear this question asked of […]
27
May
May
Here’s a novel idea: a sumptuous dessert from your already depleted pantry. And it’s easier than you ever imagined. Did your mom ever make fruit cobblers? Or perhaps a baked apple with cinnamon and raisins in the middle? Nothing is easier than a baked apple, and in my opinion, nothing appeals to the senses quite […]
26
May
May
Every once in a while, I like to browse through the SRP Historical Archives looking for a random article to read. It’s inevitable that I’ll find some little gem of information that makes me go, “Now that’s interesting!” And that’s exactly what happened the other day. These articles date back more than 80 years, but […]
Ask Chef Phyllis
Food in a Troubled World:
New England Clam or Fish Chowder from the Pantry or Freezer
20
May
May
Practice is “the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it.” What can you put into practice? If you are of Italian, French, or Greek ancestry, perhaps you were raised as I was, with your conversations revolving around food—good food, fresh from the garden, and the […]
19
May
May
Whether we like it or not, most of us have been spending more time indoors lately. So it seems like the perfect occasion to consider the air inside your home—is it healthy, or could it use a little help? Indoor air quality can be impacted by a variety of dangers. Some of these we bring […]
15
May
May
A long time ago—more than 20 years—I gave up wheat and gluten for health reasons. A few years later, I discovered the work of Weston A. Price and how using traditional cooking techniques such as lacto-fermentation can make food more easily digested by the body. My next level of learning was how I could use […]