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Where There’s Smoke…

Summer is almost officially here, although it’s basically felt like summer this past month with the weather we’ve been having. The sun is out, the flowers are blooming, and the rain clouds have stayed away for the most part. While this is incredibly enjoyable, it makes one remember what else comes with sunny, dry weather.

Fire.

According to the BC Wildfire Service, since April 1st of this year there have already been 242 fires, with an area of over 37,000 hectares affected. And that number is only going to grow. Just last week the historic Ladner Creek trestle bridge went up in flames from a simple, discarded cigarette butt. I will never forget the wildfires from three years ago that caused smoke to hang like a pall over our beloved valley, mixing with the 40°C weather to create an uncomfortable miasma. I imagine that most of you, like me, feel some trepidation when hot weather lingers, and look to the horizon with dread for signs of smoke.

But thankfully, unlike the old adage, smoke doesn’t necessarily mean fire. If you are heading up Reid road to Mosquito Lake this summer and happen to smell smoke, don’t panic. It’s probably coming from our house, and it’s not a fire.

My boyfriend’s birthday was this past week, and I gave him a new digital electric smoker. He’s over the moon. Visions of smoking everything from bacon, salmon, trout, and even mac n’ cheese are dancing through our heads. Our first creation was this beauty, smoked pork shoulder, and it couldn’t have been easier. A simple spice rub, a five hour stint in the smoker with some apple and hickory chips, and the occasional spritz with an apple cider vinegar and apple juice mix, and voilà. And yes, it tastes just as good as it looks.

This summer, I sincerely hope the only smoke I have to reckon with is the kind that produces delicious results like this.

June 3, 2018
A Bee Journey Vol 2

If you recall from my first post (A Bee Journey Vol 1), I mentioned that getting into beekeeping is not cheap. So how did a frugal girl reduce her start-up costs? She asked her carpenter boyfriend to help her make bee boxes instead of buying them! So, on a Saturday in April, we stopped at Home Depot for wood and spent 5 very productive hours in the workshop, cutting enough wood to make 4 bee hives. While he cut, I gave cutting directions and sanded the newly cut pieces. The total savings were $300, which was about the amount that I had to spend on frames (this is where the bees store their honey, eggs, pollen, etc.) I needed to buy 120 frames for only for 4 hives. Imagine how many you’d need for a 50-hive apiary (that’s around 1500 frames!).

Then came the fun part, picking paint colours! My favorite colour is teal, so three shades of teal it was. Bees see blue, green and ultraviolet, which means they see colours differently than we do (humans see red, blue and green). So any colour in their spectrum works, but not red. Bees don’t like red! You don’t want too dark a paint as it will increase the internal hive temperature, which will make the bees have to work harder to keep the hive at 34C. This will cause them stress and we don’t want that. Many factors affect honeybee survival and it’s the beekeeper’s job to manage factors that can cause them stress.

So, now I had unassembled hive boxes and paint. We spent a good portion of a day gluing, nailing and screwing the boxes and frames together. Then another afternoon of painting. And I think they turned out pretty good. Now I just have to be patient and wait for the bees!

The kids started sanding on their own!

Frames, frames and more frames!

The finished goods!

June 1, 2018
How Farming Chose me

The awkward question often arises when meeting people: “What do you do?”

While in any given day I could list at least a half a dozen of the different things I have accomplished, I’m always hesitant to call myself a farmer. How did this happen to me? I certainly didn’t foresee this while in University studying Landscape Architecture. Problem is I couldn’t sit still at a desk. I needed to be in the dirt with a shovel in my hand rather than a pencil.

I do come by it honestly having spent my entire adult life landscape gardening. It’s in my blood. I started mowing lawns and gardening at 15. My company was called “Shovels and Rakes.” Researching 400 years of homesteading history in Canada, almost all my ancestors’ occupations are listed as “cultivator”. I’m programmed to grow and nurture plants and be a steward of my little piece of this earth – my attempt at some form of authentic sustainability. It’s my happy place, my spirituality.

But farmer as occupation is just not glamorous (except at the Farmers Market). As a business model, it rates as one of the lowest paying, highest labour and riskiest endeavours. Unless you are part of the mega-agribusiness, (no thank you), the odds are against you and the competition is fierce. There is no salary, no pension, no paid holidays, no insurance, no benefits or any security whatsoever. You are at the mercy of nature’s elements.

So why? I know I could use my skills elsewhere, make good money set myself up. The reality is that I have to accept that this life chose me. I am set up! I breathe clean air , access the best water, have a family that is awesome and involved. We eat the freshest food, and spend our days just making a living in the purest sense. It is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. Oh, and by the way in the winter months, I’m a snowcat groomer. 27 years as a snow farmer as well.

May 31, 2018
It’s time to talk Farm Fashion

The time has come for a column on farm fashion. All the chick farm columnists eventually get around to a “what to wear” piece, don’t they? This one is all about what happens when fashion is slave to function and haute couture ain’t in it.

When choosing an outfit for the day, I consider the potential for getting dirty, wet, cold, greasy, dusty, sun-burned, heat-stroked, or photographed for Elle magazine.

The cows have very exacting standards. In forage. In fashion, they’re a bit more chill. Unless, of course, you’re wearing leather.

Evaluation complete, I don yesterday’s work pants, (hopefully, but unlikely) complete with small crescent wrench and pen-knife in the pockets, clean work shirt, work boots (rubber or leather), and make obvious weather-related adjustments. A seasonal ball cap or toque, with occasional forays into wide brimmed sun hats, offers warmth, shade, and hair control. I don’t bother with make-up.

There are two items in my functional farm-chic wardrobe to which a more detailed examination is due. They score particularly low on fashion but shoot the lights out on functionality; a by no means unusual description for just about everything I wear out there. Let us then consider coveralls, and the mosquito bag net.

Anna Helmer gets into her bee-suit, and someone takes a photo and puts it on Facebook.

Until I went to welding class in the city, where we were required to wear coveralls, I had decided against that look for myself. I tried wearing them a few years ago and felt about as alluring as an old hockey bag. Never having been what you might call an instinctively feminine dresser, I felt wearing coveralls would sever completely any connection to my embattled femininity. I had to draw the line.

In welding school I was not given any choice in the matter and I initially bemoaned my baggy figure. Eventually however, I noticed that my good jeans (worn mistakenly to class) stayed clean, protected by the Big Blues (pet name for my coveralls) which got sooty and smoky. Perhaps, I began to think, there was yet wine to be squeezed from this stone.

Sarah and Simone from Rootdown Organics demonstrate the key farm fashion accessories: soiled pants, rubber boots, cute baby who is actually in charge.

I have come to realize that the coveralls represent a new opportunity for me. I can stay a little cleaner on the farm, and not arrive home resembling a diesel spill in a dust bowl. Not only can I look presentable at the end of the day, but if Elle magazine does happen to show up for a photo shoot, I can be assured of a clean outfit underneath. They will still have to bring their own make-up person.

Alyssa and David from Plenty Wild Farms must have had enough time to shower before their photo shoot. Do farmers really ever look this clean when out in the fields?

Turning now to the mosquito bag net; my choice for most essential farm fashion accessory.

In my net I am bug-free; I blithely disregard the scornful sniggering of other slaves to fashion on the farm, slathered as they are in dodgy chemicals, and/or in a high state of denial over the level of torment they endure as bag-less labourers in mosquito country. There is no bigger slap in the face to high fashion than dropping a bag over your head, but neither can I countenance flies in my eyes.

Bruce Miller models the ultimate in Pemberton farm fashion, the Slow Food Cycle Sunday t-shirt.

To conclude, it would be nice to point to an item in my farm wardrobe that is more fashion than function, but I am at a loss. I suppose my pink John Deere ball cap tilts the balance slightly in favour of glam, but looses ground as its grubbiness increases with every passing day of summer. In an uncharacteristic eruption of reckless consumerism, I have purchased a brand new one for this summer.

Anna Helmer believes farmers are under-represented on the fashion run-way but sort of sympathizes.

Not being able to stage a photo shoot of Anna’s farm fashion moments during planting season, we’ve poached these illustrative photos of Pemberton’s organic farmers in their sartorial best, from BeyondYourEye.com photography, via the BC Organic Farmers.

May 29, 2018
The power of sharing your story.

One and a half years ago I moved to Pemberton, and I started working at the most amazing health food store & juice bar – Stay Wild Natural Health.

If you’re a regular at Stay Wild you might have noticed the abundance of amazing humans that walk through those doors on a daily basis. I would say I am extremely lucky to have met some pretty incredible, driven, and inspiring people from this area.

I am privileged to be a part of your lives in one way or another, whether just a momentary hello, or as a form of guidance. And I am extremely grateful to those who have allowed me to help them. Thank you.

Some of you may know that my passion is in nutrition and mental health. I focus a lot of my time on further study in anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

As this is my first post for Traced Elements, I would love to start by spreading awareness and shedding some light on the topic of eating disorders, as this is something people rarely speak of and something I endeavour to create a safe space for.

Around 5 years ago during Mental Health Week in Australia, I decided to share my story – my history facing an eating disorder. It had been a long time coming. I felt that I couldn’t fully help others until I could first be honest about how I came to be the person I am today, and why this is all so important to me.

Sharing my story was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done, but also one of the best things I have done. Since living in Pemberton, I have witnessed the power of others sharing their own stories.

Never doubt that your experience, your story, can help or inspire others.

For those still battling with body image issues, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, or any other mental health condition, know that you are not alone. Know that even though it seems like the darkness will last forever, it doesn’t. Know that you ARE strong enough. You ARE beautiful enough. YOU ARE ENOUGH.

Thank you Traced Elements, and Lisa, for providing this platform for people to share. What an amazing community this is to be a part of.

I will leave you with this, a message from the National Eating Disorders Association:

NEDA week vision:

“Our theme this year is Let’s Get Real and our goal is to expand the conversation and highlight stories we don’t often hear. Our culture has complicated relationships with food, exercise, and appearance.

30 million Americans will struggle with a full-blown eating disorder and millions more will battle food and body image issues that have untold negative impacts on their lives.

But because of stigma and old stereotypes, many people don’t get the support they deserve. Join the conversation and help us raise awareness, bust myths, get people screened, and start journeys to healing.”

A Message from NEDA: Let’s get real – eating disorders can affect anyone, anywhere. This National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (#NEDAwareness), we’re changing the conversation around food, body image, and eating disorders! Join us at nedawareness.org.

@NutritionistAbroad

May 28, 2018
Bees? Why not!

Several years ago my Aunt had honey bees. My sister Lia, @pembeehives, was cuckoo about those bees. I thought they were pretty cool until I started walking up to the hive and had a massive panic attack. I was certain they could feel my fear and that the whole hive would ascend on me and sting me to death. Death by bees, no thanks!! Since then I have had ZERO interest in raising bees. My sister, on the other hand, has only grown more fond, more bee crazy.

Last fall, my kids and I moved back into my childhood home. A little house on 2 acres. A small green patch of freedom to plant, grow, raise, and love. I brought my chickens, added a few more to the flock, and then a few more and maybe a few more after that! I also got 2 more horses so that my boy Banjo wouldn’t be lonely.

Horses and chickens, dogs, cats, rats and kids. I was set, and I am busy!! Then I had a thought. My sister loves bees, maybe she would like to get some bees and they could have a little spot here and she could be the crazy bee lady and I will be the crazy chicken lady and everything would be fantastic!

Bees? Why not!!

I forgot about the fact that I was terrified of a colony of bees coming after me while I weeded my garden or fed my horses, stinging me while I was just minding my own business. Lia, @pembeehives, was all in! She was already dreaming of hives, long before I offered. She and Alex built hives, they brought them up and she painted them with my kids.

The 2 nucs (boxes of bees) were ordered and the site for the hives planned, changed, replanned, changed and planned again. Still, here I am scared of bees. Terrified.

On Saturday, Lia and I went up to Delores’ for a bee keeping workshop. A few hours of listening to Delores talk about bees, watching her take the hives apart, standing closer to a swirl of bees than I ever thought I would, and I discovered that I am no longer afraid of bees! They are fascinating!

When I first put our names down for this bee-keepers’ workshop, I was going into it as a non-interested party. I was going for my sister, so that when she wasn’t around I would have a bit of knowledge and if anything needed to be done while she was in Vancouver I could help the hive out.

In the end, I have had the chance to face my fears and now I can go into this as a partner, not just a watcher. I can go into this beekeeping adventure with less fear and more enthusiasm, though I think I will let Lia hold the reins, and stick, for the most part, to being a crazy chicken lady.

Meg
Once a farm girl, always a farm girl.

Follow my farm adventures on Instagram @once_a_farm_girl

May 28, 2018
May Two-Four

There are essentially a couple groups you would’ve fallen into this past weekend: camping, working or planting your garden (ideally a combo). No doubt in my younger years I was way more into packing the truck with a tent, sleeping material, coolers full of beer, sausages, buns, ketchup, cans of beans and chips – lots of chips – and getting the hell outta of Dodge. Now as I age “gracefully” my focus has changed or maybe temporarily wandered and there is also that work thing. The exception is chips; there will always be lots of chips.

But let’s focus on gardening… What is it about the May long weekend, no matter where you are in Canada, it’s viewed as “the time to plant your garden”? Surely it’s some sort of phenomenon or maybe a myth.

Firstly, I’d like to draw your attention to a key fact. Our growing zone here in Pemberton is radically different from that of my family in Kenora, Ontario and those in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Yet, we all assume it’s totally kosher to plant tomatoes and basically everything else outside the same weekend. We can all also agree that one of our garden’s biggest nemeses is frost. So really, by accepting this planting time frame we are all pretty much assuming that frost is off the plate as of May long weekend. Hereby committing our plants to a life outside producing us a bountiful harvest.

It’s as if the universe is giving us a chance to all exist on the same plane for a mere moment in time; I’ll take it.

Here in Pemberton the mercury levels on our thermometers have been reading higher then normal for May. Which has made it easy to get crazy and just start sowing things. And, of course, I am all for this and 100% participated. It speaks to that whole experimental element in gardening that I love. You just have to be ready to face the fact that some things may not survive. Like a game of Monopoly; sometime you pass go and collect $200 and sometime you go to jail. I’m willing to bet the vegetables that prefer the cooler growing season of spring are probably wondering this year like the rest of us why it’s July’ing in May.

Early direct sow experiment with Borage… Status: alive & thriving. Stoked to have this gem in my garden this season.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the sunshine and the extra early lake dips but I am hot and bothered that my garden already needs to be watered twice a day… I genuinely miss Spring – She was super cool.

May 25, 2018
The trouble with procrastination
One thing I need to tell you right now is this – if you are going to go foraging for stinging nettles do not wear sandals. The other thing I need to tell you is if you want to go foraging for stinging nettles you may have to wait until the spring of 2019.

Which leads me to the point of this month’s post. Procrastination is not your friend if you want to forage.

I have been known to procrastinate, especially when it comes to anything I would categorize outside of “work”. This spring I enrolled in a year-long course designed by local Natalie Rousseau called 13 Moons -and I have been learning about foraging and “kitchen witching”. The recipes are so inspiring, and I am excited about deepening my connection to the land and the seasons by incorporating more native plants into my diet.

So far, I have been able to get out there for two stinging nettle harvests and one elderflower harvest. The nettles were steeped into teas and blended into smoothies that I believe have drastically reduced my usual hell storm of hay fever symptoms. The elderflower blossoms were infused into a delightful cordial that has been mixed with Pemberton Distillery gin and soda for drinks on the deck with friends, prosecco for an elegant cocktail at a Mother’s Day gathering and sparkling water for a refreshing lunchtime drink…all with delicious results!

I was hoping to get dandelions and lilacs for more cordials and tea infusions but fear I may have missed my opportunity…but maybe I can gather some this weekend? And therein lies the problem, the native plant does not wait for the procrastinator. It may be best to pin my hopes on the next round of edibles on my list – wild roses. I plan to use the petals to make a herbal honey, to infuse with oil for skincare, and to dry for tea blends.

If you go out foraging:
- Be sustainable and ethical – don’t overharvest or strip entire plants. Try to harvest small amounts from numerous plants so your forage doesn’t harm the plant and leaves plenty of food for the insects and animals that rely on it for a food source. Always make sure you are prepared to process your harvest properly so it doesn’t go to waste.
- Be safe – it is always good to cross-reference a couple of resource books and if possible, learn from a real life person who has been wildcrafting or foraging for a long time. Thanks to Dawn Johnson for taking me out on an elderflower adventure!
- Learn more about Wildcrafting and Foraging from 7song.com (thanks to Natalie Rousseau for sharing this great resource!)
May 24, 2018
Wildflower Gummies!
On May 11, I hosted a camp where we were supposed to make dandelion jelly. I had all these beautiful ideas in my head about the kids picking a huge bowl of blossoms out in the back field with the bees and other pollinators, their, fingers becoming stained yellow with pollen… how romantic. Of course, this is not how it happened in real life.

“Jelly, what’s that?” one of the girls asked.

“Well, it’s like jam, except there are no chunks in it, and we can make it from flowers!”

“THAT SOUNDS GROSS!!” They replied in chorus. “EWWWW! WE ARE NOT MAKING THAT!! DISGUSTING!!”

Well, that stumped me. For a moment.

“Wait… we could make dandelion GUMMIES. Would that be better?”

“YES!!” It was unanimous. GUMMIES were obviously WAY better than jelly.

While we were waiting for our gummies to set in the freezer, we went outside and picked dandelions in the front yard. I showed the girls something my dad taught me when I was a little kid: that if you pick the largest dandelion stem you can find and take off its flower, it makes a noise like a kazoo! It takes a bit of patience to find the right stem, and sometimes you have to break it shorter and shorter before it will start to make noise. It’s some kind of magic that happens when the dandelion milk in the bottom of the stem starts to vibrate, so it helps to have a juicy one! Two of the girls got bored and wandered away to play tag with Vinnie the sheep. But Avery was very excited about playing dandelions. “This is the best day of my life!” she exclaimed. “Now I can annoy everyone FOREVER!”

Our gummies after being cut into bite sized morsels!

As we cut up, divided up and packaged our very own homemade dandelion gummies, I realized this gummie making is an incredible way to get even the most squeamish of kids interested in the world that is growing all around them. If seasonal edible flower gummies can lead them to being able to identify a few species growing in their own back yard, then they learn to have a relationship with that particular plant, and that relationship can be a gateway to curiosity. In what other ways that plant can be used? What kind of environment does it like to grow in? Knowing a single plant intimately is enough to make the natural world come alive. I bet that even from reading this post you will notice dandelions more. Your awareness of them will become sharper, more open. And this kind of curiosity- this relatedness- is precious. It leads to a sense of belonging to the maze of green abundant life that exists outside our windows, the same way that knowing a friend in a crowd makes being amongst that many strangers less overwhelming. So if all we need is a few cups of cane sugar to kindle this relationship, then so be it!

Posing with our finished product!

And don’t worry, I am going to give you recipes. I am also going to acknowledge I am leading you on a little, as dandelion season is almost completely over in Pemby. Don’t worry, you can use any edible fragrant flower to make your gummies. That means, lilacs = yes. Peonies = yes. And those wild roses that are just starting to bloom? Yes, you can use those too!!

First, you need to make a flower syrup. I make mine in big batches, as I like to be able to keep some to make into summer drinks (a few tbsp and a bit of mineral water over ice on a hot day = heavenly). Please note that the syrup recipe is not intended to be canned, as the proportions are not tested for safety. So please keep your syrups in the fridge! I am confident you will use them up before they have a chance to go bad. This recipe makes about 6c of syrup, which is quite a lot. You can always halve or quarter the amounts if you want to make a smaller batch.

Wildflower Syrup:

2c flower petals

4c cane sugar

5c water

1 organic lemon, sliced
1. Prepare your flowers. It is best to harvest them in full sun at the height of the day. (From noon to 3 pm.) That way the flowers will retain the most potency and fragrance. Whichever kind of flower you are using, do your best to use only the petals. (In the case of dandelions, this means removing the green base of the flower.) Use flowers as close as you can to the time of harvest, as they will lose potency as soon as they are picked.
2. Bring the water to a boil and add the cane sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Add flower petals and sliced lemon and cover your pot or bowl with a tea towel or cheesecloth to keep out flies, and leave out at room temperature to infuse for 2-4 days, stirring once per day. You want to optimize the length of your infusion without your syrup starting to ferment. If you see lots of bubbles or you are happy with the flavour, it’s time to move onto step 4…
4. Strain and bottle your syrup. Enjoy!
Wildflower Gummies

1c flower syrup

3pkj (3tbsp) gelatin*
1. Find a mould for your gummies. I used the bottom of a tupperware container and cut them into squares, but you could get super creative here. You don’t need parchment or non stick spray or anything.
2. Heat your flower syrup until just before boiling. Separate 1/4 -1/2 c of syrup and shake or whisk the Gelatin into it. (I used a small Mason jar and shook it to combine the gelatin, then strained out the residual lumps using a tea strainer as I feel you get less foam this way.)
3. Add the gelatin mix to the rest of your syrup, stir well to combine, then pour it into your mould. If foam has accumulated on top of your gummy, skim it off with a spoon.
4. Let your gummies set. I put mine in the freezer, but if you are not in such a rush you can just leave them out.
5. To get your gummy out of the mould, dip your mould into warm water for a few minutes (being careful not to get water on your gummy). Then run a knife around the edge of your mould and you should be able to pull it right out. Don’t be afraid to use your fingers to pull it out of the mould- you won’t wreck it.
6. Now you can cut your gummy into shapes with a sharp knife or cookie cutter. You could also roll them in sugar and leave them out for a few days is you want a chewier texture. I was happy with mine as they were as I found them already quite sweet. If you don’t go the additional sugar method, I would keep your gummies in the fridge as they do have quite a bit of moisture in them and will mould if they are not devoured within the first few days. Enjoy!
*I used Knox Gelatin which comes pre-portioned in little paper packages, but I saw Stay Wild has boxed gelatin that is also gluten free!
May 23, 2018
Food for Thought

On March 29th my daughter turned 9 months old, this same day I had bittersweet emotions as it also marked the 11th year of my fathers passing. My father suffered from depression and this eventually lead him to take his own life. This article weighs heavy on me as I raise a tiny human with a brain that’s growing and absorbing at an alarming rate. I want to give her the best tools and support to ensure healthy brain development and positive mental health. I truly believe this starts with our nutrition. Did you know that our brains are 60% fat and a whopping 20% of our calorie intake is used to fuel our brains. It’s no wonder what we consume can have such a huge impact on how we feel and perceive.

Mental health has always played a huge role in my life. I’ve always been conscious of my own mental state and I have siblings and friends that are currently managing their depression and anxiety. Although there are many good days, the bad days can often turn into weeks, months and sometimes years. And what do we do when we have these days, consume junk and comforts foods, we often stop exercising and moving our bodies which only worsens the symptoms. Chances are you also know someone that is suffering or perhaps you yourself have struggled with mental health. Even seasonally I see so many people, myself included, fall into a slump over the winter months or the never ending rainy spring or fall. On a less severe scale, have you ever felt brain fog, mood swings, anxiety or an overwhelming or prolonged feeling of being unmotivated. This could all tie into your brain not getting the essential nutrients that it needs. Two mornings ago after a night of broken sleep, no breakfast (or coffee) I proceeded to getting house chores done. I caught myself trying to put the clean dishes away in the freezer and nearly threw the dirty laundry in the garbage… I clearly was not on my A game that morning. Perhaps that’s why they say breakfast is so important, get that brain fueled up and ready for the day.

Speaking of which, here is one of my favourite breakfasts that just happens to be ideal brain food. The overnight oat and chia cups from Staywild. If you have not already tried one of these, I urge you to. They are also baby approved, I usually need to get two otherwise my little one will eat all of mine. I’ve tried so many home recipes but they never come close to how tasty Staywild prepares them. They have the perfect oat to chia ratio and that cashew and date whip is the icing on the cake. Here’s a quick breakdown of the ingredients and what makes them essential for fueling our brains.

Oats: provide glucose, long term energy for the body and mind. They also contain vitamin B, E, potassium and zinc which help the brain function at its optimum level.

Chia seeds: Omega 3 ALA which your brain uses to make DHA fatty acids (essential for optimum brain function). Also a complete protein which means it contain all 9 essential amino acids

Almond milk: Riboflavin, L-carnitine, vitamin E, vitamin D. All key nutrients in supporting positive neurological activity

Cashew: Rich in vitamin B6. Cashews have been know to help fight depression and an anxious mood. B6 can help the uptake of serotonin in the body and help magnesium reach cells more effectively

Strawberries/Blueberries: Rich in Antioxidants and flavonoids help protect against free radicals, reduce inflammation and studies have shown improvement in memory and cognitive ability from diets with high amounts of berries.

Coconut: Healthy source of dietary fibre and MCT (medium chain triglycerides)

I cannot begin to express the importance of managing a healthy mind and I truly believe that begins with our nutrition. What we fuel our bodies with can have a massive impact on our mental health both positively and negatively.

Our brains are absolutely fascinating and the more I learn about how the brain works and what it needs to function optimally, the more I try to make conscious decisions that will make a positive impact. I’m also quicker to realize the negative effects when I make poor choices. Eat well, feel well!

I wanted to use this to promote a really great event The Mindful Morning Retreat that is being held at Blue House Organics by Anngela Leggett and Jamie Maguire but I wasn’t quick enough. They sold out in no time. However, a little birdie told me that there will be a round two at the end of the summer so keep your eyes and ears open if you’re interested in getting more in depth on the topic of nutrition and brain function while partaking in some mindful yoga. Your brain is a hungry little organ, feed it well and seriously you should try an oat and chia cup from Staywild when you have the opportunity.

Enjoying breakfast with a fabulous view and of Mount Currie never hurts

May 20, 2018