everything is nature nature is everything  

Inner•Vore

Creator: E r i n B o d a s h e f s k y

connecting nature to everything and everything to nature.

Creating common grounds for collaborating. Humans inspiring other humans, embrace it.

 

Inner•Vore

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Pages 1-11, 17

Connect: innervorerin@gmail.com

Lettuce Change Creators:

K a r l i e a n d N a t a s h a Educate, inspire and empower you to take your health into your own

hands through holistic living. www.lettucechange.com

 

Pages 12-14

Pages 15-16 Maple Shade Emporium Creator:

R e b e c c a S h i r l e y Has a passion for taking a holistic approach to

life- embracing the mind, body and spirit. She believes in peaceful, mindful parenting,

natural living and sustainability.  

Featured:

 

 “forest  bathing”  Bathe  the  mind  and  body  in  green  space  

Forest Walks

         you  had  the  choice  of  walking  in  the  forest  or  walking  through  the  suburbs  and  along  the  sides  of  those  jam  

packed  roads  with  roaring  machines  passing  by  with  a  gust  of  wind,  would  you  choose  the  latter?    For  some  

who  had  never  even  considered  the  forest,  I  most  definitely  understand,  though  I  would  now  like  to  open  their  

minds  up  to  the  idea.  I  am  continuously  warned  to  “watch  out  for  homeless  people  (or  animals)”  or  “be  careful  

of  ticks”.      I  let  the  comments  coming  from  my  family  slide  over  my  head  as  I  carry  on  towards  my  happy  place.  

Only  now  am  I  realizing  the  benefits  of  all  this  time  in  the  forest.    This  habit  I’ve  created  for  myself  occurred  

quite  naturally  due  to  growing  up  right  near  the  forest.    I  realized  that  I  would  use  the  forest  as  a  tool  to  deal  

with  whatever  it  was  tickling  my  mind  at  the  time.    Stressed?  Nah,  the  forest  can  kick  that.    Uninspired??  PCH,  

the  forest  is  full  of  art.    Need  a  project?  There  are  tons  growing  throughout  the  forest.    Especially  with  the  four  

seasons  in  Ontario,  there  is  always  something  new  growing.    Now  that  I  am  older  I  get  it.    The  forest  is  healing  

and  powerful,  even  the  Japanese  say  so;  the  term  “shinrin-­‐yoku”  or  “forest  bathing”  was  developed  there.  

If  

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FOREST   BATHING   ”shinrin-­‐yoku”   in   Japanese  

Japanese  scientist  Dr.  Yoshifumi  Miyazaki  of  Chiba  University  conducted  

a   small   study   in   the   beautiful   forests   of   Yakushima.   It   was   a   test   of  

shinrin-­‐yoku.     Miyazaki   reported   that   a   level   of   physical   activity   (40  

minutes  of  walking)  in  the  cedar  forest  equivalent  to  that  done  indoors  in  

a  laboratory  was  associated  with  improved  mood  and  feelings  of  vigor.  He  

also   found   lower   levels   of   the   stress   hormone   cortisol   in   subjects   after  

forest  walks  compared  with  those  who  took  laboratory  walks  

BAREFOOT  WALKING  Something   you   feel   strange   about   doing   (at   first),   yet   so   satisfied   during  

and   after.     I   first   tried   it   out  when  my   shoes   started   to   hurt  me   halfway  

through   a   forest   walk   some   years   ago.     I   decided   I   would   hide  my   shoes  

behind  the  tree  and  get  them  on  my  way  back.    As  a  forest  walking  person  I  

feel   I’ve   developed   an   easiness   about   my   ways,   of   trusting   the   ground  

beneath  each  bare  foot  step.    It  is  a  naked  feeling  that  liberates  you  from  the  

inside  out.    Your  body  awareness  is  heightened.  

MEDICINAL  HERBS  The  most  recent  years  of  my  life  I  have  been  using  the  forest  

as  an  experimental  and  educational  ground.    I  used  to  just  

see  plants  everywhere,  now  I  see  medicine.    The  further  I  delve  

into  medicinal  plants  of  Southern  Ontario,  the  higher  my  

interest  peeks  in  wanting  to  share  the  way  of  natural  living.  

For   the  month  of  Sep tember  a  wi ld-­‐craft ing   f r i end  L inda  Rose  o f  

B lack  R iver  Gatehouse  gu ided  o thers   and   I  a round  my   loca l   f or es t .  

Purple  Aster  

We  identified  two  hands  worth  of  herbs:  •  St.  John’s  Wort  :  *repairs  myelin  layer  around  nervous  system  (add  fresh  bruised  flowers  to  olive  oil  in  a  glass  container  to  age  in  sun  for  10  days.  Use  as  a  cream  on  sores/wounds)  •  Plantain  :  *relieves  intestinal  pain  of  ulcers,  excessive  menstrual  flow  and  inflamed  intestines  (use  seeds  in  a  tea).  •  “Self-­‐Heal”  :  sore  throat,  upset  stomach,  IBS.  •  Dandelion  :  *diuretics,  cleansing,  blood  purifier  and  rich  in  Vitamin  A,  B,  C,  and  G  (eat  as  a  salad  before  leafs  get  too  big  and  bitter).  •  Goldenrods  :  *promotes  perspiration  and  good  for  repeated  colds  (use  flower  and  leaves  for  tea,  use  leaves  in  place  of  tarragon  when  cooking).  •  Aster  :    nosebleeds,  headache  and  congestion.    

St.  John’s  Wort  

•  Horsetail  :  *good  for  eyes  and  skin  due  to  silica  amount.    Diuretic  in  heart  dropsy.  •  Raspberry  :  *reliefs  menstruation  pain  (use  leaves  and  stems  as  tea).  •  Red  Clover  :  *good  for  inflamed  throat  and  soothing  to  the  nerves  (use  blossoms  and  leaves  as  tea);     *  cited  “Indian  Herbalogy  of  North  

America”  by  Alma  Hutchens  

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hair hair hair Ontario

Pieces of pine brought back on your dangling hair of knowledge.  

Scratches of tales on your adventure legs,  

Make sense with all our senses.

striped naked while feeling a warm glow.

“When I stand on this land I remember who I am” … - Linda Rose, Black River Gatehouse

   

 

No amount of education can teach me what nature has. When I was nineteen years old I decided I wanted to go camping with a bunch of strangers, on an unknown territory doing unforeseen things. This territory soon turned into my most desirable place. A place where you can health your inner calm back to life and achieve natural highs like never felt before. If you have ever spent copious amounts of time in a secluded forest you too could feel what I felt. I felt the desire to simplify my life before it got to complex. My thoughts regained clarity of my definition of life and maintaining basic happiness...

Come back to the land  Come back to the land  

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Basics of being Basic  

Camping in forests inspiring basic happiness.  

 

One must feel the satisfaction of simplicity to receive outer happiness. Simple has a different meaning to each individual. If your lifestyle has a tendency to elevate to supreme levels of happiness, it can just as rightly experience the complete opposite. It may start with simple exercises of thought; “I could carry on my days amazing schedule by adding on another exhilarating event, therefore topping it off with a shiny cherry, or I could simply go home and be quite at ease with what I have just accomplished with my day (and my self).”  

The act of simplifying. Turning your life into a mirrored reflection of the direction of where you want to flow can very well be done. It takes little action in small doses. You have all the time in the world to retrain your self in a newfound direction. The biggest step was realizing your dissatisfaction with where your choices had led you. Start off with something like; choosing to go for a walk in the forest instead of surrounding yourself by toxic environments (maybe your friends conversations bring you down or your family does not have any conversations that offer you support). The forest can be used as a tool for positive circulatory thought. Envision your self walking away all of your worries and the adaptive plants offering there wisdom. Witnessing the change of season with your own change of thought.

Guide & Dance •basic living & basic happiness.

 

Allow your life to represent you. This means anything from your daily habits, circle of friends, hobbies, jobs, wisdom, etc. Be clear as light. They are ever changing and rearranging

there service within your life, so as long as you are putting out a clear order of the life you want to live you should be served just that.

The little things are actually quite big. Cut out all the habits that are embedded into your day that are numbing your beliefs. This can be things like the products you are consuming, the foods you are purchasing, the games you are playing, the transportation you are driving, the jobs you are working,

etc. In determining the direction you want to go your actions will slowly re-align to meet that. Quality over quantity is something that needs to be embedded into our ever-wanting minds.

Community connections. Everyone feels best when they have a purpose. If you can find your place within a community of people who are all growing towards a similar goal you can create a support

system that doesn’t require you to feel you are living in a “survival of the fittest” mode. The feelings of fear will diminish, your confidence will heighten and your ability to grow as an individual furthers.

This can allow you to become less dependent on “bettering” your life in successful growth, exploiting your belief system due to the need to want that pat on the back. Rather, being happy with living in a

simple harmonious community and the equality we each have to offer.

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Botanic•of•the•Month: Helichrysum

Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum) is known for its restorative properties and provides excellent support to the skin, liver, and nervous

system. Helichrysum also provides a defense against harmful free radicals, making it a vital ingredient in several Young Living blends.

Medical Properties: Anticoagulant, anesthetic, antispasmodic, antiviral, liver protectant/detoxifier/stimulant, chelates chemicals and toxins, regenerates

nerves, reduces pain, pancreatic stimulant. USES: Herpes virus, hypertension, blood clots, liver disorders, circulatory

disorders, skin conditions (eczema, psoriasis scar tissue, varicose veins). Fragrant Influence: Uplifting to the subconscious

Application: (1) Apply 2-4 drops on location, temple, forehead, back of neck, or outside of ear, (2) apply on chakras and/or Vita Flex points, (3) inhale directly, (4)

diffuse, or (5) take as a dietary supplement.

Member # 1219044 www.youngliving.com

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2 teaspoons coconut oil 1 medium onion, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger 2 lbs. red beets, trimmed and scrubbed

3 - 5 cups vegetable broth (choose amount based on consistency) 1 1/2 15 oz. cans of full coconut milk (1/2 of the second can use as a garnish)

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 3 tablespoons of fresh dill

•Preheat a soup pot over medium-low heat with coconut oil, sauté the onion until translucent. Add the ginger and garlic for an extra minute. Add the beets and sauté for another 5 minutes. •Add veggie broth, and a 15 oz. can of coconut milk, cover the pot and simmer until the beets are tender, approximately 40 minutes. Season with lemon juice and salt.

•At this point you can leave the soup as is, or you can choose to puree with a blender or an immersion. •Serve soup garnished with a tablespoon of the coconut cream and sprinkle with fresh dill.

TRY THIS: After eating this soup, over the next couple days check to see if your bowel movements turn red. Note the time you eat the soup and then monitor your movements for the appearance of red or pink coloring. The time between when you ingested the food to the time it first appears in your movement and stops appearing in your bowel transit time range. Your bowel transit time is how many hours it takes our food to travel from our mouth, into our digestive tract and then eliminated from our body. The average person consuming the Standard American Diet averages a transit time of 60 to 100 hours. A healthy transit time should be approximately 20 to 40 hours. Why does bowel transit time matter? It’s common to hear that people won't eliminate for up to three or more days. So, what makes this a topic of concern? Well, this literally means that if you haven’t pooped in three days, you would have up to nine meals in your digestive system, rotting, putrefying and being reabsorbed into the body, causing autointoxication. Autointoxication is a major cause of disease and the medical definition of this word is to “self-poison resulting from the absorption of waste products of metabolism, decomposed intestinal matter, or other toxins produced within the body.” EEEEEK! What can we do to speed up the transit? well let’s start with more fiber! The recommended amount of daily fiber is approximately 40 grams and the average North American gets approximately 4-8 grams per day! The definition of fiber is the indigestible part of fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains and herbs. Fiber and fiber rich foods are natural regulators and an effective clean-up crew removing toxins, buildup, congestion, unneeded fats, and sugar from the body. This in turn reduces inflammation, a primary contributor to chronic illness. Consuming more fiber through healthy food choices, you can improve the health of your entire body, from your brain to your bowels.

 

   

TRY THIS: After eating this soup, over the course of the day, check to see if your urine turns pink. If it does change colour this is a good indication that you have low stomach acid. Why does stomach acid matter? Stomach acid is vital for many different functions within the body, such as digestion and the assimilation of B12, protein, iron and zinc. Low stomach acid can create an imbalance of healthy gut flora, which in turn can lower the immune system. It can also cause heartburn, indigestion, bloating and belching. Most importantly it can also cause leaky gut, which in turn causes allergies. If you suffer from any of these symptoms, fortunately for you it can be reversed. What can I do to increase my stomach acid? Contact Lettuce Change and together we can get to the root cause of these symptoms and help you heal your low stomach acid, naturally, so you can get back to feeling fabulous.  

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Lettuce Change is here to educate, inspire, and empower you to take your health into your own hands through holistic living. Sisters Karlie and Natasha are certified Nutritional Practitioner, graduates from Institute of Holistic Nutrition. www.lettucechange.com

   

F•F•F Fabulous Fermented Foods Written  by  Rebecca  Shirley  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I stumbled onto the world of ferments when my youngest son had a host of

digestive issues as a baby. After working with numerous naturopaths and doing countless hours of research, I was able to learn a mountain of information in a very short period of time about the traditional “superfood” of ferments. Traditionally fermented foods such as Sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt and the like are fairly well known, however the process of store bought fermentation greatly differs from the time honoured traditional sense. Traditional fermentation had been a dying art for some time thanks to the industrialization of the food industry, but it is now making quite the comeback in all sorts of health circles and lifestyles as some of the healthiest (and tastiest) foods on the planet. Fermentation is an ancient food preservation technique that uses the biology of good bacterias, yeasts and molds to prepare and preserve delicious foods. It creates exquisite preserves, but the real magic behind ferments is in the P rob io t i c s they contain. P rob io t i c s – that word sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Probiotics are the good bacterias that inhabit our body. Why are they important? Over 80% of our immune system is found in the gut. Yes, you read that right, over 80%. Believe it or not, more and more people are now coming to the realization that the root of one’s health is in fact in the gut and digestive tract. Countless naturopaths, nutritionists and even conventional Doctors alike are learning that not only physical, but even mental illness can be traced back to gut health. We maintain an incredible symbiotic relationship with the trillions of microbes in our body! We all have a balance of good AND bad bacterias, yeasts and molds in our guts. The key to optimal health is to have more of the beneficial bacterias then the pathogens. Unfortunately, this can be a difficult task this day and age with the bombardment of antibiotics, denatured foods, environmental toxins, prescription drugs, vaccinations, genetically modified foods, fluoride and chlorine in our water … I could go on. But the key is to understand we must heal our guts and continue to maintain proper balance with Probiotics to maintain optimal health. Fermented foods are essential in achieving and maintaining optimal gut health due to the high probiotic content they contain. Did I mention they are de-li-cious?! Ferments are paired beautifully with almost any

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Fermented foods aid in digestion, as the active bacterias and probiotics actually predigest your food for you! Fermentation actually increases the flavour, enzymes and preserves the vitamin content in your foods. Fermentation is an easy and very inexpensive way to preserve foods and make them as nutrient dense as possible. Turn any vegetable into a “superfood” once it’s been fermented. Did I mention they are de-li-cious?! Ferments are paired beautifully with almost any meal. Add them to soups, as a side dish, heck, my kids will even eat bowlfuls of Sauerkraut just on their own! Water kefir and kombucha are both delicious, mineral-rich, fermented beverage that can be sweetened with fruit. Ok, so now you want to run out and buy some ferments, right? A word of caution, don’t be fooled by some of the store bought products. Most companies will pasteurize their product (killing all the beneficial microbes). Also, since the fermentation process can be quite unpredictable based on temperature, length of ferment and seasonality of the vegetables, companies can also add flavour enhancers, colorants or unnatural preservatives to make their product more uniform – yuck! My best suggestion, look into learning to make ferments yourself. That’s how I started. It’s quite easy and as I said, inexpensive. The other option is to find local, reputable fermenting artists that do their own raw, organic ferments. They can be few and far between, but they are out there. There’s many fermentation articles and tutorials online as well as workshops that are taught locally. This article is not meant to treat, diagnose or cure any illnesses of course, it’s simply encourage you to explore the benefits of fermented foods. You owe it to yourself and your family to learn more about these amazing super foods. Looking to learn more about ferments? Check out my facebook page at Maple Shade Empor i um. With Love and an grateful heart, Rebecca  Rebecca  is  a  mother  of  two  who  has  a  passion  for  taking  a    

holistic  approach  to  life  -­‐  embracing  the  mind,  body  and  spirit.    She  believes  in  peaceful,  mindful  parenting,  natural  living  and    

sustainability.  She  adores  sharing  her  knowledge  and    experience  to  help  encourage  and  empower  others.  

 

SUNDRIED TOMATO PESTO •   •  

Ingredients: •3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds •3/4 cup sundried tomato (soak in water to soften, keep water) •2 garlic cloves •handful of fresh basil •1/2 tsp. pepper •1/2 lemon juice •1 1/4 cups olive oil

1. In the food processor or blender, put all ingredients in except olive oil. Process or blend until well combined, add some water left over from the soaking tomatoes to help movement. 2. Slowly add olive oil as the processor or blender is running on low. This allows you to control the consistency of your pesto. By adding the oil last it also stops it from getting too heated up. 3. Serve with vegetables as a dip, use as a salad dressing, put on your fresh pasta or grain salad.

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