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Please remember to stop by the front desk and update your information.  And while you’re at it, please take a minute to refresh your familiarity with our website and policies - we’ve spent a lot of time on our brand, and there’s a TON of awesome information out there!  Read and be in the know!

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microbiomehq.com: click image for link to article

Not the courageous type this time, but the literal type.  Your guts contain loads of information that make you who you are, maybe more so than many other organ systems!

Some signs your digestive microbiome may be out of whack include intestinal issues, mental issues (depression, brain fog), stress, weight issues, and skin conditions.  Surprisingly, you can change your own microbiome for the better if you work at it.  A few tips include: getting dirty and sweaty, incorporating more fermented foods and good veggies into your diet and reducing sugar and meat / animal products.  Check the links to learn more!

A couple more interesting articles here and here.  Enjoy!

Friday Food for Thought - Are you really human?

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Diggin’ back in the archives for this one.  As spring approaches, think fresh!  Fresh food, fresh air, fresh perspective.  Maybe some fresh comments?  Did you know comments are back?  Happy Wednesday, CFers!

From “FOODIE BRAIN DUMP” MAY 30, 2014:

If we’ve said it one, we’ve said it a thousand times… Fat DOESN’T make you fat!!!  There have been several contradictory health / nutrition studies in the past few decades, serving to do nothing more than confuse the $@&% out of everybody…  Leading to people just throwing in the towel and doing whatever they want to because “blah, blah, blah.  Nobody knows anything anyway…”

Here’s a brief overview of what we’ve learned through our CF food challenges of the past:

It’s hard.  Yep, it can be.  Let’s move on.

Insulin spikes = bad.  Keep that blood sugar steady and avoid the constant highs and lows associated with quick sugar rushes (and subsequent crashes, leaving you craving more).

Watch for the hidden sugar.  It’s everywhere!  Vitamin water?  Not so much…  Low fat?  High sugar…  New and improved?  Doubtful…

Go clean and natural.  It’s hard to hide additives in a head of lettuce or a carrot (though not impossible, and surely food companies are working on it at this very moment).  Go natural / locally grown / non-processed / clean food!  Know where your food comes from.

Or go organic.  If you want to, it’s probably a great idea.  But still know where it comes from!  Did that organic, grass fed steak travel from Australia or Uruguay?  …and how does it only cost $7.00?  …and where do I get that plane ticket?

Or grow your own!  What better way to reconnect with the earth and feel that much more self-sufficient than by digging in the dirt and watching food grow straight out of the ground?!?

Start small.  Substitute fruit for candy, replace a soda with water, sub salad for fries at the restaurant.  Sure, it’ll seem different at first, but is different inherently bad?  I think not.

Don’t do it because everyone else is.  Educate yourself about the hows and whys of dietary changes.  You’ll understand what’s going on with your body and be more motivated to step away from the bad stuff…

It’s not a diet; it’s a lifestyle.  “Diet” has become a dirty little word with temporary connotations.  Avoid the hype and make the change.

Figure out what works for you.  What works for someone else may not be your cup of tea, and that’s ok.  Figure out what works for you (it may take weeks / months to figure out) and tweak it until it’s just right.  Don’t make excuses and don’t give up.  Just figure it out!

But if this is all a little overwhelming, just consider: everything in moderation!  There’s nothing wrong with an occasional meal out or sweet treat from the store.  Just don’t do it all the time.  And chances are, if you’re eating clean, you’ll really notice the negative effects of putting junk into your body and be that much more likely avoid it the next time.

-G Kaag