My Experiment with DIY Fermented Pickles

Ashley Carter Youngblood
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My Experiment with DIY Fermented Pickles

I admit it: I LOVE pickles! I always have. But, when I learned that the pickles you by at the store are essentially “mock” pickles simply soaked in vinegar to make them taste like pickles, completely leaving out the benefits of a naturally fermented food (what pickles should be), I knew I had another experiment on my hands!

The good news: fermented pickles are SUPER easy to make, are jam-packed with the natural microbes that help support our gut and immune system, and keep well for a VERY long time in the fridge. Here’s what you will need*:

  • Mustard seed
  • Sea salt
  • Minced garlic (I used around 10 cloves)
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Pickling (small cucumbers; often called “Kirby”)
  • Dill (fresh and flowered is optimal)
  • Filtered water
  • Grape leaves, bay leaves, or black tea leaves (which release tannins, which keep the pickles crisp)
  • Black peppercorns (optional)
  • Turmeric (optional but I added it to mine for some extra health benefits)
  • Ginger (optional but I added it to mine for some extra health benefits)
  • One large sterile glass jar with a lid that can be loose fitting
  • Weights to hold your cucumbers under the water

*Keep in mind that, since you are soaking and releasing all of the nutrients from these ingredients, is it optimal to make sure that everything you are using is organic in order to avoid any pesticides or other nasty residue you don’t want your food soaking in.

Now that you have your ingredients, here’s how you do it:

  1. Mix your salt into your water to create your brine (the ratio I used was 5 tablespoons of salt for 2 quarts of water). Make sure it is fully dissolved and let sit at room temperature.
  2. Cut off a tiny bit from the blossom ends of each of the cucumbers. If you don’t do this, an enzyme will remain that makes the pickles softer and not as crunchy.
  3. Add a layer of your mustard seed, garlic, red pepper flakes, dill, and your grape leaves/bay leaves/tea to your jar.
  4. Add your cucumbers to your jar.
  5. Depending on the size of your jar, add additional layers of the mustard seed, garlic, red pepper flakes, dill, and your grape leaves/bay leaves/tea as you keep stacking your cucumbers tightly.
  6. Pour your brine into the jar and make sure to fully cover the cucumbers but allowing around 2 inches of space from the top to allow for expansion as they ferment.
  7. Tap or shake your jar to release any stuck air bubbles. This is important as fermenting is an anaerobic (technical term for “without oxygen”) process that should have minimal exposure to oxygen in order to prevent the growth of unhelpful bacteria.
  8. Add your weights to ensure the cucumbers stay under the water (this is what will keep unhelpful bacteria from forming on the pickles). If you are fancy, you can use “fermenting weights” to do this but you can also use a plastic bag or a small bowl filled with water – whatever keeps the cucumbers under water is fine!
  9. Place the jar, with a loose-fitting lid in the dark place (optimal temperature for fermenting pickles is between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit) for 1-4 weeks or until the pickle taste is to your liking.
  10. Make sure to open or “burp” the jar at least daily. *This is important as the pressure of fermenting could cause the jar to explode if the gas formed is not released!*

When the pickles are ready, the jar should get cloudy and the pickles should turn more brown than the previous vibrant green cucumbers they once were. Once they taste perfect to your liking, simply store them in the refrigerator. If there is any mold that forms at the top of the jar, simply remove with a paper towel or spoon. (Remember fermenting is an anaerobic process so any mold that forms on the top of the water will not affect the quality of the pickles.) Now you can have homemade fermented pickles as a healthy low-carb snack!

It’s Not the Cow. It’s the How.

Ted Hopper
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It’s Not the Cow. It’s the How.

Grass-fed beef is gaining in popularity in the United States as consumers realize the health benefits as compared to eating conventional, “grocery” store beef. At the same time, however, we’re also seeing more reports about the damage that the cattle industry is doing to our environment and ecosystems.  What gets lost in the media coverage, however, is the difference between organic, grass-fed beef and the conventional beef industry when it comes to the environmental impact. It may surprise you, then, to learn that not only is organic grass-fed beef good for you, but it is also good for the planet.

In other words: it’s not the cow. It’s the how.

The beef industry as a whole is often criticized as a major source of the greenhouse gases that are contributing to the warming of our planet.  According to the US EPA’s report on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the “Agricultural” sector as a whole accounts for 9% of greenhouse gas emissions.  If you unpack that category, you’ll find that the PLANT based agriculture sector accounts for 5% of greenhouse gas emissions while ANIMAL based agriculture accounts for only 4%!  But, even that doesn’t give you the full story.

Just as the human health benefits of organic, grass-fed beef are significantly better than those of industrially-produced beef, so is the environmental impact.  To put this all in proper context, however, we have to take a step back and define specifically the type of beef we are talking about here.  That is, cattle that spend their entire lives on US soil (don’t be fooled by those Product of the USA labels), are raised on USDA certified organic farms, are allowed to roam and graze freely, are fed a diet entirely of grass and other natural ruminants and are never given hormones, antibiotics or other chemicals or by-products.

Studies by Dr. Richard Teague, a leading expert and research scientist at Texas A&M University’s Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, reveal that the regenerative agricultural and grazing practices that are common with raising organic grass-fed beef can actually result in a carbon negative footprint (check out the video here).  In other words, those cattle operations actually reduce the levels of harmful greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. While the science can get pretty complicated, the concept is pretty easy to understand.  Simply put, if you allow plants, animals and insects to live and interact the way Mother Nature intended, then the end result is an ecosystem that operates in a peaceful harmony.

John and Molly Chester embraced this concept when they launched Apricot Lane Farms in 2011 with an overarching vision of using farming practices that focus on the enhancement of the environment, wildlife habitat and biological regeneration of soil while reducing, or eliminating, outside inputs.  They make all their decisions through the lens of “biomimicry,” which is an approach that “seeks sustainable solutions to farming challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies.” If you want to learn more about John and Molly’s journey, be sure to check out the documentary The Biggest Little Farm.

When viewed from this perspective, then it is easy to understand why Andrew French writes that grass-fed beef is the most vegan item in the supermarket.  Organic farming methods and raising grass-fed cattle relies on agriculture based on perennial trees, grasses and other vegetation and allows nature to thrive without the annual destruction of industrial farming methods.  That’s why Andrew French believes, “the least [environmentally] harmful foods to eat come from perennial plants and the animals that eat those perennial plants.”

Food taste–whether produce or animal proteins–starts with the health of the soil in which it is raised.  So, if your goal is finding foods that are good for you, good for the planet, and taste delicious, you owe it to yourself to try American-sourced, certified organic, grass-fed and grass-finished beef. You’ll taste the difference, feel better after you eat it — and you’ll help the planet, too.

“You’re So Lucky to be Healthy”: Memoir of a Mother – Part 2

Jacque Jennings-Carter
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“You’re So Lucky to be Healthy”: Memoir of a Mother – Part 2

…Continued from Part 1…

I consult with a lot of people about their health.  My primary goal is to help individuals understand clearly that doing as many of the “right” things for their body as often as possible is comparable to having a “prevention” insurance policy in force.  Being healthy doesn’t just “happen” and it has nothing to do with being “lucky”; but it does have a lot to do with being aware of your body – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually – and then taking action to address whatever challenge the body is experiencing.    

Many people blame their genetics for their less than stellar health.  Genetics definitely play a role in our health but not as much as we have been told that it does.  Research over the past 10 plus years tells us that genetics account for less than 10 – 15% (some research suggests even less!) of our individual health condition.  Everything else that happens to our body, 85 – 90%, is directly attributable to our lifestyle and the daily choices we make relative to our health.  Let me repeat that again.  Our health is primarily a direct result of the decisions we make, consciously or unconsciously, every day.  What we eat, what we drink, how active we are/how much we exercise, what kind of chemicals we are exposed to, the quality of air we breathe, how much quality water we drink, how much sleep we get, what kind of quality supplements we take, how we care for our skin, the people in our lives (are they positive or negative?), the level of stress we cause ourselves and are exposed to, and the list goes on and on. 

Since there is always a “bottom line” to everything, let me get to the bottom line relative to our health.  Just like freedom isn’t free, being healthy isn’t free, either.  It costs money to be healthy.  And while money is a concern for all of us…please hear this…it costs a whole lot more to be sick!  Not to mention how it affects everyone and everything else around us.  Please remember:  It costs money to be healthy!

It is my opinion that everyone should have a wellness line in their budget.  If you don’t have one, you can start today!  Hopefully this occurs before there are health challenges. 

I can usually tell how much a person values their health by how they treat their body.  While it may be true…or at least they believe it is true…that they cannot afford to do a lot of healthy things, it is simply that their health isn’t a priority…yet.  Maybe they cannot afford to do everything necessary.  But they can do something.  We all can do something.  And something is a start.  I can almost guarantee you that if they become ill, however, they will be forced to find the money to invest in their health just to “get it back”…assuming they can get it back.  And whether it is the person with the health problem that is paying the bill, the insurance company, a combination of both or the bills are being paid some other way, someone is paying.  It is not free.  Whether it is staying well or whether it is getting well, it costs money.  The latter costs a whole lot more. 

We are all going to age chronologically.  But how are we going to age biologically?  Even those of us who listen to our body are going to eventually decline in health.  It is the circle of life.  The question is, what kind of quality of life do we want as we age?  What is your answer?  I know what the answer is for me.  I want the best health I can get, for as long as I can get it and I will do whatever it takes, even if it means rearranging my budget, to make it happen.  We have one body and it holds us accountable for what we do to it.  A healthy body is not because of luck.  It is because of us.  Because of what we decide to do, or not do, followed up with the appropriate actions.  Whether or not you choose to do anything, your body will be talking to you.  It is talking to you right now.  I hope you are listening.  I promise, it will be worth it.

“You’re So Lucky to Be Healthy”: Memoir of a Mother – Part 1

Jacque Jennings-Carter
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“You’re So Lucky to Be Healthy”: Memoir of a Mother – Part 1

[Before we begin, here’s a note from Ashley: “Like mother, like daughter. When writing this blog, it got so long that it needed to be separated into two parts. Click the link at end of this section to find part two.”]

This is something I hear frequently.  I appreciate that most people view me as a great example of a healthy person and I am very grateful for my excellent health.  Every passing year (and they go waaaaay too fast!) my appreciation and gratitude for my excellent health grows deeper and deeper.  But the statement is simply not true.   

For many years in response to someone saying, “You’re so lucky to be healthy”, I would simply smile and say something like, “Yes, I am very fortunate” or simply “Thank you”.  But after many years of being told how “lucky” I am to be healthy, I realized that I needed to clear up a major misconception.

If you remember nothing else from this blog, please remember this: I am not healthy because I am lucky.  I am healthy because I choose to be healthy. I work very hard at being healthy.  Every day.  I don’t live in a bubble.  I live life.  I enjoy some of the “unhealthy” foods from time to time 😊, but I never forget that health is a daily choice.  My choice.  Not my doctor’s, not my family’s nor anyone whom I love.  It is my choice.  If we take care of our body, our body will take care of us!

There is a great quote that my daughter highlights on her social media by Mark Hyman and it says: “Your body is the smartest doctor in the room – it will tell you what works and what doesn’t – by what happens to your weight and how you feel.” This is the absolute truth. If you don’t have to be concerned about your weight, consider yourself blessed.  But we all have to, and must, be concerned about how we feel!

There is only thing more important to me than my health.  My family.  Actually, my health and my family are tied as my number one priority.  There are times when I will choose my health over my family and vice versa, depending on the circumstances.  When I choose my health over my family, it does not mean that I love them less. It is because I love them so much, and also love myself, that I make that choice. 

If I am not healthy, whether it is mentally, emotionally, spiritually or physically, I cannot contribute as much to my family, to my community or to myself.  And if my not being healthy lasts a long time, it is highly likely that I could become a burden on my family.  When someone’s health deteriorates, it doesn’t affect just them; it has a ripple effect on virtually everyone in their life.  If their health deteriorates significantly, in addition to becoming a possible burden, it can cause a strain on relationships and finances; that creates more stress which negatively affects the body’s health even more and so the cycle continues. 

My health is as good as it is because my mom and dad were great examples and because I “listen” to my body; when it tells me that it needs more attention, most everything else takes a back seat for however long it takes for my body to let me know it is better.     

Listen to my body?  Absolutely.  Sounds sort of silly.  Does the body really “talk”?  You bet it does.  Constantly.  I am healthy because I do listen to my body.  Very carefully.  It talks to me every day and I am “all ears”.  Our bodies are talking to us all the time.  Your body is talking to you right now.  Are you listening?  When someone does develop a health challenge, now they are being forced to pay attention and make their health a priority.  So wouldn’t it make more sense to invest in ourselves and our health before something negative happens (to our health) for the sole purpose of remaining as healthy as possible for as long as possible?  If not for us, at least for our family.

…Finish reading “’You’re So Lucky to be Healthy’: Memoir of a Mother” with Part 2 here…

How to Stay Low-Carb/Keto While Travelling

Ashley Carter Youngblood
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How to Stay Low-Carb/Keto While Travelling

Let’s be honest: making the commitment to stay low-carb/keto can be challenging enough to do at home. But, when you are travelling, it can be that much more difficult! Luckily, my travelling experience has taught me a lot about what works best for me to stay low-carb/keto while travelling. Hopefully my lessons learned will save you some time (and frustration).

Travel Essentials

Travel Essential #1: Low-carb nuts (like pecans, Brazil nuts, walnuts, and macadamia nuts). Nuts serve as both a great tool to gently break your fast (if you are doing intermittent fasting with keto) and as a snack if you need a little extra something special after a meal. They also travel really well and don’t have to be refrigerated if that’s not possible for you. Just remember to consume them in moderation as the carbs in even low-carb nuts can add up. A fourth to a half of a cup is typically recommended as a maximum to consume per day. If you want to keep it really simple, like I do, try these amazing portable low-carb/keto nut butter packs called “F-Bombs” from Love You Foods.

Travel Essential #2: Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt – Remember that “regular” table salt is NOT the same as something like natural Himalayan or Celtic sea salt. Himalayan or Celtic sea salt contain naturally-occurring minerals that help balance electrolytes. So, you cannot rely on other places, like restaurants, to provide this essential for you. [Side note: I even though that I may need to have a sugar-free/keto-friendly electrolyte supplement (like some of the tasty Ultima packets) with me when being active while travelling. But, it didn’t turn out to be necessary.]

Travel Essential #3: LOTS of water (filtered). Although, depending on the kind of travelling you are doing, bringing water with you may not be practical, remember to hydrate! Given that the kidneys filter faster through water and natural salts/electrolytes while low-carb, we need both more natural electrolytes (e.g. that Himalayan or Celtic sea salt I mention above!) and water. Plus, staying hydrated well also helps making fasting easier if you fast and skip breakfast, like I do.

Travel Essential #4: Ketone/glucose meter and test strips. One thing that people often get wrong with being low-carb/ketogenic is that they never actually test their ketone levels (or they use urine test strips, which are unreliable and don’t provide a consistent reading of all three possible kinds of ketones). And, in my opinion, while being low-carb/keto isn’t about achieving the medical nirvana of being “in ketosis” or for the weight loss, one has to stay informed about what keeps your glucose low and your ketones present and what doesn’t. (I reference just how important this is here.) Because it can be a pain to have separate ketone and glucose meters and testing strips, I use a Keto Mojo meter, which allows for testing of both in an easy travel pack. You can find their product with a sweet deal here. [Side note: While it is important to test your numbers, as Jimmy Moore points out in his book, Keto Clarity, the stress of travelling can often be enough to throw off your numbers. So, test to stay informed but don’t if it stresses you out or causes you to not enjoy yourself. Remember, a benefit of being low-carb/ketogenic is that a well-balanced ketogenic meal or two can bring you right back into ketosis even with less-than-optimal numbers!]

Optional Travel Items

Optional Travel Item #1: Peppermint tea. Although I find that making sure I am well-hydrated and am consuming enough salt (the general recommendation within the low-carb/keto community is around 1-2 teaspoons a day; although I find that my body needs between 1-2 tablespoons a day to help balance electrolytes and avoid signs of electrolyte deficiencies like leg cramps) is sufficient to fast well, peppermint tea is thought to be an appetite suppressants and really helps me to make it easily to lunch before I am hungry. Green tea or coffee can also work well for this, although the caffeine in such beverages makes me jittery.

Optional Travel Item #2: Healthy Oils/Fats. I have found that most sit-down restaurants have olive oil handy (given that they offer it with vinegar as an option for salad dressing). So, you can certainly use their oils to make sure to allow your body the fat that it uses for fuel while low-carb/ketogenic. However, when you aren’t sure if you will be able to have access to healthy fats (e.g. coconut oil, butter, olive oil; not the gross highly-processed and inflammatory fats like soybean oil, corn oil, or margarine), I put a daily dose of oil in a small travel-friendly and spill proof container like these and keep it with me to use as needed.

Don’t Bother Bringing

Unnecessary Travel Item #1: Bone broth. While having travel-friendly small boxes of bone broth from companies like Kettle & Fire is an AMAZING option that can make travelling locally easy when you are fasting or wanting to ensure you are getting good nutrients, it is not necessary if you are concerned about weight (e.g. backpacking). Hydrating well and getting enough healthy salts/electrolytes should be enough.

Unnecessary Travel Item #2: Snacks. When of the major benefits of being low-carb/ketogenic is that you are no longer dependent on food for fuel because your body uses its own fat for fuel (more about this and my transition from severe hypoglycemia here). So, I have found that, if I have nuts to break my fast, no other food outside of travel meals is necessary to keep me happy and healthy.

Experiment!

What is listed above is what I found works for me. But, given that every body is different and you need to respect your body’s needs, experiment. See what you can and can’t live without. Stay curious, my friends!

How Nashville Challenged My Perspective on Eating “Local”

Ashley Carter Youngblood
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How Nashville Challenged My Perspective on Eating “Local”

[Taken as an excerpt from my travel journal on 5/6/19.]

What does “local” food mean? What constitutes it? For example, Hattie B’s (the famous source of the dish of Nashville: “hot chicken”) started in Nashville but now has multiple locations. So, it is now a “chain” and not “local”? Is “local” only one original restaurant? Or, does “local” mean the specification that the restaurant started in that location? And, if the one, local original restaurant has one location but did so well it expanded, why punish them for success by not eating at other locations?

I suppose, in some ways, it all comes back to where the food is sourced. But, “local” means something different to everyone and you can’t ever really know where you food comes from. For instance, you can’t waltz up to the counter at Hattie B’s after waiting in line for an hour and a half (yep, expect a line that long!) and ask the high school kid at his first job what farm their products come from. You’re gonna get weird looks and gonna be “that one lady,” who no one wants to be!

To go back to my previous blog on the problems that represent the “dark side” of Nashville, really the only way to know or get “local” food is to use the advantage of a farmer’s market, like the one in Nashville I visited today. Otherwise, you’re never gonna know where your restaurant gets its products from. The only exception to this that I can see is if the business openly promotes itself as offering local foods, which is probably your best bet. But, it is still not going to guarantee that you find the restaurants do get their food local and just don’t choose to market this fact for one reason or another. This may be due to a lack of marketing prowess or if they just believe that it’s a standard of ethical food consumption that goes without saying. Again, SOOOO thankful to live in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where, I admit, I have taken this for granted.

To complicate it further, as my husband and I were discussing, let’s say a restaurant does so good in one city (e.g. Nashville) that they open up another location in, say, Kalamazoo. If it uses the same “local”‘ farm (local to the original location in Nashville), it is still “local” for those of us who live near the Kalamazoo location? Or, is it only truly “local” if it gets it’s products from a farm “local” to the newer location? Is doing the later even feasible financially for a small restaurant? Or, is “local” really all about ethics: the ethics of re-investing into the local economy?

In the end, I come to the same conclusion as in my previous blog: We can never truly know. All we can do is make an effort to educate ourselves with the knowledge we have access to. (Here is where your smartphone comes in!) And, let’s be honest, this assume that such food marketing is honest and transparent. But, the farther into food ethics I dive, the more I realize what I don’t know and just how muddy it can be.

Again, we have to eat. And, out of respect for our farmers and the products and animals that they raise, all we can do it try our best. In fact, that’s all anyone could every ask of us, just like anything else. And, if that is what helps you to sleep at night with yourself – knowing you’ve done all you can while travelling, which has innate challenges and limitations – then that’s all you can do.

Furthermore, two things are also noteworthy. First, just because it’s “local” doesn’t mean it’s good quality (e.g. “local” greens versus organic greens; living next to a Tyson chicken farm despite knowing how unethically they are raising their livestock). Second, it’s ironic that, when you go into a restaurant, they proclaim openly in bold letters on their menus and signs how a certain brew of beer is “local,” detailing even the city it is from. Yet, we don’t do the same for food. If only we could change the way that we interact with and discuss “local” foods! Hopefully this blog can help contribute to increasing our dialogue about food in a way that challenges our beliefs and attitudes, helping advance our perspective as such experiences in Nashville did for me.

The Dark Side of Nashville: Two Major Problems

Ashley Carter Youngblood
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The Dark Side of Nashville: Two Major Problems

[Taken as an excerpt from my travel journal on 5/5/19.]

I could really get use to this travel thing! Going cool places; meeting cool people. Two things stick out to me today. First, when reflecting on the art museum we went to today: how poorly we treat those different from us (e.g. The Dust Bowl, Japanese Interment Camps). Second: how poorly we treat the Earth!

For instance, one of the things about Nashville that boggles my mind is how big it’s getting without the support of infrastructure. As some of the powerful photographs of local artists showed at The Frist Art Museum today showed, giant housing complexes are being built. But, that’s creating a skyrocketing cost for general housing (resulting in more homelessness) and is only going to make traffic worse when there are no other changes to accommodate this. The “old” is being destroyed to make room for the more profitable.

And, another thing – I have NO IDEA where people are getting their groceries here! There isn’t a grocery store anywhere in the city that we’ve seen. This brings me to another problem of overpopulation: food accessibility.

What constitutes a “food desert” (although I do define and explore this concept here)? Now I REALLY understand the trouble of the average urban American related to food accessibility. And, man am I glad that I live in Kalamazoo, Michigan! All travelling has done is make me want to cook and get creative in my kitchen!

Even in Nashville, it is possible to find locally-grown and locally-sourced food products, even in restaurants (like, tonight, we enjoyed a delicious meal at The Black Rabbit). But, you have to work for it! And, the average places you are eating aren’t going to be thinking about sustainability, ethics, or food quality. (And, they’re going to be feeding you things like Tyson chicken and feed-lot beef, which makes me sick to even think about it!) So, I am starting to realize that it’s super hard to eat “locally,” “ethically,” and “sustainably.” Or, at least it can be.

Where does one start? I started with a commitment to always eating local (when I can and am not in an airport, where your options are much more limited, although it could be a great excuse to fast). I vote with my fork and want to show that I care. I do care. But, this is where vegetarian or veganism makes sense. You could have a tower garden farm in an urban area but you can’t exactly raise grass-fed cattle in downtown Nashville. And, it wouldn’t be fair to them if you did.

Another problem is how much God-forsaken meat we consume now. (In his book, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan describes how an actual official “portion” of meat is 4 ounces. But, let’s be honest, when is the last time you even saw a portion of meat on a menu that was as “small” as 4 ounces? Most portions are two to three times that size and the average person eats such portions of meat during three meals a day.) So, you would need mass-production cow feed-lots to fulfill the demand of Nashville’s meat consumption. (Think southern BBQ!). But, again, this isn’t good for the animals. For me, and I would argue for everyone, it will always be quality over quantity. And, it hurts my heart to know that I can’t always have quality (or ethically-sourced).

So, again, where do we start? We can’t not eat. Do we fast more when travelling? We have to eat sometime, thought. Are we the Debbie Downer with travel companions, obsessively researching or restricting locations or food choices? To be honest, I don’t know. What I do know, though, is that we can all start somewhere.

Maybe, like me, you commit to choosing local businesses who you have researched who support local farming and feature it on their menus. Maybe you commit to something like “meatless Mondays” when on the road. Whatever you do – just take the first step. We can’t be perfect. But, we can start somewhere and know that our decision means one more (or less) of that good (or bad) thing we are working to change.

My Test at Mammoth Cave

Ashley Carter Youngblood
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My Test at Mammoth Cave

[Taken as an excerpt from my travel journal on 5/2/19.]

Today was a big day. It was my first trip healthy since my health started to unravel in 2010. I am writing this in Nashville, Tennessee. An interesting town with lots to explore. And, the best part of it is that I CAN NOW! I can take an eight hour car ride without batting an eye (when I couldn’t even travel an hour in the car when my health was at its worst). I can fast on the fly.

However, today I was tested (my first of travelling for me). My husband wanted to see Mammoth Cave on our drive down. (Side note: It’s cool but very claustrophobic! I had to take a lot of deep breaths and be very mindful to survive the trip into the caves!) The tour was two and a half hours and we had 15 minutes to wait, in addition to the bus drive there and back. So, we got the tickets and were all good to go when, as soon as I knew the tour was a “sure thing” and we started walking toward where they pick us up to take us to the entrance, I started to panic.

For the past nearly ten (but probably more like 15) years, due to having severe hypoglycemia, I have had to have a meal bar with me wherever I go in case my blood sugar starts to drop suddenly (which used to happen ALL THE TIME). It has been my physical safety net (and, let’s be honest – also my emotional safety net for when that line between the physical and emotional gets blurred). But, I didn’t have one. I didn’t know what to expect (or to even bring water) related to seeing the caves and I didn’t have time to go to the car to get something just in case.

Believe me – EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING wanted to run. To retrieve the solution to my panic attack. But, I knew it wasn’t blood sugar. It was anxiety (find out how chemically these are the same in our bodies here). My body is stable, healthy, and strong. I have to remember that. And, over and over again I reminded myself of that. In my head. Out loud to my husband. With deep breaths. I can do it (and I knew that logically). I just needed to remind myself of it.

So, I got through that and was enjoying obsessively posting on social media today out of excitement for finally being able to travel. (Although my husband said it was overboard, I enjoyed sharing my story with people!) Then, suddenly, I had a strong pang of homesickness. Of fear to be out of my realm of comfort at home with my food, my bed, my routine. It felt a bit like how I felt at certain times when I traveled to India. But, I breathed into it and, just as quickly as it came, it vanished.

I have to practice being present. Old stories and old fears come back. It’s neurology. It’s trauma (e.g. nutritional, emotional, medical). But, it’s not me anymore. I give myself (and my body) permission to live, to enjoy, to just be (without fear).

I am thankful for my body and what it has been through and how resilient it is. But, I need to move on. It will take time and I will continue to have moments where I am tested. (Will they ever even go away? I don’t know. Do I want them to go away given that they are such great reminders of my strength and where I have come from? I don’t know.) That’s life. But, now that I have the ability to physically, I choose to enjoy it. So thankful that I finally can.

Tomorrow’s a new day (like each day). Let’s see what she brings!

DIY Natural All-Purpose Cleaner

Ashley Carter Youngblood
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DIY Natural All-Purpose Cleaner

When I was growing up, my mom used Bar Keeper’s Friend around the house. She touted it as an amazing all-purpose cleaner that could clean and polish just about anything to look as good as new. And, indeed, it was amazing. However, there is one downfall: it is filled with LOADS of chemicals and actually earned a full “F” on the safety scale from the Environmental Working Group. Therefore, as I sought out a way to live a lifestyle that is more sustainable and natural, I wanted to find a recipe for a DIY natural all-purpose cleaner that was just as good. And, after may trials and errors, I found one!

If you read any other of my blogs, you are probably sick of me saying the following related to living holistically. But, I think it’s an important reminder. So, here goes.

“Don’t put anything on your body you wouldn’t eat.”

My goal was to make an all-purpose cleaner like Bar Keeper’s Friend that I could essentially eat. And, I wanted to make sure to avoid having Borax as an ingredient as there are mixed reviews about whether this substance is truly holistic and safe to use. It may seem like a pipe dream, but I actually had great success in creating recipes that essentially allow for this (although I would, of course, not recommend anyone to try eating them. Let’s be smart here, people!). So, the experimenting began! Here’s the recipe I landed on as the best:

  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 1/2 cup non-iodized salt (the quality doesn’t matter; here’s the one I use given that salt buying can be confusing)
  • 1/2 cup washing soda
  • 5 drops of lemon essential oil (optional; you can also use other scents, like orange, if you prefer, but the recommendation is to keep with a citrus-like sent to provide this all-purpose cleaner with extra cleaning power)

How to Use This Natural All-Purpose Cleaner

When you have combined all ingredients, stir well (the wetness of the essential oils will cause the powder to clump) and add to a reusable shaker container. An old salt or spice shaker can work well for this, although make sure the holes are big enough for any clumps to come through.

To use, simply wet the surface of what you are trying to clean so that it’s damp. You want it wet enough (but not soaked) to begin to activate the ingredients and not too dry so that the ingredients don’t work at all. Sprinkle a hearty amount of the DIY natural all-purpose cleaner on the surface, spray some water over the top of it so that the powder becomes visibly wet, and let sit. You can let sit for as long as you want but anywhere between 15-30 minutes is good.

Then, take a scouring pad, wet it, and begin to lightly scrub in circles, scrubbing progressively harder if the stain is stubborn. Repeat as needed.

Just like the actual Bar Keeper’s Friend, this natural all-purpose cleaner is a go-to in our household for the following:

  • Stove top spill stains
  • Porcelain kitchen sink polishing (our 15-year-old white one is featured in the above photo)
  • Toilets
  • Stubborn stains in pans
  • Polishing the handles and mental drains in sinks
  • Removing stains from things like turmeric from our light gray laminate counter tops (this one is particularly fascinating as it will actually change the color of the turmeric spill to a burgundy before it promptly removes it)
  • Rust on metal grates
  • Bathtub stains
  • Laundry booster
  • Pretty much anything else you can imagine, hence the label “all-purpose cleaner”

Although it’s always wise to test a cleaner in an inconspicuous area before you apply it to the entire surface you are cleaning, especially for valuable items or family heirlooms, the sky is really the limit with this DIY natural all-purpose cleaner! So, test it out. And, most of all, be reminded that…

there is typically always a natural way to accomplish what the chemicals you buy in the store do.

Plus, being more sustainable and making your own cleaning supplies is cheaper, too!

I Can’t Be Fully Sustainable (and Why I’m Okay with That)

Ashley Carter Youngblood
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I Can’t Be Fully Sustainable (and Why I’m Okay with That)

As I continue on my journey toward a more sustainable life of growing my own food, living a low-carbohydrate/ketogenic lifestyle, and empowering myself to learn more about what I am consuming, I find myself driven to work harder to supply my own needs. This can be illustrated by the fact that I make most of my own beauty products (e.g. shampoo, toothpaste, makeup remover) but also that I grow my own food (e.g. sprouts, Tower Garden).

However, as I reflect on what I am learning about sustainability through community courses I am taking related to Kalamazoo Valley’s Community College‘s Food Innovation Center/Culinary Allied Health Program, I becoming empowered related to how much I could do to be more sustainable, while also simultaneously being overwhelmed by this fact. I have come to the conclusion, however, that I can’t do it all. So, instead, I am choosing to start somewhere, just like you can.

Where I Started

For me, my journey with sustainability began with my hair. Random, right? I didn’t like the chemicals that were going into my “natural” shampoo. So, I started making my own. That then led to making my own cleaning products to be further sustainable and natural in my lifestyle. The rest is history.

Related to food, I grow my own sprouts, cultivate organic food in my indoor Tower Garden, recycle, and compost. I save the precious bacon grease from when I make bacon to use as a delightful cooking oil later. I make my own Lacroix so I don’t have to buy it. I use the bones from a rotisserie chicken and make a low-carb, immune-boosting chicken zoodle soup that would kill any cold or flu. I work hard to honor my food and not be wasteful. For instance, I have also phased out plastic in my kitchen by using these amazing reusable, freezable, BPA-free storage bags, in addition to only using glass food storage containers.

The Reality

The reality is, however, that I don’t want goats. I don’t want to build my own raised flower bed. I don’t want to raise my own pigs. I don’t want to render my own duck fat.

Does this make me “less sustainable?” Yes. But, here is how I see it:

I value my time. I value my self-care. I value the time I am able to spend with other people. And, the homesteaders I know, while I greatly admire them, have time for practically nothing.

I want to be able to go on vacation. I don’t want to have to slaughter my own chickens. I can’t grow avocados given that I live in Michigan. Because I have had such a long journey with me health, I am ready to get my life back!

Two Kinds of People

There are two kinds of people: consumers and producers. The later would be your sustainable homesteader. Homesteaders produce out of joy and consumers are okay with trading money for goods and not investing in the actual process of creating the goods themselves. The focus, instead, is on the “stuff.”

Now, my focus is not greedily on the “stuff.” (Although I admit that, when I want an avocado, I want an avocado!) But, I am okay with being a consumer in the sense that I will trade money for goods made by someone who shares my same values about being sustainable, organic, and ethical.

I’m Okay with It

And, guess what, I’m okay with that. Just like we can’t be good at everything, I can’t do everything. I have a life, a career, and I want to have free time. So, as long as I am choosing to be a conscious consumer and trading my money for goods from others who I know are as committed to sustainability, the ethics of eating, and the love of food and Self, as I am, I am proud to give them my money! In fact, in many situations, I am eager to give them my money as it’s a win-win: I have a way to honor my time (by not making a canoe from scratch) while also economically supporting someone who is bettering our Planet! And, I am okay with that!

I will GLADLY pay my local organic farmer money for the chicken eggs they have lovingly (essentially) created with their own two hands. I will NOT go to a chain grocery store and simply buy a Tyson product (not only for sustainability concerns but also ethical ones, as well!). I will pay a seed company money to purchase their seeds in order to avoid the science behind harvesting them from the plants that I am growing. I will happily enjoy a low-carb/ketogenic meal out at a local restaurant who I know has quality, locally-sourced products that have been treated ethically. I will purchase grass-fed organic meats for holidays from either my local butcher or a quality mail-order organic distribution company (U.S. Wellness Meats and Greensbury Market are the two best that get my vote here!). I will make my own bone broth instead of buying it in order to do my part to honor and use all parts of the animal.

To get to where we want to be with sustainability, we have to start somewhere. So, find your first step, which may be some or none of the above, and experiment. Find what works for you and what fits into your life. You can’t be fully sustainable but don’t let that be a bad thing. Let that propel you into making thoughtful decisions about what you are willing to produce and what you are willing to be a consumer of, voting not only with your fork, but with your dollar, as well.

A special thanks to Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Community Education programs, which have helped me to develop and think critically about what sustainability means and how to incorporate it into my life.

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