Looking for a good source for REAL quality foods and supplements and Green Living? Here is a shopping list with recommended resources that will help!
Beverages
Fermented drinks are delicious and easy to make at home. I regularly teach classes on how to make your own delicious kombucha and both water and milk kefir. Check out my homepage for the link for classes scheduled. If you would like information on how to make fermented beverages, feel free to contact me at sharingnatural@gmail.com
This brand of coconut water is a favorite choice instead of sodas or chemically laced sports drinks which have been shown to damage children’s (and adults) tooth enamel.
Delicious kombucha tea that can be purchased by the case or you can learn how to make your own as well as other cultured products via the web here: Cultures for Health
Getting your family to like natural choices of beverages are such a better choice. Instead of sodas or the chemically laced sports drinks which have been shown to damage children and adult’s tooth enamel. Anything fermented will have natural probiotics.
Breads, Flours, Grains & Legumes
Einkorn flour is preferred for baking as it is non-hybridized heirloom wheat which is higher in nutrition, very low in gluten and more digestible and well-tolerated than any other type of wheat. If you have a grain grinder, you can purchase Einkorn berries for the freshest flour or alternatively, high extraction flour for general baking needs. A good cookbook full of great recipes by Carla Bartolucci .
Bread is a comfort food for many. Make sure that it is a good quality that is prepared in a traditional and digestible manner so it does not aggravate health woes. For a line of delicious breads that you can feel good about eating, I prefer Bread Beckers baked goods or for a delicious sprouted bread, Wise Choice Market .
Grain Free Flours: Arrowroot flour can be used as a grain free thickener and coconut flour for making many grain free recipes. Sprouted almond flour also makes for a great flour for baking. Sprouted flours are ideal for cookies and quick breads.
Sprouted pasta is a much healthier and digestible alternative to standard pasta.
Other grains for cooking and baking include spelt , quinoa , rice flour , basmati rice , and barley . You can use these other grains soaked and cooked for side dishes, breakfast porridge or as an addition to soups. They can also be ground fresh into whole grain flours as needed. It is best not to buy grains from bulk bins as grains tend to go rancid quite easily. Best to buy in sealed packages or buckets.
Beans and other Legumes: A favorite legume is lentils due to their high phosphorus content. You can also buy sprouted lentils to avoid soaking them prior to cooking. Red kidney beans for chili. (or white kidney beans ). Navy beans are the lowest in starch if you are low carb (also GAPS friendly).
Coconut Products
Coconut products are regularly used in my home in a variety of ways.
Coconut products are good for a variety of dishes. Expeller pressed coconut oil is well suited for cooking as it is not easily damaged by heat and has no coconut taste.
Virgin coconut oil is wonderful for skin care, weight loss and therapeutic uses like oil pulling.
Coconut flour is an excellent alternative to grains for baking.
Coconut ghee , coconut cream , coconut milk , coconut chips , and coconut butter are other products I find useful for baking.
Fats & Oils
Most of the olive oils sold currently on the market are blended with (unlabeled) cheaper vegetable oils. Because of this, be sure to buy only 100% extra virgin olive oil from a reliable source. Olive oil should only be used for making homemade salad dressings and low heat cooking. There are two good brands that I would recommend and trust: Jovial Olive Oil and Bariani Extra Virgin Olive Oil .
Palm Oil is an excellent sustainable oil that you can feel good about being a healthy choice as well. Unlike this particular brand, not all palm oil is contributing to deforestation.
Flora Sesame Oil is a true cold-pressed, certified organic oil and is excellent for making mayonnaise with as it does not solidify when refrigerated. This oil is recommended for not only making mayonnaise with but is an excellent choice for cooking. It is 1/3 sesame oil, 1/3 extra virgin olive oil, and 1/3 coconut oil.
Ghee which is also known as clarified butter is a traditional cooking fat from India. It is a wonderful option for those with dairy allergies as all of the milk proteins have been removed leaving only the non-allergenic butter oil. Ghee is a very stable butter oil in that it has a high smoke point which makes it an excellent choice to use for frying and sautéing. It can be stored at room temperature for several months without refrigeration. Pure Indian Foods is my go to source for Ghee. Check out their variety of flavored ghee.
Duck fat would be another good alternative and can be purchased.
Grass-Fed Dairy
Click here for a selection of raw, grass-fed cheeses from small, Amish farms that have never been heated over 103F.
Grass-fed cheeses can also be purchased from Front Porch Pickings.
Click here to find a local, grass based farm near you.
If you are in the Volusia County, Florida area, there are a couple of options for Raw Milk sold for pet consumption only:
For Flagler County, the Flagler County Farmer’s Market
Supplements & Superfoods
If you are going to take supplements, make sure that they whole food based and nutrient dense. Here is a list of the ones that I recommend and that I take an a regular basis.
I don’t recommend a lot of supplements –only a few that are whole food based and nutrient dense.
Fermented cod liver oil is the #1 superfood supplement to make sure you take on a daily basis. Stay away from highly processed, heat treated fish oils and cod liver oils at the healthfood store. Fermented cod liver oil is the #1 superfood supplement.
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REAL butter is one of the healthiest and most affordable fats to use for cooking. If you have access to a local farmers grass-fed raw butter this is best. Otherwise, Kerrigold Pure Irish Butter comes from grass-fed cows and can possibly found at your local grocery or health food store. If not, you can buy it here on Amazon. Buy in bulk, it freezes nicely.
Other healthy fats that I would recommend for cooking would be homemade tallow and lard. You will need to render those fats yourself or they can be purchased online.
