Holistic Tips for Cold and Flue Season

You can find more info on my website at http://www.primalcotton.com

Disclaimer- All information is for education and entrainment purposes and should not replace the advice of your doctor.

Why Become a Doula?

Making the decision to become a doula was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made. I knew the second that I met my doula that I wanted to do exactly what she did. I wanted to help women to feel empowered and capable not only during pregnancy and childbirth but also in there role as new moms. We live in a world that full of so much negativity and so many people scare us into thinking we can’t trust ourselves our our instincts as not just mothers but as human beings. I love being able to help advocate for women that they can trust not just their bodies but also their instincts.

One of the reasons I am so excited to be moving on to this next journey of training other doula’s ,is that I feel like I am passing the torch on. In training other doula’s I am helping other women to see that they too can help empower other women. I am trying to create a community of strong, independent, supportive, and powerful women to help support each other in one of the most transformative and empowering moments in a woman life. What better way to make a living then to make a difference in someone else life and get to be a part of a life changing moment?

If you are interested in making a difference in other people’s I would love to help you accomplish this goal in one of my doula training courses.

Some people think that they had to have had a baby themselves or have to have had a natural childbirth in order to be a doula, and that is not the case. Being a doula isn’t about only assisting natural childbirths, it’s about advocating for women, and supporting them during this life change event. I know plenty of AMAZING doula’s who haven’t had a baby or who didn’t have the most zen like birthing experience. Being a doula is about being a support system and helping to lift up your client.

Stephanie
http://www.primalcotton.com

Sure I have time to be sick! Said NO Mom Ever!

I hope everyone is having a great Monday so far and had a great weekend. My weekend was spent trying to get through piles of school work while nursing myself back to help. Actually my husband Eric nursed me back to health or rather practically held me down so I would rest and heal up. I managed to catch a small cold/sinus infection at the end of the week. I ended up losing my voice, I litterly couldn’t talk at all for 3 days. I have never lost my voice for that long, it was kind of weird.Plus I was super frustrated because I had so much stuff I wanted and needed to get done this past weekend but I had to rest and prioritize instead. This has been an ongoing pattern every 6-8 weeks for me.You see, for the past 8 months I have been suffering from some kind of cold or respiratory condition any time I get under high amounts of stress. This normally coincides with the 5th week of class each quarter, when my big papers are due.

It all started back in January when I was training for my first half marathon. As soon as I finished my half marathon I ended up sick with pneumonia for almost 2 months. What do you do when you get pneumonia? You push yourself even harder and run another half marathon. What does this do? It gives you bronchitis ;( My body is extremely sensitive to stress and the combination of stress and pushing my body to the extreme pretty much did my immune system in. So since April I have been trying to repair the damage I have caused to my body and immune system. While it’s super frustrating I have had to learn to de-stress and be gentler on my body. No more 10 mile runs and crossfit 5x a week. My body just can’t handle the stress at the moment.

When I do get sick I have a pretty good regime that works well and normally knocks out what ever crap I have in a few days.

B-12- I am sure everyone is sick of hearing me talk about this but this stuff has changed my life! B-12 helps with so many things and I could go on and on about them but when I am sick I take B-12 to help increase my immune system and give me energy, B-12 increases your immune system by helping white blood cells to multiple and grow, thus fighting off pathogens. This is a must have supplement! You can get it off Amazon for like $12

Bone Broth is another must have when you are sick. Bone broth is packed full of nutrients that help your body repair. In Russia they call chicken broth penicillin, it’s that good. When you make this you have to actually do this one from scratch, you can’t buy bullion cubes, it’s not the same. If you are looking for a book that gives you all the benefits of bone broth I highly recommend Nourishing Broth by Sally Fallon. This book has tons of recipe and it explains all of the benefits of bone broth. I also got this on Amazon. I think amazon needs to start paying me for all the money I spend with them haha.

Tea– I drink a lot of herbal tea with raw local honey when I am sick. There is something nourishing and comforting about tea that I just love. Not only does it sooth a sore throat but it you make the right kind of tea it can also be packed full of vitamins and herbs to help you heal. Raw honey is also beneficial in fighting off any illness you may have, this is another must have ingredient in my house.

Sleep- Sleep is so important when you are sick. This is when your body repairs and heals. This can be really hard for a lot of us, especially if we are parents and have to wait until the kid’s are in bed to get stuff done. Trust me this is something you have to make time for.

Herbs– Never under estimate the power of herbs. Natures medicine is very powerful and works wonders. Depending on what I have going on I will take a blend or a single herbal remedy, normally in the form of a tincture. This time when I got sick I took a blend called “kick-ass biotic” It’s made from a local company and it’s a combination of 10 herbs that increases your immune system and fights off illness. Most local health food stores or whole food type stores carry tinctures and are great to have on hand for when you or the kids get sick.

Smoothies- I know it’s a big shocker right! I am a huge believer in food as medicine and the best way to get healing food in is to make a smoothie. You can add your greens and supplements to help aid in healing.

Water- When you are sick water is super important. Water helps flush all of the crap out of your body. If you don’t like the taste of water add a lemon or other fruit.

There you have it, these are the remedies I use when I get sick and they have been working really well. If you try one and it works let me know

Don’t forget my blog is transitioning over to my website. http://www.primalcotton.com/blog/

Steph

All information on this blog is for information purposes only and should not be used to replace medical advice.

Blog is moving

My blog is moving to my website. I have already started the transition of blogging on my site http://www.primalcotton.com.  Sign up on my page to get email updates of new blogs.

Steph
http://www.primalcotton.com

New Products

I am excited to finally have my retail store up and running.
This has been a long time coming and it’s exciting to have everything up and going.

You can now purchase the following retail items and any of my services on my website.

Primal Momma Brew

Muscle Rescue Bath Tea

White Chocolate Body Butter

You can purchase my products here http://www.primalcotton.com/new-products/

Steph
http://www.primalcotton.com

Homemade Whip Cream Recipe

Is there anything better than a dollop of fresh whip cream? I really don’t think so haha. I am not talking about that wanna be stuff that comes in the plastic tub or that weird aerosol stuff in the can, that we all loved to eat as a kid. I am talking about the light,creamy, slightly sweet, kind that melts in your mouth and taste like pure heaven. Sadly, I don’t eat much dairy anymore, but I do still make it for my clients and even just making whip cream is somehow satisfying. I was making a batch for a client yesterday and it occurred to me how many people have probably never made whip cream or even know how. So I wanted to share my easy peasy recipe with ya.

Recipe

1 Pint of Heave Whipping Cream ( This has to be Heavy! No skimping on the fat because it won’t work. I like to use organic) Cream should be very cold

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 Tbp Powdered sugar

1 cold bowl (please your bowl in the freezer for 20min before using it)

Standing mixture or hand beater ( place the metal beater attachment in the freezer with the bowl as well)

Directions

1. Take your bowl and beater out of the freezer and place all of your ingredients in the bowl

2. Blend all of your ingredients on Medium for 3-5 minutes

3. Your cream will go into a few stages- first it will get frothy and then it will start to get creamy and then get stiffer.

4. I tend to like my whip cream at the stage where it is just starting to get a little stiff.

5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days or in the freezer for up to a week.

That’s it! See Super Easy! You will wonder why you haven’t done this sooner.

Happy Eating!

Steph

http://www.primalcotton.com

Parenting is Hard!

One of the most challenging experience of my life has been being a mother. It started the day I found out I was pregnant with my son 12 years ago and it has never let up. While I acknowledge this has been the most amazing journey of my life and has changed me on every level possible, It has also been the hardest thing I have ever done. I have often asked myself, If I am genetically wired to do this, why the hell is this so hard? I don’t have a definitive answer to my questions, but I do have a few theories;

Not Wanting to Fail:
No one wants to fail in life, much less fail their children. This leaves a huge amount of pressure on parents. Each parent has been marked with the good and bad experiences from their own childhood and either wants to recreate the same good experiences or avoid the bad ones. Ultimately I would like to believe that most parents want to offer a life full of love, possibilities, and opportunities, to their children. No pressure there!

There is No Book with Directions:
I bought a fan yesterday and it came with a very detailed set of directions. This sure did come in handy, yet I have a child and guess what, there is no book with directions. Wouldn’t it be nice if you got handed a book with directions, as soon as you gave birth. Haha. I would even settle for a book that just told me what was normal, like yes, you are normal if you check on your new born baby, every hour to see if they are breathing, and yes, you probably won’t want to leave the baby alone for at least 6 weeks, while you take a shower. Oh and my favorite, at some point during the next 4 years of your child’s life, you will end up with poop on you and probably the walls. These are the things they don’t tell you.

So Much Judgement:
There is so much judgement surrounding being a parent. I find this judgment to be worse amongst moms. Why do we do this to each other? In the end, we are all blindly walking around together, trying to do what’s best for our kids. So why do we find the need to judge each other? Shouldn’t we all be rallying together, helping each other? I think the fear of judgment, makes being a parent that much harder. I have three kids and I still have moments where I don’t share my parenting strategies or methods for fear of being judged. I often have to remind myself that it’s no ones damn business how I raise my kids. I really feel like this judgment makes parenting too much harder.

It Requires You to be Truly Unselfish:
Being a parent is one of the most self-sacrificing things you will ever do with your life. Your whole identity changes and even if you fight it, and trust me, I spent a big chunk of my years as a parent trying, you will change and become a different person. I 100% think that this change is for the better and you only become a better person for it but that is a lot of sacrifice.

While I am sure there are a million other reasons why being a parent is hard, these are just a few of my theories. In the end, all parents are on the same road with our kids just trying to do the best we can. If you are reading this, share some love and tell a fellow parent they are doing a good job!

In Good Health,

Steph
http://www.primalcotton.com

I know offer Skype and Facetime Holistic Life Coaching! If you are ready to make changes to your life, but are struggling I can help you. I can help you find ways to manifest your goals, go green at home, start using natural and herbal remedies, and so much more. Email me for more info or check out my website.

Paleo Friendly, Dairy Free, Homemade Ice Cream

Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream

I had you at ice cream huh…haha. Ok, so I am not a huge ice cream fan,I mean I like it but I don’t love it like most people do, but when I do want some I absolutely hate spending $7 for a pint of almond or coconut dairy free ice-cream. I actually think it’s criminal that they charge as much as they do. Not to mention I don’t always like the added ingredients or sweetener choices that are used. I finally decided to stop wasting my money and started making it at home. It is so easy to make and way cheaper, I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner! It only takes 5ingredients and an ice cream maker. This recipe is also kid approved!

Home Made Dairy Free Ice-Cream

2 cans of coconut milk- I like to get mine from trader Joes because it’s cheap and doesn’t have additives also you want full fat, this isn’t the time to skimp on fat. The fat and sugar are what give you the creamy texture you so desire.
3/4 cup-1 Cup of honey or maple syrup. You can adjust this for sweetness, but you need at least 3/4 cup

Ice Cream Sat-Whatever your ice cream maker requires- you need enough to cover the ice and make it melt

Bag of ice- It will depend on your ice cream maker as to how much but you need enough to cover your container up to at least the point of where the ice cream sits.

Optional ingredients-
1tsp vanilla extract or other flavors
Chopped up fruit- I did fresh strawberries a few weeks ago and it was amazing!
Cocao powder- The recipe I made tonight was chocolate. The used a raw cacao powder so I could get the extra health benefits of the chocolate. I think of it as a win win 🙂

Directions
Your seriously not going to believe how easy this is.

1. In a large bowl, mix coconut milk, honey, and any of your add on ingredients (chocolate, vanilla, fruit, ect.) With all of your ingredients together. If you want to speed up the process, you can refrigerate you coconut milk for at least an hour before you make it.I just put mine in the fridge when I buy it so I have it ready.

2. Place all of your ingredients in the ice cream maker, place ice around the ice cream container, and let it do it’s magic. Coconut ice cream normally takes a fraction of the time regular ice cream does, mine is normally done in an hour.

3. Store leftover ice cream in the freezer. It may be a litter hard, but if you leave it at room temp for a few minutes it softens right up.

I know what some of you might be thinking, I don’t have an ice cream maker. Well here is another option.

With a standing mixer or hand mixer, beat all of your ingredients until the mixture is creamy and frothy. In a pan, lined with parchment paper, pour your mixture. Allow this mixture to freeze. Check it after 30min to see if it has set. It may take up to an hour. Keep in mind this may not be as creamy as an ice cream maker, but still super tasty and way better than spending $7.

Ok there you have it!

Let me know if you try it!

Steph
http://www.primalcotton.com
primalcotton@gmail.com

Fruit strips

My sister in -law shared this video with me a few weeks ago and I finally got around to making it. I made this with mango instead of strawberry and it came out great! Two out of the three kids liked it. My youngest didn’t care for it but she only likes like 5 flavors and mango is not one of them. The video has super easy instructions. Seriously anyone can make these and they are way better than the store bought ones that are full of chemicals, sugar, and preservatives.

Steph
http://www.primalcotton.com

Sunday Prep Day

Sunday is prep day in the Cotton household. You would think working from home would provide me with tons of free time but sadly this is not the case. With everything that we have going on, prep days are vital for our family. We normally try and get a lot of our shopping done on Saturday, at the farmers market and Costco, and prep on Sunday. In our family, the farmers market and Costco is entertainment, in fact all of my kids ask to go to the farmers market every week. I know it sounds crazy, but I county my lucky stars for this blessing lol. My son Noah is an aspiring chef so he really gets into meal prep. This week dad is teaching him how to grill chicken under a brick, and is teaching him all about how to butcher a whole chicken. It was seriously one of the cutest things I have ever seen. It makes my heart so happy to see my son learning about food and having an understanding not just how to cook it, but also where it comes from. I think this really helps him to have more appreciation for food and the process food has to go through. I took this picture of my hubby giving a lesson on butchering the chicken.

Since I work as a private chef, meal prep is vital for my business. I have multiple clients who have various dietary restrictions so it can get a little tricky finding ways to cook for multiple people, including my family, efficiently. Whenever possible I try and cook/create meals that can be used in some way, shape or form, for all of my clients. I really love summer, because it gives me the opportunity to grill several different proteins and create a variety of meals. I have found that pre-cooking meat is a great way to save time during the week. This week we will be eating the following meals and they are all gluten free 🙂

Shepherds Pie

Ground beef tacos-

Chicken under a brick with roasted veggies

Korean beef with garlic rice or quinoa

Chicken Cacciatori with gluten free pasta or rice

Having all of this ready for the week makes life so much easier, and I can spend my rest of my week focussing on homeschooling the kids and my own school work.

Happy Sunday!

Steph

http://www.primalcotton.com

http://www.primalcotton@gmail.com

Stephanie