I’m kind of a hippie.  I tell my Mom it’s her fault.  I mean, she named me April Rose, which sounds like some kind of air freshener.  It’s only a step above Spring Rain in my opinion, so she should have known.

I’ve been a hippie for a long time.  In seventh grade I was wearing bell bottoms and discussing the Vietnam War.  In seventh grade, it was 1997.  I guess you could say I had identity issues, but I related with the lifestyle.  I remember writing in a sixth grade journal that when I grew up I wanted to be comfortable.  A lot of the kids around me would prefer to be rich and successful, but I was searching for equilibrium.

Now I’m an adult, believe or not, and that spirit never left me.  I’ve always considered myself pretty green and natural, but it wasn’t until recent years that I started working on that actively.  In the last few months, I’ve begun to realize that the steps I was taking weren’t nearly enough.  I think I was looking at my actions compared to the actions of some of those around me.  I was doing better than a lot of them so that meant I was doing good enough.  As the natural living / green / whatever-you-want-to-call-it movement has been catching on, I’ve seen a lot of people start taking bigger steps and I’ve realized how small my steps have been.  More people are feeling responsible for the way we treat our environment, our neighbors and our bodies and I want to join them.

I am excited about the changes I’m making in my life and I want to share them with others.  I love reading other people’s blogs and seeing their great ideas.  I want to be able to participate in that community as more than an observer.  I’m so glad that Sarah has asked me to contribute to Simply Sunshine.  I’m excited to share fun crafts, recipes and resources as well as my frustrations and success on pursuing a more natural, sustainable life.

Thanks for sharing the journey with me!

In early 2009, through Leo Babauto’s fitness efforts, I discovered Mark’s Daily Apple. I was amazed by what I read, & if you take a look, I’m sure you will be too. I was high skeptical at first, but the more I dug & the more I’ve read, I’m pretty much sold on the idea of eating like our ancestors.

There’s a LOT to slog through over there (if you’re interested, I’d suggest starting here), but here’s the basic idea: Our DNA hasn’t changed much in 100,000 years. At that time, we were hunter-gatherers – hunting our meat & gathering our nuts, seeds, veggies, & fruits. We didn’t eat grains, because we couldn’t really until the agricultural revolution that began only as recent as some 10,000 years ago. With so many people experiencing gluten intolerance, it follows that we, as a species, are not really designed to eat grains.

As I mentioned, I was HIGHLY skeptical about this idea. But after a year of reading about so many food allergies, intolerances, & problems with our food supply from a variety of blogs & books, I was ready to take the dive & give it a try. It took a few weeks of “tomorrow I’m giving up grains!” only to eat a big bowl of pasta before I was finally able to do it. At the beginning of the new year, I finally did it. & although there have been a few slip-ups, I’ve been pretty successful at doing so.

Now, I’m not going to be preachy about this, especially since there’s more at stake when it comes to eating than simply science. Most people are vegetarians/vegans for more reasons than health, & I certainly don’t subscribe to the idea that we’re meant to ONLY eat meat, as some followers of the paleo lifestyle believe. I eat more fruit than many people do, & come summer, I don’t intend to care about carbs when I dig into an absolutely delicious fruit salad.

But I can tell you that since starting, I’ve lost weight without even trying & I feel absolutely wonderful. I haven’t craved the carbs like many people seem to, but I equate that to the fact that I’d already cut way back on sugars & had cut high fructose corn syrup out of my life for at least six months prior. I don’t miss the pasta or sandwiches, but I won’t lie – I could really go for a good chunk of Panera bread. But so far, so good, & I’ve only slipped a few times. I doubt I’ll ever live this life 100%, but 80% seems like a pretty good start.

So consider that my explanation for where all the recipes disappeared to. As my eating habits change & I re-work some of my favorites, I’ll be sure to keep them coming. But in the meantime, I’m eating a lot of baked chicken, steamed veggies, & stirfries. My tummy is very happy, but sadly, it makes for boring recipes that basically include the following steps:

01.) Drizzle your choice of oil in pan
02.) Saute your choice of veggies + meat until cooked through
03.) Place into bowl; drizzle with marinara sauce as desired. Enjoy.

What I really do like about all this, though, is that I’ve essentially eliminated all processed food. I cook nearly everything from scratch from good, wholesome ingredients, like eggs, butter, coconut oil, & almonds. I made my own chicken stock to make sauces & gravies & to add to vegetable dishes. This is something that I think everyone, no matter what their diet, ought to do more of. Fewer Lean Cuisines & canned pasta; more good, wholesome food made from scratch. I’ll tell you a little secret – it doesn’t have to take hours to make. Throw some chicken & carrots in your crockpot with a bit of chicken broth, & then go enjoy your time with loved ones. It’ll be ready in about an hour.

My promise to you is that although most of my recipes from this point on will focus on this style of eating, I will not preach about this. Ultimately, everyone’s health is different, & I’m certainly not one to judge your personal decisions. Be happy, be healthy, & above all, love life.

In my neverending quest for a more natural existence & better self-care, I stumbled across Natural Living, which is a great resource for any number of things. The members debate & discuss (& ignore the usual internet silliness) all aspects of living in harmony with nature, from herbal supplements to diet to aromatherapy to skin care. I’ve found many wonderful ideas, & those that’ve worked for me, I’ll be sure to pass along to you. This is one of the most successful things I’ve found!

I’ve never really had beautiful pearly white teeth – even after a routine cleaning. Blame the tea, the coffee, or the antibiotics I took as a child, but the fact remained that I didn’t have sparkly white teeth. In college, I tried using commercial whitening strips, but there was no way I could hold something on my teeth for half an hour. The box was passed on to someone else, & I felt doomed to a less-than-perfect smile.

Then someone in the community mentioned above said that they use peroxide & baking soda to whiten their teeth. I was a little hesitant to use peroxide in my mouth, but it’s right on the bottle that it can be used for mouthwash, & so I gave it a try. I pour a bit of peroxide in the lid, & then over my toothbrush. Put a bit of baking soda in my (clean & dry) hand, & then sprinkle over the toothbrush. Brush for a few minutes, & then rinse out as per usual.

At first, I only did this at night after brushing – & sure enough, after a week or so, my teeth were much whiter! After about two weeks of this, though, I began using this exclusively in place of toothpaste, & now about three months in, I’m quite happy. I still take a tube of the “regular” stuff with me when I travel anywhere, as a box & bottle are a bit unwieldy, but so far, I love it. My teeth are happy; my mouth feels clean, & the best part is that I no longer have a weird aversion to brushing (I brushed every day, but even in my twenties always dreaded it!) that a lifelong dislike of toothpaste flavor gave me. I find it much easier to brush the full recommended two minutes using the peroxide/baking soda combo, which ought to make my mouth happier & healthier in the long run.

I absolutely encourage everyone to try it for the whitening aspects. I don’t think that everyone can give up commercial toothpaste, but this is a much cheaper & natural option to get that brighter smile!

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Recently, I’ve started making lots of little changes in my life, in the pursuit of leading a simpler, more vibrant life. You can find all past entries in the Simplicity Project here.

Happy 2010 everyone!

As everyone (myself included) is making resolutions for better health, I thought I’d mention another resolution that I look forward to holding myself to. You see, in 2009, I didn’t read all that much. I did read more than I give myself credit for (countless blogs that I discovered do, after all, count as reading), but I really ought to read more books. And so this year, I’m challenging myself to read 36 books.

These 36 cannot be re-reads, & in order for them to be counted, I’ve got to read the whole thing. That’s not to say that I have to finish every book I start (life is far too short & there are far too many books to read!), but if I want them to make the list, I have to finish them. I’ll try to let you know what I’ve read at the end of each month!

Before I can begin, however, I’ve got to finish the two books I’ve not been reading of late – The Historian as well as Ink Exchange. Then, because I’ve been putting it off despite enjoying the first chapter, I’m finally going to tackle Jonathon Strange & Mr Norrell, a book I purchased at list price when it was first published & can now be found at dollar stores.

I’m going to try to include the caveat that these 36 books ought to also be books sitting on my shelf, because there’s really no reason why I own so many books I’ve not read, but somehow I doubt that’ll happen. There are always so many new books that want my attention!

My friend Steve over at Bibliomaniac is doing a crazy book-reading challenge: he’s going to read the entire Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series. This is, of course, in addition to all the other crazy reading he’ll be doing. I envy is fast-reading abilities!

Are there any books you’re going to try & tackle in the new year? Have you made a reading-based resolution as well?