How long have you been a member of HMN? I think I have been a member for 6.5 years, but had been on a periphery a few years before that.
I am a holistic mom because: I like to "connect the dots" to create that healthy lifestyle in which I try to care for the body, mind, and spirit for myself and my family. I am trying to teach my kiddos and remind myself that it is important to be KIND to ourselves and others every day, and that when beauty starts on the inside, it emanates out.
My holistic passions are: Numerous, but I love learning about how I can aid in the healing process when someone in my family needs physical (or emotional) healing. I've loved studying homeopathy, Bach's Flower Essences and other energy medicines, natural supplements, reiki (I learned up to level 3), reflexology, nutrition (I try to eat right 4 my type, etc.), clean personal care products (I joined BeautyCounter this summer). To kick start a major exercise regime in the spring, I signed up for the Half Marathon that's coming up in October, so training for this has revealed a lot about myself to me and it's been awesome!
What inspires you about HMN or holistic living? I'm inspired by how our membership is so excited about constantly learning--about our health, how we educate our children and feed our families, and how we bolster each other along our spiritual and emotional paths. I know I've grown as a person, mother, and friend because of the treasures who are our HMN Chicago Western Suburbs tribe.
One of my favorite recipes: TANYA SALAD My friends and I started calling it "Tanya Salad" because I would always bring it to potlucks.
-Take a large salad bowl. In the bottom, mix with a fork extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you want to match the rest of your meal. I like to add dijon mustard.
-Chop up your favorite salad veggies and mix them in.
-Try adding chopped green apples for extra crunch and tang; they accompany the mustard and ACV nicely.
-Add hemp seeds and/or roast some raw pumpkin seeds/pepitas in a frying pan with oil (coconut or grapeseed) and salt until they are hot and "pop" a bit.
-If you eat grains, you may cook up some quinoa and toss that in. Make enough viniagrette to flavor up the quinoa. Voila!
