5 Tips for Children: Increase Mental Focus, Attention, Energy & Capacity, Part II

In 5 Tips For Children:  Increase Mental Focus, Attention, Energy & Capacity, Part II, I offer five additional easy-to-implement, inexpensive and fun tips to increase attention span, mental energy and focus.  As in the previous post, implementing just one of these tips will have its benefits; implementing more than one or all will have greater benefit. I recommend you begin implementing the tip you find easiest from this post or the previous post and then building from there.

     1.  Drink water

The human brain is made up of approximately 90% water. Drinking plenty of clean, plain water helps keep the brain well-hydrated and functioning at an optimal level. Many studies have shown that drinking water aids brain functioning and that lack of brain hydration leads to most temporary difficulties in concentration and focus.

There is some debate over how much water is enough, whether we need to get all of our water from drinking it or could we get it from a combination of drinking and eating foods with a high water content. While bodies differ in this requirement, a safe estimate for children under eight is 6 to 8 glasses per day and 8 or more for older children. This also depends on the outside temperature and the child’s activity level. If your child is at school, aim for your child to have about 3 to 4 glasses during the school day.  It is a good idea to send your child to school with a water bottle they can drink from throughout the day. It is best to provide them with clean, filtered water.  A glass water bottle with a protective cover is a great option since it easy to clean and there is no worry about toxins leeching into the water, and stainless steel water bottles are also a great choice. You can make the entire process fun for you and your child by selecting a cool water bottle to bring to school. 

Anything added to the water is just another substance the body has to break down. If your child has an intense aversion to drinking plain water, try adding a tiny amount of stevia to sweeten it a bit or a small amount of low sugar, 100% organic not-from-concentrate fruit juice with no additives, such as apple or cranberry to their water until they get used to drinking it. You can decrease this amount weekly until finally your child is drinking just plain water. Drinking water is necessary for overall health and will help with brain functioning, focus and concentration.

     2.  Spend time outdoors

Spending time outdoors — as well as being good for emotional and physical well-being — has a positive effect on mental functioning. Richard Louv has written extensively on the link between spending time outdoors and its positive effects.  He suggests that some attention disorders, as well as obesity and depression, are a result of a lack of time spent outdoors and a connection with nature. I highly recommend his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder.

Experts recommend getting at least fifteen minutes of sunlight (without sunscreen) per day to keep Vitamin D levels at a healthy level. On the days when the sun is not shining, spending even a few minutes outdoors still has its benefits and positive effects on focus, attention, mental energy and capacity. In most instances, dressing appropriately for the weather will make spending time in the outdoors safe and enjoyable. Of course, discretion should be used in cases of extreme weather conditions.  Tune in to your local weather station for updates and suggestions.

Spending time outdoors does not have to include intense physical activity. In fact, spending time observing and using all of our senses in the outdoors has been shown to increase focus, attention, creativity and overall brain activity, not to mention what it can do to ignite a child’s imagination and curiosity. If the young person likes sitting and thinking best while outdoors, encouraging this behavior will have the same benefits as intense physical activity.

     3.  New activities

Trying something new, especially activities that use both left- and right-brain applications, increases the capacity of the brain and encourages the brain to form new neurological pathways. While routines are great and a necessary part of daily activities, trying something new encourages new thought patterns and is similar to problem solving in activating areas of the brain. Trying something new can take the form of simply reading something in a different genre than usual, tinkering with puzzles, playing a different type of board game or even taking a different route to school or home.

Trying an entirely new activity, besides being fun and perhaps leading to a new interest, will have added benefit on focus, attention and brain capacity. Young people are curious by nature.  When your child shows an interest in a new activity, take advantage of the opportunity when possible, even if it winds up being a short-term interest.

    4.  Build or Create Something

Building or creating something are perhaps some of the best ways to utilize both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. In general, building or creating something entails planning and analyzing (left brain) and  visualizing the whole and synthesizing (right brain). Some parents may be thinking,  I have watched my child build something, and it seemed there was no plan at all. From an adult perspective, this may have some truth; however, when a child begins building or creating something, they generally start with a vision and devise some sort of plan, no matter how rudimentary, to go about bringing that vision to fruition.

It does not matter much what is being built or created or what the outcome is. Adults can help this process along best by putting aside their own expectations and allowing the young person to work out the process on his or her own. Forget about coloring inside the lines if the young person wants to go outside them.  This engages the analytical and critical (left brain) processes of the brain, as well the intuitive and holistic processes (right brain).

If this process happens often enough, it will become easier, more fluid and more satisfying. The more it happens, the bigger the impact on concentration, focus and brain capacity.  For some great ideas to engage your children in creative activities, check out The Toddlers Busy Book: 365 Creative Games and Activities to Keep Your 1 1/2- to 3-Year-Old Busy or Creative Activities for Young Children.

      5.  Daydreaming

Yes, daydreaming. Daydreaming often is looked upon as frivolous and as something reserved for the lazy, unfocused and unproductive or only for the very young.  However, daydreaming is inevitable and nearly impossible to stave off.  Some experts estimate that we spend about one-third of our lifetime daydreaming. It would seem that something so hard-wired into our brains is there due to its many benefits. So there is no cause to worry if a child daydreams.  You can take solace in the fact that daydreaming is part of being human and is necessary for a healthy, functioning brain.

Daydreaming has been shown by psychologists and neuroscientists to be a great way to allow the brain to process complex thoughts and problems.  It has also been shown to activate many areas of the brain, and sometimes additional areas are activated during times of intense focus and concentration. Daydreaming can happen at any time and often takes place during a routine task, such as putting on shoes. These are often the times when the best ideas happen or the solution to a complex problem takes place.

Daydreaming actually boosts productivity.  Letting the mind wander can help make thoughts more clear and focused, and as stated above, activates other areas of the brain. Researchers monitoring brain activity before, during and after daydreaming found that during and after daydreaming the areas of the brain responsible for creativity and problem solving were more active. Participants also reported feeling more refreshed and having more mental clarity, focus and energy. Daydreaming has also been shown to help with relaxation and to relieve boredom.

This is not to suggest that all young people should do all day is daydream and that there aren’t times when focus and attention are needed. Daydreaming is not the sole domain of the slacker, loafer or silly-heart; it is a necessary process for a creative, productive, balanced, entrepreneurial healthy brain.

     Points to Remember

• The above tips are suggestions to help increase your child’s mental focus, energy, capacity and concentration.  They are not intended as medical advice or as a replacement of or a course of treatment. If your child has a confirmed or suspected medical condition, please consult your medical practitioner before implementing any of these suggestions.
• Include your child in the decision-making process and also be observant and in tune to what your child enjoys doing. None of these tips should be forced.  The best results will be from building upon what is already taking place throughout the course of a typical day or week.
• As with any change in routine or trying something new, start slow and make sure you can sustain the change. One of the biggest reasons for not sticking to a plan or proposed change is doing too much too soon. You and your child can always revisit these tips at a later date when the time seems right.
• Have fun with these tips!  Implement the ones you think are the easiest and most likely to be sustainable, and give yourself and your child break if some of them don’t work for you.

~ Article by Peter Berg of Education Transformation.org ~

***For more exciting information on Peter Berg, please visit IHH’s Guest Authors page.***

5 Tips for Children:  Increase Mental Focus, Attention, Energy & Capacity

Parents, teachers and young people often look for ways to help young people and themselves increase mental focus, attention, energy and capacity. The following 5 tips are easy to implement, inexpensive, fun and will go a long way in increasing attention span, mental energy and focus.

1.   Eat Whole Foods

One of the best ways to sustain mental energy and concentration is to eat whole foods. Whole foods are foods that are as close to their natural state as possible.  An example of this would be eating an apple rather than apple pie or even apple sauce, which is often loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients. Nutrients taken in by eating whole foods are more easily utilitzed by the body. Eating whole foods ensures the most efficient usage of nutrients that fuel brain activity, such as concentration, focus, memory and problem-solving and also has a positive effect on emotions and stress.

Foods For Concentration and Brain Health

• Whole foods, such as blueberries, wild-caught salmon, nuts and seeds (such as walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds), avocados, whole grains (oatmeal, millet and quinoa), dark chocolate (cacao), green vegetables (kale, broccoli, celery) and pomegranates help specifically with memory and concentration, not to mention overall brain health. It is important to remember that these foods are best when eaten in as close to their natural state as possible. 
• As an example, blueberry breakfast pastries, which are often loaded with processed sugar and many artificial chemicals and additives, would not be considered a whole food and may actually dull memory and concentration in the short run and in the long run may lead to brain deficiencies as well as other negative health effects.  
• Eating whole foods can be kid-friendly and fun.  Getting your kids involved in the process of creating a meal, planting a garden with your kids or visiting a farmers market and/or farm with your kids are great ways to get them excited about exploring and eating whole foods.  They will find that eating whole foods are not only nutritious, but delicious as well.
• Please see the many recipes on this blog for tips on whole-food delicious recipes.  A particular favorite of mine is the Chocolate Pudding With A Twist recipe.  It is kid-friendly, kid-tested and yummy!  

     2.   Reduce Stress & Increase Brain Activity

Today’s young people are under a record amount of stress, from the pressures of school (kindergarten through college), social life, extracurricular activities, family responsibilities, to the constant bombardment of images and emotions they are subjected to from various forms of media and other sources, such as video games, etc.  While it is true that today’s young people are more technologically inclined than ever before and have become used to having technology as part of their lives, any input (known as stimuli in psychology) has the potential to create stress, and even positive events produce what is called positive stress.

With all the input today’s young people take in and all the pressure they are under, it’s more important than ever to reduce stress. Reducing stress will make it more likely that students will be able to focus their mental energy and have more of it to dedicate to concentration, learning and reflecting.

     Effective ways to reduce stress

All of the activities below are also great ways to increase brain activity, creativity and create more neurological (brain cell) pathways. 

• Play.  Taking time for play; unstructured physical and mental activity is perhaps the most effective way to reduce stress. Unfortunately, real play is becoming less and less a part of the daily routine of young people. Play is different from physical activity, though physical activity can be a part of play.
• Physical Activity.  Any form of physical activity — dancing, hiking, walking, running, marital arts, yoga, tai chi, various sports — is very effective in reducing stress along with a host of other benefits. These are generally structured activities but do not have to be.
• Quiet time.  It is important for young people to have quiet time to allow hormone  levels to balance and have a mental break. This replenishes mental energy and the nutrients required to maintain it. See if you can work in at least 15 minutes a day of quiet time, not including bed time, where there is no activity or input into a child’s routine.
• Social time.  Equally important as quiet time is time spent with family and friends. Ideally, this time would be a mixture of structured (playing Scrabble, Uno, Jenga) and unstructured (building a spaceship out of whatever is around) activities, and just plain old sitting around and talking and having fun.
• Journaling & Music.  Time spent journaling, whether in written or audio form with no prescribed way to reflect or what to reflect on, has been shown to reduce stress. Listening to and playing music have also been shown to reduce stress. Allowing time for both of these at least a few times a week can be very effective in reducing stress.

     3.  Reading

Reading is important for many reasons.  One benefit of reading is that it can sharpen focus and attention. It doesn’t matter what the child is reading in terms of topic (parental discretion) and level, so long as they are reading. If they don’t like reading in particular, find some books, magazines, etc., about something they are interested in. This can also take place in short intervals, as even 5 minutes or a page each night is beneficial. If the young person is not yet reading on his or her own, being read to has been shown to have similar benefits. Reading or being read to can also be another great stress reducer.

     4.  Brain Games and Puzzles

Playing brain games, figuring out puzzles and solving problems enhances the problem-solving areas of the brain, sharpens focus, concentration and memory. These have actually been shown to increase synapse activity, which are the areas of the brain that help neurons (brain cells) communicate with each other. Believe it or not, most cell phones come with some sort of memory or brain game, as do most computers.  Utilize this technology when it’s available. These can also take place in short intervals, gradually increasing in time and difficulty.

     5.  Meditation 

When most people hear the word mediation, it conjures up the image of one sitting cross-legged on the floor chanting “om.” While meditation can certainly take this form, it is definitely not the only form it exists in. Simply focusing on ones breath is a form of meditation or even just sitting quietly with eyes closed is a form of meditation.

Meditation has been proven to not only reduce stress, but increase brain activity, enhance focus and attention and increase the capacity of the brain. Brain scans of people who meditate show more active areas of the brain than people who do not meditate. There are various safe, easy forms of meditation that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Some take very little time. 

• In this linked post, Dr. Andrew Weil provides three simple breathing exercises that are easy and effortless to perform:  Breathing:  Three Exercises.  Dr. Andrew Weil states that “Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.”

Combine any of these three breathing exercies with another form of short meditation of your choice every day to receive stress-reduction and overall health benefits.

      Points To Remember:

• These 5 quick tips are designed to increase your child’s concentration, focus, mental activity, brain capacity and overall brain health. Start slow with each of these areas; perhaps choose one area to start with and try adding in one more each week. These should not be stressful or intrusive and definitely not forced or a source of disappointment.  Look for ways to integrate these into your normal daily routine.
• Starting with whole foods, you can add one or two whole foods to a meal, rather than substitute it for another food. Going back to the example of the blueberry breakfast pastry, you can begin by adding in whole blueberries along with the blueberry breakfast pastry, then slowly add in more whole blueberries while decreasing the serving of breakfast pastry until finally the whole blueberries become the meal. This is generally a more successful way of changing or adding in a healthy behavior while decreasing or letting go of an unhealthy one.
• The other areas can be approached in the same way, such as adding in 5 minutes of quiet time while not cutting out another activity initially.  By adding in and not cutting out behaviors, the activities become more enjoyable and sustainable. 
• Have fun with these tips, add some of your and your child’s ideas, and they will become part of your child’s daily routine in no time.

 ~ Article by Peter Berg of Education Transformation.org ~

***For more exciting information on Peter Berg, please visit IHH’s Guest Authors page.*** 

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending a raw chocolate preparation workshop, which was presented by Naturally Naked Chocolates and included lots of raw chocolates, lots of friends and lots of fun.  I have to admit, I couldn’t wait for the weekend to arrive, as I am an avid raw chocolate enthusiast.  The thought of preparing my own healthy chocolate creations at home was enough to swell my heart until Valentine’s Day and beyond!

Unless you’ve been living under a giant bar of it, I am sure that you’ve heard by now that chocolate is actually good for you.  Let me clarify this a little bit.  When eaten in moderation, organic dark chocolates that contain at least 70% cacao and a minimal amount of other ingredients are actually good for you and offer our bodies many health benefits.  Of course, I’m speaking about cooked organic dark chocolate.  As far as raw organic dark chocolate goes, this sensational culinary delight is on a completely different playing field.

First of all, why would you possibly eat or want to eat raw foods?

1.  Enzymes.  Raw foods supply our bodies with energy, and this is because the enzymes that are inherent in the food, i.e., an apple, remain intact.  When this same food is heated over 118 degrees Fahrenheit, the enzymes contained in the food begin to die off, causing our bodies to use up enzymes that are present in our bodies (that could be repairing our liver, e.g.)  in order to digest the food that we are eating; thus, robbing us of precious energy;

2.  Detoxification.  Raw foods help to cleanse our body of unwanted toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis via the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breath, the products we clean our homes with and/or the beauty products that we intentionally put on our skin;

3.  Immune System Strength.  Raw foods are full of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that help to truly nourish our bodies, which helps to create stronger immune systems and keeps us healthier.

Back again to why raw organic dark chocolate is on a completely different playing field. Raw organic dark chocolate incorporates all three of these elements into one delicious package.  As mentioned above, because it is not heated over 118 degrees, the enzymes in raw chocolate are preserved, which makes it better for your body.  It is reported that it helps to detoxify the liver and support healthy pancreas functioning.  It is high in in magnesium, sulfuriron, chromium, tryphtophan, as well as antioxidants, which aid in decreasing free radicals in our bodies, and also contains zinc, copper and manganese.  As if that wasn’t enough, it is absolutely delicious and is simple to prepare in the comfort of your own home!

During this past weekend’s exciting raw chocolate preparation workshop, Raw Chocolatier Judy Garneau instructed us on how to prepare several different raw organic chocolate recipes.  The workshop included taste testing, as well as some very hands-on preparation.  A sample of the recipes that we tasted and learned how to prepare were a basic raw chocolate recipe, a raw crunch bar, almond/peanut butter cups, chocolate chia crackers and cacao mousse.  Can you say YUM?!?  I could and did about fifty times during the two-hour workshop.

Judy Garneau has been kind enough to provide all of you with this quick and easy basic raw chocolate recipe through my Inspired Health & Happiness Blog.  Now it’s time to take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves and prepare some raw chocolate.  Remember to try your hardest not to eat the melted chocolate before it magically turns into delicious little treats.  :0)

Basic Raw Chocolate Recipe

Makes around 20 pieces (you will need a mold for the chocolates)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 Tbs raw cacao powder

2 Tbs raw agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean)

Pinch of Celtic sea salt

Dried fruit, nuts, shredded coconut, extracts, super foods, nut butters (optional)

***USE ORGANIC AND/OR WILDCRAFTED INGREDIENTS, WHEN AVAILABLE***

How to Prepare the Raw Chocolates:

1.  Make sure that the coconut butter is melted into oil (coconut butter is simply coconut oil in it’s unmelted form).

2.  Blend the raw cacao powder, raw agave nectar, vanilla extract (vanilla bean), pinch of Celtic sea salt and the coconut oil with a whisk in a bowl.

3.  Carefully pour raw chocolate mixture into molds (you can purchase molds for candies/chocolates online, check out a local craft store or get creative with some unused gadgets in your kitchen, i.e., small cupcake trays, shot glasses, etc.).

4.  Add any dried fruit (raisins, figs), nuts (chopped walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts), shredded coconut, extracts (mint, butterscotch, raspberry), super foods (maca, goji berries, chaga powder) and/or nut butters (almond, sunflower seed, peanut butter) into the chocolate that your just poured into the molds.

5.  Set in freezer for 20 minutes.

6.  Enjoy!

Helpful Hints:

To melt the coconut butter into oil you can put the jar of coconut oil in a warm spot (if you have a dehydrator, this works fantastic) or you can use a double boiler (I make my own using two heat-proof glass bowls and some boiling water, as pictured above).

To pour the raw chocolate mixture with ease, I poured the warmed chocolate mixture into a Pyrex measuring cup that has a side pouring spout.  This made for easy pouring, otherwise, it can be a little messy (lucky raw chocolate tastes delicious, even if you make a mess!).

When adding in extracts to your molds, add only one drop.  Definintely in this instance, a little goes a long way.

To ensure that your chocolates come out like chocolates, make sure that you freeze the molds right away after pouring the chocolate mixture into them.  If you wait, the coconut oil may separate from the rest of the mixture.  It will still taste delcious, but the oil will turn white and won’t look the same as chocolately chocolates.

You will need to keep your raw chocolates in the refrigerator, as raw chocolate melts quicker than cooked chocolate at room temperature.

A little bit of chocolate goes a long way. These raw chocolates are very rich, and I have found that it only takes one or two little pieces to satisfy my hunger for raw chocolate.

To your health and happiness!

Happy & Healthy Hibiscus Tea 

If you’re a tea drinker and have not tried hibiscus tea yet, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon.  Hibiscus tea is made from the leaves of the hibiscus flower and has a cranberry-like flavor, is loaded with Vitamin C, minerals, is caffeine free and is even used as a mild medicine.  You can drink it hot or cold (and that makes it good to drink all year long!), and it tastes absolutely delicious plain or with a tiny bit of raw agave nectar, raw honey (add in when it is hot) or stevia added to it.   If all of these wonderful facts don’t have you sold just yet, wait until you hear this… Hibiscus tea has been found to lower high cholesterol and blood pressure.  With both of these issues being prevalent in our society, that’s a big positive YAHOO!

Listen as Dr. Diane L. McKay of Tufts University describes a few of the health benefits of hibiscus tea according to her research…

As you can tell from my other posts, I always make large quantities of food and beverages so that I am not having to freshly prepare food every single day.  That certainly helps out on the days that I am beyond busy.  This goes for making some Happy & Healthy Hibiscus Tea, too.  :0)

I actually prefer to buy the loose organic hibiscus tea leaves to make my tea.   I boil some water in a tea kettle, put some of the dried hibiscus tea into a tea ball and place it in a large heat-proof glass bowl.  I actually end up adding two tea kettles of water so that I can fill up a large glass container for cold tea. 

Pretty much, that’s it, folks.  Let it steep until it is a dark cranberry color and then let it cool down.  I then store it in a large glass jar in my fridge.  I honestly don’t know how long it stores, as I love it so much that it is gone within a few days. 

One of my favorite things to do is to pour some tea into a large Ball canning jar, add a dash of raw agave nectar to it, put the lid on and go.  I have a delicious and nutritious beverage to look forward to drinking throughout my day!  I hope you will enjoy it, too.  :0)

To your health & happiness!!

Grounding Root Vegetable Soup

Well, it’s that time of year again in New England…  The days and nights are getting shorter and colder, the leaves are turning brilliant, beautiful colors and falling to the ground, and my body is beginning to crave homemade soups and stews.  According to Ayurvedic medicine, which is a system of traditional medicine that has been around for thousands of years, is native to India and is practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine, it is normal for our bodies to want to live in harmony with the seasons, and that means craving certain foods in the spring, summer and winter/fall.  Dr. John Douillard, who is an Ayurvedic practitioner and expert when it comes to Ayurveda, explains what foods are best for the winter season in his Winter Grocery List.  The more of the foods on this list that you can add into your daily diet during the winter season, the more you will be in sync with the season, and the more warm and grounded you will feel.  Dr. Douillard also has several winter wellness tips on his website that he uses to keep himself, his patients and six kids healthy and happy.  I encourage you to check them out.  :0)

So it happens to be cold and raining outside right now as I type this post, and my close friends — and my honey — know that when it rains and it is cold out, I make soup.  Luckily, yesterday my honey took me to a local farmer’s market to buy fresh, local, organic produce.  We naturally stocked up on root vegetables, as that is what is being harvested in our neck of the woods this time of year.  Beets, rutabagas, daikon and black radishes, turnips, carrots, parsnips, garlic, onions and oyster mushrooms are what we stocked up on, and that is exactly what I put into my Grounding Root Vegetable Soup.  These root vegetables are chock full of vitamins, minerals and health-promoting qualities.   To find out what is local and in season for your part of the world, you can visit Local Harvest, type in your zip code, and you will be enlightened by the variety of fruits and vegetables that are freshest and most delicious for you to eat at this time of year.

Now for the soup…  I believe in making a lot of soup at one time so that I have food for several days, or if I choose to, I can freeze some for future meals.  Cook once, eat at least twice, is my motto.  I am hoping you will adopt that motto, too!  The gigantic pot that I use holds several pounds of vegetables, as well as 24 cups of filtered/spring water.  If you don’t have a gigantic pot like me, you can scale down the recipe to suit your needs.  If you are scaling down the recipe, I recommend cutting up your vegetables, adding your grain and beans, then add in the water at the end.  When I am not “inventing” a recipe for my blog or my future book, I don’t usually write down recipes.  I do everything by taste, and I am also recommending that you do, too.  Add it a little bit of this or that (spices, etc.) that you like, and do so a little bit at a time.  It’s much easier to add more of something in then to be bummed out because you added too much and your delicious homemade creation isn’t so delicious anymore!  Yes, yes, yes, I know this from experience…

Ingredients:

Several pounds of fresh, local, organic root vegetables with the green tops intact, chopped

1 red or white onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 pound of oyster mushrooms, chopped

1 cup millet

1 cup adzuki beans

3-inch piece of kelp, chopped or whole

2 bay leaves

2 Tbs dried rosemary

4 fresh sage leaves

2 Tbs Celtic sea salt

2 Tbs toasted sesame oil

1 Tbs umeboshi plum vinegar

2 Tbs agar-agar flakes

24 cups filtered/spring water

***ALWAYS USE ORGANIC OR WILDRAFTED INGREDIENTS WHEN AVAILABLE***

 To Make The Soup:

1.  Chop up all of your root vegetables, the onion, the garlic, the mushrooms and put them into a large pot.  I like to keep things simple when it comes to soup.  In this soup I just sliced everything (as you can see from the pictures) and threw it in the pot.  It saves on time and tastes exactly the same as if you got all fancy with cutting your vegetables;

2.  Add the millet and adzuki beans to the pot with the veggies;

3.  Add in the 24 cups of water;

4.  Add in the kelp, bay leaves, rosemary, sage and Celtic sea salt.  If you like kelp, cut it with scissors into small pieces into the pot.  If you do not care for kelp, throw in the whole 3″ piece of kelp, so that you can take it out before you eat the soup.  Kelp adds minerals to the soup and helps to make it more nutritious;

5.  Bring to a boil, and then immediately turn it to medium low (stirring occasionally and making sure it does not boil over) for approximately an hour;

6.  Turn to low and add in the toasted sesame oil, umeboshi plum vinegar and agar-agar flakes and cook until the beans are cooked well (you do NOT want al dente beans because that equals gas, which is not fun for anyone :0));

7.  After the beans are cooked, your Grounding Root Vegetable Soup is finished.  Enjoy!

Some Helpful Tips:

Choose root vegetables that you love…  Do you like sweet vegetables?  Bitter vegetables?  Creamy vegetables?  Are you attracted to certain colored vegetables?  Do you have absolutely no clue where to begin because you’ve never eaten a beet, a turnip or some celery root in your life?   If all of this is new to you and you’re not used to eating root vegetables, consider asking the farmer(s) at the farmer’s market for a recommendation.  Let’s face it, farmers know what they grow, and they are a fantastic resource when it comes to picking delicious produce.

If you want to cook your soup in less time, soak the adzuki beans for several hours in filtered/spring water, and then use them to make the soup.

I chose Millet, which is a fabulous whole grain, to use in this soup because I’ve been eating a lot of quinoa lately and wanted to mix things up a bit.  Other fantastic options to add into soups are quinoa, amaranth and/or buckwheat.  You could even use a combination of two or more of these whole grains.  FYI, real whole grains (“whole wheat” bread, for example, is not a whole grain) are loaded with B vitamins, folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc.  Besides being nutritious, they are delicious!  :0)

As I say with all of my recipes, if you don’t like something, e.g. mushrooms, just omit them from the recipe.  If you can’t get an item that you like, e.g. oyster mushrooms, substitute it with a similar item, e.g. shitake or portabello mushrooms.  The point is to make a homemade recipe that you will love and eat.  You can follow my recipe to the T or use it as a general guideline to create a masterpiece that you can call your own.

I have put links from my Inspired Health & Happiness Market to the kelp, Celtic sea salt, toasted sesame oil, umeboshi plum vinegar and the agar-agar flakes to this recipe.  In the event that you cannot find one of these items at your local grocery store, you can always purchase them by clicking on the links provided.  All of the products listed are organic and/or wildcrafted, and they are brands that I use in my own kitchen.  ;0)

To your health and happiness!