In the midst of summer heat, the last thing you want to do is turn the oven on, right? Don’t sweat it; I have the perfect solution. Leave the sushi rolling to the master chefs and opt for a vegan, gluten-free sushi bowl instead! These easy, delicious bowls bursting with all of the traditional flavors of your favorite veggie sushi roll will leave your tummy full and your home cool.

Makes 4 bowls

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups short-grain rice (rinsed)

1 ½ cups plus 2 tbs. water

8 tsp. rice vinegar

1 ½ tbs. sugar

½ tsp. salt

Non-stop work e-mails and buzzing cell phones make it nearly impossible to detach from daily demands. Even if your job does not require you to be readily available 24/7, odds are you are checking your social media or google-ing the name of “what's that thing called.” By  turning off the phone and hitting the trails you can find peace outside the confines of city limits. Need a little convincing? Here are fives reasons to tread dirt:

1. Reduce Stress

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has been dubbed the miracle solution by many, from holistic healers and practitioners of natural medicine, to the old timers who know the backwoods remedies. It is easy to make, only takes 3 basic ingredients, serves so many purposes, and can be stored indefinitely. Some people choose to pasteurize their ACV to be sure it will keep, while others do not find this step necessary. I suppose it is up to the individual; just be sure and do your own research.

Mushrooms are a common part of many diets around the world. Some are safe for eating, while others can kill us. However, even the mushrooms that don’t harm humans have a potential to kill human cells: that is, human cancer cells. Research shows that the cute fungal foodstuff we call mushrooms have potent chemicals in them that are highly lethal to cancer cells.

Mainstream food marketing tactics emphasize calories instead of nutrition. Fad fitness programs push exercise in a way that doesn’t always feel wholesome. Unrealistic expectations about exercise programs and results are perpetuated by these marketing techniques. Often, fad workout programs provide fast results that are taxing on the joints and aren’t suitable for longevity. Instead, adopting a holistic approach to diet and exercise can provide the results you want now with the longevity of a nourishing and beneficial fitness habit to sustain the results for the long term.

Have you ever found yourself at the grocery store, deep in a mental debate about exactly which tomato or apple to buy?  Stores today provide an abundance of choices – but more choices mean more decisions.  It can be quite confusing to decide on which labeled items to buy with choices like conventional, natural and organic. Furthermore, there is a lot of controversy regarding the agricultural methods used in growing our foods. However, some studies state that there is little actual difference between these procedures except for the cost to the public.

Today’s modern world is generally more geared towards convenience rather than conscientious efficiency. This can often lead to the physical and environmental safety of products we use on a continual basis being overlooked. After speaking with a close friend of mine who has been sharing what, initially to me, were radical methods of care during her menstrual cycle, I began to wonder: what is really in a tampon and how does my use of them impact the world around me?

Spicy and aromatic, ginger packs a punch. Commonly recognized as a spice and ingredient in some of our favorite foods, this rhizome root is more than flavorful. Ginger has long been cultivated for medicinal remedies.

What do the following images have in common?

Photo Credit: Flickr

Stumped? How about this for an additional clue?

Basil is an herb that adds a lot flavor to many dishes. But did you know that this herb also has potent effects against cancer? Three studies tested the chemicals found in different types of basil on three different types of human cancer. The results will make you feel good about adding a few extra leaves of basil to your next lunch. These studies specifically extracted chemicals from three types of basil: holy basil, sweet basil, and garden basil. There are over 20 types of basil, but since they easily interbreed it is not always easy to tell the difference between all of them.