Finding balance. I don’t know about you, but this concept of finding balance can be a real challenge. It’s definitely a learning process. It is something that will need tweaked in each season of life. Finding balance needs to happen in all areas of our lives: in eating, sleeping, things we add to our calendar, […]
Read MoreAuthor Archives: Erika Barnhill
Getting Real with Ya-a little bit of my story
Do you ever feel like you’re on a roller coaster and can’t get off? That is how I felt almost 8 years ago. I remember telling my husband that something had to change or I was going to lose it. The stress in my life seemed so overwhelming I could barely think some days. I […]
Read MoreThe Importance of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an important vitamin that many people over look. I don’t know about you, but I have been hearing more about vitamin D in the recent days with covid. Vitamin D plays a major role in bone health, immune health, and reducing inflammation. Many people have low vitamin D levels today because people […]
Read MorePersimmons
Persimmons! Many people are unaware of persimmons. Growing up in the Midwest, it’s been something I have always known. My grandma always made persimmon pudding for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it was always a wonderful treat. I would have to say that persimmons are one of those fruits that you either love or hate. They […]
Read MoreMeal Planning Tips with Sample Meal Plan and Recipes
Hello again, Meal prep is always a hot topic. I know I want to eat healthy and feed my family healthy meals as well. However, life gets crazy and sometimes things don’t always turn out the way I plan. However, when I plan ahead, we always eat healthier. Here are a few tips to help […]
Read MoreREST
Hello again. I have been thinking a lot about REST and how that plays a huge roll in our health journey. We have believed so many lies about REST. If we rest, we are lazy. NOT TRUE. If we rest, we will not accomplish all that needs to get done. NOT TRUE. If we rest, […]
Read MoreAnxiety…What Can you do?
Hello all. Are you feeling anxious? I think a lot of us have felt some anxiety of some sort in the last several months. We are definitely living in different times. I will be honest, I was pretty anxious in the beginning of all of this. I won’t say that I don’t have times of […]
Read MoreSeptember News
Hello my health friends. Can you believe September is almost here? This year has had its ups and downs, and sometimes it has felt as if the year is moving at turtles pace. However, there have also been times where it has been flying by. All the buzz for months has been talk of the […]
Read MoreZucchini All Around
Do you have more zucchini than you know what to do with? Well you can use zucchini in many dishes. I made an amazing zucchini garden quiche that my family loved. I was going to take a picture of it but it only lasted about three minutes and it was gone. Even one of my […]
Read MoreKids Health
Kids health is so important and even moreso today. Your child/children need help making healthy choices each day. They start this life depending on us as mothers to supply their every need. They need us to help them make healthy choices as they grow up. Why is it important to feed our children healthy foods? […]
Read MoreWhat does it look like to be healthy?
In our society today, there is so much information floating around, that it’s hard to know what to do or believe. It has taken me years of learning on my own health journey to figure things out. In my opinion, one of the biggest things to know, is that what works for one, does not […]
Read MoreQuinoa
Quinoa, it’s one of my favorite go to grains. It’s quick and easy to make, it’s very versatile, it’s tasty, and it’s a good source of plant protein. I keep quinoa on hand as a staple pantry item at my house. There are different kinds of quinoa as well There is red, black, and […]
Read MoreFun and Comfort
Everyone needs to do something fun and enjoy comfort food at times. During this time of quarantine we thought it would be fun to do a “make your own pizza station.” This is actually a comical thing in our house, because we have several food sensitivity issues. Some of us can’t eat gluten, some of […]
Read MoreRoasted Nuts and Seeds
Looking for some healthy snack options during quarantine. Roasting nuts and seeds is a great way to fuel well and it’s a yummy snack. You can use whatever spices you like and change it up. You can use a variety of nuts as well. I used this recipe as a guideline, but did my own […]
Read MoreDo Something Fun During this Time
Hello again friends. Life has definitely changed quite a bit over the last few weeks. People are working from home, kids are schooling from home, we have “shelter in place” orders, and are definitely not doing our normal routines. Given so much has changed and we have more time on our hands, think of positive […]
Read MoreSugar and your Immune System
Hello again friends. As we are looking for things to help us stay healthy, I felt it important to talk about SUGAR. I’m sure many of you know about sugar, both about how good it tastes, but also that it’s not really good for you. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy a sweet treat […]
Read MoreINFLAMMATION and Immune Function
INFLAMMATION and immune function are at the heart of resilience. We want our bodies to be resilient when it comes to getting sick. We want to be able to bounce back quickly. CLEARING is a great way to support overall immune function in our body. I am currently in a program with the Functional Nutrition […]
Read MoreTips for Staying Healthy
We are living in some interesting times right now, with all the talk of COVID-19, staying in, and stopping the spread. I want to give you some healthy tips to help you stay healthy not just during this time, but for anytime. The winter season tends to be the time when we are at most […]
Read MoreImmunity and the Corona Virus
Hello friends. With all the fuss around the corona virus, I thought it would be good to make a post about it. There is so much information out there floating around. How do you know what to believe? I used to be a person who lived with so much fear in my life, but seven […]
Read MoreChicken Salad Recipes
Are you looking for healthy, simple, filling lunch ideas that you can make ahead of time? I know I like having these types of lunch options ready to go in my fridge so I don’t have to think about what I am going to eat for the day or for the week. Having healthy foods […]
Read MoreSleep: It’s not over rated.
SLEEP is such an important part to keeping our bodies healthy. You hear people say, “I’ll sleep later” or “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Having a normal sleep cycle promotes good health and restores our bodies. Our ancestors had it a bit better in this area because they did not have electricity that allowed them […]
Read MoreJuice Plus
Juice Plus, is it for you? Juice Plus is a whole-food based nutrition. I am a person who is very intentional about the food the goes in my mouth and there are days I still don’t get enough fruits and veggies with my food intake. The recommended daily intake of fruits per day is 1.5-2 […]
Read MoreEssential oils for sick season
I’m a big advocate for essential oils. We have so many things that are natural that we can use to help our bodies heal. I believe God has given us natural things from plants that provide healing if we are willing to use them and allow them to have time to work. These pictures are […]
Read MoreSalad Bar
Dinner doesn’t need to be a big elaborate spread of things. We had a salad bar night and it was a hit. I’ve always wished that I could have someone keep a salad bar always prepared and ready to eat. Well that will likely always be a wish. I prepared this one myself with the […]
Read More10 Tips for Feeding your Kids Healthy Foods
Do you ever feel like your kids aren’t eating well? They aren’t getting enough fruits and veggies, they drink too many sugary drinks, they eat too much junk, or whatever it may be for the day. Well don’t panic and don’t feel guilty. There are so many things in our culture today to worry about, […]
Read MoreCilantro Lime Chicken
This is a crowd pleaser! You can use this Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe for bowls, main dish with sides, use it on salads, and even in a tortilla soup. Make a large batch and use it multiple ways throughout the week for healthy meals. My family made cilantro lime chicken bowls with quinoa, avocado, onion, […]
Read MoreSloppy Joe Bowl
These are super yummy. I would highly recommend making these for dinner one evening. You can make the Sloppy Joe portion ahead of time and reheat on the stove for later in the week when you’re ready to have this meal. Spaghetti squash is yummy and nutritious. If you have an instant pot, you have […]
Read MoreTuna Stuffed Avocados
It’s the new year and hopefully you are motivated to eat well. I know I ate things over the holidays that I normally don’t, so I’m cleaning my diet up. I enjoy food and I want it to fuel my body well, but I also want it to taste good. So I’ll be trying several […]
Read MoreHAPPY NEW YEAR
HAPPY NEW YEAR! As the new year is starting, I know we are all thinking of our resolutions and how we can make changes and help ourselves to be better. So many people make resolutions to eat better and exercise or exercise more, but end up falling off the wagon a month or so into […]
Read MoreIt’s almost the NEW YEAR
It’s almost the new year and it’s hard to believe another year has passed. Do you ever feel like you get caught up in so many things, that you have no idea where the time has gone? I know I do. It’s easy to fill the schedule, leaving no space for rest or reflection. As […]
Read MoreSelf Care
As we are coming to the end of the year and things are really busy, it’s a good time to think about self-care. I don’t know if you are like me, I love to help and serve others, but sometimes get exhausted from putting others first. It’s important that we take care of ourselves in […]
Read More5G and Health
Health is more than just what we eat. I have been following information on 5G technology for quite a while now and it is something that really concerns me. I’m all for progress and new things, but we have gotten a little crazy in our society about needing everything right here, right now. I appreciate […]
Read MoreWinter Cranberyy Apple Salad
Do you ever get bored with the same old standard salad? If you’re looking for a salad that’s not the norm and that’s tasty, this one is sure to please. I found this recipe on sixsisterstuff.com and it’s really tasty. I changed it up just a bit, (that’s what I do with almost all recipes […]
Read MoreCarrot Slaw
I found this recipe in a kids cook book and made some changes to it that I liked and fit our family better. I enjoy changing up recipes if they aren’t exactly what I prefer or need changed to meet my families needs. This carrot slaw is really yummy. It can be a simple side […]
Read MoreGarlic Butter Cauliflower
Garlic Butter Cauliflower is a favorite side dish in our home. It’s easy, quick, healthy, and tasty. I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do. Cauliflower also has a lot of benefits too. Here are a few benefits to adding cauliflower to your diet. Cauliflower benefits: It has cancer fighting properties, boosts […]
Read MoreThink left overs for breakfast
Do you ever wonder what you’re going to eat for breakfast. Do you have left overs in your fridge? Put them to good use. They can be your next mornings breakfast. I made a side dish of potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, and Brussel sprouts this week for dinner and actually had some left overs. I […]
Read MoreCold and Flu Prevention
It’s that time of year… the common cold and the flu tend to be getting around this time of year. No one likes to be sick and no one really has time to be sick. However, sometimes we get run down and pick up germs and our bodies can’t fight them off. Colds and flu […]
Read MoreThe Holidays are coming
It’s that time of year again, family gatherings, office parties, community/neighborhood pitch ins, and much more. So many things that we do during the holidays centers around food. Don’t get me wrong, I love food of all kinds, so when I make this post, I’m speaking to myself too. Do you ever think about the […]
Read MoreGetting your Kids to Help in the Kitchen
Do you ever wonder if having your kids help in the kitchen would impact the way they eat? It actually does. Get your kids, young and old, to help in the kitchen and they may just start making better choices in their eating habits. Getting them started when they are younger is definitely important, but […]
Read MoreBeets, their health benefits, and ways to get more into your diet
Beets! Such beautiful color and full of nutrition. Beets are not a food that most people just add to their diet on a regular basis. However they are full of nutrition and have a lot of benefits. I’ll add some of the benefits of beet to this post as well as add a couple recipes […]
Read MoreDo you struggle with staying on track? (A few tips to help you on the journey)
What keeps you from staying on track with eating healthy and exercising? We live in a fast paced world and there are so many things that distract us and pull us away from the things that keep us healthy. When it comes to eating well, prepping things ahead of time are important. Wash up fruits […]
Read MoreGround Turkey Vegetable Hash
This is a simple meal for the whole family. What you need: 1 pound ground turkey 2-3 small-medium sweet potatoes 3-4 red potatoes 1 bag of frozen green beans 1 medium zucchini (You can really use about any vegetables you like) Salt Pepper Braggs organic sprinkle What to do: Brown the ground turkey and set […]
Read MoreEgg Roll in a Bowl
This dish is simple and you can make it custom to your family. It’s great for a quick meal on a busy evening too. For meat lovers, you can add beef, chicken, or seafood. For vegetarians, you can use eggs for the extra protein instead of meat. For Vegans, you can use nuts and seeds […]
Read MoreSimple Breakfast Solutions
Ever feel like you’re in a hurry in the mornings, but you want to eat a healthy breakfast on the go. This is a quick and simple breakfast you can throw together. What you need: 2 thin stackers Natural crunchy peanut butter (almond butter, or whatever but butter you prefer) Berries of choice A a […]
Read MoreLocal Health and Wellness Classes for October and November
Hello again. Are you tired of not feeling well. Maybe you are struggling with inflammation. I am offering a couple classes coming up. One in October on “Reducing Inflammation.” If you are interested in learning more about how inflammation plays a role in disease and how we can reduce it, then get signed up for […]
Read MoreMexican Hash
Hey everyone! This is a yummy dish I just threw together for my family a couple days ago and it was a hit. I’ll be honest, I’m not great at following recipes and I just made this up as I went along so the measurements aren’t exact. So I browned 1 pound of grass fed […]
Read MoreProduct Awareness
Good morning! I didn’t plan to blog again so soon, but as I was reading an article this morning about energy drinks and their effects. I felt that people need to be aware of the dangers of them. I see so many young people drinking these energy drinks and the high caffeine in them is […]
Read MoreWelcome to my blog…
Welcome to Passion for Healthy Living! I will begin by stating that I am NOT a spectacular writer, but that is not my goal. My goal is to bring hope to those who are ready and willing to make changes in order to live a healthy life. I am so excited to share with you […]
Read MoreWelcome to My New Blog
Hey Everyone, Site has officially been rebuilt and retooled. Please check back for more ideas, recipes, stories, and tips for healthy living.
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