Top 5 of 2009

This is a bit late. But man, I ran to the end of this year with my arms full of crap like some lady trying to get out of the supermarket before closing time. It was truly awful. I hate being stressed and busy. God only knows, it ain't good for the guts neither. Let's hope 2010 sees me a little more calm and a little more organized.

So! To start off this new year, I'm giving props to healthy trends that I discovered in 2009. These are the top five that have changed my life. Seriously. I can't see myself ever living without this stuff.

#5 Rice Protein Powder

"The Quicker Picker Upper"

This past summer, I started waitressing again to make extra money. The schedule left me starving and exhausted. My mom suggested I double up on my protein. Although some healthy food bloggers warn against over-doing protein, I threw heaping spoonfuls of rice protein into my oatmeal. Six months later, I'm addicted to the taste, the lovely way it thickens my cereal, and how it keeps me going throughout the day. The photo above is of my favorite brand. Thanks, Mom!

#4 Red Bridge

"A little too tasty"

I said it before. I'll say it again. I'm a drinker. I believe in drinking. I've been this way since I had my first beer - when I was four.

Alcohol is not healthy. BUT it does help you, as my brother would say, "let loose." As someone who's suffered from anxiety disorder since birth, I can safely say that it would be LESS healthy for me to give up alcohol entirely. And man, is there anything like a four o'clock beer on a Sunday afternoon?

Red Bridge is gluten-free. It's also tasty. A non-gluten-free friend of mine recently hit up the local Wegman's to get me some - and ended up drinking the entire six-pack by himself. Mid-way through the night, he texted me an apology: "Red Bridge is a little too tasty."

#3 Almond Butter

"The real party in your mouth"

Almond butter makes this list, purely for the absolute decadence of it. Maybe it's because I'm a chick, but there's a little switch that flips inside me when I taste a spoonful of smooth raw almond butter. I get that same feeling that I get from eating chocolate - that "Ahhh!" feeling. It makes sense though. Almonds are superfoods. Compared to other nuts, they have the lowest saturated fat and the highest protein. They are the easiest on your digestive system too. For $7 a jar, it's worth it. Thanks to HEABs for inspiring me to crack open my wallet!

#2 Kombucha Tea

"Fizzy Lifting Drinks!"

A month ago, I had a bit of an emergency. My local whole foods had completely run out of sugarless coconut kefir and agave soy yogurt. With no other options, I shelled out three-fifty for a bottle of Kombucha. After reading about it on Pure2Raw, I kinda wanted to try it anyway.

Wow. The Pure2Raw twins neglected to mention that Kombucha tastes like soda. Healthy fruity Italian soda. I read the label. 60 calories. No sugar. Halfway down the bottle, my skin felt all fizzy and tingling. My mind went clear. I burped all the gas out of my belly. So - not only did Kombucha energize me, it also settled my stomach. In a word? AWESOME.

#1 Chaste Tree aka Vitex

Did anyone notice that I posted WAY too much about my period this year? That's because it was the first year that my cycle reconfigured itself, post-birth control pill. When the old rag decided to stop showing up, I decided to regulate it with the phases of the moon. Why the hell not, right? That's how chicas did it back in the day.

Something occurred to me. Just before every period, I wanted to kill myself. Seriously. For about a week, I felt encased in darkness. It was hardcore Virginia Woolf-type misery. Not even high school felt this devastating.

Immediately, I began researching the causes. Was I iron deficient? Did I need more calcium or magnesium? Was it from a lack of estrogen? I tried supplementing everything. Nothing worked. Until I started taking chaste tree.

Chaste tree, also known as Vitex, regulates hormones. According to Ed Smith, of Herb Pharm, it's especially good for ladies who have just gone off the pill. Herbalists suggest taking chaste tree year round. I'm cheap. I start taking it after the full moon, every day, and keep it going until I see results. Depression doesn't come. The rag does. Mystery solved.

In conclusion...

This year was kick ass! Please don't mind if I toot my own horn for a minute. Health-wise, I accomplished so much. I stopped drinking coffee every day. I learned how to drink without getting drunk. I swapped medicine for more preventative herbal measures. I started eating less. I started sleeping more. I started YOGA!

I also made so many cool food blogger friends - Tiff at Carbzilla, Iris at The Daily Dietribe, Marlow at Gluten Hates Me, Yiannis at Heal My IBS, and Jenny at Sugar and Spice! You guys rock. Thank you for reading and thank you for writing such heartfelt and informative blogs.

Here's to a healthy 2010!