Resources

Organic Gelatin Powder 

This is Summer's #1 recommendation for gelatin.  Like all Summer's gelatin recommendation, this is a quality grass-fed gelatin product, but GoBio!, produced in Germany and certified organic by US & Canada accredited Pro-Cert, is the only truly organic gelatin that Summer has found. Though organic is always preferred, Summer does also recommend some non-organic, but always grass-fed, gelatin products below.

Great Lakes Gelatin

Great Lakes offers the additional option of a collagen hydrolysate, which is processed to be more easily assimilated. It dissolves easily in hot, warm or cold liquids and will not congeal. If you are looking for an option for nourishing jellos, gummies or thickening agents, choose a regular gelatin which will congeal when cooled, but for an added protein boost that won't gum up your broth, juice, water, etc., the hydrolysate is your best choice.

Vital Choice Seafood

Seafood can be a wonderful nutrient-dense addition to your diet, if you choose the right seafood. Vital Choice makes it easy to get the best quality seafood delivered to your door. For more information about the benefits of eating seafood (and why the benefits outweigh concerns about contamination) see Summer's blog post "Ask Summer the Seafood Question".

Oregon Brineworks

Raw, probiotic ferments made with love in Oregon! Pickles, kraut, even hot sauce that will tempt your palate and help you maintain healthy gut flora. Stick with traditional pickles or branch out and try something new, like their beet apple kraut. See my blog series on the importance of eating fermented foods and you'll learn to savor even the brine that's left over when the kraut is gone!

Big Berkey Water Filters

Proper hydration is essential for optimal health and well-being (see Summer's tips for maintaining good hydration). The cornerstone of good hydration is pure water, free of chemical or biological pollutants. Most water that comes into our homes through our pipes contains chlorine, which has been added to kill germs, and unfortunately, it can have the same effect on the beneficial bacteria in the gut, which are key to the health of your entire system. Berkey filters remove chlorine, bacteria, viruses, flouride, chromium 6 and more. They sit on the counter top (no installation required!) and they require no power to operate; filtration is powered entirely by gravity. They have different options for different household sizes, and you can buy all your replacement filters on their site as well. 

Excalibur 9-Tray Dehydrator

Excalibur 9-Tray Dehydrator : This is an incredibly versatile kitchen tool!  Soak raw nuts and dehydrate until crispy; make your own jerky from local, pasture-raised meats with no chemical preservatives; save summer's bounty of fruit for use in the cooler months; even make local, organic fruit roll-ups for the kiddos.  The investment is well worth it, as this top-quality dehydrator offers more drying space (15 square feet between all 9 racks), a timer option, and variable temperature settings to get each dehydrating project just right!

Cast Iron Cookware

Instead of putting toxins into your body when you eat food cooked in chemical-coated "non-stick" cookware, why not add essential minerals to your food as you cook it instead? Cast iron cookware increases the iron content of your food, works in the oven as well as on the stove top, and can provide just as much non-stick power as chemical-coated pans when properly seasoned. If you are ready to go all-in this 5 piece cast iron set will meet all your cooking needs.

Traditional Foods Market

When we take supplements that we need to relieve or prevent nutritional deficiencies, those supplements should be made from concentrated, nutrient-dense whole food—not in a lab! The folks at Traditional Foods Market understand that, and produce a whole line of supplements that are made of, as their name would suggest, traditional foods. By using the link above to place your order, you'll help Summer earn credit to bring more of these products to her own Wellness Shop shelves at the office.

Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castille Soaps

Our skin is our largest organ, and it absorbs whatever we put on it.  That’s why I care so much about clean products for skin and body.  Dr. Bronner’s produces a whole line of clean soaps, and my favorite by far is the “Baby Mild” soap, which strips less of the skin's natural oil than some of their other formulas. The liquid is highly concentrated and for regular use should be diluted with water to prevent drying of the skin; a little bit goes a long way.

NaturOli Soap Nuts

A laundry soap that literally grows on trees! The de-seeded, dried shells of the Sapindus Mukorossi soap berry fruits can be placed in a muslin bag and used in place of laundry detergent. This starter kit includes 1/2 lb of nuts, the bag to put them in for use in the washer, an instruction booklet, plus an ounce of super-concentrated soap nut liquid that can be diluted for use as a multi-purpose cleaner. You can't find a more natural cleaning product than this!

Awakening Prologue from Holosync

Wouldn't it be great if there were some way to get the proven benefits of meditation, like stress reduction and improved mental clarity, from doing something really easy, like listening to music? That's exactly what Holosync is! Using sound frequencies proven to promote the type of brain wave activity associated with meditation in the background of relaxing music, the recordings in Awakening Prologues help your brain function optimally, leading to a host of mental and emotional benefits.

Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

by Sally Fallon-Morell. This well-researched, thought-provoking guide to traditional foods contains a startling message: Animal fats and cholesterol are not villains but vital factors in the diet, necessary for normal growth, proper function of the brain and nervous system, protection from disease and optimum energy levels. Sally Fallon dispels the myths of the current low-fat fad in this practical, entertaining guide to a can-do diet that is both nutritious and delicious.

Topics include the health benefits of traditional fats and oils (including butter and coconut oil); dangers of vegetarianism; problems with modern soy foods; health benefits of sauces and gravies; proper preparation of whole grain products; pros and cons of milk consumption; easy-to-prepare enzyme enriched condiments and beverages; and appropriate diets for babies and children.  This is a great reference book as well as a cook book. 

Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition, 2nd Edition

by Ramiel Naigel. Whether you an adult struggling with tooth decay, a parent of a young child with cavities, a pregnant mom, the book Cure Tooth Decay will provide you with information, resources and tools to immediately slow down, stop and/or remineralize your cavities. Cure Tooth Decay is the result of five years of research and trial and error. Many people have reported positive results from applying the highly potent tooth remineralization guidelines in this book.

The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food 

by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN. A groundbreaking expose that tells the truth about soy that scientists know but that the soy industry has tried to suppress. Soy is not a health food, does not prevent disease and has not even been proven safe.  Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive problems, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, even heart disease and cancer.

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A Comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their Effects by Dr. Weston A. Price, MS., D.D.S., F.A.G.D..  First published in 1939, this monumental but highly readable book is designed to preserve the classic study of Dr. Price's worldwide investigation of the deleterious effects of processed foods and synthetic farming methods on human health, and the promise of regeneration through sound nutrition. This bestseller contains guidelines for approaching optimum health and reproduction, now and through future generations, as did the primitives. Dr. Price has been universally accepted as one of the foremost authorities on the role of foods in their natural form in the overall health pattern and the development of degenerative illnesses as a result of the addition of processed foods to our diet.  Click here to link to a free copy of this publication that is available online!