It's a rare that I eat grains. But every once in a while, I want a damn pancake! Okay. Since I don't eat grains a lot, it's hard for me to digest them, it's hard for a lot of people. This is why I go the sourdough route. Sourdough is fermented by wild yeast which pre-digest the grains for you. And they taste amazing. For this recipe I used Rye flour. Rye is a lot less bred than regular Wheat flour. If you need to make a starter here is a semi-easy way to do that: Sourdough Starter. Or if you live in Portland you can come on by and get some of my starter! (it's a lot easier if you know someone with a starter already) After you have a successful starter going you can make the easiest pancakes ever! Recipe: This is it! 2 cups Sourdough Rye Starter 2 Eggs Mix together, and make pancakes! Done. Top with lots of grass fed butter and local raw honey. Yum!
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For the first 3 years of my marriage to Johnny we opened our space to over a hundred people: travelers, homeless and friends. It was a time full of unique energy and non-stop interactions. For a while, I thrived. I met so many amazing people and it felt good to provide a safe space. We shared conversations on the porch, big pots of oatmeal in the morning when a lot of people were there (by the way, we were mid-remodel and had no kitchen so all our meals were made over fire), and worked on projects. I did an okay job at self care while this was all happening, but stress ended up getting the best of me. How would you feel having 25 different roommates in 5 years, 100+ house guests all living in a half remodeled house? Not to mention the other stressors that came my way, 2 years in I had a miscarriage and had to go through the whole ordeal surrounded by people, unable to escape and deal with what had happened, soon after that we decided to take a trip to South Africa for 2 months to work on farms and travel, it was an amazing experience but while I was gone my grandmother passed away and I wasn't home to say goodbye. When I arrived back home our hospitality house continued but I felt I had lost a lot of my drive to go on living that way. Too many stressors were piling on top of our living situation. Soon after we returned home my kitty was hit by a car and died. The combination of roommates, guests, the miscarriage, traveling, and death finally caught up to me. I remember the day, almost 2 years ago, I was deep cleaning the house when I started having sneezing fits, a runny nose and itching eyes. Little did I know that this reaction would continue on, 24/7, for the next year. I was miserable. I couldn't enjoy anything like I used to. Being a florist, herbalist and wild forager didn't really work with being allergic to plants. And not just plants, but dust too. So whether indoors or outdoors I was reacting to something. It clouded my head and made me want to just lay on the couch a lot of days. I never understood how awful allergies really were for people. When you're body is having a whole body inflammatory response it takes a lot out of you. I went to the doctor to find out exactly what I was allergic to and was given anti-histamines…which made me feel even more tired. (I only tried them once for relief and got a "hangover" from them) The other recommendations I found online were: keep your house clean, have bed and pillow covers for dust allergies, don't have pets, don't go outside during certain seasons, etc. etc. With these options it was clear to me that I had to do something way more intense, I wasn't just going to live life like that. So a few months in I made it my goal to heal myself. And while I still have a little bit to go I thought I'd share with you all how I've healed. It's an insane protocol but if you suffer as much as I was you may just want to try it! UNderstanding Allergies: Now, in this post, I'm specifically talking about environmental allergies, but it can also apply to food allergies in a way. The interesting thing is, environmental allergies are usually caused by an underlying food allergy, so you end up healing your food allergy and environmental allergies at the same time. Basically, if the body is overwhelmed by an allergy to a food, stress, overwork and not enough self care, an allergy to other things can form. So the goal in healing is to de-stress, implement self care, eat clean and take immediate measures to relieve symptoms. This is not a short process by any means, it's taken me a whole year to get where I am now. Patience is key! My Protocol:-Drink LOTS of water. I cannot stress this enough, dehydration can cause more histamine response. -Supplements: (all the titles are links to where you can buy)
-Bone Broth: This is by far one of the best things you can do for yourself. Go purchase local/grass fed animal bones from your butcher (beef, chicken or whatever you like). This title will link you to a friends nutrition blog where she shows you how to make it. Once you make the base you can make whatever soup you like with it. I would consume this daily if possible. It is packed full of minerals, vitamins and gut healing nutrients. It has helped me immensely. -Cut down Sugar and Alcohol: I had to do this hardcore. I took my sugar consumption down to only a fruit or 2 a day and a little bit of honey sometimes. I also fully cut out Alcohol after having allergic reactions to it about 5 months ago. These two things have been an amazing addition to my protocol and I know it's hard to do…but so worth it. -Self Care: This one is way more important than people realize. Stress contributes to allergies. So try and make a routine for your days where you have time to take care of yourself. If possible, don't overwork, say no when you need to and pamper yourself. -Get Good Sleep: The benefits of good sleep are endless. Make it a goal to go to sleep by 10pm and get a good 8 hours if you can!
There's nothing like the convenience of a granola bar. You grab it and you go. For a long time these have been considered "health food" by most and a staple for the american kids lunch box. But these are far from health food, Nature's Valley, for example has an ingredient list worth looking at: Now, if you're unfamiliar with reading labels I will point out a few things to note here. The second highest ingredients are a high sugar corn syrup and sugar. A few ingredients down you'll see fructose, another sugar. Another notable ingredient: Partially Defatted Peanut flour. Why are we defatting peanuts, that's what makes them good! Besides that there are rancid oils, soy lecithin, nonfat milk and preservatives. These aren't looking like a health food to me. My "granola" bars are grain free, dairy free and full of good quality fats in the form of peanut butter, coconut oil, coconut shavings and nuts/seeds. And they only take about 10-15 mins to make. I always soak my nuts overnight, this makes them way more digestible. In the morning I rinse them and bake them till crunchy. In this recipe I used Almonds and Sunflower seeds because it's what I had on hand, you can replace these with whatever nuts and seeds you like. The same goes for the peanut butter, use whatever nut butter you like! Recipe: 2 cups of soaked Almonds 1/4 Sunflower Seeds 1 cup Coconut Shavings 1 tbsp Maca Root Powder (optional) Pinch Salt 1/2 Peanut Butter 1/2 Coconut Oil 1 tbsp Honey 1/2 tsp Vanilla 1/4 Dark Chocolate Chips After soaking and baking the almonds use a food processor to break into smaller chunks. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. (for my first recipe I put the chocolate chips in with the dry ingredients, I think it would be better to melt them with the wet ingredients to help the bars hold together more) Combine all the wet ingredients in a saucepan and melt on low. Once well combined mix with the dry ingredients and make sure there is full coverage. Pour your mixture in a 9x13 dish and press with the back of the spoon until flat. Place in the refrigerator to harden. Cut into rectangles. (Store in refrigerator) Kale We all know it's good for us. We've heard that about a million times. But what is it exactly that makes it so good? -Nutrient Categories: Antioxidants (specifically carotenoids and flavonoids), Anti-inflammatory, Anti-cancer -Good for cardiovascular health and detoxing -A very high amount of vitamin K, which is an aspect of it's anti-inflammatory quality. Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin so using a high quality fat like Olive Oil on these is a sure way to unlock this nutrient. I love making Kale chips, specifically, because it makes a really great alternative "snack" food. Today I tried some different spices than my normal salt and nutritional yeast (although those are still in here!) I thought'd I'd add in chili powder which ended up being a great success! Ingredients 1 bunch of Dino Kale 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast 1 Tsp Sea Salt 1/2 Tsp Chili Powder 1/8 Tsp Garlic Powder Directions: Preheat Oven to 290. Chop Kale into small bite size pieces. Mix together the Olive Oil with the spices in a separate bowl. Toss together with Kale. Spread on a baking sheet and cook for 20 mins. Make sure to rotate the kale every 5 mins for even cooking. After it's done cooking turn off the oven and leave the tray in for 10 mins for extra crisping.
One of my dreams as I continue my schooling in Nutritional Therapy is to make healthy food accessible to all, no matter what income. This is really tough because the government subsidizes corn and soy, so they are unrealistically cheap. This ends up being what most low income families eat, and it's not just corn and soy in their whole forms, it's corn used as high fructose corn syrup in EVERYTHING, it's what they feed animals so that our meat is made of it, it's even in fertilizers and pesticides that are used on vegetables and fruit. You really can't get away from it, especially if it's all you can afford. This is what I LOVE about fermented foods. You are taking regular vegetables and you are giving them an added boost of nutrition/probiotics just by letting them ferment in their own juices, it doesn't cost any extra money! Of course the taste can take some getting used to, that's why I love Kimchi! I'll definitely eat sauerkraut, but Kimchi is like sauerkraut with a kick! So you if you like spicy, like me, you'll want to make some of this. Ingredients1 Head of Green Cabbage or 2 heads of Napa Cabbage 3 Large Carrots 1 Large Daikon Radish 1 Large Red Onion 1 Stick of Burdock 1/4 pound Ginger 1/4 pound Tumeric 3 small med/spicy Chili Peppers 10 Cloves Garlic 2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (Red Boat) 3/4 Cup Celtic Sea Salt (Some people add sugar to their Kimchi, I always try and opt out of sugar but if you wanted it you could add 2 tablespoons) Health Benefits: It's packed full of vitamins, minerals and healthy bacteria/probiotics as well as aids in digestion. If that's not enough…here's A LOT more: Cabbage: Helps your body get rid of waste, cancer prevention, polyphenols that are anti-inflammatory, helps heal stomach ulcers, cardiovascular support, etc. Carrots: Orange and yellow foods are known to have the best protection agains Cardiovascular Disease, the rich carotenoids prevent oxidative damage, antioxidants like Vitamin C, cancer prevention; specifically colon cancer. Red Onion: High in Polyphenols (ex. Flavonoids), Quercetin is one flavonoid known for it's histamine reduction in allergies, also cancer protection especially oral and esophagus cancers, sulfur compounds in onions can help detox the body and contribute to it's anti-clotting abilities and connective tissue support, helps with bone density and is great for women going through menopause, the sulfur compounds are also anti-inflammatory. Burdock: Stimulates the growth of Bifidobacteria in the large intestine, these microbes help destroy bad bacteria, enhance digestion and immunity, has almost as much potassium as bananas (but haven't been bred as heavily as bananas!) which is helpful for heart function and muscle contraction, potassium and salt are needed in balance with each other, it is very high in B6 which helps your nervous system, normal brain function, hormone production and heart disease prevention, it also contains many other beneficial vitamins and minerals. Ginger: Hailed for it's aid in digestion and gastrointestinal conditions, anti-inflammatory, can be used for motion sickness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating, prevents tumor growth (anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory), studies have shown it can cause the death of cells in ovarian cancer, and of course overall immune boosting abilities. Tumeric: A powerful medicine who's list of healing properties is long, a potent anti-inflammatory, effective treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's, has anti-oxidants that neutralize free-radicals, there has been a lot of study on it's effect in Cystic Fibrosis but doctors caution to not self medication until the correct dose is analyzed, been connected to lower rates of all kinds of cancers, improved liver function, cardiovascular disease prevention, protects against neurodegenerative diseases like alzheimer's. Chili Peppers: Capsaicin, the component that makes them hot, is known to inhibit a brain pain transmitter, so it can be helpful in migraines and sinus headaches, this is also helpful for clearing mucus and in chronic sinus congestion, apparently this same component drives prostate cancer cells to kill themselves, natural high in vitamin A, C and also bioflavonoids, they help strengthen our blood vessels and cause us to sweat which reliefs high blood pressure, it is also anti-inflammatory. Garlic: You can increase the health benefits of garlic by letting it sit for a bit after chopping and before cooking, it is high in sulfur which has an array of benefits including: iron metabolism and cardiovascular health, it's anti-inflammatory, and can actually regulate the amount of fat cells that get formed in our body, high amounts of B6, manganese, Vitamin C and selenium, it's anti-bacterial and anti-viral, and also cancer prevention. Fish Sauce: Made with anchovies which are: high in Omega-3 fatty acids which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, high in phosphorus and magnesium which are both helpful in bone health, and high in iron. Celtic Sea Salt: Provides an abundance of minerals and trace minerals, magnesium is extremely high in celtic sea salt and is also a mineral many people are deficient in, contrary to popular belief, low salt diets are not healthy, table/refined salt is what causes the problems, true sea salts that are left in their natural state are insanely important for our bodies to consume daily, the absorption of nutrients in other foods is dependent on good salt intake, magnesium salts stimulate white blood cell activity, can help heal serious diseases like enlarged prostate, for dissolving kidney stones, and arresting some forms of cancer. If all of that doesn't convince you to make Kimchi I don't know what will!So lets make some Kimchi! Instructions: Start with the Cabbage and chop it up in relatively small pieces, put it in a large bowl and cover with warm water, mix the Celtic Sea Salt in. Take the Ginger, Tumeric and Chili Peppers slice them into chunks, place in food processor with the Fish Sauce and puree till it's a paste. Chop up the other veggies, Carrots are nice in little strips, the Radish I sliced with a mandolin but chopping this into circles or whatever you like is fine. I have texture preferences. Burdock should be grated and Onion can be sliced thinly and chopped how you like. Strain the Cabbage and combine with other the other veggies, it's easiest to do this in smaller batches unless you have a massive bowl. Now add in the paste and make sure you get good coverage on all the veggies. Put everything into a crock or a large jar (or a few smaller jars if that's what you've got) and mash until the juices start coming out, you are basically breaking the cell membranes so the water is release, you want to do this until you've got enough to cover the veggies. Use a crock weight or plate to keep the contents below the waterline, if using jars you can close the lid but you'll need it to be loose. If you have an airlock even better! Allow the Kimchi to sit for a week, taste it at this point and if it needs more fermentation or is not soft enough you can let it sit for longer. After it's fermented to your liking put it in the fridge where it should keep for at least 6 months! Hopefully it doesn't take you that long to eat it! I know mine will be gone in a week.
Ingredients I LOVED no bake oatmeal cookies as a kid. Now that I'm mostly grain free, I wanted to come up with an alternative recipe. Thus, a seed version was born. Keeping the base peanut butter and chocolate was a must, although you could sub out for whatever nut butter you like. Besides that I used pumpkin, sunflower seeds and shredded coconut for my "oatmeal" and added a little vanilla and Maca powder. 1 cup fair trade dark chocolate chips 3/4 cup organic peanut butter 1 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup unshelled pumpkin seeds 3/4 cup shredded coconut 2 tbsp Maca powder 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt Peanut butter is a good source of monounsaturated fat and should keep you satisfied longer than other kinds of snack foods, make sure you use peanut butter that doesn't have any added vegetable oils, just straight peanuts. Sunflower seeds have a very high Vitamin E content which make them anti-inflammatory. Pumpkin Seeds unshelled contain high amounts of Zinc. Coconut is another great source of fat but this gives you saturated fat, which, contrary to popular belief, is very good for you and should be consumed! Maca is a root that can be consumed daily as an overall tonic, it is known for it's abilities in hormonal issues, libido, immunity, memory, circulation and overall stamina. You can purchase this online at www.mountainroseherbs.com. The chocolate chip are dark so that there is less sugar, they are also fair trade, the ones I used are from Equal Exchange where they pay their cocoa farmers fair wages. http://shop.equalexchange.coop/chocolate/chocolate-chips.html Instructions Melt the chocolate chips in a sauce pan on low, add in the peanut butter and stir until combined. Add vanilla, salt and then Maca making sure the powder is well incorporated. Last, add the seeds and coconut. Use a spoon to drop small clusters onto parchment paper and put in the fridge, or freezer if you want to eat them immediately, and wait for them to harden. Voila!
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Bailey Patrice & Jonathan DavidCategories
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December 2017
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