Viewing entries tagged
gluten free
Here we are in summer, my favorite time to browse the farmers markets and get in the kitchen!
This recipe is fun to explore with a mash-up of your favorite seasonal stone fruits in any combination you like.
Think cherry –– plum or peach–– apricot!
Treat yourself to this all-pleasure (no guilt) late summer delicacy and savor every bite.
If you like warming and hearty foods at this time of year, this delicious bowl of goodness may be just right for you this solstice week. It can be made stove top, instant pot or crock pot and the recipe has all three options.
We made this recently on a chilly night up at our cabin, with the warmth and ambiance of our pellet stove burning. it warmed us up just right.
And I just love the crunch of the kale chips on top. So much texture and flavor fun.
And yes! Another Butcher Box Win:
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First, I just want to say that these turned out perfectly. I wanted to make a grain-free ginger snap because I used to love eating ginger snaps with my French Canadian Granny, but I don’t do so well with grains. Also, I love warming flavors like ginger and cinnamon during these colder months.
I chose to make them AIP (Auto-immune Paleo) friendly because I personally don’t do well with almond flour which is in almost all paleo baking and I have many clients on the AIP diet for inflammation and autoimmunity. I have been wanting to bake with Tigernut flour for a while now. Though the word nut is in Tigernut, this flour is actually totally nut free.
Tigernuts are not nuts at all. Rather, they are small root vegetables which comprised 80% of our Paleo ancestors’ diet around 2 million years ago. This ancient superfood originates from Africa. It is currently cultivated in West Africa & Spain.
How fun right?
Anyhow….I hope you enjoy these. I followed these directions precisely and they came out perfectly golden, but soft in the middle, just like my Granny used to make.
Enjoy!
The warming flavors of fall fare are infused into this delicious paleo (grain-free) granola. Top with your favorite milk or yogurt and you have yourself a simple and quick breakfast of snack.
So simple to make, and so great to have ready to go!
Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a powerhouse ingredient that boosts the chromium levels in your blood, an important nutrient that helps with blood sugar regulation and stability.
Ginger: Ginger is known for its medicinal properties including a high level of antioxidants and antimicrobial elements. Research shows that ginger is a highly antimicrobial food.
Nutmeg: Another tasty and warming fall spice that soothes indigestion and increases immune function.
Cozy up with this delicious bowl of goodness!
Tasty, super simple and so pretty. Feel free to slice your cauliflower into pretty steaks and serve with this delicious and mouth watering Chimichurri
There are simply thousands of reasons to eat more cruciferous vegetables. Cauliflower, and many others in the Brassica family, are known for outstanding health benefits.
One of my favorites is from a Journal of American Medicine study where it was shown that five servings per week of brassica (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, watercress, cabbage and radish) arrest the growth of breast cancer cells!
Eat your brassica friend!
These two fall flavors are my favorite together. Juicy fall pears with warming spicy ginger. What could be more warming and delicious. There is always room for guilt free comfort food in the Boulder Nutrition Kitchen.
Pears are known in Traditional Chinese Medicine to support strengthening the lungs as the weather changes.
Ginger is a warming superfood that has immunity boosting properties as well and soothing for the lungs and digestion.
Grain free to keep it gluten free, Paleo and Keto friendly!
I hope you enjoy this yummy fall treat.
I grew up eating BLTs with my dad. It was one food that we both loved, especially when we had fresh garden tomatoes to use.
Lately, I have been playing with this lettuce wrap version (and adding 🥑 avocado). Butter lettuce is my favorite lettuce for a lettuce wrap, and pair it with avocado mayo and it's a little slice of heaven.
Try this yummy lunch when you can!
GENEEN ROTH
Vegan or Paleo? Gluten free or whole grain? Whole food or fat free? What we “should” eat gets a lot of press these days. We know eating healthy is a great first step, but when it comes to aligning with a particular eating style, there are many factors to consider.
Eaters are often left confused around which eating style to choose in order to obtain optimal health and vitality––if choosing any at all. Each of the eating styles below comes with specific health benefits and characteristics that may help you navigate what lands on your plate.
The whole food diet is likely the most basic and simple way of eating. Whole food eating means eating food in its whole form with minimal processing. In 2011, Harvard School of Public Health created one formula of a whole food diet, The Healthy Eating Plate: A simple and thorough guide to creating healthy whole food meals. With this version of a whole food diet a few simple guidelines are recommended:
o Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruits
o One-quarter of your plate with whole grains
o One-quarter of your plate with proteins (plant or animal based)
o Use healthy natural oils in moderation
o Drink lots of water (avoid sugary drinks)
o Get your daily exercise.
These guidelines are basic, simple and healthful. If you are dealing with specific health issues, you may need to alter the foods within the whole food regimen to address your health more assertively.
Gluten free substitutions and health trends have become more and more popular in local health food stores over the past decade. Studies now show that 1 percent of the population has celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and 10 percent of Amercians are gluten sensitive. Grains containing gluten include wheat, spelt, barley, rye, farro, and kamut (along with other grains that may be contaminated with gluten such as oats).
While many of us may not be technically gluten intolerant or sensitive (or undiagnosed) eating less gluten can be beneficial for reasons such as decreasing inflammation, improving candida symptoms, healing leaky gut, and reducing migraines.
But don’t be fooled, eating gluten free does not guarantee your health. Beware of the ingredients in many gluten free substitutions as they are often refined, high in sugar, GMO’s, or preservatives.
Originally coined by Dr. Weston A Price, the Traditional diet is exactly what it sounds like: Eating the traditional and local food of your climate and culture. In the early 1900’s, Dr. Price travelled around the globe, making the world his laboratory, while he observed many cultures far and wide––from Eskimos to Swiss and African tribes to Polynesian Sea islanders. His research is based on the dental structure and health of these varying populations and how their traditional diets affected physical degeneration related to nutritional deficiencies.
His complete body of work can be found in his masterpiece: Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. The Weston A. Price Foundation was created in 1999 to continue his work and research in the world, while also educating folks on restoring nutrient dense foods to the human diet.
The Traditional Diet recommends a whole food based regimen based on nutrient dense local foods from plants and animals, with a special focus on nutrient dense foods, such as local cultured butter, local raw milk, farm fresh egg yolks, bone broth, as well as traditional sourdough breads and organ meats.
The Paleo regimen is fairly simple: If the caveman did not eat it, then neither should you. The Paleo diet is based on the premise that genetically, we are almost identical to our caveman ancestors. While studies show this premise to be only partially true, this hunter-gatherer type of eating style has many positives. Paleo eaters avoid processed sugar, grains, legumes and dairy.
The Paleo eating style is based on a diet heavy in
o Vegetables
o Fruits
o Unprocessed meats of all sorts
o Eggs, nuts and seeds.
While some folks find it meat heavy, studies have shown the Paleo diet has a positive impact on glucose intolerance, weight loss, and cardiovascular health. The Paleo Diet is a highly anti-inflammatory, pure and clean option to check out.
Originally created by the medical community as a supportive diet for children with epilepsy, the Ketogenic diet focuses on high fat and protein foods that force the body into a ketogenic state—burning fat for energy instead of the usual glucose and glucose-rich carbohydrates. This eating style surely busts the myth that “fat makes you fat”.
The Ketogenic diet has become more widespread recently with various associated health benefits outside of managing childhood epilepsy. While the Ketogenic diet requires more than a little diligence and a commitment and many folks question these drastic dietary changes, studies show that the extended use of the Ketogenic diet has a positive impact on weight loss, body mass index, cholesterol levels (raising HDL and lowering LDL) and blood glucose levels with no noted long term safety issues.
With digestive issues on the rise, the low FODMAP diet addresses some of the more common digestive issues of our time and is often recommended because many eaters have trouble digesting short-chain carbohydrates (tiny carbohydrates with less than 10 sugars).
FODMAP stands for "Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols”. The result of eating high FODMAP foods can be that these partially digested carbohydrates reach the large intestine and create a fermentation effect. Also, in the gut one’s “bad bacteria” uses these partially digested carbohydrates for fuel, exacerbating digestive issues, leading to gas, bloating, stomach pain and even constipation.
While the low FODMAP diet can feel a bit restrictive and challenging at first, studies show this diet to be a very healing option for many who struggle with IBS. You can find a complete list of the high FODMAP foods to avoid here.
Whole30 was founded by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig in 2009. Their Motto: Eat. Real. Food. This popular 30-day program is a whole food short-term nutritional reset, governed by a few particular do’s and don’ts. Do’s include eating a real food diet rich in meats, fish, eggs, poultry, natural fats, and spices. Don’ts are to avoid processed sugars (including artificial sweeteners), grains, alcohol, legumes, dairy, MSG, sulfites and carrageenan and processed foods of any kind.
While there is no recommended calorie counting or weighing during the program (in fact it is forbidden), weight loss is highlighted as a primary benefit. Whole30 is considered more of a diet than an eating style with it’s 30-day focus on structure, duration, support, and regulation.
Michael Pollan said it well: “Eat food, mostly plants.” This is the foundation of the plant-based diet. Plant-based is not as strict as it sounds, with a wide range of plant based foods – vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes and can include small amounts of animal protein.
Often confused with the vegan or vegetarian diet, plant-based eating has a foundation of plant-based foods without the strict guidelines.
But beware, according to the Harvard School of health: “All plants are not created equal”. Technically fruit juice, potato chips and white bread are plant-based foods but can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and bodily inflammation, while a diet high in leafy greens and whole food based plants can do wonders for health and vitality.
If you choose to eat plant-based, be sure to choose your plant-based foods wisely.
Veganism is known as a diet and lifestyle (often for ethical and environmental reasons) that excludes all forms of animal products, including all dairy, honey and eggs. When done well, the vegan diet can be sustainable, satiating and create and array of health benefits, specifically lowering body weight, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the rate of cardiovascular disease. However, not all vegan diets are healthy. Eating vegan requires attentiveness and an understanding that certain nutrients (such as omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, zinc, iodine iron, calcium, and iron) are harder to come by in the vegan world.
When eating vegan, it is important to stay away from processed, nutrient-weak foods that lack proteins and fats, instead choosing whole food proteins (in the form of nuts, seeds and legumes) and naturally fat-rich foods that provide a stronger base for nutrition, while in some cases supplementing with nutrients such as vitamin B12.
This witty marriage of the two words, flexible and vegetarian, was voted the third most popular diet trends of 2018 by US News. The diet was originally described in the book, "The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease and Add Years to Your Life," by registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner. Flexitarian eating emphasizes a diet high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, plant-based proteins with occasional animal protein options. The original Flexitarian regimen comes with a supportive menu plan, lots of resources on cooking tofu and other plant-based proteins, and many supportive intentions including pleasure, satiety, and convenience.
The Flexitarian diet is just like it sounds, flexible. While this works well for some, others may prefer a bit more structure. There are many versions of eating flexibly and finding the best one for you is important to consider.
Finding an eating style that works for you can take a little patience, education and mind-body awareness. In general, when filling your plate with nutrient-dense whole foods, you can be confident that you are getting a high quality nutritious diet. Many of the above eating styles are strong and healthy options that over time, you can customize to align with your health and wellness needs.
With the first signs of fall, I am immediately drawn into my kitchen. Roasting is one of the cooking styles I often associate with the weather changing and first signs of autumn.
This particular recipe is just delicious with late summer peaches and strawberries on top, or even the early signs of apple season.
Why soaked? When we soak our grains and nuts, it breaks down the enzyme inhibitors that tend to make digestion a bit more work on the body (great if you are healing your digestion) and in this particular recipe, the oats are soaked in a mix of yogurt and coconut oil which also begins the fermentation of the grain, adding in the potent probiotics that aid in digestion, boost the nutrient density of our food and build immunity for the coming season change.
The nuts in this particular recipe are also soaked and roasted (play with which nuts you want to include), which is optional but well worth the effort. You can find out how to soak and roast your nuts HERE.
The extra little bit of sea salt mixed with the sweet flavors of raw honey and cinnamon are such a favorite combination of mine. I hope you enjoy this yummy recipe as much as I do.
Try it with any variety of milk, or yogurt, or just as an on the go snack.
Pumpkin season is here! And there are so many ways to incorporate this delicious orange vegetable, and its healthy, crunchy seeds, into your diet.
These muffins are really low in added sugar. Bananas, Turkish figs, and a little coconut sugar lend a great balance of natural sweetness, along with lots of minerals. The almond flour and eggs provide lots of protein to keep you full and energized throughout the day.
Cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and allspice lend these muffins a warming, nourishing flavor and scent that will have you loving every bit of Autumn. Click the button below to find the recipe from our team member, Ailsa's, food blog – .Food to Feel Good – Happy eating!
Rolled oats have a wonderful, wholesome flavor and hardy texture. They provide you with lots of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and even a little protein, so they're sure to satisfy. Soak them in a bit of almond or coconut milk overnight and you’ll wake up to a delicious, healthy breakfast that is ready to grab-and-go.
Magnesium is another essential mineral found in oats, which is often deficient in the modern diet and vital for hundreds of metabolic reactions throughout the body. Due to the carbohydrate-rich nature of oats, it’s really important to include some healthy fats with them in order to slow your body’s absorption of these sugars and disperse that energy over a longer period of time. Almond butter is the perfect way to do that in these overnight oats, adding flavor and heart-healthy mono and poly-unsaturated fats.
Berries are a great topping since they’re overflowing with antioxidants and fiber while adding just the right about of natural sweetness (low glycemic). Blackberries are especially rich in compounds called anthocyanins that have been found to have anticancer and anti-aging effects.
Get your recipe for easy Berry Vanilla Overnight Oats and have a happy morning!
While the dry weather of fall (in Colorado for sure) comes with the need for a little beauty and skin attention, there are many brilliant and simple uses for this super food that I want to share with you that you can use all year long.
First, before we get to the miracle makings of my favorite of natures remedies, I want to be sure we clarify just a bit on the confuse about coconut oil:
Cooking with coconut oil is safe, nutrient rich and tasty. Coconut oil is a saturated fat, making it very stable to light and heat. Use coconut oil in your sauté, stir fry or baking.
Additionally, coconut oil consists almost entirely of medium chain fatty acids. These fatty acids go straight from the digestive tract to the liver, where they are likely to be turned into ketone bodies and provide a quick source of energy.
Coconut oil has many health benefits when used on the outside of the body as well. Known for it skin repair qualities, as well as its perfectly balanced PH naturally, coconut oil is a wonderful addition to your skin care regiment.
High in both vitamin E and medium chain fatty acids, your skin will thank you for the moisture, softenss and long term wrinkle control. I use coconut oil regularly on my skin especially during the warmer and dryer months of the year.
Put a dollup of coconut oil right into your morning smoothie, and you will notice your blood sugar remain stable for longer, a boost in your energy, and a nice smooth texture and flavor. If you have a blood sugar related health issue such as hypoglyciema, diabetes, PCOS, or acid reflux, coconut oil might be just the right addition to your morning smoothie.
Coconut oil in your breakfast is a great way to increase brain function, minimize sugar cravings, and keep your digestion healthy and strong.
Oil pulling is an age-old remedy that uses natural substances to clean and detoxify teeth and gums. It has the added effect of whitening teeth naturally and evidence even shows that it is beneficial in improving gums and removing harmful bacteria!
For now take about 1-2 tsp on a spoon and place into mouth. Swish for about 20 min. You will want to find something to occupy you like a meditation, folding some laundry or getting dressed. After about 20 min, spit oil into the sink ridding your mouth of toxins and bacteria. ** DO NOT SWALLOW.
YES! Coconut oil is great for your YONI ...and beyond. Coconut oil is by far the most natural, the most effective, and the most safe for lubrication and we know how good it is for your skin.
Keep a jar on your night stand for sensual massage, lubrication, tasty fun and delights to the senses. Bonus: because coconut oil is also an antibacterial remedy, you will find it helps with candida, yeast infections and other bothersome imbalances in the body.
I was never much of a coffee drinker, because coffee would mess up my blood sugar and leave me feeling wired, hyper and slightly ADD. The recent trend of bullet proof coffee (adding butter and coconut oil to your coffee + a few other goodies) has made my weekend coffee ritual very exciting.
Adding coconut oil to your coffee (or tea) will sustain your blood sugar and your energy much more effectively, while also boosting up the nutrient density of your favorite morning beverage.
Coconut oil is known to effectively support wound healing due to its medicinal antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, moisturizing and healing properties. Coconut oil can also keep infections at bay and prevent scarring with its perfectly balanced and moisturizing qualities.
Be sure to clean the would thoroughly first.
Most of you have heard of the gluten free movement by now. I am sure some of you have tried out this super trendy health regiment while others have shied away not knowing WHY this would be worth your time and efforts, or HOW you could ever survive without this food in your life. There are many questions when it comes to deciding if gluten free is for you. READ ON and you can make an informed decision if GLUTEN FREE LIVING is the right thing for you ~ the EATER.
Because the gluten free trend is so popular, many people are choosing to eat gluten free as a personal choice, not related to a specific allergy. Gluten is known to be an inflammatory food, and because it is found in SO MANY foods, including sauces, breads, Chinese food, grains, fried foods, salad dressings, and even soy sauce and tamari, it is often over eaten creating over exposure, inflammation and digestive distress.
Allergy, Intolerance and True Celiac Positive Tests
There are many ways to discover if you have a food allergy, food intolerance or a celiac positive situation. Having tested this on hundreds of patients using various methods, I must say that it seems critical to get your blood tested if you are seeking a scientific approach. When I administer a food allergy panel, the lab tests for fast reacting (food allergy), slow reacting (food intolerance) and celiac positive are all investigated.
This information is priceless. So often I see clients who are struggling with digestion, skin issues, chronic headaches, auto immune disease and many other issues and they are testing out the gluten free thing! Honestly, often it is NOT gluten that is the problem. So many times the results are surprising and even baffling with anything from almonds to eggs to dairy showing up and Negative gluten. WE CAN HELP! If you need this type of support simply reply to this email.
You can try to eliminate gluten for a month or so (100%) to see if you feel better and test it out in what we call the elimination/re-challenge method. You may see interesting symptoms appear, it may be as clear as day that gluten is a culprit to your health issues. This method requires a diligent removal of gluten so your body has a break from it completely. Follow up the elimination with a re-challenge so that you are confirming both the allergy and the symptoms related to the allergy.
If you do decide to go gluten free, there are many many resources available from on-line blogs and groups to on-line programs that educate you on cooking, food prep, menu-planning and product recommendations.
Gluten Free Resources
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You can also seek the support of your nutritionist or health care practitioner. If this decision is RIGHT for you, find your support systems and build up your resources so you are set up for success.
Gluten free is not for everyone, but gluten AWARENESS is! Here are a few tips: Be sure you are not over eating refine carbohydrates and letting gluten infiltrate into every area of your diet ~ You CAN develop an allergy with over exposure of a food. Be sure you rotate your foods and eat primarily a plant based diet based in whole foods. If you are eating GLUTEN FREE, be aware of putting too many "GLUTEN FREE" products that are not whole food based into your diet. Use them sparingly so that your "go-to" are unrefined unprocessed foods.
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